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On Leaks / MySmartPrice
Google Pixel 7a
Plenty of potential
The Pixel 7a is Google’s upcoming rumoured mid-range phone. It is expected to succeed the Pixel 6a, and sit alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.
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Google / Pocket-lint
Google Pixel 6a
Excellent value
The Pixel 6a is Google’s latest affordable phone, taking much of the Pixel 6 experience and condensing it down to a more affordable package.
Google is heavily rumoured to be working on its next mid-range smartphone – the Pixel 7a – with many reports suggesting we will see the device launch at the company’s I/O developer conference that kicks off on 10 May.
While nothing has been confirmed as yet regarding the design or the specs of the Pixel 7a, there have been plenty of leaks, giving us a good idea as to what we can expect. The Pixel 7a will likely sit alongside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, and it will succeed – though possibly not replace – the Pixel 6a.
We’ve compared the rumoured specifications of the the Pixel 7a to the Pixel 6a to help you work out what the differences might be, whether it will be worth upgrading, and if you’re in the market for a mid-range Pixel, should you hold out for the Pixel 7a?
Price, availability, specs
Let’s start with pricing and availability. The Google Pixel 7a is currently unannounced so there are no pricing and availability details as yet. It is rumoured to be revealed on 10 May at Google I/O and reports have suggested it will be available immediately afterwards. There have also been suggestions that the Pixel 6a will remain in the Pixel line-up, though this is of course unconfirmed for now.
The Google Pixel 6a is available globally, unlike the Pixel 5a was. When it first launched, it cost £399 in the UK, $449 in the US and €459 in Europe, though it is typically available for less now. It’s possible the Pixel 7a could cost a little more – rumours have it at $499 in the US, but we would definitely expect the Pixel 6a to drop in price officially when the 7a launches, whether the 2022 model stays in the line-up or not.
Below you’ll see a table of the Pixel 7a’s rumoured specs compared to the Pixel 6a’s specs – keep in mind the Pixel 7a’s specs are not confirmed and we have simply added what the rumours suggest. We’ve gone into more detail about the differences expected a little further down.
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Google Pixel 7a Google Pixel 6a SoC Tensor G2 Tensor G1 Display 6.1-inch OLED, Full HD+, 90Hz 6.1-inch, OLED, Full HD+, 60Hz Battery 4400mAh, 20W fast charging, 5W wireless charging 4410mAh, Fast charging Front camera 10.8MP 8MP, f/2.0 Rear cameras 64MP main, 12MP ultra wide 12.2MP f/1.7 main, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide Dimensions 152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm 152.2 x 71.8. x 8.9mm, 178g Colors Carbon, Cotton, Arctic Blue, Coral Charcoal, Chalk and Sage IP Rating IP67 IP67 RAM and Storage 8GB / 128GB 6GB / 128GB
Design and build
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Based on the rumours – and the leaked renders – the Google Pixel 7a will share an almost identical design to the Pixel 6a, with a couple of minor tweaks.
The Google Pixel 7a looks like it will be coming with a flat display like the Pixel 6a, offering a centralised punch hole camera at the top and an under-display fingerprint sensor at the bottom.
The rear meanwhile, is expected to have a dual rear camera system within a camera housing that spans the width of the device, again like the Pixel 6a. Where the Pixel 6a has a dual-colour rear though, with the top of the rear a different colour to the bottom, split by the camera housing, the Pixel 7a is expected to have just one colour like the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.
The Pixel 6a measures 152.2 x 71.8. x 8.9mm and weighs 178g. It comes in Black, White and Green colour options. The Pixel 7a is reported to measure 152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm – so nearly identical – but the colour options are said to be Carbon, Cotton, Arctic Blue and Coral.
In terms of water and dust resistance, the Pixel 6a is said to be IP67, so it is expected the Pixel 7a will be the same. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are both IP68 for reference.
Display
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The Google Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch OLED display sporting a Full HD+ resolution at 2400 x 1080 pixels, which delivers a pixel density of 429ppi.
It’s claimed the Pixel 7a will offer the same size and resolution as the Pixel 6a, though it is rumoured to increase the display’s refresh rate from 60Hz to 90Hz, which would put it in line with the Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 Pro has a 120Hz refresh rate in case you’re wondering. It’s also claimed the Pixel 7a will offer the Face Unlock feature available on the Pixel 7 devices, which would be an additional biometric option to the under-display fingerprint sensor.
Elsewhere, it’s likely the user experience will be the same between the Pixel 6a and the Pixel 7a with features like an always-on display, At A Glance calendar/weather info and the Now Playing functionality offered on both devices.
Hardware
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Reports suggest the Google Pixel 7a will run on the second generation of the Tensor chip called Tensor G2, like the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. This would be an upgrade to the Pixel 6a, which runs on the first-generation of the Tensor chip.
The Pixel 6a has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as a base, though rumours have claimed the Pixel 7a will offer 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage in the base model.
When it comes to battery, there are rumoured to be some upgrades for the Pixel 7a here too, though perhaps not in terms of capacity. Reports claim the battery capacity will be 4400mAh for the Pixel 7a, with 5W wireless charging, which would be a first for a Pixel “a” device, and 20W fast charging.
The Pixel 6a has a 4500mAh battery capacity so slighty larger than what is reported for the Pixel 7a, but it doesn’t have wireless charging.
Camera
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The Google Pixel 7a is reported to be making camera improvements over its predecessor too. It’s said it will have a 64-megapixel main camera sensor, coupled with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. Specifics haven’t been detailed as yet, so this is still an area where the rumours are a little thin on the ground.
The Pixel 6a has a similar camera setup to the Google Pixel 5 with a 12.2-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. It therefore looks like Google could upgrade the main camera on the Pixel 7a but keep the ultra-wide sensor the same.
The Pixel 6a has a great camera offering overall so we would certainly hope to see the Pixel 7a offer as good as, or hopefully better than. There are some brilliant features, including Magic Eraser for removing unwanted objects in the background, Real Tone for ensuring all skin tones are displayed accurately and Face Unblur, which essentially means no more blurry selfies. All of these are expected on the 7a, whether the main camera is upgraded or not.
When it comes to the front camera, the Pixel 6a has an 8-megapixel sensor, but the PIxel 7a is rumoured to have a 10.8-megapixel sensor so there could be some improvements here too.
Conclusion
While this comparison is currently half based on speculation as no official details of the Pixel 7a have been revealed as yet, it does look like the 2023 mid-range Pixel will offer improvements over its predecessor, as you would expect.
Based on the rumours, we will see a very similar design to the Pixel 6a – with a couple of tweaks – along with the same display but with a faster refresh rate and possibly Face Unlock. The main camera is also expected to see an upgrade, along with the processor and extra features like wireless charging.
Google / Pocket-lint
Google Pixel 6a
$329 $449 Save $120
The Pixel 6a is Google’s latest affordable phone, taking much of the Pixel 6 experience and condensing it down to a more affordable package.
For now, everything surrounding the Pixel 7a is unconfirmed, so we will be updating this feature with the official details as soon as they are announced.
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