For several years now, Google's made a habit of launching a mid-range version of its latest flagship months after that flagship's launch — and as the Pixel 6 wraps up its first six months on the market, we're thinking a lot about the Pixel 6a. We know quite a bit about the upcoming budget phone already, with leaks detailing components, features, and even retail packaging making headlines in recent weeks. Official confirmation of what to expect could come very soon — as soon as Google I/O next month. In the meantime, here's what we'd most like to see out of Google's next mid-range phone.

A Tensor CPU

Given we've been hearing since November that Google's next a-series phone will feature the same chipset as the existing Pixel 6 series, this one feels like a reasonable ask: we'd like to see a Tensor CPU in the Pixel 6a. Google's first self-branded chipset may not be the fastest on the market, but it affords the $600 Pixel 6 flagship-level performance at a mid-range price — performance that'd be all the more impressive at an even lower price point.

The Pixel 6 had an early history of buggy and uncharacteristically slow updates, though, and Tensor could be to blame for that. If it was, this one obviously comes with the caveat that we'd only like a Tensor-powered 6a if it can get timely, stable updates — which, considering the Pixel 6 has managed to get back on track, should be doable.

New camera hardware

The same reports that lead us to believe Google's forthcoming Pixel 6a will be Tensor-powered also say that the new mid-ranger will have the same camera hardware as the Pixel 5a — so this one seems less realistic. Even so, we'd be thrilled to see a Pixel 6a with newer camera sensors.

The Pixel 5a, like the Pixel 5 before it, used Sony's IMX363 sensor in its primary camera. In fact, up until the Pixel 6 series, every Pixel phone going back to the Pixel 3 had used that same Sony sensor. Google's able to wring some pretty impressive images out of it thanks to its finely honed software magic, but its newest phones' huge new sensor ushered in significant year-over-year improvements in image quality from the Pixel 5, particularly in low light. It'd be great if the Pixel a series got a similar upgrade this year.

Longer update support

Pixel phones used to get updates longer than phones from any other Android manufacturer. Recently, though, Samsung's stolen Google's thunder by pledging four OS updates and five years of security patches for select Galaxy phones. That doesn't reflect very well on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro's guaranteed three OS updates and five years of security updates — but it looks even worse for the Pixel 5a, which is slated to get OS and security patches until August 2024, just three years after its release.

At the very least, we'd like to see the Pixel 6a launch with the same update commitment as the Pixel 6 — three years of Android version updates and five years of security updates. More optimistically, it'd be great if Google could commit to an even longer lifespan — for both the 6a and the existing Pixel 6.

Wireless charging

Wireless charging is one of those nice-to-haves that Google's a-series phones have always lacked. And it makes sense; it's hard to argue wireless charging is essential to the smartphone experience at this point. Still, considering last year's Pixel 5a was the first Pixel a phone to have rated water and dust resistance, we're hopeful the 6a will mark another first. Wireless charging would make sense: more people with wireless-charging Pixels means more customers to buy Google's expensive wireless chargers, though it seems unlikely a more budget-friendly device would be able to take advantage of the second-gen Pixel Stand's 20-plus-watt charging speeds.

High-refresh rate display

It'd be fantastic to get wireless charging and a faster display in the 6a, but that seems unrealistic. If it isn't one, though, we hope it's the other.

These days, it's not uncommon to see even budget phones like the $250 Samsung Galaxy A13 rocking 90Hz panels. That particular 90Hz panel isn't especially good, but still: standards are shifting, and a Pixel 6a with a 60Hz display would feel decidedly dated, even at a mid-range price like the 5a's $450.

Wider availability

The Pixel 5a is, for most people on Earth, a remarkably difficult phone to get. While the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are available for purchase in an already-limited dozen countries each, you can only buy a Pixel 5a (officially, at least) if you live in one of two places: the United States or Japan. It's also not available through any US carriers (except Google Fi, but that almost doesn't count).

Broader availability for the Pixel 6a would be a win for everybody: customers in more places would have another mid-range option, and Google would have more people to sell that option to. We'll have to wait and see whether the company can make this one happen — supply chain issues haven't all resolved in the past year, and if Google's capacity to manufacture Pixel 6a phones is limited, we'll likely see it prioritize the same markets as last time.