Is it that it runs stock Android?

Has a great camera?

Or that it gets software updates quickly?

Historically, it's been a little bit of all of the above,

but starting with Pixel 6 series,

there's a new feature at the forefront

of the Pixel identity, Tensor.

If you need evidence, then look no further

than the new Pixel 6A.

Case in point,

a couple of years ago, having a Pixel phone

meant having one of the best smartphone cameras

available on the market,

up there with Apple and Samsung,

whether you bought the high-end version

or the cheaper A series device.

That's not the case with this year's 6A.

The Pixel 6 and Pro use a new 50 megapixel sensor

for their main cameras.

But the 6A uses last year's 12 megapixel sensor.

Instead, Google is going all in on Tensor.

It's custom-built processor

as the defining feature of a Pixel phone,

while the camera takes a backseat.

It's a hint at what Google's priorities are

for future developments.

And it also happens to make the 6A

a very good mid-range phone.

Just like in previous years,

the 6A is essentially a paired down version of the Pixel 6

and to a lesser degree, the flagship 6 Pro.

Compared to the Pixel 6, the 6A is a little smaller

with a 6.1-inch screen instead of 6.4 inches

with fewer high end features like a standard refresh rate

rather than a 90 Hertz screen,

no wireless charging,

and a plastic back panel rather than glass.

Oh, and it's cheaper, $449 compared to 599.

You also get a little less RAM

and slightly less robust water resistance.

Also it happened.

Google got rid of the headphone jack on the 6A,

the last holdout in the Pixel series.

He had a good run, buddy.

The 6A also looks merely identical to the 6 and 6 Pro

with its pronounced horizontal camera bump,

black rail, and the two-tone color treatment.

The color options are a little less interesting.

There's just white, black in this sort of sage,

no kinda coral here.

It comes with 128 gigs of storage and 6 gigs of RAM,

which is too less

than the base configuration of the Pixel 6.

Size is maybe the biggest differentiator

between the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6A.

Pixel 6 is definitely a big phone with its 6.4-inch screen.

The 6.1-inch screen on the 6A is still relatively big,

but it feels much smaller

even though the size difference is only a few millimeters

here and there.

You can kind of use it with one hand, which I appreciate.

There's another difference here

that you can't see on the surface,

the in-display fingerprint sensor.

It's one of the features that a lot of 6 and 6 Pro owners

have criticized as slow and inaccurate,

especially compared to Samsung's flagships.

The 6A uses a different sensor,

but I can't say I've seen a huge difference.

Sometimes, it feels a little faster,

but it still trips up

and asks me to re-scan my finger occasionally.

I wouldn't expect a mid-range phone

to have a lightning fast in-display fingerprint sensor.

So it's a little easier to excuse on the 6A than the 6 Pro.

Just don't expect a night and day difference

if that's something you disliked about the Pixel 6

and you were hoping that the 6A would do better.

The 6A may be smaller, but thanks to Tensor,

it's just as mighty as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.

Performance is snappy for day to day stuff

like jumping between apps,

typing out emails, and scrolling social media.

It even handles heavier tasks

like 3D rendering and graphics heavy gaming well.

And there's very little cameras shutter lag,

not true of every mid-range phone.

This is flagship performance from a phone

that costs half as much as a flagship.

Including Tensor also means

that the 6A gains its machine learning

and AI-driven features like live on-device transcription

that's more accurate

and less power hungry than previous versions.

There are also some new features in the phone app

to estimate hold wait times

and transcribe numeric menu options

so you don't have to listen

to a prerecorded list over again.

More importantly,

it means the 6A gets the same software support lifespan

as the 6 and 6 Pro,

including five years of security updates.

It's also equipped for whatever Tensor based AI features

Google may add in the future.

Battery performance on the 6A is good

and that tight integration between software and hardware

is at least partly responsible.

With lighter use, I can get through a day and a half

on a single charge,

and a full day of heavy use is no problem.

There's relatively fast 18-watt wire charging,

but no charger included in the box.

It may be different than what the 6 and 6 Pro offer,

but the Pixel 6A's camera system is still really good

for a mid-range phone.

There's just a main stabilized standard wide lens

and an ultra wide on the rear panel, which is just fine.

No mediocre, macro and depth sensors here.

Photos in good light are contrasty

with a slightly cool color tone.

Google has put a lot of emphasis

on its improved skin tone processing,

and portraits look good with flattering color.

It's not front and center anymore,

but a high quality camera is still very much part

of the Pixel identity.

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro where Google's first step

towards a new identity

with machine learning and AI-driven features

at the forefront and the 6A is following right behind.

Google wants its phones to be known

for more than good cameras.

Putting Tensor in the 6A, says it's much loud and clear.

The 6A gets a lot right.

Battery life is very good.

Day to day performance is excellent.

And of course, the camera is still topnotch

for the mid-range class.

It doesn't offer the best screen in its price bracket.

That honor goes to the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G,

and it's 6.5-inch OLED with a 120 Hertz refresh rate.

But the 6A is undoubtedly the better choice

for clean software and flagship worthy performance.

It's a Pixel, all right.

- Hey, all, thanks for watching.

It's been a really busy summer.

And something tells me it's about to get even busier.

So don't forget to subscribe,

and I'll be seeing you again very soon.