Tech review: Google Pixel 6a affordable and impressive

You know the drill by now: Google releases its latest flagship smartphone with all the bells and whistles, fancy features that grab your attention. Then a few months later follows the cheaper version that sacrifices a few features to knock the price down a bit, offering a much more attainable yet still advanced smartphone, the “a” variant.

So it should come as no surprise that Google has just released the Pixel 6a, a more affordable version of its flagship Pixel 6 device.

Side by side, it looks like a smaller version of the Pixel 6, with a similar style, including the camera bar on the rear. It’s lighter, and more pocketable than its larger siblings too.

And when it comes to the features, Google has included the most crucial ones, including the brains behind the Pixel 6, the Google-designed Tensor chip that gives the new phones some serious smarts when it comes to artificial intelligence.

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Sure, there have been sacrifices. The OLED [Organic Light-Emitting Diode] screen, which clocks in at 6.1in, offers Full HD but bumps the refresh rate to 60Hz, which means it isn’t as smooth as the other Pixel 6 devices. However, unless you have them side by side or are seriously picky about the scroll on your screen, you probably won’t feel the loss.

It also shaves a bit off the inner workings. While the tensor chip is the same, the Pixel 6a has 6GB of RAM on board — less than the 8GB the Pixel 6 gets and half the 6Pro’s allocation — and 128GB storage, with no way to expand it physically by including memory cards. You do get access to Google One cloud storage though, so you have options to offload the non-essential files.

Where people are likely to concentrate is the camera, and the Pixel 6a doesn’t falter. On the rear, you get two 12-megapixel cameras — a wide-angle lens and an ultra-wide lens. You lose the telephoto lens, but in general, the Pixel 6a camera will cover most eventualities.

The software behind it is powerful too. Portrait mode produces some great shots, while the night sight feature deals with low-light situations competently.

You also get features such as magic eraser, for example, a useful photo tool that will remove unwanted people or objects from the background of your photographs. It’s not always perfect, but it is a bit of editing magic that is easily accessible to everyone, rather than the few with good photo editing skills.

The front-facing camera is 8 megapixels, which handles video calls and selfies with ease. In general, the Pixel 6a does well all around.

There have been some sacrifices. Google has ditched the wireless charging for the 6a, shaving some of the costs off the device. The materials have also been changed, with the 6a offering Gorilla Glass 3 on the front, and a composite on the back, instead of Gorilla Glass Victus on the front of the Pixel 6 and Gorilla Glass 6 on the rear.

Good:

The Pixel 6a is a more affordable version of the flagship device. Not only is it easier on your pocket, the sacrifices it makes to get to that price aren’t necessarily features you would miss. You get the benefits. Aesthetically, the Pixel 6a looks almost as good as its more expensive siblings, even though it swaps the glass back for a composite.

You get some of the decent security features too, including the under-screen fingerprint reader.

Not so good:

It’s hard to find something wrong with the Pixel 6a. At a push, the lack of wireless charging might be a negative point against it. It may not be a dealbreaker for some people but it is handy to have it if you need it.

The lack of optical zoom may also be a drawback.

The rest:

The Pixel 6a not only has an IP67 rating for dust and water, but it also has an adaptive battery too that can last for more than a day of use without dying at an inopportune moment.

You’ll get five years of security updates too, which makes this device a good investment.

Verdict:

Yet another solid Android device from Google, punching above its price tag.

Store.google.com