Google Pixel 6a – 128 GB-Unlocked Android 5G Smartphone with 12 megapixel camera and 24-hour battery – Sage

Product Information

Google opted to use the same chip in the Pixel 6a as in the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro - its self-designed Tensor chipset - and this means the three phones are equally powerful. The display is broken up by a punch-hole camera at its top - this isn’t huge, so doesn’t take up much space. Video recording goes up to 4K and 60fps - which is all anyone really needs, if we’re being honest - with a range of modes like time lapse and slow motion. The front camera maxes out at 1080p though, a side effect of its 8MP sensor.

Google Pixel 6a review: Still the best value Android phone

The software is smart and refined, and will be updated for at least five years, which is longer than most rivals. The camera is miles better than any mid-range model, competing with phones twice the price or more. Google is on a roll. After years of good but not great phones, the Pixel 6a is another excellent model bringing the Android-maker’s magic down to a more affordable price.As we’ve mentioned, the phone is smaller than its siblings, making it easier to hold and use without stretching your fingers. It’s also got a snappy and intuitive fingerprint scanner, fixing an issue that many people had with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Google’s green phase started in earnest with the Sorta Sage Pixel 5. That continued with the Pixel 6, but the company went lighter with something more playful compared to the staid, almost minty green that came in 2020.

Google Pixel 6A | Carphone Warehouse Google Pixel 6A | Carphone Warehouse

On the front there’s an 8MP f/2.0 selfie snapper, which is a little low-res compared to front cameras on rival devices, but the camera performs just fine. We like that the 6a is thin and less chunky than the 6 or 7 Pro, sitting flush when on flat surfaces. Even after months of use, we're continually impressed with the sleek design. The Google Pixel 6a retains the same design language of its siblings, but there are a few changes - for better and worse. 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.

Overall, while the 6a can’t quite match the cameras on the Pixel 6, it really isn’t that far off in beating smartphones costing more than twice the price and trouncing the mid-range competition. Price While pixels do need to be calibrated after screen repairs, this is usually just for the fingerprint sensor.

Google Pixel 6a review: this mid-range master is a true

The Pixel often struggled to last a full day of use, even when battery saver mode was active the whole time. And we’re not talking about a day of hardcore gaming, video recording and so on - the Pixel 6a struggled with everyday medium use. The battery is 4,410mAh, which isn’t even small for a phone of this size, so we can’t get our heads around why it doesn’t last longer. The Pixel 6a ships with Android 12, which includes a load of customisation options, smart refinements and impressive local AI features. For more, see the Pixel 6 Pro review. The 6a will be one of the first devices to receive the Android 13 update, which is due for release soon.

The Pixel 6a is the best mid-range phone you can buy and a fantastic option if you’re looking for a smaller Android. The main camera produces very well-balanced photos, rich in detail and dynamic range across a range of light levels. The ultrawide is similarly good if slightly softer on fine details but it is consistent on colour and tone to the main camera, which isn’t the case for most at this price. The dedicated night sight mode produces great images in low light while the digital zoom is pretty good at 2x but unravels by 7x.

What colors does the Google Pixel 6a come in? - XDA Developers

The camera app has many of the features as Google’s other phones, including the object eraser or camouflage tools, which recolours distracting and unwanted elements of a photo to make them less obvious.

I used the Pixel 6a’s primary camera for the bulk of my shooting, and it delivers results worthy of the Pixel name. The color recreation is accurate, especially in rich sunlight like the image of the flowerpot above. Google’s natural bokeh is impressive, too, and is most evident in the picture of the pink and white flowerbox. I didn’t notice any issues with clouds washing out in the sky, whether I was above them (in the image of the airplane wing) or below (in the image of the waterfall). The only real complaints come if you crop in. No matter how smart Google’s processing is, a camera with a smaller, lower megapixel sensor just doesn’t let in as much light or provide as much information as something like the 50MP shooter on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.