Will this be the new fan-favorite Google phone? The Pixel 7a nearly matches the flagship Pixel 7 on specs but starts at a lower price QAR 2000 in Qatar, the same as the 6a was at launch last year.

  
Google Pixel 7a colorways: Charcoal, Sea and Snow

Yes, the 7a marks several firsts for the Pixel a series. For starters, its 6.1” OLED display now runs at 90Hz, the same refresh rate as the Pixel 7 (though that one has a slightly larger 6.3” display). The resolution is FHD+ and you get Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Speaking of protection, the phone is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. It has a metal frame and a plastic back – Google notes that it used recycled aluminum, glass and plastic to build the phone. For example, the visor is 100% recycled aluminum. Available colors are Charcoal, Sea and Snow. There is a fourth color, Coral, but that is exclusive to the Google Store.

Another major upgrade is the switch to the Tensor G2 chipset, which is now paired with 8GB of LPDDR RAM (up from 6GB on the 6a) and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage. This is the same configuration as the Pixel 7, so the a-phone will be just as fast at the various computational tasks. Also, note that Google is promising 5 years of security updates.

Among them is the Super Res Zoom (up to 8x), which is enabled by the new 64MP camera (up from 12MP). This 1/1.73” Quad Bayer sensor isn’t as large as the one on the Pixel 7 (50MP 1/1.31”), so its pixels are only 0.8µ before binning. It does have OIS, though.

The ultra wide camera has a 13MP sensor (1.12µm) and a 120° f/2.2 lens that is blessed with Dual Pixel autofocus. The front-facing camera was also bumped up to 13MP (1.12µm) with a fixed-focus 95° lens (f/2.2). The rear camera can record 5K video at up to 60fps, the front one tops out at 4K at 30fps.

The Pixel 7a supports sub-6GHz and mmWave flavors of 5G, though only models for select regions will have mmWave enabled. This is a dual-SIM device with one physical nano-SIM and one eSIM.

   
Google Pixel 7a in Coral (exclusive color for the Google Store)

The 7a is powered by a 4,385mAh battery that supports up to 20W wired charging and for the first time on an a-phone wireless charging is available too – also at 18W. Note that the port on the bottom is USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, but the retail box comes only with a USB C-to-C cable with USB 2.0 wiring (and you have to supply your own charger).