Pixel 7 leaks show that Google finally has a steady phone business

The Pixel 6 is only a few months old, but the first leaks of Pixel 7 designs are over. Looks like Google sent CAD files to the can manufacturing industry recently, because of both Steve Hammerstoffer (also known as OnLeaks) and David Kowalski (aka xleaks7) posted a Pixel 7 today.

These unofficial rendering leaks are usually based on measurements that Google needs to send to third parties in order for extensions (such as cases) to be ready for their release dates. This means that the shape of everything has to be precise down to a millimeter, but minute details (such as materials, colors, or the placement of the camera lenses inside the camera block) can still be up in the air.

Even with these caveats, there’s no getting around the big picture that both renderings present: the Pixel 7 looks like the Pixel 6. We loved it Pixel 6 design, so bringing that to the Pixel 7 is the best result we could have hoped for. Next mid-range Pixel 6 A It is also expected to follow the same design idea. We’ve already finished our Pixel 6 review by saying, “We hope this is a fresh start for Google hardware: the beginning of a stable and coherent product roadmap, consistent hardware design, and an important year-to-year process.” So far, it looks like we’re getting all that stability and consistency we’ve been hoping for.

Having similar designs from year to year for devices is standard for most professional hardware manufacturers. But this is google We’re talking about it, so that level of stability and cohesion is actually a major milestone. Previously, Google’s phone hardware efforts were so tumultuous from year to year that this level of consistency was impossible.

The pixel 1 The XL was built by HTC, and so was the Pixel 2 XL Built by LG, so the phones have almost nothing in common. With Pixel 3, Manufacturing moved to Foxconn, Just like the iPhone, also in 2018, Google made a $1.1 billion deal to buy A big piece From HTC’s smartphone engineering team. Next year , Pixel 4 And 4 XL phones were the first releases since the Pixel 1 to look like a pair of devices. Then choose google To bypass the Pixel 5 flagship smartphone market. The move from Pixel 6 to Pixel 7 feels like Google’s first flagship phone cycle where everything wasn’t restarted and start over. This is progress! It may be slower progress than anyone expected from a near $2 trillion company, but it He is progress.

Speaking of continuity, the Pixel 6 introduced the Google Tensor SoC, which was made in collaboration with Samsung’s Exynos division. For the Pixel 7, we know Tensor 2 is already up and running. 9to5Google He was able to dig up some code names and model numbers related to the chip, which is supposed to ship with an unannounced “Exynos Modem 5300”.

The camera block details on these early renders are always the shakiest parts, but both models show large lens holes that could indicate upgraded camera hardware. Again, updating camera hardware every year is normal for most manufacturers, but that would be a huge point of maturity for Google devices, which previously recycled the Sony IMX362/3 sensor in the Pixel 2, 3, 4 and 5. It seems that Google moved The mmWave window is on the top edge of the phone on both models. Currently, the window is a large plastic hole in the middle of the phone, and in these displays the window is moved to the side.