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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  • D
  • AnonD-314089
  • J$n
  • 07 Oct 2016

Ugly, very ugly.Enormous besels in top and bottom. Seems a kind of outdated.10 year's old.

    • f
    • fizzy
    • my5
    • 07 Oct 2016

    Swain, 05 Oct 2016I don't see any reason why these phones won't be a failure.... moreagreed

      • S
      • Sri
      • U@X
      • 06 Oct 2016

      Hello Pixel XL (eXtended Legacy)
      Hello Android Nougat 7.1 (Nougat)
      Hello Google

      It was happy to know that Google has come up with the Phone which is one of the best phones after the Nexus Series.

      One Crunch: I have not tried Core Android even till date (My Mobile is Samsung Note Series ver 4.0 N910G India) working fine on the Skin (GUI) of TouchWiz.

      All in all.. Going through the Specifications, one may say it as one of the Best Phones that Google has made.

      Moreover, a little disappointment: I thought the Nougat and Up of the Android Core OS would be launched on Google Project Ara. I Hope still the Modular Project is in Experimental Phase.. I could see one day, the Android would be running one of the Ara Phones too.

      Good Luck Pixel..
      HTC Out there.. If I am not wrong.

        • D
        • AnonD-25384
        • t7K
        • 06 Oct 2016

        Meh. This phone will flop.

          Just talked to Telus after they sent me an email for $100 of the Pixel with a pre-order, $100 in Google Play credits, $65 Premium Plus plan (their minimum plan though...) if you add a line. The best plan they could offer that was comparable to my current incedible grandfathered in plan (6gb, ten faves, $58/month) and adding my wife with her aging Iphone 5s with 16gb (10gb after OS space) and her BYOD $65, 2gb, Nationwide plan ended up being $165 with both of us paying $50 each for Nationwide and $65 for 7gb. Not Bad, but still $42 more a month than what we pay now (see below). BUT, she wants a shiny new Iphone herself soooooo adding that to the equation bumped the plan up to $75 each for Nationwide... Thus making the whole plan $215/month... So, our plans together now are $123/month without taxes added in yet, and in total include 8gb, Nationwide and Ten Faves... and being the cheap pr!ck I am, I will certainly pass on this "deal"...

          Can't wait for my LG G5 to ship and to snag an Iphone 6 for the wife and keep our plans :)

            • D
            • AnonD-523981
            • Q$h
            • 06 Oct 2016

            maku, 06 Oct 2016what do you prefer? the design or the performance.. for me ... moreTrue! when I bought N6P it was all about performance. but it was also reasonable in price! it just made sense to buy it.

            But Google Pixel is expensive and ugly and has lack of IP6x!!!! it means it is not even dust proof!
            Do you like to see dust in your camera lens! and company tells you it is non of our business because we told you before!!!???!

            Just saying.
            Again, it is not only ugly! it is expensive and has lack of dust proof (forget about water even!)

              Meanwhile and one year later,I'm still very happy with my Mate 8.

                • D
                • DrColg8
                • q8J
                • 06 Oct 2016

                AnonD-442781, 05 Oct 2016It has a unique design. It has the best smartphone camera. ... moreDon't forget 15 min quick charge gives you 7 hrs talk time. Full charge = 23 hour talk, 14 hour video VR use (XL), 4-5 DAYS standby.

                I don't like the bezels, but if you have to put the electronics inside somewhere to have the highest rated DOXDUO camera (instantaneous capture with no shutter lag as well), I will accept the ugly bezels.

                The only other thing I don't like is lack of speakers, but with BT external speakers being for zammin with friends, I will assign my audio output to a more capable speaker device.
                Price? When don't we get raped on price. Look at it this way... It costs as much as a mylan epipen, and the phone may also save your life. If the battery holds up for 2 yrs, and the large .jpg and vid files stored off device, it should retain OS speed through its life. Buying the funky Blue one for the wife today. "Does this phone make my butt look big?". Caio

                  • D
                  • AnonD-479319
                  • v}Q
                  • 06 Oct 2016

                  Super pure Android...Im waiting for it...

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

                    Very large bezels, especially the upper and lower - and they still put the task, home and back buttons on the display instead of the lower bezel. Is anybody with even half a brain going to buy this overpriced garbage?

                      marlo, 06 Oct 2016During the press conference in San Francisco, Google never ... moreI chose to disagree with your comment.

                      Google didn't mention HTC name and instead chose to take credit of hardware and software. This means that may be HTC is going to be owned by Google (like Motorola in past)

                      Full control of hardware is only possible when it is fully owned by Google.

                        • m
                        • marlo
                        • MKK
                        • 06 Oct 2016

                        During the press conference in San Francisco, Google never mentioned HTC as the company that designed the phones. Instead, the company said that the hardware and software are made by Google, hiding the HTC's involvement in the design and manufacturing.

                        Well, according to latest report, everything in Google's Pixel smartphones was manufactured by HTC in Taiwan and not Google. That was confirmed by HTC's spokesperson Jeff Gordon, and Google explained why there is no HTC branding.

                        Shame on you Google lier

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • 7Xr
                          • 06 Oct 2016

                          Note7, 06 Oct 2016I thought of going for Note 7 (even after the first battery... morego for iphone 7 plus! no need for explanation!

                            • N
                            • Note7
                            • KS7
                            • 06 Oct 2016

                            Swain, 05 Oct 2016I don't see any reason why these phones won't be a failure.... moreI thought of going for Note 7 (even after the first battery issue) but Note 7 again having battery issues. Now I have to chose between iPhone 7 Plus and Pixel or Moto Z Force....Not sure...All are really expensive. I didn't mind paying for Note 7, but not for others! They are way expensive above their features...

                              • j
                              • james
                              • Trn
                              • 06 Oct 2016

                              everything that is made in US is very expensive, like this apple thing. I don't think that this is a good business. Don't patronize expensive products it will spoil companies who provide this expensive products.

                                • D
                                • AnonD-476428
                                • SuE
                                • 06 Oct 2016

                                Ark, 05 Oct 20162016 is a year of stupidity for those major phone companies... more
                                totally agree...

                                1. Alcatel Idol 4s
                                2. ZTE Axon 7


                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-476428
                                  • SuE
                                  • 06 Oct 2016


                                  - 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
                                    • AnonD-590482
                                    • uSQ
                                    • 06 Oct 2016

                                    Those cases made the unit even more cheap looking.

                                      • S
                                      • Simon
                                      • NU0
                                      • 06 Oct 2016

                                      I like where Google is going with the Assistant and VR. But the Pixel phone, man that is one ugly device. Unless they make it very affordable like the Nexus 5 I don't see anyone wanting to be caught dead with one of those, unless the bezels are there in the first place to prevent you from dying (you can scare off offenders if they have any sense for beauty deep inside).

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-90109
                                        • X9m
                                        • 06 Oct 2016

                                        AnonD-481725, 05 Oct 2016Well in fact, all what mentioned are belong to one is xperi... moreYou need to get back to earth, LMAO.

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