Pixel 7a is more expensive than its predecessor. It launched at 499$. Where Pixel 6A is launched at 449$, for adding an extra 50$ we can see some nice updates in Pixel 7a. They added wireless charging and a new 90 Hz Display. With Google’s software magic, this is a good mid-range option for most of the people.
Build Quality
The Pixel 7a looks more like the pricier Pixel 7 phones now. It doesn’t have the two-tone back and black visor like the older A-series phones. Instead, it has a single color for the back and camera strip, which match nicely. It matches but it isn’t the same thing. Pixel 7a used plastic instead of glass. Plastic has its pros and cons. But it is more durable than glass. Pixel 7a uses strong plastic, so the build quality feels nice. It is not scratch-proof but it has IP67. Which is dust and water resistance. Not as good as Pixel 7’s IP68. But it is good enough at this price.
Display
The Pixel 7a sticks to its 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2400 pixels OLED display, but now it runs smoother with a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s not as speedy as some other phones’ 120Hz screens, but it’s an improvement over the old 60Hz. With Pixels software magic 90Hz is pretty acceptable. But the funny thing is that 90Hz is disabled by default. You have to turn it on manually. Pixel 7a shines with a maximum brightness of 1,070 nits when adaptive brightness is turned on, which is the brightest display you’ll find in this price range. The Display is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Corning Gorilla Glass 5 is a minimum standard. All through phones these days are protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 and even more.
Camera
There are some new cameras in here. You haven’t seen a pixel phone before with these lenses. Past four years they have been using the same cameras again and again. But this year Pixel 7a comes with a 64 MP main lens and a 13 MP ultrawide in the back. Can these new lenses deliver software magic like before? Yes, they delivered! Pixel makes some software changes to make the main camera shine more. You can get some pretty detailed, HDR photos with it. You can’t get a full 64 MP shot. There is no option in the camera app. It bins down to 16MP by default. But the idea of the big lens is getting more light. There are tons of dynamic range in the shots. They did a pretty good job with the new cameras. The back camera can support 4K@30/60fps video recording. We are getting a 13 MP ultrawide selfie camera. Selfies are good like the Pixel 7 series.
Performance and OS
Pixel 7a comes with a Google Tensor G2 (5 nm) processor. Like Pixel 7 they have done the hardware well. They do all the same software in the A series phones as the flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. All the same software features are here. Pixels are the smartest smartphone in the world. Because of how good the Google Assistant is, and how good the voice-to-text is with all-on-device transcription. They have an incredible voice recorder app. All of this is tightly integrated with the Google Tensor G2 (5 nm). Together they perform pretty well. They promise three years of software updates. Which is not enough compared to Samsungs four years of updates. But the software experience is too good on this phone.
Battery
7a comes with a Li-Po 4385 mAh battery. It is roughly the same size battery as the Pixel 7. 18W wired charging is kind of slow. You can get a full day with one charge, nothing more. Heavy usage can kill it before one full day. 7.5W wireless charging is even slower. But at least you have the option to charge it overnight wirelessly. A rare feature at this price. Not the best battery experience, but overall it is good enough.
Conclusion
The rest of the phone is pretty good as well. They have all the necessary features. Haptics are good, buttons are clicky. The plastic build is good too, you can barely feel the plastic. There is no bending or gap in the build. The phone feels really solid in the hand. Google Tensor G2 (5 nm) is not flagship level. But with software magic, they made it smooth and fast. If you can get this phone for 400$ with a discount, it is a solid deal.
