Google Pixel 7 Pro 256 GB Obsidian

Before I start this review, I Just want to say that the PIXEL 3 XL is hands down the best phone google has created, period!I've used to daily drive the Pixel 3 XL every day since it came out, never had a problem with it, never upgraded it because the Pixel 4 was just a gimmick, and the Pixel 5 was just an absolute joke until I took the 3 XL scuba diving (120 feet submerged) in July of 2021 and the phone was basically no longer able to take in charge, so I was forced to use a wireless charger for the next few months until Google released the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, which was an absolute pain, but the 3 XL still performed flawlessly until Google released Its last ever software/security update (android 11 to 12) in October 2021 and then out of nowhere it was extremely ... MoreBefore I start this review, I Just want to say that the PIXEL 3 XL is hands down the best phone google has created, period!I've used to daily drive the Pixel 3 XL every day since it came out, never had a problem with it, never upgraded it because the Pixel 4 was just a gimmick, and the Pixel 5 was just an absolute joke until I took the 3 XL scuba diving (120 feet submerged) in July of 2021 and the phone was basically no longer able to take in charge, so I was forced to use a wireless charger for the next few months until Google released the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, which was an absolute pain, but the 3 XL still performed flawlessly until Google released Its last ever software/security update (android 11 to 12) in October 2021 and then out of nowhere it was extremely noticeable that Google nerfed the Pixel 3XL's Performance by a long shot. November 2021I ordered a Pixel 6 and didn't go for the 6 Pro because on Paper the Pixel 6 was more than enough for my needs and it wasn't worth spending another $300 for the 6 Pro. As the Pixel 6 had a larger display, double the Ram, double the performance, and a better rear camera set up compared to the Pixel 3XL. So you would think it would be a really nice experience right? Unfortunately not, the Pixel 6 had so many software issues and bugs it wasn't even funny. There were multiple times where I would send an SMS message and it wouldn't send, constant connectivity issues, for example it would keep switching from my WIFI network to my limited data plan, like 50 times a day, extremely frustrating when you're on a limited data plan. The fingerprint sensor was really bad, really slow and most times inaccurate, especially if you got working hands, man I missed the back finger print sensor on the 3 XL. And the Camera set up, while Pixel 6 rear camera set is absolutely stunning, the front facing camera is just joke, such a huge downgrade from the Pixel 3XL's Dual front facing camera set up, as someone who travels and takes selfies constantly, this was a huge let down, the selfies are low quality and grainy, and its automatically set up as a wide angle viewing angle, which is not what I want 60% of the time. After solid 10 months of owning the phone, with Security and system updates, the phone finally started to function and perform normally, good battery life, an exceptional experience, something I should've experienced when I first bought the device. Other than that, I liked the design of the overall phone, love the camera visor, camera system that served me well in Ireland, UK, Sweden, and Iceland. October 2022PIXEL 7 PROMy younger sister's phone was busted, so as a nice brother, I decided to gave her my pixel 6 just to help her out through college, which I hope it will her serve her well within the next 4 years of guaranteed security updates. I ended up ordering the Pro version this time mostly because the regular google Pixel 7 came with a noticeable smaller screen than the Pixel 6, and with the Google discounts that I got it was worth it, lemme break it down. I first pre-ordered the Pixel 7 Pro 256gb model, with the promotional $200 google store gift card. But I ended up returning the phone recently to exchange it for the 512gb Version, but google still allowed me to keep my $200 promotional store credit. Plus the black Friday deal, which was already discounted $159 offAnd I decided to trade in my old broken Pixel 3XL because currently (till the 28th of NOVEMBER) google store has a SPECIAL TRADE IN promotion where they basically offer 3 times more the amount for your old phone with the purchase of one of the new Pixel 7, which is insane because Best Buy quoted me $35 for my Pixel 3XL when google quoted me $264, which they already credited me with. So in total I spent $522 with tax for the Pixel 7 Pro 512 GB MODELEssentially with the Pixel 7 Pro, the one I'm currently using, I love it. Its not perfect but google fixed majority of the many bugs and problems that I had with the Pixel 6. The Finger Print does work better and its about 35% faster, which honestly suits me just fine, Phone performs flawlessly, but still has some bugs, like when you get a text notification, there's a white bar above it when the screen is black, but with updates google will fix it. The rear camera setup is virtually the same from the pixel 6 except you get the new 5X telephoto camera, where it actually comes in handy sometimes, but the 30X superzoom is just a Gimmick, even with good lighting and stabilization, its just too grainy. The screen on the 7 Pro is really nice and bright, so got no complaints there. The only reason I'm docking a star is because of the front selfie camera, its just as bad as the one from the 6, if not worse, still low quality, grainy, and overall takes pictures that look like you took it from 2016. I'm Happy with the Pixel 7 Pro, with 5 years security updates, unlimited google 1 VPN, and smooth performance, I'm planning to keep it till it dies. Is it worth $900 for the 128gb version, no not really if you're rocking a Pixel 6, 6 Pro (bc google patched up the bugs with updates). But if you have anything older than a Pixel 6, with the current Trade in Promotions, and $150 discount already applied, you'll most definitely be getting the 7 Pro under $550 (depending on what device you're trading it) yes It's absolutely worth it. But I miss the quirky features that google used to input onto their devices or really cool benefits, for example, with the google Pixel 3, you could squeeze your phone to activate google assistant, I used it all the time while driving. Or how google Basically offered free unlimited 3 year google photo storage (at original quality), and the colored power button, those details really go a long way, and that's why I still say the Google Pixel 3XL was the best phone google designed. Regardless Google Pixel 7 Pro is a good phone. Here are the current trade in promotions on google storePIXEL 5 - $400 Trade inPixel 4, 4XL - $300, $325Pixel 3, 3XL - $250, $275Pixel 2, 2XL - $101, $100

AWESOME camera, user interface needs work.

I went from a Samsung to a Google phone specifically for the camera. Here is what I found:- The camera is awesome. The optical zoom allows me to take pictures that I would have missed or would have been very grainy. The night setting allows me to take spectacular pictures of the Milky Way and other night sky features. I love the tools I have to make my pictures perfect without needing to download them to my PC first.- I love the power button double click to open the camera. It makes it much faster from off to "click" than swiping a widget on the lock screen. It has allowed me to get many pictures that I would not have been able get due to the delay in swiping a widget.- The browser interface needs work. When you are surfing the web, you can swipe to go back a ... MoreI went from a Samsung to a Google phone specifically for the camera. Here is what I found:- The camera is awesome. The optical zoom allows me to take pictures that I would have missed or would have been very grainy. The night setting allows me to take spectacular pictures of the Milky Way and other night sky features. I love the tools I have to make my pictures perfect without needing to download them to my PC first.- I love the power button double click to open the camera. It makes it much faster from off to "click" than swiping a widget on the lock screen. It has allowed me to get many pictures that I would not have been able get due to the delay in swiping a widget.- The browser interface needs work. When you are surfing the web, you can swipe to go back a page, but there is no way that I have found to go forward to a page that you swiped back from. Integrating a simple "back" and "forward" arrows in the browser window would be great. This may seem minor, but it is very irritating when accidently swipe back and you have to go through the taps to get to that site again.- When in the texting application, I have not found a way to copy a section of a text message. You tap into the text message and expect that you can then select the exact portion of the message you want to copy, it selects the entire message. This is extremely irritating when I just want to copy a portion of a message but now have to copy and paste the entire message, then delete out what you don't want.- There are other interface issues that I won't take time to detail here.I'm not sure if I will go with another Google phone when I am ready to trade up. I believe it will come down to the camera again so we will have to see what Samsung and other manufacturers have available at that time.

Best Bang for your Buck Phone on The Market

I was generally shocked at just how nice the Google Pixel 7 phone is at the price this point. As someone who has been on iOS since smartphones came out, I was proud of how fast I was able to adapt to Android in just a matter of minutes. Having a Google email account already made setting up the Pixel 7 a breeze. Since I'm using this phone strictly as a work phone, and having all my contacts already tied to my Gmail made importing all my contacts super easy and convenient. This little phone packs a punch and goes toe to toe with my personal $1200 phone. Right out of the box you notice just how nice the display is and the snappiness of the 90Hrz screen refresh rate is when scrolling through texts and photos. The face unlock feature is sneakily one of greatest features, ... MoreI was generally shocked at just how nice the Google Pixel 7 phone is at the price this point. As someone who has been on iOS since smartphones came out, I was proud of how fast I was able to adapt to Android in just a matter of minutes. Having a Google email account already made setting up the Pixel 7 a breeze. Since I'm using this phone strictly as a work phone, and having all my contacts already tied to my Gmail made importing all my contacts super easy and convenient. This little phone packs a punch and goes toe to toe with my personal $1200 phone. Right out of the box you notice just how nice the display is and the snappiness of the 90Hrz screen refresh rate is when scrolling through texts and photos. The face unlock feature is sneakily one of greatest features, in that as soon as it sees your face, it will immediately unlock your phone without having to also swipe up, whereas coming from other phones this now seems like a waste of time to also have to swipe up. The camera is very nice, in that it takes amazing photos, Google has implemented some great tech here. I don't know how to exactly explain how it works but when focusing on the object you want to shoot, the object on screen doesnt look like the best quality on screen but once the photo is taken it upreses the photo and looks 10x better, truly some impressive tech. And having to ability to change setting like resolution right from the camera app and not having to go to the settings app, is nice quality of life addition,Another cool camera feature that I accidentally stumbled upon is the “Google Lens” feature, where if you take a picture of a product box it will then analyze the box and show you youtube videos of it or take you to where you can purchase the item directly. A really cool feature that I can see myself using a lot when it comes to things like price matching, finding an item in stock or watching a Youtube review on a product before buying it. Another one of my favorite little things about the haptic feedback when typing is that it almost feels like typing on a physical keyboard and I notice myself making a lot less typing errors with this keyboard than other phone keyboards. I only cons I’ve really had with this phone is the placement of the wake/power button being right above the volume rocker buttons, where I have accidentally hit the wake button multiple times when trying to turn the volume up, where I guess this will go away over time when I get better muscle memory of the location but just a minor inconvenience. Also, I also highly recommend putting a case on this phone because of the glass back for protection and fingerprints just cover the back real easy.So, overall you can’t go wrong with the Google Pixel 7, where you get a top end phone for a fraction of the price compared to the other phones on the market.

Disappointed in Google pixel phones...

It's a pure android/Google phone. It's a phone without all the bells and whistles that would come with a Samsung which I've used for the past decade. I bought this phone while I wait for Samsung S24 ultra as my older Note 20 ultra bit the dust. The last Google phone I used was the Nexus6p and I loved it. Unfortunately I can't say that about the new pixel phones. This phone absolutely has no customization. Every other phone I've used or seen has way more options and customizations than this phone. On other phones you can change the navigation buttons, display or remove icons in the status bar. You can add or remove seconds on the clock in the status bar, but that's it as for the clock. Other phones you can move the clock or remove it altogether. Also, the phone ... MoreIt's a pure android/Google phone. It's a phone without all the bells and whistles that would come with a Samsung which I've used for the past decade. I bought this phone while I wait for Samsung S24 ultra as my older Note 20 ultra bit the dust. The last Google phone I used was the Nexus6p and I loved it. Unfortunately I can't say that about the new pixel phones. This phone absolutely has no customization. Every other phone I've used or seen has way more options and customizations than this phone. On other phones you can change the navigation buttons, display or remove icons in the status bar. You can add or remove seconds on the clock in the status bar, but that's it as for the clock. Other phones you can move the clock or remove it altogether. Also, the phone randomly crashes while browsing on Chrome and YouTube premium pretty often. I'm a powerhouse (music, video, games, web surfing etc.) user and the phone doesn't cover half of my needs. I don't want a phone with extremely limited customization options, I can't make it mine without it. Google should take a page from Samsung. They have official modules for customizing samsung phones. It's called Good Lock. In Good Lock, every aspect of the phone can be changed. Very disappointed in this $1000 phone that is extremely limited on how you want it to look and feel. It makes me feel like I have an apple phone where everyone's phone looks and acts the same. That's why I'll definitely be getting my s24 ultra. The only good thing about this phone is the camera. That's it.

Good software poorly designed hardware

I'm on my second Pixel 7 Pro in 12 months.First one after 4 months from new the screen started flickering green and just got progressively worse in the space of a few hours. Took it the same day to a Google authorised repair shop, they could not get it fixed and it actually became unusable after their repair attempt.Google covered it under their warranty and I got a replacement phone. This second phone, now 8 months later, is having similar symptoms, green/white flickering screen. I also now get an overheat warning for no reason where the phone switches to dark mode the phone is barely warm to the touch. Called Google and I have to go through a process to get this replaced, a huge inconvenience.I treat my phone with respect I don't abuse it in any way. I am not a ... MoreI'm on my second Pixel 7 Pro in 12 months.First one after 4 months from new the screen started flickering green and just got progressively worse in the space of a few hours. Took it the same day to a Google authorised repair shop, they could not get it fixed and it actually became unusable after their repair attempt.Google covered it under their warranty and I got a replacement phone. This second phone, now 8 months later, is having similar symptoms, green/white flickering screen. I also now get an overheat warning for no reason where the phone switches to dark mode the phone is barely warm to the touch. Called Google and I have to go through a process to get this replaced, a huge inconvenience.I treat my phone with respect I don't abuse it in any way. I am not a gamer, mainly I use the phone for business, calls, emails, text, photos and occasionally watch a video.I see that there are many complaints of similar issues of flickering screen from many other users on line.There seems to be an obvious reliability issue with these Pixel 7 pro phones. I am uncertain if Google is acknowledging the problem but they should. I am not going back to Pixel phones due to this experience. I need a reliable robust phone for business use, can't afford to have my phone become unreliable on a business trip. I've had LG, Samsung and OnePlus phones in the past and have never had any serious issues with any of these I have owned and used extensively.

Poor build quality, awful service center

At first, I was generally happy with the phone. It has a smooth big screen and a nice camera, especially thanks to the famous Google post-processing. However, over my 16 months of ownership, all of this became overshadowed by the poor build quality and the way this is handled by the third-part service center, which digitec sends the device to.I've already twice had the same issue arising from poor build quality - the volume button eventually starts falling out. Searching online it becomes apparent that I am not the only one suffering from this: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/google-pixel-7-volume-buttons-are-popping-off-by-themselves-heres-what-we-know - it's a known issue with these phones. What's worse is that since this phone isn't officially sold in ... MoreAt first, I was generally happy with the phone. It has a smooth big screen and a nice camera, especially thanks to the famous Google post-processing. However, over my 16 months of ownership, all of this became overshadowed by the poor build quality and the way this is handled by the third-part service center, which digitec sends the device to.I've already twice had the same issue arising from poor build quality - the volume button eventually starts falling out. Searching online it becomes apparent that I am not the only one suffering from this: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/google-pixel-7-volume-buttons-are-popping-off-by-themselves-heres-what-we-know - it's a known issue with these phones. What's worse is that since this phone isn't officially sold in Switzerland (even now, in 2024, google only sells Pixel 8 and Pixel 7a), digitec contracts a third party for repairs. And my experience with them has been truly awful.The first time the problem occurred, they agreed to replace it, and after ca. 4 weeks I've received my phone back. (The difficulty of being without primary phone device for so long aside,) I was surprised that in order to fix the volume button, they ended up replacing the whole metal frame (so much e-waste!). The second time this (exact same) problem occurred, the service center decided that the scratches on the metal frame at the bottom of the device are a result of customer-induced damage, and while these are unrelated to the volume button issue that I reported, they are "required to completely fix the device" and long story short, I must pay for the whole repairs - 226 CHF (!) to replace a volume button. I've ended up exchanging nine emails with the digitec customer support, who were less than helpful.I dread when this problem comes back again and what new creative excuse the service center might come up with to avoid liability. So as much as I've overall enjoyed the phone's features, I am now scared for life, and will never buy a Pixel device again, especially not on digitec.

The Pros and Cons of the Google Pixel 7 Pro Mobile

Bought this phone on special for $850, and I would have never brought it for the $1300 advertised price. It's worth $850, not so sure about full retail. It's got lots of bells and whistles, but how many of those features you'd use in everyday life - who knows. I cloned my old phone to copy apps etc, but not all the data copied over .. eg, my games started from level 1. I had to go back to my old phone, save the data (to Facebook in this case) and my contacts were a bit of a mess because Hotmail is my contacts system, not Gmail/Google. I copied my contacts to Google, reset the Pixel back to original and copied apps again, and all was good with apps and contacts. I hate gestures as the main way of navigating and switched back to the good ol' three button system and I ... MoreBought this phone on special for $850, and I would have never brought it for the $1300 advertised price. It's worth $850, not so sure about full retail. It's got lots of bells and whistles, but how many of those features you'd use in everyday life - who knows. I cloned my old phone to copy apps etc, but not all the data copied over .. eg, my games started from level 1. I had to go back to my old phone, save the data (to Facebook in this case) and my contacts were a bit of a mess because Hotmail is my contacts system, not Gmail/Google. I copied my contacts to Google, reset the Pixel back to original and copied apps again, and all was good with apps and contacts. I hate gestures as the main way of navigating and switched back to the good ol' three button system and I suspect many people do the same. I'm yet to use the cameras fully, but am led to believe they are pretty top notch for their class. I've mucked around with photos and so far, all have been good. You'll need to spend some time setting up your home screen UI, which is a bit underwhelming with ugly looking folders (in my opinion). I group all my similar apps in folders, eg, games, drone stuff, banking etc and so a well thought out home screen is important to me. The stock standard Google home screen design settings was really lacking. I was used to nice red notification dots on apps, but notification dots on the Pixel were so light, you could almost miss them, and the only way was to have another colour theme, but it severely lacked in decent colour themes. Get your act together Google!! I googled getting red notification dots and the recommendation was to download, pay ($5.99) and install a new launcher, in this case, the well regarded Nova Launcher, which is full of features. I got rid of the ugly folders, had nice red notification dots. I was happy. (You can switch back and forth between the Pixel launcher and Nova launcher). This phone is well worth it if you can buy on special, not at full retail.

Worst Phone I've Ever Owned

My experience with the Pixel 7 Pro is that it just never did a single thing as well as any other phone and definitely didn't do anything better. That was the feeling for the first year. Then when it suddenly decided that it was going to randomly just not receive calls and texts, it really took the horrendousness of the experience up to new levels. That's right, almost four hours on the phone with senior techs at ATT and the end result was that I had to just chalk up the loss and trade in on a different phone. Let's talk about their fingerprint sensor and face recognition. Both are borderline unusable. What's worse is that it was so fickle. Just randomly decided not to work. Is putting in your PIN to unlock the worst thing in the world? No. Is it annoying that the ... MoreMy experience with the Pixel 7 Pro is that it just never did a single thing as well as any other phone and definitely didn't do anything better. That was the feeling for the first year. Then when it suddenly decided that it was going to randomly just not receive calls and texts, it really took the horrendousness of the experience up to new levels. That's right, almost four hours on the phone with senior techs at ATT and the end result was that I had to just chalk up the loss and trade in on a different phone. Let's talk about their fingerprint sensor and face recognition. Both are borderline unusable. What's worse is that it was so fickle. Just randomly decided not to work. Is putting in your PIN to unlock the worst thing in the world? No. Is it annoying that the features are included but don't work? Absolutely.Another issue was the constant overheating from any sort of workload above and beyond checking socials or making a call (when calling was actually functioning). Battery life was also garbage and after about six months, it wouldn't fast charge because it was according to the notification when plugged in "slow charging to preserve batter life". I've owned a lot of phones, but never one that failed at the most basic thing it should do. And by that I mean be a phone. Unless you want to be out over a thousand bucks for what is ultimately a few parlor tricks with the camera (all of which can be done easily in a free photo editing software such as GIMP), then just avoid any phone made by Google. They might be software geniuses, but their hardware is just terrible. That includes their watches and ear buds. When a player does nothing but strike out, the only logical response is to stop letting them bat.I realize that some people have good things to say about this phone, but if you find yourself at the end of my review/diatribe, ask yourself if you want to gamble on the frustration. There are dozens of other options at a myriad of price points. And at the price point of the pixel, you would be well served to either go IOS or another Android. Anything but Google would be better. Never again Google...never again.

Worst phone don't buy GOOGLE PIXEL 7 PRO

Disappointing Performance: Google Pixel 7 Pro Review After using the Google Pixel 7 Pro for a year, I can confidently say that it falls short of expectations, especially considering its hefty price tag. From frequent hangs to abysmal battery life, this phone has been a letdown in several key areas. Performance Issues: One of the most infuriating aspects of this device is its tendency to hang repeatedly, disrupting even simple tasks. Whether I'm browsing the web or using apps, the phone's performance leaves much to be desired. Battery Woes: Despite its promises of long-lasting battery life, the Pixel 7 Pro fails to deliver. Charging dies quickly, and even budget Chinese phones outperform it in terms of battery backup. The phone struggles to hold a charge, and using ... MoreDisappointing Performance: Google Pixel 7 Pro Review After using the Google Pixel 7 Pro for a year, I can confidently say that it falls short of expectations, especially considering its hefty price tag. From frequent hangs to abysmal battery life, this phone has been a letdown in several key areas. Performance Issues: One of the most infuriating aspects of this device is its tendency to hang repeatedly, disrupting even simple tasks. Whether I'm browsing the web or using apps, the phone's performance leaves much to be desired. Battery Woes: Despite its promises of long-lasting battery life, the Pixel 7 Pro fails to deliver. Charging dies quickly, and even budget Chinese phones outperform it in terms of battery backup. The phone struggles to hold a charge, and using the camera for more than a couple of minutes drains the battery at an alarming rate. Overheating Problems: Another major concern is the phone's propensity to overheat. Extended camera use quickly leads to overheating, causing the device to shut down or become unresponsive. At times, the phone gets so hot that it feels like it could double as a clothes iron. Build Quality: To add insult to injury, the build quality of the Pixel 7 Pro leaves much to be desired. As if the performance issues weren't enough, the volume buttons and power key fell off just as the warranty was about to expire. For a phone that costs a whopping 70,000 rupees, this is simply unacceptable. Only the back camera is a good thing about this phone. The Google Pixel 7 Pro fails to justify its high price tag with subpar performance, dismal battery life, overheating issues, and poor build quality. I would not recommend this phone to anyone looking for a reliable and durable device. My previous oppo phone was better than this. Don't waste your 60k - 70k just for the camera only.Thank you google for so many Bugs, the worst build quality, the tensor's worst performance & extremely poor battery life.