GooglePixel 6a - 5G Android Phone - Unlocked Smartphone with 12 Megapixel Camera and 24-Hour Battery - Charcoal

Overall I am very happy with the Pixel 6a which I finally purchased as a replacement for my Pixel 3a which I’ve had since 2019 and served me very well but lost support for updates over a year ago. I was targeting getting a phone for under $400 and this meets that requirement. For me it was a choice between the Pixel 6a and the Samsung A54 5G but in the end I got the Pixel 6a 5g because my experience with the Pixel 3a was so good.This is a review after having the Pixel 6a phone for a month. Yes, I am experiencing similar issues others are with the fingerprint sensor but it doesn’t appear to be as bad for me as it has been for others. For me the transition of apps and data from my previous phone to this one was fairly seamless once of course I moved the sim card from my 3a to the 6a. I think any phone you get today is well served to have a case so I did purchase one for this phone as well.I’m not experiencing the network connectivity issues others have, either with wifi or mobile and it runs very well on the Mint Mobile network I have been using since 2018. In fact bluetooth, which is my preferred mode of conversation on the phone and I use quite a bit, noticeably clearer for me on the 6a than it was on the 3a. Plus others seem to hear me better when I’m on bluetooth on the 6a than when I was on the 3a. The phone connects to 5g on mobile very reliably and works very well.For me with my usage battery life is more than sufficient. For me I only need it to hold a charge during the day and on the charger at night. If it can do that I’m happy and so far it’s met that requirement. Keep in mind that I do not use the phone to play games although I do watch YouTube videos and TV on the device.There have been widespread reports of this phone getting warm and in some cases getting hot. That I have not experienced so far in my month of usage.Some have reported not being able to see the screen very well in strong sunlight. So far that has not been an issue for me. The Pixel 3a had a maximum nits rating of 442 nits and the Pixel 6a has maximum nits rating of 785 so there is in fact a vast improvement in brightness in the 6a, In all fairness, since I was used to the brightness of the Pixel 3a, the Pixel 6a was much brighter to me.Then there’s the camera. For me the quality of the camera is a very important factor since I use it quite a bit to photograph friends and family for social occasions. I was very happy with the camera on the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 6a has not disappointed since the Pixel 6a comes with two rear cameras instead of just one. Although many of the new phones come with higher megapixel cameras I feel the software that the Pixel 6a offers more than makes up for that. It still has exemplary low light capability that is not matched by other mid to low cost phones. In particular, the night site mode it now has enables taking pictures in lighting that other phones simply could not handle I feel.Then there’s the matter of this phone not having a headphone jack which for me again is not an issue since I prefer bluetooth but that’s just me. To be fair, it seems there is a big trend towards phones not having a headphone jack so it’s not just the Pixel 6a that is going in this direction. I find being chained to a physical cable attached to the phone to be annoying and inconvenient. Also, with the move to bluetooth 5 and above, I feel the sound quality has improved to the point where the sound quality is as good as a physical connection but that’s just me.Then there’s the matter of this phone now having an ip67 rating which should give it a good degree of protection against getting wet. This is an improvement from the Pixel 3a which did not have an ip rating.To summarize, so far this Pixel 6a has served me very well for the month I have owned it although I realize my positive experiences with it do not match others who have experienced issues I have not. I do not doubt the issues others have experienced with this phone. It’s just that so far I have not.

8/10/2022: So far, I'm still really enjoying my Pixel. A solid 4.5 out of 5.The biggest drawback so far is one I didn't mention originally: the charging time. It's not BAD, necessarily, but still slower than my previous 4-year-old phone. It takes about an hour to charge from 0% to 80%. The battery life hasn't been an issue, at least; I can get through a day on about 60% charge.I've gotten used to the fingerprint sensor, though it is still a little finicky.Regarding overheating, I regularly work in 90-110 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours at a time, and I haven't had any glaring issues. It just gets a little draggy when it's hot. (And apparently, it won't let you use the flash when it's warm.)One great thing I didn't mention before are the haptics/vibration. I particularly like them in this phone for typing, etc. I can always feel it in my pocket when I'm getting a call, which I can't say for the last few phones I've had before this one.8/1/2022: I've had this phone for only a couple of days now, but my first impressions are very positive. My previous phone was the Essential PH-1, which now has a shot battery, and my biggest struggle in finding a replacement for it was finding a device that was the right size. There are plenty of great phones for this price range out there, but almost all of them are all HUGE.Funnily enough, there's already a great review by another previous Essential PH-1 user, so I'll probably end up repeating a few of the same points.THE PROS:-The camera experience is MUCH better on the Pixel than with the PH-1. Google phone cameras have never failed me.-The stock-feeling Android experience is great and super snappy on the Pixel, and rather customizable. I love being able to activate dark mode on all of my standard apps. Besides that, it will be receiving updates for 5 more years.-The phone design is sharp and the Sage color is unexpectedly cool. The back feels like glass but is made of plastic, which obviously helps to make the phone feel as lightweight as it does. The buttons are nice and clicky.-I use Straight Talk as my carrier. So far, reception has been great, even compared to the Essential PH-1.-The size is NEARLY 100% PERFECT, but it borders on being just a touch on the tall side. I still like the shape enough that I don't mind a bit. I have medium-large hands, and I really wanted to stay with a slim device that fits comfortably in one hand and thrives with single-thumb use.-Some are concerned about the phone's 60 hz refresh rate. I've never actually owned a phone with anything higher, so as far as I'm concerned, the display is buttery smooth.THE MEH:-So far, I haven't experienced any overheating or bugs... with one exception. For whatever reason, my Pixel did not ship with the Magic Eraser tool in the photo editing app.-Battery life isn't exactly life-changing, but it'll get you through a full day's use after an hour's charge, no problem. Even intensive use doesn't seem to drain the battery too quickly.-The dual speakers are nice, but I noticed max volume is comparatively sorta quiet.THE CONS:-My only real nitpick with this phone so far is the front/display fingerprint sensor. After owning a device with a rear fingerprint sensor, it feels like a bit of a drawback. The PH-1's rear sensor provided instant unlock, whereas the Pixel's front sensor is barely slower AND a little finicky; sometimes, it takes a couple of tries for it to recognize my thumbprint. It works decently enough even with a screen protector, but like any fingerprint sensor, I wouldn't expect great results if your fingerprint is worn away at all.-It comes with a usb-c to usb-c charging cable, but no charger block. I highly dislike that trend.OVERALL, I am really enjoying the phone and hope it does hold out well for the next 5 years of updates. Even with my small nitpick concerning the fingerprint sensor, I love the camera, the lightweight Android experience, and especially the phone's size.