Skip to main content

Pixel 7a hands-on photos show us an unwelcome display change

Google’s upcoming Pixel 7a has leaked several months before launch, courtesy of a Facebook group in Vietnam and shared to the leaks aggregator site, Slashleaks. This follows renders from trusted leakers Steve Hemmerstoffer (OnLeaks) last year. This new set of live leaks confirms elements of previous images, including the refreshed design and support for a 90Hz display.

As noted, this leak comes from Vietnam. This is where Google assembles its phones and, consequently, has been a source of a few Pixel leaks in the past. It’s happened with the Pixel 4a, and now the Pixel 7a. The video shows off the Pixel 7a in all its glory, leaving little to the imagination.

Allegedly hands-on photos of the Google Pixel 7a.
Slashleaks

As expected, the 7a looks remarkably like the Pixel 7, complete with the blended camera bar. It also looks quite similar to the Pixel 6a, but that’s due to the fact the Pixel 6a was designed to look like a bridge between the Pixel 6 and 7. One thing that stands out is the bezel size surrounding the Pixel 7a’s display. The bezels are considerably larger than the ones found on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, acting as a constant reminder of the Pixel 7a’s (presumably) lower price.

Recommended Videos

Alongside the (slightly) refreshed design, Google is expected to add the Tensor G2 chip into the 7a alongside a new pair of cameras while keeping the same palm-friendly 6.1-inch display that the 6a had. Google typically launches the A-Series phones at its Gooogle I/O event in May. The Pixel 7a is expected to make its debut there and go on sale shortly after. Alongside the 7a, Google is expected to release the currently unannounced Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet in the first half of 2023.

Google Pixel 7a render.
OnLeaks / SmartPrix

Other than the Pixel 7a, Google’s plans for the Pixel-line through 2025 also leaked courtesy of Android Authority. The company is expected to introduce a smaller Pixel Pro, much like the 6.1-inch iPhone Pro, alongside the larger Pixel Pro and the A-series. The Pixel-A series itself could see relegation to a biannual release rather than the annual release it currently enjoys.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Google’s Pixel line, while not yet quite competitive with the iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy (to put it charitably), continues to win rave reviews and phone of the year recommendations. The company’s problems remain reliability, heat management, and battery life — most of which can be linked to its Tensor processor.

Michael Allison
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
The future of the Google Pixel Tablet doesn’t look good
Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Google’s Pixel lineup has been pretty solid lately -- at least, for most of its hardware, anyway. But there’s one Google Pixel device that seems to have flopped so hard that it may end up being a one-off thing, and that’s the Pixel Tablet.

If you’re hoping to hear some news about a proper Pixel Tablet 2, we have some bad news. According to a recent report from Android Headlines, it seems that Google has already canceled plans for a Pixel Tablet 3. But wait! Another report on Android Authority claims that it was actually the Pixel Tablet 2 that was canned, not the Pixel Tablet 3. Considering that you can’t have a third iteration before having a second, I think it’s safe to say that whatever the next version was going to be, we’re not going to see it — at least not for a while.

Read more
Here’s every Pixel phone that can download Android 16 Developer Preview 1
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL next to the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Even though Android 15 launched only recently, Google is already moving on to Android 16, which is much earlier than is typical. And if you have a Pixel device from the past couple of years, you can get the Android 16 Developer Preview 1 right now.

Typically, when Google releases a beta for Android, the Pixel lineup gets it first before any other phones. When Google announced Android 16 earlier today, we didn’t know exactly which Pixel models would be able to get the Developer Preview. But Google just revealed which models can run Android 16, and two of them are a bit surprising.

Read more
You really need to be careful with your Pixel 9 Pro Fold
A person opening the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

We've got good news and bad news. The good news? You can repair your Pixel 9 Pro Fold's screen if you happen to accidentally break it. The bad news is the cost won't be far off from what you paid for the phone in the first place, even if you decide to repair it yourself. The inner screen for the device is available from iFixit for a whopping $1,199 — quite the pretty penny when you consider the phone itself starts at $1,799.

It's a jump up from the cost to buy a replacement Pixel Fold screen, which was "only" $899. For what it costs to repair the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's screen, you could buy an iPhone 16 Pro Max. That's a lot of money for a DIY repair, a process that should (in theory) make repairs a lot less expensive. By the way, the $1,199 is just for the part itself — the full repair kit adds on just $8, bringing it to a total of $1,207. The kit includes all of the necessary tools, including a pair of tweezers, screwdriver, bits, spudger, picks, and more.

Read more