Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 3 XL
68
out of 100
VS
50
out of 100
Here we compared two flagship smartphones: the 6.1-inch Google Pixel 6a (with Google Tensor) that was released on May 11, 2022, against the Google Pixel 3 XL, which is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and came out 44 months before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Google Pixel 6a
- 2.3x better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (763K versus 336K)
- Delivers 112% higher peak brightness (870 against 411 nits)
- Waterproof body (IP67 classification)
- Comes with 980 mAh larger battery capacity: 4410 vs 3430 mAh
- Newer Bluetooth version (v5.2)
- More energy-efficient CPU – Google Tensor
- Uses a faster type of memory: LPDDR5 3200 MHz
- The phone is 3-years and 8-months newer
- Has 50% more RAM: 6GB versus 4GB
- Has an ultra-wide angle camera lens
- More recent OS version: Android 13 versus 12
Reasons to consider the Google Pixel 3 XL
- Handles Qi wireless charging up to 10W
- 22% higher pixel density (522 vs 429 PPI)
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Scores with a red asterisk (*) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
Choose the importance of each parameter to more accurately identify the smartphone that best meets your particular needs.
Value for money
You can enter your local prices of these phones (in USD or other currency) and click on the "Calculate" button to see which one has a better value for money.
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | OLED | OLED |
| Size | 6.1 inches | 6.3 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1440 x 2960 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 20:9 | 18.5:9 |
| PPI | 429 ppi | 522 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 500 nits | 400 nits |
| Max rated brightness in HDR | 1100 nits | - |
| HDR support | Yes, HDR10+ | No |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 83% | 83.39% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 - Always-On Display |
- DCI-P3 - Always-On Display |
| RGB color space | 96.9% | 100% |
| PWM | 240 Hz | 250 Hz |
| Response time | 3 ms | 15 ms |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | ∞ Infinity |
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 152.2 mm (5.99 inches) | 158 mm (6.22 inches) |
| Width | 71.8 mm (2.83 inches) | 76.7 mm (3.02 inches) |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm (0.35 inches) | 7.9 mm (0.31 inches) |
| Weight | 178 g (6.28 oz) | 184 g (6.49 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP67 | IPX8 |
| Rear material | Plastic | Glass |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | White, Black, Green | White, Black, Pink |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-display | Yes, rear |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | Google Tensor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 |
| Max clock | 2800 MHz | 2500 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (2 + 2 + 4) | 8 (4 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 4 cores at 1.8 GHz: Cortex A55 - 2 cores at 2.25 GHz: Cortex A76 - 2 cores at 2.8 GHz: Cortex-X1 |
- 4 cores at 1.8 GHz: Kryo 385 Silver (Cortex-A55) - 4 cores at 2.8 GHz: Kryo 385 Gold (Cortex-A75) |
| L3 cache | 4 MB | 2 MB |
| Lithography process | 5 nanometers | 10 nanometers |
| Graphics | Mali-G78 MP20 | Adreno 630 |
| GPU clock | 848 MHz | 710 MHz |
| FLOPS | - | ~727 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 5 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core)
AnTuTu Benchmark 9
| CPU | 208269 | 94959 |
| GPU | 305908 | 116641 |
| Memory | 110039 | 44770 |
| UX | 144068 | 82658 |
| Total score | 763452 | 336697 |
3DMark Wild Life Performance
| Max surface temperature | 41.4 °C | 44.7 °C |
| Stability | 56% | 94% |
| Graphics test | 37 FPS | 9 FPS |
| Graphics score | 6235 | 1663 |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 6112 | 6962 |
| Video editing | 5723 | 6542 |
| Photo editing | 17727 | 18252 |
| Data manipulation | 9251 | 6711 |
| Writing score | 15467 | 9750 |
Memory
| RAM size | 6 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5 | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | 3200 MHz | 1866 MHz |
| Channels | 4 | 2 |
| Storage size | 128 GB | 64, 128 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 2.1 |
| Memory card | No | No |
Software
| Operating system | Android 12 (Can be upgraded to Android 13) | Android 9.0 (Can be upgraded to Android 12) |
| ROM | Stock Android | Stock Android |
| OS size | 14.3 GB | 13 GB |
Battery
| Capacity | 4410 mAh | 3430 mAh |
| Max charge power | 18 W | 18 W |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | No | Yes, Qi (10 W) |
| Reverse charging | No | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (42% in 30 min) | Yes, Quick Charge 4 (50% in 35 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:51 hr | 2:00 hr |
| Web browsing | 10:54 hr | - |
| Watching video | 16:44 hr | - |
| Gaming | 06:03 hr | - |
| Standby | 91 hr | - |
General battery life
Camera
| Matrix | 12.2 megapixels | 12.2 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Zoom | Digital | Digital |
| Flash | Dual LED | Dual LED |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| 8K video recording | No | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 120FPS |
| Slow motion | 240 FPS (1080p) | 240 FPS (720p) |
| Angle of widest lens | 114° | - |
| Lenses | 2 (12.2 MP + 12 MP) | 1 (12.2 MP) |
| Wide (main) lens | - 12.2 MP - Aperture: f/1.7 - Focal length: 27 mm - Pixel size: 1.4 micron - Sensor: 1/2.55", Sony IMX363 (Exmor-RS CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) - Optical stabilization |
- 12.2 MP - Aperture: f/1.8 - Focal length: 28 mm - Pixel size: 1.4 micron - Sensor: 1/2.55", Sony IMX363 (Exmor-RS CMOS) - Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) - Optical stabilization |
| Ultra-wide lens | - 12 MP - Aperture: f/2.2 - Focal length: 17 mm - Pixel size: 1.12 micron - Sensor: 1/2.9", Sony IMX386 (Exmor-RS CMOS) |
- |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
| Samples | Photo samples of Google Pixel 6a from DxOMark | - |
| Megapixels | 8 megapixels | 8 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 3264 x 2448 |
| Aperture | f/2.0 | f/1.8 |
| Focal length | 24 mm | 28 mm |
| Pixel size | 1.12 microns | 1.4 microns |
| Sensor type | Exmor-RS CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.8" | 1/3.2" |
| Video resolution | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS |
DxOMark camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic camera score
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot |
| Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | LE, A2DP | LE, A2DP |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| NFC* | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 1 | 1 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | - | Standby |
| eSIM support* | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat* | 20 | 16 |
| 5G support | Yes | No |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo |
| Headphone audio jack | No | No |
| FM radio | No | No |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | No |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | May 2022 | October 2018 |
| Release date | June 2022 | November 2018 |
| SAR (head) | - | 1.39 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | - | 1.4 W/kg |
| Sensors | - Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Hall-effect sensor - Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | Not included | - |
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
After analyzing all the data, we think that the Google Pixel 6a is definitely a better buy.
Cast your vote
Total votes: 28