Google’s Pixel brand of smartphones never really caught on. The latest smartphone to hit India was the low-cost Pixel 4a back in 2020, which has since been replaced by the Pixel 6a. The previous devices, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL, which were released in India back in 2018, marked a significant gap before that. As a result, buyers in India who desired one of Google’s high-end Pixel smartphones were only ever able to purchase models from the Pixel 3 series.
Naturally, the Pixel 6a’s display, at 6.1 inches, is the smallest of the three Pixel phones. The only significant difference is that the refresh rate is limited to just 60Hz, even though it is still an OLED screen that is HDR-certified and has the same overall resolution as the normal Pixel 6 (2,400 x 1,080).
The Pixel 6a, Google’s follow-up to the Pixel 5a 5G, will now be available in India. The Pixel 6a is a significant improvement. There are more features, a larger battery, and the flagship-grade processor has much more power. Even its appearance suggests that it is a member of the more expensive Pixel 6 and 6 Pro series.
There are three display options available: Natural, Boosted, and Adaptive. Color purists should select the Natural setting as soon as possible. The ambient light sensor’s maximum brightness, measured in auto mode with a torch shining on it, was 857cd/m2. The adjustable brightness slider’s maximum value outside of this setting was a decent 500cd/m2, and I recorded HDR playback at 760cd/m2.
Downgrading the camera’s main lens from a 50 megapixel (MP) wide-angle to a 12.2 MP wide-angle brings it closer to a Pixel 5 (at least on paper). On the 6a’s rear module, you also get a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, while selfies are captured at a respectable 8 MP.
The Android 12 operating system that you get out of the box is easy to use and navigate, with nifty customization options like the ability to match the colour of your icons to your wallpaper, as well as the return of live translation that enables you to communicate in 11 different languages or read text from photos that you don’t understand – ideal for your upcoming international trip.
The Pixel 6a has only performed poorly in terms of battery life. Tensor was very power-hungry in our Pixel 6 review, so this was to be expected, but the Pixel 6a’s battery score is down by about three hours. A result of 20 hours and 47 minutes is still excellent and should last you nearly two days on a single charge.