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Phones

These are the best Google Pixel phones you can buy in 2022

By Roland Udvarlaki July 13, 2022, 9:00 am
Best Google Pixel Phones 2022 Source: Pocketnow

Google entered the smartphone race back in 2016, and since then, it has been releasing two flagship devices and a mid-ranger annually. The company went on to become a popular smartphone maker, and it managed to sell a lot of Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones. Google is one of the many manufacturers creating some of the best Android smartphones on the market, and it’s competing closely with the best Samsung smartphones and other high-end premium flagships.

In this article, we collected some of the best Google Pixel flagship devices and mid-rangers you can buy today. The list includes the premium, high-end models and the more budget-oriented Google Pixel A-series of smartphones.

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Best Flagship: Google Pixel 6 Pro

Google-Pixel-6-lineup-official-images-from-Google

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is undoubtedly the highest-end Google Pixel smartphone out there. It packs a premium display, Google’s own Tensor chipset, an excellent camera setup on the back, and a long-lasting battery.

While the Google Pixel lineup is flawed with software issues, Google has managed to solve most of them by now, and the company has created one of the best smartphones on the market, with one of the most impressive camera layouts on the back. The phone features a 50MP primary, a 48MP telephoto capable of 4x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The screen measures at 6.71-inches, and it packs an LTPO QHD+ panel with 120Hz refresh rate.

The battery comes in at 5,003 mAh, which is a great size, but charging could be faster as it supports 30W fast wired charging only and 23W fast wireless charging. That being said, the phone can comfortably last you about a full day on a single charge.

Pixel 6 Pro in Cloudy White

Google Pixel 6 Pro

The Pixel 6 Pro is the more premium Pixel flagship. It has a 50MP main camera, a telephoto with 4x optical zoom, and a useful ultrawide sensor. It supports 120Hz, and both the Pixel 6 and Pro come with 5 years of support by Google.

Runner-up: Google Pixel 6

Google Pixel 6 front and back Source: Pocketnow

The Google Pixel 6 is one of the best and most affordable high-end flagship devices in 2022. It’s powered by the Google Tensor chipset, and paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of base storage. It has a large 6.4-inch 90Hz AMOLED display, and it’s also IP68 rated against water and dust.

The phone comes with a 50MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide, and an 8MP selfie shooter on the punch-hole cutout on the front center of the display. The Pixel 6 packs an under-display fingerprint scanner, and it has a 4,614 mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging, 21W fast wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

For those who want to save money, and don’t require the telephoto camera, as well as the larger display, the Google Pixel 6 makes it one of the cheapest and best high-end smartphones on the market in 2022. It comes at an affordable price, and the software will be updated for the next 2-3 years.

Google Pixel 6 in Kinda Coral

Google Pixel 6

The Google Pixel 6 is the more compact and affordable variant from the new flagship series. It features most of the same features and comes with the same primary and ultrawide camera as the Pixel 6 Pro.

Best Budget: Google Pixel 6A

Google Pixel 6a Featured 2 Source: Google

The Google Pixel 6A will be released on July 21, which means that we don’t know how well this phone will perform under certain loads, but we can already assume it’ll sell like hotcakes. The Google Pixel 6A packs the flagship Google Tensor chip, and it comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage.

The phone borrows design cues from the Pixel 6 series lineup, and packs a 6.1-inch 60Hz OLED display and two cameras on the back. There’s a 12MP primary sensor, and a 12MP ultrawide for a more versatile experience, and given it’s a Pixel, we expect some of the best results that a phone can capture at this price tag.

The Pixel 6A is also IP67 rated for water and dust, and it has a reasonably small 4,410 mAh battery. It supports 18W charging, and there’s no wireless charging. We look forward to getting our hands on the Pixel 6A and taking it for a spin, so stay tuned for the full review.

Google Pixel 6a Product Box Image

Google Pixel 6a

Available for pre-order starting July 21, 2022

Google Pixel 6a is the latest budget smartphone from Google. It features mid-range specifications and has the same best-in-class camera that we're all used to seeing on premium Google Pixel flagships. The Pixel 6A is also powered by Google's own Tensor chipset, and it's an excellent affordable device.

Runner-Up: Google Pixel 5A

The Google Pixel 5A borrows a lot of hardware and design components from the Google Pixel 5, and it’s practically the same device, albeit, with a few minor changes. First and foremost, the screen measures at 6.34-inches, a 60Hz OLED panel. There’s also IP67 water and dust resistance, and it’s powered by the same Snapdragon 765 5G chipset. There’s also 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. The Pixel 6A is also one of the last devices in Google’s lineup to feature the beloved rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

The camera features a 12MP primary, a 16MP ultrawide sensor on the back, and an 8MP selfie camera in the punch-hole cutout on the front. As for the battery, it packs a 4,680 mAh battery, and it supports 18W charging. While it might have fewer benefits than the Google Pixel 5, it has a much better battery life, and the few sacrifices related to the hardware may be enough to be more appealing. It’s worth noting that the Pixel 5A is only available in North America, so Europeans may be better off with the Google Pixel 5.

In case you’re interested, we have also made a comparison against the Google Pixel 6A vs Google Pixel 5A.

Google Pixel 5a front and back

Google Pixel 5A

Excellent mid-ranger

The Google Pixel 5A is one of the best smartphones if you're on a budget, and don't need a lot of new fancy features. It has a flagship camera setup, great specifications, and can last a full day on a single charge.

Second Runner-Up: Google Pixel 5

Pixel 5 deal

The Google Pixel 5 might not sport the latest and highest-end chipset, but the mid-ranger Snapdragon 765G 5G managed to keep up and play nicely with modern games. The phone also has 8GB of RAM, making it a great contender for multitasking and playing games.

The phone packs a 12MP wide primary sensor, and a 16MP ultrawide camera, and for the price, its one of the best camera smartphones on the market, even in 2022. There’s no telephoto to be found here, but it’s hardly a problem at this price tag. The device also packs a perfectly sized 6-inch 90Hz OLED panel, and it will receive at least one more OS update from Google, making it an excellent budget alternative.

Additionally, it also supports wireless charging, despite the other Pixel A-series lacking the feature, which makes this a no-brainer if you’ve been deciding between the Pixel 5A or older Google Pixel A-series smartphones.

Google Pixel 5

Great Budget Option

The Google Pixel 5 might have slightly outdated hardware and design compared to the Pixel 6 series, but it's one of the most compact Android devices, and it features an excellent 5G SoC, large display, great camera setup, and a battery that can easily last for a full day on a single charge. It also supports wireless charging, which is rare at this price point.

Our Recommendation

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is the best device on this list, if you have the budget and the need for a large display that packs all of the essential and “nice-to-have” features you might want to take advantage of. The Google Pixel 6 also comes with many benefits at a smaller form factor and comes with the same hardware as its larger “Pro” sibling. It has an excellent array of camera sensors and is one of the best devices that money can buy at that price tag.

When you’re looking for a budget device that doesn’t sacrifice too much on the battery, performance, and software, the Google Pixel 5A is an excellent option. The Google Pixel 6A is right around the corner, and it looks like an excellent alternative and an easy recommendation. Still, we’ll have to take it through our usual tests before we can commit to recommending it.

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