The Pixel 6a isn’t a small cellphone by most requirements. However at one-ounce lighter and 0.25-inch shorter than the pricier Pixel 6, it’s much more ergonomic for one-handed use. To not overlook the absence of a cumbersome, protruding digicam bump, which means your fingers don’t should work as a lot to carry the Pixel 6a. So how does it evaluate to the smallest possibility from the iOS camp: the iPhone 13 mini?
The Google Pixel 6a and Apple’s iPhone 13 mini couldn’t be extra completely different, however they share one widespread trait: they’re handier variations of their bigger siblings that inherit the identical efficiency and appears. They’re probably the most inexpensive choices for somebody to purchase into their respective ecosystem’s flagship expertise. And, because of sure offers, they’re not too far aside in pricing, both. The query is, which must you select: Pixel 6a or iPhone 13 mini?
| Pixel 6a | iPhone 13 mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Value | $449 | $429 |
| Show | 6.1-inch, 2400 x 1080, OLED 60 Hz | 5.4-inch, Tremendous Retina XDR OLED, 2,340 x 1,080 pixels |
| CPU | Google Tensor | A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 6GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB | Begins at 128GB |
| Selfie digicam | 8MP | 12MP |
| Rear cameras | 12.2MP extensive, 12MP ultrawide | Twin 12MP lenses (extensive and ultra-wide) |
| Battery measurement | 4,410 mAh | 2,438 mAh |
| Colours | Chalk, Charcoal, Sage | Crimson, Orange, Lavender, Mint, Navy, WhiteStarlight, Midnight, Blue, (PRODUCT)RED, and Pink. |
| Dimensions | 5.9 x 2.83 x 0.35 inches | 5.2 x 2.5 x 0.3 inches |
| Weight | 6.28 ounces | 4.97 ounces |
Pixel 6a vs iPhone 13 mini: Value
The Google Pixel 6a is simply out there in a single configuration (6GB and 128GB) and it prices $449.
The iPhone 13 mini begins at $699 (with an installment plan) or $729 unlocked for 128GB of storage. Its 256GB variant is priced at $799 and the 512GB mannequin prices $999.
In case you are somebody that hangs on to your cellphone for six years or past the worth equation could begin to tip towards the iPhone 13 mini, however for most individuals, the Pixel 6a is the clear winner right here.
Winner: Pixel 6a
Pixel 6a vs. Pixel 6: design
The Pixel 6a and iPhone 13 mini are two equally good-looking telephones. Nevertheless, their designs will attraction to disparate varieties of individuals. The Pixel 6a is a head-turner, whereas the iPhone 13 mini has an understated look.
The previous carries on Google’s custom of choosing recent, playful, and eccentric seems. It encompasses a dual-tone rear with a periscope-like black glass strip on the high housing the digicam lenses and flash. Although it’s made out of plastic, it doesn’t really feel prefer it: it has a easy glass texture and end that’s each nice to carry and doesn’t add an excessive amount of weight. The sides even have a texture that helps with the ergonomics, whereas the entrance is dominated by a 6.1-inch display screen barring the little entrance digicam cutout.
The iPhone 13 mini, alternatively, has a virtually two-year-old industrial glass exterior. In comparison with the Pixel 6a particularly, the 13 mini comes off as sturdier and one thing that may higher face up to drops and accidents. A part of the reason being that it’s one seamless piece of engineering versus the Pixel 6a, which has a handful of separate elements just like the digicam part. The perimeters are squared off right here and, though they don’t naturally sit in a hand like curved ones, they supply ample room on your fingers to comfortably relaxation on.
The elephant within the room is, after all, the dimensions distinction. The iPhone 13 mini (5.2 x 2.5 x 0.3 inches, 5 ounces), as its identify suggests, is a compact machine supreme for one-hand use. It could slot in any pocket and you may even attain all the 5.4-inch display screen’s corners with out readjusting — a perk virtually no different cellphone affords.
The easiest way to explain the Pixel 6a’s footprint is that it’s not big, not like the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Professional. It’s one of the best of the 2 excessive worlds; the comparatively slim kind issue permits average-sized fingers to function it with a single hand and but, its display screen is large enough so that you can eat media on it with out squinting your eyes. Due to this, the Pixel 6a (5.9 x 2.8 x 0.34 inches, 6.3 ounces) is expectedly heavier however for the reason that further 1.4 ounces is evenly distributed throughout its taller construct, you’ll be able to barely really feel the added heft.
Winner: Draw
Pixel 6a vs iPhone 13 mini: Show
Aside from the scale, the OLED screens of the Pixel 6a (6.1-inch) and iPhone 13 mini (5.4-inch) share a number of similarities. They each have 1080p decision, assist HDR, and are extremely vibrant at about 800 nits. Thanks to those high-end specs, there’s little to complain about: they’re sharp, vibrant, and simply readable outside, even underneath direct solar. Nevertheless, there are a few various elements that may assist you make you select one over the opposite.
The Pixel 6a’s show undoubtedly has a extra cinematic expertise. It isn’t solely bigger by 0.7 inches, however because of the tinier notch for the selfie digicam, it additionally affords uninterrupted display screen actual property. It’s visibly higher for nearly all the things you’d do on it, from enjoying video games to scrolling by way of social media. One other benefit it has is that it may well stay always-on and consistently present you the time, notifications, and date with out draining an excessive amount of battery.
The 13 mini has tips of its personal. Its built-in True Tone tech robotically adapts to your room’s lighting and adjusts the show’s coloration temperature in order that it’s extra correct and soothing. Plus, it has a ceramic layer that’s no less than theoretically a lot stronger than the Pixel 6a’s safety.
Nevertheless, if I needed to choose, I’d go together with the Pixel 6a, as I typically learn on my cellphone.
Winner: Pixel 6a
Pixel 6a vs iPhone 13 mini: {Hardware}
Regardless that the Pixel 6a is a mid-range cellphone, it has a handful of upper-hands over the iPhone 13 mini, which is a premium flagship mannequin.
The Pixel 6a comes outfitted with the newest connectivity modules, corresponding to Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 in comparison with the latter’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5. These are largely incremental upgrades, however they’ll matter in low-connectivity situations. As well as, I’ve discovered the Pixel 6a’s in-screen fingerprint reader and USB-C port to be extra handy than the iPhone’s Face ID and proprietary Lightning charging slot. Its stereo audio system are additionally louder and crisper than those on the iPhone.
The one benefit the iPhone 13 mini (IP68 ranking) has is that it may well survive as much as 6-meter deep water accidents for half-hour, whereas the Pixel 6a’s IP67 ranking is proscribed to 1-meter.
Winner: Pixel 6a
Pixel 6a vs iPhone 13 mini: Efficiency
The Pixel 6a and the iPhone 13 mini run on in-house, top-of-the-line chips developed by Google and Apple. Although there are some underlying technical variations, they’re each greater than able to dealing with all types of duties with out breaking a sweat. In real-life use, they will comfortably multitask between a number of resource-intensive apps like video games and video enhancing. I by no means needed to anticipate apps and internet pages to load on both and each of them hardly ever bought heat except I used to be charging them in my automotive on a sunny day.
On paper, nonetheless, regardless of the Pixel 6a’s further 2GB RAM (6GB of RAM, octa-core) and a further two cores, the iPhone 13 mini (4GB of RAM, hexacore) scored higher on benchmark assessments probably because of Apple’s years of refinements and expertise in silicon design. On Geekbench 5, the iPhone 13 mini bought a 1,705 single-core rating and 4,426 multi-core rating. The Pixel 6a fell remarkably brief at 1,046 and a couple of,121, respectively. The iPhone 13 mini additionally has the additional benefit of three storage choices: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The Pixel 6a is restricted to only 128GB.
Plus, Apple’s chips have a dependable repute of lasting the longest within the business and protecting units easy for years. The iPhone 13 mini is anticipated to obtain main software program updates for no less than 5 years. The Pixel 6a is claimed to get three main Android yearly updates and 5 years of safety patches.
Winner: iPhone 13 mini
Pixel 6a vs iPhone 13 mini: Battery life
The iPhone 13 mini’s puny 2,438mAh battery isn’t any match for the Pixel 6a’s practically double 4,410mAh pack. If you happen to’re cautious, you may get a time out of the iPhone 13 mini’s battery with some juice left by evening and a mean display screen time of 3-4 hours. Nevertheless, the Pixel 6a is on one other stage. It could last as long as two days on reasonable use and produce a formidable display screen on time of about 6 hours. You gained’t have to fret about carrying a powerbank and a cable earlier than heading out.
Each the telephones might be fast-charged with a most 18W adapter. After all, the Pixel 6a does take longer to high up fully (around2 hours and15 minutes), whereas the iPhone 13 mini can go 0% to 100% in underneath 90 minutes.
The one draw back of the Pixel 6a’s battery is that it doesn’t assist wi-fi charging. The iPhone 13 mini, compared, is appropriate with 7.5W Qi quick wi-fi charging in addition to 15W MagSafe charging.
Winner: Pixel 6a
Pixel 6a vs iPhone 13 mini: Cameras
The iPhone 13 mini’s cameras theoretically finest the Pixel 6a’s mid-range setup. Its foremost 12-megapixel shooter has a bigger 1.7µm (vs. 1.4µm) sensor and a smaller f/1.6 (vs. f/1.7) aperture, which means it may well seize extra mild with out compromising any particulars. However the actuality hardly displays that as each of them go toe-to-toe in outcomes.
In daylight scenes, the Pixel 6a and the iPhone 13 mini can click on well-lit and detailed footage with wealthy and correct colours. Nevertheless, the thought of what shot seems like is completely different to Apple and Google. Whereas the outcomes from the Pixel 6a have accentuated shadows and highlights and have a contrast-y look, the iPhone 13 mini believes in balancing all of the qualities.
For instance, should you click on one thing subsequent to a vibrant window, the Pixel 6a’s shot will improve each the foreground and background in order that the photograph is dramatic and vivid however not a lot that you just’d assume it’s oversaturated. The iPhone 13 mini will blow up the sunshine coming from that window to raised expose the topic and also you gained’t be capable to see a lot of what was seen exterior from the window within the ultimate shot.
At evening, the Pixel 6a and the iPhone 13 mini do a good job of making certain your footage are usually not blurry and nonetheless have loads of particulars and lightweight. You gained’t be capable to inform that the iPhone has a technically superior digicam since Google’s intelligent software program algorithms clear up regardless of the 6a’s {hardware} messes up. Talking of which, on the Pixel 6a, you’ll discover a handful of good digicam options to edit your images. You possibly can take away pointless objects from photographs after you’ve shot them and modify the angle at which the sunshine is falling on somebody’s face.
Each their secondary ultra-wide cameras are enjoyable to play with however don’t count on print-worthy outcomes from them. Although they allow you to seize a wider scene, the lenses themselves are usually not high-quality. You’ll typically see that the sides are a tad distorted and the lighting and dynamic vary are off. However so long as there’s sufficient mild out and also you’re not attempting to shoot a transferring object, you’ll get nice photographs out of each the ultra-wide cameras.
Whereas it’s onerous to choose a winner in images, the iPhone 13 mini is forward relating to recording video. Its footages are extra steady, higher uncovered, and smoother. I’ve typically discovered clips shot on the Pixel 6a end up uneven or grow to be inconsistent halfway with the dynamic vary and colours.
The outdated 12-megapixel selfie digicam is arguably the iPhone 13 mini’s greatest letdown. It tends to overexpose, which suggests not solely the pores and skin tone is normally inaccurate and lacks particulars, however the background is unnecessarily blown up, too. The Pixel 6a’s 8-megapixel shooter can retail pores and skin tones as they’re, brilliantly balances the dynamic vary, and captures a larger quantity of particulars.
Winner: Pixel 6a for images, iPhone 13 mini for movies
Pixel 6a vs iPhone 13 mini: Which must you purchase?
The Pixel 6a and the iPhone 13 mini every have their very own professionals and cons. The previous is supposed for individuals who spend lots of time on their cellphone screens and are searching for an possibility with a big display screen for cellular leisure and a long-lasting battery. It’s additionally wonderful at images and its design is way extra thrilling. And also you’ll probably save a few hundred bucks within the course of.
The iPhone 13 mini is for consumers who use their telephones purely from a utilitarian standpoint. For that, the 13 mini’s measurement is ideal for one-hand use, and with Apple’s spectacular monitor file for software program assist, it’ll go on for years. Its cameras, after all, are reliable too and as a 13 mini proprietor myself, I can inform you it’ll hardly ever seize a photograph or video that gained’t meet your expectations.
So based mostly in your preferences, you’ll be able to choose between the Pixel 6a and iPhone 13 mini. For a greater breakdown of every cellphone, take a look at our critiques.
