Pixel 7 Pro is topping Android of the earliest around the Internet. And after using it daily myself for over two months, I can kind of see why. Here are five reasons why I think the Pixel 7 Pro quickly become the hottest Android phone of the year. There’s something just so inviting about the Pixels user experience.
Pixel 7 Pro ships with the base version of Android 13, which iterates on the bigger overhaul we got with Android 12 last year. Most importantly, it fixes quite a few issues people had with the OS. Still, it comes with a few new features and quality-of-life improvements as well.
13 is rolling out across many other Android devices, but other companies like to add their own spin on it, which kind of dilutes the impact of Android 13. In my opinion, the Pixels have always felt like the cleanest, no-fuss version, and personally, I think that’s the best version material.
Pixel 7 Pro is my favorite thing from this new era of Android, giving you hens of customization options and color recommendations that unify all the UI elements of your phone. Not every app got the fashion memo yet, but hopefully, that will improve in time as more app developers allow it.
For now, it does look a little bit silly. Oh, and of course, my second favorite thing is this cute wiggly play head for music. Just look at it, Wiggle. I also really like how Pixels give you these cute little interactive tips on how to use your phone. There’s a reason these sorts of videos always go viral, right? People are shocked to discover that they’ve been ignoring a tool or feature of their phone for years.
After all, do you even remember sitting down to learn how to use your first smartphone? I certainly don’t, and I don’t think most of our parents ever did. Google is actively trying to teach us how to use smartphones again, and I think that’s a good thing, especially for older folk. So, yeah, I think this should become a staple in all smartphones moving forward.
Add to that security features like the return of Face unlock, a really responsive fingerprint scanner, a direct line to Google on the home screen, and no bloatware. Yeah, what more can I say? It’s just so smooth, friendly, and inviting to play with. And, oh, boy, there’s some really cool stuff in this phone’s toy box.
Smart Features
So you do the normal thing when you first get this phone, you play with it for a bit, you try out all the new features, and you go, oh, yeah, I get it. That’s pretty cool. And then you actually start using all the new features in this phone like they’re actually useful. A lot of these new features are accessibility based. One of my favorites is called Guided Frame, which allows visually impaired people to take perfect selfies. I’ve got it set up here.
How cool is that? Ready for self. It also excels at speech and translation-type stuff. I’ve been using the recording app to record ideas or articles and videos, then editing that text down in Google Docs later. It also instantly transcribes voice messages, so you don’t have to listen to your friends if that’s their preferred method of communication. Pixel 7 Pro can translate most common languages really quickly. Gracias even understands Australian.
My favorite of all is Pixel 7 Pro can live caption any video on your phone in any app. This is a godsend. If you forget your headphones and don’t want to blast your phone sound around a train, for example, or if you’re just a bit hard of hearing and rely on subtitles to consume content, you can also do it fairly well in most languages. Okay, that one’s not entirely perfect. There’s also some AI photography magic that’s less impressive.
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Magic Eraser returns from pixel 6 to Pixel 7 Pro. And I’ve heard people say it’s better than Photoshop. It’s not. It’s more convenient than Photoshop, and sometimes it does get really good results, but it’s certainly not perfect. Then there’s Unblur which uses a combination of AI and digital sharpening to unblur any photo you like, even photos taken on other cameras.
I don’t think it works on Pixel 7 Pro. I’ve tried this on a bunch of photos, and it just doesn’t do a good job. The best they can do is sharpen photos that are just a little bit out of focus, which doesn’t really achieve all that much. Yeah, maybe don’t listen to the hype on that one. The exclusive photo features of these aren’t must-haves. They’re fun toys at best. Just before I started this article, Google did their first feature drop with a VPN, clear voice calls, and Snore detection, amongst a bunch of other stuff.
They’re all little things, but it’s little gifts like these that make ODing this phone fun and exciting. It’s getting these updates every quarter for the next three years, so that means you’ve got stuff to look forward to until 2025. Unlike the unblur button clicking that actually does something that’s a little bit rude. Actually, can I say that it’s going in? I don’t want to do another tag.
The Cameras
All right, let’s talk about the cameras on Pixel 7 Pro. They’re good. They’re very good on all three lenses. The photos come out sharp, colorful, and detailed. I also think the lens options you get here are the perfect lineup for a pro mobile. They cover you for every focal length you need. Most telephoto lenses currently found in mobiles are three times zooms, and I find they often aren’t enough of a jump from the main lens, so you kind of don’t end up using them that much.
This gets a five-time zoom, though, and that one really does feel like a meaningful jump-up. Pixel 7 Pro does have a digital zoom of up to 30 times as well, which doesn’t create works of art. Pixel 7 Pro does a decent job of helping you aim with some assistive stabilization, though, and once you take the shot, the AI will plead it up enough that you can at least tell what the subject is.
The AI inside is pretty much what drives this whole camera system of Pixel 7 Pro, and for the most part, it does a really decent job of elevating your mobile photography. If you’re fast enough, you can jump into Photos and see it still processing your image.
After you snap it there on Pixel 7 Pro, you’ll see exactly what the software is doing. Most of the time it’s looking to sharpen it up and even out the exposure, but I have found it sometimes gets a little inconsistent, especially when it comes to wide balance.
Ah, there is so much I want to talk about with this camera of Pixel 7 Pro. It probably deserves its own article, to be honest, otherwise, this one’s just going to get way too long. I think the Pixel lineup, more than most other phones, is hyper-focused on getting amazing shots straight out of the camera as soon as you press the shutter so you can take that photo and send it to your friends or social media.
For most people, that’s an amazing thing that’s going to be great for you, but it does have to sacrifice something in order to achieve that. And I think what this is sacrificing is a little bit of character. You kind of are left with Photos that are a little bit too over-sharpened and over-processed compared to stuff like the iPhone 14 Pro or the Oppo Find X 5‘s beautiful Hustle blood lens.
Hardware
The cameras and everything else are powered by Google’s own system on a chip, the Tensor G2, which so far is only found in the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 7. On paper, it actually contains less raw power than the chips found in other high-end smartphones this year, but I don’t think that matters in day-to-day use. Pixel 7 Pro runs like a dream. It also looks like it’s way behind competing phones in 3D graphics tests, but in practice, large 3D games like Apex Legends ran great for me, even on higher graphic settings.
It does get a little bit hot though. Actually, of all the phones I’ve reviewed this year, this is the one that gets warm and then stays warm the most consistently. It doesn’t get so hot that you could cook an egg on it, although that would be a cool feature. Look into that, Google. No, it gets warm enough that if you’re using this for a long period of time, you do start to notice. And my hands did get a little sweaty. The battery on this will also please most people. It kind of reminds me of the S 22 Ultra.
Pixel 7 Pro got a 5000 milliamp battery, but it doesn’t last as long as that big number would lead you to believe. It’ll last you about a day, which is good even with a bit of video and gaming threw in. But the Pixel 7 Pro is not really a phone you want to forget to charge overnight. It does have some really smart power-saving features here, though, so you can get multiple days out of this if you’re willing to forego some of the fancy stuff this can do.
Price
But ultimately, none of this matters without its amazing price. At 1299 Australian dollars, and I’m already seeing it on sale for less, you’re getting a fantastic user experience, top-of-the-line cameras, and just fun little touches only Google could dream up. For anyone looking to get the best value smartphone on the market, the Pixel 7 Pro is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the competition, and it’s often more enjoyable to use than the competition.
And that’s why this is the phone of the year for so many people. Even more outstanding. The Pixel Seven. The nonpro version is cheaper, and it’s almost the exact same phone inside. So if you don’t want the telephoto lens, 120 Hz display, or a larger phone, this represents even more value.
And if you’re looking for something a bit more specialized and can spend a little bit more cash, I’ve reviewed a lot of phones that suit your needs. S 22 Ultra has fantastic Spen integration and the most robust camera system I’ve ever seen. The Oppo Find X 5 Pro will make sure you are never out of batteries. And the ROG Phone Pro is a ridiculous gaming device that has to be seen to be believed. Do comment down and then choose your adventure. They’re all great phones. I’ll see you after that.
