Google Pixel 7a: First impression
Google on Wednesday (May 10) announced the much-awaited Pixel 7a during the I/O 2023 developer conference.
The new Pixel 7a will be available in three colours- Snow(white), Charcoal (black) and Sea (blue)-- for Rs 43,999 (MRP). Google's official partner Flipkart will be providing early bird offer for HDFC card customers with Rs 4,000. It can be bought for as low as Rs 39,999 for a limited time and with lucrative exchange deals, the effective price will down even further.
Add to that, Pixel 7a buyers can buy Fitbit Inspire 2 or Pixel Buds A-series for just Rs 3,999 or the Pixel Buds A-Series at Rs 3,999. And, also claim free screen damage protection for one year.
Google Pixel 7a comes with a big upgrade over the Pixel 6a. I have been using the device for a few hours and here're are my initial thoughts on Google latest mid-range phone.
Display and design
Google Pixel 7a features familiar design elements of the premium Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. It flaunts the trademark silver-hued visor at the back. It houses the camera module and LED flash. I have to say, it is way better than the Pixel 6a in terms of build quality.
The successor has a better quality glass cover and sturdy metallic chassis, which offers stability to the structure and ensures, it can sustain daily wear and tear.
It should be noted that the device features 3D thermoformed composite back with sturdy alloy frame and visor. Google says the aluminum used in the housing is 100 percent recycled content.
It also features Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 shield to protect against scratches and with an IP67 rating, the device can sustain accidental water splashes or drop in a water pool for close to three feet (1 metre) for up to 30 minutes.
On the front, it sports a 6.1-inch full HD (1080x2400p) OLED screen with a pixel density of 429 ppi (pixels per inch). It supports 90Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, Always-on-Display feature. There is a definite noticeable smooth browsing experience on the Pixel 7a compared to the Pixel 6a.
The new Pixel 7a also supports an in-display fingerprint sensor and it has worked fine without any issues so far.
Processor configuration
Like the premium Pixel 7 series, the Pixel 7a too is powered by Tensor G2 silicon with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. The device has worked smoothly so far. Noticeably better than the predecessor.
Some of the key apps that make good use of the Tensor G2 chipset are Live Translate, Recorder Speaker Labels, Assistant Voice Typing, and Voice Messaging Transcription on the Messages app.
But, I noticed the device, particularly around the frame tends to get warmed up, when streaming multimedia content outdoors (with an average of 31-degree Celsius in Bengaluru), not overwhelming though.
I need more time to fully assess the new Google phone. Do come back for the full review.
The device runs on Android 13 and it is as clean as it can get. It comes with just Google's core apps. And, Pixel 7a is promised to get three major Android updates up to 2026.
It also boasts Titan M2TM security coprocessor, which ensures all the sensitive data is fully encrypted and protected from cyber threats. Add to that, Google has promised to offer five years of security software support.
Also, it comes 4,385mAh battery. It is more than enough to keep the phone running for a day under normal usage and is said to deliver up to 72 under extreme battery saver mode.
This needs to be assessed on how much optimised the device is and truly lives up to the expectations.
It supports 18W fast charging and even wireless charging, which was sorely missed in the Pixel 6a.
Also, Pixel 7a supports the 5G service offered by both Reliance Jio and Airtel in India.
Photography hardware
Pixel 7a boasts dual-camera module-- main 64MP Quad PD Quad Bayer wide camera (0.8 μm pixel width, ƒ/1.89 aperture, 80-degree field of view, 1/1.73-inch image sensor size, Super Res Zoom up to 8x) + 13 MP ultrawide camera (1.12 μm pixel width, ƒ/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, Lens correction, Autofocus with dual pixel phase detection), OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation) with LED flash on the back.
On the front, it houses 13MP (1.12 μm pixel width, ƒ/2.2, Fixed focus, and 95-degree ultrawide FoV).
Pixel 7a supports several value-added features such as Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser, Night Sight, Long Exposure, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Panorama, Manual white balancing, Locked Folder, Top Shot, Portrait Mode, Portrait Light, Super Res Zoom (8X), Motion Auto Focus, Frequent Faces, Dual exposure controls, Live HDR+.
As you can see from the sample photos, Google has done a great job with Pixel 7a. It takes gorgeous crisp photos in the sunlight. The colours are vibrant and the details are exceptionally captured.
I even tried the Portrait mode, they have come off really well with a natural bokeh effect. I am very eager to test the Pixel 7a's capabilities in the Night Sight mode, Super Res Zoom and also try out how smoothly the Magic Eraser work.
Pixel 7a also comes with the Cinematic Pan feature, Slo-mo video support up to 240 FPS, 4K timelapse with stabilization, Astrophotography timelapse, Optical image stabilization, Fused video stabilization, 4K Cinematic Pan video stabilization, 4K locked video stabilization, 1080p active video stabilization and Digital zoom up to 5x.
The back camera can record up to 4K at 30/60 fps (frames per second) and the front camera can achieve the same feat, but is limited to 30fps.
Initial thoughts
Like all Pixel phones, the new Pixel 7a too has fantastic camera hardware and there is hardly in competition in its class. However, it needs to be assessed in other aspects such as battery and performance.
Do come back for the full review of the Pixel 7a next week.
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