In among all the announcements from Google I/O comes the Pixel 7a, Google’s latest addition to their smartphone lineup.
We’ve had the new mid-range device for a week, testing it out to see how it performs as a daily driver.
Google provided 7NEWS with a Pixel 7a device for this review. However, Google has had no input into our thoughts or general editorial process.
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Pricing
It’s no surprise that Pixel 7a is priced very competitively for what it brings to the smartphone table.
Pixel 7a will be available for $749 from Google Store, Telstra, JB Hi-Fi, Optus. Officeworks and Harvey Norman.
It also comes in three colours; charcoal, white (snow) and blue (sea).
There is no power brick in the box, so you’ll need to grab one of those separately if you want to benefit from the faster charging speeds of the device. This will set you back another $45.
What we think
First off, let’s talk about the design of the Pixel 7a. With the same sleek and modern look of the Pixel 7 which was launched last year, it definitely catches the eye. The phone is available in three colours - charcoal, snow and sea. The device feels comfortable in the hand and is easy to navigate with one hand thanks to its 6.1-inch screen.
Moving on to the display, the Pixel 7a boasts an impressive 90Hz refresh rate, making it one of the smoothest displays on the market. The FHD+ OLED screen is bright and vibrant, with deep blacks and accurate colours. Watching videos or scrolling through social media on this screen is an absolute pleasure.
The Pixel 7a also has some serious camera capabilities. With a 64-megapixel primary lens and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens, you can capture stunning photos with incredible detail. Interestingly, the primary camera has seen a megapixel upgrade from the other devices in the Pixel 7 series.
The phone also comes with all the improved camera software from previous Pixel models, with features like Photo Unblur, Magic eraser, Real Tone, Night Sight, Long Exposure and Super Res Zoom allowing for amazing low-light photos and high-quality zoomed-in shots.
Under the hood, the Pixel 7a is powered by Google’s Tensor G2 chip, inheriting the same speed from its more expensive siblings. This allows for exclusive Pixel features to be included such as Call Screen, Hold For Me and Clear Calling - which ensures that background noise is kept to a minimum during a call.
It also has 5G functionality, allowing for lightning-fast download and upload speeds. Testing the Pixel 7a across all three major Aussie telcos saw fantastic download speeds on the 5G networks, and VoLTE and VoWiFi is working across the board. We also see the same security enhancements, including in-screen fingerprint reader and face unlock.
With 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, this phone has plenty of power and space to handle most of your needs. It would have been nice to have the option of more storage, but we guess Google wants you to spend some more cash to upgrade your storage through a Google One subscription.
The Pixel 7a runs on Android 13, Google’s latest operating system, which has been optimised for this device. The Material You design language gives the interface the same fresh and modern look of the previous models, while features like Privacy Dashboard and Google Assistant’s improved natural language processing make for a more intuitive user experience.
You’ll also receive the same update guarantee from Google, which includes three years of Android OS updates and five years of security patches. It’s not quite up there with what Samsung promise, but for the price it’s very appealing. There’s also the usual ‘Feature Drops’ that come from owning a Pixel device.
The Pixel 7a is a top-of-the-line smartphone that doesn’t disappoint, considering the $749 price tag. With its impressive display, powerful cameras, and fast performance, it’s a phone that will satisfy most users. If you’re in the market for a new phone, the Pixel 7a should definitely be on your shortlist.
But it’s also worth noting that if the Pixel 7 drops in price to $800, which it has previously when on sale, it would be the better buy here.
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