All eyes may currently be on thePixel 8aand its ability to runGoogle’s Gemini AI model on-device, but I don’t feel the need to upgrade. The Pixel 7a is over a year old now, but it’s got more than enough oomph to get me and almost everyone through day-to-day tasks.
Like previous A-series Pixel phones, Google released thePixel 7aas a way to offer some of the flagship Pixel 7 and 7 Pro hardware and software at a more affordable price. It looks a bit like a Pixel 7, and can run all the same software it does, it just doesn’t cost $700 or more. In fact, the Pixel 7a started from such a good place hardware-wise, it has many basic features in common with the Pixel 8a, too.
With the Pixel 8a debuting at the same $499 price, there’s nothing wrong with just going with the newer phone, but if you’rewilling to hunt for a deal, or like me, you already own a Pixel 7a, there are plenty of reasons not to upgrade. When it comes to hardware and software, there’s still a lot that makes the Pixel 7a a worthy alternative to thePixel 8or 8a.
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The Pixel 7a still feels premium
A last hurrah for the Pixel 7 design
Since the release of the Pixel 6, Google’s smartphones have looked… unique. The tech giant uses the same aluminum and glass construction as Apple and Samsung, but with bright colors, two-tone patterns, and a prominent camera bump that makes a Pixel easily identifiable from a distance. The Pixel 7a is the last vanguard of the hard edges of the Pixel 7a line, and ignoring my boring Charcoal model, which is basically a dark gray, there are plenty of colorful options to choose from, like a light orange “Coral” or bluish-gray “Sea.”
The Pixel 7a is solidly constructed, too. It’s slightly thicker than the original Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, and feels heavier, too, but the extra thickness and weight make the phone easier to hold and more difficult to accidentally drop in my experience. Plus, even if it’s cheaper, you still get the hardware features you’d want from a flagship phone, including Face Unlock, a speedy in-display fingerprint reader, 18W wired charging, and 7.5W wireless charging. The Pixel 8a is newer, but other than its display and Tensor G3 chip, it does not offer much better.
The Pixel 7a’s cameras are more than enough
The Pixel 7a has a 64-megapixel main camera, 13-megapixel ultrawide, and 13-megapixel selfie camera on the front. You can get more options from a Pixel 7 or 8 Pro, but I can’t confidently say anyone needs that extra lens. Like all recent Pixel cameras, the Pixel 7a is competent in pretty much all conditions, producing cool, contrast-y photos that feel immediately ready to post after you take them. And Google’s Night Sight feature still works well when you’re in low light situations that need some help to be visible.
The photography experience is driven by what Google’s able to pull-off on the software side of things rather than raw hardware power, and that’s true on the Pixel 7a in the same way that it is the Pixel 8a. You might be limited in what kinds of photo edits the Pixel 7a can do on-device, but even newer features like the Pixel 8’sMagic Editorare available on older Pixels if you use Google Photos.
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You’ll get all the AI you really need on the Pixel 7a
Gemini isn’t necessary for Google’s best features
Google committed to supporting the Pixel 7a with three years of operating system updates and five years of security updates when it first released it. That covers you until 2027 in terms of new features, which, based on Google’s current trajectory, will probably mostly be focused on AI. In my opinion, though, you’ve already got all the AI you need in Android 13, the version of Android the Pixel 7a shipped with.
I really don’t think the 7a will feel like it’s missing those newer AI features
Two of Google’s best AI-powered features, Magic Eraser and automatic transcriptions in the Recorder app, have been available for years at this point, and they work perfectly on the Pixel 7a. The advantage the Pixel 8a, 8, and8 Prohave of running onGemini Nano, a smaller version of Google’s AI model, has not born fruit yet, nor is it clear it’ll vastly change the average smartphone user’s life, even if it might be useful.
Running Android 14, with all the customization options and deep Google integration you’d expect from a Pixel, I really don’t think the 7a will feel like it’s missing those newer AI features. It’s a good phone as is, and because it’s a Pixel, it’s a far better Android experience out of the box than you’d get from a similar midrange Samsung or Motorola phone. Google keeps things clean, and largely lets you ignore its more experimental features if you don’t want to use them.
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The Pixel 7a feels like it could have been released this year
The staying power of the Pixel 7a is a testament to all the work Google’s done improving the Pixel line over the years. The company still runs into aconcerning amount of issuesmanufacturing its flagship phones, but they’re all typically ironed out by the time the cheaper A-series version is released. The Pixel 7a is no different. Overall, I think Google’s push to more deeply integrate its AI products with its own hardware is exciting, but it’s not necessary if you just need a good Android phone. Or, at least not yet.
Until the true value of Gemini rears its head, the Pixel 7a represents everything Google has gotten good at making its own smartphones, and little it’s bad at. You’ll still get a great experience from a Pixel 8a if you want a new phone, but I think the Pixel 7a is worth looking at. Google’s not selling it at a discount, but find a deal from another online retailer and see if you can’t save a few bucks. I think you’ll be happy that you did.
The Pixel 7a is Google’s 2023 mid-range phone. It succeeds the Pixel 6a, and sits alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, offering a number of great specs and features and bridging the gap even more between flagship and mid-range.
