Google Pixel 7a review

Pixel-specific Android 13

One of the main reasons to get a Pixel is its software, and the 7a is the easiest entry into that club. There are other makers that offer a 'stock' Android experience, but the Pixel way is different. You get a streamlined UI without heavy customization but with some Pixel-exclusive features that make Google devices stand out.

Naturally, the 7a is running the latest Android 13, which leads us to the next big advantage - updates. Google Pixel phones offer the fastest Android updates on the market, and the company promises at least three years of major Android updates and 5 years of security patches.

If you are familiar with the stock Android look, you will easily feel right at home. The quick toggles are pill-shaped, and there's still no toggle for adaptive brightness - a long-standing omission.

Lock screen • Home screen • Recent apps • App drawer • Quick toggles • Notification shade

One of the biggest recent additions to stock Android is support for theming - at least in terms of color - of the icons too. Music players now change their appearance based on the album art too. Last but not least, swiping up from the home screen opens up the app drawer along with the keyboard for an instant search - though if that's not how you like to operate your app drawer, you can disable the auto keyboard behavior.

General settings • Wallpaper and theming

What Google excels at is services. The company is able to leverage its advancements in machine learning and AI to come up with some nifty features. This includes things like Call Screen which uses Google Assistant to answer calls from unknown numbers to filter out spammers, Direct My Call for navigating automated calling systems using a visual UI, Now Playing for identifying songs playing nearby even when offline, Top Shot for recommending a better shot when you take a slightly blurry one, Face Unblur, and more. These features remain exclusive to the Pixel series and Google often adds new ones through its Pixel Feature Drops.

Now Playing • Face Unblur • Magic Eraser • Top shot

Performance and benchmarks

For another generation, the Pixel 'a' model comes with the same chipset as the regular, 'high-end' Pixels. It's an SoC that's not up to the same high standard as the ubiquitous Qualcomm top-tier Snapdragon, and that puts the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro at somewhat of a disadvantage. But where the Pixel 7a stands, the Tensor G2 is a relative powerhouse, particularly in the GPU field, and that's before considering its hard to quantify AI capabilities.

What's less than ideal is that the 7a only comes with one storage option and 128GB may be limiting for some users. That is one of few advantages you get by going for a Pixel 7 - it can be had with 256GB or storage. The 8GB of RAM on the 7 and 7a don't feel inadequate, and it's only the 7 Pro that gets a 12GB option.

Indeed, the Pixel 7a puts out very high benchmark results for its class, though a recent midrange Snapdragon does still manage to come up on top. We're talking about the SD 7+ Gen 2, represented here by the Poco F5, which comfortably outscores the Tensor G2 in the Pixel 7a in both single-core and multi-core GeekBench.

The Pixel is still way ahead of the Motorola Edge 40 (Dimensity 8020), Nothing Phone (1) (SD 778G+), and Galaxy A54 (Exynos 1380) under single-threaded loads, and maintains a small advantage in multi-core against the Phone (1) and the A54.

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  1216
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  1096
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  1056
• Google Pixel 7
  1051
• Pixel 7a
  1051
• Google Pixel 6a
  1047
• Nothing Phone (1)
  820
• Motorola Edge 40
  799
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  795
• Galaxy A54
  770
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  667

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  3939
• Motorola Edge 40
  3320
• Google Pixel 7
  3288
• Pixel 7a
  3191
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  3187
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  3049
• Nothing Phone (1)
  3024
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  2936
• Google Pixel 6a
  2876
• Galaxy A54
  2703
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  1897

The balance of power remains similar in Antutu, with the Pixel 7a staying ahead of key rivals. The Poco F5 may not be a direct competitor, but if a bigger name adopts the SD 7+ Gen 2, things won't look quite as rosy for the Pixel.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  931174
• Google Pixel 7
  813114
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  796369
• Pixel 7a
  765281
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  719696
• Google Pixel 6a
  712092
• Motorola Edge 40
  688347
• Nothing Phone (1)
  592789
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  534143
• Galaxy A54
  506678
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  357142

The Tensor G2's GPU can stand up better to that of the latest Qualcomm midrange chip and the Pixel 7a shows excellent fps numbers for the class in GFXBench, particularly in the onscreen runs. The Poco still takes the lead in the tests' offscreen counterparts. The Moto and the Galaxy are nowhere near the Pixel's results.

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Pixel 7a
  50
• Google Pixel 7
  49
• Poco F5
  48
• Google Pixel 6a
  47
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  38
• Motorola Edge 40
  33
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  26
• Nothing Phone (1)
  23
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  23
• Galaxy A54
  19
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  11

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Pixel 7a
  49
• Poco F5
  48
• Google Pixel 7
  46
• Google Pixel 6a
  39
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  38
• Motorola Edge 40
  31
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  25
• Nothing Phone (1)
  23
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  23
• Galaxy A54
  19
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  11

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  66
• Pixel 7a
  62
• Google Pixel 7
  59
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  56
• Google Pixel 6a
  51
• Motorola Edge 40
  43
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  34
• Nothing Phone (1)
  33
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  33
• Galaxy A54
  25
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  16

GFX Aztek ES 3.1 High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  33
• Pixel 7a
  32
• Google Pixel 7
  31
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  29
• Google Pixel 6a
  29
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  24
• Motorola Edge 40
  21
• Nothing Phone (1)
  15
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  15
• Galaxy A54
  13
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  7.8

GFX Aztek Vulkan High (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  36
• Pixel 7a
  33
• Google Pixel 6a
  32
• Google Pixel 7
  31
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  30
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  25
• Motorola Edge 40
  20
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  17
• Nothing Phone (1)
  16
• Galaxy A54
  13
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  8.1

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (offscreen 1080p)

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  77
• Google Pixel 7
  66
• Google Pixel 6a
  66
• Pixel 7a
  64
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  63
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  57
• Motorola Edge 40
  50
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  39
• Nothing Phone (1)
  37
• Galaxy A54
  31
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  19

The results in 3DMark cement the Pixel 7a's superiority over its rivals. The SD 7+ Gen 2-equipped Poco is, once more, ahead of the Google phone.

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  7524
• Pixel 7a
  6646
• Google Pixel 7
  6569
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  6470
• Google Pixel 6a
  6066
• Galaxy S21 FE 5G
  5432
• Motorola Edge 40
  4476
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  2969
• Nothing Phone (1)
  2921
• Galaxy A54
  2818
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  1205

3DMark Wild Life Extreme (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Poco F5
  1961
• Pixel 7a
  1859
• Google Pixel 7
  1848
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
  1835
• Motorola Edge 40
  1261
• Xiaomi 13 Lite
  828
• Galaxy A54
  808
• Sony Xperia 10 V
  358

The Tensor G2 isn't exactly renowned for its stability under sustained load and the 7a's results in both the CPU throttling test and the 3DMark Wild life stress test reflect that - both tests returned stability scores in the 60s. For what it's worth, at least the ramp down in performance is very gradual.

CPU throttling test • 3DMark Wild Life stress test