Google finally debuted the Pixel 7 series as well as a couple of interesting products most of which have been speculated on the internet for quite some time now.

The Pixel 7 smartphone just like the previous model comes in two variants (Pixel 7/7Pro). Google is still strict with the number of smartphones it releases yearly with the third one released this being the Pixel 6a.

The search giant seems to have found the right look and feel for its Pixel smartphones as the newer models look exactly like the previous ones just with little tweaks here and there.

Both models come with nearly the same price point as the previous models with the base Pixel 7 coming at US$600 while the well-endowed Pixel 7 Pro comes with a US$900 price tag.

Pixel 7 Pro

Being high-end means it comes with better specifications, especially in the camera department, and other tweaks that make it a close competitor of the recently-announced iPhone 14 Pro series.

Both devices now sport the all-new Tensor G2 chipset that is meant to enhance performances and better image processing.

But in order to understand how well these two Pixel 7 smartphones stand against rival flagships including the Galaxy S22+ and the S22 Ultra, I’ll discuss a number of key features that makes them solid flagships in 2022.

The high-end Pixel 7 Pro comes with a number of hardware upgrades including a better camera.

The device sports a triple rear camera system which is made up of a wide primary sensor, then an ultra-wide, and a telephoto lens all of which get amazing software support to help output the best result ever.

As we all know, Google Pixels are one of the best camera phones you can expect in 2022 and this device definitely stood that ground.

Compared to the previous Pixel 6 Pro, the Pixel 7 Pro comes with the new Google Tensor G2 chipset which is meant to help enhance the processing capacity of the device in 2022 as well as bringing it in close comparison with other big chipsets currently on the market such as Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

The Tensor G2 chipset gets Samsung’s 4nm process compared to the previous Tensor G1 with its 5nm process.

The CPU is 2x Cortex-X1 cores, 2x A78, and 4x A55 cores along with updates in clock speed.

Its GPU is a Mali-G710 MC10, which promises a performance and efficiency increase over the G78 for graphics but also a 35% boost for machine learning tasks (something that the Pixel Camera app leverages heavily).

There is also a new Tensor core and a new modem to boot.

The upgrade allows the chipset to run machine learning tasks at a 60% faster rate and 20% efficiency.

That makes features like Photo Unbur, which is exclusive to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro interestingly accurate and speedy.

Speaking of Photo Unblur, the technology uses Google’s advanced AI to remove blur and noise from old photos taken years back on any ancient smartphone.

Other interesting hardware specification you get on the Pixel 7 Pro includes its 12GB of RAM similar to the previous model while the internal storage ranges between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

Disappointingly, there’s no support for a MicroSD slot which might outrage some people due to the lack of a 1TB version. But I do think Google Drive can be a good starting point to host your files securely in the cloud.

As for eSIM, there’s of course support for it and you can also use a nano SIM card since there’s a tray for it.

Pixel 7 Pro Camera

In the camera department, there’s a triple rear setup with the primary sensor being a 50MP 1/1.31″ sensor with the option for 4-1in-1 binning.

The sensor has an 82-degree field of view allowing you to capture wide even though you can go wider using the 12MP ultra-wide camera with a 125.8-degree field of view.

The Ultra-wide sensor has optical image stabilization (OIS) which is an upgrade above the previous model.

With the main camera, you can record 4K videos at either 30fps or 60fps. The camera also has OIS as well as EIS.

There’s also the new “speech enhancement” feature that can be enabled even when recording a 4k video at 60fps.

The device can also record 10-bit HDR video and you can expect a high-quality result when making videos directly using apps like Snapchat and TikTok because big Google partnered with them.

The camera app leverages the machine learning skills of the Tensor G2 chipset to create cinematic blur or to stabilize handheld footage even further.

Lastly, the 48MP telephoto lens comes with 5x optical zoom which is yet another upgrade from the previous which had 4x. The front-facing camera does perform well too but the emphasis is on the back camera anyway.

Pixel 7 Pro Display

The Pixel 7 Pro comes with a big 6.71-inch AMOLED LTPO panel and it has a QHD+ resolution.

Thanks to the LTPO technology, you can expect battery efficiency from the screen’s ability to switch between 10Hz and 120Hz depending on what is being done on the device.

Protecting the massive display is the Gorilla Glass Victus which is slightly curved just like the screen.

The slight curvature seems to be the symbol of premium as far as expensive Android smartphones are concerned and that won’t change for now even though Apple continues to embrace its flat-screen aesthetics.

Beneath the AMOLED panel is a fingerprint scanner which is now faster and much more secure.

Even with all the amazing features of the device, one thing I found amazing about the Pixel 7 Pro is its amazing 5,000mAh battery which is the same capacity as the previous one.

It has support for fast charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

The Pixel 7 Pro has IP68 water and dust resistance certification. Its body is said to be made of metal chassis gotten from recycled aluminum.

For prices and pre-order deals, check below. Before that, we’ll cover the smaller model.

Google Pixel 7

The base Google Pixel 7 is about US$300 cheaper than the “Pro” model and it’s also smaller even though it’s slightly bigger than the recently announced Pixel 6a.

The device features the new Tensor G2 just as the much more expensive variant but has a number of its specs trimmed down.

For example, you get 8GB of RAM while the storage capacity ranges between 128GB and 256GB.

The physical dimensions of the phone are 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm and 197g, compared to 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9mm and 207g for its predecessor. The Galaxy S22 and iPhone 14 are smaller.

The device has a smaller 6.3-inch AMOLED display which is slightly smaller than the previous which had a 6.4-inch panel.

Still, on the display, the screen resolution is FHD+ but it has a 25% higher peak brightness compared to the previous Pixel 6.

The device also sports a 90Hz refresh rate. And since it’s not using an LTPO technology, there’s no automatic refresh-rate scaling.

I’d still say Google is generous with this one though because the much more expensive Galaxy S22 or the base iPhone 14 both have 60Hz displays so the 90Hz on the Pixel 7 might not be a big lack after all.

In the power department, the device sports a 4,355mAh battery which is a downgrade from the 4,614mAh found on the previous Pixel 6 smartphone.

One thing though is the fact that the device is said to be more power efficient and it comes with an Extreme Battery Saver mode that can get you up to 72 hours of standby.

Like the Pro, the Pixel 7 uses a 50MP main camera (1/1.31”, 1.2µm before binning). It is joined by a 12MP ultra-wide camera and that’s it.

For zooming in, the phone relies on the relatively high-resolution main sensor and Google’s Super Res Zoom image processing (which has been upgraded, thanks to the extra processing power available on the G2 chipset).

As for its front-facing camera, it sports an upgrade to 10.8MP from 8MP and a wider field of view of 92.8-degrees from 84-degree last year.

Both Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are guaranteed to receive 3 major OS updates (getting them to v16) and 5 years of security patches.

Prices and deals

As mentioned earlier, the base Google Pixel 7 comes with a US$600 price tag for the base 128GB variant while the base storage variant (128GB) of the Pixel 7 Pro comes with a US$900 price tag.

Pre-orders have started while open sales are expected to kick off this new week as soon as Oct. 13th.

Advantages for pre-ordering include a free Pixel Watch when you pre-order the Pixel 7 Pro while the base Pixel 7 gets you a free pair of Pixel Buds Pro.