Google Pixel 7

Only at the right price, and mainly for camera-first buyers. The Pixel 7 still takes some of the most reliable point-and-shoot photos at its level, runs clean software with useful AI tools, and has a sturdy IP68 body with Gorilla Glass Victus on both sides.

Against that, it launched in 2022. Its Android version updates ended with Android 16, and Google's five-year update window means security updates run only until about October 2027, so its software life is now limited. The 90Hz screen, 20W charging and average-to-good battery life also trail newer phones.

Verdict: worth it for photography lovers if it costs clearly less than newer rivals; buyers who keep a phone for many years should choose a newer model with more updates ahead.

It has a flat 6.3-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel with HDR10+ and Gorilla Glass Victus, rated at 1000 nits in high-brightness mode and 1400 nits peak, so it stays bright outdoors. Colours are accurate, and HDR10+ works well in streaming apps. At this size, Full HD looks sharp enough.

The weak points are smoothness and looks. It refreshes at only 90Hz, so scrolling feels less fluid than on the many phones with 120Hz or faster screens. The bezels are noticeably thick, with a slightly bigger chin at the bottom, and the edge where the flat glass meets the frame can feel a little sharp when swiping.

The Tensor G2 is Google's own chip, built more for AI tasks than for raw speed. Apps open quickly and the phone feels smooth in daily use, with few moments of waiting.

Accounts of its power differ. One test put its CPU close to Samsung's flagship of the time in Geekbench, with the GPU only slightly behind; others compared it to older or weaker Snapdragon and Apple chips. In practice, heavy games such as Genshin Impact run at high settings, and it heats up and slows under long sessions much like its rivals, but dedicated gaming phones still do better.

Where Tensor G2 shines is on-device AI: voice typing, call noise removal, text extraction and photo unblurring are fast and accurate. One small irritation is that switching between camera lenses is not as smooth as the rest of the system.

The rear has a 50 MP main camera with optical stabilisation and a 12 MP ultrawide; the front has a 10.8 MP ultrawide selfie camera. Photo processing is the star: daylight shots have wide dynamic range, strong detail and natural depth, portraits look excellent, and night shots are captured quickly, so they come out less blurry. Opinions differ slightly on colour, with most finding it natural and one calling the palette a little exaggerated. Each photo takes a second or two to finish processing.

There is no zoom lens, but software zoom is sharp at 2x and usable up to 8x. Photo Unblur can rescue motion-blurred shots, working best when the subject was in focus.

The ultrawide is the weak spot: it has a narrower view and smaller sensor, and low-light ultrawide shots are poor. Video reaches 4K at 60fps with 10-bit HDR and precise focus tracking, much improved but still behind the iPhone, especially on the selfie camera. Cinematic mode is limited to 1080p and loses focus with movement.

It has a 4355 mAh battery, and opinions on endurance differ. Two assessments found it good, with the Pixel 7 lasting like many larger phones and long days ending with 30 to 40% left, though much of that experience came from the 7 Pro. A month of daily use with mobile data found it average, needing a charge around 8 PM.

Charging is conservative. It supports 20W wired charging, reaching 50% in 30 minutes and about 80% in an hour, then slowing down to protect the battery, so a full charge takes roughly another 40 to 45 minutes. It also supports 20W wireless and reverse wireless charging. There is no charger in the box, only a cable and an adapter for moving data from your old phone.

It launched with Android 13 and has since been updated to Android 16, its last Android version update; security updates continue until about October 2027 under Google's five-year promise. The software is clean, with minimal preinstalled apps, and early bugs were mostly fixed by updates, though Pixel phones have a history of rough first months.

The Pixel-only features are the main reason to buy it. Call screening answers spam calls for you, Direct My Call shows a company's phone menu on screen, and the Recorder app transcribes conversations accurately with speaker labels. Voice typing is unusually accurate, Live Caption subtitles anything playing on the phone, and the app dock predicts what you will open next. Face unlock is quick in good light but not secure in the way Face ID is, and the optical fingerprint reader works but is slower than the best.