We’ll let you decide what’s worth more to you, by comparing the phones across a number of categories. We’ll kick things off by listing their specifications, and will then move to the design, display, performance, battery, camera, and audio sections. Before we begin, do note that, at the time of writing this article, the Pixel 6a was still available for only $299 (down from $449). So that may influence your decision as well, if you see the comparison soon enough.
Specs
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6a: Design
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 6a are kind of similar when it comes to the design, though it’s easy to differentiate between them. The Pixel 6a actually resembles the Pixel 6 more than the Pixel 7. Both phones have a camera visor on the back, but the Pixel 7’s is taller, and it protrudes out more. It’s also covered by aluminum, which makes it more premium-looking, but some would argue it also makes it less aesthetically appealing. The glass cover on the Pixel 6a hides the camera sensors really well, but on the other hand, on the Pixel 7, that aluminum cover goes towards the frame, as a one-piece design. It’s all a matter of preference. Both phones have the same, understated Google logo on the back, and a rather squarish design. You’ll notice a hole punch at the top of both displays, and it’s centered on both phones. Both devices have fairly thin bezels, but they’re thinner on the Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 is made out of metal and glass, while the Pixel 6a comes with an aluminum frame, and a plastic backplate. It doesn’t feel any less premium because of that, though, you probably wouldn’t even guess it’s plastic. Still, it’ll scratch more easily than the Gorilla Glass Victus on the back of the Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 does include a larger display, and it’s thus taller and wider than the Pixel 6a. The difference is not huge, but it’s quite noticeable. That goes for both comparing them side-by-side, and actually using them. The Pixel 6a is also lighter at 178 grams, compared to 197 grams of the Pixel 7. Both of these smartphones are quite slippery, so you may want to use a case. The Pixel 6a is easier to use with one hand, both due to its size and weight.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6a: Display
The Pixel 7 features a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. This is a 90Hz panel, and it’s flat. This display supports HDR10+ content, and gets quite bright at 1,400 nits of peak brightness. This panel is covered by the Gorilla Glass Victus, which protects. The display aspect ratio here is 20:9, and the Pixel 7 does offer a slightly higher screen-to-body ratio than the Pixel 6a.
The Google Pixel 6a, on the other hand, includes a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) OLED display. This panel supports HDR content, and it’s also flat. It is protected by the Gorilla Glass 3, which is more prone to microscratches than the Gorilla Glass Victus. It’s also less resistant to shattering. This phone also has a 20:9 display aspect ratio, in case you were wondering. Both of these displays are really good. The Pixel 7 does have an obvious advantage though, not only because of the higher refresh rate, but because of its brightness as well. It does get noticeably brighter outdoors. Both panels do offer really vivid colors, and look really good to the eye. They’re both also more than sharp enough, and the viewing angles are good as well. There’s no denying that the Pixel 7 has the better display, though.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6a: Performance
Both devices are equipped with Google’s very own Tensor SoC, but different generations of it. The Pixel 7 includes the second-gen, Tensor G2, while the Pixel 6a has the first-gen Tensor chip. The difference between them is not exactly big, though. The Tensor G2 is not that much more powerful, but it does come with a new GPU, TPU, and so on. Both phones include LPDDR5 RAM, but the Pixel 7 has 8GB, compared to 6GB on the Pixel 6a. UFS 3.1 flash storage is used on both phones. What does that mean for performance? Well, both of these phones feel really smooth. The Pixel 7 is smoother overall, and that display refresh rate does play a role in it, as scrolling feels smoother, for example. They’re both very fast when it comes to sheer performance, regular everyday tasks are not a problem at all. They open and close apps really fast, are good for multitasking, and the same goes for content consumption. Gaming is a bit of a different story, though. They can handle pretty much everything, but if you do decide to play something like Genshin Impact, you may run into issues. You may need to lower the details if you plan on playing such games. Frame drops are noticeable, and both phones do tend to heat up quite a bit with such strain. If you’re not a heavy gamer, you really don’t have to worry about the performance.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6a: Battery
The Google Pixel 7 has a 4,355mAh battery, while the Pixel 6a includes a 4,410mAh battery. The Pixel 6a not only has a smaller display with a lower refresh rate, but it also has a larger battery. That has to mean it has better battery life, right? Well, no, not necessarily. In our experience, these two phones are actually on par when it comes to battery life. Both devices were able to provide us with 7-8 hours of screen-on-time. At times, it even seemed like the Pixel 7 offers more in that regard. Your mileage may vary, of course, as you will use the phones differently, have different apps on your phone, different signal strength, and so on. Do note that gaming does drain the battery noticeably faster, though. If you’re not a gamer, you really don’t have anything to worry about. The Pixel 7 supports 21W wired charging, along with 21W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. The charging is not constant at those speeds, so do note that. You can get up to 50-percent in 30 minutes, though, after which the charging will slow down. The Pixel 6a, on the flip side, supports 18W wired charging, and that’s it. The Pixel 6a does come with a charger in the box, unlike the Pixel 7.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6a: Cameras
The camera setups here are different, but the end result is somewhat similar, although better on the Pixel 7. Why is that? Well, it’s due to Google’s image processing, which became well-known over the years. The Pixel 7 includes a 50-megapixel main camera, backed by a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit. The Pixel 6a has a 12.2-megapixel main camera, backed by the same 12-megapixel ultrawide unit as on the Pixel 7. That 12.2-megapixel camera has been used by Google since the Pixel 2, by the way.
So, what about the results? Well, both phones provide detailed images with cooler tones, and with excellent HDR performance. The dynamic range is outstanding, and both of these are some of the most reliable cameras out there. The Pixel 7 does perform a bit better in low light, and if you pixel peep, you will find more details in regular lighting as well. Still, the Pixel 6a manages to keep up. In low light, both phones do an excellent job. Truth be said, they tend to provide even more light than needed, but the end result looks excellent. The Pixel 7 does pick up more details from the shadows, though, and provides an overall more pleasing image, but only barely. The Pixel 6a is excellent for low light as well. Ultrawide cameras perform well, but we’d stick to main units for low light photography.
Audio
Neither of these two phones has a 3.5mm headphone jack. If you want a wired connection, you’ll need to use the Type-C port at the bottom. For a wireless connection, both phones offer Bluetooth 5.2. You’ll also find a set of stereo speakers on both devices. Those speakers are good, but we’ve heard better. The Pixel 7 speakers do seem to be ever so slightly louder, but the difference is not that big, honestly. Sound output is well-balanced on both.
