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DisplayWe put the Google Pixel 7a through our rigorous DXOMARK Battery test suite to measure its performance in autonomy, charging and efficiency. In these test results, we will break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key specifications:
- Battery capacity: 4385 mAh
- 18W charger (not included)
- 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2400, 90 Hz, OLED display
- Google Tensor G2 (5 nm)
- Tested ROM / RAM combination: 128 GB + 8 GB
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Google Pixel 7a
Key performances
These key points are derived from the lab measurements during testing and do not figure into the overall score. The lab measurements, however, are used for the overall score.
152nd
30th
Pros
- Decent autonomy when gaming
- Low discharge currents when gaming or streaming video
- Low consumption of the wired charger itself
Cons
- Poor autonomy overall
- Very low autonomy when calling and streaming music
- More than 2 hours to fully charge in wired and 3 hours in wireless
- Low autonomy recovered after a 5-minute charge
- Inaccurate battery gauge with 16.8% shown as 20%
The Google Pixel 7a’s battery struggled to keep up in our battery tests, resulting in a low global score that was just slightly higher than its predecessor, the Pixel 6a. While the Pixel 7a’s upgraded Tensor chip but slightly smaller battery did not help the device’s autonomy, its efficiency score was a big improvement over the 6a, leading to a better global score.
When used moderately, the Google Pixel 7a provided a bit more than 2 days of autonomy, which is below average in our database. The device showed very high consumption during calls and music streaming, but the autonomy when streaming videos and gaming was decent.
With a very small 18W wired charger, the battery’s charging time was quite long, taking 2 hours and 8 minutes to replenish the battery. Wireless charging, which is new to this model, took 3 hours and 19 minutes to fully charge the battery, making it one of the longest wireless charging times in our database. Moreover, a quick 5-minute charge provided an average autonomy gain of 2 hours and 27 minutes, which is very low compared with other phones.
The charge efficiency was a bit balanced with a decent wired one but a poor wireless one. Residual consumption of the wired charger itself, whether the fully-charged device was still plugged in or not was low. But residual consumption was a bit high for the wireless stand when the device was still on the stand. Discharge currents were higher than average for most activities, except for streaming videos and gaming, which were low, indicating that the device is not perfectly optimized.
Even when comparing the Google Pixel 7a with other devices in the High-end segment ($400 – $599), its performance remained poor and below average in autonomy. Even in charging and efficiency, the Pixel 7a placed among the last devices in this segment.
Test Summary
About DXOMARK Battery tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective tests over a week-long period both indoors and outdoors. (See our introductory and how we test articles for more details about our smartphone Battery protocol.)
The following section gathers key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyses performed in DXOMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations under the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
| Battery | Charger | Wireless | Display | Processor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 7a | 4385mAh | 18W (not included) |
- | OLED 1080 x 2400 |
Google Tensor G2 |
| Google Pixel 6a | 4410mAh | 18W (not included) |
- | OLED 1080 x 2400 |
Google Tensor |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G | 5000mAh | 25W (not included) |
- | AMOLED 1080 x 2400 |
Exynos 1380 |
Autonomy
Google Pixel 7a
195
Autonomy score is composed of three performance sub-scores: Home / Office, On the go, and Calibrated use cases. Each sub-score comprises the results of a comprehensive range of tests for measuring autonomy in all kinds of real-life scenarios.
Battery Life (moderate)
86th
Battery Life (moderate)
19th
Home/Office
Google Pixel 7a
221
A robot housed in a Faraday cage performs a set of touch-based user actions during what we call our “typical usage scenario” (TUS) — making calls, video streaming, etc. — 4 hours of active use over the course of a 16-hour period, plus 8 hours of “sleep.” The robot repeats this set of actions every day until the device runs out of power.
On the go
Google Pixel 7a
195
Using a smartphone on the go takes a toll on autonomy because of extra “hidden” demands, such as the continuous signaling associated with cellphone network selection, for example. DXOMARK Battery experts take the phone outdoors and perform a precisely defined set of activities while following the same three-hour travel itinerary (walking, taking the bus, the subway…) for each device
Calibrated
Google Pixel 7a
198
For this series of tests, the smartphone returns to the Faraday cage and our robots repeatedly perform actions linked to one specific use case (such as gaming, video streaming, etc.) at a time. Starting from an 80% charge, all devices are tested until they have expended at least 5% of their battery power.
Charging
Google Pixel 7a
218
Charging is fully part of the overall battery experience. In some situations where autonomy is at a minimum, knowing how fast you can charge becomes a concern. The DXOMARK Battery charging score is composed of two sub-scores, (1) Full charge and (2) Quick boost.
Full charge
Google Pixel 7a
224
Full charge tests assess the reliability of the battery power gauge; measure how long and how much power the battery takes to charge from zero to 80% capacity, from 80 to 100% as shown by the UI, and until an actual full charge.
Charging Time 0-80%
149th
Charging Time 0-80%
29th
Quick boost
Google Pixel 7a
212
With the phone at different charge levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%), Quick boost tests measure the amount of charge the battery receives after being plugged in for 5 minutes. The chart here compares the average autonomy gain from a quick 5-minute charge.
Efficiency
Google Pixel 7a
154
The DXOMARK power efficiency score consists of two sub-scores, Charge up and Discharge rate, both of which combine data obtained during robot-based typical usage scenario, calibrated tests and charging evaluation, taking into consideration the device’s battery capacity. DXOMARK calculate the annual power consumption of the product, shown on below graph, which is representative of the overall efficiency during a charge and when in use.
Charge up
Google Pixel 7a
205
The charge up sub-score is a combination of four factors: the overall efficiency of a full charge, related to how much energy you need to fill up the battery compared to the energy that the battery can provide; the efficiency of the travel adapter when it comes to transferring power from an outlet to your phone; the residual consumption when your phone is fully charged and still plugged into the charger; and the residual consumption of the charger itself, when the smartphone is disconnected from it. The chart here below shows the overall efficiency of a full charge in %.
Discharge
Google Pixel 7a
194
The discharge subscore rates the speed of a battery’s discharge during a test, which is independent of the battery’s capacity. It is the ratio of a battery’s capacity divided by its autonomy. A small-capacity battery could have the same autonomy as a large-capacity battery, indicating that the device is well-optimized, with a low discharge rate.
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