Google has been aggressively working on enhancing its flagship smartphones and bringing massive upgrades for its users.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro happens to be just another pleasant offering from the tech manufacturer.
With all the bells and whistles contained inside, it might well be a quick purchase for a lot of people for different reasons.
This Google Pixel 7 Pro review will dive deeper into the details that make this flagship device what it is.
Beautiful Design
The Google Pixel 7 Pro has a beautiful design that is refined from its predecessor. The phone features a sleek and stunning design with a metallic finish that blends seamlessly with the metal surround. The back is still glass, and the front curves nicely at the edges, giving it a premium look. The camera bar across the back is now made of polished aluminium, which adds a luxurious touch but also leaves it open to scratches.
The phone is available in three colour options: Obsidian (black), Snow (white), and Hazel (a light grey-green hue). The uniform colour throughout the phone gives it a sleek and modern appearance. The edges are more rounded compared to the Pixel 6 Pro, making it look less block-ish and more refined.
However, the phone's smooth finish can make it slippery to hold, and it is recommended to use a case to prevent it from sliding off surfaces. Additionally, the camera bar can be prone to scratches, especially if not covered with a case.
Overall, the Pixel 7 Pro's design is a significant improvement over its predecessor, offering a premium look and feel that is both visually appealing and functional.
Brighter Display
The Google Pixel 7 Pro features a stunning 6.7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels and a pixel density of 512 ppi. The display supports a 120Hz refresh rate and is capable of ramping down to 10Hz depending on the use case. It also supports HDR10 and HDR10+, but not Dolby Vision.
The display has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a 1000 nits full-screen brightness, with a peak brightness of 1500 nits for a 5% lit-up area. In standardized testing, the display measured 1090 nits with adaptive brightness enabled and 588 nits when adjusting brightness manually.
The display is well-managed and pleasant for HDR10 video, with good colour fidelity in most lighting environments. It also has well-managed brightness in low light and indoor conditions. However, it sometimes lacks brightness in outdoor conditions and can exhibit occasional stuttering when playing video games.
The display has very good uniformity, as seen in the graph below, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
Capable Camera
The Google Pixel 7 Pro features an exceptional camera system, which is considered one of the best on the market. Here are some key aspects of its camera performance:
Camera Hardware
- Main Camera: 50MP with an f/1.85 aperture and laser detect autofocus
- Ultra-Wide Camera: 12MP with a 126-degree field-of-view
- Telephoto Camera: 48MP with 5x optical zoom and up to 30x with Super Res Zoom
- Front Camera: 10.8MP
Camera Features
- Super Res Zoom: Combines software, hardware, and machine learning to achieve up to 30x zoom
- Macro Focus: The ultra-wide camera doubles as a macro lens, allowing for detailed close-up shots
- Magic Eraser: An editing tool that uses machine learning to remove unwanted objects from photos
- Photo Unblur: Automatically identifies and removes softening or visual noise from images
- Motion Mode: Sharpens moving objects and blurs the background for a dramatic effect
- Cinematic Blur: Enhances videography with a more aggressive bokeh effect
- Night Sight: Captures high-quality photos in low-light conditions
- Real Tone: Combines several tools to reflect a full range of skin tones, ensuring authentic and flattering images
Performance
- DXOMARK Camera Score: 147, making it the top-ranked camera in the market
- Autofocus: Fast and accurate autofocus in both photo and video modes
- Image Quality: Excellent detail, especially in bright light, with good contrast and exposure
- Video Quality: Excellent stabilization in both static and walking scenes, with good detail at all zoom ranges
- Zoom Performance: Good overall zoom performance, providing detailed shots at all zoom distances
Performance
The Google Pixel 7 Pro features a powerful performance, thanks to its second-generation Tensor chip, Tensor G2. This chip is designed by Google and tailored to the Pixel's needs, with significant improvements over the previous generation. Here are some key aspects of the performance:
CPU and GPU
- CPU: The Tensor G2 has a 2+2+4 setup, with new mid-tier cores (Cortex A78) clocked at 2.35GHz, and high-performance X1 cores at 2.85GHz. The efficiency-focused cluster remains the same.
- GPU: The Mali-G710 MP7 is the new GPU, promising improvements in graphics compared to the previous model.
Performance Benchmarks
- 3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p): The Pixel 7 Pro scores around 10,000, which is competitive with other high-end smartphones like the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Asus Zenfone.
AI-Related Tasks
- Tensor Processing Unit (TPU): The new TPU is capable of significant number crunching for AI-related tasks, with a 60% improvement over the previous Tensor G1 TPU. This enables advanced features like Super Res Zoom and Magic Eraser.
Real-World Performance
- Gaming: The Pixel 7 Pro can handle demanding games like Call of Duty: Mobile with high graphics and frame rates, although it can heat up during extended use.
- Multitasking: The phone handles multiple apps and tasks smoothly, with near-perfect fluidity.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro's performance is impressive, with significant improvements over the previous generation. The Tensor G2 chip provides a powerful foundation for the phone's advanced features and capabilities, making it a top choice for those seeking a high-end smartphone.
The powerful specs and capabilities of Google Pixel mobiles make them the right choice for multitasking, gaming, and other routine tasks. This phone is more compatible with gamers because of its rounded edge shape that sits perfectly in your hand. You do not feel stress or strain on your fingers while gripping the phone for long hours during gaming sessions. Isn't it amazing? It is!
Battery and Charging
The Google Pixel 7 Pro has a 5000mAh battery and supports fast charging up to 23W. Here are the key details about its battery life and charging performance:
Battery Life
- The 5000mAh battery provides good battery life, lasting a full day with typical usage
- In our testing, the Pixel 7 Pro had an overall endurance rating of 83 hours
- It lasted 12 hours and 38 minutes in our web browsing test at a variable 120-60Hz refresh rate
- For video playback at 60Hz, it lasted 17 hours and 14 minutes
Charging Speed
- The Pixel 7 Pro supports up to 23W fast charging
- It takes about 2 hours to fully charge the battery from empty
- You can get up to 50% charge in about 30 minutes using a 30W or higher PD charger
- The phone ships without a charger, so you'll need to use a compatible USB-C PD charger
- Charging performance is similar to other flagship phones like iPhone and Samsung
The phone can be charged with any USB-C PD charger and cable, but the peak power won't exceed 23W. Using a 65W charger, the peak charging power was measured at 22.4W with the included cable and 19.17W with a third-party cable
The phone does not have an E-marker chip in the USB-C port, so you can use any third-party cable. Reverse wireless charging is supported, allowing you to charge other devices wirelessly from the Pixel 7 Pro
Google Pixel 7 Pro Vs S23 Ultra
Design
- Both have large, premium designs with glass backs and aluminium frames
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a more squared-off look while Pixel 7 Pro has softer, rounded edges
- S23 Ultra has a matte glass back that resists fingerprints better than Pixel 7 Pro's glossy glass
- S23 Ultra has a built-in S Pen stylus, a unique feature not found on Pixel
Display
- S23 Ultra has a slightly larger 6.8" display vs 6.7" on Pixel 7 Pro
- Both have LTPO AMOLED screens with 120Hz refresh rates and QHD+ resolutions
- S23 Ultra gets brighter at 1750 nits peak vs 1500 nits on Pixel
- Pixel 7 Pro has Gorilla Glass Victus while S23 Ultra has the newer Victus 2
Performance
- S23 Ultra is powered by the faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, scoring 85% higher on AnTuTu benchmarks
- Pixel 7 Pro uses Google's Tensor G2 chip, still very capable but not as fast
- Both have 12GB RAM and up to 512GB storage options
Camera
- Pixel 7 Pro has a 50MP main, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and 12MP ultrawide
- S23 Ultra has a massive 200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and dual 10MP telephoto with 10x optical zoom
- Pixel 7 Pro takes excellent photos but S23 Ultra has more versatile zoom capabilities
- Pixel 7 Pro has a 10.8MP selfie camera, S23 Ultra has a 12MP selfie
Battery
- Both have 5000mAh batteries
- S23 Ultra lasts 26 hours in battery tests vs 18.5 hours for Pixel 7 Pro
- S23 Ultra supports faster 45W wired charging vs 23W on Pixel
- Wireless charging is 15W on S23 Ultra, 23W on Pixel 7 Pro
Conclusion
The Google Pixel 7 Pro is an excellent flagship smartphone that builds upon the strengths of its predecessor with a refined design, upgraded cameras, and improved performance from the Tensor G2 chip. Overall, the Pixel 7 Pro is an excellent choice for those who want a premium Android experience with a focus on photography.