The Pixel 7 Pro won first. That’s what I think after a month

On October 13, the new Google Pixel 7 Pro I finally got to the market. The cameras, updated design, and overall smooth performance impressed me. I’ve now spent a month using this phone frequently, and a lot of what I initially thought is still true, but a few things stand out. I’ll start with the good stuff.

I liked the design right away, and it’s only grown more mine over time. It’s very similar to the Pixel 6 Pro, but it’s changed enough to look new. It feels great to hold and the honey/gold color of my review model has a particularly elegant look.

I still don’t like the sharp edge where the metal strip meets the screen, and I certainly found that noticeable when the phone was — with my hand — in my pocket. It’s no more of a deal-breaker now than it was when I first reviewed it, but it’s a disappointing little thing that could have easily been addressed before launch. However, if you had your phone in a case, you wouldn’t have noticed it anyway.

It has taken a large variety of photos in all conditions over the past month, putting it up against its main competitors, Including the iPhone 14 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra. For the most part, it performs very well, offering great color and detail, and during hybrid zooms It does not reach the 10x zoom levels of the S22 UltraI found the 7 Pro’s 5x optical zoom to be more usable on a day-to-day basis; It’s the phone I want in my pocket the most. CNET editor Stephen Shankland even found it given to him A pro DSLR camera that runs for its money.

At night, It doesn’t perform as well as its competitionwith both the iPhone and S22 Ultra delivering brighter, clearer photos — though the long exposure mode will add some pizzazz to your nighttime city shots.

Overall, I found the Pixel 7 Pro a pleasure to use. It has more than enough power to make everyday tasks a breeze, and it handled photo editing and gaming with no issues at all. The uncluttered nature of its Android 13 interface makes it particularly enjoyable as a daily driver’s smartphone.

The battery was something I asked for in my review. Not that its battery life is poor – it just isn’t – it just isn’t as good as it should be. And I notice that on more demanding tasks like gaming or streaming video, it squirms a bit more than I expected. However, it’s easy to get a day’s worth of use, so battery life is definitely not an issue here.

Overall, I still think Google did a great job with the Pixel 7 Pro, and it’s a great option to consider if you’re looking for a truly high-end Android experience — especially since it’s a bit more affordable than some competitors.