Pixel 7 First Look – Google unveils the upcoming smartphone in a rare move at the Google I/O 2022 Keynote

In a pretty unprecedented move at today’s Google I/O, the company gave a sneak peek at a phone that’s months away from being launched. Google decided that instead of letting people speculate about their future projects, unlike other tech companies (especially Apple), it would rather let the world see the bandaid than keep them secret. Along with the Pixel 6A (which really quickly became stale news), Google’s Brian Rakowski also presented the world with a ‘first look’ at the Pixel 7, due this fall. The 7 follows the unique camera bumper style of the Pixel 6, but cuts its visual mass by providing ‘eye-shaped’ outlines around the cameras. There is still a bump. However, there’s an opening within it that adds visual interest to the phone. It’s up to you whether or not you like it. Me? Well, I honestly think it’s refreshing, but I belong to the group of people who wants to see phones reinvent THEMSELVES, not just their camera bumps.

Designer: Google

This isn’t the first time Google just ‘self-leaked’ their own phone design. Amid a lot of speculation, the company also provided a preview of their Pixel 4 on Twitter, although that was just an image hinting at the phone’s design. With this reveal, Google’s pretty much showed us what the phone is EXACTLY going to look like. Only the color options are what will be on the new phone.

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro look striking to say the least. The camera bumper is given a metallic finish (chrome in the 7 Pro, matte in the 7), with cutouts that show the cameras underneath. The Pixel 7 has two lenses and a flash, whereas the Pro has a third lens, turning the cutout into a rather weird sideways ‘i’ shape. It’s hard to say if I like it. It’s memorable. That’s where I am at the moment.

The Pixel 7 was soon overshadowed by a bunch of other hardware announcements, including the Pixel Buds Pro, the Pixel Watch, the Pixel Tab, as well as Google’s renewed attempt at augmented reality glasses – but that was more of a preview than a launch, like last year’s Project Starline.