Verdict
Google’s mid-range collection of smartphones has by no means been this good. Whereas I might have preferred to see higher battery efficiency, the remainder of the Pixel 7a is a triumph.
Execs
- Wonderful digital camera for the value
- Loads of upgrades over the Pixel 6a
- Good software program
- Some good color choices
Cons
- Middling battery life
- Achingly sluggish charging
Purchase the Google Pixel 7a for simply £399, with case and 30W charger included
The Google Pixel 7a has seen a mega value drop for Prime Day, now accessible for simply £399. What’s extra, Amazon is throwing in a Pixel 7a case and 30W charger at no further value.
- Amazon
- Save £79.99
- Now £399
Key Options
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Upgraded digital camera systemNew 64MP primary digital camera, 13MP ultrawide and sooner Evening Sight -
4 colorsCharcoal, Sea, Coral and Snow -
Upgrades over Pixel 6aWi-fi charging, extra RAM and sooner show
Introduction
The Google Pixel 7a is the perfect mid-range cellphone we’ve examined in 2023 up to now.
With one of many best possible cameras at this value level, and wonderful software program with entry to main Android updates forward of different telephones, the Google Pixel 7a represents excellent worth.
And whereas the Google Pixel 6a was additionally a unbelievable cellphone, the 7a has been handled to a plethora of upgrades, together with a extra highly effective chip, wi-fi charging and a sooner 90Hz show. Certain, the value has been upped to replicate these upgrades, however I nonetheless suppose you’re getting nice bang to your buck.
It’s not an ideal cellphone, as I do suppose the battery life might be higher, and charging sooner. However these points apart, you’ll battle to discover a higher worth smartphone in the marketplace, particularly because the Google Pixel 7a frequents the gross sales.
Design and Display screen
- Visually similar to the Pixel 7
- 4 colors can be found: black, white, coral and sea
- The refresh fee upped to 90Hz
After I first took the Pixel 7a out of the field I used to be just a little disenchanted. I used to be anticipating it to resemble the Pixel 7, however I wasn’t anticipating it to be just about a whole copy. If you happen to put the 2 telephones subsequent to every there may be little or no to inform them aside.
There’s the identical flat display screen, the identical barely curved again and the identical visor overlaying the digital camera sensors that shortly turns into an annoying shelf for mud.
The Pixel 7a is barely smaller total, due to the shorter 6.1-inch display screen, and is just a little lighter. It’s one of many smaller telephones round, even when I wouldn’t actually name it compact. It could slip neatly right into a denims pocket or a small bag although, and I can use it comfortably with one hand.
The again is comprised of a pleasant feeling plastic, whereas the metallic sides add a contact of sophistication and additional robustness. Google has stated that is probably the most sturdy A-series system but and the aluminium housing is comprised of 100% recycled content material – or about 11% of the cellphone itself.
Google despatched over the Charcoal model for evaluation, which is extra gray than black. It’s not my favorite hue I’ve to confess, and the darker shade makes the again of the cellphone a magnet for fingerprints after only a few minutes of use. The lighter, extra vibrant Coral and Sea variations are way more enjoyable colors to go for.
The 7a has an IP67 score, which is barely decrease than the IP68 score for the Pixel 7 but it surely stays a really welcome addition on this value vary.
One of many Pixel 7a’s greater upgrades is discovered within the show. Just like the Pixel 7, the 7a now helps as much as a 90Hz refresh fee, that’s a notable enchancment over the 6a’s 60Hz display screen. The additional zip in scrolling is noticeable when the 2 telephones are subsequent to every and it typically makes transferring by means of the UI extra pleasing.
The Easy Show possibility can even transfer between 60Hz and 90Hz, dropping right down to the slower possibility to save lots of battery whenever you’re watching video, for instance.
It stays a 1080p OLED panel too, with deep blacks and loads of element contemplating there’s solely a 6.1-inch house to fill. It is a good display screen for the value. Dive into streaming apps like Netflix and supported content material will playback in HDR (though there’s no Dolby Imaginative and prescient) giving an additional enhance to colors.
The show additionally homes a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the cellphone. Google has had a reasonably poor historical past of correctly optimising these sensors – on the Pixel 6 collection it was significantly poor – and it’s not nice right here.
About one in every of each 10 makes an attempt to unlock the cellphone failed and the sensor appears to require a really particular press in a selected place. The entire sensor is only a bit small. There may be Face Unlock too, and whereas it’s not as safe (nor can or not it’s used for authorisations for safe apps) it’s a lot faster and way more dependable.
Efficiency
- Identical Tensor G2 chip because the Pixel 7 and seven Professional
- No charger included; wi-fi charging added
- 5G help and WiFi 6E
The Pixel 7a is powered by the identical Tensor G2 chipset you’ll discover contained in the Pixel 7 Professional and the Pixel Fold.
This chip can’t rival the highest choices from Qualcomm or Apple and there are possible far faster telephones at this value – the newly-announced £559 Poco F5 Professional being a notable instance – however Google’s method has at all times favoured advances exterior of pure velocity. Tensor ensures digital camera processing is fast and that each one the AI options constructed into the software program run with minimal fuss.
It’s nonetheless a quick piece of silicon although, taking part in Name of Responsibility Cell with few hiccups and conducting on a regular basis duties with ease. There’s additionally 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage – a reasonably normal duo for a Pixel system.
There’s 5G (each sub6 and mmWave relying in your location) and WiFi 6E help should you’ve obtained an appropriate router.
One of many largest causes to plump for the 7a over a similarly-priced cellphone that may cost sooner or carry out higher in benchmarks is the Google software program expertise. Not solely are software program updates plentiful and quick, however Google has additionally constructed quite a few tremendously helpful AI abilities into the software program.
The Recorder app for instance is the perfect within the enterprise for transcription, whereas the velocity at which the Reside Translate companies interprets is unbelievable and really helpful. There’s additionally the raft of Name Help options launched with the Pixel 7 together with enhancements to caller’s voices and simple methods to bypass long-winded cellphone menu choices.
Digital camera
- Upgraded primary digital camera with a 72% bigger sensor than 6a
- Secondary 13MP ultrawide digital camera
- 4K, 13MP selfie digital camera
The most important purpose to plump for the Pixel 7a is the digital camera as I don’t suppose there’s something this succesful in the marketplace for the value. Whether or not it’s daylight or night time, the primary digital camera right here is dependable and doesn’t require countless tinkering to get good photographs on a regular basis.
Google has upgraded the primary digital camera when in comparison with the 6a, with a brand new 64MP sensor doing nearly all of the heavy lifting. There’s additionally sooner Evening Sight (that’s the low mild capturing mode that mixes a number of exposures to spice up mild) due to the additional velocity of the Tensor G2, and a brand new 13MP ultrawide lens.
There’s no devoted zoom digital camera, however I’ve discovered the AI-influenced Tremendous-res Zoom churns out higher outcomes than I might count on from digital zoom. Subsequent to a typical iPhone 14’s zoom, the Pixel 7a can retain extra element at 2x.
It’s exhausting to not be impressed with the photographs I’ve taken with the Pixel 7a, from the element retained within the canine’s fur and the meals to the pure colors and noise-free night time photographs. Google continues to make use of contrast-heavy processing, with a powerful deal with bringing out colors and deepening shadows. Colors do pop, however not with the identical burst of saturation discovered on the Samsung Galaxy S23, as an alternative they’re extra reasonable and fewer garish.
This ability at producing colors continues whenever you’re capturing portraits, with the Pixel 7a doing a unbelievable job at producing correct various pores and skin tones. It may be exhausting to distinguish the Pixel 7 Professional and Pixel 7a’s outcomes whenever you’re taking pictures through the day.
Google has accomplished a superb job of guaranteeing the colors from each rear cameras match up, so you may leap between the 2 and get a really comparable picture. There’s no dramatic enhance in saturation or distinction whenever you flip between the broad and ultrawide – a problem I’ve discovered with many telephones at this value.
Evening Sight is definitely sooner and extra dependable than the Pixel 6a, usually capturing a transparent and true-to-life picture in a matter of seconds. In some situations, I discovered the night time efficiency higher, sooner and extra dependable than on an iPhone 14 Professional Max.
Video efficiency is powerful too, capturing steady video at various resolutions and body charges (as much as 4K 60fps). The tasteful color profiles from the images aspect are seen right here too. I’m additionally a fan of the entrance 13MP digital camera, which continues the rear cam’s capability to seize good, and correct, pores and skin tones.
Battery Life
- No charger included
- It does help wi-fi charging
- Heavy customers will battle to get by means of a full day
One space the place the Pixel 7a does really feel barely antiquated is the charging speeds and its total battery efficiency.
Whereas I’m glad Qi charging – a function that made the $299 Google Nexus 4 standout means again in 2012 – has been added, each the wi-fi and wired charging speeds are sluggish. When a cellphone just like the Realme GT3 can get a full 100% cost in lower than 10 minutes, the 110 minutes required here’s a little bit of a disgrace.
It doesn’t assist that through the evaluation interval I, on a few events, wanted to present the Pixel 7a a cost mid-way by means of the day – a state of affairs the place faster charging speeds are particularly notable.
For probably the most half, I often felt assured the Pixel 7a would final a full day with it typically hitting 5-10% once I got here to plugging it in. Nevertheless, on some busier days when my display screen on time was above 5 hours, I would wish to present the cellphone a night juice-up to ensure I wouldn’t be left with a very depleted system later within the night.
This kind of endurance is to be anticipated from a cellphone that’s smaller and, in consequence, has a smaller battery. However, I might be hard-pressed to really suggest this to one thing who is continually utilizing the cellphone, with the display screen on, all day.
In additional artificial checks, the cellphone performs pretty nicely. An hour of Netflix streaming ate by means of 6% which is best than I might count on whereas leaving the cellphone unplugged over an 8-hour interval with the display screen off noticed a drop of solely 3%.
Newest offers
Do you have to purchase it?
You need an important cellphone for a very good value: The Pixel 7a ticks quite a lot of containers and comes with options usually ditched at this value. An ideal digital camera, wi-fi charging, a very good IP score and a 90Hz display screen to call however a number of.
You’re after a multi-day system: The battery life isn’t unhealthy – it’s simply not a cellphone that’ll deal with prolonged heavy use all through a day and it received’t go a number of days between fees. It doesn’t assist that charging is sluggish in comparison with the perfect Android telephones.
Last Ideas
Wi-fi charging, a greater digital camera, a extra succesful chipset and a sooner show make the Pixel 7a probably the greatest mid-range telephones. It’s not completely excellent, however I haven’t been as proud of a cellphone beneath £500/$500 for some time.
There was quite a lot of discuss forward of the discharge about how the value enhance would result in a far much less tempting proposition. I believe it’s in reality the other – the enhancements and additions make this a much more full and tempting proposition than the Pixel 6a.
Sure, you will discover telephones at an identical value with higher screens or snappier chips – nevertheless none of them handle an expertise fairly as full as this. From the software program filled with progressive Google tweaks which might be exhausting to depart behind, to the digital camera reliability in varied circumstances to the helpful extras like an IP score and Qi charging it is a cellphone that’s about greater than specs on a web page.
If solely the battery life was a little higher.
How we take a look at
We take a look at each cell phone we evaluation completely. We use industry-standard checks to match options correctly and we use the cellphone as our primary system over the evaluation interval. We’ll at all times inform you what we discover and we by no means, ever, settle for cash to evaluation a product.
Discover out extra about how we take a look at in our ethics coverage.
Used as a primary cellphone for the evaluation interval
Thorough digital camera testing in quite a lot of circumstances
Examined and benchmarked utilizing revered {industry} checks and real-world information
Trusted Critiques take a look at information
Geekbench 5 single core
Geekbench 5 multi core
Geekbench 6 single core
Geekbench 6 multi core
1 hour video playback (Netflix, HDR)
30 minute gaming (intensive)
30 minute gaming (mild)
1 hour music streaming (on-line)
1 hour music streaming (offline)
Time from 0-100% cost
Time from 0-50% cost
15-min recharge (no charger included)
3D Mark – Wild Life
GFXBench – Aztec Ruins
GFXBench – Automobile Chase
UK RRP
USA RRP
EU RRP
Producer
Display screen Dimension
Storage Capability
Rear Digital camera
Entrance Digital camera
Video Recording
IP score
Battery
Wi-fi charging
Quick Charging
Dimension (Dimensions)
Weight
Working System
Launch Date
First Reviewed Date
Decision
HDR
Refresh Price
Ports
Chipset
RAM
Colors
Acknowledged Energy
Jargon buster
mAh
An abbreviation for milliampere-hour and a approach to categorical the capability of batteries, particularly smaller ones in telephones. Typically the upper the mAh, the longer the battery will final however this isn’t at all times the case.
5G
Providing sooner obtain and add speeds when in comparison with 4G. Nice for sport streaming and HDR video playback. Not supported in every single place but and speeds fluctuate wildly.
IP score
An abbreviation for ‘Ingress Safety Code’, which helps you to know to what extent a tool is likely to be waterproof or dustproof.
