From funds telephones just like the Pixel 6a all the best way to flagships together with the iPhone 14 Pro, Galaxy S22 Ultra, and OnePlus 10 Pro, we noticed loads of nice telephones this previous yr. However just one system actually received my coronary heart in 2022 — and it’s not any of the above handsets.
As an alternative, it was Google’s Pixel 7 Pro that turned a web page beginning with the Pixel 6 Pro final yr to actually take its place among the many best phones total.
The Pixel 7 Professional is my telephone of the yr as a result of it refined all the pieces I liked about its predecessor, made the pictures expertise even higher, and launched extra options that no different smartphone can do but. Google’s telephone is a phenomenal system that will get a lot proper, regardless of its flaws.
Sure, even with subpar battery life and efficiency that also lags behind the most recent iPhones and Android telephones, the Pixel 7 Professional tops all different telephones that got here out this yr, no less than for me. Whereas there are higher handsets by way of energy or worth, the Pixel 7 Professional ticks a lot of the bins I’m in search of in a smartphone.
Pixel 7 Professional: Cameras
Certainly, the Pixel 7 Professional has the perfect cameras on an Android telephone. The Galaxy S22 Extremely is the following closest competitor, however even it falls quick in most circumstances. Google has performed one thing actually wonderful right here.
The first 50MP sensor on the Pixel 7 Professional does an amazing job in virtually all eventualities. Outside, it reliably compensates its publicity for daylight. When you’re photographing one thing inside, the Pixel 7 Professional adapts to the scene, even when the lights dim. And at night time, the telephone’s Evening Sight mode produces an amazing low-light picture most of the time.
The 48MP telephoto shooter comes with 5x optical zoom, which makes the Pixel 7 Professional much more aggressive than the iPhone 14 Professional for zoom checks. If you wish to transcend 5x, Google’s Tremendous Res Zoom performs exceptionally nicely with cleansing up the noise and blurriness.
Talking of blurry footage, Google launched Photo Unblur, a Pixel 7 unique characteristic. The identify is self-explanatory — the Pixel 7 Professional will do its greatest to unblur your pictures, together with ones taken on different telephones. Like Magic Eraser earlier than it, Picture Unblur depends on the AI energy of Tensor to carry out the magic. And it’s actually one thing else.
When evaluating the best camera phones, I get pleasure from seeing how simply the Pixel 7 Professional beats the iPhone 14 Professional in some scenes, like nighttime and zoom. The telephones commerce blows in additional customary eventualities, however I really like how Google and Apple duke it out for the pictures crown.
Pixel 7 Professional: Design
Is the Pixel 7 Professional the prettiest telephone on the market? That relies upon by yourself style, however it’s definitely probably the most distinctive. The digital camera bar, which spans the width of the handset, definitely attracts the attention and identifies the most recent Pixel instantly.
I selected the Pixel 7 Professional’s Hazel colorway, because it’s probably the most hanging of the three choices. My Pixel 7 Professional has a sage hue with comfortable gold accents, together with the digital camera bar. It’s a shocking look, one which hasn’t bored me but after a couple of months of use.
Not like the Pixel 6 Professional, the place the digital camera lenses melded into the bar, the Pixel 7 Professional exhibits its personal off prominently. It makes an announcement, telling you that these cameras imply enterprise. They make this telephone extra distinctive than its predecessor.
Due to the telephone’s the curved edges, I don’t thoughts the Pixel 7 Professional’s giant measurement. I nonetheless desire smaller telephones, however Google made a telephone that’s much more comfy than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Even the blocky Galaxy S22 Extremely feels much less ergonomic.
Pixel 7 Professional: Software program
Google initially launched its personal telephones to indicate different producers what Android was able to — and methods to deal with Android updates. These days, most smartphone makers are higher about updates than again within the Nexus days, however the Pixel line is supposed to show much more than what “inventory” Android is.
Very like what Apple does with its latest iPhones and iOS, the Pixel 7 Professional exemplifies what Google believes Android ought to appear to be. From the Materials You theming engine, which adapts itself to your wallpaper colours, to the pictures prowess, Android on a Pixel is as near what you get with iOS on an iPhone. It’s the place the {hardware} and software program mesh collectively.
Launching with Android 13, the Pixel 7 Professional is one of the best ways to expertise the OS. Whereas I like Samsung’s One UI, Google’s imaginative and prescient is extra intuitive to me. (Distinction this with OnePlus’ OxygenOS, which has grow to be an unpleasant, clunky mess.) And that is sensible — Google is a software program firm before everything.
And since Google controls the {hardware} and software program, the Pixel 7 Professional will get first entry to every new Android replace and safety patch.
Pixel 7 Professional: Show
Though it’s removed from the perfect on the market, the Pixel 7 Professional’s show continues to be greater than ok. Measuring 6.7 inches with a QHD+ decision, the most recent Pixel’s display screen is the perfect one Google has ever used. It was simply shy of 1,000 nits of brightness in our testing and it comes with an adaptive 120Hz refresh fee.
Sure, the Galaxy S22 Extremely and iPhone 14 Professional have higher panels with punchier colours and far increased brightness ranges, however the Pixel 7 Professional’s show will get sufficient issues proper for me. I can see the display screen outdoors whereas photographing, it dims sufficient for nighttime use, and the dynamic 120Hz refresh fee makes for a easy scrolling expertise. I’ve no complaints.
Pixel 7 Professional: Backside line
In fact, I don’t have a look at the Pixel 7 Professional with rose-tinted glasses. It’s removed from excellent, and but I discover myself choosing it up each morning alongside my iPhone 14 Professional. Positive, Google’s system doesn’t have good battery life, or the quickest efficiency in demanding duties like gaming, however the Pixel 7 Professional does what I need it to do and does it nicely.
There isn’t a higher pictures expertise on Android proper now, and you may make the argument that even the iPhone 14 Professional falls behind the Pixel in a number of areas. Google’s design language additionally stands out in a sea of same-y gadgets.
When you’re in search of a flagship expertise and wish extra options than the Pixel 7 has, then the $899 Pixel 7 Professional is my suggestion because the telephone to get.
