This is a cellphone you must get your child as a substitute of the iPhone

A current survey discovered that an amazing 87% of teenagers within the U.S. used an iPhone. That is an astonishing determine, and it mainly implies that 9 out of 10 teenagers use an iPhone. So for those who’re considering of shopping for a brand new cellphone on your child as they head again to highschool, the alternatives invariably come right down to an iPhone.

Nevertheless it would not need to be the case. Whereas Android utilization has steadily declined amongst U.S. teenagers over the course of the final decade, there’s by no means been a greater time to make the change to Google’s ecosystem, and one system specifically makes a powerful case for itself: the Google Pixel 7a.

Google had its teething issues with Pixel {hardware} up to now, however the search large obtained its act collectively in recent times, and newest Pixel launches have been flawless. The Pixel 7a specifically is a incredible system that brings flagship-tier cameras to the mid-range section, and it additionally has a contemporary design and the requisite high-end {hardware}.

Clearly, the Pixel 7a would not really feel as good to carry because the iPhone 14 Professional, however then once more, it prices lower than half as a lot. The plastic again is a bit fundamental, however the cellphone has an aluminum mid-frame — making it simply as sturdy as any iPhone — and the large digital camera bar offers it lots of character.

However the place the Pixel 7a really shines is the cameras; it makes use of older digital camera {hardware}, however due to Google’s software program wizardry, it takes images which can be simply nearly as good as any iPhone or Android flagship. One of the best half concerning the cameras is that each time you press the shutter, you will get an amazing picture whatever the lighting situation — and that is one thing no different cellphone is ready to match. One other factor the Pixel 7a completely does effectively is taking images of shifting objects; it positively outshines the iPhone 14 Professional in that regard.

I ought to know — I check over 50 telephones a 12 months, and I proceed to return again to Pixels due to the cameras and unique software program options. Google did an amazing job over the past two years in rolling out customized software program options that leverage its strengths, and the most recent utility to debut with the flagship Pixel 7 sequence is Picture Unblur, which helps you to repair blurry images straight in your cellphone. The function works exceedingly effectively, and one of the best half is that you should use any images — not simply ones taken with the Pixel — and it’s out there on the Pixel 7a as effectively.

In an analogous vein, Magic Eraser helps you to take away undesirable components from the background of a photograph, and once more, all of it’s achieved straight on the system. Unique options aren’t simply restricted to the digital camera both, with the likes of Name Display making it simpler to display screen undesirable calls. I nonetheless use Now Enjoying to establish songs which can be taking part in at a bar or in a TV present, and more often than not, it runs within the background and robotically surfaces that information.

The software program on the Pixel 7a additionally has lots to supply, with the Materials You design language in Android 13 that includes vibrant colours and quirky widget designs. It permits for significantly better customizability than you get in iOS, and the power to decide on accent colours all through the system primarily based on the cellphone’s present background is simply cool.

Android has maintained function parity with iOS, with current releases focusing closely on safety and privateness. That mentioned, the one function that you do not get on Android is iMessage; that continues to be unique to iPhones, and regardless of Google’s continued efforts to get Apple to alter its stance round this, it is unlikely that iMessage will ever come to Android.

Constructing on from that, a giant a part of the attract of the iPhone is the broader ecosystem, and Apple is in a dominant place right here: the Apple Watch, iPad, AirPods, and MacBook complement the iPhone in methods you simply do not get on Android, however that is fortunately altering. Google now has an ecosystem that is analogous to what Apple provides, and whereas it is nonetheless in its infancy, units just like the Pixel Watch and Pixel Pill present lots of promise.