the smartphone Google Pixel 6a It is one of the best phones up to 500 euros in 2022. It is an excellent alternative to the Nothing Phone (1), as well as the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G, both devices in the same price range, competing in the mid / high-end segment, with good technical performance. There is, however, a detail that cannot be overlooked in this Google smartphone.
This mobile was launched by the research giant as a cheaper model compared to the Pixel 6 range with its high-end models. However, the new 6a shares many of the technical characteristics of its more expensive “siblings”, including the high refresh rate of the screen at 90 Hz. However, Google will have chosen to truncate this blessing at the mundane 60 Hz.
Software limitation leaves Google Pixel 6a with 60Hz screen refresh
It should be noted first of all that the screen refresh rate at 60 Hz is one of the main disadvantages of the Google Pixel 6a. This goes against its direct competitors and, of course, against Google tops.
It should be noted that this mobile has a 6.1-inch screen with Full-HD+ resolution, an OLED panel with rounded corners and, on the technical sheet, an update at 60 Hz.
On the other hand, the high-end model, Google Pixel 6, has a similar 6.4-inch OLED screen with Full-HD+ resolution. It also has a high refresh rate at 90 Hz, the new standard in smartphones in 2022.
Therefore, the “castrated” is a blessing in the cheapest model, the Mountain View giant artificially created a new point of comparison and differential between its mid-range and high-end smartphones.
The finding has now been made by the person in charge of the Twitter profile @TheLunarixus). Apparently, Nathan, the programmer in question, shared on the social network Twitter the true capabilities of the display used in Pixel 6a.
At stake is a screen produced by Samsung, an OLED whose maximum supported refresh rate is 120 Hz, although it must work at a maximum of 90 Hz.
In other words, through software, Google has limited the screen of its Pixel 6a to increase the “gap” between the mid-range product and its high-end offerings.
The Google Pixel 6a smartphone costs from €459 at Amazon.ES
Competitiveness between products will have led technology to make this decision, which is not at all favorable to the consumer. It should be noted that in its home market, the Pixel 6a starts at $449, while the Pixel 6 starts at $599, already with a high screen refresh rate.
In this way, Google gives an additional “technical” incentive for the consumer to invest the additional 150 dollars and opt for the high-end model. In any case, it would be nice, now that the deception has been discovered, to at least give the user the option to activate this refresh rate at 90 Hz.
A software update could unlock the potential of the Google Pixel 6a
It’s true that a higher screen refresh rate will consume more power, but there’s no technical reason to artificially limit a product. It is absolutely disastrous to see this type of business practice in full swing in 2022 on a product that is easily recommended in Portugal, offer on Amazon.ES from €459.