The best smartphones Malaysians can’t buy just got even better

The Google Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro debuted back in November, and promised a lot of things such as a better camera setup, improved machine learning capabilities, slicker software and would even be crowned the best camera smartphone by DxOMark. Google isn’t resting on its laurels just yet though, as they’ve announced the December 2022 Pixel Feature Drop which brings a host of new stuff to their flagship phones.

The most notable new feature coming to the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro is that they now include the Google One VPN for free, meaning that users can use Google’s VPN at no extra cost to protect their online activity. The Google One VPN is actually already available for free but only to Google One subscribers with the Premium plan in selected countries; Malaysia isn’t part of this list but then again neither are the Pixels.

Continuing on with the security theme, Google has also added an improved security and privacy settings to the Pixel 7 lineup. Users can now review their security and privacy settings along with other information in just one place, and will be notified too of any possible security risks and the ways to enhance their privacy when using their smartphone.

On top of that, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro now have Clear Calling, a new feature that Google says will enhance the other caller’s voice while simultaneously reducing their background noise. All of this is powered by the machine learning capabilities of the Google Tensor G2 chip, and lets you hear your calls better if the other person is in a busy or public place. Then there’s also improvements to the Pixel Recorder app, which now automatically identifies and labels different voices when you record audio.

Google isn’t saving all the fun just for the Pixel 7 series either. Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners are also getting cough and snore detection, which Google says can help you to understand what is affecting your sleep by tracking your coughing and snoring activity during the night. It also tracks just how much time you’re spending on the phone instead of snoozing away in bed. The Pixel 6 series is also getting the new updates to the Pixel Recorder app too.

It’s just a shame then that for Malaysians seeking out one of Google’s shiny new smartphones, there’s still no way to get it here in any official capacity. Instead, the nearest place to get hold of one of the Pixel 7 series smartphones would be in Singapore, where the Pixel 7 starts at SGD999 (~RM3,242.20) while the Pixel 7 Pro starts at SGD1,299 (~RM4,216.09).