Google / Pocket-lint
Google Pixel 7a
Our top pick
The Pixel 7a is Google’s latest mid-range phone. It succeeds the Pixel 6a and sits alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, offering a number of exciting specs and features and further bridging the gap between flagship and mid-range.
Benefits- Headlight power
- Pixel Camera (with a caveat)
- Good clean software
The inconvenients- Ultra wide camera switching bug
- Display not the brightest
![Google Pixel 6a - beacon square]()
Google / Pocket-lint
Google Pixel 6a
Excellent value
The Pixel 6a is no longer Google’s latest affordable phone, but it still offers incredible value for money, taking much of the Pixel 6 experience and condensing it into a more affordable package. It’s still a great mid-range phone.
Benefits- Superb phone
- Headlight power
- Good updates
The inconvenients- Storage limited to 128 GB
- Display only 60Hz
Google announced its latest mid-range smartphone – the Pixel 7a – at its I/O developer conference on May 10. In the months leading up to the event, there were many rumors and leaks around the device, but now everything has been made official and we have a new mid-range wonder ourselves.
The Pixel 7a sits alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, and it succeeds the Pixel 6a, although you can still buy the 2022 model through Google and a number of other retailers.
With that in mind, we’ve compared the Pixel 7a’s specs to the Pixel 6a’s to help you figure out what the differences are, if it’s worth upgrading to, and if you’re looking for a Pixel of midrange. , should you buy the Pixel 7a or the Pixel 6a?
Pricing, Availability, Specifications
Let’s start with pricing and availability. The Google Pixel 7a was announced on May 10 at Google I/O and it was made available immediately after. The Pixel 6a stays in the Pixel line, much like Apple does with its iPhone models.
The Google Pixel 6a cost $449 in the US when it launched, £399 in the UK and €459 in Europe, although it’s generally available for less now. The Pixel 7a meanwhile, starts at $499 in the US, £449 in the UK and €509 in Europe, so its base price is a bit more than the Google Pixel 6a.
Below you will see a table of Pixel 7a specs vs Pixel 6a specs. We’ve gone into more detail on the differences a little further on, as specs aren’t everything, so it’s worth bearing in mind.
Google Pixel 7a Google Pixel 6a SoCs G2 tensor G1 tensor Display 6.1-inch OLED, Full HD+, 90Hz 6.1 inch, OLED, Full HD+, 60Hz Battery 4385 mAh, 18W fast charge, 7.5W wireless charge 4410mAh, fast charge Front camera 13MP, f/2.2 8MP, f/2.0 Rear cameras 64MP f/1.89 main, 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide 12.2MP f/1.7 main, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide Dimensions 152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm, 193g 152.2×71.8. x 8.9mm, 178g Colors Coal, Snow, Sea, Coral Charcoal, chalk and sage IP Rating IP67 IP67 RAM and storage 8 GB / 128 GB 6 GB / 128 GB
Design and build
The Google Pixel 7a shares an almost identical design to the Pixel 6a, with a few minor changes. It has a flat screen like the Pixel 6a, offering a centralized punch-hole camera at the top and an under-display fingerprint sensor at the bottom.
The rear, meanwhile, features a dual rear camera system in a camera housing that spans the full width of the device, again like the Pixel 6a. Where the Pixel 6a has a two-tone rear, with the top of the rear a different color at the bottom, divided by the camera body, the Pixel 7a has only one color like the Pixels. 7 and 7 Pro. The camera bar is much more premium though, so it feels like a higher quality phone.
The Pixel 6a measures 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9mm and weighs 178g. It is available in black, white and green color options. The Pixel 7a measures 152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm and weighs 193g – so almost identical in measurements, although heavier than its predecessor. The color options are Charcoal, Snow and Sea, although there is also a Coral option available through the Google Store.
In terms of water and dust resistance, the Pixel 6a is IP67, which the Pixel 7a retains. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are both IP68 for reference.
Display
The Google Pixel 6a features a 6.1-inch OLED display sporting a Full HD+ resolution at 2400 x 1080 pixels, which offers a pixel density of 429ppi.
The Pixel 7a offers the same size and resolution as the Pixel 6a, though it bumps the screen refresh rate from 60Hz to 90Hz, putting it in line with the Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 Pro has a 120Hz refresh rate in case you were wondering. This screen is also a bit brighter than the Pixel 6a.
The Pixel 7a does, however, offer the Face Unlock feature found on Pixel 7 devices, which means an additional biometric option for the under-display fingerprint sensor.
Elsewhere, the user experience is the same between the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7a with features like an always-on display, at-a-glance calendar/weather information and Now Playing feature offered on both devices.
Material
The Google Pixel 7a runs on the second generation of the Tensor chip called Tensor G2, like the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. It’s an upgrade from the Pixel 6a, which runs on the first generation of the Tensor chip. There is also a RAM upgrade on the Pixel 7a.
The Pixel 6a has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as its base, while the Pixel 7a offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in the base model.
As for the battery, there are also upgrades for the Pixel 7a, but not in terms of capacity. In fact, he sees a slight reduction in the battery. The battery capacity of the Pixel 7a is 4385 mAh compared to the 4500 mAh capacity of the Pixel 6a. There’s 7.5W wireless charging on board, however, which is a first for a Pixel ‘a’ device. Wired charging tops out at 18W, so it’s not at all like the Realme GT 3 and it’s 240W charging, but that won’t be a deal-breaker for most.
Camera
The Google Pixel 7a also brings improvements to the camera over its predecessor. It has a main 64-megapixel photo sensor, coupled with an ultra-wide 13-megapixel sensor.
The Pixel 6a has a similar camera setup to the Google Pixel 5 with a 12.2-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. So that means Google has upgraded both the main camera and the ultra-wide sensor of the Pixel 7a.
The Pixel 6a has an excellent camera offering overall, and although we encountered a small software bug during our Google Pixel 7a tests, the camera results are excellent. There are brilliant features too, including Magic Eraser to remove unwanted objects from the background, Real Tone to ensure all skin tones are displayed accurately, and Face Unblur, which essentially means there’s no more blurry selfies. All of these are on 7a and 6a.
As for the front camera, the Pixel 6a has an 8-megapixel sensor, but the Pixel 7a moves up to a 13-megapixel sensor, so there have been some solid improvements here too.
Conclusion
The Google Pixel 7a offers a number of solid improvements over its predecessor, making it our top pick if your budget allows.
The design and display remain similar to the Pixel 6a, although there are some tweaks including a more seamless design, faster refresh rate and Face Unlock, bringing a number of features from the Pixel 7
Google / Pocket-lint
Google Pixel 7a
Our top pick
The Google Pixel 7a is the latest mid-range smartphone from the company and it brings a number of great improvements over its predecessor, bringing it closer to the Pixel 7.
The main camera and ultra-wide camera also get an upgrade, along with the processor, front camera, and other additional features, such as wireless charging.
The Google Pixel 6a is still a great device, with a fantastic price now, so it’s no brainer if your budget doesn’t stretch far enough for the Pixel 7a.
Google / Pocket-lint
Google Pixel 6a
Excellent value
$334.6 $449 Save $114.4
The Pixel 6a is Google’s latest affordable phone, taking much of the Pixel 6 experience and condensing it into a more affordable package.
