The Google Pixel 6a is here. It has a fresh design, a custom Google chipset, and it now costs just $349. Is it a good buy in 2023? Here's our full review.
Google Pixel 6a MSRP $349.00 Score Details DT Recommended Product “While it may not be the knockout value that its predecessors were famous for, the Pixel 6a still delivers a lot of phone for not much money.” Pros Cons The Google Pixel 6a is the cheapest and smallest of the Pixel 6 lineup. Though the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro came out in 2021, Google releases a budget-friendly version of its Pixel lineup midway through the product cycle.
Following the light and compact Pixel 5 from 2020, Google went big with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. That meant big displays, taller dimensions, and heavier builds. It was a fine shift for folks who prefer larger smartphones, but as someone who really adored the small nature of the Pixel 5, it’s a shift I still haven’t come to terms with. Thankfully, the Pixel 6a addresses that.
Overall, it’s a perfectly fine screen for the $449 asking price. Colors are nice and punchy, it gets bright enough for comfortable outdoor use, and text is perfectly crisp in all use cases. There is some slight discoloration at certain viewing angles, but that’s par for the course with smartphones in this price bracket.
Google’s Tensor chip is also a solid performer for gaming. I played a lot of Call of Duty: Mobile, all in the name of work and science. Playing the game with Very High graphics and frame rate settings, multiplayer sessions ran without a hitch. Menus loaded quickly, touch input was responsive, and the game looked great while making my way through endless Hardpoint matches. Google’s Pixel A-series phones have always been good performers, but Tensor really does take things up a notch.
But that 50MP sensor is nowhere to be found on the Pixel 6a. Instead, it gets the same 12.2MP camera that Google’s been using since 2017 — featuring an f/1.7 aperture, optical image stabilization , and phase detection autofocus. It’s also joined by a 12MP ultrawide camera with a 114-degree field of view, plus an 8MP selfie camera.
And just like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, the Pixel 6a gets all of Google’s other camera tricks — including Portrait mode, Photo Sphere, and Real Tone. Magic Eraser is also present, as is a new Camouflage tool that allows you to mute distracting colors that take away from the subject of your pictures. And, unfortunately, that 18W wired charging is the only option you have on the Pixel 6a. Just like the Pixel 3a, Pixel 4a, and Pixel 5a before it, the Pixel 6a does not support wireless charging.
While it may lack some of the deep customization and tweaking compared to Samsung’s One UI and OnePlus’s OxygenOS, Google’s take on Android has long been my personal preference. The interface is clean, Material You scratches my customization itch, and little features like Now Playing and Hold for Me are legitimately difficult to live without on other smartphones.
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