Hence the name “Pixel”, it’s all about improving GCam!
There’s something about the Pixels that make them unique. It all comes with the design, it feels just so “Google”. We’ve seen that with the Pixel 6A and 6 Pro. That signature look continues with the Pixel 7 series but we’re a little disappointed it no longer has that dual-tone colour that Pixels are quite popular with. The colour options are a little dull. We’d gladly want to see the flamboyant colours like orange once again. It stands out so well.
The display of the 7th-generation Pixel stands at a tall 6.7in. QHD+ (3120x1440px) LTPO2 AMOLED screen with a variable 120Hz refresh rate that can be as slow as 10Hz, depending on the type of activity you do with your phone. It still has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus to protect it from scratches.
The phone comes ported with Google’s own chipset, highlighting its powerful security features including the Titan M2 security chip. This is the Tensor G2, a 4nm chipset that sadly, is still manufactured by Samsung. In comparison to the first Tensor, it uses the same cores (2x Cortex-X1, 2x Cortex-A76, and 6x Cortex-A55) but with a slightly faster clock speed. It uses an entirely different GPU though, the Mali-G710 MC10 by Arm. In comparison to the G78, Arm promises a 35% better efficiency in terms of machine learning tasks. It also boasts better performance and power efficiency features. Machine Learning is quite important for the Pixels, as the Google Camera app heavily relies on it to process the image through Google’s brilliant computational photography.
Because of this efficiency, the new Tensor can handle machine learning tasks 60% faster and 20% more efficiently. One of the highlighted features that showcase Google’s extensive AI algorithm research is the Photo Unblur feature exclusive to the Pixel 7 phones. Using AI recognition, photo unblur can make old photos look like it was taken today. This feature removes noise and blur that has occurred due to the age of the photos.
By the way, like the Pixel 6 Pro, the 7 Pro comes with 12GB RAM and your choice between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage. As with previous Pixel phones, it has no MicroSD slot. It also only has a single NanoSIM slot, although you could opt for an e-SIM if you desire two SIM cards.
Speaking of camera features, the Pixel 7 Pro uses a triple camera setup. However, unlike some smartphones, these three cameras all have a purpose. The main lens is a 50MP sensor with OIS and EIS. It can record 4K videos in either 30 or 60fps. In addition, its speech enhancement feature is now available for 4K@60fps videos. It can also record 10-bit HDR videos and short-form video apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, have enhanced quality. The Google Camera app takes advantage of the Tensor’s machine learning capabilities that results in professional-looking photos. All within the tap of a button.
The second camera is a 12MP ultrawide lens with auto focus and a 125.8° Field of View, making its angles wider than some of its competitors. Finally, the third lens is a 48MP telephoto camera, now with 5x zoom (vs 4x with the 6 Pro). However this comes at a cost. The sensor used here is slightly smaller, at 0.7µm pixels instead of 0.8µm.
The selfie camera for the Pixel 7 Pro is its own world. No other phone could compare to it in terms of specs. It has 10.8MP resolution (vs 8MP for the Pixel 6 Pro) which could render and capture more detail although the processing time is also slightly lengthier.
In terms of battery, the Pixel 7 Pro has a 5000mAh battery which Google simply advertised as “all-day battery”. They’re going for the Apple description hmm? This could be charged via USB-C and has 30W fast charging. This was left intact from the previous handset. It also supports wireless charging, up to 23W, and reverse wireless charging. It also has USB Power Delivery.
It has 5G services, an in-display fingerprint scanner, IP68 water/dust resistance rating, Wi-Fi 6/6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC via Google Pay. It comes in three matte colours: Obsidian, Hazel, and Snow. The entire phone is made of 100% recycled aluminium.
Google Pixel 7
The Google Pixel 7 is a slightly watered down variant. The most noticeable thing about this phone is the omission of the 48MP 5x telephoto. The 50MP main and 12MP ultrawide remained along with the 10.8MP front camera.
The display is still a flat AMOLED, although smaller, at 6.3in. compared to the Pixel 6. It still has a variable 120Hz refresh rate but in comparison to the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 7 has its resolution downgraded to just FHD+ (2400x1080px). You’re still getting Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and IP68 rating though.
Like the rest of Google’s Pixel phones, you are guaranteed 3 major updates and 5 years of security updates. Less than most iPhones but still more generous in comparison to other flagship phones such as the Xiaomi 12, Samsung Galaxy S22, and others.
It is also equipped with a Tensor G2 chipset with the same multi-layered security and Titan M2 chip. It also has kept the 8GB RAM the Pixel 6 had along with the choice between 128GB and 256GB internal. Do not expect a MicroSD card slot because traditionally, Pixels do not carry that.
The slightly smaller size meant the phone also has a slightly smaller battery, 4614mAh. Everything else is kept intact.
It is available in Obisidian and Snow as well. It has its own exclusive colour called Lemongrass.
The Google Pixel 7 is priced at USD 599 (~Php 35.3K) for the 8/128 variant while other prices are to be announced soon. Meanwhile, the 7 Pro, with the 12/128 variant starts at USD 899 (~Php 52.9K) while other prices are to be announced later.
It is available in the US first, followed by Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The Pixel phones are never available in the Philippines but if you get lucky, there are some grey market stores (unintended but legitimate) that sell the Pixels, and the Pixel 7 series might just be one of them.
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