Google Pixel XL review: Upsampled

28 October 2016
Google was always a service - the best search engine on Earth. Now under the Alphabet umbrella, Google is becoming a brand - for online services yes, but also for hardware. Leading the charge are the Pixels, Google’s equivalent to Samsung’s Galaxy or Apple’s i-gadgets... and every bit as premium.

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  • D
  • AnonD-269661
  • ucy
  • 31 Oct 2016

I like Samsung because of the button placements its perfect for my use.
I cant have a phone with no front button.

    • S
    • Slayer
    • nIm
    • 31 Oct 2016

    Robi, 30 Oct 2016Battery sucksI bet you have never owned or used the phone as if you had you will realise what a stupid comment to make that was. The battery life is absolutely top notch.....rocking the white one!

      • S
      • SH.T
      • LTm
      • 30 Oct 2016

      everything has it's price. for some reason google put its effort and price on design and camera. also screen is more dense than chinese phones. so if it were not for interface(actually most important thing for me -I love htc sense) i would give a damn high score to it.

        ithehappy, 30 Oct 2016Camera is the main selling point. And I am not sure whether... moreoneplus3 has 95% good camera compared to pixel's and oneplus is 400$
        pixel is stupid expensive

          Nick.B, 30 Oct 2016Hate both pixel and pixel xl honestly. 800$ for what ? You ... moreCamera is the main selling point. And I am not sure whether this phone performs better than OnePlus 3 or not, maybe more snappier, smoother, don't know.

            • D
            • AnonD-448401
            • YPe
            • 30 Oct 2016

            Nick.B, 30 Oct 2016Hate both pixel and pixel xl honestly. 800$ for what ? You ... moreHAHA you are wrong man.you can get the same performance in 400$ phones also(one plus 3,zte axon 7) hehe

              Hate both pixel and pixel xl honestly. 800$ for what ? You can get same performance in 600$ phone

                • R
                • Robi
                • nUW
                • 30 Oct 2016

                Battery sucks

                  • C
                  • Cosmo
                  • nw}
                  • 30 Oct 2016

                  So no microsd card slot is a pro now?

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

                    Is the Google Pixel XL a phone that Fred Flintstone would own?

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

                      Anonymous, 29 Oct 2016Google has set the first nail in IPhone 's coffin with PixelIn other words, there's just enough stupid people to buy this overpriced junk, you know, like the iPhone?

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • 8ns
                        • 30 Oct 2016

                        [deleted post]They used to be(past tense)

                          • r
                          • regs
                          • pRU
                          • 30 Oct 2016

                          Camera seem to have higher resolution than SGS6 despite declared 12 mp vs 16 mp. But a bit noisy.

                          Anyway, it's not a player for that price, thank to ugly design and because it won't be available worldwide, only on limited markets in limited quantities.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • rA7
                            • 30 Oct 2016

                            Selling android to others and also promoting pixel.. What a situation .. If they win android is selling .. If pixel wins still android is selling +hardware is selling

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • j5$
                              • 30 Oct 2016

                              AnonD-448401, 30 Oct 2016you are right my friend but in low light and stills,eis is ... moreEhhhhh....maybe?
                              To test this we'd need to use a third party camera on the pixel (one that means use of the eis, assuming that is a feature Google is exposing) and see how high we can push the exposure. I'm not aware of any reviews that have attempted this.
                              As it is, it takes amazing low light photos, and if there's motion happening in that low light situation, there's no phone on the market that can match its results (surprisingly, it can push up its ISO to unexpectedly high levels before quality becomes crap).
                              You can, somewhat, fault the pixel for not going ALL OUT with the hardware, but the camera (even considering the lens flare issue) had really lived up to their hype (even if it's not THE BEST CAMERA, it's inarguably one of the best, and a nice step up from the 6p).

                                • D
                                • AnonD-448401
                                • YP6
                                • 30 Oct 2016

                                Mobilemaster, 29 Oct 2016But videos are not that shaky on EIS videos. I have checked... moreyou are right my friend but in low light and stills,eis is not that good like ois so.....

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • sUw
                                  • 30 Oct 2016

                                  do a pixel vs nexus 6p comparison.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • vgM
                                    • 29 Oct 2016

                                    Mobilemaster, 29 Oct 2016The NO OIS is not a problem. EIS can be even better than OI... moreEIS its designed to Video record. OIS its designed to camera shoot ;)

                                      ithehappy, 29 Oct 2016It is a problem. EIS can never match hardware OIS. The vide... moreBut videos are not that shaky on EIS videos. I have checked many videos, and OIS shakes much more, which is annoying.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • s07
                                        • 29 Oct 2016

                                        ithehappy, 29 Oct 2016It is a problem. EIS can never match hardware OIS. The vide... morealso OIS makes a huge diference in low light shots where the shutter speed is usualy bigger and better stabilization is required