by It’s hard to stand out among today’s army of Android smartphones. But in a world of powerful devices focusing on long lists of impressive hardware stats and numbers, Google is taking a slightly different direction.
More like the Apple mammoth, Google’s new Pixel 7 Pro leans into the world of software, implementing smart new tricks to improve your photos, calling experiences, battery life, and a number of other phone-related tasks you didn’t know might be better.
But does this bet pay off? We spent a week with the new Google Pixel 7 Pro to find out.
Sleek design at a surprising price
Costing £849, the Google Pixel 7 Pro is more affordable than flagship rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max. However, it’s also a massive cost increase over the cheaper £599 Google Pixel 7.
The phone is made from 100% recycled aluminum, so it’s comfortable to hold, but packs a heavy weight. Not only that, but the camera bump unnaturally pulls weight up the device.
But while the design is a minimalist aesthetic that we can fit in with, a case is a nice touch; luckily, Google includes one in the box. The same can be said for most modern smartphones, but that massive camera bump makes the phone precarious and exposed when placed on a surface.
This combined with the fact that the smartphone is wider than your average device and the Google Pixel 7 Pro feels a bit heavy in your hand. In other words, it won’t be a device for those with small hands, with the smaller Google Pixel 7 being better suited.
It’s much more design than usability. Yes, it looks and feels great, but I lived in constant fear of dropping the phone, breaking this beautiful design.
Camera Excellence
Google is known for its camera capabilities, in fact, it’s been the company’s main selling point since the very first Pixel smartphone. Fortunately, the camera is again the main feature of the device.
This is another area where Google’s focus on software over hardware is paying off. The phone has a 50MP main camera, 48MP 5x zoom and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. These are similar features to most flagship smartphones.
Google relies on software assistance to extract accurate colors, focus on intended targets, remove blur, and give your photos a professional look. There’s not too much over-editing that can make a photo look like a filter has been slapped on.
The best compliment I can give Google Camera is that it’s a jack-of-all-trades. Samsung can zoom for miles, Apple can take great photos up close and color accurately, Google can do it all, offering a camera for every situation.
Where Google really thrives is with its extra features. The brand has made a big deal of its ‘true tone’ feature where the device can analyze skin tones for more accuracy. There’s even a feature that will keep track of which faces show up a lot in your photos, making sure those people are more targeted in groups.
The Pixel’s photo-editing software is also interesting. It’s possible to remove blur from photos, whether it’s a new photo or a photo you took years ago on another device that was never worth taking. used.
However, the feature I’ve used the most is the magic eraser. This allows you to cut out elements from an image. You can completely cut out your friend trying to photobomb you, strangers messing up your perfect shot, or a random item that doesn’t match the photo. In most cases, it works just fine, with the occasional moment of making a complete mess.
Datasheet
For the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Google has implemented a new chipset, the Tensor G2. While that means a more powerful smartphone that can handle more intensive tasks, it also means better machine learning capabilities.
It improves the phone’s ability to take photos, the way it can handle voice recognition, its understanding of you as a user and generally makes the phone more capable of doing what Google Pixel does best – awesome software .
The other factor that the new chip informs is battery life. Google has struggled with battery life in the past, but with the 5000mAh battery it rivals larger devices from Apple and Samsung. I often got through a full day of medium-to-heavy use with charges remaining.
The display is also a pleasant experience on this device. It has a 6.7-inch OLED screen that’s always bright and colorful. The screen can refresh at up to 120Hz, which just means your scrolls, skips, and swipes around the phone will stay smooth without any jittery lag.
Verdict
Google has struggled to find its footing with smartphones for a while, never getting it right. The Google Pixel 7 Pro feels like the first time the brand has nailed the whole package, producing a well-rounded flagship phone.
Of course, it’s not perfect. Charging is slow and it lacks some of the high-end specs that Samsung, Apple and OnePlus got, but those factors really don’t matter.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro is snappy and responsive, has a capable battery, the camera is one of the best you’ll get in a smartphone, and it’s packed to the brim with smart software. It looks like the best from Apple and Samsung… but with a few small sacrifices.
Alternatives
iPhone 14 Pro
The iPhone 14 Pro will be Apple’s closest competitor to Google’s Pixel 7 Pro. It’s extremely powerful, has great battery and display life and, most importantly, is the perfect rival to the Google Pixel 7 Pro in terms of camera capability.
The notable downside is the higher price, pushing you past the £1,000 mark.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the definition of overpowered. Samsung has packed everything into this design, including an in-phone stylus, a 100x zoom camera, and a robust battery and processor to power it through the day.
It all comes at a similar cost to the iPhone above, but you won’t get much more power in a phone than this.
Google Pixel 7
Love everything about the Google Pixel 7 Pro except the price? The smaller Pixel 7 will be the obvious choice. It brings the price down to just £599 but retains all the most important specs.
The phone is getting smaller and so is the battery. Plus, you lose a camera lens and a few key functions, but for the huge price drop, it’s a worthy sacrifice.
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