- Google should announce a new Pixel 7a on the sidelines of the Google I / O that the firm will hold in May
- The “a” series are generally more entry-level, but Google would surprisingly emphasize premium features
- It would benefit from a 90 Hz screen, new premium photo sensors as well as the same Tensor G2 chip marketed with the Pixel 7
After the first offensive steps (we think in particular of the Nexus), Google has somewhat lost its audience with the first Pixel smartphones. The first generations were not necessarily all sold internationally, and the formula was not necessarily so premium as that, with the exception of the photo part.
However, in recent years there has been an attractive change in strategy. The design and experience delivered by the Google Pixel becomes much more mature and upscale. Google has even developed a chip internally to better meet the needs of its devices, the Tensor chip (which is in its G2 version since Pixel 7).
Added to this is the firm’s efforts to give more flexibility to the photo part (which has, we repeat, always been excellent on these smartphones. As the first info on the Pixel 7a is starting to come out, we offer you to take stock of everything we know about these smartphones.
Google Pixel 7a: price and release date
For now, nothing is 100% sure about the price and release date of the Pixel 7a. We simply note that its predecessor, the Pixel 6a, was marketed at its launch for €459 – and there is little chance that the price will change much with the release of the Pixel 7a. Regarding the release date, at the time of writing, everything indicates that Google will at least announce the smartphone during the Google I/O that the firm is organizing during the month of May.
This fits with the certification of the smartphone with the FCC – we know thanks to this, by the way, that there will be three variants of the smartphone, and that one of them will be compatible with 5G mmWave. A variant of the Pixel 6a was also compatible with this network, but it was only marketed to customers of the American operator Verizon.
What is the Pixel 7a spec sheet?
What will be the big improvements of this Pixel 7a compared to the Pixel 6a on the technical sheet side? One thing is already pretty clear: the Pixel 7a will be significantly more premium than the Pixel 6a.
The first novelty concerns the screen. We know, for example, that Google will switch from a 60Hz screen (quite classic at this price level) to a 90Hz 1080p screen. Note in passing that the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus (basic models) still and always offer 60Hz screens – the cheapest iPhone 14 is sold for €1,019.
Another major improvement: the photo. The Pixel 6a used a somewhat aging Sony IMX363 sensor. On the Pixel 7a we will have a set of two much newer sensors. The main sensor will be a Sony IMX787 that we are just beginning to see appear on the latest references from Nubia and ZTE.
The ultra wide angle sensor would be a Sony IMX712. The arrival of these two sensors in a smartphone, particularly in the expected 7a price bracket, is excellent news: these sensors are known to take excellent shots in all light conditions.
Another big improvement: the switch to the in-house Tensor G2 chip, the same chip as on the Pixel 7. This chip engraved in 5 nm delivers optimizations that allow the Pixel 7 to be responsive in all circumstances and save battery power – especially for all image, video and machine learning reprocessing tasks.
What design will the Pixel 7a have?
© Onleaks / Smartprix
At this stage few visuals of the smartphone have leaked. But CAD renderings taken over by Oneaks and the Smartprix site give a fairly faithful idea of the design of the Pixel 7a. From the outset, do not expect a revolution compared to Pixel 7 (after all we are talking about a Pixel 7a and not a Pixel 8…).
We should therefore find the same materials as on the Pixel 6a (glass, metal and plastic on the back) and overall a design very close to the Pixel 7. The device will be slightly thicker, and larger than the Pixel 6a with pfor dimensions 152.4 x 72.9 x 9.0mm. It is likely, moreover, that Google will launch new colors to further distinguish this model.
According to analyst Kubo Wojciechowski, the model will among other things be available in an “Arctic Blue” colorway designed to go with a “Sky Blue” colorway that should arrive soon on the Pixel Buds.
The latest on the Pixel 7a
We’re bringing you all the latest Pixel 7a bits here as they arrive – to give you a clearer idea of the features and possible surprises that will be found on this model.
