Pixel 6a vs. the competition: The mid-range gets better with Tensor power
Google's Tensor chip gives the Pixel 6a a boost.
While flagship phones continue to be expensive, many phone manufacturers now offer mid-range options that are far more affordable. Today, Google announced the Pixel 6a, the latest of its "a" line of phones that are designed to fit that need. It looks and feels a lot like the Pixel 6, but it has a smaller footprint roughly the size of the Pixel 5 and a smaller display. It also has the same 5G as the 6 and the 6 Pro, Titan M2 security, and the same Tensor SoC as the P6 Pro. But it's certainly not the only mid-range handset on the market. Here, we've compared it with the iPhone SE 2022 as well as the Samsung Galaxy A53 to give you an idea of how it stacks up against its rivals. Be sure to check back soon to see how the Pixel 5a fares in our review.
None | Pixel 6a | Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | iPhone SE |
Pricing | $449 | $450 | $429 / $479 / $579 |
Dimensions | 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm (5.99 x 2.83 x 0.35 in) | 159.6 x 74.8 x 8.1 mm (6.28 x 2.94 x 0.32 in) | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches) |
Weight | 178 g (6.3 oz) | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 144g (5.09 ounces) |
Screen size | 6.1 inches (156 mm) | 6.5 inches (165.1 mm) | 4.7 inches (119.4 mm) |
Screen resolution | 1,080 x 2,400 pixels (429 ppi) | 1,080 x 2,400 pixels (405 ppi) | 1,334 x 750 (326 ppi) |
Screen type | OLED, 60Hz | Super AMOLED, 120Hz | Retina HD LCD |
Battery | 4,410 mAh | 5,000 mAh | Up to 15 hours, mAh unknown |
Internal storage | 128 GB | 128 / 256 GB | 64 / 128 / 256 GB |
External storage | None | Up to 1TB microSD | None |
Rear camera(s) | Dual Pixel Wide: 12.2 MP, f/1.7 UltraWide: 12MP, f/2.2 | Wide: 64 MP, f/1.8 UltraWide: 12 MP, f/2.2 Macro/Depth: 5 MP, f/2.4 | Wide: 12 MP, f/1.8 |
Front camera(s) | 8 MP f/2.0 | 32 MP f/2.2 | 7 MP, f/2.2 |
Video capture | 4K at 30, 60 fps | 4K at 60 fps | 4K at 60 fps |
SoC | Google Tensor | Exynos 1280 | Apple A15 Bionic |
CPU | Octa-core 2.8 GHz | Octa-core (2.4 GHz & 2.0 GHz) | 3.23 GHz hexa-core |
GPU | ARM Mali G78 | Mali-G68 | quad-core Apple GPU |
RAM | 6 GB | 6 / 8 GB | 4 GB |
WiFi | 802.11 ax | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11ax |
Bluetooth | v5.2 | v5.1 | v5.0 |
NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Operating system | Android 12 | Android 12 | iOS 15 |
Other features | IP67 certified, USB-C | IP67 certified, USB-C | IP67 certified, Lightning port |
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