Google Pixel 7-5G Android Phone - Unlocked Smartphone with Wide Angle Lens and 24-Hour Battery - 256GB - Obsidian

Before into the Pixel 7, I have been using an iPhone12 mini for 2 years. And a Samsung Note 9 before that. Why I chose the iPhone12 mini? Because I wanted a real compact phone. And Why I bought the Pixel 7 now? Well, 1. I want better battery life. 2. I want bigger screen for games and for navigation. 3. IOS just bored me.So, I got the Pixel 7 lemongrass 256g for 599$ and have been using it for a week now. And here are my opinions.In short words, if you have been using Android and want an upgrade now, I really recommend Pixel 7, mainly because it gives you good software experience and decent camera at a very fair price.Exterior & comfort:The color lemon grass is special and I like it. The visor camera bump looks unique and kinda cool in my opinion. The rounded edge makes the phone comfortable to hold. HOWEVER, there are some cons. 1. The bump and the glass back make it awkward to place on any flat surface. 2. The bump is a huge dust collector. 3. Although the edge of the flat screen has a bit of curve, the transition to the metal frame is not good, which means the touch of the edge areas feels a bit cheap, definitely not comparable to Note 9. Overall, I think the look is unique but comes with some sacrifices, and the build quality is fairly good for the price.Operating System:This is the first time I use the so called "pure" Android. Compared to Samsung's OneUI, the OS on Pixel 7 feels more like Apple's iOS actually. It doesn't have as many customization functions as OneUI and is simpler to use. Kinda like iOS, but in a different style, well, the kinda nerdy Google style. If you like it you like it. Some special Google AI features are cool, but should not be the only reason for anyone to buy this phone in my opinion. I haven't experienced many bugs. Actually, only one when switching between bluetooth audio devices that really bothers me a bit. Overall, I like the system, and I think it is good for anyone but people who have only used iPhone before.Camera:Pixel has always been famous for its camera capabilities. I must say it is true on Pixel 7. It takes very decent photos no matter the light conditions, and the shoot experience is simple and natural. Is it as good or better as flagship phones like iPhone 14 pro? I don't know, maybe not. But as someone who uses a dedicated camera for street photography, I think the camera on Pixel 7 is more than capable to take nice looking daily photos and capture those little moments into good memories. When it comes to video, it is also good, especially considering the price, but iPhone is better. And I mean iPhone 12 mini. So overall, the camera is very good.Battery life:Not much to say here since I don't bother to do any "tests" and have no numbers. But based on my feeling, it is good, but not as good as I expected considering the battery capacity. It will last you a full day (8 hours) or more if you use it lightly. But it is no way a two-day or 1.5 day battery life.Gaming:Gaming is trash. At least for pubg mobile. It is probably due to software issue (not optimized for Tensor chip) rather than lack of raw performance. But if you play a lot of 3D mobile games, avoid this one.Conclusion:Decent phone for the price. Actually, even for the normal price ($100 more than what I spent), it is still more than decent. If you don't want to spend that much on a phone (which is a terribly stupid trend in my opinion), this is the phone for you. Don't look at iPhone SE, that thing is a joke.

I got my Pixel 7 a few days ago from Amazon and I have to say I'm impressed. I'm upgrading from a OnePlus 6T, so keep that in mind when reading my review. I haven't had any problems. powering it up the first time and transferring all my data from my old phone worked like a charm (better than on my wife's Pixel 6A, which had a couple of glitches during the process). Setup took a while, mainly because I have a ton of apps that I needed to sign on to. I've got almost everything done now, except for the most annoying apps (Okta verify, I'm looking at you). The only issue I had during setup was turning WiFi calling on--it failed twice, then I realized the bad reception in my basement was to blame. When I did it from my living room, where reception is good, it turned on without a problem.In daily use, the phone has worked flawlessly. Face unlock is fast (albeit not as secure as a fingerprint because it only uses the regular camera, unlike on the iPhone). The fingerprint reader has yet to fail to recognize my finger, and it's faster than the one on my old OnePlus. The phone feels snappier than my old one, particularly when running certain apps that slowed down my old phone (Instacart, for example).The screen is a beauty--coming from a 60Hz screen, 90Hz is a noticeable upgrade and feels buttery smooth. It's bright enough to use easily in direct sunlight.The camera is very good, from what I can tell. Definitely way better than my old phone's. I haven't taken many night or low-light shots yet, but everything else has come out looking great.I know the Pixel 6 was glitchy and, in some cases, got buggier as time went on. Fingers crossed this won't happen with the 7, but so far so good.Overall, I can't believe the amount of stuff the phone has to offer for the price, particularly with the $100 gift card pre-order offer. It's a flagship phone for a mid-tier price. I was considering getting an iPhone 13, but opted for the Pixel 7 because of the lower price. I'm glad I made that choice, as that extra $$$ comes in handy these days.Edit to add that the battery life is good, but not great. It lasts through a whole day of moderate to heavy use and has about 20% left at the end of the day.