Google Pixel and Pixel XL: Review By Engadget

In case you missed the memo. Google's, pixel and pixel excel are a big deal the days the nexus program are basically over and for the first time google has complete control over what goes into its smartphones. Is it really any surprise they turned out to be so impressive? The pixel in pixel X I'll have a lot in common from their quad-core Snapdragon 820 1 chipsets to their first-rate aluminum and Gorilla Glass construction to their impressive twelve point. Three megapixel cameras and I really just have to dig into those very quickly. I did not expect those cameras to be as good as they are. The level of detail captured in still images can be astonishing and the automatic HDR+ feature works incredibly fast and incredibly well, even in low-light beyond that they're, even better than the iPhone 7 and 7 plus at compensating for lighting, that's too warm or too cool.

Even the video stabilization is something to behold. The cameras aren't perfect since they sometimes struggle with focus and Samsung shooters tend to handle some landscapes better, but this might be the best all-around cameras I've ever seen in a smartphone. Meanwhile, the differences are exactly what you'd expect. The XL is the bigger of the two, with a 5.5-inch quad HD AMOLED display and a 30 440 William hour battery. That's one of the biggest I've seen any flagship smartphone this year.

That combination of the components is why I personally prefer the XL, but the regular pixel is no slouch with its 5-inch 1080p screen, and it's 20 770 million power battery trust me you're, not getting screwed just because you, like smaller phones, those screens by the way, are actually pretty great they're, really punchy in that typical em OLED way, though some people might actually find their clothes a little too saturated. It's too bad, then that the phones just sort of look dull, they're really well-built in everything, but the aesthetic is so low-key that it almost lacks character completely. Issues with the bodies aside, the pixel and pixel excel are impressively fast devices. My usual workday consist of bouncing between lots of apps all the time, plus a few games when I find the time. Nothing and I mean nothing during this testing period, managed to make the pixel or pixel X up break a sweat sure they'll get a little warm, but there's a level of speed and responsiveness.

Here, that's truly pleasing to use regularly. That's also thanks in part to Google's software and I. Think it's fair to say that software is where Google's artists realize these phones they're just canvases. The pixel and pix likes I'll ship with Android 7.1, which doesn't add a ton of things on top of the version of nougat people are already playing with. You can now access quick actions just by long-pressing, certain ad, like on sort of like how 3d touch shortcuts work in iOS, Google hasn't opened up this feature to many developers yet so for now, you'll be accessing shortcuts solely in apps.

Google is built they're, pretty useful for composing your emails and paying favorite contacts in a jiffy, though you'll also be able to send gifts through the Google keyboard. In some apps, though, the stock messenger app is the only one here that seemed to work. Daydream. VR support is also included. This part of Android 7.1, but I couldn't test that just, yet then there's the new pixel interface, which frankly took a little getting used to all your Google. Now cards still live to the left of the main home screen, but you'll access, your apps by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, the persistent search bar has gone ?, which has thrown off just about everybody.

I've shown these phones -. You also get just a bunch of free neat stuff as a reward for getting a pixel there's unlimited full resolution, backups of photos and videos for one. It works in tandem with the pixels new smart storage feature, which is also exclusive. That automatically clears up space by deleting photos and videos. You've already backed up pop into the settings.

Menu and you'll also see a new tab for support. In case something goes awry. You can reach out to a Google, rep right then, and there to help you walk through things. During my testing, I managed to contact a rat in just a few minutes, they're actually able to help out a lot. You can even share your screen with them to show off.

What's going on, I just hope. This level of service doesn't drop off when more people start buying and using these phones and, of course, there's the assistant you might have made it already in Google's, ALO messaging app, and you activate it by saying, okay, Google or holding down the home button. I'm bored doesn't stand a chance against us from there just start talking. The assistant can open apps, find restaurants and points of interest nearby, translate things you say into different languages and even get answers to really silly questions. I have been consistently surprised at how accurate is voice.

Recognition has been ?, especially because I can be really, really lovely. I love phones like the earlier Moto X's, because their voice commands systems came pretty close to acting like an actual assistant, but now Google has given us something tremendously more flexible. The assistant is much, much more than a gimmick, but I do have to admit working orders to a phone still feels kind of weird. Then again, ironically treating my Amazon Echo like a person, so that'll probably get easier in time. Ultimately, neither of these phones are perfect, but they come much, much closer than I ever anticipated.

Design is uninspired, and they're, not as water-resistant as I would like, and the assistant is not as smart as it could be and will be later this year. Even so, Google has achieved a truly impressive level of cohesiveness. With these phones grabs aside, I can't deny that nearly everything here works great, your taste may vary, but there's no getting around it. These phones represent Android at its peak and Google should be very, very proud of the work it's done here. You.

Source : Engadget