Google Pixel XL review: a Pixel’s perspective

Fans of the Nexus range, you can now wince as Google’s iconic Nexus range is dead. However, if you’re interested in the Pure Android experience as Google imagines it, you need not worry as the Google Pixel and Pixel XL bring with them many of the same characteristics.

Offering a Pure Android experience coupled with the new AI-based Google Assistant, does the Pixel XL have enough to stand out against a plethora of smartphones, both running Android and not? Will the generic design deter users away from Google’s flagship or should you look past it to any goodies that may lie within?

With the Galaxy Note 7 now consigned to an early death, are the Pixel and Pixel XL the perfect replacement? Let’s find out in this, our Google Pixel and Pixel XL review.

Design

Let’s address the elephant in the room – the Pixel XL is basically the closest you’ll ever come to an iPhone running Android. Somewhere in Cupertino, there’s likely to be a team of lawyers pouring over Google’s latest flagship and looking at every patent, which is likely what Google did when coming up with this design.

By way of comparison, the Nexus line-up has always offered quirky, unique designs (though sometimes closely inspired by Google’s partner OEMs designs) that stood out amongst a sea of competition, and the generic design of the Pixel XL removes this. The front especially doesn’t stand out at all, and you could easily mistake it for another generic smartphone, especially with the bottom chin beneath the display essentially being wasted space.

The design itself is almost certain to be the most polarizing element of the Pixel XL and personally, I’m on the fence. While the design was generic at first, it has definitely grown on me but at the same time, I do miss the quirky design of the Galaxy Note 7 and S7 Edge. With so many Android smartphones on the market, Google is largely relying on its marketing push and word of mouth to help the Pixel XL stand out as it’s unlikely many users will pick this handset based on its design.

On the back, there’s a combination of a matte metal finish and a glossy plastic finish in the upper half of the back, and it’s an eclectic combination, which leaves a lot to the imagination. The matte part of the finish provides welcome grip while the glossy part adds one of the few elements that make the Pixel XL stand out. The back also houses the fingerprint sensor, which is rather snappy but more on that later, and Google’s G logo, which replaces the Nexus logo of old.

Moving around the rest of the phone and on the right, you’ve got the power and volume buttons, which are quite stiff, yet easy to press. On the left, you’ve got the single SIM card tray and for those used to dual SIM and/or microSD card expansion on other Android phones, neither of these is available on the Pixel XL. Up top is the headphone jack while at the bottom is the USB Type-C port, single speaker and microphone.

The build of the Pixel XL leaves a lot to be desired for me; despite not being dropped at all since I’ve had it, there are a few dents on the body already and a couple of scratches as well. In a bid to ensure the software and camera elements are great, it does seem that Google has cut corners with the design, at least in my opinion, and honestly, I wouldn’t expect these concerns from a flagship, let alone one that costs as much as the Pixel XL does.

SOURCE:androidauthority.com