Google Pixel 7a, the company’s newest mass-market model, joins an expanded Pixel eco-system

This is Google’s newest mid-price phone, the Google Pixel 7a. Joining the established Pixel 7 family, released in 2022, the 7a follows the established playbook of releasing a more affordable yet still impressively specified version of its current model line a few months after the original launch.

Sharing the same Tensor G2 chip as its pricier siblings, the Pixel 7a does all the things they can do, with savings coming from a less lens-packed camera array and a 6.1in screen (slightly smaller than the 7’s 6.3in screen and the 7 Pro’s large 6.7in screen). That said, the 7a doesn’t feel like a compromise. The processor enables the device to match the in-camera processor of the 7 and 7 Pro, with the Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser and Night Sight mode all present and correct. There’s also a long exposure mode for the first time in an A-series phone.  

Google’s much-vaunted albeit vaguely specified AI systems help run the search and audio quality on the Pixel 7a, and the fast chip speed also gives access to the essential audio transcription app and the ability to read out audio messages. Face and fingerprint unlock add to the security, with a bundled three months of Google’s own Virtual Private Network access.

Announced alongside two new additions to the Google device family, the Pixel Fold and the Pixel Tablet, the 7a is part of a big expansion of the company’s device eco-system. Boasting a day-long battery pack, five years’ worth of software updates, together with more than a fifth of the glass, aluminium and plastic casing being made of recycled materials, the Pixel 7a looks like a solid choice for a straightforward, no-nonsense device.

Google Pixel 7a available now from Store.Google.com, £449