The Pixel 7a has made its presence known, and this budget giant from the Pixel A series lineup has already proven itself by beating its flagship brethren in the Pixel 7 in our showdown. But how does the Pixel 7a stack up against other sub-$500 smartphone competitors? Particularly competition in the form of the Apple iPhone SE from 2022.
We tested the latest iPhone SE in August 2022 and were impressed with its powerful performance and budget-conscious price. Its lightning-fast processor, ultra-portable form factor, and useful iOS features made it one of our top picks for the best budget phones available right now. So how well does Google’s newest entrant to the Pixel family lineup stack up against Apple’s small-scale smartphone? Let’s find out.
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Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone SE (2022) price
The $499 launch price of the Pixel 7a is about $50 more than people expected or hoped. However, the latest Pixel A series phone has the value to match its price tag – and then some.
Priced at a more affordable $429, the iPhone SE (2022) is certainly no slouch in terms of a great mid-range smartphone. However, as we delve further into the differences between these two devices, it will become clearer what it will cost you to save that extra $70.
If you’re a die-hard Apple fanatic, it’s unlikely you’ll see the merit in stretching your budget even further for the Pixel 7a – but if you’re not locked into a particular platform and you’re willing to spend every dollar count, the Pixel 7a’s incredible value and a 5-year updates warranty make it the ideal choice for anyone looking for a smartphone under $500.
Winner: Google Pixel 7a
Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone SE (2022) design
Looking at these phones side-by-side, I’m genuinely amazed that release-wise there’s only a year and change between them. The iPhone SE looks like a technological relic compared to the modern aesthetic of the Pixel 7a.
The Pixel 7a’s tighter rounded corners and chic camera bar give it a real sense of personality, while the iPhone seems to mimic the personality of a phone released in 2017 – clinging nostalgically to a design that, to a good reason, has been phased out long ago.
While the iPhone SE is slightly thinner, its chunky iPhone 8-era design doesn’t do it any favors – pales in comparison to the sleek and sleek look of the Pixel 7a. The design of Pixel smartphones may not have changed much in recent years, but it is light years ahead of what the iPhone SE has to offer.
(Image credit: Future)
Both phones offer IP67 certification, giving each dust protection and survivability for 30 minutes in water up to 1 meter (3 feet), both also have a variant of Corning drop protection with the Pixel’s front-facing Gorilla Glass 3 7a The Corning-made glass shield on the front and back of the iPhone SE.
While the Pixel 7a’s protection is more scratch-resistant, it only covers the front of the device, with the back being a 3D thermoformed composite. Or, as most people would say, plastic.
(Image credit: Laptop Mag/Sean Riley)
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but some things are just objectively ugly. Fortunately, none of these phones suffer from such an ailment, and while it probably comes down to personal preference in the end, the Pixel 7a feels fresher in just about every way, even if the design isn’t quite as noticeable. many of other Pixel offerings.
Winner: Google Pixel 7a
Google Pixel 7a vs. Apple iPhone SE (2022) display
(Image credit: Laptop Mag/Sean Riley)
Size isn’t everything when it comes to determining how good a display is. In fact, you can probably offset the iPhone’s smaller 4.7-inch screen against that of the Pixel 7a’s 6.1-inch screen by holding it just a little closer to your face. There’s no compensation for the quality of the image, though – a quality that the Pixel 7a’s impressive 2400 x 1080, 90Hz OLED display has in abundance.
The iPhone SE (2022)’s Retina HD display with LCD background isn’t nearly as vibrant or rich as the Pixel 7a, and its 1,400:1 contrast ratio isn’t much better than the 1,000,000:1 offering of the iPhone SE (2022). Google.
The Pixel 7a packs a superior screen across the board, and if you don’t want to believe your lying eyes then the results of our benchmark tests should make it clear as day.
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Winner: Google Pixel 7a
Google Pixel 7a Performance vs. Apple iPhone SE (2022).
Apple’s budget buy may not look great in the visual department, but when it comes to raw performance, the A15 Bionic chip outperforms Google’s G2 Tensor SoC in almost every metric.
Both phones are capable of serious multitasking and have an impressive amount of performance on tap. However, in our benchmark testing, the gap in potential performance between the two becomes much more apparent.
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Apple’s claims that the iPhone SE (2022) includes a CPU that’s “faster than the competition at any price point” aren’t one to fall flat — at least when it comes to Google’s latest offering.
Jumping off the fence briefly, it’s also worth pointing out that while the iPhone is pulling away from the competition in dramatic fashion here, it’s unlikely that much of the available power of Apple’s device will be used by the average user. are touched. So don’t be alarmed or disillusioned if you think this makes the Pixel 7a a “weak” phone as a result of these benchmarks. It just makes the iPhone SE (2022) very powerful.
Winner: Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Google Pixel 7a vs. Apple iPhone SE (2022) cameras
(Image credit: Future)
The iPhone SE (2022) takes full advantage of its single main camera, recreating colors and tones true to life thanks to Apple’s Smart HDR 4. The wide-angle lens is quite capable of capturing most scenes that are in front of it, especially with the Deep Fusion neural Apple’s image processing in play – at least during the day.
The lack of night mode causes photos to become dull and cloudy in the absence of sufficient light. It’s a good camera offering from Apple, but it will only perform at its best under the right conditions.
On the other hand, the Pixel 7a’s 64MP and 13MP wide and ultra-wide main camera array shines in comparison with excellent color and tone reproduction with a sharp and crystal-clear eye for detail – even in low-light (and we mean low, low-light ). ) thanks to the incredibly impressive Night Sight.
The Pixel 7a is an all-round great shooter, whether you’re looking for portraits, landscapes or low-light subjects.
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(Image credit: Laptop Mag)
Google Pixel 7a camera samples
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Google Pixel 7a camera samples
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Google Pixel 7a camera samples
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Google Pixel 7a camera samples
(Image credit: Laptop Mag)
Google Pixel 7a camera samples
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Google Pixel 7a camera samples
(Image credit: Laptop Mag)
Google Pixel 7a camera samples
(Image credit: Laptop Mag)
Google Pixel 7a camera samples
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Examples of Apple iPhone SE (2022) cameras
While the Tensor G2 lags behind the iPhone SE in terms of performance, it is way ahead in terms of image quality, image processing and available software, especially with features like Magic Eraser, which lets you effortlessly remove unwanted elements from your photos. .
Winner: Google Pixel 7a
Google Pixel 7a vs Apple iPhone SE (2022) battery life
(Image credit: Laptop Mag/Sean Riley)
Depending on how you use your smartphone, battery life may be one of the most important factors to consider when choosing your next daily driver. And if we were just looking at the battery offerings of the Pixel 7a and iPhone SE based on the numbers, you’d think it was a foolproof match.
The Pixel 7a is equipped with a battery of 4,385 mAh, while the iPhone SE (2022) has a battery of only 2018 mAh. I’m no mathematician, but you’d think this would equate to an uptime of the Pixel 7a more than twice that of Apple’s device. However, the A15 Bionic chip in the iPhone is impressively efficient and can make that shorter capacity last much longer than most Android devices.
During our Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web browsing on a 5G cellular network with a brightness of 150 nits, the iPhone SE (2022) managed to last 9 hours and 18 minutes. However, the Pixel 7a still managed to push ahead with a battery life of 10 hours and 5 minutes.
Hats off to Apple’s efficiency, but when all is said and done, the Pixel 7a remains the device that lasts longer.
Winner: Google Pixel 7a
Overall winner
It’ll take some math to be sure who came out on top, but my own expert analysis says this is a bit of a blowout for the Pixel 7a. While you may have to pay a bit more to get your hands on one, the $70 price difference is small potatoes when you consider what you’re gaining on almost every metric.
The Google Pixel 7a surpasses the iPhone SE (2022) in terms of design, battery life, camera, software and display. While the iPhone boasts an incredibly powerful processor, Google’s smartphone has so much more to offer that raw performance alone can’t make up for.
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