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Google Pixel 7a - Unlocked Android Cell Phone - Smartphone with Wide Angle Lens and 24-Hour Battery - 128 GB - Sea
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First of all, can we talk about something for a second? Google is the worst company on Earth at keeping things a secret and I don't think it's on purpose. Like, some think it's an intentional leak, and "Oh, they're letting stuff get out about their phones, so that's free press." No, I think they're just bad at it, like, really really bad at it.So everything about the phone is already out before it even comes out. That's just the way it is with Pixel phones now, Pixel anything. Anyway, this is the Pixel 7A. You've probably heard about it or seen some things, and it turns out pretty much everything you've seen is true,because it's a Pixel. But really what you should know is this is the new mid-ranger from Google, and it's a bit more expensive than the previous one. 7A costs $499, and it's very similar to the Pixel 7. Let's talk about it. So first things first, Wireless Charging yes, the price did go up. The Pixel 6A was $449 at release.This is the 7A,so there should be a good reason to add 50 more dollars.So let's just start with what's new,which is wireless charging and a new 90 hertz display.Honestly, these are welcome features.Wireless charging is a nice one for convenience.I will say it's definitely not fast wireless charging.It's only seven and a half watts here.So I've noticed, literally, when I'm navigating,and this is wireless charging in my car,and it's got high-brightness GPS stuff going,it just holds its charge.It doesn't lower or go up,it just stays the same.But hey, if you have a wireless charger sitting around at the desk at work,or at the bedside,or something like the it'll definitely be good for a trickle charge overnight,which not every phone in this price range can say they have,so that's good. Ali Brother Traders
Display
And then the 90 hertz display is a funny one,because it's actually off by default on this phone.Like, when you first take it out the box and start using it,it's a 60 hertz phone,but you can go into the display settings and turn on Smooth Display.Suddenly it's 50% more frames and it's dramatically smoother,about as smooth as the Pixel 7 was.It's also the same Tensor G2 chip and the same eight gigs of ram,so performance feels pretty similarto the Pixel 7 at 90 hertz.It makes a big difference.I do not enjoy using this phone at 60 hertz for this price.It did seem a little bit choppier,like it was dropping frames and actually operating at 45 to 55 hertz. So, yeah, turn on that 90 hertz. Build quality wise,that is where you'll see...At least on paper, it does take the small step down from the Pixel 7 (tapping phone).Plastic back.And the the rails are still metal,which is nice,and it is also IP 67 instead of IP 68.But honestly you'd be hard pressed to notice,just, like, using this phone, holding it,there's no creaking, no bending,nothing screams low quality about this build at all,so I think that was well done.And this is a slightly smaller 6.1-inch flat display, still 1080p,and it's up to 90 hertz, like I said,and it does have some serious color shifting and banding when you get off axis,but honestly, you know, it's still bright,it still looks good enough for this price.It's Gorilla Glass 3.And also even though the display is slightly smaller, the slightly thicker bezels just bring it right back up to basically the same size of a phone as the Pixel 7.So it feels like another fair trade.And then there is a new set of colors.This little light blue is called Sea, as in ocean.It's the sea.But there's also a Charcoal and Snow,which are the black and white ones,then there's also a red, like, coral colored one.That one is an online-only Google store color.Pretty fire actually.But, you know, channel-sponsored dbrand Skin will let you spice it up.I've never actually shouted out the JerryRigEverything Teardown skin,because usually dbrand has to wait for someone to actually do the teardown.Luckily though, they were able to pull some strings and get this one made ahead of time,so it's ready right for launch,and this is a rare first look at the inside of the phone on camera through this skin.And it's 15% off too,along with everything else on their site right now for you guys,as long as you go to dbrand.com/mkbhd and use code "EVERYTHING".But bottom line, it still very much looks like a Pixel.The metal wraparound visor,the pill cutout for the cameras,the antenna bands in the right places,the slot speakers (buttons clicking),the buttons are still very clicky.I mean, they've done the hardware well.This is a very good trade off for the hardware price.And then do I really even need to get into the software? Ali Brother Traders
Cause this story kind of writes itself.They do all the same software stuff in the A-series phonesv as they do on the more premium Pixels, which I like.Not everybody does that.So all the same features,all the same stuff that I like about every other Pixelb is also here.I've called the Pixel the smartest smartphone in the world because ofthow good Google Assistant is,how good the voice-to-text is with all the on-device transcription,the incredible Voice Recorder app,the Google Assistant stuff that screens calls and waits on hold for me.The Now Playing feature that hears songs in the background wherever you go and identifies them for you.The Material You stuff throughout everything that identifies your wallpaper and matches your system colors to it.And, of course, the promised three years of software updates,which hilariously isn't the longest promise supportin the industry anymore.That actually goes to Samsung phones,which promised, like, four to five years of support.But nevertheless, no surprises here.So really my only two question marks when I got this phone were battery and cameras.So battery would be kind of interesting,'cause it's roughly the same size battery as the Pixel 7,so would it have the same battery life or not? Ali Brother Traders
But then also cameras,because for the first time in a while,there's new cameras in here.All new cameras that we've never seen in a Pixel before,so a departure the tried and true.So first, for battery, 4,385 milliamp hours,Battere 18-watt charging, kind of slow,and seven-and-a-half-watt wireless charging, even slower,and then total battery life,I'm gonna say average at best.So it's a full day of use,but definitely nothing more,even at 90 hertz,which is fine.You know, it's mid-range,so I got got quite a few days with the three to four hours of screen on time at 90 hertz with my typical usage and I'd have like 10% left at the end of the day.So I'm not really worried about it dying before the end of the day,unless it's crazy heavy,but even then the wireless charging can kind of save you if you wanna prolong its death a little bit.We'll see how this ages over time,but for now I'm giving it a C-plus, battery. Ali Brother Traders
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