Google Pixel 7a is here: Price, specs, features, and all you need to know

The Google Pixel 7a is Google’s latest mid-range phone, and there’s a lot to like. The phone delivers a lot of the core features of the Pixel 7 while slashing out a few higher-end elements to lower the price.

Here is everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 7a!

Google Pixel 7a: Release date, price, and availability

Google officially unveiled the Pixel 7a on May 10, 2023, during Google I/O 2023, and it is available to purchase now. The company launched it alongside its first foldable, the Google Pixel Fold, and its first Android tablet since 2015, the Pixel Tablet.

In the United States, you can buy the Pixel 7a for $477 at Amazon, making it the most expensive A-series device yet. That price gets you the only variant available, which is a 128GB model. If you’re a US-based buyer, you have four colorway options: Charcoal (dark gray), Snow (white), Sea (light blue), and Coral (pink). The Coral colorway is only available directly from Google, either through the online Google Store or its brick-and-mortar shops in New York City. The other three colors should be available from most retailers, including carriers.

Outside of the United States, the Pixel 7a is available in the following countries:

In Europe, you’ll pay €509 (~$562) for the Pixel 7a, while Canadians will pay CAD $599 (~$442). In the United Kingdom, the Pixel 7a price is £449 (~$568).

There were various promotions available from the Google Store when the phone first went on sale, varying by country. There were some excellent Pixel 7a deals in the US, such as a free pair of Pixel Buds A-Series or $100 off the Pixel Buds Pro, plus a free case. Buyers in the UK, EU, and Canada could also get the free Buds A or a reduction on the Buds Pro to £79, €109, or CAD $121, respectively. Most of these deals no longer apply, but you should consider these Pixel 7a accessories to help you get the best out of the mid-range phone.

Google has assured us that all countries will see the three main colorways (Charcoal, Snow, and Sky). Outside the US, though, the Coral color will only be available in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden. As before, you’ll need to go to the Google Store to get it in all those countries. Unfortunately, that means Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India cannot get the Coral color without importing from another country. Interestingly, Japan can get the Coral colorway, but not from Google. There are third parties that sell the Coral Pixel 7a in Japan.

Google Pixel 7a: Features

The Google Pixel 7a looks a lot like the Pixel 7. The two phones are so close in size and thickness that you’d measure the differences in a few millimeters. They also share a lot of the same features.

However, the Pixel 7a is undoubtedly an overall weaker device when compared to the Pixel 7, never mind the more recent Pixel 8. That doesn’t mean it’s bad — on the contrary, you’re getting a whole lot of smartphone for a comparatively low price. Spec for spec, the Pixel 7a is one of the best Android phones you can get for the price.

As a Pixel, it also gains several unique software features you’ll only find on Google’s mobile hardware. This includes Quick Tap to launch shortcuts and apps, improved Crash detection and Heads Up safety features, and Google’s many useful camera enhancements. We cover these camera features in more detail below. Also, learn how to maximize your experience with our Pixel 7a tips and tricks guide.

The Pixel 7a also benefits from three years of major Android updates and five years of software support. That’s not as good as the Pixel 8 line’s seven years of updates, but still means you’ll be getting updates into 2028.

Camera

As with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8, the Google Pixel 7a has a dual-lens rear camera. Just like the vanilla Pixel flagships, the Pixel 7a has a primary lens and an ultrawide paired with it, which jibes with most camera phones in this price range.

However, what’s underneath the glass differs significantly across both devices. The Pixel 7a has a 64MP primary shooter. This lens has a 0.8μm pixel width, a ƒ/1.89 aperture, an 80-degree field of view, and a 1/1.73-inch image sensor size. This makes the primary lens very strong but not quite as capable as the main camera of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8. Likewise, the Pixel 7a’s ultrawide sensor is slightly different from the Pixel 7’s. Interestingly, the Pixel 7a’s ultrawide has a wider field of view than the Pixel 7 (120 degrees as compared to 114 degrees). But you’re getting a slightly narrower field of view than the Pixel 8 (126 degrees).

Of course, Google’s software is what does the heavy lifting with any Pixel phone. Some of the camera software features of the flagship series carry over to the Pixel 7a, with the major exceptions of Cinematic Blur, audio zoom, 10-bit HDR, Audio Magic Eraser, and manual mode. Still, the star Pixel features — Magic Eraser, Super Res Zoom, Night Sight, etc. — carry over to the Pixel 7a.

Finally, on the front of the phone, you have a 13MP shooter. It will be quite comparable with the selfie camera of the vanilla flagship Pixels, although not the same.

What is the result of this hardware cocktail? We detail how the Google Pixel 7a compares to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6a out in the field in our extensive camera shootout.

Performance

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a have the exact same core processing setup. That means the Google Tensor G2 SoC, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage. In other words, you should see exactly the same performance with the Pixel 7a as you would with its more expensive sibling. During our review, we noticed that the device tends to run hot under high load, but that seems par for the course with this chipset. Be mindful of this, especially if you’re a heavy gamer — the Pixel 7a isn’t a great sidekick for your hobby.

Display

The display on the Google Pixel 7a is one of the most interesting things about it. On the one hand, it’s the most premium display we’ve ever seen on an A-series device. On the other hand, it’s still not as good as the Pixel 7’s display — but only if you’re nitpicking spec details.

Let’s start with what’s the same between them. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a both have FHD+ resolutions measured at 2,400 x 1,080. There’s a 20:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz display refresh rate. That latter detail is a first for any A-series device, which is quite exciting.

However, the Pixel 7a doesn’t match the Pixel 7 in a few key areas. The screen is 0.2 inches smaller, for example. This is due to the larger bezels around the Pixel 7a’s screen, meaning you have a phone that’s about the same size but with less display. On the plus side, this means the Pixel 7a has a slightly higher pixel density than the Pixel 7, which is a nice side effect. The Pixel 7 also supports HDR10+, while you’re stuck with just regular HDR on the Pixel 7a.

Finally, Gorilla Glass 3 covers the screen on the Pixel 7a. While strong, this is generations behind the Gorilla Glass Victus of the Pixel 7. Be sure to get a good Pixel 7a case and a custom-fit Pixel 7a screen protector!

It should almost go without saying that the Pixel 7a’s screen lags behind the Pixel 8’s display too. Google’s 2023 flagship brings a so-called Actua Display with much higher brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pixel 8 also packs Gorilla Glass Victus.

Design and build quality

The biggest design difference between a mainline Pixel and its A-series counterpart is the back. That rings true with the Pixel 7a, which has a plastic back instead of the glass back we see with the Pixel 7.

This can be seen as a positive, though. Plastic is less prone to cracks when compared to glass. It also makes the phone a bit lighter. Invariably, however, it makes the phone feel a bit less premium.

Don’t be fooled; the Pixel 7a feels great in hand. You won’t believe it’s a sub-$500 smartphone when you hold it.

Google cut other corners with the Pixel 7a. The aluminum rails of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 are downgraded to an aluminum alloy on the Pixel 7a, which means less durability. The phone also has an IP67 rating against water and dust, which is a notch below the full IP68 rating of the flagship phones.

Battery

The battery cell inside the Pixel 7a has a typical capacity of 4,385mAh. This makes it ever so slightly larger than the Pixel 7’s battery, which lands at 4,355mAh. This difference will likely be negligible in the end. The Pixel 8 brings a 4,575mAh battery, which in turn is slightly larger than the Pixel 7a’s cell. But we’re not expecting this to make a notable difference as far as endurance is concerned.

You can charge the Pixel 7a’s battery with a USB-C cable at a speed of 18W. This is slower than the wired charging speed of the Pixel 7, but only by 2W (once again, negligible). However, this lags way behind the Pixel 8’s 27W charging speed. As with all modern Pixels, there is no charger in the box with the Pixel 7a, so you’ll need to buy a smartphone charger or use one you already own.

For the first time in the A series, the Pixel 7a supports wireless charging. It’s kind of slow at just 7.5W, but it will work with any Qi-compatible wireless charger you can find.

Unfortunately, the Pixel 7a does not support Battery Share, which is the Pixel line’s reverse wireless charging feature. That means you won’t be able to leech power from the Pixel 7a to charge your earbuds, smartwatch, or other accessories.

In our testing, we discovered that Pixel 7a charging speeds are not great. The phone doesn’t stay at the 18W speed for long, and it gets very hot. Keep this in mind if you’re thinking about buying this phone.

Google Pixel 7a specs

Check out how the Pixel 7a, Pixel 7, and last year’s Google Pixel 6a all compare in the table below. We also have a deeper dive into the Pixel 7a specs.

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