Google Pixel 6A Review: Google's Best Budget Phone Yet
Phones
Speaker 1: At $600, the pixel six was already a great value, but Google promises to take that even further with the pixel six, a which costs $450 and has the same design and processor as the pixel six preorders start on July 21st and the phone hits store shelves on July 28th. Overall, the pixel six, a accomplishes its job of being a reliable, cheaper alternative to the pixel [00:00:30] six, but it's important to know what you're missing out on by going for Google's cheaper phone. Google is also facing more competition from companies like Samsung, which has been really successful with its lineup of affordable galaxy a devices recently, while I generally like the pixel six, a better than Samsung's galaxy a 53, which is the same price. There are some features I wish Google included. Let's dive in. The first thing you'll notice about the pixel six, a compared to the regular pixel six is its [00:01:00] smaller design.
Speaker 1: The pixel six a has a 6.1 inch screen making it noticeably smaller than the 6.4 inch pixel six and 6.7 inch pixel six pro it's screen is also the same size as the galaxy S 22 and iPhone 13, but it's noticeably larger than the 4.7 inch iPhone se, which costs $429. The pixel six a feels much easier to manage with one hand than the pixel six, but I do think Samsung [00:01:30] is generally better at craming big screens into compact ergonomic designs compared to Google like the regular pixel six, the six a also has a two-tone design with the camera bar running across the back of the device. I've been using the Sage green pixel six a, which is a slightly darker version of the mint green pixel six, as I've mentioned before, I think Google has done a good job of making its pixel six lineup.
Speaker 1: Stand out with this type of design. The camera bar is a [00:02:00] nice change of pace from the horizontal camera module found on most other Android phones. I know most people use their phones with a case anyway, but it's refreshing to see something that's different than a plain slab. Once in a while, it's much more visually striking than last year's pixel five, a the galaxy, a 53 and the similarly priced Moto G one thing you won't get on the pixel six a is a headphone Jack, which isn't a total surprise these days, but it's still a noteworthy choice. Considering the pixel five, a [00:02:30] was one of the few devices with the headphone Jack. When it launched last year, luckily the pixel six, a stereo speakers are loud enough to get the job done. The pixel six a was a great mini speaker during a recent picnic at the park when I didn't wanna blast music too loud, but still wanted it to be audible.
Speaker 1: I also don't think the pixel six a sounded that different from the pixel six, despite its smaller size, the pixel six, a screen is bright and crisp enough to comfortably read and watch videos. [00:03:00] I imagine it's good enough for most people who are looking for a basic affordable phone, which is exactly who the pixel six a was designed for, but it's not quite as bright as the displays on Samsung's galaxy phones. Most of the time I was able to keep the pixel six A's brightness set to about 50%. However, if I'm watching a video with dark scenery, I sometimes need to crank the brightness up a little bit higher. Another thing to note is that the pixel six a does not have a high refresh [00:03:30] rate option like the pixel six and galaxy a 53. This isn't a deal breaker, especially at this price, but it would've been nice to see, especially since Samsung has been adding higher refresh rates to its mid-range phones.
Speaker 1: Recently, the pixel six, a has two main cameras, a 12.2 megapixel standard camera and a 12 megapixel ultra wide camera. It's a bit of a step down from the pixel six S 50 megapixel main camera, but it still produces great images for a phone of its [00:04:00] price. Take a look at this photo of a yellow flower. As an example, the pixel six A's image is crisp and focused, but the pixel six does a much better job of balancing brightness color and sharpness. The regular pixel six also has a wider field of view than the pixel six a, which was more noticeable than I thought it would be. The regular pixel six is also better at taking portrait mode photos based on my testing. So far, check out the side by side comparison and you'll notice the pixel [00:04:30] six A's photo has too many shadows over the subject's face.
Speaker 1: The pixel six, a takes decent low light photos, but the pixel six is way better. In this regard, I turned all the lights off in my apartment and took these photos of my cat to put the cameras to the test. As you can see, the pixel six's image is much brighter and sharper. The galaxy a 53 has more cameras on the pixel six a, but I prefer the pixel six A's image quality you'll notice the pixel does a better job with [00:05:00] contrast and this photo taken on a bright sunny day. The trees are so dark in Samsung's photo. You can barely see the leaves in certain spots. The same goes for low light photos. The pixel six A's photo is noticeably brighter than the galaxy. A 50 threes since the pixel six, a runs on the same tensor processor as the pixel six, it also inherits many of the same camera features that includes magic eraser for deleting unwanted background details and face on blur, which freezes moving subjects, check [00:05:30] out our full written review and camera comparison for more details about the pixel six A's camera, the pixel six A's battery life is long enough to make it through a full day, although that will always vary depending on how you use your device.
Speaker 1: After a relatively easy day, that mostly involves texting, checking email and reading the news. I had 58% left by 9:00 PM, but our full review has more details about the pixel six, a battery life. So be sure to check that out. The pixel six, a also [00:06:00] supports 18 wat fast charging, but you need the right power adapter, which it doesn't come in the box. Also keep in mind, there's no wireless charging, which might be a disappointment. If you already own a wireless charger, you also won't be able to use the pixel six a to wirelessly charge, other accessories like you can with the pixel six Google's tensor processor seems to be performing pretty well in my experience so far, the camera launches quickly. It handles multitasking just fine. And the fingerprint sensor seems a little faster [00:06:30] than the standard pixel six is that's one advantage. The pixel six, a also has over Samsung's galaxy a 53.
Speaker 1: When I reviewed that phone a few months ago, I noticed some occasional lag. Some users have also said they've encountered bugs with the regular pixel six over the last few months, such as connectivity issues and pocket dialing. Luckily I haven't noticed any performance or signal problems with the pixel six a so far Google's new phone launches with Android 12, which feels clean [00:07:00] and fluid on the pixel six a since it's a pixel phone, it will also be among the first to get Android 13. Pixel phones also have Google specific features like hold for me, which has the Google assistant wait on hold for you. When calling certain businesses until someone's ready to speak with you. There's also direct my call, which transcribes automated voice menus and shows the button options on screen. You'll also get live translate on pixel phones, which translates messages and videos in foreign languages.
Speaker 1: [00:07:30] These features are nice bonuses, although I'm not sure whether they're important enough to really play a big role in the phone buying decision. Still. I like that. Google has been thinking about creative ways to make its phone stand out. The Google pixel six a is a solid phone for the price. It has a great camera, an attractive design, smooth performance and clean software. That's easy to use. Plus it'll be among the first to get new Android updates and Google rolls out new features to pixel [00:08:00] phones over time with the pixel six, a it feels like Google made the right compromises for the most part. The camera isn't quite as good as the pixel six is, but I wouldn't expect it to be given the gap in price. I'm also glad Google chose to focus on the quality of the pixel six A's camera, rather than just stuffing it with more lenses that said, I do think Google will have to keep being competitive to stand out, especially with the way Samsung has been improving its cheaper phones in recent years, [00:08:30] even though I wouldn't expect a $450 phone to have wireless charging and a screen with a high refresh rate, it would've been nice to see at least one of those features, especially wireless charging since it's been standard in phones for about the last five years.
Speaker 1: Also, if you're able to get the pixel six at a discount, it's hard to recommend the pixel six, a the pixel six was available for just $500 on Amazon prime day down from its usual price of $600. That means [00:09:00] for just $50 more, you get a larger screen, a better 50 megapixel camera and wireless charging, but the pixel seven launching this fall, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw even more pixel six discounts in the coming months, especially as it gets closer to the holiday season. So what do you think of the pixel six a let us know in the comments. Thanks for watching. And I'll see you next time. And don't forget to check out the links in the description for our full review and other pixel six, a coverage.
