We put the Google Pixel 6a through our rigorous DXOMARK Display test suite to measure its performance across six criteria. In this test results summary, we break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key display specifications:
- 6.1 inches OLED, 109.8 cm2 (~84.3% screen-to-body ratio)
- Dimensions: 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm (5.99 x 2.83 x 0.35 inches)
- Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, (~429 ppi density)
- Aspect ratio: 20:9
- Refresh rate: 60 Hz
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Google Pixel 6a
125
display
129
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Best: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (160)
139
Vivo X90 Pro+
Best: Vivo X90 Pro+ (164)
101
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
Best: Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon) (162)
150
Huawei P40 Pro
Best: Huawei P40 Pro (155)
133
OnePlus 9
Best: OnePlus 9 (165)
107
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
Best: Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 (161)
Position in Global Ranking
63
rd
2. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
149
4. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
148
4. Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
148
6. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
146
8. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
145
11. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
140
19. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
136
22. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
135
26. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
134
26. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
134
26. Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
134
30. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
133
30. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
30. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
133
30. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
133
36. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
131
36. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
131
40. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
46. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
129
46. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
129
53. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
128
53. Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
128
56. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
127
63. Vivo X70 Pro (MediaTek)
125
63. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
125
79. Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
123
79. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
123
83. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
122
89. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
120
99. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
116
104. Motorola Edge 20 Pro
111
104. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
111
108. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
110
113. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
107
115. Nubia RedMagic 6 Pro
105
116. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
104
122. Microsoft Surface Duo
99
124. Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
97
125. Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G
95
133. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
74
134. Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Pro
69
136. Lenovo Legion Phone 2 Pro
60
Position in High-End Ranking
7
th
11. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
122
12. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
120
18. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
111
21. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
110
23. Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming
107
25. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
104
Pros
- Acceptable brightness in most tested conditions
- Device is quite smooth when playing video games.
- Well-managed judder and frame drops when watching videos
Cons
- Low brightness when watching HDR10 content
- Visible steps during adaptation to lighting environment changes
- Lack of uniformity in color and brightness
The Google Pixel 6a offers a well-balanced performance, with good color rendering and good readability in most conditions, except in very bright sunlight, where it is barely readable. Although its touch is accurate, the Pixel 6a’s refresh rate of 60 Hz offers a less smooth experience when scrolling in the gallery and when browsing the web than the Pixel 6 (90 Hz), but gaming was not affected and had a pleasantly smooth feel. However, players might notice some stuttering during gaming.
When the device is set to auto brightness, users watching HDR videos in low light on the Pixel 6a may need to manually adjust the display to ensure a pleasant viewing experience.
Test summary
About DXOMARK Display tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone and other display reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective and perceptual tests under controlled lab and real-life conditions. Note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and its still image (gallery) and video apps at their default settings. (For in-depth information about how we evaluate smartphone and other displays, check out our articles, “How DXOMARK tests display quality” and “A closer look at DXOMARK Display testing.”
The following section gathers key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyses performed in DXOMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations under the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
Readability
129
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
How Display Readability score is composed
Readability evaluates how easily and comfortably users can read still content (photos & web) on the display under different real-life conditions. DXOMARK uses its Display Bench to recreate ambient light conditions ranging from total darkness to bright sunlight. In addition to laboratory tests, perceptual analysis is also made in real-life environments.
Brightness under various lighting conditions
Contrast under various lighting conditions
Readability in an indoor (1000 lux) environment
From left to right: Google Pixel 6a, Google Pixel 6, Samsung A53 5G, Oppo Find X5 Lite
(Photos for illustration only)
Readability in a sunlight (>90 0000 lux) environment
From left to right: Google Pixel 6a, Google Pixel 6, Samsung A53 5G, Oppo Find X5 Lite from left to right
(Photos for illustration only)
Luminance uniformity measurement
This graph shows the uniformity of the display with a 20% gray pattern. The more visible the green color, the more uniform the display.
Color
139
Vivo X90 Pro+
Vivo X90 Pro+
How Display Color score is composed
The color attribute evaluates the capacity of the device to accurately reproduce colors. The measurements taken are for fidelity, white point color, and gamut coverage. We perform color evaluations for different lighting conditions to see how well the device can manage color in the surrounding environment. Colors are measured using a spectrophotometer in a controlled lighting environment. Perceptual analysis of color rendering is against the reference pattern displayed on a calibrated professional monitor.
White point under D65 illuminant at 1000 lux
Color fidelity measurements
Google Pixel 6a, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the sRGB color space
Google Pixel 6a, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the Display P3 color space
Each arrow represents the color difference between a target color pattern (base of the arrow) and its actual measurement (tip of the arrow). The longer the arrow, the more visible the color difference is. If the arrow stays within the circle, the color difference will be visible only to trained eyes.
Color behavior on angle
This graph shows the color shift when the screen is at an angle. Each dot represents a measurement at a particular angle. Dots inside the inner circle exhibit no color shift in angle; those between the inner and outer circle have shifts that only trained experts will see; but those falling outside the outer circle are noticeable.
Video
101
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
Samsung Galaxy S23 (Snapdragon)
How Display Video score is composed
Our video attribute evaluates the Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR10) video handling of each device in indoor and low-light conditions. We measure tone mapping, color gamut, brightness and contrast of the display. We perform perceptual analysis against our professional reference monitor (Sony BVM-HX310) to ensure that the rendering respects the artistic intent.
Video brightness at 10% APL in the dark ( < 5 lux)
Video rendering in a low-light (0 lux) environment
Clockwise from top left: Google Pixel 6a, Google Pixel 6, Oppo Find X5 Lite (Samsung Galaxy A53 5G couldn’t read HDR10 content.)
(Photos for illustration only)
Gamut coverage for video content
The primary colors are measured both in HDR10 and SDR. The extracted color gamut shows the extent of the color area that the device can render. To respect the artistic intent, the measured gamut should match the master color space of each video.
Motion
150
Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei P40 Pro
How Display Motion score is composed
The motion attribute evaluates the handling of dynamic contents. Frame drops, motion blur, and playback artifacts are scrutinized using games and videos.
Video frame drops
These long exposure photos present the number of frame irregularities in a 30-second video. A good performance shows a regular pattern (either a flat gray image or a pull-down pattern).
How Display Touch score is composed
To evaluate touch, DXOMARK uses a touch robot and a high-speed camera to play and record a set of scenarios for smoothness, accuracy and response-time evaluation.
Average Touch Response Time Google Pixel 6a
This response time test evaluates precisely the time elapsed between a single touch of the robot on the screen and the displayed action. This test is applied to activities that require a high reactivity, such as gaming.
Artifacts
107
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
How Display Artifacts score is composed
Evaluating artifacts means checking for the performance, image rendering and motion flaws that can affect the end-user experience. DXOMARK measures precisely the device’s reflectance and the presence of flicker, and assesses the impact of residual aliasing when playing video games, among other characteristics.
Average Reflectance (SCI) Google Pixel 6a
Reflectance measurement (SCI)
Measurements above show the reflection of the device within the visible spectrum range (400 nm to 700 nm). It includes both diffuse and specular reflection.
Flicker Frequency Google Pixel 6a
240 Hz
Bad
Good
Bad
Great
Flicker comparison
This graph represents the frequencies of lighting variation; the highest peak gives the main flicker frequency.
English
中文
Camera
Audio
Battery
DXOMARK invites our readership (you) to post comments on the articles on this website. Read more about our Comment Policy.