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The Google Pixel 4a was announced over two years ago, back in August 2020. We’re talking about the regular version here, not the 5G model. That being said, some of you may be looking to upgrade one of these days. If you’re looking to get a new Pixel, well, there are a couple of options, including the Pixel 6a, 7, and 7 Pro. In this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 4a.
This will hopefully help you out, if you still have any doubts. Many of you are probably looking towards the Pixel 6a, but if you’re willing to spend more, the Pixel 7 is a great deal as well. It’s starting at $599, and it’s technically a flagship phone. On top of that, it has a smaller display than its predecessor. It’s still considerably larger than the Pixel 4a, but still… it’s not gigantic like the Pixel 7 Pro, for example. That being said, let’s get started, shall we?
Specs
| Google Pixel 7 | Google Pixel 4a | |
| Screen size | 6.3-inch fullHD+ flat OLED display (90Hz refresh rate) | 5.81-inch fullHD+ OLED HDR display (60Hz) |
| Screen resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 2340 x 1080 |
| SoC | Google Tensor G2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G |
| RAM | 8GB (LPDDR5) | 6GB (LPDDR4X) |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, non-expandable (UFS 3.1) | 128GB, non-expandable (UFS 2.1) |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, 1.2um pixel size, f/1.85 aperture, 82-degree FoV, Super Res Zoom up to 8x) 12MP (ultrawide, 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 114-degree FoV, lens correction) |
12.2MP (f/1.7 aperture, 27mm lens, 1.4um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) |
| Front cameras | 10.8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 92.8-degree FoV, Fixed Focus) | 8MP (f/2.0 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.12um pixel size) |
| Battery | 4,355mAh, non-removable, 21W wired charging, 23W wireless charging, reverse wireless charger Charger not included |
3,140mAh, non-removable, 18W wired charging Charger included |
| Dimensions | 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm | 144 x 69.4 x 8.2mm |
| Weight | 197 grams | 143 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 4G LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Face Unlock In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
Rear-facing fingerprint scanner |
| OS | Android 13 | Android 10 (upgradeable to Android 13) |
| Price | $599/$699 | $399 |
| Buy | Amazon |
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 4a: Design
The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 4a are considerably different phones from a design standpoint. The Pixel 7 represents Google’s new design language, while the Pixel 4a has that understanded look that Google was rocking with for a couple of years. The device is made out of metal and glass, while the Pixel 4a utilizes plastic. The Pixel 7 is a lot taller and wider, while it’s also slightly thicker. On top of that, it’s heavier, as it weighs 197 grams compared to the 143 grams of the Pixel 4a.
None of that is surprising as it comes with a considerably larger display, and it’s also a more premium product. The Pixel 7 has a centered display camera hole, a flat display, and quite thin bezels. The Pixel 4a has a flat display as well, relatively thin bezels, and a display camera hole in the top-left corner. If you flip the two phones around, you’ll see a lot of differences. The Pixel 7 utilizes a camera visor on the back, which essentially curves into the phone’s frame. It’s covered by aluminum.
The Pixel 4a, on the other hand, has a plastic unibody design. It has a single camera in the top-left corner, and that camera island is quite compact. A capacitive fingerprint scanner also sits on the back of this phone. The Pixel 7 has an in-display fingerprint scanner, an optical one. Both phones are slippery, but the Pixel 7 is definitely more slippery, due to its glass build. The Pixel 4a is much easier to use with one hand, but it also feels quite cheap in comparison to the Pixel 7.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 4a: Display
The Google Pixel 7 includes a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display. This is a flat panel, with a 90Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR10+ content, and it gets quite bright, actually. Its peak brightness is at 1,400 nits, in auto mode only. Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus protects this phone’s display, while we’re looking at a 20:9 display aspect ratio here.
The Pixel 4a, on the other hand, has a considerably smaller display. It features a 5.81-inch fullHD+ (2340 x 1080) OLED panel. This is a 60Hz display, so it doesn’t offer a high refresh rate. It does support HDR content, but it has considerably lower brightness than the Pixel 7. It’s not exactly easy to use it in direct sunlight. The Gorilla Glass 3 protects this panel, while the phone’s display has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
The Pixel 7 not only has a brighter display with a higher refresh rate, but it also comes with considerably better protection. The Gorilla Glass 3 is quite prone to microscratches in comparison to the Gorilla Glass Victus, it’s also not as tough. The colors are more vivid on the Pixel 7, though the Pixel 4a’s display is not bad. Touch response is good on both, but using the Pixel 7 will feel more fluid due to the phone’s sheer power and the display’s refresh rate.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 4a: Performance
The Pixel 7 comes with a considerably more powerful hardware, and that does make a difference. The Pixel 7 is fueled by the Google Tensor G2, the company’s second-gen SoC. It also includes 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Pixel 4a is fueled by the Snapdragon 730G processor, and it includes 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.1 flash storage.
Needless to say, the Pixel 7 is the more powerful device, and quite a bit more powerful at that. This is one of the smoothest-performing smartphones we’ve ever used. Due to its specs and Google’s optimization, of course. The Pixel 4a was working really well at launch, but it’s a bit more jittery now. You’ll be facing hiccups throughout your usage, though it doesn’t necessarily have heavy lag or anything of the sort. It’s still perfectly usable, but switching to the Pixel 7 would represent a major change if you’re still using the Pixel 4a.
The Pixel 7 is not great for demanding games, though. It will not perform as well as some other phones out there if you’re planning to play Genshin Impact or something of the sort. It will also heat up quite a bit. With slightly less powerful games, it does a really nice job. Google may optimize this down the road, though. The Pixel 7 does perform noticeably better in games than the Pixel 4a, though. The Pixel 7 is an excellent smartphone for pretty much everything else, even heavy non-gaming usage.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 4a: Battery
Google’s new handset has a 4,355mAh battery on the inside, while the Pixel 4a packs in a 3,140mAh unit. The Pixel 4a’s battery hasn’t exactly been great from the get-go, and it’s even worse now. I used it up until a couple of months ago, and had to recharge the phone 1-2 times a day during heavier usage, which is far from ideal. The Pixel 7 delivers a completely different picture, though.
The Pixel 7 has really good battery life. We’ve been able to pull out 7 hours of screen-on-time from the phone without a problem, and in some cases even crossed the 7.5-8 hour mark. Your mileage may vary, of course, as you’re using different apps, have different signal strengths, and your usage patterns are considerably different. Do note that we played only lighter games on the phone, except for one day when we were testing gaming performance.
When it comes to charging speed, the Pixel 7 offers 21W wired, 21W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. The Pixel 4a only supports 18W wired charging, and that’s it. The Pixel 4a does include a charger in the box, though, unlike the Pixel 7.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 4a: Cameras
To this day I’m still amazed at what the Pixel 4a can do in the camera department. Google has been using that 12.2-megapixel camera sensor since the Pixel 2, and it still holds up. That is a single sensor on the back of the phone, while the Pixel 7 has a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit. Now, Google’s image processing is truly excellent, and the Pixel 7 does come out on top, but the Pixel 4a can still get the job done.
Both phones do great in high dynamic range situations, and the images in good lighting end up looking quite sharp. The Pixel 7 has less noise in low light, and tends to provide more details, but both do a good job. The Pixel 7 does provide somewhat sharper images, and tends to balance them out a bit better. Every aspect is a bit better, but as I said, the Pixel 4a still holds up in the image-taking department.
When it comes to ultrawide images, they look good, but you may want to use the main sensor for low light shots. The video recording is miles better on the Pixel 7, it’s not even close. The Pixel 4a was never a great video recording smartphone, so that’s not surprising at all. All-in-all, the Pixel 4a is still quite good, but it cannot match up to the Pixel 7, that’s for sure.
Audio
Both of these phones do include stereo speakers, but only the Pixel 4a has a 3.5mm headphone jack. You’ll have to use the Type-C USB port on the Pixel 7 if you want to connect your wired headphones.
That being said, the speakers on the Pixel 7 are better in comparison. The sound is richer, louder, and the vocals are clearer. The sound seems to be better balanced overall. Don’t get us wrong, though, the Pixel 4a speakers are not bad per se, but they cannot match up to the Pixel 7’s output.