The new Pixel 7a boasts the latest 2nd-gen version of this chip, but our long-term use hasn't changed our opinion on its performance: It's smooth and speedy to use, and we haven't encountered crashes or shuttering when taking snaps. The images are pretty evenly matched here, with both the Pixel 6a and the iPhone SE recreating the patterns on the sunflower petals and keeping the disc florets in the center nicely distinct. The iPhone SE photo is a little more vibrant, but I give the Pixel 6a points for more accurate colors. The secret sauce, as always, is Google's machine learning, powered by its in-house Tensor chip. As in the Pixel 6, here, it powers a handful of impressive computational photography and video modes. Our favourite is 'Magic Eraser', which instantly removes unwanted subjects from images — perfect if you're taking pictures of busier city landmarks on holiday or you want to remove household items from your latest baby photo. Since it never launched in the UK, I sadly don’t have the Pixel 5a benchmark test results for comparison, but suffice to say the performance gains between the now two-year-old Pixel 4a 5G and the new Pixel 6a are colossal. HDR, Panorama, Bokeh Mode, Slow Motion, Time Lapse, AI Features, Scene Detection, Night Mode, Portrait Mode, Stereo Recording

Battery life is the only area where the Pixel 6a hasn’t done so well. This was to be expected – we found Tensor to be especially power hungry in our Pixel 6 review – but the Pixel 6a’s battery score is diminished by roughly three hours. Still, a result of 20hrs 47mins is very good, and should be enough to last you nearly two days on a single charge. The phone looks great as well. The camera design is so distinctive. Would've loved the Sage Green colour though.Don't worry about splashes. With IP67 protection, Pixel 6a can take a little water and dust. So you can take your phone with you wherever you go. Google has started making its own chipsets to power its mobile devices, and it's the Pixel 6a's turn to make the same move to Tensor that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro did last fall. (The Pixel 7 phones, released after the Pixel 6a, use a newer Tensor chipset.) The goal behind Google's silicon is to specifically include cores dedicated to compute-intensive AI tasks — in other words, the kind of on-device translation and dictation features that make the Pixel experience stand out from other Android phones.

On the flip side, there’s not a lot that’s new in terms of camera hardware. The Pixel 6a’s primary camera is the same 12.2MP (f/1.7) sensor previously used by the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, while the 12MP (f/2.2) wide-angle unit is identical to the one found in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. An 8MP (f/2) selfie camera sits inside a central hole punch notch on the front of the phone.

Smaller Display Without Compromise

In tests, we found this hasn't changed on the Pixel 6a, despite the camera's primary lens being downgraded from a 50-megapixel (MP) wide-angle to a 12.2 MP wide-angle. (That's closer, at least on paper, to a Pixel 5.) You also get a 12 MP ultra-wide on the rear module of the 6a, while your selfies are shot in a solid 8 MP. Battery life has proven to be quite a puzzler with the Pixel 6a. Google promises up to 24 hours of regular usage from the phone, with an Extreme Battery Saver Mode increasing that to 72 hours by turning off features and pausing many apps. That's despite the fact that the Pixel 6a battery is actually smaller than it was on the Pixel 5a — 4,410 mAh vs 4,680 mAh on the Pixel 5a.