Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro: Biggest differences

Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro
(Image credit: Google)

A Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro comparison will help you decide which new Google Pixel phone is the best Android phone for you. The new Pixels bring significant improvements across the board, including a more powerful Tensor G2 chip, new camera capabilities, smarter voice assistance and sleeker designs. 

But what makes these phones different? And does the Pixel 7 Pro offer enough advances over the Pixel 7 to justify its higher price?

The Pixel 7 offers the smaller screen and just two rear cameras, while the Pixel 7 Pro sports a larger screen along with a telephoto camera. Plus, you get a new Macro mode for photos. The Pixel 7 Pro also packs in a larger battery. 

The biggest difference? In the US, the Pixel 7 Pro costs $300 more than the Pixel 7. Let's break down all the Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro differences to see if the premium upgrades are worth it.

Pixel 7 Deals

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are both on sale right now for Black Friday deals. So you'll save big on both phones. 

Google Pixel 7: was $599 now $499 @ Amazon

Google Pixel 7: <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=45724&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FGoogle-Pixel-7-5G-Android-Phone%2Fdp%2FB0BCQXXRJJ%3Fth%3D1%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">was $599 now $499 @ Amazon
Google's new Pixel comes with a very good dual camera system, a bright and colorful 6.3-inch display and a powerful and smart Tensor G2 chipset. It's one of the best values in smartphones, now only cheaper. This is a steal at $499. 

Google Pixel 7 Pro: was $899 now $749 @ Amazon

Google Pixel 7 Pro: <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=45724&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FGoogle-Pixel-Pro-Smartphone-Telephoto%2Fdp%2FB0BCQWYR2Z%3Fth%3D1%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">was $899 now $749 @ Amazon
The top Pixel 7 model gets a stunning 6.7-inch QHD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, some of the best cameras we've ever tested — including a 5x telephoto zoom — and Google's very best software tricks that you can't get on any other Android.

Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro: Specs compared

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 Pixel 7Pixel 7 Pro
Price$599 / £599/ AU$999$899/£849/AU$1,299
Display6.3-inch OLED, FHD+ resolution6.7 inches OLED, QHD+ resolution
Refresh rate90Hz120Hz
ChipTensor G2Tensor G2
RAM8GB12GB
Storage128GB, 256GB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Battery size4,355 mAh5,000 mAh
Battery life (Hrs:Mins)7:178:04
Charging30W fast charging30W fast charging
Rear cameras50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto
Front camera10.8MP10.8MP
Size6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches6.4 x 3 x 0.3 inches
Weight6.9 ounces7.5 ounces

 Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro: Price 

The Google Pixel 7 starts at a very affordable $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 128GB of storage and that goes up to $699 / £699 / AU$1,129 for 256GB. The Pixel 7 Pro starts at $899 / £849 / AU$1,299 for 128GB, and you’ll pay around $100 more for each storage upgrade, so that’s $999 / £949 / AU$1,449 for 256GB and 512GB for $1,099 / AU$1,599. 

Even though the phones just went on sale in October, you can already find some great Pixel 7 deals. For example, a Black Friday deal at Google takes $100 off the Pixel 7 and $150 off the Pixel 7 Pro with no trade-in required.

 Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro: Design and colors 

Google Event

Pixel 7 Pro colors (Image credit: Google via YouTube)

Google has given the new Pixels a similar design language, although slightly different from its predecessors — the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Gone is the two-tone color scheme that we saw on the previous Pixels; the new phones have soft, rounded corners along with a new aluminum bar running across the cameras on the back. 

The Pixel 7 Pro has three rear cameras with a polished aluminum finish while the Pixel 7 has dual rear cameras with a silky matte finish for its aluminum strip. Apart from the size difference between the two phones, they look largely similar.

In terms of colors, Google has given its two flagships a slightly different spectrum of colors. Both the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro come in Obsidian and Snow. But the Pixel 7 gets a new and bright Lemongrass shade, while the Pixel 7 Pro gets a new Hazel color.

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are both made from recycled materials. In terms of durability, there is an IP68 protection to help shield the phones from water and dust. 

(You can read about how I love the design of the Pixel 7 Pro — except for this one thing.)

Google Event

Pixel 7 colors (Image credit: Google via YouTube)

 Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro: Displays and Face Unlock 

The most obvious difference between the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro is their size. The Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch display while the Pixel 7 Pro sports a much larger 6.7-inch display. The phones also get a difference in resolution — while they are both OLED displays, the Pixel 7 has a Full HD+ resolution while the 7 Pro has a sharper Quad HD+ panel.

The phones also have a slight difference in their aspect ratios — the Pixel 7 has a 20:9 screen while the 7 Pro has an 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The Pixel 7 is rated for up to 1000 nits (HDR) and 1,400 nits of peak brightness; the Pixel 7 Pro is also rated for 1,000 nits for HDR content but the peak brightness is a higher 1,500 nits. 

In addition, you'll get a different refresh rate depending on which phone you buy. The Pixel 7 Pro can scale up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and down to 10Hz when the action is more static. The Pixel 7 can jump between 60Hz and 90Hz.

Both phones have an always-on displays and Face Unlock support.

Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro cameras

Google Event

(Image credit: Google via YouTube)

The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both feature a 50MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and a 12MP ultrawide lens with f/2.2, but the Pixel 7 Pro adds a 48MP telephoto camera for zooming in further.

The Pixel 7 Pro offers 5x optical zoom and up to 30x Super Res Zoom, which is digital zoom. The regular Pixel 7 has 8x Super Res Zoom. The Pixel 7 Pro also benefits from a wider filed of view at 125.8 degrees vs. 114° for the Pixel 7.

The advanced ultra-wide lens on the Pixel 7 Pro enables the Pixel 7 Pro to offer a Macro Focus mode for enhanced close-up shots. But both phones have a faster Night Sight mode and Photo Unblur for producing sharper shots.

On the video front, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro sport a new Cinematic Blur mode for adding more depth to your footage while blurring out the background, similar to the iPhone’s Cinematic mode. And with 10-bit HDR support, the quality should be top notch on both phones. 

The front camera on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is a 10.8MP shooter with f/2.2 aperture and 92.8° ultrawide field of view. 

Read our Google Pixel 7 camera guide to learn more about all the new specs and features, and how they differ between the two phones. Even with the differences, you'll be getting one of the best camera phones no matter which Pixel you pick.

Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro specs 

The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are both powered by Google’s new Tensor G2 chip, which promises advanced machine learning capabilities and computational photography powers. The Pixel 7 offers 8GB of RAM, but the Pixel 7 Pro ups that to 12GB. 

That may help explain the difference in benchmarks. The Pixel 7 Pro posted a multicore score of 3,046 in Geekbench 5, while the Pixel 7 trailed slightly at 3,021. The Pixel 7 Pro was a second faster than the Pixel 7 in our real-world test, taking 47 seconds to transcode a 4K video. The Pixel 7 Pro is the slightly better performer, though not so much that you're going to notice.

In terms of storage, the Pixel 7 comes with 128GB or 256GB, while the Pixel 7 Pro offers 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Unfortunately, there’s no 1TB option. 

Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro battery and charging 

The Pixel 7 packs a 4,355 mAh battery while the Pixel 7 Pro features a larger 5,000 mAh battery, so we would expect the Pro to last longer on a charge. Google says both phones can last up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver turned on.

Neither phone stood out in our battery test, in which we have phones surf the web over cellular until they run of power. The Pixel 7 Pro rode its bigger battery to last about three quarters of an hour longer than the Pixel 7 on average. Both phones are below the average posted by all the smartphones we tested. 

The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both support up to 30W fast wired charging, but the wireless charging max speed varies. The Pixel 7 can go up to 21W with the latest Pixel Stand and the Pixel 7 Pro does 23W charging. 

Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro: Outlook 

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(Image credit: Google via YouTube)

Overall, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro both look like very capable phones, and the differences are pretty clear. The regular Pixel 7 is best for those who are looking for the best value, as $599 is quite affordable for a flagship phone, and it’s also a good choice for anyone who wants to use their phone more comfortably with one hand.

The Pixel 7 Pro is best for those who prefer a larger display and a more powerful telephoto zoom, and the new Macro mode looks like a nice perk. The Pixel 7 Pro is also a better bet for those looking for longer battery life. The $899 isn’t cheap, but it’s $100 less than Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Plus and $200 less than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

Need more help deciding which phone to get? We've got the reasons to buy and skip the Pixel 7 as well as the reasons to buy and skip the Pixel 7 Pro.

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.

With contributions from
  • RetiringGeek
    I've read that another difference is that the 7 Pro has UWB while the 7 doesn't. It is an emerging technology but could be an important feature for AirTag like apps.
    Reply
  • Ryrynz
    Mark you say the Pixel 7 Pro is for those that want longer battery life but the standard 7 actually has longer battery life than the Pro.
    Reply