Rumors show the Pixel 7a could be an absolute beast of a mid-range phone

Since the inception of the Pixel 3a, Google has taken the summer months to debut a new, mid-range Pixel phone each year to follow up the release of the higher-end models from the prior fall. Without fail, there has been an A-series phone released over the last four years, and there’s no reason to expect that to change this time around, either.

As Google’s vision for their phones continues to come into better focus, we’re at the point where the latest Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are so good that it would only make sense for the expected Pixel 7a to be equally stellar. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro stumbled out of the gate a bit and the Pixel 6a – while being a very good phone for the price – felt like a pretty safe release for Google. It does most of the things you want in a mid-range device, but there was nothing standout about it.

Big upgrades for the middle ground

If the rumors swirling around the Pixel 7a are accurate, this phone could be something quite special when it does show up in 2023. 9to5 Google – who keep close tabs on Google’s phones and their code names – have been tracking a device called ‘Lynx’ that was thought to possibly be a smaller flagship Pixel in development. As it turns out, that device is likely the Pixel 7a and those flagship-level features look to be coming to a mid-range Pixel in 2023.

It’s super-early and there’s still a bit of confusion around a couple elements, but from the looks of it, the Pixel 7a could ship with some sort of ceramic build, an upgraded camera setup, the same Tensor G2 processor, wireless charging, and a high-refresh rate for the screen. That’s an awful lot of hardware for a mid-range phone and it leaves me wondering how that would play with the existing Pixel 7 upon launch.

For starters, ceramic in the body of a phone is generally a high-end addition that is more durable than glass but with many of the same upsides. I’m unsure how Google’s first ceramic phone would be an affordable one, but 9to5 Google asserts this all could be getting confused with the ceramic treatment Google announced will accompany the yet-to-be-released Pixel Tablet. I’m feeling like that is the case as well, but we’ll have to wait and see on that front.

For the camera setup, 9to5 reports the Pixel 7a should come with an upgraded array, featuring a Samsung GN1 main camera that was included in the Pixel 6. Additionally, it should come with a Sony IMX787 telephoto and IMX712 ultrawide sensor as well, giving it a better variety of focal lengths than the Pixel 7. That’s a big upgrade compared with the Pixel 6a and it’s camera setup from older Pixel models.

The addition of Tensor G2 isn’t a surprise as I firmly expect all Pixels to ship with the latest Tensor available moving forward. We have no info on RAM or storage, but I’d assume the RAM will be a tad less than the Pixel 7’s 8GB. Added on the inside this time around should also be wireless charging, marking this as a first for Google’s A-series phones.

https://twitter.com/Za_Raczke/status/1581774296422416384

Finally, the hardware looks to support up to a 120Hz refresh rate, and that would also be a first for a Pixel A-series phone. While I’d expect Google to keep it at 90Hz, I think this is a big addition to the Pixel 7a this time around. For many users, after staring at high-refresh rates more and more on mobile devices, dropping back to 60Hz feels off-putting and janky. 90Hz and 120Hz screens are far more affordable these days, so this is an area where Google needs to upgrade even their mid-range phones.

How will Pixel 7a compare with Pixel 7?

If all of this stands, I’m not quite sure how it will play out in the summer when the Pixel 7a arrives. With this camera setup and no real downgrades compared with the Pixel 7, how would Google even price or market this device? How could they release a sub-$500 phone with an arguably-better camera and no real degradation versus the $599 Pixel 7?

If the play is to continue releasing A-series phones as smaller, more-affordable Pixels, I’ll be surprised if all of these features actually make it to release. And if they do and Google keeps the price in the $449 range again, I’ll be pleasantly surprised, a bit shocked, and very eager to see how it is they plan on keeping the Pixel 7 relevant in that scenario.