Google Pixel 7 revealed with Tensor G2 chipset, improved cameras and a new screen

It’s back with minimal changes this year, making it difficult to sell

Google’s Pixel 7 was a certain for some time now. But the company finally showed it off to the public at its October ‘Made by Google’ launch event. It was also about time that the low-priced Pixel 6a appeared earlier in the year.

This iteration is a bit like Apple’s recent shift from the iPhone 13 last year to the new iPhone 14. There’s not much to do with this one. These headline changes may be more iterative than revolutionary. But what is the new 2022 model?

The Pixel 7 is already ahead of the iPhone 14 when it comes to internal upgrade. The iPhone 14 has the same A15 Bionic chipet, while the Pixel 7 uses the new Tensor G2 processor. This is the natural successor of last year’s first-gen Google Tensor.

Google claims that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have lower power consumption for «everyday activities», such as web browsing and social scrolling. The original Tensor 2+2+4 core cluster is retained, but it is made using a smaller and more efficient 4nm fabrication process. Additionally, the clock speed at 2.85GHz is 50MHz faster.

Google claimed that the Tensor G2 was «smarter than last year» thanks to improved on-chip AI/machine learning algorithms. All Pixel 7 owners will be able to access free VPN via Google One, although it won’t be available during launch.

The Pixel 7 now supports biometric face unlocks, which is a significant improvement on previous Pixel phones. This is the first Pixel phone to support this unlocking method since the Pixel 4 in 2019. It’s not surprising, considering that there were many reports last year about the Pixel 6’s finicky fingerprint scanner.

The Pixel 7 received a redesign that includes a «zirconia blasted aluminium finish», which is 100% made from recycled materials. The horizontal Geordi La Forge-style rear camerabar was introduced in the Pixel 6. However, it looks quite different this year with the two rear cameras enclosed in a separate, pill-shaped housing.

This year, the phone is available in three colors: Obsidian (black), Snow and Lemongrass (a kind of pastel green). You can choose to pay more for 256GB internal storage or 128GB RAM. It’s important to make wise choices, as there is no room for a microSD Card, just like last year.

Google did not mention how long the Pixel 7 would last on one charge under normal conditions. However, if you enable the «Extreme Battery Savings» options in the settings, the phone is expected to last up to 72 hours between charges.

Android 12 is the latest version of Google’s mobile OS. The Pixel 7 runs Android 12. The software side of things is not very interesting this year, except for a new SMS feature that allows you to transcribe audio messages. However, Google has promised at most five years of security updates monthly.

The Pixel 7’s screen has a smaller resolution and is less expensive than its Pro-branded sibling. We’re seeing a 6.3in FHD+ OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. Google claims that the screen’s brightness has been increased 25%.

Google’s Pixel phones are all about photography, and the Pixel 7 doesn’t disappoint. The hardware hasn’t changed much this year. The 50MP main camera is back, along with the 12MP ultrawide sensor. This is odd. Google claims that the selfie camera’s ultrawide photos have been «improved», but doesn’t go into detail.

However, the company mentioned that all cameras now can record at 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. Software enhancements include an enhanced photo unblur mode that allows you to digitally enhance blurry faces in photos taken with your old phone using the Google Photos app. Night sight shooting is now two times faster than it was before. This is supposedly due to a decrease in visual noise.

Google claims that the Real Tone feature of its Google Chrome browser performs better than with the previous generation. Cinematic blur can be applied to videos, which is basically applying shallow depth-of-field in footage at 24 frames per second. Stabilization has been greatly improved, and background noise can now be prioritized over speech audio. Dual, a new feature that allows simultaneous recording of video from both the rear and front cameras, is also available.

Pre-orders for the Pixel 7 are now open. Prices start at $599 for the 128GB model. The release date is set for 13 October. Keep checking back for my complete verdict in the coming weeks.