Main technical features:
- 6.1 inch AMOLED screen, 1080 x 2400 pixels 90 Hz
- Google Tensor G2 chipset
- 8 GB of non-expandable RAM
- 128GB of non-expandable internal storage
- Triple 64+13 megapixel photo sensor
- 10.8 megapixel front sensor
- Fingerprint reader under the screen
- 4400mAh battery compatible with 20W charging and wireless charging
- Operating system: Android 14
design
The Google Pixel 7a smartphone is thus the successor to the Pixel 6a that the American giant launched last year, marking its return to the smartphone segment after a few unsuccessful years. It joins the ranks of other phones that already include the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, which have been out for several months and will soon be replaced by the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. The American brand is now expanding its range and wants to offer a device with the best value for money on the market.
The design of the Pixel 7a is the same as that of its predecessors with identical shapes. On the back is the bar that takes up the entire width of the device to integrate the photo sensors. This strap is thin and particularly well made. It offers a metallic look and takes on the color of the back, which is not the case with the Pixel 7 Pro, for example.
The Pixel 7a is available in 4 colors : Charcoal (Dark Grey), Snow (White), Ocean (Light Blue) and Coral (Red-Orange, only available on Google Store website) versus 3 colors for the older ones.
The shade of coral is particularly beautiful, but our test model was black. Fingerprints on the back don’t stand a chance. The profiles are very rounded, like the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Compact: The Pixel 7a is significantly smaller than its predecessors. For example, calculate with 1 cm more height for the Pro version. Not very well, The Pixel 7a has a profile of 9mm vs. 8.9mm on the Pixel 7 Pro. It is also not particularly light with a weight of 193.5 grams. The Pixel 7a competes with the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G and the Motorola Edge40, but is significantly more compact than them.
The profiles, like the band on the back, pick up the colors of the back cover, albeit with a slightly different color than the metal used for the body of the device, which is always good for a mid-range device with more solidity. All around you can see the antennas. The phone buttons are identical to those of its predecessors, easily recognizable and accessible. Unlike other brands, the standby button is above the one that controls the volume.
Like the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G and its predecessors, The Pixel 7a is IP68 certified therefore absolutely waterproof and dustproof, which is very good at this price.
THE The fingerprint reader is installed under the screen. It is ideally positioned 3.5cm from the bottom edge, avoiding thumb gymnastics to identify its owner. Punctual and efficient, we could not find any fault on this element, which always barred the way of fingers other than our tester’s.
Pixel 7a audio is stereo, which is always a good thing. In addition, a certain dynamic can be expected a good overall tone and a pleasant balancee. It is free from distortion and offers very clear voices without forgetting about the media. The lack of bass is striking, although a certain warmth of sound can be heard on the deepest rhythms. Despite positioning itself as a mid-range model, Google didn’t see fit to offer an audio jack for connecting headphones.
Pixel 7a is Wi-Fi 6E ready, for the best performance today with support for 5G networks, NFC as well as Bluetooth. It can hold a single SIM card in its tray, and it does compatible with eSIM technology.
A 90Hz screen with rather thick bezels
The Pixel 7a comes with one 6.1 inch screen based on a plate AMOLED while the Pixel 7’s screen is 6.3 inches and the Pixel 7 Pro’s screen is 6.7 inches diagonal. The Pixel 7a’s display area obviously takes up a lot of real estate on the front, but we expected thinner edges. The chin is slightly higher than the others. The cut-out at the top center is used to hold the front photo sensor.
The mobile screen offers a 90Hz refresh rate, like its predecessor, while its predecessors offer a maximum of 120 Hz, for greater fluidity when it comes to scrolling through long pages of websites or consulting social media boards, for example. Only the option that allows you to control the fluidity of the display is available in the settings, allowing the mobile to automatically increase or decrease the frequency between 60 and 90 Hz depending on the content. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 technologywhich is not exceptional but has the advantage of limiting scratches and bumps.
The Pixel 7a screen supports the HDR format to enjoy photos with this technology. It has what we consider a classic resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. Competing cell phones have screens that are larger and offer the same resolution. The Pixel 7a therefore benefits from better readability. However, other phones offer a higher frequency and this is one of the weak points of the Pixel 7a. Google officially announces a maximum brightness of 1000 cd/m², such as the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. In fact, it’s quite usable even in the middle of the day, even in bright sunlight.
In addition, it knows how to be discreet in the dark to limit eye fatigue, without going so far as to offer advanced technologies such as the Honor Magic5 Pro.
In the settings you can activate the adaptive brightness, choose between natural or adaptive colors. In the latter case, the screen takes into account the brightness of the ambient lighting. The screen is HDR10 compatiblebut not HDR10+ or Dolby Vision.
Android 13 on board with 5 years of updates
Just like the other mobile phones from the brand The Pixel 7a has the advantage of running the very latest version of Android, in this case Android 13 with the latest features offered by Google’s system. The user interface is extremely refined and only has the functions and applications that the American giant provides. The Google Play system update was dated May 1, 2023 And Security update June 5, 2023, which can not be newer. Google ensures tracking Updates for 3 years for Android and 5 years for securitywhich leaves time to see what’s coming.
The system and the pre-installed applications occupy a storage space of approx. 21 GB.
Android 13 offers excellent fluidity, many customization settings and especially the ability to take screenshots or translate from the application manager. At this level we can always regret having to scroll to the right all the thumbnails of open applications to access the virtual button that allows us to close them all at once.
The Tensor G2 inside, like its predecessors
Like the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the smartphone Google Pixel 7a features the new Tensor G2 chip engraved in 5nm. However, it should be noted that this is not exactly the same Soc as there are differences between the integrated units in the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro and in the Pixel 7a. This is still the second generation of this processor, developed in collaboration with Samsung. It is connected to here 8GB RAM same as Pixel 7 and in LPDDR5 format, one of the fastest currently. There’s no way to tap into storage to convert it to RAM like other brands do. This chip integrates the Titan M2 security module, which ensures the confidentiality of the data recorded in the phone.
As with the brand’s other phones, it’s out of the question to compete against other chips on the market in the race for best performance. Above all, the idea is to optimize the processes between hardware and software use for the most successful experience possible. In use, The smartphone proves to be very fluid when browsing the different menus and when navigating in general. At no time were there idiots. Applications are launched at extreme speed and you can get from one to the other in less time than it takes to realize it.
As with other smartphones, we put the Google Pixel 7a through raw power measurement tools to compare it to other phones on the market. While we can see that the performance isn’t the best here, it’s more than sufficient for everyday use in all tasks, even the most demanding ones. The smartphone also performs very well when playing video games, offering excellent playability and very good responsiveness. This can be seen in the CPU throttling graph The chipset does not use its full potential to protect its components. The cell phone has tends to get a little warm with frequent use.
Here are the main results of the other key performance indicators.
What is it worth in photography?
The Pixel 7a comes with one 64 megapixel main photo sensor. It can be opened at f/1.89 with a field of view of 80 degrees. He is accompanied by a 13 megapixel module for ultra wide-angle shooting up to 120 degrees. Note the double optical and digital stabilization that makes it possible to limit camera shake in particular and is extremely effective when you want to use the zoom function, for example. The framed image remains completely stable, allowing good focus and the best possible framing. Unfortunately, there can be no talk of an optical zoom here.
The application interface is identical to that of other Pixel phones. There are a few options for shooting from the top of the screen, the framing area, the ultra wide angle level and the zoom: 0.5x, 1x and 2x. The immediately available picture modes are: night vision, long exposure, portrait, camera, video and modes. This last menu contains Panorama, Photo Sphere and Lens modes. We would have liked this last mode to be visible within the main interface for quicker access. However, keep in mind that the search bar on the main homepage contains a link to Google Lens.
According to the DxOMark lab, the Pixel 7a scored 133 points compared to 122 for the Pixel 6a, 134 for the Pixel 6 Pro, 140 for the Pixel 7, and 147 for the Pixel 7 Pro. It is therefore better than its predecessor, but worse than its predecessors. We were able to take a lot of photos with the Pixel 7a. It is clear that it produces Generally very successful recordings. The images we were able to achieve are more comparable to high-end models than mid-range models.
THE Colors are particularly lifelike with a very good contrast, even in difficult situations. We also appreciate the level of detail and sharpness achieved. The night mode is also very good and delivers very good quality images. The ultra-wide-angle sensor also delivers very successful images with excellent exposures and good dive.
For taking a selfie, the Pixel 7a uses a 13-megapixel sensor, which in turn delivers beautiful images with particularly well-groomed and convincing skin tones.
Good battery life but slow charging
The battery installed in the Google Pixel 7a has a capacity of 4400 mAh, like the Motorola Edge40 against 5000 mAh for the Galaxy A54 5G and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G. That’s true and corresponds to the capacity of a mid-range smartphone. With such a diet The phone lasts a day and a half and sometimes even go a little further. However, we were quite satisfied with this point, which, like the predecessors, is the charging speed of the smartphone that gives us much more criticism. Actually this one supports a maximum of 20 watts in wired mode. That’s a lot less than the competition and even the Samsung phone, whose brand isn’t a reference for fast charging. “Fortunately” he has the advantage that it can be charged wirelessly, which can make you forget the slowness of its charge. The device does not come with a power adapter.
The contents of the box
The Google Pixel 7a smartphone comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-A to USBC adapter and a SIM card tray extraction tool.
Our opinion
Despite a slightly higher price point than the Pixel 6a at launch, The Pixel 7a raises the bar especially with a performance well above its predecessor, as well as the quality of the photos, as well as the screen that gains in fluidity. The essentials are present in a compact model that, in our opinion, offers: Excellent value for money with a system that is always up to date. Only the loading time is a bit disappointing.