B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B13, B14, B17, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28, B29, B30, B32, B38, B39, B40, B41, B42, B48, B66, B71 Still images are just as impressive as light levels dim, too. The Pixel 6a did a tremendous job brightening the overall scene without altering the tint of the image, and it kept the light bloom from nearby street lamps to a minimum as well. In good light conditions, the main camera takes sharp pictures that are rich in contrast and impress with vibrant and natural-looking colors and a large dynamic range. Even under lowlight conditions, the recording performance is significantly better than that of many other mid-range smartphones. The ultrawide angle camera also does a good job, but the image quality isn't quite as good as that of the main camera, and the edge areas tend to blurriness and discoloration. Moving on, the Pixel 6a is IP67 rated against dust and water ingress, meaning it should survive a dunk up to a depth of 1m for up to 30 minutes, and the front is coated in a protective layer of Gorilla Glass 3. The phone comes in a choice of three colours: Sage, Charcoal and Chalk (pictured here). More noticeable than the depth difference between the cameras is the fact Google's Pixel 6a's picture looks the best on the whole. Exposure is accurate, white balance is too, and there's a healthy amount of contrast, while shadow detail is more nuanced than it is on the Galaxy A53 5G.

As for video, the Pixel 6a is capable of recording up to a maximum 4K resolution at 60fps. All modes are fully stabilised, and footage looked very good in my tests, recording judder-free video with a good amount of detail, even in dark conditions. GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen 3DMark / Wild Life Extreme Unlimited Call quality is top-notch. Everyone we spoke to said we sounded clear and crisp over the Pixel 6a's mic. We measured the peak volume of the earpiece at 73.7dB, which is a little on the lower side; most phones average around 80dB. The speakerphone was closer to average, with a reading of 91.2dB. That's right in the 90-100dB range we typically expect.When tested against the Samsung Galaxy A53, we found the Pixel 6a's photos looked more natural, while the A53 featured brighter shots with a little more contrast, which is typical for Samsung phones. We prefer the more true-to-real-life photos from the Pixel, though both phones offer respectable performance for the price. Very few phones can match the calibre of images it’s capable of capturing, and those that can are typically flagships costing twice as much as the Pixel 6a. Performance is also spot-on, not to mention that it uses one of the most colour-accurate displays I’ve ever laid eyes on. The Pixel 6a’s scenic images are simply stunning, producing sharp, intricate details and accurate exposures every time you press the shutter button. On a sunny weekend walk around Valentines Park in London, the Pixel 6a captured sun-dried foliage beautifully, with a pleasingly neutral colour rendition to boot. If there's one thing Google consistently gets right with its phones, it's the cameras. Between the quality hardware and computational photography algorithms, Pixels have a reputation for taking high-quality photos. Adding to its appeal, the Pixel 6a is on the smaller side compared with some competing devices. It measures 5.99 by 2.83 by 0.35 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.27 ounces. It's similar in size to the Pixel 5a (6.15 by 2.88 by 0.35 inches, 6.45 ounces), though the Apple iPhone SE (5.45 by 2.65 by 0.29 inches, 5.09 ounces) is considerably smaller and lighter.

Even so, the Pixel 6a's cameras aren't quite in the same league as those of the higher-tier Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. For instance, the 12.2MP dual-pixel primary shooter on the 6a can't produce as much detail in shots as the 50MP primary sensor of the Pixel 6. The 6a does, however, share the same 12.2MP ultra-wide sensor with its more expensive siblings. Photos from the ultra-wide lens look solid across the board, though the main lens offers superior image quality. HDR, Panorama, Bokeh Mode, Slow Motion, Time Lapse, AI Features, Scene Detection, Night Mode, Portrait Mode, Stereo Recording Pixel 6a hits the market in July. You can read more of our coverage below. More on Google Pixel 6a: There are three display modes on offer – Natural, Boosted and Adaptive – and colour purists are going to want to enable the Natural setting at the first opportunity. With this mode selected, our colorimeter recorded a practically faultless average Delta E score of 0.73 when tested against the sRGB colour space – every single colour was bang on the money. You certainly don’t see that very often. Battery life is the only area where the Pixel 6a hasn’t done so well. This was to be expected – we found Tensor to be especially power hungry in our Pixel 6 review – but the Pixel 6a’s battery score is diminished by roughly three hours. Still, a result of 20hrs 47mins is very good, and should be enough to last you nearly two days on a single charge.That’s disappointing, but it’s worth noting that previous Pixels punched well above their weight in the photography stakes. So, when you consider that the Pixel 6a borrows various sensors from past releases, there’s no reason to believe things have changed for the worse here.