Google’s Pixel 7, which was unveiled Thursday, is the company’s next major phone designed to compete with Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy lineup. The Pixel 7 features Google’s new Tensor G2 processor, a camera with improved zoom, face unlock and a slightly updated design — for the same $599 (£599, AU$999) price as last year’s Pixel 6.

The Pixel 7 launches on Oct. 13, with preorders available now.

The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro represent Google’s latest effort to establish a foothold in the global smartphone market, which Samsung and Apple largely dominate. The Pixel 7 is a modest upgrade, unlike last year’s Pixel 6, which was the first phone to feature Google’s self-made Tensor processor and a revamped design.

The Pixel 7’s debut follows the September launch of Apple’s iPhone 14which like the Pixel 7 only features minor improvements over its predecessor.

Google’s latest flagship phones are now available to preorder. Pixel 7 starts at $599 and will be released on Oct. 13. Get up to $750 off with trade-in and $200 in Google Store credit.

Read our Pixel 7 first take.

Google Pixel 7’s new camera

The Pixel 7’s camera may look similar to the Pixel 6’s on paper, but there are some behind-the-scenes changes that Google said should make a difference. That’s especially true when it comes to zoom quality.

When zooming at 2x, the Pixel 7’s 50-megapixel main sensor crops into 12.5 megapixels

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg sees the metaverse as a wondrous new stage of technology, filled with opportunities to work, play and communicate. You could watch an Imax movie on the moonhost a work meeting in a Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired tavern or rock out on a stage with your favorite musician.

But while you watch how the metaverse unfolds, Zuckerberg is preparing for what appears to be the fight of his life. His opponent is Apple.

During his Meta Connect conference keynote last week, Zuckerberg laid out his vision for the future, including games like Iron Man VRa suite of business productivity apps from Microsoft and a new $1,500 headset called Quest Pro, whose top feature includes sensors that can read your real-life facial expressions. Still, at several notable times in the 82-minute presentation, he also attacked Apple without saying its name.

In veiled jabs, Zuckerberg attacked Apple over everything from its secretive nature to its business model, profiting primarily off hardware rather than ads. He also attacked Apple’s “closed” ecosystem approach to app development, funneling all iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch apps through its App Store. While that approach, where apps are checked for security issues and judged against the company’s editorial standards, it has helped create massive companies like Uber and TikTok, it’s also drawn scrutiny over antitrust concerns.

“In every generation of computing, there’s been an open ecosystem and a closed ecosystem,” Zuckerberg said, referencing the tech industry’s past platform battles between PCs