As we are used to every summer, Google has just launched the economical version of its very recent Pixel 6: the Pixel 6a. No doubt the Pixel 6, launched nine months ago, was one of the reveal phones of the year, proof is that Google it sold more units of this terminal than of all its predecessors combined; and that’s why the Pixel 6a has raised a lot of expectations. This new phone allows us to save 200 euros compared to the Pixel 6staying fair 459 eurosthe question is in exchange for what.
The Pixel 6a’s display is a 6.1 inch FHD OLED, which comes in at 429 pixels per inch compared to 411 dpi, of the Pixel 6. In other words, the 6a has a slightly higher pixel density because the screen is a bit smaller. The only difference in the panel is the refresh rate, from 90Hz on the Pixel 6, which drops to 60hz on 6asomething that in reality, on a day-to-day basis, is also not very noticeable, unless you use the phone for intensive gaming.
As for I design the 6a model, it is the same as the 6 and 6 Pro, with this strip that brings together the cameras so characteristic. The Pixel 6a is a bit smaller, but that’s barely noticeable. The main difference is in the material that Google has used in the casing, which has lowered the quality of the finish, with a more plastic feel than glass, as the high end usually has.
The change of material also makes the resistance to dust and water less, from IP68, we go to IP67; that is, if the Pixel 6a is submerged in water, it will last less than the 6 without sustaining damage. The Pixel 6a comes in three colors, Classic Black, Sage Green, and Chalk.
The same “heart” as his older brother
The interesting thing is at the heart of the Pixel 6a, since it uses the same processor as its bigger brothers, the Titan M2. A processor capable of directly facing high-end processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Gen 1 and which, curiously, also works a little better in the 6a than in the 6, with smoother behavior.
The Titan M2 comes with 128 gigabytes of internal storage and 6 gigabytes of RAM, 2 gigabytes less than the Pixel 6. . in the Pixel 6a. We noticed it generates a bit of heat in testing, but in summer temperatures it’s hard to judge.
Sacrifices in the rooms
The main camera was another aspect where Google cut. Go from using the 50-megapixel Quad Bayer Octa PD as the main camera to a 12.2-megapixel Dual Pixel. We also lose the LDAF sensor with laser focus, replaced by a software autofocus. The stabilization also suffers, and although it is still partially optical, it combines it with the electronics.
Image captured with the terminal
The wide angle is exactly the same from the other terminals, field of view of 114 degrees and 12 megapixels. The images obtained are of good quality, and even in low light situations we can obtain an excellent result. After all, Google relies heavily on post-processing images with AI to improve their quality, and that process is exactly the same as in the rest of the Pixel.
Image captured with mobile
The front camera is 8 megapixels, the same one already equipped with the Pixel 6. The video recording is 4k 60 FPS; but obviously they don’t have the stabilization of the Pixel 6.
He does not reach the day of autonomy
Battery life is the same as previous models, although Google promises 24 hours of battery life, it’s not true, and depending on the use, at noon you can end up with only 50% battery. The terminal suffers from the same battery management problem as the Pixel 6, where the drop in level is not gradual but rather abrupt and somewhat unpredictable.
This is how the mobile battery fluctuates throughout the day
The Pixel 6a too lose wireless charge, and therefore reverse wireless charging. The fast charge is 18W, nothing flashy compared to what is on the market which has already reached 150W. Unlocking is fingerprint only, but it works better than on the Pixel 6, where it never worked for us.
The most interesting thing about any Google phone is in the software that you can only find on a Pixel, such as the recorder, simultaneous translation or the magic eraser to remove elements from photos. Also the good integration of all the Google services that your phones have with Material You in Android 12 and the custom interface. If you’re a Google fan, any Pixel is worth it.
Overall better than 6
The Google Pixel 6a is a great phone, admittedly on paper it sacrifices some aspects of its bigger brothers, but that won’t be very noticeable for many users and in exchange they get the latest technology from Google, with one of the fastest and smartest processors on the market.
And it will sound amazing, but having both phones, the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6a, the experience of using the 6a was better. Google fixed many bugs of Pixel 6, since 9 months have passed since its launch, it even improved its CPU integration to get better performance. As we said, on paper it is easy to see the differences between the two terminals, but in practice it is.