Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on: First look

4 October 2016
Android is by far the most popular smartphone OS - 7 out every 8 phones run some version of it. And yet its purest form, a Nexus device, is anything but dominant in the marketplace. A rebranding effort sees the "Google phones" change the name to Pixel in the hope to change the popularity as well.

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  • a
  • a simple man
  • 6kk
  • 10 Oct 2016

You can call this phone pixel or whatever, its just another nexus made by htc. They just wanted to run away from the nexus name since it hasn't sold well historically. The nexus pixel/ xl will also do poorly in terms of sales for the same reasons all other nexus devices fail. These are overpriced and cannot compete against samsung. They should have been priced this similar to huawei honor 8 / p9.

    • s
    • sanso
    • JEa
    • 10 Oct 2016

    Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.

      • K
      • Karpol
      • y@m
      • 10 Oct 2016

      We used to spend money on customization of android via phones like samsung, sony and LG, now people are returning back to stock launcher and spending money like water on it, its simply a no go. Just for the sake of new camera sensor and pixel launcher I have to spend 20K extra ?? hell NO !! What extra does it provide ?? I agree Google-Assistant is superior than Siri, but how many of you guys have really used it in practical ?? Samsung had voice assistant since S2, I never used it.. and I never do in future. Build is on par with HTC10 so it should be 40K to be practical. 2yr OS updates + 1 yr security updates is simply unacceptable.

      Only fools can shell his money on this right now.

        • D
        • AnonD-595859
        • k0i
        • 10 Oct 2016

        Now they have me buying my first iPhone in 5 years. Shame on you google for leaving out legacy support for this new assistant. Btw, the n5x sucked. End of rant.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • Tr3
          • 10 Oct 2016

          Hype around this phone is hilarious.

          Overpriced, overhyped, and soon relegated to the dumpster section of memory.

            • D
            • AnonD-72882
            • g30
            • 09 Oct 2016

            The design is not from scratch it is copy of Nokia 6300 , an 8 year old phone. lol. Its an ugly expensive phone which is bound to fail

              • D
              • AnonD-569198
              • YdR
              • 09 Oct 2016

              AnonD-416564, 08 Oct 2016You're crazy. Pure Android is the only way to fly.. Every s... morePure Android is the only way to fly? With a bevy of launcher alternatives such as Lightning, Nova, Action, etc. I figure why make pure Android a priority. For me there are a lot of higher priority criteria to consider in a phone. Besides, the flexibility of Lightning Launcher far outshines pure Android.

              And as for carrier bloat - simple - disable the bloat via the app manager.

                • D
                • AnonD-592671
                • KiT
                • 09 Oct 2016

                Hail Ara! ;)

                  • P
                  • PrankM
                  • vIf
                  • 09 Oct 2016

                  Looks like an iPhone clone.

                    • B
                    • Buppy
                    • ubI
                    • 09 Oct 2016

                    It seems android is becoming the terminaror genesis.

                      • A
                      • Aadrian
                      • 3YQ
                      • 08 Oct 2016

                      Not exactly a beauty. Too expensive. I foresee failure for these phones. Next.

                        • D
                        • AnonD-416564
                        • jZn
                        • 08 Oct 2016

                        Sri, 06 Oct 2016Hello Pixel XL (eXtended Legacy) Hello Android Nougat 7.1 ... moreGoogle killed the modular phone concept along with Nexus... (small tear forms).

                          • D
                          • AnonD-416564
                          • jZn
                          • 08 Oct 2016

                          dgg, 07 Oct 2016as someone said..... only the pure android freaks will to... moreYou're crazy. Pure Android is the only way to fly.. Every skinned OS is horrendous to the eyes, and pure Android just works. The phones that come with all the Bells and whistles are not a requirement for me anyway (Again Looking at Samsung).

                          Nexus phone owner here only, since The Galaxy Nexus was released.

                            • D
                            • AnonD-416564
                            • jZn
                            • 08 Oct 2016

                            1). If they want GIANT BEZELS.. put GIANT front facing speakers in them. My God, HTC has been failing at screen to phone size ratios for EVER!

                            2). Give me an aluminum back or a glass back, BUT NOT BOTH. The black is the worst btw..

                            3). I actually love the *cheap* soft touch backs on all of my previous Nexus devices best.

                            4). Is 4 gigs of RAM necessary. If we're to believe Google, the previously included 2 gigs of RAM, was plenty...(?$)

                            5). Now can we talk about PRICE, & why I'm not buying either of these phones! Really Google??

                            6). No reason the high end pixel and mid level Nexus phones could not coexist!

                            Sorry Google: After I have bought every Nexus phone and tablet since the Galaxy Nexus, you lost me this year. I'm not on a Google Engineers salary!

                            I'll be waiting for a Nexus-like phone and price tag soon... I hope this flops.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • tCV
                              • 08 Oct 2016

                              dgg, 07 Oct 2016as someone said..... only the pure android freaks will to... moreI dont need stereo front speaker.. as long as the speaker is loud and clear that's enough for me..

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • tCV
                                • 08 Oct 2016

                                kev ben, 07 Oct 2016does anyone notice that it looks like the iPhone?sane people will agree.. but after you look thoroughly, it is somehow has HTC design language.. for example, full rounded/curved sides on the backplate but flat in the front, big bezel on top and bottom..

                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-390806
                                  • Ibx
                                  • 07 Oct 2016

                                  dgg, 07 Oct 2016as someone said..... only the pure android freaks will to... moreI don't like the Pixel, but I have to to disagree with your standards, since there's no phone that has all the features you mentioned. Samsung seems to be the only phones that have those buttons, but lack front speakers.

                                    • k
                                    • kev ben
                                    • Rf7
                                    • 07 Oct 2016

                                    does anyone notice that it looks like the iPhone?

                                      • d
                                      • dgg
                                      • mGw
                                      • 07 Oct 2016

                                      as someone said..... only the pure android freaks will touch this. Pure Android is rather featureless to me...

                                      no front stereo speakers
                                      - no home / back (capacitive) buttons
                                      - no IR blaster
                                      - no OIS camera
                                      - no microSD expand memory

                                      useless phone... the market if full of this type of phone.

                                        • d
                                        • dgg
                                        • 846
                                        • 07 Oct 2016

                                        I don't think slapping a G on the back of an HTC phone (plus some special google features no one cares about) will suffice as competition for Apple and Samsung???? I know they insist it is their phone and HTC only built it it but....... the price suggests Prince William designed it.

                                        Now I see google squeezing Samsung by playing games with Android features that the third party vendors won't have access too; or at least in a timely manner. This may be the start of the downfall of Android...... Just how far is Google willing to go to have it's own hardware?

                                        Again, you have to really like google to buy this over the oneplus 3? No I don't own Oneplus 3. On the same price level this is a no contest with Apple and Samsung.