The Pixel 7 is Google’s latest phone and it is essentially what the Pixel 6 should have been from the start. It has an enhanced camera, longer battery life, and an updated design. ..
The Google Pixel 7 is different from the iPhone 14 in that it doesn’t offer many noteworthy changes and improvements over the iPhone 13 model. But if Apple can get away with that, it only makes sense that Google should too, right? On the other hand, there are Samsung’s outstanding Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ models, which claim comparably good hardware and slightly richer feature sets in the same size range. ..
Google Pixel 7 review: Design
The Pixel 7 Pro is a phone that has been designed by Google specifically for the camera-obsessed. The width of the phone is taken up by the camera bar at the rear, and this time around, the cutouts for the cameras are in metal rather than glass. This gives the back a much more elegant appearance.
The camera bar and aluminum mid-frame look fantastic together. Google chose a contrasting color for the camera bar, which looks more professional than what we got last year.
The Pixel 7 has smudges on the Hazel color option, and the glass back still has a shiny finish. The ordinary Pixel 7 also has a shiny finish, but the mid-frame on that variant is matte instead of glossy. Hazel is the most striking of the three color options, showing that Google isn’t being as daring this time. Although the Snow and Obsidian alternatives are less vibrant, they both have a two-tone effect at the back. ..
The Pixel 7 Pro has a glass protection layer that is the same as last year, but you should buy a screen protector to protect your device.
The Pixel 7 Pro is a smaller and narrower Android phone that is easier to use because of its smaller proportions. Its power button is located above the volume rocker, which made it difficult for me to unlock the phone for the first few days.
This year, the in-screen fingerprint sensor on the Google Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro has been improved. It is quick and reliable, and it doesn’t have any of the problems that the Pixel 6 Pro’s had. The Pixel 7 Pro still has IP68 dust and water protection, so Google isn’t tampering with the extras. There is a SIM card port as well, and eSIM is available if you need to use more than one SIM at once.
Display
The Pixel 7’s screen size is slightly smaller than the Pixel 6’s, going from 6.4 inches to 6.3 inches. This makes it easier to distinguish from the enormous 6.7-inch Pixel 7 Pro and also indicates that there aren’t many Android phones with screens this large that are worthwhile of consideration.
The Pixel 7’s display is marginally sharper than the Pixel 6’s due to the same Full HD+ resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. However, Google has been able to increase the brightness so that it operates at up to 1000 nits in normal use and can push to 1400 nits at its peak (25% brighter than the Pixel 6’s display) for better visibility in bright environments.
The Pixel 3 XL still has a “chin” despite having smaller bezels than last year’s model. It has the same display size as the older “XL” Pixels, including the Google Pixel 4 XL, while being the smaller of this year’s pair. ..
We hope that Google releases a toggle between a fixed 60Hz or 90Hz refresh rate on their Pixel 7 Pro smartphone, as it would feel more outdated in the Android world.
The company might have at least used an adjustable refresh rate panel, like the Pixel 7 Pro, which can scale from its top 120Hz all the way down to 10Hz when necessary for increased power efficiency. The optical in-display fingerprint sensor, which at this (admittedly early) stage hasn’t proven to be as problematic as the previous model’s at launch, is a welcome addition, even if it isn’t as quick as Samsung’s ultrasonic alternative. On the plus side, multiple color profiles, Night Light (to reduce eye strain), and basic always-on functionality are also welcome additions.
Software
The Google Pixel operating system is the version of Android that we cover the most, and the Pixel 7 is a powerful phone that makes use of all of its features. It also includes features that are unique to the Pixel series, such as Material You and (some) customized icons for your home screen. The Pixel 7 also continues to add features to its collection, but less than you might anticipate from such a significant new launch.
The Pixel 7 is a phone that Google has made specifically for Android 13. It includes features that are not found on other Pixel phones, like health and dual biometric authentication.
Hardware and Performance
Google’s updated Tensor G2 chip improves battery life on the Google Pixel 7. Statisticians may view the processor as a very minor upgrade, but it offers advantages for efficiency and machine learning. Google brags about improved on-device speech recognition (we tried its transcription feature, and that’s also excellent), faster performance for low-light photographs, and the “unblur” feature to correct blurry pictures. ..
The Pixel 6 and 7 have excellent battery life, as well as a flawless in-display fingerprint scanner.
Additionally, there is now a face unlock feature available. There won’t be any delays when unlocking your phone, even though this isn’t as safe or sophisticated as a full-on 3D system like Apple’s Face ID (as evidenced by the fact that it can open the phone but cannot authenticate entry into banking apps or confirm payments). Nonetheless, it’s still more than adequate for the majority of users. ..
Google Pixel 7 review: Camera
The Pixel 7 Pro camera is a great choice for anyone looking for the best photography experience. It has the largest improvements over its predecessors, and can take photos with more detail and natural colors than ever before. Some people may not like how Google boosts shadows while still producing dynamic images, but most people will appreciate how it does this.
The Pixel 7 Pro’s advanced photo processing preserves a lot of the stonework’s complexity while producing a less dramatic shot. ..
The Pixel 7 Pro is a strong camera phone for objects that are infamously difficult to photograph, like pets, in addition to being a fantastic option for dramatic scenes. As you can see in the image below, the Pixel is a fantastic animal camera, even if it falls short of the super-smart Sony a7R V(opens in new tab) animal AF Sony recently announced. This is due to the relatively shallow depth of field achieved with close-up shots and the phone’s ability to make fur look textured while prioritizing focus on faces.
Battery life
The Pixel 7 has a battery capacity of 4,355mAh, which is lower than the battery capacity of the Pixel 6 which is 4614mAh. This is because the Pixel 7 is smaller in all dimensions and because the battery is just one component that takes up most of the volume. The battery life on the Pixel 7 continues to be impressive and this may be due to the more efficient Tensor G2 semiconductor. ..
We were able to get about five hours of screen-on time in a mixed-use environment that included taking a lot of sample photos in different lighting conditions, some light public transit navigation, some review writing on Google Docs, and a lot of scrolling through Twitter, Reddit, and Chrome.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 have similar setups were left outside overnight with the always-on display turned on, and both devices lost roughly 10% of their charge during that period. In a different test, we turned off the AOD, which caused a 6% overnight battery depletion. This is worse than on many similar phones, and even the Pixel 4a 5G we tested has never had standby drain this terrible with the same settings. The Tensor chipsets, which are virtually the same in both the Pixel 6 and 7 models, might be the cause of the problem.
The Pixel 7 has a slower fast charging than the competition.
Price and availability
Google has just announced a new Pixel 6 phone that is much more expensive than the Pixel 5C. The new phone has a 6-inch display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, and is available for purchase starting October 13th for $599 / £599 / AU$999.
The Google Pixel 7 is a new phone that starts at $599, £599, or AU$999. It is the most recent phone from Google and is similar to the cost of the Google Pixel 6 from 2021. The phone includes the new Pixel Watch as a pre-order incentive.
The iPhone 14 (and 14 Plus) are entry-level devices with 128GB of storage. However, there is also a 256GB model available for $699, £699, or AU$1,129. For 512GB storage, you’ll need to upgrade to the more expensive Pixel 7 Pro.
Google has announced a new Pixel line of phones, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 XL. The new phones come with a power adapter that is missing from the original package. If you want to charge your phone as quickly as possible, you will need to purchase a separate 30W USB-C converter from Google. ..
Google Pixel 7 review: Conclusion
The Pixel 7 is Google’s attempt to create a phone that is both innovative and affordable. It has a number of new features, but also some familiar ones. The biggest challenge for the Pixel 7 is convincing us that it’s worth the price tag.
This challenge is one that Google takes on by itself. The new phone has a brand-new Tensor chip inside, in addition to the excellent computational photography we’ve come to expect from Google phones. And that means brand-new features and experiences that are exclusive to the Pixel 7 series, which just could persuade customers that Google’s phones are worth a try.
