The best Google Pixel 7a alternatives: 5 phones to consider before you buy

After months of rumors and leaks, the Pixel 7a became official on May 10 of 2023. The latest mid-range shares a similar design to its predecessor but also introduces some firsts for the Pixel A series, including wireless charging, faster refresh rates, and an improved camera. Not sure if the Pixel 7a is right for you, or simply curious about the best Pixel 7a alternatives? In this guide, we break down all the best options for those who are looking for an affordable yet powerful smartphone. Be sure to also check out our Pixel 7a review for our verdict.

Update (Aug 7, 2023): This post was originally published on May 10th, but has been updated to reflect dropped pricing for the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G and the addition of the Nothing Phone 2.

The best Google Pixel 7a alternatives

Pixel 6a

The Pixel 7a may be Google’s latest budget phone but don’t discount the the Pixel 6a. This phone is one heck of a value. This is especially true now that Google has dropped the price tag down to $350!

The original Tensor G1 processor powers the Pixel 6a, paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. While the G2 obviously brings some new improvements and greater raw speed, the G1 is still extremely powerful — after all, it’s a flagship-class chip, even if it’s now a year old. The display on the Pixel 6a is very similar to the 7a, though slightly smaller and with a lower refresh rate. It’s more than capable of getting the job done,  but the Pixel 7a is a slight upgrade. Battery life isn’t as good as we’d wish, but the 4,410mAh battery is capable of making it through a whole day with a little juice left over. And for what it’s worth, the Pixel 7a doesn’t perform much differently here anyhow.

Even more crucially, the Pixel 6a has a great camera. Although the Pixel 7a introduced a 64MP main camera and other photography improvements, Google’s real magic has always been its camera software, processing, and AI enhancements. The 12.2MP shooter is more than capable of making the most of Google’s advanced camera features, including the impressive Magic Eraser. It’s also worth noting the selfie camera on the 6a is actually the same as the 7a, so don’t expect much difference there.

While the Pixel 7a is arguably a better-looking phone thanks to the new metallic camera bar and other refinements, the Pixel 6a is still an attractive handset. Some may even prefer the design if you weren’t impressed by the changes introduced to Google’s design language with the Pixel 7.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

The Galaxy A54 5G is one of the most obvious rivals to the Pixel family. The Galaxy A54 5G packs a design almost as premium as a true Galaxy S flagship. Previously it was on sale for as little as $350, but right now it’s back up to $449. While this isn’t quite as good, it’s still a decent price for what you get.

The Galaxy A54 5G is powered by an in-house Exynos 1380 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. While this chip isn’t as powerful as the Tensor G2, we found it performed at near flagship levels in most basic tasks, and even with gaming and other productivity, it managed to handle quite well. One nice extra you won’t find with a Pixel is microSD expansion. On the flip side, the Galaxy A54 5G has an amazing display. The 6.4-inch panel gets sufficiently bright and has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. While it’s not quite as good as a flagship panel, it comes very close.

Google and Samsung are both leaders in mobile photography, and while the Pixel 7a looks great, the Galaxy A54 5G doesn’t disappoint either. Samsung’s kitchen-sink approach to features is well alive in the camera app. The photos were solid, too, with decent color accuracy and detail. Until we spend more time with the two phones side-by-side, it’s hard to say which has the better camera, but both phones offer some of the best photography you’ll find in the mid-range.

It’s a known fact that Pixel phones aren’t great when it comes to battery life, but that’s not an issue for the A54 5G, thanks to its hefty 5,000mAh battery. During our tests, we found it could easily make it through an entire day’s use with change to spare. In our review, we’d typically go to bed with at least 35% battery.

iPhone SE (2022)

If you’re exclusively an Android user, the iPhone SE (2022) probably isn’t for you, and you might be better off with another option on the list. For those that are open to another platform, the iPhone SE (2022) packs a ton of features and performance into a surprisingly well-priced iPhone.

The iPhone SE (2022) is an odd device, shoving modern-day specs into a basically decade-old design. Unless you love small phones, you’re not buying this one for the looks or its tiny 4.7-inch display. What you do get is a powerful Apple A15 Bionic processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. While the storage space is paltry, don’t let 4GB of RAM fool you. Apple’s optimizations mean you need a lot less RAM than you do with an Android device. As for the actual SoC? The A15 Bionic easily keeps up with the Tensor G2 and offers a similar flagship-quality experience at a mid-range price.

Just like Samsung and Google, Apple is known for its photography chops. Unfortunately, Apple’s mid-ranger just doesn’t hold up to this promise. Its single 12MP shooter is fine for basic images with decent enough detail — in good lighting. It’s not that the iPhone SE (2022) has a bad camera for a mid-range phone; it’s just that all the options that came before it on the list manage to give us a better photography experience.

Just like the Pixel 7a, the iPhone SE (2022) isn’t a battery champion, but it can make it through a whole day with at least a few percent to spare. On the bright side, it’s one of the only mid-range phones outside the Pixel 7a to have wireless charging. Like the former device, it’s only 7.5W Qi charging, but still it’s a nice extra few phones offer at this price.

Motorola Edge (2023)

Motorola has been on a roll recently, with popular devices like the Motorola Edge Plus (2023) and the Motorola Razr Plus. While both of these phones look great, maybe you’re looking for a cheaper option. The Motorola Edge (2023) is about $100 more than the Pixel 7a, but at least it’s still a pretty affordable device when you consider its specs. It’s also often on sale for the same or less than the Pixel 7a.

Like its predecessor, this isn’t a small phone, thanks to its beefy 6.6-inch pOLED with a refresh rate of 144Hz and peak brightness of up to 1,200 nis. Overall this is a good display and a notable upgrade from last year’s model with much better color accuracy.

Under the hood, you’ll find a Mediatek Dimensity 7030 SoC, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Performance is actually quite good with this chip, making it more than capable of running all your favorite apps and games.  There’s also a 4,400mAh battery that’s more than enough to get through a day and a half on a single charge with moderate usage. Even heavy usage should make it through a day with no trouble at all. Once it does get low, you can quickly charge things back up with impressive 68-watt wired charging speeds that are many times better than the Pixel 7a.

The Motorola Edge (2023) has a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera. While they can take decent enough photos, especially in good lighting, the experience is much less impressive than the Pixel 7a. If you are really into photography, this phone might not be the best fit.

Google Pixel 7

The Pixel 7 could be the perfect Pixel 7a alternative if you like what Google is offering but want fewer compromises than you’ll get with the Pixel A series. Just like the Pixel 7a, you’ll get a Tensor G2 processor with 8GB of RAM, though there are also storage options up to 256GB. Right now you can get the base model on sale via Amazon for just $600, which is only $150 more than the 7a.

While the under-the-hood performance will be similar to the Pixel 7a, the Pixel 7 has a few advantages. First, it has a slightly larger 6.32-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This is higher than the 90Hz refresh rate on the Pixel 7a. You’ll also get a slightly bigger battery at 4,355mAh, though, as we noticed in our Pixel 7a vs Pixel 7 comparison, battery life is actually not too much different.

Of course, what really makes the Pixel 7 stand apart from the Pixel 7a is a more premium glass and metal design, as well as a more powerful camera package. You’ll find a few other differences, like faster wireless charging and IP68 water and dust resistance versus IP67 on the Pixel 7a.

Nothing Phone 2

The Nothing Phone 2 is a bit more expensive at $599, making it priced more similarly to the Pixel 7 and is $150 more than the Pixel 7a. Still, if you can spend a bit extra, this is a pretty decent Pixel 7a alternative. Depending on your variant, you’ll get either 8 or 12GB of RAM and storage options as high as 512GB. There’s a much faster processor here than you’d get with the Pixel 7a, as the Nothing Phone 2 comes equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1.

The camera on the Nothing Phone 2 isn’t bad per say, but it’s nowhere near what you’d get with the Pixel 7a. On the bright side, you get a bigger display at 6.7 inches, and it has other advantages, including a 120Hz variable refresh rate and 1,600 nits peak brightness. The battery on the Nothing Phone 2 is also vastly superior, at 4,700mAh. This is a phone capable of making it through a day and a half, while the Pixel 7a struggles to make it through a full day.

The Glyph is another reason to consider the Nothing Phone 2. The somewhat gimmicky set of lights on the back makes the phone stand out in a crowd, even more so than the Pixel 7a’s unique design. They also have legit uses for setting timers, making custom flash patterns for contacts, and more.