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What we think
The PerfectRec phone team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a better overall camera quality and are okay with a higher price, the Apple iPhone 12 could be a suitable choice. However, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option with good camera performance and longer battery life, the Google Pixel 6a might be the way to go. Both phones have a similar screen size and neither has a headphone jack, but the Pixel offers a newer version of Wi-Fi and more storage at its base level. The iPhone 12 features wireless charging and a stronger build with a glass back, as opposed to the Pixel 6a's plastic back. Keep in mind the operating systems are different, with the iPhone running iOS and the Pixel using Android. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple iPhone 12
- Very good display quality
Advantages of the Google Pixel 6a
- Good battery life
Key differences
Battery
6.2 Hours
7.6 Hours
The Apple iPhone 12 has 6.2 hours of battery life. The Google Pixel 6a has 7.6 hours of battery life.
Cost
$600
$400
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Apple iPhone 12 has a price of $600 and the Google Pixel 6a costs $400.
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Key similarities
Overall Camera Quality
7.3
7.6
The Google Pixel 6a and Apple iPhone 12 both have good overall cameras quality.
The Google Pixel 6a offers very good selfie performance, likely due to its superior photos software experience and selfie image quality, while the Apple iPhone 12 is noted to have good selfie capabilities, which may not match the Pixel in software experience but still provides solid results in key areas like dynamic range and low light performance.
Photo Quality
7.1
7.4
The Google Pixel 6a and Apple iPhone 12 both have good photos.
The Google Pixel 6a produces very good photos partly because it has a higher score in the selfie quality, which is very important, and matches the Apple iPhone 12 in other key photo criteria including dynamic range and low light performance. The Pixel 6a also benefits from Google's renowned photos software experience, which is rated the best and can enhance overall photo quality beyond pure hardware capabilities.
Video Quality
7.2
7.2
The Apple iPhone 12 and Google Pixel 6a both have good videos.
The Apple iPhone 12 provides a highly stable and dynamic video experience with excellent low-light performance and good microphone quality, making it well-suited for capturing videos with clear audio. On the other hand, the Google Pixel 6a also delivers a very good video experience with particularly strong video stabilization and low-light capabilities and has a good microphone, making it competitive for those looking for quality video recording on a different operating system.
Screen Size
The Apple iPhone 12 has a screen size of 6.1 inches and the Google Pixel 6a is 6.1 inches.
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How the Apple iPhone 12 and the Google Pixel 6a compare to other phones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple iPhone 12 | Google Pixel 6a |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$600 | $400 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | ||
Operating System | |||
Operating System | iOS | Android | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 23, 2020 | July 21, 2022 | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 6.1" | 6.1" | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2532 x 1170 | 2400 x 1080 | |
Variable refresh rate | |||
Variable refresh rate | No | No | |
Pixels Per Inch | |||
Pixels Per Inch | 460 | 429 | |
Display Type | |||
Display Type | OLED | OLED | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | A14 | Tensor | |
Internal Storage | |||
Internal Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB | |
CAMERA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Overall Camera Quality Score | |||
Overall Camera Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Photos Score | |||
Photos Score | 7.1/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Videos Score | |||
Videos Score | 7.3/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Rear Cameras | |||
Rear Cameras | Main, Ultrawide | Main, Ultrawide | |
Main Camera | |||
Main Camera | 12 megapixels + OIS | 12.2 megapixels + OIS | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.2 Hours | 7.6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 2815 mAh | 4410 mAh | |
Wireless Charging | |||
Wireless Charging | Yes | No | |
Wireless charging Speed | |||
Wireless charging Speed | 15 W | 0 W | |
Reverse wireless charging | |||
Reverse wireless charging | No | No | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Size | |||
Size | 5.78" x 2.81" | 5.99" x 2.83" | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.78 oz | 6.28 oz | |
Back Material | |||
Back Material | Glass | Plastic | |
Stereo Speakers | |||
Stereo Speakers | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dual SIM | |||
Dual SIM | Yes | Yes | |
Bluetooth Version | |||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.2 | |
A2DP | |||
A2DP | Yes | Yes | |
WiFi Version | |||
WiFi Version | 6 | 6e | |
NFC | |||
NFC | Yes | Yes | |
US 5G Bands | |||
US 5G Bands | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave)1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 | (SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 (SA/NSA/Sub6) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78 | |
OTHER FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Biometric unlock | |||
Biometric unlock | Face unlock | Fingerprint sensor: Under Display | |
Unlockable Bootloader | |||
Unlockable Bootloader | No | Yes (Except Verizon Models) | |
Color | |||
Color | Blue, Purple, Green, White, Black, Red | Chalk, Sage, Charcoal | |
Stock Android | |||
Stock Android | N/A | Yes | |
SD Card | |||
SD Card | No | No | |
Shopping
Apple iPhone 12
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Dig into reviews and images
Pocket-lint
Stuart Miles | March 2022
"The iPhone 12 offers many of the important things that you want from the iPhone: a decent camera, 5G, great screen, fast processor. For the group of people who want a new iPhone without the price tag of the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 range, this is a great choice. There's no settling for second best with this smartphone."
Google Pixel 6a
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Dig into reviews and images
Ars Technica
Ron Amadeo | July 2022
"it's very hard to find fault with the Pixel 6a. It has a processor that, in the US at least, blows away other Android phones in this price range. The design is great, the camera is fine, and the price is right. What's not to like?"
Get a great deal on the Apple iPhone 12 or the Google Pixel 6a
About Apple
The tech giant called Apple is synonymous with the most popular smartphone in the world: the iPhone. Known for their build quality and aesthetics, as well as for their excellent integration between hardware and software, iPhones have defined the smartphone industry ever since their conception and they continue to do so by setting new industry standards. Apple's own operating system, called iOS, is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and the company tends to complement it well by creating devices with some of the most powerful processing hardware available in the mobile world. The iPhone is also known for its robust ecosystem of accessories, as it facilitates a very seamless experience when interacting with other Apple products, more so than most of its competitors.
About Google
Google can be considered a relatively new player in the smartphone industry, joining as late as 2016 with their phone, the Google Pixel. Since then, the Pixel lineup has undergone many changes, but it has always been characterized by a focus on photography and clean software, by providing a pure Android experience. By virtue of Google being the creator of the Android operating system, Pixels are known for receiving timely software updates and for being supported with updates for a long time. Additionally, over the past few generations of devices, Google started designing their own processors. This allowed for the implementation of unique software features that are not present in any other phone, such as automatic call screening and unique voice transcribing capabilities.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
86,400
Recommendations made
48,960
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.
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