Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro: It's not Apple who should be scared, it's Samsung…

Techtober got me thinking – with everything that's happened so far in 2022, one thing is for sure: Google is on the up and up! Starting with the Pixel 6, the search engine giant finally found its own unique "voice" when it comes to smartphones – delivering a design that's distinctly and unmistakably Google.

And while that phone, along with pretty much all Google tech products, had a limited market reach, things sure have changed with the new Pixel 7 series. Not only do the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro feature that distinct, unique Google Pixel look, plus the beloved "stock Android" experience, but also expanded availability, and a next-gen Tensor processor made by Google itself.

You know who else makes their own processors? Apple and Samsung, of course. And while Apple is the scapegoat and antagonist in many discussions about which phone brand is better, Google's actual rival, and one who should be worried, is actually Samsung.

Samsung, the South Korean goliath of a company, which has dominated the Android smartphone market since forever, may finally be getting real competition on it, by an actual, highly reputable brand – Google. Because Google is to Android what Apple is to iOS. It has a significant advantage over Samsung.

And if Google's attempts to make its own smartphone hardware turn out to be hugely successful, Samsung is the one that's likely to suffer from it, not Apple. And not because Samsung makes worse products, not by a long shot, but because Google is so recognizable, and its new Pixel 7 series are currently making waves for all the right reasons…

Google's Pixel 7 Pro camera may be the Android user's best choice now

Samsung's most recent, top-of-the-line flagship is a beast – the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It comes with tons of great software features and even a built-in S Pen stylus.

However, there's something we should know by now, thanks to Apple – the majority of people don't need all that. They need a simple phone, with basic features that work reliably. And most importantly, for better or worse – a great camera.

In our S22 Ultra review we were very impressed with its 10X periscope zoom lens, and while its main camera can exhibit some loss of image detail around the corners of photos, due to its wide angle, it is a good shooter too.

Videos from the S22 Ultra can be recorded in up to 8K, which is superb – significantly above what even an iPhone 14 Pro Max can do, and the resulting footage is steady, featuring beautiful, lively colors.

Even if we consider that Samsung's flagship is still on top, which is subjective, and I'm sure lots of people will vouch for the Pixel 7 Pro instead, we can't argue the following – things are getting pretty close.

And in order for Samsung to keep its dominance, it'll have to continue innovating with its cameras, instead of reusing virtually the same sensors from last year's S21 Ultra, which is the case with the current S22 Ultra. Because big daddy Google is catching up scary quickly.

Google's stock Android experience vs Samsung's feature-packed OneUI

As we mentioned earlier, Apple knows perfectly well that brand recognition, simplicity, ease of use and reliability are what resonate with the majority of smartphone buyers. And clearly Google does too.

While I do love Samsung's many, many fantastic features that no other brand has come close to, such as Samsung DeX, or merely just having a stylus built into a flagship, again – those are niche things that not many people will care for.

With that in mind, Google always tries to advertise its phones as kind of the opposite – offering a stock Android experience – no bloat, just Android. Do with it what you will.

And this simplicity-first approach, paired with the fact that Google's Pixel 7 series are bound to get faster software updates, paired with the weight that the Google name carries – makes its Pixel 7 phones a very attractive pick for the western consumer.

Samsung, on the other hand, does have a bit of a negative rep in some markets due to its phones shipping with less powerful processors there, meanwhile with more powerful processors in the US. Even the S22 Ultra comes with either the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or the Exynos 2200 depending on where you live, and that can feel a bit unfair.

Meanwhile you know that your new Pixel 7 Pro comes with the Tensor G2 processor, and your iPhone 14 Pro comes with the A16 Bionic processor, no matter where you are. You're not punished for living in the "wrong" country; not forced to import those just to get the better experience either.

This whole "Snapdragon or Exynos chip" fiasco that Samsung is doing also has a lot of less savvy phone buyers left feeling tricked. Because they may have seen or read reviews and marketing material for Samsung's phones, not realizing even once that they'd actually get a different phone, at least internally. Samsung just doesn't make it clear enough. And the mistrust and frustration that this move from Samsung can breed in its users does have an effect on the brand's reputation. Speaking of which…

Samsung's reputation is under "fire" right now, meanwhile Google's Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are getting lots of love online

We recently published an article talking about Samsung phones blowing up at pandemic rates these days, and that's indeed a major PR hit for the company right now. We already had the Galaxy Note 7 debacle of 2016, which saw Samsung's phones even banned from airplanes, as they tended to catch on fire due to a fault with their casing and battery design.

Samsung has worked hard to right this wrong and move on, but here we are in 2022, and the Korean brand is once again getting associated with swelling phone batteries resulting in potential fire hazards. From popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, to most tech outlets – everyone's been shedding light on this issue these past few days. So in turn, everyone who's interested in smartphones is likely aware of it, and thinking about it yet again.

The batteries in Samsung phones do seemingly tend to swell and potentially catch on fire more so than your average phone brand's battery, and that's just the kind of scary thing to make an Android user look for an alternative.

And here comes a new one that's getting heaps of praise online right now – the Pixel 7 Pro (and its more affordable brother, the Pixel 7).

Not only is the Pixel 7 Pro cheaper than both the iPhone 14 Pro and the Galaxy S22 Plus, but as we saw – it has some great cameras, a distinct, premium build, a very hard-hitting brand behind it, plus its own processor with all the powerful AI and machine learning capabilities that Google is known for.

Also, let's touch on security and privacy. Apple has its bold encryption and data protection claims, Samsung has its own Knox security framework, and Google's Pixel 7 series don't lag behind, packing a Titan M2 security chip.

This one, yet again made by Google itself, comes with a promise of "multiple layers of security" and better resilience to "sophisticated attacks." And perhaps most importantly for phone users who value security and privacy – Pixel 7 phones come with a free, included VPN by Google One – now that's a game changer!

Now let's look at all this from the perspective of an average phone buyer, who doesn't care about the intricate details, and just wants a secure and reliable device. Not only does the Pixel 7 not have a scary reputation of catching on fire, but it'll encrypt your online activity for an extra layer of protection, making you harder to track!

Can Google's (limited, but expanding) reach eventually threaten Samsung's global market dominance?

Google's smartphone efforts have been looking promising for a few years now, but its limited reach is what's keeping Pixel phones from getting into the pockets of everyone who actually wants them. That's basically the biggest crutch in Pixel phones' adoption rate.

The previous Pixel 6 series were initially available only in 9 countries, with the US obviously being the one that Google was most focused on, but now with the Pixel 7, Google has shown its ambitions to expand. The Pixel 7 phones are available in 17 whole countries, which most notably include Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden for the first time.

Is that just the beginning? Probably, and we can expect Google to start creeping in on even more markets where Samsung is currently everyone's de facto Android choice.

Because Samsung is indeed an absolute beast when it comes to global reach. Samsung's flagships, mid-rangers and countless budget phones can be found in all regions of the world.

And while Google's got a long way to go in order to match that… Well, it's Google. It's reasonable to expect that it can do it, if it really wants to. And what we're seeing with the Pixel 7 series – it does have the ambitions.

Google's tablets and foldables are coming too, so this is just the beginning…

So, the Pixel 7 series are indeed suggesting that Google might become a threat to Samsung soon enough. But there's more than just phones that we can look at. Samsung also currently dominates the Android tablet market, and most undisputedly – the folding phone market.

And while it's unlikely that Google is going to deliver a similarly feature-rich experience with its upcoming tablet and (yet to be confirmed) Pixel foldable, we can still expect the very competent stock Android experience that the search engine giant is known for.

The Pixel folding phone is still but a rumor, supposedly a device that's been in development and through delays several times already. Only time will tell if it really comes to fruition. But the Google Pixel Tablet is coming for real, and Google is clearly, and strongly targeting casual tablet users, who may also benefit from a smart speaker (or more accurately – a smart display). Because Google's tablet will be able to transform into both!

Once again – Google's going to undercut the competition, reaching for the huge casual user demographic, not so much the tech enthusiasts who value overkill performance and extra features. And from a business standpoint, that's the smart move to go for.

Which Android phone brand are you currently rooting for and choosing – Google or Samsung?

So what do you think? Join the conversation and share your thoughts – should Samsung be worried about Google?

Which of the two brands do you believe will pose a bigger threat to Apple in the long run? Which of the two do you think will dominate the Android market a few years from now?