Google Pixel 6a Review: The Verdict
The Pixel 6a offers up snappy performance and a great camera, but is let down by subpar battery life. While the Pixel 6a is no longer competing with flagship devices in terms of camera prowess, it's still the mid-tier phone to beat when it comes to photography.
What we love
- Great value
- Zippy performance
- Best-in-class camera
What could be improved
- Poor battery
- No expandable storage
- Only Gorilla Glass 3 protection
The essentials
- Performance: Super snappy. No hitches or slowdown to report. Some of the smoothest performance in the category.
- Battery: Poor. Only achieves between three and four hours of screen time per charge. As such, all but light users will likely find themselves in need of a top-up throughout the day.
- Screen: Really nice! Stuck at 60Hz refresh rate, however, which bucks the trend of similar priced devices.
- Camera: The best camera you'll find in a mid-tier phone, but doesn't rival flagships like previous A-series Pixels.
80/100
The Pixel 6a flips the script on Google's previous budget smartphones. While past iterations of the more affordable series handset have given you a flagship camera at a mid-tier price, the Pixel 6a focuses on performance instead.
Instead of inheriting the Pixel 6's photographic prowess, the Pixel 6a gets its processor instead. Just like the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, the Pixel 6a is powered by Google's in-house Tensor processor. The Tensor might not be as fast as the top Apple or Qualcomm chipsets, but it still results in about as smooth an experience as you can get on a mid-tier phone right now. And hey, it also enables some nifty AI features.
Google Pixel 6a Performance
The Pixel 6a may not quite match the performance of $1,000 plus devices, but honestly, that won't matter for most. It offers up a smoother, more consistent experience than the vast majority of mid-tier phones I've tested, without the slightest of hitches in just under two weeks of testing.
Part of the Tensor pitch, however, is about the experiences it makes better. Google says its in-house chipset improves onboard AI and machine learning, which in turn helps with functionality like photography (more on that later) and speech recognition.
The Pixel 6a's smart dictation is easily my favourite Tensor-enabled feature. Instead of typing a message, you can tap a microphone button to start dictating to the phone, which writes it down in all but real-time, even adding in punctuation. It's super nifty.
In addition, the Pixel 6a can translate messages as you type without the need for an internet connection, and has improved live translation. Not needing to rely on WiFi or mobile coverage when overseas is a big win.
Google Pixel 6a Design
Design-wise, the Pixel 6a is essentially a smaller version of the Pixel 6. The key difference is a more compact display, with the Pixel 6a measuring in at 6.1-inch. The standard Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch screen. This makes the Pixel 6a about as small as Android phones get these days, with most measuring at least 6.5-inch.
Size aside, the Pixel 6a is pretty much a dead ringer for the Pixel 6. You'll find the rather unique camera bar on the back, along with a two-tone glass finish. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I like that Google is doing something different and giving the Pixel family its own sense of identity.
In terms of more premium features, the Pixel 6a has an IP67 water-resistance rating, but misses out on wireless charging and a high refresh rate display. If I had to pick, water-resistance is definitely the more useful feature.
One other downgrade worth noting is that the Pixel 6a only has Gorilla Glass 3 protection, while the standard Pixel 6 uses Gorilla Glass Victus on the screen and Gorilla Glass 6 on the back. This means the Pixel 6a is going to be a bit more susceptible to fall damage and scratches when compared to its more expensive sibling. It's definitely worth considering a case if you're clumsy.
The Pixel 6a has the same update policy as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. You're looking at three years of operating system updates, and five years of security. This will see it through to Android 15, and you'll still keep getting security patches for a decent chunk of time after.
Weirdly, Samsung's security update policy is better than Google's these days, with most of its mid-tier phones now getting four major operating system updates, and five years of security. It would be great to see Google match or exceed Samsung, given it, you know, makes Android. Three major operating system upgrades is still definitely on the better side for Android, however.
Google Pixel 6a Battery
Battery is the Pixel 6a's biggest weakness. I was only able to get between three and four hours of screen time per charge, which is poor (although admittedly about the same as the standard Pixel 6). This means moderate and more demanding users will struggle to make it through a full day per charge. Lighter users should still be able to, however.
Google Pixel 6a Camera
While the Pixel 6a doesn't inherit its camera from the standard Pixel 6, it still outclasses a lot of the phones you'll get in the price bracket. The results are much nicer than what you get from the iPhone SE and Galaxy A73 in low light, and images are more detailed across the board.
Here's a shot from the Pixel 6a:
And here's the same image from the new iPhone SE:
The difference is stark. The Pixel 6a image is brighter, sharper, and has more depth to it. Here's another comparison, once again, Pixel 6a up first:
And here's the iPhone SE:
You can easily tell the Pixel 6a captures a sharper, more detailed image.
At the same time, the Pixel 6a clearly doesn't have a flagship camera anymore. It can struggle a bit with moving options like energetic puppies, and while the low light is better than the competition, images can be a bit noisy. The results aren't bad by any measure - two or so years ago, they would have been up there with the best of the best - and even in 2022 that's still pretty good.
In terms of AI-assisted features that lean on the Tensor chipset, the Pixel 6a does have a pretty good portrait mode. It can deal with flyaways reasonably well, but it's a step down from what Samsung has achieved in the Galaxy S22 family.
The Pixel 6a also scores the Magic Eraser functionality from the standard Pixel 6. Magic Eraser is a tool that lets you remove photo bombers and the like from the background of shots, but the functionality is pretty hit and miss. It can do a decent enough job with simple backgrounds, but the results are messy when it comes to more complex images.
Google Pixel 6a - Final Thoughts
The Pixel 6a is a really nice midrange phone, but it's not the same kind of show stopper the Pixel 4a and Pixel 3a were. While those handsets stood head and shoulders above their peers thanks to flagship camera performance, the Pixel 6a is a little less exciting. It's still the camera phone to beat in the mid-tier, you're just not going to be pitting it against the standard Pixel 6 let alone the iPhone 13.
At $749 outright, the Pixel 6a competes in a crowded space. Samsung's Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73 are $50 cheaper and $50 more expensive, respectively. The Pixel 6a offers better camera and performance, but a smaller display and a worse battery.
The new iPhone SE is another natural alternative, coming in at the same price. While the iPhone SE is anachronistic in design, it has the fastest processor you can get in a phone right now and the best prospects for software and security updates in the long run.
But the most compelling alternative to the Pixel 6a is the standard Pixel 6. While it might retail for $999, it's regularly been discounted to around $800. It has better cameras, more RAM, better screen protection, and more. It doesn't solve the battery problem, but if you can grab it for $50 more, it's a great upgrade pick.
The Pixel 6a is nonetheless a great device. Battery life aside, it does everything you'd expect from a phone in its price bracket, and maybe even a little more.
Google Pixel 6a camera samples
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