[AdamConwayIE]

Hey there! Author here.

This isn't a criticism of the Pixel 6a, per se. This article is not meant to be a critique of the 6a, but rather, is using it as a tool to illustrate an overall greater point. The reason you don't understand the criticism of the 6a is because it's not supposed to be criticism.

The phone costs a lot, and a lot more than most other devices that are in a similar boat of "mid-range". It has a lot of bells and whistles that normal consumers won't necessarily care for, because it doesn't matter how great the camera is when a lot of people are just using their phones for the likes of Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. A Nothing Phone, Nord 2T etc will get 80% of the way there in the camera department after the photo is on social media, and most people won't care for the difference.

However, the primary argument of the article is not to critique the Pixel 6a. Far from it. The problem is how the reason it's considered good value is because of the US carrier market. This article is primarily taking aim at the US carrier market and not the Pixel 6a. It's just a tool being used to illustrate a point.

[ciropantera]

I think one point you might have missed in your analysis is the form factor. I'm in Europe and I'm seriously considering getting a Pixel 6a because it's the smallest one amongst the phones in this price range. It's not small, but it's also not a comically large slab that doesn't fit any pocket as some of the other "good enough" phones out there. That, plus 5 years of security updates and a stock Android experience are enough to justify the price difference which is not even that big anyway - 469 Euros vs 400 Euros for Nord 2T, same price for Nothing Phone etc