Google Pixel 2 XL - Android's State of Art
So I recently switched my daily driver phone from a Samsung Galaxy S7 to the new Google Pixel 2 XL.
Here's my take on the device
The overall construction and shape are excellent. The screen is taller but the width is about the same as the S7 - so it works well in my hand.
The back and edges have a slightly textured finish that provides confidence when picking up the phone. My Galaxy always felt slick due to the all glass vs the metal/glass mix of the Pixel. The power and volume rockers feel very solid along with the overall feel to the device.
The phone is fast. Compared to my S7, app loads, downloads & installs, just fly. Boot-up is quick and easy it never feels like the phone is working hard.
The fingerprint sensor location on the back is very easy to reach and in the perfect "natural" position. While it does mean you need to pickup the phone if you want to use your finger - you can just as easily double-tap the screen swipe up and enter your PIN when the phone is lying flat.
The camera is excellent and fast. There are also some cool shortcuts like picking up the phone and pressing the power button 3 times quickly will auto launch camera - so nice for 1 handed action.
While there has been some reports regarding graininess on the XL's screen I'm not seeing it. Maybe my eye needs to adjust to it.
One of the reasons I bought the Pixel was to join the Android Developer Preview program to always get the latest version from Google. In fact once I got through the initial setup - I immediately registered the device and loaded 8.1.
This is very refreshing versus the 6 - 8 month wait for updates I was experiencing with my S7. It has always surprised me that the largest Android OEM on the planet - can't respond quicker to OS upgrades and patches.
I do really like the "pure" android experience. With my S7, I went to an alternative launcher using MS's "Arrow" launcher, but with 8.1 - you really don't need it. Plus I like not having all the Samsung add-ons.
If there is one thing I may miss it will be the excellent Samsung Pay app. I have set-up Android Pay but because Google only uses Near Field Communication (NFC) and does not also support Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) there are fewer potential POS locations you can use it at. You have to look for the NFC/Android Pay Logo.
With Samsung Pay I would always experiment at various retailers with older POS systems and many were blown away when it worked because they had no idea their system could support it. But it could also be frustrating trying to find the right location on the card scanner to get it to accept the MST function.
Also I have to get used to the whole no 3.5mm headphone jack thing. With that said I had recently purchased some Bose Soundlink II wireless headphones with built in mic - so with the trend moving toward bluetooth / NFC based devices - I can see why Google went there. With that said - sometimes wired just sounds better.
So the one piece of bad news - I am experiencing the background hissing that has recently been reported. So even with nothing playing and the headphones just plugged in - there is a noticeable electronic hissing in the background that does not go away when music starts. Since this issue is well documented - I expect a fix from Google soon.
With all the above said, I really like the Pixel 2 XL. Its a really solid device that's extremely fast and accurate with a state of the art camera system and while the price is up there @ $849 for the 64GB version I purchased - I was able to get a trade-in on my S7 and knock that down a little.
Overall an excellent device and the current state of art of Android. And by being a member of the Android Developers Preview group - will now be able to stay ahead of the game versus trailing..
Here's my take on the device
The overall construction and shape are excellent. The screen is taller but the width is about the same as the S7 - so it works well in my hand.
The back and edges have a slightly textured finish that provides confidence when picking up the phone. My Galaxy always felt slick due to the all glass vs the metal/glass mix of the Pixel. The power and volume rockers feel very solid along with the overall feel to the device.
The phone is fast. Compared to my S7, app loads, downloads & installs, just fly. Boot-up is quick and easy it never feels like the phone is working hard.
The fingerprint sensor location on the back is very easy to reach and in the perfect "natural" position. While it does mean you need to pickup the phone if you want to use your finger - you can just as easily double-tap the screen swipe up and enter your PIN when the phone is lying flat.
The camera is excellent and fast. There are also some cool shortcuts like picking up the phone and pressing the power button 3 times quickly will auto launch camera - so nice for 1 handed action.
While there has been some reports regarding graininess on the XL's screen I'm not seeing it. Maybe my eye needs to adjust to it.
One of the reasons I bought the Pixel was to join the Android Developer Preview program to always get the latest version from Google. In fact once I got through the initial setup - I immediately registered the device and loaded 8.1.
This is very refreshing versus the 6 - 8 month wait for updates I was experiencing with my S7. It has always surprised me that the largest Android OEM on the planet - can't respond quicker to OS upgrades and patches.
I do really like the "pure" android experience. With my S7, I went to an alternative launcher using MS's "Arrow" launcher, but with 8.1 - you really don't need it. Plus I like not having all the Samsung add-ons.
If there is one thing I may miss it will be the excellent Samsung Pay app. I have set-up Android Pay but because Google only uses Near Field Communication (NFC) and does not also support Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) there are fewer potential POS locations you can use it at. You have to look for the NFC/Android Pay Logo.
With Samsung Pay I would always experiment at various retailers with older POS systems and many were blown away when it worked because they had no idea their system could support it. But it could also be frustrating trying to find the right location on the card scanner to get it to accept the MST function.
Also I have to get used to the whole no 3.5mm headphone jack thing. With that said I had recently purchased some Bose Soundlink II wireless headphones with built in mic - so with the trend moving toward bluetooth / NFC based devices - I can see why Google went there. With that said - sometimes wired just sounds better.
So the one piece of bad news - I am experiencing the background hissing that has recently been reported. So even with nothing playing and the headphones just plugged in - there is a noticeable electronic hissing in the background that does not go away when music starts. Since this issue is well documented - I expect a fix from Google soon.
With all the above said, I really like the Pixel 2 XL. Its a really solid device that's extremely fast and accurate with a state of the art camera system and while the price is up there @ $849 for the 64GB version I purchased - I was able to get a trade-in on my S7 and knock that down a little.
Overall an excellent device and the current state of art of Android. And by being a member of the Android Developers Preview group - will now be able to stay ahead of the game versus trailing..
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