Since most people will be using their smartphones for at least two years, comparing the Google Pixel 7 to the Pixel 5 is more timely than ever, especially if you picked up the Pixel 5 in 2020 when the phone first came out. A new Google phone means it’s time to consider whether you need to upgrade your old phone. Let’s take a look at the Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 5!
Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 5: Prices and models
After offering regular and XL versions of its flagship phone, Google has only launched a single version of the Pixel 5 — a 6-inch phone with 128GB of storage. But just the following year, Google went back to its two modes, releasing a Pro version of its flagship phone to go with the smaller, cheaper standard version.
This brings us to the Pixel 7, which has a 6.3-inch screen and is available in either 128GB or 256GB.
Today, the Pixel 7 starts at $599, or $100 more if you want the 256GB version. That means you can get a 256GB Pixel 7 for the same price as the only 2020 Pixel 5 model. If you stick with the 128GB version, you can actually buy a new phone for less.
Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 5: Design
Aside from the Google logo on the back of the phone, you hardly know the Pixel 5 and Pixel 7 are from the same company. The Pixel 5 won praise for its design at the time, as it was a compact and sturdy phone with an attractive matte finish. The rear camera array is hidden in the top-left corner of the phone, not far from the physical fingerprint sensor. Again, it was a very solid design, although it wasn’t too different from other Android phones of the time.
Google kept that feature for the Pixel 7 and made some improvements, moving to a matte aluminum material. As for that rear fingerprint reader, that’s gone, replaced by an under-display sensor that lets you unlock the phone. The Pixel 7 also supports face unlock — something the Pixel 5 lacked.
Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 5: Display
If you stack the Pixel 7 with the Pixel 5, the first thing you’ll notice is that their OLED panels are different sizes. The Pixel 5 is Google’s first phone with a faster refresh rate, and its display can switch between 60Hz and 90Hz when activity on the screen demands it. A monitor with an adjustable refresh rate can display smoother scrolling text and more immersive graphics than a monitor locked to 60Hz.
The Pixel 7 also has a 90Hz display, but opt for the Pixel 7 Pro and you’ll get a faster refresh rate — 120Hz. The Pixel Pro 7 can also zoom all the way down to 10Hz to preserve battery life when your screen is more static.
Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 5: Cameras
Google‘s older phones were no slouch in the photo department, but hardware and software improvements helped the new model earn a spot on the best camera phone list.
On the hardware side, the Pixel 7 offers a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens. That primary shooter definitely beats the 12.2MP sensor on the Pixel 5. The Pixel 5 does have a 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens, though we don’t think those extra megapixels will make much of a difference.
The Pixel 7 Pro adds a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom to the camera mix – something neither the Pixel 7 nor the Pixel 5 match. But the SuperResZoom feature on the Pixel 7 gets a boost from the phone’s Tensor chip, allowing for a 50MP primary lens, cropped to 12.5MP when zoomed in.
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 5: Processors
Google said it started developing its own chips because it wanted a smarter phone experience, not necessarily a faster chip. While the Tensor can keep up with the latest Qualcomm chipsets in our tests, it’s a far cry from the iPhone’s A-series chips in terms of speed.
However, you’ll see a performance boost from the Pixel 5 because the phone uses the Snapdragon 765G chipset instead of the more powerful chip from Qualcomm’s 8-series. As a result, the Pixel 5 posted a fairly average Geekbench 5 multi-core score of 1,617. The Pixel 7 hit 3,021 on the same test with the help of Tensor G2. The Pixel 7 has better graphics and a faster 5G connection.
Google Pixel 7 vs Pixel 5: Battery life and charging
Of course, the demand for batteries has increased, and the battery that powers Google’s flagship phones has grown only a little — from 4.080 mAh in the Pixel 5 to 4,335 mAh in the Pixel 7. But battery life on Pixel flagship phones is going in the wrong direction, and we think that’s something Google needs to fix.
At least the Pixel 7 charges faster than the Pixel 5. That older phone supported 18W wired charging, but the Pixel 7 charges up to 30W.
>>>>>>>>>>Google battery