Why the Google Pixel 7 Pro is the Best Android Phone Under $1,000
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Google’s Pixel 7 Pro is a follow-up to one of the best Android phones in the business. Last year, the Pixel 6 Pro took the tech giant’s smartphone lineup to another level by bringing distinctive design and new hardware headlined by a Google Tensor chip. The latest iteration brings subtle-but-notable design refinements, a more capable camera setup, and a slight power bump while retaining the same under-$1,000 starting price.
Pixel 7 Pro Android Phone
amazon.com
$889.00
KEY SPECS
• Google Tensor G2 chip
• 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED display with 120 Hz maximum refresh rate, HDR compatibility
• Triple camera with 50MP main, 48MP telephoto with 5-times optical zoom, 12MP ultra-wide, Laser autofocus, 11MP selfie camera
• 12GB of RAM, 128/256/512GB of storage
• 5G, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity
• 5,000 mAh, fast wired and wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
• Stereo speakers, IP 68 waterproof
Like its predecessor, the Pixel 7 Pro arrived alongside a cheaper and more compact Pixel 7. I spent more than a month with the new Google phone as my go-to, and once again, it proved to be worthy of its Pro moniker and a fantastic alternative to Samsung's Galaxy S handsets. Here's why it's the best big-screen Android for most upgraders.
DESIGN
The Pixel 7 Pro has the same silhouette and footprint as the Pixel 6 Pro. Thankfully, Google treated the camera bar — a standout design feature that debuted alongside the Pixel 6 lineup — to a significant refresh that makes it distinctly stand out from its predecessors. Instead of rocking a black camera bump across its back, the Pixel 7 Pro has one with a glossy metallic finish and precise cutouts for the camera sensors.
The new camera bar setup mentioned above gives the new phone a fresher and more premium look. The camera bar finish is also different for every Pixel 7 Pro color option. The phone is available in snow, hazel, and obsidian finishes, and you'll get a silver, gold, or dark gray camera bar with each respective color.
Of course, the Pixel 7 Pro is as durable as it is elegant. The waterproof phone has an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus front and back covers, so it’s pretty resistant to scratches and damage from accidental drops. Even still, you should keep in mind that opting for a protective case will make the 7-plus-ounce phone more damage-resistant and easier to handle.
DISPLAY
There’s virtually no difference between the screen of the Google Pixel 7 Pro and its predecessor’s — and we’re totally fine with that. The 6.7-inch OLED screen is as beautiful as ever: bright, sharp, incredibly vibrant, and flanked by a pair of stellar stereo speakers.
The screen is great to interact with, thanks to a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. Navigating the Android interface, scrolling through emails and social media feeds, and gaming, among many other tasks, were consistently enjoyable on the large display of the Pixel 7 Pro while I tested it.
Display features like high refresh rate and maximum brightness have been standard on high-end phones for years, so I expected nothing less from the latest Pixel — and its screen is deservedly one of the best in its class.
CAMERA
Google Pixel phones have been among the very best for mobile photography since the first generation arrived in 2016, and the latest ones are no exception. The Pixel 7 Pro has the same multisensor, multimegapixel camera setup as last year's Pixel 6 Pro — but its zoom capabilities have taken a welcome leap forward.
The 7 Pro's 5-times optical and 30-times Super Res zoom are superior to its predecessor's 4-times optical and 20-times Super Res magnification capabilities. Crucially, Google's phone has a telephoto camera with more megapixels and a more extensive optical zoom range than the Samsung Galaxy S22+ — its most direct Android rival.
The impressive Super Zoom capabilities of the latest Pixel Pro are made possible by the Google Tensor G2 chip. The updated silicon brings more useful camera improvements, including Photo Unblur, Macro Focus for next-level closeup shots, and faster Night Sight photo processing, to name a few major ones.
The overall Pixel 7 Pro camera performance is fantastic and among the best in its class. During my testing, the phone consistently captured photos and 4K video with exceptional quality and true-to-life colors and skin tones, including in scenes with less-than-perfect lighting. The intuitive interface of its camera app made capturing beautiful memories — from portraits to video clips to selfies — quick and effortless.
Photo Unblur is a Tensor G2-exclusive feature that I found particularly helpful during my testing. The feature can restore old photos with more detail by utilizing the chip's vast image-processing capabilities — and it's a feature that makes the Pixel 7 Pro the smartphone to invest in if you snap a lot of photos.
It is important to note that, despite rocking 50MP-wide and telephoto sensors, the Pixel 7 Pro snaps 12MP still images. Unlike the iPhone 14 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S phones, the Google product will not allow you to capture full-resolution photos.
Even though it might appear like one, the above quirk isn't a shortcoming or a dealbreaker. The Pixel 7 Pro produces outstanding photos with more detail without taking up too much space by utilizing the data captured by four camera pixels into one. And to be fair, the latest iPhone Pro and Samsung Galaxy phones take an identical approach to still photography out of the box.
PERFORMANCE
The Pixel 7 Pro is fast and capable, as you would expect from a top-shelf Android phone. Apps opened instantly, and switching between double-digit amounts of open ones was just as seamless while I tested it. High-intensity local and cloud-based gameplay was just as enjoyable, courtesy of the robust hardware and the high-quality display panel.
In terms of processing and graphics power, the 5-nanometer Tensor G2 chip of the 7 Pro offers slight increases over the excellent Tensor ticking inside the previous-generation Pixel phones. The most notable benefits that the new component brings include improved camera performance and power efficiency (think longer battery life).
I had no trouble getting a full day of heavy use from the Pixel 7 Pro over weeks of testing. Its massive battery and power-efficient chip ensured that I didn't have to be mindful of my usage. This is yet another instance when the product delivered on the expectations set by its sticker.
Lowering the screen resolution from QHD+ to a still-sharp FHD+, disabling the always-on display, and reducing the maximum refresh rate is guaranteed to bring more use between charges. The handy adjustments are easy to make via toggle buttons in the display settings menu.
Like most new phones, the Pixel 7 Pro isn't bundled with a wall adapter. Google's 30-watt charger is a fast and reliable option at a reasonable price. The essential accessory will get the device's big battery from empty to about 50% in half an hour. Unsurprisingly, the phone also supports fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
The 23-watt maximum wired charging capacity of the Pixel 7 Pro is solid, but you should know that its direct rivals are better equipped in this department. Samsung's big-screen Galaxy S22 phones have a 45-watt charging capacity for faster power-ups, while the OnePlus 10 Pro is even speedier.
USER EXPERIENCE
The Pixel 7 Pro Android user experience is the best in its class, and that’s hardly a surprise, as Google is the maker of its hardware and platform. The phone runs the latest Android iteration without bloatware and will get new builds and features sooner than any rival. The synergy between its hardware and platform is nothing short of extraordinary, especially compared to what other Android phones can offer.
Best of all, Google will provide platform and security updates for its product for the next three and five years. This means that the Pixel 7 Pro is, again, the most futureproof phone in its class.
Another bit I enjoyed quite a lot while testing the Pixel 7 Pro is the haptic feedback it provided. Everyday Android interactions like accessing the app drawer, checking notifications, and switching between open apps, among many others, were accompanied by sensory feedback with superb tactility.
WRAP-UP
The Pixel 7 Pro is hands down the best big-screen Android phone under $1,000. Its design, camera performance, and Android experience are better than what any rival in its price range has to offer. Its charging speed could surely use a boost, but given the benefits above, it’s a minor compromise I don’t mind making.
Unless you can drop over $1,000 on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra that comes with the S Pen, a more capable camera setup, and faster charging, don't bother looking at alternatives. Similarly priced 7 Pro rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S22+ and the OnePlus 10 Pro, while solid on their own, are not a match for Google's product.
Pricing of the Pixel 7 Pro begins at $899 for a version with 128GB of storage. Doubling it costs another $100, while a 512GB variant will set you back $1,099. Deals and discounts on the phone are frequently available, so you won't have to pay full price to snag one on most occasions.
I tip my hat to Google for equipping every 7 Pro variant with 12GB of RAM for dependable multitasking capabilities. Some of its high-profile rivals will charge you extra for the feature.
For another variant of this phone, check out our review of the Google Pixel 7A.
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