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The Google Pixel 7a is one of thebest budget phonesyou can get right now. Launched atI/O 2023, the device packs a handful of upgrades from its predecessor, including a beefed-up 90Hz display refresh rate. While this still pales in comparison to the 120Hz displays on phones like theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it’s a decent addition on a sub-$500 phone. However, the display on the Pixel 7a may not be operating as intended, especially in sunny conditions, as per one Reddit user.
Redditorpawlikx_ironnoticed the 90Hz refresh rate comes down to 60Hz when in broad daylight, adding that it goes back up to 90Hz when they are under shade. This implies a correlation between sunlight exposure and the lowering of the device’s refresh rate.
Sunny conditions naturally make the phone hot, with one individual in the commentssuggestingthat the drop in the refresh rate could be due to the Pixel 7a’s built-in thermal throttling mechanism. However, the affected user claims their Pixel 7a feels “cool, not hot.” Google is yet to comment on this behavior.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this behavior on a Pixel phone. In ourfull review of the Pixel Fold, Will Sattelberg noted the following:
While lounging in a hammock, this device got so hot it was uncomfortable to touch. The inner display dropped to an unstable 60Hz — as in, things looked even choppier than that refresh rate implies — for over an hour after I went inside. I wasn’t in the hammock for more than thirty minutes. This is a problem.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean you can never use your Pixel 7a in sunny conditions. As one user points out in thereplies, all you need to do is head over toDeveloper optionsfrom your Pixel 7a’s Settings and toggleForce peak refresh rate. A quick search for this toggle within the Settings app would work, too. You can follow Google’sinstructionsto enable Developer options on yourPixel 7aif you haven’t done so already.
It was revealed last week that Google may be using aslightly slower versionof the Tensor G2 chip on the Pixel 7a compared to the one used on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. This, according to noted leaker Kamila Wojciechowska, could also lead to the phone being hotter than its Pixel 7 siblings.
UPDATE: 2025-08-22 08:38 EST BY DALLAS THOMAS
New information suggests this is intended behavior
Mishaal Rahmandiscovereda code commit for the Pixel 7a (codename “lynx”) that indicates this is the way Google intended the screen to work. According tothe commit, the 7a should “Lock refresh rate at 60Hz when > 50k lux,” so it’s indeed brightness triggering the slowdown rather than heat.
Google Pixel 7a
With features like an upgraded 90Hz display and a design familiar to its more expensive Pixel 7 siblings, the Pixel 7a is the perfect combination of hardware and software. Google’s midrange phone is also eligible for software updates until mid-2026, making it hard to miss, especially at this price tag.
