As we all know, Google couldn’t officially launch Pixel phones for two years straight in India because of its Soli Radar Chip, which is banned in India. For two years, we’ve paid hefty import charges on Amazon for ordering Pixel phones after the last phone, Pixel 4a.
But this streak is finally ending, as Google is officiating the launch of the Google Pixel 6a in India through Flipkart.
There’s no announcement of the launch date yet, but as we discovered on Flipkart, we can pre-order it and get the phone hands-on by the 30th of July or an adjacent date.
Now, returning to our topic of discussion on the blog: Is it a possible contender for the Nothing Phone (1)? Let’s dig a little further, shall we?
But before we do, let’s read through the basic spec sheet of the Google Pixel 6a.
Specs
Pricing
- Starting from ₹43,999 (excluding the price)
Chipset
- Google Tensor SoC
- Titan M2 security coprocessor
Battery & Charging
- 4410 mAh-Typical, 4306 mAh- Minimum
- Fast Charging up to 18W
- Battery extendable up to 72 hours using Extreme Battery Saver mode
Software
- Stock Android based on Android 12.1
- Five years of security updates
Memory
- 6 GB LPDDR5 RAM + 128 GB UFS 3.1 storage
Display
- 6.1″ FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) OLED at 429 PPI
- Standard 60 Hz refresh rate
- 24-bit depth for 16 million colours
- HDR support
Audio
- Stereo speakers
- 2 mics
- Noise suppression
Camera
Rear camera
- 12.2 MP dual pixel wide lens with 77° FOV+ 12 MP ultrawide lens with 114° FOV
- Optical + electronic image stabilization
Front Camera
- 8 MP lens with 84° FOV
- Fixed focus
Notable Features
- Magic Eraser
- Real Toneᵀᴹ
- Locked Folder
- Night Sight
- Super Res Zoom
- Motion autofocus
- Live HDR+
- Cinematic Pan
Connectivity
- 5G compatibility- 19 bands
- WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E
- Bluetooth 5.2
- NFC
- Google Cast
Design
- Dimensions- 152.2mm x 71.8 mm x 8.9 mm
- Weight- 178 gms
- Plastic back with an alloy frame
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Screen
- Fingerprint-resistant coating
- IP67 dust and water resistance
What do we think about the Google Pixel 6a?
We had the opportunity to check out Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, and both phones had excellent performances. Except for the build size, every other feature of the phone was inbuilt perfectly into the phone, which made the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro the best Pixel phones to date.
Back to discussing Google Pixel 6a, we haven’t used the phone as we are yet to receive it. But we do have an opinion based on the spec sheet.
This phone has the same brains as its predecessor phones, Pixel 6 & 6 Pro; Google Tensor SoC and Titan M2 Security Coprocessor. This ensures that the phone will probably have good benchmark scores as it’s a chipset with snappy performance. But this might likely impact the battery life negatively. ‘Why?’ you ask?
Out of all the three phones in the Google Pixel 6 series, Pixel 6a has the lowest battery capacity. With the same chipset, the fastened performance can eat away at the battery much quicker than the other two phones. However, we predict it will work fine with the battery saver, but it might compromise the performance a tad.
Discussing memory options for Pixel 6a is a bit downer because there is only one option. You will only get a 6 GB + 128 GB variant. However, the RAM is type LDDPR5, and ROM is type UFS 3.1, which is the latest standard of every new or upcoming midrange/flagship Android, so that is good.
There is not much to say about the UI of the software because it is a Google phone, which implies that it has Stock Android.
However, the exceptional part about Pixel OS/ Stock Android is that since it’s a Google phone, it will receive software updates on a first priority basis.
Let us give an example: Let’s say Android 13 gets live on the 10th of October. An eligible Pixel phone will receive the same major update by the 17th or 20th of the same month. And then, it will release on other phones over weeks and months.
Moreover, for Pixel 6a, you will receive three years of Android version updates and five years of security updates, which is good compared to most Android phones.
The design and multimedia of this phone are decent but not at par with the price value. For a phone at this price, you can get a glass back, corning Gorilla glass five, a 120 Hz refresh rate display, and more. But this phone does not even have 90 Hz.
On the website, the back panel is mentioned as ‘3D Thermoformed Composite Material’, which is just another word for higher grade plastic and is honestly a bit disappointing to know.
The screen cover could have been at least a Gorilla Glass 5. Instead, you get a Gorilla Glass 3, which is now a very outdated Corning Glass, even for a mid-range phone.
The audio quality should be okay that it’s got all the good audio specs, but for this, we’ll have to wait and check it out.
The camera of Pixel phones is generally known to be pretty good (thanks to the almighty Google Camera). We cannot rely on the specs alone because even if the megapixels of the sensors are not that high, these still click pretty good pictures.
Regarding connectivity, 19 5G bands sound pretty impressive. However, for call quality, we’d have to test that ourselves once we get the phone. The cherry-on-the-cake feature is the Google Cast.
But how is it a possible contender for Nothing Phone (1)?
While the user interface is similar to a Pixel phone, there would be a tremendous amount of difference in the performance factor. The Pixel 6a has an exclusive flagship SoC, and the Nothing Phone 1 has a mid-range, mass-produced Snapdragon 7 series SoC, hence, the performance factor.
In terms of design, Nothing takes the trophy because of a unique concept. Moreover, they use a recycled aluminium frame along with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both back and screen, which is a great deal.
Google has had the experience of building immaculate phone displays for Pixel phones, so without any doubt, it takes the trophy for the same. But one concern is Pixel 6a’s 60 Hz refresh rate, which feels outdated nowadays. Moreover, Nothing beats Pixel 6a in this context by providing a 60-120 Hz variable refresh rate.
Nothing Phone (1) provides more than one memory variant for a less-priced phone. It’s significant as both the brands provide LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, yet Nothing has more memory options for the Nothing Phone (1).
Nothing Phone (1) provided both wireless and reverse wireless charging, whereas Google Pixel 6a does not have the same.
We tested the camera and the audio for Nothing Phone (1) previously, and as stated in our previous article, it’s all decent, but not the best. It’s a tough call to make right away whether Pixel 6a will have a better camera and audio or not because we have not used the phone. However, its camera and audio quality have never disappointed.
Conclusion
Even though Nothing Phone (1) has a lower price and falls in a mid-range category, it does have a lot of features that you find missing in Pixel 6a’s spec sheet. But even then, Pixel 6a is a contender because it beats Nothing Phone (1) at the most vital factor of any smartphone: SoC. And even more so, it gives 3 years of major Android updates along with 5 years of security updates indefinitely. An SoC and software make a lot of difference in how the phone performs, irrespective of specs.
But if you are more into the design and build quality, Nothing phone (1) is great. It has used some of the best materials for its manufacturing; recycled aluminium and Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
However, this is not our final verdict. Stay tuned for the Google Pixel 6a review!
And while you are waiting, you can place pre-orders for Google Pixel 6a skins and Google Pixel 6a screen protectors!