Google Pixel XL Review: A brush with perfection

When Google first announced their Pixel smartphones, most simply assumed they were the replacements for their flagship Nexus devices. But there’s a much bigger difference--this is the first Google device where the company has gone to great lengths to ensure people understand they they have made it. It’s not like they simply designed it, or gave it a seal of approval--they have actually designed it inside out, and are selling directly to consumers.

For this reason, Pixel phones mark a big turning point in what is deemed a Google device. Until now they relied on an expansive ecosystem of partners to create all manner of Android phones, where the search company played a role in creating the Android operating system and defining best practices that other manufacturers might (or might not) follow. With the Pixel, they have taken all of the reins firmly in hand.

I’ve been using the Pixel XL (32GB variant) as my primary phone for about six days now, putting it through all manner of tests--from seeing how a toddler reacts to it to running intensive bouts of gaming, and everything between. This is my experience:

In the hand

First there is the sense of awe that generally accompanies a much-awaited device, something that I admittedly experienced while unboxing it. What I saw, though, was a phone whose design is surprisingly banal. Sure, there is sublime detail in the way the matt aluminium meets the glass on the front and the back, the way the buttons fit snugly and have that right amount of give. But in the larger context, this flagship phone appears quite unremarkable.

In fact this design almost looks like it was made to blend in. To the untrained eye, the position of the screen within the bezels at the front could well be mistake it for an iPhone, and its back is evocative of any number of phones (barring the telltale ‘G’ emblazoning.) I’d have liked to see something more distinctive--more unique--in this phone’s design, given the gravity of the direction it represents for Google.

Around town

Like any 5.5-inch phone, the Pixel XL one feels comfortable to carry as I’m accustomed to the form factor. However its smooth metal finish, smooth screen and smooth sides literally beg for a cover, for constant fear of it slipping away and falling. It would actually be great to, for once, see a manufacturer create a phone with an inherently non-slip body design, one that doesn’t mandate a grippy back cover. Not so in this case sadly.

Which brings me to actually using the phone. Here is where the pedigree of this device shines through. It is, by far, one of the smoothest phones I have used to date--be it firing up multiple apps, switching between them, scrolling through news feeds and photo galleries, this phone is a joy to use. I encountered virtually no instance of stuttering or glitches when interacting with screen content, whether it was using apps or swiping through the various parts of the OS interface. Even those light brushes when gently scrolling down a web page translates into a responsive scroll. From such subtleties all the way too full-blown gaming, the phone just sails. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor teamed up with an Adreno 530 GPU, along with its 4GB of memory clearly come together to crunch through anything one could throw at it. This is also testament to the new Android Nougat operating system, whose under-the-hood enhancements translate in the real world.

The phone’s 3,450mAH battery easily saw it lasting through a busy day--on average after plugging it out from a full charge at 7AM, it generally had about 30 percent of charge at about 10PM. Its quick charge can also be a boon if you happen to be in a crunch, adding 7 hours of usage with just 15 minutes of charging.

On the gaming and entertainment front, the phone’s AMOLED 2K screen is a quite a sight--color are vivid without being blisteringly so, viewing angles are excellent, and its brightness levels are high enough to use comfortably in direct sunlight. I did however note that the built-in speakers didn’t really pump out the volume. They are loud but nothing like the iPhone 7, for example, with its stereo speakers that do a better job of immersing the listener while playing a movie or catching a video.

Taking that shot

Then there’s the camera. If there’s one reason to buy this phone, it is this--the photographic capabilities of this phone are nothing short of stellar. Its 12MP front shooter with its PDAF simply captures the best shot it can, time and again: no frills, no manual controls, just point-and-shoot. It’s not often one gets to say this, but the photographs from this phone do indeed challenge an entry-level DSLR on one count--exposure.

The ability of the Pixel’s camera to balance the bright and dark areas--especially in scenes with challenging lighting--is unprecedented. From backlit subjects at dusk to mottled shadows beneath a tree in the noonday sun, it literally captures what you see. Spectacular stuff. From the moment I discovered its ability to do such justice to such scenes, I couldn’t help but hunt for them.

Also with the Pixel phones getting the unique distinction of free, unlimited full-resolution photo storage on Google Photos, it’s a great inclusion if you’re serious about having access to high-quality shots.

The camera also features interesting features like the classic ‘Photo Sphere’, which works perfectly to capture immersive 360-degree still photos. However the famed ‘Lens Blur’ feature that purportedly adds a DSLR-like blur effect (comparable to the iPhone 7’s Portrait Mode,) was a bit of a hit and miss. The mode worked nicely with a clearly identifiable subject in the foreground against a distant background--for example a person standing in an open area. But the moment the background became busy with multiple objects in the foreground, the blurring effect got visibly haphazard and appeared unnatural in the final shot.

I would still rate this phone’s camera as one of the finest I’ve used--its ability to balance colors and brightness levels in scenes is stunning. While it certainly will not completely replace your DSLR camera, if you’re keen on taking great-looking photos without the bother of adjusting photographic settings, the Pixel XL does deliver.

See below for actual photos taken using this phone.

The bottomline

The Pixel XL is a phone that marks an important step for Google--it is one of their first real consumer devices, one that is meant to set the benchmark for what a flagship phone should be. And with it they certainly have.

The phone does have its downsides--the average in-built speakers, the absence of dual SIM support, and its non water resistance (something that is becoming a norm with flagship devices these days.)

But with a camera that resets expectations, performance that is likely to satisfy even the most demanding users, and a slick understated design, the Pixel XL has just re-established the state of the art. All this doesn’t come cheap though--these are among the most expensive phones out there, which puts it out of reach of many. But does this price tag justify its abilities? I say it certainly does.

What we liked: One of the best cameras on a smartphone, excellent all-round performance, good battery life with fast charging, a clean Android experience.

What we didn’t: Isn’t resistant to the elements, tends to slip out of the hand, built-in speakers are average.

Actual photos from the Pixel XL