Google today unveiled the Pixel 7a alongside Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. In a break from its usual practice, the company will be keeping last year’s Pixel 6a.
The Pixel 6a was one of last year’s best budget phones and launched for $449. It packs the same Tensor chip, ultrawide snapper and front-facing camera as the Pixel 6. It has now been superseded by the Pixel 7a, which is $50 more expensive.
It’s a notable upgrade over its predecessor. In addition to having the same G2 chip as the flagship Pixel 7, it also has a higher refresh rate than the Pixel 6a, higher resolution rear cameras than the Pixel 7, more RAM than the Pixel 6a, and it is the cheapest Pixel phone to offer Face Unlock and wireless charging.
Google probably thought that all these changes warranted a price increase but a $50 bump is not insignificant for a phone that’s supposed to be affordable. Thankfully for those disappointed by the price increase, not only is the Pixel 6a sticking around, its price has permanently been reduced to $349. That’s a price cut of $100.
The price drop is in effect immediately. Google and Amazon are already selling the phone for $349, making it $150 more affordable than the Pixel 7a. Best Buy, meanwhile has discounted the phone to $299.
Google’s a series phones are very popular amongst buyers and now that the company is selling budget handsets at two price points, it can hope to increase its market share.
Whether the budget options will eat into the sales of the flagship series remains to be seen but Google is clearly not concerned. This move doesn’t gel with a rumor that said the Pixel 7a could be the company’s last a series phone. After all, Google can’t ghost budget-conscious buyers by offering two options one year and nothing the next. But then again, nothing is out of the realm of possibility.
