The Pixel 6a was a breakout product for Google final yr; whereas earlier units within the sequence did an honest sufficient job within the mid-range section, they had been missing on the {hardware} entrance — these weren’t gaming telephones by any measure. However Google switched issues up with the Pixel 6a, providing the identical Tensor platform that powered the Pixel 6 and 6 Professional. That immediately made the 6a some of the highly effective mid-range telephones round.
And whereas the Pixel 6a did not have the newest digicam modules, it delivered the same caliber of photographs as its costlier siblings, and the identical nice software program as all Pixel units. In truth, the one limitation from my utilization of the gadget was the display; the OLED panel had good colours and distinction ranges, however the truth that it was restricted to 60Hz was a letdown — significantly contemplating the upgraded {hardware}.
To its credit score, Google did job optimizing the software program, and regardless that the Pixel 6a had a 60Hz display, it did not really feel like that in real-world use. However nonetheless, there was a noticeable distinction when utilizing it in opposition to the likes of the Galaxy A53, which had a regular AMOLED 120Hz panel.
Fortunately, Google is making amends this yr with the Pixel 7a. The most recent cellphone within the Pixel A sequence incorporates a 90Hz OLED panel, and it feels a lot smoother in each day use than its predecessor. You may solely discover this when utilizing the Pixel 7a subsequent to the 6a, and whereas I’d’ve appreciated to see Google go straight to 120Hz, 90Hz by itself is a large enough differentiator. You’ll be able to’t discover that a lot of a distinction when going from 90Hz to 120Hz, however there is a stark distinction when shifting from 60Hz to 90Hz.
Google hasn’t modified different traits of the show, so it nonetheless makes use of a layer of Gorilla Glass 3, and has comparable shade vibrancy because the 6a. However the excessive refresh price makes the cellphone really feel that rather more fluid, and it is evident in every part from scrolling by means of social media to searching long-form content material and customarily navigating the interface.
The Pixel 7a additionally has 8GB of RAM as commonplace, and I really feel it provides it a bit of higher headroom relating to multitasking. I did not discover any points on this regard on the 6a, however there have been a number of occasions when one thing within the background would shut on the gadget — there have not been any such issues on the 7a to this point.
One other bugbear on the Pixel 6a was overheating, and whereas I did not encounter the difficulty within the few weeks I used the cellphone final yr, it was an issue not less than within the preliminary weeks of the cellphone’s availability.
I examined my common slate of video games and ran artificial benchmarks on the Pixel 7a, and whereas it bought heat to the contact, it by no means bought uncomfortable. Certain, it would not deal with thermals in addition to the greatest Android telephones powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but it surely affords the requisite efficiency to play visually-demanding titles on the highest settings.
In fact, any dialog round a Pixel has to deal with the cameras, and Google upgraded the {hardware} with the 7a, providing a 64MP f/1.9 module with OIS alongside a 13MP wide-angle lens with a wider 120-degree subject of view. As you’d think about, the 7a takes improbable pictures in nearly any state of affairs, and that is as a lot to do with the digicam {hardware} as Google’s unbelievable software program tuning.
The software program has additionally been fulfilling, and I like the brilliant colours and quirky widget kinds in Android 13 — it makes the UI far more enjoyable and interesting. I did not see any points with battery life both, regardless that the Pixel 7a has a touch smaller 4385mAh battery (versus 4410mAh on the 6a). You even get wi-fi charging with this technology, and that is an honest sufficient addition.
My solely grievance is that the wired charging solely goes as much as 18W — that is slower than even Samsung’s 25W tech, and I would wish to see Google change to a sooner charging commonplace based mostly with future units. I used loads of telephones that leveraged the USB PD protocol to hit 65W, and I can not see why Google cannot do the identical on its Pixel {hardware}.
Apart from that quibble, the Pixel 7a has been totally fulfilling to make use of. Google nailed the design aesthetic — it feels almost similar to the Pixel 7 — and the {hardware} on provide mixed with the 90Hz panel, terrific cameras, and clear software program make it a very distinctive gadget on this class. If you happen to’re available in the market for a brand new cellphone within the neighborhood of $500, there’s nothing that provides you fairly as a lot because the Pixel 7a — that is the greatest mid-range cellphone of 2023.
The Pixel 7a has all of it: a vibrant 90Hz OLED panel, highly effective {hardware} that is nice for gaming, one of the best general cameras you may discover on this section, and clear software program with helpful extras. For $500, you will not discover a higher cellphone in 2023.