Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 7: Today’s mid-ranger or yesteryear’s flagship?

WIth the arrival of the Google Pixel 8a, and with the Pixel 7a dropping to a lower price, the new budget phone effectively replaces the Pixel 7 on the brand’s roster.

So how do these two phones stack up to one another? It’s an intriguing comparison to make, with the new mid-ranger closing the gap to the ageing flagship in several key ways, tellingly overtaking it in others, but still pulling up short on a couple of fronts.

We’ve reviewed both phones, handing out a pair of 4-star scores. This is looking likely to be a closely run thing.

Comparing them spec for spec is one thing, of course, but then there’s the matter of which phone is the better buy right now. We’ve got a pretty unequivocal opinion on that, but you’ll have to read to the end to find out.

Here, then, is a full comparison of the Google Pixel 8a vs the Pixel 7. Let’s start by seeing how those specifications measure up.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 7: specs comparison

Here’s a quick overview of the specifications for the Pixel 8a and the Pixel 7. It doesn’t quite tell the whole story when it comes to the Pixel 7’s key strengths, which we’ll go on to discuss.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 7: price and availability

The Pixel 7 arrived on October 13, 2022, a good year-and-a-half before the Pixel 8a on May 14, 2024.

At launch, Pixel 7 pricing started from $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 128GB of storage, while the step-up 256GB model set you back $699 / £699 / AU$1,129.

The Pixel 8a launch price is quite a bit cheaper, with an RRP of $499 / £499 / AU$849 for the 128GB entry model. You can double that storage to 256GB for $559 / £559 / AU$949.

You’ll struggle to find the Pixel 7 brand-new from mainstream outlets. At the time of writing, it’s still listed on the Google Store for a lower starting price of £449, but there are no handsets in stock.

Amazon, too, no longer has any more brand new Pixel 7 units available. Its time appears to have passed, although you’ll still be able to pick up a refurbished bargain through the usual outlets.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 7: design and display

The Pixel 8a and Pixel 7 definitely come from the same school of design, with slightly rounded aluminum frames, zesty block-color backs, and distinctive width-spanning camera modules across the board.

There are telling differences, however, that speak to the difference between the original production budgets. It’s right there in the Pixel 7’s glass back and Gorilla Glass Victus front, compared to the Pixel 8a’s soft-touch plastic rear and inferior Gorilla Glass 3 front.

Then there’s the fact that the aforementioned camera visor is of a piece with the frame on the Pixel 7, but has been stuck onto the Pixel 8a as a separate component. Or the fact that the Pixel 7 is IP68 rated, making it more water resistant than the IP67-rated Pixel 8a.

There are some minor aesthetic and tactile differences to note here too. The Pixel 8a has much rounder corners, while its matte plastic back is actually a little nicer to handle and more resistant to fingerprints, even if it’s technically less premium.

Then there’s the fact that the Pixel 8a is fundamentally a smaller, lighter (by 9g) phone than its premium brother.

The biggest reason for that size difference, at least in terms of the footprint, is that the Pixel 7 display is larger. It measures 6.3 inches to the Pixel 8a’s 6.1 inches.

Both are AMOLED displays, and both have 1080 x 2400 FHD+ resolutions. Interestingly, however, the Pixel 8a screen has a smoother 120Hz refresh rate compared to the 90Hz Pixel 7.

The Pixel 8a’s new ‘Actua’ screen also gets brighter than its older brother, with a stated peak brightness of 2000 nits literally outshining the Pixel 7’s 1400 nits.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 7: cameras

Pixel phones are renowned for their cameras, regardless of how much you’re paying, and it always comes down to a combination of Google’s peerless image processing algorithms and its hardware.

The Pixel 7 wins on pure camera hardware. Its 50MP 1/1.31“ main sensor is simply bigger and better than the Pixel 8a’s 64MP 1/1.73” equivalent, pulling in more light and detail.

The same is true of the Pixel 7’s 12MP ultra-wide compared to the Pixel 8a’s 13MP, though the difference is seemingly less pronounced.

Going back to the main cameras, we rated the picture quality of the Pixel 7 extremely highly. It’s the exact same component as the Pixel 7 Pro, which until October 2023 was the best phone in Google’s line-up.

This camera takes excellent, contrasty shots with brilliant dynamic range and superb low light quality.

Google Pixel 7 camera samples:

Image 1 of 35

The same can be said of the Pixel 8a, but less so. You probably won’t notice much of a difference on smaller screens, but if you zoom in you’ll see that the Pixel 8a camera isn’t quite such a top performer – creditable as it is.

Google Pixel 8a camera samples:

Image 1 of 24

Where the Pixel 8a strikes back is with its more advanced Tensor G3 processor, which has better image processing chops. It also brings a suite of AI tricks with it, including Best Take (ensure everyone is smiling) and Audio Magic Eraser (clean up unwanted background noise from videos).

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 7: performance and software

Google’s unique decision to fit out its cheaper A-series with the same processor as its current flagship series means that the Pixel 8a outperforms the Pixel 7 in every way. The newer phone runs on the same Tensor G3 chip as the Pixel 8 Pro, which is a generation ahead of the Pixel 7’s Tensor G2.

In general usage, we would defy you to notice the difference. Both phones run nice and smoothly, and can run the latest games well. Where the Pixel 8a’s more modern processor has the biggest advantage is with its added performance headroom, as well as its AI potential.

Even more than those aforementioned camera AI skills, this manifests itself when Google’s Gemini Nano AI assistant on the Pixel 8a, letting the phone run handy AI tasks locally. Pretty soon, it’ll also be getting full multimodal capabilities, which will mean the ability to understand contextual information beyond text, including images, sounds, and spoken language.

Talking of software, both of these phones run the latest version of Google’s Android OS, which is admirably clean and concise. They handle almost identically, with only those aforementioned AI embellishments giving the Pixel 8a a small advantage.

The biggest software win for the Pixel 8a is Google’s promise of seven years of updates, whereas the Pixel 7 will only get new Android versions up to October 2025 and fresh security updates to October 2027.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 7: battery life

Despite the Pixel 8a being the smaller device of the two, its 4,492mAh battery is actually a little bigger than the Pixel 7’s 4,355mAh cell.

Added to that newer, more efficient 4-nanometer Tensor G3 chip, the Pixel 8a would appear to have an advantage over the Pixel 7.

In truth, however, neither phone particularly impresses on the stamina front. We called battery life “the Pixel 8a’s biggest letdown” in our Google Pixel 8a review, and found that it struggled to last through a full day.

From our Google Pixel 7 review, the phone's battery managed to get us to bedtime, but it didn’t have much left in the tank.

Neither phone charges very quickly, but the Pixel 7 takes a small win here. It supports 20W wired and 20W wireless charging (with the appropriate charger) to the Pixel 8a’s 18W wired and 7.5W wireless. But neither phone gives you the necessary charging brick in the box either.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 7: verdict

We liked the Pixel 7 a lot back in the day, but the Pixel 8a shows how quickly the smartphone market is progressing. It might not have as premium a build or as strong a camera, but in every other way the newer mid-range phone outguns the older flagship.

The Pixel 8a has a faster processor, a brighter and more fluid display, and a much more extensive software support promise. It appears those updates will include more exciting AI enhancements, too.

It’s true that you might be able to find a Pixel 7 for significantly cheaper than the Pixel 8a these days, but in our experience you’ll struggle to find a brand new model. Google’s 2022 flagship is being phased out.

While the Pixel 7 remains a fine phone, the Pixel 8a is quite simply superior in the here and now, and a much better investment for the future as well.

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