Updated processor: The phones run on an updated Tensor chip, Google’s home-brewed processor, which debuted in the Pixel 6 series. The second-generation Tensor G2 chip brings “personalized features to photos, videos, security, and speech recognition,” according to Google. That includes automatically reducing background noise in phone calls, fixing blurry photos, and transcribing audio messages.
The company says the processor is 60 percent faster than the previous-generation one and more energy efficient.
Big battery-life claims: Using the extreme battery-saver mode, the company says, the phones can last up to 72 hours on one charge. We’ll test that claim in our labs once we’re able to buy the smartphones at retail. For reference, the Pixel 6 logged 34 hours on a single charge in CR’s labs, while the Pixel 6 Pro logged 31.5 hours.
Security features: The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have a Titan M2 security chip, the same chip Google uses in its data centers, according to the company. Both phones will have five years of guaranteed security updates. And VPN by Google One is built into the phones for free. Google has also promised a steady stream of new software features and updates every few months.
Face unlock: The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both have face unlock, in addition to fingerprint recognition, which could be helpful if you get a device with the fingerprint unlock issues uncovered in the Pixel 6a.
Camera improvements: Like last year’s models, the Pixel 7 has a dual-rear camera system (wide and ultrawide lenses) and the Pixel 7 Pro comes with a three-camera setup (wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses). Both are said to be better at taking sharp photos in low-light situations.
The ultrawide lens not only is wider than the one found on the Pixel 6 lineup but also has autofocus for close-up images, so you can shoot grains of pollen or individual flower petals from as close as 3 centimeters away.
The telephoto lens on the 7 Pro has been reengineered for higher-resolution images with up to 30x zoom. The lens on the 6 Pro has 20x zoom.
As is the trend with phones lately, most of the camera improvements are powered by a mix of software and hardware upgrades.
The Pixels can fix blurry photos by fusing images from the ultrawide and main camera. And you can touch up old photos, too, with the unblur feature and Magic Eraser, which removes people and objects from your images—a feature I found pretty nifty in the Pixel 6a.
Google claims the new phones are the best on the market for inclusivity, adding that they can more accurately capture pictures of people with darker skin tones, particularly in low-light situations, compared with older phones. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro also have a “guided frame” feature that can help visually impaired users compose photos and selfies using vocal directions from the devices.
As for video, the Pixel 7 cameras now have Cinematic Blur, which adds a bokeh effect to your clips. They also come with active stabilization for steady videos and keeping a subject in motion in focus—similar to the Action Mode that Apple recently introduced in its iPhone 14 models.
Call sound enhancement: Google also introduced a new Clear Calling feature that isolates and eliminates background noise during phone calls.
Design: The Pixel 7 will be available in black (“Obsidian”), white (“Snow”), and a light yellow-green (“Lemongrass”).
The Pixel 7 Pro will be available in the same black and white colors, plus a “Hazel” option, which looks like a green-gray.
The distinctive horizontal camera bar across the back of the phones differs in color depending on the color of the phone. The Lemongrass and Hazel options have a gold camera bar; the Snow, a silver one; and the Obsidian, a pewter-colored finish.
