TL;DR: Just buy a Pixel —
Want a smartphone but don’t want to spend $1,000? We have you covered.
Ron Amadeo –
enlarge/ The camera bar is back, but it’s a lot shallower than the Pixel 6 version.
So you want to buy a cheap android phone, but you are overwhelmed with countless options. Let We point you in the right direction.
Luckily, some of our favorite cheap phones manage to stick to some of the items on this list.
A Notes on 5G
There’s also a good chance you’ll miss some form of 5G, but don’t let that affect your purchase Decide. Many carriers have started rebranding legacy 4G technology as “5G,” so you’ll have to actually play it to know the difference. You might run into some carriers, like Verizon, offering 5G mmWave upsells on phones for an extra $50, which is the case with the Pixel 6a.
- Ars Pick
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New on this year’s mid-range Pixel is an in-screen fingerprint reader.
Ron Amadeo
back.
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The Pixel 6a’s camera cover is separate from the rest of the camera bar, which reduces photo glare.
Ron AmadeoThere is a punch hole camera on the top of the phone and a earpiece speaker. Ron Amadeo
This side has a SIM card slot.
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Here we show you the buttons.
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Bottom There’s a USB-C port – no headphone jack. Ron Amadeo
The camera strip is back, but it’s a lot shallower than the Pixel 6 version.
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Check out the gorgeous flat screen.
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For a cheap Android device, the Pixel 6a doesn’t get any better. The Pixel A-series is usually great, but this year the lineup has taken it to the next level, including flagship-level system-on-chips (SoCs). Google packs the same Google Tensor SoC in its $449 mid-range smartphone as its $600 and $900 Pixel 6 phones. That means this little device performs almost identically to many flagships. In our full review, you’ll see that the Pixel 6a’s benchmarks are identical to the Pixel 6 in CPU, GPU, and storage metrics.
Besides not letting you compromise on performance, the Pixel 6a Offers a host of other benefits you wouldn’t normally expect in the mid-market. Google’s Android update program may not be the best anymore, but it’s pretty good for a midrange phone — you’ll get three years of major OS updates and five years of security updates. Most other phones in this class offer nothing when it comes to software updates. Specifications at a glance: Google Pixel 6a Screen - 6.1 inches, 60 Hz, 2400×1080 OLED
CPU
- Google Tensor
- Memory
- 6GB
storage
- 128GB
networking - Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC
- port
- USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 with 18W USB-PD 3.0 charging
- camera
Rear: 12.2 MP Main, 12.2 MP Wide Angle Front: 8 MP Camera 178 g - Battery
4410mAh - Price (MSRP)
$449 - Other benefits
Screen Lower fingerprint reader, IP67 waterproof and dustproof - The company hasn’t really invested much in camera hardware in mid-range phones, but the good news is that even the cheap, aging 12.2 MP Sony IMX363 on the Pixel 6a, Google’s camera software delivers Excellent effect. It’s the same sensor as the Pixel 2, 3, 4, and 5, and it really is one of the best cameras you can get at this price.
The IP67 waterproof rating of the Pixel is an important item. That means you can submerge your phone in water for 30 minutes and it should be fine. It’s great to not have to worry about using your phone with wet hands, or just wash your phone in the sink when it gets dirty. It’s a nice feature to give you peace of mind, and you don’t usually find it on cheaper devices. Display on budget phones is always a compromise, we Think Google made the right choice on the 6a’s screen. The display is a 60 Hz OLED, while some phones in the mid-range market opt for a 90 Hz LCD. We like 60 Hz OLED because these budget phones usually can’t render anything at 90 fps. Additionally, using OLED over LCD means Google can provide an always-on display. Always highlighted is that you can One of the best features you can get on an Android phone. When the screen should be “off,” it goes into low power mode and displays the time and any notifications you may have received. OLED lets you do this without draining too much battery, and it’s nice to always be able to see two of the most frequently checked items on your phone without touching it. Another surprise at this price point is Wi-Fi 6E compatibility sex. If you buy a new access point, this compatibility will allow you to jump on the newly available 6 GHz spectrum for home Wi-Fi, which would be great if you live near a neighbor and have Wi-Fi issues wonderful. Everyone shares the airway, and in densely populated areas, Wi-Fi is prone to dropped calls due to a lack of spectrum. New 6 GHz device lets you jump into non-early The unused spectrum of the adapter neighbors, which will greatly improve your connectivity. 6E support is basically exclusive to flagship phones right now, which is a nice bonus to getting a device with a Tensor chip. -
You can or m not a fan of in-screen fingerprint readers. These readers are a beat slower than the rear-mounted capacitive scanners you’ll find on most midrange phones. Google also eliminated the headphone jack this year, which might be something you care about. Finally, there is no expandable storage. These are features you’ll still find in other midrange phones. None of these items really make us feel like a big deal though question. With cheaper phones, you have to compromise somewhere, and it’s really remarkable that the Pixel 6a doesn’t have serious shortcomings. The phone is so good that any other Android phone in the Pixel A-series price range is pretty much dead by the time it arrives. We’re not even sure we’d recommend the Pixel 6 as a Pixel 6a exists. With the Pixel 6 Pro, you get a bigger, faster display, but there’s no $150 difference between the Pixel 6 and 6a. The Pixel 6a is too good. OK- Tensor SoC delivers flagship performance without cash
The camera can even stand up to some flagships - Google’s first day of updates for three years is pretty good for this price
IP67 waterproof - Fast build Android with no extra junk software
always on display mode This way you can always check the time and notifications, even when the screen is “off”
- bad
- Iffy Fingerprint Reader
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- Non-expandable storage
no headphone jack
The Pixel 6a destroyed the rest of the phones in our lineup.
The Pixel 6a has a flat screen with thicker than usual bezels at the bottom.
Ron Amadeo
