Google Pixel 7 Pro 5G 128GB (Hazel)

I really wanted to like this device but it is a major downgrade from my pixel 3a XL in a lot of ways The battery life is absolutely horrendous, it drains at a rate of over 1% per minute doing nothing but reading in a web browser. This phone feels like it weighs 5 times as much as my Pixel 3a XL yet it still manages to get less than 1/3 the battery life. This phone also gets HOT HOT HOT. I guess that would explain the battery issues. They obviously don't know how to design a processor that has TDP worth a single F. Another major problem is backwards compatibility I never experienced this issue before until now. I have a few apps that will not install at all on this device, even with sideloading. Android 13 security is extremely overzealous and prevents you from ... MoreI really wanted to like this device but it is a major downgrade from my pixel 3a XL in a lot of ways The battery life is absolutely horrendous, it drains at a rate of over 1% per minute doing nothing but reading in a web browser. This phone feels like it weighs 5 times as much as my Pixel 3a XL yet it still manages to get less than 1/3 the battery life. This phone also gets HOT HOT HOT. I guess that would explain the battery issues. They obviously don't know how to design a processor that has TDP worth a single F. Another major problem is backwards compatibility I never experienced this issue before until now. I have a few apps that will not install at all on this device, even with sideloading. Android 13 security is extremely overzealous and prevents you from installing older apps And they are planning to make it 1000x worse in Android 14. I have apps that control devices that are hard wired into my walls that are only a couple of years old that I can't control now because the phone will not let me install their apps, not even through sideloading which they are planning to block almost entirely on the next version of Android. Also Google still hasn't bothered to fix bugs that were present on my old pixel 3a XL that is 4 years old now, the same old bugs still persist on the new device and the new OS, Google never fixes bugs so when you get a new device you get all the bugs from before plus a whole new set to seal with, YAY. Migration from my old device to this one has been an absolute nightmare. Apps won't install, the Chrome browser and all it's derivatives will not migrate tabs or history. The password manager still absolutely sucks and doesn't work for about 40% of sites and apps. Even when you use "log in with Google" it still manages to F it up and still asks for user name and password which somehow doesn't know or auto fill even though it popped up askit you of you want to store the password and you hit yes. So plan on resetting all your passwords if you can't remember them or don't have your old phone. Yeah it has a decent camera and it is faster than my old phone but what good is any of it when the battery life is garbage and the phone is slow to charge.

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.

After using a non-Android phone for about six months, I was anxious to end my suffering. I read about electronic devices for a living, and the Pixel 7 series caught my attention as soon as it was announced. Seeing the positive press about the new devices and seeing how happy my wife and mother are with their Pixel 6s, I decided the 7 Pro would be my next phone. Unlike my previous phone choice, I definitely made the right call this time. Even though smartphones are phones, I don't think people pay much attention to that essential functionality when choosing a device. People, myself included, often prefer other forms of communication because of the pain points involved with making phone calls, particularly when calling businesses and getting stuck going through a ... MoreAfter using a non-Android phone for about six months, I was anxious to end my suffering. I read about electronic devices for a living, and the Pixel 7 series caught my attention as soon as it was announced. Seeing the positive press about the new devices and seeing how happy my wife and mother are with their Pixel 6s, I decided the 7 Pro would be my next phone. Unlike my previous phone choice, I definitely made the right call this time. Even though smartphones are phones, I don't think people pay much attention to that essential functionality when choosing a device. People, myself included, often prefer other forms of communication because of the pain points involved with making phone calls, particularly when calling businesses and getting stuck going through a seemingly endless series of menu options, only to be put on hold. I am thankful that Google has put effort to improving the experience with Direct My Call and Hold For Me to make calling businesses less painful. On a related note, the spam filtering and call screening features also work well. One of the biggest the features I pay attention to when purchasing a phone is the camera, and the Pixel excels in this regard. The images are sharp and the colors are accurate. While I predominantly use the main shooter, the wide angle with macro mode and the telephoto lens are great to have. The photos in daylight are wonderful, but where the Pixel truly differentiates itself is in lowlight situations. The ability for night sight to pick up colors and details barely visible to the naked eye is seriously impressive. The additional AI features with the camera, such as magic eraser and unblur, are also nice additions. The Pixel 7 Pro is a nice looking phone that feels well made. I typically opt for black phones, but I really like the Hazel color to change things up. While looks are important, comfort is more so. Google chose rounded edges that make the phone comfortable to hold rather than straight sides with sharp edges that make it uncomfortable in the hand like my previous phone. The screen is large, sufficiently bright, and the curved glass give it a nice feel. Speaking of feel, I was concerned that the phone's size would mean I wouldn't be able to use it with one hand, but its slim and rounded design actually mean I mostly use it with one hand for things like web browsing and typing. As for the operating system, I am a big fan of Android and the attention Google pays to user experience, with its customizability and excellent notifications system. However, it would be nice if there was an option to remove the search bar from the bottom of the home screen, but this is not a big deal. Setup and moving all of my apps, messages, photos, calendar, etc from my old device to the Pixel was very straightforward and quick, allowing my to be up and running on it in about 20 minutes. The battery lasts me a full day with average use, as expected, and the charging speed is about average. Improving the battery life and supporting higher-speed charging are areas for improvement, but the current battery life and charging speed do not take away from the experience. I understand Google did not design the Tensor 2 chip to be the most powerful mobile processor on the market, but I have found it to perform well in day-to-day use, such as rendering websites and moving between apps. I am not a gamer, so I cannot comment on how it performs in that regard. In all, I am very pleased with the Pixel 7 Pro and foresee getting years of use out of it.