Refurbished Google Pixel 7a available at Rs 19,999 on ControlZ but should you go for this deal?

The Google Pixel 7a launched in India in 2023 as the affordable alternative to the flagship Pixel 7 series. It was launched at Rs 43,999, and now the refurbished unit is available at Rs 19,999. While this may sound like a good deal, there are key things to note here. First, the phone is over two years old, and you’re getting a refurbished unit, not a new one. The Pixel 7a is still listed on Flipkart for Rs 28,999, but it’s currently not in stock. So if you wanted to use a Pixel on a budget, then the Pixel 7a on ControlZ seems to be one of the few options available. Does it still make sense to get it, though? Let’s find out.

The Pixel 7a has a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. At this price point, this is still a decent display, and you’re getting an OLED panel, which is rare in this segment. The 6.1-inch screen would also give a compact feel for anyone looking for a smaller phone. During our experience with the phone, we found its display to produce vibrant colours and high contrast ratios. The screen worked perfectly outdoors, too, but its bezels are quite thick, which might make it look dated compared to newer phones.

The Pixel 7a, like its older and newer siblings, stands strong for its camera capabilities. It’s not just the camera sensors but more of what goes on behind to deliver the final result. The Pixel 7a has a 64MP primary sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide lens at the back, and the phone supports 2x zoom. The Pixel 7a can capture highly detailed images with vibrant colours, and nails the edge detection for portrait shots. Low-light shots retain detail, and noise levels are also smoothened out, but in a nice way. You also get highly detailed images, even with extremely low lighting.

When it comes to performance, the Pixel 7a does not shine, and it doesn’t aim to do so. The phone is qualified for regular usage, like social media browsing, content streaming, and using Google’s suite of apps. While you can test some heavy titles like Call of Duty: Mobile on the Pixel 7a, the phone tends to run hot, resulting in frame drops and an unpleasant experience. So, performance shouldn’t be a top reason to pick this smartphone.

Another key area where the Pixel 7a lags is battery and charging. You’re getting a 4,385mAh battery, which in our experience lasted for around six hours on a full charge. It also supports only 18W, so the phone takes around two hours to fully charge. This is quite slow compared to phones these days that support up to 80W in the same segment.

Software is a key aspect of Pixel phones, as you get the clean, stock Android experience right from the source. There’s no bloatware, and the only pre-installed apps are Google’s. The Pixel 7a runs Android 13 out of the box, and it will get five years of security updates, which means the phone will be updated until Android 18. This way, the phone is secured long-term.

Overall, the Pixel 7a at this price point should only be considered if you want that clean Android OS experience with long-term software support, good cameras, and a compact form factor. The phone won’t feel very dated among its closely priced peers, but its performance and battery life do take a few steps back. But otherwise, you would still get that premium Google experience and a phone that’s good enough for your daily usage.

As for the quality of the phone, the refurbished Pixel 7a should be in good condition, as ControlZ ensures that the phone goes through AI-driven diagnostics, factory-level testing, and precision engineering. You also get EMI options and a warranty up to 18 months for phones purchased through ControlZ. Buying from this platform also helps curb e-waste so it would be an environmentally conscious decision as well.