If you’re holding a Pixel 6 Pro and wondering whether the newer Pixel 7 Pro is worth your hard-earned money, you’re asking the right questions. Let’s cut through the marketing noise and talk about what these changes actually mean for your daily phone experience.
Google’s second-generation flagship brings some genuine improvements, but are they significant enough to justify an upgrade? After diving deep into both devices, here’s what you need to know to make the best decision for your needs and budget.
What’s Actually New with the Pixel 7 Pro
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s establish what Google actually changed. The Pixel 7 Pro isn’t a revolutionary leap – it’s more like a refined version of what made the 6 Pro great, with some thoughtful improvements thrown in.
The most obvious change is that distinctive camera bar design. Google made it shinier and more contrasted, so you can actually tell where the cameras end and the metal begins. It’s a small visual tweak, but it makes the phone feel more premium in your hand.
Under the hood, you’re getting Google’s second-generation Tensor G2 processor, a brighter display, improved cameras with better zoom capabilities, and some new software tricks that actually make a difference in real-world use.
Design and Build Quality: Small Changes, Big Impact
The Camera Bar Gets a Makeover
The most noticeable design change is that camera strip running across the back. On the Pixel 6 Pro, everything kind of blended together – you had to look closely to see where one camera ended and another began. The 7 Pro fixes this with a shiny aluminum strip that clearly separates each camera module.
Does this matter beyond looks? Actually, yes. The new design makes it easier to clean the camera lenses (no more guessing which bump is which), and the refined aluminum frame feels more solid when you’re handling the phone.
Color Options That Make Sense
Google swapped out the somewhat polarizing “Sorta Sunny” yellow-orange color for a more sophisticated “Hazel” green. Your color choices are now Snow (white), Obsidian (black), and Hazel. These feel more mature and versatile than the previous generation’s palette.
The two-tone design remains, but the execution is cleaner. If you care about how your phone looks (and let’s be honest, most of us do), the 7 Pro definitely has the edge here.
Display Quality: Brighter, But Is It Better?
The Brightness Boost You’ll Actually Notice
Here’s where things get interesting. The Pixel 7 Pro’s display can hit 1,500 nits of peak brightness – that’s 25% brighter than the 6 Pro’s 1,200 nits. In practical terms, this means you can actually see your screen clearly even in direct sunlight.
If you’ve ever struggled to read your phone screen at the beach or while walking outside on a sunny day, this improvement alone might justify the upgrade. It’s one of those features you don’t think about until you need it, and then you’re really glad it’s there.
Color Accuracy: A Step Backward?
Here’s something Google doesn’t want to emphasize: the Pixel 7 Pro’s color accuracy isn’t as good as the 6 Pro’s. While previous Pixel phones were known for incredibly accurate color reproduction, the 7 Pro sits somewhere in the middle of the pack.
For most people, this won’t matter much – the screen still looks great. But if you’re a photographer or someone who cares deeply about color accuracy, this is worth noting.
Camera Improvements: Where the Magic Happens
Zoom That Actually Works
The biggest camera upgrade is the move from 4x to 5x optical zoom. That might not sound like much on paper, but it makes a real difference when you’re trying to capture distant subjects. Combined with Google’s computational photography, you can now get usable shots at up to 30x zoom.
The macro photography addition is also genuinely useful. The ultrawide camera now has autofocus and can focus on subjects as close as 3 centimeters away. If you like taking close-up photos of flowers, food, or small objects, this opens up creative possibilities that simply weren’t possible with the 6 Pro.
Photo Unblur: Fixing Old Mistakes
One of the coolest new features is Photo Unblur, which can sharpen both new photos and old ones already in your gallery. It’s not magic – severely blurry photos won’t become crystal clear – but it can salvage shots that are slightly soft or affected by minor camera shake.
This feature works on photos taken with any camera, not just Google’s. That means you can improve old photos from previous phones, which is pretty neat.
Video Gets Cinematic
The new Cinematic Blur mode for video recording is impressive. It can automatically blur the background while keeping your subject in focus, creating that professional film look. Combined with the Speech Enhancement feature that isolates the person speaking, your videos will look and sound significantly better.
Performance: Tensor G2 Makes Its Mark
Real-World Speed Improvements
The new Tensor G2 processor isn’t going to blow your mind with raw speed gains, but it’s more efficient and stable than the original Tensor. Apps launch a bit faster, the phone doesn’t get as warm during intensive tasks, and battery life gets a small boost.
More importantly, Tensor G2 enables many of the new camera and AI features. Without this chip, you wouldn’t get Photo Unblur, Cinematic Blur, or the improved computational photography that makes the zoom and macro shots possible.
Software Experience Stays Excellent
Both phones run clean Android with guaranteed fast updates. The 7 Pro ships with Android 13 and will get updates for several years. If you value getting the latest Android features first, both phones deliver, but the 7 Pro will be supported longer simply because it’s newer.
Battery Life: Small Gains, Same Charging
Efficiency Improvements
Both phones pack the same 5,000mAh battery, but the 7 Pro squeezes out slightly better battery life thanks to the more efficient Tensor G2 processor and AI optimizations. We’re talking about maybe an extra hour or two of screen time – noticeable but not revolutionary.
Charging Speeds Remain Disappointing
Unfortunately, Google didn’t improve charging speeds. Both phones top out at 30W wired charging, which means you’re still looking at over an hour to fully charge that big battery. If fast charging is important to you, both Pixel Pros lag behind competitors that can fully charge in 30-45 minutes.
New Features That Actually Matter
Face Unlock Returns
The Pixel 7 Pro brings back Face Unlock, which was missing from the 6 Pro. It works alongside the fingerprint sensor, giving you more options for quickly unlocking your phone. In practice, having both options available makes the phone more convenient to use.
Built-in VPN
Google includes a built-in VPN powered by Google One. While this raises some privacy questions (it’s Google, after all), it’s a nice security feature to have available, especially when using public Wi-Fi.
Who Should Upgrade and Who Should Wait
Upgrade If You:
- Frequently take photos and value the improved zoom and macro capabilities
- Struggle with screen visibility in bright sunlight
- Want the latest design and longer software support
- Experienced bugs with the early Pixel 6 Pro that Google has since fixed
Skip the Upgrade If You:
- Are happy with your current camera performance
- Primarily use your phone for basic tasks like calls, texts, and social media
- Want to save money and don’t need the latest features
- Are waiting for more significant improvements in future generations
The Bottom Line: Evolution, Not Revolution
The Pixel 7 Pro represents Google’s philosophy of incremental improvements rather than dramatic leaps. Every change serves a purpose, and collectively, they create a noticeably better phone experience.
However, the improvements aren’t revolutionary enough to make Pixel 6 Pro owners feel like they’re missing out on something essential. If your 6 Pro is working well and meeting your needs, there’s no urgent reason to upgrade.
That said, if you’re in the market for a new phone or coming from an older device, the Pixel 7 Pro offers excellent value. At its launch price, it delivers flagship performance with some of the best computational photography available, wrapped in a refined design that feels premium without breaking the bank.
The real question isn’t whether the Pixel 7 Pro is better than the 6 Pro (it is), but whether those improvements matter enough to you personally to justify the cost. For photography enthusiasts and people who want the latest Google has to offer, the answer is likely yes. For everyone else, both phones will serve you well – choose based on your budget and how much you value having the newest features.