Key Takeaways
- Consider last year’s Pixel 7a now that its price is coming down.
- The Pixel 7a comes in a unique Coral color option that the Pixel 8a lacks.
- The Pixel 7a provides an edgier design and the same camera setup as the Pixel 8a.
Google recently announced the latest model in its portfolio of Pixel smartphones. After months of rumors and leaks, the Pixel 8a is now available for preorder directly from Google.
The Pixel 8a is a compelling mid-range offering, to be sure. It brings with it an industry-leading promise of seven years of software support, as well as tons of Gemini AI-goodness, all at a fairly accessible price point.
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That being said, if you’re currently shopping around for a new phone, it would be a mistake for you to dismiss last year’s Pixel 7a model. Here are five reasons why you should consider the Pixel 7a over the newer Pixel 8a.
1 The Pixel 7a is more affordable
Your wallet will thank you
With the Pixel 8a, Google is sticking with the same $499 entry price that it offered last year’s Pixel 7a at. As you might expect, with all eyes now lazer-focused on the new model, some great deals will soon start to pop up for the previous generation phone.
For the time being, the Pixel 7a is still listed on Google’s official website. If you explore various third-party storefronts or delve into the used phone market, expect some great Pixel 7a deals to surface over the course of the next few months.
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2 You’ll have the option to spring for ‘Coral’
Google isn’t offering the Pixel 8a in this lovely colorway
The Pixel 8a is available in 4 distinct choices of color: Aloe, Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian. Admittedly, this is a pleasant assortment to choose from, especially when compared to the mute and drab colorways offers by Apple with its iPhone 15 line.
Unfortunately, last year’s Pixel 7a Coral color didn’t make the cut. It’s a striking hue that blends both red and pink, and it’s a shame to see it on the chopping block this year.
Thankfully, Coral is still offered as a Google-store exclusive on the company’s website, and both used and refurbished handsets are circulating around on various marketplaces as well. If Coral speaks to you, then the Pixel 7a is the phone to snap up while you still can.
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3 You’ll get the same 18W of fast charging
You’ll also get the same 7.5W of Qi wireless charging
If you opt for the Pixel 7a instead of its newer sibling, you’ll still benefit from the exact same charging specifications. 18W of wired charging is far from the world’s fastest, but it’s enough to top up your handset without having to sit around waiting. 7.5W of Qi inductive charging is also present and accounted for, so you’ll still be able to use that wireless charger you have kicking around.
The newer Pixel 8a is still on the same playing field as the Pixel 7a.
You won’t get compatibility with the fancy new Qi2 standard and all of its 15W of wireless glory, but the newer Pixel 8a is still on the same playing field as the Pixel 7a.
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4 You get the exact same camera setup
These days, it’s all about computation photography
If you want the latest and greatest camera hardware on a smartphone, you’ll have to look towards flagship models like the Pixel 8 Pro. While the Pixel a series doesn’t offer a periscope lens for optical zoom, it still offers a high-quality photography package out of the box.
Much of the magic happens at the software level, with computational algorithms stitching together an image that the camera optics alone simply wouldn’t be able to muster. If you decide to pick up the Pixel 7a instead of its successor, you’ll get largely the same experience — including the same hardware setup — as you would with the Pixel 8a.
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5 You won’t get a compromised experience
The Pixel 7a still evokes a premium look and feel
Sometimes, mid-range smartphones are artificially limited or otherwise feel like they are given the short end of the stick to boost the appeal of more expensive flagship models. Regardless of whether you spring for the Pixel 8a or the Pixel 7a, you won’t be getting the fancy bells and whistles of the Pro lineup, but you’ll still be getting a fairly high-quality experience.
The Pixel 7a offers the same Google-engineered software experience as every other Pixel phone.
The Pixel 7a, while no longer being the latest phone in its particular product class, still evokes a sense of quality when it’s operating as a daily driver. Its plastic body doesn’t feel cheap, its design language is just as pronounced as its more expensive siblings, and its software is silky-smooth and free of bloatware.
This last point might be the most important of all — the Pixel 7a offers the same Google-engineered software experience as every other Pixel phone, which means you won’t be getting a sullied experience simply by opting for last year’s mid-range model.
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