Google Pixel phones are often ranked close to the "god tier" of best Android devices, earning praise from reviewers and users alike. As Google is the creator of Android, it makes sense that a phone made by Google running Android would be considered the "perfect" Android phone. While Pixels may not yet be mainstream, they have a strong following and are often considered among the top smartphones on the market. If you're considering purchasing a Google Pixel phone, we've compiled a list of some of the best options currently available. After all, to fully appreciate the unique features and critically acclaimed camera performance of the Pixel phone, you have to try one out yourself.
Best overall: Google Pixel 7 Pro
If money is no object, the Google Pixel 7 Pro is the best Google phone you can buy right now. It fixes the main complaints we had with its predecessor — battery, thermals, and buggy software — while refining and doubling down on what was already great: camera and AI smarts. We wouldn't call the Pixel 7 Pro a huge upgrade over the Pixel 6 Pro, but the improvements and refinements it brings are welcome additions.
The Pixel 7 Pro looks identical to its predecessor from the front, featuring a big curved display and slim bezels. But turn it over, and you'll notice several changes. For one, the signature two-tone finish of the Pixel 6 Pro is gone, replaced by a more generic-looking single-color finish. And that distinct black camera bar has been replaced by a polished aluminum frame that has two cutouts for the camera lenses. The front and back are still protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, while the IP68 rating means you don't have to worry about dirt and water splashes damaging your device. Still, we would recommend picking up a protective case to keep it scratch-free.
The Google Pixel 7 Pro sports a gorgeous 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 3120 x 1440 or QHD+ resolution. It's a high refresh rate LTPO display that can smoothly scale its refresh rate between 120Hz and 10Hz. The Pixel 7 Pro panel also gets brighter, offering 1000 nits max brightness and 1500 nits peak brightness.
On the inside, the Pixel 7 Pro packs Google's newest in-house chipset: Tensor G2. While CPU and GPU performance is similar to last year's chipset, the new chipset is significantly faster in machine learning and camera processing tasks.
As you would expect, the Pixel 7 Pro also gets the best camera hardware, featuring a 50MP primary shooter that's unchanged from the last model, a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical and 30x digital zoom, and a 12MP ultra-wide camera that also doubles as a macro lens. In addition, there are some new AI-powered photography features such as Photo Unblur, Guided Frame, and Cinematic Unblur.
The 5,000mAh battery is unchanged from last year, but with Tensor G2's efficiency improvements and software optimizations, we can expect the Pixel 7 Pro to deliver even better battery life. On the software side, the phone runs Android 13 out of the box, with Google promising three years of OS updates and five years of security updates. Other notable highlights of the Pixel 7 Pro include an improved fingerprint reader, NFC, UWB support, wireless charging support, dual-band GPS, and Bluetooth 5.2. Don't forget to take a look at the best Pixel 7 Pro to save big.
Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Pixel 7 Pro is Google's top-of-the-line flagship of the year, featuring the second-gen Tensor SoC, a 120Hz LTPO display, a telephoto sensor, and a bigger battery.
Still great: Google Pixel 6 Pro
Now that the Pixel 7 Pro is in town, the Pixel 6 Pro isn't the king of the castle anymore. But this outgoing model is still an excellent alternative if you don't want to fork over $899 on the Pixel 7 Pro. You can easily find the base model for $650 or less on Amazon and Best Buy.
The Pixel 6 Pro has a large 6.7-inch OLED display with QHD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. QHD+ resolution means everything on the display, including photos, videos, graphics, etc., look crisp. The panel is curved on its edges, similar to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, offering a more immersive viewing experience. Peak brightness isn't as high as the Pixel 7 Pro but is sufficient for using the phone under direct sunlight, and you also get support for HDR10 and HDR10+ content on Netflix and other streaming platforms. Since it's an LTPO display, you also get an adaptive refresh rate, meaning the display can automatically adjust the refresh rate between 10Hz to 120Hz based on content and screen interaction. Both the front and back are protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus.
In addition to the same 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide shooter as the standard Pixel 6, the Pro model has an additional 48MP telephoto lens that lets you take better zoom shots without sacrificing details.
Powering the Google Pixel 6 Pro is Tensor, Google's first in-house SoC. It's not as fast as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Tensor G2, but you're unlikely to notice any slowdowns or stutters in day-to-day activity, no matter what you throw at it. The only thing about the Pixel 6 Pro's performance that's not so Pro is gaming. The phone heats quite a bit and throttles when put under a heavy load for a prolonged period.
The Pixel 6 Pro's battery life is average at best, and its 30W fast charging is nothing to write home about when the competition is offering up to 150W speeds. But if you're not a heavy user, you can still expect the phone to provide a full-day battery life. Wireless charging support is also on board, and the phone lets you reverse wireless charge your smartwatch or earphones at up to 5W speed.
As for software, Google has promised three years of Android version updates and five years of security patches on the Pixel 6 Pro. It comes with the latest Android 12 out of the box with all the Material You goodness.
Google Pixel 6 Pro
The Pixel 6 Pro is the larger sibling that comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and an extra telephoto camera.
Best for most people: Google Pixel 7
For those who do not care about the curved display and telephoto camera, the standard Pixel 7 would be a better choice. The Pixel 7 is the most balanced phone in the company's lineup, offering a great hardware package without any obvious shortcomings and for a much lower price than the Pixel 7 Pro (. The Pixel 7 follows the same general design language as the Pro model, packing an aluminum band that spans the phone's width.
The Pixel 7's FHD+ OLED 90Hz panel isn't as advanced as the Pixel 7 Pro, but you won't be disappointed by what it has to offer. It's brighter and more vibrant than the Pixel 6's panel, reaching 1400 nits of peak brightness while also offering 24-bit color and HDR support.
Should you go with the cheaper Pixel 7, you won't be compromising on performance either since it uses the same Tensor G2 chipset as the Pro model. And while you only get 8GB of RAM compared to 12GB on the Pro, it's more than enough for most people and unlikely to affect day-to-day performance.
The Pixel 7's camera setup is admittedly less versatile than the Pro. It misses out on the dedicated telephoto zoom lens and Macro Focus feature. But what matters most is the main camera, and we're happy to report it has the same excellent 50MP main camera as the Pro model.
The Pixel 7 packs a 4,335mAh battery and supports 30W fast wired and 20W fast wireless charging. Similar to the Pro, it runs Android 13 out of the box and is promised to get three years of OS updates and five years of security updates. Elsewhere, you get an in-display fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock, Bluetooth 5.2, stereo speaker, and dual-band GPS. Check out the best Pixel 7 cases and screen protectors to keep your device shiny new.
Google Pixel 7
The Pixel 7 packs the second-gen Tensor SoC, a brighter display, and improved cameras.
Still budget flagship: Google Pixel 6
With the arrival of the Pixel 7, Google Pixel 6 might not be the best standard Pixel flagship, but it remains a solid option for those who want to experience the Pixel's camera prowess and software smarts without paying $599. You won't lose out much by picking up this year-old Pixel. It has the same excellent 50MP main camera that's inside the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro and a similar software experience.
You get a nice 6.4-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The panel doesn't get as bright as the Pixel 6 Pro, nor does it support LTPO tech for dynamic refresh rate. But the small screen size and 1080p resolution mean the Pixel 6's display isn't a battery hog similar to the QHD+ panel of the Pixel 6 Pro. At 500 nits, the screen isn't all that bright, but it's sufficient for outdoor use.
The Pixel 6 performs similarly to the Pro model in day-to-day tasks as it's powered by the same flagship Tensor Soc. However, it may not be able to hold as many apps as the Pixel 6 Pro due to the lower amount of RAM. Still, 8GB of RAM is more than enough for most people and is unlikely to affect the general performance.
You get two excellent cameras on the back: a 50MP primary shooter and a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. The phone misses out on a dedicated zoom lens. As always, Google has nailed the performance, and thanks to the newer primary camera, the Pixel 6 brings massive improvements to low-light performance. You'll be hard-pressed to find a phone that delivers camera performance as good as the Pixel 6 in this price range.
The camera on the front isn't as wide as the one on the Pro and also drops the resolution to 8MP. Other than that, there's not a lot you're missing out here. You get the same sort of software support on the Pixel 6 too. The battery is slightly smaller at 4600mAh, but the smaller screen and lower refresh rate mean that the battery life will be as good as the Pro, if not better.
Google Pixel 6
The Pixel 6 comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and flagship cameras.
Most affordable: Google Pixel 6a
If you don't need all the bells and whistles that come with the Google Pixel 7 or Pixel 6, you will do just fine with the Pixel 6a. Like previous Pixel A series phones, the new model brings the best features of the flagship Pixels down to a more accessible price point while dropping some premium features in the process. The compromises come in the form of fewer premium materials, a downgraded display, and older camera hardware. Instead of Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, you get Gorilla Glass 3, and instead of a glass back, you get a plastic one.
The Pixel 6a sports a 6.1-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution. It's a shame the panel doesn't offer a higher refresh rate, topping out at 60Hz. There's a hope the Android tinkering community might be able to surpass this limitation and unlock the 90Hz refresh rate. But the fact that Google didn't ship a higher refresh rate panel on a 2022 mid-range phone is definitely disappointing and puts the phone at a disadvantage. But on the bright side, the display is sunlight legible and offers vibrant colors and deep blacks you expect from an OLED panel.
The most exciting thing about the Pixel 6a is that it uses the same flagship Tensor SoC as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. But, before you get too excited, note that the phone doesn't perform as well as the top models. This is because the Pixel 6a only packs 6GB of RAM and lacks the smoothness of a higher refresh rate panel. That said, the Pixel 6a performs respectably in day-to-day use. Unless you're a power user, you'll be perfectly content with the overall performance.
The camera situation is a bit tricky. Instead of borrowing the new camera hardware from the Pixel 6 series, the latest affordable packs the same old camera modules that have appeared on all previous Pixel A series phones. Despite older cameras, the Pixel 6a produces the same high-quality photos we've come to expect from the Pixel line, thanks to Tensor's new image signal processor and Google's machine-learning magic.
The Pixel 6a packs a 4,410mAh battery, slightly smaller than the Pixel 6's 4,614mAh cell. But the smaller screen and a lower refresh rate mean you won't be reaching for the charger in the middle of the day. And speaking of the charger, you don't get one inside the box. You'll have to use your existing one or choose from the best Pixel 6a chargers.
For $449, the Pixel 6a packs a lot of value, offering a delightful mix of fantastic camera performance and a thoughtful software experience. The three-year Android OS support is the icing on the cake. We have seen the Pixel 6a drop to as low as $300 several times in the last couple of months. So if you're thinking of getting it, don't miss out on a great deal like that.
Google Pixel 6a
The Pixel 6a is a great mid-range smartphone, packing powerful cameras and Google's in-house Tensor chipset.
That wraps up our round-up of the best Pixel phones you can buy right now. You probably saw this coming, but the best Google Pixel smartphones right now are the Google Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 7. They are arguably the best Pixels phones ever made. If you don't care for the latest and greatest and want to save money, you won't be disappointed by the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a. If you're confused between the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6a, you might want to check out our head-to-head comparison to find out which one is the better fit for you.
