Google Pixel XL in 2019: Still So Good By Alex Hong

Hey there, Alex here. It’s no secret that I love the original Google Pixel. It’s a phone that I’ve kept around with me for the longest period of time. Partly because of that clean software experience, but mostly because I want that free unlimited original resolution upload to Google Photos. For me, I use it to share camera samples from the phones that I’m reviewing, and the best part is, unlike the newer Pixels, there’s no expiry date here. And while that’s the main reason that I’ve kept it around, I’ve also been using it as my secondary phone most of the time.

Running apps, playing some games, and sometimes I even use it as my main phone. I wasn’t actually planning on doing another video about this phone, but the other day while I was out testing the camera of the Galaxy S10e, I had my Pixel XL with me, and I thought I would just take a couple of shots with the Pixel just for fun. You know, just to see how far we’ve come over the years. That’s when I realised how far ahead of the curve Google is when it comes to computational photography, and it made want to talk about this phone again. Just look at some of the shots that I took with both phones here.

I know that this is probably a little subjective, but l find myself preferring the way the Pixel processes images for some of the shots. The fact that the camera on a phone from 2016, is still able to keep up with newer phones, is just amazing to me. And this really drives home the fact that software is just as important, or maybe even more important than hardware when it comes to camera quality. This is a camera that I could still happily live with today, and I don’t think I can say the same about any other phone released around the same period of time. Which makes the Google Pixel one of the best options out there if you’re looking for a cheap used phone and still want to have a great camera.

But, before you get too excited, there are things about the phone that I have to quickly mention as well. So for performance, the Snapdragon 821 in the phone might still perform well enough for most day to day tasks, and even gaming, it does have the tendency to run a little warm. It’s also not as power efficient as newer chipsets and this is an older phone afterall, so battery life is really not that great. The battery condition for my Pixel XL is still not that bad, so it could still get me through a day of light to moderate use. But if you’re looking at the smaller Pixel, especially an older one, you’ll probably need to charge it at least once or twice a day, so I actually don’t recommend getting the smaller one at all at this point in time.

The Pixel is also pretty bare bones in terms of features, so there’s no wireless charging, stereo speakers, or water resistance. The speaker is also really easy to cover up accidentally because of its position. But it is the only Pixel with a headphone jack, so that’s still kind of nice. Basically just don’t expect too much from the phone. This is where you’ll have to pay careful attention, because the 1st generation Google Pixel has its fair share of issues.

Things like the weaker bluetooth performance and lens flare issues are kind of unavoidable, but I’ve not found them to be deal breakers. The bigger issues are hardware related, like the vibrator rattling or just completely dying, or motherboard failure which renders the phone completely unusable. While my current Pixel XL is still working just fine, I have personally encountered both hardware failures over the years. I was just lucky that the shop that I bought the phone from provided some warranty for these devices, so I was able to get them repaired or replaced. But you might not be that lucky.

So in conclusion, while I still think the Pixel is a really viable option if you’re looking for something cheap, but still works well, it’s not really a phone that I would recommend if you’re looking for a hasslefree experience. You’ll have to do your due diligence and check the phone carefully, and even then, there are major risks involved like the motherboard just dying completely and leaving you with a brick. But, if you are lucky enough to find one that works just fine like I did, it’s still a really nice phone. Thanks for watching this video. If you’ve enjoyed it, be sure to leave a like, and subscribe to the channel for more content in the future.

Thanks again, and see you guys on the next one.

Source : Alex Hong