Why the Google Pixel 7 Pro is Mike’s favorite smartphone

Now that 2022 is almost over, my editors robot planet Back to their favorite smartphone of the year. For Mike, this is the Google Pixel 7 Pro. He also mentions his biggest disappointment of the last twelve months.

Google Pixel 7 Pro: Excellent and good value

We had to wait a long time for that, but we brought it on in 2022 Google is finally bringing its Pixel phones to the Netherlands. Previously, you could get them in turn, but it’s good that now you can officially buy them. As a former owner of the Nexus 5 And the Nexus 5X I was very curious about a modern smartphone from The Google.

Choose between one Pixel 7 And the Pixel 7 Pro It wasn’t easy. I like the size of the cheaper version better, but I like taking pictures and the camera system on the Pro is simply better. Not only does it have a telephoto lens that the regular 7 lacks, the wide-angle lens is a bit wider as well.

So it became Google Pixel 7 Pro. I haven’t regretted it yet. I got used to the dimensions after a week. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the curved screen edges. If you look at the device from an angle, you will see a slight discoloration on these sides. Moreover, I do not notice any advantages of this design trick. So I very much hope the Pixel 8 Pro’s screen is completely flat.

The best cameras in your pocket

I am particularly pleased with the cameras. This is due not only to the good hardware, but certainly also to the software. Google uses somewhat more realistic lighting than many competitors. I like it, especially after sunset. Most smartphones would have made the image below too bright. Fortunately, the Pixel 7 Pro lets the dark be dark. The colors also appeal to me. They are groggybut not over-saturating.

Google blew its mind on Super Res Zoom during the presentation. Through a combination of hardware and artificial intelligence, you can zoom in up to 30 times and experience minimal quality loss. You can take this claim with a grain of salt.

This feature actually works well up to 10x zoom, but then your shots quickly lose sharpness and contrast. This is the only thing I didn’t like about the cameras. Why promise something if you can’t deliver?

Fast seating and enough staying power

The Google Pixel 7 Pro has an excellent price-quality ratio, especially in the Netherlands. For 899 euros you get a real high-end smartphone. or not? There are some criticisms here and there about the Pixel 7 Pro’s performance and battery life. In fact, the Tensor G2 chip doesn’t offer a huge advance over the first Tensor in Pixel 6 And the Pixel 6 Pro.

And yes, many competitors have a faster Snapdragon chip on board. But does this still matter? I haven’t seen a single snag in the machine in six weeks. Fly through the program. This tells me a lot more than just the numbers in the benchmarks.

The same goes for battery life. According to some reviews, it will be somewhat disappointing, especially considering the large 5,000mAh battery. In practice, I do not notice any difference with my previous smartphone. That, and my apologies for taking the oath in church, was one iPhone 13 Pro. It is known for its good battery life.

I don’t really understand where these stories come from. I usually have about 40 percent of battery left at the end of the day. This margin is large enough to use the Pixel 7 Pro without worry. I must add that I don’t use it Fifth generation network.

Excellent program

You buy a Pixel phone partly because of the software, of course. It’s all well and good, those skins from other manufacturers, but nothing beats the pure Android experience. version on this unit, Android 13it may not offer exciting innovations, but it works very well. material you It still offers a great design style and there are few unnecessary apps or functions on the smartphone.

Plus, you get three new versions of Android and five years of security updates. If desired, I can use the device for a long time. Knowing myself, I’ll buy another one in a couple of years, but then I can resell the Pixel 7 Pro with the promise that it’ll be safe to use for at least another three years.

Biggest disappointment: Sony Xperia 1 IV

Many bad smartphones no longer appear. Also Sony Xperia 1 IV I don’t necessarily want to give that predicate. But it’s disappointing. For the suggested retail price of €1,399, you can at least expect a phone that will always run smoothly and seamlessly. However, Sony seems to have underestimated the thermal development of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip.

The result is that the device heats up quickly and performance drops significantly. This is not acceptable for this price. There are also smaller defects. Although the cameras offer many possibilities, they are not comparable in quality to those of the Pixel 7 Pro, for example. Additionally, the update policy (two years of Android updates, three years of security patches) in 2022 is disappointing, especially for a phone as expensive as the Xperia 1 IV.

→ Why the Asus Zenfone 9 is Colin’s favorite smartphone of 2022
→ Why the Google Pixel 7 is Wouter’s favorite smartphone of 2022
→ Why the Nothing Phone (1) is Tim’s favorite smartphone of 2022

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