Like clockwork, we’re coming into one of many busiest elements of the yr with an avalanche of cool new gadgets. The Google Pixel collection is a landmark now, and we’re enthusiastic about at the moment’s launch of the brand new Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Professional.
Final yr’s Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional represented a flip for the higher with many enhancements over the Pixel 5, with notably a big escalation of the digicam {hardware} within the Pixel 6 Professional as noticed by our CAMERA HW rating. Google got here again into the race, competing on the highest ranges.
The brand new Google Pixel 7 collection is an improve, refinement, and optimization of the Pixel 6 collection as Google capitalizes on final yr’s herculean effort.
The economic design is seeing modifications however sticks to the general design language that was properly obtained final yr. The modifications make the brand new telephones look extra trendy, and the manufacturing high quality has elevated.
The brand new polished aluminum digicam bar of the Pixel 7 Professional provides it an additional “premium” look, whereas the Pixel 7 (non-pro) will get a matte model. It’s glorious positioning utilizing design as an instrument.
Google is thought for its “pure Android” expertise and lengthy dedication to software program updates, and nothing has modified on that entrance. Design apart, there are facets of those new Pixel 7 telephones we need to entice your consideration to, particularly the Digicam and Computing.
The digicam is probably the most thrilling facet for almost all, so let’s get to it. The Pixel 7 Professional’s digicam is configured as follows:
- 50 MP major (OIS, 1.2μm pixels, ƒ/1.85, 1/1.31” sensor)
- 12 MP ultra-wide (1.25μm pixels, ƒ/2.2)
- 48 MP telephoto (OIS, 0.7μm pixels, ƒ/3.5, 5X optical)
- 8MP selfie (1.22μm pixels, ƒ/2.2, fixed-focus)
This configuration is well-balanced (for the value) and may cowl all on a regular basis use circumstances very properly. We’ll compute the CAMERA HW rating in our full evaluate, however this appears fairly good.
Google is utilizing its telephoto in two methods. It shoots natively at 5X optical zoom in 48MP. Alternatively, it will probably zoom even additional utilizing a sensor-cropping approach, like what Samsung has in a few of its Galaxy telephones.
Sensor-cropping makes use of solely a fraction of the sensing floor with out merging pixels to protect particulars. That’s like having a smaller sensor with a lens that zooms additional. Sensor cropping is usually inferior to having an optical equal, however it’s a lot better than software program upscaling.
The Pixel 7’s digicam could be very related however forgoes the telephoto – a selection is commonly discovered between completely different tiers of telephones. It makes a whole lot of sense as a result of ultrawide is objectively a extra frequent use case than zoom – that’s why OEMs make this tradeoff for extra reasonably priced telephones.
- 50 MP major (OIS, 1.2μm pixels, ƒ/1.85, 1/1.31” sensor)
- 12 MP ultra-wide (1.25μm pixels, ƒ/2.2 – completely different lens)
- 8MP selfie (1.22μm pixels, ƒ/2.2, fixed-focus)
You get nearly all the photographic advantages of the Pixel 7 Professional, besides when the topic is much away. Within the $599 vary, that is very thrilling.
Relating to computing, Google makes use of its Tensor G2 processor to supply glorious help for all imagery actions that rely closely on stream computing and AI.
Google has demonstrated some long-exposure photographs, which have been almost 4X sooner, going from 5.25s all the way down to 1.25s. That must also have an effect on near-instant pictures or video recording, which we’re rather more keen on.
That stated, the competitors (Qualcomm, MediaTek) can also be able to doing such issues, and there’s no cross-platform benchmark to match them apples-to-apples.
The Pixel 7 Professional has 12GB of RAM, in order that’s the one heavy app customers ought to think about, because the 8GB of RAM within the Pixel 7 ought to suffice for everybody with extra fundamental wants.
Storage choices are 128/256GB for each, however solely the Pixel 7 Professional will get a 512GB model if you happen to want that a lot.
Each telephones can be found for pre-order at the moment for $599 and $899 on the official Google retailer, but additionally from carriers corresponding to AT&T (pre-order right here), which additionally says that in-store items will arrive on Oct 13. As typical, if you happen to sign-up on a brand new AT&T plan, you possibly can get the Pixel 7 free of charge, and the provider says it provides “as much as” $800-off on the Pixel 7 Professional
