The launch of a new Google phone typically means we see it join its other family members in having factory image and OTA files available. That happened quite quickly yesterday, within a few hours of Google fully announcing the Pixel 7a and then letting you buy one.
While this bit of news matters to a niche group, you love to see it. A factory image is there to help you restore your phone to an original state should something go wrong with it during a tinkering session. It can also help you jump back to a previous update if your current build isn’t playing nice. We also use these files – specifically the OTA files – to update the day a monthly update hits, as a couple of commands can push that through in minutes. Taking an update over-the-air often forces you into watching your phone “optimize” apps for up to an hour.
Long story short, factory image and OTA files are here for the Pixel 7a, also known as “lynx.” Yep, that’s the codename for the phone that we’ve been tracking for some time and is now confirmed.
The first images for the Pixel 7a are the May Android update with the following builds:
- TD4A.221205.042
- TD4A.221205.042.A1 (EMEA)
- TD4A.221205.042.B1 (Verizon)
- TQ2B.230505.005.A1
That TQ2B build is what’s currently running on my Pixel 7a review unit, so if you pick-up a Pixel 7a this week, you might see an update to it.
Pixel 7a Images: Factory Image | OTA
Who bought as Pixel 7a yesterday?