Google debuted the Pixel 7 series at its I/O 2022 conference in May, showing off two phones that look more repetitive than revolutionary.
Both devices offer the same camera vision, center-covered punck-houskous locks and near-identical camera specifications to last year’s listed series designs. You’d be forgiven for thinking these are Pixel 6 variants. But there’s a strong argument that this is exactly what Pixel Line needs.
A story of reversal
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
When you look at old Pixel hardware, it’s easy to see a historical lack of consistency. Each successive device often feels like a test release rather than part of a cohesive product line and long-term strategy. It looks like the company decided on features by throwing darts at a board.
The most notable example of this was the Pixel 4 series, which supported the Pixel 3 line with a rear fingerprint scanner, dual selfie cameras, and a single rear camera for 3D front-facing, single selfie camera, and main/tele dual rear cameras. The move to 3D Face Unlock meant the phones wouldn’t be sold in some markets (like India), as Soli uses radar tech to start facial recognition as soon as you touch the phone.
Google has historically taken a disruptive approach to its Pixel phone strategy, making it into what appears to be a major shift.
Next up was the Pixel 5, which ditched the Pixel 4’s core power for a mid-range chipset and ditched the flagship/telephone camera setup for a flagship/ultra-wide combo. Google has gone a bit out of its way with its software features, but you never know what you’re getting with Pixel hardware.
This inconsistency is reflected in many of the problems we’ve seen with Google phones over the years. Whether it’s the original Pixel’s bootloop and microphone woes or the Pixel 3 and 4’s back cover leaks, every release seems to be accompanied by some sort of serious issue.
Pixel line defocus can be partially responsible for many hardware and software problems.
These flaws are also not a thing of the past; The current Google Pixel 6 series suffers from many problems. The company’s semi-custom Tensor chipset is prone to overheating and its poor wireless connectivity is well documented. The phones have been plagued by software bugs related to fingerprint scanners, phone calls, Bluetooth and more.
Why consistency helps the Pixel 7
The upcoming Pixel 7 series of phones seem to represent a more repetitive Google than a company starting from scratch. And there are many reasons why this is a good thing.
The biggest reason we welcome the evolution of the Pixel series is that it gives Google a chance to focus on fixing these aforementioned issues with the Pixel 6 family. Also, it doesn’t start from scratch, which means it doesn’t need to spend a lot of time on things like hardware and overall design.
Hopefully the time spent on a complete rework, so solving software problems, for one, will make the Pixel 6 series of bug swarms a thing of the past. It also means that Google could theoretically refine the Tensor processor to reduce overheating and reliability.
Since it didn’t start from scratch with the Pixel 7, Google can focus on solving Pixel 6 pain points.
An evolutionary approach means Google can focus on refining what already works, like cameras. Google has stuck with a 12MP main camera for years, until it decided to go with a 50MP sensor in the Pixel 6 series to refine its imaging performance with each Pixel release. All signs point to the 50MP sensor remaining, giving Google a chance to tweak its image processing and algorithms again.
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Ultimately, this approach frees up resources for future Pixel feature drop updates. Additionally, the shared hardware DNA between the two Pixel generations could allow the Pixel 6 to get Pixel 7 features online.
In addition to software patches and product updates, there is also a scalable benefit to taking an evolutionary approach. This strategy can help Google lay the foundation for future growth.
The opportunity to solve what exactly a pixel is
Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
While Google may not be able to solve every major Pixel 6 issue with the Pixel 7 release, the regular phone will allow the company to refine its overall smartphone strategy. Even though the phones offer good camera processing, years of improvements, and some new software features (eg call screening, recording), Google hasn’t done a great job of conveying why people buy the phones over the years. Before the release of the Pixel 6 family, it was reflected in the shipping figures for a long time, at least not for the mainstream population. But that is changing.
The shift to semi-custom silicon and a consistent design language suggest that Google is getting its Pixel strategy right.
There are signs that the company is digging into the strategy, with the company’s Tensor processor playing a crucial role. The semi-custom chipset is packing a lot of machine learning power, which Google uses to identify features like offline voice recognition, Magic Eraser, and anti-face blurring. We already know that the Tensor G2 is coming to the Pixel 7 series, so we’re looking forward to Google building on this impressive foundation for more AI-powered features.
Another sign that Google is finally using a consistent strategy for the Pixel line is simply the appearance of the Pixel 7. The design is broadly in line with the Pixel 6 series, featuring a unique rear camera bar that shows an effort to maintain a consistent design language between generations. We haven’t seen this from the Pixel flagship line since the Pixel 3 series. That is very important; You certainly won’t mistake the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series for Samsung or Apple imitators.
The more frequent Pixel 7 allows Google to keep moving forward rather than stopping to reinvent the wheel.
All of these points suggest that Google and the Pixel team are finally pulling in the same direction. A more frequent Pixel 7 release means Google isn’t reinventing the wheel this year, but it does allow the company to keep moving uphill rather than stopping to change tires again.