Google Pixel 7a

Excellent camera for the price ; Plenty of upgrades over the Pixel 6a ; Smart software ; Some nice colour options

Middling battery life ; Achingly slow charging

Google’s mid-range series of smartphones has never been this good. While I would have liked to see better battery performance, the rest of the Pixel 7a is a triumph.

Excellent contrast ; Punchy colours ; Dynamic sound

Poor dark details ; Tough competition from Sony

The Pixel 7a is a big improvement over the more expensive Pixel 7, making it very easy to recommend.

Performance capability well beyond its price point ; Great camera improvements for this generation ; Android software just runs best on Google

Battery life isn't great – and charging rather slow ; Pricier and chunkier than its predecessor ; Screen is fairly heavy on bezel

After some battery wobbles that had me temporarily concerned, I've quickly come to regard the Google Pixel 7a as the best affordable phone you can buy right now. It's got the power, the cameras and the looks to impress. Sure, the screen's edge bezel is...

Almost as fast as the Pixel 7 Pro ; Great photo capabilities and editing tools ; Slick Android interface is a pleasure

Battery won't last all day ; Only three years of OS update support ; Too expensive given the compromises

The Google Pixel 7a is like a gas-guzzling roadster. It's faster than it should be, looks great in photos, and needs to be refueled often along the way.

Fantastic still images for a mid-range phone ; Performance punches above its price bracket ; Slick design and strong build

Price bump over last year’s effort ; Charging speeds remain behind rivals

Gains features missing from its predecessor, while staying fast, long-lasting and able to take a killer photo. The Pixel 7a is the mid-range Android phone to beat.

Comes close to Pixel 7 in feel and performance ; Great for one-handed use because of its size ; New QOL features in the same Material You interface

Battery life could be longer ; Charging speeds on the slower side ; Value is mostly software-driven, less competitive on hardware aspects vs other midrange phones

The TLDR version: If your main focus is Material You and Google's most updated AI features at its lowest possible price, the Pixel 7a might be a better pick than the Pixel 7. But make no mistake, it's still a midrange handset in other areas.