The Google Pixel 7a (2023) is the first Pixel “a”-series phone with wireless charging and 90 Hz display. It shoots DNG RAW files in Pro mode with an image counter embedded. Electronic shutter only — drop a DNG file to read the counter instantly.
Check Image Counter →The Google Pixel 7a runs on Google Tensor G2 (the same chip as the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro) and brings the budget a-series to near-parity with the flagship Pixel 7 in key areas. The headline camera upgrade is a 64 MP Samsung GW1 main sensor (f/1.89, OIS, PDAF — vs 50 MP GN1 on Pixel 7), with the trade-off being a slightly smaller pixel size. The Pixel 7a is also the first Pixel a-series phone to include wireless charging and a 90 Hz refresh rate display (fixed, not adaptive).
The camera system includes a 13 MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 120°, fixed focus — no telephoto). Like all Pixel phones, the 7a uses CMOS electronic readout only with no mechanical focal-plane shutter. DNG RAW files are available in Pro mode and embed the image counter in the ExifIFD ImageNumber field.
| Model | Release | Main Sensor | Display | RAW Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 7a | 2023 | 64 MP GW1 (f/1.89, OIS) | 6.1-inch OLED 90 Hz | DNG |
| Google Pixel 7 (sibling) | 2022 | 50 MP GN1 (f/1.85, OIS) | 6.3-inch OLED 90 Hz | DNG |
| Google Pixel 7 Pro (flagship) | 2022 | 50 MP GNV (f/1.85, OIS) | 6.7-inch LTPO 1–120 Hz | DNG |
| Google Pixel 8a (successor) | 2024 | 64 MP ISOCELL (f/1.68, OIS) | 6.1-inch OLED 120 Hz | DNG |
.dng extension.| What to Check | How |
|---|---|
| Battery health | Settings → Battery → Battery Usage. Third-party apps (e.g. AccuBattery) can show design vs current capacity; Pixel 7a lacks a built-in health percentage screen |
| Display burn-in | Open a solid grey screen at full brightness and check for ghost images of the navigation bar or keyboard outlines |
| Camera lenses | Check both lenses for scratches, chips, or internal fogging; test OIS by shooting hand-held in low light |
| USB-C port | Test charging and data transfer; check for loose connector or corrosion on pins |
| Under-display fingerprint sensor | Test at multiple finger positions and in varying light conditions; optical sensors can degrade if the display is damaged |
| Wireless charging | Test with a Qi charger — this was a new feature on the 7a vs 6a |
| Image counter | High count (>50,000) indicates intensive use — useful context, not a hardware failure indicator |
| Spec | Google Pixel 7a | Google Pixel 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Main sensor | 64 MP Samsung GW1 (f/1.89) | 50 MP Samsung GN1 (f/1.85) |
| Display | 6.1-inch OLED 90 Hz (fixed) | 6.3-inch OLED 90 Hz (fixed) |
| Wireless charging | Yes (7.5 W) | Yes (20 W) |
| IP rating | IPX5 | IP68 |
| Chip | Tensor G2 | Tensor G2 |
| DNG RAW | Yes (Pro mode) | Yes (Pro mode) |
For image counter purposes, both models are entirely equivalent — the DNG format, ImageNumber field location, and counter behaviour are identical.
No. All Pixel phones use CMOS electronic readout. There is no focal-plane shutter mechanism and no rated mechanical lifespan.
No. The image counter is stored in persistent hardware memory and cannot be reset by a factory reset or any user action. This makes it a reliable indicator of total device usage.
A casual user accumulates roughly 5,000–20,000 captures per year; an active photographer may exceed 50,000 per year. Note that the counter only increments when Pro mode RAW files are saved — standard JPEG captures by casual users are not counted. The counter may significantly understate total usage if the previous owner rarely used Pro mode.
The Pixel 7a has higher megapixel count (64 MP vs 50 MP) but the Pixel 7’s GN1 sensor has larger individual pixels. In practice, the cameras perform very similarly. Google’s computational photography pipeline handles both equally; the image counter works identically on both models.
The Pixel 8a (2024) upgrades to Tensor G3, adds a 120 Hz adaptive display, improved low-light ISP, and a higher f/1.68 aperture. Both support DNG RAW via Pro mode with an identical image counter structure.