The Pixel 6a is Google’s latest mid-range smartphone that offers the same chips and performance as its flagship phones, but in a new, smaller body at a cheaper price.
The phone costs £399 ($449 / A$749), which is £200 less than the Pixel 6, but offers 80% of what you get with Google’s top models.
The 6a also looks like the Pixel 6 with a reduction beam. It has a flat glass front, stereo speakers, painted aluminum sides, and a two-tone back with a camera bar on top. The 6a is 29g lighter and the back is made of high-quality plastic instead of glass, but it still feels as solid and well-made as its big brother.
The camera bar on the back is still a distinctive design element, but it sticks out less than other Pixel phones, making it feel easier on desktops. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The smaller 6.1-inch OLED screen lacks the Pixel 6’s fast refresh rate, which makes it run slightly less smoothly, but it’s otherwise sharp, colorful and bright. The smaller screen makes the 6a about the size of an iPhone 13 and an excellent balance between being big enough without being too big to hold comfortably.
Specifications
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Display: 6.1 inches 60 Hz FHD+ OLED (429 ppi)
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Processor: Google Tensor
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RAM: 6 GB
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Storage: 128GB
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Operating system: Android 12
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Camera: 12.2 MP + 12 MP ultra-wide, 8 MP selfie
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Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and GNSS
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Water resistance: IP67 (1m for 30 minutes)
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Dimensions: 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm
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Weight: 178 g
Chip Top Tensor
The Pixel 6a takes 1 hour 45 minutes to fully charge, reaching 60% in 44 minutes with a USB-C adapter that outputs 18W or more (not included). No wireless charging. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The Pixel 6a has the exact same Tensor processor as Google’s flagship 2021 phones with slightly less RAM, making it faster than almost all other mid-range competitors and well-optimized for the various systems Google AI
Battery life is also pretty good for a smaller phone, lasting around 34 hours between charges, which matches the larger Pixel 6 and puts it on par with many top-tier rivals. That was with the screen on for about five hours in various messaging, note-taking and utility apps, the browser and taking about 20 photos, spending about two hours on 5G, the rest on Wi-Fi.
sustainability
The fingerprint scanner is faster and more reliable than the Pixel 6, but it’s still not as good as the best out there. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
Google doesn’t provide an expected life for the battery, but it should last more than 500 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity. The Pixel 6 can be repaired by Google and third-party shops. Screen repairs cost £119 and batteries cost £69 outside of Google’s warranty.
The Pixel 6a is made from recycled glass, plastic and aluminum, which accounts for around 20% of the phone’s weight. The company publishes reports on the environmental impact of some of its products. Google will recycle old devices for free.
Android 12
Google’s version of Android is fast and full of fun color customization, although some of the wide variety of wallpaper options are a bit odd. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The Pixel 6a ships with Android 12, which includes tons of customization options, smart improvements, and impressive local AI features. For more information, check out our Pixel 6 Pro review. The 6a will be one of the first devices to receive the Android 13 update, which will roll out soon.
Google will provide at least five years of software and security updates, including at least three major versions of Android. Samsung supports many of its phones for five years, while Fairphone aims for six years and Apple supports its iPhone for up to seven years.
camera
The camera app is easy to use and has useful photo aids to help you get the best shot with little effort, but it lacks a dedicated macro photography mode. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The Pixel 6a has a pair of 12-megapixel cameras on the back: a main and an ultra-large, but no telephoto camera for zoom. Google’s camera software is some of the best in the business, and as a result, the 6a takes photos that beat many phones costing twice the price.
The main camera produces beautifully balanced photos, rich in detail and dynamic range across a range of light levels. The ultrawide is just as good, if slightly softer in fine detail, but is consistent in color and tone with the main camera, which is not the case with most at this price. The dedicated night vision mode produces great images in low light, while the digital zoom is pretty good at 2x but falters at 7x.
Portrait mode is very good and works on both objects and pets as well as people, while video quality up to 4K at 60 frames per second is solid. The 8MP selfie camera is equally effective at capturing a wealth of detail.
The camera app has many of the features of other Google phones, such as the object eraser or camouflage tools, which recolor unwanted and distracting elements in a photo to make them less obvious .
Overall, while the 6a can’t quite match the Pixel 6’s cameras, it’s really not far off from beating smartphones costing more than twice the price and beating the mid-range competition.
price
The Google Pixel 6a costs £399 ($449 / A$749) with 128GB of storage in a choice of three colors and will ship on July 28.
In comparison, the Pixel 6 costs £599, the Samsung Galaxy A53 £399, the Nothing Phone 1 £399, the Fairphone 4 £499 and the Apple iPhone SE £419.
verdict
Google is on the move. After years of good-but-not-great phones, the Pixel 6a is another great model that brings the magic of the Android maker down to a more affordable price.
It uses the same recipe that makes Apple’s iPhone SE so good: a mid-range phone with the company’s top chip. This makes the 6a faster than almost any other £399 phone and gives it access to the same features as Google’s flagship phones. Battery life is also very good for a smaller phone.
The software is smart and refined, and will be updated for at least five years, which is longer than most rivals. The camera is miles better than any mid-range model, competing with phones twice the price or more.
While the back is less premium, plastic not glass, and the display isn’t as smooth as rivals, it still looks great. The smaller size also makes it easier to hold.
The Pixel 6a is the best mid-range phone you can buy, and a great choice if you’re looking for a smaller Android.
Pros: Brilliant camera, good smaller screen, superior performance, good battery life, recycled aluminum, five years of security updates, Android 12, smart software features, competitive pricing.
Cons: Rather slow loading, no optical zoom, no macro photo mode, no face unlock option, 60Hz display only.
The two-tone black is a little dull compared to some of the other color versions of the Pixel range. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian