This also brings all the top software features that debuted in the Pixel 6 series onto this phone, from Magic Eraser in Google Photos to erase unwanted objects in the background of your images to Assistant Voice Typing for sending messages with just your voice. I rarely noticed any slowdowns, even while playing games like Apex Legends Mobile. Even today, it means you’re getting some of the best performance for the money. Inside is Google’s first-gen Tensor chip, which is the same that powers the flagships from 2021, the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The front is Gorilla Glass 3, so you’ll want to use a screen protector to protect it from scratches, but there’s an aluminum frame with clicky buttons and a plastic composite back that is deceptively luxurious. It’s a wonderfully compact phone, unlike most devices on the market right now, and feels well made. Like the Pixel 7A, you get a sharp, 6.1-inch OLED screen that gets just bright enough to read in direct sunlight (not as bright as the Pixel 7A). Last year's Pixel 6A ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends) is still an excellent buy, especially at its new price of $349 ( note: it frequently sells for $299). There's also no microSD card slot or headphone jack, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you want a phone with those features. The 4,385-mAh cell, with average use, can take you through a full day, but on busy days, you will most likely need to top up before the sun goes down.

The only things that are iffy on the Pixel 7A are the fingerprint sensor, which isn't as snappy or reliable as I'd like, and the battery life. It’s disappointing that Google isn’t leading on this, especially when Apple’s nearly six-year-old iPhone 8 received the latest iOS 16 version. Unfortunately, Google is only promising three OS upgrades (Samsung offers four).

It'll also get five years of security updates, so it'll be supported for quite a while. We've collected most of them below this guide, but my favorites are Assistant Voice Typing, for much faster and accurate voice transcriptions using the built-in keyboard Now Playing, to find out what music is playing around me without having to search for it and Call Screen, which has pretty much stopped all spam calls coming my way. A part of the reason why we recommend Pixel phones so much is because of the many great software features that are genuinely helpful every day.

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