With the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro, Google is introducing two smartphones that could be on par with the new iPhones, but are much cheaper. The Apple Watch also faces serious competition from the Pixel Watch.
Almost traditionally, Google presents its new smartphones in October after Apple’s iPhone show. The Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro don’t come alone, with the Pixel Watch the company is also launching its first smartwatch.
Similar to the iPhone 14 quartet, the new Pixel smartphones are not technical revolutions, but consistent further developments of the previous year’s models. However, Google has equipped both variants with the new Tensor chip, so the Pro and Standard models do not differ as much as Apple’s devices.
With a 6.3-inch screen and narrower bezels, the Pixel 7 is slightly more compact than its predecessor, which sported a 6.4-inch display. The panel is sharp at 416 pixels per inch (ppi) and offers a refresh rate of up to 90 Hertz (Hz).
The battery capacity has also shrunk from 4600 to 4355 milliampere hours (mAh). With a 30-watt power adapter that is not included in the scope of delivery, it is about half charged in 30 minutes, the Pixel 7 can also be charged inductively. The device is powered by Google’s new Tensor G2 chip. The main memory is 8 gigabytes (GB), internally 128 or 256 GB flash memory are available.
On the back, the smartphone has an optically and electronically stabilized main camera with 50 megapixels (MP) and an aperture of f/1.85. Next to it is an ultra-wide-angle camera with a resolution of 12 MP and an aperture of f/2.2. The front camera with aperture f/2.2 offers 10.8 MP.
The Pixel 7 comes with the latest Android 13. Google guarantees three version updates and five years of security updates.
The screen of the Pixel 7 Pro is again 6.7 inches powerful, has 512 ppi and comes up to 120 Hz. The battery has a capacity of 5000 mAh, the RAM is 12 GB, internally there is also a choice of 128 or 256 GB flash memory Disposal.
On the back, the larger Google smartphone has an additional 48 MP telephoto camera that achieves 5x optical magnification and, like the main camera, is optically and electronically stabilized. There is also a small difference in the ultra-wide-angle camera: the field of view has a larger angle of 125.8 degrees than in the standard model (114 degrees). In addition, only the Pixel 7 Pro has a macro function that allows photos from up to three centimeters away.
Both models offer new camera tricks made possible by the Tensor G2 chip with machine learning. This includes a sharpener for shaky photos, which can also be used later on old recordings.
There are also improvements in speech recognition. Among other things, the system automatically suggests emojis when dictating messages and received voice messages can be transcribed.
The M2 security chip, which is also new, should protect the Pixel 7 smartphones even better against attacks. In the course of the year, the devices will also have the free option of setting up a VPN connection via Google Cloud One.
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are available for pre-order now and will be in stores from October 13th. The standard model is available from just under 650 euros, the Pro version from 900 euros. This makes the Google smartphones significantly cheaper than the new iPhones, where even the cheapest standard model costs around 1000 euros.
With some effort, Google is now bringing its first own smartwatch onto the market. Whether the Pixel Watch can compete with the Apple Watch, which premiered eight years ago, remains to be seen.
Visually, the Pixel Watch is a chic alternative with a round, practically borderless AMOLED display with a diameter of 41 millimeters and a curved cover glass. The screen is sharp at 320ppi and can shine brightly at up to 1000 nits.
The case is made from 80 percent recycled stainless steel and is available in four different colors. The watch is 12.3 millimeters thin and weighs 36 grams without the strap. There is a button and a haptic crown on the side. The device is waterproof and survives dives to a depth of 50 meters.
The Pixel Watch is not powered by a Google chip, but by the Exynos 9110 from Samsung. It is supported by 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash memory. The battery has a capacity of 294 mAh, which should be enough for a runtime of up to 24 hours. The watch charges with electricity via a magnetic USB-C charging cable. The operating system is Google’s Wear OS 3.5.
The Pixel Watch navigates with the satellite systems GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo. The sensor equipment includes a compass, altimeter, oxygen saturation meter, heart rate monitor (optical), accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor and a so-called multi-purpose electrical sensor. There is also a speaker and microphone for phone calls, voice messages and commands. Google offers a variant with cell phone reception and a WLAN model.
Since Google has owned Fitbit since 2019, the Pixel Watch does not start from scratch, but already offers a wide range of functions. This includes a sleep analysis, training statistics or an emergency SOS. An update will bring automatic accident detection to devices with mobile communications in winter.
The Google Pixel Watch is compatible with all Android smartphones running at least Android 8. The WLAN model costs just under 380 euros, for the 4G variant around 430 euros are due.
