Pixel 6a Review: Should You Buy This Phone Just For The Cameras?

Google's Pixel lineup of smartphones has arguably been the "best camera smartphones" that one can buy. Here's how the Pixel 6a fared in my review.

Google's Pixel lineup of smartphones has arguably been the "best camera smartphones" that one can buy and this year's Pixel 6a brings a respectable set of cameras, a proprietary tensor chipset, water and dust proofing, and the device kind of completes the Pixel 6 family that comprises pricier Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro that sadly didn't launch in India. However, I am happy that the Pixel 6a made it to India as it brings a capable primary camera under Rs 45,000 which many of its Android rivals struggle to do, at least in terms of imaging capabilities. However, slow charging and 60Hz refresh rates are big bummers in the Pixel 6a.

Take a look at the smartphone landscape and you'd realise that the Pixel 6a competes with the likes of the Apple iPhone SE (2022), the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and the OnePlus 10R. Both the iPhone SE (2022) and Galaxy S21 FE pack in near-flagship qualities such as an advanced camera and fast chipsets. Armed with Google's proprietary Tensor chipset, the Pixel 6a was unveiled for Rs 43,999 in India. However, before you invest in the Pixel 6a smartphone, you should ask yourself a few questions: Do you like mid-range smartphones? Would you like a smartphone that has capable cameras, but compromises on other features such as a fast chipset? Read this detailed review to know how the Pixel 6a fared in my review.

Pixel 6a Design, Display, Looks And Build

The Pixel 6a's design language is heavily borrowed from the pricier Pixel 6 Pro which did not make it to India. The rear side of the phone has a distinct design in the form of a visor or a black strip that runs horizontally and it houses the primary dual cameras. The strip protrudes from the rear by about 1 mm, and that exposes the camera sensors to scratches. A good thing is that the camera module sits flush with the black strip at the back of the phone and doesn't make it wobbly when placed on a surface. It is advisable to invest in a good protective back case to prevent the cameras from scratches. The phone has a polycarbonate back and not a glass build which most top-tier smartphones come with. The plastic back is glossy and is a fingerprint magnet, but you may consider buying the white or Chalk coloured variant which can easily hide fingerprint smudges and dust.

Turn it around and you would be able to see the 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED screen which essentially means the form factor of the phone is handy. People with average-sized hands should be able to use it with one hand, but people with small hands would still need to use the Pixel 6a with both hands. A flip side, of the screen, is the thick bezels - considering the price segment of sub-Rs 45,000, Google should've done better with bezel size. The panel of the Pixel 6a refreshes at just 60Hz and that means the animations and UI transitions won't be super smooth. Giving a 60Hz refresh rate in a phone in the mid-range price bracket with such a build doesn't make sense in 2022.

Pixel 6a Battery And Performance

One of the strong points of the Pixel 6a is its 4410mAh battery that is supported by 18W charging speed which is pretty slow going by the standards some of Pixel's rivals in the same price category are providing. Having said that, the 4410mAh battery of the Pixel 6a lasted a little more than a day during my review. My usage included browsing videos, using Chrome on multiple tabs, using Twitter and Spotify and actively using other social media apps. Google does not ship the Pixel 6a with a charging brick, similar to what Apple and Samsung have been doing. Since the charging speed tops out at 18W only, I had to keep the phone plugged in for much longer than for example, the OnePlus 10T (read our review here).

Pixel 6a Camera

The Pixel 6a has a dual rear camera setup led by a main 12.2MP sensor with IMX363 sensor and f/1.7 and an ultra-wide angle 107-degree 12MP sensor. The Pixel 6a is pretty good in the camera department, as expected. However, sometimes it was hit-and-miss. Daylight shots were pretty much detailed with almost no noise. The Pixel 6a cameras had great dynamic range, but I missed the motion mode on the device. The images had good exposure, dynamic range and colours, but the camera contrast was more nuanced than say, the Samsung Galaxy A53 (read our review here).

Pixel 6a Final Verdict

The Pixel 6a is a decent phone to buy, but it does come with some compromises and it's evident where they have been made to cut the costs. Having said that, the camera is still one of the biggest highlights of the Pixel 6a with great optimisation. It is easy to say that the Pixel 6a is a phone made for smartphone photography enthusiasts who do not want to spend a bomb on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra or the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Some of the other alternatives that are overall better performance phones are the OnePlus 10T and the Nothing Phone 1.