The Google Pixel 7a is a midrange A-series phone that Google announced on May 10, 2023. It went on sale the same day in the US at $499, and in Germany it launched at €509. It brought several Pixel 7 features to a lower price. These include Face Unlock, 8 GB of RAM, a 90 Hz screen and wireless charging. Google has since removed it from its store, and the Pixel 8a replaced it.
Design and display
The Pixel 7a keeps the camera bar design of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. It uses an aluminum frame made with recycled metal and a composite plastic back. The body measures 152 x 72.9 x 9.0 mm and weighs 193.5 g. It carries an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
The 6.1-inch OLED display has a 1080 x 2400 resolution at 429 ppi. It refreshes at up to 90 Hz and supports an always-on mode. Gorilla Glass 3 protects the front. Google sold the phone in Charcoal, Snow and Sea, while Coral was a Google Store exclusive in most markets.
Performance
Inside is the Google Tensor G2, the same chip used in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. It is built on a 5 nm process and has two Cortex-X1 cores at up to 2.85 GHz. The Mali-G710 MP7 handles graphics. A Titan M2 chip adds hardware security.
There is one memory option: 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM with 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The phone has no microSD slot, so storage cannot be expanded.
Cameras
The rear setup has two cameras. The main camera uses a 64 MP Quad Bayer sensor sized 1/1.73 inch. It has an f/1.89 lens and optical stabilization. Google says the sensor is 72% larger than the one in the Pixel 6a. A 13 MP ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field of view sits beside it.
Super Res Zoom reaches up to 8x, but there is no telephoto lens. The rear cameras record 4K video at up to 60 fps. The 13 MP front camera records 4K video at 30 fps.
Battery and charging
The battery has a typical capacity of 4,385 mAh. Wired charging tops out at 18 W, and Qi wireless charging runs at up to 7.5 W. Google does not include a charger in the box. Reverse wireless charging is not supported.
Software and updates
The Pixel 7a launched with Android 13. Google first promised three years of OS upgrades and five years of security updates. Later, it extended OS support to five years, so both now run for the same period.
Other features include stereo speakers, an under-display optical fingerprint reader, NFC and Bluetooth 5.3. Models for the US, Europe and Japan support Wi-Fi 6E. The phone uses one nano-SIM plus an eSIM.
Should you buy the Pixel 7a?
The Pixel 7a is no longer produced, and Google no longer sells it new in its store. Its successor is the Pixel 8a. A new unit at a fair price still offers a compact size, IP67 protection and wireless charging. However, its update support is shorter than on newer Pixel A-series phones. Its charging speeds are also slow for its class.
