The Pixel 7: A Refinement of a Refiner

Google has once again upgraded its flagship smartphone with the release of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. While it may not be a revolutionary change, the Pixel 7 refines the design, adds new features, and improves upon previous models. The most noticeable upgrade is the camera, which boasts improved low-light performance and a new feature called "guided frame" that helps users take selfies, especially those who are blind or low vision.

The guided frame is particularly useful for individuals with visual impairments, as it provides audio cues to help them line up the front camera with their subject. The TalkBack screen reader must be enabled for this feature to work. I attempted to take a selfie of myself and my husband sitting on the couch with my eyes closed, and the guided frame told me to move my phone slightly until both our faces were in the frame. It was a seamless experience that showcases Google's commitment to inclusivity.

In addition to the camera upgrades, the Pixel 7 also features a new video feature called "cinematic blur." This is essentially portrait mode for video, similar to Apple's Cinematic Mode on the iPhone. While it may seem familiar, I tested Google's version alongside Apple's and found that it looks slightly more natural. However, I will need to revisit this comparison once both phones are available for a direct side-by-side comparison.

The Pixel 7 is powered by Google's new Tensor G2 processor, which has been praised for its stability and performance. Unlike some previous models, such as the Pixel 6, which were plagued with bugs and hiccups, I haven't noticed any issues with the Pixel 7. The in-screen fingerprint reader also seems more reliable than on the Pixel 6.

Furthermore, Google has added Face Unlock to the Pixel 7, a feature that was noticeably absent from the previous model. However, it's essential to note that this is not as sophisticated as Apple's Face ID, which uses thousands of invisible dots to create a depth map and authenticate sensitive data. Instead, the Pixel 7 uses the front-facing camera to extract depth information through algorithms, making it more suitable for secondary unlocking purposes rather than managing sensitive data.

Face Unlock works quickly on the Pixel 7, but it's not a new feature in itself. It's become standard across most smartphones, and users should be accustomed to its usage by now. Battery life on the Pixel 7 is decent, lasting around 15 hours on a single charge, but I may have been using my phone more intensively than average, which impacted my results.

Google also offers an "Extreme Battery Saver" mode that can prolong battery life for up to 72 hours. However, I haven't had the chance to test this feature yet. The Pixel 7 will run on Android 13 and receive three years of Android OS updates and five years of security updates, which is a notable upgrade over some other smartphones.

One notable feature exclusive to the Pixel 7 is a built-in VPN for free. Users typically need to subscribe to Google's premium Google One plan to access this feature, which costs $10 per month. This upgrade highlights Google's commitment to providing users with more comprehensive security and privacy options.

The overall design of the Pixel 7 has been refined, making it feel like a notable upgrade over previous models. While it may not be revolutionary, the additions make for an improved user experience. If you have an older phone like the Pixel 4 and earlier, the Pixel 7 should feel like a welcome upgrade. However, if you have a Pixel 6, it's not necessary to upgrade just yet.

For those interested in purchasing the Pixel 7 or learning more about its features, I recommend checking out our full written review for a closer look at this smartphone and its capabilities. Additionally, don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more pixel and Android coverage.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enafter teasing the pixel 7 in May Google's new flagship phone is finally here but don't expect it to be as dramatic of an upgrade as the pixel 6. the pixel 7 Builds on what Google started with the pixel 6 last year it has a slightly updated design with a new metal camera bar Google's new tensor G2 processor a slightly smaller screen a built-in VPN and a camera with some internal changes that should improve Zoom quality but most importantly Google is keeping the same 600 price for the pixel 7 despite inflation that makes it cheaper than the iPhone 14 and the Galaxy s22 both of which cost 800 at regular price that might sound like a lot of changes on paper but if you have a pixel 6 there's no reason to upgrade just yet Google gave the pixel lineup a makeover last year and that's carried over to the pixel 7. once again the camera bar is the star of the show it now has a metal design which makes it even more prominent than on the pixel 6. on the pixel 7 there's more separation between the camera strip itself and the lenses which kind of blend into the camera bar on the pixel 6. but Google has done away with the two-tone color pattern found on last year's phones instead the pixel 7 is all one color on the back aside from the camera bar color options for the pixel 7 include Snow White obsidian and lemongrass I've been using the lemongrass color which is the most interesting one of the bunch when it comes to the competition I'm torn on whether I like this design better than the Galaxy s22 I love that the camera bar stands out even when you put a case on the pixel 7 but I also really like the Galaxy s22's matte finish and color options the pixel 7 has a slightly smaller screen at 6.3 inches compared to the pixel 6's 6.4 inch display but the bezels framing the screen are also Slimmer which gives it a more attractive look overall this makes it easier to use the phone in one hand while also providing more screen space than you'd get with the Galaxy s22 or the cheaper pixel 6A the pixel 7 still has a 50 megapixel main camera and 12 megapixel Ultra wide camera like the pixel 6. but Google says it's made some internal changes that improve Zoom quality among other aspects of the camera when zooming at 2x the pixel 7's 50 megapixel main sensor now crops into 12.5 megapixels in the middle which the company claims should deliver a big boost in image quality to see how much of a difference this makes I compared photos taken at 2x zoom on the pixel 7 alongside those taken on the pixel 6. in most of the photos I've taken so far the difference is only really noticeable when you zoom in on the image in this photo of an art exhibit at a local park you'll notice there's more noise in the pixel 6's photo when you zoom in a couple of times but you really have to look for it in other photos like this picture of a Skyline on the East River I couldn't really notice a difference at all even when I zoomed in but I have to admit this photo taken at the pixel 7's maximum Zoom of 8X looks impressively sharp compared to the pixel 6s which is zoomed in up to its maximum level of 7x if you're really into Zoom photography you'll want to check out the 900 pixel 7 Pro instead which has a dedicated 48 megapixel telephoto camera you can check out that review to learn more about whether that camera lives up to Google's claims but the pixel 7 is getting another camera trick that's also fueled by Google's new tensor G2 processor photo one blur sharpens old photos just as the name implies it builds on the face on blur feature that Google announced with the pixel 6 last year but the idea is that instead of just sharpening new photos you can go back and improve old photos that you may have taken on an older camera this worked pretty well in most scenarios but if the photo is too grainy there just isn't much Google can do to salvage it photo and blur Works especially well on photos that are out of focus rather than noisy look at this photo of me from 2013 and see how Google is able to make it so much crisper this photo is from nearly 10 years ago but it almost looks new Google has also added a new feature that should make it easier for people who are blind or low vision to take selfies guided frame helps you line up the front camera with audio cues as long as you have the TalkBack screen reader enabled move your phone slightly bright enough to see how well this worked I attempted to take a selfie of me and my husband sitting on the couch with my eyes closed guided frame told me to move my phone to the left or right and up or down until both of our faces were in the frame ready for selfie three two one photo taken photography isn't the only camera upgrade Google is also introducing a new video feature too cinematic blur is coming to the pixel 7 and 7 Pro and it's essentially portrait mode for video this might sound really familiar because the iPhone also has a very similar feature called cinematic mode which came out last year I tested Google's version alongside apples and I think Apple's looks a bit more natural you can get a closer look at the pixel 7's camera and how it compares to Samsung and Apple's cameras in our full written review the pixel 7 runs on Google's new tensor G2 processor and I'm happy to report that I haven't noticed any bugs or hiccups like some pixel 6 users did last year the in-screen fingerprint reader also seems to be more reliable than the pixel 6's which is a nice Improvement but Google also added another way to unlock your phone you can now use Face Unlock which was noticeably absent from the pixel 6. however don't expect it to be anything like Apple's face ID which projects thousands of invisible dots all over your face to create a depth map on the pixel 7 and 7 Pro Google is just using the front facing camera and some algorithms to extract depth information that's why Google only recommends it as a secondary means of unlocking your phone rather than for managing sensitive data like authenticating purchases the good news is that face unlock works pretty fast on the pixel 7 but again this isn't anything new for the smartphone industry and it's pretty standard on most phones battery life on the pixel 7 is enough to get through a full day but you might want to have a charger handy if it's going to be a particularly busy day I got around 15 and a half hours out of the pixel 6 on a day that involved commuting to the office taking some photos and sending a lot of texts I also had the screen brightness turned up high so that I could see it more easily Outdoors some other features that typically drain battery faster were also enabled like the always-on display High refresh rate and now playing which recognizes nearby songs the next day I turned off those features and set the display to Adaptive brightness which adjusts the brightness as needed I also spent about an hour reading the news during commute made a 20 minute phone call and took a lot of photos on that second day turning those features off extended battery life by a little more than an hour but I was also using my phone more often compared to the day before it's important to remember that battery life varies a lot depending on how you use your phone so your experience might not match mine on the flip side on a day when I spent the majority of my time at home I still had about 44 of my battery left by bedtime Google also has an extreme battery saver mode that should prolong battery every light for up to 72 hours but I haven't had the chance to try it just yet as for software the pixel 7 runs on Android 13 and will get three years of Android OS updates and 5 years of security updates that's not bad but Samsung promises up to four generations of Android updates you'll also get some exclusive pixel features the most noticeable of which is the addition of a built-in VPN for free you usually have to sign up for Google's premium Google one plan which costs ten dollars per month to get that feature the pixel 7 is a modest upgrade over the pixel 6 that brings a more refined design some extra photography features and Face Unlock to Google smartphone it's not a radical change but it doesn't need to be since Google just revamped the pixel last year don't buy it if you have a pixel 6. but if you have an older phone like the pixel 4 and earlier the pixel 7 should feel like a noteworthy upgrade check out our full written review for a closer look at the pixel 7 and don't forget to subscribe to get more pixel and Android coverage so what do you think of the pixel 7 let me know in the comments thanks for watching and I'll see you next timeafter teasing the pixel 7 in May Google's new flagship phone is finally here but don't expect it to be as dramatic of an upgrade as the pixel 6. the pixel 7 Builds on what Google started with the pixel 6 last year it has a slightly updated design with a new metal camera bar Google's new tensor G2 processor a slightly smaller screen a built-in VPN and a camera with some internal changes that should improve Zoom quality but most importantly Google is keeping the same 600 price for the pixel 7 despite inflation that makes it cheaper than the iPhone 14 and the Galaxy s22 both of which cost 800 at regular price that might sound like a lot of changes on paper but if you have a pixel 6 there's no reason to upgrade just yet Google gave the pixel lineup a makeover last year and that's carried over to the pixel 7. once again the camera bar is the star of the show it now has a metal design which makes it even more prominent than on the pixel 6. on the pixel 7 there's more separation between the camera strip itself and the lenses which kind of blend into the camera bar on the pixel 6. but Google has done away with the two-tone color pattern found on last year's phones instead the pixel 7 is all one color on the back aside from the camera bar color options for the pixel 7 include Snow White obsidian and lemongrass I've been using the lemongrass color which is the most interesting one of the bunch when it comes to the competition I'm torn on whether I like this design better than the Galaxy s22 I love that the camera bar stands out even when you put a case on the pixel 7 but I also really like the Galaxy s22's matte finish and color options the pixel 7 has a slightly smaller screen at 6.3 inches compared to the pixel 6's 6.4 inch display but the bezels framing the screen are also Slimmer which gives it a more attractive look overall this makes it easier to use the phone in one hand while also providing more screen space than you'd get with the Galaxy s22 or the cheaper pixel 6A the pixel 7 still has a 50 megapixel main camera and 12 megapixel Ultra wide camera like the pixel 6. but Google says it's made some internal changes that improve Zoom quality among other aspects of the camera when zooming at 2x the pixel 7's 50 megapixel main sensor now crops into 12.5 megapixels in the middle which the company claims should deliver a big boost in image quality to see how much of a difference this makes I compared photos taken at 2x zoom on the pixel 7 alongside those taken on the pixel 6. in most of the photos I've taken so far the difference is only really noticeable when you zoom in on the image in this photo of an art exhibit at a local park you'll notice there's more noise in the pixel 6's photo when you zoom in a couple of times but you really have to look for it in other photos like this picture of a Skyline on the East River I couldn't really notice a difference at all even when I zoomed in but I have to admit this photo taken at the pixel 7's maximum Zoom of 8X looks impressively sharp compared to the pixel 6s which is zoomed in up to its maximum level of 7x if you're really into Zoom photography you'll want to check out the 900 pixel 7 Pro instead which has a dedicated 48 megapixel telephoto camera you can check out that review to learn more about whether that camera lives up to Google's claims but the pixel 7 is getting another camera trick that's also fueled by Google's new tensor G2 processor photo one blur sharpens old photos just as the name implies it builds on the face on blur feature that Google announced with the pixel 6 last year but the idea is that instead of just sharpening new photos you can go back and improve old photos that you may have taken on an older camera this worked pretty well in most scenarios but if the photo is too grainy there just isn't much Google can do to salvage it photo and blur Works especially well on photos that are out of focus rather than noisy look at this photo of me from 2013 and see how Google is able to make it so much crisper this photo is from nearly 10 years ago but it almost looks new Google has also added a new feature that should make it easier for people who are blind or low vision to take selfies guided frame helps you line up the front camera with audio cues as long as you have the TalkBack screen reader enabled move your phone slightly bright enough to see how well this worked I attempted to take a selfie of me and my husband sitting on the couch with my eyes closed guided frame told me to move my phone to the left or right and up or down until both of our faces were in the frame ready for selfie three two one photo taken photography isn't the only camera upgrade Google is also introducing a new video feature too cinematic blur is coming to the pixel 7 and 7 Pro and it's essentially portrait mode for video this might sound really familiar because the iPhone also has a very similar feature called cinematic mode which came out last year I tested Google's version alongside apples and I think Apple's looks a bit more natural you can get a closer look at the pixel 7's camera and how it compares to Samsung and Apple's cameras in our full written review the pixel 7 runs on Google's new tensor G2 processor and I'm happy to report that I haven't noticed any bugs or hiccups like some pixel 6 users did last year the in-screen fingerprint reader also seems to be more reliable than the pixel 6's which is a nice Improvement but Google also added another way to unlock your phone you can now use Face Unlock which was noticeably absent from the pixel 6. however don't expect it to be anything like Apple's face ID which projects thousands of invisible dots all over your face to create a depth map on the pixel 7 and 7 Pro Google is just using the front facing camera and some algorithms to extract depth information that's why Google only recommends it as a secondary means of unlocking your phone rather than for managing sensitive data like authenticating purchases the good news is that face unlock works pretty fast on the pixel 7 but again this isn't anything new for the smartphone industry and it's pretty standard on most phones battery life on the pixel 7 is enough to get through a full day but you might want to have a charger handy if it's going to be a particularly busy day I got around 15 and a half hours out of the pixel 6 on a day that involved commuting to the office taking some photos and sending a lot of texts I also had the screen brightness turned up high so that I could see it more easily Outdoors some other features that typically drain battery faster were also enabled like the always-on display High refresh rate and now playing which recognizes nearby songs the next day I turned off those features and set the display to Adaptive brightness which adjusts the brightness as needed I also spent about an hour reading the news during commute made a 20 minute phone call and took a lot of photos on that second day turning those features off extended battery life by a little more than an hour but I was also using my phone more often compared to the day before it's important to remember that battery life varies a lot depending on how you use your phone so your experience might not match mine on the flip side on a day when I spent the majority of my time at home I still had about 44 of my battery left by bedtime Google also has an extreme battery saver mode that should prolong battery every light for up to 72 hours but I haven't had the chance to try it just yet as for software the pixel 7 runs on Android 13 and will get three years of Android OS updates and 5 years of security updates that's not bad but Samsung promises up to four generations of Android updates you'll also get some exclusive pixel features the most noticeable of which is the addition of a built-in VPN for free you usually have to sign up for Google's premium Google one plan which costs ten dollars per month to get that feature the pixel 7 is a modest upgrade over the pixel 6 that brings a more refined design some extra photography features and Face Unlock to Google smartphone it's not a radical change but it doesn't need to be since Google just revamped the pixel last year don't buy it if you have a pixel 6. but if you have an older phone like the pixel 4 and earlier the pixel 7 should feel like a noteworthy upgrade check out our full written review for a closer look at the pixel 7 and don't forget to subscribe to get more pixel and Android coverage so what do you think of the pixel 7 let me know in the comments thanks for watching and I'll see you next time\n"