Everything You Need To Know About The Google Pixel 7
The Android vs Apple war continues! The all-new Google Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro – both released on 13 October – seem to be direct rivals to the iPhone 14, as they’re cheaper than Apple’s latest flagship mobile, while bringing similar features to the table.
How have they improved from the Pixel 6s? When you first pick up the Pixel 7s, you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re handling the previous model. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find plenty of upgrades.
When it comes to power, you’re getting the same full Tensor G2 Platform on both of Google’s releases, which makes the Google Pixel 7 a bargain at only £599. The advantage of the Pixel Pro 7 comes down to the camera and size – unsurprisingly, it has a better camera and is bigger.
But before you decide if it’s time to switch phones, let’s take a closer look at Google’s latest offerings.
Design and display
The design of the new phones makes them look and feel premium. The new aluminium camera bar is the first thing you’ll see that’s different to previous models, but there are more subtle changes too. The new aluminium enclosures on both of these phones are made from 100% recycled content, so this is Google’s greenest phone to date.
Going against the trend of phones becoming bigger, the Google Pixel 7 is just slightly more compact than the Google Pixel 6, though the 6.3” screen – compared to the previous 6.4” – might not be that noticeable. The Google Pixel 7 Pro, on the other hand, is the same size as the Google Pixel 6 Pro, with a 6.7” screen. But a new curve on it gives the Pro a whole new, sleeker, character.
Camera
Both have the same 50MP main camera as you got with the Google Pixel 6, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. They also both have the same front camera, with a wider field of view to pack more into your selfies. Budding photographers will also appreciate the improved smart optimisation features like Motion Mode, Real Tone, Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser and Night Sight. Now for the differences: the Google Pixel 7 Pro has an extra lens on its back, which is a 48MP telephoto lens. The wow factor with the Pro model comes with the zoom – the Google Pixel 7 has an 8x zoom, while the Google Pixel 7 Pro gets a huge 30x zoom. There’s also a macro photography option, on the Pro model, for taking the perfect close up images of things like flowers and food.
Battery life
If you used a Google Pixel 6, battery life will probably be your biggest bug bear with Google Pixel phones. The 6 model was far from market-leading and fell short of most other Android phones. While Google promises ‘all day battery life’ with the Pixel 7 phones, the proof will be in the pudding. The battery in the Pixel 7 has less juice than the battery in the Pixel 6, which is a concern. But Google say that with Extreme Battery Saver, users will get 72 hours of charge. Their promise of 30 minutes to achieve a half-charge from zero isn’t anything to shout about compared to the competition. It’s adequate, and most likely wouldn’t put anyone off buying these phones, but this is one area where the Google Pixel doesn’t match up to other Android phones.
Tech specs
Both use the Android 13 operating system and the Tensor G2 chipset, which improves graphics and can handle as many apps as you want to open. But that’s not the real reason for Google’s switch to this more powerful chip. It’s because Google Pixel 7 phones are big on AI – both phones now have the capability to transcribe audio messages, allowing you to read them rather than listen to them. And assistant voice typing will even choose which emojis your messages should use.
Phone users can expect some nifty upgrades in a few months’ time including a built-in VPN, and Clear Calling, which reduces background noises and makes the phone owner’s voice clearer on calls.
Price and availability
The Google Pixel 7 and the Google Pixel 7 Pro are available now. The price on these phones is a real selling point – for what you get, they’re very reasonable. The Google Pixel 7 comes in at £599, while the Google Pixel 7 Pro will set you back £849.
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