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Source: Google
Google Pixel 7a
Flagship specs, midrange price
The Pixel 7a is a midrange device that has some flagship level specs. It has a good processor, a great camera, years of software support, good battery life, and a unique design. The Pixel 7a may just be a flagship device at a midrange price.
Pros- Beautiful 90Hz Full HD display
- It takes excellent photos
- All day battery life
Cons- At 18W, charging can be slow
- Display is covered by Gorilla Glass 3
- Overall design isn’t for everyone
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Source: Google
Google Pixel 5a
An oldie but a goodie
Thanks to Google’s software support, the Pixel 5a is a viable device two years after its initial release. It still has decent performance and its camera system still remains quite the capable shooter. However, depending on your usage, the Pixel 5a may be starting to show its age.
Pros- Camera system is quite capable
- Still has decent overall performance
- Great battery life
Cons- Only has one more year of software support
- Limited availability
- It’s only available in black
Over the past few years, Google’s A-series devices have consistently raised the bar for what to expect from a midrange phone. Now they are looking to raise the bar again with the launch of the Pixel 7a. This device is shaping up to be one of the best budget Android phones on the market.
But not everyone wants to change their device every year; instead, they would rather upgrade only if given a good reason to. The two-year-old Google Pixel 5a remains a viable device, and moving on from it may be a tough sell. However, if you feel it is starting to show its age, you may want to check out Google’s latest midrange device, as it may just be compelling enough for you to leave the Pixel 5a behind.
Price, availability & specs
The Google Pixel 7a was announced on May 10th. It will be available in 17 countries, including the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. In the United States, Google is bumping the price up a bit to $499, and a mmWave version will be available for Verizon that will retail for $549. You can expect to find the mmWave version at various carriers and retailers like Amazon.
The Google Pixel 5a launched in 2021 and, due to the pandemic, was only sold in the US and Japan. It launched with a retail price of $449 but has become much tougher to find over the past few years. It can still be found new from retailers like Amazon, but your choices are fewer and fewer as time goes on.
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Google Pixel 7a Google Pixel 5a SoC Google Tensor G2 Snapdragon 765G Display 6.1″ FHD, OLED, 60Hz/90Hz refresh rate, HDR support 6.34″ 1080p OLED, 60Hz RAM 8GB LPDDR5 6GB Storage 128GB 128GB Battery 4,385mAh 4,680 mAh Operating System Android 13 Android 12 Front camera 13MP, 4K30, f/2.2 aperture, 95° FOV, face unlock 8MP f/2 fixed-focus (83° FoV) Rear cameras Main: 64MP, 4K60, f/1.89 aperturn, 82° FOV; UW: 13MP, 4K30, f/2.2 aperture, 120° FOV 12.2MP f/1.7 wide-angle (77° FoV) 16MP F/2.2 ultra-wide (177° FoV) Dimensions 152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8mm Price $499 / $549 (mmW) $449
Design
Being made by Google, both devices have similar DNA but are still quite different. The Pixel 7a and the 5a are both built with an aluminum frame for the body, with a back made of plastic. However, the Pixel 5a has its fingerprint sensor located in the upper middle area on the rear of the device, while the Pixel 7a moves the fingerprint sensor under the display.
The biggest difference comes from the camera housing itself. The Pixel 5a piles its camera sensors into a small glass-covered square. The Pixel 7a continues Google’s recent design language and has the camera assembly run the width of the device, creating a unique love-it or hate-it look.
Regarding size and weight, the Pixel 5a measures 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8mm and weighs only 183g. The Pixel 7a is a bit smaller at 152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm but slightly heavier at 193g.
Both devices offer the same IP67 protection rating, ensuring they can survive an accidental dunk in water. Colorwise, the Pixel 5a is provided in any color you want as long as that color is black. Fortunately for those who enjoy a bit more color, the Pixel 7a is available in Charcoal, Sea, Snow, and Coral. Coral is exclusively sold through Google on the Google Store.
Display
In terms of overall specs, not much has changed between the displays. The Pixel 7a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 2400 x 1080 resolution. The Pixel 5a features a 6.3-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080. And due to the slight size difference, the 7a has a higher PPI of 429 compared to the 5a’s 415 PPI. Both displays are protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3. The selfie camera can be found in the upper left of the Pixel 5a’s display, and the Pixel 7a has the selfie camera in the upper middle.
The biggest difference is the Pixel 5a only offers a 60Hz refresh rate while the 7a bumps that up to a much smoother 90Hz. The Pixel 7a will bounce between 90Hz and 60Hz depending on what you are doing to save battery life, or you can set it to 60Hz all the time. With all other specs being about equal, the jump in refresh rate guarantees the Pixel 7a will have a smoother and better-looking display.
Software
Google launched the Pixel 5a with Android 11 and has since been updated to Android 13. It is expected to receive Android 14 this year. But because Google promised only three years of OS and security updates, the 5a will stop getting updates in August 2024.
The Pixel 7a will launch with Android 13 and has much longer software support — Google will provide three years of OS updates and five years of security updates. That means OS upgrades until 2026 and security updates until 2028.
Both devices run on the mostly stock Pixel UI, but the Pixel 7a will have access to some of Google’s AI features, such as photo unblur, magic eraser, and Google’s excellent voice-to-text implementation.
Performance
The Google Pixel 5a is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, has 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage. The Pixel 7a has Google’s custom Tensor G2 chip, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
While 6GB is an adequate amount of RAM, you may notice having to reload apps that are kept in the background. In comparison, the 8GB of RAM found in the Pixel 7a should ensure a smoother overall experience and less memory management needed. The biggest difference here will come from the processor each phone uses. The Snapdragon 765G in the Pixel 5a was midrange when it launched, and now it’s a few years older. The Pixel 7a’s Tensor G2 will be significantly faster and much more capable.
In Geekbench, the Snapdragon 765G gets a single-core score of 548 and a multi-core score of 1330. In comparison, the Tensor G2 gets a single-core score of 1339 and a multi-core score of 3070. Neither chipset will keep up with the latest flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, but the Pixel 7a’s Tensor G2 is much closer. Instead of pure processing power, Google designed the Tensor G2 CPU to excel at AI processing. So if you enjoy playing games, the Tensor G2 will provide a much smoother experience.
Battery life
Battery performance is one area in which the Pixel 5a has an advantage over the 7a. The Pixel 5a has a battery capacity of 4680mAh, but the 7a is slightly lower at 4385mAh. Normally you get battery efficiency improvements as processor generations move on, but the Snapdragon 765G was downright fantastic in that department. As far as screen time goes, the Pixel 5a could get you about 10 hours, and the 7a will get you somewhere in the 6-hour mark.
Both phones should charge at roughly the same pace and offer 18W wired charging. There is no wireless charging on the 5a, but the 7a does have 7.5W of wireless charging.
Camera
The Pixel 5a features a dual camera system with a 12.2MP f/1.7 main lens and a 16MP ultrawide f/2.2 lens. The 5a can shoot 4K videos at 60fps and Full HD videos at up to 240fps. It also has an 8MP front-facing camera that can record in Full HD.
With the 7a, Google is officially retiring its long-time use of the Sony IMX 363 camera sensor found in the 5a. The Pixel 7a also has a dual camera setup but bumps the main lens into Pixel 7 territory. The 7a comes with a 64MP f/1.89 primary lens that can record video in 4K at 60fps and a 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera that can record 4K at 30fps. Its front-facing camera is a 13MP f/2.2 shooter that can also record 4K at 30fps.
The main camera on the 5a has a 1/2.55-inch sensor, and the 7a features a 1/1.73-inch image sensor. The larger sensor and binning technology in the Pixel 7a should result in better overall photos. Google has long used software post-processing to improve the look of the pictures taken on its devices, so both phones should produce good to great images, though the 7a will be more capable, especially in low-light scenarios.
Which is right for you?
If you are in the market for a new device, the Pixel 7a is, without a doubt, the better device. It has better performance, a better camera, and much longer software support. While the battery life may not be as great as the Pixel 5a, the Pixel 7a should easily last you a full day. The Pixel 7a may just end up being one of the best Android phones out there.
Source: Google
Google Pixel 7a
Editor’s choice
If you are looking for a new device at a midrange price, the Google Pixel 7a checks off all the boxes. It has a fantastic camera system, strong power, great software support, and good battery life. It may be midrange in price but feels closer to its flagship siblings overall.
The Google Pixel 5a can still handle most of your day-to-day tasks. It has an adequate processor, great battery life, and a capable camera system. However, Google has improved upon the 5a in just about every category with the 7a. But if you’re happy with the performance of your 5a, then stick with what works. For everyone else, get the Pixel 7a.
Source: Google
Google Pixel 5a
Good alternative
If you are currently the proud owner of a Pixel 5a and its performance is still up to your daily standards, then sticking with the old faithful is your best bet. If it’s starting to show its age, or you are looking for a new device, the Pixel 7a is the better alternative.
