The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro may look a lot like last year’s models, both in form and function, but looks can be deceiving. Go beneath the surface, and you’ll find some significant changes that should take these phones to a new live.
The most important of these changes is the new Tensor G2 chipset powering both devices. This Google-design silicon builds on the company’s vision for what a smartphone experience should be like. Not only is the latest Tensor more powerful, but it upgrades the AI and machine learning capabilities. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the smartest Android phones yet.
Shortly after the Pixel 7’s introduction, I got a chance to go hands-on with both phones. While I haven’t had time to fully form my thoughts on the phones yet, I’m impressed by a lot of what I saw with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hands-on: Specs
| Pixel 7 | Pixel 7 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3-inch OLED (2400 x 1080) | 6.7 inches OLED (3120 x 1440) |
| Chip | Tensor G2 | Tensor G2 |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery size | 4,355 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Charging | 30W fast charging | 30W fast charging |
| Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.85) wide, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide | 50MP (f/1.85) main, 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 48MP telephoto (f/3.5) with 5x optical zoom |
| Front camera | 10.8MP (f/2.2) | 10.8MP (f/2.2) |
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hands-on: Price and availability
Google kept the same prices for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro this year, starting at $599 and $899 respectively. To put those prices in context, you’d have to pay $799 to get either an iPhone 14 or Galaxy S22, so you can save $200 with a Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 Pro offers similar value relative to the competition, with the iPhone 14 Pro starting at $999 and the Galaxy S22 Ultra $300 more expensive than Google’s top device. That’s a lot to pay for a S Pen.
Both Google phones start with 128GB of storage, with the Pixel 7 topping out at 256GB. The smaller phone comes with 8GB of RAM. The Pixel 7 Pro goes up to 256GB and 512GB of storage. All versions come with 12GB of RAM.
You can preorder both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro right now with general availability on October 13.
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hands-on: Design
Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro pick up where the Pixel 6 series left off last year. The horizontal camera bar is back, but now it’s a soft-finish metal — polished aluminum on the Pro and matte aluminum on the standard Pixel 7.
The camera lenses are also more prominent on this year’s models than they were on the Pixel 6. It shows that Google really wants you to focus on those cameras, which is understandable given how critical photography is to the Pixel’s overall value..
In another return from last year’s design, the Pixel 7 feature a flat display. The 6.3-inch OLED is easy to use one-handed while also packing punchy colors. During my hands-on time at Google’s store, I couldn’t take the Pixel 7 outside to see how well it handled sunlight, but it seemed bright enough in the store’s lighting. For what it’s worth, Google is promising a 25% boost to brightness from the Pixel 6, and the Pixel 7 will certainly need to deliver on that to keep up with the bright screens of the iPhone 14 and Galaxy S22.
Overall, the Pixel 7 feels solid and sturdy — its premium feel belies its price tag in the best way possible.
The same feeling goes for the Pixel 7 Pro, though this model is larger with a slightly curved 6.7-inch OLED display. Its camera bar houses the telephoto camera separate from the other two lenses, creating a unique look that distinguishes the Pro from the Pixel 7 beyond just the size.
I like the refinement of the design first introduced last year and I’m happy to see Google continue to try to stand out from the sea of other smartphones.
Our Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7 Pro comparison dives deeper into the differences between the two phones.
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hands-on: Cameras
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both received some major camera upgrades this year, with the Pixel 7 Pro getting the more significant boost. Google put a huge emphasis on zoom, with the Pixel 7 Pro aiming to offer professional-level telephoto capabilities.
Google’s Super Res Zoom technology has vastly improved. Not only does it allow the main 50MP camera to shoot at 2x (cropping down to a 12.5MP image), but the Pixel 7 Pro can get high-quality zoom anywhere between 2.5x-4.9x by combining images from the main and telephoto cameras. At 5x, the telephoto lens kicks in. But Super Res Zoom works similarly up to 10x, which Google claims can create some amazing zoomed images.
Super Res Zoom still does what it set out to do by cleaning up high digital zoom photos. At 15x and above, the feature will de-noise your images. And Zoom Stabilization keeps your phone locked on your subject, much Samsung has done. This also helps provide nice zoomed images.
Google really wanted to highlight Real Tone, its inclusivity measure to ensure that everyone’s skin tones are properly represented in their pictures. But that’s not the only inclusivity feature. Guided Frame helps blind users take perfect selfies by guiding them via voice to line up their shots. While I’m not blind, I nonetheless find this so cool.
Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro feature a new macro mode, much like Apple introduced with the iPhone 13. Google accomplished this by increasing the ultrawide sensor’s size by 25%, but it also added autofocus to that camera. All of that combined with the Pixel’s computational photography prowess should equal some beautiful macro shots.
But what about video? Cinematic Blur, much like Apple’s Cinematic mode, adds a shallow depth of field effect to your videos, making for some artistic blur at 24 fps. Active Stabilization is just like Apple’s Action mode, meaning it offers gimbal-like stabilization to videos.
10-bit HDR is also now standard, offering a broader range of colors. And the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro can shoot in 4K 60 fps. Suffice to say, I can’t wait to try out video and compare the Pixel 7 Pro to the iPhone 14 Pro.
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hands-on: Software and special features
Many of the camera features outlined above are made possible by the Tensor G2 chipset. Take Photo Unblur, which does what it says it does. The latest Pixels can unblur pictures using machine learning and AI. But it’s not just for pictures you take on the Pixel 7 — the new Pixels can even unblur pictures in your Google Photos library.
But that’s not all that the new silicon brings to the table. Thanks to the latest Tensor, Google’s new phones offer some really neat software tricks. One of my favorite Pixel features is the suite called Call Assist. This includes Call Screen, which answers your phone for you to determine who’s on the other line. It’s a godsend for spam and scam callers.
Direct My Call, which before would transcribe automated options to you so you didn’t have to remember them all, will now display those options before the automated voice even has a chance to say them, saving you a lot of time. And let’s not forget Clear Calling, coming later on, which will use Tensor’s power to quiet background noise and boost the caller’s voice.
Assistant has also gotten smarter, particularly with voice texting. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will now suggest relevant emoji, even if you don’t remember the exact name of the one you’re trying to send.
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will see five years of security updates, but unfortunately, Google has only committed to three years of platform updates. That means that 2025’s Android 16 will be the Pixel 7’s last Android update, unless Google changes its mind. Considering that Samsung offers four years of Android updates (and five years of security patches), I find this move by Google disappointing.
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hands-on: Outlook
I’m really excited for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, and I’m even more excited to spend more time with both handsets in the coming days. The camera upgrades really entice me, especially the zoom upgrades. Google knows how to impress me with its photography prowess, so I have little doubt the newest Pixels will impress, too.
The new software features also excite me, from Photo Unblur to the Call Assist features. I love voice texting on the Pixel 6 Pro, so I imagine it’ll be a similar if not better experience on the Pixel 7 series.
We will have our full reviews in the coming days, so keep it locked here.
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