The Perfect Blend of Power: Google Pixel 7
Advantages:
- Outstanding camera quality
- Offers numerous features akin to the Google Pixel 7 but at a more affordable price
- Stylish and appealing design
- Includes wireless charging, face unlock, and high refresh rate
Disadvantages:
- Display may appear dim in outdoor settings
- Initial price is higher compared to the Pixel 6A
- Guarantees only three generations of Android OS updates, whereas Samsung pledges four generations.
The Google Pixel 7 sets a new standard for budget-friendly smartphones. Equipped with the same processor as the Google Pixel 7, an appealing design, and a camera boasting most of the features found in its pricier counterpart, there’s much to admire about the Google Pixel 7. Although initially reviewed at its launch in May, we’re now awarding it with an Editors’ Choice accolade following our testing of other major smartphone releases in 2023. The original review, published on May 10, 2023, is presented below.
Exciting news for Pixel enthusiasts: the Google Pixel 7 just received a de facto $100 price reduction. Despite Google maintaining a $599 price tag for its flagship Pixel, the introduction of the $499 (£449, AU$749) Google Pixel 7 essentially achieves similar benefits at a lower cost.
Google unveiled the Google Pixel 7 at Google I/O, its annual developer conference renowned for introducing new products and updates. Alongside the Google Pixel 7, available now, Google also introduced the Pixel Fold, a new Pixel Tablet, and an array of AI-driven features enhancing search and other services.
Evidently, Google has heeded feedback on the Pixel 6A with its latest entry-level device. The Google Pixel 7 now features a 90Hz screen for smoother graphics and scrolling, as well as wireless charging and face unlock — common features absent in the Pixel 6A.
Moreover, the Google Pixel 7 shares the same Tensor G2 processor as the Google Pixel 7, along with a new 64-megapixel primary camera and a 6.1-inch screen akin to its predecessor. Leveraging Google’s mobile processor ensures compatibility with numerous Pixel-specific features found across other devices, such as the Hold for Me setting in the phone app, Google’s Recorder app, and the company’s Real Tone photo processing technology, designed to deliver more lifelike skin tones.
The resemblance between the Google Pixel 7A and the Google Pixel 7 is striking. Much like its predecessor, the Pixel 6A, the Pixel 7A adopts design elements from its pricier counterpart. This includes the camera bar, sporting a matte metallic finish nearly identical to that of the Google Pixel 7. However, the Pixel 7A’s camera strip boasts a slightly slimmer profile compared to the Pixel 7, distinguishing the two devices physically. Additionally, the Pixel 7A offers a variety of color options not found in the Pixel 7 lineup. While the Pixel 7 is available in white, light yellow, or black, Google’s more affordable phone comes in white, black, light blue, or bright orange.
The Google Pixel 7 is aesthetically pleasing for a device in its price range, echoing the appeal of the Pixel 6A. It prompts speculation whether Google’s design philosophy with its A-series phones influenced Samsung to elevate its own design standards. Samsung’s direct competitor to the Google Pixel 7, the Galaxy A54 5G, priced at $450, boasts a glossy finish, imparting a sense of premium quality surpassing its predecessor, the Galaxy A53 5G from the previous year.
Sporting a 6.1-inch screen, the Google Pixel 7 matches the size of the Pixel 6A and is marginally smaller than the 6.3-inch display on the Pixel 7. For those who prefer compact devices, the Pixel 7A offers easier one-handed usability compared to the Pixel 7. Personally, I find the 6.1-inch screen size ideal for a phone, striking a balance between providing ample space for comfortable reading and video viewing without overwhelming maneuverability.
The most significant alteration to the Google Pixel 7’s display is its ability to dynamically switch between a refresh rate of 60Hz and 90Hz depending on the content displayed. Activating this feature delivers a smooth and seamless experience while navigating the operating system and scrolling through applications. Although the disparity may not always be glaring compared to the Pixel 6A’s standard 60Hz screen, there are instances where the Pixel 7A’s responsiveness is notably accelerated, such as when browsing through social media feeds. Nonetheless, it is commendable to observe Google integrating more premium features into its budget-friendly offerings, especially as higher refresh rates become increasingly commonplace.
This strategy also positions Google competitively against Samsung, renowned for cascading high-end features to its budget Galaxy smartphones. For instance, the Galaxy A54 5G can ramp up its refresh rate to 120Hz, mirroring the capabilities of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S devices.
Google also claims to have increased the brightness of the Google Pixel 7, aiming to address one of the main issues I had with the Pixel 6A. Regrettably, I didn’t observe much of an improvement. Despite having no difficulty using the Google Pixel 7 indoors at 50% brightness or lower, I still found myself needing to raise it to between 75% and 100% when outdoors.
Both the Google Pixel 7 and Galaxy A54 5G can achieve a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits. However, even at lower settings, the Galaxy A54 5G’s screen appeared notably brighter compared to the Google Pixel 7.
Camera on the Google Pixel 7:
The camera on the Pixel 7A captures excellent photos, rivaling those taken by the Pixel 7. Equipped with a 64-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, both boasting higher resolutions than the Pixel 7’s counterparts, the Pixel 7A delivers impressive results comparable to its pricier counterpart.
Despite the Pixel 7A boasting a higher megapixel count on its main camera compared to its more expensive counterpart, Google highlights that the Pixel 7’s main camera is more light-sensitive and features a larger sensor. However, in most instances, the disparity between photos taken on the Pixel 7A and Pixel 7 was hardly discernible to me. While there were occasional scenarios where the Pixel 7 captured slightly more detail, it often required zooming in on my monitor to notice. Surprisingly, I even found the Pixel 7A outperforming the Pixel 7 when capturing a portrait of my husband in mixed indoor and outdoor lighting conditions near a window.
The Pixel 6A boasts an impressive camera, delivering sharp and vibrant photos, particularly for a phone priced under $400. Nonetheless, I observed instances where the Google Pixel 7A exhibited superior exposure, as demonstrated in the zoomed photo of a stop sign and the portrait of my husband. Additionally, the Pixel 6A noticeably lagged behind the Pixel 7A in Night Mode photography. (The slower performance of the Pixel 6A resulted in my cat moving mid-shot, as depicted below).
Overall, I tend to favor the Google Pixel 7A’s camera over that of the Galaxy A54, as the latter often tends to overexpose colors when shooting outdoors. However, the Galaxy A54 5G did impress in some low-light scenarios and offers a closer digital zoom compared to the Pixel 7A, Pixel 7, and Pixel 6A, though resulting in grainier photos.
The Google Pixel 7A’s 13-megapixel front camera captures excellent selfies. In my comparison tests with the Pixel 7, Pixel 6A, and Galaxy A54, the 7A’s selfie stood out as my favorite due to its balanced combination of detail, color accuracy, and flattering softening effects.
Additionally, the Google Pixel 7A can record 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, matching the capabilities of the Google Pixel 7, with footage from both phones appearing very similar in quality.
Many of the same camera shooting modes, backend technologies, and editing features found on the Google Pixel 7 are also available on the Pixel 7A, including Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, and Real Tone. However, the Pixel 7A lacks the Action Pan feature found on the Pixel 7, which sharply focuses on moving subjects while blurring the background. Instead, the Pixel 7A offers Long Exposure mode, a feature absent in the Pixel 6A.
In essence, while the Google Pixel 7 may technically boast a more advanced camera setup according to Google, the Google Pixel 7A’s camera should suffice for casual photographers. For average users seeking to capture memorable moments like vacations, family gatherings, and social events, the Google Pixel 7A provides ample capability. Those prioritizing the best camera performance on a Pixel phone may consider opting for the Pixel 7 Pro, which offers a dedicated telephoto lens and other advanced features.
Pixel 7A camera vs. Pixel 7, Pixel 6A and Galaxy A54 5G
| Cameras | Google Pixel 7A | Google Pixel 7 | Google Pixel 6A | Samsung Galaxy A54 5G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear camera | 64MP main; 13MP ultrawide | 50MP main; 12MP ultrawide | 12.2MP main; 12MP ultrawide | 50MP main; 12MP ultrawide; 5MP macro |
| Zoom | 8x digital zoom | 8x digital zoom | 7x digital zoom | 10x digital zoom |
| Front camera | 13MP | 10.8MP | 8MP | 32MP |
Battery life and now supports wireless charging:
In day-to-day usage, the Google Pixel 7A typically lasts a full day on a single charge, although actual battery performance can vary depending on usage patterns and app usage. My personal experience with the device varied depending on the day’s activities.
During lighter usage days, mostly spent indoors and involving basic tasks like email checking, short gaming sessions, video exports, and photography, the Google Pixel 7A retained around 41% battery life after approximately 16 hours.
On busier days, such as when commuting to the office, engaging in longer activities like streaming music during a subway ride, and participating in video calls, the battery depleted to around 20% after roughly 13 hours of usage. Throughout both scenarios, I aimed to maintain the brightness at 50%, although it occasionally needed adjustment for outdoor use. Furthermore, during testing, I kept the high refresh rate enabled while disabling the always-on display feature, both of which can impact battery performance.
Conducting a 45-minute endurance test involving activities like video streaming, gaming, social media browsing, and general usage, the Google Pixel 7A retained 92% of its battery, comparable to the Galaxy S23’s 91%, but slightly lower than the Pixel 7’s 94%.
In a separate test involving streaming a three-hour YouTube video, the Google Pixel 7A exhibited slightly better performance compared to the Google Pixel 7, although the difference was marginal.
One notable addition to the Google Pixel 7A is the inclusion of wireless charging. While the ability to charge your phone by simply placing it on a compatible charger has been a standard feature in many smartphones for years, it’s often absent in budget-friendly devices. For instance, the Pixel 6A and the Galaxy A54 5G both lack wireless charging capabilities.
However, it’s worth noting that the wireless charging speed of the Google Pixel 7A is slower compared to the Pixel 7. The Google Pixel 7A charges at 7.5 watts, whereas the Pixel 7 can charge at 12W with a compatible Qi-certified charger. As an example, it took the Google Pixel 7A 30 minutes to charge from 37% to 47%.
Pixel 7A Performance and Additional Features:
The Google Pixel 7A is powered by Google’s Tensor G2 processor, similar to the Google Pixel 7, delivering smooth and fluid performance for everyday tasks such as gaming, app navigation, and photography.
Performance concerns are seldom raised with major smartphone releases from leading companies like Apple, Google, Samsung, and OnePlus. However, it’s noteworthy for a device in this price range, as cheaper phones may sometimes exhibit performance issues, as observed in my review of the Galaxy A53 5G last year.
Day-to-day operations felt brisk, although I did notice that video exports were slightly slower on the Google Pixel 7A compared to other Pixel models and Samsung’s Galaxy A54 5G. On average, it took about 22.5 seconds for the Google Pixel 7A to export a 30-second 4K video to 1080p using Adobe Premiere Rush, which is slower than the Pixel 6A (20.2 seconds), Pixel 7 (18.3 seconds), and Galaxy A54 5G (15.6 seconds).
However, the Tensor G2 chip isn’t solely about speed; it also brings Pixel-specific features like Google’s Recorder app, Live Translate, and Photo Unblur. Pixel phones also offer convenient calling features such as Hold for Me, enabling Google to wait on the line on your behalf. These unique features distinguish Pixel phones from other Android devices, although Samsung is striving to bridge the gap by introducing more Galaxy-specific functionalities to its devices.
The Google Pixel 7A launches with Android 13 and guarantees three years of Android version updates and five years of security updates. While this matches the update commitment of the Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, it falls short of Samsung’s pledge of four generations of Android OS updates and five years of security updates.
Google Pixel 7additional feature:
The Google Pixel 7A stands out as the top choice for Pixel enthusiasts at the moment. While it lacks some of the additional features found in the Pixel 7, such as battery share, Action Pan mode in the camera, a larger display, and slightly faster charging, none of these omissions are deal-breakers. In my testing, I found the camera performance to be comparable between the Pixel 7A and Pixel 7, satisfying the needs of the average user.
Google’s emphasis on competitive pricing with the Google Pixel 7A is evident, signaling a strategic move to attract more Android users to the Pixel ecosystem. However, there’s a slight concern that Google might be blurring the distinction too much between its A-series Pixel and standard Pixel devices. While I appreciate Google’s inclusion of most requested features in the Google Pixel 7A, it sets higher expectations for future iterations like the Pixel 8.
