
Best mid-range phone of 2023 — flagship cameras at $499

Best big Android, weak Tensor
Google Pixel 7a
Google Pixel 7a
Google Pixel 7a
64MP main (new) + 13MP ultrawide camera duo with Tensor G2 processing — best cameras at this price point in 2023. Pixel AI features (Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Real Tone) trickle down at $499.
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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
A 50MP wide, 48MP ultrawide and 48MP 5x telephoto plus a 42MP selfie. Excellent computational photos, but the hardware was barely updated and it lost a shootout to the iPhone.
Google Pixel 7a
4,385mAh battery + Tensor G2 inefficiency = mediocre all-day life. 18W wired charging is slow. FIRST A-series Pixel to support wireless charging (7.5W Qi).
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
A 5,060mAh battery with new 45W charging — improved over the Pixel 8 Pro, but Tensor inefficiency means the worst endurance among premium flagships.
Google Pixel 7a
$499 launch (now $250-400 used) — best mid-range Android of 2023, often called a better buy than the $599 Pixel 7. Apple Intelligence-style AI features at half the iPhone price.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
At $1,099 it's 'the best big Android phone,' but it now costs the same as the competition while trailing on raw performance and battery.