The Pixel 7 series is finally here, but how much do the phones build on last year? Find out in our Google Pixel 7 review.
Google seems to have turned a corner with the Pixel series. For years, Pixel devices were great phones, but they struggled to make a serious dent in the smartphone market — and not for lack of trying. But with the Pixel 6, the company stepped things up a notch, introducing a radically new design, and perhaps more importantly designed its own chips. Now comes the tough part — taking the all-new, redefined Pixel 6, and actually building on it. That’s where the Google Pixel 7 comes in.
And, on paper, it does seem to build on the Pixel 6. Sure, there’s no radical new design, but there is a second generation of the Google Tensor chip, an improved camera, and the new Android 13. Oh yeah, it’s also a hefty $300 less than the also-new Google Pixel 7 Pro.
How much do you sacrifice for that $300? I’ve been using both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro to find out. Note, we’re focusing on the Pixel 7 in this review, but you can find our review of the Pixel 7 Pro here.
While the Pixel 6 series radically changed the design of Pixel phones, the Pixel 7’s approach is much more iterative. It still has the same overall shape, with everything pretty much in the same place. And, there’s the same Pixel-defining camera bar along the back of the phone.
But it’s not exactly the same. Perhaps one of the biggest changes is the fact that the camera bar is now covered in metal instead of glass, with a glass cutout for the camera. That should help better protect the camera from any cracks or scratches — things that could impact your photos.
The colors are different too. I really liked the two-tone back on offer by the Pixel 6 series, but the Pixel 7 takes a more uniform approach — and now, the top and bottom will be the same color. The Pixel 7 comes in three colors: Lemongrass, Snow, and Obsidian. I got the Lemongrass option, which I find to be the most interesting option.
The rest of the overall design is pretty similar to the previous generation. It has a power button and volume rocker on the right side, and SIM card tray on the left side. On the bottom there’s a USB-C port.
Under the display there’s a fingerprint sensor, and it definitely feels faster than the Pixel 6’s sensor, which is great news. You don’t have to use the sensor though — the Pixel 7 also has a Face Unlock feature that uses the front-facing camera. Google notes that the fingerprint sensor is more secure than the Face Unlock one, so you’ll have to think about whether or not you want both enabled. But regardless, it’s nice to have options.
The Google Pixel 7 comes with a solid display, but it’s not quite as impressive as that on the Pixel 7 Pro. The device comes with a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 1,080p resolution. It has a peak brightness of 1400 nits — and I found it to get more than bright enough for all situations.
I don’t mind the fact that the Pixel 7 has a lower-resolution display than the Pixel 7 Pro. While It’s definitely not quite as crisp as the more expensive device, in day-to-day use, you won’t notice a difference.
