Newsletter
The Pixel 7a is Google’s latest smartphone, and also its new mid-range offering. The device is actually somewhat compact, at least compared to most of its competitors. In this article, we’ll compare it to one of Apple’s handsets, actually. We’ll compare the Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone 14. Granted, the iPhone 14 is considerably more expensive, so keep that in mind as we go through everything.
Both of these phones are rather compact. The iPhone 14 more so than the Pixel 7a, but they’re way more compact than the vast majority of their competitors. They’re also quite different, in so many ways. That should definitely make this comparison interesting. We’ll kick things off with their specifications, and then move to a number of other categories. So, let’s get started, shall we?
Specs
| Google Pixel 7a | Apple iPhone 14 | |
| Screen size | 6.1-inch fullHD+ flat OLED display (90Hz refresh rate) | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (60Hz refresh rate) |
| Screen resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 2532 x 1170 |
| SoC | Google Tensor G2 | Apple A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 8GB (LPDDR5) | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB (UFS 3.1), non-expandable | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, non-expandable |
| Rear cameras | 64MP (f/1.9 aperture, 26mm lens, 0.8um pixel size, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) 13MP (f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size) |
12MP (wide, f/1.5 aperture, 26mm lens, 1.9um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS) 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.4 aperture, 13mm, 120-degree FoV) |
| Front cameras | 13MP (f/2.2 aperture, 20mm lens, 1.12um pixel size) | 12MP (wide-angle, f/1.9 aperture, 23mm lens, PDAF) SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Battery | 4,385mAh, non-removable, 20W wired charging, 18W wireless charging Charger not included |
3,279mAh, non-removable, 23W wired charging, 15W MagSafe wireless charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging Charger not included |
| Dimensions | 152 x 72.9 x 9mm | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm |
| Weight | 193.5 grams | 172 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, Lightning port |
| Security | In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) Face Unlock |
Advanced facial scanning |
| OS | Android 13 | iOS 16 |
| Price | $499 | $799/$899/$1,099 |
| Buy | Amazon | Apple |
Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone 14: Design
Design-wise, these two phones are vastly different. The Pixel 7a is made out of metal and plastic. Its frame is made out of metal, but it has a plastic backplate. The phone is squarish in design, and has a flat display with a centered display camera hole. Its back side curves slightly into the frame, on the sides, while there is a camera visor included on the back. That camera visor goes from the right side all the way to the left, and it’s covered by metal.
The iPhone 14 is made out of metal and glass. Its corners are way more curved than the ones on the Pixel 7a. The sides, however, are entirely flat on the iPhone 14, and that goes for all of its sides, basically. The phone has a flat display, with a display notch at the top. There are two cameras included on the back of the device, and the backplate is also entirely flat. Those two cameras sit in the top-left corner, inside the same camera island.
Having said that, the Pixel 7a is larger overall, despite the fact they have the same display sizes. The phone is considerably taller, and slightly wider than the iPhone 14. It’s also thicker than Apple’s offering. On top of everything, the Pixel 7a also weighs 21.5 grams more than the iPhone 14. They both feel really nice in the hand, albeit different. Neither phone feels cheap, not at all.
Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone 14: Display
The Pixel 7a features a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) OLED display. That display is flat, and it offers a 90Hz refresh rate. It also has support for HDR content, and we’re looking at a 20:9 aspect ratio here. The display is protected by the Gorilla Glass 3, which is not exactly the latest offering from Corning. More on that later.
The iPhone 14 sports a 6.1-inch 2532 x 1170 Super Retina XDR OLED display. That display is flat, and it doesn’t offer a high refresh rate. It does support HDR10 content, and also comes with Dolby Vision support. This panel has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and goes up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness. The iPhone 14’s display is protected by the Ceramic Shield glass.
Now, both of these displays are good. They are vivid, have good viewing angles, and offer deep blacks. They also offer similar brightness, which is nowhere near the best flagships out there, but it does the trick. Neither display is dim nor anything of the sort. Touch response is good, by the way, on both of them. You will notice a higher refresh rate of the Pixel 7a display, though, while the iPhone 14 does offer better display protection. The Gorilla Glass 3 has a tendency to pick up microscratches, so using a screen protector may be a good idea.
Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone 14: Performance
The Pixel 7a is fueled by Google’s flagship SoC, the Tensor G3. The Tensor G3 will be coming later this year, but the Tensor G2 is the best Google has to offer now. In addition to that, the company packed in 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM here, and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The iPhone 14 is fueled by the Apple A15 Bionic SoC, while it also includes 6GB of RAM and NVMe storage.
That being said, how do they compare performance-wise? Well, in regular, everyday tasks, they both do a great job. Both are quite fluid, and they do the job with ease. We did not notice any lag in that regard or anything of the sort. When it comes to gaming, the iPhone 14 is the better choice. Its SoC is more focused on gaming than the Tensor G2, even though you can play games with the Pixel 7a. Don’t expect the most demanding games to be running at full capacity, though. Still, you can play anything with the device.
Overall, the performance on both smartphones is really good, and chances are it will stay that way for quite some time.
Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone 14: Battery
The Pixel 7a includes a 4,385mAh battery, while the iPhone 14 comes with a 3,279mAh battery. iPhones need less battery capacity than Android smartphones, so don’t let this difference fool you. In fact, the battery life between these two phones is comparable, that’s for sure. The Pixel 7a had rather iffy battery life at first, but things changed after a couple of weeks. It’s quite reliable now.
Having said that, both smartphones can provide above 7 hours of screen-on-time, at least that was the case for us. They even went over the 8-hour screen-on-time mark at times. Do note that we don’t really play games outside of testing, and our usage will differ from your usage. So, your mileage may vary, as you’ll have different signal strengths, apps installed, and you’ll also use your phone in different ways. Do note that we’re also connected to WiFi most of the time during the day.
When charging is concerned, the Pixel 7a supports 18W wired, and 7.5W wireless charging. The iPhone 14 offers support for 20W wired, 15W wireless MagSafe, and 7.5W wireless Qi charging. Neither phone offers particularly fast charging, and neither of them comes with a charger included in the box.
Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone 14: Cameras
The Pixel 7a includes a 64-megapixel main camera, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV). The iPhone 14, on the other hand, has a 12-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV). Both of these smartphones do take really impressive images, but they do provide different results.
The iPhone 14 leans more towards true-to-life shots, while the Pixel 7a images do tend to look more processed, but in a good way. Google’s image processing is outstanding. The Pixel 7a provides more contrasty images, and it also does a better job in demanding HDR situations. The iPhone 14 tends to overexpose shots at times, though that is rarely the case. Both provide sharp and detailed images, that are also well-balanced.
In low light, the Pixel 7a has a tendency to bring in more light into shots, and makes them look great, but a bit unrealistic. The iPhone 14 likes to keep things a bit darker, but more true-to-life in most shots. Their ultrawide cameras are really good, and do a good job of keeping up with the color science of the main camera. The video recording is noticeably better on the iPhone 14, it’s less shaky, and there’s also less warping involved.
Audio
Each of these two phones has a set of stereo speakers included. Those speakers are good on both phones, but nothing to write home about. They’ll do the job for the vast majority of users, though, without a problem.
There is no audio jack on either of the two devices. You’ll need to use their charging ports in order to achieve a wired audio connection. If you prefer wireless audio, both smartphones are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3.