Google Pixel 7a Review: The Best Android Phone Under $500, Tons Of Power—And Megapixels—For The Money
The Google Pixel 7a is the new champion of mid-range Android phones. With an upgraded camera suite including a Google Tensor G2 processor and a 64-megapixel main camera, the Google Pixel 7a is among the best Android phones under 500. This model is $499 less than the Google Pixel 7 slightly more expensive and offers excellent security. (thanks to the Titan M2 security co-processor) and options in a less cluttered Google-centric phone environment.
Generally, Google's "A" series phones are less compact than the original Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro devices. And the “A” phones came out in the middle of the flagship series life cycle at a lower price. This year, the Pixel 7a is approaching the capabilities of the Google Pixel 7 with a Google Tensor G2 processor like the Pixel 7, wireless charging and cameras with more megapixels than the Pixel 7 (although this model has three rear cameras) . , against two 7a).
I've been testing the Google Pixel 7a for a week now and I'm impressed with the capabilities of this phone. Read on because I think this phone is the best Android phone under $500.
Google Pixel 7a
Display size : 6.1 inches | Display type : OLED (2400 x 1080 pixel resolution) | RAM : 8 GB | Memory : 128 GB Battery : Up to 24 hours (72 hours in power saving mode) | Dimensions : 6 x 1.8 x 0.4 inches Weight : 6.8 oz Front camera : 13 megapixels | Rear Camera: 64 MP (main camera), 13 MP (ultrawide) | Processor: Google Tensor G2 and Titan M2 security coprocessor | Operating system : Android 13
best b
- Take great photos
- voice and video calls
- Get a great phone for under $500
If so, skip it .
- Do you want macro photography?
- Do you need an optical zoom?
- You need more memory on the card
Google Pixel 7 Theme
familiar and kind
The design of the Google Pixel 7a is different from what we saw last fall when the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro series were released. With curved edges on the back and a unique camera bezel, the Pixel range stands out from the crowd. However, the Pixel 7a has one major difference: the back is made from a 3D thermoformed composite (just "plastic"). The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro use a glass back.
At 6.0 x 2.9 x 0.4 inches, the Google Pixel 7a is the same size as the Pixel 6a, which isn't surprising since both models have a 6.1-inch display (the Pixel 7a is 0.1 inch wider). ). The same slight difference exists between the Pixel 7a and the Pixel 7, which has a slightly larger 6.3-inch screen and is 0.1 inches longer. The Pixel 7a's tough coating and scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 3 put it in the middle of these three phones: the Pixel 7a weighs 6.8 ounces, compared to the Pixel 7's 7 ounces and the Pixel's 6.3 ounces.
I think the 6.1-inch screen on this model, like the Google Pixel 6a, is a welcome change. While the Pixel 7a has a smaller screen than typical flagship phones like the Google Pixel 7 Pro (6.7in), it was great to have a phone that easily fit in my jeans pocket. It was also easy to hold in one hand for taking photos, but it was enough for occasional web browsing, browsing TikTok, and reading emails. But when it comes time to edit a Google doc or watch a two-hour movie, I have to admit, I'll opt for the bigger screen of the Google Pixel 7 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Although the Pixel 7's screen is slightly larger than the Pixel 7a's, I don't think the difference is significant enough.
The Pixel 7a's design follows that of its Pixel predecessors, with the power button and volume rocker on the right edge. There's a dual-SIM slot on the left edge, while two speakers are flanked by a USB Type-C port on the bottom edge. (The phone also supports eSIM.) Not only does this phone have USB fast charging, but it's also Google's first "a" series phone with Qi wireless charging, which might explain why this phone costs over $50. The Pixel 6a was launched in
The phone is available in four body colors: Charcoal, Sea, Ice, and Coral (Google Store exclusive). Official Google cases are available in assorted colors. (My test device was charcoal gray with a sea-green body.) The phone was small enough to hold empty. In Google's case, the phone was even easier to hold. I liked the smooth and soft design of the Pixel 7a, which is a welcome improvement over the hard and soft body of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. In some cases, the Pixel 7a's grip felt soft to me due to the lack of an accessible rubber construction.
Google Pixel 7a features
AI software, universal, with advanced camera
Let's talk about Pixel 7a software. Google Pixel phones offer a pure version of Android because Google wants you to use the phone's operating system. Although you won't find many third-party apps pre-installed, Google offers its own pre-installed apps and services (although you can disable some of them during the installation process).
As a company, Google AI develops on-device machine learning, providing a range of AI-powered features that make your phone more personalized and customizable. Like other Pixel 7 models, the Pixel 7a provides real-time transcription, voice translation, help with phone calls, and suggestions for framing and shooting. AI can also play an important role when taking or editing photos and videos.
While I found the Recorder app's mirroring features surprisingly helpful, the Camera app's suggestions were more ambiguous, with some being as useful as Screen Level, while others were rather boring. For example, I didn't get a pop-up asking me to flip the phone over for "improved focus", but a visual focus indicator (like on other cameras) would have been helpful. I've used AI Magic Eraser to remove frames from an image with amazing results on screen (I didn't test the pixel-by-pixel image on a large screen). But the function had its limits: I removed the car from the photo taken in the dark, and at the same time the car itself disappeared, but the shadow remained.
One of the main selling points of the Google Pixel 7a that sets it apart from similarly priced competitors is software updates. Google guarantees security and operating system updates for 5 years. This is important as some manufacturers may not receive one update per year.
You also get a three-month free trial subscription to YouTube Premium and Google One (including phone backup and a whopping 100GB of cloud storage for photos).
Announcement
The Google Pixel 7a's 2400 x 1080 pixel FHD+ OLED display offers 429 ppi and features Google's "Smooth Display" setting to boost the refresh rate of certain content from 60Hz to 90Hz.
New is always-on display (customizable during setup to control what's on screen (including push notifications, calendar alerts, weather, time, etc.). Since then I can Also choose a dark theme of my choice.This way it made the UI more attractive and comfortable for my eyes.
cameras
One of the biggest improvements in the Google Pixel 7a is the camera array. According to Google, the main camera sensor is 72% larger than the Pixel 6a sensor, but it's still not as large as the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro sensor. The Google Pixel 7a has an impressive array of 64MP cameras. , the highest megapixel count of any phone camera in the sub-$500 segment.
It also has a 13MP ultra wide angle camera and a 13MP front camera. On the other hand, the cameras of the predecessor Pixel 6a are less impressive, with a 12.2 MP wide-angle camera, a 12 MP ultra wide-angle camera and an 8 MP front camera. While the Pixel 7a outperforms the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in megapixel count, I found the cameras performed even better in low light simply because of the larger sensor.
The main camera has Google Super Res 8x zoom, but I wasn't overly impressed with the images it produced. At maximum magnification, the leaves of distant trees appear crushed. While scrolling on PC, I noticed the same lack of detail in full size images. The Pixel 7a lacks a macro mode (available on the Pixel 7 Pro), which I really miss when shooting close-up flowers.
The rear camera of the Google Pixel 7a records 4K or 1080p video (at 30 fps or 60 fps). I like how Google includes slow motion and fast motion as key elements of video, which is useful to use on the fly with different shooting methods.
The phone has 128 GB of built-in UFS memory. That's enough for most day-to-day tasks, and it's a good complement to apps and photos. However, if you plan to take a lot of 4K photos and videos, you should store your photos and videos in the cloud (via Google Photos or another service). Each image was just under 2MB, which is growing rapidly. (I burned 7.5 GB on a day trip to test the cameras.)
Google Pixel 7a performance
This is sufficient for most tasks.
The Google Pixel 7a comes with 8GB of RAM and the same Google Tensor G2 processor used in the flagship Pixel 7 and 7Pro. I had no issues with casual gaming, website browsing, and mode switching. Sometimes I thought the camera could be faster with continuous shooting, but even the Pixel 7 Pro stutters from time to time.
While the Google Pixel 7a's screen colors look bright and rich, they lack the rich colors and crisp detail I saw on the Google Pixel 7 Pro (with its 2400 x 1600 display). Some images are blurry when viewed at zoom level on a laptop computer.
Display comment: I noticed the screen had a slight gray tint, which I also saw on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. When I compared the Pixel 7a to a competitor, I immediately noticed the difference. This becomes more evident when viewing websites or documents.
What is surprising is the sound quality of the Google Pixel 7a. The stereo speakers produced thick, rich sound that contrasted with the low, low sound played by the same YouTube music tracks on a Google Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro. I was pleased with the clarity and depth of sound through the speaker and headphones.
How does the Google Pixel 7a compare to other phones I've reviewed?
The Google Pixel 7a strikes an attractive balance between price and features for a mid-range phone. It has enough power and security options to make sure you don't miss out on buying a flagship phone for twice the price, and the camera is packed with AI features to complement the premium quality.
The Pixel 7a's specs and features stand out from many midrange phones. The hardware is a big upgrade over the Google Pixel 6a which still beats the low price if you have a budget Android phone. If you're looking for a phone under $500, the Pixel 7a is your best bet.
The main reasons for choosing a flagship phone are a bigger screen with higher pixel density, higher internal storage or more camera controls including higher resolution images. The OnePlus 11 5G and Google Pixel 7 Pro offer solid value in a big-screen phone, but at a higher price.
The real decision comes when choosing between the Pixel 7a and the slightly more expensive Pixel 7. There are differences beyond the slightly larger screen, and you have to look beyond the usual spec sheet to spot them (both have wireless charging, for example, but the Pixel 7 can charge without almost three times faster than the Pixel 7). 7a - and IS). (same as other devices). you can share). The differences might be minor, but if they're important to you, the Pixel 7 might be worth the extra price, especially if you buy it discounted.
Otherwise, the Google Pixel 7a meets most of the requirements you want in a phone. And that without hurting your wallet.
my professional
I've been writing about consumer technology for over two decades. My first mobile phone was the Nokia 6160 (old) and I've been testing mobile phones ever since Nokia and Ericsson dominated the market long before Apple's first iPhone came out. I was there when the first iPhone came out and tested this model with several early Android phones. I am also a photographer and I love capturing memories and quiet moments with my camera which I always carry with me.
How I tested the Google Pixel 7a
I tested the Google Pixel 7a as a clean device without transferring settings, apps, photos, or contacts from my old phone (although that's an option). During the setup process, I configured face recognition, fingerprint recognition, and PIN.
I downloaded a few apps and compared the phone to the Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, using it daily as my main communication device. I observed the display closely in a variety of lighting conditions, both indoors and outdoors. I played YouTube videos on multiple devices with the same settings to measure audio output and image quality. I watched videos, played games, listened to music, and made phone calls. I was impressed with the quality and brightness of the screen, as well as the unevenness of the phone during day-to-day activities. And I checked all the cameras inside and out.
Because Forbes thinks
The Forbes Veted Technology team is committed to providing accurate and reliable product reviews that are the result of extensive research and field testing. Our writers and editors have experience writing for a wide range of consumer electronics areas and have the experience and knowledge to help you make the best buying decisions possible.
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