Google has just announced some new and exciting products at their Google I/O event.
Not only will we soon be seeing a Pixel Tablet but the new Google Pixel 7a smartphone is now available in Australia, and I’ve had early access to the device over the past week.
Unboxing
In Australia, the Pixel 7a comes in three colourways: Charcoal, Snow and Sea. I would have loved to check out the ‘Sea’ colour, which is a lovely baby blue. However, I have the classic Charcoal colour, which is a sleek, dark grey.
The phone looks and feels premium but it also does immediately pick up fingerprints and even crumbs and dust, but it’s easy enough to clean up with a rub against your shirt. Also, with an almost identical design as the past few Pixel phones, I must note, it is still dangerously slippery and if you’re clumsy it’s an absolute must to put this phone in a case.
Inside the box you get the Google Pixel 7a, a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, USB-C to USB-A adaptor, sim tool and some documentation. Once you turn the phone on you’ll be greeted by its 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display, which now has a 25 per cent higher peak brightness and a smooth 90Hz display.
It’s still slightly distinguishable from premium phones with higher resolutions, but more importantly the display is fluid and its software is snappy. This is likely due to the inclusion of Google’s powerful Google Tensor G2 chip, which also delivers features such as ‘clear calling’, which improves the clarity of all voices on phone calls by filtering out background noise. And aside from fingerprint unlock, there’s now also face unlock built into the A Series phone for the first time.
Features
Additionally, this phone has an insane feature named ‘Call Screen’ where the Google Assistant can answer unknown numbers for you and filter out spam callers by asking questions about who’s calling to determine whether it’s spam or a legitimate caller. Incredible, right?
I’m also stoked that the phone now supports wireless charging, which is typically a feature of premium phones. Then again, you may not need it because the phone’s battery can last up to 72 hours with its extreme battery saver mode.
Camera and AI
Besides the previously mentioned cameras, the Pixel 7a comes with some incredible AI features built in – such as the new Photo Unblur feature that was announced for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, which allows you to take photos then sharpen them. This even works with photos that were captured on other phones.
Also, the device has Google’s popular Magic Eraser feature built-in, which enables users to remove unwanted objects and subjects from the background of photos.
I also love that the Google Pixel 7a is more inclusive and equitable for people of colour because of their True Tone feature in the camera, which helps to capture all skin tones more accurately. There’s also now a long exposure feature that will enable users to take more dramatic photos that showcase motion blur.
Should you buy it?
With all that being said, you even get the security of Google’s Titan M2, for better security and privacy. Additionally, you’ll get access to the VPN by Google One, free of charge and with no premium membership required.
Overall I think the Google Pixel 7a is excellent value, especially because it shares a lot of features with the more expensive Google Pixel 7, while coming in at a much more affordable price of $749. It’s an incredibly capable, eye-catching phone, and if you love the Google ecosystem then this could be the perfect smartphone for you.
Elly Awesome is an Aussie tech and lifestyle vlogger | @ellyawesometech | YouTube