Google Pixel 7a - Unlocked Android Cell Phone - Smartphone with Wide Angle Lens and 24-Hour Battery - 128 GB – Charcoal

In a world dominated by smartphones with hefty price tags, Google's Pixel 7a enters the scene like a breath of fresh air. Packed with an array of exclusive features and the power of Google's latest technologies, this budget-friendly device brings the best of the Pixel experience to the masses. With its sleek design, upgraded camera system, and helpful AI capabilities, the Pixel 7a proves that exceptional doesn't have to mean expensive.Design:The Pixel 7a embraces its heritage with a familiar design that Pixel fans have come to love. From its iconic camera bar to its smooth, sculpted surfaces, it exudes a sense of elegance and simplicity. The new midframe architecture ensures durability, making it the most robust A-series phone yet. And let's not forget about sustainability – the aluminum housing is crafted with 100% recycled content, giving eco-conscious consumers another reason to rejoice.AI-Powered Call Assist Features:Google has infused the Pixel 7a with its ingenious AI capabilities, transforming it into a communication powerhouse. Need to navigate those pesky automated phone menus? Direct My Call swoops in to save the day, allowing you to see menu options and reach the right department in a jiffy. Call Screen acts as your personal call bouncer, revealing who's calling and why, so you can decide if it's worth your precious time. Hold for Me takes the agony out of waiting on hold by keeping a vigilant ear on the line, notifying you when a real human is ready to assist. And with Clear Calling, background noise becomes a distant memory, ensuring crystal-clear conversations. To top it off, Wait Times provides estimated hold times for businesses, saving you from the frustration of endless waiting.Photography Reimagined:Aspiring photographers on a budget, rejoice! The Pixel 7a boasts a fully upgraded camera system that punches well above its weight class. With a primary sensor that's 72% larger than its predecessor, this pocket-sized marvel captures 44% more light, resulting in stunning low-light shots. Say hello to the all-new 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, allowing you to fit more into each frame and unleash your creativity. Night Sight has received a turbo boost, delivering breathtaking nighttime shots with twice the speed of its predecessor.But the camera improvements don't stop there. The front camera now flaunts a 13-megapixel sensor, perfect for capturing your best selfies or hosting virtual meetings with crystal-clear video quality. And for the first time in an A-series Pixel, Long Exposure takes center stage, adding dynamism and depth to your photographs of moving subjects, such as cascading waterfalls. With Tensor G2 at its core, the Pixel 7a even offers Super Res Zoom up to 8x, ensuring you can capture the finest details from a distance without sacrificing image quality.Software and Features:The Pixel 7a comes equipped with Android 13 out of the box, treating users to a clean, bloatware-free experience. It's a breath of fresh air to have a phone that prioritizes functionality over unnecessary clutter. Moreover, Google's commitment to software updates shines through with four years of Software Upgrades and five years of Security Patches, ensuring your Pixel 7a remains relevant and secure for years to come.Beyond the core Android experience, the Pixel 7a offers an impressive range of exclusive features. Live Translate, as the name suggests, transforms your Pixel into a handy translation tool, breaking down language barriers with ease. Need to transcribe a meeting or lecture? The Recorder Speaker Labels feature has got you covered, automatically recognizing and marking different speakers to help you stay organized.Assistant Voice Typing takes productivity to new heights, allowing you to effortlessly compose messages or jot down notes using your voice. And for those who receive voice messages through the Messages app, Voice Messaging Transcription saves you the trouble of playing them aloud by converting them into convenient text format. Efficiency at its finest!At a Glance, the beloved Google-made widget, graces the Pixel 7a's home screen, providing you with essential information at a glance. From weather updates to upcoming appointments, it's like having your own personal assistant right at your fingertips.But let's not forget the pièce de résistance—the legendary Google Assistant. While this AI companion is available on other Android devices, the Pixel lineup unlocks a realm of extra tricks and seamless integration. From answering your burning questions to controlling your smart home devices, the Google Assistant is your digital sidekick, always ready to assist you with a touch or a voice command.Performance and Display:Under the hood, the Pixel 7a is powered by the mighty Google Tensor G2, the crown jewel of processors. This snappy and efficient chipset ensures smooth performance and responsiveness, allowing you to multitask with ease. Coupled with 8GB of RAM, the Pixel 7a is more than capable of handling your everyday needs, from streaming your favorite shows to running demanding apps.The 6.1" OLED display steals the show with its vibrant colors and crisp visuals. With a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, scrolling through your feeds and swiping between apps feels like gliding on butter. The display is a feast for the eyes, making every photo, video, and game come to life with stunning clarity.Battery Life and Charging:A phone is only as good as its battery life, and the Pixel 7a doesn't disappoint. Sporting a 4385mAh battery, it keeps you powered throughout the day, even with heavy usage. And when it's time to refuel, the fast 18W charging ensures you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time on the go. If you prefer a cable-free experience, the wireless 7.5W charging capability offers a convenient and clutter-free option.Durability and Security:Accidents happen, but with the Pixel 7a, you're covered. With an IP67 rating, this resilient device is completely dustproof and can withstand submersion in clean water. So, whether you're caught in a sudden rainstorm or accidentally spill your drink, rest assured that your Pixel 7a will emerge unscathed.To keep your data secure, the Pixel 7a is equipped with the Titan M2 security chip, providing robust protection against threats and ensuring your privacy is safeguarded. And let's not forget the convenience of biometric authentication. The under-display fingerprint sensor and 2D face unlock options give you quick and secure access to your device, so you can spend less time fumbling with passwords and more time enjoying your Pixel experience.Conclusion:In a world where smartphones seem to be in an arms race for higher price tags, the Pixel 7a shines as a beacon of affordability without compromising on performance or features. From its sleek design to its upgraded camera system, it proves that exceptional doesn't have to break the bank. With the power of Google's AI and a clean Android experience, it offers a delightful user journey that keeps you connected, organized, and entertained

I've been using this phone for a full year now, so I feel I've used it enough to give a fair assessment. Bottom line: best phone I've ever owned. Other reviewers have adequately covered most of the good features of this phone, all of which I agree with. So I will only mention the aspects that are less than optimal.Fingerprint sensor - as others have mentioned, it is not very reliable. To try to improve the performance, I used the same finger (thumb) for more than one of the (I think) four fingerprints you are allowed to store in the phone. This seems to improve the chances of a successful fingerprint read. Technique is also a factor. I've had the best luck with a quick but firm tap on the sensor area. If you linger a bit, your finger is likely to move ever so slightly on the screen causing it not to be recognized. I've also found that when my fingers are cold the chances of a successful read are reduced.Modem - Cellular reception in fringe areas is probably a bit worse than other phones such as Samsung and could make the difference in usability in certain situations. Most of the time it's fine and I've found that the phone can perform surprisingly well even with a marginal signal level.Screen Brightness - could definitely be better. I leave mine fixed at 80% most of the time and in most indoor lighting situations it is entirely adequate. Outdoors however, I have to boost it up to 100% and in my opinion it is barely adequate.Wireless charging - is pretty slow, but since I charge overnight it hasn't been an issue for me. If I need it to charge faster I just plug it in. The phone has good battery life so charging once a day has worked out fine, even when I watch hours of TikToks.Lens Flare - although I am extremely pleased with the performance of the camera in most situations, especially low light or night time shots, if there is a very bright source of light in an otherwise dark scene, the lens flare is crazy excessive and looks like petals of a flower. I realize it's not a high-end phone, but geez, I think they could have done better even at this price point.Photo Processing - most of the time Google's photo processing for the camera turns out excellent results, especially in difficult lighting situations. One place it doesn't work well at all is fine detail when using the digital zoom. The photo processing (AI?) algorithms try to fill in detail where it is lacking (instead of leaving it to be fuzzy) and comes up with some pretty wild patterns. Not a fan of this aspect at all. I'd rather it be fuzzy.No 720p video - Sometimes I like to record 720p video because it takes up less memory, but the camera app doesn't have an option for that. As a work-around I used a 3rd party camera app, but I haven't found one that is as easy to use as the Google camera app.OK, so enough negative points. Here are some things that really impress me about the phone...Processing speed and overall responsiveness ... it is very snappy. Never keeps me waiting.Camera ... LOVE the camera. Great low-light performance too. Probably my main reason for picking a Google pixel phone.Size ... just the right size for my hand and fits in any pocket I slip it into.Screen - could be brighter, but otherwise has good color balance and is very crisp.Battery life - haven't run out of juice yet, even with fairly heavy use.Overall I am very pleased with this phone and would buy another one in a heartbeat if anything happened to it.