The Pixel line-up of phones has long been the pinnacle of Android pureness. From the fan-favourite vanilla android software to the quirky Google designs, Pixel phones embody the Android aesthetic better than any other smartphone manufacturer. But with fierce competition from companies like Samsung and Apple, is the new Pixel 7/ 7 Pro worth your time?
Design
Pixel 7’s design language shares a lot of similarities with last year’s Pixel 6, with a few notable differences; Such as new colors, a shinier camera housing and the lack of two-tone colors on the back. The Pixel 7 looks and feels premium with aluminum on the sides and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back.
- Pixel 7 colors: Obsidian, Snow and Hazel
- Pixel 7 Pro colors: Lemongrass, Snow and Obsidian
Overall, it’s a unique design that really captures that Pixel charm.
Pixel 7 & Pixel 7 Pro Features
Clear calling
Clear calling uses machine learning to filter out background noises while enhancing the voice of the person on the other line. This feature is useful if you’re on a busy street, in windy environments or a noisy room.
Amazing battery life
Both the Pixel 7 and the 7 Pro offer incredible battery life, enough to last you throughout the day. The Pixel 7 has a 4355 mAh battery while the Pixel 7 Pro rocks a 5000 mAh battery.
Guided Frame
Aimed at users with disabilities, Guided Frame uses AI to help users take selfies.
Direct My Call
This feature transcribes automated phone menus and allows you to navigate and select an option. For example, if you call a company and their automated phone line presents options such as “Press 1 to stay on hold”, you no longer need to memorize each option. Though not a new feature, Pixel 7 improves on it by showing you the menu options before they’re spoken.
Improved Real Tone
Real Tone was introduced with Pixel 6, which aims to represent different skin tones accurately in pictures. With the new Pixel 7, Google has continued to improve this feature by tuning models and algorithms to accurately highlight diverse skin tones. (The improved version of real tone will also be available on the Pixel 6 in the near future)
Face unlock
Thanks to that Tensor G2 chip and advanced machine learning models, users can use the face unlock feature. (According to Google, the Tensor G2 chip makes this possible. So it’s unclear if this feature will be available for the Pixel 6.)
Voice message transcription
Pixel 7 will be able to convert voice messages to text. This is a convenient feature because you can read your voice messages anywhere.
Photo Unblur
Exclusive to Pixel 7/ 7 Pro, Photo Unblur is a feature that fixes blurry photos using AI. The feature surprisingly works well, even with older photos.
Pixel 7/ 7 Pro Camera
People who buy Pixel phones are usually interested in the camera. As a pioneer in computational photography, Google has been trying to raise the bar as it once did with the Pixel 2. Fortunately, the Pixel 7/ 7 Pro camera is promising.
Google has improved on last year’s Pixel 6 camera in many ways. The overall video quality is better and low-light performance has improved significantly. Daylight pictures are well-detailed as expected and dynamic range is well-executed. It’s a solid camera worthy of the Pixel name. Check out this post at XDA-Developers for an in-depth review of the camera.
Camera features
Cinematic Blur
Similar to Apple’s Cinematic Mode or Samsungs Portrait Video, Google’s Cinematic Blur separates the subject from the background on a video.
10-bit HDR video
Pixel 7/ 7 Pro is capable of recording HDR video, but you’ll need a display that supports HDR to appreciate it.
Macro Focus
Using the ultrawide camera, the Pixel 7 Pro can take beautiful close-up macro photos. It should be mentioned that the base Pixel 7 does not have this feature because its ultrawide camera doesn’t have auto-focus.
Faster night sight
One of the biggest Pixel 6 complaints was how slow Night sight processing was compared to the iPhone 13. With the Pixel 7, Night Sight shots now process twice as fast.
Camera specs
Pixel 7
- 50 MP Octa PD Quad Bayer wide camera
- 12 MP ultrawide camera (114° field of view)
- 10.8 MP front selfie camera
Pixel 7 Pro
- 50 MP Octa PD Quad Bayer wide camera
- 12 MP ultrawide camera with auto-focus (125.8° field of view)
- 10.8 MP front selfie camera
- 48 MP Quad Bayer PD telephoto camera
Pricing
Pixel 7 pricing
- 128GB – $599/£599/€649
- 256GB – $699/£699/€749
Pixel 7 Pro pricing
- 128GB – $899/£849/€899
- 256GB – $999/£949/€999
- 512GB – $1,099
Google has done a great job pricing the Pixel 7 series, but the $300 gap between the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro might draw people towards the cheaper option. Additionally, both phones offer similar features and it would be hard to justify paying an extra $300 for the Pro features. But if you want the best of the best, the Pro version is the way to go.
Specs
Pixel 7 Specs
Display
- 6.3 inch displayFHD+ (1080 x 2400) OLED at 416 ppi
- 90 Hz display
- HDR support
- Up to 1000 nits (HDR) and up to 1400 nits (peak brightness)
Processor, memory and storage
- Google Tensor G2
- 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 128 GB / 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage
Design and battery
- Stereo speakers
- IP68 dust and water resistance
- 4355 mAh battery
- Fast charging & fast wireless charging
- Battery Share: Charge other devices wirelessly
Pixel 7 Pro Specs
Display
- 6.7-inch displayQHD+ (1440 x 3120) OLED at 512 ppi
- 120 Hz LTPO display
- HDR support
- Up to 1000 nits (HDR) and up to 1500 nits (peak brightness)
Processor, memory and storage
- Google Tensor G2
- 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB UFS 3.1 storage
Design and battery
- Stereo speakers
- IP68 dust and water resistance
- 5000 mAh battery
- Fast charging & fast wireless charging
- Battery Share: Charge other devices wirelessly
For a full spec comparison, click this link.
Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro, which one should you get?
Pixel 7 Pro is undoubtedly the superior phone, with a triple rear camera system, 12GB RAM, a 6.7 inch 120Hz LTPO display and a bigger 5000 mAh battery. However, the Pixel 7 is still a better deal for most people, costing $300 less and offering almost the same user experience as the Pixel 7 Pro.
In comparison to the Pro version, the Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch 90Hz non-LTPO display (vs a 6.7-inch 120Hz LTPO display), a dual camera system (vs a triple camera system), 8GB RAM (vs 12GB RAM) and a 4355 mAh battery (vs 5000 mAh). Nonetheless, are these changes enough to justify paying an extra $300?
It’s great to see Google offering premium devices at affordable price points, but the 300$ difference makes it hard to pick the $899 Pixel 7 Pro. That extra $300 could be used towards buying the new Pixel watch, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite or even the 9th Gen iPad. In the end, both these phones are fantastic, especially if you’re coming from an older Android device.
Is it worth upgrading to the Pixel 7 if you have the Pixel 6?
The Pixel 6 is still a capable device, with years of upcoming software updates. But it’s hard to ignore how good the Pixel 7 is. Google addressed most of the complaints of the Pixel 6, such as better battery life, software bugs and an improved fingerprint sensor. Not to mention all the new features. But if you were looking to keep your Pixel 6, below are reasons why you shouldn’t upgrade to the Pixel 7.
Software features will eventually be available for the Pixel 6
A lot of the new features that launched with the Pixel 7 are already confirmed to be coming to the Pixel 6. These features include; Clear calling, guided frame, improved real tone and spatial audio.
To learn more about what Pixel 7 features will be coming to the Pixel 6, check out this PhoneArena article.
Design is similar
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 share the same DNA, and they both look similar. It would be hard to justify a Pixel 7 purchase based solely on design.
Camera
The camera on the Pixel 6 is still one of the best. However, the Pixel 7 does have better video recording and an overall better camera.
Software updates are still valid
The Pixel 6 is still a fairly new device with software updates scheduled for 5 years in its lifetime.
Similar user experience
Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 operate the same version of Android.
For more smartphone content, checkout our review of the iPhone 14 here.
Final thoughts
For people looking to get an Android phone or switch from iOS, the Pixel 7/ 7 Pro is an amazing deal for the price. It’s also a great replacement for people with older Pixel devices. However, if you already own a Pixel 6, it might be better to wait for the Pixel 8. Having said that, if you have the cash to spare, we highly recommend the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.
Kenyon Ndezi is a recent graduate, writer, creator of kenyonndez.com; and the owner of Neonbuild.com, which is a company focused on building apps for small businesses and individuals. Follow along and get inspired!
