Google offers a peek at the Pixel 7

Last August, Google tried something different. The company offered a sneak peek at the Pixel 6 several months ahead of its official announcement. The reasoning seemed sound. The company had spent several years working to reinvigorate the flagging smartphone line, and it was ready to show it off. Even more importantly, it wanted to build some confidence and excitement in the process.

Today at I/O, Google took a page from its own book, capping things off with a preview of its next flagship, set to arrive this fall. We’re getting even less of the handset this time out, but it’s enough to note the refined design, which builds on the Pixel 6’s striking camera bar.

Image Credits: Google

The rear of the Pixel 7 is made from matte soft touch glass, accented by the polished aluminum bar that runs across the top of the device. The Pixel 7 Pro will feature a triple camera system that “sets a completely new standard for photography, performance and design,” according to Google hardware head Rick Osterloh.

As for the device’s components, Google’s hardware chief adds, “On the inside, Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are designed to deliver the most helpful personal experience you can get in a smartphone. They’ll use the next generation of our Google Tensor SoC, bringing even more AI-heavy breakthroughs and helpful personalized experiences, across speech, photography, video and security.”

The system will ship with Android 13. It will join the budget 6a that Google announced earlier today to fill out the Pixel line. It seems highly unlikely that we’ll see anywhere near as dramatic a jump as we saw between the Pixel 5 and 6, but custom silicon, coupled with premium hardware and Google’s software/ML know-how offer a solid foundation for the next version of the handset.