The other day, Google announced new Pixel 7 smartphones, which — you may have heard — come in two flavors: the “regular” Pixel 7 and the more premium – Pixel 7 Pro. There are no doubts in my mind these are among the most powerful Android smartphones, sporting Google’s own Tensor chip, enough RAM to ensure smooth user experience, and a solid amount of storage for all your apps, photos, videos and more.
Like that’s not enough, the search giant will bundle its very own VPN service with every Pixel 7 phone purchase. This VPN will come free of charge and according to Google, it won’t associate users’ app and browsing data with users’ accounts. So when you’re using a VPN, Google — in theory — won’t know anything about the websites you’re visiting and services you’re using.
Alas, we haven’t seen anything that would prove this is indeed a zero-logs service, and chances are Google will use web browsing histories to aid its algorithms in creating new user behavior patterns. Even if anonymized, this represents a powerful data set that would further cement Google’s dominance on the Internet.
It is worth adding that the search giant has previously included an optional always-on VPN service as part of its Project Fi, now Google Fi, wireless service. Also, it rolled out the service to iOS devices through its Google One premium subscription, albeit requiring users to sign-up for the Premium cloud storage plan offering 2 TB or more of storage ($9.99/mo).
So the news here is that Google’s VPN is becoming a standard Pixel feature, which could be its response to Apple launching its own privacy-focused iCloud Private Relay that allows iOS 15 users to browse the web with increased privacy.
If you recall our previous writing on Google’s VPN, it aims to protect users’ online activity no matter what app or web browser they’re using. Also, like any other VPN, it will protect users on unsecured networks and hide their IP addresses.
The problem, again, is that this is Google we’re talking about here. And one of the reasons for using a VPN in the first place is to hide your whereabouts from them. So using their VPN makes little sense in our eyes. Or so we think.
Instead, we suggest getting a VPN from a company that has been offering such a service for quite some time. And for that, you should check out our Best of the Best VPNs page. We believe that all services listed there are better than what Google is offering. It’s your privacy and you shouldn’t take it lightly.