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

By The Count - 14 Aug 2022
Launch SRP: S$749

Benchmark performance, Battery Life, Conclusion

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.

  Google Pixel 6a Google Pixel 6 Google Pixel 6 Pro Samsung Galaxy S22 Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Apple iPhone SE (2022)
  Google Pixel 6a Google Pixel 6 Google Pixel 6 Pro Samsung Galaxy S22 Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Launch SRP
  • From S$749
  • From S$999
  • From S$1299
  • From S$1178
  • From S$978
  • From S$699
Network:
  • Up to 5G Sub 6GHz
  • Up to 5G Sub 6GHz
  • Up to 5G Sub 6GHz
Operating system
  • Android 12
  • Android 12
  • Android 12
  • Android 12 (One UI 4)
  • Android 12 (One UI 4)
  • iOS 15
Processor
  • Google Tensor
  • Titan M2 security co-processor
  • Google Tensor
  • Titan M2 security co-processor
  • Google Tensor
  • Titan M2 security co-processor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 4nm
  • Samsung Exynos 2100
  • Apple A15 Bionic
Built-in Memory
  • 6GB RAM (LPDDR5)
  • 8GB RAM (LPDDR5)
  • 12GB RAM (LPDDR5)
  • 8GB RAM
  • 8GB
Display
  • 6.1-inch, AMOLED, 2,400 x 1,080 pixels resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, HDR, 24-bit colour
  • 6.4-inch, LTPO AMOLED, 2,340 x 1,080 pixels resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, HDR, 24-bit colour
  • 6.7-inch, LTPO AMOLED, 3,120 x 1,440 pixels resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR, 24-bit colour
  • 6.1-inch, Flat QHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X
  • 2,340 x 1,080 pixels (423ppi)
  • 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
  • 240Hz touch sampling rate
  • Eye Comfort Shield
  • Vision Booster (1,750-nits peak brightness)
  • 6.4-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2x
  • 2,340 x 1,080 pixels
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • 240Hz touch sampling rate
  • 4.7-inch Retina HD display
  • 1334 x 750 pixels
  • 326ppi
  • P3 colour support
  • 625nits max brightness
Camera
  • Rear:
  • (Main) 12MP, f/1.7 aperture, 1.4μm pixel size, Super Res Zoom up to 7x
  • (Ultra-wide) 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 1.25μm pixel size, 114° FOV
  • OIS, EIS
  • Front:
  • 8MP, f/2.0 aperture, 1.12μm pixel size, fixed focus
  • Rear:
  • (Main) 50MP, f/1.85 aperture, 1.2μm pixel size, Octa PD, Quad Bayer
  • (Ultra-wide) 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 1.25μm pixel size, 114° FOV
  • Laser detect Autofocus, OIS
  • Front:
  • 8MP, f/2.0 aperture, 1.12μm pixel size, fixed focus
  • Rear:
  • (Main) 50MP, f/1.85 aperture, 1.2μm pixel size, Octa PD, Quad Bayer
  • (Ultra-wide) 12MP, f/2.2 aperture, 1.25μm pixel size, 114° FOV
  • (Telephoto) 48MP, f/3.5 aperture, 0.8μm pixel size, 4x optical zoom, 20x Super Res zoom
  • Laser detect Autofocus, OIS
  • Front:
  • 11.1MP, f/2.2 aperture, 1.22μm pixel size, fixed focus
  • Rear:
  • 50MP, f/1.8, wide-angle 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
  • 12MP, f/2.2, ultra-wide, 1.4µm, 120° FOV, Super Steady
  • 10MP, f/2.4, telephoto, 1.0µm, Dual Pixel AF, 3x Optical Zoom
  • Front:
  • 10MP, f/2.2, portrait, 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF
  • Rear:
  • 12MP, f/1.8, wide-angle. Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
  • 12MP, f/2.2, ultra-wide, 123° FOV,
  • 8MP, f/2.4, telephoto, 3x Optical Zoom
  • Front:
  • 32MP, f/2.2, portrait, tetra-binning, re-mosiac algorithm
  • Rear:
  • 12MP
  • f/1.8
  • Six element lens
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Optical image stabilisation
  • Deep Fusion
  • Smart HDR 4
  • Front:
  • 7MP
  • f/2.2
  • Deep Fusion
  • Smart HDR4
Video Support
  • (Rear) 4K60FPS, Slow motion 240FPS, OIS
  • (Rear) 4K60FPS, Slow motion 240FPS, OIS
  • (Rear) 4K60FPS, Slow motion 240FPS, OIS
  • Rear camera:
  • 4K video recording at 24/25/30/60fps
  • Front camera:
  • 1080p video at 25fps/30fps
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1, Google Cast, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou
  • Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1, Google Cast, Dual Band GNSS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou
  • Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, UWB, USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1, Google Cast, Dual Band GNSS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou
  • LTE / 5G (NSA, SA, Sub6)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE
  • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
  • NFC
  • LTE / 5G (Sub6)
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE
  • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
  • NFC
  • 5GHz (sub-6GHz) 2x2 MIMO
  • LTE Advanced
  • Wi-Fi 6 2x2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.0
Storage Type
  • 128GB (UFS 3.1)
  • 128GB (UFS 3.1)
  • 128GB (UFS 3.1)
  • 128GB or 256GB
  • No microSD card slot
  • 128GB or 256GB
  • No MicroSD card slot
  • 64GB, 126GB, 256GB
Battery
  • 4,410mAh
  • 18W wired fast-charging (PD 3.0)
  • 4,614mAh
  • 30W wired fast-charging (PD 3.0)
  • 21W wireless fast-charging (Qi-certified)
  • 5.003mAh
  • 30W wired fast-charging (PD 3.0)
  • 23W wireless fast-charging (Qi-certified)
  • 3,700mAh
  • 25W Super Fast Charging
  • 15W Wireless Fast Charging
  • Wireless PowerShare
  • 4,500mAh
  • 25W Super Fast Charging
  • 15W Wireless Fast Charging
  • Wireless PowerShare
  • Up to 15 hours video playback
Dimensions
  • 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9mm
  • 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9mm
  • 163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm
  • 146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm
  • 155.7 x 74.5 x7.9mm
  • 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm
Weight
  • 178g
  • 207g
  • 210g
  • 167g
  • 177g
  • 144g

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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8.0
  • Design 8
  • Features 8
  • User-Friendliness 8.5
  • Performance 8.5
  • Value 7.5
The Good
Same Google Tensor processor as Pixel 6
IP67 water resistance
Stock Android experience
A decent camera lens array + Google's image processing
The Bad
Priced too closely to the Pixel 6 to be competitive
Launch price significantly more expensive than previous model’s ($250 more)
No wireless charging, no charger provided
Limited storage and no microSD expansion option
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