Google Pixel XL In 2020! (Still Worth It?) (Review) By Simple Alpaca

Welcome back to the channel, everyone guesses what we get to talk about: another Google Pixel phone today, it's actually what the original Google Pixel, but not the smaller version, it's actually the bigger taller version and back when this thing was released. I was always so confused as to why Google went ahead and tried to drop a bigger phone in a smaller phone. At the same time, maybe you guys can hear the birds chirping in the back, but it really reminisces to me about the Apple lineup, and you know how Apple would release these smaller version and then the taller version, and they eventually kept that same whole. Entire layout and Google ended up doing that same thing as well, but they did the same thing for the Nexus 5x and the Google Pixel and the Nexus 6p. But those are a little different because those were almost two entirely different phones. These phones were pretty much exactly just a bigger version of the smaller one which is really cool, so the Google Pixel excel actually came out in 2016 in October.

So it's almost about four years old this year, which is pretty insane now looking at it is. This is probably one of its biggest downsides. It really doesn't look like a really premium phone that much anymore. It definitely still feels it has a little of premiums to it, but it just doesn't. Look that good.

If I'm being completely honest, it really doesn't look like those older, like iPhone, 6, pluses and things, and they really didn't even change the design too much between the pixels, smaller ones, the pixel 2 in pixel 3. Those still had quite a bit of bezel on them, but then, eventually with the pixel to Excel that one, in my opinion, was probably the best-looking Excel version they ever made, including probably even the pixel for Excel it's more or less the same, but that pixel to Excel that you did such a phenomenal job at it on the front of the pixel excel, though we have the 5.5 inch AMOLED display, it is 1440p by 2560. So it's a 1440 for you display thank God with 534 pixels per inch and the screen itself is actually a very good panel, it's one of its biggest assets for sure. However, it's basically everything that's surrounding the display. Just isn't really that good.

When I saw Google release this thing, I was like man that is not a good-looking phone I have the white model and I think I had the black model too, but I just don't know what they were thinking. If there were some use to it. If they had a fingerprint sensor there or a home button or like something, then it would make sense, but they just had like just huge bezels on it. It literally looked like a nexus 4. The Nexus 6p looked perfect I, don't know why they can do this, but that pretty much covers it up.

In terms of the front you have USB type-c on this phone, which is really awesome as well as a headphone jack, which is really cool. So you have both of those capabilities on one phone, which is awesome on the back of fingerprint sensor with a little of a glass back, I think that's like the best way. I can put it in the single camera setup up top, which I'll talk about in a second there's. No wireless charging on this phone and no expandable storage, there's a little of splash and dust resistance, but there's no like certification, there's no IP certification on this thing, which kind of sucks so really in terms of the outside. That really pretty much covers it.

In my opinion, it literally feels like an iPhone 6 plus in your hands and literally feels like that exact type of design, except you do have a little of glass on the back, which makes it feel a little more premium, which is really cool, but in terms of the outside. That really pretty much covers that. There's really not too much else going on, for this phone is very minimal at its core. Now moving on to the software, this is probably its biggest asset for sure. It started off with Android 7.1 new game. We are able to upgrade it, though, to Android 10.0, which is android q, which is the latest and greatest version of Android. That is being supported right now.

So this thing has all those cool, little features of Android, 10, and I've made so many videos talking Android 10, and it's really one of the better versions of software for sure it has a lot of cool little like tricks and Fiddle things like that. All over this UI I think it was a pretty big upgrade coming from Android Pi 2 and the fact that this 2016 phone support set is awesome. We have phones like the galaxy s 8 and like way, other phones like that too, that do not support Android 10, which is crazy, but this phone does support it, which is really, really cool. However, what I will say, though- and this is some sad news- I- don't think it's going to get Android 11, because this is the last phone in that lineup, that's getting an Android version, I'm, pretty sure Google is going to cut support for this phone sooner than later. It's not like it, and I'll, be, although I don't think it's a crazy of a deal, but it is kind of sad I feel like this.

One has a lot more life left in it, but I could totally see why they're going to cut it. So, probably by the time October this year, whenever the next Google fix was released, they might even release a pixel for a year, which would be really cool, but whenever they release those new pixels, the pixel 5. This one is probably going to get unsupported with software, which is ok. It's not a big deal. I've got a lot of stock revisions, and I'm glad it's ending off with Android 10, which is a pretty decent version of software.

What I will say, though, as well, is that there are roots and custom ROMs available for this thing. So if you're in that demographic, you can always go and route it and close Rama and be set, you don't have to go and like be Saturn like that, you can always just go custom Rama, which is really, really cool, and the fact that this is a Google Pixel phone. The software is stuck there's really. No, not that much blow ware or anything like that. So developing ROMs and things for this phone I mean this is what this phone is made for.

It's really easy to unlock the bootloader. It's really easy to go and modify this phone and that's the whole reason why people would go pick up a pixel for the most part is the customizability, the minimalistic approach to it and the way you can just go and route it and modify it and not really have to have thinking twice or think a billion times about doing it. You know it's a very easy process at the end of the day, so that really pretty much covers it up in terms of this software now hitting on the performance side of things, this thing was released with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 I've set a quad-core CPU and Arena 530 GPU, and there were two different models of the Google Pixel excel a 32 and 128 gigabyte models and both of those models had 4 gigabytes of RAM. Now what I can tell you about the performances is that you know, because the software is all stock, there's really not too much going on in the background, unlike 1ui devices or even other devices out there, there's not that much. You know blow wear on this device, so it's a very, very good performing phone in my whenever I'm doing anything with it really with any Google Pixel phones I'll.

Even take that a step back even why Nexus 4 that I messed with sometimes that phone is still pretty smooth for the most part and that phone come on years ago, so the pixel excel is more or less the same. It's very easy, and it's very smooth whenever you want to open an app or anything like that, it's a very smooth process. It's just not that fast I think that's the best way. I can put it there's a noticeable glitch here and there especially Android 10, isn't like a crazy. You know huge bogged down in memory, but I think it does kind of require a little more power than Android pi did so sometimes when you go and open an app, it might take like an extra second, not even a second, but it will take a noticeable amount longer than you might expect from the newest devices.

But if you're going day by day, I, don't think you're going to notice that big of a difference in the performance standpoint I think whatever you're going to do with it, it's probably going to be fine for the most part, if I was using the Google Pixel excel I think I'd be perfectly fine. I use an iPhone, 11 Pro right now, and my use case is very minimal. I, don't even use mine I use my phone a lot, but I don't use it for things that like to require the most amount of RAM or anything like that, like I use like Snapchat Instagram, that's really pretty much. What I, use and I feel like I can do that exact same process on the pixel excel and really not complain about it. It's very smooth, it's pretty fast I would say it's not the fastest thing in the world when you kind of run up to those like bigger intensive games like Real, Racing, 3, and things like that.

Those things definitely do bog down the memory and take up a lot of power for sure, but it's not an end-all be-all. It's not really that big of a deal, so I think if you're getting this one in terms to performance standpoint, I think it's definitely going to be a pro I. Don't think it's going to be the best performing phone I, don't think it's a really, really good performing phone I think it's definitely above average for a phone that came out of 2016, so I'll definitely give it a thumbs up in my books for performance. I wish it was a little better, but it's really not that big of a deal I think the software really does make up for the lack of you know: RAM and the Snapdragon processor and all that stuff, so that pretty much covers it up there now hitting on the camera. This thing was released with a single twelve point: three megapixel camera on the back and then eight megapixel camera on the front and the front camera.

You can't shoot 1080p videos at 30 frames, but even in 2020 that is kind of a bit of a letdown, because now we have cameras that can alley shoot like 4k at 30 frames, so put the iPhone 11. So we can shoot 4k at 60, so you might be missing out on a little, but it's not that big of a deal yet. However, with that back camera, I think the quality is still very great. You can do 4k at 30 frames and 1080p up to 120, so no 4k s60, which is kind of a letdown, but the biggest disadvantage for the Google Pixel excel would definitely be the lack of camera hardware features so with phones like the iPhone, 11 Pro and even the pixel for Excel. We have at least more than one camera sensor on the back and now in 2020, that's kind of a big deal.

You know that's one of the biggest advantages and one of the biggest updates that we're seeing are the addition of more cameras and with the pixel excel. We only have one actually for most the pixel line. We only have one camera, but this one specifically, we only have one camera and that's something that you cannot get with a software update. You cannot go and like get a software update and get an increased camera telephoto lens, or anything like that. So it's kind of sad, but it is what it is.

The quality is great, though the software is great, though so you can kind of get by for a while, but sooner than later, you're definitely going to feel like you have an older phone at some point, so that pretty much covers it up at that standpoint, now ending it off with the battery life. This thing was released with the 3450 million power battery and that battery size very good and the battery life is actually pretty decent as well. Even now in 2020, this phone is completely stocked. It's not a super powerful phone. It's not like a bloatware machine where it has a bunch of blowers in the back.

Where has a bunch of boats where, in the background, it's a very calm, very minimal approach to the phone, and because of that the battery life is actually probably one of its biggest as such for sure it's, not the amazing battery life that maybe was released with at the time the batteries have degraded over time? But it's not a big deal. I think the battery life is definitely a thumbs up in my books. Now, to sum up the video and to answer the question: is the Google Pixel XL, the original one still worth it in 2020? What I will tell you is I think it is completely so worth it in 2020 I think it still has a bunch of life left in it. Even when it's not getting supported, I would probably recommend people still using it. It's going to be getting security updates for a little, and on top of that, you can always route it in custom ROM it, which is a huge, viable option for a phone like this.

That's one of the biggest advantages for picking up a Google Pixel phone is the development community behind it, and it's stuck to software approach, which is awesome. If you can spend a little more money, though I would probably recommend a Google Pixel to excel that phone. Definitely I think will definitely last you much longer it's getting more software support, and it just looks and feels better than the original pixel excel. But regardless I think this one is still awesome. I love it a lot.

What's cool is on Amazon. You can literally pick one of these things up for that 128 gigabyte model for about 140 dollars, which is really, really cool, so leave that link down in the description below so you guys can get it from there, and I'll support the channel at the same time. But that is pretty much it if you guys have any other questions or anything leave it down in the comment section as well, if that, like button that'll mean so much, but definitely at that subscribe button, every single subscriber that we get really discount so don't mean so much you guys could hit that also check out the other things down in the description as well. My Twitter, my Instagram, my second channel, all those things going down below I'd, really appreciate, if you guys could check it out or importantly, everything else. I love every single one of you guys, oh for iPad, you guys in the next video peace, algebra.

Source : Simple Alpaca