Newly unveiled at Google I/O, the Pixel 6a has seen a significant upgrade over its predecessor. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro’s less expensive sibling, the Pixel 5a, was released last year and offers many of the same features as the more expensive Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, but at a lesser price.
OnePlus Nord 2 and the iPhone SE (2022) will be stiff competitors for Google’s new phone when it is released. With a Tensor chip, Google’s outstanding photography software, and a low pricing, it has a decent chance of making our list of the best inexpensive phones.
GOOGLE PIXEL 6A SPECS
- Price: $449
- OS: Android 12
- Display: 6.1-inch OLED
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- CPU: Google Tensor
- RAM: 6GB
- Storage / Expandable: 128GB / No
- Rear cameras: 12.2MP main, 12MP ultrawide
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery: 4,410mAh
- Charging: 18W wired
- Size: 6.0 x 2.8 x 0.35 depth inches/152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm
- Weight: 6.3 oz/178 g
- Colors: Sage, Chalk, Charcoal
A look at what Google has said about the Pixel 6a and how it stacks up against its competitors follows.
Google Pixel 6a: New features and specs
- On July 21, pre-orders for the Pixel 6a begin at $449.
- From 6.34 inches on the Pixel 5a to 6.01 inches on the Pixel 6A, the Pixel 6a sports a smaller display. Maintaining 60 Hz refresh rate (bummer).
- Powered by Google’s own hardware, the Pixel 6a features the Tensor chip. Memory and storage capacity total six gigabytes on this device.
- A 12.2 MP wide camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera are included, giving you a total of two cameras. Other photo features, including Magic Eraser and Face Unblur are included in the Pixel 6-grade photo features.
- Google has promised security patches for at least five years, which is a significant commitment.
- Instead of relying on a back-mounted sensor, the phone has an under-display fingerprint sensor. Another one is expected to replace the Pixel 6’s slow-moving sensor.
- Compared to the 5a’s 4,680 mAh battery, the 4410 mAh battery is noticeably more compact. However, it is hoped that the battery life will be unaffected by the reduced display.
Google Pixel 6a release date and price
The Pixel 6a will be available for pre-order on July 21 and will go on sale to the general public on July 28 for a suggested retail price of $449/£399/AU$749. There are some markets where this price is comparable to that of the Pixel 5a and Samsung Galaxy A53. While it costs $429 in the United States and $719 in Australia, the iPhone SE 2022 is cheaper in the United Kingdom (where it costs £429).
The increased accessibility is much more welcome than the lower price. Only the United States and Japan were able to purchase the Pixel 5a. The Pixel 6a is now available in more countries, including the United Kingdom.
However, the Pixel 6 could pose a significant issue for the Google Pixel 6a. Only $150/£200/AU$200 separates the Pixel 6 from the Pixel 6a, making the latter a better deal than the impending low-cost Pixel phone due to its improved features, including as a 90Hz refresh rate, battery, and RAM.
Check out our Google Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 6a and Google Pixel 6a vs. Pixel 5a comparisons for more in-depth comparisons of Google’s new mid-priced phone and its cousins.
Google Pixel 6a design and display
On the back of the Pixel 6a, Google has used a camera bar design, a central punch-hole front-facing camera, and an under-display fingerprint sensor beneath the display (but using a different sensor to the annoyingly slow one on the Pixel 6 series). The lenses are now more prominently shown due to the cameras being combined behind a single rectangular glass cover.
Unlike the Pixel 5a, which had a headphone jack, the Pixel 6 does not have one. Google Pixel Buds Pro may be a good alternative for those who don’t want to shell out for the more expensive Google Pixel Buds.
You can choose from Charcoal black, Chalk white, or Sage green from Google’s colour palette. The colours here aren’t the most vibrant, but they should be adequate for the majority of people.
If you’re worried about your phone getting wet, the Pixel 6a is dust- and water-resistant to IP67 standards.
Google Pixel 6a: display
Gorilla Glass 3 protects the Pixel 6a’s 6.1-inch AMOLED display, which offers an FHD resolution. The Pixel 5a’s 6.34-inch screen is slightly smaller, but not by enough to make you reconsider upgrading.
Because of this, the Pixel 6a can only display content at 60 frames per second. Compared to the smoother 90Hz or 120Hz rates on most contemporary Android phones, this is a lot slower. As far as 60Hz goes, at least the iPhone SE 2022 has company.
Fortunately, a leaked video from Google France appears to show a new fingerprint sensor under the display that appears to operate better than the Pixel 6’s irritating reader.
Video has been taken down, however there is no doubt that this version is significantly quicker than the flagship model.
Google Pixel 6a cameras
This time around, the Pixel 6a has a lower-quality camera than the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. For the 6a, Google appears to be focusing on the Tensor chip.
In terms of camera quality, though, the Pixel 6a offers a 12.2MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, and an 8MP front-facing selfie camera.
The Pixel 5a’s 16MP ultrawide camera has a lower resolution than the ultrawide camera on the Pixel 5a. Although this may be compensated for with a larger sensor that provides more light.
A low-light photography option (not always present on phones at this price range), Magic Eraser (with the ability to recolor objects) and Face Unblur, some of our favourite features of the Pixel 6 experience, are all promised for the Pixel 6a as well. Photographers may capture 4K video at a frame rate of up to 60 frames per second, while videographers can capture slow-motion video at a frame rate of up to 240 frames per second.
Google Pixel 6a performance
The former Pixel a-series phones’ Snapdragon sensors have been replaced with a Google Tensor chipset in the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Compared to most of its competitors, this should offer it a lot more power, but it may not be able to compete with the Pixels because it only has 6GB of RAM instead of 8GB or 12GB of RAM.
There is only one 128GB model available. If you’re a photography fanatic or have a lot of apps on your phone, you’ll probably have no problem with storage capacity.
Google has confirmed that the Pixel 6a will support 5G, including both the standard sub-6GHz variant and the less common mmWave variant, which is used by a small number of US carriers. If you’re want to upgrade to the Pixel 6a while keeping your current service provider, there is good news.
Google Pixel 6a battery and charging
The Pixel 6a is powered by a 4,410 mAh battery, which is slightly smaller than the 4,680 mAh battery found in the Pixel 5a. The 5a didn’t do well in the TG custom battery test, so perhaps Google has made some other improvements to make the phone more efficient.
In any case, according to Google, there’s no need to be concerned. Official battery life estimates put the 6a at 24 hours of normal use and up to 72 hours with its Extreme Battery Saver mode enabled.
The charging pace hasn’t altered from last year. However, unlike the Pixel 5a, which could be charged at 30W, the Pixel 6a is only capable of being charged at 18W. The 6a may not be the best option if you’re short on time and need a quick recharge.
Google Pixel 6a: software
In addition to the typical Google-exclusive features, the PIxel 6a will be preloaded with Android 12 at launch. Other goodies include Live Translate and the Magic Eraser.
We had anticipated that Google’s guarantee of five years of upgrades for the Pixel 6 would extend to the Pixel 6a, which would have made it an excellent long-term investment. With only five years of security updates promised by Google, you may miss out on a couple of years of Android improvements if you buy the Pixel 6a now. It’s still a decent deal, given that many Android phones don’t receive complete upgrades for more than a year or two.
Google Pixel 6a outlook
We can’t wait to get our hands on the Pixel 6a, which has just been unveiled.. After last year’s capable but underwhelming Pixel 5a, this year’s model appears to be a lot more dynamic phone, offering all the Google-exclusive features we hoped for.
A few weeks before we can get our hands on the phone, but maybe we’ll discover that it’s an excellent rival to the iPhone SE and the Galaxy A53, allowing customers to have plenty of options even when they’re not spending flagship-level dollars.