The Pixel 6a is available in India but it’s an America-first phone
Google appears to be doubling down on the Indian market this year. First, it launched theGoogle Pixel 6aalongside other global markets, and recently it launched theGoogle Pixel 7 at a reasonable launch price. Google even corrected the Pixel 6a’s price in India recently to bring thatcoveted Pixel experienceto a larger user base.
While competitive pricing is always welcome in a price-sensitive market like India, these Pixel phones still have to compete with the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus. These brands have fine-tuned their software and services over the years to cater to the specific user needs in the country, from running multiple instances of the same app to having proper after-sales support.
The Google Pixel 6a lags on those fronts and presents a unique set of challenges for those coming from any other Android smartphone brand.
Where does your other SIM go?
Like in many Asian and African markets, using dual SIM cards simultaneously is common in India. The data rates are affordable in this part of the world, so people use a separate phone number, say, only for work.
With Pixel phones, including the 6a, you get one physical and one eSIM. This means, for your secondary number, you just can’t just pop in the nano SIM.
While India’s two largest network providers, Jio and Airtel, let you switch to an eSIM from your home,Jio’s process is complicated, and it requires you to send multiple texts in a specific format. And if you slip up even slightly, your only option is to visit a Jio store, where you’re required to do a lot of paperwork for the new SIM issuance. Also, your physical Jio SIM may lose signal until the eSIM activation is completed at the store.
Considering Jio has hundreds of millions of users, an involved process like this is bound to be troublesome for many users.
Of all the telcos in India, Airtel has the most straightforward SIM conversion process. Meanwhile, Vodafone (Vi) only allows you to use an eSIM on a postpaid connection (which isn’t as common in India), and BSNL doesn’t have an eSIM option for consumers.
It’s smooth sailing after the initial hassle
Using an eSIM isn’t troubling. The phone treats it as a regular SIM, and your usage isn’t affected in any way, including for banking and UPI apps.
It’d be wrong to blame it on the eSIM tech for the troubles essentially created by a single carrier. It’s the implementation that needs work. If you use Jio and plan to pick up a Pixel 6a or another phone with an eSIM, there’s a good chance you’ll need some assistance managing your SIM transfer.
An iOS 16-like quick eSIM to eSIM transfer is the ideal way to go in the future (present?) with port-less phones, but with the kind of fragmentation in Android, Google will have to step in.
Thanks to the Pixel 6a, I now WhatsApp Business account, but I don’t own a business
I don’t run a business, but I still have a business account with WhatsApp. Having two phone numbers also means two WhatsApp accounts. Most Android skins from Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Samsung allow you to “clone” an app to run two accounts simultaneously, which is helpful in the case of WhatsApp and for many other services.
Without the cloning feature on the Pixel 6a, I now have to use the WhatsApp Business app for my secondary number. iPhone users also have to use the same workaround. It isn’t ideal, but it’s better than setting up another device profile or using a third-party app for cloning apps.
Google is reportedly working on a native app cloning tool for Android, but that’s at least a year out, if not more.
When someone says the Google Pixel 6a is hot, they’re not speaking figuratively
The Google Pixel 6a runs hot, and there aren’t two ways about it. The Tensor chip under the hood heats up quickly. Light productivity work or charging can make the phone feel warm, even througha relatively thick Spigen case. Meanwhile, gaming extensively or using the camera can also trigger the phone to heat.
This is happening during India’s relatively cool (but humid) monsoon months. And it isn’t hard to imagine how worse it could get around May and June when the harsh north Indian summer is at its peak.
Google’s after-sales support, or the lack thereof
In a country of 1.4 billion people, Google has one service center, which is outsourced to another company. The result? A shabby experience for customers, who must wait close to a month for basic repairs and, in many cases, without proper communication from the company.
Google’s service partner offers a home pickup and drop facility, but that’s the only good part. For some, the lack of proper device support has resulted in subpar repair jobs that do more harm than good.
A smartphone is an expensive investment for many people who plan to use it for several years. So, it becomes imperative to have physical contact points where people can walk in and talk to someone to develop trust in the company. With Google, even itsofficial online store for Indiadoesn’t inspire much confidence. Brands like Samsung and Xiaomi, on the other hand, have nailed that aspect.
Many Pixel-exclusive features are also US-exclusive
One big selling point for Pixels is its unique software treatment over Android. From Now Playing to Magic Eraser,plenty of Pixel features are fan-favoriteseven in India. However, not every Pixel feature is available in the country.
For instance, crash detection and assistant voice typing that the Tensor chip-enabled aren’t available for those in India. Call screening is another miss, along with Live Translation, which is only available in the Messages app for Hindi. Given WhatsApp is the more popular choice in the country, it would’ve made more sense to allow translation across different apps. And India, with more than 20 recognized languages, would be the perfect test ground for such a feature.
Other than these, the option to record calls is absent, even though Google’s dialer supports it on other phones. And there’s no quick toggle to switch the mobile data SIM, which you can do only from network settings.
No charger is no bueno
Most people upgrading from another Android phone to the Pixel 6a don’t have a spare charger with a USB Type-C out. The Pixel ships with a cable that has a Type-C connector on both ends, which means nearly all buyers will end up getting a charger separately.
The official 30W charger from Google costs over ₹2,000 (~$25), further increasing the upfront cost of a phone that isn’t cheap at its full price in India.
A similarly priced Realme GT Neo 3 gets a beefy 150W charger bundled in the box.
Most other brands continue to include chargers with phones, but not just any charger. We’ve seen somecutting-edge charging techbeing offered as an in-box accessory. While we don’t endorse the unbundling of chargers from any phone in emerging markets, at leastbudget and mid-range phonesshould be spared.
The launch price bubble
The Pixel 6a launched in July at ₹44,000 (~$535), pushing it to the premium category (in the Indian context) and out of the reach of many buyers. Two months later, Google slashed the phone’s price, and with the right credit card, you could pick one for around ₹27,000 (~$330). Even Samsung phones take more time to lose a third of their retail price.
This is good news for those looking to jump ships from their current Realme or Xiaomi phone to the Pixel 6a. But Google’s inflated launch price has left many early buyers disgruntled. While the Pixel 7 series is already getting some sweet discounts during its pre-sale period, let’s hope it doesn’t go down the same route as the Pixel 6a a couple of months from now.
The Pixel 6a is uniquely a US-first phone
From Google’s perspective, optimizing its devices for a market where it can’t move more than a few hundred thousand units in an entire year won’t make any financial sense. Pixel phones have a much better chance of grabbing a meaningful market share in North America rather than India, and that’s what the Pixel 6a is after.
Many of the above-listed caveats of getting a Pixel 6a in India aren’t necessarily the limitations of the device. They merely highlight Google’s priorities and overall approach toward its hardware. While supporting Indic languages on Android is the first step, it’d take much more to tailor the Pixel’s whole product experience for Indian buyers. Maybe Google can take a leaf out of Samsung’s book if it’s getting serious about the South Asian country.
But if you buy the Pixel 6a orpre-order the newly announced Google Pixel 7 or 7 Pro,will it give you a hard time? Absolutely not. It’s a no-brainer at the new discounted price. However, you’ll have to find your way around some of the Pixel’s quirks, something iPhones users also have to do. And if you’re coming from a Xiaomi or a Realme, the Pixel 6a will be a nice refresh that makes you overlook its imperfections.
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