Pixel 6a is officially arriving in India today. Considering that its predecessor, Pixel 5a, never made it here, it’s good news for Pixel fans and enthusiasts. The phone was first announced at Google I/O in May. As expected, it’s a dialled down Pixel 6— the budget Pixel phone for 2022 if you will. Interestingly, the Pixel 6a pre-orders in India are starting on the same day that Nothing’s Phone (1) is going on sale for the first time. Needless to say, it’s just the right time to stack the two phones against each other and see how they compare.
So, without further ado, here’s a quick look at Pixel 6a and Nothing Phone (1)— prices, specs, features and everything else you need to know about them.
Design: The Pixel 6a has a dual tone look and what Google calls the “camera bar.” It has a frame made of metal. The back is plastic. On the front, you get Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The Phone (1) has a see-through rear that, also, comes with customisable LED lighting or “glyph interface.” The outer frame is made of 100% recycled aluminium while the rest is plastic— 50% of that is made with bio-based or post-consumer recycled materials. On the front, it has Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Both phones don’t have a headphone jack or micro-SD card slot.
Display: The Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 1080p resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. The Phone (1) has a 6.55-inch 120Hz OLED display with a 1080p resolution and support for HDR10+ playback. Both phones have an in-screen fingerprint reader for biometrics.
Processor: The Pixel 6a is powered by Google’s Tensor chip. Phone (1) uses Qualcomm’s mid-range Snapdragon 778G+ chip.
RAM, Storage: The Pixel 6a comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB UFS of storage. Phone (1) comes with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB storage.
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 get up to five years of security updates. Phone (1) runs Nothing OS, a proprietary operating system based on Android, and is eligible to get three years of major OS and up to four years of security updates.
Rear camera setup: 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. Phone (1) has dual cameras on the back, too, with a 50MP Sony IMX766 main sensor behind an f/1.88 lens with OIS and EIS and another 50MP sensor with ultrawide lens with a field of view of 114-degrees. It tops out at 4K@30fps.
Front camera: The Pixel 6a has an 8MP front camera while Phone (1) has a 16MP selfie shooter.
Battery capacity, fast charging: The Pixel 6a has a 4,410mAh battery with 18W fast charging. There is no wireless charging. Phone (1) comes with a 4,500mAh battery with 33W wired, 15W Qi wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging.
Price, availability: Pixel 6a price in India is set at Rs 43,999 for a version with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Phone (1) price in India starts at Rs 32,999 for a version with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone also comes in 8GB/256GB and 12GB/256GB configurations for Rs 35,999 and Rs 38,999, respectively.
