Better hardware for a lower price
The Pixel 6a has the same chip inside it as the Pixel 6 Pro, and that gives this budget phone a leg up over the competition for both performance and camera processing. If you’re willing to overlook the shortcomings of the display, this phone is a good choice for intangibles such as haptics or faster updates.
Visually stunning
Not even today’s flagships can hit 144Hz, and other budget phones that try for smooth scrolling don’t have the performance to keep up. MediaTek’s chip is powerful enough to support the Edge for up to 2 days. It also has the efficiency and power needed to run it.
For
- Fantastic 144Hz display
- Two-day battery life
- Three OS updates!
- Thinner, lighter than 6a
- Faster charging, wireless charging
Against
- Only IP52 resistance
- Camera processing isn’t great
- Only average performance, esp. for gaming
- Terrible haptics
Both Google and Motorola are among the best in the business at mid-range phones. Google manages to get great camera performance from its budget-priced phones, and Motorola provides useful tools for its Edge phones that the lower priced phones don’t have. While the Pixel 6a’s launch price of $100 is no longer applicable to the Edge (2022), does that mean that it will be more affordable? Or are there perks that make the Edge more appealing regardless?
This comparison will help you decide which phone is best for you. Both the Edge (2022 and the Pixel 6a were reviewed by our phones editor. We compared their performance and quality, despite them being similar-priced.
Motorola Edge (2022) vs Google Pixel 6a: Design and displays
The Pixel 6a’s biggest weakness is the Motorola Edge (2022)’s biggest strength: the display. This doesn’t mean that the Pixel 6a display has a bad reputation.
The displays have FHD+ resolutions and are very thin. In fact, the Pixel 6a display has 429 pixels per inch more than the Motorola Edge’s 6.6 inches (2022). The older Gorilla glass 3 screen protector standard is used by both phones.
The Edge offers more screen space than the Pixel 6a, but the Pixel 6a has a slower 60Hz refresh rate and the Edge is faster at 144Hz. It also features a 360Hz touch sampling speed.
The Edge’s refresh rate can vary depending on context. It jumps from 48 to 60Hz to 90Hz to 120Hz and 144Hz. One reviewer said that it was “incredibly fluid in everyday tasks” and “a feastfor the eyes.” Keep in mind that the display won’t always live up to its capacity, as we found some Android games struggled to hit the max refresh rate due to either app or chip limitations; but for the most part, this is an awesome perk for a mid-range phone.
You have then the Pixel 6a which received a lot of criticism due to this limitation. Other cheap Android phones in its range have 90Hz or 120Hz displays nowadays, and Google very clearly sacrificed a smoother scroll to push other hardware improvements instead. Our reviewer said that there was nothing to worry about, as Tensor’s speed gives the phone a smooth scroll that defies its 60Hz limit. You will not find the scroll distracting unless your are already used to something more.
Motorola Edge (2022), which is slightly brighter than Pixel 6a, can be used for daily use. Outdoor use also has adaptive brightness.
In terms of the overall design and hardware, however, the Pixel 6a is a far better phone in looks and quality. The Pixel 6a has retained the classic look of previous Pixels. It features the same attractive camera bar as the Pixel 6a, which prevents your phone’s wobbling when it is tapped. It measures in at 6.1 inches and is perfect for single-hand use.
It looks identical to many Motorola phones. The Motorola Edge (2022), however, is somewhat bland according to our reviewer, especially since it only comes with one Mineral Gray colour. Worse, it feels cheaply built, as though Motorola put excellent hardware inside of a phone meant to sell for half the price. The phones are made of plastic, not glass. However, the Pixel 6a is IP67 water/dust resistant, while the IP52 Edge cannot withstand more than light rain without causing damage.
Still, despite its greater size and larger battery, the Motorola Edge weighs 8g less and measures 0.7mm thinner than the Pixel 6a. Although it is not an easy-to-use phone that can be used one handed, the Motorola Edge feels comfortable to hold.
One of the Pixel 6a’s greatest strengths is the “amazing Google haptics built in, which just feel so much better…than any other Android phone on the market.” And then you have the Motorola Edge (2022), which our reviewer said had “some of the worst haptics [he’s] used on a phone” because “the vibration motors are so slow and bad they couldn’t keep up with [his] two-thumb typing speed.”
Motorola Edge (2022) vs Google Pixel 6a: Hardware, performance, and battery life
What made the Google Pixel 6a such a breakthrough budget device was that it used the same Google Tensor chip as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro that came before it — though only paired with 6GB of RAM. Geekbench 5 benchmarks from Future Labs put the Pixel 6a at 1057/2918 for single-/multi-core performance, which does handily beat most mid-range Android phones in this price range.
Although benchmarks can be misleading, our reviewer said the Pixel 6a was “every bit faster than the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro” while playing Fortnite and Minecraft with full tilt graphics.
Motorola Edge (2022), which comes in either 6GB and 8GB RAM options, is only available in the U.S. However, the phone was benchmarked with the MediaTek Dimensity 1050 chip. It scored 751/2193 on Geekbench 5, single-core and multicore. The device also failed to perform well in 3DMark graphics tests, particularly at Extreme levels.
Our reviewer found that the Edge had consistent performance and could play most Android titles but specifically noted that “while it does perform worse than the Google Tensor found in the comparably-priced Google Pixel 6a, the phone only struggled while playing graphics-intensive games.”
Motorola couldn’t help that Google changed the game for budget Android performance this year; it does perfectly well against the rest of the pack.
| Google Pixel 6a | Motorola Edge (2022) | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Google Tensor | MediaTek Dimensity 1050 |
| Memory | 6GB LPDDR5 | 6GB/8GB |
| Storage | 128GB UFS 3.1 | 128GB/256GB |
| Display | 6.1-inch AMOLED, 2400×1080 resolution (429 ppi), 60Hz, HDR10+, Gorilla Glass 3 | 6.6-inch OLED, 2400 x 1080 resolution (399ppi), 144Hz, HDR10+, Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Rear Camera 1 | 12MP, ƒ/1.7, 1.4μm pixel size, OIS, 4K video @ 30/60FPS, 240FPS super slow-mo video | 50MP wide-angle, f/1.8, 2.0μm, OIS, Quad Pixel, Omni-directional PDAF |
| Rear Camera 2 | 12MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.25μm pixel size, 114-degree FoV, OIS, 4K video @ 30/60FPS | 13MP ultrawide, 120° FOV, Macro Vision |
| Front Camera | 8MP, ƒ/2.0, 1.12μm pixel size, 85-degree FoV, 1080p video @ 30FPS | 32MP, f/2.45, 1.4μm, Quad Pixel |
| Battery | 4,410mAh | 5,000mAh |
| Charging | 18W wired charging, no wireless | TurboPower 30W wired, 15W wireless, 5W reverse wireless |
| Dimensions | 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9mm | 160.9 x 74.2 x 8.2mm |
| Weight | 178g | 170g |
| Water/dust protection | IP67 | IP52 |
| Security | Titan M2 Security Chip, In-screen fingerprint sensor | In-screen fingerprint sensor |
| Colors | Sage, Chalk, Charcoal | Mineral Gray |
| OS / Updates | Android 13; two more OS updates to Android 15, five years of security updates | Android 12; three OS updates to Android 15, four years of security updates |
While the Dimensity 1050 isn’t as powerful as the Google Tensor, in this context, it’s far more energy-efficient. Even with the demanding 144Hz display, Edge (2022), can be used for as long as two days. That’s something the Pixel 5a could often do as well, but the Pixel 6a can last across all-day use but isn’t quite the marathoner it used to be.
Motorola Edge (2022) is able to charge faster once your phone has run out of juice while the Pixel 6a can only use 18W. The only device that can use your wireless charger to reverse-charge or charge your phones is the Edge. Unfortunately, the Pixel 6a doesn’t have any wireless charging capabilities.
We’re also bigger fans of the Motorola Edge in-display fingerprint scanner, which lets you drag a notification icon into the fingerprint icon, so it opens that app upon unlock. It is both quick and easy to unlock. This contrasts with the Pixel 6a that had to deal with security issues for many months prior to being patched with the September 2022 upgrade. Although it is more reliable, we still don’t like it.
Lastly, we’ll note that both phones will get three Android OS updates, though the 6a will get one extra year of security updates through 2027. The Pixel 6a has already updated to Android 13, while the Motorola Edge will remain on Android 12 for some time.
We’ve complained in the past at length about Motorola’s slow Android updates, and you should keep in mind that you’ll have to wait months and months longer for new Motorola software features while the 6a gets them on day one. The brand deserves credit for promising three OS updates. Previous models gave only two.
Motorola Edge (2022) vs Google Pixel 6a: Cameras
Through the magic of Google Tensor, Google made the cameras on the Pixel 6a as good as they were on the Pixel 6. It’s the best Android brand for a point-and-snap camera that gets tons of improvements in the back end — even if it’s not quite as advanced as the new Pixel 7 with its advanced Tensor G2 chip. The Pixel 6a has the most impressive camera phones on the market, including the ultra-wide and main sensors. We love everything about it, from Magic Eraser, Face Unblur to Night Sight, Real Tone to Real Tone. Below is a collection of images.
Image 1 of 13
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Motorola Edge (2022) is a decidedly average camera phone, despite the fact that Motorola improved the primary sensor, macro mode, and low-light photography over the Edge (2021) phone.
Our reviewer stated that Motorola’s photo processing is often worse than other competitors. Colors look very artificial and muted. The HDR algorithm turns tiny details into watercolor paintings by zooming in. It is difficult to balance colors, and “isn’t very good” shutter lag has been a problem. Below are some examples.
Image 1 of 11
Motorola Edge (2022) vs Google Pixel 6a: Which should you buy?
At current pricing, the Google Pixel 6a will save you $150, give you much better performance with the promise of faster updates with new features every year, and ensure you’ll always capture the best possible photos. It makes more of a fashion statement and is more likely to survive bad weather or home accidents. It’s the phone we recommend and one of the best Android phones, regardless of price.
That being said, there are specific reasons that some buyers should choose the Motorola Edge (2022) instead. It gives you an extra 0.5 inches of screen space with much smoother scrolling and can last up to a day longer per charge. For people who need consistent battery life and can settle for industry-average performance, the Edge is the better option. And while we’re fine with the 60Hz Pixel 6a and its smaller screen, other people just want a bigger screen for gaming and streaming, which we can respect.
Choose the Pixel 6a to get a petite, powerful mid-range phone that’ll last you for years to come. If you dislike the refresh rate but like everything else, consider upgrading to the 90Hz Pixel 7 instead for the same price as the Edge.
While it’s more expensive than most of Motorola’s offerings, the 2022 Edge model is a solid option for its price, without falling short of expectations like the Edge+. It has its drawbacks, but some buyers will accept them just to get that display.
