Google Pixel 6a: is this smartphone really better than the Nothing Phone (1)?

As usual, Google has unveiled an “a” version of its high-end terminals. More affordable, this versatile smartphone focuses on photography, an area that the Californian giant has mastered perfectly, while the Chinese outsider still has everything to prove.

More pragmatic, the Pixel 6a displays a now well-known design, while the Nothing Phone (1) plays the card of originality. If the Google mobile wins this round, it is thanks to its better compactness and, above all, to its IP67 protection index. However, the victory is not overwhelming in the face of a smartphone with a much more ambitious look enhanced by its rear LEDs, equipped with unprecedented wireless charging in this segment and IP53 certification.

On the side of the screen, the victory goes to the newcomer, the Phone (1). Although the two devices have a similar panel, the Nothing model stands out slightly. With a Full HD definition (2,400 x 1,080 pixels), it offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz, against only 60 Hz for the Google smartphone. And drives the point home with a more precise calibration and a high brightness peak.

As for performance, the Nothing Phone (1) proved to be particularly sharp thanks to its Snapdragon 778G. If the two Android terminals were very fast, the Qualcomm chip that equips the Phone (1) delivers video game performance that its opponent’s Tensor fails to equalize. In any case, manufacturers deliver phones that are comfortable in all situations.

Obviously, it is on the shutter of the photo that Google clearly stands out. Less ambitious than the Pixel 6, this “a” version nevertheless has two 12.2 megapixel sensors, compared to a duo of 50 Mpx sensors for the Phone (1). But the characteristics are not everything, and the Mountain View company knows it well, arguing very advanced processing algorithms allowing the Pixel 6a to deliver faithful shots and high sharpness. Unsurprisingly, the night photos are also to the advantage of Google which proves to us, once again, that software processing works miracles.

On the autonomy side, the Pixel 6a is more enduring thanks, in particular, to its larger capacity battery, but the Phone (1) benefits from a much faster and wireless charge.

The Pixel 6a wins this duel thanks to its IP67 certification and its photo component, on which Google retains a certain lead. But let the Mountain View company not rest on its laurels because the outsider Nothing proves to us that it has weapons sharp enough to overshadow players who are already well established.