7 Things We Want From the Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro

Apple, Google, and Samsung dominate the US smartphone space, forcing the entire industry to pause and tune in during their often-live hardware launches. Samsung kicked things off in February this year with its Galaxy S22 lineup and followed that in early August with its refreshed Galaxy Z Flip and Fold devices. Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 14 family in early September. After that, it will be Google’s turn. We expect the company to debut the Pixel 7 series in late September or early October. With this looming launch in mind, here are seven things we’re hoping Google bestows upon its loyal Pixel users:

1. Improved Cellular Connectivity

The Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a are all fantastic phones, but reviews (including ours) almost unanimously criticized them for weak cellular connectivity. At a base level your phone should do a good job of, well, being a phone. We hope Google will get out in front of this inadequacy with meaningful modem improvements. Most high-end smartphones incorporate Qualcomm’s excellent X65 modem (which is baked into the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and 8+ Gen 1 platforms) and we hope Google follows suit, or, better yet, goes for the newer Snapdragon X70. We believe the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro relied on Samsung’s Exynos 5123 modem in its Tensor SoC, so it’s a bit of a toss-up whether or not Google will switch modem suppliers.

2. Better Bluetooth Performance

Bluetooth behavior on Pixel 6 phones wasn’t necessarily a disaster, but it wasn’t impressive either. If you spend any time reading user complaints (such as this one(Opens in a new window) or this one(Opens in a new window)) about the Pixel 6, you might notice a reoccurring issue with headphones losing connectivity. Bluetooth headphones are incredibly popular—even Google sells a line of Pixel Buds—so we’d like to see more reliable Bluetooth connectivity from the Pixel family. We also hope Google throws in support for Bluetooth 5.3 to make the handsets as future-proof as possible. In particular, we’d like to see support for the new Bluetooth Low Energy Audio standard and the LC3 Bluetooth codec, which promise to improve power consumption and sound quality.

3. Availability on All Three Major US Carriers

(Credit: Steven Winkleman)

Although every member of Google’s Pixel 6 family of devices is available unlocked, it would be ideal if AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon (as well as any of the popular MVNOs) all sold the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro directly. Such broader availability could result in better carrier deals for consumers and lead to more mainstream success for Google.

4. Fast(er) Charging

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Companies like OnePlus and Oppo have adopted eye-popping charging speeds of 150W or more, which pushes a full charge into phones in mere minutes. Meanwhile, Google (along with most phone makers) doesn’t seem comfortable jumping aboard the fast-charging train just yet. We hope Google adopts a new stance with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. For reference, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro charge at 21W and 23W, respectively, which leaves plenty of room for improvement. Though we’d drool to see Google aim at 100W+ speeds, we’d settle for a jump to 45W or 50W for the Pixel 7.

5. A Fingerprint Scanner That Actually Works

This seems like it should be a no-brainer. Based on well-documented user complaints(Opens in a new window), the fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro is lackluster at best. Google was forced to address the problem with a major software update(Opens in a new window) right after the phones launched last year. We don’t hope—we expect!—Google to improve the fingerprint reader implementation on its devices this year. Ideally the sensors should be much quicker and more accurate.

6. Under-Display Selfie Camera

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The chances of this happening are slim, but Google does have a patent that improves upon existing under-display selfie cameras, which means the technology is at least on the company’s radar. That doesn’t mean it will show up on the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro quite yet. Adopting a UDC could make the phone’s front display stand out against competitors with an uninterrupted look.

7. Foldable Design

We know Google is at least interested in folding phones, but there’s still no real indication concerning when the company plans to bring a foldable device to market. With the notable improvements Samsung made to its Galazy Z foldable lineup this year, we think now could be the perfect time for a more affordable foldable from Google. Such a device is likely not in the cards for this year, though.

We Can Dream

Google has teased the basic appearance of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, but has done little else to confirm the forthcoming phones’ features. Thankfully, we likely only have to wait a few more weeks before the two phones launch. If you can’t wait until then, however, check out our roundups of the best Android phones that are available now, and if you don’t enjoy the Pixels’ stock software experience, head over to our list of the best iPhones.