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Tech · Google · 2023

Google Pixel 7a

The low-cost way into a Pixel camera, with security updates that run out in May 2028.

Used Android phones: the update date sets the order — #5

Overall

7.6

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Value (8.6), weakest on Durability (6.6), a 2.0-point spread. The 7.6 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Google Pixel 7a — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Google Pixel 7a: Performance 7.2, Value 8.6, Durability 6.6, Ease of use 8.2, Design 7.2.PerformanceGoogle Pixel 7a — Performance 7.2 out of 107.2ValueGoogle Pixel 7a — Value 8.6 out of 108.6DurabilityGoogle Pixel 7a — Durability 6.6 out of 106.6Ease of useGoogle Pixel 7a — Ease of use 8.2 out of 108.2DesignGoogle Pixel 7a — Design 7.2 out of 107.2Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Display
6.1-inch OLED, 90Hz
Chip
Google Tensor G2
Memory
8GB RAM
Battery
4,385mAh typical
Cameras
64MP main, 13MP ultrawide
Charging
18W wired, 7.5W wireless
Water resistance
IP67
Updates
Security through May 2028 (Google)

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • You want Pixel photo processing at the smallest outlay on this page
  • It is a backup phone, a kid's first phone, or a travel spare

Skip it if

  • You want a phone that is still patched in 2029
  • The listing shows any gap between the screen and frame, a sign of a swelling battery
  • You notice a 90Hz screen next to 120Hz ones
  • Fast charging matters, since 18W wired makes a tired battery feel worse

The 7a uses its own 64MP main sensor rather than the Pixel 7’s, and reviewers found the results close in good light, with the same Pixel processing behind both. On the used market it costs the least of anything here. For a lot of people that ends the discussion.

The update date is what ranks it last. Google lists May 2028 as the end of security updates, so a 7a bought today gets about a year and a half before it stops receiving patches.

Battery swelling shows up often enough in 7a owner reports that Google set up a battery program for affected units. Ask the seller whether the battery has been replaced, and look closely at listing photos along the edge of the screen. A screen lifting from the frame means the battery is swelling. Don’t buy that phone, and don’t let one ship to you on the promise that it “still works.”

Tensor G2 runs warmer than the Snapdragon chips on this list, and the slow wired charging makes a weak battery more noticeable.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.