Thomas Dietrich
As usual, Google’s developer conference I/O started today with a keynote. Then things got rather exciting – in addition to the Google Pixel 7a, the Californians also presented the Pixel Fold. The 7a is pretty close to the flagship Pixel 7 in specs, but starts at a lower price of €509/$499/₹44,000. Compared to the predecessor Google Pixel 6a, there is a better main camera, a fast display and wireless charging.
The Google Pixel 7a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with 90 Hz, the same refresh rate as the Pixel 7. The resolution is FHD+, and we also get Gorilla Glass 3 and protection against dust and water according to IP67. A metal frame meets a plastic back, all of which come from recycled materials, according to Google. The color options are Charcoal, Sea, Snow and Coral, but the latter is only available in the Google store.
Another major upgrade is the move to the Tensor G2 chipset, now paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM (previously 6GB on the 6a) and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage. This is the same configuration as the Pixel 7 and the support is also identical with 5 years of security updates. The new 64 megapixel main camera offers up to 8x Super Res zoom and is based on a 1/1.73 inch Quad Bayer sensor with OIS.
The ultra-wide camera has a 13-megapixel sensor (1.12 µm) and a 120-degree field of view through an f/2.2 lens with dual-pixel autofocus. The front camera also resolves 13 megapixels with a 95-degree lens with a fixed focus (f/2.2). The rear camera can record 5K video at up to 60 frames per second, the selfie camera still manages 4K at 30 frames per second.
The Google Pixel 7a supports sub-6GHz and mmWave variants of 5G, with mmWave enabled in select regions only. Dual SIM support is only available with an eSIM in addition to a single physical nano-SIM. Power is supplied by a 4,385 mAh battery that charges up to 18 watts via cable. For the first time, wireless charging is also possible with an A-Phone, also with 18 watts. The USB-C port is based on the 3.2 Gen 2 standard, but the included cable only supports USB 2.0. Also, there is no charger in the retail box.
The Google Pixel 7a is already available.
