The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are a pair of
Androidsmartphones designed, developed, and marketed by
Google as part of the
Google Pixel product line. They serve as the successor to the
Pixel 6 and
Pixel 6 Pro, respectively. The phones were first previewed in May 2022, during the
Google I/O keynote. They are powered by the second-generation
Google Tensor chip, and feature a design similar to that of the Pixel 6 series. They shipped with
Android 13.
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro were officially announced on October 6, 2022, at the annual
Made by Google event, and were released in the United States on October 13. They were succeeded by the
Pixel 8 and
Pixel 8 Pro in October 2023.[4]
History
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro were previewed by
Google on May 11, 2022, during the 2022
Google I/O keynote.[5] During the keynote, the company confirmed that the phones would feature the second-generation
Google Tensorsystem-on-chip (SoC),[6] which had been in development by October 2021.[7] The phones were approved by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in August 2022.[8] Google officially announced the phones on October 6, 2022, alongside the
Pixel Watch smartwatch, at the annual
Made by Google event,[9] and became available in 17 countries on October 13.[10] A portion of the phones were manufactured by
Foxconn in Vietnam, shifting production from
southern China.[11] Google requested approximately eight million Pixel 7 units from suppliers, with the goal of increasing its sales numbers twofold.[12] During the launch event, Google also announced the phones' official cases, which became available for pre-order on the same day with three color options for each phone.[13] Pre-orders for the phones began on the same day as the announcement.[14][15]
Specifications
Design
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both feature the two-tone back color scheme and large camera bar introduced in the
Pixel 6 and
Pixel 6 Pro, with the camera bar now made of aluminum.[16] The front of the phones also retain the Pixel 6 series' centered hole-punch
display notch.[17] They are each available in three colors:[18]
Color options for the Pixel 7 series
Pixel 7
Pixel 7 Pro
Lemongrass
Snow
Obsidian
Hazel
Snow
Obsidian
Hardware
The Pixel 7 has a 6.3 in (160.5 mm)
FHD+1080pOLED display at 416
ppi with a 2400 × 1080 pixel resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio, while the Pixel 7 Pro has a 6.7 in (170 mm)
QHD+1440pLTPO OLED curved-edge display at 512 ppi with a 3120 × 1440 pixel resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.[19][20] The Pixel 7 has a 90 Hz refresh rate while the Pixel 7 Pro has a 120 Hz
variable refresh rate. Both phones contain a 50
megapixelwide rear camera and a 12 megapixel
ultrawide rear camera, with the Pixel 7 Pro featuring an additional 48 megapixel
telephoto 5×
optical zoom rear camera. The front camera on both phones contains a 10.8 megapixel ultrawide lens.[21][22] The phones bring back the
Pixel 4 and
Pixel 4 XL's Face Unlock
facial recognition system, except the feature is now solely powered by the front camera rather than
Project Soli radar technology.[23]
The Pixel 7 has a 4355 mAh battery, while the Pixel 7 Pro has a 5000 mAh battery. Both phones support fast charging,[24]Qi wireless charging, as well as reverse wireless charging.[25] The Pixel 7 is available in 128 or 256 GB of storage and 8 GB of
RAM, and the Pixel 7 Pro is available in 128, 256, or 512 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM. In addition to the second-generation Tensor chip, both phones are also equipped with the
Titan M2 security module, along with an under-display optical
fingerprint scanner,
stereo speakers, and
Gorilla Glass Victus.[26] Counterpoint Research calculated that the Pixel 7 Pro cost an estimated US$413 to manufacture.[27]
Software
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro shipped with
Android 13 and version 8.7 of the
Google Camera app at launch. It will receive at least three years of major OS upgrades with support extending to 2025, and at least five years of security updates with support extending to 2027.[28][29] In addition to enhancements to Night Sight and Real Tone, camera features introduced on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro include Guided Frame, Photo Unblur, and Cinematic Blur. A
macro photography mode is also available on the Pixel 7 Pro to accompany its additional telephoto lens,[19][15] as are upgrades to Super Res Zoom.[24] The Direct My Call feature and Recorder app both received performance upgrades,[19] while Google announced that its
VPN service from
Google One would be bundled with the Pixel 7 series at no additional charge.[30] The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro only run apps that have
64-bit binaries, the first Android smartphones with such a restriction.[31] As part of a partnership with Google,
Snapchat and
TikTok announced support for 10-bit
HDR video on the Pixel 7 series.[32]
Marketing
Similar to the previous year, Pixel 7-themed potato chips were made available in Japan weeks prior to the phones' launch event.[33] In October 2022, Google partnered with the
NBA to produce a series of advertisements for the Pixel lineup featuring multiple NBA athletes.[34] In February 2023, Google released a commercial titled "Fixed on Pixel" which advertised the Pixel 7's Magic Eraser feature, ahead of its airing during
Super Bowl LVII. Featuring
Amy Schumer,
Doja Cat, and
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 90-second commercial marked Google's second
Super Bowl spot in a row to market the Pixel.[35][36][37] The song "
We Run This" by
Missy Elliot is used in the commercial.[38] "Fixed on Pixel" was positively received by viewers, with
Northwestern University's
Kellogg School of Management placing it among the highest-ranked spots of Super Bowl LVII.[39]People and Teen Vogue both named it as one of the best commercials of the event,[40][41] while
CBS Sports ranked it as second-best and Tom's Guide labeled it as the best.[42][43] It was the fifth most-watched Super Bowl LVII commercial on
YouTube,[44] and was ranked 12th on USA Today'sSuper Bowl Ad Meter, scoring 5.81 points on a scale of 10.[45] In June 2023, the Pixel 7 Pro and
Pixel Fold were featured in a series of
comparative advertisements targeting the
iPhone.[46]
Reception
Critical response
Following the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro's reveal at the 2022 Google I/O, Sean Hollister of The Verge praised Google's development of a distinctive Pixel
design language with the continuation of the Pixel 6 and
Pixel 6a's camera bar.[47] Both phones were well received after their launch. Julian Chokkattu of Wired and Max Buondonno of
CNN Underscored lauded the phones' competitive pricing, displays, and camera capabilities.[48][49] Dave LeClair of PCMag commended the Pixel 7's price and performance,[50] while praising the Pixel 7 Pro's display and photography-related features.[51]Gizmodo's Florence Ion acclaimed the phones' camera system,[52] and
Marques Brownlee highlighted their software features.[53] Mark Knapp and Kevin Lee of IGN viewed the phones as marginally superior to the Pixel 6 series, but praised Google's refinements nonetheless.[54][55]The Verge's Allison Johnson concurred, but found some of the new AI features "underwhelming".[56] Lisa Eadicicco and Andrew Lanxon of CNET hailed the phones' incremental improvements as a reflection of Google's successful product formula, praising their design and features but criticizing the battery life.[57][58]Engadget reviewer Sam Rutherford had a more positive experience with battery life, also praising the phones' upgraded designs.[59]Mashable's Alex Perry eulogized the larger phone's camera, but had reservations about the smaller Pixel 7 and lamented the loss of the Pixel 6 series' two-toned back design.[60] Writing for TechRadar, Alex Walker-Todd applauded the Pixel 7's design and camera,[61] while his colleague Philip Berne had mixed feelings about the Pixel 7 Pro's software features.[62]
Commercial reception
During Google parent company
Alphabet's
quarterly earningsinvestor call in February 2023, Google and Alphabet CEO
Sundar Pichai touted the Pixel 6a, 7, and 7 Pro as Google's "best-selling generation of phones", allowing Google to gain
market share in all of its markets.[63] Additionally, a survey conducted by
market research firm Wave7 in January 2023 further indicated that the Pixel 7 series, especially the Pro model, experienced stronger numbers than the Pixel 6 series.[64] The Pixel 7 series, alongside the Pixel 6a, were principally responsible for the Pixel's 87 percent
year-over-year growth globally.[65] Data from the
International Data Corporation showed that Google sold around 10 million Pixel phones during the 2022–2023
fiscal year.[66]