Google Pixel 2
The smaller Pixel steals all the plaudits from its big brother, even if it isn’t quite as exciting
Did you like the look of the original Pixel? If so, you’re in luck. The Google Pixel 2 looks almost identical to the original, which means no edge-to-edge display like the Samsung Galaxy S8 or iPhone X – but then the Pixel 2 does retail between £50 and £370 cheaper.
If you aren’t familiar with the original Pixel, then the key things to know are that it’s thin, light and benefits from a textured aluminium back, which feels less slippery than the glass of its rivals. It’s an understated offering, with even the familiar Google “G” quiet: dark grey on a black background.
The new Pixel is the same weight as last year, at 143g, but it now measures a svelte 7.8mm to the original’s 8.5mm. This isn’t the overwhelming positive it first appears, though – in fact, for some it’s the very definition of losing weight in the wrong places. The Pixel 2’s crash diet has ensured that the 3.5mm headphone jack is gone, with only a USB-C adapter in the box as compensation.
There’s still no room for expandable storage, so 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage is all you’re ever going to have. That particular pill is made easier to swallow with Google’s offer of unlimited photo storage, but even that has a catch – it runs out in three years. Also note the 128GB model is a chunky £100 more.
Same screen (phew!)
Turning on the Pixel 2 for the first time reveals a screen that’s hard to tell from the original Pixel – which is to say that it’s very good indeed. It’s the same 5in display, the same 16:9 aspect ratio, the same 1,080 x 1,920 resolution and AMOLED technology, the same 441 pixels per inch.
In our tests, colour accuracy proved a fraction worse than last year’s but there’s so little in it that I doubt anyone would spot it with the human eye. It is a touch brighter, rising to a maximum brightness of 418cd/m2 compared with last year’s 411cd/m2. Being an AMOLED screen, contrast is perfect, by definition.
So, on paper, minor changes, but all you really need to know is that the Pixel 2 has a brilliant screen, with bright, vibrant colours and oodles of detail. Videos look great, and icons are beautifully sharp.
Crucially, this makes it much better than the Google Pixel 2 XL, which, as we disclosed in our review on the previous few pages, suffers from discoloration when viewed even from the slightest of angles. You may wonder if we just had a faulty unit, but we looked at those loaned to our sister publications IT Pro and Expert Reviews and found the same flaw.
“The Pixel 2 has a brilliant screen, with bright, vibrant colours and oodles of detail. Videos look great, and icons are beautifully sharp”
Scorching speed
Performance is great, as you’d expect from Google’s flagship Android handset in 2017, but the Pixel also benefits especially from the clean, trim version of Android 8 Oreo it comes with. While other handsets are waiting patiently for the roll out, Google goes first, and it’s a joy to use. This will be the first handset to get Android Papaya, Penguin, Pancake or whatever weird name Google comes up with in 2018.
Still, even the most bloated of Android installations would sail along with the Pixel 2’s specification, which it shares with a few of its key rivals. Just like the HTC U11, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, OnePlus 5 and the US edition of the Samsung Galaxy S8, the Pixel 2 is masterminded by the powerhouse Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor – a 2.35GHz octa-core monster. This is backed by 4GB RAM, and in terms of performance there’s little to choose between all the main players, as you can see from the graph opposite, with only the iPhone 8 standing out.
The same stalemate is reached in 3D performance, with the Pixel 2 achieving 56fps in the visually intensive GFXBench Manhattan onscreen test. The Samsung Galaxy S8 achieved lower results here, but only because it has a higher-resolution display.
In terms of battery life, Google doesn’t quite meet the high bar set by last year’s Pixel. While that managed 16hrs 23mins in our punishing video-rundown battery test, this year’s handset managed “only” 14hrs 17mins. That puts it right in the middle of the pack: longer lasting than the Sony Xperia XZ Premium and HTC U11, but well short of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and OnePlus 5.
Of course, a looped video test, while a useful yardstick, doesn’t replicate all real-world conditions, and for the days I’ve been using the
Pixel 2, I’ve found battery life to be very good indeed. I’ve yet to dip below 30% before turning in for the night. And with the bundled fast charger, getting it up to full capacity is pleasingly speedy, too: Google promises up to seven hours of battery from a 15-minute charge.
Cracking camera
So far, the Google Pixel 2 is doing well – but then so is every other flagship phone. True, you save £20 on the price of its main rivals, but that’s the kind of saving eaten up over the 24 months of a contract. Long-term Pixel users will know that Google’s ace in the hole is the camera, and once again, for still shots, this is the best phone camera you can buy.
In bright conditions, the Pixel 2’s 12.2-megapixel, f/1.8 OIS- and EIS-stabilised camera manages to surpass the high bar set by the original Pixel, and even exceeds the very high standards of the HTC U11 and Samsung Galaxy S8. The dynamic range and colour saturation are spot on and the white balance is far more accurate to boot. The original, on the odd occasion would tinge images yellow; there’s no evidence of that here.
But it’s low light shots that make the smartphone camera and, in these tricky conditions, the Pixel 2 excels. Once again, the dynamic range and colour saturation are superb. Colour retention is excellent, while noise is brilliantly kept under control. The original Pixel managed slightly richer colours, but that advantage was offset by the aforementioned tint of yellow. The more neutral Pixel 2 gets the nod here. As with the XL, you get “Motion photo” and a portrait mode to play with too.
Hold on to that champagne though, because there’s a downside. And that downside is video. While 4K video is crisp and bursting with detail, the colours are all over the place. They seem to be hypersaturated, and a direct comparison with last year’s Pixel and the Samsung Galaxy S8 shows that detail capture is considerably softer.
Google regains points for its brilliant use of EIS (electronic video stabilisation), which records footage that looks like it could have been recorded on Steadicam – but you can’t escape the feeling that this is a missed opportunity. Hopefully, the strange saturation can be improved by OTA updates.
Bargain buy?
We cover the software extras included in the new Pixels in our in-depth review of the XL – the always-on screen, the fact it constantly eavesdrops to detect what music is playing, the “Active Edge” that you squeeze to activate features such as silencing calls – but the million-dollar question is whether all these enhancements mean you should buy the Pixel 2.
If you want the most bang for your buck, the Pixel 2 seems appealing: after all, it undercuts the Samsung Galaxy S8, Sony Xperia XZ Premium and HTC U11 on price. But, it’s still £180 more than the OnePlus 5. And, if you hunt around, you can find the S8 for around £500.
If money isn’t your deciding factor, the Pixel 2 has two key advantages: the camera and the company. The former is easy to explain: this is by far the best camera phone on the market, taking phenomenal shots in tricky conditions.
The second is the strippedback OS. It’s snappy, comes with everything you need and isn’t overloaded with bloatware. I keep finding
charming little things that make me squeal with delight. Example: watching the highlights of Derby County’s heroic 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest, I received a message, so pressed the home button to investigate. Without asking, the match was minimised to a dinky picture-in-picture square, playing on while I responded.
That’s a small thing, but it’s an important one. While other companies often trip over themselves trying to overload their phones with new features, Google adds ones you find by accident and feel just right. Plus, Google handsets invariably receive software updates and new versions of Android first. If that matters to you, the Google Pixel 2 is an excellent choice.
“Oreo is snappy and isn’t overloaded with bloatware. I keep finding charming little things that make me squeal with delight”