Google Pixel 7a: New “budget” phone brings Pixel 7 smarts to a lower price point

Alongside the Pixel Fold, Google has also announced the Pixel 7a, continuing its line of lower-end A-series devices. This latest model takes all the performance and smart features of the Pixel 7 and brings them to a more accessible price point.

How accessible? Try USD 499 (around RM2,225), which is what the Pixel 7a is going for in the US, making it USD 100 (around RM446) cheaper than the Pixel 7. Closer to home, the device is priced at SGD 749 (around RM2,515), SGD 250 (around RM840) less than the Pixel 7.

Despite this, the Pixel 7a actually comes with a higher-resolution 64MP main camera (with an f/1.89 aperture) than either the Pixel 7 or 7 Pro. There’s a catch, of course—the 1/1.73-inch sensor is quite a bit smaller, though it’s still 72% bigger than the Pixel 6a‘s. Google says this lets in 44% more light.

The 13MP ultra-wide also offers a slight upgrade over the Pixel 7’s 12MP shooter and features the same f/2.2 aperture. It’s the same story with the selfie camera, which has a 13MP (vs 10.8MP) sensor and an f/2.2 aperture. All three cameras can record up to 4K video at 30 and 60fps for the rear cameras and 30fps for the front. The increased performance under the bonnet also brings with it a new Long Exposure mode and up to 3x digital Super Res Zoom.

Speaking of performance, the Pixel 7a carries over the Tensor G2 chip from the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It also comes with the usual Pixel features like Call Assist, Live Translate, Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur.

Like the 6a, the Pixel 7a is smaller than the mainline phones, carrying over a 6.1-inch AMOLED display; with an unchanged Full HD+ (2,400×1,080 pixel) resolution, its pixel density of 429 PPI is actually slightly higher than the Pixel 7’s. As before, it has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 90Hz, rather than the 120Hz of its more expensive siblings, and it also uses Gorilla Glass 3 instead of Gorilla Glass Victus.

All this is juiced by a 4,385mAh battery that is slightly larger than the Pixel 7’s, again claimed to deliver more than 24 hours of battery life and 72 hours of use with Extreme Battery Saver enabled. The fast charging capacity is slightly slower at 18W, as is Qi wireless charging (no wattage claimed).

Other features include 5G, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, NFC, stereo speakers, an under-display fingerprint sensor and face unlock. It also comes with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, one step below the other Pixel models. The device ships with Android 13, and as usual, Google is only promising three years of major Android updates, although you do get five years of security patches. Available in Charcoal, Sea, Snow and Coral colours, the Pixel 7a is on sale now, but predictably not in Malaysia.