The Pixel 6a may not offer Google Camera’s Motion Mode
Why? Well, despite the fact the phone is said to come with the Google Tensor SoC, just like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, it will have older camera hardware. This may be the reason behind this. This was discovered by Kuba Wojciechowsk, as he spotted the code for showing Pixel Tips about Motion Mode is intended to appear on devices with PIXEL_2021_EXPERIENCE. That includes the Pixel 6 series, and the 6a. The thing is, the code is built to exclude devices with the codename ‘bluejay’, and that seems to be the Pixel 6a. That was kind of confirmed several times thus far, though not officially. Considering that the ‘Motion Mode’ won’t be included in the Pixel Tips on the device, kind of suggests the feature won’t be available. That does not surprise us, to be quite honest, due to the older camera hardware that is expected.
Older camera hardware is to blame, it seems
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro ship with a 50-megapixel ISOCELL GN1 camera sensor. The Pixel 6a is expected to include a 12.2-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor. That is the same sensor that Google used in the Pixel 2, 3, 4, and 5. That is not surprising, as that sensor still performs really well on the aforementioned devices. Google had to differentiate the Pixel 6a somehow, and cut costs at the same time. The Pixel 6a is supposed to be a budget phone after all. That handset is tipped to look very similar to the Pixel 6, though. It will be a bit smaller, based on reports. It is expected to include a 6.2-inch display, instead of a 6.4-inch one. That will still be a flat AMOLED display, a fullHD+ panel. It will offer either a 60Hz or 90Hz refresh rate. Google is expected to announce the Pixel 6a on May 11. If you’d like to know more about the device, check out our Pixel 6a preview.
