All that and a bag of (Tensor) chips

The Pixel 6 Professional redefined what it meant to be a Google flagship. It threw all the pieces on the wall, adopting a contemporary design, a 3rd rear digital camera, and Google’s in-house Tensor chip to face aside from the group. Many of the modifications caught, however others, like weak charging, a wonky fingerprint scanner, and poor thermal administration confirmed that the creator of Android nonetheless had some sprucing to do. Now we’ve a brand new set of Pixels to play with, headlined by the top-of-the-line Pixel 7 Professional. It’s time to seek out out if Google is one other 12 months wiser or simply one other 12 months older. That is Android Authority’s Google Pixel 7 Professional overview.

• Google Pixel 7 Professional (12GB/128GB): $899 / £849 / €899
• Google Pixel 7 Professional (12GB/256GB): $999 / £949 / €999
• Google Pixel 7 Professional (12GB/512GB): $1,099

Google introduced the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Professional at its Made by Google occasion in October 2022, together with the long-awaited Pixel Watch. Each telephones comply with the identical story because the Pixel 6 collection, sharing processors, design languages, software program, and sufficient leaks within the lead-up to sink the Titanic. The Pixel 7 Professional, nevertheless, takes all the pieces only a step additional. It’s nonetheless a fraction cheaper than its flagship friends from Samsung and Apple, however it’s the most costly Pixel machine in the marketplace, and it has a well-rounded spec sheet to justify the asking worth.

Like its predecessor, the Pixel 7 Professional packs a 6.7-inch OLED show with slight waterfall edges. It’s nonetheless the most important display you’ll discover on a Pixel machine and expansive sufficient to rival flagships from some other producer. Google’s new flagship tops out at 1,500 nits, virtually double the height of the earlier mannequin. The colourful show is fabricated from Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus (not Plus — that’s Samsung-exclusive) and may face up to loads of put on and tear.

Behind the beautiful show lies a stable supporting solid. All variations of the Pixel 7 Professional pack 12GB of RAM, which you’ll be able to pair with 128, 256, or 512GB (in chosen areas solely) of mounted storage. The battery will get a really slight trim, dipping from 5,003mAh to a fair 5,000, and the 23W peak charging setup is unchanged from technology to technology. You will get the quickest wi-fi recharge occasions from Google’s second-gen Pixel Stand at 23W.

Maybe probably the most essential change contained in the Pixel 7 Professional is the second-generation Tensor G2 chipset. It takes the place of Google’s first in-house silicon, bringing a trio of key updates. The Tensor G2 depends on the identical 5nm structure, however incorporates a brand new GPU and modem, and provides additional enhancements to the TPU (Tensor Processing Unit). We’ll dip again into how every change impacts efficiency in just a little bit, however Google says that each one three are designed to be quicker and extra environment friendly.

Though the digital camera bar would possibly look barely shinier this 12 months, most of its modifications are superficial. The 50MP major sensor is an identical to the earlier model, whereas the ultrawide and telephoto lenses choose up minor changes. Google stretched its ultrawide discipline of view to let just a little extra into your pictures whereas the 5x optical zoom telephoto punches in just a bit additional. Across the entrance, the punch-hole selfie shooter presents a ten.8MP decision and is straightforward sufficient to disregard except it’s lit as much as point out Face Unlock — a returning function for the primary time for the reason that Pixel 4.

We’re in all probability not too removed from producers delivering telephones with nothing else within the field because the Pixel 7 Professional continues its slimming pattern. Bundled headphones and chargers are firmly within the rearview mirror, with solely a Fast Change Adapter, SIM ejector, USB-C cable, and fundamental paperwork to maintain the machine firm.

The well-priced Pixel 7 Professional as soon as once more squares off towards the very best that Android and iOS have to supply. It’s extra reasonably priced than Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Plus and Extremely, although it makes just a few sacrifices up and down the spec sheet. Samsung’s flagships even have an edge in software program updates, although the Pixel 7 Professional begins on an Android model forward of its rivals. If you happen to’re not locked into Android, Apple is Google’s different marquee rival, and the iPhone 14 Professional and 14 Professional Max are pretty much as good as Professional-tier telephones from Cupertino have ever been.

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Professional have been introduced for pre-order on October 6, 2022, earlier than opening to wider availability on October 13 on the Google Retailer and lots of main third-party retailers. Google’s newest Pixels are the simplest to acquire in fairly a while, changing into accessible in 17 international locations all through Europe, Asia, and North America — a pleasant bump after the Pixel 6 collection solely launched in 9 areas. The Pixel 7 Professional is available in Snow, Obsidian, and Hazel.

Cease us for those who’ve heard this earlier than for a brand new flagship telephone, however Google didn’t reinvent the design wheel in 2022. The Pixel 7 Professional takes clear cues from its direct predecessor, selecting to shine a novel design reasonably than reinvent itself. It’s a well-known strategy, one we’ve seen from each Samsung and Apple, and it really works out effectively for followers of Google’s digital camera bar and boxy form.

The minute you open the field, you’re greeted by a shiny slab of Gorilla Glass Victus, interrupted solely by a brand new aluminum digital camera bar and a contrasting G emblem. Aesthetically, the selection is beautiful, however you’ll want a cleansing fabric — or a case — the second you choose up your telephone. If there was a metric to explain how rapidly fingerprints seem — let’s name it TTS (Time-To-Smudge) — the Pixel 7 Professional would rating a zero, which means it takes no time to mar the shiny glass end. On the intense aspect, all three shade choices — Hazel, Snow, and Obsidian (pictured all through this overview) — look nice. Hazel is as shut as we’ll get to a enjoyable shade choice because of the bronze rails and digital camera bar, however even then, it’s a business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back kind of look.

Google’s shiny end is about as slick as a child seal attempting to wrestle a greased pig. It begins to slip the second I set it down, and I’ve virtually put the boundaries of Gorilla Glass Victus to the check greater than as soon as. The glistening gloss extends to the aluminum body, which is basically a mirror, particularly on the flat elements of the digital camera bar. It’s a pleasant aesthetic change from the black glass bar of the Pixel 6 Professional, and the cutouts across the lenses assist to attract your eye to the trio reasonably than cover it. Sadly, the repeated design nonetheless means the digital camera bar stands proud fairly far and has no bother gathering mud bunnies within the corners above and beneath. The polished body homes a USB-C port alongside the underside edge, flanked by a microphone and a speaker, in addition to a nano-SIM tray on the left aspect.

Regardless of Google protecting the broad strokes of its design in place, the Pixel 7 Professional’s few modifications supply rapid quality-of-life enhancements. The ability button and quantity rocker have shifted barely down the precise aspect, making them simpler to succeed in when wrangling the telephone one-handed. Google’s waterfall edges are additionally barely softer, which provides the Pixel 7 Professional just a little extra presence in hand as an alternative of feeling such as you’re holding the sting of a knife.

The sharp Quad HD+ (3,120 x 1,440) decision panel carries over from the Pixel 6 Professional and is as vivid and sharp as ever — brighter, in truth. The Pixel 7 Professional’s show now reaches a peak brightness of as much as 1,500 nits, virtually double the 800 nits of the Pixel 6 Professional. It’s not fairly the two,000 nits afforded by Apple’s iPhone 14 Professional, however the distinction is evening and day when sat subsequent to the earlier mannequin.

Coloration recreation can be wonderful, with deep blacks and punchy colours that convey animated wallpapers to life. It’s solely interrupted by a punch-hole selfie digital camera, which is straightforward to disregard.

Google’s adaptive refresh fee dips as little as 10Hz due to LTPO know-how, although it spends most of its time at 60Hz or 120Hz for easy transitions and animations. I haven’t observed any stuttering over the course of my testing. I’ve, nevertheless, observed a greater steadiness with the telephone, which fixes a lot of the top-heaviness we felt with the earlier Pixel 6 Professional. The 6.7-inch boxy design continues to be a beast within the hand, however the barely flatter edges are extra snug to carry securely.

There’s additionally an IP68 score for water and dirt resistance ought to the slippery satan fall out of your arms and into something extra dangerous than carpet.

Google launched large digital camera modifications with the Pixel 6 collection, and the Pixel 7 Professional will get to reap the advantages. It sticks to primarily the identical {hardware}, however the Pixel crew has had one other 12 months to fine-tune its processing energy. The Pixel 7 Professional’s major sensor is the 50MP Samsung GN1, measuring 1/1.31-inches with a large f/1.9 max aperture that lends easy, pure bokeh. As with most high-megapixel sensors, the principle shooter pixel bins to smaller, extra manageable photographs by default — on this case, 12.5MP.

The Pixel 7 Professional’s ultrawide digital camera picks up minor modifications, shifting from a 114-degree to a wider 126-degree discipline of view however protecting its 12MP decision. It suits barely extra into the body and picks up autofocus help, the latter of which permits an computerized macro mode that allows you to stand up shut and private with flowers and mushrooms. Google’s most notable change, although, comes from the telephoto lens, which swapped its 4x optical zoom for 5x. That’s longer than most smartphone cameras and presents a noticeable enhance to zoom photographs. Google’s AI-assisted Tremendous Res Zoom tech additionally now tops out at 30x, with the Tensor G2 lending a hand to the telephoto shooter.

No matter what Google did with its digital camera {hardware}, the up to date Tensor G2 chipset is the muscle behind the lenses. Its up to date TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) is the supply of the Pixel’s machine studying would possibly, and is integral to distinctive options just like the returning favourite Magic Eraser, the aforementioned Tremendous Res Zoom, and the all-new Photograph Unblur. It’s additionally a key participant in dashing up the Evening Sight mode for low-light pictures, bringing brighter photographs to your digital camera roll twice as quick as earlier than, furthering Google’s Actual Tone know-how for capturing correct pores and skin tones, and Guided Body — a brand new accessibility function that has a voice information to assist visually impaired customers take selfies.

After all, Google’s reliance on the Tensor G2 that will help you get the proper shot implies that there are not any handbook controls on the Pixel 7 Professional. You’ll be able to select your taking pictures mode and your zoom, however that’s about it. This may not matter to lots of customers who simply need the fast snap, however diehard digital camera geeks would possibly discover that they miss toying with the white steadiness, aperture, ISO, and extra.

My colleagues and I’ve put the Pixel 7 Professional by way of the pictures wringer to see the way it stacks up towards the perfect digital camera telephones. We’ve examined all three lenses and Google’s numerous taking pictures modes throughout a number of international locations in various places and eventualities. Our options editor Rita El Khoury uploaded 200+ photographs simply by herself.

That’s lots of testing, however irrespective of the variety of pictures, the Pixel 7 Professional delivered in virtually all circumstances, day or evening. It captured particulars effectively, and Google’s pure shade profile is pleasant to the attention. You’ll be able to pick any variety of shades of inexperienced within the arbor beneath, and the tiniest leaves keep distinct reasonably than bleeding collectively. The picture trying up at a spiral staircase reveals element on the darkish and lightweight planks, and there’s no lack of texture within the wall.

The affect of Google’s Tensor G2 is very spectacular with regards to non-human portraits. We often see smartphone cameras battle with edge detection, however the Pixel 7 Professional adopted the horse’s define carefully, solely lacking just a few wisps of the mane. Different pictures, just like the blue signal, present comparable edge detection and correct publicity for the reason that signal was within the shade whereas the background was within the solar. Its bokeh is barely much less noticeable, however it nonetheless separates from the topic. The crimson mild on the inexperienced truck to the left isn’t an instance of portrait mode, however it does give a style of the Pixel 7 Professional’s pure bokeh.

The Pixel 7 Professional’s ultrawide lens has rapidly turn out to be a favourite of mine on the Pixel 7 Professional. It captures an amazing quantity of element, with colours that match the first digital camera and little to no distortion. The 0.5x perspective is on the extensive aspect, however there’s no bending or stretching within the timber to the left or the “Smile” mural. You will notice some blurring and distortion on the very edges of some snaps, however that’s inevitable with a comparatively extensive discipline of view.

The ultrawide digital camera’s macro mode provides a little bit of enjoyable and is a significantly better implementation than your common, low-res devoted macro lens. Our outcomes have been hit and miss, given the necessity for regular arms and lots of mild, however when the macro hits, it actually hits. We managed a hit fee of round 50%, which is sweet for a macro lens however lags behind Google’s typical standout efficiency. The picture of a crimson leaf is a good instance of the macro lens acting at its finest, exhibiting vivid colours and sharp strains all through the divisions and edges of the leaf (don’t take a look at us for plant phrases, we’re telephone folks). The Turkey Tail mushroom is one other good instance, with high quality strains recreated even within the folds and smaller background leaves.

As for zoom, the Pixel 7 Professional transitions easily by way of its complete zoom vary, particularly at its preset lengths. The idiot-proof digital camera interface presents fast faucets for 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x, examples of which you’ll be able to see within the gallery straight beneath. I discovered the colours constant throughout the primary three snaps, although the 5x zoom picture picks up a slight yellow tint. It’s unclear whether or not that’s a change within the shade profile or simply my eyes taking part in methods for the reason that shadows and inexperienced hues are out of the image. Coloration change or not, the small print are sharp, and Google’s stabilization is a lifesaver for shaky arms. Take a look at our deep dive into the Pixel 7 Professional’s digital camera zoom for much more pictures and evaluation.

When you eclipse the 5x zoom button, you’ll must manually pinch for 10x and 30x Tremendous Res Zoom with solely a small dot to information your focus. Truthfully, the toughest half is touchdown precisely on 10x or 30x — Google’s picture stabilization and the Tensor G2 do the remaining. The 10x zoom picture beneath is sharp with good particulars and colours, even within the timber to the underside left. 30x zoom is actually usable, although the white ball does begin to soften noticeably across the edges. You’ll be able to’t make out fairly as many particulars within the shadows, however the vivid aspect of the constructing nonetheless reveals rivets and creases. Tremendous Res Zoom nonetheless leans closely on the Tensor G2 to scrub up your pictures, and the drop-off past the 10x mark means it’s a improbable long-distance shooter, however not fairly as much as par with the industry-leading Galaxy S22 Extremely.

Now, a Pixel wouldn’t be a Pixel if its digital camera chops stopped at zooming out and in, would it not? After all not. Google’s digital camera app is full of extra taking pictures modes like Movement Mode, Evening Sight, and several other video settings. You’ll be able to see the results of Movement Mode’s lengthy publicity beneath, which blurs the stream with out forcing you to take a seat nonetheless for a real lengthy publicity. Movement Mode additionally presents Motion Pan, which lends a blur impact round vehicles and different transferring objects once you really feel the necessity for velocity.

Different options, like Magic Eraser, come into play after you get the shot. Launched with the Pixel 6 collection, Magic Eraser permits you to take away objects out of your pictures a la Thanos, or camouflage them to keep away from unusual artifacts and glitches. Google isn’t the one smartphone maker with an object elimination function, however it’s confirmed itself to be probably the most profitable at kicking out pesky intruders out of your finest pictures.

Magic Eraser works higher on some backgrounds than others, particularly once you get a constant texture just like the grass beneath. The Pixel 7 Professional simply eliminated the 2 folks, seeding grass that completely adopted the shadow of the tent. It’s additionally value declaring that the first digital camera captured a exceptional quantity of element contained in the tent itself reasonably than crushing the shadows.

In the identical modifying vein, Google is doing its finest to breathe life into previous pictures. All of us have stacks (or perhaps simply digital stacks) of previous pictures that got here out blurry or grainy, however we saved them for sentimental functions. Now, the Pixel 7 Professional presents Photograph Unblur by way of Google Pictures, which may sharpen that assortment even when they weren’t taken on a Pixel machine. It’s not simply older snaps both, as Photograph Unblur builds on what was beforehand Face Unblur to scrub up brand-new pictures, too. For examples of each in motion, you’ll want to try our Photograph Unblur samples. Proper now, Photograph Unblur is unique to the Pixel 7 collection, although it’s unclear if it’ll keep that manner because it runs by way of Google Pictures.

Evening Sight is without doubt one of the Pixel’s longest-standing digital camera options, and it’s getting higher with age. It kicks in as an computerized different (or it may be manually chosen) to utilizing the flash, preserving the small print of lower-light scenes with out blowing out the colours. Extra importantly, the previous canine appears to be selecting up velocity due to the Tensor G2. I’ve achieved good ends in true night eventualities, just like the bar to the left and the bell to the precise, and Evening Sight is not any slouch throughout the day, both. It kicked in whereas within the cave beneath, bringing extra element to the foreground with out washing out the background the place the cave ends.

There’s another digital camera to the touch on for the Pixel 7 Professional — the selfie shooter. Google’s 10.8MP punch gap lens is the one interruption to its sweeping OLED show, and it drops just a few fractions of a megapixel in comparison with the Pixel 6 Professional to match the smaller Pixel 7. Regardless of the tiny drop, there’s no noticeable change in high quality. I’m happy with the colour and particulars of my face, hair, sweatshirt, and background stream. A couple of of the timber and leaves bleed collectively additional again, however to not the purpose of a watercolor impact. Google’s portrait mode is appropriate for probably the most half, although it provides a little bit of a halo round my hair. I’m no stranger to the odd portrait impact, however I’ve seen a number of different smartphones lower nearer to the perimeters of my head. On the intense aspect, the sting detection round my shoulders is spot on, and the Pixel 7 Professional blurred every beam within the bridge evenly.

The Pixel 7 Professional’s video options get a pleasant Tensor G2 punch as effectively. One of many main updates is the addition of Cinematic Blur, which is mainly portrait mode for video. It provides a shallow depth of discipline to your footage at a hard and fast 24fps for the aspiring filmmaker in all of us. Like Google’s nonetheless pictures portrait mode, it really works fairly effectively, although it could actually have some bother getting the proper edge on unnatural shapes. Monitoring objects in Cinematic Blur mode additionally appears to be a piece in progress, because the bokeh impact typically takes a second or two to catch as much as your topic.

Outdoors of Cinematic Blur, the Pixel 7 Professional can document in 4K at 60fps from all of its cameras, together with the selfie shooter. The video stabilization is superb, making clips taken at 5x zoom much more usable than in years previous. 10-bit HDR help is one other good addition for brighter, extra color-rich footage, although it tops out at 30fps. The up to date Speech Enhancement function is spectacular, too, selecting out the audio from whoever is talking in your clip and enhancing it. Apple would possibly nonetheless be the king of handheld video, however Google is catching up in a giant manner with its Tensor G2.

These are only some of the picture samples we collected as a crew, however you’re free to dig by way of each final shot in order for you. We’ve stashed all of them in a Google Drive folder, which you’ll be able to entry right here.

Google has had its fair proportion of battery hits and misses. Like a field of sweets, you by no means knew what you’ll get. It wasn’t all that nice (learn: horrible) on the Pixel 4 collection earlier than shining vivid on the Pixel 5. The Pixel 6 collection introduced some extra enhancements, however the Tensor’s thermal points meant that when the battery began to empty, it went fast. For the Pixel 7 Professional, the high-capacity cell is again, and Google hopes a brand new supporting solid can convey higher outcomes.

The Pixel 7 Professional packs a 5,000mAh cell, which is a trim of simply 3mAh off the capability of the Pixel 6 Professional — subsequent to nothing once you consider typical battery dimension. It delivers comparable, or barely higher, battery outcomes, too. I’ve had no issues pushing the Pixel 7 Professional to a day and a half of combined utilization, and that’s whereas it’s nonetheless studying my utilization habits. There’s each probability that I’ll handle to stretch the cell even additional as Android’s battery optimization tech settles right into a routine. Sadly, Google’s breakdown of screen-on time and utilization is without doubt one of the worst. It presents little greater than a imprecise chart that appears one thing like a rudimentary drawing of a mountain slope.

Proper now, my combined utilization consists primarily of scrolling by way of social media, streaming Spotify by way of Bluetooth whereas I run, and answering emails on the go — you realize, the standard. I additionally ran the Pixel 7 Professional by way of two hours of uninterrupted Instagram Reels with none indication of overheating or fast battery drain. Nevertheless, the Pixel 7 Professional additionally had the doubtful honor of being my companion at a household marriage ceremony. That meant an earlier-than-usual begin to my day and a ton of digital camera utilization. The early begin didn’t matter, however the Pixel’s digital camera proved a little bit of a battery hog. It warms up the telephone virtually instantly because the Tensor G2 tries to course of photographs simply as rapidly as you may snap them.

There are additionally some preliminary issues in regards to the Pixel 7 Professional’s energy draw, significantly when used exterior. That is reportedly a results of the telephone ramping brightness excessively. We’ll be testing this additional within the coming weeks and months.

After all, even the most important of 5,000mAh cells run out, and also you received’t at all times have an opportunity to cost in a single day. I attempted to make use of Google’s Adaptive Charging when given the chance, which trickles juice whilst you sleep to give you a full battery at your morning alarm. It turned out to be the very best guess, as charging throughout the day — wired or wi-fi — left one thing to be desired. Google claims that you could get the very best outcomes with its first-party 30W charger, however it stops in need of that hinted-at 30W peak. It’s the identical vaguely deceptive boast we debunked for the Pixel 6 collection, and the outcomes are the identical for the Pixel 7 duo.

The Pixel 7 Professional will really spend most of its recharge time at someplace between the 17-21W mark by way of wired charging, although it averages at round 15W throughout a full cost primarily based on our testing. It delivers a fast begin, filling 40-50% of the hefty battery within the first half hour earlier than slowing considerably. It took round 90 to 100 minutes to get a full cost with a appropriate USB Energy Supply PPS charger — one thing that’s not included within the field and that not everybody could have. Whereas it’s commendable to favor long-term battery well being over ludicrously quick charging options, Google’s charging energy continues to lag effectively behind even probably the most modest competitors within the charging stakes.

If you happen to favor wi-fi charging, the Pixel 7 Professional helps as much as 23W wi-fi charging solely by way of the second-generation Pixel Stand. If the elevated energy and extra good dwelling options of Google’s $79 stand nonetheless aren’t promoting it to you, the Pixel 7 Professional additionally helps 12W Qi wi-fi charging for normal wi-fi pads. There’s additionally reverse wi-fi charging ought to you’ll want to give any equipment — say, a pair of Pixel Buds Professional — a fast enhance on the go.

He didn’t comprehend it then, however Nelly was singing in regards to the unique Tensor chip when he wrote the painfully titled Sizzling in Herre again in 2002. The soulful lyrics, “heat, sweatin’, it’s sizzling up on this joint,” really feel like a prediction so correct that Nostradamus himself might have written them. Sure, Google’s try at an in-house chipset introduced spectacular machine-learning chops to the desk, however it tried to burn the desk down within the course of. It bought fairly heat, mainly, particularly when put below GPU stress. Combine in some below-average (for 2021) benchmarking numbers, and the Tensor had greater than a little bit of catching as much as do.

The Tensor G2 steps in because the Pixel 7 Professional’s mind, bringing just a few crucial updates together with it. It maintains the 5nm course of from its predecessor, however Google claims that the TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) is now 60% quicker at voice and imaging duties, in addition to 20% extra environment friendly generally. The brand new Mali-G710 GPU and Samsung-made modem are speculated to be quicker and extra environment friendly too. Credit score the place it’s due; the upgraded modem is a noticeable enchancment, at the least for my testing right here in rural Pennsylvania. I spent months with the Pixel 6 Professional and often struggled to change between Wi-Fi and my mobile community, however the Pixel 7 Professional switches rapidly and seamlessly. Reception gripes have been shared by loads of Pixel 6 customers, so it’s good to see that Google seems to have healed this specific ache level.

The Pixel 7 Professional presents the identical configurations as its predecessor — 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and as much as 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage (or a most of 256GB in some markets) — making monitoring year-over-year enhancements just a little simpler. I didn’t discover any stuttering or slowing from the Pixel 7 Professional in my utilization, and it appeared to run barely cooler than the Pixel 6 Professional. It does nonetheless rapidly warmth up, although, particularly once you run the digital camera for a very long time or push the GPU with video games or benchmarks. If you happen to’re a shutterbug or an avid gamer, you may need to take breaks right here and there to let the telephone cool once more. Most of my normal utilization throughout testing consisted of video streaming, social media scrolling, and pumping Spotify by way of Bluetooth headphones, none of which put the Tensor G2 by way of an excessive amount of stress.

As talked about, the unique Tensor chip didn’t set any blazing lap occasions in our gauntlet of benchmarks. The Tensor G2 improves barely, although it nonetheless lags behind flagship processors from Qualcomm and Apple. Its single-core Geekbench rating improved by not more than a share level, although the multi-core rating jumped by round 12%. It signifies at the least some enchancment to the Tensor G2 setup, regardless of sticking with the identical 5nm course of from the earlier technology.

As for Google’s up to date GPU, the 3DMark Wild Life check got here in barely beneath the Pixel 6 Professional’s rating. It’s additionally behind a number of different 2022 flagships, just like the Galaxy S22 Extremely and iPhone 14 Professional. Nevertheless, the Pixel 7 Professional does maintain up higher than its predecessor within the Wild Life stress check. It takes one extreme drop after about 5 loops earlier than slowly tailing off over the remaining 15 repetitions. At its lowest level, the Tensor G2 nonetheless delivered scores far above the unique Tensor chip and near the long-term efficiency of the Galaxy S22 Extremely and another Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 gadgets. The sustained stress warms the Tensor G2 greater than the rest I might put it by way of, however it’s encouraging to see an enchancment in sustained graphics efficiency and stability. You’ll be able to learn much more about this in our Tensor G2 benchmark deep dive.

Google’s second in-house processor falls into lots of the similar traps as its predecessor, operating heat below strain and scoring low. Nevertheless, it additionally illustrates that typically a telephone is greater than the sum of its elements. The Pixel 7 Professional depends on wonderful machine studying chops and a deeply built-in Google Assistant to information you thru on a regular basis duties reasonably than brute-forcing its strategy to the highest. Would we prefer it to run cooler? Sure, however whereas it’s clear that Google continues to be studying the ropes with its in-house processors, it at the least has taken to coronary heart that uncooked peak energy isn’t the be-all and end-all of smartphone silicon.

• Biometrics: Nearly something could possibly be thought-about an enchancment over the fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 6 collection, however we’re not this with rose-colored glasses. The Pixel 7 Professional’s in-display fingerprint reader is way improved, providing higher velocity and accuracy than its predecessor. It’s additionally joined by a brand new (or at the least again from the Pixel 4 collection) Face Unlock function, which lets you open your telephone at a look. It’s responsive sufficient, nevertheless the Pixel 7 collection’ Face Unlock isn’t utilizing the identical needed {hardware} sensors to make it safe sufficient for purchases or banking transactions, so that you’ll wish to arrange a fingerprint or one other lock regardless.
• Software program: The Pixel 7 Professional arrived with Android 13 proper out of the field, full with Google’s Pixel UI visible design. It stays easy, mild, and loaded with customization choices. You received’t discover higher implementations of Materials You theming on some other machine, with color-matched app icons and extra widgets than you may rely. Offline Google Assistant voice typing is again however with a supposed 2.5x velocity enhance due to the Tensor G2, and the chip’s machine studying smarts are additionally the catalyst for brand spanking new options resembling robotically labeling audio system by way of the ever-useful Recorder app, voicemail message transcriptions, and the beforehand talked about digital camera perks like Photograph Unblur and Cinematic Blur. That is all with out even mentioning Clear Calling set to reach later, the smorgasbord of present Pixel-exclusive software program perks, and additional additions and tweaks promised by way of Pixel function drops. Default bloatware is sort of nonexistent, too. There are just a few additional Google apps past the standard suspects that the telephone desperately needs you to make use of (see: Google Meet), however you may at all times select to not obtain them throughout the setup course of.
• Haptics: Google retains its haptics crown, with buzzes and vibrations that really feel good. The fast responses are correct and clicky whether or not you’re tapping or typing.
• Audio: The Pixel 7 Professional is without doubt one of the loudest telephones I’ve used shortly, reaching spectacular quantity from its stereo setup. It pairs the earpiece with a single down-firing unit, and there’s little to no distortion, even on the highest quantity. Greater pitches like human voices and stringed devices nonetheless outperform bass notes, however that’s not surprising for a smartphone. You received’t discover a headphone jack, nor will you discover the most recent Bluetooth 5.3 normal — Google is sticking with 5.2 for an additional 12 months. It does supply a good variety of Bluetooth codecs, although, with help for LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, AAC, and SBC. There’s additionally an LE Audio toggle within the Pixel 7 Professional’s developer settings, however we have been unable to verify if that is really practical attributable to a scarcity of supported {hardware}.
• Connectivity: Whereas Bluetooth 5.2 is just a little behind the leading edge, the Pixel 7 Professional makes up for it with speedy Wi-Fi 6E, NFC for wi-fi funds, and an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip that shall be significantly helpful if Google ever decides to make its personal Bluetooth trackers to rival Apple’s AirTags or Samsung’s SmartTags.
• 5G: All Pixel 7 Professional fashions help 5G networking, however not all Pixel 7 Execs are created equal. US fashions will run on each mmWave and sub-6GHz networks, whereas different areas such because the UK and the remainder of Europe have variants which can be restricted to sub-6GHz bands solely. This isn’t a giant deal except you’re trying to journey to the States, and even then mmWave protection is pretty sparse and restricted to pick networks.
• Updates: 5 years of “Pixel Updates” would possibly sound like a imprecise declare, however it’s top-of-the-line guarantees round — simply not the finest. What you get is 5 years of safety patches with three years of full Android model updates (Pixel function drops included). Google may not have the benefit over Samsung with its 4 years of model updates, however the Pixel 7 Professional does ship with Android 13, whereas most Galaxy gadgets are arriving with Android 12 out of the field. Even so, it continues to be a baffling scenario that the corporate behind Android itself doesn’t have the perfect Android replace coverage.
• VPN by Google One: Google’s cloud storage function, referred to as Google One, must be acquainted to all Pixel customers. You get a 15GB of free cloud storage out of the gate, however now Google One has a brand new wrinkle for Pixel 7 customers with the addition of a free VPN for just a little extra peace of thoughts whereas searching on-line. It’s at the moment listed as a coming quickly function, although we don’t have an actual timeline for its launch.

The Google Pixel 7 Professional doubles down on yet one more one in every of its predecessor’s best strengths — its worth. It nonetheless begins at simply $899, at the least $100 beneath its major flagship opponents. When you think about that Google has an additional 12 months of follow and refinement below its belt, to not point out the present state of worldwide economics, the pricing stability is simply that rather more spectacular. Nevertheless, it faces a crowded flagship scene stuffed with heavy hitters who’ve picked up new methods of their very own.

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Plus ($920 at Amazon) and Galaxy S22 Extremely ($1129 at Amazon) are maybe the closest and most blatant rivals in order for you an Android flagship. It’s powerful to decide on one over one other, because the Pixel 7 Professional picks and chooses specs to match to every one. The Galaxy S22 Plus presents a flat show, a trio of respectable cameras, and improved efficiency, however it’s a smaller machine with a decreased battery at its disposal. Samsung’s ultra-premium Galaxy S22 Extremely is massive and boxy, just like the Pixel 7 Professional, however it has the additional advantage of a built-in S Pen for productiveness. There’s additionally the extra highly effective digital camera suite to think about — Samsung’s 108MP major shooter is extremely sharp and backed by a well-rounded trio, providing nice zoom choices and versatile taking pictures modes. We’ll be pitting the Pixel 7 Professional up towards the Galaxy S22 Extremely in a shootout very quickly to see which comes out on high, so keep tuned.

Samsung’s distinctive Galaxy Z Flip 4 ($999.99 at Samsung) is another choice at across the similar worth. What it lacks in digital camera and battery would possibly, it makes up for with its pocket-friendly folding type issue and intelligent exterior show. It’s some of the snug telephones to carry in your hand and one which’s certain to show heads any time you pull it out of your pocket.

No matter which Samsung different you would possibly determine to choose, the South Korean big has the very best replace dedication of any Android OEM, with 4 years of Android variations and 5 years of safety protection throughout.

The OnePlus 10 Professional ($779 at Amazon) is one other respectable, if flawed, different to the Pixel 7 Professional, particularly following its $100 worth drop from its preliminary $899 MSRP. It presents the identical Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor you’ll discover in most different 2022 Android flagships, and its large digital camera bump presents a novel flare to the standard corner-mounted fare. One of many largest causes to succeed in for the OnePlus machine is its charging: 65W wired energy leaves all different US gadgets within the mud, save for OnePlus’ personal 10T. It falls off a bit in future software program updates, and also you may need to come back to grips with the sluggish however regular, and infrequently uncomfortable unification of Oxygen OS with its guardian firm Oppo’s Coloration OS pores and skin.

If you happen to’re an avid smartphone photographer trying to go towards the grain, you may additionally wish to take a look at Sony’s Xperia 1 IV ($1,599). Sure, it’s virtually double the worth of the Pixel 7 Professional, however it’s one other pictures powerhouse that makes its personal street. The place the Pixel needs you to press a button and let its Tensor G2 wow you, the Xperia needs you to dig into each nook of its settings. It appears like a high-end mirrorless digital camera, which is sensible given Sony’s acclaimed Alpha line. There’s no scarcity of energy below the hood, with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage backing Snapdragon’s 8 Gen 1 platform. If the steep asking worth is a bit a lot for you, the extra compact and reasonably priced Xperia 5 IV ($998 at Amazon) delivers a lot of the identical pro-focused multimedia suite and Alpha-grade digital camera options, albeit with out the Xperia 1 IV’s nifty variable focal size zoom digital camera.

One of the crucial vital questions on a brand new smartphone is the way it compares to the earlier 12 months’s mannequin. Do you have to purchase a Pixel 7 Professional, or is the Pixel 6 Professional ($610 at Amazon) a greater worth purchase? The Pixel 6 Professional has come down in worth following the Pixel 7 Professional’s debut, which could possibly be sufficient to tempt you. It has the same, although not as vivid, show, the identical RAM and storage choices, and an equally spectacular digital camera setup. Nevertheless, you’ll must weigh the potential Tensor points with cell sign and thermal administration, the marginally rejigged button placement, and the much-improved fingerprint sensor.

After all, there’s additionally the Google Pixel 7 ($599.99 at Finest Purchase). Just like the identically priced Pixel 6 earlier than it, the vanilla Pixel 7 is arguably the very best worth smartphone cash can purchase, and it shares lots of DNA with the Pixel 7 Professional. You’ll get the identical Tensor G2 chipset below the hood with an identical major, ultrawide, and selfie cameras, although you continue to miss out on a telephoto lens. The Google Pixel 7 can be barely extra manageable in hand than the Pixel 7 Professional with its 6.3-inch show. Because the smaller counterpart, the Pixel 7 drops to 8GB of RAM and a smaller battery, however its charging setup stays virtually on par with the premium Pixel 7 Professional.

Our final choose for an appropriate different requires you to look exterior the comforts of Android. Apple’s iPhone 14 Professional ($999 at Finest Purchase) and Professional Max ($1099 at Finest Purchase) enhance on the iPhone 13 collection to ship the very best Professional iPhones so far. The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Professional and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Professional Max depend on the A16 Bionic chipset with 6GB of RAM and two of the smallest batteries in the marketplace, but they push them to spectacular lengths. The Dynamic Island that changed the long-standing notch is without doubt one of the extra attention-grabbing approaches to notification administration. It’s additionally powerful to miss Apple’s replace dedication, which reaches six or seven years for many fashions.

The Pixel 7 Professional epitomizes what it means to be “Made by Google.” It leans closely into long-held strengths, providing sufficient punch in some areas to compete with the very best telephones in the marketplace whereas undercutting the overwhelming majority on worth. The hyper-flexible and usually idiot-proof digital camera setup combines seamlessly with the machine studying would possibly of the Tensor G2 processor, which helps to place the good in smartphone. Google Assistant is a continuing presence within the mild, easy, feature-rich Pixel UI, and the Materials You-flavored customization choices make your telephone really feel just a little extra private.

In a world the place so many smartphones appear and feel the identical, Google’s Pixel 7 Professional cuts its personal path with a boxy design and a daring — if a bit too thick — digital camera bar. It feels prefer it’s lower from the identical fabric as its predecessor, which provides manner to some acquainted flaws. The Pixel 7 Professional’s charging capabilities proceed to depart one thing to be desired, and the Tensor G2 chip can nonetheless run heat sufficient to maintain you cozy by way of a protracted winter for those who push it too arduous.

Irrespective of the {hardware} booms and busts, Google’s software program is vital to all the pieces the Pixel 7 Professional does. With a stable dedication to future updates and the promise of semi-regular function drops, it is a telephone that ought to proceed to really feel new each few months for a very long time. Google is gearing up for a run at Apple’s united ecosystem with the launch of its Pixel Watch, the Pixel Buds Professional, and the upcoming Pixel Pill, and the Pixel 7 Professional is poised to guide the cost with an air of sophistication, sophistication, and polish that isn’t at all times assured for merchandise adorned with the Large G’s iconic emblem.