Google may be purposefully holding back the Pixel 6a’s screen

In some recent news that has me a bit befuddled, it seems that Google has shipped Pixel 6a devices that are actually equipped with 90hz displays. Though Google advertises the Pixel 6a as a 60hz phone, the hardware in the device says different, and an it appears an Android modder has unlocked the silky-smooth framerates on the budget phone. The method to get this working is a bit of a hack, so I’m not here to tell you to crank your Pixel 6a up to 90hz at this point, but instead questioning why Google would do this in the first place.

Budget phone of the year? Pixel 6a with 90Hz unlocked pic.twitter.com/3suHD88KyZ

— Nathan (@TheLunarixus) August 10, 2022

We all know that features like high-refresh screens are part of the premium phone experience in most cases, so I totally understood the move Google made in shipping the Pixel 6a with a 60hz screen. After all, most 60hz screens are totally fine and get the job done. But it turns out Google didn’t ship the Pixel 6a with a 60hz screen and instead are choosing to artificially reduce the framerate for other reasons.

Why would they do this? I’d imagine it is a move to keep a clear distinction between this newest phone and the Pixel 6, but that feels a bit strange to me. First, if that was the main reason, why not actually ship a 60hz display in this phone? Why put in what amounts to a more-expensive piece of hardware just to nerf it out of the box?

Second, if you are going to ship a phone with a screen that has more capability in it than you advertise, why not let users take advantage of it if they so choose with some settings at least in Developer Mode? I know battery life takes a hit as those frame rates come up, but why not let users choose this for themselves instead of simply turning it off and keeping it that way?

With so many other hardware distinctions between the Pixel 6a and the Pixel 6, I don’t think similar screen refresh rates would be that big of a deal when comparing the two phones. For $150 less in the Pixel 6a, you are getting a smaller screen, a less-capable camera setup, a plastic back, less RAM, and a bit less battery life. Those sacrifices sound like plenty to differentiate the two devices and make the case for putting up $150 more to upgrade to the Pixel 6 from the Pixel 6a. So why bother with this silly move of holding back the screen when there are plenty of other differentiators for Google to point to in order to justify the price hike?

Perhaps this could be the reason some reviewers have noticed a bit of additional jank in the overall animation fluidity for the Pixel 6a. If the screen is 90hz and being restricted to 60hz via software, that can sometimes cause animation stutters and a lack of smoothness. I don’t know if this is technically the case, but I know that my iPad Mini with its 60hz screen feels far more smooth than my Pixel 6 Pro artificially limited to 60hz.

Could we see Google unlock the Pixel 6a’s full potential down the road? Maybe, but I wouldn’t count on it. Though technically capable of 90hz, maybe this screen isn’t best used in that way and that’s why Google chose it and chose to cap it at 60hz. Maybe the battery simply isn’t cut out for it. Or maybe Google just did this as an artificial way not to make Pixel 6 buyers not experience buyer’s remorse. Either way, from what we can gather at this point there are some odd quirks with the hack, so I’d advise against trying this on your phone if it is your daily carry.

It’s all a bit strange and it would be exceptionally cool of Google to give Pixel 6a users this unforseen upgrade down the road just a bit. Would it still be an odd move? You bet, but perhaps now that it has been unleashed to the public, Google might at least enable a 90hz mode for those that wish to use it. It would be one of the strangest post-launch hardware updates we’ve ever seen, but it would be pretty intriguing for sure.