Google I/O 2021: Android 12, no Pixel 6 but Pixel 5a expected

Google I/O 2021 goes live at 10.30 pm on May 18. The company is expected to unveil Android 12 and a few hardware products like the Google Pixel 5a. The Android 12 developer event will go virtual owing to the pandemic. Ahead of the launch, many details have leaked online and here is what to expect from Google I/O 2021.

Google I/O 2021 event will go virtual this year due to the pandemic. Interested viewers can watch the Android 12 event at 10:30 pm IST or 10 am PT on Google’s YouTube channel. 

Android 12 is expected to be the main highlight of Google I/O 2021. Several details of the upcoming Android 12 update have leaked online ahead of the Google I/o 2021 event. The next-generation Android update is rumoured to get a visual overhaul. Android 12 is likely to offer a “beautiful new experience” and “stronger privacy with security protections.”

Leaked details by tipster Jon Prosser suggest that Android 12 will include some design changes in the key UI elements. It will have a new media widget and a battery saver toggle. Google is also redesigning the volume slider and the brightness slider in Android 12. Even the weather and clock widgets are getting a newly-designed widget. 

Google will release Android 12 with a stacked notification panel and the ability to manually group notifications. Other details include a new home screen with a huge clock in the centre. Android 12 will show the number of unread notifications on the top-left corner, next to the clock when the phone is unlocked. Previously leaked details suggest that Google will also bring its own version of the clipboard access prompt, which is a key iOS 14 feature. Other list of Android 12 features rumoured include a new “Conversations” widget, stacked widgets, etc.

Google has confirmed that the Pixel 5a will launch this year. It is expected that the company will announce the Pixel 5a at the Google I/O 2021. It will be available later this year in the U.S. and Japan. It is possible that the search engine giant announces the Pixel 5a for the Indian market in the coming days. Google skipped the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 launch in India. It instead launched the Pixel 4a 4G in the country. Currently, there is no official word on the Google Pixel 5a launch in India. It is worth noting that the  Pixel 5a has been approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for its launch in the country. 

Leaked Pixel 5a design renders reveal that the device will be quite similar to the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. The hole-punch display will be flat and tall at 6.2-inches. it will have an OLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution - the same as the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a. 

The camera module on the plastic back is getting an upgrade though. Google Pixel 5a will come with a dual-camera setup instead of a single lens on the Pixel 4a. We speculate that the company would add the Pixel 5’s 12MP + 16MP camera sensors. There is also an additional third sensor, which is speculated to be the Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) sensor. The device also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Google will launch the Pixel 5a with a headphone jack and stereo speakers, according to OnLeaks. The device will be 8.8mm thick. 

The processor details are currently under the wraps. It could run on the upcoming Android 12 operating system out of the box.

There is a slight chance that Google could unveil the Pixel 6 series at the Google I/O 2021 event.

Google Pixel Watch render images had leaked earlier this year. The leaked images reveal the design and confirm that the smartwatch will boot on Google’s own WearOS. It will have a bezel-less design language with the circular screen meeting the case. There is also a button on the right edge, which is likely to be a power/ function key. The smartwatch is likely to come in Black and Silver case designs with nearly 20 different straps to choose from, according to tipster Jon Prosser.

Other details of the device are unknown. We can expect the smartwatch to come with good integration with the upcoming Pixel 6 and Android 12 features.