Google¡¯s Pixel 2 XL has finally gone up for sale in India, and this is the second flagship Android smartphone from the search engine giant.
It comes in two flavours: 64GB (Rs 73,000), and 128GB (Rs 82,000), powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor with Adreno 540 graphics -- top notch hardware as far as 2017 flagships are concerned.?
A mixture of matte and gloss on the back panel of Google Pixel 2 XL
After spending a couple of weeks with the device, here¡¯s our take:
We can confidently say that when it comes to camera performance, there¡¯s no better phone to buy this year than the Google Pixel 2 XL. Whether it¡¯s shooting in low-light or under bright sunlight, its 12MP f/1.8 rear camera with optical + electronic stabilization does a near flawless job of taking photos and videos.
Inside an autorickshaw in the afternoon
Inside an empty train compartment at 9 AM
Chandelier lamps at Mumbai Airport at 8:30 AM
With every click, you¡¯re left admiring the camera-wizardry of the Pixel 2 XL -- whether it¡¯s capturing even the tiniest detail in a busy frame, or snappy shutter speed with absolutely no lag. Sharpness levels are unreal!
And the Pixel 2 XL continues to amaze us with its single lens portrait shots -- where the background blur and bokeh effect (achieved on the software side) is better even than the portrait shots you get on the iPhone 8 Plus or the OnePlus 5.
Apart from true to source colour reproduction, where the iPhone¡¯s slightly better than the Google phone, the Pixel 2 XL¡¯s camera prowess outmatches pretty much every other flagship launched in the market this year.
Of course, one of the joys of a Google branded phone is to experience uncluttered, vanilla Android as it was intended, and the Pixel 2 XL does exactly that. Android 8.0 Oreo in all its delectable goodness is the software powerhouse behind the Pixel 2 XL¡¯s clean and feature-rich user experience.
Like the HTC U11, the Google Pixel 2 XL also has an Active Edge feature. What does it do? Squeezing the phone gently fires up the Google Assistant, ready to provide whatever you may need. No voice command or multiple clicks needed, just one swift motion and you¡¯re off. This works even when your phone is in a case.?
Remember Google Goggles? An image-based search feature that was way ahead of its time, it now lives in spirit inside Google Lens -- a feature that analyzes the world around you through your captured photos and provide more information about certain things -- like landmarks, books, music albums, movies, and artwork, right from Google Photos on your Pixel. Quite nifty.
Google Lens recognizing an iPhone picture
The Google Assistant is increasingly spreading its Android tentacles, trying to be more relevant than just an oft-used gimmick -- and it largely succeeds in that endeavour. The Assistant has more tricks up its sleeve, offering a bouquet of questions you can ask her. What¡¯s more, Google¡¯s ability to process natural language (full of weird dialects and misfiring intonations) keeps getting better and it¡¯s evident whenever you try interacting with Google Assistant. Long story short, interacting with the Google Assistant feels more organic than before, and it¡¯s definitely a great way to work with your Pixel 2 XL.
Where ordinary Google Photo users have their photos and videos backed up at 16MP & 1080p, respectively, Pixel 2 XL users can upload all of their photos and videos at ¡°original quality¡± full resolution for free till 2020. After that, new photos and videos taken on any Pixel phone will be compressed to what Google offers to free users. So Pixel 2 XL users get special backup treatment -- for free!
The fingerprint sensor on the Google Pixel 2 XL is situated on its back, and it¡¯s easily one of the fastest biometric touch sensor we¡¯ve experienced on a phone. Unlike the iPhone 8 Plus, there are no buttons to press down on. No sooner does your finger graze the sensor and the phone¡¯s unlocked with lightning quick precision. Every single time!?
Fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 2 XL
The 3,520 mAh battery built into the Pixel 2 XL is more than enough to keep it going for a full day without any need to plug in the device in between. With screen brightness set at 50-60%, I can easily get over 12 hours of battery backup on the Pixel 2 XL -- while being constantly connected, consuming multimedia and keeping up with social updates. Android¡¯s working hard to change its battery guzzler persona, and some of it definitely shows with the Pixel 2 XL.
Google eases the blow of purchasing the Pixel 2 XL in the best way possible -- by providing two years of warranty. Why is this a big deal? Because almost every other smartphone out there -- iPhone 8 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S8, LG V30, etc -- only offer one year of device warranty. Google¡¯s found a good, no-nonsense way to reward long-term ownership of the Pixel 2 XL.
Now from the good, let's see what's not so good about the Pixel 2 XL.
Just by specs alone, the Pixel 2 XL seems impressive -- it has a full screen 6-inch QHD+ (2880x1440) pOLED 18:9 display with 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. But the phone¡¯s OLED display (manufactured by LG) isn¡¯t as good as the one found on the iPhone X (manufactured by Samsung), for instance. As a result, the Pixel 2 XL suffers from an exaggerated colour shift, every time you shift the screen¡¯s viewing angle even by the slightest degree -- the display transitions from warm creamish colour tones to a palpable cold blue hue. It¡¯s in your face, especially when looking at a predominantly white screen.?
Apart from that, the Pixel 2 XL¡¯s screen also seems to be a bit dull compared to the likes of the iPhone 8 Plus or Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Colours don¡¯t pop as much and everything just looks generally washed out. While this has been fixed to some extent through an update released earlier this month, it doesn¡¯t make the visual anomaly completely go away.
No doubt the Pixel 2 XL has an all aluminium shell, with a dash of glossy glass around its rear camera, the design isn¡¯t very inspiring. I know, the bezels have been pushed back on left and right, but they remain prominent on top and below -- partly due to the twin down-firing speakers.?
But when you compare it to the likes of the iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, the Google Pixel 2 XL looks less audacious. It doesn¡¯t do a great job of grabbing eyeballs -- at least the all black colour version.
After trolling loss of the 3.5 mm audio jack on Apple¡¯s iPhone 7 during the Pixel and Pixel XL launch last year, what do this year¡¯s version of Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL end up doing? Dropping their respective 3.5 mm audio jack, obviously. Slow claps, facepalm and epic fail all rolled into one for Google for dissing a trend setter and meekly following them a year later.
Nothing that a quick wipe on your shirt's sleeve can't fix, but still the Pixel 2 XL is a fingerprint magnet -- both on its glossy glass panel and matte aluminium back. How?! Needs to be fixed next time around. Can't have all these expensive handsets smudge so easily.