Google Pixel review: Advanced simplicity

07 November 2016
HTC and Google have come full circle twice since the original HTC Dream, which released on T-Mobile as the T-Mobile G1. Then a few years later with the release of the Google Nexus One, yet another phone is made by HTC for Google. And now, with the Nexus lineup seemingly discontinued, the (HTC-made, as well) Google Pixel takes its rightful place as Google’s own flagship offering.

Sort by:

  • D
  • AnonD-295423
  • uvh
  • 17 Nov 2016

Nothing special in pixel.

    • D
    • AnonD-295423
    • uvh
    • 17 Nov 2016

    Features are copied from iPhone 6. Siri is copied from iPhone. Shame for google. Why pixel is copying iPhone features

      • D
      • AnonD-431437
      • jJL
      • 15 Nov 2016

      Dave Granger, 10 Nov 2016Boring iPhone knock-off. Please review the Xiaomi Mi Mix.Speaking of iPhone knockoffs......

        • S
        • Smuti
        • 3pw
        • 14 Nov 2016

        Meh

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • PA7
          • 13 Nov 2016

          sahil sekh, 12 Nov 2016Google fone is very good smartfone cemera is is very good D... moreSd821 & nougat can win speed against motorola z? Seriously week

            Anonymous, 10 Nov 2016V20 is better.And the LG G5. Picked one up for $400 cdn and I'm simply amazed at how fast and smooth this phone is. Benchmarks just under the Pixel in real life testing (I got 139634 in Antutu), it won the camera shoot-out on this site, expandable storage, great screen with higher brightness than this site states (goes up to 800 nits outdoors according to phone arena, and I've had no issues with outdoor legibility), and is already getting Nougat in some regions.

              • s
              • sahil sekh
              • gMK
              • 12 Nov 2016

              Google fone is very good smartfone cemera is is very good Display is vesy very very good

                • D
                • AnonD-609165
                • 2@e
                • 12 Nov 2016

                I Love this phone

                  • k
                  • ksc6000
                  • Dtu
                  • 11 Nov 2016

                  I can understand you guys being upset that Google did not make this phone waterproof and include stereo speakers....but why wouldn't they charge as much as Apple? The average person believes that a higher price means higher quality...and do you guys think Google wants people to think that the Pixel is lower quality than an iPhone? Even if you think it is, you can't understand that from their perspective, they want people to think it's as good? And what's wrong with companies wanting to make money...we live in a consumerist world..that's how we make money!

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • pv@
                    • 11 Nov 2016

                    It's still Android, so it still has issues.

                    Worst security, outdated user interface (static icons), random bugs and app crashes, missing important features, slow and inefficient when compared to Windows and iOS, poor battery management when having loads of apps installed, poor memory management, messy filesystem, etc.

                    Thanks, but no thanks! I'll stick to my 950XL until something better comes out.
                    So glad I've switched from the OnePlus 2 to the Lumia. Everything just works now.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • PA7
                      • 11 Nov 2016

                      I prefer pixel motorola z force, which always offer new tech

                        • D
                        • AnonD-598677
                        • HjB
                        • 11 Nov 2016

                        i can buy a macbook or iphone 7s with this price...

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • ty@
                          • 11 Nov 2016

                          The phone this year is called Pixel, and what is the name next year ? Resolution ?

                            dladz, 10 Nov 2016Honestly I'm on the fence, I've never had a low tier phone,... moreSame here brother. Always top of the line for me, but this phone, though has excellent hardware and even better software, that price just doesn't do a justice. I mean especially when phones like OnePlus 3 sells at less than half price of this!

                            I might get one, but when the price cools off.

                              • e
                              • e-sr4
                              • MnM
                              • 10 Nov 2016

                              It's worth to mention that the cpu is underclocked

                                Wait wait.. Nexus is now DEAD because of this phone?

                                  • d
                                  • dladz
                                  • 3GZ
                                  • 10 Nov 2016

                                  Honestly I'm on the fence, I've never had a low tier phone, always the best, but with this, i can't help but feel that Google have gone all apple on us, which isn't a stupid move as the elite seekers will see this as a break from the norm and once the hardware does it's talking it'll convert those who committed.

                                  But for the faithful who've been with android since the start or for the converts who sought out more for less, the price tag alone is enough to leave a bad taste in the mouth, especially seeing as Google has released Nexus devices since the old Nexus One and the prices have always been competitive, over £819 for a re-branded nexus is a lot to ask and is well into iPhone territory, sure you get 128GB but a £20 SD card would give you the same, perhaps if you have a contract rolling around (even though you'll only get the 32GB version and with 4K video, it's not enough)

                                  To buy it outright which was a trick that google had monopolized with the nexus line I think they've moved too far away from what people loved and hit them hard in the pocket to keep that stability and vanilla OS in their lives.

                                  That being said the phone itself is a beast, it's sleek, fast, great camera, slick UI as with all nexus phones and will not leave you feeling completely ripped off, but roll back a year or more and you'd be getting the same level of competitive hardware (for it's time) for a lot less, I think that will be what it's remembered for (and when they decided to drop a great name)

                                  My main gripe with the phone is it's size, I do like being able to use one hand at times and the XL has slightly more to offer, but the size of the device is off putting.

                                  The day google dropped a great name, gave us a bad one and made us pay apple money for it.

                                  Personally I usually jump on brilliant flagships when they arrive regardless of my current contract status and even get a second one to stay up to date, but this time around i'll be skipping this generation, predominantly because of the price but also because I don't see this as a massive leap ahead of my current phone (HTC 10)

                                  Maybe in a year or two google :)

                                  Just hope they see the error of their ways and release a great phone for less, which is mainly why most people went for the nexus, a great phone for the price it should cost, not like the iPhone which was overpriced for less hardware and more control.

                                  Time will tell.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • 3SI
                                    • 10 Nov 2016

                                    Anonymous, 10 Nov 2016Stock Android is the worst Android experience. LG and S... moreMore like lots of bloat that takes up energy and space and processing power

                                      • s
                                      • scoobydooby
                                      • jeS
                                      • 10 Nov 2016

                                      Why anyone would buy this phone at its absurd pricepoint is beyond me.

                                      the OnePlus 3 is 95% of this phone for literally half the price. Plus, it gives you an SD port and larger screen, and now has Android 7 roms available.

                                      I can't think of any reason to buy the Pixel at all really. Pointless phone even if it was hundreds cheaper.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • pWQ
                                        • 10 Nov 2016

                                        Anonymous, 10 Nov 2016-50.9 stereo crosstalk is very bad sound quality!Yeah, no idea why Google always has picked the bad sound chips. Like Sony year after year with their cameras, Google fails with the sound chips on their devices (Nexus-products in the past). It's a HTC-made device, so makes no sense how this is possible. They usually do have great DAC's.