Google Pixel 7a Review: The Verdict
The Pixel 7a doesn't need to reinvent the wheel, but it didn't need to. Google's latest A-series Pixel is still the mid-tier phone to beat, especially in an economic climate where a $1,000 plus flagship phone might not be the best choice.
What we love
- Best in class camera
- Snappy processor
- Wireless charging and water resistance
What could be improved
- Pixel 7 now only available for the same price
- Only three years of OS updates
- Fingerprint scanner is inconsistent
The essentials
- Performance: Can handle everything you can throw at it - almost flagship performance.
- Battery: Just okay. You'll only have a small buffer left at the end of the day, and you'll probably need to top up if you're heading out in the evening.
- Screen: Lovely, although quite bezel-heavy.
- Camera: Best in class. Takes great photos in most situations, but can struggle a little with moving subjects at night.
85/100
Well, well, well. What a surprise, Google's latest A-series Pixel is again the midrange phone to beat. It has a zippy processor and the best camera in its price bracket. The battery could be a little better, but otherwise, the Pixel 7a is a device that makes you question whether you need a $1,000 plus flagship phone.
It's an especially welcome proposition in this economy, but I also wish there was something surprising about the Pixel 7a. Despite its efforts, Google has barely made a dint in the Apple-Samsung duopoly. It hasn't made customers reconsider their existing biases - even though the Pixel phones get quite positive reviews, including from myself.
At the same time, maybe the sheer value proposition of the Pixel 7a can give it some cut through in this harsh economic climate. If you need a new phone that doesn't break the bank, the Pixel 7a should be at the top of your list.
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More megapixels
The Pixel 7a's camera is easily best in class. You won't find a midrange phone that takes better photos. While Pixel A-series devices have been stuck at 12MP for a while, Google upgraded the Pixel 7a to 64MP this year.
Megapixels aren't everything, but they do help with low-light performance. The Pixel 7a can take impressively sharp and noise-free free photos with solid dynamic range in dark environments - at least when you've got a still subject.
Motion in anything but ideal lighting can trip the Pixel 7a camera, and result in partially blurry shots. When I used the Pixel 7a to take photos at a gig, I struggled to get a shot where the entire band was clear. I still got great images, but it took a lot of attempts. Energetic pets can be similarly tricky subjects. There's an "unblur" filter in Google's photo app, but it can only do so much.
The Pixel 7 nails low-light food and street photography, but isn't the best choice for live music or rambunctious kelpie-cross-border-collies.
Flagship chip
The Pixel 7a is powered by the same Google-made Tensor G2 processor you'll find in the Pixel 7 Pro. Google's approach to chips is a bit different to its competition; instead of focusing on pure performance gains, Google says it's looking at areas like battery efficiency.
That being said, the Pixel 7a still performs incredibly well - especially for a $749 phone. It doesn't feel like you're compromising on performance to save money. The iPhone 14 Pro can load demanding games like Diablo: Immortal faster, but day-to-day, the Pixel 7a feels just as fast.
While the Tensor G2 processor is meant to be more battery efficient, the Pixel 7a battery is just okay. I often found myself needing to top up in the evenings - especially if I was going out. I'd typically find myself at under 10% remaining at the end of a day, with moderate usage. If I was always gaming or streaming video, there's no way I'd make it through a full day.
The Pixel 7a is also a little bit more premium this year. It benefits from the addition of a 90Hz refresh rate display and wireless charging. Many phones in the same price bracket have had high refresh rate displays for a while, so it's about time Google caught up, but wireless charging is still far from a given.
Unfortunately, Google still hasn't nailed the Pixel 7a's under-display fingerprint reader. When I first set up the phone, it rarely recognised my finger, forcing me to sit through several failed attempts and ultimately type in my PIN. Deleting and re-registering my finger partially solved the problem, but it's still not as consistent as it could be.
Exclusive, or not
The Pixel 7a has a handful of exclusive features - it's not like Google doesn't try to differentiate its phones from their other Android brethren.
As a journalist, I absolutely love the Pixel Recorder app. It transcribes your recordings for you, and while it's not perfect, it's a lot easier than trying to do so yourself. It's a pretty niche feature, however. Google's voice typing is similarly excellent.
There are also fun camera features like Magic Eraser which can remove things from the background of your photos (albeit to mixed results). What's interesting is that not all of these stay Google-exclusive. Magic Eraser is now even available on iPhone if you're using the Google Photos app.
One area where Google falls short as the literal developer of Android is its software update policy. The Pixel 7a will get three major software updates and five years of security updates. That's great - and Pixel phones actually get updates on time - but Samsung midrange phones now get four major operating system updates. This isn't an area where Google should be lagging.
The Pixel 7 problem
The Pixel 7a also has a Pixel 7 problem. For $250 more, you can get a nicer version of the Pixel 7a, and at the time of writing, they're the same price at retailers like JB Hi-Fi.
Opting for the Pixel 7 over the Pixel 7a gets you a better camera, more durable glass, and a larger screen in a body that's about the same size. When priced identically, it's a no-brainer.
The Pixel 7 is roughly halfway through its on-shelf life, so it's unsurprising that we've seen generous discounts on it. At the same time, Google should consider the market price of its other devices when launching a new phone.
We saw providers offering $150 gift cards when the Pixel 7a came out. Why not sell the Pixel 7a for $600? That helps differentiate the Pixel 7a from not only the Pixel 7, but from the crowded midrange market.
Alternatively, Google could really use its war chest to sweeten the deal. A free year of YouTube Premium and YouTube Music certainly wouldn't go astray in the overall value proposition.
Google Pixel 7a - Final Thoughts
Other than the confusing price point, the Pixel 7a is genuinely great and easy to recommend. It's the best phone in its price range. There's just a niggling feeling Google could have done more to make the Pixel 7a really go above and beyond the competition. Things like like the software update policy not matching Samsung's.
At the same, there's nothing that really lets the Pixel 7a down. If you can get the Pixel 7 for the same price, buy that instead, but otherwise, the Pixel 7a is the way to go for a mid-tier phone that feels like a flagship.
Google Pixel 7a camera samples
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