Design and Build

The Google Pixel 6a has retained an aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass 3, and a plastic back for the main part of the body, while keeping the cost low. With dimensions of 6.0 x 2.8 x 0.35 inches (152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm) and a weight of 6.3 ounces (178g), it is small and thus lighter than the Pixel 6 (207g). With three available colors, namely Chalk, Charcoal, and Sage, it is fitted with an under-display fingerprint sensor that some users reckon to be faster than that of the Pixel 6 but has security issues with fingerprints not being recorded. Through IP67, the device is protected from water and dust as certified by the rating.

• Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass 3, plastic back
• IP67 rating (water and dust resistance up to 1m for 30 min)
• Under-display fingerprint sensor, no face unlock
• USB-C 3.1 port
• Physical nano-SIM + eSIM

Pixel 6a Display

The Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch OLED display of 1080 x 2400 resolution with a pixel density of 429 PPI and support for HDR. Whereas the display itself comes with a standard 60Hz refresh rate which is quite limited if compared to 7a's 90Hz, the maximum brightness is 700 nits of lumens which is just about enough for outdoor use. Moreover, the availability of Gorilla Glass 3 assures some level of protection for the phone, though that may not protect the phone from scratches. The device of a small size does not prevent the user who still has to use it from having a high refresh rate, and this has been expressed by a few users who are quite unhappy about this.

• 6.1-inch OLED
• 1080 x 2400 resolution, 429 PPI
• HDR support
• ~700 nits (peak)
• Gorilla Glass 3 protection
• 60Hz refresh rate

Performance and Software

Amongst the tenor of the stories today about the launch of Pixel 6a, one of them includes the talk about the chip used in Pixel 6a - Google Tensor chip (5nm), 8-core CPU (2x 2.8 GHz Cortex-X1, 2x 2.25 GHz Cortex-A76, 4x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G78 MP20 GPU, and Titan M2 security chip. Associated with 6GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB storage ($449), it is non-expandable. Its software is Android 12 (upgradeable to Android 15) and is guaranteed to get 3 years OS and 5 years security updates till July 2027. The test phone does not overheat during daily work and gaming. Nevertheless, we are still able to see thermal throttling in the stress test.

• Google Tensor chip with 8-core CPU, Mali-G78 MP20 GPU, Titan M2
• 6GB LPDDR5 RAM
• Storage: 128GB
• Android 12 (3 years OS, 5 years security updates)
• Optimized for AI, photography

The Tensor chip delivers flagship-like performance for its price, but the 6GB RAM and overheating issues limit multitasking and gaming. Users praise the clean software but criticize the short OS update window compared to the Pixel 7a.

Camera System

As for the camera, the Pixel 6a still sports the same 12.2MP main and 12MP ultra-wide dual rear cameras. The 8MP front camera (f/2.0) does not support autofocus. The software on the camera is more powerful than the one on current smartphone cameras, which leads to very detail-oriented and bright pictures, but it should be noted that the performance of the device in low light is still less sharp than that of the 50MP sensor in the Pixel 6. The highest quality of video is 4K 60fps and 1080p, for the rear and front, respectively.

• Rear: 12.2MP Main (f/1.7, OIS), 12MP Ultra-wide (f/2.2)
• Front: 8MP (f/2.0)
• Video: 4K 60 fps (rear), 1080p (front)
• Modes: Night Sight, Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur
• LED flash

Battery and Charging

The Pixel 6a’s 4410mAh battery can be used for 10 hours of video playback that you need or 8–10 hours of real-world usage, with heavy usage making it run out of juice faster (e.g., 58% after 1h 45m). The device gets to 50% charge in 40 minutes with 18W wired charging, but doesn’t support wireless charging. The lack of an included charger is among the downsides mentioned. The users who complained reported that the battery life is not consistent, and the charging process is longer than that of the Galaxy A53.

• 4410mAh battery
• Up to 10 hours video playback, ~8–10 hours real-world
• 18W wired charging (50% in 40 min)
• No wireless charging
• No charger included (USB-C cable only)

Connectivity

At the same time, the Pixel 6a is compatible with 5G (sub-6GHz), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and Bluetooth 5.2. It features nano-SIM and eSIM only and, thus, cannot work with mmWave, UWB, and satellite connections. The chip’s GPS operation is extended to GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS. People are happy with the network performance overall, but there are those who notice their 5G connection drops sometimes.

• 5G modem (sub-6GHz)
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Physical nano-SIM + eSIM
• No mmWave, UWB, or satellite connectivity
• GPS: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS

Pricing and Availability

At the time of its launch, the Pixel 6a was selling at $449 for 128GB, while the pre-orders were open from May 11, 2022, with the sales commencement scheduled for July 28, 2022, by way of Google Store, carriers, and other retailers like Amazon. The smartphone can often be found on the market at a lower price, typically $249 - $349, which makes it a better purchase. The Pixel 7a is at a higher price point ($499), but it comes with a more powerful processor and gets more regular updates than the 6a, which, however, is still a great selection for people on a budget.