Coming soon: Google Pixel 6a

I have been asked many times so far what my thoughts were about the Google Pixels. Sure enough, their inaugural lineup was an intriguing one, though my interest into the series progressively waned, owing to the woeful marketing that veered into infantile communication for adults, the devices' unreliability, most notably the old LG P-OLED displays, and last but certainly not least, the experimental design that happily dabbles in ugliness if given the chance.

On the other hand, Samsung rests on its laurels and continues to unleash onto the world underwhelming devices, most notably in the mid-range segment, rendering said segment too... boring for me to ever look at in depth. The last mid-range device from them to ever interest me was the A8 2018. A far cry from today's A53 5G.

The Pixel 6a is different, and starts at a bit cheaper price point too. For starters, it uses the Pixel 6/Pro's processor, as to not compromise the experience. It is also smaller. Strange praises from a Note20 Ultra owner, sure, though I'm not really a fan of the axiom that bigger is better. The choice should be there at least, since it isn't a question of fitting a 10W processor in a 2W chassis. Plus, the device boasts a proper camera setup. No more of that rubbish super high resolution, pixel-binning sensors coupled with useless macro and depth lenses. Thus far, it seems like the perfect review subject to serve as this site's introduction into Google's product line.

Sure, stock Android remains boring, though Samsung's OneUI hasn't had any noticeable upgrade since OneUI 2. And they seemingly skimped on Gorilla Glass protection. But you do get eSIM instead, for some dual-SIM action. This isn't something readily available in the mid-range scene in Canada, especially not from Samsung. Quite frankly, it strikes me as a very potent 600$ unit that will morph into the quintessential mid-range device once its price drops closer to 400 or 500$ even.

I have ordered an unit and it should arrive soon. Stay tuned for more on this device in the coming weeks.