Google has been courting iPhone loyalists for a while now with its Pixel handsets – and, this year, the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have arrived on the scene. However, should you seriously consider purchasing either of these devices for business use?
The general consensus among critics so far is that, while these new Pixels come with a raft of appreciable improvements to the already impressive package offered by the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, there remain certain drawbacks that could potentially prove deal-breakers for you.
Is it a case of lucky number 7 for the Pixel line?
Let’s start with the good stuff: the Pixel 7 series gives you a choice of two different screen sizes. The Pixel 7 boasts a 6.3-inch Full HD+ OLED display, while the Pixel 7 Pro has been given a 6.7-inch Quad HD+ OLED panel.
Meanwhile, each Pixel 7 model comes with Tensor G2, the second iteration of Google’s in-house chipset. Tensor G2 underpins several of the refinements these phones bring to the Pixel experience – including with machine learning and multitasking.
CNN’s Max Buondonno reports: “On both the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, the G2 provides ample power to handle just about anything you throw at it.” However, in performance, the larger Pixel 7 was found to live up to its ‘Pro’ appellation.
This is due to the Pro’s 12GB of RAM compared to the standard Pixel 7’s 8GB – and Buondonno remarks: “In my testing, I did notice the 7 Pro’s extra memory helped make a difference in performing, at least when it came to juggling tasks and running multiple things at once.”
Nonetheless, your real-world experience with either flavor of the Pixel 7 could largely depend on the software and services you use with it. For example, if you find the online connectivity speeds sluggish, you could consider utilising a business-only mobile network like Gamma Mobile (https://www.gamma.co.uk/products/gamma-mobile/).
The Pixel 7 devices will look right at home in business meetings
Like the Pixel 6, the Pixel 7 features a potentially off-putting horizontal camera bar. However, as The Verge’s Allison Johnson points out, the Pixel 6 series “went for a more playful look, with bolder colors contrasting heavily against a black camera bar.”
The Pixel 7 opts for softer colors and is “a little more grown-up-looking, like the Pixel 6 got a mortgage and a fuel-efficient family car,” Johnson opines. Hence, you probably aren’t going to feel awkward when fishing a Pixel 7 out of your pocket during a business meeting.
So, what is wrong with the Pixel 7?
One good reason for you to choose the Pro model over the vanilla Pixel 7 is the latter’s worse battery life. Buondonno warns: “On this device, I noticed that I was really struggling to get through a full day.”
He also takes issue with the Pixel 7’s Face Unlock feature, despairing that “because it only uses the front-facing camera, I was able to hold up a selfie I took on my iPhone to the camera and unlock my Pixel.”