The Pixel 6a features a stellar camera, 5G, and only costs $449

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At Google I/O 2022, the company just announced its latest mid-range smartphone, the $449 Pixel 6a. What’s not midrange is the processor, which is the same Tensor chip powering the flagship Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.

It keeps the same design language as the Pixel 6, with that divisive camera bar on the back. That houses a 12.2 MP wide sensor and a 12 MP ultrawide sensor, using dual pixel autofocus instead of the laser focusing system on the more expensive Pixel 6 models. The front camera is 8 MP.

The cameras come loaded with all the expected Pixel AI computational photography tricks. Face Unblur sharpens up faces, even in motion. Magic Eraser lets you edit out parts of images.

READ MORE: You can now buy the Google Pixel 6a, but is it worth your money?

Other camera features include Night Sight, which enables portraits and other usually-inaccessible shots at night. Finally, Real Tone improves how Pixel’s camera captures skin tones.

What’s inside the Pixel 6a?

The 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED screen runs at up to 60Hz. That’s not as smooth as the 90Hz or 120Hz variable displays on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, but the lower price tag must come from somewhere.

Google has made some major battery life improvements with the Pixel 6a. Using Adaptive Battery, they say the 4410 mAh battery can last over 24 hours under normal usage.

Battery life extends to nearly 72 hours if you switch Extreme Battery Saver on. And the last part of the equation – the Pixel 6a will get hours of battery life from just a few minutes of wired fast charging.

The biggest surprises? Support for 5G mmWave, which isn’t usually found on mid-range devices. The only thing about that? You have to buy the mmWave version from Verizon, and it’ll cost another $50.

You also get 128GB storage as standard. The Pixel 6a also has IP67 protection, under-screen fingerprint unlock, and Google’s Titan M2 chip for security.

Color options include Sage, Chalk, and Charcoal. The Pixel 6a will be available for pre-order on July 21 from $449, with the handsets shipping (and on shelves) on July 28.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.