Google’s budget giant, the Pixel 6a, officially launched on Thursday, but you can already get a $50 deal. From now until August 7 at 11:59 pm PT, when you purchase a $449 smartphone from one of several retailers including Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and Google itself, you’ll receive a $50 gift card in store credit for respective stores.
The Pixel 6a is the mid-range version of Google’s impressive flagship phones, the $599 Pixel 6 and $899 Pixel 6 Pro, released in late 2021. a low-cost version of the A-series that has historically done a lot of good, giving a glimpse of flagship performance (especially in the camera) at a more affordable price.
This year, the story with the Pixel 6a is no different. Our review found it to be Google’s best take on a mid-range model, with Ars Reviews editor Ron Amadeo calling the 6a “the device [we] recommend to anyone looking for an Android phone.”The main reason for this is that the Pixel 6a uses the same embedded Tensor System (SoC) built by Google as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. In our testing, we found this chip to be twice as fast as the Pixel 5a. Pair that with the identical top-tier camera from the Pixel 6 and the 6a is essentially a flagship phone in mid-range garb.
The lower price means the 6a swaps the Pixel 6’s glass back for a shiny plastic one, smooths out the rounded curves of the 6’s façade, and drops wireless charging (as well as the headphone jack for the first time with an A-series phone). Its display is smaller (6.1 inches) and slower (with a standard 60Hz refresh rate), and technically it offers slightly less RAM (6GB).
But as is the case with all Google’s Pixel phones, you still get a clean and comfortable version of Android with a limited feature set guaranteed by three years of major OS updates and five years of security updates. The device also includes an in-screen fingerprint sensor, a first for the Pixel A line. Overall, the 6a is a good deal at the standard recommended price, but this deal should add value for those who need a new phone right now.