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  The Pixel 7a, in real life, from Zing News. [credit:
  Zing News
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The Pixel 7a is shaping up to be a monster of a mid-ranger. The phone promises to improve on the Pixel 6a by tackling the phone’s biggest weaknesses by upgrading the display and camera, and adding wireless charging. On paper, the unreleased phone looks so good it will make upgrading to the bigger Pixel 7 and 7 Pro a tough sell. Surely then, Google can justify raising the price a tiny bit?

9to5Google’s Max Weinbach says he has a price for the Pixel 7a nailed down, and it’s $499. That’s a $50 increase over the $449 Pixel 6a but justifiable given all the upgrades. The report also says Google will continue selling the Pixel 6a “at a decreased price,” which would make a great phone an even better deal.

We called the Pixel 7a “mid-range,” but that’s probably not what this phone is anymore. It’s got the same flagship-class SoC as the Pixel 7, the Google Tensor G2. A big upgrade this year is a 90 Hz display, which brings the 7a in line with the Pixel 7. The 7a is also upgrading to the same camera loadout as the Pixel 7: a 64 MP main sensor and a 13 MP wide-angle. The phone is also getting 5 W wireless charging.