Introduction
Google was always a service - the best search engine on Earth. Now under the Alphabet umbrella, Google is becoming a brand - for online services yes, but also for hardware. Leading the charge are the Pixels, Google's equivalent to Samsung's Galaxy or Apple's i-gadgets... and every bit as premium.
True, the Pixel name debuted with a Chromebook, later adopted for an Android tablet, but it will definitely be remembered for the phones. This must be the company's biggest marketing push for a Google-branded hardware product.
It's not just that, Google even put a promo for Allo on the most valuable real estate on the web - Google.com. Allo, if you haven't heard, is the new messaging client (paired with video chat app Duo) and is at the heart of the Pixel phones. The AI assistant available in Allo is more prominently featured in the Pixels and you can talk with it, not just text. Then there's Google Photos, Google Drive and so on. This perfectly mirrors Apple's strategy of iMessage, iCloud, etc.
Software is Google's forte, but the company is new to hardware. With both Apple and Samsung flexing supply chain muscle, will the hardware of the Google Pixel XL live up to the pricing that exactly matches the iPhone 7 Plus (and tops the Galaxy S7 edge)? Let's see.
Google Pixel XL key features:
- Aerospace-grade aluminum unibody (glass window on the back); splash and dust resistant (IP53)
- 5.5" AMOLED screen of QHD resolution, 534ppi, 100% NTSC; 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4
- Quad-core Kryo processor, Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM, Snapdragon 821 chipset
- Google-loaded Android 7.1 Nougat; 2 years of OS upgrades from launch, 3 years of security updates
- 12.3MP camera, f/2.0 lens, 1.55�m pixels, Phase and Laser AF, dual-LED, dual-tone flash; 2160p and 1080p @ 30/60/120fps video capture
- 8MP selfie camera, f/2.4 lens, 1.4�m pixels; 1080p video capture
- Comes with 32GB or 128GB of built-in storage, no expansion
- Fingerprint reader, Android Pay
- LTE Cat 9 or 11 (450Mbps or 600Mbps downlink, 50/75Mbps uplink); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, LE), GPS + GLONASS, NFC
- 3,450mAh battery; Fast charging over USB Type-C
Main disadvantages:
- Most expensive Google phone yet
- No stereo speakers
- No water resistance
- No OIS for the camera
- No wireless charging, no IR port or FM radio
- Snapdragon 821 chipset is downclocked to 820 speed
- Standard Nexus cons: no microSD slot, sealed battery
- Arguably bland design with huge bezels
We openly admit to being a little salty. Don't get us wrong, we haven't been spoiled by the likes of Xiaomi, OnePlus, ZTE and others. Hell, you can buy TWO Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus phones for the price of one Pixel XL, that one has a Snapdragon 821 too, not to mention dual cameras and no weird glass windows on the back.
What we're pouting about is that the Pixel XL isn't clearly better than the Nexus 6P it is supposed to replace and it didn't bring back any of the features that the 6P dropped from the Nexus 6 spec sheet.
Not a good time to be cutting features, especially when Apple has everything short of an Always on screen (which the Pixels also lack) - dual cameras, water resistance, the best mobile chipset, truly awesome screen, even stereo speakers!
Apple was in the opposite situation compared to Google - it was known for its hardware, its software was laughed at (remember Apple Maps at launch?). But now iMessage is one of the best respected messengers, iCloud is reliable and cheap, even Maps has improved massively.
Can Google walk the same path in the other direction - from beloved software (Search, Maps, Android) and an overpriced Chromebook Pixel to the world's best smartphone? We have a ticket to the preview show and it's called the Google Pixel XL - shh, the trailers are starting!
Unboxing the Google Pixel XL
Google packaged the Pixel XL with a Quick Switch charger (USB-PD, 18W), a USB C-C cable to go with the it (USB 2.0), a separate USB A-C cable (faster USB 3.0) and a Quick Switch Adapter.
The retail box has an elaborate design � Two cables and an adapter, but no headset
That last bit is a Type C to A adapter so that you can transfer your data out of your old iPhone (iOS 8 and up) or Android devices (5.0 and up) and onto your new Pixel. Read the instructions here.
Google Pixel XL 360� spin
The Google Pixel XL measures 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.5 mm and weighs 168g. That's shorter, narrower and lighter than the iPhone 7 Plus. Not that the iPhone was ever an icon for compact bezels. And Google can't point to front stereo speakers, front fingerprint reader or really much of front anything to justify the top and bottom bezels.
Let's look at a few other phones with a 5.5" screen. The OnePlus 3 has a fingerprint reader on the front and is more compact. The ZTE Axon 7 has stereo speakers instead and is even smaller. The Galaxy S7 edge (front fingerprint reader) is smaller still.
The Pixel XL is the bigger of the two Google handsets. The smaller phone measures 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.5mm and weighs 143g - not that much smaller, given the 0.5" reduction in screen size. Putting both handsets side by side makes the small difference much more concrete - you're not getting a compact device if you go for the 5" Pixel.
Google Pixel (left) and Pixel XL (right)
Hardware
The Google Pixel XL is beautifully put together and yet inconspicuous, its front is so plain that it borders on unrecognizable. The glass window on the back is odd enough to stand out, the same can be said for the centered proximity sensor below the earpiece on the front.
We believe a good design should be noticed for its wins and not for its oddities. HTC, the company that built the phone, worked fully under Google's direction, there's no external HTC branding. And yet the Pixels kind of look like a rehashed HTC One A9.
Size and design comparison: Pixel (left), HTC 10 (center) and Pixel XL (right)
The premium build quality is undeniably there, even if it lacks hardware innovation. And to be fair, Google is targeting the mass market with this phone, not geeks like with the Nexus devices. But the new, almost unknown brand faces an uphill battle to attract buyer's attention and a plain face is a bad place to start.
HTC crafted a fine metal body out of aircraft-grade aluminum. Yes, even cheap phones boast metal bodies now, but there's a tangible difference between their bent sheets of metal and the carved aluminum ingot of the Pixel XL. It's much sturdier and has fewer seams.
"Fewer," not none. The phone features multiple, noticeable antenna lines. We would have thought that with a glass window of that size, all RF would go through it. The Huawei-built Nexus 6P had a smaller window and yet its antenna lines were less noticeable. And the Pixels lack wireless charging - sure, metal phones have issues with that, but there's more than enough room to fit a charging coil behind the window.
Antenna lines here, there, everywhere
We're coming down hard on the glass window because we subjectively dislike how it looks (or at least that we don't get the functionality we could have). Objectively, the glass protrudes slightly from the metal back, making the transition between the two very noticeable. Also, if you look carefully, you'll notice the phone is wedge-shaped - the top is a few fractions of a millimeter thicker than the bottom.
HTC got famous for stereo speakers on its phones, but there's none of that here. And it's not just an HTC thing either, the Nexus 6 and 6P both had stereo speakers. So does the iPhone 7 Plus.
Okay, let's start over and try to keep a positive outlook on the Google Pixel XL.
The Pixel XL feels premium, but looks uninspired
It's a well-crafted phone that is more compact than the iPhone 7 Plus for the same screen size. It's thicker (8.5mm vs. 7.3mm) but lighter (168g vs. 188g) and has a bigger battery (3,450mAh vs. 2,900mAh). Also, the camera is flush with the back unlike the iPhone's dual-camera hump (however small it is).
The way the sides of the phone are curved and beveled is ergonomic and offers good grip (aluminum can be slippery, especially when coupled with glass).
We like the texture of the Power key, it makes it more distinctive. That's good since the way it is positioned - above the volume rocker - is unusual. Most people are used to the buttons being the other way around so for the first week you'll be pressing the Volume up key and wondering why the phone doesn't unlock.
If you manage to feel your away to the power button, a quick double click will quickly start the camera even if the phone is off.
Textured power button above the volume rocker � Right side view � Card tray for one card only � Left view
On the other side of the phone is the nanoSIM card tray. Only one card fits here, Google offers no dual-SIM options and no storage expansion. About 7GB is taken up by the system and the 32GB model has an actual capacity of 29.7GB. 4K videos, music and even apps can quickly add up, so consider getting the 128GB model - there's no way to increase storage after the fact (well, other than swapping the whole phone).
For unlocking, you will probably be using the fingerprint reader on the back. It's slightly recessed, making it easy to find with your index finger. The reader is always on and can directly drop you into the homescreen. It's faster than the iPhone 7 reader, though not as fast as some other Androids. You'll be seeing a red "finger moved too fast" warning on occasion.
Also here lies the 12.3MP camera and its dual-LED flash. The three dots to their side are the Laser autofocus system and a microphone. The Pixel XL has three microphones, all three of which can be used for noise reduction.
The glass window � A close-up of camera and flash, fingerprint reader too
The front of the phone houses the 5.5" AMOLED display. It is below a 2.5D pane of Gorilla Glass 4. The slight bevel makes it more comfortable for your fingers (though they still have to pass over the relatively sharp edge of the metal frame).
The only other components are above the display - an earpiece (with an unusual cloth "grille"), the proximity sensor below it and the 8MP selfie camera to the left, an ambient light sensor too. If anything, we think the camera should have held the central position (like it used to be on iPhones).
The bezels are not slim � Selfie cam (top left) and oddly positioned proximity sensor (center)
The phone has a notification light, but it is disabled by default. You have to search for the "Pulse notification light" setting to enable it. It's positioned on the left side of the earpiece (inside the recess, making it not very visible). Even with this setting, it doesn't work as a charging light so you have to wake the phone to see if it has finished charging. An odd decision by Google, one we hope they will change (easy via software update).
The Pixel XL relies more on the Ambient display feature (something inherited from the Motorola days). When a new notification arrives, the screen comes on to show it - great if you look at it immediately, less good if you don't notice it right away (it's on a short timeout).
Wired connectivity and audio share share the top and bottom of the phone. A USB Type-C port (3.0) is in the middle, between two grilles. The one on the left hides the loudspeaker, the one on the right is for the mouthpiece.
USB Type-C with Power Delivery � 3.5mm headphone jack
There's a 3.5mm headphone jack topside. While USB Type-C supports audio - both analog and digital - Google stuck to the established port. It did use the new USB Power Delivery standard for fast charging, instead of Qualcomm's proprietary format, though.
To sum up our impressions of the Google Pixel XL, we're torn - the quality of the device is evident upon close inspection, but the design is too plain. Perhaps you find it attractive instead, but many won't and you'll have to be okay with that before you part with 800 or so of dollars or euro.
Yes, Google has some photographic cases to spruce up the Pixel phones, but that makes them even more anonymous - you don't notice the phone, you notice the case.
Display
Google was very careful when picking the display of the Pixel XL - yes, a 5.5" diagonal is an industry standard, but the resolution and type of display were chosen to benefit its VR effort Daydream.
QHD resolution makes for a sharp 534ppi pixel density. VR is unforgiving when it comes to pixel density, even though outside this viewing case we find 1080p to be enough.
There is a "Display size" setting that changes the scale of the UI, something we're normally used to seeing in heavily customized ROMs. You can adjust it to your eyesight - if it's good, the high pixel density allows for small, dense text. Or you can take it easy and bump up the scale to make things readable (there's a separate setting for font size).
The Pixel XL uses an AMOLED display, specifically a low-persistence display. There is an option called "low motion blur" in the settings and it is specifically for Daydream. You can turn it off entirely, but not enable it for normal operation - it achieves the high frame rate required for VR (and removes ghosting) but is too demanding for regular phone use.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0 | 432 | 8 | |
| 0.00 | 563 | 8 | |
| 0.00 | 392 | 8 | |
| 0.41 | 573 | 1398 | |
| 0.50 | 681 | 1362 | |
| 0.43 | 475 | 1097 | |
| 0.59 | 628 | 1064 | |
| 0.00 | 352 | 8 | |
| 0.00 | 433 | 8 | |
| 0.00 | 400 | 8 | |
The 5.5" screen is reasonably bright - 430nits at maximum - but lacks the boost some AMOLEDs do in Auto mode and very bright conditions.
This could have affected its best-case sunlight legibility, but the truth is that the Pixel XL screen is one of the best we have tested under a bright light.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Sony Xperia X Compact
3.694 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - LG V10
2.744 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
2.378 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Apple iPhone 4S
2.269 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
2.145 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Xiaomi Mi 4S
2.095 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - HTC Butterfly
1.873 - ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - Xiaomi Redmi 2
1.311 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Sony Xperia C
1.283 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
The color accuracy is fairly average - nothing like the accurate Nexus 5X screen or even the HTC 10, which scored pretty well in sRGB mode. The Pixel XL lacks any color screen modes besides the night-time blue light filter, so you are essentially stuck in the Vivid mode of the HTC 10.
For reference, the Pixel XL screen posted an average deltaE of 5.4 and a maximum of 13, compared to HTC 10's avg 2.9/max 5.8 and iPhone 7 Plus' avg 1.3/max 4.
Color accuracy is only part of the equation - the color gamut (the number of possible colors) is another. Apple already dove into that market with Wide color gamut displays on the iPad Pro and now iPhone 7 Plus. Samsung has been sticking closely to sRGB and even introduced HDR on the Galaxy Note7 (while that model failed, it's almost certain that the Galaxy S8 will have an HDR screen too).
Connectivity
The Google Pixel XL uses the latest commercially available modem, the Snapdragon X12, and it supports LTE Cat. 11 - that's 600/75Mbps (limited to Cat. 9 450/50Mbps on some carriers).
For supreme audio quality there's Ultra HD Voice, which works either over VoLTE or Wi-Fi (side note: if you use Google's Project Fi carrier, Wi-Fi calling will be a common occurrence). You need carrier support for this, of course, but Qualcomm says it is more resilient towards spotty connectivity than regular HD Voice.
Also, the Qualcomm Fluence Pro technology is used for the noise cancellation. Interestingly, it uses two microphones for the handset and three mics when you use the loudspeaker (as you can imagine, the Pixel XL has three mics).
The rest of the wireless connectivity holds no surprises - fast Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac (2x2 MIMO), Bluetooth 4.2 (with A2DP and LE), A-GPS with GLONASS and NFC. The latter is used for the Android Pay service, secured by the fingerprint reader, the Pixel Imprint.
Wired connectivity has USB Type-C running at USB 3.0 speeds, but no TV out functionality. Oh, and let's not forget the headphone jack on top! With USB Type-C supporting analog audio, it wasn't a given that Google will keep the old-school port.
Battery
The Google Pixel XL packs a 3,450mAh battery - not bad for a 5.5" phone. The Nexus devices never had a reputation for great battery life, perhaps the Pixels can turn things around.
The USB Type-C port supports fast charging - Google says that in just 15 minutes of charging, the phone will have 7 hours of "mixed use". In our measurement, the supplied charger charged the battery from 0 tp 46% in just 30 minutes.
The charger uses the USB Power Delivery standard (instead of QuickCharge and the like), which is rated at 18W. If you try using a Quick Charge 2.0 or 3.0 charger with the Pixel XL, it would default to 5V/2A charging current, which is not bad either.
Google fit a fairly large battery and with the latest iteration of the battery-saving Doze feature, it managed to squeeze a 78 hour Endurance rating out of it. This beats the iPhone 7 Plus (which, to be fair, has a smaller battery), but isn't as good as Galaxy S7 edge's 98 hours (well, 67 hours if you want to use the Always on screen).
The Pixel XL lived up to its promised 32 hours of talk time and even over-delivered slightly. It didn't last the promised 14 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, though - we only measured about 9 and a half hours. That's hours behind both the iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S7 edge. The video playback got closer to the official 14 hour mark, but not that close. For comparison, the S7 edge lasted 20 hours of playing video.
The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Android Nougat with no additives
The Pixels debut Android 7.1 Nougat, newer than what the first phone with Nougat had (LG V20 ran version 7.0). Better still, they have a promise of long software support by Google. They will receive OS updates for two years (ending October 2018) and security patches for at least three years (or 18 months after Google stops selling Pixels from the Google Store).
The Pixel XL runs all-Google software, AOSP apps have definitely given way to their G-branded replacements. In a way, you can think of it as a "skin" - just no Samsung's, HTC's, LG's, Sony's or anyone else's, but Google's.
We start with the Google Now launcher. The new long-press shortcuts are reminiscent of 3D touch - you press a shortcut and hold for a moment and a menu with relevant options will pop up. You can add contacts, create new documents, quickly start Maps navigation and so on. Only Google apps seem to support it for now, but we're sure many more will add such options.
Launcher shortcuts are a way to interact with apps even when they are not open
The live wallpapers are quite eye-catching. Our favorite is Live earth, which shows one of several sights from Google Earth (in full 3D) - the Pantheon, the Half Dome and Yosemite and even the Earth itself. The camera pans slightly when you unlock the phone and again when you move between homescreen panes. Alternatively, Live data encodes information like time and weather into the movement of geometric shapes. Finally, there's an option to turn on slideshow from one of several channels (landscapes, cityscapes, etc.).
Wallpapers � Live earth � 3D view of Arches National Park � Abstract Live data � What time is it?
The Pixel XL software does not support themes, even though Android itself does (since 6.0 Marshmallow). And that's not the only thing that Google cut, but more on that in a bit.
The launcher itself has taken on a very Retro look. By that we mean that you slide out app drawer from the bottom, just like in the original Android. A similar "drawer" is the Google Now screen, which is the leftmost pane on the homescreen.
Pulling out the app drawer from the bottom brings us back to the T-Mobile G1 days
A colorful G logo serves as a "handle" for this drawer. Instead of pulling on it, you can just tap it to access Google Search. This works in concert with the In-Apps feature - Google results are mixed with results from the phone itself (apps, contacts and others). The app drawer has an app search feature too, its top row shows recommended apps - recently installed and recently used ones.
Google Now � We're interested in sports and phones � Search � Homescreen settings
Opposite the G handle is a weather widget, permanently fixed to the screen. You can disable the Now homescreen pane (the handle is now just a Search shortcut), but the weather widget remains in place, immovable.
Android 7.1 Nougat has changed the way multitasking works from the age of Marshmallow. The big change is the addition of Split screen multitasking. Only certain apps support it, but app developers now have an official API to target instead of having to wade through homebrew implementations by Samsung, LG, Huawei and so on. Also, impatient users can force all apps to work with split screen from the Developer options.
You activate split screen by long pressing the App switcher key, which turns from a square into two rectangles - a symbolic representation of multitasking. You pick a second app from the App switcher interface, which means you can't pick an app that's not already running. This makes it less convenient than other implementations.
Note that in portrait mode you can adjust the split between the two apps however you want. In landscape, however, you're locked into a 50/50 split.
Split-screen multitasking � Moving the dividing line � Landscape is locked to 50/50
If you prefer to run your apps in fullscreen, then use the Quick switch feature instead - double tap the App switcher to alt+tab between the current app and the previous app you used.
There's a Pin icon visible in the app switcher. It's not to keep an app in-memory (protected from the Clear all button), instead it locks the phone to the currently open app - great if you want to give someone your phone, but don't want them messing around with other apps. To get out of this screen pin mode, you long press the Back button, which takes you to the lockscreen.
The Pin icon � A pinned app � Unpinning an app requires you to unlock the phone
The lockscreen can be left unsecured, but it's easier to use the fingerprint locker. It's reasonably fast - faster than the iPhone (but slower than some Androids) - and it bypasses the lockscreen, taking you straight to the homescreen. We found the fingerprint reader very reliable - we got some "finger moved too fast" warnings but never a missed recognition.
This way you skip over the notifications on the lockscreen, but you can just use the notification area. After you unlock the phone with the fingerprint reader, you can swipe your finger down on it to drop the notification area.
Swipe for notifications � Fingerprints � Adding a fingerprint � And renaming it
Google finally put quick toggles there on the top line. There are six of them visible on the Pixel XL screen, but you can pull a second time to view the rest of them. You can also re-arrange them - the first six are the ones visible on first pull.
There's a brightness slider too, but only visible after the second pull and you don't get an Auto brightness toggle.
Nougat's notification area with toggles on top � Second swipe shows more toggles � Editing toggles
Starting with Nougat, Google has provided a way for apps to create custom quick toggle tiles. This makes the system much more flexible and easier to personalize.
Quick reply is another thing that makes notifications more powerful - they enable in-line reply for chat apps, straight from the notification. Other actions like share, archive, delete and so on are available too.
A tip to launch the camera quicker - double-tap the power key and you're done! Some phones use the Volume rocker instead, but the Power key is the preferred method for AOSP-based ROMs.
We covered some of the novelties of Nougat, but we'll go over them here. On the Pixel XL, about 7GB are used by the system. Part of that is for the new update system that keeps two copies of the OS - one to run and one to update. This way the phone can update its OS in the background, requiring just a restart to run the new version. No more waiting!
Strangely, we found some of the features we enjoyed on the Nougat-running LG V20 missing from the Google Pixel XL. One was the easy app re-installation (this is really a Play Store feature), which keeps an app for 24 hours after you uninstalled it and if you change your mind, it instantly restores it. Data saver has also disappeared.
The Google Pixel XL interface is fluid and smooth. However, it feels strangely locked down - a slightly unpleasant feeling we get from opinionated manufacturer skins.
Google Assistant
Long before Siri and the like, sci-fi movies have been telling people that in the future, you will talk to computers just as you do with humans. The Google Assistant is the search giant's latest attempt at this, it is essentially a more proactive, more talkative Google Now.
While you two are getting to know each other, don't be afraid to ask what the Assistant can do. You can even ask it some personal questions (Do you ever sleep?) but those are more cute than helpful.
As with previous voice command interfaces, it can play music, set alarms and reminders and answer questions.
We found the news feature very useful. It collects relevant news items and reads them out to you, structured like a traditional cast (e.g. it starts with politics and closes with sports). You can ask specifically about sports news too. We can easily see us listening to this instead of a morning talk show on the radio.
This is a personal Assistant too. You can ask what's on your calendar, including more complex questions like what's on your calendar for the weekend or get a daily brief. You can also ask for some photos of you, of animals, of anything really. Strangely, we found that this didn't work quite as well as the Google Photos search (sometimes we got a Google Images result instead of images from our Photos account, even when there were relevant results there).
Google Assistant in action: asking about stadiums, the parking there, what's to eat nearby
You can ask about your surroundings too - how long will it take you to get somewhere, is it still open and so on. Another neat trick is asking how to say something in a foreign language - it can save your bacon when traveling abroad (assuming you have data, of course).
The Assistant reliably understood what we mean, but we wouldn't call it a conversational interface. For example, we asked about high-rated restaurants nearby and it showed some local options. We then asked which ones have pasta on the menu and it came back with the same "Here are some restaurants near you" answer, except this time with a different selection (even though the first results featured at least three highly-rated Italian restaurants).
Sometimes it works - e.g. when asking about a specific restaurant and then going "how long will it take me to get there?", Assistant can figure out that "there" refers to the restaurant. It's the power of its newly found context awareness.
No matter how good these Assistants get, we still feel awkward talking to our phone and we still think doing a quick web search the traditional way beats this. But then, we can totally see how it can be useful at your connected home where thanks to the magic of IoT you would be able to remote control appliances with just your voice. And with the recently announced Google Home voice-activated speaker and Amazon Echo, this future doesn't seem that far away.
Performance
The Google Pixel XL is in the first wave of devices with Snapdragon 821, which suggests it's one step better than all S820-based devices. Not so fast - there are really two versions of the 821 chipset and the Pixels use the AB model.
What's the difference? Well, the processor in the AB is clocked at at 2.15GHz/1.59GHz (big/little cluster respectively) and the GPU is at 624MHz. Those are the exact same clock speeds as the Snapdragon 820. For comparison, the non-AB chipset is at 2.34GHz/2.19GHz for the processor and 653MHz for the GPU. So we don't expect any real boost in performance despite the advertising-friendly "821" number suggests.
We have a Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus, which does use the non-AB Snapdragon 821. It has a sizable 20% advantage in single-core performance. In that respect, the Pixel XL is not very impressive and is on par with most S820 phones, including the LG V20 (which is the only other Android Nougat device in this test). But many others post better scores - OnePlus 3, Galaxy S7 edge, Moto Z Droid too.
GeekBench 4 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
5664 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
4333 - Google Pixel XL
4152 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
4130 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
4128 - OnePlus 3
4045 - LG V20
3890
Qualcomm's tweaking allowed for higher maximum clock speeds, but when all cores are active, the boost isn't nearly as high. Here the Pixel performs much better, matching the Moto Z and Galaxy S7 edge it lost to earlier and is only about 5% behind the Xiaomi.
In both tests, Apple's in-house chipset used in the iPhone 7 Plus wins by a wide margin.
GeekBench 4 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3473 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
1815 - OnePlus 3
1719 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
1696 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
1694 - LG V20
1590 - Google Pixel XL
1507
The Pixel XL comes with 4GB of RAM - the standard for a 2016 flagship and nothing crazy like OnePlus 3's 6GB. But the amount of RAM doesn't have a big impact on the AnTuTu 6 score - the iPhone 7 Plus has the least (3GB) but scores the highest and the OnePlus scored only as much as the Google phone.
Basemark OS 2.0 doesn't think much of the Pixel XL either - pure Android, the latest version in fact, without any bloatware or custom skins running on a new high-end chipset and the results are nothing to write home about.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
173110 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
151619 - OnePlus 3
141764 - Google Pixel XL
141186 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
132849 - LG V20
101167
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3796 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
2690 - OnePlus 3
2365 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
2352 - Google Pixel XL
2281
The GPU, having been denied a bump in clock speed, posts the expected Snapdragon 820 scores. It's enough to push a very demanding game at 1080p resolution, at native QHD the game will have to par back its graphics fidelity.
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
60 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
49 - Google Pixel XL
47 - OnePlus 3
46
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
56 - OnePlus 3
45 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
31 - Google Pixel XL
30
Basemark X
Higher is better
- Lenovo Moto Z Droid
36322 - OnePlus 3
32715 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
32160 - Google Pixel XL
30861
Starting with Nougat, support for Vulkan is mandatory (some Marshmallow phones had it too). Vulkan is the future of OpenGL and requires as minimum OpenGL ES 3.1 support. Vulkan benchmarks aren't mature yet, but we do have a roster of OpenGL ES 3.1 tests. No surprises here either, though.
To be fair, even the higher clocked version of Snapdragon 821 didn't make much of a dent in the more demanding benchmark.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
39 - Google Pixel XL
32 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
32 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
32 - OnePlus 3
31
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
42 - OnePlus 3
30 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
18 - Google Pixel XL
17 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
16
GFX 3.1 Car scene (offscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
20 - Google Pixel XL
19 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
19 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
18 - OnePlus 3
18
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
20 - OnePlus 3
18 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
12 - Google Pixel XL
11 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
10
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7 Plus
1517 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
648 - Google Pixel XL
626 - OnePlus 3
625 - Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
624
Don't believe the Snapdragon 821 hype - unless the "big" CPU cluster is clocked a 2.34GHz, you're still getting the same Snapdragon 820 performance that we've had for most of this year. Yes, even the 821 AB is about 5% more power efficient than its older sibling, but that's a small consolation.
We were especially excited for the 821 chipset as Google made a big deal about Daydream and the GPU is the bottleneck in VR (instead of rendering to one screen, it has to render to two - one for each eye). In short, the Google Pixel XL is as fast as you will need for any Android, but not faster in cutting-edge uses you have no advantage over early-2016 devices (and lags behind some new Androids, but mostly behind the iPhone 7 Plus).
We have to give it to Google and HTC, though, the UFS 2.0 storage is highly impressive when it comes to read speeds (writes are okay, but nothing spectacular).
Telephony
The Google Pixel XL is available solely as a single-SIM device. Dual-SIMs are not that popular in the US (Pixel's main market), plus with Allo and Duo Google thinks you'll be doing much of your talking over the Internet.
For regular voice calls, the Pixel XL supports Wi-Fi calls and VoLTE, including the latest Ultra HD Voice. This improves the quality of calls and makes them more resistant to spotty connectivity. Noise reduction is handled by three or two microphones (depending on whether you're using the loudspeaker or not).
Google leverages its search and mapping info to provide a smart phonebook - you can search for nearby places, even if their number is not stored in your phonebook. Just type "pizza" and you're ready to order that pepperoni pie you've been craving.
Favorite contacts � Call log � Searching for numbers of nearby businesses � All contacts
Starting with Nougat, Android has native call screening functionality. You can add numbers to be blocked (both calls and texts) and third-party apps can also check this list (for apps that use your number as an ID - WhatsApp, Viber, etc.).
Google will try to do caller ID for unknown numbers and if it suspects the call is spam, it will warn you.
Built-in number blocking � 123 is blocked! � Caller ID and spam detection
Duo is available for audio calls and is as straight forward as possible - you confirm your phone number and you're taken to a big Video call button (you can call people in your phonebook). We appreciate the simplicity, but as the name suggests, this is a tete-a-tete deal - no group "hangouts" here.
Duo is a very simple video chatting app � Just pick a number and dial � A few settings
There is "ViLTE" too - a relatively new format that does native video calling over LTE networks. Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE and ViLTE are available on Verizon (US) and EE (UK), but some carriers may not support them. For VoLTE and ViLTE you need the second phone to support them too, ViLTE in particular is quite rare.
Loudspeaker
Google went with a single speaker for the Pixel XL but leaning on HTC's audio prowess proved enough - it's one loud speaker alright. It scored an Excellent result, being equally apt at music and for hands-free talking. It prevailed over a number of stereo speaker phones, including the iPhone 7 Plus, LG V20 and Xperia XZ (even over HTC 10's dual speaker system). The audio remains clean even when you crank up the volume.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 61.6 | 65.5 | 67.6 | Below Average | |
| 63.1 | 66.7 | 74.3 | Average | |
| 70.0 | 69.1 | 71.8 | Good | |
| 62.4 | 71.0 | 77.8 | Good | |
| 68.3 | 72.2 | 72.9 | Good | |
| 68.2 | 68.6 | 80.9 | Good | |
| 74.0 | 68.3 | 78.0 | Very Good | |
| 66.4 | 72.2 | 84.1 | Very Good | |
| 71.7 | 73.7 | 81.3 | Very Good | |
| 73.4 | 72.1 | 84.1 | Excellent |
Messaging
Messenger is the default (and only pre-installed) SMS/MMS app on the Pixel XL. It handles threaded conversations and manages to create a modern experience over the old communication channel - you can easily embed photos, audio and location into your message. And there are stickers too, of course.
Starting with Nougat, Allo is the mandated IM app and not Hangouts. It can't handle SMS so you can't interleave conversations like you could with Hangouts ("could," Google removed that feature). Annoyingly, we had to set up Allo and Duo separately - it took a few seconds, but setting up one app should do the same for the other.
Messenger � Swipe to archive a thread � Chatting with Batman � Stickers � Sending a photo
Anyway, Allo's top feature is access to the Assistant. You can ask questions, search nearby, set reminders and alarms. The Assistant can even be proactive and send you recent news, sport scores and even entertain you - we tried playing trivia games with it, but guessing 1940s movie titles written in emoji was not our strong suit. So, instead we asked it to teach us something and it offered a video about genuine wasabi.
Note that this is the same Assistant available on the homescreen, you just text with it instead of talking to it.
Asking the Assistant what's good to eat around here � About the weather � More weather info
Text input
The Google Keyboard is probably the only keyboard you'll need. You can adjust its height and key layout and there's a built-in one-handed mode. There are even themes - many of them - so you can pick light, dark, colorful and even just an image from your gallery. Another neat option lets you put or remove the border around keys.
There's both gesture and voice typing available. Google's autocorrect is top notch and is always learning. The keyboard even has a Dvorak option (along with the more traditional AZERTY, QWERTZ, etc.) so it can handle any locale.
Google Keyboard � One-handed mode � Keyboard height � Keyboard themes � Red with key borders
Aside from basic emoji, the keyboard can also send GIFs too sorted by topic (yes, no, thumbs up, shrug, etc.). You can search for rarer GIFs (e.g. "dancing cat").
The GIF keyboard � High Five! � Clapping � Dancing cats (of course)
Gallery
Google took out basically all AOSP apps, instead you get the Google-branded apps. This means Google Photos is the default gallery, Play Music the default player and so on.
As a perk, you get to upload full resolution photos and videos for free (for other phones this is a paid tier). This works great with the Free up space feature that moves photos and videos to the cloud (great for those that picked the 32GB model).
Freeing up space
By the way, there's a similar feature for any files (even ones from the Download folder). It's called Smart Storage and will remove old files (by default for 90 days) and remove them once they are backed up to the cloud.
Google Photos � Changing thumbnail size � AI search � Looking for photos of people � Assistant-made photos
Anyway, Photos is the smartest gallery around. We love the ability to search for photos with words: "beach", "selfies" and even people by name. The AI assistance goes on - Google will automatically take photos (or videos) it finds interesting and spruce them up. It will create collages, panoramas, filter-heavy images, short animations and other.
Check out this one - it took several photos of the same place and animated them. You can see the tree's shadow as it sways in the wind - a pretty cool GIF and Photos made it all on its own! We love the Rediscover this day that pulls content from a year ago, so these cool creations will not be forgotten.
Photos can create links you can text to anyone. There's even an option to let others add their own photos, turning this into a collaborative effort. We do miss standard DLNA, though.
You can share photos with people and allow them to add their own
Video player
Google Photos is amazing at organizing your photos, but it's very basic as a video player. In fact, that's all you get - it plays videos. There are no subtitles, no chapter view, nothing that makes watching movies/episodes easier.
A very basic video player
Music player
Google Play Music handles audio. It offers a mix of offline and online play that is quite popular at the moment (Spotify, Apple Music). If you're worried about data use, there's caching (enabled by default) and quality control when streaming on a mobile network. You can even completely disable mobile data and view only offline content.
Play Music homescreen � A great mix for work � Now playing � You need Unlimited for more flexibility
With the free account, you can listen to "radio" - curated music organized into thematic channels for different activities, moods or just popular music. ("radio" since you are limited in what you can play, new releases in particular are restricted) You can also listen to podcasts, standup comedy and other spoken performances.
If you get a paid subscription, Play Music gives you access to 35 million songs and lets you download your favorite albums so that they are available offline. You can also buy albums, so they will remain even after you cancel the paid subscription. You get a 30-day subscription to decide if it's worth the money.
This also removes restrictions from the free subscription - you can skip more than 6 song skips an hour, there are no ads and yes, you can play any song in Google's library.
Managing storage use by Play Music � Viewing only offline tracks � 5-band equalizer
A 5-band equalizer is available with presets and one user-define setting. When you plug in headphones, Bass boost and Surround sound sliders become available.
Audio quality is good, not quite the best
When plugged into an active external amplifier, the Google Pixel XL posted excellent scores top to bottom and garnished them with very high volume levels. Certainly one of the best performers on the market here.
Plugging in a pair of headphones causes moderate damage to stereo quality and introduces a tiny bit of extra distortion. Neither is too big a deal, but when coupled with the loudness drop to just above average you are no longer looking at a class-leading performer.
And now here go the results so you can do your comparison.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -94.0 | 94.0 | 0.0033 | 0.0066 | -92.9 | |
| +0.17, -0.04 | -92.0 | 92.7 | 0.0067 | 0.125 | -62.0 | |
| +0.10, -0.04 | -93.1 | 93.1 | 0.0015 | 0.0098 | -80.5 | |
| +0.10, -0.03 | -93.1 | 93.0 | 0.0013 | 0.015 | -76.8 | |
| LG V20 | +0.01, -0.03 | -93.0 | 93.1 | 0.0036 | 0.0075 | -93.7 |
| LG V20 (headphones attached) | +0.04, -0.09 | -92.4 | 92.4 | 0.051 | 0.105 | -57.5 |
| +0.01, -0.03 | -97.8 | 99.1 | 0.0054 | 0.0087 | -97.3 | |
| +0.02, -0.09 | -97.3 | 97.9 | 0.015 | 0.078 | -81.3 |
Google Pixel XL frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Superb 12.3MP shooter with HDR+
The Google Pixel XL comes with what the numbers indicate is the same primary camera setup as the Nexus 6P and 5X of last year. That means a 1/2.3" Sony IMX377 12.3MP sensor behind a 26mm-equiv. lens with an f/2.0 aperture. While the aperture is rather modest in a world dominated by f/1.8 lenses and Samsung's Galaxy S7 even brighter at f/1.7, the Pixel XL's strength lies in its, um, XL pixels - 1.55�m. It relies on a combination of phase and laser autofocus, but lacks optical stabilization.
The headline feature on the Google Pixel XL (and the Pixel non-XL as well), is HDR+. It's a refinement over the previous generation, brought about by the increase in computing power in this year's SoC.
What it does is continuously capture the scene, keeping a 9-frame buffer from as soon as you open the camera app, with exposure geared towards highlight preservation. That approach gives you detail in the highlights otherwise lost to clipping, while also keeping colors in the shadows true-to-life, the engineers say.
Once you hit the shutter release button, the software stacks those 9 images together, resulting in a decrease of noise by a factor of three, compared to one single image - by its very nature noise is random, so it can't be the same in all images and the software can cancel it out (well, a lot of it). You'd think that the underexposed shadows would be too dark, but that's handled with tone mapping.
HDR+ Auto is activated by default, and even if you choose to switch it off, it reverts back to Auto when you open the app again. While that may sound frustrating, we find it convenient - as you'll find out soon enough, HDR+ Auto is the mode you should be shooting in.
As for the camera app, it's the same one that came with the 6P and 5X. The camera UI is fairly simple, but still gives you access to flash mode, white balance presets, grids, HDR+ and self-timer. The Google camera does have a couple of tricks of its own too - Photo Sphere to supplement the usual panorama and lens blur (simulated shallow depth of field).
A fast way to start the camera is to double tap the Power key when the phone is locked.
Camera interface
We appreciate the dedicated stills and video viewfinders, which help avoid framing inaccuracies, but to get the other shooting modes you need to resort to the hamburger menu. Another oddity of the interface is the video resolution and frame rate selection - one's in settings, the other is a toggle in the viewfinder.
Image quality
The Google Pixel XL captures great photos, simple as that. Here are a few.
Camera samples
Now back to our (soon-to-be) standardized set of samples. The images shot on the Pixel XL have excellent detail and well-controlled noise. Colors are nicely saturated and consumer-friendly, though not as all-out as you'd get on an LG V20, for example. HDR+ Auto does tend to produce a slightly warmer output - our explanation on that is 'this is the default mode, people like warm colors, let's give people warm colors in HDR+ Auto'. Though we did find the automatic white balance to be slightly inconsistent and it often swayed from cool to warm and back while we were shooting at the same location. It didn't happen often enough to be a deal breaker though.
A prime example of the Pixel's HDR+ approach is the last sample - the sky in between the tree branches is completely blown in the image shot with HDR+ off, but it's nice and blue when you enable the feature. The benches are also a more believable shade than the snowy white in the HDR+ off image.
Camera samples: HDR+ Auto � HDR+ Off
In extremely high-contrast HDR scenarios you'd better resort to manually engaging the HDR+ On mode - Auto won't do, as the below set of samples indicates. Sure, Auto tones down the highlights - that's its thing, but shadows remain too dark for you to be able to discern much detail there, and we're not sure what's with the green color cast. Not so in HDR+ On, where colors are accurate and you can actually see subtle tonal changes in the foliage that's in the shade.
Camera samples: HDR+ Off � HDR+ Auto � HDR+ On
In low light, there are readily observable differences between HDR+ off and Auto, and quite logical ones too - with the stacking off you get overall noisier images with noise visible even in fit-to-screen magnifications. HDR+ Auto clears things up nicely, without actually sacrificing fine detail.
Low light: HDR+ Off � HDR+ Auto � HDR+ Off � HDR+ Auto
One issue we encountered (and by the looks of it, everyone has), is lens flare. Bright light sources inside, or immediately outside the frame cause large rings of flare, but they're easy to avoid with minor adjustments in framing. That said, Google is aware of this and is working on a software fix (which is obviously a solution second best to not having a hardware flaw at all). But even at its present state, the problem is perhaps blown out of proportion - you do get lens flare more often than on other phones but it's nothing that major.
Lens flare
Naturally, we shot our test posters with the Google Pixel XL. In its particular case it's interesting to compare how the charts look with HDR+ turned off and set to Auto. We've also thrown in the LG G5 for reference. Of course, our tool allows you to compare the Pixel to any other smartphone that we've shot with.
Google Pixel XL in our photo compare tool
Panorama
Panoramas on the Pixel XL are good as well, only not quite as impressive. For starters, the implementation where you have to aim for dots on the screen is not as straightforward as the sweeping action found on other makers' phones. Output quality is pretty good - images are about 2,500px tall (so not the full vertical 4K pixels that are available), but actual detail is about on par with competitors that do shoot full-res. Stitching doesn't exhibit any visible issues either.
Panorama sample, shot in portrait
Stunning selfies
The Pixel XL shoots what are among the best selfies we've seen. Carried over from the 6P, the 8MP f/2.4 cam may sound pedestrian, but it's far from it. Detail is abundant, skin tones and overall colors are very pleasing, and dynamic range is pretty good as well. There's a peculiar difference in color reproduction, of all things, between HDR+ Auto and HDR+ off with Auto being a tad more saturated.
Selfie samples, daylight: HDR+ Auto � HDR+ Auto � HDR+ Off
You'd definitely want to go HDR+ in low light, though. The Pixel XL is just too good. Detail and colors are nicely preserved, and noise, while present, is kept in check.
Selfie samples, low light: HDR+ Auto � HDR+ off
Video
The Pixel XL can record video in a host of resolutions and frame rates, and the way it goes about selecting those is nothing short of a trainwreck. Let us elaborate.
The list of modes goes as follows: 4K@30fps; 1080p@30fps, 60fps, 120fps; 720p@30fps, 60fps, 240fps. The resolution you switch from the settings in the hamburger menu. Then for 1080p and 720p you get a toggle in the viewfinder to switch between 30fps and 60fps.
Where are the higher framerates, you ask. Well, there's a Slow Motion shooting mode in the hamburger menu, in which case you get an fps selector in the viewfinder, only in a different spot - under the record button. And you need to remember that 120fps means 1080p and 240fps means 720p, because you get literally no indication of that in the viewfinder. There has got to be a better way.
Rant over. Oh, wait - the Pixel XL records mono audio in all video modes. Don't even get us started on that.
The 4K videos on the Pixel are encoded with a bit rate around 42Mbps - a rather low number, when the LG G5 and Galaxy S7 are around 48Mbps and even the iPhone 7 records at 46Mbps. Don't be fooled, though - 2160p footage is superb. It's highly detailed, colors are spot-on and textures are rendered very naturally, without any signs of overprocessing. There's a tiny amount of noise in the trees, but nothing out of the ordinary.
1080p videos, on the other hand, get an unusually high bit rate - 21.6Mbps, with 17Mbps the de facto standard. The output is similarly good, the overall look and feel is the same, minus the fine detail. The 1080p/60fps videos are obviously smoother, but not as detailed as the 30fps - a rather common trade-off.
You can also download the untouched video samples: 2160p (11s, 52MB), 1080p at 60fps (10s, 42MB), 1080p at 30fps (10s, 26MB).
Finally, you can compare the Pixel XL to any of the numerous phones and tablets we've tested, but we've pre-selected the iPhone 7 Plus and LG G5.
Google Pixel XL in our video compare tool: 2160p
Google Pixel XL in our video compare tool: 1080p
Final words
The Google Pixel phones launched to great acclaim while our reaction is more tempered. It's not about the quality of Google's (and HTC's) work, it's about the desirability of the phone.
You definitely want this if you use the camera on your phone a lot. The Google Pixel XL is among the best and it probably is the best when it comes to low-light photography thanks to the HDR+ mode. Also, two years of guaranteed OS updates (and longer for security patches) is better than any current Android (still not on par with the iPhone, though).
Even when we shake off the Nexus mindset, the Google-themed software still feels like a manufacturer skin. The company has a ton of messaging apps, most of them left by the wayside. Google Photos seems to be going strong, but that rose from the ashes of Google+ and it's present on every other phone out there. The company has trouble with long-term commitment and we can't help but wonder if any of the apps that are at the heart of the Pixel will be left out in the cold when the Google team gets a shiny new toy.
We also didn't understand why some native Android features were missing - no themes, no data saver, no quick re-install. It took Android ages to catch up to the features of custom manufacturer skins and even now Google holds it back.
We do love the new split-screen multitasking and Quick switch. They aren't entirely new to the smartphone world, but as official Android features they will get wider app support. The seamless OS update functionality sounds great too, especially with guaranteed quick updates.
The Google apps are among the best in the biz too. The Assistant is the smartest yet, more reliable and capable than Siri. Integrating it into Allo is a clever way to get people more comfortable talking to a computer. Photos has AI features that enable amazing search and automatically edit your photos. Play Music is competitive with Spotify and Apple Music too.
All that's great, but this software can be brought to any other Android phone (in fact, those apps are mandatory). The hardware is the exclusive and Google priced it high - too high perhaps. And the price is hard to justify when the Pixel XL doesn't have the biggest, brightest screen, the fastest chipset, the best battery life, the best speakers, and the best water resistance.
It has the best camera, though, we'd give it that, and also the best Android software support too so perhaps that should suffice.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has to shoulder the weight meant for the Note7, but is a fine competitor for the Pixel XL. Its dual-curved screen is brighter and more accurate (and has Always on functionality). Also, the phone has proper water resistance (IP68 vs. IP53). The chipset is essentially as fast, the storage is upgradeable. The camera is very good and the Dual Pixel autofocus is impressively fast.
Samsung may be running an older version of the OS, but it pioneered many of the features now adorning the Pixel - including the split screen multitasking (Samsung's is still more advanced).
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Even conservative Apple put out a more feature-rich phone - the iPhone 7 Plus. It jumped on the dual-camera craze (providing arguably the best implementation of the digital zoom/bokeh variant). And as we saw in the benchmarks, the Apple-made chipset wipes the floor with the Snapdragon competition.
The other Pixel XL major competitor, the iPhone 7 Plus, is not more expensive than the Pixel XL either (and this is a rare thing to say). But you do get an even longer software support - the 4-year old iPhone 5 got iOS 10 this year! A wide color gamut screen, waterproofing and stereo speakers are now part of the iPhone experience too.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
With no Note7, the LG V20 gets to call itself "the power user's phablet." Its sleek metal body is rugged (shockproof to a military standard) and houses two or more of most things - two cameras on the back, virtually two on the front too, quad-DACs and the crowning moment - the secondary screen.
It enables a different mode of multitasking, where you tap on app icons like you do on a desktop. This screen is always on too, much more informative than the Ambient display of the Pixel XL. And the LG V20 has a more complete implementation of Nougat's features.
LG V20
While LG's modular phone attempt floundered, the Motorola Moto Z Force represents a different take. At least it launches with a wider selection of add-ons, which are more usable to boot (the G5 got only two of questionable value). If not for functionality, the Style Shells are a great way to change the look of your phone.
Even without modules, the Moto Z Force is a very capable droid. It has a 5.5" QHD AMOLED screen with better color accuracy, with Moto Display (Pixel's Ambient display was developed at Motorola). While it's powered by Snapdragon 820, not 821, the Z proved faster in benchmarks too. It helps that it runs near-stock Android with some Moto enhancements sprinkled on. The 21MP OIS-enabled camera is a proficient shooter too.
By the way, if you can't find a Z Force in your region, you'll have to settle for the regular Moto Z. It's mostly the same, but it has a lower resolution cam (13MP + OIS) and a smaller battery.
Motorola Moto Z Force � Motorola Moto Z
Google's primary market is North America - okay, the US really, Canada and Western Europe get lucky (well, not in terms of pricing). This means a Pixel XL will never be in the same room as many excellent phones from Chinese companies. But some target the US specifically.
ZTE Axon was among the first and the Axon 7 is basically half the price of the Pixel. You still get a 5.5" QHD AMOLED screen, Snapdragon 820 (Nougat is on the way), the camera has a 20MP sensor with OIS and the stereo speakers are very impressive.
BlackBerry borrowed the TCL 950 hardware to create the DTEK60. It's more expensive than the Axon 7 but still cheaper than the Pixel XL. It too has a 5.5" QHD AMOLED screen, stereo speakers around it and a Snapdragon 820 inside. The 21MP camera lacks OIS, but then so does Pixel's. The Android 6.0 Marshmallow has been imbued with BlackBerry corporate magic, a boon for the security conscious.
The LeEco Le Pro3 is a newcomer, exclusive to the US. At the same price as the Axon 7 (less after a $100 rebate) it brings a proper Snapdragon 821, stereo speakers and a larger battery (4,070mAh). The 5.5" LCD screen has 1080p resolution, which isn't as impressive and there's no microSD slot. Not that potential Pixel buyers expected anything different.
ZTE Axon 7 � BlackBerry DTEK60 � LeEco Le Pro3
Nexus phone were outside the usual Android rat race, but now the Pixel have to - want to - run alongside all flagship smartphones, and that includes even the iPhones, which are a clear target. We loved the camera on the Google Pixel XL and were satisfied with the build quality and software package. However, we're not convinced that Google built the definitive smartphone and yet the search giant priced it as such. This fact, along with the minimum availability through the traditional carrier channels, is bound to limit the Pixels market success.
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