It’s been a while since Google launched a flagship smartphone for the Indian market. You have to go back to 2018, to the Google Pixel 3 and 3XL. During this period we’ve seen some of Google’s ‘a’ series devices land in India with mixed results. We enjoyed using the Google Pixel 6a, a device that delivered on many fronts for its asking price. We also think this device has changed the India narrative for the Google Pixel smartphone line with positive buzz around the camera and the overall user experience. It’s why the Pixel 7 and the 7 Pro could not have been timed better for the Indian market. We’ve enjoyed using both devices (stay tuned for our Google Pixel 7 deep-dive) since we first checked them out after their global launch. All eyes are on the Pixel 7 Pro, the premier flagship and that’s why we will dive straight into it.
Welcome back Google Pixel
We’ve always been partial to the Google Pixel language, so you know where we’re going with this one. Whether it was the Pixel 3 or the 4 (that I used even though it never launched in India) Google’s Pixel phones have always stood out with their refined design language. While the new Pixel 7 Pro does share some design elements with its predecessor, for most Indian consumers this is an all-new experience. This is true for many elements of the Pixel experience, it’s a whole new world especially if your last Pixel flagship was the Pixel 3.
Google nails the design, again
The Pixel 7 Pro is among the best looking smartphones right now. We love the distinct camera band and the shiny, polished chassis that’s crafted with 100% recycled content (well done Google). We checked out the Hazel colour option, which is easily our favourite in the line-up. It’s also available in Snow and Obsidian (Google speak for white and black). It’s sort of where grey meets a subtle green. It’s a tad slippery, I’d suggest using it with a transparent back cover that shows off the unique design. It feels lighter in your hand than the 212 gm heft.
Flagship class
You will notice the gorgeous 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display (1440 x 3120 pixels / 512 PP). The 120Hz refresh rate adds to its immersive appeal. I enjoyed gaming on this screen; ultra-smooth. With a peak brightness of 1500 nits, you get great visibility outdoors. The adaptive refresh rate ensures optimal battery usage. This is one of the best displays on any premium smartphone. Both smartphones are powered by Google’s own Tensor G2 chipset – a 4nm chipset with 2 Cortex-X1 cores, two Cortex-A76 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores. It’s enough firepower even if you push this device over the edge. Google also played up the M2 Titan chip that is built with multiple layers of security to help keep you safe and secure. According to Google Titan M2 makes your phone more resilient to sophisticated attacks.
That Pixel camera
Google’s Pixel smartphones have led the way with software optimisations for their camera. It’s why you can’t evaluate a Pixel cam purely on it’s hardware. The Pixel 7 Pro combines a 50MP primary lens, 48MP telephoto lens and 12MP ultra-wide lens. Straight off the bat, this is one of the best smartphone cameras we’ve used this year. The telephoto lens is the big differentiator between the Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 7. You can shoot up to 5x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom. It wasn’t just images, videos (we enjoyed using the cinematic blur mode) were sharp too. We shot in different lighting scenarios and Google’s brilliant blend of camera hardware and software comes together. There’s a whole bunch of camera tricks including Magic Eraser (use it to eliminate annoying Photo bombers) and the new Photo unblur that allows you to fix images (even images shot on other devices). Do stay tuned for our Google Pixel 7 Pro camera deep-dive where we will explore more features. Overall this is one of the best smartphone cameras out there with stellar lowlight performance.
Wrap up
The Pixel 7 Pro fires on all cylinders, we think that Google has got its India pricing right this time. Battery life (there’s a 5000 mAh battery under the hood) is quite solid; we would have liked a faster charging solution though. The camera should satisfy serious camera buffs while there’s a tonne of Google smarts like voice message transcription. But more than all that it’s the seamless blend of hardware and software (with the latest Android updates) that delivers a great user experience.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro (12GB/128GB) costs Rs 84,999. It comes in Hazel, Snow and Obsidian. Check out cashback and exchange offers that can further bring down the cost of these devices.
