Google Pixel 2
£629 inc VAT from tinyurl.com/ybkwo29d
One year after launching its first Pixel phones, Google is back with its second generation of handsets. Once again there are two sizes to choose from and we were lucky enough to get an early look at both devices. We look at the Pixel 2 here and the Pixel 2 XL on page 20.
Design
The Pixel 2 is manufactured in partnership with HTC. The Taiwanese firm made both of Google’s phones last
year, but the Pixel 2 XL is made by LG, which over the years has made numerous Nexus devices. The result is that these are two quite different handsets rather than simply being two different sizes of the same thing.
The Pixel 2 is the cheaper option, though the design isn’t as exciting compared to the XL. The smaller phone has much bigger bezels around the screen whereas its bigger brother is more like the LG G6 or V30 with a ‘FullVision’ display.
It’s a good job that Google has made use of the bezels on the Pixel 2 with front-facing stereo speakers this time – otherwise we would have been thoroughly disappointed.
Like the original Pixel, the new phone has a metal chassis that now houses the circular fingerprint scanner and Google logo. It’s not wedge shaped any longer but feels nice in the hand with a nice powder-like coating on the aluminium.
There’s a smaller but still unusually large glass section at the top that encompasses the camera, which is bigger and looks more out of place this time around not being in the corner.
There’s not enough glass to add wireless charging but Google has upgraded the design to be fully waterproof and it has an IP67 rating, which means you can dunk it in up to one meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.
Like the HTC U11, the Pixel 2 is squeezable so there are pressure sensors in the sides of the chassis where you naturally hold the phone. It’s called Active Edge so squeeze it and you’ll load up the Google Assistant to do whatever you – like asking a simple question or taking a selfie.
The phone will be available in three colours: Kinda Blue, Just Black and Clearly White.
Display
At 5in, the Pixel 2 has the same screen size as its predecessor and it’s one of the smallest you’ll find on a flagship phone. That’s good for some users, but bear in mind that the bezel-free designs of late mean much larger displays without the device being much or, in some cases, any bigger.
Google is still using AMOLED technology here and the resolution remains at Full HD (1920x1080), which is fairly low for a flagship but does have advantages when it comes to graphics performance and battery life.
In terms of aspect ratio, it uses the traditional 16:9, so the Pixel 2 XL couldn’t be much more different in
the display department. It’s 6in, POLED, Quad HD+ and has an aspect ratio of 18:9.
Google touts some clever features including intelligently switching off some pixels when they’re not needed to they stay black. The screen is also always-on so you get information whenever you need it, including a feature called Now Playing (exclusive to the Pixel), which can detect what music you’re listening to from a database of 10,000 songs without the need to contact Google over the Internet.
Processor, memory and storage
It’s thought that the original plan for the new Pixel phones was to introduce a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 processor. However, delays on that chip mean both Pixel 2 handsets are powered but the existing Snapdragon 835 which is used in a number
of rivals. Although it’s a great processor, launching at this time of year means the Pixel 2 is likely to be one of the last phones with the 835 and it won’t be too long before it’s out of date. This only matters to the kind of user who is keen on having the latest and greatest – during our hands-on time with the Pixel 2, performance is very smooth indeed.
The Snapdragon 835 is backed up by 4GB of RAM which is about the average for a high-end device and there’s now double the starting storage at 64GB. You can upgrade to 128GB if you don’t mind paying £100 more for the phone.
You should think about which storage capacity to choose, as the Pixel 2 still doesn’t offer expandable storage like most of the Android world. However, you do get some free storage for photos and video we’ll explain below.
Connectivity
In this area, flagships have been top-notch for a long time so it’s no surprise that the Pixel 2 has dual-band 11ac Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC and Bluetooth 5.0. The latter being the main change, upgraded from version 2.0.
One of the biggest questions leading up to the launch was whether Google would follow some others, namely Apple, and ditch the headphone jack on the Pixel 2 phones. Sadly, the headphone jack is gone so you’ll need to use Bluetooth or the supplied USB-C adaptor.
The fingerprint sensor, as mentioned, remains on the back of the phone which may or may not be your preference for positioning. We haven’t tried it
at the launch event but we imagine it’s just as good as previously. Google says it unlocks faster than any other smartphone.
Cameras
Like the iPhone 8, the camera is pretty much the same on the Pixel 2 compared to the previous model. On paper anyway. You get a 12.2Mp rear camera and, although bigger models often come with dual lenses that’s not the case with the Pixel 2 XL. There’s phase detection and laser autofocus, plus a dual-LED flash but there’s now optical image stabilisation (OIS).
The phone offers 4K video recording at 30fps and 720p slow motion at 240fps. Google is pretty happy with its combination of digital and optical stabilization for video and in a demo it looks great,
The original Pixel phones were two of the best phones around for photography so we hope that’s the case again. We’ll need plenty of time to test them out before we know for sure. Google has
gone from a DxO score of 89 up to 98, the highest for any smartphone to date.
Like its predecessors, you get unlimited cloud storage for all your photos and videos taken on the Pixel 2 in original full quality for two years.
At the front is an 8Mp camera again, which seems like it will offer perfectly decent selfies. Some test photos at the launch event from both cameras look promising, especially the results of the portrait mode.
Battery life
A breakthrough in battery tech is arguably the most sought after in the phone world and doesn’t appear to be here yet. Like almost every phone out there, the Pixel 2 has a reasonable size battery but it’s unlikely to last anyone longer than a day of average usage. This is our initial impression which we’ll test out of course. Google says it offers ‘all-day’ performance.
Once again you’ll charge via USB-C and fast charging will get you seven hours of battery life from a 15-minute charge. As mentioned earlier, there’s no wireless charging here should that be a deal breaker.
Software
You’d think the Pixel 2 phones would be the first to come with Android 8.0 Oreo, but oddly that’s not the case. Sony managed to get there first with the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact.
That said, these offer the pure Android experience also known as ‘stock’ whereas the Xperia devices use Sony’s slightly tweaked interface. Having Android completely as Google intends it is overall a very good
thing for us. It means a clean and intuitive interface with all the best bits of Google – like the Assistant – at your fingertips without distraction from often unnecessary bolt on features or bloatware.
Rather than a design overall or anything similar, Oreo brings with it a number of refinement and some new features. You’ll benefit from autofill passwords, new emojis and improved notifications. There’s also picture-in-picture which allows you to watch video in a small pop-out window while doing other things, although bizarrely this doesn’t work with YouTube.
The Pixel 2 phones will also have exclusive features such as a database of 10,000 song details so you know what you’re hearing without needing to communicate with Google. They will also have a preview of Google Lens, so you can in essence do a search with your eyes. By using the camera you can grab emails or
phone numbers from a photo, recognize who painted an artwork and get ratings for films or books if you take a photo of a poster – for a few examples.
Verdict
Our first impressions of the Pixel 2 are mixed. We loved the original and although the new model brings the best of Google via Android Oreo, we’re not sure enough has changed to warrant a higher price and to compete with rivals. It’s missing key features too, including wireless charging, a microSD card slot and an exciting display. The Pixel 2 XL is a lot more interesting. Chris Martin
Specifications
• 5in (1920x1080, 441ppi) Full HD display • Android 8.0 Oreo • Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 • Adreno 540 GPU • 4GB RAM • 64/128GB storage • 12.2Mp, f/1.8, OIS, phase detection and laser
autofocus, dual-LED flash • 8Mp, f/2.4, 1/3.2in sensor size, 1080p • A-GPS/GLONASS • Wi-Fi 802.11ac • Bluetooth 5.0 • NFC • USB 3.1 Type-C • 2,700mAh non-removable lithium-polymer battery • 145.7x69.7x7.8mm • 143g