Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 6: What’s different?

A Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 6 breakdown is a must now that the new Pixel is here. What’s truly new and different?

As you’ll see in our Pixel 7 hands-on review, there are not a ton of differences. In fact, the screen size has shrunk on the Pixel 7 when compared to the Pixel 6. However, the biggest difference is clearly the shift to Google’s new Tensor G2 chip, which continues to place an emphasis on Google’s machine learning capabilities to give it an edge over the Pixel 6 and the best Android phones. 

Other upgrades include a sleeker design, great new camera features like Cinematic Blur and a brighter display. Let’s break down the biggest differences between the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6. 

Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 6 specs

Google Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6: Price

The Google Pixel 7 starts at a very affordable $599 for 128GB of storage and then increases to $699 for 256GB. See our Pixel 7 preorder page for all the latest deals and promotions. 

The Google Pixel 6 has a retail price of $599 for 128GB and $699 for for 256GB. However, we have even seen deals with the Pixel 6 starting at just $199 at Best Buy. So make sure to check our best Pixel 6 deals before buying.

Google Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6: Design and colors

The design of the Pixel 7 is definitely a welcome update over the Pixel 6. To be clear, the Pixel 6 was not an ugly phone by any means, but its two-tone colors were certainly a polarizing choice compared to other smartphones. 

That is gone with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Google has made the back of the phones all one color, with a matte aluminum covering for the rear camera bar on the Pixel 7 and a polished aluminum covering on the Pixel 7 Pro. This gives the Pixel 7 a premium feel that the Pixel 6 lacks.

One interesting change: the Pixel 7 has actually shrunk compared to the Pixel 6. The phone features a 6.3-inch display, which when combined with thinner bezels reduces the phone’s dimensions to 6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches compared to the Pixel 6’s 6.2 x 2.9 x 0.4 inches. The Pixel 7 is also lighter at 6.9 vs 7.3 ounces for the Pixel 6. 

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 both come in three colors, though the Pixel 7’s colors take a more muted approach overall. The Pixel 7 comes in Snow, Obsidian and a vibrant, pale yellow Lemongrass. The Pixel 6 comes in Stormy Black, and two more pastel options in Kinda Coral and Sorta Seafoam.

Google Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6: Displays and Face Unlock

The display sizes for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 are 6.3 inches and 6.4 inches respectively. That actually could be a surprise downgrade for the Pixel 7, though given both displays feature an FHD 2400 x 1080 resolution with a 90Hz refresh rate, expect the differences in display quality to be negligible.

One plus is that the Pixel 7’s OLED display is rated to be up to 25% brighter outdoors than the Pixel 6. The Pixel 7 goes up to 1,000 nits with HDR content and has a peak brightness of 1,400 nits. Google did not provide a nit rating for the Pixel 6. 

Another perk for the Pixel 7 is Face Unlock. This feature has been missing since the Pixel 4. So if you want to unlock your phone just by glaring at it, the Pixel 7 would be the clear choice, though you can also use fingerprint unlocking on both phones. 

Google Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6: Cameras

The camera hardware remains largely unchanged between the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 6, but there are some notable upgrades. Both feature two rear cameras and one front camera. While the rear cameras did not get an upgrade this generation, the front camera did get a boost. The Pixel 7 has been upgraded to 10.8MP and a f/2.2 aperture from the Pixel 6’s 8MP camera with a f/2.0 aperture. 

The biggest difference in camera quality will ultimately come down to the upgraded Tensor G2 chip in the Pixel 7.  The Tensor G2 chip enables the Pixel 7 camera to take less blurry photos by taking multiple shots from the main and ultrawide cameras. The Pixel 7 also offers a faster Night Sight mode, so you should get better lowi-light pics in less time. 

Other Pixel 7 camera highlights include upgraded Real Tone performance, which focuses on ensuring persons with darker skin tones are rendered naturally in photos. And Guided Frame is a new feature that allows persons with impaired vision to be able to take the best selfies possible through guided audio prompts that is limited to Tensor G2 devices.

Pixel 7’s photo tricks aren’t even limited to your newly taken photos. With Photo Unblur, users can remove blur from old photos in the Google Photos app on Pixel 7 and use magic eraser on these photos as well.

The Pixel 7 gets some video upgrades as well. Cinematic Blur allows for high-quality video with a low depth of field. 10-bit HDR creates more realistic photos, and Active Stabilization gives Pixel users a video recorder that could compare favorably to the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s Action mode. 

Google Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6: Specs

In terms of specs, the phones compare favorably, with the Pixel 7 having a couple of narrow advantages. Both phones feature 8GB of RAM and128 or 256GB of storage. The pixel density on the Pixel 7 is a slight upgrade, but both have the same overall resolution and refresh rate, so don’t expect a major difference there. 

Again, the real difference comes down to the Pixel 7 getting an upgraded Tensor G2 chip and Titan M2 security chip, which allows the phone to have an increased suite of features and a higher level of security. The Pixel 7 will also get VPN by Google One for free, though we have found this VPN to fall a bit short of the competition. 

Google Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6: Battery and charging

The Pixel 7 battery has actually shrunk compared to the Pixel 6. The Pixel 6 battery clocked in a 4,614 mAh whereas the new Pixel 7 only has 4,355 mAh. Despite this, Google claims that the Pixel 7 will make it 24 hours on a single charge, with shocking 72-hour battery life when using Extreme Battery Saver.

In terms of tested battery life, the Pixel 6 lasted for just 8 hours and 13 minutes on our web surfing test. So we’re hoping for more endurance from the Pixel 7. 

Both devices feature fast charging and wireless charging, though the Pixel 7 gets an upgrade here — if you’re willing to pay for it. The Pixel 7 can get a 50% charge in about half an hour with a 30W USB-C charger, but you’ll have to buy that separately. Meanwhile, the Pixel 6 is limited to 21W fast charging.

Google Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6: Outlook

The Pixel 6 is still a good phone with a lot of nice features. It’s definitely still worth buying if you can find it at a steep discount.

Despite that value though, the Pixel 7 is a clear step up despite having a lot of similar specs to the Pixel 6. The upgrade to the Tensor G2 chip broadly expands the machine learning feature set and significantly improves camera performance and features. 

We’ll have to see if the Pixel 7 is good enough to make our best phones list. Stay tuned for our full rated review.