5 things I wish I knew before buying the Google Pixel 7

The Google Pixel 7 is brand new to the smartphone scene and it looks set to be one of the most popular handsets of the year thanks to its extensive software, solid camera system and standout design. 

Launched alongside the Google Pixel 7 Pro, the standard model strips things back a little and loads everything into a more compact device, which ultimately keeps the price down too. 

Now that they’re officially on sale, people will be rushing to pick one up  - take a look at the best Pixel deals to see what offers are out there right now. 

I’m lucky enough to have one already, which is how I know this is one of the best Android phones you can buy, but there were a few things I wish I’d known before I got it. 

1.  Buy a case for it

Now, this may seem like a given for any phone, but the Pixel 7 in particular does really need a case. Not because you might smash it into a million pieces but more because it has a lot of little crevices, particularly above and below the camera strip, that easily get dust and dirt stuck in them. It’s not a good look but a case should solve that.

Another reason to buy one is that the glass design of the phone, while stunning, is a little slippy. Having a case should stop you from dropping it on your face when you’re lying in bed or from accidentally chucking it on the floor, which does risk it getting damaged even despite the sturdy Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on both sides. 

2.  You won’t need a SIM card 

When I received the Google Pixel 7, I fiddled about slotting my SIM card into the slot on the phone but actually, that’s not necessary because it actually has eSIM support. What exactly is an eSIM, you might be wondering? Well, an eSIM connects you to your mobile network by downloading the information that’s usually on a physical card directly to the phone. It’s just as secure as an actual SIM. 

Not only does that take away the hassle of ordering a new card if you were to switch mobile networks, but it means you can have more than one SIM downloaded at once and you can temporarily change to another network if you want to as well.  

3. Its camera features are even better than they sound

One of the main advantages of buying the latest Pixel 7 phone is the camera system and all of the AI-based features that come with it. 

Last year’s device saw the arrival of the Magic Eraser, a really useful tool that lets you remove objects and photobombers from the back of your shots as naturally as possible. This year, Photo Unblur is the feature everyone's talking about - it stops your photos from being affected by camera shake, so you get sharp shots every time. It even works on old photos taken on other phones, letting you clarify them at a tap of a button. 

As well as that, the Pixel 7 has improved Night Sight to capture images in low light, Cinematic Blur to make your videos look more professional in a similar way to Portrait mode and all of their shooters come loaded with Real Tone technology which helps to make all skin tones look as authentic as possible. To find out more about each feature, take a look at the Pixel 7 camera features you need to know about.

4.  The charger doesn’t come in the box  

One of the downfalls of the Pixel 7 is that it only supports 30W charging which means it takes about an hour and a half to go from flat to full. But to get speeds even that quick, you’ll need a 30W charger at home. It only comes with a cable in the box, you don’t get the wall charger included. 

If you already have one then great, you won’t have any issues, but if you don’t then it’s an extra expense to consider on top of the cost of the phone itself. 

Similarly, this supports wireless charging but you’ll have to buy that separately too. You can pick up a Pixel Stand wireless charger for $79 in the US, £69 in the UK and AU$119 in Australia. 

5. This is one of the smartest phones ever

The latest Pixel phones all come loaded with pure Android and Google’s most up-to-date Tensor G2 chipset. Combined, they deliver the ultimate smart phone experience that is based largely on machine learning. There are all sorts of features that you’ll need to know about so you can use them right from the word go. 

Firstly, this handset is almost entirely controllable by voice thanks to Google Assistant. Without even touching the phone, you can ask it to pull up your messages, reply to emails or set reminders. You’ll just need to use the wake word ‘Hey Google'. 

Sometimes, it’s much quicker and easier to speak than it is to type. Voice typing on the Pixel 7 is incredible, not only does it accurately pick up and write down everything you say but it even understands intonation to add question marks and full stops in all the right places. More into voice notes? We’ve all received one somewhere quiet without headphones and the Pixel 7 can transcribe a voice note for you within the messaging app so you don’t need to listen to it out loud.

Calling is smarter than elsewhere too because Pixel phones have advanced call screening and later this year they’ll also get Clear Calling which will improve the quality of the calls you do take by isolating voices and removing distracting sounds like traffic or the wind. 

Those are just a few of the smart features you’ll find on the Pixel 7, I won't give any more spoilers because it's fun to discover new tricks as you start using the handset day to day.