Google Pixel 7 Pro Review – Convenience-specific smartphone for camera and everyday use

I purchased a Google Pixel 7 Pro.

Top class camera performance, specialized for daily use

Google Pixel 7 Pro is a smartphone equipped with Google’s own Tensor G2.

As Google is good at software, the hardware has not changed much from the Pixel 6 Pro, but the software processing has been improved to realize higher camera quality and additional useful functions.

However, the SoC performance is almost the same as the original Tensor, and the heat generation measures have not evolved much, so the gaming performance is subtle.

The main focus is on improving convenience for everyday use, and it is probably not intended for people who mainly play high-load games.

This review is based on version TD1A.220804.009.A5, 12GB+128GB version.

• Camera that shoots beautifully enough with auto shooting
• QHD+ resolution display
• LTPO AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate support
• USB 3.2 Gen2 port
• Fingerprint recognition is faster than Pixel 6 series
• IP68

• SoC performance is at Snapdragon 870 level
• Heat generation measures have not improved much
• Speaker sound is unbalanced
• Resolution at zoom is worse than other competitor’s high-end
• Sequential read/write is slow
• Slow charging speed at 23W
• No video output in DP Alt Mode

	Google Pixel 7 Pro
OS	Android 13
RAM	12GB LPDDR5
Storage	128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1
SoC	Google Tensor G2
Display	6.7inch QHD+ 1440 x 3120 Aspect Ratio 19.5:9 LTPO 120Hz AMOLED
Size	162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9mm
Weight	212g
SIM	nano SIM + eSIM
Rear Camera	50MP + 12MP (Ultra-wide) + 48MP (Periscope)
Front Camera	10.8MP
Battery	5000mAh
USB Port	USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen2)

Included is an OTG adapter, USB Type-C to C cable, and instructions.

Gentle edge display

The Pixel 7 Pro has a 6.7″ QHD+ display with LTPO that automatically switches from 10 to 120 Hz.

No protective film is applied.

Unfortunately, the edge display continues, but the edges are more gently angled.

It is equipped with Samsung’s S6E3HC4 and is a diamond pixel array.

It is a minor-changed version of the S6E3HC3 used in the Pixel 6 Pro, and the panel itself consumes more power than the latest 2022 version, perhaps because it has not changed significantly from the 2021 panel.

The maximum brightness has been upgraded to 1,000 nits, and when I actually measured the brightness with the LX-1336B during HDR video playback with automatic brightness adjustment on, it reached a maximum of 955 nits.

The total touch latency measured by the WALT Latency Timer was 48.2 ms. The delay is a little large.

Fingerprint recognition is greatly improved, and can be used with face unlock

The Pixel 7 Pro’s in-screen fingerprint sensor has greatly improved accuracy, allowing for faster authentication.

However, when the screen is off, fingerprint authentication cannot be performed until the screen is turned on.

When used in conjunction with Always On Display or tap to wake, the screen can be turned on to some extent, but unlike other companies, it really responds with a single tap, not a double tap, so even a slight touch when holding the device will turn the screen on.

It now supports face unlock using machine learning.

Perhaps because Google once discontinued it because of its “low accuracy,” it has many limitations and it doesn’t respond when wearing a mask, and unlike fingerprint recognition, it cannot be used for biometric authentication in third-party apps.

There is also a setting that allows authentication only when the eyes are open.

Snow makes fingerprints on the back less noticeable

The back glass of the Pixel 7 Pro is glossy and fingerprint-prone.

However, with the white Snow, fingerprints are less noticeable, so those who are concerned about fingerprint smudges should buy Snow.

It weighs 212.6g.

High camera performance, but not the best in the world

Pixel 7 Pro has

• 50MP
• 12MP (Ultra-wide)
• 48MP (Periscope)

triple cameras.

All photos were taken in auto and handheld and are saved here.

The colors are adjusted to natural tones, not overly saturated.

If you need a social networking look, you can use Google Photos to correct the colors afterwards.

Although it may look a little unnatural, you can correct shaky photo afterwards and erase unwanted objects with the Magic Eraser, which shows Google’s stance that software assistance is necessary for “good quality” photography.

When you get close to an object, the macro mode is automatically turned on, allowing you to take a macro shot using the super wide-angle camera.

You can also turn it off by tapping the icon.

Night scenes can be taken quite brightly…but it is difficult to take a picture that is bright overall without making the light source blurry.

Tapping on a light source will stop the white-out effect, but will darken the surrounding area.

The super resolution zoom improves long distance shooting… but when I compared 2x zoom auto shooting at the same distance with the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, the Pixel 7 Pro had a whitish border around the text and details were crushed.

While Pixel 7 Pro is one of the best smartphones officially sold outside China, it is not the best in the world.

Even at 30x zoom, the difference is obvious.

I think the Pixel 7 Pro is at a good enough level, just not as good as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra which is the best in the world, a normal smartphone would be much noisier at 30x zoom.

Speaker left/right channel is imbalance

Although the Pixel 7 Pro is equipped with stereo speakers, the sound volume is quite different on the left and right sides because it uses the speaker for calls and does not adjust the sound balance.

When the phone is held horizontally, the sound is tipped to one side, which is particularly disconcerting when playing music.

If anything, high notes are stronger, and low volume high notes such as hi-hat sound a little muffled.

The audio output delay was 42.2 ms when measured with the WALT Latency Timer.

The volume buttons are located on the right side, below the power button.

The USB Type-C port is USB 3.2 Gen2 compatible.

…but it is restricted to not allow video output in DisplayPort Alt Mode, and does not respond when connected to a monitor with a USB Type-C cable.

I know they want to sell Chromecast, but I wanted them to be able to freely output video to take advantage of the USB 3.2 Gen2 bandwidth.

I purchased a 4K Chromecast with Google TV, but it was slow and frustrating, so it is disappointing that the Pixel 7 Pro does not offer fast and stable wired output for video enjoyment, even though it meets the requirements in terms of specifications.

The charging speed is also slow due to the maximum 23W.

SoC performance has not changed significantly since the original Tensor

The Google Tensor G2 that the Pixel 7 Pro is equipped with is not significantly different from the original Tensor in terms of performance.

It is likely that the focus was on improving AI performance to improve comfort in everyday use.

In Geekbench 5, the Genshin disguised version had single-core 1052 and multi-core 3236, while the normal version had single-core 1051 and multi-core 3244.

There was no significant change, and it seems that performance is not controlled by package name judgment, as it should be.

PCMark Work 3.0, which measures performance in everyday use such as document manipulation, scored 11065.

In the 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test, the score was 6494, with a temperature increase from 25°C to 41°C (16°C increase) and battery consumption of 10% at 16-48 FPS.

This performance is only slightly better than the Snapdragon 870.

Although the storage is UFS 3.1, sequential read and write speeds are particularly slow compared to other competitors’ UFS 3.1-based models.

Sequential write speeds are even slower than other companies’ UFS 2.2 models, and when copying files from a PC, there were times when I felt that data could not be written that fast despite the USB 3.2 Gen2 port and cable.

On the contrary, random writes are quite fast and top class.

This may be the result of tuning for comfort in everyday use, as there are many situations where random access performance is a factor in everyday use.

Playing Genshin at the highest quality and 60FPS setting and measured with WeTest PerfDog, the average power consumption was 134.20 mW per FPS at 43.2 FPS.

The battery temperature rose to a maximum of about 40.7°C, and the side frames were getting dusty hot.

Both frame rate and performance per watt were at the Snapdragon 870 level, which is a big difference from the high-performance power-saving Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.

If you want to play games comfortably, the Pixel 7 Pro is not for you.

In World of Tanks Blitz, when played at 120 FPS settings and all graphics settings at their highest values, the average was 112.3 FPS, with a power consumption of 53.69 mW per FPS.

The software features are detailed in other media, so I will skip them.

Real-time translation and transcription are quite useful.

Conclusion

• Camera that shoots beautifully enough with auto shooting
• QHD+ resolution display
• LTPO AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate support
• USB 3.2 Gen2 port
• Fingerprint recognition is faster than Pixel 6 series
• IP68

• SoC performance is at Snapdragon 870 level
• Heat generation measures have not improved much
• Speaker sound is unbalanced
• Resolution at zoom is worse than other competitor’s high-end
• Sequential read/write is slow
• Slow charging speed at 23W
• No video output in DP Alt Mode

The Pixel 7 Pro is by no means the best in the world, but it is easy to take advantage of the power of software to effortlessly take beautiful photos in auto, and it is easy to set the image quality to your liking, such as being able to correct shaky photo and tint in Google Photos.

Although there are many areas that have evolved compared to the Pixel 6 series such as faster fingerprint recognition and support for face unlock, compared to other companies’ high-end models, it is at the stage where it has finally reached the starting line, so it may seem insufficient for those seeking the best smartphone.

It is especially unsuitable for those who place more importance on game performance than camera performance.

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