Rumours about the Google Pixel 7a are doing the rounds online, painting a picture of a tempting mid-ranger with key upgrades over the popular Pixel 6a.
Rumoured upgrades include a display boost to 90Hz, fixing one of the biggest complaints about its predecessor, along with an upgraded Tensor processor. Plus, with real-world images appearing online, we might be seeing it much sooner than expected.
Here’s everything there is to know about the Google Pixel 7a right now, from release date rumours to pricing speculation and, of course, the latest leaks.
When will the Google Pixel 7a be released?
While some smartphone manufacturers (we’re looking at you, Apple) tend to stick to the same yearly release schedule, the same can’t quite be said for Google and its Pixel ‘a’ range.
While the Pixel 6a was announced in May 2022 with an eventual August release, the Pixel 5a and Pixel 4a were both released in July in their respective years – though with a caveat that the Pixel 4a was allegedly originally scheduled for a May 2020 reveal but, y’know, Covid put an end to that idea.
With that in mind, it’s possible that like with 2022’s Pixel 6a, we could see the Pixel 7a announced as early as May 2023 – likely at Google I/O 2023 – with a release to follow sometime in the summer, likely in July or August.
Whenever the phone is set for an official reveal, we now know that something is coming from Google via an FCC (Federal Communication Commission) listing, which generally happens within months of an anticipated announcement. Granted, the listing doesn’t mention the 7a specifically, but the serial numbers attached are similar to leaked numbers that have appeared elsewhere online.
How much will the Google Pixel 7a cost?
With the Pixel 7a yet to be officially revealed by Google, it’s should come as no surprise that we haven’t yet got official pricing for the mid-ranger – and there isn’t much in the way of rumours either.
Still, we can look back at previous releases to give us a good idea of what to expect, and it’s largely good news for Pixel fans. Like with the mainline Pixel 7 range that costs the same as the Pixel 6, Google tends to stick to its price points.
With that in mind, we expect the Google Pixel 7a to come in at around the same £399/$449 as the Pixel 6a, though we might see a slight rise in price in certain regions to reflect the wider market.
Latest Google Pixel 7a rumours
Design
As with most other smartphones in Google’s collection, the Pixel 7a has been the subject of several huge leaks over the past few months that essentially provide us with basically everything we need to know about the design.
That started off with the appearance of renders via reliable leaker @OnLeaks and @SmartPrix, showcasing something that looks a lot like the Pixel 7 and, thus, the Pixel 6a. The renders didn’t just come with images either, with the leaker providing alleged dimensions of 152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm, rising to 10.1mm at the exaggerated camera bump.
Since that initial reveal, a few hands-on videos have surfaced online allegedly showcasing the phone in all its glory. Most recently, real-world images of the Pixel 7a have appeared on Twitter along with a few key specs – though more on those in a minute.
While that’s usually worth taking with a pinch of salt, the images look eerily similar to the render shared by @OnLeaks a few months ago, so there could be some truth to the leaked images.
A separate rumour claims that the Pixel 7a will be available in a new “Artic Blue” colourway, which would be quite a move from the current shades of Green and Orange. It’s not the first blue Pixel, though the appearance of the finish is sporadic in the history of the Pixel range.
Display
As mentioned, @Gadgetsdata has shared not only real-world images of the upcoming mid-ranger on Twitter, but a handful of specs.
That includes basic display specs, claiming that the upcoming Pixel 7a will sport a 6.1-inch OLED panel with a FHD+ resolution and, crucially, a 90Hz refresh rate. Considering the 60Hz panel of the Google Pixel 6a is one of its biggest weaknesses compared to the competition, it sounds like a welcome upgrade.
Otherwise, that all sounds pretty on the money given that it’s the same size and resolution as the previous Pixel 6a, and the fact we’re not expecting much of a redesign this time around.
Processor and specs
The same leaker also shared an insight into the possible processor and, as suspected, it looks like Google will use the second-gen Tensor G2 chipset found in the mainline Google Pixel 7 range.
It’s a smart move for Google that differentiates itself from most of the mid-range competition, especially when most use distinctly mid-range chipsets that can’t quite deliver the flagship experience. The fact that the Tensor G2 is a flagship chip will be a huge selling point for the mid-ranger.
That’s allegedly paired with faster LPDDR5 RAM, though exactly how much is yet to be confirmed, and the leaker also claims that the phone will use the slightly older UFS 3.1 storage in place of the newer 4.0.
Fans of wireless charging will also be pleased with wireless charging support, though at just 5W, it’s not particularly rapid.
