Google Pixel 7 Pro review: new camera champ undercuts competition

It is a very big phone but its relatively light 212g weight and curved sides make it a little narrower and slightly easier to hold than some rivals. It feels super-solid and well made.

Battery life is also similar to the Pixel 6 Pro, lasting about 34 to 36 hours between charges with the screen set to its default FHD+ resolution and actively used for about five hours. That is a little short of the competition but good enough for a day of heavy use. Turning off the always-on display increased battery life by about two hours.

Google does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery but it should last in excess of 500 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity. The phone is repairable by Google and third-party shops, with genuine replacement parts available direct from iFixit. Out-of-warranty screen repairs by Google will cost similar to its predecessor at about £200, and battery replacements about £100.

The Pixel 7 Pro is made with 100% recycled aluminium, accounting for about 19% of the phone by weight. The company publishes environmental impact reports for some of its products. Google will recycle old devices free of charge.

Exclusive features to the new phone include the ability to unblur faces and objects using AI in the Google Photos app. It is a little hit and miss but is almost miraculous when it works, and can process new and old photos alike in only a few taps.

Google will provide at least five years of software and security updates, including at least three major Android versions. Samsung supports many of its phones for five years, while Fairphone is aiming for six years, and Apple supports its iPhone for up to seven years.

The Pixel 7 Pro has three cameras on the back, which it combines into almost one continuous zoom range from 0.5x to 30x.

Shots taken between 2.5 and 4.9x blend data from multiple cameras to produce better images than simpler digital zooms typically applied at these intermediate distances.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro costs from £849 ($899/A$1,299) with 128GB of storage.

For comparison, the Pixel 7 costs £599, the Pixel 6a costs £349, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra costs £1,149, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max costs £1,199.