The Google Pixel 6a is one of the best midranger smartphones on the market. It comes at a price point that’s considered budget-friendly, and while Google sacrificed a few features in favor of a cheaper price tag, it’s an excellent and capable smartphone. It has plenty of memory to multitask, and it’s powered by Google’s Tensor G1 flagship chipset under the hood. The Pixel 6a has an excellent camera setup, and it’s possibly the best device for those on a budget wanting to capture images that need no editing. It’s the perfect point-and-shoot camera experience at a price tag that is justified and affordable by many.
However, as we inch toward the new Google Pixel 7a, you may be raising the question of whether it’s worth upgrading and buying last year’s Pixel 6a, or whether you should hold out and wait for the Pixel 7a.
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You should buy the Pixel 6a today if…
You need an affordable smartphone right now
If you need a smartphone urgently, or perhaps you can’t wait any longer, the answer is straightforward. The Google Pixel 6a is an excellent smartphone, and it can often be found for around $299 and $249 online and at retailers. It has an excellent camera setup, and a powerful chipset. While it might lack some basic and standard – features like a 90Hz display and an upgraded camera setup, it’s still a superb midranger with plenty of flagship qualities.
If you need a smartphone right now, you can’t go wrong with the Pixel 6a; chances are, you’ll be more than happy with the performance and overall experience for as long as you set your expectations.
You don’t mind the 60Hz display
As we mentioned previously, the 60Hz display is a deal breaker for most of us, technology enthusiasts, but realistically, it’s not a problem for the majority of users. The Google Pixel 6a comes with a 6.1-inch OLED display with 1080 x 2400 resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, and 60Hz refresh rate.
It looks beautiful and offers great brightness levels, viewing angles, and colors. While we would’ve loved to see a more responsive display, the Pixel 6a still offers a great general performance. The animations are smooth, and the phone doesn’t stutter or have any sluggish behavior that’d downgrade the experience.
You’re happy with the performance and camera
The Google Pixel 6a is a very capable smartphone. It’s powered by Google’s own Tensor G1 SoC coupled with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage. The chipset is more than powerful enough to play graphics-intensive titles, capture 4K video at up to 60fps, and using multiple apps simultaneously. Although we would’ve preferred to see at least 8GB of RAM, 6GB is plenty for most people to use 2-4 apps without issues, or possibly even more, depending on the apps you use.
The phone feels smooth, powerful, and responsive for most day-to-day tasks, and if you’re on a budget, this is one of the most powerful smartphones in this segment. There are plenty of ways the upcoming Pixel 7a could improve the performance, but if you need a phone right now, and you want to hold on to it for at least 2-3 years, the Pixel 6a will be an excellent smartphone.
Speaking of updates, the Pixel 6a will continue to receive software updates for three years, and security patches for five years. This means that the phone will be safe to use for at least five years and will receive most of the new features built into Pixel and Android smartphones in general for three years. Unfortunately, that’s not something you can get from many other devices in the same price bracket as the Pixel 6a.
You should wait for the Google Pixel 7a if…
You want a 90Hz display
Early rumors indicate the upcoming Google Pixel 7a might receive a big upgrade. The phone is rumored to come equipped with a new 90Hz display, a significant upgrade over the previous 60Hz panel, found on the Pixel 6a. The 90Hz refresh rate panel offers a more responsive display, making the user experience more fluid, smooth, and immersive. As a result of the higher-refresh rate, the phone can feel faster, further improving the experience.
We’d love to see this rumor turn out to be true, as one of the main reasons why we often ended up not recommending the Pixel 6a to some people was because of the display technology. It got the job done, for the most part, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience for those who were already used to the more responsive panels offered on devices in the same price category.
You’re not in a rush to upgrade or buy a new phone
If your current phone is still holding up, you’re not in a rush, or perhaps you’re after some more meaningful new features and an upgrade, it might be best to wait a few more months until the Pixel 7a arrives officially. The Pixel 6a is an excellent smartphone, but if you’re looking for a new camera, a potentially longer-lasting battery life, and a more responsive display, then it might be best to hold out a while longer.
There’s a chance that Google might unveil the upcoming Pixel 7a at the upcoming Google I/O event, scheduled to take place on May 10. Google historically unveiled some of its A-series devices at the event, and there’s a chance we could see the upcoming budget device at the event, alongside the new Google Pixel Tablet and the Google Pixel foldable smartphone.
You’re after an even greater camera setup
The Pixel 7a is rumored to receive a significant upgrade in the camera and chip department. The new phone is said to be powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, the same SoC that’s powered the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The new device is also rumored to receive a significant bump in the camera department, and the latest leaks claim the phone will have the same camera setup as the Google Pixel 6.
The Pixel 6 came with a 50MP f/1.9 primary and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor, and it was one of the best camera smartphone in 2021. The Pixel 6a featured an older Pixel camera setup, sporting a dual 12MP combo, and while it was perfectly capable, it did show its age in certain situations and lighting conditions.
The upcoming Pixel 7a could offer a much better bang for the buck, especially if these rumors and leaks materialize and are true. Suppose the leaks are real; we could be due for a massive upgrade this year. We can only hope that Google doesn’t raise the prices in the US and other regions, and we might just have an easy winner below the $500 price category.
Conclusion
If you already have a decent phone and don’t mind living with it for a few more months, we’d strongly encourage you to wait until the Pixel 7a arrives. However, if you’re due for an upgrade and can’t wait, or choose not to, the Pixel 6a is an excellent phone at a low price point. It offers great performance, beautiful images, a long-lasting battery life, and a compact design.
Suppose you can wait a little bit longer. In that case, we’d encourage you to do so, as the current leaks suggest we could see a more responsive display, an even better camera setup than on the Pixel 6a, and likely the same compact form factor and impressive battery life. The upgrades on the Pixel 7a appear to be big enough that we suggest you hold out a little longer. The Google Pixel 7 and the Google Pixel 6 are also excellent devices, depending on how much money you’re willing to spend. Both devices offer high-refresh-rate displays, perfect camera setups, and great battery life.
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Google Pixel 6a
$249 $449 Save $200
If you don’t care about high refresh rate, wireless charging, a glass back and a few other tidbits, this should be your phone. It’s a Pixel, but less expensive. Check out all the deals on the device using the links given below.
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Google Pixel 7
The new Google Pixel 7 is powered by the all-new Google Tensor G2 chipset. The device is coupled with 8GB of memory, and it has 128/256GB storage tiers. The phone comes with a significantly improved camera system, and it’s more portable than the last generation. The Pixel 7 is available in Obsidian, Lemongrass, and Snow colors.
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Google Pixel 6
$239.99 $739.99 Save $500
The Google Pixel 6 is the more compact and affordable variant from the new flagship series. It features most of the same features and comes with the same primary and ultrawide camera as the Pixel 6 Pro.
