Posted at 11:00 a.m.
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Like Apple and Samsung, Google has had the good idea since 2019 to launch a less expensive version a few months after its main model, using the same processor and cameras with a few small sacrifices. Nine months after the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, here is the 6a, which uses the same in-house chip, Google Tensor, and the 12MP ultra-wide-angle rear camera.
The price difference is remarkable: the Pixel 6a costs $599 rather than $799 for the 6 and $1179 for the 6 Pro. At this price, there is no compromise on the power of the processor and the graphics card, which are exactly the same for the three models. What establishes the Pixel 6a as a great champion in our benchmark tests among Android phones at this price: you have to pay several hundred dollars more to find better. The iPhone SE remains, as usual, in a class of its own.
So we have without a doubt with the Pixel 6a a fast phone, able to switch from one app to another without getting tired, which has a response and can manage videos and video games in a fluid way. That we reduced the 8 and 12 GB of RAM to 6 has little effect in use, except for very heavy operations such as editing and converting video files. Storage space, which could reach 256 GB with previous models, is here limited to 128 GB.
For the photo, we still have the 12 Mpx ultra-wide-angle lens on the back, but the wide-angle goes from 50 to 12.2 Mpx. No telephoto lens here as with the 6 Pro.
We obtain, as with all Pixel models, photos where the key is color fidelity and well-finished details. You will not have, as with an iPhone or Galaxy S22, enriched colors and spectacular contrasts. On the other hand, we have some 100% Google functions, such as Magic Erase, which allows you to erase intruders in your photos with one click, and a rather impressive Night Vision mode.
The two cameras are integrated into a black band on the back, which has become distinctive for Pixels. The shell is made of a material called “3D thermoformed composite”, plastic, what, rather than aluminum.
The OLED screen is 6.1 inches, rather than 6.4 and 6.7 inches, and its maximum refresh rate is 60 Hz rather than 90 and 120 Hz. Ordinary people will see little difference there.
The 4400 mAh battery life (less than most high-end phones) lasts a day and a half of moderate use, 72 hours in extreme battery saver mode. We have access to the 18-watt fast recharge, which, according to our tests, allows you to go from 0 to 100% in about two hours.
We obviously have the other specialty of Pixels, updates to the Android operating system before anyone else, and a five-year support guarantee.
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No magnetic refill here, extremely rare in this price range.
Water and dust resistance is rated IP67. Technically, the Pixel 6a “can withstand a little water and dust,” says Google. Although this standard suggests that the phone could be submerged for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 m, we are warned: it is not waterproof and damage caused by liquids voids the guarantee.
Some appreciate the sober side of Pixels, which Google has made a “pure” showcase of its Android operating system. So you won’t find all the graphical additions, app launchers, music or video managers from other Android manufacturers. A regular on Samsung phones, for example, may find this Pixel 6a very poor in original functions.
One buys ?
The Pixel 6a is certainly not the most spectacular or feature-packed Android phone. But it offers capabilities usually reserved for phones twice as expensive at an unbeatable price.
This value for money makes it a good buy.
Sheet: Pixel 6a
Manufacturer: Google
Price: $599
Rating: 4.5 out of 5