With OIS working with Googles brilliant EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation) algorithm, the camera captures video with minimal yanks.Aesthetics and BuildYou go to a party wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. It shows the passion and dedication of people involved in making the device.Its base variant with 64 GB storage costs Rs 73,000 and you are expected to shell out Rs 82,000 for 128 GB variant.While the screen has inherited advantages over LCD panels, LG and Google have somehow managed to spoil the party. Be it menu navigation or switching between the apps, the phone never showed a sign of a slowdown.I always rejected live wallpaper feature on Android for being gaudy. The top row features the most frequently apps. Good job, Google! If that wasnt annoying enough, the search giant has not even bundled earphones with a phone that costs a whopping Rs 73,000. Its dual-autofocus system uses laser and phase detection in tandem to lock on the subject. However, Pixel simply ignores it.The phone lacks a 3. It is the first Pixel series smartphone to features a tall display with 18:9 ratio. But, Xiaomi changed that notion by delivering exceptional fine detail at affordable prices. You can either play movies via Photos app or install MXPlayer. Rest is arranged in an alphabetical order. Android portfolio includes budget, mid-range, and premium phones, which is a great thing.The phone comes with a lousy USB type C to 3.VerdictThe Google Pixel 2 XL takes on the likes of Galaxy S8, HTC U11, and latest iPhone X. Being open and scalable, Android runs on a variety of hardware. The Adreno 540 handles resource hungry games without any issue. Pulling it down further provides you access to more toggles. And the Pixel 2 XL improves upon that. Irrespective of the colour you choose, the fascia comes in black. The earpiece and microphone work well too. For years, I have seen brands not paying attention to detail in the budget category, which is fine. Even with colour preference set to Boosted and Saturated, the display looks awfully drab. In fact, LGs own G6 feels a lot more polished than the Pixel 2 XL.5mm audio jack; Does not come with earphones; Misses out on dual camera; Overpriced— by Chandrakant Isi, Content Lead at MySmartPrice.In the daylight, Pixel 2 XL performs incredibly well.It does get a few things right though.PerformanceLike most flagship phones this year, the Pixel 2 XL is powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 835 chipset. These displays are cheaper to manufacture and resilient to flex. However, you wont notice it unless you set the screen brightness low at around 20 percent for night reading.5 audio jack adapter though. The Pixel phones proved that with control over hardware and software, Google can take on Apples iPhone. In addition to clicking good stills, it can also record Full HD videos at 30 fps. I did hide myself to test the sound output though. It produces perfect blacks and usually vibrant colours. To make it look fresh, you pull up your pants all the way to your neck. Notification panel has not changed much.SoftwareThe Pixel 2 XL runs the latest version of Android Oreo. I must say the camera is swift to lock focus. The 8MP front-facing camera is good enough to please the selfie-addicts. Theres no way to configure it to trigger any other app. Since the screen has a tall aspect ratio, you must put up with letterboxing while watching your favourite videos.CameraThe original Pixel XL had an excellent camera. The search giant worked closely with select Android manufacturers to roll out the Pixel and Pixel XL last year. Whats worse is that the phone lacks the fine detail you expect after paying so much money. This time around, to appeal to laymen, Google has also added some much-needed eye-candy. Thanks to the powerful processors and 4 GB of RAM, the loading times were quick too. Paired with stock Android with no bloat at all, the phone pulls of amazing performance. I dont have a problem with expensive smartphones, but the Pixel 2 XL simply fails to justify its price tag. The colours too look very good.The similarly priced Galaxy S8 from Samsung oozes quality.2, the megapixel count hasnt changed. When updating the operating system, Google must consider millions of hardware permutations and combinations. Thats a clever decision as black is much better at hiding the front-facing camera and sensors than any other hue. Especially, the Pixel 2 XL not only has to challenge the latest iPhone but also fight off the Galaxy S8, Note 8, and HTC U11, to be the best Android flagship in town. Overall, the screen has a lot of problems for a phone named Pixel. Finding your locally stored music collection is tricky as Google has tucked it away in the hamburger menu. If you press and hold an app icon, some apps provide you with quick actions. I tested games such as Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8. Thanks to Qualcomms Quick Charge tech, charging the phone for merely half an hour can keep it powered for roughly half a day. For those interested in numbers, it packs in 1440 x 2880 pixels. So, theres still some time before you get cohesive icon scheme. Sure, at 12.The settings menu is streamlined.On the other hand, Apple only has to fine tune iOS for its own hardware. To address this issue, Google launched the Pixel programme. The moment you open Android Play Store, Microsoft Word, or anything with a prominent white background, you realise how cold (blueish) the display is. For instance, the phone has thin bezels.The icons look neat on a tall high-resolution screen. There were no dropped frames or any noticeable stutter. The ditch attracts dust and then theres no easy way to get it.In the premium segment, most brands are busy bringing out design innovations. The lens protrusion at the back not only makes the phone wobbly but also showcases shoddy craftsmanship. Such pixel arrangement usually leads to a slight blue tinge. It looks so awful that I wont use it outdoors even if someone put a gun to my head. In most cases, it is hardly noticeable. It is not the first smartphone to feature Android Oreo but is surely the one to deliver the unadulterated experience. Apples phones are incredibly stable and optimised, whereas Android devices are more likely to behave erratically. Its low-light performance is on par with other premium phones such as the Galaxy S8.Rating: Since its inception, Android has served as an affordable alternative to the iPhone. And as you would expect from a flagship phone, the audio output is amazing. But, Google has changed my perception with its latest subtle animated wallpapers that are a treat to look at.DisplayOLED is the holy grail of display technologies.5 mm jack. You can also shoot slow-motion videos at 240 fps at HD quality. It has a pixel density of 538 PPI. It simply pulled up the metal half in its dual tone design. For instance, PayTM app lets you instantly view balance, add money, or pay.The phone has a few bright spots such as a brilliant camera. However, in terms of build quality and design, it is nowhere near any of its premium competitors. The loudspeaker is sufficiently loud to let you watch web videos without having to put on the earphones.
These devices were a huge step in the right direction. Like most modern screens these days, the Pixel 2 XLs 6-inch display is sharp. So, the type C USB port also doubles up for audio out. It works much like HTCs Edge Sense — squeezing the bottom half of the phone to summon the Google Assistant. But, in Pixel 2 XLs case, you simply cant alkaline battery Manufacturers ignore it. In contrast, Google, and its hardware partner LG have not bothered much with finesse.Overall, the Pixel 2 XL has a stunning camera. Hold the phone for a minute, and it feels that people were made to build the Pixel 2 XL against their will.ProsExcellent camera; Latest and bloat-free Android; Excellent multimedia performance. Unlike cheap LCD tech, it does not require a backlight source. However, it also has a flipside when strictly considering the premium smartphone segment. It is now much easier to find what you are looking for thanks to sensible grouping. Most of the system icons are now circular. Android purists love the stock Android experience.If you are looking for the best smartphone in the premium segment, Apple and Samsung are still the brands to go for.BatteryThe Pixel 2 XL packs a 3,520mAh battery. More importantly, it does not have a hideous notch found on the iPhone X. For instance, pulling up the app drawer gently increases the opacity of the pane before becoming entirely white. Being a Google device, it offers latest Android experience without any bloat. It has a terrible UI that shoves Google music collection down your throat (ear).Google Play Music is the default audio player. Each pixel in an OLED screen has self-luminance.Theres no dedicated video player. In the next party, being lazy, you end up wearing same apparels. This is Googles design philosophy for Pixel. For starters, it is one of the dullest OLED panels I have ever seen. Unfortunately, it is riddled with too many shortcomings that outweigh its good points.ConsLacks the finesse in build; Boring design; Screen has excessive blue tinge; Lacks a 3.LG likes to call its OLED screens P-OLED, where P stands for plastic.The Pixel 2 XL also offers Active Edge gesture.Lastly, the phones network and Wi-Fi reception were top notch.The camera captures 4K videos at 30 fps. On moderate use, the phone easily lasts for over a day and a half on a single charge. However, the app icons still come in all shapes and sizes. But thats alright as the Active Edge is a gimmick and the only time you are going to use it is when showing it to your friend. The retail unit I bought has also had the irregular gap between the lens and the rim surrounding it. Pixel’s second iteration has even bigger responsibility. First pull gives you a row of quick toggles.Google has polished the transition effects and animations in the latest version of Android. Im especially hung on the A walk in the clouds wallpaper, which is reminiscent of the opening sequence of Kubricks masterpiece The Shining. Overall, a badly calibrated screen, boring design, and lack of fine detail in design make it a wasted opportunity. What this means that you cant charge your phone and listen to music simultaneously. But, the new Pixel 2 XL now comes with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation, which was missing in its predecessor.The line on the back, where the glass and metal meet to form the dual tone design, does not fit seamlessly either. It captures sharp images with plenty of detail. Theres a good reason for that though.The screen also has a black smear issue.The phone uses a pentile matrix screen. Though I really miss the dual lens camera wizardry found on the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8 Plus.