Google is expected to launch the Pixel 7a under its mid-range segment smartphones on May 10 at its annual developer conference, Google I/O. The Pixel 7a will be the successor of the Pixel 6a, which was one of the best cheap phones of 2022. But what can we expect from the Pixel 7a and how will it differ from the Pixel 6a? Here are some of the key features and rumors about the upcoming phone.
Design and Display
According to some leaked renders[^2^][5], the Pixel 7a will look very similar to the Pixel 7, with a punch-hole display, a square camera module on the back, and a matte finish. The phone will also have a 3.5mm headphone jack and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The renders also show a new sky blue color option, along with the usual black and white variants.
The Pixel 7a will reportedly have a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a refresh rate of 90Hz. This would be a slight improvement over the Pixel 6a's 5.8-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and a refresh rate of 60Hz.
Camera and Performance
The Pixel 7a will likely have a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 64MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor. This would be an upgrade from the Pixel 6a's single 12.2MP main sensor. The front-facing camera will be an 8MP sensor, which is the same as the Pixel 6a.
The Pixel 7a will also be powered by Google's own Tensor G2 chipset, which is based on a 5nm process and has an octa-core CPU and a Mali-G710 MP7 GPU]. This would be a significant boost from the Pixel 6a's Snapdragon 730G chipset, which is based on an 8nm process and has an octa-core CPU and an Adreno 618 GPU. The Pixel 7a will also have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, which are the same as the Pixel 6a.
Battery and Software
The Pixel 7a will have a 4500mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the Pixel 6a's 4080mAh battery. The phone will also support fast charging with an 18W wired charger, but it will not have wireless charging or reverse wireless charging.
The Pixel 7a will run on Android 13 out of the box, which is the latest version of Google's operating system. The phone will also get three years of software updates and security patches from Google, which is one of the main advantages of buying a Pixel phone.
Face Unlock
One of the most interesting features that the Pixel 7a will introduce is face unlock, which was absent on the Pixel 6a. Face unlock is a biometric authentication method that uses facial recognition to unlock the phone. The Pixel 7 was the first Google phone to have face unlock, but it was removed from the Pixel 6 due to some technical issues.
The Pixel 7a will reportedly have both face unlock and fingerprint unlock options, giving users more choices for securing their phones. Face unlock will use an infrared sensor and a dot projector to scan the user's face in three dimensions, making it more secure and accurate than other face unlock methods that use only the front camera.
Price and Availability
The Pixel 7a is expected to launch on May 10 at Google I/O, along with other products such as the Google Nest Hub Max Pro and the Google Home Mini Plus. The phone will likely go on sale shortly after the launch event.
The price of the Pixel 7a is rumored to be $499, which is $50 more than the Pixel 6a's price of $449. This would make it more expensive than some of its competitors in the mid-range segment, such as the Samsung Galaxy A54. However, given the features and performance that the Pixel 7a offers, it might still be worth considering for those who want a pure
Android experience and a reliable camera. The Pixel 7a will also be the first affordable phone from Google to have face unlock, which could be a selling point for some users.
The Pixel 7a is shaping up to be an impressive mid-range phone that will offer some of the features and performance of the flagship Pixel 7 at a lower price. The phone will also have the advantage of running on Android 13 and getting timely updates from Google. If you are looking for a budget-friendly phone that can handle your daily tasks and take great photos, the Pixel 7a might be the one for you.
What do you think of the Pixel 7a? Are you planning to buy one? Let us know in the comments below.