Pixel 6a vs Nothing Phone 1: performance, photo, price, what are the differences?

Two new mid-range smartphones have notably launched in July 2022, the Pixel 6a and the Nothing Phone 1. Both take quite a different approach, but each has serious arguments to make. We explain all the differences.

On July 12, nothing lifted the veil on his very first smartphone, the Phone (1). The latter clearly stands out from the competition atypical transparent designwithout forgetting to offer a solid technical sheet and interesting features.

For its part, the Pixel 6a was unveiled on May 11 at Google I/O 2022, but it took more than 3 months for the smartphone to finally arrive available for pre-order today.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR PIXEL 6A PRO AND NOTHING PHONE (1)

Here is a summary of Specifications of the two smartphones. We will analyze these properties in more detail later in this article.

DESIGN: TRADITION MEETS ATYPICAL

The Pixel 6a doesn’t think outside the boxIt retains most of the lines of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, which represented a small revolution in design and aesthetics when they were released. There is always a back panel in two colors, the two parts are separated by the prominent photo block that occupies the entire width of the smartphone.

For its part, the Nothing Phone (1) takes over. a design close to the iPhone 12 with flat edges, but the device has the particularity of offering a transparent back that reveals the inside. The exposed components each take on a different hue, but the main attraction is undeniable Glyph, this LED system made up of 900 MicroLEDs distributed over the entire hull. When the user receives a call or a notification, the LEDs are activated like a Christmas tree, giving the product a truly unique personality.

Neither smartphone offers a headphone jack, but both offer stereo speakers. The audacity of the Nothing Phone (1) therefore saw him win this round by a wide marginalthough some will prefer to settle for the Pixel 6a’s more traditional, go-anywhere design.

SCREEN: TWO DIFFERENT FORMATS, EACH WITH BENEFITS

The Pixel 6a is said to be quite compact as it only uses one 6.1 inch FHD+ display. It uses technology OLED and a refreshment of only 60Hz, like its predecessors. The screen still has fairly thick bezels like Google did on the Pixel 6a.

The Nothing Phone (1) has a larger screen 6.55 inch FHD+ AMOLED. It is more suitable for fans of fluidity thanks to its frequency of 120Hzand Nothing did a lot of symmetry work. No border is wider than the other. According to our phone test (1), the screen is perfectly calibrated.

Finally we find further The Pixel 6 has a center stamp for the front camerawhile it is placed in the upper left corner on the Nothing Phone (1). Both screens use optical fingerprint sensors. Luckily for the Pixel 6a, Google has confirmed that its sensor is different from that of the original Pixel 6s, which had a number of issues. The Nothing Phone (1) therefore offers the best screen, but the Pixel 6a has the advantage of being smaller and therefore more ergonomic.

ACHIEVEMENTS: THE PIXEL 6A EXPLODES THE NOTHING PHONE (1)

In terms of performance, The Pixel 6a inherits the flagship processor from the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, the Google Tensor. This chip makes the new smartphone 5 times more powerful than the old Pixel 5a, but above all it makes the Pixel 6a one of the most powerful in its category. In fact it is 2021 high-end processorwhich offers excellent artificial intelligence.

The Nothing Phone (1) uses a much more modest chip, being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G+. The performance is therefore solid enough for everyday use, but does not come close to the Pixel 6a. The Pixel 6 offers a base configuration of 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but the Nothing Phone (1) fares slightly better with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The device also offers 8GB RAM with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM with 256GB storage configurations. The Pixel 6a therefore wins this round thanks to its more powerful processor.

BATTERY: THE PIXEL 6A IS MORE LONG-LASTING BUT NO WIRELESS CHARGING

Google announces that it used a 4410mAh battery in its Pixel 6awhich is a lot for its small size of just 6.1 inches. Wired fast charging is still limited to 18W, which is much less than most smartphones today. We would have wished for at least 30 W from Google.

The Nothing Phone (1) is equipped with one 4500mAh battery with the 33W fast charge. It’s better than the Pixel 6a, but its large screen and 120Hz refresh rate shouldn’t allow it to beat Google’s smartphone in terms of battery life. The Nothing Phone (1) is even more versatile as it’s the only wireless 15W fast charging and even 5W reverse fast charging for your accessories.. It all depends on whether you prefer longer battery life or wireless charging.

CAMERA: THE TWO SMARTPHONES ARE COMPLICATED TO SHARE

On the photo side, the Pixel 6a relies on a configuration with Dual cameras with a 12.2 MP IMX363 main sensor, which Google has been using on its budget smartphones for several years. He is supported by a 12 MP ultra wide angle sensorand an 8 MP front camera takes care of the selfie part.

The Nothing Phone (1) also has two cameras on the back, but uses significantly larger sensors. We find one 50MP IMX766 main sensora kidnapper 50 MP JN1 ultra wide angle as well as a 16 MP sensor on the front.

Thanks to its larger sensors, the Nothing Phone (1) can therefore capture more light for night shots, but the smartphones from Pixel are known for their impeccable photo processing, which often overtakes the performance of the cameras themselves. . The Nothing Phone (1) has the advantage of being able to take macro shots thanks to its ultra-wide-angle sensor, while the Pixel 6a can count on a multitude of interesting photo functions such as the magic eraser. This was also improved when it was released and can now change the color of objects on a snapshot.

SOFTWARE: TWO ANDROID 12 OVERLAY NEAR STOCK

The Pixel 6a offers the same near-stock Android experience as previous modelswhile the Nothing Phone (1) offers a custom Nothing OS overlay, but this one is also very close to Android Stock. Both smartphones not included no pre-installed apps other than Google’s suitewhich should appeal to most consumers.

Both the Pixel 6a and the Nothing Phone (1) were released in Android 12, but will not benefit from the same update-level tracking. As a matter of fact, Google expects Android security updates for at least 5 years. Nothing will update its smartphone for less time, since the English manufacturer has only promised 3 years of major Android updatesand 4 year security patches. Knowing that Pixel will benefit from new Android features before anyone else, the point goes back to the Pixel 6a.

ALMOST THE SAME PRICES

The two smartphones are offered at almost identical prices. As a matter of fact, The Pixel 6a is available to pre-order starting today, priced at $459 in its unique version with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. There are three colors to choose from: saige, pebble and charcoal.

The Nothing Phone (1) is also available from today, although most pre-orders of the smartphone were able to receive it a few days ago. It is offered in its version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage for 469 eurosthen at 499 euros with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage and 549 euros with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage.

VERDICT

Smartphones each offer their pros and cons, but if we had to choose, the Nothing Phone (1) is a bit more interesting. This one isn’t afraid to break the codes by wanting to stand out from the competition, thanks in particular to Glyph LEDs, macro mode or even wireless charging, something almost impossible to find in this segment. Of course, the Pixel 6a is still a great alternative if you want all of Google’s features and a much longer update tracker.