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The brand new normal
The Pixel 7 is Google’s newest flagship telephone, taking what we liked in regards to the Pixel 6 and refining it. Because of the brand new Tensor G2, the Pixel 7 has tons of helpful AI options to find.
For
- A lot of enjoyable digital camera options
- Distinctive design
- 5-year software program promise
- Cheaper
Towards
- No telephoto
- 90Hz show
- Solely three OS upgrades
- Slower charging and not using a Google charger
The previous normal
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 could also be small, nevertheless it packs a giant chunk due to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Not solely does it carry out quick, nevertheless it has a easy 120Hz show and nice cameras to seize topics from completely different focal lengths.
For
- Versatile triple digital camera setup
- Modern design broad collection of colours
- Easy 120Hz show
- Nice efficiency
Towards
- Can get actually sizzling
- Slower to obtain new OS upgrades
- Gradual shutter velocity
- Costly
Google’s newest flagship is lastly right here, and whereas it isn’t a large leap ahead from the Pixel 6, the brand new Pixel 7 remains to be a powerful telephone, at the very least on paper. Given the timing of its launch, the Pixel 7 is anticipated to go up towards a number of the finest flagships from 2023. Nevertheless, since we do not have these but, we’ll have to check it with 2022 flagships equivalent to Samsung’s Galaxy S22.
Each telephones characterize entry-level flagship telephones, making it an applicable comparability. But, with an already somewhat-outdated chipset and smaller show, can the Galaxy S22 maintain a candle to the newer Pixel 7? Now that I’ve spent a while with Google’s newest flagship, I can inform you how each telephones carry out in the true world.
Google Pixel 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22: Appears to be like are every part
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They are saying appears aren’t every part, however they’re undoubtedly necessary. Samsung appeared to all the time put its finest foot ahead concerning design, one thing Google did not actually determine till the Pixel 6 collection. That stated, Google just about nailed it with final 12 months’s flagship, giving it a glossy design that really appeared like a flagship telephone. That design language continues with the brand new Pixel 7, which appears completely attractive with its shiny chassis, flat show, and distinctive digital camera visor.
Each the Galaxy S22 and Pixel 7 sport related designs in comparison with their respective predecessors and are largely refinements of what got here earlier than. Nevertheless, the small modifications actually matter. As an example, the Pixel 7 has a digital camera visor that’s lined in largely aluminum, changing the glass from the Pixel 6. This fashion, solely the digital camera sensors are uncovered, and there is a lot much less concern in regards to the visor cracking as a result of a fall.
For the Galaxy S22, the variations are minimal. The edges, for instance, are a lot flatter, which really offers the telephone a fairly good aesthetic. Dare I say; it is nearly iPhone-like. In fact, whether or not or not you want that’s completely as much as you. The Pixel has extra rounded edges, and if it is something like its predecessor, it will have a slippery again that will warrant placing a case on to keep away from dropping it. The Galaxy S22 has frosted glass on the again, which is not very slippery and fewer susceptible to fingerprints. Nevertheless, the flat edges could make for a much less snug expertise when holding the system. Nonetheless, each units really feel nice in hand.
One place the place the Galaxy S22 wins is the colour choices. The Pixel 7 retains issues moderately easy with black, white, and a considerably unappealing yellow. The digital camera visor is coloured barely in a different way from the remainder of the chassis in grey, silver, and gold to match the respective coloration choices. Nonetheless, there is not an intensive listing of colours to select from, and those current are both boring or simply ugly.
In the meantime, the Galaxy S22 is available in a number of base colours, together with a wonderful inexperienced that appears largely blue, relying on the sunshine. There are additionally a handful of unique colorways you should purchase immediately from Samsung, giving shoppers loads of choices for a telephone that matches their private type.
Google Pixel 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22: {Hardware} and specs
Now that we’re achieved judging a e book by its cowl, let’s discuss {hardware} and specs. Each of those telephones launched with the most recent chipsets of their respective occasions. For the Galaxy S22, that was the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, whereas the Pixel 7 will get a brand-new Tensor G2 chip.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which began transport on telephones in early 2022, had its share of issues, notably with warmth administration. These have been well-documented on the Galaxy S22, and in my use, the telephone nonetheless will get sizzling whereas performing the only of duties. That stated, the Galaxy S22 remains to be speedy and performs effectively, even whereas gaming. Simply put a case on, and you will not actually discover the warmth.
The brand new Tensor G2 chip seems to be an iterative improve to the unique Tensor. Nonetheless, the Pixel 7 performs admirably because it’s Google’s in-house design, and the telephone is simply as responsive as one would anticipate from a Pixel flagship.
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| Header Cell – Column 0 | Google Pixel 7 | Samsung Galaxy S22 |
|---|---|---|
| Working System | Android 13 (Pixel UI) | One UI 4.1 primarily based on Android 12 (upgradeable to Android 13) |
| Show | 6.3-inches, FHD+ (1080 x 2400), OLED, as much as 90Hz | 6.1-inches |
| Chipset | Tensor G2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128/256GB | 128/256GB |
| Battery & Charging | 4355mAh, 21W wired, 20W wi-fi | 3,700mAh, 25W wired, 15W wi-fi |
| Rear Digicam 1 | 50MP, wide-angle, ƒ/1.85, 1.2μm | 50MP, wide-angle, ƒ/1.8, 1.0μm |
| Rear Digicam 2 | 12MP, ultrawide, ƒ/2.2, 1.25μm, 114° | 12MP, ultrawide, ƒ/2.55, 1.4μm, 120° |
| Rear Digicam 3 | ❌ | 10MP, telephoto, ƒ/2.4, 1.0μm, 3x zoom |
| Selfie Digicam | 10.8MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.22μm, 80° | 10MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.22μm, 92.8° |
| Connectivity | 5G (sub-6, mmWave), Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6E | 5G (sub-6, mmWave), Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6 |
| Safety | IP68, Gorilla Glass Victus | IP68, Gorilla Glass Victus+ |
| Dimensions | 73.2 x 155.6 x 8.7 | 70.6 x 146 x 7.6mm |
| Weight | 197g | 167g |
| Colours | Obsidian, Snow, Lemongrass | Phantom White, Phantom Black, Inexperienced, Pink Gold, Bora Purple, different Samsung-exclusive colorways |
On the subject of on-paper specs, the Galaxy S22 seems to have a little bit of an edge over the Pixel 7. For instance, Samsung’s show could also be a bit smaller (and arguably extra snug to deal with), however the Galaxy S22 sports activities a variable 120Hz refresh price, which is quicker than the Pixel 7’s 90Hz. Due to this, scrolling and animations on the Galaxy show ought to be a lot smoother.
The Galaxy S22 additionally has an extra digital camera sensor on the again for telephoto photographs, though we’ll discuss that later.
The Pixel 7 undoubtedly wins concerning battery life, given its bigger 4355mAh battery. In my use, I can simply get via a full workday if I take the Pixel 7 off the charger at 5 am after I begin my day and even the night time earlier than. Relying on my use, I may even handle a whole 24 hours on a single cost. The Galaxy S22 will get me nowhere near this, with the telephone virtually screaming for a charger by midday.
The Galaxy S22 will prime up its battery a bit faster due to a mixture of quicker 25W charging and a smaller battery capability. The Pixel 7 helps wired charging as much as 20W with a suitable Google charger, which the corporate says can get to 50% in half-hour. This is not too removed from my expertise, and whereas it does not have the quickest charging, it may well get a good cost in about half an hour. Fortuitously, it fills up quicker than the Pixel 6 Professional, which is likely one of the slowest-charging flagship smartphones I’ve encountered.
Concerning connectivity, these telephones are fairly related, supporting all of the 5G flavors, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.2. Nevertheless, the Pixel ups the ante with Wi-Fi 6E, whereas the Galaxy S22 solely has Wi-Fi 6.
Google Pixel 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22: Cameras
On the subject of cameras, these telephones are very related, at the very least on paper. Each have 50MP main shooters and 12MP ultrawide sensors. Nevertheless, as I discussed earlier than, the Pixel 7 has an unlucky drawback as a result of its lack of a devoted telephoto digital camera, which means you will must rely solely on digital zoom for those who wanna get a superb shot of a live performance stage and also you’re someplace within the again. That stated, it isn’t all unhealthy.
In my expertise, the Galaxy S22 takes completely satisfactory pictures. They’re detailed, vivid, and lots vibrant with out being overly so. Nevertheless, whereas they’re fairly good, they’re nothing to run residence about. In truth, if I want a superb photograph (notably for a assessment or one thing), I am going to typically attain for the Pixel 7 first.
It is nothing towards Samsung, however Google has actually nailed its computational images. And now that the corporate has lastly adopted newer, higher-resolution sensors, it has many extra pixels to work with to create nice pictures. The images taken with the Pixel 7 simply have extra depth to them, which for my part, makes them look a lot nicer than what the Galaxy S22 can produce from its main sensor. The Pixel 7 presents loads of distinction and element, even when pictures aren’t as vivid because the Galaxy S22. Photos from the Pixel are additionally hotter, which may work in its favor relying in your choice.
And to assist with the dearth of telephoto zoom, the Pixel 7 has Tremendous Res Zoom. But, whereas the Pixel 7’s Tremendous Res Zoom can solely attain as much as 8x, it is nonetheless fairly good when in comparison with the S22’s 3x optical sensor.
That’s, except you really want that 30x digital zoom on the Galaxy S22, which has helped me take some improbable photographs of the moon and different far-off topics. The Pixel 7 can solely get me so shut, and regardless that high quality degrades the extra I zoom with the S22, it nonetheless turns out to be useful for some photographs.
Along with Tremendous Res Zoom, Google can also be touting loads of options like Movement Mode, Photograph Unblur, Magic Eraser, Face Unblur, and tons of different AI-based options to assist get you the very best picture. In fact, Samsung additionally has some methods up its sleeve too, like guide photograph and video modes, Single Take, and Object Eraser, the latter of which I’m fairly a fan of.
On the subject of low gentle, Samsung has actually targeted on bettering on this entrance and has nailed it, for my part. When evaluating pictures with my 7 with Evening Mode turned off, the Galaxy S22 pulls in far more gentle, whereas the Pixel doesn’t attempt to brighten up pictures in any respect. Nevertheless, the Pixel actually shines (pun meant) with Evening Sight on, though I nonetheless discover that the Galaxy S22 pictures are brighter, which appears to be the case in nearly any situation.
Google has additionally improved video seize on the Pixel 7. The Galaxy S22 takes improbable video as much as 4K60 and performs very effectively in low gentle. The Pixel collection is not precisely recognized for video high quality, however Google has been bettering on this entrance, notably with the Pixel 6 collection. Now, video may be captured in 10-bit HDR, which I’ve observed makes footage much more vibrant. The Galaxy S22 can seize HDR10+ video as a Labs function, which additionally punches up the footage.
One attention-grabbing function on the Pixel 7 is Cinematic Blur, which is supposed to offer a movie-like depth of subject to your movies by utilizing AI to intelligently blur the background whereas the topic stays in focus. This function has labored with various success on different smartphones, though they by no means appear to get it fairly proper. I’ve tried Portrait Video with the Galaxy S22, and it appears a lot improved, though actually solely works with individuals. The Pixel 7 works with objects, though you will get higher outcomes with faces within the body. It isn’t good, however each are large enhancements over earlier makes an attempt in previous years.
Each take respectable selfies, though neither are good. The brighter pictures can work within the Galaxy S22’s favor in some scenes, but additionally work towards it in others. Selfies are additionally a bit mushy, which I am not a giant fan of. In the meantime, the Pixel 7 takes very detailed selfies due to the upgraded 10.8MP digital camera, however they usually really feel over processed.
I’ll say that one downfall of the Galaxy S22 digital camera is its gradual shutter button. Typically it may well take a couple of second for it to truly seize the picture after urgent the button, which may end up in some blurry images or simply lacking the second altogether. If you really want an in-the-moment image, the Pixel 7 will probably get you the quickest and clearest picture.
That stated, the Pixel 7 does not have any guide options for customers that basically wish to take management of the pictures of video they seize. It is all achieved with AI. For an novice videographer like myself, that is a little bit of a bummer, because the output from the Pixel might not all the time come out how you want to. The Pixel does make up for this by permitting RAW seize, however which means you must go in after-the-fact to edit versus making in-the-moment tweaks.
All-in-all-both telephones have nice cameras and quite a lot of enjoyable options. If you happen to desire brighter pictures and wish to get actually near your topic, the Galaxy S22 is the telephone to get. If you happen to desire extra detailed images with a bit extra depth and distinction, the Pixel is your telephone.
Google Pixel 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22: Software program and help
So far as the precise software program, each flavors of Android have a distinct really feel to them. Samsung’s One UI is far cleaner, for my part, though it is nearly stoic when in comparison with the extra bubbly Pixel UI. All the pieces on the Pixel is simply larger, from the brightness and quantity sliders to the short settings toggles and lots of elements of the notification shade. I am not a fan of how the Pixel UI offers with area, as UI components are inclined to take up extra of it than they need to. I personally desire Samsung’s extra condensed tackle these similar UI components, particularly since I can match as much as six fast settings toggles in a single row.
Nevertheless, for those who care about software program help, look no additional than both of those smartphones. Each Google and Samsung have upped the ante concerning long-term help, and the Pixel 7 and Galaxy S22 have a number of the most spectacular help guarantees of any of the finest Android telephones.
On the one hand, the Galaxy S22 has a greater lifespan, as Samsung has promised 4 OS upgrades and 5 years of safety updates. Samsung can also be fast to replace its telephones with month-to-month safety patches, usually forward of Google, which sticks to a specific cadence. Then again, the Galaxy S22 launched with Android 12 and has already been upgraded to One UI 5 primarily based on Android 13 quickly, which means it should obtain three extra upgrades as much as Android 16 and an extra 12 months of software program help. So whereas the Pixel 7 will obtain one much less OS improve, it should nonetheless handle to obtain Android 16 because the telephone launches with Android 13 out of the field.
Samsung is thought to come back with smaller function upgrades at times, often within the type of a degree improve like One UI 3.1 or One UI 4.1. Nevertheless, there’s not a lot rhyme or purpose to those updates, and we often have to attend for main releases or quarterly Android function updates to obtain new options.
In the meantime, the Pixel collection would often obtain these new options effectively earlier than everybody else, due to Google’s Quarterly Function Drops. Many options showcased in these updates often roll out a lot later to different Android telephones, giving Pixel customers first dibs on enjoyable new software program.
Nonetheless, each units are basically on the middle of their respective ecosystems; Google with the Pixel household and Nest units, and Samsung with One UI and SmartThings. Fortuitously, you may dip into both or regardless of which telephone you select, however you will have probably the most seamless expertise by staying on-brand. So be sure that to seize that new Pixel Watch for those who’re grabbing the Pixel 7 or the Galaxy Watch 5 for those who’re getting a Galaxy S22.
Google Pixel 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy S22: Which do you have to purchase?
As somebody who makes use of Samsung as a main system, I’ve to confess it is a exhausting one. The Galaxy S22 presents a terrific software program expertise with ample help, good cameras, and quick efficiency, all in a trendy and pocketable design. In truth, throughout my time with the Pixel 7, I could not wait to get again to my Galaxy S22.
Nevertheless, regardless of the Pixel’s shortcomings, I’ve to confess that it is in all probability a greater worth for most individuals. The Pixel has glorious cameras that use software program to compensate for the dearth of a telephoto lens, and picture high quality is great. There is not any query that Google’s imaging prowess is difficult to match, and the Pixel 7 is likely one of the finest digital camera experiences you may ask for on a smartphone.
Not solely that, however Google’s AI options are extraordinarily handy and enjoyable, and the Tensor G2 chip ought to present regular efficiency it doesn’t matter what you are doing. To not point out, you will get a lot better battery life out of the Pixel, which many customers search for in a smartphone.
As I stated, the Galaxy S22 isn’t any slouch, and I’d nonetheless suggest it to anybody who asks. Nevertheless, it is a little bit of an ungainly time for the S22, particularly as rumors of the Galaxy S23 collection begin to ramp up. The mix of the upcoming Galaxy S23 launch plus the slightly costly $799 price ticket is a bit exhausting to justify at this level, particularly when in comparison with the $599 Pixel. If you will discover some good offers, go for the Galaxy. In any other case, the Pixel presents far more worth.
You will not be disenchanted with the Pixel 7. It has the most recent chipset from Google, and its upgraded cameras imply the top of blurry pictures and even quicker night time photographs.
The Galaxy S22 is a little bit of a splurge, however with it comes wonderful software program, nice cameras, and a tool that performs effectively it doesn’t matter what you throw at it.
