Google's smartphone lineup has transitioned quite a bit from the Nexus days. Since the dawn of the Pixel, Google has made major strides in offering Android fans better hardware, cameras, and unique software experiences that can't be found anywhere else. 2022 brought us two — technically three — great new smartphones from Google, with the Pixel 6a released in July and the Pixel 7 series in October.

If you want to save a bit of money on a flagship or prefer a smaller phone, there's a good chance the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 are two on your list. Here's how they stack up against each other.

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  Google Pixel 7

  $499 $599 Save $100

  The Pixel 7 is Google's latest flagship, with improvements in nearly every way over the previous generation of Pixel phones. From the build quality to the cameras, the Pixel 7 is a great smartphone at an equally great price.

  $499 at Best Buy $499 at Amazon

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  Google Pixel 6a

  The Pixel 6a is a great mid-range smartphone, packing powerful cameras and Google's in-house Tensor chipset. The price makes it a great buy unless you need the added features of the Pixel 7.

  $449 at Amazon

Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6a: Pricing and availability

Google's budget-focused Pixel 6a was announced during Google I/O in May 2022 and launched in July 2022, holding onto the $449 pricing strategy that previous A models offered and only offering a single storage option of 128GB. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7 was unveiled at the Google Pixel event in October 2022. Impressively, Google managed to put a $599 price tag on its latest flagship device should you opt for the 128GB model and $699 for the 256GB variant.

Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6a: Specifications

Even though the Pixel 6a comes in at $150 less than the newer Pixel 7, the two smartphones offer surprisingly similar specs. During our review of the Pixel 6a, we were pleasantly surprised by the performance of the mid-range device and how well it stacks up to the higher-end Pixel 7 when we reviewed it. Here's a breakdown of the key specifications for each phone:

Design and build quality: Marginal size differences

When Google unveiled the Pixel 6 series in 2021, it ushered in a completely new design concept, moving the rear cameras from a square housing in the upper left corner of the device, like so many other brands, to a solid black visor that stretches the entire width of the phone's back. The Pixel 6a adopted the same style when it arrived in 2022, but instead of the glass back, the 6a uses a 3D thermoformed composite back, plastic, in three color options: Sage (green), Chalk (white), and Charcoal (black). A matte aluminum frame separates the phone's back from the Gorilla Glass 3 around the front, protecting the display. But it would still be wise to pick up any of these excellent Pixel 6a cases.

With the Pixel 7, Google further refined that style by using the same color and textured aluminum from the side rails of the phone and bringing it up and across the visor. It offers a more cohesive design for the phone rather, with the camera housing seemingly melting into the phone's frame. Google also made the aluminum frame in three complimentary colors to coordinate with the color options for the glass back that comes in Lemongrass (green), Snow (white), and Obsidian (black). For as nice as the phone is to hold, that glass back is definitely something you'll want to protect with one of the best Pixel 7 cases available. The Pixel 7 also uses a more premium Gorilla Glass Victus on the front.

The two phones also have similar dimensions, with only a few millimeters making the Pixel 7 slightly larger than the Pixel 6a. Those small differences in size also translate to the display size. The Pixel 7 sports a 6.3-inch OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, whereas the smaller Pixel 6a uses a 6.1-inch display at 60Hz. The marginal size difference likely won't be a dealbreaker considering the $150 cost difference. Neither should the difference in refresh rate, but if you've become accustomed to 90Hz or above, it could be a bit jarring to go back to 60Hz.

Thankfully, both the Pixel 7 and 6a come with official water resistance ratings. You'll get slightly more water protection from the IP68 certification on the Pixel 7, but the IP67 on the competitor is still quite good.

Another slight difference between the two is power. Battery size is very similar between the two phones, with the 6a's 4,400mAh capacity slightly edging out the 4,355mAh of the Pixel 7. While the difference between the two isn't much, the smaller display size and less power-hungry 60Hz refresh rate will help the Pixel 6a's battery go longer between charges. However, when it does come time to recharge your phone, the 20W rating on the Pixel 7 will get you back to full quicker than the 18W max of the 6a. Plus, you'll have the option of wireless charging on the Pixel 7 too.

Performance and software: Tensor vs Tensor 2 chips

Something that was a bit of a surprise when Google announced the Pixel 6a was that it would feature the same processor as the flagship Pixel 6 line. The Google Tensor was the first in-house processor from the company, and it brought solid performance, new camera features, and improved AI processing. This contributes to things like faster Google Assistant interaction and improved live audio transcription, not to mention a more secure experience thanks to the integrated Titan M2 security chip.

The Pixel 7 launched with Google Tensor 2, which brought new camera and photo features, improved on-device processing, and better overall performance. While there are tangible improvements, its introduction wasn't so significant that its predecessor became obsolete. So, unless you need the top-of-the-line processing speeds or the new photo features, which I'll cover more later, the difference in the chipset shouldn't be too much of a deciding factor here.

There isn't a lot to cover in the software category because Google does a great job at keeping its Pixel phones on par with each other, for the most part. Today, the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 are both running the latest version of Android 13. However, because the Pixel 6a arrived before the 7, it will run out of updates just a bit sooner. Google provides three years of platform updates and five for security updates. So, the 6a will get Android 15 in July 2025, and its last security update in July 2027. The Pixel 7 will get its last updates in October 2025 and 2027.

But there are some key differences in software features due to the processors used. As mentioned previously, the Tensor 2 in the Pixel 7 provides improved AI capabilities that offer up some features the original Tensor in the 6a can't, like faster photo processing, Photo Unblur, Clear Calling, Audio Message Transcription, and more. While these features may not be something you use daily, the Tensor 2 also brings improved modems for better connectivity all around, and that is noticeable.

Cameras: Still among the best on the market

Continuing the trend of similarities between the two devices, and of Pixel phones traditionally being among the best smartphone cameras around, the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 have common ground. Both carry two cameras on the back — a primary wide-angle and an ultrawide camera. However, the physical hardware between the two is quite different. The Pixel 7 50MP primary sensor provides potential that the lower 12MP option on the 6a can't even begin to match.

The larger sensor can capture more information from the scene, and then the image's pixels are combined to create a final image that is going to be of much higher quality than the one from the 6a. That same 50MP sensor on the Pixel 7 also means it can offer better digital zoom images as there is more information to work with. That same image info is utilized so the Pixel 7 can take better Night Sight photos faster with the Tensor 2 chip.

Don't get me wrong. The Pixel 6a is still one of the best smartphones on the market in terms of photo quality, but when compared to the Pixel 7, the differences add up. However, when taking the price difference into consideration, you might be able to let those disparities slide. Plus, you'll still get the excellent Magic Eraser feature on the 6a to easily remove objects from photos. But you won't get Photo Unblur, which is exclusive to the Pixel 7 series.

Around the front, the Pixel 7 has a 10.8MP sensor with a 92-degree field of view compared to the 84 degrees from the 8MP camera on the Pixel 6a. So if you plan to take a lot of group selfies, or you like to include as much of the background as possible in your photos, the wider angle of the Pixel 7 will serve you better.

Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6a: Which should you buy?

Overall, the Pixel 7 is the better phone. Aside from a smaller battery and a less durable glass back, everything is better on the Pixel 7 compared to the 6a. It even has a faster, in-display fingerprint reader. But the best option for you truly comes down to your needs and budget. In the landscape of current phones, both devices are a fantastic deal. However, $150 is $150, and if you are trying to keep as much money in your bank account as possible or don't need to high-end features and camera of the Pixel 7, then the Pixel 6a is a great option. However, if you can afford to splurge for the Pixel 7, you'll get a better all-around phone at a great price, especially when you find a great deal on it.

• 

  Google Pixel 7

  $499 $599 Save $100

  The Pixel 7 is Google's latest flagship, with improvements in nearly every way over the previous generation of Pixel phones. From the build quality to the cameras, the Pixel 7 is a great smartphone at an equally great price.

  $499 at Best Buy $499 at Amazon

• 

  Google Pixel 6a

  The Pixel 6a is a great mid-range smartphone, packing powerful cameras and Google's in-house Tensor chipset. The price makes it a great buy unless you need the added features of the Pixel 7.

  $449 at Amazon