Since the Google Pixel 6a was launched at the end of last month, many discussions have taken place over the features that were left off in order to make the phone more inexpensive. Including the much-debated 60-frame-per-second refresh rate screen.
This is due to the fact that at the same price point, you can have the Nothing phone (1) or the Samsung Galaxy A53, both of which have better 120Hz refresh rate displays. Recent findings from a developer, nevertheless, suggest that the Google Pixel 6a may have consciously opted not to utilise the increased refresh rate, despite the panel’s compatibility.
Nathan (as @TheLunarixus) made the revelation that the Pixel 6a’s 90Hz refresh rate can be unlocked using a hack. The Samsung 6.1-inch AMOLED display on the mid-range handset came with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. Since the displays on the Pixel 6 and the upcoming Pixel 6a have certain similarities, such as codenames like S6E3FC3, Nathan speculates that the hack was designed with the Samsung display in mind.
Budget phone of the year? Pixel 6a with 90Hz unlocked pic.twitter.com/3suHD88KyZAugust 10, 2022
Mishaal Rahman, Esper’s senior technical editor, corroborated the discovery that the screen refreshes at 90 Hz, the same as the Pixel 6. He further claims that both gadgets’ displays are identical in appearance, but that their functions are different. He claims that the Pixel 6a’s automatic switching between 60Hz and 90Hz refresh rates caused significant lag during his testing with Nathan’s latest patch, and that he had to manually force it to operate at 90Hz by adjusting the settings.
Since the Pixel 6 and 6a have very similar display panels, and since that panel already runs at 90Hz on other devices, dev @TheLunarixus tried to get the Pixel 6a running at 2400×1080 @ 90Hz, same as the Pixel 6. I can tell you the mod is legit, but there are a LOT of caveats rn. https://t.co/upUbsakoHPAugust 10, 2022
Even while the hack seems to operate well on the Pixel 6a, neither Nathan nor Rahman recommend making it your everyday car. Since neither Google nor Samsung has formally enabled this refresh rate on the phone, display panel difficulties may be the blame.
However, some people have utilised the new hack on their Pixel 6a (s), including Nathan and Rahman, as well as a few of other tech reporters from The Verge and 9to5Google (Max Weinbach). Debug mode and bootloader unlocking are required for the operation, however doing so may violate the manufacturer’s warranty.
Some good news may be on the horizon for Pixel 6a owners who are on the fence about installing the mod and dealing with its associated hassles. A “custom ROM with the ROM side tweaks to make this totally reliable and ready for the public,” as Nathan told The Verge, is in the works.
You should also be aware of some more observations offered by another developer, Kuba Wojciechowski, before the ROM gets public. Even though Google and Samsung haven’t officially endorsed it, he thinks the Pixel 6a’s display screen is capable of operating a 90Hz refresh rate. As an added bonus, he is concerned that this modification will do more harm than good to the screen.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s possible that the panel in 6a is perfectly capable of running at 90Hz anyway, but it’s not something that’s supported by Google or Samsung and definitely might cause damage. You can forget about 120Hz too.August 10, 2022
Many people, including me, were really excited about the new mod on one of the greatest mid-range Android smartphones, the Pixel 6a. Users should take this functionality with a grain of salt and have low expectations given the lack of widespread testing and assurance from Google and Samsung.