Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro: News, specs, pricing, availability, and more
The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are now official, and we know almost everything about these new Android phones from Google. After months of teases, trickles of information, and leaks, we now have the full picture of both Pixel 7 products, and you’ll be able to buy each sooner rather than later as they’reup for pre-order nowahead of an October 13 release date.
During the Made by Google launch event on October 6, we learned about these new handsets as well as theGoogle Pixel Watch. Below, we’ll run you through everything we know about the new devices, including the design, specs, cameras, and prices. If you’re looking for our thoughts on the new phones, check out ourGoogle Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro hands-on.
Google Pixel 7: Hardware and specs
Last year, Google swung big with its design for the Google Pixel 6, giving the series a complete overhaul. From the controversial under-display fingerprint sensor—a first for the series—to the massive rear camera bar, the company has finally cemented a new design for its in-house smartphones. As revealed in May, the Pixel 7 design is largely similar for 2022, but each phone has some important tweaks. In the photo below, you’ll see the Pixel 7 Pro (top left), the Pixel 7, and the Google Pixel 6a.
The visor-like camera strip remains on the Google Pixel 7, but its cameras are changing to a pill-and-dot cutout. The Pixel’s glass rear camera bar has changed to metal, which was previously glass on the Google Pixel 6 series. We’re hoping this camera change may mean less of an issue with lens flare in photos from this next pair of phones, as there’s less glass around the shooter itself. The two phones differ here, with the Pixel 7 sporting two cameras in a pill cutout while the Google Pixel 7 Pro adds a third dot cutout to the mix.
Colors differ between the two models, and there are changes from the Pixel 6 range. Both phones will come in Obsidian and Snow, basically black and white color options. The Pixel 7 also comes in a unique Lemongrass shade (top right of the image below), and the pro model comes in Hazel as a third color option (bottom middle below). We don’t yet know if there will be any market limitations to each color, but so far, it seems like there won’t be.
Leaks have suggested that the mmWave window along the top edge of both models has been redesigned from the unsightly transparent window we saw on the Pixel 6 Pro (and specific carrier versions of the Pixel 6). Still, we haven’t yet been able to confirm that during the launch. Aleaked Pixel 7 prototype for sale on eBayshows a cleaner, smaller window built into the metal rail of the smaller model, suggesting both phones will include the feature this time around — no carrier markup necessary.
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Apart from these changes, the Pixel 7 series seems to sport a similar design to the Pixel 6. It has a glass rear—confirmed to be glossy, just as with the previous generation—the bottom edge features a USB-C port, and the right-hand edge is home to the power button and the volume rocker. The left-hand edge is feature free, apart from the phone’s SIM tray. The screen is flat on the smaller model, and curved on the other. Both phones come with IP68 dust and water resistance ratings, plus there’s Gorilla Glass Victus glass on each side of the phone.
Thankfully, there is one major improvement: higher storage tiers are available in more markets than last year. The Pixel 7 comes in 128GB or 256GB, while the Pixel 7 Pro has the choice of 128GB / 256GB or 512GB. We don’t yet know the exact breakdown for each market, but we know this is the case in the US. For dimensions, the Pixel 7 is the smaller handset (obviously) with a 115.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm and weighing in at 197g. The Pixel 7 Pro is 162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9mm, and it weighs 212g.
Onto screens, and the Pixel 7 comes with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display OLED with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 (that’s 416ppi), while the Pixel 7 Pro comes with a 6.7-inch QHD+ LTPO OLED display with a resolution of 1440 x 3120. That’s 512ppi. The Pixel 7 is a 90Hz screen, while the 7 Pro is a 120Hz panel. Those are identical specs to last year’s phones, and we’ve yet to learn if there are any specific differences. Abricked Pixel 7 Pro prototyperevealed it was using a newer generation of Samsung’s display, possibly setting up for some slight year-over-year improvements. Still, there’s no clear sign of that happening during the launch event materials. We’ll update here if we find out any.
It’s unclear if Google’s new phones will use the same fingerprint sensor as their predecessors. Software updates have solved most of the Pixel 6’s bugs, but the under-display fingerprint sensor has only improved a modest amount since it launched last year. Google is confirmed to be using a different sensor in the Pixel 6a, and early results seem to suggestitisfaster than the one found in the Pixel 6. That bodes well for the Pixel 7, though we don’t know if that different sensor will actually show up in Google’s 2022 flagships.
Inside each phone is a second-gen Tensor chip, nowconfirmed to be called the Tensor G2. This next-gen Tensor chip will feature better performance and other improvements, according to Google — including, potentially,Bluetooth LE Audio support. The truth is, we don’t know a huge amount about the Tensor G2 yet. It wasn’t a big deal during the company’s launch event, so we’ll likely need to try the phone out more to know what’s happening here. We know that the Pixel 7 comes with 8GB of RAM, while the Pixel 7 Pro features 12GB. There don’t seem to be any other variants available so far.
As usual, Google has crammed a massive 5,000mAh battery in the Pro, though the regular Pixel 7 holds a 4,355mAh cell. That’s notably smaller than the Pixel 6’s 4614mAh cell, so it’ll be interesting to see its impact on battery life. Both phones feature 30W fast charging and wireless charging that has yet to be confirmed for any specific speed. Google estimates 24-hour battery life from a single charge and up to 72 hours of use with Extreme Battery Saver mode on. We’ll want to try to put these phones through our review process before agreeing with those estimates.
Google Pixel 7: Cameras
Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro feature 50MP f/1.85 GN1 primary and 12.5MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lenses. The primary camera is identical across both devices, but the ultra-wide differs slightly. The Pixel 7 has a 114-degree field-of-view, which is wider on the Pixel 7 Pro at 125.8 degrees. The 7 Pro also has autofocus on the ultrawide camera as well. These specs sound largely similar to what we saw on the Pixel 6 series, so you should expect a competent camera experience from both of these phones.
The Pixel 7 then features an LDAF (laser detect auto focus) sensor that uses optical and electronic image stabilization. The Pixel 7 Pro’s big difference is the 48MP telephoto camera, which is largely similar to the last-gen Pro, but it does feature some changes. The Pixel 7 can do Super Res Zoom of up to 8x with its primary camera, while the Pixel 7 Pro features Super Res Zoom up to 30x. That camera has a 125.8-degree field of view.
As for the front-facing camera, there’s good news for fans of the “smaller”—you know, relatively speaking—model. Both handsets feature 10.8MP selfie cameras, an upgrade for the Pixel 7 this year and a touch lower than the 11.1MP camera we saw on the Pixel 6 Pro. Both are a 93-degree field of view with an f/2.2 aperture. And the big deal is the introduction of Face Unlock, which has long been rumored for Pixel 6 devices allowing you to look at your phone to unlock it.
Google Pixel 7: Price and availability
Revealed in full during the Made by Google event on October 6, the phone will then go on sale on October 13 around the world. That’s the case for the US, and it may differ in other markets. Pre-orders for the handset have already begun, and we recommend checking out ourwhere to preorder the Google Pixel 7 guidefor all the latest on where to pick up the handset. We also have a guide towhere to preorder the Pixel Watch.
Google did not reinvent the wheel with the Pixel 7, but there was no need to. With improved cameras, the next-gen Tensor G2 chipset, and Google’s wonderfully feature-filled software, the Pixel 7 earns its price tag again this year.
Google’s Pixel 7 Pro refines the Pixel experience after the 6 Pro’s initial stumbles last year, improving stability and taking the camera prowess to new levels with image fusing and 4K60fps video on all cameras. 30W fast charging and Pixel’s addictive features like automatic Call screening and Pixel recorder help make the Pixel 7 Pro an alluring phone even as an iterative update.
The Pixel 7 costs $599, while the Pixel 7 Pro costs $899, though you cantrade in an eligible phone for a significant discounton both devices. These prices match the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro to a T, so while inflation might be rampant inside and outside the tech industry, it’s clear that Google wants to continue undercutting its competition. The phone will be on sale in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan.
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