If you’re like me, Google is new pixel 7 Y Pixel 7 Pro Phones have finally made you sit up and pay attention to what the search giant is doing in the smartphone realm.
Don’t get me wrong: the pixel 6 The range was impressive, but there’s one specific thing about the new Pixel 7 lineup that has finally hit home for me, and that’s its design.
I’ll be honest: design is probably the most important aspect of a phone for me. The more premium a phone looks and feels, the better. Although my job requires me to test many smartphones throughout the year, I almost always end up going back to whatever Android phone feels more luxurious. More recently, that has been Samsung’s S22 Ultra.
However, that may change thanks to the Pixel 7 Pro, which in my opinion has finally seen the Pixel brand’s design reach the same high level as its software.
Of course, that’s just one of the reasons Google’s Pixel 7 Pro has me considering changing my current daily driver – there are a few others that tempt me as well, along with a couple of other things that are still holding me back.
Reasons to switch to Pixel 7 Pro
It finally feels like a high-end phone
While it’s true that Google’s new flagships are very much a refinement of what came before, the changes that were made to this year’s models finally elevate them to the level of high-end flagships for me.
Both new models sport the same distinctive ‘visor’ camera bar that was introduced last year, only now Google has ditched the entire phone’s glass bar in favor of a metallic one (matte on the Pixel 7 and glossy on the Pixel 7). the Pixel 7 Pro) that works perfectly in the aluminum frame of the device. It not only gives each Pixel 7 a more luxurious appearance, but also provides a sturdier camera bar that is less likely to break (opens in a new tab).
And while color preference is purely subjective, I fully appreciate the fancy new color options offered by the Pixel 7 lineup, particularly when it comes to the near-black Obsidian model. It looks much better than the two-tone gray option offered by the Pixel 6 Pro last year, which I found unusually drab.
Photo Unblur is a game changer
A Tensor-powered feature that’s exclusive to Google’s new flagship phones is blur photoand it’s so good that it may well justify the purchase of a Pixel 7 on its own.
Imagine being able to fix any blurry photo you’ve ever taken—not just photos taken on your phone, but literally any photo saved in your Google Photos image library.
Now, there’s a limit to how many fixes you can do, but for the most part, we found that the new feature was able to save a lot of the blurry images in our Google Photos library. And, at the very least, it was able to sharpen the ones that were insurmountable.
Tensor’s hype is justified
The aforementioned Photo Unblur feature is just one shining example of what makes Google phones different from the rest: its software and hardware work together in perfect unity to deliver an exceptional user experience.
Leveraging Google’s second-generation Tensor chip, the Pixel 7 range can mostly sidestep expensive hardware upgrades by finding software and AI-based solutions for most tasks.
The Pixel range has been doing this with its cameras for years, and the new Tensor G2 chip goes even further.
For example, the Pixel 7’s ability to analyze speech patterns means it offers the most powerful speech-to-text functionality we’ve ever seen on a smartphone, and it’s all thanks to machine learning.
Its voice recognition is even smart enough to distinguish between two people having a conversion, automatically tagging the text transcribed by each individual. This may not mean much to everyone, but for a journalist like me, it’s a godsend.
Software-based face unlock
That thing we mentioned earlier about software solutions for hardware-centric tasks? The new face unlock feature of the Pixel 7 range is a perfect example of this.
Security is obviously very important to Google, which is why the latest Pixel phones have chosen to eschew the face unlock feature.
That said, the search giant has opted to include it in its Pixel 7 range, and it managed to do so without a huge iPhone-style notch or cutout by leveraging its machine-learning intelligence rather than an additional 3D infrared camera.
Of course, you still won’t be able to make purchases with just your face, but it’s more secure than what other Android manufacturers offer, so I still find it a welcome alternative unlock method.
Unfortunately, the battery life has not improved
When the Pixel 7 lineup was announced, I was hopeful that the new Tensor G2 would provide a significant boost in battery life. Unfortunately, while I’ve seen a slight improvement over last year’s models, the amount of usable time between charges is still an issue for Google’s flagship phones.
During daily use, I’ve found that the Pixel 7 Pro’s battery drains faster than expected, often requiring recharging around dinner time. In our Pixel 7 Pro battery teststhe phone still fell short of the competition, in some cases by a significant margin, and the regular Pixel 7 performed even worse. Hopefully, Google will be able to alleviate this deficiency in future updates.
Some software and user interface quirks still annoy me
As great as the overall Pixel UI experience is, there are a few missing features that annoy me as a long-time Samsung (and previously Huawei) user. As someone who doesn’t like swipe gestures, it bothers me greatly that you can’t rearrange your navigation bar.
I’ve gotten used to the “Back” button being on the right side and the “Recents” button on the left. The fact that you can’t change this on Pixel phones is completely baffling to me as it would be the easiest option in the world to offer.
Also, while Pixel phones offer access to a Secure Folder for added file protection, it just doesn’t compare to Samsung’s Secure Folder, which lets you install duplicate apps. That means you can install cloned versions of apps for work or private purposes that are protected by Samsung Knox defense-grade security, a feature that’s incredibly welcome for those without a separate work phone.
Pixel 7 Pro bottom line
While Google has come to the table with a number of hardware upgrades this year, particularly when it comes to cameras, it’s what’s under the hood that really sets the Pixel 7 range apart. I’m referring, of course, to the new Google’s Tensor G2 chip, once again leveraging the search giant’s AI and machine learning to make the software experience even smoother.
That’s not to say that the Pixel 7 range is completely perfect. There are still a few things about the Pixel experience that bother me as long-time Samsung users. That said, enough major improvements have been made to this year’s models to seriously consider making the switch to Google’s latest phone.