Google recently unveiled its latest cut-price smartphone, the Pixel 6a. But how does it compare to Apple’s attractive iPhone SE 3?
The Pixel 6a launch comes just a few months after the iPhone SE (2022) hit shop shelves. So if you want an affordable handset from one of these two tech giants, which one is worth buying?
Based on our experience with the iPhone, and the just-announced specs for the Pixel 6a, we’ve put them face-to-face, comparing them across key categories, so you can decide for yourself.
design and screen
The latest iPhone SE has a very familiar design; In fact it looks exactly like its predecessor, and has hardly changed since the introduction of the iPhone 6.
iPhone SE 2022
This means it has a very small 4.7-inch screen by today’s standards, and not only that; It’s an LCD panel, so it lacks the excellent contrast levels offered by an OLED screen, and also has a bog standard 60Hz refresh rate that hasn’t been boosted for added smoothness. The display is one of the biggest weaknesses of this handset.
Pixel 6a
By comparison, the Pixel 6a looks like a more modern phone – its premium brother, the Pixel 6. It’s a bit more interesting to look at, with a camera bar than on the rear panel, and in addition it has a metal frame which could help it a bit sturdier than the previous plastic models in the series. The screen measures 6.1-inches, which isn’t particularly large, but it’s still got a significant size advantage over the sister iPhone SE.
camera
The camera is an important asset in both these phones. The iPhone SE 2022 has a 12-megapixel sensor, and we found it to take excellent daytime shots, which are further enhanced by its superb image processing. However, due to the lack of a dedicated night mode, it struggled a bit more when taking lowlight shots.
Pixel 6a
Pixel phones, on the other hand, are renowned for their excellent night photography prowess, so we’d expect a lot more from it in this department. This handset has two sensors, a wide and an ultrawide, instead of just one – and it’s got the same selfie set-up as the Pixel 6. What’s more, it boasts some of the same great photography features as the other models in the range, including Real Tone to capture authentic skin tones and Magic Eraser to remove distracting objects from your images.
a demonstration
It’s hard to beat the iPhone SE when it comes to bang for your buck; With the A15 Bionic chip, it leaves many Android flagships in the shadows, let alone mid-range devices. Not only does it offer great performance, outpacing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in benchmarking tests and running demanding games with great ease, but we’re expecting impressive longevity from Apple with generally long-term software support. Huh.
That said, the Pixel 6a is no slouch when it comes to performance standards. Its chipset is Tensor, similar to the one found in the Pixel 6 Pro flagships, and when testing that phone we found that “apps open instantly, games run chug-free even with their graphics settings maxed out.” So we are expecting the same. Even higher standards than the Pixel 6a.
battery
The iPhone SE 2022 has improved battery life compared to its predecessor, but it’s still not the handset’s particular strength. Its un-demanding screen means it doesn’t drain video use as quickly as some other devices, and we’ve always managed to use it for a full day without needing a recharge, but gaming has taken a toll on this phone. Killed the cell very quickly.
Google claims that the Pixel 6a’s battery “lasts really, really long” but we haven’t tested that claim against real-world use yet. Apparently the adaptive battery feature allows it to save a significant amount of juice by prioritizing your most important apps, so that it can “last longer than 24 hours”. Plus, Google claims that “just a few minutes of charging can give your phone hours of power.”
cost
Both these phones are manufactured as low cost alternatives to the respective premium phones from their manufacturers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they both have similar price tags attached; The iPhone SE 2022 costs $429 (419) and the Pixel 6a costs $449. If price is the deciding factor for you, there’s little difference between these two contenders.
The iPhone SE 2022 is currently available in stores and online, while the Pixel 6a will be available for pre-order on July 21, and on shop shelves on July 28.
Decision
The iPhone SE and Pixel 6a share some similarities, with a greater focus on chipset and camera capabilities. That said, the Pixel 6a’s design is far more modern and attractive, though we’ll have to thoroughly test its battery and camera to see how well these key features hold up, but with the price being so similar, its Chances are that the key deciding factor for whether you prefer iOS or Android as a mobile operating system will be reduced.
