Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: Which should you pick?

Google’s Pixel 6a is an excellent mid-range phone packing a powerful chipset and a competent camera setup. It is the successor to one of the best budget Android phones on the market. And then there’s the Nothing Phone 1, the company’s first phone featuring a unique design, Glyph interface, and a ton of hype backing it.

Between the two, which is a better mid-ranger: the Pixel 6a or the Nothing Phone 1? Find out in our comparison below.

Specs

Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: Design and durability

The Pixel 6a carries the same design language as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. While the front is nothing to talk about, the rear casing is made of a 3D thermoformed composite back with a fingerprint-resistant coating. It features a camera bar that houses the dual-camera setup and the LED flash. The Pixel 6a looks different from other mid-range Android phones, but it can’t beat Nothing’s offering in this department.

The Nothing Phone 1’s rear has transparent glass, giving you a glimpse inside the phone. All the important components are covered by white (or black) plates for a clean look. LED strips consisting of over 900 individual LEDs are located on the rear panel, which further helps the device to stand out. They are a part of the phone’s Glyph interface and flash in sync with your notification and call sounds.

If you want a phone whose design stands out from the crowd, the Nothing Phone 1 is the obvious choice here. However, that design has some drawbacks. While the Pixel 6a is IP67 dust and water-resistant, the Phone 1 is only IP53 splash-resistant. The translucent back can also show dirt particles trapped inside and could discolor over time.

None of the phones house a headphone jack, but they pack stereo speakers.

Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: Display and refresh rate

The Pixel 6a sports a 6.1-inch 60Hz FHD+ OLED panel, while the Phone 1 has a 6.55-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED display. Nothing’s device has an advantage in the display department, as the higher refresh rate will be easily noticeable in daily life. We did find some uneven areas and a slight green tint at the lowest brightness on our review unit, but it is not exactly a deal-breaker.

The Pixel’s OLED display is not bad by any means, and many might prefer its compact 6.1-inch size. However, the 60Hz refresh rate is a bummer, especially since even cheap Android phones nowadays feature a 90/120Hz panel.

Both phones sport a punch-hole that houses their selfie camera, but the one on the Pixel 6a is located in the center, while the Phone 1’s cut-out is on the left. They also feature an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: Hardware and performance

The Pixel 6a is powered by the same Tensor GS101 chip that’s ticking inside the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. It is Google’s first smartphone SoC with a focus on GPU and AI/ML performance. This is a flagship chipset delivering flagship-level performance. On the other hand, the Nothing Phone 1 uses Qualcomm’s premium Snapdragon 778G+ chipset. It is not a flagship SoC but packs enough horsepower to handle all your daily tasks.

The Tensor chip inside the Pixel 6a also has a more powerful ISP, giving it an edge in the imaging department as well. This performance gap may not be visible now, but it could impact usability down the line.

The Nothing Phone 1 makes up for its slightly slower chipset with more RAM. Its entry-level model packs 8GB RAM, while the Pixel 6a ships with 6GB RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage—Google is not offering other storage or RAM configurations. The Phone 1 is available in two more SKUs: 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and a high-end 12/256GB model.

Most users are unlikely to find any performance issues between the two devices. But if you tend to push your phone harder than others and want the absolute best performance, the mid-range Pixel might be a better choice.

Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: Front and rear cameras

On paper, the Nothing Phone 1’s 50MP rear camera setup might seem to have an advantage over the Pixel 6a. However, Google’s Pixel lineup is known for its excellent imaging performance despite using aging camera sensors. The Pixel 6a should be no different in this regard.

In our Nothing Phone 1 review, we found the 50MP Sony IMX766 f/1.88 primary and 50MP f/2.2 ultrawide shooters could take some decent shots in daylight. As the available light drops, though, the phone starts struggling. Worse, it does not have automatic Night mode, so you must enable it manually before taking a shot. The bare-bones camera app does not help either, offering a sub-par experience.

You can use the Glyph LEDs at the back as an additional light source, which could add an element of fun to your photos in some scenarios, which makes up for the sub-par image quality. The 16MP f/2.45 front camera is strictly average as well, though it should be able to take more detailed selfies than the Pixel 6a’s paltry 8MP snapper.

The Pixel 6a should offer a notably better imaging experience (and quality). Google’s Camera app is pretty feature-packed, with the mid-range Pixel packing features like Night Sight, Top Shot, Magic Eraser, and Face Unblur. Image quality should also be better than the Nothing Phone 1 since Google knows how to extract the best from old image sensors.

Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: Battery life and charging

The battery capacity on both phones is nearly the same: 4410mAh on the Pixel 6a vs. 4500mAh on the Phone 1. And while the Pixel 6a sports a smaller 6.1-inch 60Hz OLED display, its Tensor chipset sips a lot more power than the Nothing Phone 1’s Snapdragon 778+ chip. The latter houses a larger 6.55-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.

On paper, both phones should deliver the same battery life. You should easily get about five hours of screen time on a single charge.

Where the Phone 1 leaps ahead of the Pixel 6a is in the charging department. It supports 33W wired fast charging that can top up the battery to 50% in 30 minutes, with a full charge taking around 70 minutes. You can also charge the phone wirelessly at speeds of up to 15W. And if needed, there’s reverse wireless charging, so you can top up your earbuds or other Bluetooth accessories using your phone. One cool implementation of Nothing’s Glyph interface is that the Glyph lights at the rear will glow when wirelessly reverse charging a device.

For comparison, Google’s mid-range phone supports a maximum charging speed of 18W and misses out on wireless charging. This means topping up the phone’s 4410mAh cell will take a fair bit of time. Unfortunately, a power adapter is not bundled with the phones, so you’ll have to purchase one separately. While both companies sell their own power adapter, you should buy one of the best USB-C PPS chargers on the market that’s usually available at a far more reasonable price.

Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: Connectivity

The Google Pixel 6a and Nothing Phone 1 both feature Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C, and NFC connectivity. The Pixel 6a also supports eSIM, which is missing from the Phone 1. In terms of 5G connectivity, Google’s offering has an edge as it supports more 5G bands. Additionally, you can buy a mmWave 5G compatible model from Verizon in the US.

Phone 1 supports Sub 6GHz 5G, but it is not certified to work on any US carrier. You may get limited support but we don’t recommend using Phone 1 as your daily driver if you live in the US.

Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: OS upgrades and support

Pixel phones have always been at the forefront of software support in the Android ecosystem. Thankfully, things have changed quite a bit in the last few years as other Android manufacturers have also gotten serious about supporting their devices with regular software updates for a longer time.

Source: Google

Since Google’s in-house Tensor chip powers the Pixel 6a, it is slated to receive software support for five years after launch, though there’s no clarity on how many OS updates it will receive. For the Phone 1, Nothing promises three years of Android updates and four years of bi-monthly security patches. Not as impressive as Google or Samsung, but still good enough for the company’s first phone. It would have been better if Nothing promised a monthly rollout of security patches instead of releasing them once every two months.

Nothing’s Android 12-based Glyph interface is based on stock Android and offers largely the same experience as what you’d get on a Google phone—minus all the Pixel-exclusive features.

Google Pixel 6a vs. Nothing Phone 1: Pricing and availability

The Pixel 6a carries the same $449 price tag as previous mid-range Pixel phones. This is despite an updated design, faster chip, and several other improvements. In Europe, the phone is priced at €459. The Nothing Phone 1 is not launching in the US.; it’s priced from €469 to €549 in Europe.

This makes Nothing’s first phone a wee bit more expensive than Google’s offering. However, the price gap is too small to tilt the balance in either phone’s favor.

Source: Google

As for availability, both phones are launching in limited markets. The Pixel 6a is coming to 14 markets on July 28, 2022, including Australia, Canada, France, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. That’s a big step up from the 2021 Pixel 5a that only launched in the US and Japan.

In comparison, the Nothing Phone 1 is launching in mainland Europe, Japan, India, the U.K., and 35+ other markets. However, it won’t be coming to the US or Canada.

Google Pixel 6a Vs. Nothing Phone 1: Which is worth your money?

Both the Pixel 6a and the Nothing Phone 1 are solid midrange devices. They are easily among the best Android phones on the market, and you can’t go wrong with either. But if you live in the US or you want a phone with a solid camera, you should pick the Google Pixel 6a. If you’re looking for a phone that stands out from the crowd and you aren’t as concerned with incredible images, the Nothing Phone 1 is your best bet.

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