Google Pixel 7 review
The keyword to define Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is ‘refinement’. Across the board, Google has looked at every facet and tweaked them, producing a phone that looks and feels like an enhanced step above previous iterations. What’s really exciting about the Pixel 7 is happening underneath at software level, where this phone makes its biggest strides forward.
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are available in three colours with up to 256GB of storage.
Design
In form factor, the Pixel 7 retains the same stylish design as the previous model, the Pixel 6. On the back remains the distinctive band housing the camera array, however, this is now made from aluminium, giving the Pixel 7 an even greater premium feeling. With the sides also being aluminium, there’s no mistaking that the Pixel 7 is a high-quality smartphone.
Across the front is a Gorilla Glass Victus screen, which is designed to minimise scratches and bumps throughout its lifespan. Gorilla Glass is tough, so the Pixel 7 can certainly withstand heavy use and come out unscathed.
The Pixel 7 Pro has some slight differences to its sibling, including a curved display rather than a flat one, and a telephoto lens that is housed separately on the rear band.
Display
On the visuals front, the Pixel 7 also sticks with what worked so well in the Pixel 6. The 6.3-inch OLED display is nothing short of beautiful and, as you would expect for an OLED, can showcase colours with far superior clarity than LCD technology. The main improvement on the Pixel 7 is increased base brightness, which gives colours greater luminosity and helps them pop off the screen.
For the Pixel 7 Pro, Google has gone for complete parity with the Pixel 6 Pro. It maintains the same sublime 6.7-inch OLED display and up to 120Hz refresh rate, creating a silky smooth visual experience.
Software & Performance
It is in the silicon that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro really impress. The crowning change is the new G2 Tensor chip, which brings with it faster loading times between tasks and an overall smoother experience. Using this new chip together with the stunning OLED display means the Pixel 7 range keeps stutter and lag to a minimum.
8GB RAM on the Pixel 7 and 12GB on the 7 Pro gives the G2 chip all the memory it needs to keep it running lightning-fast. The same can also be said when connecting online, as the Pixel 7 range is 5G-ready out of the box.
Alongside the new G2 Tensor chip is the Titan M2 security chipset, designed to protect your data and information on the Pixel 7 range. The Titan M2 is now a dedicated chip instead of being a co-processor, and so there is processing power focused entirely on keeping your Pixel 7 secure.
Other impressive features are also included in the Pixel 7 courtesy of this new processor, such as the built-in Google VPN arriving after launch, and Photo Unblur for removing blurriness from new photos, including those already in your library.
Battery
The biggest improvements to battery life with the Pixel 7 are in its Battery Saver modes. 4355mAh is the capacity here, which puts it just under the Pixel 6’s battery size, yet the Pixel 7 is capable of up to 72 hours of usage in Extreme Battery Saver mode, a hugely significant progression from previous models. The Pixel 7 Pro also offers this in Extreme Battery Saver mode, albeit with a 5000mAh battery capacity.
30W wired charging for both Pixel 7 phones can get them up to 50% battery life in approximately 30 minutes. If you are someone who uses a phone regularly during the day, the Pixel 7 Pro is particularly exciting, especially if you need to save battery later on.
Cameras
It has been noted previously how Google’s Pixel range offers some of the best cameras on the market, and this trend continues to ring true with the Pixel 7 line-up. Fans of the Pixel 6’s camera array will be right at home here, as the same superb 50MP camera and 12MP ultrawide lens are present in the Pixel 7.
The most exciting additions to its photography suite are software-focused; Photo Unblur is, as mentioned earlier, a bit of a game changer when improving your existing library of photos, by removing unwanted blurriness. Cinematic Blur, on the other end of the scale, deliberately adds a shallow depth of field to blur backgrounds, drawing focus onto the subjects in the foreground.
Photographers who favour zoom quality should pay close attention to the Pixel 7 Pro. It includes a 48MP telephoto camera in its array, which can take photos at up to 30x zoom, with little reduction in clarity. With improvements also included to low-light photography in the Pixel 7 range, the breadth of images able to be taken is staggering.
Summary
Smart changes in the Pixel 7 range add up to create an impressive phone. Whether this is in the new processor or additions to the camera suite, Google has taken a scalpel to previous models and focused on what made previous models work so well, shaping the Pixel 7 into one of the best smartphones available.
Playing games online does not have to rely on a new processor. Check out our guide on how you can play Xbox games on your smartphone via Remote Play and xCloud.