Google has finally unveiled its new mid-range phone, the $ 600 Pixel 6a, which puts it at an astonishing distance from Apple’s new iPhone SE (2022) and the aging iPhone 11.
The new Pixel 6a is an impressive phone with many exciting flagship components, such as the Tensor chipset, with cheaper hardware and older cameras. It generally looks like a competent phone, but there are some drawbacks. For example, if you are used to a display with a high refresh rate, falling to the 60 Hz panel at 6a can be shocking.
Fortunately, the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE make such trade-offs, so finding the best hit for your phone will probably depend on your preferences.
Specifications
6.1-inch FHD + (1080 x 2400) OLED display, 429ppi, 60Hz refresh rate
4.7-inch, Retina HD, LCD display, 1334 x 750 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision
6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display, 1792 x 828 pixels
12.2 megapixel (main) + 12 megapixel (ultra wide)
12 megapixel (f / 1.8, OIS, wide angle)
12-megapixel (f / 1.8, OIS, wide-angle) + 12-megapixel (f / 2.4, OIS, ultra-wide), four-way True Tone LED flash
Fingerprint (on display), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
Touch ID, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
TrueDepth Camera Sensor, Face ID, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
Without headphone / color jack: chalk, charcoal, sage
Colors: Starlight, Midnight, Product Red
Colors: Black, Green, Yellow, Product Red, Purple, White
6.1-inch FHD + (1080 x 2400) OLED display, 429ppi, 60Hz refresh rate
4.7-inch, Retina HD, LCD display, 1334 x 750 pixels, HDR 10, Dolby Vision
6.1-inch Liquid Retina LCD display, 1792 x 828 pixels
12.2 megapixel (main) + 12 megapixel (ultra wide)
12 megapixel (f / 1.8, OIS, wide angle)
12-megapixel (f / 1.8, OIS, wide angle) + 12-megapixel (f / 2.4, OIS, ultra wide), four-light True Tone LED
Fingerprint (on display), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
Touch ID, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
TrueDepth Camera Sensor, Face ID, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
Without headphone / color jack: chalk, charcoal, sage
Colors: Starlight, Midnight, Product Red
Colors: Black, Green, Yellow, Product Red, Purple, White
It should be noted that Apple sells only the iPhone 11 with 64 GB of memory, and by the fall it will be replaced by the iPhone 12.
Design and size
The size of the phone is quite subjective, but in the last few years we have tended to larger devices. The new 6.1-inch screen sizes of the iPhone 11 and Pixel 6a look like the most attractive of all screens. However, it is expected that the OLED panel of the 6a will look much nicer than the older LCD panels that Apple uses in cheap phones.
Since both the iPhone 11 and 6a are very similar in size, we expect both to feel decent in the hand, but the glass back of the iPhone 11 is probably more premium than Pixel’s polycarbonate.
One remarkable thing that all three phones share is that they use metal sides, which is nice to see.
If you’re desperate for a smaller phone, the iPhone SE is for you, but most people will probably enjoy the Pixel 6a’s screen and phone size the most.
Battery life
Battery life is a little longer in the air. Personally, I found that the Pixel 6 is average on average in my limited testing, and the iPhone 11 is surprisingly good. However, the smaller screen and lower refresh rate combined with less RAM can make the Pixel 6a last a few hours longer than the 6.
The iPhone SE’s battery, on the other hand, is fine. It’s a small phone, but it also has a small screen and works with iOS, so the battery life is pretty solid.
All three phones support moderately slow fast charging at around 20 watts, so there are no noticeable differences. However, the smaller battery of the iPhone SE will probably charge the fastest.
Camera
The # Pixel6a camera has a built-in Real Tone ™, so your photos beautifully and accurately reflect your own unique skin tone. # GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/P4QpBfhQWe
– Made by Google (@madebygoogle) May 11, 2022
All three phones use older camera systems, but I would hesitate to call them obsolete. Both the 6a and iPhone 11 have a standard camera and ultra-wide lens. iPhone SE has only the standard camera.
The Pixel 6a uses essentially the same 12-megapixel touchscreen main camera that Google uses from Pixel 3 to Pixel 5a. This is a solid lens / sensor combination, but not the 50-megapixel power of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. This is stinging because Pixel a phones are usually known to share the same camera hardware as the leading ones. This turned around this time when Google sacrificed the camera in the name of performance and brought the Tensor chip instead.
iPhone 11 and SE also use 12-megapixel cameras. Both are very comparable and last well in daily use. Overall, Google’s camera system can be a little more fun with things like Magic Eraser and Real Tone.
productivity
There is not much to say here. All phones should last well over the years, but the iPhone 11 is the oldest of the three.
The iPhone SE is probably the model I would trust will last the longest, as it has the A15 Bionic inside. The Google Tensor chipset in the Pixel 6a is also a flagship chip, but in benchmarks it actually trades very closely with the iPhone 11, according to a benchmarking website called Nanoreview.net. Tensor is probably better, but with less than you think.
Overall, I expect the Pixel 6a to work similarly to the Pixel 6 in most cases, which means it will be enough for most people. However, mobile photo editors may notice an increase in the time to export and edit photos.
Pricing
- iPhone 11 – $ 679
- iPhone SE (2022) – $ 579
- Pixel 6a – $ 599 ′
It is worth noting that both iPhones start with 64 GB of memory. Instead, the Pixel 6a is full of 128 GB. SE is $ 649, and the iPhone 11 reaches $ 749.
There is a mid-range phone for everyone
I’m tempted by the Pixel 6a. I think the modern look, combined with the dual camera system and probably the live screen, would amaze me if I looked at it from a hardware point of view.
Obviously, most people will probably be influenced by the operating system they choose, and I will say that sometimes the most fun part of switching to a new device is learning some of the fun tricks of the OS.
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