The Pixel 6a is here - the small but mighty version of Google’s flagship Pixel 6.
Just like previous a-series Pixels, it’s a scaled back version of the flagship Pixel at a lower price point. If you’re looking to upgrade to a feature-packed phone without paying top-end prices, it could be the one for you. Let’s check it out!
Classic Google design
All phones in the Pixel 6 family share the same familiar ‘Google’ design, with a horizontal camera bar breaking up the back. The main difference is that it protrudes less on the Pixel 6a. A good thing, in our opinion. Not quite as good is the plastic back, which seems prone to picking up scrapes and scratches. Treat your new Pixel 6a to a phone case as soon as you get it, and you should be fine.
As for the display, the Pixel 6a features a 6.1-inch OLED panel with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. Not quite as large (or as smooth) as the 6.4-inch Pixel 6, but the vivid colours and deep blacks you get with OLED look fantastic.
A quality camera set-up
Google Pixels are famous for having great cameras, and even though the Pixel 6a is no flagship, it doesn’t disappoint. With two 12MP rear cameras and an 8MP selfie camera, it takes the kind of bright, sharp and colourful pictures you usually only see on much more expensive phones.
Night Sight is a great feature, which does an amazing job of capturing bright shots in low light. Then there’s Magic Eraser, which lets you rub out unwanted objects from your shots. Bye bye, photobombers!
You’ve also got a new Camouflage option to play with. Rather than trying to remove a distracting image, you can make it blend into the background instead. It’s a neat solution for those occasions when the object overlaps with others, and the Magic Eraser can’t remove it neatly.
A chip off the old block
The Pixel 6a comes with 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM, and is powered by Google’s custom-built Tensor processor. It’s powerful enough to run some incredibly advanced AI and machine learning features, such as real-time translation. And because it’s so efficient, battery life doesn’t take too much of a hit. It lasted us for 24 hours of normal use, and we were able to get back up to speed quickly with fast-charging – hours of power in just a few minutes.
The best of Google
The Pixel 6a runs the stock version of Android 12, Google’s latest operating system. It keeps everything clean and clutter-free, with no needless bloatware in sight. You’ll only find Google's best apps pre-installed, like Maps, Pay, and the Play Store.
Privacy and security is a big part of Android 12, so there are some useful new features to dive into. For example, you can choose whether an app needs your exact or precise location. It makes sense to share your exact address with food delivery and taxi services, but do you really want to give it to games and photo-editing apps? Probably not.
And because it’s a Google phone, your Pixel 6a will always be at the front of the queue for new software updates – along with 5 years of security updates.
The Google Pixel 6a is now available to order on iD Mobile.
Purchase a Google Pixel 6a between 21/07/2022 - 01/08/2022 and you will be eligible to claim a pair of Pixel Buds A-Series worth £99 by redemption Terms and conditions Apply.
Tempted? What do you think about the features we’ve mentioned above? Are you planning on upgrading? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
