Google finally launched its mid-range Pixel 7a smartphone in India a few days ago. The handset arrives as a successor to the Pixel 6a from last year and brings some very notable improvements, especially to the cameras, chipset, display, and battery. The handset is already on sale in India exclusively via Flipkart for an asking price of Rs 43,999. The phone comes in Charcoal, Sea, and Snow colour options. Here are the top four reasons to buy the device and also reasons to skip buying the phone, based on our review.
3 reasons to not buy the Google Pixel 7a
Performance is not up to the competition
Pixel 7a comes Tensor G2 chipset, which also powers the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. While the performance for day-to-day tasks is seamless without any major hiccups. We didn’t see any major lags or stutters in the use, this is mainly because of the good software optimisation. However, when it comes to RAW performance during gaming or resource-intense tasks, this is where things get complicated.
The performance doesn’t stand up to the competition, especially with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 SoC at the heart of phones like the OnePlus 11R. If RAW performance is what you are looking for, Pixel 7a might not be your best-suited companion.
Slow charging speeds
The Google Pixel 7a comes with 18W fast charging support, which is very slow when compared to 120W, 100W, and 80W charging speeds on competing phones. This is a huge letdown even after paying around Rs 44,000.
Only 128GB storage option
The Google Pixel 7a comes with just a 128GB storage variant. While this may be optimal for a regular smartphone user, for heavy users who are into gaming and clicking pics and recording videos, this may not be sufficient. The storage gets occupied quite fast courtesy of the large image sizes from big sensors such as the 64MP unit. Adding to the vows is the lack of expandable storage.
4 reasons to buy the Google Pixel 7a
Great cameras
Google Pixel phones are known for their top-notch photography skills. Going in the same path, the Pixel 7a also offers the same level of experience. Firstly, the primary sensor is upgraded to a new 64MP sensor from the 12.2MP sensor on the Pixel 6a. The stills captured on the Pixel 7a are very impressive. Google’s computational algorithm enhances the final shots.
The Pixel 7a has managed to clock highly detailed images during good daylight conditions. The Tensor G2 adjusts the dynamic range and exposure levels in its post-processing. The handset can also capture shots at 2X zoom. There’s a Long Exposure mode that works as advertised by blurring fast-moving objects in the background while the subject remains in focus. The 13MP shooter on the front also does a stellar job. The low-light photos are also exceptionally well with good details.
Bloatware-free UI
Pixel 7a boots Android 13 OS out of the box and is guaranteed to get major Android upgrades a least for the foreseeable future. Unlike phones from competing brands, Google’s Android is free of bloatware with no pesky third-party apps that not only take up storage but also push spammy notifications at regular intervals. This is a blessing in disguise for those who want a clean and bloat-free UI.
Decent battery life
Pixel 7a packs a 4385mAh battery with slower 18W charging support. For the first time, there’s wireless charging support as well. In our review, we found the Pixel 7a’s battery life to be pretty decent as it was able to last about six hours on a full charge. This is more than acceptable for the phone’s size. For a casual user, the phone should easily last an entire day without any issues. However, the phone takes more than 2 hours to charge completely.
Good Display
The Pixel 7a sports a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. This is the first time in the Pixel A-series that a phone is getting a high screen refresh rate. The quality of the panel used on the phone is premium as it offers good visuals and vibrance be it for gaming or media consumption. Speaking of which, here is HDR10 playback support on OTT platforms like Netflix. You get the sense of using a flagship while scrolling through the premium screen of the Pixel 7a. Google has done it right with the screen calibration.
