Google reportedly working on Pixel Mini phone ahead of October launch event

Google is slated to host its Made by Google event on October 6. The search engine giant will launch the Pixel 7 series smartphones and the Pixel Watch at the upcoming event. Meanwhile, details about the alleged devices continue to pop up on the internet.

Now, a new report claims that the upcoming Pixel 7 series will comprise a "mini" model. In other words, a Google Pixel mini could be in the offing next month. In a Weibo post, reliable leakster Digital Chat Station claims that Google is working on a flagship smartphone with a small screen.

This small-screen device is reportedly codenamed Neila. Furthermore, the Mini Pixel device could adopt the same design as its larger siblings. So, the Mini could sport a centrally aligned hole-punch display and a dual-tone rear panel with the camera visor.

Regrettably, DCS hasn't shared any additional detail about the Mini Pixel device. Interestingly, this report comes after Apple ditched the iPhone mini lineup this year. The Cupertino-based tech company replaced its small-screen iPhone with an iPhone 14 Plus model. The move was widely considered Apple's attempt to cash in on the popularity of large display smartphones.

Ironically, some reports suggest that the iPhone 14 Plus pre-bookings are lower than that of last year's iPhone 13 Mini. So, Google could be trying to take advantage of Apple's decision to discontinue the Mini. It will be interesting to see if Google teases the Pixel Mini at its impending launch event.

The company will be unveiling its first-ever smart wearable, dubbed Google Pixel Watch at the event. However, it is worth mentioning here that the new leak comes from China. However, Pixel-related leaks usually come from the west. Likewise, upcoming products from Google are normally spotted on a codebase, which is not the case with the Pixel Mini yet. So, this speculation should be taken with a grain of salt.

Notably, the Pixel 6a is currently the smallest Google Pixel model. To recap, the Pixel 6a went official earlier this year, sporting a 6.1-inch OLED display. The handset packs a Google Tensor chipset under the hood and has 6GB of RAM. The 6a ships with 128GB of onboard storage capacity and houses a dual rear camera setup.