Google Pixel 7 review

With the arrival of the Pixel 6-series last year, a pair of phones that focused on software features and the overall user experience rather than just relying on flagship-grade components and sheer power, Google once again demonstrated its commitment to the flagship market. Despite numerous reports of flaws and issues that served as the proverbial “ointment in the soup,” the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were generally warmly welcomed. As a result, it is now up to Google to demonstrate its dedication to its flagship Tensor-powered efforts with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.

The new Pixel 7 is essentially what the Pixel 6 should have been from the start a more manageable and compact device that nonetheless prioritizes the overall user experience above relying on raw power. In direct comparison to the Pixel 6, Google’s latest darling has an enhanced camera, longer battery life, and an updated design.

It’s not a phone that should be examined in isolation, though. The Google Pixel 7 stands in stark contrast to the iPhone 14, which similarly didn’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. you can check our Google Pixel 7 Pro review.

Google Pixel 7 review: Design

The overall look of the Pixel 7 Pro hasn’t altered all that much from last year thanks to a few minor adjustments made by Google. The width of the phone is taken up by the camera bar at the rear, however this time the cutouts for the cameras are in metal rather than glass. This gives the back a much more elegant appearance.

This improvement can be seen in the smooth integration of the camera bar with the aluminum mid-frame, which looks fantastic. Again, this seems more professional than what we got last year because Google chose to use a contrasting color for the camera bar rather than the customary two-tone design for the glass back.

Smudges are clearly visible on the Hazel color version we are using, and the glass back still has the same shiny finish. The ordinary Pixel 7 also has the same finish, however the mid-frame on that variant is matte instead than 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.

While we haven’t tested the effectiveness of the glass protection on the Pixel 7 Pro, we have done so numerous times with its predecessor, and it has performed amazingly well. The glass panes at the back and front are protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus, same like last year. Having said that, you ought to buy a screen protector.

The Pixel 7 Pro’s proportions, which are 1mm smaller and 0.7mm wider than its predecessor, don’t affect much how it feels in the hand. It is a little bit more difficult to operate because of the additional width, although it isn’t as wide as the Galaxy S22 Ultra and weighs 16g less at 212g. The location of the power button is still annoying; unlike most Android phones, the Pixel 7 Pro’s power button is located above the volume rocker, which meant that for the first few days, I had to repeatedly press the volume up button to unlock the phone.

This year, there has been a significant improvement in that the in-screen fingerprint sensor is actually useable. 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. we will explain the Google Pixel 7 review.

Display

The Pixel 7’s screen size is slightly smaller than the Pixel 6’s, going from 6.4 inches to 6.3 inches, as was already mentioned. 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.

Even with the slightly rounded corners of the Gorilla Glass Victus-protected screen and the smaller bezels compared to last year’s model (though there is still a “chin”), the phone still looks a touch thicker than its screen size would suggest. 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.

A greater refresh rate for the display is one improvement we wish we’d seen this year. You still receive a stunning OLED panel with excellent viewing angles, lovely colors, deep blacks, and responsiveness, but it still has a maximum refresh rate of only 90Hz. this is one of the best smartphone, we will show you Google Pixel 7 Pro review. Sure, it might still make iPhone 14 owners envious, but in the Android world, a toggle between a fixed 60Hz or 90Hz (where supported) feels extremely out of date at this point for a gadget of this quality and pricing.

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 naturally makes advantage of every feature that makes Pixel phones so outstanding. In addition to the features we’ve come to expect from the Pixel series, the Pixel 7 includes Material You and (some) customized icons for your home screen, quick system and security updates, dictation and Assistant functions, Call Screen, and phone spam prevention. The Pixel 7 continues to add a few more to this collection, though less than you might anticipate from such a significant new launch.

Many of the features that the Pixel 7 purports to introduce are actually a part of the Android 13 update that all recent Pixel phones received; you can read everything about it in our Android 13 review. Google made an effort to distinguish the Pixel 7 from previous Pixel phones running Android 13, though, by including at least a few unique features. In addition to additional health features like cough and snoring recognition to help you keep track of your sleep, Google’s new dual biometric authentication aims to address some of the shortcomings of the company’s original under-display fingerprint scanner. read our Google Pixel 7 review.

Hardware and Performance

The Google Pixel 7 now has Google’s updated Tensor G2 chip, which improves battery life. On paper, 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.

There is also an increase in battery life because it is more efficient. We should note that the Pixel 6 worked flawlessly, and the Pixel 7’s long-lasting battery life is outstanding. Although it is a smaller battery in terms of size, it still has a 24-hour rating. This works flawlessly for us to go through a typical day of use, just like on the previous model. Two practical quality-of-life enhancements are also worthwhile of note. The first is that Google improved the Pixel 7’s erratic in-display fingerprint scanner, which was previously sluggish on the Pixel 6 and is now flawless. We have no issues to voice.

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 ultra-wide and telephoto cameras on the Pixel 7 Pro represent this year’s biggest hardware advancements, and they offer the largest improvements for regular picture-taking. The primary camera on the Pixel 7 Pro performs admirably in most lighting circumstances, just like the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. It can take boosted photos that are detailed and still look natural. Though some conventional photographers may not like how much shadow detail is brought to life, most people will appreciate how Google boosts shadows while still producing dynamic images with balanced contrast.

Any camera would struggle to capture the backlit image of the stained glass below. The Pixel 7 Pro decides to keep the dramatic stained glass while preserving a lot of the stonework’s complexity. It produces a less dramatic shot but one that maintains the most image data since it captures more stone detail than the iPhone 14 Pro does. Google doesn’t simply concentrate on resolving shadow detail in backlit conditions when it comes to advanced photo processing. When photographing a dimly lit subject, the phone still captures a lot of detail in the shadows across all zoom levels.

The ceiling of Norwich Cathedral has much of shadow detail, which the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras both capture, as shown below, highlighting details that could otherwise go overlooked. 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

Let’s make this clear right away: The battery capacity of the Pixel 7 is lower than that of the Pixel 6: 4,355 mAh versus 4614 mAh. Given that the new phone is smaller in all dimensions and that the battery is just the component that takes up most of the volume, this makes sense. We continue to be impressed with the battery life. The somewhat smaller display may also have contributed to Google’s ability to make the Tensor G2 more efficient than the first-generation semiconductor.

Even on days when we were active, we haven’t yet been able to completely drain the battery in one day. We were able to eke out 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. We have to admit that at that point, if we hadn’t had a battery pack with us, we might have been a little concerned. However, if you top off your phone before going out for the evening, you might never experience any problems at all.

Battery depletion while in standby is one item that stands out and was previously a problem on the Pixel 6. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 with 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.

If you don’t like to charge your phone overnight, the charging scenario is the same as in prior Pixel generations, which is unfortunate. The 21W fast charging that the Pixel 7 enables is currently more slower than that of the competition. We can attest to Google’s claims that it takes the Pixel 7 30 minutes to charge from 0% to 50%, making it ideal for a fast top-up before leaving for the evening. It still falls short of what the OnePlus 10T, for instance, provides with its 150W charger (125W in the US). On the Pixel 7, a full charge takes longer than 1.5 hours, however we were able to charge it from 0% to 100% in 1:40 using a 30W charger.

Price and availability

• Announced October 6, on sale October 13
• Prices start at $599 / £599 / AU$999
• Same pricing as the Pixel 6

Following its October 6 debut, the Google Pixel 7 became available for pre-order, and it began shipping on October 13. The gadget starts at $599, £599, or AU$999, which Google correctly notes is $100 less than the most recent iPhone 14 and is comparable to the cost of the Google Pixel 6 from 2021. Google also included the new Pixel Watch as a pre-order incentive in some markets.

The price listed above is for the entry-level device with 128GB of storage, but there is also a 256GB model available for $699, £699, or AU$1,129. For 512GB storage, unlike the iPhone 14 (and 14 Plus), you’ll need to upgrade to the more expensive Pixel 7 Pro, however the 512GB version of that phone is only sold in the US and Australia, not the UK.

A power adapter is also missing from the package (another change made with the Pixel 6 series), so if you want to charge your Pixel 7 (21W) as quickly as possible and plan to keep it in the family, you’ll need to pay Google (from) an additional $25, £25 or AU$45 for their suitable 30W USB-C converter. check our Google Pixel 7 review.

Google Pixel 7 review: Conclusion

The Google Pixel 7 enters the market with a more difficult goal to do than most new phones do. Most mobile devices just need to persuade hesitant consumers that there are enough brand-new features and improvements to warrant a purchase. Additionally, the Pixel 7 needs to persuade us all that Google’s self-designed silicon may actually be a good idea.

This challenge is one that The Pixel 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.