Pixel 7 Pro Review: Google's Best Phone Gets Better
Phones
Speaker 1: The Pixel seven Pro is the best phone that Google has ever made. It's also the least exciting. Here's what you need to know.
Speaker 1: So Google's Pixel six Pro when it launched last year was a superb bit of kit. I even gave it a coveted [00:00:30] CNET Editor's Choice award, and this phone was a huge overhaul from the Pixel five before it, but it was such a big overhaul, but it meant that there's not a lot of change in the new model one year on, but of course there doesn't really need to be. Google clearly found its feet with the Pixel six and just one year is not enough time to warrant a complete overhaul of an already excellent phone. So instead of needlessly changing everything about the Pixel six, Google has instead made lots [00:01:00] of little refinements tweaks here and there, little pokes and pros in all kinds of different ways that all add up to make the Pixel seven Pro an absolutely superb phone. We get improved cameras, some added new neat tricks and dare I say it an even more attractive design, but it is very much evolution over revolution.
Speaker 1: So those of you wanting something completely new from Google will be a little disappointed. So [00:01:30] with that all being said, let's dive in to find out what I really like about this phone. The design is familiar but refined. Google has maintained that camera strip across the back that houses the three lenses, but that strip is now made of recycled Allin and it blends seamlessly with the allium surround on the phone. It's a small shift, but I think it really adds something to the overall look and feel of the thing. The back is still glass and the front still curves nicely [00:02:00] at the edges. So I just feel it feels generally like a very luxurious, very premium phone and it's IP 68 rated. So spilled drinks or taking phone calls in the rain should be of no concern. However, I do worry that that shiny metal strip could be a little susceptible to damage even just in the short time I've been testing it already noticed some very small hairline scratches on that shiny surface that over time could become a bit more pronounced, whether that's [00:02:30] actually a problem remains to be seen.
Speaker 1: It is possible, of course, that it could age beautifully over time, like solid brass instruments that develop a pattern at a life of their own as they get more scratched and maybe after three years with the phone, all those little scratches, we'll just tell of the story of the time you've spent with your phone. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking. The display measures 6.7 inches and it's got a 31 20 by 1440 pixel resolution that is exactly the same [00:03:00] as the Pixel six Pro. It's sharp and bright enough to be used outside and it's got bold, punchy colors that I found lend themselves well to vibrant U YouTube videos, maybe some of the ones you've seen on this channel, but it still manages not to look too oversaturated or unrealistic. There is no question that at 6.7 inches it is a big phone and that is great for those of you that like big screen gaming or if you watch a lot of videos on the move.
Speaker 1: For those of you with smaller hands or [00:03:30] just those of you who prefer a smaller phone, might find it a little bit cumbersome to use, particularly if you're trying to text with one hand. Okay, let's talk about those cameras. The cameras on the Pixel six Pro. Were superb, capable of taking beautiful photos that rd any other phone of its time. So I'm glad to say that Google hasn't lost its touch here. The Pixel seven Pro's 50 megapixel main camera takes beautiful photos with superb dynamic range and spot [00:04:00] on colors. It's taken some glorious shots on my test photo, walked around my home in all of its autumnal glory with vivid blue skies being captured perfectly and tons of detail captured by that high resolution sensor. The optical telephoto zoom has been given a boost from four times to five times. Now that might not seem like a huge difference, but it is just enough to give you that extra bit of reach in the Zoom to help you find those more interesting compositions in a scene compositions that [00:04:30] might actually be lost to your iPhone 14 pro using friends with the three times Zoom, like the main lens for telephoto zoom captures beautiful images with great dynamic range and accurate colors.
Speaker 1: Personally that five times Teleo Zoom is one of my favorite things about this camera is a great sweet spot between the iPhones three times Zoom and the Galaxy S 22 Ultras 10 times Zoom. Switching to the ultra wide lens lets you pack in much more into your scene, and I'm impressed to see that [00:05:00] there is no noticeable color shift when switching between the lenses. The Ultra Wides new auto focus system though does bring a cool new feature though in the form of macro photography, you can now focus within a couple of inches of that lens so you can get really great close up shots of things like bugs or flowers. It works well too by automatically switching to that macro mode when it detects something close up and focuses quickly. And sure, having a macro camera might not exactly be a standout [00:05:30] feature for many of you, but it certainly is a fun addition, particularly on those occasions when an interesting bug creeps towards you and you just want to get a close up shot to show it off.
Speaker 1: On the gram night mode. Images are good as well with the night site mode, being able to take six second long exposures, which captures a huge amount of light even in very dark scenarios. The night shots are bright in crisp, but I have found some issues with flaring, particularly with things like street lamps. If [00:06:00] they're closer to the camera, it's a shame that sometimes it's so strong that it does spoil the image for me. Google has continued to make AI improvements to its camera software as well with updates to its real tone algorithm for better capture of darker skin tones. There's also a new guided frame feature that helps blind or partially cited people take selfies. Then there's a neat new trick called Photo un blur, which as the name suggests un blurs your photos. I tried it on a handful of my older photos and [00:06:30] the difference can be quite noticeable with some shots having a definite improvement in clarity after the tool has done its magic.
Speaker 1: Other shots didn't seem to have quite the same difference, and if your photo is incredibly blurry, then really there's not a lot that any AI can do to help save your shots. So it's a neat trick, but you can't expect miracles. The phone runs on the second generation of Google's own homemade processor called 10 set G two. Now it was a [00:07:00] bold move for Google to start making its own silicon for its phones rather than using something off the shelf like one of Qualcomms chips. But the reality is that in everyday use, you will not know that there is anything different inside this thing as it just performs like any other Android phone and it's got more than enough power to make this thing run beautifully. Navigating around the interfaces swift and lag free apps open immediately. Switching between open tasks is [00:07:30] incredibly quick and it can handle things like high resolution streaming and demanding games with things like Asphalt Nine Legends or GenOn Impact playing at max settings without any noticeable problems.
Speaker 1: In short, it is packed with power, but it's the behind the scenes stuff that Google says has been improved with this new chip cause it's built with AI and machine learning in mind. And indeed Google says that various tasks that use that have been improved. [00:08:00] In particular things like speech recognition and transcription, object detection in imagery, better AI to reduce background noise in your phone calls and even deeper security things, which has allowed the Pixel seven Pro to have face unlock as well as a fingerprint scanner in the screen. The phone is running for latest version of Android 13, which I really enjoyed using because it is clean Clutter three and just easy to use. It's got no bloatware or other nonsense pre-installed on [00:08:30] it, so it just feels very streamlined and it means that even Android novices will not find it difficult to get up to speed with a phone like this.
Speaker 1: So what don't I like about the Pixel seven Pro? Well, one of the only negatives I can really throw at it is that its Battery life could be better. On my YouTube streaming battery tests, I found that it didn't fare quite as well as either the old Pixel six Pro or the Pixel six A or the Pixel seven or the iPhone 13, but the battery life isn't [00:09:00] bad, it's just not as good as it could be. It'll still comfortably get through a full day of mixed use and as with pretty much any other phone you can buy right now, you'll still put it on charge for a full boost overnight. So I really don't think it's battery life is problematic. It's just worth keeping in mind if you are the sort of person that really tries to squeeze every last drop of juice from their batteries.
Speaker 1: But there is little Ls I can say that I don't like about this foam. Well, it doesn't have the same pizazz that the six Pro [00:09:30] had when it launched last year. It makes enough refinements across the board to result in a phone, which is absolutely stunning to use and every bit deserving of its flagship status. Needless to say though, if you have already got the Pixel six Pro, then this is not worth an upgrade. But if you aren't using an older pixel phone or any older phone at all for that matter, then it is absolutely worth a look. What do you think to Google's Pixel seven Pro is it's the flagship Android [00:10:00] phone for you or have you got your eyes set elsewhere? Do you? Of course. Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below and make sure to check out the video description for a lot more information about the phone.
