Andrew Heinzman
We’re still deeply impressed by the Pixel 7, a smartphone that managed to offer a flagship experience for just $600. But the new Pixel 7a costs just $500 and manages to match most of the Pixel 7a’s specs—an interesting proposition, to say the least.
Note: The Pixel 7a debuted at Google’s I/O 2023 developer conference alongside the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet.
The Pixel 7a is now readily available, and we’ve already performed an in-depth review of the device. So, for those who want a detailed view of the specs without too many opinions, here’s everything you need to know about the Pixel 7a.
Google Pixel 7a Full Specs
Broad Details: Release Date and Pricing
The Design and Display: More Premium Than Ever
Spec Talk: Upgrades on Top of Upgrades
The Cameras: A Huge Upgrade
Google Pixel 7a Full Specs
- Display: 6.1-inch AMOLED, 90Hz refresh rate
- Processor: Google Tensor G2
- Operating System: Android 13
- Storage/RAM: 128GB storage, 6GB RAM
- Rear Cameras: 64MP f/1.89 (Wide), 13MP f/2.2 (Ultra-wide)
- Selfie Camera: 13MP f/2.2
- Zoom: 2X optical zoom option
- Video: Maximum 4K 60FPS
- Battery: 4385mAh
- Dimensions: 6 x 2.8 x 0.4 inches (152 x 72.9 x 9.0 millimeters)
- Charging Speed: 18 watts wired, 7.5 watts wireless
- Fingerprint Sensor: Optical in-display
- Networking: 5G sub6/mmWave, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS
- Headphone Jack: Nah
- Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 3, IP67 dust and water resistance
- Colors: Charcoal, Sea, Snow, Coral (Google Store exclusive)
Broad Details: Release Date and Pricing
The Pixel 7a debuted at Google’s I/O 2023 developer event. And, in an odd twist, the device immediately went on sale immediately after this event—no pre-order necessary. You can now buy the Pixel 7a at Google’s website, or from your carrier or retailer of choice.
While last year’s Pixel 6a was just $450, the new Pixel 7a is $500. This may seem like a harsh price increase, but to be fair, the Pixel 7a is a massive upgrade over its predecessor. Not only is it the first Pixel A-series phone to feature wireless charging and a 90Hz display, but it uses a new camera array that matches the quality of more-expensive Pixel 7.
That said, the standard Pixel 7 costs $600. That’s only $100 more than the Pixel 7a. Given the similarities between these two phones, we expect customers to have a hard time deciding which one they want to purchase.
Note that the Pixel 7a only comes in a 128GB storage configuration. But it’s available in four colors—Charcoal, Sea (light blue), Snow, and Coral (which is a Google Store exclusive, unfortunately).
The Design and Display: More Premium Than Ever
Like last year’s Pixel 6a, the Pixel 7a uses a 6.1-inch display. But the phone itself has clearly grown in size. The Pixel 7a measures at 6 x 2.8 x 0.4 inches (152 x 72.9 x 9.0 millimeters)—it’s barely any smaller than the standard Pixel 7!
Of course, the Pixel 7a’s screen is a bit smaller than that of the Pixel 7 (which uses a 6.3-inch panel). And its display is surrounded by thicker bezels. But this is the first “A-series” phone to use a 90Hz display; something that, until now, was exclusive to Google’s flagship devices.
But it should be noted that the Pixel 7a uses a plastic backside. And in our review, we found that the fit and finish isn’t fantastic. The seam between the phone’s aluminum frame and plastic backside is a bit scratchy, so you’ll probably want to use it with a case. (Our sister site, How-to Geek, came to the same conclusion in its review.)
And although the Pixel 7a is a premium-looking phone, it did miss out on a few upgrades. It still uses Gorilla Glass 3, rather than the Gorilla Glass Victus featured in Google’s flagship phones. Dust and water resistance is also unchanged—the Pixel 7a is rated at IP67, while the Pixel 7 is IP68.
On the bright side, a recent teardown video shows that the Pixel 7a is somewhat easy to repair. There aren’t any ribbon cables tethering the back of the phone to its internal hardware, and the screen can be replaced without too much trouble.
Spec Talk: Upgrades on Top of Upgrades
Pixel A-series phones offer exceptional performance for the price. And, predictable, the Pixel 7a continues this trend. It utilizes the same Tensor G2 chipset that you’ll find in the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro—essentially, it offers flagship performance for a fraction of the price.
In our tests, we found that the Pixel 7a matches the performance of its more expensive siblings. It’s a snappy phone, and even some heavy-duty features like Night Sight perform quite well. That said, the Pixel 7a’s 6GB of RAM makes it less adept for multitasking and some hardcore apps (and this will become more apparent as the phone grows older).
The Pixel 7a is also limited to just 128GB of non-expandable storage. This is a common limitation for phones at this price. Still, some users will find that 128GB isn’t enough space. If you install a lot of apps, download a lot of offline movies or music, or shoot a ton of photos and videos (without a paid Google Photos subscription), you may need additional storage.
Notably, this is the first Pixel A-series phone with wireless charging. It’s a fantastic addition and one of the most-requested features from customers, although wireless charging speed is capped at 7.5 watts, so it’s really only useful if you use a wireless charger while sleeping.
The Pixel 7a’s 4,385mAh battery is actually a slight downgrade, as the Pixel 6a had a 4410mAh capacity. In our review, we found that the Pixel 7a has no trouble lasting all day on a charge, even when forced to run at 90Hz. But some reviews, including the one published at How-to Geek, had a more tumultuous experience with battery life. (We suspect that battery life will be one of those “Pixel problems” that affects some customers, but not others.)
The Cameras: A Huge Upgrade
One of the downfalls of last year’s Pixel 6a was the main camera. Not because it was bad—in our review, we found that the Pixel 6a takes some great photos. The issue is that the Pixel 6a reused Google’s 12MP camera sensor, which is pretty outdated and doesn’t match the quality of the 50MP camera utilized in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 flagships.
The Pixel 7a makes a giant leap to a 64MP main camera. On paper, this may seem like a better camera than what you get with the standard Pixel 7. But megapixels are just one component of camera quality. Our testing shows that the Pixel 7a’s camera quality is basically identical to that of the standard Pixel 7.
Additionally, the Pixel 7a upgrades to a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 13MP selfie lens. These cameras match the photo quality of the ultra-wide and selfie lenses included in the Pixel 7. There really isn’t a notable difference, at least in our testing.
Given the similarities between the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a, we believe that customers will have a hard time choosing between these phones. I suggest that you read our in-depth review of the Pixel 7a to see which model we prefer based on pricing, features, and build quality.
Google Pixel 7a
The Google Pixel 7a offers wireless charging, a 90Hz display, and flagship-level cameras for $100 less than the standard Pixel 7.
