You’ll Need a Screen Protector – Review Geek

As all the time, the Pixel 7 Professional is superb. However sturdiness is a giant query this time round.

My relationship with the Pixel collection of telephones can finest be described as love/hate. I like the Pixel-exclusive options. And the Pixel 7 Professional is as soon as once more among the many finest smartphone cameras you should buy. However I all the time discover a close to “deal breaker.” This time it’s the easy-to-scratch display screen.

The Pixel 7 Professional launched in late 2022, and I’ve been utilizing one since early October. Final yr, I reviewed the Pixel 6 Pro and gave excessive marks, even when it had just a few “minor points.” However shortly after the evaluation, the Pixel 6 line began exhibiting downside after downside that didn’t present up within the evaluation interval. This time round, I made a decision to attend to publish simply to see if historical past would repeat itself. I’m glad I did. The software program is (principally) strong, however the {hardware}? Not a lot.

Design and Usability: Slight Updates, Good and Dangerous

Google actually modified up the design with the Pixel 6 collection. The “digicam visor” is definitely the standout function of that redesign, which gave Pixel it’s first really “signature look.” It’s the type of factor that appears odd at first, however you then develop used to it and even be taught to love it. The Pixel 7 collection retains the general look, together with the digicam visor, however makes refinements.

As a substitute of a “black bar” that impressed the “visor” nickname, Google switched to an aluminum affair with cutouts for the digicam. It now reaches all the best way to the perimeters to provide it a virtually seamless look. Past that change, although, you must play “spot the distinction” to seek out any modifications from the Pixel 6 Professional. Like many smartphones launched in 2022, that is an iterative replace. However these little modifications add as much as make a giant distinction—some for worse.

Take the digicam bar, for example. Now that it’s a sharp-edge aluminum affair, your complete look is improved total however it comes with just a few downsides. The sides appear to entice mud and dirt extra simply now. And worse but, they scratch and chip. You’ll shortly go from a pristine cellphone to 1 that appears marred.

You can contemplate the change an enchancment, although. The Pixel 6 collection went with a glass digicam bar that shattered simply for some. Knicks and dings are higher than shattered glass. And if that had been the tip of it, I’d contemplate it an enchancment. However flip over the cellphone, and also you’ll discover one other downside—the show.

The Pixel 7 Professional show is refreshingly good out of the field. Colours are vibrant with out trying unrealistic (hey, Samsung), and it’s principally brilliant sufficient to make use of open air. The ten-120hz refresh price isn’t one thing you’ll discover in follow, however that higher vary makes for clean animations and video. It’s nonetheless, sadly, a curved show, and I want corporations would stop with that trend, however it’s gentler this time round, which is an enchancment. If that had been the tip of the story, I’d reward the show and mark it as a purpose to purchase the cellphone.

However discover I stated, “out of the field.” As a rule, I don’t put my evaluation items in instances or slap display screen protectors on them. If it comes with a display screen protector, I take it off. Final time round, I complained that the Pixel 6 Professional screamed for a case simply due to how dang slippery the thing is. I’m blissful to say the Pixel 7 Professional is an enchancment—I’ve by no means as soon as dropped it—however unhappy to say, that doesn’t matter. The display screen scratches actually simply.

Once more, I’ve by no means dropped the cellphone, however in some way my Pixel 7 Professional evaluation unit’s show is roofed in scratches. And we’re not speaking small “barely there” scratches. These are deep grooves that you may get your fingernail in. I don’t maintain anything within the pocket I are likely to retailer my cellphone in, and the identical goes for the cup holder I stash it in whereas in my automobile. Nevertheless it seems prefer it bought in a combat with a barrel of sharpened keys and misplaced.

I believed it would simply be me, however I’ve found other threads complaining about the same problems, and within the JerryRigEverything durability test, Zack observed his razor blade appeared to scratch the display screen and the again glass, an uncommon outcome. I’m glad that Google made modifications to the Pixel 7 Professional that makes it much less slippery than its predecessor. However in just some months, it’s already trying wartorn. I can solely think about what it can seem like in two years.

Picture High quality: Persistently Spectacular

Would you like a smartphone that constantly offers you one of the best photographs with none effort? Purchase a Pixel. Sure, the iPhone takes fairly good photographs. And Samsung isn’t any slouch, both. However in some way, the Pixel collection appears to trump them constantly. That’s to not say the iPhone or Galaxy collection has by no means taken a greater picture. However over the lengthy haul, the Pixel will provide you with one of the best photographs. Even blind tests taken by thousands favor Pixel telephones over the competitors.

And that continues to be the case with the Pixel 7 Professional. Time after time, I’ve been pleased with the photographs I’ve taken until I gave my cellphone a real difficult shot no cellphone might deal with. If I don’t have time to get out my DSLR, I attain for my Pixel 7 Professional each time. And as a reviewer, I’ve numerous telephones that I might select. However I do know I’ll get one of the best picture out of the 7 Professional.

Google added just a few new methods that one might argue had been borrowed from Apple. The 50 megapixel foremost digicam now sports activities a “2x zoom” within the digicam software program. That’s not a real optical zoom, however an ideal 12 megapixel cutout of the middle of the 50 megapixel picture. Apple pioneered this, and on the Pixel it really works very well. Likewise, the UltraWide digicam now doubles as a Macro digicam, one other trick first discovered on iPhones. You can get into arguments about which corporations steal from which (all of them), however the outcomes listed here are excellent and that’s all that actually issues.

The one catch to all this digicam reward is that until you actually need telephoto pictures, you possibly can simply get photographs simply pretty much as good from the Pixel 7. And that’s a little bit of math we’ll speak extra about later.

Efficiency: Good However Might Be Higher

The Pixel 7 Professional continues Google’s path of utilizing its personal chips, very like Apple, and thus sports activities the second-generation Tensor G2. For as soon as we get an up to date identify that is sensible! Google claims the chip is 20% extra highly effective and power environment friendly than final yr’s mannequin, and to be sincere I actually can’t inform. It’s fantastic. I seldom complain for velocity, and after I try this’s normally right down to different components like community velocity or app points.

However battery life and warmth proceed to be a little bit of a letdown. I took my Pixel 7 Professional to CES and used it as a digicam shooter, and it didn’t final the day all through the journey. I relied on a backup battery to get me by means of to the late conferences or plugging in mid-day. Worse but, all of the work made my Pixel 7 Professional get actually scorching, to the purpose it was uncomfortable at occasions.

In additional common use, my Pixel 7 Professional does normally make it to the tip of the day, however solely simply. In case you’re a lightweight smartphone consumer who depends on Wi-Fi, it’ll do the trick. I’m blissful to say I observed higher community connection in comparison with the Pixel 6 Professional.

Software program and AI: Pure Android, and a Few “Unique” Options

One of many foremost causes to purchase a Pixel is the promise of pure unadulterated Android. It’s the cellphone straight from Google in any case. And that’s what you get, as standard, with the Pixel 7 Professional. Android 13 hit the Pixel 6 collection earlier than the Pixel 7 Professional launch, after all, and at this level it’s rolling out to different telephones too.

However Google has sometimes held just a few “unique” options to the Pixel traces that different Android telephones, even these with inventory Android, don’t get. The Pixel line has one of the best Spam prevention obtainable to any cellphone, for example. A lot of the different options revolve across the digicam. Magic Eraser premiered on the Pixel 6 collection, for example. And, after all, now there’s Unblur, and we shouldn’t neglect Nightsight (although yow will discover comparable performance on many flagship telephones now).

The Pixel 7 Professional expands Direct My Name past what the Pixel 6 managed, which was already fairly good. With the Pixel 6, if you inevitably known as some customer support line, the cellphone would transcribe the menus and provide you with simple to hit numbers to get by means of the myriad of choices to get to some people. Nevertheless it didn’t occur till the service spoke these choices. Now, by means of what I can solely surmise is witchcraft, or maybe simply know-how, the Pixel 7 Professional can current you with the choices to push even earlier than they’re spoken aloud. It’ll present “1 for financial institution hours, 2 to report a card misplaced or stolen,” and so forth. It’s fairly good.

However now Magic Eraser is available to other Android phones by means of Google One. It’s unclear if Google will deliver different “Pixel unique” options to the subscription service as nicely. If Google had been so as to add Name Screening as a Google One function, that’d be a giant nail within the coffin my causes to maintain a Pixel as my each day driver.

Conclusion: Nonetheless a Nice Flagship, Nonetheless an Awkward Worth

Final yr, I said that the Pixel 6 Pro is a great flagship phone at a clumsy worth. Positive, it value a complete lot lower than different comparable flagships, however for even much less, you might get the almost pretty much as good Pixel 6. The distinction in options between the Pixel 6 and 6 Professional simply couldn’t justify the $300 worth distinction.

Properly it’s humorous how historical past tends to repeat itself, particularly with smartphones. As a result of that’s precisely the identical case right here. The Pixel 7 Professional is nice, minus the easy-to-scratch display screen. Get a case and a display screen protector, and also you’re golden. In case you requested me to select between the iPhone 14 Professional Max, the Galaxy S23 Extremely, and the Pixel 7 Professional, I’d inform you that the 7 Professional is one of the best bang to your buck amongst these telephones.

However then I’d most likely tell you to buy the Pixel 7 instead in case your concern is bang to your buck. At simply $600 you get almost all one of the best options of the Professional and also you save an enormous chunk of change alongside the best way. I simply don’t see the distinction within the two telephones as being value $300.

If you’d like an Android cellphone, it is best to critically contemplate the Pixel 7. It ought to be the highest of the record to your consideration. The Pixel 7 Professional is palms down among the best telephones you should buy. However so is the Pixel 7, and it prices much less. Until you must have one of the best of one of the best, get the Pixel 7. And when you want all of the widgets, get the Professional. Simply be certain to order it with a case and display screen protector.