If you’re unfamiliar with Google’s “a” series of Pixel phones and are wondering why we’re reviewing another Pixel 7 that looks almost identical to the one released last October, we’ll help. further speed. Every year, Google releases a duo of Pixel smartphones in the fall, then follows up about seven months later with a cheaper model with a similar design and spec sheet, with a few twists to lower the price.
That’s why we’ve got the Pixel 7a – a budget Android phone that looks almost identical in looks and on paper to the flagship Pixel 7. So should you spend the extra cash and get the flagship model? Or is this wallet-friendly Android smartphone sufficient, especially when it comes to image and sound?
Price
The Pixel 7a retails for £449 / $499 / AU$749 and comes in just one configuration. For the money, you get 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, and it’s powered by the same Google-designed Tensor G2 chip that powers the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.
Speaking of the Pixel 7, the 7a is a lot cheaper than the 7’s original retail price of £599 / $599 / AU$999. However, given that it’s been over half a year since the 7’s release, we’ve got the price dropped significantly – in fact, the Pixel 7 can currently be found for around £470/$500, meaning you can get the flagship phone for almost the same price.
It’s also worth noting that the Pixel 7a is more expensive than last year’s Pixel 6a (at least in the UK and US), which launched at £399 / $449 / AU$749. However, the Pixel 7a gets an extra 2GB of RAM and plenty of upgraded features that we’ll get into shortly.
The Pixel faces stiff competition, with the award-winning Sony Xperia 10 IV now retailing for £380, though it’s a UK and Europe exclusive device, while the Pixel 7a is available globally.
To build
While the Pixel 7a has an almost identical design to the Pixel 7, it’s slightly smaller and lighter. The 7a has a 6.1-inch screen, rather than the 7’s 6.3-inch, and has slightly thicker bezels. It’s also about four grams lighter at 194g, which is likely due to the fact that it uses a plastic back rather than glass. The aluminum frame is retained though, making this budget Pixel feel sturdy and premium in the hand, and the glossy back panel pretty much imitates glass.
The phone comes in three finishes: Charcoal, Snow, Sea, and Coral – the latter option being a Google Store exclusive. We’ve got the Pixel 7 and 7a in their Obsidian and Charcoal shades respectively, and they’re strikingly similar, with the only giveaway being the 7a’s less prominent camera bar.
As for the rest of the phone, you’ll find a power button and volume rocker on the right side of the device, and a USB-C port on the bottom for charging – don’t forget to bring your own USB charger if (like pretty much every smartphone these days) there’s none in the box.
Functions
As we mentioned earlier, the Pixel 7a gets plenty of upgrades over its budget predecessor. It mainly gets an upgrade in terms of screens, with a 6.1-inch OLED display running at 1080p/90Hz. The screen has a pixel density of 429ppi and supports HDR; Google doesn’t specify which format, but we suspect it’s just HDR10. If we were to pick one hole in the screen (that’s not the center hole punch camera) it would be brightness. Google hasn’t given an exact figure, but even at maximum brightness the screen appears slightly dim, which can affect visibility in bright environments.
By comparison, the Pixel 6a had a 1080p/60Hz OLED display, so the smoother motion for scrolling and gaming is a much-appreciated upgrade – although you’ll need to enable “Smooth Display” mode in the settings menu to take advantage of it.
Google Pixel 7a tech specs
Screen size 6.1 inches
Screen type OLED
Screen resolution 1080×2400 (429ppi)
Finishes x4 (charcoal, snow, sea, coral)
Operating system Android 13
Storage 128GB
RAM 8GB
The 7a also has a stereo speaker setup with the same down firing and earpiece combo setup as the 6a and 7. As expected there’s no headphone jack here, but there’s Bluetooth 5.3 with Bluetooth LE for connecting wireless headphones. The Pixel is somewhat nerfed in the audio department as it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos (nor does the Pixel 7) or Google’s Spatial Audio sound format found on the 7 and 7 Pro.
One area where the Pixel excels is with its camera, as it makes a ridiculous jump from 12MP on the 6a to 64MP on the 7a. It even surpasses the Pixel 7’s 50MP main camera on paper, and it’s backed by a 13MP ultra-wide sensor that also appears to be newer than the 12MP found on the 7 and 6a. In practice, the Pixel 7a upholds Google’s excellent reputation when it comes to smartphone photography, meaning social media snappers and novice photographers will be well catered for by the 7a.
The Pixel 7a also gets a selection of features that have come from the flagship models, including wireless charging (albeit at 7.5W, so not particularly fast) and face unlock. The fingerprint scanner under the screen also returns from previous models and responds pleasantly and accurately. Rounding out the feature set is the 7a’s 4385mAh battery which, while slightly less capacity than the 6a, still comfortably provides more than a day’s worth of use. In fact, on a full charge, the phone claims to last three days, which is impressive – although we felt that was optimistic and probably based on fairly light use.
Image
Despite being the cheaper device, the Pixel 7a outperforms the Pixel 7 in virtually all aspects of its image. Boot up Thor: love and thunder on Disney Plus, we get to see a punchy image that matches the film’s bold color palette, but skin tones are left natural and the overall colors don’t look overcooked. The image is nicely detailed too, with everything from subtle skin textures to wider environmental aspects looking sharp.
What we really notice about the Pixel 7a is that the image looks much more three-dimensional compared to its more expensive counterpart. Subject edges are sharp and contrast is handled well, resulting in an image with impressive depth and three-dimensionality. When the action kicks into high gear, we also find the 7a adept with motion, as fast-moving subjects don’t seem to stutter. In some cases, we see areas where the regular Pixel 7 struggles with motion, while the 7a gets it right.
Continue Motivation on Netflix, the Pixel 7a once again impresses with its detailed and perceptibly deep image, which we can now safely say punches above its weight when it comes to price-performance ratio. Lighting looks good here too, as The Driver’s silver jacket glistens under the streetlights as he prowls the dark streets of Los Angeles. This does bring us to the main caveat of the Pixel, though.
Despite using an OLED screen, the 7a seems pretty dim when it comes to dark scenes. Shadows are a greyish blocky affair and nowhere near as convincing as the regular Pixel 7, which appears much deeper by comparison and contains more detail in the darkest areas of the frame. This blocking hinders detail and makes the dark areas of the photo look distracting, something we didn’t see with the Pixel 7a’s Sony rival.
Speaking of which, undoubtedly the biggest thorn in the side of the Pixel 7a is the existence of the Sony Xperia 10 IV, which is more cinematic in many ways than the 7a. The 21:9 OLED screen is made for watching movies and especially outperforms the Pixel when it comes to deeper blacks and improved dark details. The Sony is also cheaper than the Pixel, which means if getting the best photo for the lowest price is your top priority, you should probably choose the Xperia 10 IV.
Sound
The Pixel 7a’s stereo speakers aren’t exactly ideal for listening to music, but they’re certainly good enough for watching some light movies. Voices are clear and there’s a hint of bass when we watch Thor: love and thunder first major battle range, although we find the speakers seem a lot quieter than the Pixel 7’s. That’s not necessarily the end of the world though, as the Pixel 7 can sound loud at top volumes, and these speakers are miles ahead on the mono speaker of the Sony Xperia 10 IV.
Connecting headphones via a USB-C to headphone jack adapter provides a much better experience, with a fuller and more detailed sound. The 7a sounds much more dynamic than the 7, with James Blake and SZA’s piano intro Coming back delivered with a fair amount of punch. Moving to Phoebe Bridger’s Kyoto, we feel the Pixel handles the faster tempo and more upbeat nature of the song well, with snappy timing and a hint of vocal sparkle. While mostly positive, the Pixel can’t quite shake off the slightly computer-like nature of the regular 7, as we feel the sound still lacks a bit of warmth and could sound more emotive. However, the Pixel 7a is certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to sound.
Pronunciation
The Pixel 7a is by almost all accounts better than the Pixel 7 when it comes to picture and sound. It has taken over many of the features of the 7 while costing a little less. Granted, the main benefit of saving money compared to the flagship model is a little less appealing now that the regular 7 has seen some pretty hefty discounts in the US and UK, but it’s hard to argue with the Pixel 7’s excellent value .
If it existed in a world without the Sony Xperia 10 IV (and soon the Xperia 10 V), we’d recommend it without hesitation, but unfortunately for Google, the Sony is both cheaper and more cinematic. That’s not to say the Pixel 7a isn’t worth your time, as it’s an attractive choice for those who want an excellent all-rounder Android smartphone that’s inexpensive.
TO SCORE
- Image 4
- Functions 5
- Sound 4
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