The Pixel 6A is the latest phone to join the competitive top tier of midrange phones, also occupied by Samsung, Apple, and more. Google announced the new phone on stage at its I/O 2022 keynote, with just a few key notes about it. The first thing to know: It doesn’t come out right away. Unlike how many announcements are made while products are on their way to retailers, this one won’t be available for pre-order until July 21, 2022, with orders shipping the following week.
Unsurprisingly, this new (and smaller) 6.1-inch Pixel phone borrows many of the same design cues from the more expensive Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, with a raised camera section and a two-tone color scheme. The Pixel 6A is a big deal as it is the first mid-range Google phone to come with its Tensor processor instead of Qualcomm processors. It will be available in multiple colors but it will come with the same 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage no matter which one you buy.
If you’re curious about how the Pixel 6A could compare to competing devices, like Samsung’s Galaxy A53 5G and the iPhone SE (3rd generation), and how it improves on the last-generation Pixel 5A, we’ve built this post just for you.
Google Pixel 6A vs other midrange phones
| Category | Pixel 6A | Pixel 5A | Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | iPhone SE (third generation) | Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Pixel 6A | Pixel 5A | Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | iPhone SE (third generation) | Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) |
| Network | 5G | 5G | 5G | 5G | 5G |
| Screen | 6.1-inch OLED screen | 6.34-inch OLED screen | 6.5-inch OLED screen | 4.7 inch LCD screen | 6.8-inch LCD screen |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | 120Hz | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Solution | 1080 x 1920 | 1080 x 1920 | 1080 x 1920 | 750 x 1334 | 1080×2460 |
| biometrics | Fingerprint sensor under the screen | Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor | Fingerprint sensor under the screen | Touch ID | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor |
| Battery | 4.400mAh | 4.680mAh | 5,000 mAh | 2.018mAh, according to GSM arena | 5,000 mAh |
| Front camera | 8 megapixels | 8 megapixels | 32 megapixels | 7 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
| Reversing camera | 12.2 megapixels (12 megapixel ultra-wide angle) | 12.2-megapixel main camera (16-megapixel ultra-wide angle) | 64 megapixels (12 megapixel ultra wide angle, 5 megapixel macro) | 12 megapixels | 50 megapixels (8 megapixel ultra-wide, 2 megapixel depth) |
| RAM | 6GB | 6GB | 6GB | 4GB, according to GSM arena | 8GB |
| Processor | Google Tensor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Exynos 1280 | A15 Bionic | Snapdragon 695 5G |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB | 128GB | 64GB | 256GB |
| microSD support | New | New | Yes | New | Yes |
| Headphone jack | New | Yes | New | New | Yes |
| Price | $449 | $449 | $449 | $429 | $499 |
| Wireless charging | Yes | New | New | Yes | New |
| Water repellent | IP67 | IP67 | IP67 | IP67 | “Water resistant design” |
| Includes charger | New | Yes | New | New | Yes |
| colors | White, Green, Black | black | black | Black, White, Red | Blue green |
| Operating system | Preloaded with Android 12 | Preloaded with Android 11 | Preloaded with Android 12 based One UI 4.1 | Preloaded with iOS 15 | Preloaded with Android 12 |