Google’s newest flagship is building on what makes Pixel phones great while, at the same time, undercutting rivals on cost.

Right out of the gate, the entry-level £849 price tag for the Pixel 7 Pro is more appealing than the £1,099 one slapped onto the iPhone 14 Pro. That’s with the same 128GB base level storage, mind.

And you do get quite a bit for your cash. There’s a great-looking 6.7-inch, 120Hz OLED screen, protected by Gorilla Glass on the front and an improved three-lens camera system on the back.

In truth, the Pixel 7 Pro doesn’t look much different from last year: it’s still got the distinctive camera bar across the back. And it’s still a big phone with the dimensions coming in at 162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9mm. Google has tried to temper this by giving the glass a slight curve to make the phone seem less big than it is.

Despite this, the weight is light at 212g – so it feels comfortable in your hand, even if you’ve got to stretch your thumb a bit to use it. The aforementioned camera bar now has a polished aluminium finish to make it look a little more premium.

On the right hand side is the power switch and volume rocker, while a single hole-punch cutout in the centre of the screen houses the selfie camera. You can unlock the Pixel 7 Pro either with a PIN, face unlock or with an under-display fingerprint scanner which is mostly accurate, if a little slower than physical ones that used to be used on Pixels past.

At the heart of the phone is Google’s Tensor G2 chip. It’s obviously faster than last year’s version but the extra oomph has been put into AI processing. Given that Google is a software company, this makes sense. The voice-enabled Google Assistant is more responsive and image processing has also been improved.

Using the phone for the everyday things: swiping through menus or tapping out messages or search queries is fluid and effortless. That’s thanks in part to the size and quality of the screen but the Tensor chip, backed by 12GB of RAM, means there’s no stuttering when launching apps or multitasking.

The Pixel 7 Pro has been fitted with a 5,000mAh battery capable of lasting around 35 hours on a single charge. With the screen set to full brightness and with lots of usage, you’ll still probably go to bed with a little bit left – I averaged about 20% – in the battery.

Unfortunately, while companies like OnePlus are forging ahead with 80W and 120W fast-charging, the Pixel 7 Pro is limited to 30W. That goes down to a maximum of 23W if you’re charging wirelessly.

If you do want to try and preserve the battery power, you can make changes like switching off the always-on display or turning the resolution down from the native 3120 x 1440 pixels, to 2340 x 1080 pixels.

Ideally, you’ll want those pixels for the enjoying the best part of the Pixel 7 Pro: the camera.

Google has opted for a 50-megapixel main camera alongside a 12-megapixel ultrawide option. There’s also a 48-megapixel telephoto and, around the front, a 10.8-megapixel selfie camera.

The main camera is excellent, capturing loads of detail in various different conditions. As usual, the low-light performance is excellent and there are some neat software effects to take advantage of.

Photo Unblur improves your blurry pictures while Magic Eraser Cinematic Blur is Google’s take on Apple’s Cinematic Mode, which gives a blurry, bokeh effect to video. There’s also the excellent Night Mode for low-light pictures and a Long Exposure option to turn running water into wisps of white or the taillights of cars into a river of red light.

While seasoned photographers will be able to capture all of these kinds of effects with the aid of a decent DSLR and a Lightroom or Photoshop subscription, the Pixel 7 Pro puts it in the hands of regular snappers like you and I.

My one word of caution with this is that the Pixel 7 Pro is a bit slippy to hold. Once or twice I nearly dropped it while trying to take a picture. Have a look at the below images to see how the Pixel 7 Pro stacks up against the iPhone 14 Pro.

There’s also an improved 30X Super Res Zoom for snapping photos from a distance and, at the other end of the scale, a new Macro Mode for extreme closeups.

To sum it up, the Pixel 7 Pro offers all the camera options you’ll likely need for most situations.

Google is cleverly positioning the Pixel phone as the centre of its widening ecosystem. Apple has been playing this game a long time, but it doesn’t have the monopoly on it anymore.

Thanks to excellent ancillery products like the Google Pixel Buds or the Google Nest Hub – not to mention the Pixel Watch – it’s possible to have a consistent experience across all these products through the phone.

Google’s Pixel 7 Pro is a great upgrade over last year’s 6 Pro in all the right places. It doubles down on things that worked well: a striking design, great camera and top-tier performance.

At the same time, it manages to keep the price significantly less than the other flagships from Samsung and Apple.

Add to that the convenience and accuracy of Google Assistant, fast pairing with Pixel accessories and a beautiful screen that’s 25 per cent brighter than before and you’ve got a winning formula.

There are drawbacks: the phone may be too big for some, charging is slower than rivals and not everyone will prefer the curving screen over a flat one.

But the camera features impress above all else and if you’re looking for the best Google has to offer, this is it.

Pixel 7 Pro: the details

Name: Pixel 7 Pro

Price: £849

What’s good:

• Brilliant camera
• Impressive screen
• Affordable price

What’s bad:

• Slow charging speed
• Very slippery

Where can I buy one? Google sells the Pixel 7 Pro through its online store here.

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