New Pixel 6a unboxing video offers side by side comparison with Pixel 6 Pro
Google's 2022 budget phone, the Pixel 6a, was formerly unveiled on May 11, but pre-orders won't begin until July 21 and the device will hit the shelves on July 28. Back in May, an official unboxing video briefly popped up online, and another was uploaded on TikTok earlier this month. A third unboxing video has now appeared on YouTube.
Google has revealed pretty much everything about the Pixel 6a and has also shown what it looks like, but the hands-on video gives us a closer look at the phone. The phone bears a striking resemblance to the Pixel 6 and it looks nothing like last year's Pixel 5a, which looks almost dated when compared to Google's new phones.
Unboxing video showcases key differences between Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 Pro
Pixel 6a vs Pixel 6 Pro
During the I/O conference where the Pixel 6a was revealed, Google also teased the flagship Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, which will arrive later this year. Their prototypes are already on sale on Facebook, but you might not want to buy them as Google will likely wipe them. Someone was also selling the Pixel 6a in Malaysia, so it's not surprising at all that the latest Pixel 6a unboxing has been uploaded by a Malaysian YouTuber - Fazil Halim.
The phone has a horizontal camera bar for housing the camera sensors, but it's not as raised as the one on the Pixel 6 Pro and the lenses have been placed beneath an oblong glass cover. Unlike previous A series phones, the Pixel 6a doesn't have the same main camera as its pricier siblings. The phone is sticking with its predecessor's 12MP camera instead of adopting the Pixel 6 duo's 50MP sensor.
The 12MP ultrawide camera appears to be the same as the one on the Pixel 6 and Google has also said that it gets the same 8MP selfie camera. The phone is underpinned by the same Tensor chip as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, which enables it to support exciting software-based features like Magic Eraser, Face Unblur, and Real Tone. This could help it become the best budget camera phone of 2022.
The Pixel 6a sports a 6.1-inches AMOLED screen, and though not evident in the video, it supports a slower 60Hz refresh rate than Google's high-end handsets. The punch hole has been moved to the center from the left.
The Pixel 6a and the higher-end Pixel 6 and 6 Pro also have different build materials. The Pixel 6 has a Gorilla Glass Victus screen and its rear is protected by the Gorilla Glass 6 and the chassis is made of aluminum. The Pixel 6a, on the other hand, has a Gorilla Glass 3 panel at the front and a plastic 3D thermoformed composite back with a tactile alloy frame.
Pixel 6a appears to have a faster fingerprint scanner than the Pixel 6
The Pixel 5a came with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and some may have been wishing for a physical scanner on the Pixel 6a as well. That's because the Pixel 6 duo's in-display fingerprint scanner is slow and buggy. The good news here is even though the Pixel 6a has adopted the new tech, it has a different in-screen fingerprint reader and in the video, it appears to be quite responsive.
Pixel 6a doesn't have the same dodgy fingerprint scanner as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
The headphone jack is gone, meaning you will no longer be able to use wired headphones with the phone.
The Pixel 6a has a 4,410 mAh battery, smaller than the Pixel 5a's 4,680mAh cell, but Google has assured it will last as long as the 5a.
The phone has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and will get five years of software support. It will set you back $449 and will be available in almost all major markets.
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