By Joel Conceicao
What’s the top Android phone out there? Perhaps it’s Samsung’s Galaxy S8. Huawei’s Mate 10 Pro would also be a worthy contender. However, the real heavyweight that’ll squash the competition, no matter the operating system, is Google’s Pixel 2 XL.
Having used both iOS and Android before, I found the Pixel 2 XL to be the best all-rounded phone I’ve ever used; with standout features that’ll make you want to splash the cash. Here’s why:
1) It has the best camera in the market, hands down:
Smartphones are now people’s de facto photo-taking device of choice, so you’ve got to have a good camera. Huawei’s Leica branded-lenses are great, and you can never rule out the iPhone. But here’s where the Google Pixel 2 XL excels – its software is impeccable.
Whether it’s low light, natural light, landscape, or portrait shots, your photos will look stunning. The colours are crisp and there is plenty of depth. The Pixel 2 XL’s 12-megapixel camera, with a wide f/1.8 aperture, manages to capture even the minutest of details clearly, and can fool you into thinking it was taken by a DSLR at times.
Here are some sample shots:
All this is made possible thanks to the Pixel 2 XL’s Auto-HDR+ function. It takes multiple shots every time you click the shutter, and combines them for the best effect. And it doesn’t matter that it’s not a dual-lens like the iPhone X or Huawei Mate 10 Pro, cause it’s even better.
2) You’re going to get the ultimate Google experience
As the Pixel 2 XL is Google’s flagship phone, you’re going to enjoy some very powerful software. You’ll get Android 8.0 right off the bat. And since Google develops Android, you’ll get first dibs on OS and security updates.
Another plus point is that there won’t be any annoying third party apps to clog up your phone, since Google’s native apps will be already present.
As for the Pixel 2 XL’s performance, I found it extremely quick. Apps launched swiftly (and smoothly), and I felt like I was using the Usain Bolt of smartphones. Of course, phones do slow down after an extended period of use, especially once you load them with apps.
But judging from last year’s Pixel, which retained most of its original speed, I expect the Pixel 2 XL to perform more or less the same after a year.
3) It looks (and feels) like a phone worth spending money on
Smartphones are extremely expensive, so it’s important that you make your money count. And for that, design is real important. Would you want to blow a thousand bucks on a crappy looking device? I’m sure not.
Thankfully, the Google 2 Pixel is one good looker.
Made out of a gorgeous mix of matte metal and glass, with a curved 6.2-inch edge-to-edge infinity display, the Pixel 2 XL looks every bit the premium phone that you’d expect it to be.
The metal back feels smooth, and I barely made any smudges on its front. I felt it was pretty comfortable to hold as well, which was a pleasant surprise considering that it’s technically a “phablet” – phone and tablet.
It also doesn’t hurt that the phone is IP67 water resistant, meaning you can dunk it in one-metre of water for up to 30 minutes.
That said; the Google 2 Pixel isn’t without its chinks. Here are some things I didn’t quite like about it:
4) Some features were a little gimmicky
Back when the Pixel 2 XL was launched a few weeks ago, we were told that the Google Assistant could understand Singlish. And I was super excited to try that out, especially since the Pixel Buds (which can apparently translate up to 40 languages on the go), isn’t yet available in Singapore.
And c’mon, Singlish for the Google Assistant sounds pretty damn cool. Still, I’m going to question its applicability; I’d much rather type out searches instead of talking to my phone like a complete idiot. The Google Assistant, however, did pick up most of what I was saying, so that was impressive.
Nonetheless, if you’re not going to use the Google Assistant a lot, like me, you’ll find that the squeezing feature to launch it comes across as gimmicky, and even unnecessary.
There were also complaints about the Pixel 2 XL’s display quality. I personally found it a little dull at times, though it wasn’t that much of a big deal. The colours still looked pretty good to me.
What I did have a problem with was the phone’s biometric scanner being overly sensitive. There were a few instances when I just took it out of my pocket, and the phone notified me that too many attempts were made to unlock it. What? So I had to constantly manually unlock the phone with my passcode after getting locked out.
Conclusion
The Google Pixel 2 XL isn’t the perfect phone by any means, but it comes pretty damn close. It has everything you’d want in a good smartphone – the camera’s fantastic, the software smooth, and the design beautiful. There are some teething problems, but I have faith that Google will sort them out.
Overall, this is still Google’s best smartphone of all time, and it’s splendidly made too. If you’re an Android user, this is definitely worth upgrading for. And if you’re on the iOS side, there’s no better Android phone to shift to than the Pixel 2 XL.
The Google Pixel 2 XL is available via exclusive on Sintel. Find out more about mobile plans here.
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