Google Pixel 7a Preview: Raising the bar

On Mar 22, 2023

Google Pixel 7a Intro

The Pixel 7a is about to take the helm from the Pixel 6a and become the next affordable phone in Google’s portfolio. And, just like most of its Pixel brethren, this one was also leaked profusely, to the point where we seem to know pretty much everything there is about it; a prototype was even up for grabs on eBay! That’s not a bad thing, of course, but definitely takes away from the mystery and surprise.

No paternity test needed for this one – the upcoming Pixel 7a is a phone that carries that unmistakable Pixel DNA and has a reserved spot right next to the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 7 that were announced last year. However, it slightly different hardware and certainly a slightly more affordable pricing, the Pixel 7a definitely deserves its own spot under the sun, and judging from previous years, it could very well be a fan favorite once again.

And, at its rumored sub-$500 price tag, the Pixel 7a will definitely sell like hotcakes.

When will the Pixel 7a go officially-official? Chances are we might see it get unveiled on stage during Google’s upcoming I/O’23 developer summit, where Android 14 will also break cover. Without further ado, let’s preview the Pixel 7a!

What’s new about the device

Tensor G2 chipset
Display with 90Hz refresh rate
Metal body
64MP main camera
8GB RAM

Table of Contents:

Google Pixel 7a Specs

Notable hardware improvements

Although unofficial yet, the Google Pixel 7a specs have leaked profusely. Here’s what some of the already leaked hardware specs tell us:

Specs	iPhone 13 Pro Max
Size and Weight	–
Display	6.1″ OLED 90Hz screen
Processor	Google Tensor G2
RAM	8GB
Storage	128GB
Software	Android 13
Cameras	64MP Sony IMX787 wide camera 13MP Sony IMX712 ultra-wide camera
Battery Size	4,410mah*
Charging Speeds	18W wired, 5W wireless charging*
Price	starting from $1,100

Google Pixel 7a Design & Colors

Not a big change of heart

Similar to the Pixel 6a, the Pixel 7a will closely follow into the footsteps of the Pixel 7 series. Thus, it is coming with a more lively rear camera strip, which now neatly links up with the metal side frame to make a more coherent and pleasing look.

Google Pixel 7a render

Speaking of metal and build materials in particular, multiple reports agree that the Pixel 7a will employ a full metal body, which is a bit hard to believe given that the phone is also rumored to adopt wireless charging as well. It is much more logical to assume that the Pixel 7a will adopt the glass-like plastic design of its predecessor, which would keep the costs down and allow for wireless charging to be introduced on an affordable Pixel.

Overall, the Pixel 7a will keep a similar footprint and overall design as its predecessor, and will look much like the Pixel 7a, although with the addition of thicker bezels. The latter turned out to be among our favorite relatively compact recent Android phones.

And, much to the chagrin of many, it doesn’t seem like the Pixel 7a will be scoring a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s okay, the Pixel 6a didn’t have one either, so it’s time to abandon all hope that Google will bring back the classic interface on its phones ever again.

Google Pixel 7a render

What will be the Google Pixel 7a colors? Rumors point out that we might see the Pixel 7a in Arctic Blue, Carbon, and Cotton, which stand for blue, dark grey, and white colors.

Google Pixel 7a Display

While from a size point the Pixel 7a wouldn’t differ that much from the Pixel 6a, it is believed that the upcoming affordable Google phone will score a 90Hz refresh rate for a much smoother scrolling experience in comparison with the more traditional 60Hz on the Pixel 6a.

Aside from that, the Pixel 7a will still come with a 6.1-inch OLED FHD+ display, just like the one on the Pixel 6a, so people familiar with the previous device will find themselves in well-known waters. Excellent contrast, good colors, and equally good viewing angles will all likely be essential properties of the Pixel 7a’s display.

Google Pixel 7a Camera

Something promising on the horizon

The Google Pixel 7a camera will be a far cry from both the ones on the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 6a. The same-old dual camera system consisting of a wide and ultra-wide cameras that has been a staple on most affordable Pixels is back with a bang for sure, but it amps up the numbers to levels that even the new Pixel 7 can’t reach.

The current consensus of the rumor mill is that the Pixel 7a will boast a super high-res 64MP main camera, a big change over the merely 12MP camera found on last year’s Pixel 6a. That’s a massive change that will surely have big repercussions for the Pixel 7a’s perceived image quality. The nearly five times more resolution isn’t the only aspect of the camera that would improve the overall quality, it’s actually the sensor itself that will bring most of the enhancements.

The Pixel 7a will arrive with the Sony IMX787 camera sensor, a fairly new development that will definitely help the Pixel 7a up its game, especially in comparison with the “ol’ reliable” IMX363 camera sensor that was used on the Pixel 6a, as well as generations of other Pixels beforehand.

At the same time, the ultra-wide snapper is also getting a camera sensor change, as the Pixel 7a will employ the 13MP Sony IMX712 sensor for its ultra-wide camera. As a refresher, the Pixel 6a and many previous Pixels utilized the 12MP Sony IMX386 ultra-wide sensor.

Paired with Google’s set of Tensor-powered AI and ML chops, the Pixel 7a will hopefully cherish the multiple years of Pixel camera prowess that made Google’s phones a household name in the first place.

Google Pixel 7a Performance & Benchmarks

Tensor G2 reporting for duty

No surprises here, the Pixel 7a will be powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, which debuted alongside Google’s Pixel 7 series in late 2022. The Tensor G2, for all intents and purposes, is mostly similar to its predecessor in terms of architecture.

It is built on a 5nm manufacturing process and comes with a 2+2+4 configuration; dual high-performance ARM Cortex-X1 cores, two mid-range Cortex-A78 cores, and finally, quad Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. The difference between the Tensor G2 and G1 is actually found in the mid-range cores, which were the slightly slower Cortex-A76 on the Tensor G1.

So, all in all, we should most likely expect the Pixel 7a to hit very similar performance numbers as the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro, though not far away from the previous generation Pixels as well. But we should always remember that the Tensor chipset was never about raw performance, it’s a platform that enables improved on-device artificial intelligence and machine-learning, both of which become more and more important in this day and age.

Aside from the Tensor G2, the Pixel 7a is also rumored to come with the exceptional amount of 8GB of RAM, a bump of 2GB extra in comparison with the Pixel 6a. This is a surprising upgrade for an affordable device and is much more fitting for the flagship Pixels. As the Pixel 7 also came with 8GB of RAM, we should most likely expect a similar multi-tasking capabilities of the smaller Pixel 7a as well. As far as storage is concerned, 128GB of native storage is what we will be getting on the Pixel 7a, of course with no extra hardware expansion options.

Google Pixel 7a Connectivity

Just like the Pixel 6a and most recent Pixels, the Pixel 7a will be a 5G-capable device, with both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G support. This means that you will be able to benefit from both the low-band and high-band

Google Pixel 7a OS / Android version

Although Android 14 is technically sort of official as it’s currently available as a very early developer beta for eligible Pixel phones, we don’t expect the next flavor of Android to arrive earlier than August. So, we are mostly certain that the Pixel 7a will ship with Android 13 out of the box as it will hit the shelves earlier than that.

Google Pixel 7a Battery

Google Pixel 7a render

Although unconfirmed, the Pixel 7a battery size probably wouldn’t be a very big surprise and will certainly reside in the 4,400-4,500mAh territory. The Pixel 6a came with a 4,410mAh battery, so we expect something in the ballpark of its successor as well.

Google Pixel 7a Charging Speeds

When it comes to charging, we’d expect a support for 18W wired charging to make the cut once again. So, don’t expect that your Pixel 7a will charge too quickly. What’s new on the charging front, however, could be the wireless charging support, new on affordable Pixels. Don’t get your hopes too high, though, as rumors indicate we’ll only get 5W charging speeds, a very, very slow solution that would take hours to top up your phone.

Google Pixel 7a Models

The Pixel 7a joins the ranks of the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro, which went official all the way back in late 2023. Check out their respective reviews by following the links below:

Google Pixel 7a Competitors

The fresh new Galaxy A54 5G will definitely be one of the more serious Pixel 7a competitors in the same price point. The fresh Samsung upper mid-range phone comes with a 5.4 Super AMOLED display, FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, as well as 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and a microSD card slot for memory expansion. Powered by the Exynos 1380 chipset, this one has a triple camera setup, consisting of a wide, ultra-wide, and a macro camera. There’s also a 5,000mAh battery with 25W wired charging, but lacks wireless charging.

Google Pixel 7a Summary and final verdict

Our expectations are that the Pixel 7a will be another smash-hit success on the mid-range market and will easily take the crown over from the Pixel 6a and become one of the more sought-after Pixel phones available in 2023!

After all, it seemingly has it all, the AI/ML chops of the larger Pixels, a promising camera (at least on paper), a super compact size in comparison with your average Android phone, and finally, the super-affordable sub-$500 price tag that could make it a bestseller.

Definitely shaping up to be one of the phones with the best bang for the buck that will be available this year.

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