Google Pixel 7 specifications:-
6.3 inches full HD + display 90 Hz refresh rate
Tensor G2 chipset
8 GB Ram + 128 GB Storage
50MP + 12MP camera
10MP front camera
4355 mAh battery with 20W charging
Android 13
Google Pixel price in India: 59,999.
Let's Talk about Design and display:-
I am not a fan of the Pixel design. First, that camera band. It just looks ugly and does not work for me. The second is that the phone is chunky, and the sharp edges mean it does not make for the most ergonomic grip. Plus, at 197 grams, the Pixel 7 is a heavy device, heavier than the iPhone 13 and 14 and just a tad lighter than the iPhone 14 plus. But that doesn't mean it's all bad for the Pixel 7. I liked the Lemongrass color google has introduced. The frame's all-gold color is muted and looks elegant. Yes, the back gets glossy, but that's a problem for most phones these days. The Pixel 7 gets a 6.3 -inch full HD + display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The "Smooth display" feature was turned on by default, which automatically increases the refresh rate to 90Hz depending on the content. Given this is a premium phone, expectations with the display are high, and the Pixel 7 delivers on that front. Be it gaming or watching shows on Netflix, the screen packs punchy, and accurate colors. It is also legible in bright sunlight.
Camera:-
- But with any Pixel phone, it is all about the camera. With the Pixel 7, you will get a 50MP main camera plus a 12MP ultra-wide camera at the back. The front camera is 10 MP. However, the Pixel camera is more than just its hardware. There is a lot of software magic going on in the background. Yes, like most premium phones, the Pixel 7 will deliver excellent photos and colors if you are shooting out on a bright day or even if you take a casual shot out at night.
- The Pixel 7's camera is one of the best in this price segment. When it comes to portrait photos, the Pixel 7 remains my favorite, even out at night. I love how the Pixel 7 will easily take portrait shots of most people and objects, without asking me to move closer like most other phones. It's something I find the most annoying about the iPhone in particular. As you can see in the portrait shots, the Pixel is able to create that shadow depth of the field while maintaining the edges, be it for a balloon or a dog. And because software is such a stronger part of the Pixel experience, it will also let you blur the background for other photos, as well. You can decide just how much 'blur' to apply to the photo as well in the photo app.
- However, a portrait has limitations. I tried to apply portrait mode to some selfies, where clearly there is not enough background space for Google to create that depth of field effect, and the results do look odd. The selfie is still great, but the edges around my hair feel 'fake'.
- The Pixel 7 also continues to do the job in challenging lighting situations. But Night sight perhaps doesn't have that lead that it did once upon a time. Yes, if you have a solid light source in the room or in the distance, the Pixel 7 will deliver detailed shots. It does a good job of preserving shadows while ensuring details in some instances. But in poor lighting, the results will be uneven. The details are soft around the edges, as have noticed in some photos. In one picture, I can see the face hasn't come out as sharp. And the low-light selfies are sometimes outright disappointing. I also realized that Night sight requires you to stay really still. Sometimes this duration can be a few seconds long. This can be a bit hard to achieve, as I experienced.
- The Pixel 7's camera also introduced 'cinematic' video mode, which is supposed to ensure a shallow depth of field while recording video. I was not expecting much here. The only 'cinematic' video I've liked on a smartphone has been by the VIVA X80 pro so far. But the Pixel 7 surprised me. Can take a video in Night mode, while jumping around. The Pixel 7 gave an excellent result and managed to create that 'portrait' effect with a difficult subject at a hand.
- The other feature I have extensively tested in the Pixel 7's camera is the photo unplugging. I used it on several old pictures with varied results. In some, especially where a part of the eyes has been captured. It is magical how the camera restores the face. In other, it is clear that software can never fix the picture. There were mostly the eyes closed.
Performance, Software:-
The Pixel 7 runs Google's own Tensor G2 chipset with android 13. While it can handle heavy-duty games and most daily multitasking, it's not all perfect on the Pixel 7. For one, the phone gets very warm at times. I noticed this especially when I used photos apps for a long-time, as I scrolled through to edit photos using the unplug feature. The back of the device and camera are very warm in particular.
The Pixel 7 also comes with a lot of software tweaks and features designed to make life easier. You also realize how Google Assistant Is while using the phone. For instance, while listening to music with headphones on, it would alert WhatsApp messages and ask if it should read them out. This, at least, saved me from the bother of looking at the screen each time. The phone will auto-translate WhatsApp messages (Hindi to English), which is a nifty and useful feature. If you are a fan of stock android, the Pixel 7 will obviously appeal to you. The Pixel's 7 recorder app is also useful, especially for someone in my line of work. I can record conversations not directly from the call app and will auto-transcribe the text for me. It's not 100% accurate, especially with the Indian accents, but the transcription is very useful.
But's not all perfect with the Pixel 7's performance. As I noticed, there were a few moments when it would freeze or there would be a noticeable lag. For instance, when recording a voice message on WhatsApp, I got an audio call, and obviously, the recording stopped. But when I went back to Whatsapp, the app was still stuck on the audio, and not responding to kind of any touch commands. Eventually, I had to kill the app. It's not the experience one wants in a flagship, at least in the first few days. Another aspect was the software update. I saw a 75 MB update for Pixel 7, but installing it took fairly long, close to an hour. I'm not sure why this too appears to be an issue, but I faced something similar with a small update on the Pixel 6a earlier.
The Battery:-
I was skeptical about the Pixel 7's battery life. But with my daily usage which included WhatsApp, messages, calls, listening to music via Spotify, taking pictures, etc. I got by with a day's worth of battery, with plenty to spare. I have not used the battery-saved mode yet, because every time the phone was done to 20 percent, I had access to a charging port. But with the Adapting charging on, be prepared for the phone to take a long time to charge. Google only supports 20W fast charging, and the charger is not solid in the box. I used this mostly with a 22.5W charger, and it always took at least 3 hours to get this to 100 percent. This slow charging might be a deal broker for many users.
Should you consider it:-
I'll admit the return of the Pixel 7 series is tempting? These devices are supposed to showcase the best of Google's Android and come with many promises. The Pixel 7 delivers on several key areas. It is one of the best cameras you can get in the price segment. The performance is good enough, though it might not be as powerful as some other flagships in a similar segment. What annoys me is the charging period and the few software issues which needed to be ironed out. Google also needs to get a bit more vocal and clear about after-sales support, which has been a concern in the past, I would say get the Pixel 7 if you have been waiting for an alternative flagship.
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