■ $749 | store.google.com
The Google Pixel 7a is not your usual budget phone. Rather than cutting features from the Pixel 7 to keep the price low, Google has packed in as many capabilities as possible, to the point where there isn’t a huge difference between the Pixel 7a and the fully featured original.
Even the launch price is the same. Where last year’s Pixel 6a came in at a tempting $749, the 7a launches at exactly the same price. It’s not a huge leap, but it’s a harder sell: the regular Pixel 7 can be found online for around that same price, too. The old 6a is still on sale too, now at a knockdown $599.
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The Pixel 7a keeps the distinctive Pixel 7 design, with a horizontal camera bar