There’s a lot to consider when buying a phone during Black Friday, including display size, processor speed, camera quality, and more. Some Black Friday phone deals are outstanding. Others… not so much.
While you could spend time crunching numbers and comparing specs — to the point where you end up wanting to rip your hair out — you could also just buy the Google Pixel 7 and call it a day. It’s the phone that keeps jumping out to me after skimming through Black Friday deals all morning, and if you’re in the market to get a new phone, it’s the one you should almost certainly spend your dollars on.
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What makes the Pixel 7 so irresistible
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The Pixel 7 is already one of the better Android deals when it’s not on sale, so its Black Friday promo just makes it all the more tempting. If you’re OK with the base model that comes with 128GB of storage, the Pixel 7 can be yours for a mere $499. If you need to step up to the 256GB model, you’re still only paying $599. That’s $100 off the usual MSRP and puts the Pixel 7 on a value pedestal no other smartphone can match this year.
I say this for a few reasons, the first of which has to do with the Pixel 7’s hardware and specs. The Pixel 7 is just a darn good-looking smartphone. The camera bar is incredibly sleek, the metal/glass construction feels outstanding, and it all comes in a package that’s easy to use one-handed. Taking up the front of the phone is a 6.3-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. It’s bright, colorful, and moves with excellent fluidity.
The rest of the specs are also strong. Google’s Tensor G2 chip handles most apps and games with ease, 8GB of RAM allows for reliable multitasking, and you have wireless charging support for convenient refueling. Battery life has also proven surprisingly long-lasting, with Digital Trends’ Andy Boxall saying he could get through two days on a single charge.
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Camera quality is another strong suit for the Pixel 7. Google equips the phone with a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10.8MP selfie camera. In typical Pixel fashion, the Pixel 7 delivers photos that are lusciously vibrant, full of great colors, loaded with detail, and just pleasing on the eyes in every way imaginable. It’s not the most technically impressive camera system on paper, but the results more than speak for themselves.
And then there’s the software. The Google Pixel 7 ships with Android 13 out of the box and is promised three years of major Android updates in the future. That longevity adds welcome peace of mind, but the software experience available today is darn near perfect — largely thanks to all of the helpful AI features Google lets you run wild with. Calling your phone or electric company and have to navigate through complicated call menus? The Pixel 7 transforms those automated menus into buttons you can read through and press. On hold with a number? The Pixel 7 uses the Google Assistant to hold your spot in line for you while you go about your day. Get a voice message from someone but have difficulty hearing? The Pixel 7 can automatically transcribe that voice message into a text for you to read. You may not use these features all the time or every day, but when you do need them, they become really difficult to live without.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends / Digital Trends
Is there any reason you shouldn’t buy the Pixel 7? Some users have reported pesky software bugs — some worse than others. Pixel phones have long struggled with this, and the Pixel 7 is no different. But even as someone who had a bug-ridden Pixel 7 Pro, I can’t find any good reason for you to skip this year’s Black Friday sale.
$499 is an unbelievably good price for a phone of the Pixel 7’s caliber. It looks great, performs admirably, has a joyful camera system, and ships with software that can legitimately make your life easier. Unless you absolutely must have an iPhone, the Pixel 7 is the best Black Friday phone deal you really shouldn’t overlook — and the only one you should seriously consider spending any money on.
Should you buy the Google Pixel 7 or wait for the Google Pixel 8?
Google will soon launch the new Google Pixel 8 smartphone lineup. Although the Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro are some of the best Android phones, it's now nearly one year since their release. These phones have impressive features like top-tier camera systems, gorgeous displays, and striking designs. However, the Pixel 7 has slow charging and poor gaming performance, while the Pixel 7 Pro has mediocre battery life and a substandard fingerprint sensor, among other negatives.
It's time to answer the question: Should you consider the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, or even the lower-cost Google Pixel 7a if you're in the market for a new smartphone, or should you wait until the new models arrive? The answer largely depends on your willingness to wait. Regardless, we are here to help you make an informed decision by giving you everything you need to know about the differences between the Pixel 7 family and the upcoming Pixel 8 models.
Google Pixel 7 vs. Google Pixel 8
Google Pixel 7 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Google’s future Pixel phones just got hit with bad news
Google’s current-gen Pixel smartphones are rewarding from multiple perspectives. They don’t cost as dishearteningly much as Samsung or Apple flagships. You get a consistently impressive camera experience. Plus, the software is pristine Android with a ton of convenient tricks.
Where the Pixels falter is raw performance and some nagging chip-adjacent problems. It’s not entirely Google’s fault, either. But if you were hoping for a turnaround, you might want to revise your hope scheduling. According to The Information, the “first fully customized chip” from the Tensor division won’t be here until 2025.
The Pixel 8 may fix two of my biggest complaints about the Pixel 7
The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are expected to arrive later this fall, and despite being months away from their release date, we're already learning a lot about them. Most recently, a new report has shed some light on various specs for the two phones — and it looks promising.
Over the weekend, Android Authority shared a few exclusive details about the Pixel 8 family, citing a "source inside Google" from which they came from. There's plenty to dig through here, but the most interesting has to do with the reported battery life and charging upgrades.
Upgrades to battery life and charging
