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.
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I have a not-so-surprising confession: I tend to want every new phone that comes out. I'm a sucker for good marketing, and smartphone launches have some of the best marketing around. Whether it's a new feature like a telephoto lens, a bigger battery, a more vivid display, or a radically new form factor, I get a bad case of fear of missing out almost every time. It's why I often find myself buying the most expensive model, despite not really needing to.
So, I was slightly confused when the recent launch of the Google Pixel 8 Pro didn't leave me feeling like I wanted the phone at all. Or rather, I did, but the desire was undercut by another emotion: annoyance. I'm mad at the Pixel 8 Pro, but it's not for the reasons you might think.
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Over the next months, amid the hype around the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro launch, wallets everywhere will be flying open in Google’s direction as prospective owners become ever more eager to secure one.
There are plenty of reasons you’ll want to get one, too — from the new cameras to Android 14. But, unfortunately, the prices have also gone up this year. It’s at this point, with your wallet stretched to its limit, you should remember a cheaper Pixel still exists — and it’s excellent.
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