On test, the battery went from dead to 50% full in around 30-40 minutes with a 30W wall charger (yes, like other flagships these days there's no adapter in the box, just the USB-C cable). That's acceptable, but not exceptional. Because it's more efficient, there is a battery life improvement too. We should say that we never had any issues with the Pixel 6, and the solid battery life on the Pixel 7 is impressive. It's a technically smaller battery, yet still rated to last over 24 hours. Like on the old model, this gets us through a day of normal use with zero issues – and we haven't noticed any major issues after six months. Google isn't reinventing the wheel with the Pixel 7. It's a polished and refined upgrade to 2021's Pixel 6. The good news is that we already highly recommend that variant and its cheaper sibling, the Pixel 6a, and that remains the case when it comes to the newest model, and its new affordable companion, the Pixel 7a.

There’s been little change from the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro on the camera front, at least where hardware is concerned. The result? It’s not a mere rival to the iPhone 14 and the Samsung S23 – it's our favourite Android flagship that you can buy in 2023. In continuation of a good work, Google is now working on their latest series – the Pixel 7 – which will aim to bring more improvements while retaining the good-old affordable price. Among these are the new Tensor 2 chipset, which will boost processing powers of both Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, better displays, improved cameras, etc.After testing it out for over six months, we still think the new Pixel 7 is the best Android smartphone for most people, especially if you don't need the bigger display, slightly better battery and more advanced cameras of the Pixel 7 Pro. While the stats show that Google's handsets still make up only a small portion of all the smartphones out there in the wild, that number is growing faster than other brands and we can report that we've spotted an increasing amount of Pixel devices in the hands of our fellow commuters (it helps that the camera bar makes them distinctive!). The G2 processor increases efficiency and performance – but also helps to power the suite of futuristic editing modes. The Photo Unblur mode is a new one. It cleans up messy images if your subject was caught moving – and it definitely sharpens a blurry selfie, but doesn't completely salvage the image. The 7 Pro also supports 12W Qi wireless charging, and you can extend the amount of fuel in the tank significantly using the Battery Saver mode. Once again, Google is giving you a striking horizontal camera strip, which completely bisects a glossy glass rear. The differences this time lie in the finer details.

Color/design options: Some brands only offer one or two color choices, but the fashion-forward ones take more chances in this department, adding blended colors, textured designs and customized skins to the mix. You’ll get a little over a day of battery life out of the Pixel 7 Pro – but with the refresh rate and display resolution maxed out it’s likely to be a little less. Both camera systems have gained some new capabilities this time around, largely courtesy of Google’s new Tensor G2 chip. That starts with what Google is claiming to be its “best photo and video quality yet”, but it also extends to Night Sight shots, which can now offer up the same results as the Pixel 6 in half the capture time. We found that the battery would go from dead to 50% full in around 30-40 minutes with a 30W wall charger (yes, like other flagships these days there’s no adapter in the box, just the USB-C cable).Hopefully, this will improve with some software updates in the future. Google Pixel 7 battery life and processor Protection: The main function of a phone case is to protect your device from damage. Look for a case that offers good protection against scratches, drops, and impact. Consider materials like hard polycarbonate, TPU, or silicone with reinforced corners for added durability.

If you're looking into buying a Pixel smartphone, it's safe to say you probably care a lot about how good it is for photography. We're always snapping away on our phones too, and the good news is that this is yet another brilliant Google camera driven by software. But that’s not all: there’s no expandable storage, so you’re limited to 128GB, 256GB or 512GB capacities when buying the handset unless you pay for extra cloud space, and the large physical size may be disconcerting for fans of smaller handsets (or anyone with smaller phalanges). We’re hoping that Google has been able to implement efficiency optimizations thanks to that more efficient Tensor G2 chip. For its part, Google is claiming about 24 hours of battery life, and a full 72 hours of battery life if you use the company’s extreme battery saver mode across both models. The Google Pixel 7 is rated at a maximum charging speed of 30W and, in my testing, I found it went from zero to 50% in just over 30 minutes. It also supports 20W wireless charging via any Qi-compatible charger and it can reverse power share with other devices such as the Google Pixel Buds Pro. It can’t charge the new Pixel Watch, though, since that devices doesn’t support wireless charging. Google Pixel 7 review: Display Both phones have a clear visual identity with an edge-to-edge "camera bar" on the rear. On the new model, this has changed texture, now in matte aluminium. It looks sleek and classy, although we're aware this design has its detractors and, yes, it won't sit flat on the desk without a case.

The best rugged Pixel 7 Pro cases

Apart from the smart case and SmartBlade, you can also add a screen protector (sold separately). The screen protector is of the highest quality, easy to apply, and will protect the display from various damage. And with new and improved displays from the Pixel 7 series, you might want to consider it.

We think the phone looks stylish and love that it has a distinctive feel – it's more unique than the Samsung S23, but more practical to use on a daily basis than Androids like the Galaxy Fold or the Oppo Find N2 Flip. There are some changes that are almost imperceptible unless you're holding the 6 and 7 side-by-side. The new one is a tiny bit smaller with a 6.3-inch (rather than a 6.4-inch) display, and it's a little lighter than its predecessor too. Google says the ultrawide pictures on the selfie camera are “improved” but doesn’t really go into much detail about what that means and in my tests the 10.8MP images looked the same as they did last year. These cases from Mous have been certified as specially made for Google, and offer protection for your smartphone that is truly unrivaled. We recently reported on howMous cases are so protective, that the brand decided to prove the strength of its cases by throwing a Google Pixel 7 off the roof at Google HQ, and the device emerged totally unharmed, protected with a Mous case, and without a scratch on it.We've used it to take family photos, product images, portraits and landscape shots in our six months of use – it's never disappointed or produced an unusable image. Compatibility: Make sure to choose a case that's specifically designed for the Pixel 7 to ensure a proper fit and easy access to all ports, buttons, and features. Pixel 6 cases do not fit the Pixel 7, bear that in mind. We like the look, and our initial fears that it would attract scratches was unfounded – after more than six months of use there are no unwanted marks around the panels or charging ports. The only letdown is cinematic video. It's not a feature that we use much, but there's visible distortion around some objects in the videos when tested. It was true six months ago, and it remains true today. Google Pixel 7 Pro software and performance The 120Hz refresh rate is also lovely, and swiping through apps and menus feels slightly smoother than other Pixels or entry-level iPhones, which are limited to 60Hz or 90Hz at most.