Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy S23: review and compare

The Google Pixel 7a has at long last been released. On paper, the Pixel 7a has a crystal clear objective, just like its predecessors in the Pixel A line, which is to provide a Google Pixel smartphone experience of the same excellent quality as its more costly siblings at a lower cost. The Google Pixel 7a is an excellent smartphone on its own merits. It comes with a dependable camera system, in addition to having a good design, fantastic specifications, and a price tag of only $499. However, when the more capable Pixel 7 was released,

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is in a difficult situation. As the latest version of a well-known top phone—the first Galaxy S came out 13 years ago—Samsung can only make so many changes to this year’s model to make it stand out from the last. And the few big changes that are made are usually only made to expensive models like the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That doesn’t mean the Galaxy S23 phone doesn’t have top-notch features or doesn’t do what Samsung says it will. But if you already have a top-of-the-line Galaxy S phone from the last couple of years, there’s not much here that’s a big step up from what you have.

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Comparison Table

Whether you want a Google Pixel 7a or a Samsung Galaxy S23 relies on your tastes. Pixel 7a has a clean version of Android and a good camera, making it a good choice for software fans. Galaxy S23 might be great in terms of physical innovation and a user interface with a lot of features, which would make it appealing to people who care most about technology.

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Design and Display

In terms of build quality, the Pixel 7a doesn’t seem to deviate much from the Pixel 7. Similar to the Pixel 7, but built of plastic rather than glass, this phone has a glossy back panel and matte aluminum rails. The size difference between the two is actually quite negligible. The Pixel 7a is an excellent middle ground between compact phones and larger “phablet” models. The handset is small enough to put in a pocket and manageable enough to use with one hand. The Google logo appears in the center, and a little “Made in Vietnam” marking may be found at the base. The phone can produce stereo sound from one of its two speakers or the earpiece. The phone’s unusual design and high price tag make it stand out from the crowd of other mobile devices.

The elevated camera module has been removed, and the three camera lenses are now integrated into the matte aluminum rear panel rather than being set out from the rest of the panel. This design was formerly unique to the Ultra model. When we were coming from a 6.7-inch Pixel 7 Pro, the fact that the S23 can be used with just one hand was a very welcome difference.

It didn’t take me long to find the best thing about the Galaxy S23. It’s the AMOLED screen that measures 6.1 inches and is brighter than ever before. With a maximum brightness of 1,300 nits, the Galaxy S22’s screen of the same size was already pretty bright. But Samsung changed that to 1,750 nits for the Galaxy S23. This makes the new phone as bright as the rest of the S23 line. In our lab tests, the Galaxy S23’s screen reached 1,158 nits when HDR was turned on. (We got a still-impressive 1,002 nits in SDR with adaptive brightness turned off.)

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Cameras

The Pixel 7a has a primary camera with 64 megapixels as well as an ultrawide sensor with 13 megapixels. Both the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro contain a main camera with a resolution of 50 megapixels and an ultrawide camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels. Despite the fact that the Pixel 7a has a greater megapixel count than its brothers, Google maintains that the sensor on the Pixel 7a is not as large as the sensor on the Pixel 7 or the Pixel 7 Pro. Because of this, it is possible that the Pixel 7a is not as good as its predecessor at capturing photographs in low light.

On paper, the Galaxy S23 photos don’t have anything new to offer. They have the same specs that Samsung used in the Galaxy S22. For the three back cameras, this means a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP macro lens that can zoom three times optically. With software, you can zoom in on the Galaxy S23 up to 30 times, just like you could on the Galaxy S22. The Galaxy S23 might not have any flashy upgrades like the 200MP main camera we praised in our Galaxy S23 Ultra review, but since the Galaxy S22 was already a good camera phone, you’d expect the S23 to be at least as good.

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Software

The Pixel 7a comes in the same box as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Also, like the other Pixel 7 models, the Pixel 7a will get OS updates for three years and security fixes for five years. Android 13 is pretty grown up at this point, and Android 14 is just starting to show itself. Android 13 is the first version of Android I’ve spent a lot of time with, and I’ve been loving it on the Pixel 7a. This is the “pure” version of Android, without any skins added by the manufacturer.

One UI 5.1 is a version of Android 13 that runs on the S23. When you tap and look through apps, it is quick and easy to use. It’s not as clean as Google’s version of Android, but we like that Samsung keeps the layout and buttons simple and lets you change the number of widgets to suit your needs. Like the most recent Samsung phones we’ve tried, this one comes with a number of apps already installed. Some, like SmartThings, Health, and Recorder, are useful, but others, like Facebook, Samsung Boost, and Samsung Global Goals, are not.

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Performance

In comparison to its more powerful siblings, the Pixel 7a will not suffer from a performance deficit thanks to Google’s efforts. A Tensor G2 chip, identical to those found in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, may be found tucked away inside the Pixel 7a. It has less material for the heat to spread into, but even when Genshin Impact has been running at maximum settings for more than a half an hour, it does not feel uncomfortably hot. It does become fairly heated, and I measured a peak of approximately 106.5 degrees Fahrenheit on the display; yet, it did not seem particularly uncomfortable to hold in my hands.

Inside is the latest chip technology from the brand, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This is the same chip that is in the much more expensive S23 Ultra phone. That means you can download and open apps right away, move quickly through websites, and play games without your phone getting too hot or lagging. The S23 is quick and doesn’t stutter. During tests, biometrics worked well, too. The fingerprint reader under the screen never failed, and the face unlocking worked ten times in a row.

Google Pixel 7a vs Samsung Galaxy S23: Battery life

The Pixel 7A has a battery capacity of 4,385 mAh, which is a marginal step down from the 4,410 mAh unit seen in the Pixel 6A. Although Google claims that the 7A can last up to 72 hours on a single charge, this only applies when the device is set to the Extreme Battery Saver mode. During the entirety of my testing, I utilized the device in an extreme not-saving mode, setting the screen refresh rate to 90Hz and maintaining an always-on display that was permanently activated.

Now is the time we’ve all been looking forward to. After two months of solid and pretty heavy use, the Galaxy S23’s battery has been great, as long as I don’t use wifi Android Auto while driving for hours. Even when I leave the house and go do things, I still spend about 7-8 hours a day in front of a computer. On days when I’m at home with Wi-Fi and don’t have to turn up the brightness of my computer to fight the Florida sun, I can spend 8–10 hours reading webcomics, e-books, or lurking on Reddit.

Which one should you consider?

Which one you choose between the Google Pixel 7a and the Samsung Galaxy S23 depends on what you like. Pixel 7a probably does well because it has a clean Android experience, gets updates quickly, and has a great camera. This will draw people who care about software optimization and photography. On the other hand, Galaxy S23 might have top-of-the-line tech, a feature-packed One UI, and new ideas. Pixel 7a is great if you care about how well the software works together and how reliable the photos are. But if you want advanced technology and a lot of features, the Galaxy S23 might be a better choice. It comes down to choosing between better software (Pixel 7a) and possibly better hardware (Galaxy S23).

Google Pixel 7a: The good and The bad

The Pixel 7a is Google’s most cutting-edge A-series device to date, and it almost exactly matches the Pixel 7 in terms of its specifications.

Samsung Galaxy S23: The good and The bad

The display on the Galaxy S23 is just as dazzling, and the device’s processor is just as potent as it was on the Galaxy S22.

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