Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: One Cool Thing By PCMag

Hello and welcome to one cool thing: PC Mag, Daily Show, on Facebook, where we talk to you about one cool thing now to cool things: oh there's, two cool things, there are two cool things: we have to change your name, it's to cool things. Alright, let's get some new artwork here and again get ready to talk about the pixel ? and the pixel ? exile. See it's two things: it's not this one: okay, I'm Tom brand. This is Sasha Began and yes, indeed, we do have two cool things. Today, yeah and of course we are taking your comments and questions so compete is back. I would not say he is in black he's actually in a variety of shades of blue yeah, but he is there to take your comments and questions about what I have to say is has possibly been the most divisive phone of the year.

The pixel 2 XL really wise. Yes, so we have rated the pixel 2 XL that this larger phone here, our editor's choice for having a lot of great features, really elegant, pure Google software. It's going to get updates for three years. It'll get Android kin, was it'll get Android peanut butter, it'll get L?vi-Strauss yeah, it may get Android Reese's yeah, you know, I can keep on making up these Android names, but the great Google software dual front-facing speakers very little bezel, the best camera on any smartphone today, eternal battery life, okay, but the color balance of the screen has resulted in debates among phone reviewers on the internet that have just gone out of control. Why do you care about the color balance of the screen? Because some people really hate it? Oh okay, yeah yeah, so, okay, so you want.

Should we try to show that off? Yeah, first thing: let's, let's talk about here we have the six hundred and forty-nine dollar pixel ? made by HTC, and the eight hundred and forty-nine dollar pixel ? Excel made by LG. Google won't tell you that, but we happen to know right made by different companies, and the first thing you see, of course, is that the HTC phone has these gigantic bezels around its 5-inch 1080p screen and now Google says this is to enable the dual front-facing speakers. But, of course, the LG phone, with its 28 80 by 1440 6-inch screen, does not have giant bezels and still has even more powerful dual front-facing speakers. So there's that, but of course what you can probably see on these screens right now and just making sure there's no no sensitive information here is that the ATC screen is balanced, much more yellow and the LG screen is balanced, much more blue and this becomes much more dramatic. When you look at the LG screen from an angle now, can we try yeah? Let's try to do that here, yeah yeah from an angle.

Basically, it is very noticeable if you have two of them side by side right, alright, what's the max speed for the connections on these, so these are both LTE category 15 phones with a maximum speed of 800 megabits, a second, and it's interesting because they have all the hardware needed for gigabit LTE on three of the four major networks: everyone but Sprint. They work on Sprint, just not their maximum speed and, however, Google just shows in firmware not to enable full gigabit speeds, which is interesting, and maybe they could upgrade it in the future. But in any case the most important thing is that you have in here a feature called 4x4 MIMO, and this uses four separate antennas in each phone to deliver. What we've found is better signal, strength and better performance, especially in weak signal areas and the Galaxy S8. Has this the motor z2? Has this the iPhones do not have it? Ok, yeah, so yeah 800 megabits a second, but we think that in real life it is going to perform very well because it has all the key hardware obviously depends on the carrier, the signal strength of the network, but in general this yeah among the fastest yeah ones, you're going to get, and so we were, as we were saying, this is 649 for the small one.

How much is the big picks locks out? Pixel 2x one is 8:49. Now they both have 64 and 128 gig storage versions, there's no expandable storage as usual on Nexus and pixel phones, no SD card slot, no SD card slot, there's also, let's note no headphone jack right and in the case of the smaller one there is really no physical excuse for that. In case of the larger one, you can see the argument that the front-facing speakers are basically where the headphone jack would go. So they made that choice but yeah you are going to have to use USB, C, headphones or Bluetooth headphones or a dongle like you do on. You know, on the iPhones, with their lightning headphones or on Motorola's or on other non Jacky phones.

Yeah, now you said battery life is perfect. Yeah, good! Are we talking yeah the battery life on these things? This is one of the reasons they went at. Our choice is extraordinary. We were talking, you know, we're in the 8 to 9 hour range of use on maximum brightness with the small one who the 9 to 10 hour range have used some maximum brightness with the large one, but also pixel phones, because the efficiency of Google software tend not to leak a lot of battery and standby right. So you see that under heavy use they match Samsung battery life, which is excellent under heavy use, but on standby they exceed Samsung battery life because Google software is so efficient and that yeah there's no skin.

On top of the Android thing, that's bogging down the software yeah. No there are no problems, no process, there's no extra voice, assistant -. You know there's, and we'll get to the assistant thing in a minute but looks like we have another question: can you just clarify which carriers you can get this on? So the pixels work on all four major US carriers? They work best on non sprint carriers, although they do work on Sprint, you buy them from the Google store. Online Verizon is selling a slightly inferior version of the pixel in their own stores. How is it inferior because it has dumb Verizon bloatware on it, and also the bootloader is locked? Okay, so don't buy a so buy it from buy, unlocked from Google right then take it to Verizon right.

It's perfect, it's a great phone for Verizon, but you should buy the version from the Google store and then use that with your Verizon account, and then you won't have. Then you won't be stuck with preloaded NFL mobile for the rest of your life. Let's go for another question: we've got someone asking what storage size you recommend. Do you think long term? You need 128 I, think the 64 is fine. Yeah, I mean unless you're, unless you're, I mean, but also because these phones include unlimited google photos, storage, mm-hmm, you will be offloading your photos and videos to Google photos.

I mean you really want to embrace the Google ecosystem on these phones yeah, and it depends on how many apps you have if you, if you, if you're someone that who downloads an app and then use it once maybe forgets about it. Never you know removes it from your phone. You're going to need more storage, but if you kind of manage that you're going to be able to make do with less, but in any case that's still. A lot of I find that the largest consumer of storage on my phone is the videos I record right and because we have the unlimited cloud storage here, you're going to be periodically offloading your videos to Google photos. Are you going to be doing that or isn't doing that automatically it automatically uploads them? You have to proactively hit one option in Google photos to then delete them from your phone uh-huh.

So it's not gonna secretly delete stuff from your phone, because that would be nasty yeah, but yes, so I think the 64 is fine. Okay, let's go on a question. How long will Google Drive for photos be free? How long is that whole I'm, not sure, but I think that's online. Let me check that. Let me check that answer there actually yeah.

So, while he's checking that there are actually a multitude of different free photo, well-put free in quotes free photo storage options for mobile for smartphones. Amazon has their own version. Amazon drives your if you're a Prime customer, you can actually upload on the nude photos and videos, and- and- and you know it's similar where you really do you have to manage the storage on your phone yeah. It does not do that. The answer is through the end of 2020, unlimited Google Drive.

You get your unlimited Google Drive uploads through the end of 2020, if you buy, if you whip these phones- yes, yes, another question: how different are the displays? The displays are different in a lot of ways. In some ways, this display is better. In some ways. This display is better, and I shall explain so the color balance is quite different. A lot of people are more liking.

The HTC's color balance. You will get used to the LG's color balance. It's not a. There are some reviewers out there who are saying that this is a deal breaking flaw. No, it's just a different color balance.

If, for some reason you buy the pixel 2 and the pixel 2xl and use them side-by-side as you way down the street right, but if it's your only phone, you know it's not gonna. It's not really going to bother you now. That said this, if you intend to use Google's daydream headset for the right yeah, their virtual reality, headset, the smaller pixel has a 440 PPI screen. The data, bigger pixel has a 539 PPI screen, and it turns out that the smaller phone looks extremely pixelated in the headset, even more so thank you, we've I mean we've seen some early VR headsets that are very pixelated even more well, no, no, not not considerably more so than this one. Okay, if you're going, if you intend to use VR at all, you basically have to get this one or the pixels in the visible pixels in VR on the smaller one, become really annoying fast.

So yeah differences between these does that's quite distracting. When you're doing you know where you're moving around yeah and there's more there's, there's not a huge difference in brightness. It is very much about the color balance. Neither of them is an overwhelmingly bright screen. If you want the brightest screen available, you have to get a Samsung Galaxy Note 8, so we need to talk about the camera because that's a huge part of it.

Yeah. Let's take another question before we do that. Yes, it was actually asking about the resolution on the camera mm-hmm, so the pixels have a 12 point, two megapixel main camera. That is the best megapixel right now. It's seen it seems that any resolution, above that on a camera phone size sensor, is not getting you additional image quality nowadays, okay, so they picked the sweet spot at 12 point 2 megapixels, and what really makes this camera stand apart is its spectacular low-light capability.

Now it doesn't have dual cameras, so you don't get the 2x zoom or the wide angle that you may get on some other high-end phones, but in low-light these cameras turn out better images than any other phone we've been able to test, comparing it against a Galaxy, s8 and no date, which are the other best cameras on the market. We saw that this camera, especially on the XL, which gets held a little more stable, because it's a larger phone. This camera, especially on the XL, has slightly higher virtual shutter speeds in low-light, which reduces blur, and also it's better able to judge color balance under a range of weird low lighting conditions, creating more realistic that are looking at matches, and this is all in the software, the image processing software, that's with the phone. So that's really a software innovation, yeah I'm, pretty sure that this is roughly the same sensor as Samsung has, but what we have is Google's image. Processing software is just spectacular, and it's going to get better.

They have a chip that they are turning on in the phone in the next couple of weeks, which is supposed to further enhance HDR capabilities. An HDR is already pretty good on this phone, and it's going to be great. Now, whatever HDR, though that's actually just for HDR photos that increases the contrast between the colors now, but before we move on to another question: are the cameras the same? The cameras are functionally. The same. I saw very slight differences in low-light capability, while testing the two cameras that I may be able to chalk up merely to the fact that bigger heavier phone, wobbles less in your hand, in low-light conditions, yeah I mean that's important, because low light means that you really need to be stabilized exactly exactly exactly so that yeah, but the cameras, the cameras are, you know similar enough not to matter right.

So if cameras are important to you, which they are for a smartphone buyer, you're fine with really either one yeah and the front-facing camera is also very good. You know it's its not, as you know, crazily stand out, but one thing to note is that by default, the front-facing camera here gives more textured realistic pictures, whereas Samsung and LG cameras- and this is actually a Korean manufacturer cultural bias- they tend to smooth out your face. Korean manufacturers love to use love to default, to beauty filters that can be actually pretty hard to turn off. But this gives you a more realistic- and you know in my case, in my case it's a craggy or wrinkly or look, but at least it's if those crags and wrinkles I have earned them people I've, earned them by the pixel too and be honest here. So exactly, exactly, let's take another question overall, would you recommend the pixels to excel over the new date, um the pixel to excel versus the note 8 I? Think the think the question.

The question really comes down to whether or not you will use the stylus. Ok, the node 8 has the stylus. The stylus is great. The stylus is an issue. Mm-Hmm I love the stylus.

If you think you will use the stylus, the no tape is your superior phone and I. Think really, the only high-end yeah the pixel to Excel is getting our overall editor's choice. It's a little less expensive. It has that elegant, Google software. Furthermore, it has a slightly better camera, so for most people, I think the pixel to Excel will please them a little more yeah.

That makes sense. Yeah, I think that, ultimately, a stylus is something that is entirely a matter of preference. There is nothing that you can say that this is the best note.8 has a lot of other little features that people will like. Okay, its screen is brighter. It has that my pro SD card, which a lot of people like if you have tons of storage I, don't live in cloud than you.

Absolutely. It has a headphone jack yeah. So there's a lot of reasons to get a no date, okay, but the. But we just think that the Google software and the slightly higher quality of the camera just overbalance it a little. But these are these, are you know very, very narrow, different differences here and we're going to see people accusing both of these phones and being extremely happy with them, yeah, yeah and and and in general, though I mean, like the camera, is going to be used, probably more often than silence from the majority of people yeah yeah.

But that said, the difference between the mean the difference between the pixel XL camera and the node 8. Camera is a very slight, so these are you know it's a situation where these phones are basically tied in terms of morality. Sure now the other cool thing about the some software on this it has the Google Assistant, which you can talk to ask Count calendar questions. You know, use third-party integrations when we were when we, when you were testing this phone a couple of days ago. It actually responded to you from across the studio.

So it turns out that that was a bug based on the fact that these phones have a weird test account loaded on them. Okay and the phones will not the phones will properly sync up if they all have the same Google Account on right, but basically the voice recognition. You know the short thing is the voice. Recognition is very good. Yes, you can put it across yeah.

You do and another advantage once again, software wise that these have over. Something like the note 8 is that the note aid has that obnoxious button on the side which long exhibition about Samsung's assistant that no one ever wants to use, and you can turn it off, but you can't, we can start off the button yeah, but then you just have a dead button right, whereas these you squeeze them and oh this one's locked. But here you see this here, you squeeze them, and you get Google Assistant, the voice assistant that you actually do want to use and that works for both yeah that works for both that works for, but what other phones have the squeezing feature I seem to remember there another just the HTC, you 11, it's an HPC proprietary feature: yeah, oh okay, yeah! Let's, let's take in our question: what's the radiate and what a perforating mean? Does it protect only against terrain? Or can you submerge it yeah? These guys are. These guys are ip67. The difference between 67 and 68 seems to be basically only in lab tests.

It has to do with how deep, in theory it can be submerged into water and, for you know, 30 minutes versus a longer period of time. But ultimately you know yes, so you can. You can drop these in the pool and fish them out. You can drop them in the sink and fish them out right. That's the thing toilet may be right, right, yeah I mean, and the thing is to as many phones now have this IP 67 or 68 rating, and so that's not necessarily an advantage to the Google Pixel, but it certainly will save your.

You know make your life a lot less miserable. If you do happen to drop it right, like I, don't see people soaking their phones in water for an hour at a time at the depth of 6 feet like at that point, your phone is basically lost right, you're, not getting that phone back yeah, so ip67, ip68 I, don't really think our functional differences that people run into the point is you don't have to worry about getting it wet? Let's talk about cases. Would you use either? One of these, with a case I mean this. The screen on the pixel 2 XL does extend kind of to the end mm-hmm. There will be cases for this.

I mean I, suggest a case. I suggest a case on any phone yeah, but the now the matte back is really nice by. Yes, we got to get back yeah fingerprint reader, yes, so the fingerprint reader is in a better position than on Samsung phones, and this is one of those things where you know. People are outraged about the Google about the pixels color balance, but they were equally outraged about the location of the fingerprint reader on Samsung phones. Hmm, where is oh, it's right.

Next to the camera lens. Oh yes, yeah! So you're going to get a bunch of fingerprints on your lab. That's what people are afraid of. If that is your greatest fear, then this fingerprint reader will please you much more, but I also like how this phone has a nice Matt back. It feels warm.

It feels drippy you're not about to you're, not about to drop it or lose it. This is a is a matte aluminum! That's happening here. Let's take another question: how good are the front-facing speakers, the front-facing speakers, actually they're different on the two phones on the bigger phone? They are fuller and rounder. They're, quite good on the bigger phone on the smaller phone I found them to be kind of harsh okay. Let me see if I can fire them up here? Let's, let's let me get up some.

Let me get up some google music, while he's doing that. The difference really is the fact that these they managed on the pixel to exile, to put the speaker's at the very edges yeah and presumably because it is a bigger form factor. They are able to fit better component, better speaker components in there. Yeah, I can't hang on the Google music is not working, but I am going to talk to the Google, assist no no I'm going to get a song up on I'm going to get a song up on YouTube, which will do it here we go here. We go there's a song on YouTube through the front-facing speakers.

Okay, video will play after add you and that's one of the here we go here. We go, so you see it's a little tinny, but if I play the same song on, if I play the same song on this guy here, we can't do. We know which we can do. Furthermore, we can do um. Actually, no, we need to get unlocks.

Let's have some someone off. The screen is going to unlock this phone now YouTube app, okay, call it the YouTube, app, okay, and I'll. Show you the difference with the front-facing speakers with this one, it's interesting, because what I typically do when I'm listening to audio from my iPhone, which is not often is I actually sometimes cup it so that the sound bounces off my hand, because I'm alone 6s at least the one I have has some bottom speaker mm-hmm. That's not something you're really going to do with this, though, because you'd have to your know, but you want to face towards you and that actually makes it a lot better for things like conference calls. You know that's that sort of stuff right yeah we got, we got our tube.

We got a tube great, our tube, no, no, no, no! No! No, that is not the song. I wanted to be to have a duh hang on I'm getting uh getting a different song up, getting the same song. I was playing earlier; okay, oh yes, distinctly better, not just more volume but just more harmonics, a rounder sound you a little of a suggestion, a bass, there's no actual bass, but at least there's the idea that face might exist. Sure yeah, so you can have great conference calls, or you can annoy people on the bus or the train. Pretty much this pretty much.

We have another question. Someone wanted you to comment on the lack of SIM card in here, because it's what built in? No, it has a sim card. Okay. So this is a confusing. This is a confusing thing that a lot of people have misunderstood.

There was some coverage out there over an over an e sim that is in this phone to connect it to Google Phi, which was that is a wireless carrier right. That is true. If you do not, if you are connecting to Google Phi, you do not need to add SIM card. The connection is built in within the electronic Google v sim. However, if you want to connect it to any other carrier, you add a SIM card, just like any other phone, and there actually is.

Here's yep, and I've been switching around SIM cards. I've run both of these phones on both Verizon and T-Mobile. So, except for that relatively small number of people who are using Google Phi, this operates as a standard SIM card phone like any other phone. It's not it's not a magic e SIM phone which switches carriers and software. If you want to go so basically, you have to go all Google for both your service and your phone order to in order to take advantage of that e same thing, and really the only benefit is that Google Fire doesn't have to send you a SIM card right, yeah yeah.

Do you notice any glow issues with the screens? I, don't know what that means, the screens glow they're glowy yeah. We actually have them at maximum brightness. Right now they they radiate light. That is what screens do so. You know to have I watch glamorous, ladies of wrestling, not, not on these screens, particularly that we know of I've, if you want to, if you want to clarify what that means in the content in like in the comments that would be great but I the fact that I can't figure out what your question means that I probably have not run into what your problem is.

We can't say this about the screens, though they do not seem to have a huge effect on the remarkable battery life of the phone. I mean yeah, that's a great thing about OLED, that's a great thing about OLED screens are generally pretty, pretty powerful, I. Think I think we have to wrap myself back I'll go with questions great. So yes, this is the Google Pixel 2 and the Google Pixel 2 XL 649 8 49ers choice right here. That is choice right here on the big one.

That's a monkey on the little one. If you want to spend less on a phone wait for the next thing, OnePlus is coming out with I hear it's coming out soon, but the reviews are up on PC Mag calm, please enjoy, and we will see you. We will see you tomorrow. Yes, yet another one I completely forgot what day of the week it was that happens to me at least once a month on this show, we will see you tomorrow, 10:00 a. m.

Eastern for another one cool thing: thanks very much bye, bye,.

Source : PCMag