Customer Ratings & Reviews

The phone is great so far. Build quality is excellent and Android runs very smoothly. I need to get used to some of the screen controls as they're different from my previous Samsung. The fingerprint reader sometimes doesn't work, but that's a minor issue which I've also had on other phones. Display is incredibly vibrant, which is perfect for gaming and videos. The camera is phenomenal and better than all my previous Androids. Battery life seems to be decent and the phone charges quickly. Only drawback is you need to purchase a separate 30W USB-C charger, as only a USB-C cable is included in the box (unless you have a Macbook USB-C charger on hand, which will also work). Overall this may be the best Android phone I've ever purchased, so I would definitely recommend it.

Got this Pixel because of the great specifications for the price. The camera takes great pictures and is smooth. The regular Pixel7 has a slightly shorter battery life which made this the right choice.

You don't need flagship features - but if you're a power user and you burn through battery because of heavy use, you will not be able to 'top off' your phone late in the day to get through the evening. 5-7W wireless charging. 18W max wired charging. Everything else is stellar.

Solid phone. Some of the features take a little to get used to, but love the battery life and camera.

With the price of phones ever skyrocketing as the features and specs included continue to plateau, mid-range phones are an increasingly attractive prospect for all but the most extravagant of spenders. Keeping that in mind, the Google Pixel 7a is an excellent value proposition. Though it is, of course, a step down from the Pixel 7, the discounted price may be enough to offset the compromises buyers would be making and for those in the market for a mid-range versus high-end phone, the 7a is a no-brainer. Upon unboxing the phone, my first impressions are great. The packaging is minimal and there is no plastic, which is fantastic. Google seems to have leaned hard into angling towards sustainability in its approach with the 7a, as the 7a is also made of recycled materials. There is no power brick, which is unfortunate but not unexpected at this point, and there is very little in the box — a SIM card removal tool, USB-C to USB-A adapter, and a USB-C to USB-C cable sit under the Pixel 7a itself. The color I received was the charcoal color, an understated black that there is little to say about. The back is made of plastic instead of the glass seen in higher-end flagships, but to my delight, the phone doesn't feel cheap or plastic-y. Clean, sleek, and even stylish: the 7a manages to look quite sophisticated, lacking the speckled look that recycled tech products often seem to have. Other colorways include snow (white), sea (light blue), and coral (a vivid orangey pink, the same hue as seen in Google's Nest devices). Using the phone is, generally, quite pleasant. I tested it for over a week and was happy to see that there were few bugs or issues in day-to-day use, which was not my experience with older Pixel devices (my last one being with a Pixel 3). When I did experience bugs, they were relatively minor ones like the phone freezing while switching between apps. I had no issues with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity either and Google's VPN worked surprisingly well, even with apps and sites that I fully expected to run into issues with, such as Netflix or banking sites. That said, I would like to see more functionality added to the VPN service, such as options for changing server location, but having a VPN so readily available is surprisingly useful when on the go and connecting to public networks. Battery life is great and aided further by the Adaptive Battery feature. For power-hungry users, the Extreme Battery Saver mode will likely be a life-saver but I found that I got through the day safely without needing to top up and with juice to spare. The phone itself feels snappy and the OLED screen is vivid and does an incredible job of pushing the colors. The Smooth Display setting enables a 90Hz refresh rate which is a neat option to have in helping animations and scrolling feel more fluid and smooth, but it comes at the cost of battery drain and I found the 60Hz default more than adequate for everyday use. Vanilla Android is smooth and the lack of bloatware is a breath of fresh air. Pixel phones also are in a fortunate position when it comes to security and software updates, being poised to receive security updates for a guaranteed five years and likely to receive software updates for a longer period than other Android flagships might. Speaking of security, the biometric security on the 7a is also a little more expansive than on other mid-range devices; offering both face unlock and fingerprint unlock is a great boon, and both unlock the phone quickly when activated. One area where this phone is truly unique is Google's AI features. Note that some of the photo editing tools are rolled out to Google Photos, which means that they can be used on any device, including non-Google and even non-Android devices. Still, I found that the photo editing tools were largely hit or miss for me; magic eraser and camouflage were neat in theory but I couldn't see myself using them to do things like remove entire people from a landscape like in the example photos used online. What I found far more interesting were the Pixel-exclusive AI features like the call features, live translation, and live caption, which I truly do think could be game-changers for how people use their phones (with a bit of polishing). Other AI features seemed to range wildly in real-world applications; At A Glance, for example, was pretty practically useful, but I found the AI-suggested apps to be a miss. Another area where Pixel phones shine is in photography. The Pixel 7a is great at photos and videos, especially in daylight. The 7a does lack a telephoto lens, meaning it relies on digital zoom for magnification. This does unfortunately have an impact on photo quality, especially past the 2x and 4x magnification point, but beyond that, the 7a does generally live up to the Pixel reputation of fantastic cameras. Sadly, however, the 7a is not a perfect phone. Some issues are fairly minor and easy to overlook. The plastic back, while sleek and pretty to look at, is a fingerprint magnet. Within minutes of handling it, it already looked greasy and was coated in fingerprints. The phone itself is large and heavy, especially as a woman with smaller hands, being larger and heavier than even some flagships. I also found it slightly annoying that occasionally, for whatever reason, biometric unlock wouldn't work and I would still be required to input my pin, which I haven't experienced with other devices. The placement of the fingerprint scanner on the screen also seemed suboptimal for my preferences; having it on the power button makes it more natural to use, though with face unlock as an option it becomes less of an issue. Some issues might be enough to make a person in the market for a new phone look to the Pixel 7 instead. For instance, while the speakers are decent and, being stereo, have a good amount of balance, they have mediocre audio quality at best and come off as tinny, particularly when listening to music. This can be almost painfully tinny when the volume is maxed out. The screen also gets fairly bright indoors and accordingly, I found that adaptive brightness worked brilliantly in indoor settings, but outdoors the brightness was middling, and I wished that there was just a bit more brightness to make using the phone outdoors easier. Charging is also abysmally slow, taking around 2 hours to reach a full charge from 0%; this is mitigated in part by having such a decent battery life that you likely won't need fast charging anyways, but it is still worth noting. Other issues are not exactly pressing enough to make one turn away from the Pixel 7a nor easy to overlook. One such issue is the "Real Tone" feature, which purports to help capture the skin tones of people of color "beautifully and accurately." I am Asian with medium-tanned skin and found that the camera sometimes struggled to do so with my skin tone, especially in low light conditions and most notably when using the front-facing/selfie camera, where it lightened my skin. The selfie camera also seemed to make selfies come out "soft" despite turning off face retouching. After fiddling with settings for a half hour, I couldn't seem to figure out how to make it stop lightening my skin or softening my photos taken with the front camera. The frustration and irony in the well-intentioned Real Tone feature not being able to manage not lightening a person of color's skin were not lost on me and although I loved the photos taken with the back camera, I can't help but feel some bitterness that I cannot for the life of me get the front-facing camera to take a photo of me that looks like me on a device that's supposed to "beautifully and authentically" reflect people of color's skin tones. Another issue is that the 7a runs noticeably hot with even light to moderate use, like browsing the web or taking photos, which does make me worry about its overall health and the battery's longevity. It never gets scalding and I haven't seen a notification that the phone is overheating yet, but I do worry that with more intense use such as video calls this will become a more pressing concern. Ultimately, the 7a performs well as a mid-range contender. There is nothing it does horribly at, and even areas where it excels. When compared to a Pixel 7, there are few reasons to shell out more for the 7 when the 7a holds its own so well. The issues the 7a does have aren't dealbreakers and are acceptable compromises in this category, or can be addressed through software updates in the future. It is also significant to note that in daily usage, there were more positives than drawbacks and that using the 7a was a largely enjoyable experience. I highly recommend giving the 7a a try, especially for the more casually oriented shutterbugs among ye.

Overall This is such a great phone. I've been on the market in search for my next device after being an iOS user since the 5th generation and skipping everything after the 2nd itteration of the 10th. This certainly ticks a lot of boxes for me. It's smooth, fluid, and a responsive system with great features. The display quality alone is stunning and a big upgrade. Features The screen is one of the first things you'll notice powering this up. It's bright, vivid and very smooth from animations, app icons, or text on the display. The OLED helps bring this all together. Another area you'll quickly notice is the silky smooth front and back glass. Put a case on it ASAP as you'll realize it can actually get a little slippery from how smooth both sides are. Additionally, you'll want the case beacuase the body is a massive lint magnet. I don't know how many times I've reached into my pocket to pull my phone and see it covered in everything from particles of fabric from clothes, hair, and who knows what else. The 64MP rear camera makes your photography pop! Maybe not a welcome feature to everyone, but the camera is a blend of smart AI powered (as in point at something then click to shoot) and pro camera functionality such as EV and ISO range settings. During setup, the phone asks for a pin of 4 or more digits then prompts for a fingerprint. In security settings you can enable face unlock for an added option to opening your device. I've seen little to no issues with face unlock except for the occasional "not enough light" prompt. With fingerprint unlock, I've had the occasional "try again" untill it locks you out and forces a pin. I'm currently not certain if this is a limitation of the device or an isseue on my end. For transparancy, I've recently found myself in a situation that limits the sensation at the tips of my fingers. This makes pressing the screen, or pressing in a speecific way, somewhat challenging. Nevertheless, it would seem to be using the screen/digitizer as it creates a circle of light for your fingerprint to be read. According to Google, this gets up to 34 hours on a single charge. This is probably accurate as I am currently getting roughly 24hrs with moderate use. Messages, occasional browsing, an occasional call, and a game here and there. Wireless charging sweetens the deal. Performance I gave a few games a try and got very positive results. A variety from fps, rpg, clickers, racing, and rts. Everything gave between 30 to 60 fps. I've included some pictures but due to their orientation it was either to include game content or the fps counter. I ended dopting for content in most. While gaming, especially in settings with a lot of assets on screen, the phone can get fairly warm. Nothing to the extreme of being burned but still warm. It also offers some gesture actions, including tap to wake, double tap the rear glass for customizable actions, and camera shortcuts. At the end of the day, it's very smooth and nothing I've tried with it has caused it to slow down. Conclusion This is a fantastic phone. With an amazing display, wireless charging, nice aesthetics, long battery life, and a superb camera. And this is supposed to be the budget model? This sets a new bar for budget phones. This without a doubt is worth 5-stars.

First of all, I thought the A series of the Pixel phones are “low” tier. I am totally mistaken. Nothing is “low” about this phone. So this confused me—I was wondering how can a phone as good as this be priced well? Everything in this phone is great—the price tag, matched with what it has to offer, it’s a no-brainer. All praises on the software of this phone. Straight android is the real deal. Especially on the Pixel, the way the operating system makes the most out of the hardware, is probably what makes this perform like a flagship phone. I used to have the first Pixel and the Pixel 3, and this is already way faster and more advanced than any of those. Plus there are so many new features to the pixel—something I do not get on my entry-level office-issued phone. The Recorder—which is very useful to making notes out of my meetings (dude, it transcribes them and makes one speaking attendee distinct from another)—or Clear Calling which made my buddy’s voice clear even while he was in his laundry room!! There’s a lot more that I haven’t tried, but just those already impressed me. It is very snappy – it has the same processor as the regular Pixel. No questions about that—and the screen is fast as well. I go through my 1 million app scrolling and it does NOT hiccup when I scroll. No screen tears, or hiccup on the response (check out my attached screenshot)—oh it has a nice built-in screen recorder—that’s how I did that video. The screen is bright especially when placed all the way up. I did not worry much about battery life though, even though I usually like my screen maxed out in brightness--- this high performing phone lasts me a day and a half with 8% left before I need to charge. Oh and this one has wireless charging! I tried playing games on it too. Non-stop grind on one game, and it lasted me 5 hours STRAIGHT, full on brightness, started at maybe 95%. And while it was going, it was nice and impressively smooth! I swapped out my WAY more expensive primary phone for this. I am very convinced. Seriously, I think this phone is a steal.

I’ve been using the Google Pixel 7A for the past several days, and I am remarkably impressed by all the features and hardware that is packed into this value priced phone. It is marketed as an entry or budget level phone within the Google line up, but it is well beyond entry level. I consider myself an average user who uses the phone for social media, media consumption, family photos and videos, and communication. The Pixel 7A is more than enough for this, and should satisfy all but the most demanding users. Here’s what I love about the new Google Pixel 7A. +Pure Android Experience: It’s a phone made by Google with the hardware to run on its latest Android operating system (OS). No nonsense third party unwanted bloatware, guaranteed OS updates for three years, guaranteed five years of security system updates. +Perfect Size: The 6.1” screen size works for me. It’s easy for me to hold in one hand, while using my thumb to navigate across the screen. Big enough for all of my media needs, and small enough to fit in my jean pockets. This is the goldilocks size. +Fluid, Smooth Operation: The 90hz refresh rate on the Pixel 7A makes the scrolling so smooth. It might be a hair slower than flagship phones with higher refresh rates, but who is really going to notice that nanosecond difference in real world use. Also, with 8gb of RAM, there is plenty of space for all your browser tabs and apps to be running in the background. +Fingerprint Sensor Works and Now there is a Face Unlock Feature: Before the Pixel 7A, I owned the Pixel 4A that had a fingerprint sensor which did not work most of the time. It was so frustrating trying to get it to work, that I gave up and simply used the PIN unlock. I am happy to report that the fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 7A works well. In addition to this, the Pixel now comes with Face Unlock feature. The feature is done during initial setup. It will recognize your unique face and unlock the phone. The only thing is that you’ll still need to tap the screen to get it to fully unlock into the homescreen. It would be great if Google can update the Face Unlock feature to fully unlock the phone in one step. +More Hardware Than I Know What to Do With: Google touts its new Tensor G2 and Titan M2 security chip. All that means to me is that this latest generation Pixel A phone is faster, more powerful, and more secure than previous generations. And that is reassuring to me. If the Pixel can keep me safe online, and keeps up the security updates for five years, and tries to stay a step ahead of the bad guys, then I have no problem with that. +And Even More Security: The Pixel 7A comes with VPN by Google One at no extra cost. This helps protect your online activity by making a private and secure connection, reducing the risk of online tracking by hiding your IP address, and preventing unwanted access in unsecured networks such as public Wi-Fi. +A Spectacular Camera that is more than a camera: There’s no more excuse for taking a bad photo with the Pixel 7A. I’m horrible at taking photos with a regular camera. There are just too many dials and settings to adjust in order to get a good photo. The simplicity of taking photos on the 7A cannot be overstated. Tap the circle on the camera screen and Google takes care of the rest. Photos come out brilliantly colorful, clear, vibrant, and detailed. Artistic photos such as motion blur, bokeh, low light photography, and astrophotography that used to require lugging around expensive camera gear can mostly be done with the 7A’s artificial intelligence and computational photography software. I particularly enjoy using night sight since a lot of my photos are taken either indoors or in the evenings where ambient lighting is inadequate. The Google Pixel 7A camera makes me a better photographer than I truly am. The Camera app also makes photo adjustment and editing such a breeze. The Magic Eraser feature allows you to erase unwanted, distracting elements in the backgrounds of photos. There are plenty of filters and adjustments to tweak photos the way you want. Taking video on the phone is also easy. The rear camera records in 4K (30fps, 60fps) and 1080p (30fps, 60fps). The front camera records at 4k (30fps) and 1080 (30fps). You can also do time lapse and slow motion videos. What I also like about the Google Camera is that it is more than a camera. With Google Lens, you can take a photo of text and it will translate it to a different language for you. This is particularly useful when traveling to a foreign country which can be helpful when trying to read signs and menus. Take a photo of an object, and Google Lens will locate other photos from the web that resemble the object. Or using the Shopping feature on Google Lens to locate items for sale of the object you took a photo of. Snap a photo of text using Google Lens, and Google will search the web for the text that you took a picture of. +The Battery Keeps Up with Me: I sleep for 8 hours and do other things for 4 hours, so I expect my phone to keep up with me for the other 12 hours of my day. While using the phone I watch video, browse the web, listen to music, use social media apps, and attend video work meetings. I’m happy to report that the battery lasts me at least 12 hours. Battery life will obviously be different for your individual use case. The phone supports fast charging wireless charging. +The Google Assistant on the Pixel 7A is absolutely Brilliant. With all the advances in AI and machine learning, it will only get more impressive everyday. The only thing that will make it better is if it will cook, clean, and do the laundry for me. I really cannot find anything negative to say about the phone. Final Thoughts and Recommendation: Google engineered a wonderful phone with the latest hardware and software, making the Pixel 7A really unbeatable in terms of performance and price, a winning combination of value. Do I recommend the phone? For 90% of us, this phone does everything we need and more. If you need a phone now, this is definitely the one that should be at the top of your shortlist. I have already recommended it to my family and friends. What’s in the Box: Usb-c to usb-c cable Usb-A to usb-c adapter Sim tool Support Card

Google’s latest release hits all the sweet spots when it comes to my phone expectations with a combination of great hardware and software! The phone has a 6.1” display with a response time of up to 90Hz. That means the screens pixels can refresh up to 90x per second. The response time varies based on the requirements of what you’re doing resulting in the optimal screen presentation, but you can also turn that feature off and limit it to 60Hz for battery saving. The stated battery life is over 24-hours for average usage and up to 72 hours with the extreme battery saver feature enabled. I routinely charge my phone nightly, but I’m never below 57% remaining battery after a day of average use. The phone is capable of fast charging and wireless charging. The highlight of the phone is the Tensor G2 Titan M2 processor power and the benefits it brings from power management and security to the fantastic camera features. The rear cameras are a 64 MP with up to 8x zoon and a 13 MP ultrawide camera both with optical and electronic stabilization, and the front camera is a 13MP. It can record 4K and 1080p video at 30 and 60 FPS with the rear camera, while the front can do both at 30 FPS. The video options include a 5x digital zoom, active/locked/pan stabilization, slo-mo options up to 240 FPS, time lapse and an Astrophotography timelapse mode. The phone can be unlocked via an under-display fingerprint sensor which works well compared to others I’ve used, and well as face unlock or pin/password. The phone has stereo speakers and noise suppression and has excellent sound! The speakerphone is one of the best I’ve ever used and using it as a standard headset has been exceptional. The phone has BT +LE connectivity as well as Wi-Fi 2.4/5/6 and NFC.

I'm extremely impressed with this phone... at this price point, or at any price point. It has all the features of a typical halo device, but cells for less than half the competitor's halo devices. Let's break it down- excellent screen with a refresh rate of up to 90 hertz, tensor G2 custom chip that makes things like photo editing and translation smooth and fast, dual rear camera with Google's Super Res Zoom and long exposure option, Clear Calling that reduces background noise during phone calls, up to 3 days of battery life, IP67 water protection, wireless charging, 8GB of RAM, and VPN built-in, not to mention five years of updates compared to others manufacturers that provide only 2 years. Pictures from the 60 MP camera are phenomenal. Colors are accurate and not blown out like on some phones, and details are sharp. And if you take pictures with unwanted elements, it's super easy, and very impressive, to remove things with Magic Eraser. Battery life is true to the manufacturer's claim of 2 days (3 days on extreme power saving). If you are a power user and have high screen time, you should still be able to get a full day with plenty to spare. This is not just a phone where the manufacturer popped in a bunch of cheap features for the feature list. Everything is super high quality. Google describes this phone as, " priced just right". I would argue that is incorrect. This phone is UNDERPRICED for the top of the line features it provides. Premium, build and feel, at a price that is half it's competitors. For me, all things considered, this is probably the best phone currently available.

I recently upgraded to the Google Pixel 7a 5G, and it's been a game-changer. The phone's performance is incredibly smooth thanks to its powerful processor and 128GB of storage, which allows me to store all my apps, photos, and videos without worry. The 6.2-inch OLED display is stunning, offering vibrant colors and sharp details. The 5G connectivity ensures I can browse the web, stream videos, and download content at lightning speed. The battery life is impressive, easily lasting me through a full day of heavy use. The camera system is where the Pixel truly shines. The photos are nothing short of amazing, with crisp details and true-to-life colors. The night mode is particularly impressive, capturing clear and bright photos even in low-light conditions. Overall, the Google Pixel 7a 5G is a fantastic phone that combines powerful performance with a top-notch camera and sleek design. It's definitely worth considering if you're looking for a premium Android experience.

I gave a impressive 5-star rating, because the Google Pixel 7a is a clear standout among smartphones. Starting with its amazing camera system that constantly produces jaw-dropping images and films, this device epitomizes brilliance in every way. Its strong hardware and Google's optimized software combine to provide a seamless performance that guarantees quick access to tasks and applications. The Pixel 7a redefines user expectations with its remarkable battery life, which comfortably lasts through a full day of use, combined with a gorgeous build that radiates toughness and beauty. With vivid images and crisp details, its immersive display enhances the experience even more. The Pixel 7a is a clear choice for anyone looking for top-tier performance, remarkable photography, and a premium experience because of Google's unwavering dedication to innovation and quality.

The Google Pixel 7a is the new entry level pixel phone offered by Google made to enjoy the pure Android experience at a great price. Like all Pixel phones, the 7a runs the latest version of Android which currently is Android 13. Like its bigger siblings, 7 and 7 Pro, it’s powered by the Google Tensor G2 processor that can handle complex tasks. The 6.1-inch OLED display is smaller than the Pixel 7’s and supports up to 90Hz refresh rate that makes pictures and video look fluid and smooth. Setting up the phone was easy and quick. I used the eSIM card to get an immediate connection. From my experience with this phone, face recognition can only be used to unlock the phone. I have yet to encounter an app that I was able to open using that feature. For unlocking apps I use fingerprint unlock with the sensor placed behind the screen toward the bottom. It allows up to four fingers and the set up is simple. I recommend that you follow the directions and apply good pressure with your fingers when setting up for the first time. The Pixel 7A looks similar to its big brother Pixel 7, just a little smaller with a plastic back instead of glass. However the plastic has a great feel and provides a good grip. I really like the size of that phone; not too small, not too big. I have medium sized hands and it fits comfortably and the screen is big enough to use the keyboard with ease. One of the strengths of the Pixel 7a is its camera. I take all kinds of pictures for my job; buildings, parks and development areas, and people at meetings and while dining out. This entry level phone over delivers with quality and bright colors that challenge the best phone camera out there. It also has a number of software features that make it easy to take great photos, such as Night Sight, Long Exposure and Super Res Zoom among others. Everyday use, the battery lasts all day and I charge it wirelessly with the Pixel stand 2. I’ve been getting uneven charging speeds; they vary on a daily basis. Some days it’s super fast and some days the charging is sluggish. I did some research and this might be due because I opted for adaptive charging which varies the charging speed based on phone usage. For an entry level phone, the Pixel 7a has a number of premium software features that would only be available in high end phones. Features such as: Live Translate for translating text in real time. Hold for Me that can hold your calls while you're busy. Magic Eraser can remove unwanted objects from pictures. Motion Photos that captures short videos with every photo you take. Face Unblur can sharpen faces in blurry photos. The Pixel 7a is an impressive budget phone from Google that has so many high end features that it blurs the line between entry level and premium quality. For the price, it’s among the best Android phones in the market and I recommend it to anybody looking for a great smartphone with outstanding camera and overall functionality.

I recently purchased the Google Pixel 7a from Best Buy, and I'm thoroughly impressed. The phone offers fantastic value for its price. The performance, powered by the Tensor G2 chip, is smooth and efficient, making multitasking a breeze. The 64MP camera is a standout feature, capturing sharp and vibrant photos even in low light. The 6.1-inch OLED display provides a crisp and enjoyable viewing experience. Battery life is reliable, lasting me through a full day of heavy use. Additionally, the clean Android interface and timely updates are a big plus. Overall, the Pixel 7a is a top-notch choice for anyone looking for a high-quality mid-range smartphone.

I have posted a video review on Youtube with the same title (Google Pixel 7a Review - This is the Way), if you're interested. Otherwise, below is my written review of the Google Pixel 7a. I purchased the coral model from the Google Store and have owned it for two weeks now. Let’s look at what the Google 7a gives you for your $499. Firstly, the display is gorgeous. It’s a 6.1” OLED display with an aspect ratio of 9:20, which is awesome. It’s a tall, narrow screen allowing for more of your social media feed to be displayed or a wider field of view when gaming. It’s also idea for watching movies, given the widescreen standard movies are shot in. The refresh rate is 90hz (must be activated in the display settings), which is wonderful to see at this price point. Hopefully this encourages Apple and Samsung to include high-refresh rate displays on their entry-level phones in the near future. We’re at a point where this should be a standard. It not only benefits while gaming, but general scrolling and swiping too. Once you use a high-refresh display for an extended period of time and then revert to a normal 60hz display, you’ll feel what I mean. It’s sluggish in comparison. One last thing on the display. The OLED panel is an HDR-enabled, color-accurate and absolutely stunning! The blacks are inky-black, which make colors really pop and allows for excellent contrast. Shadow detail is great and some minor degradation is seen when viewing off-axis. In terms of design, the display does have some noticeable bezels, and while I think they’re not offensive, especially given the price-point, they do surround the entire display, making the Pixel 7a appear less attractive. Another eye-sore is the hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera. Most applications aggregate the cutout within the menu bar, which disguises it nicely, however it blatantly gets in the way while gaming or watching movies in full-screen. In terms of functionality the front-facing camera is another strength for the Pixel 7a. It’s a 13mp ultrawide camera and it takes exceptional selfies. The rear camera also contains a 13mp ultrawide lens in conjunction with the 64mp wide lens and together they take stunning images. Colors are reproduced faithfully, although it does lean slightly on the cooler side. The extraction of detail is impressive, especially at this pricepoint, and it’s glaringly obvious when viewing pictures on the display. Everything in focus is razor sharp while the background gets blurred to create a nice bokeh effect. Low light and nighttime photography is improved with nightsight, although it would be nice for the camera software to detect a low-light situation and automatically enable it, rather than manually thumbing over to the nightsight option. These few seconds are crucial in determining whether you get the desired shot or miss it entirely and at times, I found myself not attaining the shot because of it. Battery life for me was okay. Not great, just okay. It would last my entire work day with moderate use, but I was usually running for the charger when I got home. And recharging the Pixel 7a isn’t entirely a speedy process either, despite it having rapid charging. Going from zero percent to fully charged usually takes 92 minutes. A few last notes on the pixel 7a… It has the latest bluetooth and wireless standards with LDAC support, which is awesome for the wireless audiophiles out there. In terms of security, the Pixel 7a has a bevy of sign-in options including face unlock as well as a built-in fingerprint reader in the screen. They both are extremely fast too. There were many times where I would wait an extra second, not realizing I was already “into” my phone. It’s pretty awesome tech. The built-in fingerprint reader has a bright led light behind it that acts as a spotlight on your finger when you place it on the screen and I think that allows it to be even more accurate, rather than relying on the screen display. The fingerprint reader worked when my hands were wet or dirty as well, which is always helpful, because, lets be honest, our hands are one-hundred percent clean all the time. Lastly, I wanted to cover the build-quality of the Pixel 7a. It is excellent and feels fairly premium, despite not being forged from premium materials. This is one of the biggest differences between the Pixel 7a and Pixel 7/pro. The latter are crafted from aluminum and possess gorilla glass while the Pixel 7a’s body is crafted from a metal alloy while the back is a composite material. Again, a little less premium, but the feel in the hand makes it feel as such. Despite not having a glass back, the Pixel 7a does include wireless charging. It’s not fast wireless charging, and it takes nearly 150 minutes to recharge. Overall, the Pixel 7a is the best representation of an entry-level, budget phone. It is the new benchmark for a smartphone under $500. The superb cameras, delicious OLED, 90hz display, beautiful sounding stereo speakers and the G2 tensor processor make this an absolute budget powerhouse. I highly recommend the Pixel 7a.

I love the night vision photo option. Very melanin friendly. Very clear screen and seamless.

My 13 year old LG G4 died (ain't broke, not going to fix it), so many independent reviews said the Google Pixel 7a is an excellent choice ($400 to $500 range). My celluar service warned that buying an unlocked cell phone may have compatibility problems; NOT! Once the cell service sim card was loaded, all of the brains and guts of the service was loaded into the phone (at least in my case). I bought the phone for $375 vs $499. So far, 1 month, the phone has been great. The camera has some incredible features ( go to You Tube school), battery life is good, sound and reception is great. Do make sure your cell service will work with you on the set up ( transfer of pics and contact list) (my provider was out of stock of the 7a so was willing to help).

Originally I had a Pixel 4a. I liked it fine but the battery started to run down pretty early in its life. I made do for a long time just because I didn't want to deal with a new phone. I finally tried to get the battery replaced without any luck. I ended up at Best Buy to see if the Geek Squad could help, but no luck. I looked at phones and found a great deal on the same brand, but newer model. The battery on the Pixel 7a is GREAT! I love the way the phone handles my data and works. It charges really fast and also holds a charge for a really long time!

I went from the older Pixel 4A to the 7A. The 4A was beginning to wear out. The battery hung in there, but the USB-C charging port was becoming defective. Likes: Looks as if the 7A has better battery life. The ability to charge wirelessly is a plus, although it charges pretty slowly that way. Not having to use the USB-C port on the 7A all of the time is a relief. The user interface response is noticeably faster than it was with the 4A. The 7A starts up and reboots much faster. Dislikes: I prefer the more rounded edges of the 4A but this is not a deal breaker. The removal of the dedicated fingerprint sensor on the back, which is a huge convenience on the 4A, is definitely a "minus" on the 7A, whose on-screen fingerprint sensor is not 100% reliable. I've had to delete and redo at least one of the stored fingerprints a couple of times. That never happened with the 4A. The lack of audio port is also kind of frustrating. Fortunately, I found a small inexpensive device that enables you to use a wired headset via Bluetooth without noticeable loss of audio quality. That saved me from having to spend $50 to $100 on a Bluetooth headset or else having to use a USB-C to 3.5mm "dongle"—which works, but it's kind of annoying—just one more thing to misplace. Conclusion: In normal use the 7A seems much like the last Pixel I owned and I'm sure I'll be happy with it for several years despite a few annoyances. Google's implementation of Android is relatively spare, and you don't get the bloatware that's loaded onto other phones. That, I definitely appreciate.

The Pixel 7a has been a delightful companion for me. Its compact size fits perfectly in my hand, and the clean Android interface is a breath of fresh air. The camera consistently impresses with its quality, capturing vibrant photos effortlessly. Performance-wise, it handles everything I throw at it without breaking a sweat, and the battery easily lasts me through a day of use.