Google Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro: These flagship phones are still the best deals

After the big move to its home Last year’s Tensor chipGoogle continues to pursue machine learning as a way to unlock new apps and features. Pixel 7And Pixel 7 Pro. The specs and design of the Pixel 7 Pro aren’t significant changes from their predecessors. However, smarter software and upgraded cameras for Pixel 7 Pro make them two of the most expensive flagship phones on the market.

Hardware

The Pixel 7 Pro and 7 Pro have received subtle exterior changes, including new colors and a more refined chassis. Google’s trademark camera bar, which runs the length of the device, is still there. It wraps seamlessly around the sides, which hopefully adds a little more durability.

Pros

• Flatter sides
• 120Hz display
• New 5x Telephoto lens
• The ultra-wide cam can also take macro photos

Cons

• The standard Pixel 7 has a shorter battery life
• It can get quite warm when you are carrying a lot of weight.

The Pixel 7 has a matte, brushed aluminum look, while the Pixel 7 Pro is more polished. Google could have used the matte texture on both, if you ask my opinion. It hides fingerprints better and makes the Pixel 7 slightly less slippery. And that’s even with Google softening the Pixel 7 Pro’s edges to be about 20 percent flatter than before.

The Pro’s display size has not changed at 6.7 inches, but the Pixel 7’s standard screen of 6.3 inches is smaller than the Pixel 6’s panel of 6.4 inches. This is a small change but enough to make it easier to do everything one-handed. This is especially true if your meat claws aren’t as large as mine.

The displays are exactly the same as last year. (Notice a pattern?The Pixel 7 features a 2400×1080 OLED screen at 90Hz, while the Pixel 7 Pro boasts a 3120×1440 panel at 120Hz. Both screens are stunning and produce vibrant colors, brightening the room with vivid brightness and deep blacks. Google has brought back face unlock on the Pixel line. You still have an under-screen fingerprint scanner. You’ll need that for more sensitive functions like online payments. For general durability, the Pixel line retains an IP68 rating for dust resistance and water resistance. This allows for diving up to five feet deep and lasts for up 30 minutes.

Performance

Although the Tensor G2 chip has some new machine learning capabilities, the performance of everyday tasks is almost the same. Actually, the cores of the Cortex X1 are just 5Mhz more efficient than last year’s silicon. This doesn’t mean you can’t edit or play video on the phone, but it’s better to get a phone with one Apple A-series chip or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

I noticed that both the Pixel 7 Pro as well as the Pixel 7 Pro’s backs were much warmer than the average phone during setup. It’s not too hot to cause more than a few sweaty palms, but it’s not enough. Although performance was good, there were some hiccups. However, Google’s Tensor chips don’t have the same performance overhead as silicon in high-end handsets.

Software updates and new features

Google offers a wide range of software that complements the Pixel 7’s lackluster performance. One of the most important additions to the Pixel 7 line is the expanded functionality of Direct My Call. This feature is intended to help you navigate the terrible automated voice menus when you call large companies. Duplex can now pre-cache your options so that you are presented with a text-based option menu immediately after you connect.

Direct My Call’s new caching capabilities won’t work in smaller shops. These features, together with others like Hold For Me, the really great Pixel Recorder app, or the new Audio Message Transcription, create a truly thoughtful software experience that will often save you some time as well as a headache.

Cameras

Google’s cameras are the second area where it really shows off its ML-based capabilities. The Pixel 7 still has a 50MP main camera, and a 12MP super-wide shooter. The Pixel 7 Pro gets a slightly longer Telephoto Cam with a 5x optical Zoom (up from the Pixel 6 Pro’s 4x). The front camera on both phones is the same 10.8MP, which is sufficient for taking selfies even without an autofocus system such as the iPhone 14 line.

The Tensor G2 is able to process low-light photos using Night Sight up to twice as fast, which you can feel. Previous Pixels required me to wait up to six seconds to take a photo in dark conditions. The Pixel 7 can be held steady for half the time. The effects of Face Unblur were also improved, but they are subtle.

It can be difficult to use, but Photo Unblur is an exciting new camera feature. This can sharpen photos no matter when they were taken, or what camera took them. It’s the kind of thing that can save old photos that might otherwise be considered unsalvageable – and all you have to do is find the setting inside the Google Photos app. Consider this example: A photo of my wife and me at a 2018 wedding. The original photo is very soft. After using the Photo Unblur tool my face suddenly has definition. As you can see, there is still some blurring on my wife’s faces. Another impressive example, not seen here, is Photo Unblur which removed nearly all of the softness from my face. This allows you to see how angry I was about blowing up an enormous pool floating without the aid of a pump.

Cinematic Blur mode for video is the new feature. It adds a subtle bokeh effect to your clips, giving them a film-like appearance. Although the results are generally good, it is not foolproof. You might notice spots where the bokeh was applied unevenly, or where it pops up as objects move, depending on the scene. This can be distracting.

Pixel 7 Pro is able to take macro photos using its ultra-wide camera. It also features a longer, 5x telephoto lens, and improved zoom processing. Simply move the phone closer to your subject to take macro shots. The P7 Pro will then automatically switch to macro mode.Thereare no buttons or settings to activate, and the results aren’t bad either.

For zoom shots, the Pixel 7 Pro produced sharper images than the S22 Ultra at fivex. It also kept it close at 10x despite Samsung’s extra $300 and longer 10x lenses. Despite Google’s improvements in Super Res Zoom, there are limits to what algorithms can do. At 30x, the S22 Ultra clearly has an advantage in optics.

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are excellent for general photography. The Pixel 7 line captured photos with a superior dynamic range to both the iPhone 14 and the S22 Ultra. The result is brighter colors, sharper details and less blurred highlights. Low light is the same. Google Night Sight consistently captured higher quality photos with better textures, richer hues and better exposures.

Battery life

Both phones are long-lasting in terms of battery life. The Pixel 7 is a pleasant surprise. It has a smaller screen and a lower resolution, which means it can last a bit longer than the Pro in real-world use as well as benchmarks. The Pixel 7 was able to last 17 hours and 54 minutes in our standard video test. It isn’t as long as the iPhone 14 Plus’ 21.17, but still a respectable result. The Pixel 7 Pro did a little worse, running 16:42. Regardless of which phone I was using at the time, the Pixel 7 Pro had at least 25% left over at the end, whereas the standard Pixel 7 had up to 30%.

The charging system is largely unchanged from last years, with both phones receiving 30-watt wired charging, wireless charging, and reverse power sharing. This allows you to send extra juice to another device, as well as charging. Wireless charging can reach up to 20W for the Pixel 7 and 23W on the Pro. However, this is only when the Pixel Stand 2 is used. Standard Qi wireless charging speeds are less impressive at 12 watts.

Wrap-up

When stacking Google’s latest handsets up against the competition, it’s best to tackle each phone separately. The following information is needed: Pixel 7, even without much in the way of new hardware, you’re getting a phone with a great screen, even better battery life and one of the best software packages around — now with new perks like an improved Direct My Call and enhanced photo processing. The best part is that it starts at just $599. This makes it a much better value than the basic flagships of Apple and Samsung. The one drawback is that if you need mmWave 5G, you’ll have to go with one of the slightly more expensive $699 carrier models sold by Verizon, AT&T and others.

At $899, you can still get the product. Pixel 7 ProThis is a more expensive version of the S22+ but it’s just as well-equipped. With a 6.7-inch OLED LCD display, 120Hz refresh rate and a longer zoom (5x), you get superior camera quality. The Pixel 7 Pro flat-out is also better. As an added bonus, the Pixel 7 Pro can also capture macros. If you don’t care much about stylus support the Pixel 7 Pro is a better choice than the very expensive S22 Ultra. And I haven’t even touched on Google’s new and improved Real Tone processing mostly because, even though I’m biracial, both sides of my family are lacking in the melanin department, and I just haven’t had time to really put it through its paces. Whatever your preference, the Pixel 7 and Tensor G2 are both great examples of how a software-first approach can make a phone design shine.