HARDWARE REVIEW

Google Pixel 2 XL Review

by Luke Walsh, December 6th, 2017

The Google Pixel 2 XL is a phone to be impressed with from Google a company who has only recently delved into making smartphones. Having spent a lot more time on the software through the Android system, Google has made a pretty refined phone for just their second iteration of devices.

It’s not hard to say that the Pixel 2 XL is Google’s best phone yet, although a slightly shallow response with only 4 devices on the market, it has an impressive screen which is big and bright and the camera which are able to outshine the rest of the competitors.

It’s not been without its fair share of reported problems with blue tinting and screen burning on the OLED display. Using the phone for a few weeks solidly though, there seem to be no issues with our review device.

The Pixel 2 XL is Google’s most expensive phone and a fair bit more than other phones on the market which can keep up with the internals. For £799 it will take a nice little chunk out of your wallet but the smaller version the Pixel 2 is £170 cheaper for at £629 for a 5-inch screen.

Although cheaper, they do differ from each other making it an important choice to consider.

With the XL comes a bigger battery, interestingly has less bezel around the screen and a better screen than the 5” version. Google promotes the subtle differences as a benefit only having to choose between deciding whether you want a bigger screen with a bigger battery or smaller device but slightly cheaper and a difference in screen quality.

Google Pixel 2 Price and Release Date

There are a couple different options you can select when picking the phone from the Google Store, starting at £799 for the entry 64GB model and £899 for the 128GB version. Colour options are only two coming in either black or white. Of the shelf at Google, the phone comes unlocked but if you do want to have the device on contract in the UK, EE is offering a selection of different options.

If you’re reading this from the US, Verizon is the go-to retailer. At the same time, if you pick up the phone from either Google or other retailers you can also get a free Google Home mini with your purchase.

Unlike other phones though, Google’s Pixel 2XL is the first ever phone to support the eSim technology which means you don’t need a sim to use it. The caveat is it works only in the US on Google’s own wireless carrier ‘Fi’. So the British among us will have to wait a little bit longer to try it out seeing as there is no known release or roll-out planned in the UK.

Design & Build

Google’s Pixel never made massive waves with the design but the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have taken the foundations and worked on improvements with the Bezel, including adding IP67 waterproof rating. The phone still has the mixed elements glass and aluminium with their stone like finished on the back 3/4 quarters down. It has a textured feel to it which makes it much easier to hold as well as giving it a nicer finish, plus it should be a little bit hardier than the previous model which was prone to scratching.

The top section does not seem to have any practical application being more of a design choice to outline the rear facing camera, flash and sensors. Gorilla Glass 5 is used and with it comes increased toughness as well as curved edges featured in other top end phones on the market. Not only does this make the Pixel 2 XL much easier to hold it also looks a lot sleeker.

Inside the front of the phone houses two front-facing speakers which makes the bezel a little bit thicker but a welcome trade-off for the improvement in sound levels and quality. This makes sound much more balanced no matter where you hold the phone, as sound comes from both ends of the phone not just the bottom like many others.

Continuing on the front of the device, Google has also thrown in a very decent front-facing camera which houses an 8 megapixel. The camera on the back has also had an upgrade featuring a 12.2-megapixel f.1/8 lens with image stabilisation. Sadly, there is no optical zoom like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has but for your Instagram leg shots by the beach will do just fine. Google also learning from previous design decisions have put a metal ring around the back camera to stop the glass from taking damage.

For those who are still apart of the analogue revolution, you’ll be disappointed to learn that Google has followed Apple’s suit and removed the 3.5mm headphone jack. But hey, you get a thinner device and more space for other bits, but who cares right? Wireless headphones are a plenty and personally, I prefer them over the wires anyway, it’s more a legacy thing these days about the 3.5mm jack. For those who do care though, Google throws in a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for free.

On the sides of the device you’ll find the power button and volume controls on the righthand side, each gives a nice tactile response when clicked. Useful for when you are not looking at your power button (if you ever do) and want to make sure you have some sort of feedback you’ve actually pressed it.

Active Edge also makes its way to the Pixel 2XL which allows you to squeeze the side of your phone to activate Google Assistant. It first showed up in the HTC U11 and was a neat feature when we reviewed that device.

If you use Google Assistant quite a bit to set reminders, ask questions or just receive your daily joke then you’ll probably get a lot of use out of it. It still works really well inside cases, even some third party ones also support Active Edge. Unlike the U11 though, Google doesn’t let you customise what the ‘squeeze’ launches, only Assisant can be utilized at this time. It would be nice to see them follow suit and be able to launch your camera or an app like Facebook at a squeeze.

Display

Google has placed a pOLED display which is able to produce an 1880 x 1440 resolution making it a QHD+ screen that has decent colour accuracy. There have been mentions that the viewing angles on the Pixel 2 XL are not that great but from using it, nothing worse than any other phone I have used over the past couple months. Sure, there is a little dimming but not to any extent that is worthy of a negative mark against the phone.

The display inside the 2 XL is deep, with nice blacks with a good contrast producing some pretty slick imagery. I must say that the overall brightness of the phone is not as strong as the previous generation of device. It’s bright but when compared to full brightness on a Samsung S8, the S* clearly wins in the luminosity department.

If you are comparing up between the regular-sized Pixel’s 5-inch screen and the XL’s 6-inch screen there are some differences to be made aware of. On the Pixel, the screen features 441ppi (pixels per inch) while the XL 2 has 538 PPI. Thus meaning the resolution of the two phones is quite different.

At only 1080p the smaller Pixel has a lot less when you compare it the QHD+ display which is inside the Pixel 2 XL. If you do use your phone for watching a lot of movies, playing a lot of games or heading into the Daydream View 2017 the clarity will make a big difference in the XL’s better display.

Always on displays are becoming more and more popular with them surfacing on Samsung phones, Oneplus and now Google devices. It will be available by default and will show you the date, time and any notifications on the screen when it is “off”. To conserve energy, always on displays only show black and white pixels, rather than entire colours. One thing that was missing was the battery level, something that appears on other phones with Always On, it was not something I could find an option for in the Pixel 2 XL settings.

You can also turn on Google’s latest feature, the Now Playing mode which will listen to music that is on nearby and tell you the song without needing to use an app or boot up Google Assistant. Google has mentioned this feature does work offline, not needing to ask the servers for information. Of course, this does mean that it won’t pick up the more obscure songs but for most the hits and recent music, it seemed to work quite well. Not a make or break but a very nice feature that compliments on the always-on feature.

Android Oreo and Usability

Google running on Android means that you’ll get a pretty consistent experience that you are already use to if you’re moving over from a Samsung or HTC device. The biggest difference is the purity of Android of the Pixel 2. Unlike other devices which have their own home launcher running changing the device slightly, Google owning the base OS have produce something that feels much cleaner, no bloatware in sight.

There’s also some special touches to the device which only Google probably have the opportunity to be able to offer into the operating system. From a base install you’ll get the Google launchers which is at the bottom of the phone and the time/calender towards the top of the screen. Unlike other Android devices though, this screen implementation is fixed, not being able to move them. To be honest, most phones probably have this layout optionally as it makes sense, so it won’t be something to worry about.

Using the device is not too different from other Android phones but jumping into it does have a couple different ways. You’ll be able to tap or lift the phone up to jump to the homescreen, as well as placing your finger on the sensor located on the back of the device. As the Google Assistant is heavily intertwined in the system, you can squeeze the sides and ask for whatever app you’re looking for.

Even when off you can dive in quickly, Google have a pretty fast boot taking about 8-10 seconds, light years ahead of a lot of other phones running the same OS. Android Oreo is really starting to take shape adding additional features that greatly improve the day to day use.

Within Oreo, are the notification bubbles which when an app supports it allowing you to be notified individually by the app icon itself. Tap and holding the icon will bring up a small menu showing you the recently received emails or notifications from Facebook. Other options in some applications are also available like being able to compare emails straight from the icon.

The Pixel 2 XL is also one of the first devices to support Project Treble which is an easier way to receive updates to the Android OS. It basically separates the vendor related code from the Android OS, meaning that updates can be applied to directly to the OS code without affecting the vendor code. Something the modding community are also looking forward to for custom rom improvements.

When it comes to media, apps and games the Google Pixel 2 XL is hands down one of the best phones I’ve ever used. While it does not have the 3.5mm jack if you listen to a lot of music or moves, the improved internal sound from two speakers, bigger screen and higher storage are an easy trade-off for an outdated port. Plus, there’s still an adapter thrown in if you want to use it.

If you want to go wireless, Bluetooth 5.0 and the may wireless codecs which are inside the phone make it an easy experience. If you use the “made for Google” headphones it will be even easier and really, really quick. Sony’s LDAC codec is supported and Qualcomm aptX HD plus others. This allows a wide selection of wireless headphones to choose from all supported out the box by the Pixel 2 XL.

Watching movies and tv shows is really nice in the 18:9 aspect ratio format, Google’s own apps such as YouTube support the bigger ratio but some applications are still only supports 16:9 which means not all the devices pixels will be in use. Gesture controls have been included though in apps like YouTube as as well as support for the wider screen size in Netflix.

The little nuances of the software is what I liked the most, asking OK Google to navigate somewhere while I was driving and then asking it another question put the Maps in PiP mode. It was then able to reply to a text message and then swap back into Google Maps all without closing the navigation and seamlessly switching screens.

The same is said for games with a lot of recent titles supporting the bigger aspect ratio but older games or ones less frequently updated will cut a bit of the screen off while in 16:9 viewing mode. Playing games though is an absolute pleasure, with everything regardless of the screen size quick to respond and very smooth. Fallout Shelter, Runestone Keeper and many more games which will be detailed later on were played.

It’s a shame though that with the great screen, powerful insides for games and movies that the storage space is static. Google would have been kind to include a microSD card slot to match with companies like Samsung with the S8 and other devices some from HTC and Oneplus. It should not be any major issues though, with the space doubling with the smallest option now being 64GB up from 32GB from the original Pixel.

Performance and Specs

The Pixel 2 XL features a Snapdragon 835 chip with 4GB of ram, the same internals that you’ll find in the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Oneplus 5. This makes sense considering all phones usually opt for the Snapdragon chipsets at the higher end.

What this usually means is a very quick and responsive phone which for more tasks is as quick as you need it to be day to day. It also makes multitasking through apps easier as more background processes can be run without slowing the phone down and downloading tasks for additional content in games.

Performance on a whole could be measure as basic as how quickly it boots, and as we mentioned it is probably the fastest phone to boot from being off than any other device. This is something which might change as Google continues to send updates to the device but the spec will help keep this speed going.

With Geekbench, the Pixel 2 XL managed to get a score above 6,000 with 6,346 for the multicore and a score of 1889 for the single core score. With 3DMark using Slingshot Extreme it scored a decent 3641 with even 3DMark commenting “Good News! This is one of the most powerful devices around and everything seems to be working normally”. This is similar to the S8 which has a little bit more RAM with the full 6GB. These numbers make it pretty clear that it will be a solid phone in terms of performance and one which should last you until your next upgrade.

Camera and Battery

The Camera of the Pixel 2 XL is probably one of its best features and one that stands above a lot of the competition even though it is a single lens. With the iPhone 8 Plus, Note 8 and Oneplus 5 all offering dual camera, you’d think Google would have followed suit.

Even though you’d consider if foolish, it was clearly the right decision not to just follow the market and go with two lenses because it works amazingly. The 12.2 MP camera on the back supports an aperture of F/1.8 which is a bit better than the previous model. What this means for users though is more light will be able to enter the lens for low light scenes improving the quality slightly.

On the front, we have an 8MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture, meaning a little less light will reach the camera but there will be the more detailed depth of field which is probably what you want from a selfie camera.

Using the phone for a few weeks, the pictures always seemed to be exactly what you’d want. They are colour accurate, not too saturated and in focus even when using the quick-snap action by double pressing the power button when the screen is off.

Google has also introduced live photos into the gallery, similar to Apple, Motion will snap a second of footage which will give you the brief element of life to each photo you take. It’s a small gimmick which can add some context to your photos but nothing more. You can choose to turn the option of when taking pictures, thus saving space and also producing slightly faster image capturing.

The main aspects of the camera though are solid, producing nice images for scenery, animals and anything else you have in mind. The portrait mode offers decent shoots by combining a regular photo with one that has a Bokeh filter applied to it. What happens is Google decides what to add the blur to within the photo giving the main subject more detail by blurring out the background usually.

Letting Google decide on the area was sometimes a little off, but usually, it was pretty accurate and worked well in a variety of different light levels. You can see the differences in when and where the areas of the image were applied to the bokeh filter in the gallery below.

Other options included the panorama mode which allows you to take wider shots by stitching together multiple photos. This worked well as it uses dots to focus your connecting images together. The stitching does take some time if you have quite a few taken until it has finished running in the background the image will look a little strange. It only took about 3-4 seconds though for about 10 images together. The final result it a well-crafted landscape shot with decent seams blended together.

Another one of the Pixel 2 XL’s photo modes is the photosphere, enabling you to take fully 3D surrounded images which are supported by the likes of Facebook and other sites. This is a simple process similar to the panorama mode, standing in one central place connecting photos by pointing the camera at arguments dots. Some environments work better than others, outdoor landscapes stitch together a lot better than complex interiors but the software does a decent job of tackling all layouts. Regardless of the kind of photos you take, you’ll never have to worry about space as Google is offering Pixel 2 owners unlimited cloud storage for full resolution photos until 2021.

Video is another standing ovation for the Pixel 2 XL but does not offer 4K 60fps recording like the iPhone X. 60 frames a second aside though, it does have produce 4K at 30FPS as the result is still worth checking out if you take a lot of videos and don’t want to spend the £1000 iPhone price tag.

Content is balanced, well coloured and I found the recording to be as responsive as the phone’s image taking ability. You can just jump into the camera mode and swap over to video in a blink of an eye, not waiting, not lag and giving you more opportunity to capture those spontaneous moments.

The last big thing surrounding the camera on the Pixel 2 XL is the Google Lens which intends to add an additional layer of intelligence. The main concept is to be able to point your camera at something and Google will search the web for more info or translate the text. It has also been shown in demos working in a live scenario but currently, the real world use is only on photos after it was taken. They have recently, however, released an update to Google Assistant adding more functionality for Google Lens with actions.

Battery Life

Inside the Google Pixel 2 XL is a 3520mAh battery which is pretty decent and is bigger in comparison than the Galaxy S8 but smaller than the Honor 8 Pro which has a 4,000 mAh battery. Even still, the battery inside does offer more than enough juice to get you through an entire day.

During the time testing the XL, it was easily able to last over a day’s use with general use without any heavy gaming or video watching. There was a time it lasted a full day on just 50% of its battery when it was not change the night before, something that is quite commendable with regular Facebook checking thrown in during the day. Even with the Always on Display, the battery drain is minimal probably about 4-5% over a working day.

If you like to game on your phone or are a heavy social media user, the XL you should still be able to gain a full day of use. Android Oreo also has some built-in features to help stop apps taking up the unnecessary battery in the background.

How much of a benefit this background task is hard to measure, as it works behind the scenes you can only assume it is doing the job. It will display a notification for you if an app is running in the background, clicking on it allows you to force stop any service you believe should not be running. Other times, it is implied that the phone is looking for your best interest in conserving power, unlike the Samsung smartphones which like to tell you what they are doing.

It’s a shame the Google Pixel 2 or XL is not compatible for wireless charging, it does support the quick charge capabilities, so to continue to stand up to the competition QI standard wireless charging would have made the phone even stronger. There’s probably a technical reason that it could not be incorporated at this time but we hope they can get something in for their next iteration of devices.

Verdict

Google has made a solid phone and if you have the £799 to pay for the 64GB version for the Pixel 2 XL it’s easily one of the best smartphones of 2017. With a nice design, high-density display and the decent internals, it’s hard not to like the phone.

If you are looking for a powerhouse phone though, there are stronger phones out there which are slightly thinner with less bezel, something Google should have worked hard to compare with their competition. That being said though, that slimmer look does come with a heftier price tag with the iPhone X, for example, going to set you back £1000. If you opt for the 128GB XL though you will be coming very close to that price point which makes it a harder phone to select over others in the same price point.

If you are a photo person though, hands down the Pixel 2 XL is probably the best Android phone you can currently buy for camera use. The software automatically works well and is easy to use with a constant stream of updates hitting the Pixel phones before anywhere else.

The 2K screen is also great for those who like to watch video content on the go and the extra wide display is great for apps that support it. Unfortunately, the aspect ratio is different to a lot of other phones meaning currently not everything will use the full width of the device. A lot of games have this problem as mentioned before but Netflix and YouTube are good for starters.

It might not be the sleekest phone out there or the most powerful with the spec on paper but those phones only have a very small lead on the Pixel 2 XL. Some people might have those issues as complete turn-offs or they might already pledge allegiance to Apple or Samsung, it could be as simple as the lack of 3.5mm headphone jack, wireless charging or removable storage.

Those small differences aside though, the Google Pixel 2 XL is still in a strong standing against the others. Camera wise, there is hardly any others that can match the specs or the end result which is what matters most and the software is phenomenal. You won’t find any slowdown, everything works flawlessly and is quick to react to your commands. You’ll also get the benefit of getting the makers of Android send you updates before any other phone.

Google has created a brilliant meld of hardware and software and it’s crazy to think this is only their second iteration of the mobile device. The others have been in the game for much longer being able to tweak and adapts from their shortcomings. Google has only just begun and is making waves very quickly in the mobile space, especially with Google Lens and the Assistant.

The Google Pixel 2 XL is an unbelievably easy choice to opt for if you don’t hold any pre-existing favour to the other companies. It has everything you need from a phone and is still cheaper at the base level than the other flagship devices. You do have to be careful though if you opt for the bigger storage version. Yes it does have it’s small missing bits but as phones go, it is solid and I look forward to seeing what Google can do with the Pixel 2 and the OS.