A Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7 comparison should come in handy if you're deciding between Google's new budget phone and flagship device.
The Pixel 7a is expected to launch at Google I/O 2023 on May 10 for $499 with a number of upgrades, including a powerful new 64MP camera, a smoother 6.1-inch 90Hz display and wireless charging.
Meanwhile, the Google Pixel 7 ($599) is powered by the same M2 chip as the Pixel 7a but features a larger 6.3-inch screen and a more premium design with Gorilla Glass on the front and back. So what else is the same and what's different? That's what our Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7 guide is for.
Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7 specs
Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7: Price
Starting at $599, the Pixel 7 is already pretty affordable relative to other flagships. Phones like the iPhone 14 and Galaxy S23 start at $799. The Pixel 7 undercuts those phones' prices by $200, making it something of a bargain.
Last year's Pixel 6a cost $449 but rumors suggest the Pixel 7a will cost $50 more or $499. That's still less than $500, but it narrows the gap between the Pixel 7a and the Pixel 7 to just $100.
Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7: Design and display
If history is any guide, whatever Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7 differences there are won't be in the look of the phones. Last year, the Pixel 6a mirrored the design of the Pixel 6, right down the horizontal camera bar that stretches across the width of the phone. Only the quality of materials differed with the Pixel 6a using a cheaper plastic back instead of a glass one. We'd expect the Pixel 7a to follow suit.
We've seen leaked images of the Pixel 7a in black, white, blue and orange. That's in contrast to three Pixel 7 color options — Obsidian, Snow, Lemongrass. (That's black, white and a kind of lemon-lime, if you don't have your thesaurus handy.)
As for the display, rumors tip the Pixel 7a to feature a 6.1-inch OLED panel, a little bit smaller than the 6.3-inch screen on the Pixel 7. Google gives the displays on its flagship phones a variable refresh rate, with the Pixel 7 able to ramp up to 90Hz for smoother scrolling and more immersive graphics. (Pay up for the $899 Pixel 7 Pro, and you can enjoy a 120Hz display.)
Refresh rates on past Pixel A phones have been stuck at 60Hz, but a rumor suggests that's about to change with the Pixel 7a. A leaked prototype of the phone revealed a settings panel with a 90Hz refresh rate option. If that turns out to be true, it's one less difference between the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a.
Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7: Cameras
When Google moved to a 50MP main camera with the Pixel 6 release, it created a noticeable split with A series phones, which continued to use a 12.2MP sensor — though that may change with the Pixel 7a.
Specifically, a rumor claims the Pixel 7a is going to feature a 64MP main sensor along with a 12MP ultrawide lens. If true, that would put more megapixels at the Pixel 6a's disposal than the Pixel 7 and its 50MP shooter, though there's more to cameras than megapixels.
The size of a sensor also determines how much light a camera can capture, which can be crucial for the atmosphere of your photos. The bottom line is even if the Pixel 7a does get that camera upgrade, it's not a certainty that it would take better photos than the Pixel 7, one of the best camera phones we've tested.
Up front, the Pixel 7a's selfie cam is reportedly getting an upgrade from 8MP to 10.8MP. That would match the megapixel rating on the Pixel 7's front camera.
Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7: Performance
The similarities continue, or they should if we assume that Google repeats what it did with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a. Those later two phones featured the same chipset, the Google-designed Tensor G1. With the Pixel 7 graduating to Tensor G2 silicon last fall, we'd imagine that same chipset is headed to the Pixel 7a.
That would likely mean no discernible difference in performance for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7a, especially if the phones end up having the same amount of RAM as is expected. More importantly, it also means the same machine learning-driven features you find on the Pixel 7 would be possible on the Pixel 7a. That's really the most exciting thing about Google's A series devices.
We've only heard about a single storage option on the Pixel 7a, which is assumed to offer 128GB of capacity. You're able to double that storage on the Pixel 7 by paying an additional $100.
Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7: Battery life and charging
Battery life is one area where we hope the Pixel 7a does stand out from its more expensive sibling. That's because the Pixel 7 didn't really wow us when we put it through our battery test last fall.
In that test, we have phones surf the web over cellular until they run out of power. The Pixel 7 lasted 7 hours and 13 minutes, more than 2.5 hours less than the average smartphone.
The Pixel 7a coule be hard-pressed to top that time. Rumors have suggested the new phone will have the same battery size as the 4,410 mAh power pack in the Pixel 6a. That's a little larger than the Pixel 7's 4,355 mAh battery, but only just.
A more promising rumor points to the Pixel 7a picking up another Pixel 7 feature — wireless charging. Previous Pixel A phones have missed out on that capability, most likely as a way to differentiate the midrange phones from their more expensive counterparts. There's a possibility, though, that the Pixel 7a does away with that distinction.
Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7: Software
As noted above, all the Tensor G2-powered features that benefit from that chipset's machine learning core figure to be on hand in the Pixel 7a. That means the budget phone would support Photo Unblur so that it can use AI to unblur faces in photos — even ones it didn't shoot. The Pixel 7a would pick up the Pixel 7's call management and live translation capabilities, too.
We imagine the Pixel 7a will ship with Android 13, though it will get the Android 14 upgrade at the same time as the Pixel 7. That will be the first of three guaranteed OS updates for both phones.
Google Pixel 7a vs. Pixel 7: Outlook
Assuming the major rumored upgrades for the Pixel 7a all come through, it's going to be very hard spotting differences between that phone and the Pixel 7. Past Pixel comparisons have come down to the camera, the display refresh rate and the ability to charge wirelessly. With the Pixel 7a set to pick up those features, there's very little potentially separating it from the Pixel 7.
So Google has its work cut out for it at the looming Pixel 7a launch. Not only will it have to introduce a new device, but it looks like the phone maker is going to have to explain why the Pixel 7 is worth the likely $100 premium over the Pixel 7a.
