(Why) The Google Pixel 7 killed the iPhone 14 (for me)

Photo Unblur is just the latest example (Magic Eraser also comes to mind), there are other useful tools baked right into the core of the Pixel 7 (and other Pixels for that matter), and even though other brands might have similar things, Google's implementation is usually the best one (remember the Pixel 3 and its software camera magics?).

Live translation and transcription is out of this world

I was simply amazed by how good these features are on the Pixels. I’ve tried them on an Android device enrolled in the Beta program but they do work better on Google hardware. You can use Live Translate to transform Japanese gibberish to something you would understand practically in real time and inside your ear (with a pair of Pixel Buds).

The Pixel 7 also can automatically transcribe audio messages for you, straight on the device without the need to send data to servers and get back the transcribed result. You can dictate to Siri and transcribe messages on iOS but the end result is far from perfect. Which leads us to the next point.

Google Assistant beats Siri with one hand tied behind its back

Google Assistant is miles ahead of Siri when it comes to integration with third party applications and devices - there are thousands of smart home gadgets that work with Assistant, and only a handful that would make business with Siri.

And when it comes to search queries, Assistant beats Siri every time - it’s Google’s forte after all. You can check the Annual IQ test that Loup Ventures performs on all virtual assistants and see for yourself. You can even ask Assistant to call and make an appointment for you - now that's what I call "assisting."

What's even more important is that Google Assistant will only get better - the open nature of Android and all the third-party developers working on connecting their own software and hardware gadgets to Google's helpful mastermind can only make it smarter.

Google (real) VPN beats Apple Private Relay

We all know how keen Apple is when it comes to security and protecting its users. That’s a strong point, despite all naysayers and skeptics bashing the company for serving the NSA and other government agencies.

When the company introduced Private Relay with iOS15 people praised it for adding an additional layer of security but failed to account for the fact that it’s not a VPN service. Private Relay is not a system-wide security feature and mostly works with Safari, alongside a small subset of apps.

Google VPN on the other hand is a legit full-blown VPN service (Virtual Private Network) that works with your device and not only encrypts your IP and data but also uses something called traffic obfuscation - basically making encrypted traffic look more like normal one. This is far better for overcoming things like geolocation blocking and other restrictive measures.

Of course, the service is still offline and should arrive on the new Pixels sometime in December, and we have to test it in detail to see if it holds up to all its promises but chances are it will.

Private Relay traffic on the other hand is easily identifiable, and can be blocked if needed (Apple itself provides the necessary information and instructions to schools, businesses, and other entities of how to prepare their networks for Private Relay, and effectively identify the traffic).

But what about all the bugs?

This needs to be addressed - for sure. Sometimes Pixels seem like half-baked alpha prototypes, and when you’ve just coughed up several hundreds of dollars this is the last thing you’re looking for. iOS on the other hand is extremely polished and bugs are very, very rare.

This is where you have to make a choice - connect to your inner adventurer and explorer, or play it safe. I know it’s a hard thing to ask but so many things are boring and mundane in our daily lives, why add another one?

I could live with a bug or two, as long as the overall package keeps me excited and involved. And in a world where a simple animation around the punch hole is considered a groundbreaking feature, I think that leap of faith is more important than ever.