The first batch of Google Pixel and Pixel XL reviews are out, and it looks like Google has a winner on its hands. Despite my initial skepticism surrounding the handsets, Google seems to have delivered a handset that is the sum of its greater goods.
If you have been on the fence about the Pixel or Pixel XL, check out our review roundup below to know how good the handset is.
The Verge
If one thing is clear, it is that the Pixel looks like an iPhone. Depending on how you feel about the iPhone’s design, this is either a good or bad thing. In terms of performance, the Pixels leave every other Android phone out in the dust. But considering Google itself develops Android, this is not surprising. The Pixel XL’s selling point is its battery life as it can easily last a day. As for the 12MP rear shooter of the Pixel XL, it sits right there at the top with the likes of the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The specs of the camera might not seem impressive on paper, but Google’s fine tuning has done wonders here. The improved camera speed is also a huge selling point over the Nexus 6P and previous Nexus devices. Google Assistant is impressive, accurate, smart, but it still needs more work. … But for me, the most important thing is that Google seems to have finally fixed my biggest gripe about most Android cameras: the speed. The camera app opens fast and takes pictures immediately. Google also has figured out a way to make HDR feel fast — the camera defaults to HDR auto and though sometimes it takes a couple of seconds to process the HDR image, it happens in the background, freeing you to take more shots.
Android Central
In general it’s less likely to frustrate you enough to stop using it like Siri, but it’s not radically better. For example, it can tell me when the next debates are but it’s not smart enough to understand its own answer has enough information to add it to my calendar. … To be very clear: the Google Assistant is absolutely the smartest of the assistant bunch, but it’s not yet in a class of its own. Google knows so much more about me than, say, Apple, and it’s assistant should reflect that. Because Google itself is placing so much emphasis on the Assistant, it should be held to a higher standard than all the rest — and there’s clearly still some work to do. On the iPhone-like design: Google Assistant: The excellent 12MP shooter: Conclusion:
9to5Google
Design: Camera: And the EIS is magical:
Droid-Life
If there is one camera review that you need to watch, make sure its from Droid-Life. The EIS sample footage included in the video shows just show impressive EIS works on the Pixel and Pixel XL.
So, the Pixel and Pixel XL have turned out to be pretty impressive handsets if the first set of reviews are to be believed. Will you be buying the handset now? Or are you still going to wait for its price to drop before picking one up?
