Which Pixel phone should you buy in 2023? Leave a comment

Google’s smartphone business took off in recent years as the company restructured its mobile division and focused more than ever on producing the best smartphones in the industry. As a result, the new Google Pixel smartphones are selling better than ever, and can capture some of the best photos on the market. We recently went down memory lane, and took a closer look at the evolution and history of the Google Pixel smartphones. We also have excellent lists for choosing the best Samsung phones, and even the best iPhones from Apple.

In this article, we collected some of the best Google Pixel flagship devices, including the Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro, and the new Google Pixel 7a and Google Pixel Fold smartphones. The list includes the premium, high-end models and the more budget-oriented Google Pixel A-series of smartphones.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro is the latest and highest-end smartphone in the Pixel lineup. It has a large 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display and 120Hz refresh rate, and 1,500 nits of peak brightness. It’s excellent for watching movies, videos, reading, and playing graphics-intensive titles. Speaking of games, it’s powered by the new Google Tensor G2 SoC, coupled with 12GB of RAM and 128/256/512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

The device is powered by the latest Android version, and it has a 50MP f/1.9 primary camera, a 48MP f/3.5 telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor. On the front, the punch-hole display houses a 10.8MP f/2.2 sensor.

The Pixel 7 series return the Face Unlock feature, and they still feature the under-display fingerprint sensor. Both devices support 5G (and mmWave in select regions). The Pixel 7 Pro comes with a 5,000 mAh battery, and Google claims it can last for up to 72 hours using the Extreme Battery Saver mode. The device also supports fast wired charging, which promises 0-50% charge to take just 30 minutes. The Pixel 7 Pro also supports 30W fast wired charging, 23W fast wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

The Google Pixel 7 rocks a slightly more compact design than its predecessor, the Google Pixel 6. As a result, it’s far easier to operate and hold it in one-hand. The downside is that the screen now measures 6.3-inches, and fortunately, it still sports an AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 1,400 nits of peak brightness – which is not to say it’s bad by any means, but we would’ve loved to see an LTPO OLED screen with support for 120Hz refresh rate. Both the front and the back glass are protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus panel, and the frame is made of aluminium.

The device feels premium, and it promises a premium performance too. It’s powered by the new Google Tensor G2 chipset, made on the 4nm process, promising better performance and efficiency. The device comes with 8GB of RAM and 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage tiers.

On the back, it packs a 50MP f/1.9 primary sensor with OIS and laser autofocus, as well as a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor. The camera has better skin tone support and lets users take better low-light and night photography, even in challenging and pitch-black environments.

The Pixel 7 has all of the latest features that you would expect, and it comes with the latest version of Android. It has a 4,355 mAh battery, which Google promises can comfortably last for a full day. The device also supports fast wired charging, 20W fast wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

The Google Pixel Fold is the company’s first foldable high-end smartphone. It’s a beautiful foldable, packed with the latest and the greatest from Google. It’s powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, coupled with 12GB of memory and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It has a large 5.8-inch cover, and 7.6-inch main display, both featuring 120Hz refresh rate, excellent viewing angles, and a large comfortable size to browse the web, play games, and consume content.

When it comes to the camera department, the Pixel Fold sports a 48MP primary, a 10.8MP ultrawide, and a 10.8MP telephoto camera capable of 5x optical zoom. It’s fair to say, we have high expectations from the camera on the Pixel Fold, as Google’s known for having one of the best camera smartphone in the industry, and the Fold includes the latest computation photography tricks and algorithms. On the front, the Pixel Fold has a 9.5MP sensor on the cover screen, and an 8MP front camera on the main screen to take selfies and video calls.

The battery size is just as large as the device itself, and the Fold comes with a 4,821 mAh cell inside, supporting 30W fast wired charging, and wireless charging. It’s not the fastest charging foldable we’ve ever seen, but it should help provide a comfortable charging time and top up the device within two hours.

The phone is also IPX8 rated, meaning it can survive water, and it has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. It comes with the latest Android 13, and soon, Android 14 update, and it’ll receive five years of updates. If you’re looking for the best foldable smartphone with Google’s take on it, this might be the device you’ve been looking for.

The Google Pixel 6 Pro is the higher-end of the two devices announced in late 2021. It was one of the first devices in the series to come equipped with the Google Tensor chipset, and it featured a major new design that changed the way the Pixel series is perceived. It was also the first time Google returned with a flagship device, given that it released the mid-ranger Pixel 5 just one year before.

The Pixel 6 Pro marked a new beginning, but sadly, this didn’t mean that all previous issues would be resolved. The Pixel 6 series had a lot of software issues, and it still, to this day, is flawed with some connectivity problems and a slow fingerprint sensor. Aside from those well-known issues, the remaining problems were mostly fixed, and the device received a lot of praise for its camera capabilities. The device features a 50MP primary, a 48MP telephoto capable of 4x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide camera.

The Pro model has a 6.71-inch LTPO display with QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It has a 5,003 mAh battery, and it supports 30W fast wired charging, 23W fast wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. The Pixel 6 Pro can still be found at some stores, and the refurbished models are often a bargain, allowing anyone to pick up one of the best older flagships for much less.

The Google Pixel 6 is the smaller sibling of the Google Pixel 6 Pro. It has a smaller, 6.4-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate. Like the higher-end Pixel 6 Pro, the vanilla Pixel 6 is also powered by the same Google Tensor chipset, and it comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of base storage. The device is smaller than the Pro model and more compact.

It also has fewer camera sensors on the back, featuring a 50MP primary sensor, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. It’s an excellent point-and-shoot smartphone and one of the best-performing camera smartphones, even in 2022. The selfie shooter sports an 8MP sensor in the punch-hole cutout on the front center of the display. Speaking of the display, it has an under-display fingerprint sensor, and a 4,614 mAh battery. It supports fast wired charging and 21W fast wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

For those who want to save money, and don’t require the telephoto camera, as well as the larger display, the Google Pixel 6 makes it one of the cheapest and best high-end smartphones on the market in 2023. It comes at an affordable price, and the software will continue to receive updates for the next few years.

The Google Pixel 7a is the latest affordable midranger in the Pixel lineu. We have already shared our first impressions of the new device, which you can read more about here. The Pixel 7a is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, the same SoC that powers the Pixel 7 flagship series, and the Google Pixel Fold premium smartphone. It has power for days, and it’s one of the best smartphones at a price that’s hard to beat.

The Pixel 7a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with 90Hz refresh rate, and it has a dual camera array on the back. It consists of a 64MP primary, and a 13MP ultrawide camera. While it lacks a telephoto sensor, we can easily look past it as the phone comes with Google’s own zooming technology that provides impressive results for up to 3x digital zoom. It’s not the best solution, but it’s great if you want to pinch in a little to get a closer look.

The device has a 4,385 mAh battery, and its the first in the A-series to support wireless charging, albeit, at 7.5W. It’s not the fastest, but having the option is great, and we love to see it. The phone also supports 18W wired charging, which, once again, isn’t fast. That said, it’s an excellent affordable device, and unless you’re looking for faster charging speeds and a slightly larger battery, the Pixel 7a is the phone to get if you want to save money.

The Google Pixel 6a is one of the best mid-ranger smartphones from Google. It’s powered by the same Google Tensor chip that powers the last generation Pixel 6 series of flagships, and it sports 6GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage. It’s made out of plastic, but it looks and feels premium, and it’s still undeniably a Pixel.

The Google Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with 60Hz refresh rate and a punch-hole cutout in the top center of the display for the 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera. The phone supports 5G connectivity, and it’s even IP67 certified, meaning that small splashes of water and a bit of dust won’t ruin the phone. Despite the low price, the phone even supports the Always-on Display feature, a pretty highlighted feature nowadays.

As for the camera setup, it features a 12MP f/1.7 primary sensor, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide. It can take breathtaking photos and videos in all lighting conditions and capture beautiful night photography. If you’re looking for a phone that excels at everything and needs minimal sacrifice, then the Pixel 6a is one of the best phones you can buy on a budget.

Which Pixel phone should you buy?

The Google Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are the latest and highest-end devices on this list. If you have the budget, and want to stay up-to-date, then picking between these two devices is your best option. With the introduction of the Google Pixel Fold, the company is now also competing in the foldable smartphone category, and the device appears to be far more than a first-generation product. If you’re looking for a foldable device with all the Pixel features, the Pixel Fold is the smartphone you might be interested in.

However, if you have a lower budget, then the Pixel 7a might offer everything you’ve been waiting for. It has a 90Hz display, a tweaked and improved look, and it supports wireless charging. It costs slightly more than last year’s Pixel 6a, but you get more bang for your buck, making it an appealing alternative.

The Google Pixel 6a remains available, and as it stands, it’s the cheapest device in Google’s lineup, offering the best from what Google’s got to offer at a price point that’s more affordable than ever. The Pixel 6a was one of our favorite devices in 2022, and we can still recommend it as a great budget alternative if you’re on a tight budget.