The Pixel line of smartphones have benefited from Google's software capabilities since their beginnings, from computational photography to the Material Design user interface. The software giant switched to its own CPU and is quickly catching up to the top smartphone hardware on the market in terms of other components like camera sensors and displays. Nevertheless, Google's software updates continue to shape the Pixel experience.

The smartphones include Android 13 operating system, glossy glass back panels, AMOLED screens with adaptive refresh rates, multi-camera systems on the rear, under-screen fingerprint sensors, and aluminium housings. On paper, the Pixel 7 series of Android smartphones may appear standard, but in practise, they are brimming with surprises.

When used regularly, Pixel-only features like voice typing with Google Assistant greatly enhance the user experience. In addition to enabling voice typing, the Google Assistant also suggests and searches for emojis using voice input to make messaging more enjoyable. Other smartphones also support voice typing, but Google's version is well-polished and functional. However, the lack of support for Hindi and other Indian regional languages is a letdown.

Another fascinating software function is 'transcribe voice messages,' which displays a transcription of voice messages so you may carry on a discussion in situations where you can't listen to voice messages, like during meeting hours. It is only available through the Google Messages app, and usage of this app is not widespread in the nation. As a result, the feature is now a novelty with little use.

The Pixel smartphones have always been known for their imaging capabilities, and the Pixel 7 series is no exception. The Pixel 7 boasts a dual-camera setup with a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor on the back. There is a 10.8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor on the front. Similar configurations are included in the Pro model, but it also features a 48MP telephoto lens for optical zoom on the back. Additionally, the phone's ultra-wide-angle sensor features focusing, allowing for up to 3 cm close-up photographs.

Regardless of the specifics, the main sensor on both smartphones performs effectively in all lighting situations. It captures images with a high dynamic range, realistic colours, and detail. Additionally, the pixel-rich sensor produces a naturally shallow depth of field for output similar to a DSLR. Although the Pixel 7 lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, digital zoom (up to 8x) is possible because to Google's computational photography technology. In favourable lighting, 2x zoom images appear good, but going beyond that reveals the limitations of digital zoom. The Pixel 7 Pro performs better and, at least in well-lit conditions, can zoom up to 10 times without quality decreasing using a dedicated telephoto lens.

The field of view (FoV) of the Pixel 7's ultra-wide-angle camera is narrower than that of other smartphones in its class, while having a respectable sensor. Due to the absence of autofocus, it cannot be utilised for macro photography. The Pixel 7 Pro is exempt from these limitations. It features a wide field of vision and has close-up autofocus.

Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro come with a tonne of distinctive photography features in addition to regular capabilities that make them stand out. Google has included two new motion presets dubbed 'Long Exposure' and 'Action Pan' for artistic photos.