Does the Pixel 7 Pro Cost $300 More Than the Pixel 7?
Google has officially updated its Pixel lineup with the new Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Both phones expand on the Android experience with advances in computational photography, security improvements, and the longest software support of any Google phone. But there are of course differences between the 7 and 7 Pro. The question is, which one is worth buying?
Google Tensor G2 chip
With the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google introduced its Tensor chip, the first time a Pixel device has shipped with a Google-made SoC. Google continues to gain momentum with the Tensor G2 chip. This year, the chip features a next-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) that powers machine learning in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. According to Google, machine learning is 60% faster and 20% more efficient.
G2 supports quite a few new features. Google showed off its changes to voice assistance, including making the emoji set more accurate, including no longer having to say the “official” emoji name to get it right. For example, you can say “face upside down” and G2 should enter the correct emoji. The chip also transcribes audio messages, which is useful when you can’t listen to the message right away. Later this year, the Pixels Recording app will get speaker labels so you know who’s talking throughout the recording.
With G2 Direct My Call now allows you to select directory options before they are spoken. This way you don’t have to wait for the pre-recorded catalog to run through all the options before your Pixel shows you the option to click. Clear Calling made it easier to hear people on the other end of the line. G2 uses machine learning to block out background noise and improve the voice of the interlocutor.
Pixel 7 and 7 Pro design
Google is using the Pixel 6 design language with the 7 and 7 Pro. We still have the raised strip on the back of the device, this time with more pronounced camera cutouts – two on the Pixel 7 and three on the 7 Pro (but more on that below). Both phones are made from aluminum, though the 7 Pro has brushed metal.
The Pixel 7 features a 6.3-inch display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 and a pixel density of 416 ppi. It has a variable refresh rate of up to 90Hz and achieves up to 1000 nits of brightness (HDR) and a peak brightness of 1400 nits. The 7 Pro has a slightly larger 6.7-inch display with 1440 x 3120 resolution and 512 ppi. It has a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz and the same HDR brightness of 1000 nits. However, at its peak it gets a little brighter at 1500 nits.
Google claims that both devices have “all-day battery life.” The 7 has a 4270 mAh battery, while the 7 Pro has a 5000 mAh battery. However, Google’s battery specs are the same for both, with “over 24 hours of battery life”.
Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are all about cameras
The Pixel 7 has two rear cameras: a 50MP wide-angle and a 12MP ultra-wide. The Pixel 7 Pro comes with the same cameras (although its ultrawide camera has a slightly larger field of view), as well as a 48MP telephoto lens. Both phones now have a larger 10.8MP sensor on the front camera that uses machine learning for face unlock.
Both phones implement “next-gen” Super Res Zoom, doubling the magnification of the optical lens. This feature crops the main 50MP camera to create a 12.5MP image with 2x “zoom”.
Of course, the big difference between these phones is the new 7 Pro telephoto camera, which pushes Super Res Zoom even further. The 7 Pro combines a 2x main camera zoom with a 5x telephoto optical zoom to create an even better end product. Even if you enable true digital zoom, the 7 Pro will retain its sharpness. When you pinch for 10x zoom, the 7 Pro uses the same process as 2x zoom to make your “zoomed” photos look great.
Google also wants your viewfinder to perform better at higher magnifications. Zoom stabilization now remains stable after 15x digital zoom to help frame your shots better, and 20x to 30x zoom has “ML Upscaler”. The 7 Pro’s ultra wide-angle lens is also wider than the 7’s, allowing you to capture macro focus shots as close as 3 cm.
We need to see how well this all works in real life before we know if Google’s claims are true. But the strength of the company is computational photography, so here they have something to rest on.
Another impressive announcement from Google is that the 7 and 7 Pro will fix your blurry photos forever. This applies to photos taken with Night Sight as the feature is now twice as fast and automatically combines images from both cameras to sharpen your photos. But the new phones also remove blur using machine learning with the new Photo Unblur feature. It blurs any photo in your Google Photos library, whether they were taken on 7 or not. The future is now, people.
Google is also introducing Cinematic Blur for the first time, which gives your videos shallow depth of field in addition to high-quality 10-bit HDR. Google is working with apps like Snapchat and YouTube to make sure these 10-bit media files display correctly on your social media accounts. We also have active stabilization for better video stabilization, improved speech and 4K 60fps video on all cameras. According to Google, your videos will be high quality, smooth and with great sound.
A big accessibility feature this year is Guided Frame, which gives you aloud instructions to help you move the camera around to take the perfect selfie.
Google really wants you to think the Pixel is safe
The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are “the most secure and private phones,” at least according to Google. Part of that claim comes from the new Titan M2 security chip (nothing to do with Apple’s M2). This chip is now officially certified, giving Google some backing. Plus, you get five years of guaranteed security and software updates. Previous Pixels only received three years of guaranteed software updates , which is a disappointing timeline considering phones are getting longer and longer. Now you know your Pixel 7 will be getting new features until 2027.
Secure Computing is Google’s big privacy game this year. The goal is to minimize the amount of your data, anonymize the data so no one knows it belongs to you, and restrict access. This allows you to use features such as Live Translate, spam detection and intelligent reply to everything that happens on the device. And for the first time, health and wellness data is now private on the 7 and 7 Pro. They can even track the quality of your sleep by analyzing your coughs and snores throughout the night.
However, my favorite feature is Google’s new VPN service: The 7 and 7 Pro are the first Pixel phones to come with a built-in VPN at no additional cost that prevents third parties from associating browsing traffic with your device or identity. . I think it’s great and a big step for a company like Google.
How much do the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro cost?
Google has priced the Pixel 7 at $599 and the 7 Pro at $899, which is quite competitive. By comparison, the iPhone 14 starts at $799, while the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max start at $999 and $1,099, respectively. If you’ve been arguing about the two platforms, Google has a solid argument.
The 7 is the clear winner of the company’s two new phones in my opinion, as it’s nearly identical to the 7 Pro. What you’re missing is a telephoto lens, improved Super Res Zoom, and a larger display with a slightly better refresh rate. Everything else is essentially the same, but $300 cheaper. Google hasn’t sacrificed much on its “cheaper” flagship this time around, and I’m sure it’s the one that most Pixel fans will want to go with.
After all, that $300 savings almost gets you the new Google Pixel Watch , which starts at $349.99, and that more than covers a couple of the company’s new Pixel Buds Pro – no doubt something Google kept in mind when pricing its new devices. However, if you’re serious about taking photos with your phone, this extra charge could cost you the 7 Pro’s great camera features.
As always, these are my views on paper. The phones aren’t out yet, so we’ll have to wait for reviewers to dig into them to see what’s what. Until then, I think 7 is the way to go.