Google Pixel XL Unboxing and First Impressions By Slashdot

The Google, pixel and a pixel excel are the first smartphones that were crafted inside and out by Google. Not only did they craft a software that is Android 7.1 nougat, but they also designed to the hardware. With the help of HTC google claims the hardware the software is made by Google and for the most part it is but technically speaking, HTC manufacturer the pixel, and he picks with Excel and I mentioned. This is the pixel excel? The only difference between this phone and the pixel is that it features a larger, more pixel, packed 5.5 inch, HD display it's also $120 more expensive, starting at seven hundred and sixty-nine dollars for the base, 32 gigabyte storage model. So this thing is not shaped, like the Nexus devices were from Google relative to the competition. There's a lot to talk about here, but let's first see what's inside the box, the box slides open like so and there's one piece of tape that we'll need to cut to lift open the top.

Once we do that, we'll find the pixel XL sitting right on top towards the left-hand side of the box, which I'm going to set off to the side for now, underneath there's a SIM card removal tool and a get started guide for the phone itself, as well as the Google Assistant, which runs via this software. Now Google didn't skimp out on the cables or the adapters, with the pixel XL, we'll find a USB to USB type-c cable in the box, along with a USB to USB, type-c adapter. Now, on the right hand, side there's some more cables and adapters, there's a longer USB type-c, USB, type-c, cable and an u. s. watt words with a female USB type-c port for charging.

So it looks like no matter what your setup is. You should be able to charge this phone conveniently before we unwrap the pixel XL from its protective plastic sheath. You will see mention of the Google Assistant built into the on screen home navigation button. Furthermore, you'll see google mention it here and in the paperwork, because it's a pretty big deal we'll take a look at it in a moment, but the build of the pixel XL is really reminiscent of a handful of other smartphones like the iPhone 6 or 6s, the Huawei honor 8, and the dash of the Moto G. With the molded aluminum frame.

Furthermore, you'll see the phone is primarily constructed with metal, and it looks a heck of a lot like an iPhone 6 or success with those antenna lines. But what makes me think of something like the Motor Z? Is that instead of rounded sides, the sides curved but then kind of flattened out which actually makes the phone more practical than the iPhone, and it's slightly easier to grip in a hand. But, technically speaking, the Motor Z doesn't really feature this flat side here. The most WTF area on the phone is the half gorilla glass back that features a fingerprint scanner. It looks a little out of plates I'm, not really sure how I feel about it based off first impressions, but it does add some character to this phone.

That's for certain! The pixel XL features a 5.5 inch, HD AMOLED display. That appears to be on the blue side based off first impressions. It does get very bright and viewing angles are excellent, and I do love all the wallpapers offered on this device, some of which are pre-installed. Others are pulled from the Internet. It looks like there's a variety of different genres to choose from like cityscapes landscapes, textures life and earth and then under H John ray you have like 20 to 30 high-res wallpapers to choose from you'll see the software found on the pixel XL is different from what you'd find on the Nexus device.

It features the pixel launcher, which is a lot like Google now, but apps slide up from the bottom of the screen. There's no all apps button, there's also a little Google tab, sticking out in the upper left-hand corner that brings up Google search. Another thing is that all the icons are round well, most of them for whatever reason some icons aren't, which aggravates my OCD a little, but the Google Assistant is essentially like Google now on tap on steroids. It is now an artificial intelligence that can speak to you, have a conversation with you and deliver all kinds of information to you, whether that be sports scores, weather information or movie show times it can even control your phone and open apps for you and set appointments. It's also part of a messaging app called a low, which we reviewed in depth in a separate video.

If you look in the settings will see a support section where you can phone Google for help. If you're having problems with this device, you can explore tips and tricks and search for help and send feedback. We'll make a full video about what's new, but that's really the gist of Android 7.1 nougat, the pixel XL features a rear-facing fingerprint scanner, and it's just really a fingerprint scanner. There's nothing too special. There's no button or anything- and you know it works- to unlock the phone very quickly.

I think it would have been neat of them to incorporate some sort of reprogrammable button here as well to kind of add to its usefulness, but they didn't have the pixel and pixel XL are among the first smartphones to feature the Duke, welcome Snapdragon 820 one processor, but that's not really saying too much as it doesn't feature any noticeable improvements over the a20. In fact, co-developers found out that the pixel phones are running the 821 variant with the same clock speed as the 820. There are two a21 variants, one with a higher clock, speed and the other with the same clock, speed at the 820, but nevertheless the pixel XL performs very well Android, delivered straight from Google, whether that's via a Nexus device or a pixel device, is arguably the best way to experience. Android it's buttery, smooth and snappy. Android n also allows for multitasking, and even when two apps are running side-by-side, the pixel doesn't break a sweat.

The pixel XL features a 12 megapixel camera sensor with an F 2.0 aperture with 1.5 5, micron, meter pixels, but unfortunately, no optical image, stabilization, so I went on a short walk and took some sample photos and found image. Quality to be very impressive. DXO mark actually gives the pixel and pixel XL the highest rating of any smartphone for its camera performance. That's very promising, and it's something that I'm really going to have to put to the test for my full review. But it looks great upon first impressions.

I will say that the digital image stabilization software is some of the best in the business. I went walking down a sidewalk with the pixel XL and despite there being no OS, the footage was very, very smooth. Furthermore, I will say. The speakers have disappointed me, the most with the smartphone. You think that considering HTC helped build this phone and the Google Nexus 6 be featured front-facing speakers that be pixel and the pixels are cell width ?, but that's not the case they're actually bottom facing, and they're decent at best, they sound a little muffled though battery life is another area that I'm really going to have to spend more time with.

To better understand it does feature a pretty large 3, 4 50 William hour battery and I will say that if you're a moderate to heavy smartphone user, I'd recommend the XL as it features a much larger battery than the pixel. The pixel features a relatively small 2770 little amp hour battery. So this is the Google Pixel exhale, the first smartphone made by Google. So they say, seven hundred and sixty-nine dollars is a heck of a lot of money to shell out for a smartphone, and so, if you're going to spend that kind of money, you're going to want to make sure that it has all that you want, and I can't say that the Google Pixel excel has all that I want. Looking at the specs on paper.

I will say that what it does have is going to have to really impress to make up for what it doesn't have. Water resistance, front-facing speakers and built in wireless charging are just some features that I would have liked to have seen here. So we'll see how much I miss these features. When I use this phone, as my daily driver thumbs up subscribe, you guys know the drill, I'm BO, HD from phone calm have a good day. And/Or night I'll see you in the next one see ya.

Source : Slashdot