The Pixel 6A is the latest phone to join the competitive upper tier of midrange phones also occupied by Samsung, Apple, etc. Google announced the new phone on stage during its I/O 2022 keynote, detailing a few key things about it. First thing to know: it does not come out right away. Unlike the number of announcements that take place while products are on their way to retailers, this one won’t be available for pre-order until July 21, 2022, with orders shipping out the following week.
Unsurprisingly, this new (and smaller) 6.1-inch Pixel phone borrows many of the same design features 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 because it’s Google’s first mid-range phone to ship with its Tensor processor instead of Qualcomm processors. It will come in multiple colors, but it will come with the same 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage regardless of which one you buy.
In case you’re curious how the Pixel 6A compares to competing devices, like Samsung’s Galaxy A53 5G and iPhone SE (third gen), and how it improves on the last-gen Pixel 5A , we built this poster just for you.
Google Pixel 6A compared to other mid-range 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 |
| Filter | 6.1 inch OLED display | 6.34 inch OLED display | 6.5 inch OLED display | 4.7 inch LCD screen | 6.8 inch LCD screen |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | 120Hz | 60Hz | 120Hz |
| Resolution | 1080×1920 | 1080×1920 | 1080×1920 | 750×1334 | 1080×2460 |
| Biometrics | Fingerprint sensor under the screen | Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor | Fingerprint sensor under the screen | Touch ID | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor |
| Battery | 4400mAh | 4680mAh | 5000mAh | 2,018 mAh, according to GSM Arena | 5000mAh |
| Front camera | 8 megapixel | 8 megapixel | 32 megapixels | 7 megapixel | 16 megapixels |
| Rear camera | 12.2 megapixels (ultrawide 12 megapixels) | 12.2-megapixel main camera (16-megapixel ultrawide) | 64 megapixels (ultrawide 12 megapixels, macro 5 megapixels) | 12 megapixels | 50 megapixels (ultrawide 8 megapixels, depth 2 megapixels) |
| RAM | 6 GB | 6 GB | 6 GB | 4 GB, depending GSM Arena | 8 GB |
| Processor | Google Tensor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Exynos 1280 | A15 bionic | Snapdragon 695 5G |
| Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB | 128 GB | 64 GB | 256 GB |
| microSD support | Nope | Nope | Yes | Nope | Yes |
| Headphone jack | Nope | Yes | Nope | Nope | Yes |
| Price | $449 | $449 | $449 | $429 | $499 |
| Wireless charging | Nope | Nope | Nope | Yes | Nope |
| Waterproof | IP67 | IP67 | IP67 | IP67 | “Water resistant design” |
| Includes charger | Nope | Yes | Nope | Nope | Yes |
| Colors | White, Green, Black | Black | Black | Black, White, Red | Blue green |
| Operating system | Preloaded with Android 12 | Preloaded with Android 11 | Preloaded with One UI 4.1 based on Android 12 | Preloaded with iOS 15 | Preloaded with Android 12 |
Correction on May 11, 5:30 p.m. ET: The specs comparison chart says the Pixel 6A will support wireless charging, but it won’t. We have updated the table and we regret the error.