Google Pixel 6A Review: The Best Budget Pixel Yet
Google's Pixel 6A is the latest sign that you no longer need to pay close to $1,000 for a great phone, coming after Apple and Samsung launched their own wallet-friendly devices earlier this year. The $449 Pixel 6A launched on July 28 and has the same Tensor processor as the Pixel 6, but for $150 less. Internationally, the Pixel 6A costs £399 and AU$749.
Google's cheaper A-series Pixel phones aren't new; they've been around since 2019's Pixel 3A. But the Pixel 6A fills a different need in Google's lineup compared to its most recent predecessors. In some ways, the Pixel 5A and Pixel 4A felt like they were fixing the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4's shortcomings. Both devices felt overpriced when they launched, making the Pixel 5A and 4A feel like the better upgrade for Pixel fans.
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The Pixel 6A, on the other hand, has a tougher act to follow. The Pixel 6 earned a CNET Editors' Choice Award last year for its excellent value at $600, which undercut flagships from Apple and Samsung by about $200.
The Pixel 6A generally accomplishes its intended purpose of providing a lot for less. The camera may be a step down from the Pixel 6, but it takes crisp and colorful photos for a phone of its price. You also get the same eye-catching design and Pixel-specific software features like Magic Eraser and Live Translate. The problem, however, is that the Pixel 6 was just available at a major discount that brought its price down to $499. With only a $50 price difference between these models for Amazon Prime Day, the Pixel 6A seemed hard to recommend.
LikeGoogle is also facing more competition from Samsung in the midtier Android OS phone space. Samsung outshines Google in some ways, particularly when it comes to displays, but I think Google provides a better overall package.
Google's Pixel 6A.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET Possibly the best-looking phone at this priceWithout looking at the two phones side by side, you could almost mistake the Pixel 6A for the Pixel 6. It has the same two-toned design and a black camera bar that stretches horizontally across the back of the phone. I've been using the sage-colored Pixel 6A, which is a darker green than the Pixel 6's minty "sorta seafoam" color. The Pixel 6A's camera strip is also thinner than the Pixel 6's, but they otherwise share a similar look and feel.
The Pixel 6A's back panel is made of a "thermoformed plastic composite" according to Google, but it's easy to mistake it for glass. It's one of the few cosmetic differences between the Pixel 6A and Pixel 6, although you can barely tell the difference.
These factors make the Pixel 6A feel more expensive than it actually is, especially when compared to similarly priced Samsung phones. In fact, the Pixel 6A might be the best-looking phone in this price range that I've tried so far. Another perk: Fingerprint smudges aren't as noticeable on the Pixel 6A's "plastic composite" back as they are on the $450 Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, which is probably the Pixel 6A's biggest competitor.
Google is taking a slightly different approach with the Pixel 6A in terms of size compared to the Pixel 5A and 4A. While those devices were larger than the flagship phones they were based on, Google made the Pixel 6A smaller than the Pixel 6. The Pixel 6A has a 6.1-inch screen (making it the same size as the Galaxy S22 and iPhone 13), while the regular Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch screen.
The Pixel 6A is easier to manage with one hand than a Pixel 6, but I wouldn't describe it as a compact phone. Samsung is much better at cramming large screens into small spaces, as the Galaxy S22 proves.
The Pixel 6A (left) next to the Pixel 6 (right).
Lisa Eadicicco/CNETThe Pixel 6A's OLED display is sharp and colorful enough to comfortably watch videos, read the news and check email. But Samsung beats Google in this regard. Not only do the displays on phones like the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy A53 feel brighter, but Samsung also offers the option to boost the screen's refresh rate to 120Hz for smoother scrolling.
This feature is more common on pricier phones, so its absence from the Pixel 6A is reasonable. But Samsung and Motorola have started including higher refresh rates on cheaper phones like the Galaxy A53 5G and Moto G 5G, making its omission from the Pixel 6A more noticeable.
The Pixel 6A's standard 60Hz screen is plenty fast and responsive, but I wish it were brighter. I found myself fighting the urge to crank the display brightness above 50% when using the Pixel 6A on several occasions, even indoors.
Aside from its new Pixel 6-esque design and smaller screen, there's another physical trait that separates the Pixel 6A from last year's 5A: its lack of a headphone jack. There's no headphone adapter in the box either, but Google does include a USB adapter for transferring data from your old device.
The Pixel 6A's stereo speakers are loud and clear enough to get the job done. It was the perfect volume for providing background music during a picnic at the park without disturbing other people nearby.
Camera: Better than Samsung's $450 phone, downgrade from the Pixel 6
The Pixel 6A's camera.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNETThe Pixel 6A's camera is solid for a phone at this price, but it's a step down from the Pixel 6. On paper, the camera system is similar to the Pixel 5A's. Both phones have a 12.2-megapixel main camera with the same aperture, field of view and pixel width.
But there are differences in the ultrawide camera; the Pixel 6A's has a lower resolution and smaller field of view, but its pixels are wider. The addition of the Tensor chip also brings photography features you won't find on the Pixel 5A.
The Pixel 6A's 12.2-megapixel main camera took crisp and vibrant photos, although the Pixel 6's 50-megapixel camera is better at balancing color, detail and sharpness. However, I thought the Pixel 6A captured better photos than Samsung's Galaxy A53 5G in nearly all of my testing scenarios.
Bright outdoor sunlightThe Pixel 6 unsurprisingly took the best photo of the bunch. It's brighter than the Pixel 6A's and captures a wider field of view, but the photo from Google's cheaper phone still has plenty of detail. The Pixel 6A's photo may be a bit dimmer than Samsung's, but it's also more detailed while Samsung's photo looks a bit blown out and oversaturated.
Pixel 6A
An image of a yellow flower taken with the Pixel 6A.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNETPixel 6
A photo of a yellow flower taken with the Pixel 6.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNETGalaxy A53
A photo of a yellow flower taken with the Galaxy A53.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET Portrait modePortrait mode is one area where the Pixel 6A fell behind both the Pixel 6 and Galaxy A53. There's too much shadow over the subject's face in the Pixel 6A's photo compared to the others.
Pixel 6A