With the Pixel 6a, Google deviates from the previous strategy of the a variants – and surprises in the process. But nothing changes on pure Android.
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Android smartphone: Google Pixel 6a in the test
- In the test: Six Android smartphones up to 350 euros
- Entry-level smartphone in the test: Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 with top display
- Gigaset GS5: Smartphone with exchangeable battery in the test
- Android smartphone: Nokia G50 with a 6.8-inch display in the test
- Mid-range smartphones: OnePlus Nord CE and Sony Xperia 10 III in review
- Six Android smartphones up to 250 euros with LTE or 5G in the test
- Nokia X20 with Zeiss camera and endurance battery in test
- Cheap OLED smartphones Google Pixel 4a and OnePlus Nord in the test
- Android smartphone Realme 6 Pro with quad camera, 8 GB RAM and 90 Hz display
- Huawei P30 Lite New Edition with 256 GB
- Inexpensive Android smartphone Motorola G9 Plus in the test
Accordingly, we expected the same good results in benchmarks as with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro (test) about six months ago. But we were surprised: The Pixel 6a ran even faster in most benchmarks. Were the system drivers not running perfectly when the Tensor architecture was introduced? To verify this, we ran the benchmarks again on a Pixel 6 Pro. It suddenly achieved the same fast results as the budget model 6a. So the new smartphone is not faster, but the older Pixel 6s have increased in performance over the past six months. After a few Android updates, Google seems to be making better use of the SoC’s potential.
enough performance
There is enough computing power available for apps, games and media consumption. Apps start quickly, the content runs smoothly across the display when scrolling, and games also run smoothly. The 6a doesn’t keep up with current high-end smartphones with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 series, such as the Vivo X80 Pro (test), but in return it only costs half or even a third. If we were only testing the price-computing power ratio, the article would end here with a purchase recommendation.
