Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 7a: Time to upgrade?

The Google Pixel 7a was a banger of a budget phone, and it continued to be our go-to recommendation even during the initial phase of the Pixel 8a launch. What makes it even better in 2025 is Google's recent decision to extend software support for it by two years, which means the 7a now stands to get updates till 2028. If you currently own it, it's only natural to make a Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 7a comparison.

The Pixel 8a was a big step up from the Pixel 7a, and the Pixel 9a is even better. If you're currently on the lookout for a new budget phone, should you compromise on performance and save big on the Pixel 7a, or spend a bit more and get the latest Pixel 9a? For existing owners of the 7a, should you upgrade now or wait it out for a few more years? Let's take a look.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 7a: Design

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The Pixel 9a and 7a have very similar dimensions but look quite different. The 9a loses the camera bar on the back but retains a similar pill-shaped cutout for the lenses, like the 7a, but it now sits flush with the rest of the rear panel. The corners are also not as rounded, so it may be less comfortable in your palm when you hold it. Both phones have roughly the same thickness of about 9mm, but the 9a is lighter.

The Pixel 9a comes in Obsidian and Porcelain, but also Peony (pink) and Iris (purple). The Pixel 7a launched in Charcoal, Sea, Snow, and Coral, but not all colors are easily available today.

Both phones feature a polycarbonate back panel and an aluminum frame. The 7a's glossy back panel is notorious for picking up fingerprints and smudges, which is not the case with the matte finish on the 9a.

The Pixel 9a finally gets upgraded to an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, putting it on par with flagship phones. The Pixel 7a's IP67 rating is still respectable for its class, just that it can't handle prolonged submersion as well as the 9a.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 7a: Display

The Pixel 9a has improved display specs over the 7a. For starters, it's a larger 6.3-inch panel with Google's Actua display tech. It has a Full HD+ resolution, 60-120Hz variable refresh rate, and up to 2,700 nits of peak brightness. In comparison, the 7a has a 6.1-inch OLED with the same resolution, up to 90Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. What's funny is that both phones share the same Gorilla Glass 3 protection, which is not great for 9a in 2025.

The Pixel 9a also has a pOLED screen, which contributes to the lower overall weight of the phone. Both phones have an optical in-display fingerprint sensor. We found the Pixel 7a's display to be more than adequate for everyday use when we tested it, and we're sure the Pixel 9a should fare even better. When it comes to using both phones under direct sunlight, the 9a's screen should be a lot more legible.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 7a: Hardware and battery

The Pixel 9a comes in at the same price as when the 7a launched (and the 8a, for that matter). It's $499 for 128GB and $559 for 256GB. You get 8GB of RAM across both variants. This is one area where the 7a loses out as it only comes in a single 128GB of storage. This is quite less, even by 2023 standards, as actual usable storage is lower. On the plus side, you can find it online for as low as $330, making it incredible value.

In terms of performance, the Pixel 9a uses the Tensor G4 SoC as the Pixel 9, along with the Titan M2 security chip. You should expect the same level of performance in apps, games, and AI capabilities as the rest of the 9 series. The Pixel 7a runs a much older Tensor G2 SoC, which was a flagship chip for its time.

Still, Google's SoCs aren't exactly known for their performance, which means both phones should do fine with light workloads, casual games, and AI features. The Pixel 9a should perform better in premium Android games, though, and shouldn't heat up as much as the G2 did.

Battery life is one of the highlights of the Pixel 9a as it has a considerably larger 5,100mAh capacity over the 4,385mAh battery in the Pixel 7a. Google claims you can get "30+ hours" of battery life from the 9a, which is impressive. If you're frugal with your usage, you can knock out more than a full day with the 7a on one charge. Google claims it can do "Over 24 hours," and this is without using the power saver mode. There's no substitute for a larger capacity, though, and here, the 9a should easily have the 7a beat.

The Pixel 9a also supports faster charging speeds, but only just. Wired charging is now 23W from 18W on the 7a, while wireless charging with a Qi charger is 7.5W vs. 5W. The Pixel 9a doesn't really revolutionize charging speeds in any way, and with the larger capacity, the zero to 100% sprint between the two might actually be close.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 7a: Cameras

The main cameras on the Pixel 9a and 7a are quite different, but the others are similar. The 9a has a 48MP main sensor with a wider f/1.7 aperture, but the actual sensor size is a bit smaller than the 7a (1/2" vs. 1/1.73"). The 7a does have a narrower f/1.89 aperture, though, which means photos could end up looking similar from both phones.

The Pixel 9a supports features like Macro Focus and Astrophotography, which is a first for an A series phone, according to Google. Other Pixel 9 camera exclusives like Add Me are also supported on the 9a. The 7a won't be getting any of the new AI camera features due to the older SoC. Thankfully, when it comes to the actual quality of photos and videos, it's still one of the best. The 9a should be able to do slightly better with the new ISP in the G4 chip, but that's something we'll have to test when we review it.

Both the Pixel 9a and 7a have a 13MP ultrawide camera and a 13MP selfie camera. Both have a fixed focus with only slight variations in the field of view. The 9a and 7a are capable of 8x Super Res Zoom and can shoot up to 4K video at 60fps.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 7a: Software

The software experience of the Pixel 9a and 7a should be very similar. The 9a comes with Android 15 out the gate but the 7a can just as easily be upgraded to the latest version. The 7a was originally supposed to get just three OS upgrades, but Google added two more years of support in December 2024, breathing new life into the phone.

While the usage experience should be similar, some of the AI features and apps like Pixel Studio, Reimagine, and Add Me are exclusive to the 9 series, which includes the Pixel 9a. The Pixel 7a won't be getting any of these features due to hardware limitations.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 7a: Which should you pick?

The Pixel 9a is clearly the better phone of the two and is the one I'd recommend getting. It offers updated hardware, a bigger battery, better waterproofing, and a host of useful AI features. Gaming performance should also be much better, with little to no heating issues. The icing on the cake here is that it still costs $500, and this is before you factor in any trade-in discounts or offers.

The Pixel 7a is still a good phone and will be relevant for a few more years thanks to Google's extended support for it. If you only wish to spend around $300, you won't find a better phone than the 7a at that price. If you currently own a 7a and it's doing what you need it to do, I'd say hold off from upgrading to the 9a and wait till next year or when Google stops supporting it. If it's just the weak battery life that's driving you to upgrade, maybe get yourself a good USB-C power bank to push through another year of usage.