For $599, Google’s Pixel 7 sits comfortably between the $449 Pixel 6a and the $899 Pixel 7 Pro in the company’s lineup, which is the sweet spot in the budgets of many smartphone shoppers—and that just so happens to make it one of the most feature-rich, affordable phones on the market. The Pixel 7 easily outclasses most similarly priced handsets, and brings some real heat to Samsung’s $799 Galaxy S22, with standout performance and camera quality for the price. Though its low-key external design refresh and minor spec bump may seem a bit incremental year over year, you simply won’t find a better Android phone for $600, making the Pixel 7 our Editors’ Choice winner for affordable flagships.

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It Sure Does Stand Out

Google carries over the unique design language of last year’s Pixel 6 for this year’s Pixel 7. Most notably, it retains the horizontal camera bar on the back of the phone. In a world where Samsung uses a vertical camera array and Apple rolls with a square, Google’s elongated bar stands out. In the case of the Pixel 7, there are two lenses tucked into the camera module, which has a matte aluminum cover rather than the black glass of the outgoing model. The phone is available in three colors: Lemongrass, Obsidian, or Snow. The frame is made from recycled aluminum. The front and back glass of the phone is glossy, though it doesn’t seem to attract fingerprints. 

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(Credit: Eric Zeman)

The screen measures 6.3 inches (0.1-inch smaller than the Pixel 6) with a punch-hole camera and nearly edge-to-edge bezels. The OLED display packs 2,400 by 1,080 pixels, for a density of 416ppi. The refresh rate runs as high as 90Hz, which isn’t as fast as the 120Hz display on the Galaxy S22 or Pixel 7 Pro, but it’s still noticeably smoother than a 60Hz display. The screen pushes up to 1,000 nits (typical) and 1,400 nits (peak) of brightness, which matches Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro. Contrast is one million to one, and there’s support for 24-bit color and HDR. For comparison, the S22’s screen measures 6.1 inches and has a similar resolution, but steps up the refresh rate to 120Hz.

(Credit: Dave LeClair)

This isn’t a particularly large phone. At 6.13 by 2.88 by 0.34 inches (HWD) and 6.9 ounces, the Pixel 7 is a little bit bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S22 (5.78 by 2.78 by 0.30 inches, 5.93 ounces), but smaller in every dimension than the Pixel 6 (6.24 by 2.94 by 0.35 inches, 7.3 ounces).

other functional elements are the same year over year. The power button and volume toggle are on the right side, while the physical SIM card tray is on the left. Though the Pixel supports eSIM (like the new iPhone 14 family), you can fall back on a regular nano SIM card when needed. The USB-C port and speaker are on the bottom edge.