So here I was, scrolling through my YouTube subscription feed, when suddenly I see my fellow YouTuber friends – MKBHD and Mrwhosetheboss, raving about the Google Pixel 7, saying that this is the best value Android smartphone to beat.

So, being the fearless tech reviewer that I am, I decided to put that to the test myself, I mean, sure, I had to book a flight all the way to Singapore since Malaysia doesn’t sell Google Pixel phones officially… Yeah, who needs a savings account right?

So, was all of the trouble worth it, and were their claims true? Well, let’s find out after using this phone for about 2 months.

 

Build Quality

Now, the phone’s build quality was like a dream come true. It is the perfect size for the hands, unlike those giant phones that you need a backpack to carry around with.

And the camera bump finish? Let’s just say that it’s a massive improvement from the Google Pixel 7 Pro, as it is also much better than the super scratch-prone Google Pixel 7 Pro. If you missed the review of that, click here to check it out.

Now, speaking of which, the camera bump’s finish also looks very similar to the Apple Watch Ultra’s Titanium finish. It looks like they were meant for each other, like peanut butter and jelly.

Then the white color finish on the Google Pixel 7 is really stunning. And the finish at the back is so beautiful to a point that I have to force myself to always put the phone face down to really appreciate the rear part of the phone. And the best part? There are no fingerprints in sight! And the matte finish at the sides also makes it very easy to grip, which is a win-win situation.

Speaking of gripping, Google, can you please bring back the squeeze to the Google Assistant feature, please? Call me “old school” but I absolutely love that feature, and while you’re at it, please also bring back the stereo speakers because the speakers on this Google Pixel 7 sucks. 

But overall though, I really love the build quality of the Google Pixel 7 along with its design, which is surprisingly better than the Pro in my books.

 

Display

Just like the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 7’s screen isn’t exactly blowing anyone’s mind. I mean, it’s not terrible, but it’s not like a unicorn riding over a rainbow kind of thing. It’s more like a reliable Mazda CX-3, where it is nothing flashy, but it’s very reliable. And since the screen is smaller, it’s much easier to reach apps on the screen and watch a quick video on a single hand.

Now, I’m no scientist, but I’m pretty sure that the 120Hz refresh rate panel makes everything in life better. But then again, the regular iPhones do not have a 90Hz refresh rate anyway, so it’s like a debate between Pepsi and Coke. Or, you know, whatever is your preferred soda, and if you are wondering, my choice is Pepsi. #NotSponsored

Then the in-display fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 7 is like a ninja – fast and sneaky. But like a ninja, it can also be a little finicky, depending on the situation. So if your fingers are wet or sweaty, just forget about trying to unlock the phone. But hey, if you’re not coming straight from the gym like me, it works like a charm!

 

Cameras

As for cameras, a quick recap on the specs – the main camera uses a 50MP f/1.9 sensor and a 12MP f/2.2 Ultrawide lens. As for the front, it has a 10.8MP f/2.2 aperture lens.

So, what can I say about the camera other than… it’s just a Pixel? 

Main

Well, I can say that it has been great. The main sensor is the same as the Pixel 7 Pro which you can expect similar great quality images, flagship-level dynamic range, and it had an overall contrast of the signature Pixel look which I liked. 

It can zoom digitally up to 2x since there is no dedicated telephoto lens like how the Pro has, but the quality is still great. And it can also digitally zoom up to 8x on images, which was more than enough for me.

 

Ultrawide

On the Ultrawide side, once again, the specs are the same as the Google Pixel 7 Pro, so it looks great, with the quality being very consistent with the main lens. 

 

Portrait Mode

Then portrait mode has always been Pixel’s strength, once again giving the signature Pixel look. That is to say, there is the added sharpening on the subject, no matter if you’re taking a picture of objects, pets, or people, you will definitely get some great results.

 

Selfie

As for the selfie camera, once again, the Pixel’s prominent look is achieved with natural background blur and sharp focus on the subject. However, since I have been using the Xiaomi 13 and the OnePlus 11, I personally feel that I prefer the selfie images over there.

 

Night

Then how about the night shots? Well, the Night Sight images were nice both on the Main and Ultrawide Lenses, with little to no signs of noise in the darker areas. The blacker areas were dark and black as they were supposed to be, and the highlights were nicely balanced.

Then the night portrait mode on the Pixel 7 is like a rollercoaster – it has its ups and downs. On the upside, the skin tones look great, and the overall image is solid.

But on the downside, the edge detection around the hair area is a hot mess. It’s as though the person’s hair got a haircut from a blindfolded toddler.

And if you’re looking for a phone which has a nice killer selfie cam at night, the Pixel 7 might not be your soulmate, because the night selfie cam was like a moody teenager – it can be good in one minute, and then it can be completely blur and out of focus on the next.

 

Video

[Sample footages available on my YouTube video]

Then on the video side of things, during daylight, both the main and ultrawide sensors do a great job that is very similar to the images. The main lens does have a bigger megapixel count, so overall it does produce better results. The front camera records up to 4K, which was nice, with great quality and image stabilization as well.

But at night though, again, the quality wasn’t the best, especially when it comes to the image stabilization, and here is where you can see how much more superior the main lenses were.

Do check out my YouTube video for a vlogging test using the front camera including an audio recording.

By the way, do join our community Discord server, you’ll get access to exclusive content like behind-the-scenes photos, some photos of my cat, and some questionable memes. Join here: https://discord.gg/taRdMMwBYk

 

Software

Other than the cameras, the software experience was really a make-or-break for anyone considering this phone. 

And a feature that I really love is the Google Tips, where if you are done setting up the phone, Google will give you tips on how to optimize your Pixel experience, which is great for people who are new to Pixel devices.

The typing experience was amazing and the haptics were one of the best that I have experienced on any smartphones that I have reviewed so far, and yes, that is also including the Google Pixel 7 Pro, and I think that is probably due to its smaller size, as you do get a bigger kick out of it. 

Smart home shortcut access is great since my home has all the smart home devices that work with Google Assistant. Speaking of which, check out my video on how I made my entire bedroom smart which you can find it over here if you haven’t already.

Then the good news is that Google Pay does work here in Malaysia, on the Google Wallet App and I’ve tested it thoroughly and it works very seamlessly too.

But unfortunately, what does NOT work in Malaysia is the Call Screen feature as it is not one of the lists of countries available.

Another feature that I found really useful was the Extra Dim feature, where the phone can be dimmer than the originally intended brightness of the screen. So when I’m switching between working in the studio at night with all these bright lights and then switching on to just my laptop when I’m working, it has a nice balance of the light output on the screen.

Thermal management on this phone is like trying to cook a burger with a hair dryer – it’s not the best. Even when I was setting up the phone, it got really hot, and it even got hot when I started doing video calls after a few minutes.

And it got even hotter when I was using Android Auto, but then to be fair, that could be a general Android Auto thing because it was the same when I was using Android Auto on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and also the Xiaomi 13 Pro as well. So Google, or Android, do something about Android Auto, yeah?

 

Gaming

Now, if you’re a hardcore gamer, I’m going to go straight to the point to tell you that this phone is NOT for you, okay? Why? Well, my usual gaming test was done on Genshin Impact at maximum settings, and to my surprise, it didn’t perform as smoothly as how the Pro variant handle it, which was weird because both the Pro and this non-Pro has the same chipset.

So it only performed well at medium settings 60fps with motion blur turned off without any lag or stutter. And because it had a smaller footprint, hence it was really nice to game for long periods of time.

So yes, if you are a casual gamer who plays non-intensive games like Asphalt 9 and COD Mobile, then gaming on this device is fine. Otherwise, the Pro variant is the way to go, especially if you’re doing some intensive gaming.

 

Battery

Battery life on this was quite average during my testing for the past two months. The 4,355mAh cell was okay overall, with an average of 5 hours and 10 minutes of screen-on time with dark mode turned on at 9% battery.

Now, of course, charging is on the slower side by 2023 standards since it only gets up to 20W. So, expect around 30 minutes to get about 50% of charge, but to fill it up, it will probably take an hour and a half or so to get it fully charged up.

 

Conclusion

So, what’s my conclusion and what my overall thoughts are, is that Google’s Pixel 7 is like fine wine – it’s not for everyone, but if you really appreciate a good camera, a clean interface, and an overall simple experience, then you’ll enjoy it. 

However, with so many options out there, especially within this price range, it’s like trying to choose between a buffet and an a la carte menu – it really depends on your appetite.

And if you’re in a country where the Pixel 7 or the Pixel 7 Pro isn’t officially available, then good luck with that! But if this Pixel 7 is selling in your country officially, then it’s like hitting the jackpot!