Google Pixel 7 Pro Preview

On Oct 6, 2022

Google Pixel 7 Pro Intro

One year after Google rebooted its smartphone effort, we have the sequel to bring it all back home. This is the Google Pixel 7 Pro, the company’s flagship smartphone, and while it looks similar to the Pixel 6 Pro, it brings a number of refinements, and all of that at about the same price.

The Pixel 7 Pro seems to have it all: a big, 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a large, 5,000mAh battery inside, a top-tier camera, as well as Google’s new Tensor G2 chip that highlights the powerful AI and machine learning capabilities that Google is known for.

So… should you buy it? And has Google fixed the few annoying bugs of the previous generation? Let’s find out!

What’s new:

Improved cameras, longer zoom
Faster Tensor G2 chip
More durable design with stainless steel
Cinematic Blur for videos

Table of Contents:

Pixel 7 Pro Specs

New processor, same size

Specs	Pixel 7 Pro	Pixel 7
Size and Weight	162,9 x 76,55 x 8,9 mm, 212g	155,64 x 73,16 x 8,7 mm, 195g
Display	6.7″ pOLED, 1440p, 120Hz	6.3″ gOLED, 1080p, 90Hz
Processor	Tensor G2	Tensor G2
RAM and Storage	12GB LPDDR5X RAM, 128GB or 256GB storage	8GB RAM, 128GB or 256GB storage
Software	Android 13	Android 13
Cameras	50MP main camera, f/1.85 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 48MP 4.8X telephoto, f/3.5 10.8MP front cam	50MP main camera, f/1.85 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 10.8MP front cam
Battery Size	5,000mAh	4,355mAh
Charging Speeds	x	x
Price	starting from $900	starting from $650

The big highlight here is the new Tensor G2 chip that powers the show, and also notice the longer-range 4.8X zoom lens (vs 4X on the previous generation).

But even more importantly for some, the starting price remains the same sweet $900.

Pixel 7 Pro Design & Colors

Refined

With a glass black and that signature camera bar across the back, the new Pixel 7 Pro looks a lot like its predecessor, main difference being how the camera system is now visibly separated in two sections.

Interestingly, the Pixel 7 Pro is rumored to use stainless steel for the frame, a more premium material compared to the aluminum commonly used in the industry.For the colors, Google shows three color options: a classic black color as well as a white color option, and this new gray-ish color with a gold camera bar which is a looker.

For all the rest, the dimensions and weight of the Pixel 7 Pro haven’t changed from its predecessor, so it’s still a quite big and bulky phone.

Pixel 7 Pro Display

Equipped with a large, 6.7-inch pOLED display, the Pixel 7 Pro offers plenty of real estate for your eyes to feast on.

It’s also got a 1440p resolution, more than your typical 1080p display, so everything is extra sharp. Of course, you also have a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate for buttery smooth scrolling.

Google is using Gorilla Glass 7 for screen protection, the latest out there, and the screen can get very bright reaching a maximum of 1,500 nits.

In terms of biometrics, you still have an in-screen fingerprint scanner of the optical kind. This was our biggest complaint against the previous Pixel generation and we hope this one is faster. However, you now also have face recognition on board, a feature that was missing on the last year model. The Pixel 7 Pro uses image-based face recognition which is not as secure as the 3D models that the iPhones use, but it’s still a welcome feature.

Pixel 7 Pro Camera

Three cameras on the back, longer zoom range

The Pixel 7 Pro has a triple rear camera system consisting of the following:

50MP main camera, f/1.85
12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2
48MP 4.8X telephoto, f/3.5

The 50MP sensor on the main camera looks to be unchanged from the previous generation, and same goes for the ultra-wide shooter. However, the periscope zoom camera now goes a bit further: it has a 4.8X zoom vs 4X on the predecessor, and with the help of digital zoom, or Super Res Zoom in Google parlance, it can reach 30X zoom levels.

As always with Google, software is king and you have a couple of unique camera features specific to Pixel phones.

First is Magic Eraser which has seemingly improved and now does an even better job at removing unwanted objects from your snaps.

Macro Focus is another neat feature that allows you to get close-up macro shots with improved quality.

Next up, we have a brand new video feature called Cinematic Blur, which well… blurs the background in videos leaving the subject to stand out, much like Apple’s Cinematic Mode. Google is playing catch-up with this feature, so we’re curious to see if it’s as good as on iPhones.

We will be updating this section with actual photo and video samples soon, so make sure to check back a bit later for that.

Pixel 7 Pro Performance & Benchmarks

Tensor G2 brings better AI performance, but can it match Qualcomm chips?

Google’s original Tensor chip in the Pixel 6 was a watershed moment for the company. It was their first mobile chip, and while it was not quite as fast as the flagship chips out there in CPU performance, it features stellar Machine Learning (ML) production, which seemed tailor-made for a Pixel.

The new Tensor G2 seems to be a gradual improvement rather than a radical overhaul of the first chip.

This new processor features two high-power Arm Cortex-X1 cores, coupled with two A76 cores, and finally four efficiency A55 cores. It scores a 10 percent improvement in multi-core performance compared to the previous generation, a decent boost.And this is explained by the more efficient 4nm manufacturing process used for making the chip, as well as the faster X1 cluster and A76 cores.

For gaming, the Tensor G2 is paired with a Mali-G710 GPU, which is said to be 20% faster and 20% more power efficient than the previous generation GPU.

We’ve also got 12GB of the latest LPDDR5X type RAM.

One slight disappointment is that when it comes to storage, the Pixel 7 Pro comes in only two versions, a base one with 128GB storage, as well as a 256GB version. And since the phone does not support expandable storage, power users might be a bit frustrated that there is no 512GB option.

Pixel 7 Pro Android version

One of the best things about buying a Pixel is the clean Android version that you get, made the way Google itself envisioned it.

This Pixel-ified make of Android is incredibly smooth too, with no hiccups or stutter, and all the animations look very well made.

But the big advantage is just software updates. The Pixel 7 Pro, like other Pixels, is getting future updates on day one, while other Android devices usually have to wait for a few months to receive an update.

Pixel 7 Pro Battery

5,000mAh battery keeps the lights on

Android flagship phones have kind of settled on a universal form factor these days: a 6.7-inch screen and a 5,000mAh battery, and the Pixel fits the mold perfectly.

A 5,000mAh battery is good news.

The Pixel is not quite as efficient as iPhones with battery consumption, but this larger battery cell should keep the lights on for even those longer days (we doubt users will be able to get 2 days out of it though).

Of course, you can enabled Google’s Extreme Battery Saver mode which promises up to 72 hours of use, but that would limit the capabilities of the phone.

We will be updating this section with our independent battery tests very soon, so stick around to learn how the Pixel 7 Pro compares to the previous model, as well as to the competition.

Pixel 7 Pro Charging Speeds

There seems to be no change in supported charging speeds on the Pixel 7 Pro.

Theoretically, it should support up to 30W charging speeds (and we recommend getting a 30W charger for it), but in reality we expect the same 23W charging speeds as the previous model.

Keep in mind that there is no charging brick in the Pixel 7 Pro box, so you’d need to purchase that separately (in case you don’t already own one).

The phone also supports wireless charging, which is a neat convenience.

Pixel 7 Pro Audio Quality and Haptics

With a dual speaker setup consisting of a bottom-firing main speaker and a secondary speaker in the earpiece, the Pixel 7 Pro is just like most phones these days.

We don’t expect to see huge changes to sound quality, and the previous generation device was above the average in its sound output, so that’s good news.

Haptics have also traditionally been excellent on Pixel phones, so again, this is what we expect out of this new member of the kin.

Pixel 7 Pro Competitors

If you are shopping for a flagship smartphone like the Pixel 7 Pro, you have two big contenders in the space, but none is as cheap as the Pixel. Starting at $900, the 7 Pro is really in a league of its own when it comes to affordability, compared to prices of $1,100 and up for rivals.

Still, if money is no issue, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will spoil you with its 10X zoom lens that allows you to zoom even further, and it also has a faster processor, an S Pen, and a few unique features in the Samsung One UI interface. Cons of that model include occasionally jittery performance and slower-to-arrive updates.

On the other side of the fence is the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s an iPhone with all the pros and cons that come with that, but what is absolutely undeniable is that it has the best battery life among all mainstream flagships, as well as the fastest processor out there.

Finally, we have to mention the previous Pixel 6 Pro. Truth be told, there are not that many upgrades in the new model, and if you can find a better deal on the older one, we wouldn’t hesitate and get that, if we were looking for a bargain.

Pixel 7 Pro Summary and final verdict

At the end of the day, Google has entered the big leagues and the Pixel 7 Pro is a phone worthy of its place in the smartphone elite.

But there is one thing that Google really has to nail down if it wants people to love this phone, and that thing is reliability. Pixel phones have suffered from slowdowns, bugs and all sorts of issues in the past, and the Pixel 7 Pro has to prove that Google can make a problem-free device that is not only fast at launch, but that remains fast and reliable after a year or a couple of years of use.

For all else, the Pixel 7 Pro remains an incredible bargain at its price and it’s a joy to use, so it gets our enthusiastic thumbs up.

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