After COVID-19 delayed last year's Pixel 4a launch to late summer, Google's budget smartphone appears to be returning to its regularly scheduled spring launch. According to a prominent leaker, the Pixel 5a is likely to arrive in June.

That leaker is Jon Prosser, and while his tweet does not provide a source for the Pixel 5a launch information, he is very specific about the date: the latest budget Pixel model will arrive on June 11, Prosser says.

Another prediction contained in that tweet: if you're interested in Google's wireless earbuds, the new Pixel Buds will appear in mid-April. If so, you're obviously in the minority, but we're not here to judge.

As for the Pixel 5a, a June release would coincide with Google's announcement of the original budget Pixel phone, the Pixel 3a, which debuted at the May 2019 developer conference; the Pixel 4a was expected to appear at the 2020 edition of Google I/O However, Google ultimately canceled that event because COVID-19 restrictions made it unsafe for large crowds. In the end, the Pixel 4a launch was pushed back to August, reportedly because Google was trying to time the launch with the reopening of its stores during the coronavirus pandemic.

Prosser has a mixed track record regarding leaks, and his Pixel 4a launch declarations were all over the place last year (although the uncertainty of COVID-19 played a major role in that). Still, the June 11 launch date is not outlandish, given Google's track record to date, and gives us a reasonable expectation of when we might see this rumored phone.

Not much else is known about the Pixel 5a, aside from a leaked rendered image and some accompanying specs that promise two rear-facing cameras, a 6.2-inch display, and a design reminiscent of the Pixel 4a, including a processor that will be included in the Pixel 5a, Other details have yet to be revealed. Nevertheless, the pace of Pixel 5a rumors will probably pick up now that a release date of early June is known.