The Google Pixel 7 Pro might have a big display problem - XDA Developers

The Google Pixel 7 series was released recently, and we’ve been spending a batch of clip with some the Pro and the non-Pro. We’ve been loving the cameras, the software, and adjacent the upgraded display. However, arsenic it turns out, the show is simply a artillery slayer erstwhile utilized astatine higher brightness — overmuch much of a artillery slayer than we’ve seen connected beauteous overmuch immoderate different flagship device.

I’ve been utilizing the Pixel 7 Pro a batch since Monday, and I noticed that the artillery beingness is overmuch improved implicit the Google Pixel 6 Pro… until I measurement outside. I went retired for java yesterday morning, and I was sitting astatine astir 3 hours of surface connected clip astatine 50%. By each accounts, that’s truly bully artillery life. However, stepping extracurricular and utilizing my telephone portion walking instantly dropped the artillery beingness by astir 10% successful 15 minutes. It rapidly clicked with maine that my brightness had been higher arsenic I had been outside. I asked different members of the team, and Daniel Bader, Valnet’s Technical Lead, mentioned that helium had experienced the same.

The happening is, obviously utilizing a show extracurricular volition gully much power. The occupation is that the powerfulness gully seems really disproportionate. I spoke to different members of the XDA household and collected readings from their devices, and it seems that the Google Pixel 7 Pro mightiness person a beauteous large show problem. I investigated this with immoderate assistance from XDA’s show analyst, Dylan Raga, and we’re utilizing measurements from the Pixel 6 Pro and the Galaxy S22 Plus for gathering discourse astir the Pixel 7 Pro’s bonzer behavior.

What’s happening with the Pixel 7 Pro’s display?

At 600 nits, each 4 of our Google Pixel 7 Pro devices are topping retired betwixt 3.5W and 4W. It gets adjacent worse though: with maximum brightness (the Google Pixel 7 Pro is rated up to 1500 nits, and I triggered high-brightness mode), its powerfulness depletion shoots up to 6W. These show luminance ratings are usually measuring highest brightness astatine 1% APL — oregon successful different words, a tiny information of the surface lighting up. High brightness mode should beryllium jumping to 1000 nits crossed the full sheet erstwhile a achromatic surface is displayed (100% APL), and it does look to beryllium astir that.

For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra would usage astir 2W astatine 600 nits, and 4W astatine astir 1000. Dylan Raga told maine that the numbers that I collected amusement that the Pixel 7 Pro show uses astir 50% much powerfulness than the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus comparatively.

We person taken powerfulness readings successful our show reviews of some the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus and the Google Pixel 6 Pro. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus seems to drain up to 4.5W astatine 1100 nits, a reasonably respectable figure. In contrast, the Google Pixel 6 Pro hits 4W astatine conscionable shy of 800 nits. Dylan pointed retired to maine that if you were to widen his Google Pixel 6 Pro show powerfulness depletion graph successful the aforesaid absorption that it was already going, you would fundamentally transverse implicit the aforesaid values that we’re experiencing connected the Google Pixel 7 Pro. This is indicative of a larger occupation that Google has had successful the past with its panels, and the Google Pixel 7 Pro appears to person lone made the concern worse.

I spoke to Ben Sin, Daniel Bader, and Manuel Vonau of Android Police — 3 radical who person Google Pixel 7 Pro units that are sourced from PR successful antithetic regions of the world. I sent each 3 of them instructions connected however to measurement that powerfulness usage from the show astatine maximum brightness. All of their values were astir successful enactment with mine. In the array below, you tin spot however the Google Pixel 7 Pro stacks up against the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus and the Google Pixel 6 Pro.

How atrocious is the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s show powerfulness draw?

To contextualize the problem, the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s Tensor G2 apt has a TDP of astir 10-12W. We haven’t completed our investigating yet, but this means that the show unsocial astatine afloat manual brightness is apt utilizing conscionable a spot little than fractional of the chipset’s maximum power. In high-brightness mode portion playing an intensive game, it’s feasible that you could beryllium drafting up to 18W of artillery astatine immoderate fixed time. That would termination immoderate smartphone artillery successful conscionable nether 3 hours, and that’s only the show and the chipset. Your telephone has different components, too, truthful expect to hug the partition sooner if you are utilizing the Pixel 7 Pro with precocious brightness than you would beryllium doing truthful connected a contention instrumentality nether the aforesaid settings.

What tin Google bash to hole this?

It’s hard to accidental astatine this preliminary stage. We’ve tested this crossed aggregate devices and spotted the aforesaid powerfulness gully crossed each of them. For what it’s worth, we besides took readings connected 2 Google Pixel 7 devices and it looks a batch much normal, truthful this seems to beryllium an contented that whitethorn beryllium exclusive to the Pro. It’s unclear if Google volition beryllium capable to marque the sheet much businesslike with a bundle update, though I fishy it won’t beryllium capable to. Still, that’s wherefore we’re saying it “might” person a large show occupation — Google could extremity up fixing it. Whether it’s a hardware oregon bundle occupation is each up successful the aerial presently — each we cognize is that determination is simply a problem.

For what it’s worth, astatine little brightness, the Pixel 7 Pro show functions person to expectations. Dylan noted that the powerfulness values I collected for utilizing the show astatine its lowest brightness are inactive connected the precocious side, with it draining astir 0.7W. Still, it’s a batch much manageable than touching disconnected of 6W. If you’re connected the obstruction astir a Google Pixel 7 Pro, we’d urge waiting to spot what comes of this. The Google Pixel 7 besides doesn’t look to person the aforesaid issues, which whitethorn marque it a amended prime for radical who walk a batch of clip outdoors, successful sunny environments, oregon conscionable similar having their show brightness high.

We’ve reached retired to Google for comment, and we’ll beryllium definite to update this nonfiction if we perceive back.

Google’s Pixel 7 Pro has different show problems, too

It’s not conscionable the show powerfulness gully either. GSMArena’s Prasad Naik pointed retired connected Twitter that the show remains progressive for a tiny play of clip adjacent aft turning it off.

I was wondering however I ended up successful apps I wasn’t successful aft I unlocked the Pixel 7 Pro. Turns retired the surface remains connected for respective milliseconds aft you fastener it. pic.twitter.com/qvtwxp9lTC

— Distinguished Gentleman (@krazyfrog) October 13, 2022

I person noticed the aforesaid occupation connected my portion arsenic well, and it was lone erstwhile I saw this Tweet did I realise that it was the cause. A fewer times present I’ve been listening to music, utilizing my phone, turned disconnected the screen, and turned it astir to enactment it successful my pocket. I’ve skipped tracks a fewer times this mode and it was incredibly frustrating, but I assumed it was conscionable maine doing thing wrong. However, I’ve verified that I person the aforesaid occupation and the show is staying connected for astir a 2nd aft I crook disconnected the screen.

It’s unclear astatine this clip whether oregon not this is simply a bug oregon if this tin beryllium fixed by disabling immoderate peculiar settings. We’ll beryllium definite to update this nonfiction if we perceive more.