Pixel 7

You need to have confidence in your smartphone. I’m confident in my Google Pixel 7, as it has done almost everything I asked of it and sometimes even exceeded my expectations. However, there is some evidence my confidence shouldn’t be taken as proof that you’ll be equally as happy and confident in the Pixel 7 you buy. There is a cloud hanging over this otherwise excellent smartphone, but should it affect your decision to buy it? Contents • • • • • • • • Show 3 more items The Pixel 7 isn’t a design revolution compared to the attractive smartphone platform on which to build. Rather than drastically rework the shape, Google has refined it, making the visor-like camera module even more of a standout design element while changing the available colors so it doesn’t look exactly the same as last year’s phone. Andy Boxall/Digital Trends I’ve been using the standard Obsidian black version, and although I often find black phones a little bland, the glossy finish on the glass back looks superb when paired with the matte gray camera module. More colorful Lemongrass and Snow versions are also available. The camera cutouts are larger than before, but aren’t an eyesore. I’m not so sure about the Pixel 7 Pro’s more outrageous camera module, but certainly the Pixel 7 is a modern-looking, subtly stylish, and suitably different-looking smartphone I’ve been proud to carry around. Related • • • At 8.7mm thick and 197 grams, it’s no skinny supermodel, and it feels very substantial in your hand,...

(Image credit: Tom's Guide) Direct My Call is not a new feature for the Pixel 7, but its enhancement is. This feature will transcribe the options from an automated voice messaging menu so you don't have to remember them. Now, the new version will bring them up before the voice even speaks them — for some 1-800 numbers, while more get added. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) You might think that the Pixel 7 is the first Pixel with a face unlocking system, but you might have forgotten the You will likely be prompted to enable it during initial setup, but if you skipped it, you can easily re-enable it. Head to Settings> Security> Face & Fingerprint Unlock. Enter your PIN, then tap Face Unlock. Active Stabilization (Image credit: Tom's Guide) Active Stabilization is Google's answer to Apple's Action mode. It's effectively video stabilization on steroids, allowing you to get much smoother videos while you or the subject are in motion. It's quite interesting. To use this feature, open the Camera app, then slide over to Video. Tap the little shaky hand icon to the right of the video mode selector. In the menu that appears, select Active. Assistant Continued Conversation (Image credit: Tom's Guide) Did you know that when you query Google Assistant, you don't have to keep saying "Hey, Google" every time to continue the queries? This isn't a Pixel 7 exclusive, but it's a neat feature to enable. Note: you will still need the activation phrase if you start a new query after a pause. To do s...

I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats. The new phones focus primarily on camera updates and capabilities added by the revamped Tensor G2 processor. The processor handles advanced image processing, expanded security (in conjunction with Titan M2) and machine learning, as well as system cache. Google ran through all the ways in which the G2 speeds up and improves most of the features of the phones. Pixel 7 Notably, Google has added a 2x crop-mode zoom to its 50-megapixel main sensor which produces 12.5-megapixel images from the center of the sensor. Other general improvements the company says you'll see include faster Night Sight low-light shooting, better skin tones and an audible selfie-help mode for vision-impaired people dubbed Guided Frame. Still dual cameras, though. Still-photo Unblur algorithms expand from just faces to sharpening old photos, and get a Cinematic Blur for video, a la Apple's Cinema Mode. Google implied that the newer Unblur capabilities are only available on the new phones because of the G2. The phone gets 4K 60-frames-per-second recording and better video autofocus and speech enhancement. ...

(Credit: Dave LeClair) This isn't a particularly large phone. At 6.13 by 2.88 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and 6.9 ounces, the Pixel 7 is a little bit bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S22 (5.78 by 2.78 by 0.30 inches, 5.93 ounces), but smaller in every dimension than the Pixel 6 (6.24 by 2.94 by 0.35 inches, 7.3 ounces). See It (Opens in a new window) The controls, ports, and other functional elements are the same year over year. The power button and volume toggle are on the right side, while the physical SIM card tray is on the left. Though the Pixel supports In terms of durability, the phone features Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back, which should help protect against drops. It also meets the Has Google improved the under-display fingerprint reader from the Pixel 6? Sort of. Training the embedded reader is as simple as any other phone, and we've determined that the scanner is indeed faster and more reliable than the outgoing phone's sensor (though it still lags behind the performance we've seen from other top handsets). In addition to the fingerprint reader, Google has brought back the secure Deceptively Strong Performance The Pixel 7’s performance is atypical. Like the Pixel 6, it doesn’t score off the charts on benchmarks, but it feels incredibly smooth and fast during real-world usage. Google tunes its custom-designed The phone has 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. Make sure you choose the right one for your needs, because there’s no microSD card ...

Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 CDMA 800 / 1700 / 1900 HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GQML3 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GVU6C 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - GQML3 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GVU6C HSPA, LTE-A (CA), 5G Launch 2022, October 06 Available. Released 2022, October 13 Body 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7 mm (6.13 x 2.88 x 0.34 in) 197 g (6.95 oz) Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame Nano-SIM and eSIM IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Display AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1400 nits (peak) 6.3 inches, 96.7 cm 2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio) 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~416 ppi density) Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Always-on display Platform Android 13 Google Tensor G2 (5 nm) Octa-core (2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) Mali-G710 MP7 Memory No 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM UFS 3.1 Main Camera 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 114˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/...

The Pixel 7 (left) is smaller and easier to hold than the Pixel 7 Pro (right). Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The Pixel 7 is shorter, narrower and lighter than its larger sibling and last year’s The back of the phone has Google’s camera bar design, which blends into the brushed aluminium sides. It looks and feels more premium than last year’s model. Inside, the Battery life is similar to Google’s other phones lasting about 35 hours between charges with the screen actively used for five hours. That’s good enough for a day of heavy use but behind the competition, some of which last almost two days. The Pixel 7 takes about 113 minutes to fully charge, hitting 50% in 35 minutes using a 30W USB-C power adaptor (not included), which is not overly quick compared with rivals. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian Specifications • Screen: 6.3in 90Hz FHD+ OLED (416ppi) • Processor: Google Tensor G2 • RAM: 8GB • Storage: 128 or 256GB • Operating system: • Camera: 50MP + 12MP ultrawide, 10.8MP selfie • Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, wifi 6E, UWB, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and GNSS • Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes) • Dimensions: 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm • Weight: 197g Sustainability Google does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery but it should last in excess of 500 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity. The phone is repairable The Pixel 7 is made with 100% recycled aluminium, accounting for about Android 13 The Google Camera app has several useful...