Google Pixel 6a review: Google redefines mid-range phones

Note: This article was first published on 22 July 2022. It was updated on 22 July 2022, 2022 with correct information about the Pixel 4 Series availability in Singapore. The affected paragraph(s) were amended.

Is this the mid-range Google phone you've been waiting for?

It has been close to two years since Google launched their mid-range runaway success, the Google Pixel 4a. With the company skipping past the entire Pixel 5 series for our market, the launch of Google Pixel 6a comes hotly anticipated, despite coming five months after the flagship series, Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, was available. It's not as affordable as its previous mid-range offering, but at S$749, it's a different  proposition and more of a Pixel 6 'lite' edition as you'll come to know from our detailed assessment.

To better appreciate the availability of Pixel phones here, let us walk through the history of Pixel launches in Singapore:

• Pixel 3/3XL and 3a: Launched in October 2018 and June 2019 respectively, they were sold through Google Store, and through various telcos.
• Pixel 4/4 XL and Pixel 4a: Launched in August 2020, sold through Google Store and selected electronic stores and online platforms. Also sold through one partnered telco. 
• Neither Pixel 5 nor 5a was launched in Singapore
• Pixel 6: Was launched worldwide in October 2021, but was only released here in Feb 2022
• Pixel 6a: Announced at Google I/O in May 2022, released here in late July 2022

With history of such varied launches, #teampixel fans here can once again cheer that they can get their hands on Google’s 'mid-ranger' here after a nearly two-year wait.

Let us see how “mid-range” Pixel 6a is compared to Pixel 6, and also its predecessors. Below the image, we pit the new Pixel 6a and the Pixel 4a in a specs rundown:-

Design and Handling

Pixel fans would likely notice how the Pixel 6a is that it is almost indistinguishable from the Pixel 6. The back sports a nearly identical design as the Pixel 6, even though the flagship variant uses a glass rear while the Pixel 6a sports a 3D thermoformed composite back. Also, the entire Pixel 6 series uses the same camera bar design, similar button layouts, and even similar antenna bands at the sides of the phone. You may reference our previous Pixel 6 article to see the design similarities.

The only difference is that Pixel 6a packs a 6.1-inch screen, whereas Pixel 6 sports a 6.4-inch one. Some may liken the Pixel 6a as a smaller Pixel 6, making it slightly more comfortable to hold.

This contrasts with the strategy Google previously adopted for their mid-range series. Pixel 4a and 3a used phone backs made with a completely different material and feel, with the intent to clearly distinguish between the budget-conscious handset from its premium variant.

Having said that, featuring the same design decision as the Pixel 6 meant inheriting some of the ergonomic problems that we previously encountered. Pixel 6a uses the same, slightly confusing button layout that can lead users to lock the phone on accident when trying to adjust the volume. When trying to lay the phone flat on its back, Pixel 6a also cannot do so due to the camera bar. However, the Pixel 6a does have a milder tilt, given how the camera bar doesn't protrude as much as its flagship alternatives.

Also, the Pixel 6a is the first mid-range Pixel phone with an under-display fingerprint sensor, instead of the back-mounted, lower-cost physical biometrics sensor found on older Pixel A devices.

Not forgetting the display: the Pixel 6a sports a  6.1-inch, Full HD+ (2,400 x 1,080 pixels resolution) OLED panel topped off with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It doesn't differ much from the Pixel 6 beyond its refresh rate (90Hz for Pixel 6, 60Hz for Pixel 6a) or its smaller real estate of 6.1 inches.

60Hz refresh rate is noticeable, however, so there's no liquid-smooth animations when other mid-range alternatives like Samsung Galaxy A53 and Oppo Reno 7 can have higher refresh rates. Also, Pixel 6a uses  regular Corning Gorilla Glass 3 glass for protection, while Pixel 6’s gets the tougher, more scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass Victus.

Another slight difference is Pixel 6a's IP67 rating for water and dust resistance. It loses slightly to its flagship sibling’s IP68 rating, but not by much. While we have previously dunked IP67-rated phones in swimming pools before, we advise readers not to try, for there is no warranty coverage on such folly.

Just like its flagship counterpart, Pixel 6a's dual speakers are located at the bottom side of the phone. Audio quality is acceptable but not breathtaking. We proffer the same audio advice given for Pixel 6: get yourself a pair of Pixel Buds Pro or other personal audio gear. Unfortunately, Google has finally ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack for the Pixel 6a, so wireless audio is your next best option. (Editorial note: As suggested by our forum user caterham7, another 'best option' would be a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle if wired personal audio is preferred).

UI and Features

Being a Pixel phone means getting cutting-edge Android OS updates from Google. More importantly, you get to enjoy the purity of stock Android 12 experience. To top it off, in recent Android releases, Google reserved some nifty features exclusively for the Pixel line, as well as launching new features periodically throughout the first few years of the Pixel phone’s lifetime.

Much of the stock Android 12 experience has been covered in the Pixel 6 article, in which they also apply to the Pixel 6a from the user experience perspective. We will, however, revisit various Pixel-exclusive features to see if there’s any parity with its flagship counterpart or whether there are feature improvements since our previous review.

Magic Eraser

One of the game-changing photo-taking features is Magic Eraser, also known as the photobomber-remover. This feature, baked within the Google Photos app, can 'automagically' (automatic + magical) analyse photos that are taken, identify photobombers that should be removed, and users can just select and those people will be automagically removed.

What's great is how Magic Eraser also works on photos taken on other phones that are backed up to Google Photos. You can even remove photobombers from pre-covid travel photos! However, the user can only use the Magic Eraser feature on a Pixel 6 series phone; other phones (or even older Pixels for that matter) do not work.

While we would like to think of the rationale being linked to some optimised processing in Google Tensor Chip powering the Pixel 6 family, the fact remains that there was briefly a time when a quick workaround allowed other Android users to use Magic Eraser, which makes us wonder if it is just a sussy business decision instead.

To show how Magic Eraser can also be applied on photos taken with other phones or cameras, here’s a Magic Eraser attempt using photos taken at Google I/O 2017, about five years ago.

Having tried other photos in our library, we found Magic Eraser most effective on wide landscape photos, especially if people in the background appear small (relative to the photo's perspective). For significant photobombers taking up most of your shot, Magic Eraser fails quite badly. The feature attempts to erase them, but in doing so, leaves weird smudges and patches.

Live Translate

One new feature introduced in Pixel 6a (as well as Pixel 6 and 6 Pro) is Live Translate for messaging apps. By turning this feature on, Android will automatically overlay a translation option for users whenever messages from other languages are received.

This is convenient as users no longer need to copy and paste text into Google Translate mid-conversation. Currently, it is only available on a small suite of messaging and social media apps, such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger lite. Telegram is notably absent for now.

Imaging Performance

One major distinction between a lower-tier Pixel and the flagship Pixel has always been the camera. The Pixel 6a is no exception. It comes equipped with the following camera lens array:

• Rear main: 12.2MP 1.4μm pixel size ,ƒ/1.7 dual pixel-wide lens
• Rear ultrawide: 12MP 1.25μm pixel size, ƒ/2.2 lens
• Front: 8MP 1.12μm pixel size, ƒ/2.0 lens
• Phase Detection Autofocus sensor (PDAF), OIS, EIS

Compared to Pixel 6’s 50MP Quad Bayer lens and Laser Detection Autofocus (LDAF) sensor, Pixel 6a’s camera system is a major distinguishing factor to its mid-range positioning. That said, we still see Google including more than one lens for their mid-range handset (a first for Google).

Despite having lesser hardware, Pixel 6a comes coupled with the same post-processing capabilities that Pixel 6 and 6 Pro enjoy, namely Magic Erase and Real Tone. That does pique our curiosity over the Pixel 6a's resulting photo quality difference.

Another major feature that’s not commonly found in mid-range phones is that the phone can shoot in RAW format, allowing users to further post-process their photos using professional photography software. Pixel 6a can also record videos up to 4K60FPS, which brings it to parity with the Pixel 6.

Note that neither Face Unblur nor Motion Mode is available for the Pixel 6a.

Sample Photos

Here are some Pixel 6a sample images under different shooting conditions.

Day Time

Generally, the photos look good and crisp, both for the main and ultra-wide lens.

Night Time

Here is where Google’s Night Sight shines. Compared to other mid-range phones and even some flagships, night shots taken are clear and crisp, especially those taken with Night Sight.

Much of the magic of Night Sight is credited to Google’s software image processing capabilities. There is little distinction between Night Sight photos taken with Pixel 6a and 4a, except that the Pixel 6a processes Night Sight photos somewhat faster.

The quality of Night Sight plummets when using the ultra-wide lens, but this is to be expected:-

Video

The videos taken during both day and night are generally good, even at night. Video stabilisation works rather well with daytime lighting, while it exhibits mild strobing when recording in low-light environments.

Benchmark Performance

Google Pixel 6a uses the same own custom-designed proprietary chip, Google Tensor, that is used in Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. This chip is designed for machine learning and image processing optimisation. Google's choice of using same flagship processor for its mid-range counterpart mirrors closely to Apple’s strategy of plonking high-end, flagship-grade processing chips of the year for their budget-friendlier SE models.

We expect benchmark scores of Pixel 6a to be almost similar, if not surpassing the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro thanks to its processor choice.

Note: At the time of publication (22 July 2022), it was not possible to install or sideload Geekbench 5 on the Pixel 6a.

JetStream

JetStream 2 is a combination of a variety of JavaScript and Web Assembly benchmarks, including benchmarks that came before like SunSpider and Octane. It primarily tests for a system’s and browser’s ability in delivering a good web experience. It runs a total of 64 subtests, each weighted equally, with multiple iterations, and takes the geometric mean to compute the overall score. The higher the score, the better.

3DMark Wild Life Unlimited

3DMark Wild Life is a cross-platform benchmark for Windows, Android and Apple iOS for measuring GPU performance. Its graphics test consists of multiple scenes with variations in the amount of geometry, lights and post-processing effects, mirroring mobile games that are based on short bursts of intense activity. Wild Life uses the Vulkan graphics API on Windows PCs and Android devices. On iOS devices, it uses Metal.

In Unlimited mode, the benchmark runs offscreen using a fixed time step between frames. Unlimited mode renders exactly the same frames in every run on every device, regardless of resolution scaling. The higher the score, the better.

PCMark for Android

PCMark for Android is a benchmark for testing the performance of Android phones and tablets. The Work 3.0 test checks how the device handles common productivity tasks such as browsing the web, editing videos, working with documents and data, and editing photos. Storage 2.0 checks write-in and read-out performance for internal storage, external storage (if applicable), and SQLite database management. Together, the benchmarks can clue us in on how capable a phone is at handling everyday use. Work 3.0 scores are above, while Storage 2.0 scores are immediately below for each device - the higher the score, the better.

Note: As this is an Android-only score, we had to leave out the Apple iPhone SE (2022) from this benchmark.

Battery Life

The Pixel 6a comes with a 4,410mAh battery, which does not deviate too far from Pixel 6’s 4,614mAh battery. It would be interesting to see how the battery life fares with the Pixel 6a, bearing in mind how the phones run on the same chip with different display sizes.

Our standard battery test for mobile phones has the following parameters:

• Looping a 720p video with screen brightness and volume at 100%
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
• Constant data streaming through email

Even though Pixel 6a has the lowest battery capacity amongst phones in the Pixel 6 family, it has the best battery life in our benchmark test among the compared devices.

The Pixel 6a supports wired USB-C PD charging, just like the Pixel 6, but it supports only up to a maximum of 18W, while Pixel 6 and 6 Pro supports 30W USB-C PD charging. Also, as a clear distinction of it being a mid-range phone, the Pixel 6a does not support wireless charging like its flagship counterparts.

With a third-party 100W twin USB-C 2 PPC USB-A charger (since the phone is sold without a charger), the Pixel 6a charges from 20% to 65% in 30 minutes, and to 85% in an hour - kind of fast, but nothing amazing compared to Samsung flagships or even Samsung A series, which supports 25W charging and charges at a much faster rate.

Of note is its charging wattage. When charging up to 50%, Pixel 6a charges at its maximum charge rate at 18W. Thereafter, it drops to 10W, and past 80%, it slowly tapers down to regular 5W charging. Perhaps such a conservative charging strategy helps to prolong its battery life.

Real-life experience

We have seen how Google Tensor works its magic on image processing. It also handles games like Diablo Immortal decently - much better than other mid-rangers, such as the Samsung Galaxy A52. Battery life is average, however, with Pixel 6a dwindling to 50% even after half a day on relatively light use (purely a messaging phone for my secondary number). Perhaps it is because the battery test was done in a Wi-Fi environment, whereas real-world usage sees constant switching between 4G and 5G mobile networks, a typical culprit for huge battery consumption.

Availability and price

The Google Pixel 6a will be sold in Singapore with a recommended retail price of S$749. Online pre-orders of the Pixel 6a and the new Pixel Buds Pro started on 21 July 2022 on the Google Store, Amazon SG, Challenger Online, Courts Online, and Shopee, and will be available for sale both online and in-stores on 28 July. We've also appended its official retail information and special offers here. 

Closing words

Google has shifted its strategy on what it considers a mid-range phone, with the following major changes:

• Using Google Tensor, the same flagship processor on Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, as opposed to using an actual mid-range processor previously;
• Using a good camera system, even including ultra-wides, when previously, users have to contend with a single camera lens.
• A sufficient level of rated water resistance, which previous Google mid-range phones lack;
• Nearly the same design as flagship counterparts

Consequently, we also see that the price range of the mid-range has jumped from the launch price of S$499 for Pixel 4a, to the launch price of S$749 for this Pixel 6a, a whopping $250 difference!

Clearly, in the minds of Google, what they deemed mid-range is now more of how Samsung Galaxy S21 FE series is to the S21 series, while previously, the strategy for mid-range was like Samsung Galaxy A53 to S22 series.

In short, Google placed a slight premium on the mid-range Pixel 6a, in features and the official listed price, which explains the S$250 increase in launch prices.

Making sense of its proposition

On its own, the Pixel 6a is worth its weight in gold (or Singapore Dollars), given that it performs nearly as well as the Pixel 6, if users are not looking for the extra frills, as shared earlier. Moreover, it looks the part like a true flagship Pixel 6, which has an official price tag of S$999.

The downside to having a "premium mid-range" product strategy for Pixel 6a also sees a different price gap between the cheapest available flagship and the mid-range option.

Previously, there was a significant difference: $590 between the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a ($1,249 vs $659), and while Pixel 4 (S$1,269 for 128GB) and Pixel 4a (S$499 for 128GB) was a whopping S$770 apart. Such large gaps in price points actually put the Pixel 3a and 4a resolutely as a mid-range alternative in consumers’ minds.

Pixel 6a's and Pixel 6's price gap is only S$250 (S$999 vs S$749, respectively). While it doesn't affect extremely budget-conscious customers in considering this handset, it can convince other consumers to top up a little and gun for the flagship variant with all its frills: wireless charging support, a smoother display, and better image processing features.

When compared to other upper mid-rangers in the market, not many have image processing capabilities that can rival Google's, or pack perks like Magic Eraser or near-stock Android experiences. That said, there are competent alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE as its street price has plummeted and is available starting from S$750, comes with slightly better features, is our current Best High-end Phone recommendation, and more importantly, is available in 128GB and 256GB storage options. The Pixel 6a is only offered with one storage option locally at 128GB and it's not expandable.

If you're not against owning a grey market phone, the full-fledged Pixel 6 offered in third-party shops also offers so-called "international sets".  We brought this up because these grey units are priced between S$700-S$800, which is even closer to the Pixel 6a’s SRP. One can also argue that the price range of Pixel phones is indicative of actual perceived value, i.e. street pricing, should the Pixel 6 ever be sold through multiple retail channels like how Pixel 6a is.

Nevertheless, should one squarely want a S$700-S$800 "premium mid-range" phone with a local warranty, the Google Pixel 6a will be the phone to get, largely due to its awesome imaging capabilities and stock Android experience. However, if you strongly believe in an old HWZ Forums adage (“top up a bit can get a better model already”), there's always a better model: a true-flagship Pixel 6.

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