Google has launched the Pixel 6a, its much-awaited “budget” Pixel phone at Google I/O 2022. The Pixel 6a maybe a watered-down Pixel 6 but it is packed with some good hardware including Google’s Tensor chip which is to say that it has great potential to shake up the midrange smartphone market. The Pixel 6a, naturally, will compete straight-up with Apple’s iPhone SE 2022 especially in the West. In India, it will obviously have more competition to tackle.
Also read: Google I/O 2022 focuses on app growth
| Google Pixel 6a: A quick first look at design, specs, top features, price, and everything else to know
Be that as it may, Google’s hardware and software is revered and people have been looking forward to a Pixel launch in India, for a very long time. While we still don’t know the pricing, Google has confirmed that the Pixel 6a is coming to India later this year. we will have more to say about it as and when it arrives, but for now here’s a quick look at how the Pixel 6a stacks up against the iPhone SE 2022.
Google Pixel 6a versus Apple iPhone SE 2022: Specs, features compared
Design: The Pixel 6a has a frame made of metal. The back is plastic. On the front, you get Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. There is no headphone jack or micro-SD card slot. The iPhone SE has a glass and metal design which is a throwback to the iPhone 8. It does not have a headphone jack or storage expansion either. Both phones have IP67 rating.
Display: The Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 1080p resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. Biometrics are handled by an in-screen fingerprint reader. The phone has a hole punch cut-out at the centre. The iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch “Retina HD” LCD display with True Tone and 625nits peak brightness.
Processor: Under the hood, the Pixel 6a has Google’s Tensor chip. This 8-core chip —which is based on a 5nm manufacturing process—has two high-performance Cortex-X1 cores, two mid cores, and four high-efficiency cores. This is paired with a 20-core GPU. Tensor also packs a mobile TPU and Titan M2 security chip. The iPhone SE is rocking Apple’s A15 Bionic chip with a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU same as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini.
RAM, Storage: The Pixel 6a comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The iPhone SE is available with 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage. RAM is 4GB across all the models.
Software: The Pixel 6a runs Android 12 right out of the gate and will be “among the first Android devices to receive the upcoming Android 13 update,” Google says. It will receive up to five years of security updates. The iPhone SE boots iOS 15 and is expected to get upwards of four years of major updates.
Rear camera setup: On the back, the Pixel 6a has dual cameras— a 12.2 MP main (f1.7 dual-pixel with optical image stabilisation) and another 12MP ultrawide. 4K@60fps video recording is supported. iPhone SE has a single 12MP f/18 camera with OIS. It can also record 4K@60fps videos.
Front camera: The Pixel 6a has an 8MP front camera while the iPhone SE has a 7MP selfie camera.
Battery capacity, fast charging: The Pixel 6a has a 4,410mAh battery with 18W fast charging. There is no wireless charging. The iPhone SE has a 2018mAh battery with up to 20W fast wired and 7.5W wireless charging support.
Price: Pixel 6a is priced at $449 which roughly translates to Rs 34,800. iPhone SE price in India starts at Rs 43,900 for a version with 64GB storage. It also comes in 128GB and 256GB options at Rs 48,900 and Rs 58,900, respectively.
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