Google launched the Pixel 7a smartphone in India today, as the successor to last year’s Pixel 6a. This packs several improvements compared to the Pixel 6a, starting from 90Hz refresh rate screen, Tensor G2, the same chip that powers the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, and is also supports wireless charging. Here we have the first impressions of the phone.
Box Contents
- Pixel 7a in snow colour
- USB-C to USB-C Cable (USB 2.0)
- Quick Start Guide
- Quick Switch Adaptor
- SIM Ejector Tool
The phone has a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate compared to 60Hz in the Pixel 6a. The screen is bright, and the viewing angles are good. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. You can also see the tiny bottom bezel, but the bezels on the sides and the top are minimal. It runs Android 13, and the phone will be one of the first to get the Android 14 update. The company has promised 5 years of security updates for the phone, and it should get 3 years of OS updates.
There is a centre punch-hole display that houses a new 13MP camera, so it now supports 4K video recording. Since this is small, it doesn’t disturb when watching videos. The earpiece on the top doubles up as the secondary speaker.
The phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is the same as the Pixel 6a, so it is not that fast. It has the Google Tensor G2 SoC along with Titan M2 security chip. The performance is good, but it might heat up quickly on intensive gaming.
The phone has a metal frame. The power button and volume rockers are present on the right side. The single SIM slot is present on the left side, and the phone has eSIM support. The USB Type-C port, microphone and speaker grill are present on the bottom. The secondary microphone is present on the top.
The phone has a metal camera bar that has a new 64MP rear camera with f/1.89aperture, and OIS. There is a secondary 13MP 120° Ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture. It has up to 4K 60 fps video recording for the rear camera. You Get Night Sight, Top Shot, new long exposure and the super res zoom now supports up to 8x.
Check out some camera samples.
Compared to the glass back in the Pixel 7, this has a plastic back, which the company calls 3D thermoformed composite back cover. But it still looks and feels premium compared to the Pixel 6a.
The phone also has IP67 ratings for water resistance. The snow colour variant doesn’t show fingerprints, but the charcoal should show it. The phone packs a 4385mAh battery with support for fast charging and also supports wireless charging.
The Pixel 7a also comes in Charcoal and Sea colours in India. It is already available from Flipkart for Rs. 43,999 (MRP). There are several launch offers, including instant discount of Rs. 4,000 on HDFC Bank Cards.