From PC Mag: They did it again—AT&T and Verizon will be selling two different models of Google's new Pixel 6a phone. The difference is millimeter-wave 5G - a change which makes Verizon's unit $50 more expensive than AT&T's.
Verizon says its Pixel 6a, coming on July 21, will support all three layers of its 5G network and will cost $499. AT&T, on the other hand, says its Pixel 6a will support "mid-band 5G+" and cost $449. (T-Mobile hasn't announced a Pixel 6a yet.) The direct-sale model will also cost $449, according to Google's announcement, so that Google model probably also won't have millimeter-wave.
The AT&T and unlocked models may also include new mid-band 5G capabilities based on airwaves AT&T is activating later this year, but AT&T did not confirm that to us.
Millimeter-wave is the fastest and shortest-range form of 5G, but since it was introduced a few years ago, it's consistently made phones more expensive. To use millimeter-wave, phones need several special antenna modules, and a combination of the cost of the modules, IP licensing and design seems to always add up to higher-cost phones.
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