Before I found myself lucky enough to cover consumer tech for a living, my daily driver of choice was always a Google Nexus or Pixel. There’s always been something about these phones that has drawn me in — in fact, it’s only the Pixel 5 that I never personally owned. The hardware itself has never been the most powerful, or had the most impressive feature set. But the launcher UI and excellent camera performance have always nailed the experience for me, which is why thePixel 7 Proinstantly became my favorite release of last year when it hit the streets.
I was fortunate enough to attend last year’s Made by Google event, where everything about the Pixel 7 had me thinking it would be a clear winner. From its Tensor G2 processor to improved software — not to mention those cameras — I found myself completely caught up in the hype. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived affair, with the device facing a slow descent into mediocrity over the last twelve months, compounded by strong competition from many of thetop Android phonesthis year. At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, I’m hoping this year’sPixel 8 Prowill rekindle my love of the series whenGoogle debuts it on October 4— but it’ll take time to prove itself.
It’s time for Tensor to grow up
If you are someone who is looking for a powerhouse phone, something meant to playcutting edge mobile games, offer two-day battery life, and be your mobile office — the Pixel 7 Pro isn’t going to be for you. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a solid phone that can handle casual to moderately heavy demands. But theTensor G2 SoC from Googlehas not held up well in the year since it first arrived.
Google isn’t designing its processors to be the most powerful on the market. Instead, as you might expect, these chips are built with AI in mind to allow for better on-device processing of things like Assistant commands, image processing, and more. Unfortunately, efficiency isn’t something that factored into the Tensor G2’s design. From the start, my Pixel 7 Pro — and its companion, the smallerPixel 7— suffered from overheating. Whether it was during charging or normal use, the phone would regularly get hot enough that my Pixel 7 Pro would start shutting down processes so it could cool off. Newer devices faced the same issue — even the newerPixel Foldhas to contend with the same issues.
For all of its AI processing power, the Tensor G2 struggles to keep up when running more power-intensive apps that causes it to overheat and kill apps to save itself.
Plenty of experiences are excellent — using voice dictation in Gboard with near-zero lag in processing my voice into text, is excellent. But when I take photos of my kids playing and then try to share them with family members, only to find out that I have to wait for the phone to cool down for the images to finish uploading, I don’t care about how fast the AI is on the chipset. Google truly needs to nail efficiency with the upcomingTensor G3if it hopes to avoid going down the same road asSamsung’s Exynos processors.
If Google can continue improving the AI capabilities of its chipset while bringing improved efficiency, better thermals, and a bump in processing power, the Pixel 8 Pro’s Tensor G3 could be just what fans of the series want. For me, the Tensor G2 was my biggest disappointment in the Pixel 7 Pro, something that became all the more clear in a post Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-world. Phones like theOnePlus 11andMotorola Edge+ran circles around Google’s 2022 flagship. To best Samsung and the rest of the Android ecosystem at this game, Google needs to stop with the excuses this year. Time to make a stand.
Not as pixel-perfect as it once was
In many cases, if you were to ask casual smartphone fans what is the Google Pixel’s best feature, most would likely say its cameras — and they wouldn’t be wrong. Photography has been a keystone of Pixel devices from the start, so much so that I know plenty of people who have been hard-pressed to give it up after switching from Samsung, OnePlus, and even Apple. It’s one of my wife’s biggest complaints after switching to herGalaxy Z Flip 4.
It’s the peace of mind knowing that if you have a Google Pixel in your pocket and need to take a photo, it will be good in almost any situation. From capturing moving subjects to portrait photos and astrophotography to dimly lit bars, you will get an impressive shot. Are the images perfect and free from the need to make any edits? Not always. But what you do get are pictures so good that you could share right away if you wanted, while also offering a fantastic starting point for editing as needed.
Google has gotten complacent in its computational photography lead, and competitors are getting dangerously close to surpassing it.
While Google still has some of thebest camera phoneson the market, especially for casual shutterbugs, thanks to itscomputational photographychops, other brands are quickly catching up. So much so that once I got my hands onSamsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra, it became my favorite all-around phone. Aside from its own impressive camera software wizardry, the S23 Ultra’s overall camera system provided too much horsepower for the Pixel 7 Pro to compete. While Google did finally give its Pixel lineup a big hardware bump back in 2021 with the 50MP sensor on thePixel 6 Pro, any improvements in its successor were far less noticeable, and the larger sensors found in competing devices are starting to expose the Pixel’s flaws.
I still really like the photos I get from my Pixel 7 Pro, and it is definitely the phone I reach for if I’m going to be trying to take pictures of my kids, who are incapable of sitting still. (That said, theHonor Magic 5 Prois an excellent option for moving subjects as well, if you can manage to get your hands on one.) I trust that when I tap the shutter button on my Pixel 7 Pro, the photo it produces will be solid. But even then, the processing times feel longer than they did at launch, and the lack of a longer periscope lens is ever apparent, as is a missing pro mode in the camera software. I’m looking for Google to step up its game in the photography game for the Pixel 8 Pro. A potentially excellent, albeitcontroversial, fancyface swap toolwon’t be enough.
Pixel-specific software features keep bringing me back
Next to Pixel cameras, it’s the software that makes it so difficult for me to leave these phones. The Pixel UI is one that I enjoy as it doesn’t overcomplicate things, though, at times, I do feel it can be a bit restrictive in certain personalization options. But what really stands out are the features that are dedicated to phones made by Google that really draw me back to my Pixel 7 Pro. Things likeNow Playing,Guided Frame,Hold for Me,Call Screen, and more are essential to many people. I always get frustrated when I use any non-Pixel device and I get a phone call from a number I don’t know because the phone doesn’t have a Call Screen,
However, because Pixel phones are made by Google, the company behind Android, these devices are never done getting better. Thanks to regular software updates to improve general performance and resolve any issues, Google does quarterlyPixel Feature Drops. It’s these periodic updates that bring new abilities to Pixel smartphones and improve existing ones, making the phone feel like it growing with you. But for those who enjoy living on the edge, it’s the early release beta software that really holds us to Pixels.
Google makes a lot of different pieces of hardware, but it’s the company’s software chops that helps to make its Pixel smartphones so enticing.
Each fall, Google releases its flagship smartphones as the first to hit the streets with the latest version of Android. But months earlier, we all get a preview of what the OS will become duringGoogle I/O. It’s at that time — and, if you’re willing to dive into a developer preview, even earlier — that Google opens the gates to developers and those brave enough to install thebeta version of the upcoming Android software. From the first preview to the final version that arrives on Pixel devices months later, Google shows off new features and UI changes. For many, this time is a great way to make your phone feel fresh without actually spending the money on a new device.
For many years, Google was one of the first and fastest to upgrade its older phones, and though that isn’t always the case these days, it is still one of the best. An area that Google has fallen a bit behind in is the longevity of its software support. Samsung is currently the king of Android updates, withfour years of Android upgrades and five years of security patches. But if rumors are true,Google could top all smartphone brands, including Apple, with seven years of Android updates. Between long-term support and truly helpful software features only found on its phones, the Google Pixel 8 Pro should be really tough to beat.
I’m ready to be a trader, not a traitor
I’ve almost felt bad for the Pixel 7 Pro sitting in my drawer throughout 2023, especially considering how much it won me over initially. But whether it’s been bad updates or degrading internals, my 7 Pro just isn’t exciting anymore — an opinion only made stronger by how excellent smartphones have been this year. Still, I remain pretty excited for the Pixel 8 Pro. It’s a new chance for Google to succeed where last year’s phones faltered.
That said, it’s not enough just to make some small improvements over last generation. The modern Android smartphone landscape is really good across the board, and that is evident when looking at how impressive thebudget phonespace is. Google really can’t afford a misstep with its upcoming release, or it might find itself in a precarious situation.
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google’s Pixel 7 Pro refines the Pixel experience after the 6 Pro’s initial stumbles last year, improving stability and taking the camera prowess to new levels with image fusing and 4K60fps video on all cameras. 30W fast charging and Pixel’s addictive features like automatic Call screening and Pixel recorder help make the Pixel 7 Pro an alluring phone even as an iterative update.
Google Pixel 7
Google did not reinvent the wheel with the Pixel 7, but there was no need to. With improved cameras, the next-gen Tensor G2 chipset, and Google’s wonderfully feature-filled software, the Pixel 7 earns its price tag again this year.
Google Pixel 7a
If you are looking for a new device at a midrange price, the Google Pixel 7a checks off all the boxes. It has a fantastic camera system, strong power, great software support, and good battery life. It may be midrange in price but feels closer to its flagship siblings overall.
