Google pixel xl review

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You get exactly the same storage configurations at the same prices, but at least no features have been reserved for the more expensive model. Pure Android perfection Android O is coming! The Pixel camera is capable of capturing usable images in light conditions that not too long ago some DSLRs would have struggled with.

While the design is good, it's not as adventurous as the Samsungs of this world. Google stepped away from the Nexus family in 2016 and launched the smartphones, adopting the line of the previous and and presenting a Google-designed servile product. And then, of course, there's the Google Assistant. Never had any of the issues some people mention in the comments. The Google Pixel XL runs about as well as the latest iPhone, and noticeably better than the S7. The phone debuts the Snapdragon 821 sin, with 4GB of RAM inside of a glass-and-metal body that's half-iPhone 7, half Samsung. At its heart though, it's a strong camera.

It might have been the reminder that Google Feed formerly Google Now is sitting to the left of the home screen, ready to be accessed. For us, this was never as big a deal as the display tuning itself, which leaves us a lot happier with the Pixel 2 XL following this software update. The Pixels are also available in Very Silver and Really Blue, which are meh and kinda nice, respectively.

Article - We took a Google Pixel XL review unit for a spin.

You buy the Pixel for the stellar software. For the three years of OS updates. For the little tweaks that make using an Android phone truly enjoyable. In the case of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Google brought its wonderful software experience to good hardware, and that makes for a great pair of Android phones. This review is brought to you by , an ultra-thin case that showcases the beauty of your new phone and fits like a glove! They were simple, fast, and had wonderful cameras. If you could get past the somewhat uninspired design, they were some of the released in 2016. A month after the initial release of our Google Pixel 2 review October 2017 , more and more problems regarding the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL came to light. Before reading the rest of the review, you might want to read through this section. Here we go over some of the biggest problems reportedly affecting the Pixel 2 family, as well as recent changes Google has made to help address some of these problems. Since the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL started shipping to its first customers in late October, many of them have reported issues with the phones. Some of the biggest complaints have centered on , with many owners claiming online that they have encountered issues with muted or undersaturated colors. Others have reported seeing a blue tint on the Pixel 2 XL screen. The Pixel 2 XL is meant to showcase everything Google has to offer. The performance is fantastic, the camera is excellent, and the software is what Google wants Android to be. However, at least one law firm is against Google on the Pixel 2 XL screen issues. If you spend long enough debating the merits of LCD vs OLED display technologies, eventually someone will touch upon the subject of dreaded OLED screen burn in. However, the fix for this issue is pretty simple;. Finally, the most recent as of this writing problem deals with the Pixel 2 XL again, as some users have reported that the screen , or if it switches automatically. Because of all of these problems with the new Pixel 2 phones, Google has revealed that will offer for both devices. This means that people who get the Pixel 2 models in the US will get one extra year under the normal warranty; other markets where the phone is sold already have two years worth of warranty. The premium Preferred Care plan with the Pixel 2 or 2 XL is currently unchanged. Design Google has taken the generic design of the 2016 Pixels and refined it. Google has taken the generic design of the 2016 Pixels and refined it. Some will complain it makes the phones feel more plasticky, but I find it to be a real treat to hold. It does make the phones feel more plasticky than other aluminum phones, but definitely not in a bad way. It allows you to unlock the phone without , and it makes the front of the phone look cleaner. Overall, I like the design of the Pixel 2 on the back,. Google included a pair of very loud front-facing stereo speakers on each device, which fill up all that room. The bezels also serve another purpose. You can grab onto those babies while playing games and never worry about dropping it. The Pixel 2 looks like a small , and the 2 XL sort of resembles the. Both devices also finally have IP67 ratings for dust and water resistance, which means they can withstand submersion in 1. They add bulk, but they make an already grippy phone even grippier, and look good doing it. Display As mentioned, these phones come with very different displays. The Pixel 2 sports a 5. The Pixel 2 XL features an LG-made 6. Unfortunately, that might not do much. While the saturation can be changed in terms of rendering, the weird viewing angle problems seem to be related to hardware rather than software, making it tougher to fix with a simple update. Display color temperature adaptive display mode We then tested both displays in standard mode as opposed to adaptive mode , and the screens dropped down to 6841 and 6891 Kelvin, respectively, which is much closer to the recommended temperature of 6500 Kelvin for color accuracy. What does that mean in the real world? Performance The Pixel phones excel in a few key areas, and performance is one of them. Scrolling through the user interface, multitasking, switching between apps, and playing games are all incredibly smooth on both devices. I experienced zero stuttering throughout my time with the Pixel 2. It was surprising how cool the phone stayed, even when playing graphic-intensive games. Multitasking is its own joy, thanks to the updates found in Android Oreo. YouTube, for instance, defaults to PiP when the home button is pressed, minimizing a small version of the video to the bottom right corner or any place that you might drag it. This is the same with Google Maps, too. In either case, we did not see any decrease in overall performance. That means photo and video storage space is pretty much a non-issue for these phones, which is a huge bonus. Google finally to remove that nasty port that no one ever used anyway. Removing the headphone jack is inconvenient for users right now myself included. Related: A headphone jack adapter is included in the box. When it comes to external audio, Google included front-firing speakers on both devices. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are also the first two phones to support , at least for. This means both devices actually have embedded SIMs that never need to physically be removed. Instead, if you need to switch from one carrier to another, the eSIM will allow you to do just that, right from the phone. Well, it will allow that eventually. Under the hood, the Pixel 2 sports a non-removable 2,700 mAh battery, and the Pixel 2 XL has a much larger 3,520 mAh cell. Five hours of screen-on time is practically what the phone strives for, hitting single digit percentages at the end of 12- to 15-hour work days depending on heavy usage. Thanks to the larger capacity, the Pixel 2 XL might be the phone that you want for longevity and constant productivity. Google flexed its camera muscles more so last year than it ever has, and things are even more impressive with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Some of the biggest news to come out of the Pixel 2 unveiling was the fact that DxOMark gave the devices a score of , which the and by four points. Take those scores how you like— there are plenty of reasons. No matter which size Pixel you choose, you get the same camera experience. Both devices come with a single 12. Even though dual-camera setups seem to be all the rage in 2017, Google is sticking to its guns and going the single sensor route. Google is using its Dual Pixel cameras to take the place of physical dual camera sensors. Those Dual Pixels take in as much depth data as they possibly can, while the phone bridges the gap in software processing. And the results are fantastic. Portrait Mode shots taken with the Pixel 2 are right up there with the best, though it still has trouble neatly blurring around hair. Selfies taken without Portrait Mode are just fine, too. Photos taken with the Pixel 2 are stunning. Shooting more general photos proved to be a snappy pun-intended experience due to the sheer speed of the camera app. Shutter to file speeds are as high as ever, which is impressive considering how the Pixels are essentially taking multiple photos at all times to apply its HDR+. Even in lower-light situations, the camera will not keep the shutter open for long to compensate for exposure— it just snaps and gets to work. There is a small slowdown in only the darkest situations, but such situations are impractical anyway and require flash. Google will enable it when the Android 8. For now, it is part of the Photos app as a way to do OCR and backwards photo searches. Lens will likely get better as time goes on and when it finally arrives on Assistant, so we will be reserving judgement until then. On the Pixels, the feature is called Active Edge and it does one thing and one thing only— open the Assistant. I wish you could program Active Edge to open any app , but having the Assistant just a squeeze away is actually pretty convenient. I loved using it on my U11, and I love using it on the Pixel. I find myself using it way more than I did on the U11. The U11 is a rounded, slippery phone, so squeezing it requires a little more effort. The Pixel 2 is a little more angular and grippy. It can play ambient sounds. Google is also bringing one of its most useful features to the lock screen. It works offline too. The disclaimer in the settings menu assures us it never sends songs or conversations to Google. The Earth view wallpapers are the best, though. Check out two of our favorites below. Also new to the software experience is a redesigned Pixel Launcher, which now sees the Google Search bar move to the bottom of the screen, making it much easier to reach with your thumb. It might have been the reminder that Google Feed formerly Google Now is sitting to the left of the home screen, ready to be accessed. The Pixel 2 Launcher is ultimately cleaner and we are happy with the way it looks and performs. There are just so many little tweaks to the software that really make this experience stand out above all other Android phones. For instance, the Pixel Launcher will switch to an if you have a dark wallpaper. It just adds a little charging icon to the always-on display. It shows just the time, date, an alarm icon, and if you have any unread notifications. We would have loved to see some customization in the AoD, like adding graphics and personal images like on the V30 and Note 8. Maybe this will be a feature sometime in the future. For now we have a simple edition of the always-on display to utilize. Oh, and one other tidbit before we wrap things up: Google has promised that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will receive — not just security patches. That means these devices will see Android P, Android Q, and Android R updates, provided their batteries are able to hold up that long. Specifications Google Pixel 2 Google Pixel 2 XL Display 5. Of course, you can also walk into your local store and pick one up. Just know that if you choose the bigger Pixel 2 XL, you may be a tad disappointed by the display. You buy the Pixel for the stellar software; for three years of OS updates; for the little tweaks that make using an Android phone truly enjoyable.