Looking back, it’s easy to see thePixel 7awas Google’s warning shot for its 2023 smartphone lineup. The device, which debuted at Google I/O, brought the price tag back up to $500 for the first time since the Pixel 4a 5G three years ago. It wasn’t so much the power-to-value ratio that made the extra upfront cost difficult to swallow — the Pixel 7a certainly earned its more expensive price. Rather, with the Pixel 7 available for just $100 more (and often on sale for $500 or lower), the A-series spent the first few months of its existence lost in the woods.
It wasn’t until thePixel 8 seriesarrived that the situation became a little clearer. Google raised the prices for both thePixel 8andPixel 8 Proby $100 across the board, breaking through the four-digit price tag for the first time since 2019. Despite the Pixel 7 still existing on the market, these three new tiers — $500, $700, and $1,000 — made a lot more sense once all three phones launched at carriers around the world.
In retrospect, the Pixel 7a helps set the standard for what makes agreat midrange phone, and certainly earns its spot as thebest value phone of 2023. It’s expensive for this category, sure, but Google’s hardware goes on sale enough that buying one at a fraction of full price isn’t all too difficult. And compared to A-series devices in the past, the Pixel 7a manages to check every box under the sun, even if it cuts a few corners to get there.
In fact, at times, it feels like Google just used a checklist of common Pixel 6a complaints during the design phase. A 90Hz display capable of making Android feel a hell of a lot smoother than it otherwise would? Check. A refined design that feels more in line with the company’s other Tensor G2-powered phones? Check. Wireless charging? You bet. And while that $50 price tag is no doubt a strain on every buyer’s wallet, it’s hard to get too upset when you see how much has changed between generations.
Still, it’s not perfect — as I wrote in my review, the Pixel 7 offered, in many ways, a more premium experience for a similar amount of cash. The display might be faster, but it’s a noticeable step back in quality compared to the Pixel 7 andespeciallythe Pixel 8. Wireless charging is limited to 5W. And certain elements of the specs sheet — take its IP67 rating against water and dust — feel a bit restrictive compared to more expensive phones.
But as I said, all it took was the arrival of the Pixel 8 series for this phone to make a whole lot more sense. Put up against its 2023 brethren, the Pixel 7a feels like it finally matches up with its price point, all while making me even more excited for its future successor. Google doesn’t have a ton left to fix with the A-series, but if it can deliver a few more premium features while keeping the price at $500, I can’t imagine what else could compete in this space.
So while I spent the summer feeling frustrated overGoogle’s pricing scheme for the Pixel lineup, in the end, everything worked itself out. $500 might not be cheap — you don’t have to go that far back in time to remember when most flagships cost just $600 unlocked — it’s a solid choice for anyone looking to avoid breaking the bank. The A-series is in danger of floating outside of its midrange space, but if Google can hold its price tag from further inflation, we should be looking at plenty of excellent, affordable smartphones for years to come.
Google Pixel 7a
The Pixel 7a might cost more than its predecessors, but it’s easy to see why. Google did a great job addressing most of the complaints surrounding the Pixel 6a in 2022, making this an easy pick for the best value smartphone of 2023.
