It's easy to get carried away and lose sight of just how far we've come in the smartphone world. Apple's iPhone 14 is 7.8 millimeters thick but can communicate directly with satellites, boasts photographic talents that eclipse dedicated cameras and action cams, and does so starting at just $799.

Improved low-light camera performance, Clever safety features (you hope you won't need)

Improvements feel evolutionary, eSIM may prove a headache, iPhone 13 offers much the same for $100 less

After some battery wobbles that had me temporarily concerned, I've quickly come to regard the Google Pixel 7a as the best affordable phone you can buy right now. It's got the power, the cameras and the looks to impress.

Performance capability well beyond its price point, Great camera improvements for this generation, Android software just runs best on Google

Battery life isn't great – and charging rather slow, Pricier and chunkier than its predecessor, Screen is fairly heavy on bezel

Google’s Pixel “a” series has been around for a few iterations now (since the Pixel 3a) and typically offers great value for the price, considering the internals are mostly identical to their flagship lineup.

Solid design, Same Tensor processor as Pixel 7/7 Pro, Decent camera with great photo features like Face Unblur and Magic Eraser, Great battery life, IP67 rating, Wireless charging, Very reasonably priced

Different camera than in Pixel 7/7 Pro, Photo quality a bit odd once using the Super Res Zoom feature, Camera bump begs for case to be used, Only one RAM/storage configuration available

Google’s mid-range series of smartphones has never been this good. While I would have liked to see better battery performance, the rest of the Pixel 7a is a triumph.

Excellent camera for the price, Plenty of upgrades over the Pixel 6a, Smart software, Some nice colour options, You want a great phone for a good price: The Pixel 7a ticks a lot of boxes and comes with features often ditched at this price.

Middling battery life, Achingly slow charging, You’re after a multi-day device: The battery life isn’t bad – it’s just not a phone that’ll handle extended heavy use throughout a day and it won’t go multiple days between charges.

Slightly better cameras but otherwise, not much of an update - buy the iPhone 14 Pro or switch to Android instead

Better low-light photography, Slightly longer battery life, Action mode gives super stabilised video

The same performance as the iPhone 13, No Dynamic Island or Always-On display, 60Hz screen

Past A-series Pixel phones have skipped wireless charging, but the Pixel 7a breaks that trend. This phone sports wireless charging at up to 7.5W. That's not impressive compared to the 23W wireless speed of the Pixel 7 Pro, but you only get the max if you're using the second-gen Google Pixel Stand...

Great big small phone. With the release of the Pixel 7a, Google have updated and improved on their mid-range series - not only in terms of processor choice, but also with brand-new features.

bright 90-Hz OLED screen, IP67 certification, 6-GHz WLAN and USB 3.2, wireless charging, good main camera, long update supply

neither DC nor PWM dimming, slow fast-charging, limited USB port, severe throttling under load

The iPhone 14 comes to market with the same launch price as the previous generation. At the same time, iPhone connoisseurs were more than disillusioned after the presentation of the new smartphone. Apple leaves large parts of the hardware unchanged and does not dare to change the design.

Top performance level despite last year's chip, Very high quality workmanship, Improved image and video quality, Excellent battery life

Hardly any innovations, Charging takes too long for 2022

I’ve always appreciated that Google has never tried to do too much with its Pixel A phones. The Pixel 7a is a simple device that packs a nice screen that’s now even better thanks to a 90Hz refresh rate, solid performance and cameras that can hang with rivals twice its price.

The Pixel 7a is a big improvement over the more expensive Pixel 7, making it very easy to recommend. Excellent contrast Punchy colours Dynamic sound Poor dark details Tough competition from Sony