Using the Pixel 6 Pro inspires me to explore what the Pixel 7 has to offer.

OPINION: Last week at Google I/O 2022, we were introduced to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro..

And when I say take a look, I mean peep. Google didn’t fully reveal the phone at the developer conference, instead it just briefly showed off a picture of it and provided some early promotional material about the new Tensor 2 silicon that will run on it.

Despite the lack of reliable information, the teasing was enough to get me very excited. It’s not because I’m a Google fanatic or because I found any of the information and images particularly exciting. As I noticed at the time, the design looks very familiar, with minor changes to the body and color of the rear visor chamber.

This is because of the amazing experience of using the Pixel 6 Pro over the past 6 months. To catch up with readers, I gave the Pixel 6 Pro 4.5/5 when I reviewed it in October 2021, finding that its pure Android 12 software, advanced rear camera, and many exclusive Tensor-powered AI features made it one of the best phones. In stock.

The latter is especially important. Tensor, Google’s first own-brand processor, allows the Pixel 6 Pro to do a number of cool things using the company’s AI and machine learning capabilities. The coolest of them are the ability to translate and transcribe real-time conversations and Magic Eraser in real time.

Magic Eraser is a customizable camera editing mode that lets you remove unwanted elements like photobombers from your Pixel images with two simple clicks. In the time I’ve spent with the phone, this trick has proved invaluable, keeping a few holiday and engagement shots safe.

After my review, I just fell in love with this phone and it has become my favorite phone between reviews. Before that, I preferred Samsung Galaxy phones, and the Galaxy S21 Plus and Galaxy S20 Plus were my daily drivers in the years before the Pixel 6 Pro.

The last time I really wanted to use a Google phone as a regular phone was back in 2013 when the Nexus 5 first came out.

Due to my positive experience with the Pixel 6 Pro, I can’t help but rejoice at the prospects for the Pixel 7, despite looking very similar to its predecessor at first glance. This is especially true given the areas that Google has already promised to develop with the new phone. Specifically, the firm said it is focusing on using AI to radically improve speech, photography and video in the new phones.

Max Parker has already argued that Google’s increased focus on artificial intelligence, rather than just making a better camera phone, as it did with past pixels, is a smart move, and I completely agree with this opinion.

In testing every Pixel since the launch of the line, we’ve found year after year that Google phones offer best-in-class camera performance when taking photos, despite often not having as advanced hardware as the competition due to the use of by them an advanced artificial intelligence firm. This allowed them to offer much better image processing, resulting in key things like better low-light performance and more balanced color reproduction than Galaxy and iPhone competitors.

Therefore, it makes sense to expand this technology to offer a better overall experience. I can’t wait to see what real improvements Google makes to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro in speech, photography, and video features, using Tensor 2 AI chops as a result.