Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro (2022): Features, Price, Release Date
If final yr’s Pixel 6 was a leap, Google’s new (*7*)Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are a small hop. At its Made by Google occasion in New York City right now, the corporate unboxed its two new flagship telephones, each of which characteristic small however welcome enhancements—like Face Unlock as a secondary option to authenticate your identification, and a Cinematic Blur characteristic that provides a portrait-like look to video footage.
The pair of Pixels aren’t the one {hardware} releases on the occasion. Google additionally provided up extra particulars in regards to the Pixel Watch, the corporate’s first-ever smartwatch, which you’ll learn extra about right here.
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro value $599 and $899, respectively, successfully staying the identical value as final yr’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro whereas nonetheless undercutting a lot of the competitors. Here’s every part that is new.
Two P’s in a Pod
Both new Pixels maintain the identical general look Google debuted final yr with the Pixel 6, besides as an alternative of an all-glass digital camera bar on the rear, it is now principally aluminum. (Great information, contemplating my Pixel 6’s digital camera bar is at present cracked.) The Pixel 7 is available in colours named Obsidian, Snow, and Lemongrass, and the Pixel 7 Pro is available in Obsidian, Snow, and Hazel. The colours and end are a bit extra muted than final yr’s units, which is slightly disappointing, however they definitely look extra luxe. The Pro mannequin employs polished aluminum, and the usual Pixel has a matte end.
Two modifications I like? The Pixel 7 is a tiny bit smaller and lighter than the Pixel 6, with a 6.3-inch display screen (versus 6.4 inches). The Pixel 7 Pro sticks with the identical 6.7-inch display screen measurement, however the show glass has much less of a curve alongside the sides, which Brian Rakowski, vice chairman of product administration at Google, says was a change made in response to buyer suggestions. The display screen remains to be not utterly flat like on the Pixel 7, although. Speaking of screens, the one main change over final yr is display screen brightness. Google says these screens rise up to 25 % brighter when outside (1,400 nits peak brightness).
There are not any substantial modifications to Google’s battery life claims for these telephones. The Pixel 7 has a smaller 4,355-mAh cell, which tracks contemplating its smaller measurement, and the Pixel 7 Pro has a 5,000-mAh battery—each of that are anticipated to final “beyond 24 hours” just like the Pixel 6 series. In my testing, last year’s devices comfortably lasted a little more than a full day with heavy use, so you can expect the same here. These phones will charge up to 50 percent after 30 minutes of charging, which is slow compared to their peers. You can still recharge the new Pixels wirelessly too.
There’s still an in-display fingerprint sensor, but it’s not the only way to unlock the phone. Say hello to Face Unlock! You might remember that Google tried out this feature on the Pixel 4, but this new version is … worse. Yes, it can unlock your phone and can’t be spoofed by your own photo, but because Google isn’t using an array of 3D sensors like Apple uses for Face ID, Google’s solution is not as secure. So while Face Unlock gives you a quicker path to your home screen, you can’t use the feature to authenticate payments or to sign into banking apps—you’ll have to use your fingerprint for those. It feels a little half-baked, especially since the Pixel 4’s Face Unlock was more secure. “We’re not trying to claim it’s the most secure thing ever,” Rakowski says.
Say Cheese
Pixel telephones are identified for his or her high-quality cameras, but it surely’s troublesome to say precisely how a lot better the cameras are on the Pixel 7 sequence over their predecessors with out attempting them out.
