Technologies
Pixel 7A vs. Galaxy A54, Pixel 6A: Which Should You Buy?
These three phones are cheap and offer great all-round performance. But which one is worth your money?
Buying an affordable phone doesn’t mean suffering with nasty design and slow, frustrating hardware. These days you can get a phone that looks and acts almost like a flagship, and still have a bunch of cash left in your pocket. Google’s latest entry-level phone, the Pixel 7A, packs an amazing lineup of specs, at a very attractive price. Yet the older Pixel 6A remains on sale for even less and is a great option for people on a tighter budget.
Meanwhile, Samsung has a solid value offering in the form of the Galaxy A54 5G, which ticks all your everyday, essential boxes and can frequently be found on sale at an extremely competitive price.
But which of these phones should you buy to make the best use of your money? I put the three side by side to help you choose.
Advertiser Disclosure
Price
As the most recent phone, it’s no surprise that the Pixel 7A is the most expensive, costing $499 directly from Google. It technically replaces the Pixel 6A, though both phones are on the market. The 6A has now been reduced to only $349, and it’s been seen for even less with store discounts.
The Galaxy A54 runs Android 13 at its core, with four years of Android generation updates promised by Samsung.
Samsung sells the Galaxy A54 5G for $449 — slightly undercutting the Pixel 7A but costing a full $100 more than the Pixel 6A. Since its launch in March, though, we’ve seen it discounted further ($375 on BestBuy at the time of writing), so it’s always worth shopping around and seeing if you can save a few more bucks.
Display size, quality
At 6.4 inches, the Galaxy A54’s display is larger than the 6.1-inch displays of both the Pixel 6A and 7A. During general use, we also found that it appeared brighter, making it easier to read outdoors under sunshine. Though its resolution is marginally higher than that of the Pixel 7A, side by side there’s no noticeable difference in terms of sharpness.
The Pixel 6A has a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, and the 7A ups that to 90Hz. Frankly, it isn’t something you’d really notice during everyday use. The Galaxy A54 takes that further, providing «up to» 120Hz. Using both phones side by side and scrolling through menus simultaneously, I couldn’t see much difference. Maybe the more keen-eyed among you could, but even so, it shouldn’t be a reason to consider one over the other.
The Pixel 6A’s display is smaller than the Galaxy A54’s and appears less bright.
Processor performance
With its more recent Tensor G2 chip, you might expect the Pixel 7A to be the more powerful model, but on benchmark tests, it actually falls just behind the 6A. It’s a marginal difference, though, and during everyday use it isn’t something you’d ever notice. Both phones are swift, with smooth navigation, fast-loading apps, and gaming that’s handled perfectly well.
The A54 performed the worst on the tests, with quite disappointing scores on benchmarks, particularly against the more affordable 6A. Still, I found it to be capable of handling all my daily essentials, and it only really seemed to slow down when I was playing more graphically demanding games, like Genshin Impact, at higher quality settings.
Cameras
Both Pixels offer standard and superwide cameras, eschewing the telephoto zoom camera found on the pricier Pixel 7 Pro. The Pixel 7A beats the older 6A with higher resolution sensors, but overall image quality is comparable. Both phones capture shots with great dynamic range, accurate colors and plenty of details.
The Galaxy A54’s main camera adds a lot of saturation to its images.
The Pixel 6A’s shot looks much more natural.
The Pixel 7A’s colors are more similar to the 6A’s, but its higher resolution sensor delivers more details.
The Galaxy A54 adds a 5-megapixel macro camera to its main and ultrawide lenses, but beyond the odd novelty close-up shot of a bug, it’s pretty redundant. Its main camera has a generous 50 megapixel resolution, but its images are disappointing compared with both Pixel phones. Colors tend to look unnaturally saturated, with high-contrast skies sometimes resulting in blown-out highlights.
The main lens also tends to produce quite cold-looking images that dramatically shift to warmer tones when you switch to the ultrawide lens. Both Pixels, however, do a good job of maintaining color tones when switching between normal and wide views.
The A54’s main camera sometimes delivers quite cold-looking images.
Switching to the ultrawide lens results in a much warmer image. I prefer this look, but it’s frustrating to see so much color shift between the two cameras, which isn’t as much of an issue on either of the Pixel phones.
While the A54 5G is good for casual snappers just wanting vibrant shots of their kids at the beach, the Pixel 7A is worth a look if photography is more of a priority.
Battery
Though the Galaxy A54 packs a slightly more capacious battery than either of the Pixels, its slightly larger (and therefore more power hungry) display means its overall battery life is roughly on par with its rivals. On my YouTube streaming battery test, it drained slightly faster than the Pixels, but in overall use there’s little difference to worry about.
If you’re careful with your usage and avoid too much video streaming or gaming, then you should be able to get a full day out of any of the phones. All of them will need a full recharge every night.
All three phones offer 128GB of storage at their base configurations, but only the Galaxy A54 lets you expand that with microSD cards.
Software, storage and extras
All three phones run the latest Android 13 software, and both Google and Samsung promise five years of security updates for their phones. As it was launched last year, this will mean that the Pixel 6A will be cut off from support in 2027 while both the Pixel 7A and Galaxy A54 will still be safe to use into 2028.
However, Samsung takes things a bit further, by offering an additional fourth generation of Android version updates over the Pixels, which is worth keeping in mind if you want to ensure you’re getting the most out of your phone for longer.
07:15
I much prefer the Pixel’s Android 13 interface though. It’s generally neater and easier to use than Samsung’s One UI skin. This is especially true with the A54, as Samsung preloaded a lot of third-party apps that make it feel cluttered and bloated.
While all three phones have base storage of 128GB, the A54 has an ace up its sleeve; it’s one of the last remaining phones that offers expandable storage with microSD cards. It supports cards of up to 1TB, and with a 128GB card costing only $12, you can essentially double the storage of the phone, providing tons of room for photos, videos and apps.
The A54’s additional macro lens is pretty pointless.
Which should you buy?
Samsung’s Galaxy A54 5G might have longer software support and expandable storage, but it falls behind both Pixel phones in most other respects. The cameras, user interface, processor performance and battery life is better on the Pixel 6A and 7A and either of those phones is where my money would go.
Deciding between the two Pixels is trickier, however. The 6A is incredibly cheap yet still offers excellent performance for all your daily needs and packs a great camera. If you’re looking for the best phone that also leaves the most money in your bank, then the older 6A is the one for you.
But the Pixel 7A’s camera is better and it includes other more recent features like wireless charging, face unlock, and as the more recent phone, it’ll receive software updates for longer. But those are expensive extras, given its $150 bigger price tag over the 6A.
The Pixel 7 (seen here with the Pixel Watch) is still great, but the new Pixel 7A is the better buy.
What about the Pixel 7?
The Pixel 7 is Google’s lower-end flagship that offers a similar set of specs to the Pixel 7A but costs $100 more. Though it’s a superb phone that earned a CNET Editors’ Choice Award, the arrival of the 7A has meant that it’s very difficult to justify spending the extra on the older model.
As CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco puts it: «After reviewing both phones, I’m convinced the Pixel 7A is the best value for most people.»
Technologies
Your Pixel 10 Might Have Issues With Older Wireless Chargers
You might want to try taking the case off your phone in order to successfully charge it.
When Google introduced the Pixel 10 lineup in August, it became one of the first major Android phones to receive the Qi 2 wireless charging standard, which Google calls Pixelsnap. However, users noticed issues with wireless charging on the Pixel 10 almost immediately after its release.
Some people are having trouble charging their phone with the new Pixelsnap charger, and others are having issues with older wireless chargers, including Google’s own Pixel Stands. The bulk of the problems happen when a case is on the phone — whether it has the magnet array or not.
I own both the first and second generation Pixel Stands and both will charge my Pixel 10 Pro XL without an issue if there’s no case on it. However, when I add a case to my phone, the problems begin.
I have three cases for my phone, the Mous Super Thin Clear Case, the Magnetic Slim Case Fit by Grecazo, and a no-name soft TPU case. If my phone has any of those cases on and I attempt to charge it while it’s vertical, it starts to charge and then stops after a second or two, and keeps doing that.
I can fix this for the first-generation Pixel Stand by turning the phone horizontal, but it will still charge very slowly. I can’t seem to fix it at all for the Pixel Stand 2 — vertical, horizontal, it doesn’t charge.
Not everyone has this issue
The problem doesn’t seem to be universal. CNET editor Patrick Holland said he had no issues charging the Pixel 10 Pro during his time with it.
A Google spokesperson told me the Pixel 10 lineup is not optimized for older Qi wireless charging standards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the phones won’t work with older wireless chargers.
Qi 2 is backwards-compatible with older standards, but the phone’s height and charging coil placement on both the phone and the charger are still factors. If you’re having problems, you might see if removing the case helps.
The prospect of potentially needing to replace your older wireless chargers with newer ones isn’t ideal, especially if you shelled out $80 for one or both of Google’s own Pixel Stands. Still, if you want the best wireless charging speed for your brand new Pixel 10 phone, it won’t be with wireless chargers that only support older Qi standards.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Sept. 19, #361
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sept. 19, No. 361.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
The yellow category in Connections: Sports Edition is always easy, but today’s seemed like a no-brainer. The other categories aren’t too tough, either, especially for midwesterners. But if you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Spotted on TV.
Green group hint: Unusual team names.
Blue group hint: Air Jordan.
Purple group hint: The Big House is another one.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Things seen on an NFL sideline.
Green group: NBA teams with singular nicknames.
Blue group: Teams Michael Jordan played for.
Purple group: Big Ten stadiums.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is things seen on an NFL sideline. The four answers are benches, chains, coaches and medical tent.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is NBA teams with singular nicknames. The four answers are Heat, Jazz, Magic and Thunder.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is teams Michael Jordan played for. The four answers are Barons, Bulls, UNC and Wizards.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is Big Ten stadiums. The four answers are Beaver, Camp Randall, Ohio and Spartan.
Technologies
AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: Should You Upgrade?
Here’s a look at the key differences between Apple’s latest flagship noise-canceling earbuds compared with their predecessor.
With Apple releasing the AirPods Pro 3, folks who already own the AirPods Pro 2 may be wondering whether it’s worth upgrading.
A good portion of my full review of the AirPods Pro 3 is devoted to discussing the differences between the two models. Here’s how I conclude my review: «Several new features, such as Live Translation, will be available for the AirPods Pro 2, so many AirPods Pro 2 owners won’t feel the need to upgrade right away. But if you’ve been using AirPods Pro 2 for a while, it might be worth passing them on to a friend or relative and upgrading to the Pro 3s.»
Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025
AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s stayed the same
- The AirPods Pro 3’s list price is still $249 (£219, AU$429). That wasn’t a given with all the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration tariffs, but we’ll see how the price shakes out on Amazon and other retailers, where AirPods models often get discounted.
- The AirPods Pro 3 are powered by Apple’s H2 chip, the same one that powers the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. Rumors pointed to an H3 chip, but that didn’t happen.
- No new color options; white is still the only option.
- The AirPods Pro 3 stick with Bluetooth 5.3, just like the AirPods Pro 2 (though some true-wireless earbuds have already jumped to Bluetooth 6.0).
- The buds still feature a MagSafe charging case with USB-C and wireless charging. However, no USB-C charging cable is included (Apple also left out a charging cable with the AirPods 4, though most people have a USB-C cable).
AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s changed
- While they look similar to the previous model, the AirPods Pro 3 have been redesigned. Their geometric shape has changed a bit, with the angle of the bud shifted. They’re the same length but slightly smaller width-wise, slightly larger depth-wise and weigh a touch more (5.55 grams vs. 5.3 grams on the AirPods Pro 2).
- The AirPods Pro 3 come with new foam-infused silicone eartips in five sizes, including a new extra-extra small size.
- The AirPods Pro 3 are equipped with heart-rate sensors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
- 2x better noise cancellation compared to the AirPods Pro 2, according to Apple.
- While the AirPods Pro 3 have 10.7mm drivers like the AirPods Pro 2, those drivers have been upgraded to take advantage of the buds’ new multiport acoustic architecture, which moves more air through the buds and improves sound quality.
- The AirPods Pro 3’s microphones have been upgraded.
- The AirPods Pro 3’s Transparency Mode has been enhanced.
- New Live Translation feature (also available for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 series, but not the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2).
- The AirPods Pro 3’s battery life has improved to 8 hours with noise cancellation on and up to 10 hours in Hearing Aid mode with transparency on. The AirPods Pro 2 are rated for up to 6 hours of battery life with noise-canceling on.
- Instead of being IPX4 splash-proof like the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 got an IP57 rating (so did their charging case), which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. (I poured water on them and they survived just fine.) They’re also dust-resistant.
- The AirPods Pro’s case now includes a U2 chip, boosting Precision Finding range in the Find My app by 1.5x (requires an iPhone 17). The AirPods Pro 2’s case has the U1 chip.
- Like with the AirPods 4, the AirPods Pro 3’s case no longer has a button for Bluetooth pairing. You simply double-tap on the front of the case to put the buds into Bluetooth pairing mode. The AirPods Pro 2 have a physical button for Bluetooth pairing.
The AirPods Pro 3’s new geometric shape and eartips are among the biggest changes
While the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Pro 2 look very similar at first glance, they do feel different in your ears. That’s because the AirPods Pro 3’s new eartips are made of silicone but infused with foam toward the front of the ear tip. Also, the angle of the bud has been adjusted so the eartips point more directly into your ear canals.
If you’re someone who couldn’t quite get a good fit with the original AirPods Pro or Pro 2, the new design could very well help you get a snugger, more secure fit. The fact is that a tight seal is crucial for optimal sound and noise-canceling performance, and Apple redesigned the eartips to make sure users could hear the sound and noise-canceling upgrades with the AirPods Pro 3.
Alas, the new AirPods Pro 3 tips don’t work with earlier AirPods Pro models; they attach differently.
Do you really need the AirPods Pro 3’s heart-rate monitoring?
I personally don’t feel that heart-rate monitoring is a must-have feature, particularly if you already own a smartwatch with the feature. But for some folks, it will be a welcome addition. The heart-rate sensors have been custom-designed for the AirPods Pro 3 (they’re Apple’s smallest heart-rate sensors) and aren’t identical to the ones in the Powerbeats Pro 2, but the experience using the heart-rate monitoring feature is the same.
How much better are the AirPods Pro 3 than the AirPods Pro 2?
It’s always hard to put an exact percentage on how improved one generation of a product is to the next, and there are always some people who will prefer the older model for whatever reason. But for me, the AirPods Pro 3 are about 20-25% better.
While they both use the H2 chip, the newest AirPods have been redesigned on the outside and inside, and most people should notice the improvements to sound quality, noise cancellation and fit.
If you own the original AirPods Pro, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend upgrading, especially if your battery life has decreased.
If you’re happy with your AirPods Pro 2, there’s no hurry to upgrade unless your battery life has become an issue (some people have the older AirPods Pro 2 with a Lightning connector for charging instead of USB-C). The previous generation supports most of the same features as the AirPods Pro 3 (aside from heart-monitoring), including Live Translation and Hearing Aid mode.
It’s worth pointing out that the AirPods Pro 3 offer slightly better speech clarity for Hearing Aid mode (with Automatic Conversation Boost) and better battery life — up to 10 hours with Transparency and Hearing Aid mode. That makes the AirPods 3 the better choice if you have small to moderate hearing loss and plan to use your AirPods as hearing aids.
AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods 4 with ANC spec comparison
| AirPods Pro 2 | AirPods Pro 3 | AirPods 4 with ANC | |
| Weight (each earbud) | 0.19 ounce (5.13 grams) | 0.20 ounce (5.5 grams) | 0.15 ounce (4.3 grams) |
| Weight (case) | 1.79 ounces (50.8 grams) | 1.55 ounces (43.99 grams) | 1.22 ounces (34.7 grams) |
| Water resistant | IPX4 | IP57 | IP54 |
| Sensors | Skin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor |
Skin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor, heart-rate sensor |
Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor |
| Microphones | Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone | Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone | Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone |
| Chip | H2 | H2 | H2 |
| Conectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Active Noise Cancelation, Transparency mode |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Isolation, Personalized volume |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours +30 hours with case |
Up to 8 hours +24 hours with case |
Up to 5 hours +30 hours with case |
| Wire in box | Yes | No | No |
| Launch Price | $249 | $249 | $179 |
-
Technologies3 года agoTech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies3 года agoBest Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies3 года agoTighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года agoVerum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года agoGoogle to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies4 года agoBlack Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года agoOlivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года agoiPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow