Google Pixel 7 Review | Trusted Reviews

Verdict

The Pixel 7 stays an enthralling and spectacular all-rounder with a very spectacular digital camera system, particularly now that it’s cheaper within the wake of the Pixel 8 launch.

Introduction

The Google Pixel 7 is now a yr outdated and has been changed by the newer, sooner Google Pixel 8 – however is the Pixel 7 nonetheless value your consideration?

Now accessible at a major low cost on its already tempting £599 RRP, the Pixel 7 stays a tempting smartphone for customers on the hunt for a cut price. In any case, it’s a telephone that readily competed with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Xiaomi 13 Professional till very lately, and its efficiency hasn’t modified with the discharge of a more recent mannequin.

That additionally solves earlier points with its similarities to the budget-focused Pixel 7a, with the telephone now accessible at the same – and even cheaper – value than Google’s official mid-range choice.

Learn on for our full have a look at the Pixel 7, together with an in-depth delve into its digital camera abilities and many extra.

Design and Display screen

• Suave-looking design
• Clunky digital camera bar
• IP68 water resistance
• Good high quality display

Simply as a high-performing digital camera is a signature of the Pixel vary, so is an attention-grabbing design. This era has seen a major makeover from its predecessors, with a pleasant shiny metallic digital camera bar now changing the considerably characterless black bar of the Pixel 6. The shiny again panel each seems and feels extremely engaging, accessible in a trinity of alluring colors (Obsidian, Lemongrass, Snow) whereas feeling very clean to the contact.

Nevertheless, while it definitely seems good, I did really feel irritated by the digital camera bar basically, exactly due to its perpendicular edges. Whereas many different telephones have a clean bump to the digital camera module (finest exemplified by the Oppo Discover X5 Professional), this one has corners which can be so geometric as to be nearly sharp.

It makes it a tad much less snug to carry, it collects small traces of mud within the corners which detract from the visible enchantment, and I discovered it will possibly even snag on jean pockets if you’re taking your telephone out. Due to this fact whereas the Pixel 7 definitely does look good, I believe it might have carried out with a bit extra thought into its ergonomics.

One other slight grumble alongside these traces within the positioning of the facility and quantity buttons. On most telephones, you discover these nearer the highest and the underside respectively, however this telephone reverses the order and so can take slightly getting used to; for the primary few weeks of utilizing it, you may by accident blow out your eardrums when attempting to change off the display, or flip off a video if you’re attempting to listen to what somebody is saying.

You additionally received’t get any useful little “optionally available extras” so far as {hardware} is anxious: no 3.5mm headphone jack, no SD card tray, and no bodily twin SIM functionality (although there’s eSIM assist). None of those are notably stunning although, as Pixels left these options behind some time in the past.

Happily although, the Pixel 7 is a sturdy gadget. It’s received an IP68 score, so it’s nicely protected in opposition to water and mud, and it’s additionally constructed from Gorilla Glass Victus on the entrance and the again, so is not going to be susceptible to scratching or cracking.

Most significantly, the design stays largely unchanged with the newer Pixel 8, so that you’re getting the identical design whatever the mannequin you go for.

The AMOLED display measures 6.3 inches and, subsequently, is a contact bigger than the newer Pixel 8 (at 6.2 inches), Samsung Galaxy S23 (at 6.1 inches and the iPhone 15 (6.1 inches) but it surely stays very straightforward to make use of with one hand, and the show remains to be lots sufficiently big to look at movies on and use your apps as normal.

The decision of 1080×2400 is sharp at this dimension, the distinction is strong because of its AMOLED tech, and it’s vivid sufficient to have the ability to be learn beneath direct daylight.

One slight potential shortcoming is that its most refresh price is capped at 90Hz, whereas many rivals, together with the Pixel 7 Professional and newer Pixel 8, have reached a refresh price of 120Hz. Which means that it’s much less clean if you’re scrolling, because the show renews itself considerably fewer instances per second. In apply, nonetheless, I discovered that the display was greater than clean sufficient.

I discovered the display to be detailed and punchy, and whereas you may want a bigger panel in the event you’re watching loads of movies or taking part in loads of video games – and also you may notably need a increased refresh price in the event you’re eager on the latter – I believe that the majority customers might be greater than glad with the display’s good qualities.

Digital camera

• 50-megapixel principal digital camera
• 13-megapixel ultrawide
• No telephoto lens
• Wonderful pictures general

After all, the starring function of Google’s Pixel telephones is often its digital camera. These handsets are sometimes seen as the important thing Android digital camera gamers, maybe even eclipsing Samsung, so the strain is on to see whether or not the Pixel 7 can sustain these lofty requirements.

The digital camera system right here appears extremely just like that of the Pixel 6, at the least on the rear the place you’ll as soon as once more discover a 50-megapixel major digital camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens (with a telephoto lens being reserved for the dearer Pixel 7 Professional). On the entrance there’s a brand new selfie digital camera with a ten.8-megapixel decision, which means that it’s now able to taking pictures 4K footage.

It’s value noting that, whereas the newer Pixel 8 shares the identical mixture of a 50MP principal and 13MP ultrawide, the first sensor is new and extra succesful in low-light circumstances so you will note a slight enhance by choosing the newer mannequin.

Regardless, I used to be undoubtedly happy with the digital camera throughout my time utilizing it throughout numerous totally different lighting circumstances.

Photographs taken with the Pixel’s rear cameras can typically be jaw-droppingly good; punchy but not unnaturally vivid, extremely detailed, and versatile sufficient to present you just a few totally different taking pictures choices. Buddies famous the standard of the images, even those that will not be notably into images.

Beneath is a choice of pictures from the principle digital camera, together with close-ups of meals, and portrait pictures, to point out its high quality and flexibility:

Among the above footage had been taken beneath very sturdy daylight but didn’t seem washed out (although there was often some lens flare), and this high quality held up beneath darker circumstances as nicely, with color being restored to the picture successfully however not overwhelming it:

The ultrawide sensor (which took the picture instantly above) packed some additional versatility into the package deal, letting you squeeze extra into the body, which was notably helpful when in mountainous areas and attempting to present some thought of the dimensions of the encompassing surroundings, or if attempting to shoot a sizeable looming constructing:

As you’ll be able to see, whereas these pictures had been taken with a decrease decision sensor than the principle one, they nonetheless stay impressively detailed.

There’s no devoted telephoto sensor on board this telephone, so if you wish to zoom slightly nearer to your topic you then’ll must depend on the digital zoom capabilities of the principle sensor. Set by default to 2x, this nonetheless features nicely; the under footage had been taken of the identical bridge, from the identical place utilizing the ultrawide, principal digital camera, and 2x digital zoom for a side-by-side comparability:

Selfie pictures had been additionally usually interesting, with sharp and punchy pictures that precisely reproduced the textures of pores and skin and hair:

Lastly, I used to be additionally very impressed with the video seize capabilities. In a position to take 4K footage at 60 frames per second, the video we took with this telephone on these settings (notice that the default is 1080p @ 30fps) was very sharp and clean.

Efficiency

• Good CPU and GPU efficiency
• Engaging and helpful software program

The Pixel 7 runs on a Tensor G2 chip. That is the sequel to the Tensor, which was Google’s first-ever own-brand cellular processor and debuted on the Pixel 6, although the Tensor G3 of the newer Pixel 8 has since usurped it.

In our overview of the Pixel 6, we famous that the chip didn’t pull up bushes by way of its CPU and GPU benchmarks, however that it did, nonetheless, nonetheless carry out very nicely when it got here to picture processing and clever options. This appears to carry true for the Tensor G2’s efficiency as nicely, and in the event you had been questioning, we discovered it to be the case with the newer Tensor G3 too.

The under scores present its CPU scores (based on Geekbench 5) and the GPU scores (based on 3DMark), in comparison with competing Android flagships:

As you’ll be able to see, the CPU scores fall behind the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23, though that hole is considerably closed by the newer Pixel 8.

Whereas efficiency general was clean and fluid, even when operating demanding apps or multitasking, the telephone did crash at one level – and this was really when operating that GPU benchmark take a look at. We encountered fairly just a few bugs when utilizing the Pixel 6, however luckily, these didn’t recur throughout my time utilizing the Pixel 7.

In truth, the light-touch software program added to the pre-existing appeal of the Pixel 7, and I loved my time with it. You’ve received the acquainted suite of Google apps right here in fact, and there’s little else apart from.

Whereas pre-installed voice recorder apps are not often trigger for celebration, the Pixel’s one is especially good, and might transcribe the sentences you communicate into textual content. Though there have been typically some errors right here and there within the transcript, it’s nonetheless a helpful software that permits you to search by way of recordings and write up the outcomes rather more shortly.

Many of the software program tips, nonetheless, are reserved for the digital camera. Results resembling Magic Eraser imply you’ll be able to fairly successfully snip objects out of the body in the event you don’t need them there (although that is finest carried out for issues within the background moderately than the foreground), whereas Photograph Unblur permits you to sharpen up pictures out of your Google Photographs library if there’s movement blurring. Once more, this works finest if you want a delicate sharpening moderately than a whole rehaul, but it surely’s a precious software that does make some distinction to beforehand underwhelming pictures.

On high of those options, the Pixel 7 helps NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, and tri-band Wi-Fi, thereby providing good connectivity choices.

Battery Life

• Good endurance
• Sluggish charging speeds

Whereas most of us count on just a few wholesome upgrades from one telephone era to the subsequent, on this case your hopes may appear to be dashed; whereas the Pixel 6 had a 4614mAh capability, its successor gives simply 4355mAh.

Nevertheless, in my expertise, this really did ship first rate battery life over the course of the day, extra so than I might have anticipated given the numbers on the spec sheet. This can be partly because of the effectivity of Google’s Adaptive Battery function, which adjusts utilization primarily based in your exercise with the telephone, however I usually discovered that I might get a heavy day of use out of the telephone without having to fret in regards to the battery after I received close to the tip of the day, which might often end round 20%.

However, I can’t be fairly as constructive in regards to the charging speeds of this telephone. There’s no charging brick included within the field for starters, so that you’ll have to provide your personal, and even if you do, you’ll must make do with one which provides 30W most. This can see the telephone topped up in simply over an hour, which isn’t so speedy by fashionable requirements.

Whereas this won’t trouble you an excessive amount of, it does imply that you simply received’t be capable to shortly high up the battery if, say, you’ve forgotten to cost it in a single day. It’s not probably the most important shortfall a telephone can have, however quick charging remains to be a function I often recognize, so I used to be slightly underwhelmed by the speeds on supply right here. Happily, at the least the Pixel 7 does supply wi-fi charging, including comfort of a special type.

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