The Pixel 7a has all the right parts and a familiar price

Google has made the Pixel 7a official, confirming new features and an unchanged price.

Announced alongside the Google Pixel Fold at this year's I/O developer conference, the company's latest mid-ranger won't cost you a cent more than last year's model did.

If that thrift factor isn't appealing enough, the new Pixel 7a comes kitted out with a bevy of smart improvements and overdue additions to the formula. It almost feels like Google have tweaked every aspect of the Pixel 6a that you could have taken fault with.

Aussies looking to pick up the new device have three colours to choose from: Charcoal, Snow and Sea. All three versions of the device are available with either 128GB or 256GB of storage.

Regardless of which hue you settle for, you'll find a 6.1-inch OLED display sitting at the centre of things. The screen on the Pixel 7a comes clocked at the same 90Hz refresh rate seen in last year's Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro rather than the 60Hz display found on the Pixel 6a.

For those keeping track, the new handset is also roughly 25% brighter than its predecessor.

Even if it's the same size and screen technology as the one found in the Pixel 6a, these specific improvements found here are pretty noteworthy. A better refresh rate and a few more nits promise to make the screen on the Pixel 7a more responsive and easier to see in brighter environments.

Under the hood, the Pixel 7a is powered by the Tensor G2 processor (previously found in Google's flagship Google Pixel 7 Pro), 8GB of RAM and the latest version of Android 13. Out of the gate, the new device will be good for 3 years of software updates and 5 years of security upgrades.

The screen of the Google Pixel 7a boasts a fairly standard 13MP front-facing camera. The back is host to a 64MP wide-angle camera and a 13MP ultra-wide one.

Although the Tensor processor mentioned above also brings with it a number of nifty and thrift AI-powered photography possibilities, this year's mid-range Pixel phone also comes with a number of equally notable design improvements.

Google has given the aesthetics of the handset a facelift, with more premium materials making for a worthy rival to gorgeous mid-rangers like the recent Galaxy A54 5G. The Pixel 7a is also the first in the family to feature wireless charging.

You've got also got the usual Face Unlock and in-display fingerprint sensor alongside the claim that the Pixel 7a is Google's most durable budget buy yet. The device comes IP67 rated against water and dust. According to Google, it also fared better in internal drop tests than last year's Pixel 6a did.

The camera on the latest cheap Google phone has also gotten a tune-up. Courtesy of the Tensor G2, the Pixel 7a is capable of rendering Night Sight scenes twice as quickly as its predecessor could. The Pixel 7a also supports Super Res Zoom of up to 8x, which helps make up for the lack of a telephoto lens.

Google's latest mid-ranger is also more capable when it comes to video content, with 4K at 30FPS filming now supported by all three cameras. 

Simply put, it doesn't look like the Pixel 7a is going to dethrone the Pixel 7 Pro just yet. However, as far as the A-series goes, the new handset has the making of the most significant update in years.

In Australia, the Google Pixel 7a will go on sale on May 11 at an RRP of $749. At launch, the device will be available through JB Hi-Fi, Optus, Officeworks & Harvey Norman. It'll also be available on a plan through Optus and Telstra.

Aussies who pick up the handset via the Google Store before May 23 will get an extra $150 in Google Store credit plus a free case.