Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL Review By PhoneArena

Say hello to the new pixel, ? and pixel to excel this year, Google's back with another pair of pixel phones combining unique hardware design with a pure Android software experience for the second gen models. Google's mixing things up a little getting us. Both a standard shaped 5-inch phone and an ultra-wide screen.6-Inch option are all the changes as you're successful. Maybe more importantly, can we expect another effortlessly, powerful camera experience? I'm Steven check with phone arena here to answer those questions as I review, the pixel 2 and pixel 2 XL Google's been selling Android smartphones for years now, but in 2016 it took its Hardware approach back to the drawing board, as a long-standing Nexus line saw itself replaced by a pair of new pixel branded phones, both first gen pixel models were eye-catching handsets featuring unusual two-tone, glass and metal finishes in general. They were very well-received handsets and once special acclaim for the relatively low-key, yet exceptionally versatile cameras, while they also suffered from some early glitches Google's reliable software support stepped up to fix what it could for remand to Google's, not straying too far from its initial formula, while there's clearly a lot of modernization taking place, these new handsets are still unmistakably pixels. The glass on the back has been toned down a little, but it's still quite prominent, and while the bodies here are once again craft out of aluminum, this feels nothing like the original pixel phones.

The surface is treated sucks if it hasn't almost plastic or ceramic like matte. Texture, both handsets are nearly the same thickness, but the XL is understandably taller and wider. It's also got a different cross-section thanks to the curved edges of its screen glass, while the smaller pixel too, is flat. Faced thanks to the combination of the narrower width and broader edge, the smaller phone has a slightly more comfortable in hand feel than the XL. By now, it feels like waterproofing for smartphones is the rule rather than the exception, and while the original pixels weren't waterproof, the pixel twos, come through with ip67 protection, that's not quite as robust as the many ip68 phones we've run into, but it's an appreciated upgrade for the pixel.

All the same, once again, Google looks to OLED screens for the pixels displays a 5-inch 1080 by 1920 AMOLED panel on the pixel ? and a curved corner 6 inch 1440 by 28 80 P LED screen on the pixel to excel, while the smaller screen feels quite familiar. The Excel is among the handful of phones this year. Introducing us to extra wide 18 by 9 aspect. Ratio displays really. This feels a lot like the screen on the lg v30, which shouldn't be a shock considering LG as Google's manufacturer behind the pixel to excel, and though it's certainly big and wide.

Here we don't get quite the same kind of edge to edge coverage. We see on the V 30 or on Samsung's widescreen Galaxy phones. Neither display is particularly bright, they're passable in sunlight, but almost every other flagship we've used in a recent memory is brighter and while there is a vivid color mode for that, OLED pop in standard mode, colors here are a little muted, especially on the red end of the spectrum. At least those OLED panels allow for a low-power ambient display mode to remind you of the time and display recent notifications. Google uses a Snapdragon 835 to power, both pixel twos, the same chip we've seen at the heart of the vast majority of 2017 heavyweights.

That's paired with four gigs of RAM, which proves to be plenty suitable here. Performance is strong on both handsets, but the smaller pixel two scores slightly higher frame rates in some tests, presumably due to its lower res display, you can pick up a pixel, 2 or pixel 2 XL, with either 64 gigabytes of internal storage or 128 gigs for an extra $100 just be warned. That's all the space you're going to get as Google sticks with its antimicrobial surface year's handsets no room to grow as Google phones, the pixel to run pure Android and, of course, the latest most feature-rich version, Android 8 Oreo. While a lot of the changes are behind the scenes, you will notice some tweaks to settings options as well, expand a notification support with new dots of highlight the apps trying to communicate with you Google's, always given users, plenty of ways to access its voice assistant and, in addition to saying, OK, Google or long pressing, the home button with the pixel two phones. You can now call up the Google Assistant by squeezing the phone sides just like on the HTC u11 Google calls this active edge.

Well, we didn't love it on the U 11, it's even less useful. Now, because all it does is trigger the assistant. There's no option to customize it to launch the app of your choice. Well, that may be a miss. A much more successful new feature is the arrival of front-facing stereo speakers on both phones, the pixel twos sound a little brighter than those on the XL and are also slightly louder, but they're.

Both pretty well done just remember that the volume rocker is below the power button here, so you're not accidentally turning the phone off. When you mean to be cranking, the volume perhaps part of the same HTC influence that gave us active edge that pixel two phones do away with their headphone jacks in favor of USB type-c audio output, the phone's come with an adapter for use with analog headphones, but don't arrive with USB headsets of their own. The sort of move is always going to be controversial, and it's not helped here by a glitchy implementation. We had issues getting the phones to recognize their adapters, sometimes and even had adapters get too hot to comfortably touch. We're hoping that software updates might be able to right the situation, because it's a black mark of some otherwise well-done phones.

In that same light, you ran into some glitches with the voice calls the function. We don't often think much about since smartphones tend to so effortlessly excel at it, but just like with the iPhone 8, we had an issue with the pixel to where we heard a repeating clicking noise while calling people it didn't pop up in the Excel. Just the smaller pixel too, and we've got our fingers crossed that a software patch is in the works. These two phones have very different battery capacities, 2,700 William hours on the pixel two and 3524 the pixel to excel, but thanks to the larger higher res screen. In the latter, we found battery life to actually be quite similar, with a smaller pixel to getting about eight and a half hours of screen on time, while the larger Excel came in a little under 9 recharging times are decent for both phones, though understandably longer with the XL.

But if you don't need a full charge, we've found that even the Excel could hit ninety percent battery capacity after being plugged in for under an hour that, by the way, is the only way to refuel the pixel. Two phones with no support for wireless charging present we've been saving the best for last and the cameras in the pixel to absolutely do not disappoint the single 12.2 megapixel main camera doesn't sound like much in a world of dual camera systems, but it very much delivers this year. Google upgrades the hardware with optical stabilization, but the real magic is once again in its image. Processing where auto HDR plus support turns good pics into great ones. We also get a new portrait mode, even without a second camera for depth sensing.

Instead, google taps into dual pixel autofocus tech to find the background and then blur it out for a bouquet effect. The results can be alright, but don't be surprised if you see the phone miss the edges by a little and give you a two sharp order. Your subject, still it's a solid effort, maybe more impressively. You can do the same thing with the 8 megapixel selfie cam, even without dual pixel autofocus hardware. Instead, Google does it all in software using face detection to isolate your subject from the background video recording works about, as well as still photography supporting resolutions up to 4k, Ultra HD and even allowing you to electronically stabilize video at full resolution.

Changes to focus and exposure occur automatically during filming with no problem at all, and the only thing we're missing is any kind of 18 by 9 filming mode to take advantage of the pixel to excels super widescreen display during playback. It's little things like that that make the Excel screen feel less like an integral part of the experience. Google is trying to sell and more like the company. Just didn't want to feel left out of this new trend. Both pixel 2 handsets are largely well done.

Successful phones, they're both powerful attractively constructed and once again deliver an amazing camera. Experience extras like waterproofing are nice, but some like active eggs feel a little gimmicky and while opinions will differ, the absence of smartphone staples like a headphone, jack or micros support may push some shoppers towards more full-featured alternatives of the two phones. The smaller pixel 2 seems slightly more successful, being more comfortable to carry and use while delivering the very same functionality as the larger XL and costing $200 less starting it. Just 650 multi XL is also a very good phone you're, paying a big premium for that ultra widescreen display a feature we've seen done better on some other handsets. Ultimately, though, this all comes down to personal preference and if you do have the cash and prefer a larger screen, the exhales not going to do you're wrong.

Maybe most importantly, both pixel twos feel like very worthy successors to the pixel name, I'm Steven shank, with phone arena, thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe for lots more smartphone coverage coming your way soon. You.

Source : PhoneArena