When Google announced their upcoming Nexus phones in January, I thought that this would be a powerful release. Is it really worth the Hype? We’ll be back with our full review of the Google Pixel 7 smartphone. Today, we look at how well or poorly this has performed in testing thus far and whether there’s anything new to learn here that would make things better for you if you’re considering picking one up on its own.
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An Overview of Google Pixel 7
The Google Pixel 7 Pro launched in October 2022 alongside the base (but flagship) Pixel 7 variant. The former has captured the hearts of the world with its impeccable features and is widely regarded as one of the best. With 2022 drawing to a close and paving the way for 2023, the community may be wondering about the current relevance of the Pixel 7 Pro. After all, several major tech giants will soon announce new flagships that may offer better hardware, updated software, and extended official support.
Google Pixel 7 & Google Pixel 7 Pro
Undoubtedly, it’s hard to doubt Google’s performance over the past year in the smartphone arena. In this article, we take a look at the many features the Google Pixel 7 Pro has to offer. If you are not sure whether or not to buy the 2023 flagship, we hope this blog helps you in deciding.
The Google Pixel 7 starts at around $640 in the US. The smartphone comes with a dual SIM card that supports Nano SIM built using 5G technology. Google Pixel 7 Mobile was released on October 6, 2022. This smartphone features a 6.3 inches (FHD+) AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The device has 8GB of memory and 128/256GB storage levels. The phone has a much-improved camera system and is more portable than previous generations.
Google’s 2022 Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro aren’t just the best phones the company has ever made, but more importantly, they’re some of the smartest phones that have been launched. The credit can be given to Google’s investment in machine learning. Google knows that it takes more than specs and hardware to make the “best” phone. These things are important and even necessary, but right now, if we target Google they are routine for Google. Google wants to make phones smarter as well as more powerful.
With the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, you get access to a number of additional upgrades over the Pixel 6, along with the Tensor G2 chipset, the second generation of Tensor. One of the biggest improvements over the Pixel 6 is the Pixel 7’s battery life. Much improved! And this again has to do with the evolution of Google Tensor chipsets. Another key point for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is the price. Both phones significantly undercut Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S22 phone.
Google Pixel 7: Design
The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro change the look a bit, mostly with regard to the camera bump. It still spans the full width of the phone and aside from a slight curve around the edge of the phone, it’s still fairly uneven. However, it is now made of metal rather than glass to highlight the camera module. The overall design of the Pixel 7 is nothing out of the ordinary.
The camera strip is a standout feature and a little recognition. It’s easy to recognize when someone is holding a Pixel phone. On the positive side, this design eliminates wobbling on flat surfaces, while the downside is dust build-up. The camera module forms deep grooves where dust accumulates. Unlike its predecessors, the Pixel 7’s glass sheets are all made of Gorilla Glass Victus, but it retains an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. As mentioned earlier, the new Pixel is slightly smaller with a 6.3-inch display rather than a 6.4-inch display. The thickness is also a bit thin at 8.7mm.
Google Pixel 7: Android OS
The Pixel 7 Pro runs Android 13 with Google’s Pixel settings and is thankfully free of unwanted third-party apps and notifications. Android 13 brings a number of fun and useful features that work great on the Pixel 7, including wallpaper and theme options, real-time decryption, and more. Every pixel is home to Google Assistant, and this pixel is no exception. Phones only really come into their own when users take the trouble to master these features and make them part of their daily use.
Google Pixel 7: Performance
Although priced differently, the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are equipped with the new Google Tensor G2 processor. The gadget gets a bit warm when using the camera or playing games, this is most noticeable near the camera module, but you can’t call it a heating issue. As we said in our Pixel 7 review, the new Tensor chipset lags far behind Qualcomm’s flagship processors in terms of performance. The game performance is considered good. The Mobile is playable at maximum settings. As mentioned earlier, the 7 Pro tends to get a bit warm during gaming without sacrificing performance. Also, on max settings, gaming on this phone was fantastic. I mentioned the performance is great if you want to play games on the phone, but I wouldn’t recommend this phone for long gaming sessions.
Google Pixel 7: Display
On the front is a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a maximum brightness of 1500 nits and negligible bezels, and it looks pretty, to say the least. For protection, it comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. It looks solid, but it remains to be seen what kind of impact the display will have.
However, this is one of the prettiest displays on the phone right now. The overall experience is not disappointing at all. The display quality comes into use for a lot of reading (e-books), streaming HD content on OTT platforms, and gaming. When it comes to gaming, the 120Hz refresh rate is very convenient. The only issue that can arise is the fairly unstable front screen unlock. One might have to rely on patterns to unlock my phone.
Google Pixel 7: Camera
The Pixel 7 doesn’t have a telephoto lens and has 8x digital zoom, but it has some of the camera features its Pro sibling has. However, the primary 50-megapixel camera retains the strongest advantage. Google AI allows you to take control and trustworthy photos, which is faster than previous-generation phones. Generally, users are welcome to receive useful and public photos.
The Pixel 7 also has a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10.8MP selfie camera. Both the front and rear cameras can shoot 4K video at 30/60fps and 1080p at 30/60fps. Aside from all the technical details, the strength of this camera system is its consistency which requires no real work on the part of the user.
Images from the Pixel 7’s main camera are clear, detailed, and always nice and bright. Keep relatively still while the camera is running. In fact, the camera app shows how long it takes to take a picture, so you can be prepared to be still during this time.
Google Pixel 7: Battery Life & Charging Speed
This is one of the rare cases where the battery capacity reduction (4355 mAh compared to 4614 mAh for the Pixel 6) does not negatively affect battery life. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite. This could be due to the chipset, display, software, or a combination of the two, but the end result is a more capable device than the Pixel 6. Pixel 7 ups the endurance from 86 hours to 96 hours with great video playback time and great web time.
Google Pixels have always been a little slower in the charging race, but the Pixel 7 is at least a little faster than its predecessor. However, this is probably due to the smaller battery. The 20W power delivery standard used by the Pixel 7 these days is too slow to be competitive. The Pixel is inferior to the Galaxy phones and is also significantly slower. It takes a whopping 1 hour and 40 minutes to fully charge from 0%, and a 30-minute charge restores 48%.
Wrapping It Up
With all that being said, this is the perfect day to pick one up. You will get most of its improvements without breaking anything else (in fact, you may be able to do just fine with keeping these features). It is indeed easier to control apps, particularly with two fingers, and even more so in landscape orientation because of the increased touch area compared to its predecessor.
A lot has changed, but it’s nice to see Google sticking to their guns with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. That’s the Pixel 7. It inherits and refines the trends pioneered by the Pixel 6, making it one of the best Android phones out there.
