With the Pixel 6-series last year, a pair of phones focused on software features and the overall user experience rather than relying on flagship-grade components and sheer power, Google once again demonstrated its commitment to the flagship market.
The new Pixel 7 is what the Pixel 6 should have been from the start. This more manageable and compact device prioritises the overall user experience above relying on raw power. Compared to the Pixel 6, Google’s latest darling has an enhanced camera, longer battery life, and an updated design. The Google Pixel 7 stands in stark contrast to the iPhone 14, which didn’t offer many noteworthy changes and improvements over the iPhone 13 model.
Pixel 7 – Purchasing Guide
Reasons to Use Pixel 7
The Pixel 7 improves on the popularity of the Pixel 6 with excellent cameras and a more sophisticated Tensor G2 engine. The Pixel 7 is a fantastic value but won’t unseat the iPhone 14 or Galaxy S22.
Pros: Fantastic cameras, great price for a flagship device, bright, colourful display, and Tensor G2 represents a significant advancement. Performance could be improved. Tensor G2 new chipset. With a new Tensor G2 CPU, Google’s Pixel 7 promises speedier speech assistance, including live translation, Google Assistant, and voice typing. Enhanced visibility, superior features and a distinct design.
Design
You might not quickly notice the difference between the two Pixel 7 phones’ updated designs for 2022. The back of the phone has undergone the most improvements; the Pixel 6’s two-tone finish has been replaced with a single colour. A glass cover with cutouts for the camera lenses has replaced the blacked-out camera bar. We don’t necessarily see these modifications as advancements because the original design had more character. However, since there is less glass on the camera cover, it should be more durable and less prone to lens flares, making it more practical.
The sleek aluminium frame of the bigger Pixel 7 Pro perfectly transitions into the camera band. Gentle curves on the sides of the Gorilla Glass Victus on the front give it a suitably premium appearance. The large cutout for the front camera and the substantial display bezels, though, aren’t premium.
The phone’s side buttons are inverted and the same colour as the power button, discontinued by the Pixel 6 series last year. Strangely stiff buttons can be found on the Pixel 7 Pro, and it is impossible to accidentally push them, although it might occasionally be challenging to do it on purpose. Although the Pixel 7 Pro is a big phone, its compact design, curved corners, and grippy sides and back make it manageable to use with one hand, the phone’s weight is tolerable and doesn’t feel excessively weighty considering its size.
The Pixel 7 features thick bezels all over, which are particularly unattractive on the black model. Although Google claims to have made the bezels thinner this year, there has yet to be any visible progress. There are unusually sharp edges on the zirconia-blasted matte aluminium frame, which is incredibly close to the camera bar and LCD. When you hold the phone and make movements, the edges constantly scrape against your thumbs. Even more rigid and difficult to press than the buttons on the Pixel 7 Pro are the side buttons.
Also strangely weighty for a phone its size, the Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 feels solid and heavy compared to the larger Pixel 7 Pro, which distributes its weight across a broader surface area. The smaller Pixel 7 is simpler to operate yourself, and the flat display offers benefits. Both phones feature an IP68 grade for water and dust protection.
Display
The Pixel 7’s OLED display measures 6.3 inches, somewhat smaller than the Pixel 6’s 6.4-inch screen, though you would need to hold the phone side by side to notice the difference. However, one crucial feature remains: the Pixel 7 offers an adjustable 90Hz refresh rate. You still experience smoother scrolling even though the Pixel 7 Pro’s display runs at a lower 120Hz rate, especially compared to a device with a 60Hz display like the iPhone 14.
With the Pixel 7, Google promises a brighter display with a maximum brightness of 1,400 nits, which is a significant change. Even in direct sunshine on a cloudless day, the Pixel 7’s screen is sufficiently bright to be viewed outside.
Color Options
Speaking of colours, it will be available in White, Black and a lovely new Lemongrass colour. Both have three colour options, with Snow and Obsidian being typical. While the Pixel 7 is available in Lemongrass, the Pixel 7 Pro also comes in Hazel.
Audio Quality
Most reviews claim that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro speakers are strong, but the audio is tinny and lacks bass. The sound is uneven and fairly treble-heavy, with little bass.
New Features
Compared to the Pixel 6’s 6.4-inch display, the Pixel 7’s diagonal screen is 6.3 inches, and Google claims the bezels have also shrunk. The Pixel 7 Pro’s display is still described as having a 6.7-inch size, the same smooth scrolling as the 6 Pro’s display, and a top refresh rate of 120 Hz. While both claim a 25% gain in peak brightness, the Pixel 7 stays with a 90Hz screen after being verified outside.
Naturally, Tensor G2 does more than that. The redesigned camera strip at the rear of the phone links smoothly with the aluminium frame, creating one continuous design element that feels wonderful in hand and looks terrific. The Pixel 7 fits exceptionally comfortably in the palm of your hand and appears even more minor than it is because of its gently curved frame and glass that slopes inward towards the back.
Price
In this Year of Price Hikes and Unrelenting Inflation, it is a relief to see that their respective price tags of $599 and $899 remain unaltered. On the new surface, Pixel 7 and 7 Pro don’t have much to show on the new surface, save from a minor design change and more muted colour selections.
Tech Specs
Size of display: 6.3-inch OLED (2400 x 1080)
90Hz refresh rate
Tensor G2 CPU
8GB RAM; 128GB or 256GB of storage
50 MP (f/1.85) rear cameras principal; 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide
10.8 MP front-facing camera, f/2.2
Size of battery: 4,355 mAh
Dimensions: 6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 in.
Size: 6.9 ounces
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, the Pixel 7 is a great little Android phone. It makes up for its performance shortcomings with “smarts” and a positive user experience. It’s a great little Android phone that’s refreshing from the typical 6.7-inch smartphone. The Pixel 7 is the phone you’d suggest to someone who isn’t impressed by the newest cutting-edge technology and needs help understanding what a synthetic benchmark is but would rather have a small, attractive gadget with an excellent user experience.
The Pixel 7 is more inexpensive and, in essence, provides 90% of the same Pixel experience as the Pixel 7 Pro, which is undoubtedly a far superior phone thanks to its sharper, bigger, and even smoother display, additional 5-X telephoto camera, and longer battery life. The Pixel 7 is a terrific upgrade over the Pixel 6, which was already among the top smartphones of 2021, thanks to the changes it makes to it. When looking for a small, powerful phone in 2022 and beyond, one should shortlist this option because it addresses some critical issues of the Pixel experience. And the entry-level version starts at $599, making it a fantastic value.
Even though the Pixel 7’s configuration hasn’t undergone significant hardware modifications, cameras still stand as the Pixel’s defining feature. With the same apertures as the Pixel 6, the Pixel 7 provides you with a 50MP primary camera and a 12MP ultrawide lens. The Pixel 7 lacks a dedicated telephoto lens like the Pixel 7 Pro, but its new Tensor chipset enhances Google’s Super Res Zoom to provide an 8x digital zoom.
Even with some significant victories, this phone can compete head-to-head with the iPhone 14 in photos. The Pixel 7 must be regarded as the top phone challenger, given the significance of photography to most consumers. The case for the Pixel 7 gets more robust when the Tensor-powered capabilities and a vivid, colourful display are included. It helps that the Pixel 7 is the most affordable phone in its category.
The Pixel 7 Pro is the more alluring of the two phones thanks to a telephoto lens and a competitive price. But even with everything we still need to learn about its reasonably good follow-up, the Pixel 7 meets the bill if I wanted to spend at most $600 on a smartphone.
