Now that Google I/O 2023 is in the books, we can share a few thoughts on the Pixel 7a. While I am bursting with anticipation about the Pixel Fold finally getting in my hands in the coming weeks, the Pixel 7a is a surprisingly capable phone from Google at a pretty aggressive price point. We’ll get the stats out of the way pretty quickly, but I really want to discuss how good this phone is primed to be out of the gate.

Google Pixel 7a Specs

• 6.1-inch 90Hz OLED screen (1080×2400)
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• HDR with 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
• 152mmx72.9mmx9.0mm
• 193.5 g
• 24-hour battery life
• 4300 mAh battery
• Fast Charging
• Qi Wireless Charging
• 8GB RAM
• 128GB UFS 3.1 Storage
• Google Tensor G2
• Titan M2 Security
• 5 years of security updates
• 64MP main camera (80-degree field of view)
• 8X Super Res Zoom
• 13MP ultrawide camera (120-degree field of view)
• Dual phase autofocus
• OIS/EIS
• 13MP front-facing camera (95-degree field of view)
• 4K 60FPS on rear camera, 4K 30 FPS on front
• Under-display fingerprint scanner
• Face Unlock
• Charcoal/Sea/Snow/Coral
• IP67 Dust and Water resistance

To be fair, none of these specs are a surprise. This phone has leaked in every way, shape and form up to this point, so I don’t really want to spend too much time rehashing the spec sheet. The one thing I will say is that it is quite impressive for an A-Series phone from Google. Never before have we seen a Pixel A with so much going on, and if early impressions serve, I like what I’m seeing, here.

Everything you need in a phone

The Pixel A-Series has always been about cutting the right corners. Whether it is build materials, slower processors, less RAM, or old camera setups, the A-Series has always tried to get the least amount of specs on the sheet to still put together a solid Pixel experience. And I’d argue that Google has done this quite well.

For the Pixel 7a, however, it feels more like Google just took the Pixel 7 and made a few tweaks to get the MSRP down by $100. It gets IP67 versus the Pixel 7’s IP68 rating, and the bezels are a bit larger on the Pixel 7a’s slightly smaller screen. And though the cameras are different sensors than what we see on the Pixel 7, we all know Google doesn’t require the most amazing hardware to achieve their awesome camera results.

I guess my point is this: the Pixel 7a is loaded, especially when you consider the Pixel A-Series devices that have come before. The Sea (light blue) color we received is fantastic looking and with these specs and this look, feel and aesthetic, I am simply unsure why anyone would get the Pixel 7 at this point.

Maybe that is Google’s plan. Maybe they didn’t think about that. I don’t know and I don’t have to, but I can tell you this: the Pixel 7a is by far the best feeling, best looking, best performing A-Series Pixel that has ever existed. I need time to test it out, use it daily, and get back with some deeper thoughts, but I’m pretty excited to make this my daily driver for a while as I wait for the arrival of the Pixel Fold next month. From what I can tell thus far, Google has knocked it out of the park with this one. More thoughts to come.

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