Google Pixel 7 review: A very fast smartphone with an excellent camera. I would like to start the text with the fact that Ilya Kazakov’s informative video about the history of smartphones and other devices of the Nexus family was released on our channel. Then Google decided to change the concept and renamed smartphones to Pixel. But the miracle did not happen, they never became massive. Someone will say that this was not required for Google, which initially created these devices as a kind of reference engineering samples. Say, they are interesting mainly for geeks and those who love experiments.
Apple has released the fourth beta of iOS 16.2
As time has shown, Google Pixel smartphones are far from the popularity of iPhones. Since 2016, a little less than 19 million devices have been shipped since 2016. For comparison, Apple or Samsung deliver about 20 million smartphones to the market per month. But despite their modest share in the world of smartphones, Pixel devices still remain interesting in their own way. Regular and long-term software updates, unique shell features, original appearance. If you really want to find something unusual and rare on Android, then you can definitely pay attention to Pixel.
As for the new Pixel 7, it turned out to be not as unusual as its predecessor. Still, last year’s Google Pixel 6 was radically different from the Pixel 5. But the new Google Pixel 7 is not so far away from it. However, the appearance was still a little refreshed, and at the same time they worked on the filling to improve the very user experience that they love to talk about at presentations.
Recognizable style
There is no dispute about tastes, but the design of the Pixel 7 is original and original. This is an absolute plus – against the backdrop of total copying of ideas, Google smartphones stand apart from the entire army of Android smartphones. Moreover, if Apple did not change anything at all with the iPhone 14 and simply added new colors, then Google conjured over the little things. So the smartphone is similar to its predecessor, but it cannot be called a complete copy.
First of all, the protruding block with cameras, which is located on an aluminum silver insert, catches the eye. On this stop, the smartphone lies confidently on the surface and does not sway when you touch the screen. In addition, now this detail does not get dirty at all, but on the Pixel 6, the glossy strip was easily covered with stains and scratched. But dust still accumulates very quickly, although this is the problem with all smartphones with massive camera blocks.
There are three colors to choose from: in addition to the basic white and black, there is also a Lemongrass version with a golden frame. In the other two cases, it will be silver and black, respectively. I have two hands for the white color, it looks more beautiful than the other two versions. At least if you evaluate the phone by photos.
Google also abandoned the original two-tone case: the upper part above the cameras differed in color from the main panel. On a black smartphone, this was not noticeable, but on light colors, the idea looked interesting.
Not the biggest but not the most comfortable
I don’t really like big smartphones, so I loved the basic Pixel for a convenient ratio of size and features. Not everyone needs a hefty smartphone that is inconvenient to operate with one hand. However, last year Google changed the usual state of affairs and dramatically increased the size of the Pixel 6 – it reached almost 6 Pro. Same story this year: the Pixel 7 is slightly smaller than the 7 Pro, even slightly smaller than the Pixel 6, but it’s still a big smartphone. That would be to compress the case to the size of the iPhone 13/14, as for me, it would be ideal.
Although by the standards of the world of Android smartphones, it turned out to be convenient. Of course, you can already forget about compact devices forever, so it remains only to adapt to the current reality.
The Pixel 7 is similar in size to the Pixel 6a, which is slightly lighter and thinner than the Pixel 6. The differences from the Pixel 6 are minimal, but the Pixel 7 feels like a more comfortable device. I will add that protection against moisture at the level of IP68 has also been preserved.
I wish the Pixel 7 had flat sides, which makes it easier to hold in your hand. But the Pixel 7 has rounded edges, they require attention and careful use, sometimes you get the feeling that you will drop your smartphone. And I would also like to swap the lock key and volume control so that you do not have to intercept the phone in your hand.
New system, old problems
A bit of marketing setup: according to Google, the smartphone has become 60% faster than the old one and 20% more efficient. And the new Titan M2 chip is responsible for data protection in the device. Okay, that’s great, but let’s move on to practice. Last year’s Pixel family was surprised by how much the body heats up with more or less active use of the smartphone. Alas, the Pixel 7 is still not cold-hearted: the body becomes warm when you scroll through the tape in Telegram or open Chrome tabs.
In benchmarks, the smartphone noticeably heats up and throttling is noticeable on the graphs – here there is no tangible difference from its predecessor. This is not a gaming smartphone, which is noticeable in the demanding Genshin Impact, although everything is in order with the less voracious PUBG or CoD Mobile.
But the smartphone impresses with other features – it is very fast and smooth, with excellent animation, and excellent vibration feedback. This is where the essence of Pixel is revealed. And this, as they say, is not all – some of the system’s features, such as decrypting voice messages, are available only to foreign users.
The camera is still great
In short, about the camera, then this is the top level for smartphones. Still, Pixel series devices are about the power of software, and not just dry characteristics and module capabilities. By the way, the Pixel 7 has the same Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor with optical stabilization that was used in the Pixel 6. There is no significant difference compared to it, the quality of photos and videos is at the same level.
The smartphone pleases with stability, it always makes a juicy, contrasting and spectacular picture with detailed details. At times, even redundant – sometimes you want to make the shadows darker, but on the contrary, he brightens them. But this is already a Pixel corporate identity – you either like it or you don’t. In principle, no one forbids manually editing photos.
Among the additional modes, you can highlight the cinematic effect for video, limited to Full HD and 30 fps. And when you click on the icon in the upper left corner in the settings while shooting, for some reason the flash is activated, and not the recording quality is changed.
Additional software stabilization works to compensate for trembling hands. You can also use long exposure shooting, when you get a “blurry” trail at the headlights of cars while driving. Or an alternative option is possible, when objects are given dynamics: the smartphone is fixed on something, and the surrounding background is blurred.
Charging is always enough for a day
Battery life wasn’t a strong quality on the Pixel 6. The Pixel 7’s battery capacity is almost 10% smaller compared to it, from 4614 mAh to 4355 mAh. Therefore, I was very skeptical about this initiative, not hoping for any outstanding results.
Charging for a day is enough, I’m happy with the battery. In games, however, the smartphone sits down pretty quickly, spending about 22-25% per hour, but I’m not a gamer. And in normal mode, it is quietly enough for a day of active use. Depending on the mode of use, about 5.5–7.5 hours of screen time is obtained. I also really like how the smartphone consumes energy in standby mode. If it is little used, then the background discharge is about 0.5% per hour. For comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro Max loses 1% per hour and sits down noticeably faster. Myths about “gluttonous” Android are long gone.
Fast charging 30 W by wire, and it takes more than 1.5 hours to fully charge. Wireless charging also works, and in both directions: the smartphone can be charged without wires, and it can recharge some headphones itself.
Price
In the current lineup of Google smartphones, the Pixel 7 has a cozy place at the center of the lineup. The base Pixel 6a is $449, the Pixel 7 is $599, and the Pixel 7 Pro starts at $899. For comparison, the 128GB iPhone 14 sells for $799.
Specifications Google Pixel 7
- OS: Android 13.
- Display: OLED, 6.4″, Full HD+, 90Hz, Gorilla Glass Victus.
- Chipset: Google Tensor G2.
- Memory: 8 GB RAM, 128 GB built-in UFS 3.1.
- Camera: main 50 MP (f / 1.9) optical stabilization, wide-angle 12 MP (f / 2.2), front 10.8 MP (f / 2.2).
- Connectivity: USB Type-C 3.2, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 6E, LTE and 5G.
- Battery: 4355 mAh, wireless charging 20 W, wired 30 W.
- Waterproof: IP68.
- Sound: stereo speakers.
- Dimensions: 155.6 × 73.2 × 8.7 mm.
- Weight: 197 g.
