Pixel 7 vs. Surface Pro 9: Tech Titans Target Mainstream Users this Holiday Season

Google and Microsoft – two tech titans vying for your attention this fall with splashy hardware events unveiling the latest updates for their flagship device lineups. I attended both product launch spectacles as a long-time tech industry observer, and I‘ll give you my take on how the new Pixel and Surface gadgets measure up as the pivotal holiday shopping season approaches.

Overview: Refining Formulas but Facing Familiar Headwinds

In early October, Google debuted its Pixel 7 series phones along with a competitive Pixel Watch smartwatch – plus teased an upcoming Pixel Tablet.

A few weeks later, Microsoft took the wraps off refreshed Surface Proconvertible tablets and Surface Laptop notebooks.

For Google, the focus was diversifying beyond smartphones into more device categories while highlighting AI-enhanced features that set Pixel products apart.
Microsoft opted for subtler changes to its popular Surface Pro hybrid and Surface Laptop families, with evolutionary performance bumps aimied at the higher end Windows market.

However, both tech titans still face formidable challenges carvedving out mainstream consumer success:

Apple retains an iron grip on public perceptions and industry profits
Crowded smartphone and PC segments leave little room for error

Now let‘s dive into the key details on Google and Microsoft‘s latest and greatest gadgets:

Pixel 7 and 7 Pro: Doubling Down on Camera and Assistant Smarts

As a long-time Pixel user enamored by Google‘s software capabilities, their annual fall event is akin to Christmas Day for me. I‘ve been spoiled the last few years as Google increasingly challenges Apple and Samsung with enhanced hardware packing its latest software wizardry and custom Tensor silicon.

The newly announced Pixel 7 and 7 Pro extend that formula this year: excellently crafted Android phones packing novel AI-infused features that set them apart from the Android flock.

While retaining the same excellent foundation as last fall‘s models, the Pixel 7 series doubles down on camera improvements enabled by Google‘s next-gen Tensor G2 chip.

Let‘s break down what‘s new and notable here:

Hallmark Highlights

Faster Tensor G2 processor with upgraded machine learning capabilities
Up to 72+ hours battery life with Extreme Battery Saver mode
Pixel 7 Pro sports gorgeous 6.7" QHD+ 120Hz LTPO display
Improved main 50MP camera with new Macro Focus mode
Photos look fantastic with abundant AI-powered touchups
Watch-like circular Pixel Watch blends fitness and notifications

I‘ll elaborate on a few of those highlights that stood out most to me during my hands-on time with these latest Made by Gooogle devices:

The marquee Tensor G2 silicon unlocks substantial camera upgrades for both Pixel 7 models through boosted machine learning performance. Leveraging Google‘s algorithms and imaging pipelines, the phones can render portraits with professional bokeh-style blur, capture dazzling night sights or erase unwanted objects/people in the background with Magic Eraser.

While Apple and Samsung boast triple-digit megapixel monsters, Google manages to produce equally stunning – if not better – photos from its relatively paltry 50MP and 12MP sensors. That software/ML magic should only expand over time thanks to Tensor G2‘s extra AI muscle.

Beyond phones, enthusiastic Pixel fans like myself finally have a stylish smartwatch option with the new circular Pixel Watch. Deep Fitbit fitness integration provides activity tracking galore powered by all-day battery life. Dozens of Wear OS 3 apps plus Google Assistant mean the Watch goes beyond the basics as a capable mini-smartphone for notifications and quick tasks.

My only hesitation is the premium $350 starting price, but hopefully holiday deals can assuage that sting.

And although release is still far off, I have sky-high hopes for the incoming Pixel Tablet in 2023. The preview images portray what looks like a larger Nest Hub that can detach from its speaker charging dock for portable use around the home. If Google can stick this landing, the Pixel Table could provide the Android tablet experience that countless manufacturers have thus far failed to perfect.

While not revolutionary leaps, Google‘s latest Pixel generation promises meaningful improvements that continue pushing mobile photography and AI capabilities to the bleeding edge. Hopefully the attractive upgrades entice even the staunchest iPhone devotees to give Pixel a chance.

Surface Pro 9 and Laptop 5: Subtle But Substantive Refinements

Never one to let competitors grab the spotlight for long, Microsoft hosted its annual Surface event soon after Google‘s Pixel hoopla. And while less flashy than prior unveilings, Redmond‘s latest Surface Pro convertible tablet and Surface Laptop notebook entries deliver iterative but welcome changes.

Having reviewed almost every Surface model since the original bombshell Surface RT tablet, I‘ve watched Microsoft slowly but surely hone its vision for premium Windows hybrid experiences. The Surface Pro concept itself was initially revolutionary by collapsing laptop and tablet into a versatile 2-in-1 form factor.

And through each generation, Microsoft‘s engineers have refined the displays, keyboard covers, touchpads and pen integration to please even the most discerning mobile Windows power users.

Let‘s examine what‘s new with this year‘s Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 models:

Noteworthy Upgrades

Speedy new Intel and ARM processor options
Vibrant 13" 2880 x 1920 displays with Dolby Vision
Up to 15 hours of typical device battery life
Surface Pro 9 available in eye-catching Forest and Sapphire colors
Surface Laptop 5 adds alluring new Sage colorway

Here are some of the changes and features that I‘m most eager to test on the latest Surface devices:

The new Surface Pro 9 now offers both Intel and Qualcomm ARM-based chip variants, allowing consumers to choose the best performance profile for their usage. Enterprise customers running intensive business programs will surely appreciate the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors with cutting edge Evo platform optimizations.

But the ARM-based Microsoft SQ3 also promises solid speed and efficiency for more mainstream workloads. Plus it delivers always-connected LTE coverage – a first for Surface.

The Surface Laptop 5 then offers its own CPU decision between various 13th Gen Core i5/i7 chips or AMD Ryzen 7 processors. Even with Intel and AMD power, Surface Laptop battery life is rated for a solid 17+ hours of typical usage thanks to efficient hardware and software integrating tightly.

And stylistically, new colors for both the Surface Pro 9 and Laptop 5 help Microsoft‘s machines stand out from the traditionally drab Windows masses. Sage, Forest and Sapphire finishes add a touch of elegance sure to draw approving gazes in coffee shops or office common areas.

For enterprise or creative pros already invested in the Surface ecosystem, the latest iterations offer just enough improvements and customization flexibility to maintain Microsoft‘s standings as the premier Windows tablet and laptop provider.

However, striking mainstream success more broadly remains an open challenge.

Outlook: Slow Road Ahead to Matching Apple‘s Appeal

With the Pixel 7 and Surface Pro 9 additions now official, tech enthusiasts like myself have a pair of impressive mobile computing platforms to ponder as peak holiday shopping kicks off. Both Google and Microsoft managed to achieve the delicate balance of meaningfully enhancing previous generation devices without radically altering winning formulas.

Yet fundamental questions linger regarding the mainstream ceiling for Pixel and Surface gadgets as each company fights for oxygen in the fiercely competitive mobile arena. Despite outstanding reviews and delightful innovations year after year, Google and Microsoft combined still move only a fraction of the volume of premium units compared to Apple‘s indomitable iPhone/iPad/Mac juggernaut.

Can Google‘s expanding Pixel ecosystem or Microsoft‘s category-defining Surface lineup ever seriously threaten Apple‘s stranglehold on public adoration and industry profits?

Pixel and Surface products excel at delighting Android and Windows power users but translating that niche appeal into sustained commercial success remains unlikely. Because for most everyday consumers debating their next phone or computer purchase, the default assumption typically favors whatever shiny new iThing Cupertino unveils, not necessarily the most capable alternatives.

Both Google and Microsoft have prioritized software and services over hardware, ceding pivotal branding territory to Apple in the process. Unless Google and Microsoft commit to making their consumer devices as equally vital strategic priorities — via targeted marketing, retail distribution, accessory ecosystems, etc. — Pixel and Surface families seem destined for perpetual runner-up status chasing Apple.

Regardless, techies like myself will happily welcome the newest Pixel and Surface arrivals pushing the boundaries of mobile computing. Google and Microsoft deserve credit for iterating impressively on past innovations rather than recklessly chasing radical reboots each year. Even if broader mainstream glory remains elusive, Google‘s AI gifts and Microsoft‘s 2-in-1 vision guarantee ongoing havens for Android and Windows fans.

Plus with the long-awaited Pixel Tablet and dual-screen Surface Duo descendants somewhere on the horizon, both tech titans have untapped opportunities to potentially shake up stale categories. So while the immediate battles for holiday 2022 momentum may already be won by Apple, the enduring hardware wars promise exciting episodes still to come.