introduction
After last year's Pixel returned to the flagship scene, 2022 brings even more evolutionary upgrades to Google's line of phones. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro come with the usual chipset upgrades, camera tweaks here or there, and a refined design, on top of some software novelties.
Naturally, our eyes are drawn to the Pros more than the vanilla, so we started our review journey with that one. One of the two main differences this year, looking at the spec sheet, is the new telephoto camera, which trades in a larger sensor size for a longer zoom range - which doesn't immediately surprise us as an entirely positive development, even though the 5x zoom is appreciated.
Another new bit is the chipset. The custom-built Tensor G2 comes with a few new CPU cores and a new GPU, and who knows exactly how much of an upgrade under the hood, but it's still being produced on a 5nm process, when competitors are at 4nm.
Physically the handset is the same as last year, but also different. The camera strip on the back is still there and is just as prominent, only it's now part of the aluminum frame and not the separate glass piece it was last year. And that's more or less what's changed for the Pixel Pro 2022. Here are some important numbers before we go.
Google Pixel 7 Pro at a glance:
Body: 162.9x76.6x8.9mm, 212g; Front glass (Gorilla Glass Victus), rear glass (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistance (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes).
Display: 6.7" LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak), 1440x3120px resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 512ppi; Always-on display.
Chipset: Google Tensor G2 (5 nm): Octa-core (2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G710 MC10.
Memory: RAM 128GB 8GB, RAM 256GB 8GB, RAM 128GB 12GB, RAM 256GB 12GB, RAM 512GB 12GB; UFS 3.1.
OS/Software: Android 13.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm, 1/1.31", 1.2µm, Multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; Ultra-wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 126˚, 1/2.9", 1.25µm, AF; Telephoto: 48 MP, f/3.5, 120mm, 1/2.55", 0.7µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom.
Front camera: 10.8 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.22µm.
Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, HDR 10-bit; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps.
Battery: 5000mAh; 23W fast charging, 23W fast wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging, USB 3.0 Power Delivery.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; stereo speakers; Ultra Wideband (UWB) support.
Unbox Google Pixel 7 Pro
The unboxing experience remains the same as last year, when the charger was lost. Inside a white cardboard box, you get a USB-C cable and a USB-A-to-C adapter for transferring data from your old phone (perhaps iPhone?).
Naturally, our eyes are drawn to the Pros more than the vanilla, so we started our review journey with that one. One of the two main differences this year, looking at the spec sheet, is the new telephoto camera, which trades in a larger sensor size for a longer zoom range - which doesn't immediately surprise us as an entirely positive development, even though the 5x zoom is appreciated.
Another new bit is the chipset. The custom-built Tensor G2 comes with a few new CPU cores and a new GPU, and who knows exactly how much of an upgrade under the hood, but it's still being produced on a 5nm process, when competitors are at 4nm.
Physically the handset is the same as last year, but also different. The camera strip on the back is still there and is just as prominent, only it's now part of the aluminum frame and not the separate glass piece it was last year. And that's more or less what's changed for the Pixel Pro 2022. Here are some important numbers before we go.