Is it still worth it in 2023?

When the Pixel 7 Professional launched in October of 2022, it appeared like Google had pulled a magic trick and eventually bought issues proper with a telephone. Nice options and a practical worth have been topped by rave Pixel 7 Professional critiques, a lot in order that it received each our Editor’s Selection and Reader’s Selection awards for smartphone of the yr.

However have issues modified six months later? Does the Pixel 7 Professional nonetheless maintain a spot as top-of-the-line Android telephones you should purchase in 2023? I’ve been utilizing the Pixel 7 Professional as my most important telephone since its launch and I’m able to dig in and share its finest and least spectacular points in spite of everything this time.

In 2021, the Pixel 6 Professional rang the beginning of a brand new period inside Google’s smartphone enterprise with a concentrate on an in-house processor, a singular new design, a refined Android expertise with Materials You, and a burgeoning ecosystem of equipment. However the Pixel 6 Professional was riddled with points and all eyes have been on its successor. Would the Pixel 7 Professional repair these issues or wouldn’t it perpetuate them?

In brief, the Pixel 7 Professional refined every part we noticed with the 6 Professional. The show’s curves are much less drastic and simpler to make use of when swiping from the sting, the metallic body continues into the digicam bump for a extra elegant look, and the telephone feels extra balanced within the hand. After holding and utilizing the 7 Professional for a number of months, going again to the 6 Professional appears like a correct downgrade.

The Pixel 7 Professional additionally bought a quicker Tensor G2 processor, a brighter show, a non-problematic in-display fingerprint scanner that continues to be dependable, a greater zoom lens, and — so far as we are able to inform — not one of the Pixel 6 Professional’s connectivity points. It’s every part the Pixel 6 Professional aimed to be, however higher.

All these enhancements have been met with higher high quality management general too. Six months later, it’s clear that the Pixel line-up’s notorious defects, failures, and bugs haven’t hit the Pixel 7 sequence as a lot as its predecessors, a lot in order that we’ve forgotten that these have been a factor with earlier fashions. We nonetheless report a difficulty with the telephone right here or there on Android Authority, however not more than different flagships and positively not as a lot as we did for the Pixel 6 and others earlier than it.

Google’s images experience is why the newest Pixels are thought-about a number of the finest digicam telephones and why they’re all the time included in each comparability check we do. It’s additionally why the Pixel 7 Professional is a part of the dialog even once we’re doing a digicam shootout of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely, a telephone that’s considerably costlier and that packs astronomically higher digicam {hardware} on paper.

Regardless of the topic or the lighting scenario, odds are I’ll get a terrific snap from the Pixel 7 Professional. 3000+ images later, it’s secure to say that I actually admire that reliability. Landscapes or metropolis scenes, meals or nature, night time or day, static or transferring objects, photograph or video; I’m assured that my telephone will deal with all of it. I’ve sung the praises of Pixels’ images for years now, and I believe it shines essentially the most with the themes we {photograph} essentially the most — folks and pets.

The Pixel 7 Professional takes that to new ranges with its zoom efficiency which stays serviceable as much as 20x, neat macro mode, and nice night time efficiency. It has additionally change into my final live performance digicam for each stills and movies, utilizing that zoom to get to the crux of the motion even once I’m seated far-off and have a blocked view.

Regardless of rising smartphone costs throughout the board, Google stored the Pixel 7 sequence’ worth in step with its predecessor. This was laudable on the finish of 2022, but it surely’s much more spectacular now in 2023. At $899, Google’s flagship is $100 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus and the Apple iPhone 14 Professional, but it’s usually in contrast in opposition to the way more costly Galaxy S23 Extremely and iPhone 14 Professional Max. Not simply by us, however by each tech publication on the market.

We may spend hours nitpicking each {hardware} aspect and explaining the way it’s a step behind this telephone or that telephone, however the Pixel 7 Professional is basically higher than the sum of its elements in each day use. It’s a wonderful smartphone at a palatable worth and, in that regard, it exists in a league of its personal.

Quarterly characteristic drops additionally hold the expertise contemporary, even when I’ll be sincere and say the previous few drops haven’t introduced something ground-breaking. And the record of Pixel-exclusive options will get longer yearly, granting higher worth to the telephone. We are going to, nonetheless, dock a degree for Google’s four-year replace dedication. It ought to no less than match Samsung’s 5.

On paper, the Pixel 7 Professional has practically the identical dimensions and weight because the Pixel 6 Professional, but it surely feels totally different within the hand as I discussed earlier. It’s simpler to grip, has a extra balanced weight distribution, and is extra nice to make use of. It’s additionally extra palm pleasant than many of the different huge flagships available on the market, just like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely and iPhone 14 Professional Max. Nonetheless, I can’t assist however really feel like I’m pleased with a minor enchancment in ergonomics when it’s clear that the principle design isn’t best.

This can be a very subjective drawback for positive, however I’ve two points with the telephone. For one, I discover the glass again too slippery. There’s no method I’d ever carry it and even place it on a clean floor and not using a case on; that’s simply calling for catastrophe. And two, the Pixel 7 Professional additionally stays too huge to carry and use comfortably with one hand, particularly if in case you have average-sized arms as I do. I’d like it if Google copied Apple’s technique right here and launched a smaller Professional Pixel quickly; the earliest rumors recommend we’d get that in 2024 with the Pixel 8.

Latest Pixels’ battery life isn’t breaking any data. They’re usually serviceable for a day of mid to heavy use, however can’t outlast different telephones with seven, eight, and even 9 hours of screen-on-time. What makes this problematic is the sluggish, so very sluggish 21-23W trickle charging on the Pixel 7 sequence.

It takes practically two hours to totally cost a depleted Pixel 7 Professional. In case your telephone is low on juice and also you’re about to move out for a number of hours, you’ll be able to’t plug it in 10 minutes earlier than leaving and suppose that might be anyplace close to sufficient to get you out of hassle. This isn’t a lot of a difficulty should you all the time have a wall charger close by or carry a conveyable energy financial institution all over the place you go, however if in case you have a number of hectic days with extra restricted entry to energy, you’ll positively discover this.

A sluggish charging velocity is sort of unforgivable as of late when different Android telephones are providing no less than 45W or 65W of energy. We don’t suppose Google ought to attain excessive numbers like 240W, however providing 25W as a base charging velocity with a toggle to allow 45-65W on-demand charging can be best. That method we may follow the battery-friendly energy more often than not, however pump it up once we’re in a rush.

The Pixel sequence was by no means constructed round uncooked efficiency. As an alternative, Google’s method has all the time been software-centric, eschewing peak CPU and GPU speeds for higher picture processing, toughened safety, and extra on-device machine studying (ML) expertise. That is clear as day whenever you have a look at Tensor G2’s benchmark outcomes and the way outclassed it’s in comparison with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

However that’s the rub. Google is ready to pull off on-device reside translations, wonderful photograph post-processing, and a bunch of different ML-powered Pixel-only options with a hampered chipset. Think about what it may do with a extra trendy processor structure and extra energy. So even when we don’t essentially discover any hiccups in day-to-day use on the Pixel 7 Professional, we nonetheless suppose a greater chip would let it do extra issues quicker, have higher power effectivity and thus longer battery life, and hold it cool as a substitute of heating up at each signal of effort.

Google hit its stride with the Pixel 7 sequence in 2022. For the primary time in years, it appears like the unique imaginative and prescient behind this line-up is taking correct form. The Pixel 7 Professional presents a cohesive software-hardware design, a transparent service-centric and AI/ML-powered expertise, a improbable images efficiency, and all of that with fewer of the problems of the Pixels of yore.

It’s additionally cementing its central place in Google’s {hardware} ecosystem technique. Pair it with Pixel Buds Professional, the Pixel Watch, and the upcoming Pixel Pill, and also you’ll have a coherent setup that’s brushing as much as Samsung’s and Apple’s wonderful ecosystems.

Six months later, the telephone’s $899 worth continues to be justifiable in comparison with the worth it brings, however much more so when it’s discounted to $799 or much less as it’s continuously. Those that like Google’s method to software program, providers, and images, however don’t want the zoom lens will discover the smaller Pixel 7 ($599 at Amazon) a greater purchase, although, whereas anybody searching for extra uncooked energy and a extra assorted software program suite ought to have a look at the Samsung Galaxy S23 ($799.99 at Amazon), Galaxy S23 Plus ($849.99 at Amazon), or the OnePlus 11 ($699 at Amazon).

The largest query mark, although, is whether or not it’s best to watch for the Google Pixel 8 Professional or get the Pixel 7 Professional now. There’s no apparent reply to that; all of it will depend on your circumstances. On one hand, should you want a telephone quickly, can discover a discounted 7 Professional, and worth a stable expertise, then by all means, go for it. However should you’re not in any rush and wish to see what the successor will actually deliver, then six months isn’t that lengthy of a wait. Simply needless to say we don’t know the way a lot it’ll value or what the pre-order bonuses might be (if any).