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Pixel 7a vs Pixel 7 – So What’s Different?
Google’s new Pixel 7a is almost a Pixel 7! So what are the differences between the two, and which one to choose?
Table of Contents
KEY TAKEAWAYS – Google Pixel 7a vs. Google Pixel 7
- Display: Pixel 7a has a 6.1-inch FHD+ 90Hz OLED display, while Pixel 6a has a 6.3-inch FHD+ 90Hz OLED display.
- Processor: Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 come with the same Google Tensor G2 SoC
- RAM and Storage: Pixel 7a has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while Pixel 7 is available in two variants – 8GB RAM/128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM/256GB internal storage.
- Camera: Pixel 7a features a dual-lens 64MP primary + 13MP ultrawide rear camera system, while Pixel 7 has a dual-lens 50MP primary + 12MP ultrawide rear camera.
- Battery: Pixel 7a has a 4,385mAh battery with 18W fast charging and 7.5W wireless charging, while Pixel 7 has a 4,355mAh battery with 20W wired fast charging and 20W fast wireless charging. It also supports reverse wireless charging.
- Security: Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 come with the Titan M2 security chip, Face Unlock, and Under display fingerprint sensor.
- Operating System: Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 come with Android 13 out of the box, with Pixel UI.
- Other Features: Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 have stereo speakers. Pixel 7a has IP67 water and dust resistance (up to 1m for 30 min), while Pixel 7 has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance (up to 1.5m for 30 min).
Google has launched Pixel 7a recently, which aims to bring the goodness of Pixel 7 to a much more accessible price. Did it succeed? Read our Pixel 7a review to find out,.
This time, the A series phone is closer than ever to its elder sibling. Pixel 7a looks more or less like the Pixel 7 and comes with similar internals and software. The difference between the prices is also slimmer than ever.
So that would mean Pixel 7a is the obvious choice, right? You would be wrong to conclude that before you look at how the phones differ. In this article, let’s discuss the differences between Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 and which one you should choose.
Design
Both the phones look almost the same, barring the slightly bigger size of Pixel 7 and the larger bezels on Pixel 7.
Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 follow the signature Pixel design language that debuted last year with Pixel 6 series. The almost identical camera bar takes centre stage on the back side of the phones, with both having a dual camera setup. Pixel 7 has a much better build, as it has a glass back, whereas Pixel 7a has a plastic back.
Pixel 7a comes in 4 colours – Sea, Charcoal, Snow and Coral. Pixel 7 is available in 3 colours – Obsidian, Lemongrass and Snow.
Display
Pixel 7a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2100 pixels and a refresh rate of 90Hz. Pixel 7 has a slightly larger display, which comes at a size of 6.3 inches. The display on Pixel 7 has Gorilla Glass Victus protection, which is superior to much older Gorilla Glass 3 used in Pixel 7a.
Camera
Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 uses a dual camera setup, a primary camera and an ultra-wide secondary camera. But both phones use different sensors for both cameras on these phones.
Pixel 7a uses a 64MP primary camera, which uses the Sony IMX 787 sensor. It has an aperture of f/1.9 and supports OIS and Dual Pixel PDAF. It is assisted by a 13MP ultra-wide camera with a field of view of 120°. The phone has a 13MP selfie shooter with f/2.2 aperture on the front.
Pixel 7, on the other hand, uses a 50MP primary camera with a Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, which has an aperture of f/1.9 and supports laser AF, multidirectional PDAF and OIS. It is coupled with a 12MP ultra-wide sensor with a field of view of 114° and an aperture of f/2.2. The phone has a 10.8MP selfie shooter on the front with an aperture of f/2.2.
That’s all about camera hardware, but Pixels are all about software and computational photography when it comes to cameras. That’s why Google refused to upgrade the cameras in its phones for a long time until Pixel 6 arrived. The flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro still uses inferior compared to the best from Samsung, Apple and other brands, but Google makes up for everything with their computational photography wonders. Therefore, we can expect very good photos from Pixel 7a, which sometimes can even be comparable with Pixel 7, even though the camera hardware is inferior.
Take a look at these official camera samples of Pixel 7a:
Here are some official camera samples of Pixel 7:
Performance
Pixel 7a uses the same chipset as Pixel 7, the Google Tensor G2 SoC. It is less powerful than the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but it is excellent with AI and brings many AI-powered features and tools to both phones. The Tensor G2 SoC won’t give you the best performance in heavy games, but casual gaming would be fine on these phones.
Battery
Pixel 7a has a 4385 mAh battery, while Pixel 7 has a 4355 mAh one. The fast charging is limited to 18W on Pixel 7a, while Pixel 7 has 20W fast charging. Both phones support wireless charging, but Pixel 7 is faster at 20W, while the wireless charging is limited to 7.5W in Pixel 7a. Pixel 7 also supports reverse wireless charging, which Pixel 7a doesn’t.
Software & User Experience
Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 come with Android 13 out of the box. These phones use Pixel UI (unofficial name), a slightly tweaked stock Android with Google’s various AI features such as call screening, live caption, motion sense, magic eraser and more.
Specs Comparison Table
| Specification | Google Pixel 7a | Google Pixel 6a |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 152 x 72.9 x 9 mm | 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7 mm |
| Weight | 192.7g | 197g |
| Build | Glass front, Plastic back & Aluminium frame | Glass front, Glass back & Aluminium frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM, eSIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM |
| IP rating | IP67 | IP68 |
| Display size | 6.1 inches | 6.3 inches |
| Display type | OLED | OLED |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels | 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| Refresh rate | 90Hz | 60Hz |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Processor | Google Tensor G2 | Google Tensor G2 |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2×2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (2×2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2×2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Mali-G710 MP7 | Mali-G710 MP7 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB | 128 GB / 256 GB |
| Main camera | 64 MP, ƒ/1.89, 1/1.73″ | 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.31″ |
| Ultra-wide camera | 13 MP, f/2.2, 120° | 12 MP, f/2.2, 114° |
| Selfie camera | 13 MP, ƒ/2.2 | 10.8 MP, f/2.2 |
| Battery capacity | 4300 mAh | 4355 mAh |
| Charging speed | 18W | 20W |
| Wireless charging | 7.5W Qi wireless charging | 20W wireless charging |
| Operating system | Android 13 | Android 13 |
| Price | $499 / £449 / €509 | Starts from $599 / £599 / €649 |
Price & Value For Money
Here’s the price of Pixel 7a across regions:
Now take a look at the Pixel 7 prices:
- US price – $599 (128GB) / $699 (256GB)
- UK price – £599 (128GB) / £699 (256GB)
- EU price – €649 (128GB) / €749 (256GB)
Conclusion
With a pricing of $499/£449/€509, Pixel 7a sits dangerously close to Pixel 7. Shelling out $100/£150/€140 will get you the superior Pixel 7, which brings a more premium build, slightly better cameras and faster wireless charging speeds. That begs the question of whether these features are worth the extra $100.
Also, you need to consider the occasional price cuts Pixel 7 receives from various retailers, putting it closer to Pixel 7a. If you get Pixel 7 for a price cut, it’s a no-brainer over Pixel 7a.
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