The Google Pixel 6a retains the same design language of its siblings, but there are a few changes - for better and worse.

Google Pixel 6a review: Still the best value Android phone Google Pixel 6a review: Still the best value Android phone

The Google Pixel 6a offers good value for money, though it's not as competitive as many Chinese phones. The smartphone uses USB-C for charging and wired headphones, but there's no wall adapter in the box. It's a bit of a shame that there's no wireless charging, either. More AI features for this more affordable handset are 'Face Unblur', which does exactly what it sounds like and stops faces in photos from being blurry, plus its True Tone tech, which makes the cameras more effective at accurately showing darker skin tones in portraits. The only tool missing is Motion Mode, which adds effects to moving objects. So if that's a major draw, you'll have to spend more for the flagships.

The battery is 4,410mAh, which isn’t even small for a phone of this size, so we can’t get our heads around why it doesn’t last longer. The Google Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch display, making it a smidge smaller than the 6.4-inch panel on the Pixel 6. It offers the same resolution of 1080 x 2400, though. Pictures are good. Sure, they won’t match snaps taken on the standard Pixel 6 in terms of vibrancy or detail, but they’ll beat out nearly any other handset at this price.

Google Pixel 6a – 128 GB-Unlocked Android 5G Smartphone with

The Android software you get out of the box is simple to use and easy to navigate. There are neat customisation options, like the ability to match the colour of your icons to your wallpaper, plus the return of live translation that helps you converse in 11 languages or read text you don't understand from photos — perfect for your next jaunt abroad. The Pixel 6a is Google’s latest mid-range smartphone offering the same chips and performance as its top phones, but in a new, smaller body for a cheaper price. The Pixel often struggled to last a full day of use, even when battery saver mode was active the whole time. And we’re not talking about a day of hardcore gaming, video recording and so on - the Pixel 6a struggled with everyday medium use. This isn’t really a phone designed for gamers though, with its mid-range chip and small display, so it’s unlikely that too many customers will mind.The software is smart and refined, and will be updated for at least five years, which is longer than most rivals. The camera is miles better than any mid-range model, competing with phones twice the price or more. The Pixel 6a has a 60Hz refresh rate, which means scrolling isn't quite as fluid compared to flagships — or, in fact, the Pixel 7a, which has increased the refresh rate to 90Hz. The Google Pixel 6a, then, now offers better value than ever. That said, it would have been a more competitive phone, both against other Pixel phones and the slew of affordable phones on the market, if its starting price had been lower. Samsung’s mid-range marvel has an attractive design, good rear cameras, an impressive screen and a similar price to the Pixel 6a, making it a very tempting alternative.