Google Pixel 7 Pro Review – A flagship with the usual flaws

Table of Contents

• Contents of delivery
• Specifications
• Positioning
• Design, dimensions,
  control elements
• Display
• Chipset, performance, memory
• Battery
• Communication options
• Cameras
• Software
• Impression

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone
• USB Type C cable
• USB Type C to USB Type A adapter
• Clip for SIM tray
• Instruction

Specifications

Dimensions and weight	162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9 mm, weight 212 grams
Body materials	Aluminum frame, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Display	6.7 inches, 1440x3120 pixels (19.5:9), LTPO AMOLED, 512 ppi, automatic brightness adjustment, AlwaysOn Display, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, HDR10+, 120Hz refresh rate
operating system	Android 13, Pixel skin
Platform	Chipset Google Tensor G2 (5nm), the chipset is created by Samsung based on Exynos, the difference is in the additional DSP for AI computing
Memory	8/12 GB RAM 128/256/512 GB internal No memory cards UVS 3.1 RAM LPDDR5
Wireless interfaces	WiFi a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Wi-Fi 6E, tri-band, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC LTE: Enhanced 4×4 MIMO, 5G UWB
Network	Dual SIM, nanoSIM eSIM
Navigation	GPS/Beidou/Galileo - dual-band GPS
Sensors and connectors	USB Type C (USB 3.2), USB OTG Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Compass, Barometer In-screen fingerprint sensor (ultrasonic)
Main camera	Main: camera with 3 modules - Main: 50 MP, 1.2 μm, F1.9, PDAF, OIS, laser autofocus - Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, F2.2, 1.25 μm - Telephoto: 48 MP, OIS, F3.5, 0.7 μm, optical zoom x5</ p> Digital zoom 30X 4K video recording
Front-camera	10.8 MP Bokeh effect, various additional effects, autofocus
Battery	Li-Ion 5000 mAh Fast wireless charging (23W only with proprietary charger, otherwise 12W Qi), reverse wireless charging (up to 5W) PD 3.0
Degree of protection	IP68
Colors	Obsidian, Snow, Hazel
Sound	Two speakers
Payment system	Google Pay
Features	Not
Cost of	$899 (US)

Positioning

Google continues to insist that theycan produce hardware, which is uncharacteristic for a software company and somewhat reminiscent of Microsoft's stubbornness. Given how many years Google has been doing this, one could expect some tangible result, but the Pixel line remains very niche, represented in a limited number of countries. The rise in Pixel 6 sales happened due to the increase in prices for the iPhone, the lack of offers from other companies. That is, not due to their own merits, but rather because of the shortcomings of others. Pixel buyers tend to see these devices as affordable flagships and have no experience with them. A small part of the buyers are devoted Pixel fans who choose these devices for the quality of photography, which, however, is not much different from other flagships. The differences are more at the level of stereotypes, and nothing more.

In 2022-2023, the choice of Pixel is a purchasealternatives for Samsung or iPhone, there is no conscious choice of Pixel here. As a result, the number of those who stay on the Pixel is minimal. In Russia, this is a mighty bunch of fans of the brand, we love all kinds of alternatives and what is very different from other manufacturers.

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Design, dimensions, controls

In the Pixel line, I always or almost alwaysI like the design of the models, they are coolly made, good materials are selected. The new generation is identical to the previous one, there are no changes as such. In the Pixel 7 Pro, we see a combination of a metal frame and glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus). Three colors are available - Obsidian, Snow, Hazel.

Pay attention to how the block of cameras is played onrear panel, it gives the device symmetry, on the table the smartphone rests on this block, which is not bad. Taking the Pixel out of your pocket, you do not touch the edge of the camera, there are no flaws. Those who want to use the case will not notice the camera block at all, it will be hidden. If you do not use a case, dust will collect on the edges of the camera unit.

The dimensions of the smartphone are 162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9 mm, weight - 212 grams. It is far from small, comparable in size to the S22 Ultra, the aesthetics are the same. Due to the rounded edges of the screen in the hand lies well. I like this size, the device is male.

On the right side is a pairedvolume key, there is also a power button. On the left side is a slot for a SIM card, this is the usual nanoSIM, you can also install an eSIM. At the bottom there is a speaker and a USB Type C connector, there are several microphones in the device, the noise reduction system works fine, nothing noticeable can be said about it.

IP68 water resistance, and in general the design is no worse than that of the flagships of other companies, the device should almost always survive accidental drops.

The fingerprint sensor is built into the screen, unlike the previous generation, there are no complaints here, it works quickly and well.

Display

The Pixel 7 Pro uses an LPTO matrix,let's look at the technical specifications of the screen: 6.7 inches, 1440x3120 pixels (19.5:9), LTPO AMOLED, 512 ppi, automatic brightness control, AlwaysOn Display, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, HDR10+, 120Hz refresh rate.

Unfortunately, the adaptive brightness settings arethat the brightness walks over a wide range, is often mistaken in the value for specific conditions. This issue is solved simply: engineers lower the brightness, save energy. I don't really like it, there's clearly a lot of room for improvement.

Screen settings look simple.

There is an AlwaysOn Display mode, it is also simple.

Chipset, performance, memory

Just like last year, there is a “own” Tensor G2 processor here, only it was created by Samsung based on Exynos. A separate DSP for AI algorithms - that's all the differences from the original processor.

The processor cooling is not implemented in the best way, as a result, the frequency drops in many tasks, the smartphone needs to cool down.

The amount of RAM is 8/12 GB, the amountbuilt-in memory - 128, 256 or 512 GB. There are no memory cards. The performance of the solution is at the expected level, the device does not slow down. Take a look at the synthetic test results.

Battery

The built-in Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 5000 mAh, on paper it supports Power Delivery 3.0. And here we see a complete repetition of last year, nothing has changed.

To begin with, the cooling system in the Pixel 7Pro is made ugly, it does not correspond to the tasks of the device, and as a result, it always heats up in any tasks. I think that this was the decision of engineers who simply do not have experience in creating such devices. This leads to a number of unpleasant consequences, for example, when using Wi-Fi or data transfer over a cellular network, you may experience that the application will be suspended. The camera may refuse to take video or even photos. In a word, it is some kind of darkness.

Support for Power Delivery 3.0 in Pixel exists only on paper, in reality the standard is not supported or it is implemented in such a way that it is impossible to recognize its existence. To begin with, when fully discharged, the Pixel may not be charged from powerful chargers (45 W or more). I tried to charge the device with a MacBook Pro charger (there is PD support), but nothing happened. Google advertises separately charging 30W, it can charge the device by 50% in 30 minutes. I used fast charging at 25 W, got 47% in half an hour. But the full charge time is almost 2 hours, the reason is that the battery is warming up!

Unlike last year, background processors are killed much more aggressively, giving more uptime. On average, the device works for about a day under load (5 hours of screen operation).

Wireless charging, as well as reverse charging, is the Achilles heel of the Pixel: the same heating, rapid battery drop, and slow charging of both the device itself and other devices.

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Communication options

There are no comments on the work of GPS, it catches satellites quickly, a cold start is almost instantaneous. A standard set of technologies, everything here is at the level of flagships, there is nothing to complain about, and why?

Cameras

The Pixel 7 Pro doesn't actually have a camera suite.has changed, the device shoots well, but does not particularly stand out from the competition. The pixel size of 1.2 microns can be called an advantage, which allows you to achieve greater detail in evening and night shooting, but the resolution had to be sacrificed, here it is 50 megapixels. The telephoto camera has a zoom x5 (optical), there is a wide-angle camera. The front camera is low resolution, but the pictures are quite lively.

The camera interface is familiar, it is quite convenient.

And this is how the main camera and additional modules are removed.

• Original photos (zip, 235 MB)

We blindly tested the main unit and compared the Pixel 7 Pro to the Samsung Z Fold4 and iPhone 14 Pro. The model from Google performs at the level of competitors, but there is no clear advantage here.

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And here you can look at examples of videos on this device.

• Sample video (MP4, 80 MB)
• Sample video (MP4, 51 MB)
• Sample video (MP4, 58 MB)
• Sample video (MP4, 85 MB)
• Sample video (MP4, 91 MB)
• Sample video 4k (MP4, 121MB)

Software

In fact, we have before us pure Android with minor modifications from Google, the device is empty, it came out on Android 13.

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Impression

There are no complaints about the quality of communication.The sensations from this device are such that we have before us last year's model with small and very insignificant changes, otherwise everything is exactly the same, as they say, a carbon copy.

With more or less prolonged work,heating of the device with all the consequences - degradation of the speed of both operation and data transfer. Considering the price of $899 (plus US taxes), the device looks better than the same iPhone 14 Pro Max or Galaxy S22 Ultra, but everything is negated by its minuses. Last year we had a comparison with the S21 Ultra, check it out carefully, it applies to current models as well.

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Good camera module, but relatively weakadditional modules. The product from Google turned out to be cool in design and very raw in almost every aspect. Therefore, I cannot recommend this device for purchase to anyone who is not a fan of Google. Exotic, and not the best sense. Indeed, in a smartphone, it is important that all indicators are correctly configured and give the maximum possible. Immediately, even an excellent screen works in such a way that you constantly have to get into the settings and twist the brightness up. Another attempt from Google came out not too interesting.

Thanks to store-pixel.ru for the provided smartphone.

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