The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are here: Google nails the balancing act
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Google really got ahead of the leaks this year, giving us a full visual workup for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro months before launch. Still, there was plenty more to learn, and extra drips and drops over the weeks that followed helped us fill in tons of the remaining blanks before the company had its chance to tell us. Now it’s finally time to see just how accurate all those leaks were, as Google formally unveils thePixel 7and Pixel 7 Pro.
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Google did not reinvent the wheel with the Pixel 7, but there was no need to. With improved cameras, the next-gen Tensor G2 chipset, and Google’s wonderfully feature-filled software, the Pixel 7 earns its price tag again this year.
The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro don’t stray too far from the industrial and technical design of the Pixel 6 series. The screens are roughly the same size and largely built to the same specifications as last year — 90Hz refresh on the Pixel 7, and 120Hz with adaptivity down to 10Hz for the Pro — with the bonus of what’s supposed to be a 25% bump to max brightness this time around. The aluminum used in the chassis is fully recycled, and Google goes full-metal on the “Geordi” camera visor instead of black-backed glass.
Google’s Pixel 7 Pro refines the Pixel experience after the 6 Pro’s initial stumbles last year, improving stability and taking the camera prowess to new levels with image fusing and 4K60fps video on all cameras. 30W fast charging and Pixel’s addictive features like automatic Call screening and Pixel recorder help make the Pixel 7 Pro an alluring phone even as an iterative update.
ThePixel 6’s camera sensors have been carried forward to the Pixel 7, and we see basically the same arrangement with the Pros. Well, not quite — the old, disparate front-facing cameras on the 6 and 6 Pro have been replaced with a shared 10.8MP ultrawide containing a larger sensor, so those selfies in shady areas should pop a bit more. Also, the Pixel 7 Pro’s rear ultrawide unit gets an edge over the Pixel 7’s with autofocus, macro capabilities, and a lens capturing a 21% greater field of vision.
Google appears more confident in its Tensor-powered hybrid zoom imaging this year as it has increased the top end of range from 7x on the Pixel 6 to 8x on the Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 Pro gets extra help with its exclusive 48MP telephoto camera that works in tandem with the main sensor to produce better images through to 5x, up from 4x on thePixel 6 Pro. The Pro’s Super Res Zoom also gets boosted from 20x to 30x.
Not every goodie in the camera department has been hogged by the Pro, though, and this applies even if you don’t own a Pixel. The company is makingFace Unblur, what has been a Pixel-exclusive feature, into a service based out of Google Photos called Photo Unblur. That said, Google has told us that there will still be “special optimizations” for Tensor-powered devices. Night Sight on the Pixels has also been improved so that users won’t have to hold still for too long with a more efficient multi-bracket capture process.
On video, much ado has been made about every camera on the Pixel 7 devices being able to shoot at 4K and 60fps with the added option for 10-bit HDR capture. There’s also a new Cinematic Blur 24fps shooting mode that prioritizes depth data in subject tracking using a shallow depth of field.
It isn’t a Pixel launch without some sort of communications magic (Hold for Mebeing a great example) and we’ve got a couple of features here. Google Message users are getting an exclusive transcription feature for voice messages — something thatGoogle Meet (neé Duo) has had— while Clear Calling, a feature due later this year, will reduce the background noise relative to the current speaker. On biometrics, Pixel 7 device owners can use bothfacial recognition and the fingerprint sensorto unlock their device. And if that weren’t enough, we’ve got special coverage ona full platter of Google Assistant featuresjust for the Pixel 7 phones.
For the first time, Google is extending its security update policy to lastat leastfive years —matching Samsung’s treatment of its top phones, at least in one regard — but with no promise as of press time as to how many OS bumps the phones will receive. ComplimentaryVPN coverage through Google Onewill come with purchase and will span device ownership — it’s nofree Google Photos, but it’s something.
Even with these value adds, there’s no change in pricing from the Pixel 6 generation: the Pixel 7 will retail starting at $599, £599, or €649 (depending on region) while the Pixel 7 Pro starts at $899, £849, or €899. Both phones are available in your choice of Snow and Obsidian — to that the Pixel 7 adds its own option called Lemongrass, while the Pixel 7 Pro gets Slate.
As the global economy navigates what many feel to be a recessionary environment, this Pixel price freeze definitely feels like we’re getting something extra — without getting pinched for extra. More importantly, Google seems to have taken care to give the Pro more of an advantage over the 7 in the camera department in ways it didn’t do with the 6 Pro and 6.
Stick with Android Police for continuing coverage on the Made by Google event, and if you’re ready to take the plunge on a new Pixel, check outwhen and where you can pre-order your device.
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