Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro vs older Google phones: Should you upgrade? - Android Authority

Oct 24, 2021

Google made the jump to flagship pricing with the first Pixel back in 2016.

Google also changes its strategy last year with the Pixel 5, which was a premium mid-ranger more than a true flagship.

However, Google is back in the high-end territory this year with the latest Pixel 6 series.

Other flagships were priced similarly, so the Pixel 3 series pricing wasn’t too surprising, though.

As far as an upgrade is concerned, you could potentially hold off for another year if you have the Pixel 3 or 3 XL!

And in case you own an even older Google phone like the Pixel 2 or the original Pixel, an upgrade is obviously a no-brainer.

The Pixel 3a series was a response to the outrage surrounding the high price points of the Pixel 3 series.

However, the phones kept the best feature of the Pixel 3 series — the excellent camera — and the software experience remained the same across the board.

The Pixel 3a series is a couple of years old, and mid-rangers tend to struggle sooner than high-end devices.

However, the Pixel 6 series goes back into flagship pricing territory as well?

The Pixel 4 and 4 XL have a lot of issues, particularly when it comes to battery life.

The Pixel 4a 5G followed and brought 5G support with it, as the name suggests.

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are flagship smartphones, so it’s no surprise that they are better than the 4a series.

Instead of a true flagship, the Pixel 5 was a premium mid-ranger.

The Pixel 6 is $100 cheaper than the Pixel 5 at launch and has a few similarities like a 90Hz display refresh rate, wireless charging, and water resistance.

The Pixel 6 Pro brings even more to the table and is definitely a significant upgrade over the Pixel 5.

However, when it comes to whether you should upgrade, the Pixel 5 is a recent release, so it’s probably too soon.

The Pixel 5a is quite similar to the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 and essentially replaces them.

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are by far the better phones.

The new Tensor chip offers better performance, and the phones come with higher display refresh rates (90Hz for the Pixel 6 and 120Hz for the Pixel 6 Pro), water resistance, more RAM, and wireless charging.

That said, if you have a Pixel 5a, you bought in the last couple of months, so you likely aren’t looking for an upgrade anyway.