SpecEagle review · Google

Pixel 6a review: The mid-range Pixel that put Tensor in a $449 phone.

SpecEagle Editorial·Jul 2022·$449
Overall
77/100
Class rank
#10 of 125
Tier
Mid-range
Buy?
At the right price
The verdict, up front

A 2022 mid-ranger with flagship cameras — now a cheap used buy.

The Pixel 6a brought Tensor and Google’s camera magic to $449. The 60 Hz screen and lack of wireless charging are the cost-savings; great value second-hand.

01Display

74/100

74/100 trails the 78-point cohort average for mid-range phones of 2022.

TypeOLED, 60 Hz
Size6.1 inches
Resolution2,400 × 1,080 px (429 ppi)
Peak brightness~800 nits
ProtectionGorilla Glass 3

02Camera

84/100

At 84/100 this is one of the strongest camera showings among mid-range phones of 2022 — 16 points above the cohort average.

Main12.2 MP, f/1.7, OIS
Ultrawide12 MP, f/2.2
Selfie8 MP, f/2.0
Video4K @ 60 fps

03Performance

76/100

At 76/100 this is one of the strongest performance showings among mid-range phones of 2022 — 9 points above the cohort average.

ChipsetGoogle Tensor (G1, 5 nm)
CPU8 cores
GPUMali-G78 MP20
RAM6 GB
Storage128 GB

04Battery

80/100

80/100 — right at the average for mid-range phones of 2022.

Capacity4,410 mAh
Wired18 W
WirelessNo

05Build

83/100

At 83/100 this is one of the strongest build showings among mid-range phones of 2022 — 8 points above the cohort average.

06Value

84/100

At 84/100 this is one of the strongest value showings among mid-range phones of 2022 — 12 points above the cohort average.

What works
  • Flagship Tensor chip at a $449 price.
  • Excellent Pixel camera processing.
  • Compact, light body.
  • IP67 rating.
What doesn't
  • 60 Hz display.
  • No wireless charging; 18 W wired.
  • Older Gorilla Glass 3.
  • Discontinued by Google.
Cross-shop it against
OnePlus Nord 3
$449 · score 81/100

How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 125-phone cohort of mid-range devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .