Some would say the Pixel 7 series is how Android 13 should be experienced. Others would argue it’s even better, thanks to Pixel-exclusive features and the promise that more will come with future Pixel Feature Drops. Still others would indicate the headaches that previous Pixel generations have caused their users.
Where are you on this subject – will you pick up one of the Pixel 7 models or look elsewhere for your next phone?
Google Pixel 7 • Pixel 7 Pro
For one thing, the phones cost like last year $ 600 / € 650 / £ 600 for the small one and $ 900 / € 900 / £ 850 for the larger, more capable model. It always felt like a phone size gap and still is, especially considering Google has still denied the small phone some upgrades like a 120Hz display.
Yes, the Pixel 7 still features a 90Hz FHD + panel, this time slightly smaller – 6.3 ”(instead of 6.4”). It’s rare for phones to get smaller these days, but in fact the Pixel 7 is slightly shorter, narrower and thinner than its predecessor, even a little lighter. It is far from “small”, but it is definitely “smaller”.
Google Pixel 7
This also comes with a smaller battery (4,355mAh vs 4,614mAh), but efficiency improvements have lengthened battery life. The rest is pretty much the same, except for the new selfie camera (10.8MP now, wider lens but still fixed focus). That means no dedicated telephoto lens, just Super Res Zoom using the 50MP main sensor (1 / 1.31 ”, 1.2µm pixel, f / 1.85 lens with 82 ° FoV).
The Pixel 7 Pro got an upgrade to its telephoto lens, which now has 5x optical magnification (from 4x), although the new 48MP sensor has slightly smaller pixels than the old one (0.7µm vs 0.8µm).
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Aside from that, the benefits of the Pro this year are carried over from last year’s model. That means a sharper 6.7 “QHD + display with 120Hz refresh rate, 12GB of RAM (instead of 8GB), a larger 5,000mAh battery, and the aforementioned telephoto lens.
Both 7-series models carry Google’s second smartphone chipset, the Tensor G2. Google isn’t a gaming company (sorry, Stadia fan), so raw performance doesn’t matter – machine learning, image processing, and security are the G2’s main strengths (even the security chip Titan M2). And indeed those are the main strengths of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro themselves.
At $ 600 / € 650, the Pixel 7 is well below the price of small phones with pure Android: the Zenfone 9 (€ 800), no matter the Xperia 5 IV (€ 1,050). For a little more ($ 650 / € 730) you can get a OnePlus 10T, even if it’s bigger and doesn’t focus as much on the camera. It is available in the United States and Canada, where options are more limited than in Europe and Asia.
If software longevity is the primary concern, Samsung also outperforms Google in terms of support. Something like a Galaxy S21 FE ($ 630) will receive 4 OS updates and 5 years of patches (it started with Android 12, though). And you also get a 3x telephoto lens, as well as a 120Hz display.
OnePlus 10T • Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G • Motorola Edge 30 Fusion • Xiaomi 12T
A Motorola Edge 30 Fusion ($ 600) sports a 144 Hz (6.55 “, FHD +) P-OLED display and is powered by a Snapdragon 888+. Unfortunately, Motorola doesn’t make the same commitment to 3 OS updates as with Edge 30 Ultra, so you only get 2 (starting with Android 12, which isn’t ideal). You get a 50MP (1 / 1.55 “) main camera with OIS, 13MP ultra selfie cameras wide-angle (without tele) and 32 MP, plus a mostly stock interface.
One Xiaomi 12T (€ 600) comes with a 108MP main camera and even a 1220p-class display, compared to the 10T’s 1080p. Both are 120Hz panels, though. Additionally, they both offer blazingly fast charging (120W for Xiaomi, 150W for OnePlus). However, the 12T runs MIUI, get it or leave it.
Time to vote: who buys a Pixel 7? You can cast your vote below or (if it doesn’t work) give it a try on this page.
Now let’s start some competition for the Pixel 7 Pro. Starting at $ 900 it makes it easier, so even if it’s more capable than its little brother, the Pro won’t have an easy time.
A Samsung Galaxy S22 + is slightly more expensive and falls short of the Pixel in terms of the camera. Its 50MP main sensor is smaller (1 / 1.56 “vs 1 / 1.31”) and the 3x telephoto lens offers lower magnification and lower resolution (10MP). The S22 Ultra has better but also more expensive specs, but packs a 108MP main camera, two 10MP telephoto lenses (one 3x and one 10x), not to mention the S Pen stylus.
Speaking of cameras, 200MP is the new selling point with the likes of the $ 900 Motorola Edge 30 Ultra. This pushes its 144Hz P-OLED display and has the powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 to back it up (i S22 phones have the original 8 Gen 1, if you’re lucky). In addition, there is a 200MP main camera (1 / 1.22 inch sensor with binning up to 16 in 1), a 2x ok portrait camera and a 50MP main cam. The 4,610mAh battery charges at 125W (or 50W wirelessly). Additionally, Motorola has committed to 3 OS updates, as many as the Pixel.
Samsung Galaxy S22 + 5G • Motorola Edge 30 Ultra • Xiaomi 12T Pro • Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
The other 200MP option is the Xiaomi 12T Pro. It also works with the 8+ Gen 1 chipset and has a high quality 12-bit AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. And it’s a 1220p class display, not 1080p like the Motorola. However, aside from the impressive 200MP sensor, the 12T Pro’s other cameras are nothing to write home about. At least this phone matches the Pixel with a battery capacity of 5,000mAh and beats on the charging speed (120W, 0-100% in 19 minutes). But you better be fine with MIUI.
At $ 1,100 the iPhone 14 Pro Max is considerably more expensive than the Pixel 7 Pro, but we felt we should mention it as an alternative. After all, it’s the dominant smartphone in the US, with even better software support than the Pixel and what may be the best chipset on the market overall. For the first time ever, he gets a taste of a high-resolution camera – 48MP, but that’s still a big change after years of 12MP sensors.
Let’s give each other a show of hands: who is buying the Pixel 7 Pro? Tell us in the poll below or vote here.
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