Among Android smartphones, Google’s Pixel phones always have a special charm to them. With Google being the owner of Android, Pixel phones are largely considered by enthusiasts as the closest thing to an iPhone in the Android ecosystem. Today, we have new entries — the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro.
Google first teased the Pixel 7 lineup at this year’s I/O 2022 keynote, alongside the Pixel 6a‘s launch. Those phones didn’t officially launch then, but Google finally showed off its new flagship phones in detail during its Made by Google hardware conference — and they’re sure to gain a spot among the best Android phones out there.
In terms of looks, they’re both quite similar to last year’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The visor-like camera bump is staying, but instead of being all glass, the phone is largely metal this time around, with a pill-shaped cutout (pill and dot in the case of the 7 Pro) for the cameras.
And in terms of the actual camera setup, it’s also largely the same — we have a 50MP main camera joined by a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 48MP telephoto lens, with Google claiming improvements on both the ultra-wide and the telephoto lens and taking particular pride in the phone’s improved zoom system. There are a number of camera improvements powered by the custom Tensor chip, including skin-tone correction, Guided Frame, and Cinematic Blur. The company says that this is the best smartphone camera out there.
Going to the front, the Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch FHD+ panel that goes up to 90Hz, while the Pixel 7 Pro brings that up to a 6.7-inch QHD+ LTPO display that goes up to 120Hz. The Pixel 7 is slightly smaller than its predecessor, the Pixel 6, while the Pixel 7 Pro is roughly the same size as the Pixel 6 Pro. Both phones are powered by Google’s second-generation Tensor G2 system-on-a-chip, promising 60% better machine learning performance and 20% better efficiency. We also have 8GB of RAM for the regular 7 and 12GB of RAM for the 7 Pro. They also come with Google’s Titan M2 security chip and IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.
Of course, the biggest improvements in new Pixel releases don’t always come in the form of hardware, but also in the little things. The Pixel 7 lineup ships with Android 13 out-of-the-box, with both devices getting up to five years of security updates. We also have a few neat software features, such as an ultra battery saver mode that can give you up to 72 hours on a single charge, a redesigned Security & Privacy section in Settings, and a built-in VPN for protecting you while online. We also have a new face-unlocking feature that was sorely missing from the Pixel 6 when it launched last year.
As far as pricing goes, it’s unchanged from last year as well. You can get the Pixel 7 for $599 in Obsidian, Lemongrass, and Snow, while the Pixel 7 Pro will start at $899 in Obsidian, Hazel, and Snow colorways. Pre-orders start today.
