A current survey discovered that an awesome 87% of teenagers within the U.S. used an iPhone. That is an astonishing determine, and it mainly signifies that 9 out of 10 teenagers use an iPhone. So when you’re considering of shopping for a brand new telephone in your child as they head back to school, the alternatives invariably come all the way down to an iPhone.
Nevertheless it would not should be the case. Whereas Android utilization has steadily declined amongst U.S. teenagers over the course of the final decade, there’s by no means been a greater time to make the change to Google’s ecosystem, and one gadget particularly makes a robust case for itself: the Google Pixel 7a.
Google had its teething issues with Pixel {hardware} prior to now, however the search big received its act collectively in recent times, and newest Pixel launches have been flawless. The Pixel 7a particularly is a incredible gadget that brings flagship-tier cameras to the mid-range phase, and it additionally has a contemporary design and the requisite high-end {hardware}.
Clearly, the Pixel 7a would not really feel as good to carry because the iPhone 14 Pro, however then once more, it prices lower than half as a lot. The plastic again is a bit fundamental, however the telephone has an aluminum mid-frame — making it simply as sturdy as any iPhone — and the huge digital camera bar provides it quite a lot of character.
However the place the Pixel 7a actually shines is the cameras; it makes use of older digital camera {hardware}, however because of Google’s software program wizardry, it takes photographs which might be simply nearly as good as any iPhone or Android flagship. The most effective half in regards to the cameras is that each time you press the shutter, you may get an excellent picture whatever the lighting situation — and that is one thing no different telephone is ready to match. One other factor the Pixel 7a completely does effectively is taking photographs of shifting objects; it undoubtedly outshines the iPhone 14 Professional in that regard.
I ought to know — I check over 50 telephones a 12 months, and I proceed to return again to Pixels due to the cameras and unique software program options. Google did an excellent job during the last two years in rolling out customized software program options that leverage its strengths, and the most recent utility to debut with the flagship Pixel 7 sequence is Photo Unblur, which helps you to repair blurry photographs straight in your telephone. The characteristic works exceedingly effectively, and the perfect half is that you should use any photographs — not simply ones taken with the Pixel — and it’s out there on the Pixel 7a as effectively.
In an analogous vein, Magic Eraser permits you to take away undesirable components from the background of a photograph, and once more, all of it’s performed straight on the gadget. Unique options aren’t simply restricted to the digital camera both, with the likes of Name Display screen making it simpler to display undesirable calls. I nonetheless use Now Enjoying to establish songs which might be enjoying at a bar or in a TV present, and more often than not, it runs within the background and routinely surfaces that information.
The software program on the Pixel 7a additionally has quite a bit to supply, with the Materials You design language in Android 13 that includes vibrant colours and quirky widget designs. It permits for a lot better customizability than you get in iOS, and the flexibility to decide on accent colours all through the system based mostly on the telephone’s present background is simply cool.
Android has maintained characteristic parity with iOS, with current releases focusing closely on safety and privateness. That stated, the one characteristic that you aren’t getting on Android is iMessage; that continues to be unique to iPhones, and despite Google’s continued efforts to get Apple to vary its stance round this, it is unlikely that iMessage will ever come to Android.
Constructing on from that, a giant a part of the attract of the iPhone is the broader ecosystem, and Apple is in a dominant place right here: the Apple Watch, iPad, AirPods, and MacBook complement the iPhone in methods you simply do not get on Android, however that is fortunately altering. Google now has an ecosystem that is analogous to what Apple presents, and whereas it is nonetheless in its infancy, units just like the Pixel Watch and Pixel Tablet present quite a lot of promise.
After all, Pixel telephones underpin Google’s {hardware} ambitions, and the Pixel 7a is a terrific showcase for what the model has achieved on this space. It’s mainly the best mid-range phone proper now, and the cameras alone are definitely worth the value of admission. There’s additionally the truth that switching from an iPhone to Android has by no means been simpler; Google has a software that permits you to migrate all of your information seamlessly, together with texts, photographs, paperwork, and contacts.
So when you’re searching for a brand new telephone in your child and are eyeing varied iPhone fashions, it is time to give the Pixel 7a a strive.
With terrific cameras, highly effective {hardware}, and colourful software program with loads of customizability, the Pixel 7a is the perfect mid-range telephone you should purchase in the intervening time.