Google announced its new flagship smartphone series, and we’re here to compare them. In this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 7 Pro. As you probably already know, these two phones are quite similar in many ways. Still, there are a number of differences that make the Pixel 7 Pro the ‘Pro’ of the two models. The question is, are those differences worth the extra money. The Pixel 7 Pro is quite a bit more expensive, starting at $899, compared to the $599 price tag of the Pixel 7.
We do hope that this article will help you make a purchasing decision. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to a number of other categories. We’ll take a look at their designs, displays, performance, battery situation, cameras, and audio aspects. Do note that this is an early comparison, after less than a day of use. So, this is not a full review or anything of the sort, we’re working on those as we speak. That being said, let’s get started.
Specs
Google Pixel 7 | Google Pixel 7 Pro | |
Screen size | 6.3-inch fullHD+ flat OLED display (90Hz refresh rate) | 6.7-inch QHD+ curved OLED LTPO display (120Hz refresh rate) |
Screen resolution | 2400 x 1080 | 3120 x 1440 |
SoC | Google Tensor G2 | Google Tensor G2 |
RAM | 8GB (LPDDR5) | 12GB (LPDDR5) |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB, non-expandable (UFS 3.1) | 128GB/256GB/512GB, non-expandable (UFS 3.1) |
Rear cameras | 50MP (Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, 1.2um pixel size, f/1.85 aperture, 82-degree FoV, Super Res Zoom up to 8x) 12MP (ultrawide, 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 114-degree FoV, lens correction) |
50MP (Samsung ISOCELL GN1 sensor, 1.2um pixel size, f/1.85 aperture, 82-degree FoV) 12MP (ultrawide, 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 125.8-degree FoV, lens correction) 48MP (telephoto, 0.7um pixel size, f/3.5 aperture, 20.6-degree FoV, 5x optical zoom, Super Res Zoom up to 30x) |
Front cameras | 10.8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 92.8-degree FoV, Fixed Focus) | 10.8MP (1.22um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, 92.8-degree FoV, Fixed Focus) |
Battery | 4,355mAh, non-removable, 21W wired charging, 23W wireless charging, reverse wireless charger Charger not included |
5,000mAh, non-removable, 23W wired charging, 23W wireless charging, reverse wireless charger Charger not included |
Dimensions | 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm | 162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9mm |
Weight | 197 grams | 212 grams |
Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
Security | Face Unlock In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
Face Unlock In-display fingerprint scanner (optical) |
OS | Android 13 | Android 13 |
Price | $599/$699 | $899/$999/$1,099 |
Buy |
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: Design
The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, unsurprisingly sport the same design language. They’re far from being identical, though. The Pixel 7 is smaller, and that goes for both height and width, while it’s also slightly thinner as well. It is also lighter on top of everything. The Pixel 7 also has a flat display, which is 0.4 inches smaller in diagonal. That’s the main reason why this phone is smaller overall, of course.
Both smartphones do have a centered display camera hole, and thin bezels. The Pixel 7 Pro does include a curved display, though. The ‘Pro’ model also has an extra camera on the back. It has three cameras in its camera visor, while the Pixel 7 has two. Speaking of which, the camera visor is now protected by metal. It looks more premium this way, and it’s more protected, but the Pixel 6’s camera visor was more aesthetically pleasing due to the contrast between materials. That’s arguable, though, of course.
Both phones are quite slippery in the hand. They’re made from aluminum and glass, though you’ll find that their aluminum finish is different in comparison. Both devices are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance as well, and they do feel somewhat similar to the Pixel 6 series. The weight distribution does seem to be better here, though, at least that’s what we thought after our initial hands-on. We do recommend getting a case, regardless of which phone you end up buying.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: Display
These two phones do have different displays. The Pixel 7 comes with a smaller, 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED panel. That is a 90Hz display, and it’s flat. It offers a 416 PPI, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus. This display gets up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness, and it supports HDR10 content. It also has a 1 million:1 contrast ratio, and full 24-bit color depth for 16 million colors.
The Pixel 7 Pro, on the flip side, includes a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3120 x 1440) LTPO OLED display. This panel is curved, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate (adaptive). We’re looking at a 512 PPI here, while this panel is also protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus. This display gets up to 1,500 nits of peak brightness, it also supports HDR, and has the same contrast ratio. It also offers full 24-bit depth for 16 million colors.
Both of these displays are actually really good. They offer punchy colors, great viewing angles, and deep blacks. They also do get quite bright when you need them to. The Pixel 7 Pro’s display is sharper, and it offers a higher refresh rate. The vast majority of people won’t notice the difference in refresh rate, though, and the same goes for the resolution difference. The Pixel 7 is more than sharp enough for most people. What you should ask yourself, though, is whether you prefer smaller flat displays, or huge curved ones.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: Performance
Both of these phones are fueled by the Google Tensor G2. They also include LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Pixel 7 comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of storage. The Pixel 7 Pro includes 12GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB/512GB of storage. Technically, the performance shouldn’t be that much different day-to-day, and after our initial usage, that seems to be true.
Both of these phones do a great job thus far. They can multitask really fast, the same goes for opening and closing apps. Some games we tried to run worked perfectly fine, and we still didn’t notice any excessive heat. As already mentioned, though, we didn’t use them for long thus far, so that may change. You’ll have to wait for our full review. Thus far, though, they both perform admirably with no outstanding quirks or lag.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: Battery
The Google Pixel 7 comes with a 4,355mAh battery, while the Pixel 7 Pro includes a 5,000mAh unit. Quite frankly, we didn’t spend nearly enough time with either phone to judge their battery life. The 5,000mAh battery capacity should be enough for the ‘Pro’ model, but the regular one is a bit worrying. This phone has a higher refresh rate and a larger display than the Pixel 6a, which has a slightly larger battery. So, we’re not too optimistic, to be quite honest. Who knows, though, perhaps Google manages to surprise us thanks to the Tensor G2 and some optimizations.
In terms of charging, we believe it remains unchanged in comparison to last year. Google did not confirm exact charging speeds, but it did share some info. You can get up to 50-percent charge in about 30 minutes with a compatible charger. Speaking of which, the charger is not included in the box, but the phone support USB-PD 3.0 (PPS) charging. We believe it will take around 2 hours to fully charge these devices, a bit less for the Pixel 7. We could be wrong though. Speaking of charging, both phones offer up to 23W wireless charging, and also reverse wireless charging support.
Google Pixel 7 vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: Cameras
The cameras are usually some of the most interesting parts of Pixel phones. Google decided to keep the hardware very similar here, with some changes to the selfie camera. On the back, you’ll find a 50-megapixel ISOCELL GN1 main camera, paired with a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (114-degree for the Pixel 7, and 125.8-degree FoV for the Pixel 7 Pro). The front-facing camera is a 10.8-megapixel unit that will be used for face unlock as well. The Pixel 7 Pro also has a 48-megapixel telephoto camera on the back now, which now offers even better performance, and further zoom.
The initial impressions with the cameras are actually really good. The performance seems to be similar to the Pixel 6 series, which is not bad at all. The selfie camera does seem to be improved, especially in low light. Both phones handle HDR like champs, as you’d expect them to, based on previous Pixel cameras. We didn’t get a chance to test out the video performance just yet, though. In any case, the expectations are high for these cameras. You’ll be able to get all the details in our full reviews. What we’re wondering about the most are the improvements to the selfie camera, Real Tone, video recording, and general low light performance.
Audio
In terms of audio, there’s not really much to say here. They both pack in a set of stereo speakers, which sound similar to last year. Once again, the ‘Pro’ model does seem to offer very slightly clearer output, but it could be just a placebo effect. Both sets of speakers are quite punchy, and they are also well-balanced. You’ll also get some bass out of them.
You will not find an audio jack on either one of these two phones. That’s not surprising at all, as Google removed the headphone jack from its mid-range series as well. You can choose between Bluetooth and a Type-C connection, depending on whether you’d like to go wireless or not. Bluetooth 5.2 is supported here, by the way.