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
122
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Best: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (164)
132
Google Pixel 8
Best: Google Pixel 8 (165)
121
Samsung Galaxy S23
Best: Samsung Galaxy S23 (163)
133
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Best: Google Pixel 7 Pro (164)
Position in Global Ranking
87
th
2. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
155
7. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
151
12. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Snapdragon)
148
15. Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (Snapdragon)
147
15. Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
147
17. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
146
20. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
144
22. Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
143
24. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
142
24. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
142
28. Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
140
32. Honor Magic4 Ultimate
138
42. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon)
135
42. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G
135
47. Samsung Galaxy S22+ (Exynos)
134
50. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
133
50. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Exynos)
133
50. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Snapdragon)
133
50. Vivo X80 Pro (MediaTek)
133
55. Samsung Galaxy S22 (Exynos)
132
60. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Exynos)
131
60. Vivo X80 Pro (Snapdragon)
131
64. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
130
64. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G (Snapdragon)
130
64. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G (Snapdragon)
130
75. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
129
79. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
127
83. Vivo X60 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)
126
103. Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
122
103. Motorola Edge 40 Pro
122
107. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
120
113. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
114
115. Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
113
118. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
108
124. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
82
Position in High-End Ranking
10
th
5. Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus 5G
135
15. Apple iPhone SE (2022)
120
18. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
114
22. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
108
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
122
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
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.
Luminance 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
132
Google Pixel 8
Google Pixel 8
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
121
Samsung Galaxy S23
Samsung Galaxy S23
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.
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).
Touch
133
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google Pixel 7 Pro
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 precisely evaluates 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 high reactivity, such as gaming.
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
SCI stands for Specular Component Included, which measures both the diffuse reflection and the specular reflection. Reflection from a simple glass sheet is around 4%, while it reaches about 6% for a plastic sheet. Although smartphones’ first surface is made of glass, their total reflection (without coating) is usually around 5% due to multiple reflections created by the complex optical stack.
Reflectance (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.
PWM Frequency Google Pixel 6a
240 Hz
Bad
Good
Bad
Great
Displays flicker for 2 main reasons: refresh rate and Pulse Width Modulation. Pulse width modulation is a modulation technique that generates variable-width pulses to represent the amplitude of an analog input signal. This measurement is important for comfort because flickering at low frequencies can be perceived by some individuals, and in the most extreme cases, can induce seizures. Some experiments show that discomfort can appear at a higher frequency. A high PWM frequency (>1500 Hz) tends to be less disturbing for users.
Temporal Light Modulation
This graph represents the frequencies of lighting variation; the highest peak gives the main flicker frequency. The combination of a low frequency and a high peak is susceptible to inducing eye fatigue. Displays flicker for 2 main reasons: refresh rate and Pulse Width Modulation. This measurement is important for comfort because flickering at low frequencies can be perceived by some individuals, and in the most extreme cases, can induce seizures. Some experiments show that discomfort can appear at a higher frequency. A high PWM frequency (>1500 Hz) tends to be safer for users.
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