Google's new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro flagships feature several upgrades, but has battery life been improved over their predecessors? Google first announced the Pixel 7 series at Google I/O 2022 earlier this year, giving users a glimpse of their design and color options. The phones were finally launched in October alongside Google's first smartwatch, the Pixel Watch. Google even gave users a glimpse of its upcoming Pixel Tablet.
While the Pixel 7 comes with a 6.3-inch FHD+ 90Hz OLED panel, the Pixel 7 Pro features a 6.7-inch QHD+ OLED screen with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. Under the hood, both smartphones feature the new Tensor G2 chipset developed by Google. When it comes to looks, Google has decided to stick with the same design language it used for last year's Pixel 6 devices.
While the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro offer a lot for camera enthusiasts, battery life remains similar to their predecessors. To begin with, the Pixel 7 comes with a 4,335mAh battery, which is smaller than the 4,614mAh battery on the Pixel 6. However, even with the smaller battery, the Pixel 7 is rated to last beyond 24 hours. Google mentions on the official product page that the "average battery life during testing of the device was approximately 31 hours." If the Google Pixel 7 is as good as it looks on paper, the effective battery life should be better than the Pixel 6. In addition, users can extend the battery life up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver at the cost of disabling several features, including 5G.
Pixel 7 Pro Battery Life Is Unchanged
As for the Pixel 7 Pro, the official product page mentions that the phone features a 5,000mAh battery (almost identical to the 5,003mAh battery on the Pixel 6 Pro). Google promises "beyond 24-hour battery life" on the Pro, making the average battery life and Extreme Battery Saver ratings similar to the Pixel 7. This is because despite the bigger battery, the Pixel 7 Pro has a larger screen with a variable refresh rate that consumes more power.
Although the Pixel 7 series is equipped with the Tensor G2 chip which Google says is more power efficient than the 2021 Tensor, the rated battery life of the smartphones has remained the same. In terms of charging rates, Google says that users can charge their smartphones up to 50 percent in about 30 minutes with Google's 30W USB-C Charger that is sold separately. However, the catch is that the Pixel 7 supports up to 20W speeds, while the Pixel 7 Pro supports up to 23W wired charging speeds. Both Pixel 7 smartphones are Qi-certified for wireless charging, maxing out at 12W speeds with a compatible charger.