Google revealed the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro during an event on 6 October, succeeding the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro that were announced on 19 October 2021. The Pixel 5 arrived in October 2020.

We've compared how the Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 7 compare in a separate feature, and we also have a feature on how the Pixel 7 Pro compares to the Pixel 6 Pro. Here we are focusing on how the Pixel 7 stacks up against the Pixel 6 and Pixel 5. Should you upgrade?

Design

  • Pixel 5: 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm, 151g
  • Pixel 6: 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9mm, 207g
  • Pixel 7: 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm, 197g

The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 offer a complete redesign compared to the Pixel 5. Both have a camera housing that stretches across their entire widths, compared to the square housing positioned in the top left corner on the Pixel 5.

The Pixel 7 does have some refinements over the Pixel 6, with a metallic camera housing instead of a glass one for more prominent camera lenses, and it ditches the two tone body too, but the general design is similar. 

The Pixel 5 has a metal unibody design, while the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 6 use Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back with an alloy core, polished around the edges. They deliver a much higher quality look overall, especially in the case of the refined Pixel 7.

There's a punch hole camera at the top of the display in the centre in the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 6, repositioning from the top left corner on the Pixel 5. The other big change in design for the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 6 is the introduction of an under-display fingerprint sensor, rather than the physical sensor on the rear of the Pixel 5.

In terms of physical measurements, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 are both larger and quite a bit heavier than the Pixel 5, as well as thicker. All models being compared here have IP68 water and dust resistance though.

Display

  • Pixel 5: 6-inch, Full HD+, 90Hz
  • Pixel 6: 6.4-inch, Full HD+, 90Hz
  • Pixel 7: 6.4-inch, Full HD+, 90Hz

The Google Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch OLED display, while the Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch OLED display, so while slightly different, they are both bigger than the Pixel 5's 6-inch OLED display.

The Pixel 7 and the Pixel 6 come with a Full HD+ resolution at 2400 x 1080 pixels, which delivers a pixel density of 416ppi in the Pixel 7 and 411ppi in the Pixel 6. They both have a flat screen and a 90Hz refresh rate. The Pixel 7 has a brighter display than both the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 5 though, with 1400nits peak.

The Pixel 5 also a Full HD+ resolution at 2340 x 1080 for a pixel density of 432ppi - making it sharper than both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6, though this difference wouldn't be noticeable to the human eye. It offers a 90Hz refresh rate and it has HDR support, which the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 both offer too.

Hardware and specs

  • Pixel 5: Qualcomm SD765G, 5G, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4080mAh
  • Pixel 6: Google Tensor chip, 5G, 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4614mAh
  • Pixel 7: Google Tensor G2 chip, 5G, 8GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4355mAh

The Google Pixel 7 runs the company's next generation in-house chip called Tensor G2, while the Pixel 6 runs the original in-house chip, Tensor. Both have 5G capabilities and offers a focus on security. Google claimed the Pixel 6 is 80 per cent faster than the Pixel 5 based on its own benchmarks, so that should give you a guide to performance differences. While it's not mentioned how much faster the Pixel 7 is compared to the Pixel 6, there are likely to be improvements.

Both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 have 8GB RAM and storage options of 128GB and 256GB. The Pixel 7 has a 4355mAh battery, which is slightly smaller than the 4614mAh battery in the Pixel 6. Both claim 24 hours of battery life, though the Pixel 7 also comes with a Extreme Battery Saver mode offering 72-hour battery. They both support fast charging, wireless chargind and reverse wireless charging.

The Pixel 5 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The battery capacity is 4080mAh and the Pixel 5 supports fast charging and wireless charging. It's a mid-range device whereas the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 models are designed to be flagship and more powerful.

Camera

  • Pixel 5: Dual camera (12.2MP+16MP)
  • Pixel 6: Dual camera (50MP + 12MP)
  • Pixel 6 Pro: Triple camera (50MP + 12MP + 48MP)

The Pixel 7 and the Pixel 6 both have a dual rear camera, comprised of a 50-megapixel main wide camera with f/1.85 aperture and 1.2µm pixels, and a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture 1.25µm pixels.

The Pixel 5 has a dual rear camera comprised of a 12.2-megapixel main camera with 1.4µm pixels and a f/1.7 aperture, along with a 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens with 1.0µm pixels and an f/2.2 aperture.

There are several camera features on board the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6, including Magic Eraser, Motion Mode and Photo Unblur. The Pixel 7 also offers 8x Super High Resolution zoom. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 devices also offer features like Portrait mode and Night Sight, which you will find in the Pixel 5 too.

The front camera on the Pixel 5 is an 8-megapixel sensor with 1.12µm pixels and an f/2.0 aperture. The Pixel 6 also offers an 8-megapixel front camera with 1.12µm pixels and an f/2.0 aperture, while the Pixel 7 ups this to 10.8-megapixels with a 92.8-degree ultra wide-angle lens, 1.22µm pixels and an f/2.2 aperture.

The Pixel 7 and 6 models are a big departure from the Pixel 5. While the experience of using the cameras will be similar, as is the UI, the hardware behind them is very different and the main sensor in the Pixel 7 and 6 models is much larger.

Google Pixel 5 5G - 128GB (Black)

Amazon

Conclusion 

The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 offer a big redesign compared to the Pixel 5, and they also have larger displays, faster refresh rates and upgrades in hardware, the latter of which especially applies to the Pixel 7.

The camera offering is more advanced on both the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 6, which is likely going to be the biggest reason to upgrade from the Pixel 5, though perhaps less so from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 7.

The differences between the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 7 are mainly in the design refinements and the chip upgrade, while the differences between the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 7, or the Pixel 6, will be much more noticeable.