Pocket-lint is supported by its readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
(Pocket-lint) - Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were massive launches for the company. Not only because they represented a major refresh in both hardware design and software, but also because they've become among the best-selling Pixel phones to date.
They originally launched in October 2021, and both are flagship phones with near-enough flagship prices. But now it's time for the more affordable 'a' model. Enter: the Pixel 6a, announced at Google I/O in May 2022 and now available to order.
Pre-orders for the Pixel 6a opened on 21 July, and general availability will be from a week later on 28 July.
As for pricing, it is available at the same price as the Pixel 5a was when that launched in 2021: $449 / £399 / €459. It's considerably cheaper than the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, and features many of the same capabilities and power.
EE will stock the device in the UK.
From a design perspective, it's very clear the Pixel 6a belongs in the same family as the Pixel 6. It features that same distinctive camera band across the back,
The Pixel 6a measures 152.2 x 71.8. x 8.9mm, which is a little smaller than the Pixel 6 which measures 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9mm. It offers Gorilla Glass 3 to the front and a "3D thermoformed composite" rear - which is plastic to you and me.
As for durability, the phone comes with IP67 rating against water and dust, which isn't far off the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro (which are both IP68 water and dust resistant).
The Google Pixel 6a will come in three attractive dual-tone colours: black/grey, white/cream and green, as pictured above.
The Pixel 6a features a 6.1-inch OLED panel, making it smaller than the 6.4-inch Pixel 6 and 6.7-inch Pixel 6 Pro.
It offers refresh rates of 60Hz, which is some way off some of the fastest 90Hz and 120Hz panels we've seen on recent phones. There are now phones with those faster refresh rates in this price bracket, so that's a slight negative.
The Pixel 6a display has 20:9 ratio panel with HDR support, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 24-bit/16 million colour coverage too.
What's more, you'll get the same Pixel always-on display feature, complete with At A Glance calendar/weather info and the Now Playing functionality that tells you what song is playing in your vicinity.
The Google Pixel 6a will feature a similar camera setup as the Google Pixel 5, and consequently, the Google Pixel 5a 5G. While the Pixel 5's camera is great, it's a slightly different approach to previous "a" series phones. Previously, the "a" series was about offering the flagship Pixel camera experience in a mid-range device.
There's a 12.2-megapixel main camera, coupled with a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera on the Pixel 6a, as well as an 8-megapixel front camera. Specs are one thing, however, and features are another.
Like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, the system is capable of some pretty cool - almost magical - features. That means you get features Magic Eraser for removing unwanted objects in the background, Real Tone for ensuring all skin tones are displayed accurately and Face Unblur which essentially means no more blurry selfies.
From a video perspective you get 4K recording up to 60fps, slow motion up to 240fps and a 4K timelapse function with stabilisation.
Like the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, the 6a will be powered by Google's in-house built Tensor chip. That means, in terms of power and speed, it should deliver a very similar experience, despite being a much more affordable device. Kovol offers up to 42% off on desktop and wall chargers for Prime Day By Pocket-lint Promotion · 8 July 2022 These are some deals you can't afford to miss!
These are some deals you can't afford to miss!
The Tensor SoC means it gets access to a lot of Google's smart capabilities, like live translation, automatic security checks, end-to-end encryption with RCS messages and anti-phishing abilities. It'll run Android 12 out of the box, but will be among the first to get Android 13 when that is released later in the year.
Battery capacity is 4306mAh, with support for 30W fast charging. Google says you'll be able to get more than 24 hours from a full battery. Other hardware specs include 6GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128GB UFS 3.1 storage and stereo speakers.
The Google Pixel 6a will offer three OS updates, so that should see you through to Android 15 in 2024.
There will be 5 years of security updates, which takes you through to 2027.
Here is everything we heard about the Google Pixel 6a before it was officially announced.
At Google I/O 2022, the company took the wrappers off the next-generation affordable Pixel phone.
It was reported that the Google Pixel 6a might not offer the Motion Blur feature found on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
Leaker Yogesh Brar tweeted a spec list for the Pixel 6a, including battery and camera details.
Google's Pixel 6a has passed through the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) database, suggesting its launch is imminent. One of the models that hit the FCC is said to be coming wiht mmWave 5G.
Geekbench listed the Pixel 6a alongside the Pixel 6 and it saw the Pixel 6a outperform the Pixel 6 by a fraction, supporting the idea that it will have the same hardware.
Techxine published an image of the Google Pixel 6a packaging, confirming the name of the device and its design.
Jon Prosser tweeted saying the Google Pixel 6a would be revealed at Google I/O, alongside a tease of the Pixel Watch.
YouTuber Jon Prosser, of Front Page Tech, suspects the launch date has been pushed back due to the ongoing chip shortage. He now expects the phone to be announced in late July.
Google Pixel 6a benchmark results appeared on a Geekbench listing, showing the phone punching well above its weight in performance and revealing specification info.
The Google Pixel 6a appeared on a US carrier's inventory and an inside source claimed the device would launch in May, come in three colour options and offer 128GB of storage.
A reliable tipster tweeted that Google plans to launch the Pixel 6A in May which - if accurate - would mean around the time it usually has its annual I/O conference.
It's been claimed the Google Pixel 6a will run on the Google Tensor chip and come with the same camera as the Pixel 5.
OnLeaks and 91 Mobiles published a series of 5K renders showing off what is claimed to be the Pixel 6a.
Sie können diese Seite in Ihrer Muttersprache lesen hier