Well, all the Nexus phones have been effective devices. Apart from this, they were neither too expensive nor too premium. On the other hand, through Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL, the company has presented its claim in the premium segment market. It would not be wrong to say that Google has prepared to challenge Apple. The phones of both the brands are sure to be compared in every aspect – price, design and branding. It is possible that after this decision the company has lost its Nexus fans. Will it be able to change the mind of iPhone supporters? Let’s try to find out.
Look and Design of Google Pixel XL
At first glance, there is nothing unique about the Pixel’s design. It is a mix of designs offered by Apple, Samsung and HTC. Google has made a lot of noise about designing the phone, but the responsibility of manufacturing it was given to Taiwanese company HTC. Looking at the phone, we can say that it has no distinct identity of its own.
The front panel is glass. There is a lot of space above and below the screen. As per the specifications, it has 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4, but the curves on the edges are not too much. The sensor on our silver review unit looked a bit odd, like a black spot. However, this shouldn’t be a problem in the black variant. The Android navigation is on the screen, so the chin is empty.
The back panel and most of the edges are metal, except for the upper part of the rear panel which is glass. This makes the antennas work. The patch for the antenna is clearly visible which makes Google’s new phone stand out. However, it feels a bit awkward to hold in the hands, especially considering the presence of a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel.
After initial use, we found the Pixel XL’s top to be heavy. But we got used to it.
The power and volume buttons are on the right side. We found their position a bit awkward. There is a SIM tray on the left side in which you can insert a nano SIM card. The 3.5mm audio jack is on the top and the USB Type-C port is at the bottom.
Overall, this phone is a bit thicker and wider. We were not very impressed with its design. After using the Pixel XL, we felt that the smaller Pixel would be more convenient to use. The good thing is that apart from the display, no major changes have been made in the smaller version.
google pixel xl specifications
Google has left no stone unturned in the hardware department. Most of the specifications of both the Pixel series phones are the same, the difference is in the screen size, resolution and battery capacity. You will get Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset with a maximum clock speed of 2.15 GHz. Adreno 530 GPU is integrated for graphics. Both models have 4 GB of RAM and you have the option to choose between 32 or 128 GB of storage. Our 32 GB storage unit had 29.7 GB of storage available for use. MicroSD support is not available. Keeping this in mind, it would be better to buy the 128 GB variant.
The Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch screen (1440×2560 pixels), while the Pixel has a 5-inch screen with 1080×1920 pixel resolution. I don’t know about the smaller variant, but the Pixel XL has the best screen on a smartphone ever. It is bright and crisp. The colours on it are very natural. You will find many unique sensors in the phone. Apart from this, there is an Android Sensor Hub. This is a separate processor that constantly monitors inputs, even when the Snapdragon 821 processor is on standby.
At the launch event, Google boasted about the camera capabilities of the phone. In the Pixel and Pixel XL phones, you will get 12.3 megapixel rear cameras which are equipped with laser autofocus with phase detection. At the same time, the front camera sensor is of 8 megapixels.
Due to more space in the bigger variant, the company has been able to provide a bigger battery of 3450 mAh. There is support for quick charging. You will get a Type-C USB cable along with Type A in the box. Apart from this, there is also an OTG adapter. This adapter is very useful. With its help, you can connect your old phone to Pixel and import contacts, photos, calendar data and messages.
google pixel xl software
Google has discontinued the very popular Nexus series and has launched Pixel phones in the market. This means that these phones will now truly reflect the company’s Android vision. However, you do not get the pure version of Android in this phone, but the Pixel version. It has a different custom launcher, and many other customizations have been done. At the moment, it is also not clear whether any or all of these features will be allowed to be used by other smartphone manufacturers or not.
When we first used Android 7.1, we noticed a lot of new things. Starting from the home screen, you will see a tab with the Google logo on the top left. Tapping on it will take you to the Google search bar. Here you will find a list of your recently searched subjects. Swiping inwards anywhere on the screen brings up Google Now. Pressing the home button for a long time will open up the voice search command. Here you will meet Google Assistant.
The Settings app has been completely redesigned. There is now a new menu-based system in which you will be able to switch between sections.
Google Assistant is one of the main reasons why Pixel phones came into existence. It is the culmination of all Google’s efforts. There is no doubt that it will be a part of more and more devices in the future.
Assistant is something that you may never use, or know its full potential. It is not very different from the voice search feature of existing Android phones. It is just more accurate. It can be used with the command OK Google. With the help of Assistant, you can send messages, launch apps, translate any sentence and control many functions of the phone.
google pixel xl camera
If Google Assistant is the first important feature of Pixel phones, then camera performance will definitely be the second most important feature. Google knows that only by developing a great camera can it justify the tag of a premium phone. And it has been successful in this.
The Pixel experience will take you by storm the moment you activate the camera app. It looks similar to the stock Android app but has options like Photosphere mode, Burst and Slow motion. The Lens Blur mode is especially interesting because the phone doesn’t have two cameras to capture separate shots. The app asks the user to move the phone slightly after taking a shot so that it can take a slightly offset shot with the same lens.
(Click here to enlarge Google Pixel XL camera samples)
The photo resolution goes up to 12.3 megapixels. The phone’s camera autofocuses quickly and captures photos in a snap, no matter what the lighting conditions are.
Now, the question is about the photo quality. We can confidently say that Pixel XL completely lives up to its claims. The quality of its camera is at par with iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7. Focusing is fast as well as sharp. Some of the details in close-up shots are very good. Its performance in low light is the best till date. We are also happy with the performance of its front camera, although it is nowhere revolutionary.
The videos came out clean and sharp. The problem with recording 4K videos is that it consumes a lot of storage. But for this, Google has given users a free subscription of Photos for lifetime. You will be able to store 4K videos in their original size. However, this is going to increase internet consumption.
(Click here to enlarge Google Pixel XL camera samples)
Google Pixel XL performance
As expected, there is no lag in performance thanks to the new and faster Snapdragon 821 processor. We had no issues doing anything on this phone, be it playing 3D games, streaming high resolution videos or recording 4K videos. The good thing is that the phone did not heat up much during these functions. Watching videos and playing games on the big screen was a lot of fun.
The screen is easy to read even in bright sunlight. However, the sound quality from the built-in speaker disappointed us. It is good enough to make watching videos and playing games a fun experience, but it gets shrill at high volumes. And it is not a perfect fit for music. The fingerprint sensor worked well. We never had any complaints about network connectivity. Overall, we enjoyed using the Pixel XL. The Pixel XL also gave great results in benchmark tests.
Battery life is commendable. In our video loop test, it lasted for 14 hours and 6 minutes. We played games, recorded 4K videos and streamed music and video clips, yet there was still some battery left at the end of the day. There is support for quick charging. The phone charged from zero to 100 percent in about 2 hours.
Our verdict
We don’t know why Google entered the smartphone hardware business? Why has it decided to keep the Pixel experience limited for now? Is the company disappointed with the performance of its partners on the Android experience? Did Google not want to take any risk with the Assistant and hence took up this project on its own? All these questions will be answered only in the future.
It is clear that the company has prepared to challenge the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus through Pixel and Pixel XL. In a way, Apple fans have now got the option of an Android phone like the iPhone.
If you buy this phone, you get the best smartphone camera ever. Its performance is also great. It is possible that many users may not like Google Assistant, but if you want this feature then you have no choice but to buy this phone. Getting important Android updates is also guaranteed. It is expected that after this Samsung and other companies will launch better Android products in the market.