home » Consultation » Pixel X Ale. Google Pixel XL - Specifications. Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are used mainly for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.

Pixel X Ale. Google Pixel XL - Specifications. Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are used mainly for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.

Initially, the Pixel series of smartphones was conceived as a kind of ideal Android smartphone that other manufacturers will be equal to. Over time, the series went off somewhere, but the first models were really successful.

Legendary camera

As a rule, any Pixel review starts with praise for its camera. At the time of the announcement, the Pixel camera was the best of all smartphones. Naturally, after a few years, progress has stepped forward (hello Apple and Huawei with their super cameras), but even by today's flagship standards, the Pixel XL takes great shots - it's no accident that it has 90 points from the authoritative resource DxOMark and is among the top best camera phones on the market. ... At the same time, the camera module itself does not really stand out against the background of competitors, but the software makes it really interesting.

Large pixel

Externally, the Google Pixel XL is an enlarged copy of the Pixel. It uses the same design with a glass bezel and rather large bezels around the screen. The Pixel XL's bezels and back are made from aircraft-grade aluminum, but the back has a glass insert that houses the camera unit and a fingerprint reader.

AMOLED screen with 2K resolution

The 5.5-inch display of the Google Pixel XL uses a 2560x1440 AMOLED matrix, which is covered by Gorilla Glass 4. The screen exhibits the wide color gamut typical of this type of matrix. Out of the box, the color gamut of the screen is rather cold with a bias towards blue hues, which could be called a minus, but in the settings menu it can be switched to sRGB mode with warmer hues. Overall, the screen is still excellent even when compared to the latest flagships from Samsung and Huawei.

4 cores

Where the Pixel XL really sags is when it comes to hardware. It houses the once-flagship quad-core Snapdragon 821, which is now showing performance on par with mid-range processors. It does not slow down, but there can be problems with demanding games. In principle, now it cannot be included in the minuses, but it also has no margin of safety. Also, potential buyers are unlikely to like that there is only 32 GB of internal memory, which cannot be expanded with memory cards.

Full functional menu

In terms of connections and functionality, the Google Pixel XL looks quite fresh and modern: it has a fast fingerprint scanner with the exception of accidental touches, a relatively large battery with fast charging, a USB C port, a separate 3.5 audio output, an NFC chip, and also supports OTG functions for connecting peripherals via USB and DLNA for sharing content “over the air”.

The second Googlephone, and even in XL size, is an example of an almost perfect smartphone. It's powerful, fast, takes the best pictures, runs on pure Android, and is IP67 protected. And everything would be fine if not for a couple of "but".

Huge display

An important part of the smartphone's design is the widescreen display framed by small frames. It is based on a 6-inch progressive P-OLED matrix with a resolution of 2880x1440 pixels. The display can display the time and notification icons on a permanent basis (Always On function). The model's shortcomings are also associated with it: firstly, when the viewing angle is changed, the picture on the screen turns yellow and green, and secondly, pixels burn out on it (with prolonged display of the same part of the image).

Out of competition

In terms of performance, only a few colleagues in the shop can compete with the Google Pixel 2 XL. And it's not even about the use of the most powerful "filling" (the top-end Snapdragon 835 chip in the company with Adreno 540 graphics and 4 GB of RAM), but the stock version of Android Oreo, under which the device operates. The cameras are also out of competition - the main 12.2 MP with f / 1.8 aperture and the 8 MP selfie module. It is worth dwelling on them in more detail.

Strength is in the chamber

According to the authoritative resource DxOMark, the main camera of the second "Googlephone" is recognized as the best in the modern market of mobile devices... With a score of 98 points, it is one step ahead of the Apple iPhone X and as much as 4 steps ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Moreover, the aforementioned smartphones are equipped with a dual photo module, and on the back of the Google Pixel 2 XL there is one lens. The camera is equipped with an optical stub and an advanced system of software blurring the background when shooting in portrait mode. It also extends its action to the front-end.

In favor

Not without a few proprietary "buns" in the smartphone. So, the side edges of its body react to the force of compression (the functionality is limited by the support for calling a voice assistant or the ability to reset an incoming call), and when playing near the music device, the track title and artist name are displayed on the screen. The second "pixel" is also supported by good battery life, convincing workmanship and always up-to-date OS version.

The Google Pixel XL is Google's older flagship smartphone that comes with a 5.5-inch screen. At first glance, apart from the size, it is no different from the Pixel. However, this is not the case. Let's take a closer look at the main characteristics of this model.

Contents of delivery

The XL version offers the same package bundle as the Google Pixel.

In the box, the user will find a USB to USB Type-C cable, a separate cable with two USB-C connectors, a USB to USB-C adapter, a charger box, and headphones (for some markets).

Design and usability

Externally, the Google Pixel XL is an enlarged copy of the Pixel. It uses the same design with a glass bezel and large bezels around the screen. It should be noted right away that the smartphone looks less interesting in white than in black.

In it, the frames of the case seem even larger, and also a block of sensors is noticeable, which could not be made to match the case, like a speaker grill.

In addition, while large frames in the Google Pixel in general only affect the aesthetic perception, then in XL they directly affect the usability. The fact is that the dimensions of the Pixel XL body are large, even for a 5.5-inch smartphone. For clarity, let's just compare the dimensions of the Google Pixel bezel to the Moto X Style.

As you can see, the Moto model is even more compact, despite the fact that the diagonal of its display is 5.7 inches.

Google's designers shouldn't have followed Apple's path by simply scaling the same design. There is quite strong competition among large smartphones today, and even more so when it comes to flagships.

If you take a closer look at the Pixel XL build, it looks a bit different from the smaller version. The glass of the front panel is practically recessed into the case, while on the back side it protrudes slightly. Perhaps these are the features of our sample, but in any case, the seams fit tightly, and the body itself is monolithic.

The Pixel XL's bezels and back are made from aircraft-grade aluminum, but the back has a glass insert that houses the camera unit and a fingerprint reader. The camera does not protrude from the body, as its thickness varies from 8.58 mm at the top to 7.31 mm at the bottom. Using the smartphone with one hand is not as convenient as the Google Pixel, the width of 75.74 mm affects. But at the same time, the device does not fall out of hand, slightly sharpened edges add tenacity to the body.

The Pixel Imprint fingerprint scanner, as mentioned above, is located on the back of the case, and the index finger of the left and right hands precisely rests on it. The scanner works quickly, but it implements protection against accidental clicks, which assumes that your finger not only touches the surface of the sensor, but also puts a little pressure on it. A total of five fingerprints can be added to the scanner.

Display

5.5-inch display Google Pixel XL uses an AMOLED matrix with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels (534 ppi), which is covered by a protective glass Gorilla Glass 4. The screen demonstrates a wide color gamut typical for matrices of this type. At the same time, by default, the Google Pixel display shows a rather "cold" picture, with a color temperature of 7000K, as well as a bias in blue.

Nevertheless, if you open the developer menu, then the display can be switched to sRGB mode, which will display more natural colors, and the color temperature "warms" up to 6500K.

However, more natural colors may appear washed out compared to the original display mode, which may not be to everyone's liking.

In general, the Google Pixel XL display delivers clear picture quality and is more suitable for use with Google Daydream VR glasses than the Google Pixel display.

Performance and memory

The Pixel XL uses the same platform as the smaller version of Google's smartphone. It is a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with 1.6 GHz and 2.15 GHz, as well as Adreno 530 graphics.

The performance of this bundle is sufficient to run the most demanding applications and games on the Pixel XL, which is also confirmed by synthetic tests.

But what users will hardly like about the hardware platform of the Google Pixel XL is 32 GB of internal memory in the basic version, which cannot be expanded with microSD cards. This amount of memory is only enough for a basic set of applications and a couple of games, and this is only if the user will only watch videos and listen to music online.

At the same time, I would like the XL version, as more advanced and expensive, to start with 64 GB. Moreover, some games, due to the higher resolution of the smartphone screen, take up more memory space than in the same Google Pixel. Of course, one could complain that these are the realities of the smartphone market, and the memory in the iPhone 7 Plus also starts at 32 GB. However, Google Pixel XL competes not only with it, but also with other flagships on Android, which for the most part offer a memory card slot.

Camera

The camera in the Pixel XL is the same as in the smaller version, it is a 12.3 megapixel module with 1.55μm pixels, f / 2.0 aperture, and phase and laser autofocus. And this is one of the best smartphone cameras available today.

The module itself doesn't really stand out from the competition, but the software makes it really interesting. HDR + dramatically improves photos even in low light conditions. And in the daytime the camera shoots well without it.

Examples of shots in good lighting:

Examples of shots indoors and outdoors at night:

As a result, the Pixel XL camera is perfect for those who don't want to mess with the settings, but just want to get their smartphone out of their pocket at the right time and take a photo. Moreover, in most cases, the quality of such images will be good.

Autonomy

The built-in battery in Google Pixel XL has a capacity of 3450 mAh. In the PCMark battery test, the smartphone lasted 8 hours and 16 minutes.

However, in reality, there is no big difference in autonomy compared to Pixel, the device also provides about 1.5 days of operation with an average load, providing more than 5 hours of screen life.

Site evaluation

Pros: bundle, materials and build quality, display, performance, Android 7.1, great camera, fingerprint scanner, autonomy

Minuses: large (like for a 5.5-inch screen) body, the basic version has little internal memory and no microSD card slot

Output: The Google Pixel XL is a larger version of the Pixel smartphone, but it is not a complete copy of it. There are slight differences in both design and functionality of the models. In addition to the 5.5-inch display, the Google Pixel buyer gets both a higher resolution and a larger battery. Nevertheless, with the increase in the screen diagonal, the body itself has become larger, for some users this will be a noticeable disadvantage. But in general, for those who are looking for a smartphone with a diagonal of 5.5 inches on "pure" Android, Google Pixel XL will be a good choice

Previously, Google was associated with nexus smartphones, but now the situation has changed. The manufacturer decided to develop in a different direction by releasing gadgets under the Pixel trademark. Smartphone developer - Google, but HTC produces them. Let's see what the new Pixel and Pixel XL devices have.

Unboxing smartphones

Pixel and Pixel XL are models with similar characteristics, so the review will be two devices at once. More about the differences later.

There is nothing special about the packaging: the gadgets come in a small box with a picture of a smartphone and the name of the company. The box opens unusually. Inside:

phone;
charging block + cables with different connectors;
uSB C to USB A adapter;
a clip for withdrawing a SIM card.

The package bundle is modest, but there are basic components. Let's move on to describing the design.

What Pixel gadgets look like

Pixel's look is a mix of Samsung, HTC and Apple. The design is discreet, stylish and discreet, it does not attract attention, but this is how an advanced device should be. There is one peculiarity: to prevent the camera from sticking out from the body, the top of the Pixel is thicker than the bottom, resulting in a wedge-shaped shape. The solution is interesting.

There is a headphone jack on the top of the case, on the left is a microsym slot, on the bottom is a USB C port, as well as speaker and microphone holes. On the back is a camera and a fingerprint sensor. The screen is covered with Gorilla Glass 4 protective glass, the back cover is monolithic, made of metal. Another distinctive feature is the glossy insert on the back.

Externally, the Pixel looks solid and expensive, the build quality is excellent, and it looks like it's a powerful device.

Screen features

The google pixel smartphone differs from pixel xl primarily in screen size and resolution. The first variation has a diagonal of 5 inches, a resolution of 1080 × 1920 pixels, and the second has a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1440 × 2560 pixels. The screen is made using AMOLED technology.

The only drawback of the displays is the noticeable bezels. Otherwise, everything is at the highest level: excellent color rendition and contrast, pixels are not noticeable, the picture does not fade when the viewing angle is changed.

Pixel and Pixel XL OS, processor and performance

Both phones are powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC with 2 cores clocked at 2.15 GHz and 2 at 1.6 GHz. Graphics chip - Adreno 530.

The Pixel and Pixel XL come with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and there's also a 128GB variant. There is no possibility to insert microSD, but Google offers an alternative - the Google Photo service, where you can store photos in unlimited quantities. When buying a smartphone, pay attention to this feature: if you need to download large files, you should choose the version with 128 GB of internal memory.

The operating system in gadgets is android 7.1. Besides the mentioned endless storage, there are a few other highlights.

Google Assistant. Google Assistant is a thing that resembles the usual voice search for a query. It is also launched with the phrase "Okay, Google", but its capabilities are wider. With it, you can send SMS, open an application or locate. True, the assistant still understands only English.
A lot of screensavers have appeared, including an image directly from Google Earth. A rotating planet is clearly unusual.
Google pixel and pixel xl have built-in technical support, where you can ask questions of interest from 9 to 18, works seven days a week.

The gadgets are "stuffed" with the best existing hardware, is it worth talking about excellent performance? Games and applications start instantly, processes do not slow down the system. During operation, the devices heat up, but moderately, and this does not affect performance in any way.

How about cameras?

A high-quality camera is the second criterion, after performance, by which a good flagship can be distinguished from a Chinese counterfeit. The manufacturer took this into account.

Google pixel phones are equipped with a 12.3 megapixel module and f / 2.0 aperture. It is possible to take photos with a resolution of up to 12.3 megapixels and videos in quality up to 4K. Since the module is the only one, after a single press, the system will ask you to move the camera to the side, for greater coverage of the environment.

Photo from the main camera

The photos come out amazing, they get the highest rating on the DxOMark service. Excellent contrast, detail, color depth - all worthy of praise. It can be seen that the manufacturer used high-quality lenses: despite the lack of optical stabilization, the image is not blurred. Special attention is paid to the HDR + mode, it is a pleasure to take pictures in it. Plus, it works so quickly that you don't have to turn it off at all.

Main camera video

The devices can shoot video at 30 frames per second (4K), 120 fps (1080p) and 240 fps (720p). At any resolution, the recording quality is excellent, the colors are rich, and the image remains smooth. The only problem is that when shooting in 4K, the output videos are voluminous. So it is better to send them to Google's storage right away, so as not to clog up the internal memory.

Front-camera

The front camera has slightly worse parameters: 8 megapixels, aperture f / 2.4. There is autofocus, the details are good. Like the main camera, there is the ability to shoot videos in 4K, their quality is pleasantly pleasing.

Pictures and videos from the main and front modules can compete with the photos taken with the iphone 7 and Samsung galaxy s7. Now there is no doubt that Pixels are worthy rivals of the most famous flagships.

Batteries

In addition to the screen characteristics, Pixel differs from Pixel XL in battery capacity. In google pixel it is 2770 mAh, and in google pixel xl it is 3450 mAh. The first model with a moderate load will last 1.5-2 days without recharging, and the second - less, but a full day is not a problem. Phones are charged in 1.5-2 hours.

In standby mode, the battery practically does not drain: it takes 1% per day. If you watch a movie in HD, the charge will last for 11 hours. For smartphones larger than 5 inches - excellent results.

Communication capabilities

There is some bad news: the new smartphone has lost a slot not only for a memory card, but also for a second SIM. Now you won't be able to use two operators if the choice fell on one of the Pixel gadgets.

Smartphones have no problems with communication, they work at almost all possible frequencies. The speed of uploading and downloading files is record-breaking - up to 600 Mbps and up to 75 Mbps, respectively. If the Internet provider provides one, the gadget will simply fly on the Internet.

The Type-C connector enables high-speed USB 3.0 file transfer. Google phones have an additional mini-processor built into them, which performs tasks even when the main chipset is loaded. For example, voice commands will be recognized immediately. Convenient and practical.

I don't know about you, but I have never been particularly attracted to Nexus smartphones. Yes, pure Android, yes, an affordable (though not always) price, yes, a good set of features. But on the other side of the scale there were quality problems, not the best photographic capabilities (the magic of HDR + for me came to naught after comparing LG Nexus 5 and Vivo Xshot, and afterwards it didn't really impress) and ... pure Android. Google Pixel models as successors to Nexus have lost one of their main advantages - affordable cost - but they received a great camera in all respects, uncompromising hardware and the best version of Android.

You can read my story about buying Google Pixel XL from the UK in a separate article.

Google Pixel XL specifications:

Network: GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), WCDMA (band 1, 2, 4, 5, 8), FDD-LTE (band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13 , 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30), TDD-LTE, CDMA
Platform (at the time of announcement): Android 7.1 Nougat
Display: 5.5 ", 2560 x 1440 pixels, 534 ppi, AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 4
Camera: 12.3 MP, Sony IMX378 1 / 2.3 "sensor with 1.55 micron pixels, f / 2.0, CRI-90 dual LED flash, phase and laser autofocus, video recording in 4K @ 30fps, [email protected] and [email protected]
Front camera: 8 MP, 1.4 microns, f / 2.4 aperture, video recording [email protected]
Processor: 4 cores (2 x 2.15 GHz and 2 x 1.6 GHz), Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
Graphics chip: Adreno 530, 624 MHz
RAM: 4GB LPDDR4
Internal memory: 32/128 GB UFS2.0
Memory card: no
GPS and GLONASS
Bluetooth 4.2
Wi-Fi (802.11a / b / g / n / ac), dual band, 2x2 MIMO
USB Type-C 3.0
3.5mm audio jack
Three microphones, adaptive sound amplifier
Pixel Imprint Fingerprint Scanner
Battery: built-in, 3450 mAh, fast charging Quick Charge 3.0
Dimensions: 154.72 x 75.74 x 7.31-8.58mm
Weight: 168g

Video review and unpacking

Design and equipment

The unusually designed box contains the following package: a smartphone, documentation, a powerful charger, a needle to eject the SIM tray, a double-sided USB-C cable, a USB-A to USB-C cable and an OTG adapter with USB-C. Judging by the set, Google is actively pushing the USB-C standard, which is welcome. Of course, while this causes certain inconveniences, but they can be solved. In addition, a standard USB to USB-C cable is cleverly included in the box.

The Pixel and Pixel XL designs were the subject of debate and controversy long before the announcement. According to leaks, Google smartphones were not the most attractive devices (to put it mildly). After the official debut, the negativity diminished, although still renders and most of the photos are not able to convey the beauty of the devices. Pixel is a rare case when the main positive emotions arise only with a real acquaintance. Live glass patch on the back is perceived not as an unsuccessful experiment, but as an organic addition that turns an ordinary, by and large, appearance into something original. Look at the backs of popular devices and tell me if a solid metal panel would be better?

Perhaps, the beautiful Google Pixel XL still cannot be called. He's just nice and showy. The patch is made of Gorilla Glass 4, which is embedded in a solid anodized aluminum base. The material is, in fact, ordinary, but the processing is special - dirt sticks to the Pixel XL less and even on the black color the stains are invisible, the material resists scratches well. The front side is covered with the same glass from Corning and it also has rounded edges. It is true that in front and behind the rounding is practically not felt, since both there and there the metal base is closely fitted to the glass.

Let's go through the elements. Above the screen is a front camera, earpiece, light and proximity sensors. The phone also has an LED indicator (hidden by the earpiece), but by default it is turned off and must be activated in the notification settings. Why did Google decide not to use it? Because I thought the screen that lights up on notifications provides a better experience. On the left is a tray for one nano-SIM. On the right - the power button and volume rocker, the height of which could be lower. The off key is grooved for a pleasant tactile sensation.

The audio jack is at the top, at the bottom is the USB-C 3.0 port, microphone and multimedia speaker. The speaker is quite loud and clean, but if for some reason you want to turn the Pixel XL into a Nexus 6P (or iPhone 7 Plus) so that both speakers play, you can use the mod forcing music to be output through the earpiece. True, no mod will help to swap the slots of the microphone (right) and speaker (left). Personally, I prefer to hold the phone horizontally with the left side facing me, but with the Pixel XL this is problematic as the hand is blocking the speaker. At the back is the main camera module, dual flash and several points that hide the laser autofocus and microphone. A fingerprint scanner dubbed Pixel Imprint is also located on the back. With its help, by the way, you can lower and raise the curtain.

The overall tactile feel of the Google Pixel XL is positive. However, it is important to understand that HTC, the Pixel collector, has some difficulty in creating minimal borders and margins. Therefore, in terms of dimensions, the Pixel XL (154.72 x 75.74 x 8.58 mm) is not far from the rather big Apple iPhone 7 Plus (158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm). So if the iPhone 7 Plus is big for you, then the Pixel XL will probably seem big, and in this case, pay attention to the 5 "Pixel - you will get all the Pixel XL chips, but in a smaller format. As for the build, here HTC has outdone itself (apparently, under the supervision of Google). The details fit tightly and evenly, nothing creaks (my HTC 10 had a crooked Home button and the front panel was uneven). From the point of view of practicality, attention should be paid to the rear glass part, slightly rising above the metal. It is unlikely to survive a drop and resists scratches as well as the fourth generation of Gorilla Glass. That is, scratches will appear over time. If you are worried about this, then I recommend paying attention to stickers or covers - it will not be difficult for you to order them from the USA or China.

The screen with a diagonal of 5.5 ”and QHD resolution is made using AMOLED technology, has a pixel density per inch of 534 ppi. By default, the panel behaves in a typical "pop amoled" way: rich colors, a bias in cold shades (to make it seem brighter). In this mode, it is great to spend time playing games, but working with photos brings certain inconveniences due to the unnatural color rendition (in particular, due to the raised saturation, people's faces look red). Fortunately, there is an alternative, the sRGB color mode, which you can activate in the developer section. With it, the screen visually turns yellow, but this does not mean that the white balance goes far towards the warmer side. Rather, it becomes natural and such a contrast is striking only for the first few seconds after switching from the bluish standard mode. The sRGB color rendition is close to natural (almost 1-to-1 corresponds to the Galaxy S7 edge in the "main" mode) and you can not only play with this screen, but also watch videos and work with photos. In direct comparison with high-quality IPS matrices, the Pixel XL display with sRGB will appear off-white, but this is already a feature of AMOLED technology with the PenTile matrix structure, where green subpixels predominate. The brightness control range is wide, the oleophobic layer is excellent, the viewing angles are high. The Pixel XL uses the latest generation of AMOLED, and thanks to the high resolution, I can't criticize the picture for being loose, everything is at a very high level. The regular Pixel with Full HD, on the other hand, is not as sharp.

Software

The Pixel is powered by the latest Android Nougat platform. The company promises to update the operating system for two years and release security patches for three years. In other words, users can rest assured of support - “pixels” will always have the most up-to-date software. The Pixel Launcher skin is exclusive to Google phones, although it can also be installed via the APK. The interface is simple but stylish and user-friendly. There is nothing superfluous in it and it works ultra smoothly and quickly. Pure Android experience as it is.

On the main screen, when the location is activated, the weather is shown (without GPS, the time is displayed). To the left of this information are a couple of Google buttons - search and voice input. When you swipe from left to right, a Google screen is displayed with tips and information relevant to you (weather, exchange rates, news, data on discounts on products that interested you - Google knows more about you than you think). The list of programs opens with a swipe from the bottom, and closes with a reverse gesture. You can slightly open the notification shade by sliding your finger from the top edge. The second swipe reveals it completely. Needless to say, all these swipe actions are accompanied by very smooth animation? The Pixel has a simple screen, without 3D Touch (it cannot recognize pressing with force), but this did not stop Google from implementing a context menu for icons. Just hold your finger on the app and you will see the available functions. If desired, they can be taken out to the desktop separately. Notifications in the curtain have become more detailed and clearer, they are now grouped, and you can reply to messages without opening the program. There is a multi-window - with an open application, hold down the square and you can split the screen into two parts. By the way, if, while on the desktop, you double-click on the square, then switch to the last active program, and if you click on the square from the application, you will return to the previous task - all this somewhat simplifies multitasking. Alas, there is no full-fledged Google assistant for the Russian language, so if you want to communicate with your phone, switch the system language to English.

The wallpapers are divided into 9 categories and the selection is amazing. It includes not only very beautiful and spectacular static pictures, but also high-quality live wallpapers, which are influenced by the time of day and your location, battery level and actions on the desktop. If desired, you can activate the daily automatic wallpaper change and set different patterns separately for the locker and the desktop. It would seem that background images are a trifle. And many manufacturers think so, loading a few dull pictures into memory for show. But for me, this is an important detail that demonstrates that companies are not indifferent to users. The Pixel is now friendlier and nicer than the Nexus. My understanding of the Google Pixel models is pure Android for a wider audience, while the older Nexus models offered bare Android for the geeks. Another small example: on the Pixel, when you hold down the power button, a menu appears in which you can choose to restart. Nexus didn't have that.

The settings are informative - key information is indicated right under the items and it is very convenient (you can see the access point, Bluetooth status, the amount of traffic consumed, the volume level, the amount of available memory, etc.). In the "Screen" you can change the font size and image scale, enable night mode. The "Motions" section includes quick access to notifications (swipe your finger across the scanner) and the camera (double-tap the power button), allows you to switch between cameras with wrist movements. The recent OTA added a double-tap to turn on the screen and activate the display with notifications when the device is taken off the table.

The System UI Tuner item with additional interface settings (there, for example, you can specify the battery percentage in the curtain) is hidden by default. To open it, hold down the gear in the notification shade.

Nougat's Easter egg isn't easy. When you hold down the letter N, a cat's face appears, indicating the start of the search for pussies. After that, go to the section on editing the curtain shortcut keys and move the Easter egg icon to the accessible area. Then place bait (food, fish, chicken, sweets) on the plate and after a while you can catch the cat. Such gathering has no purpose. But cats differ in appearance and can be named and sent to friends. Nicely.

There are very few preinstalled programs - only Google / Android services and applications. This selection has both pros and cons. Experienced users will find it easy to download their programs, and newbies who are unfamiliar with Android may fall into a slight stupor. In any case, the required minimum is present.

I will mark the keyboard in a separate line. Convenient, customizable (themes, height adjustment, ability to enter characters by holding), with accurate gesture input.

Camera

During the announcement, Google decided to highlight the Pixel's outstanding photographic capabilities with a reference to the DxOMark ranking, where the device scored 89 points, topping the table. This caused a mixed reaction among a thinking audience who remembers DxOMark writing laudatory odes to the Sony Xperia (we know how lousy Xperia is actually filmed, right?). Nevertheless, Google Pixel and Pixel XL are really cool, but it is too early for DxOMark to return the credit of trust, because they screwed up with Xperia in their time.

The main Pixel module uses a 12.3-megapixel Sony IMX378 1 / 2.3 "sensor with 1.55 micron pixels. Aperture is f / 2.0, dual flash (single color), there is a laser and phase detection autofocus. The camera interface is simple, but with "Pro-features." Among them: presetting white balance, several types of grid, fixing the focus / exposure metering point, adjusting the exposure with the slider. By default, the Auto HDR + photo mode is active, but you can turn it off or activate the enhanced HDR + mode (when exiting the program Auto HDR + will re-enable.) A dedicated Qualcomm Hexagon coprocessor is responsible for HDR + post-processing. Look at these modes:

In difficult lighting conditions, I advise you to adjust the exposure using tapu (Auto HDR + compensation will be enough), or turn on the enhanced HDR + mode, in which there is practically no need to edit the exposure. I do not recommend shooting without HDR + and Auto HDR +, since without them Pixel XL takes pictures of the word Chinese budget - with poor detail and a huge amount of noise. It's even amazing how it is. HDR + technology is cool, although very, very rarely misses. This is rather an exception to the rule, just composition unsuccessful for algorithms. Take a look at these artifacts:

In some other scenarios, light hits the lenses in such a way that strange halos appear. The company is aware of this problem and promised to release a fix that will programmatically remove them. What halos look like now:

I have honestly tried to use my Pixel XL in every possible environment, trying to identify strengths and weaknesses. As a result, I came to the conclusion that the smartphone camera is suitable for any scene. And in snowy Russia, and in smog-covered China, and in colorful Hong Kong, the shots are amazing. The camera focuses accurately and shoots quickly. At night and at home, lubrication is as difficult to obtain as on the iPhone 7 Plus. The richness of the colors of the surrounding world is preserved not only outdoors in good light, but also at night and also indoors. The device perfectly reproduces colors and rarely makes mistakes in the white balance. The Pixel XL camera is indeed one of the best, if not the best in all. Its advantage is that you can simply point and shoot for a cool photo with minimal effort and no additional processing required. Everything is the way iPhone users love. By the way, the iPhone 7 Plus, in my opinion, takes pictures worse than the Pixel XL. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is also worse. Like the flagships Xiaomi, Meizu, not to mention Sony. DxOmark hello.

The 8MP front camera with 1.4μm pixels has an f / 2.4 aperture. The results are excellent for a selfie module without autofocus.

Video for the main camera is recorded in 4K @ 30fps, [email protected] and [email protected], to the front - [email protected] Electronic stabilization of the second generation is extremely effective in conditions of sufficient lighting and shows itself with dignity in the evening, however, in poor light, in places there is double vision, which spoils all the positive impressions of the digital stub. Noise invariably accompanies Pixel / Pixel XL video, not only at night outdoors, but also at home under indoor lighting - and that's not cool. The sound is written in mono at a low bit rate (96 kbps). Nevertheless, the audio track can be called high quality. Unlike Apple iPhone, where it is also mono, but microphones are focused on recording events in front of the camera, and the operator's voice as a result is like from a toilet bowl, three Pixel microphones are optimized for wider coverage - both the operator's voice and ambient sounds are well captured. Loud gigs are easy on the Google Pixel XL. In general, with reservations, video can be called the strong point of the smartphone, yj with reservations. I must admit that the programmers did a better job on the photo part. Know that if someone praises the Pixel and Pixel XL camera, they are praising the photo part, not the video.

Pixel phones come with 32GB and 128GB of storage, and an advanced camera will surely motivate many to take active shots, and for some users it won't even be a problem to fill up even 128GB. Don't worry about the lack of microSD support - Google offers unlimited cloud storage for full-resolution photos and videos for Pixel smartphone owners for free. Just turn on autoload in Google Photos and all your photos will be automatically uploaded to the server. If the phone suddenly runs out of space, the program can delete old photos, copies of which have already been uploaded to the Network.

Benchmarks and performance

A phone with long-term software support relies on powerful hardware with high potential. For Pixel models, a 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor is selected, where 2 cores at 2.15 GHz and 2 cores at 1.6 GHz, and Adreno 530 with a frequency of 624 MHz is responsible for the graphics. 4 GB of RAM (LPDDR4), which may seem a little against the background of 6 GB solutions from China. In fact, this volume is more than enough to quickly switch between tasks and keep many programs in the background. In fact, unlike Chinese firmware, where companies are trying to compensate for the lack of optimization with extra gigabytes (yes, I'm talking about Xiaomi and MIUI), Pixel's Android is optimized in the most efficient way. Benchmark Results:

Let me remind you that Pixel XL has a QHD screen resolution, which makes the numbers from the tests even more impressive. Google's smartphone uses the latest Snapdragon 821 chip, unlike Xiaomi Mi5s with Full HD (review). The Chinese flagship is lagging in toys every now and then (watch the video), and throttling is noticeable. For example, the result of the AnTuTu 3D test on the Mi5s drops by 32% in just 10 minutes, while the Pixel XL's drop within an hour is recorded within 7%. The Google smartphone pulls games as well and stably as the OnePlus 3 (review), which received our title of the best Android gaming smartphone. Vulkan API support ensures high performance in the latest titles. The Pixel XL does not heat up significantly under load.

The battery capacity is 3450 mAh, which is on par with the Nexus 6P with a 5.7 ”screen. Supports fast charging Quick Charge 3.0, with which a 15-minute charge should be enough, according to the manufacturer, for 7 hours of operation. I didn't measure the exact numbers, but I can confirm that the Pixel XL, offhand, charges really fast. The battery is discharged, on the contrary, slowly. In standby mode, thanks to a minimum of pre-installed software running in the background, as well as Doze technology, the phone practically does not lose its charge. When playing videos with maximum screen brightness, the smartphone lasted more than 14 hours (not least thanks to AMOLED), and the discharge in Asphalt 8 games per hour at a brightness at a comfortable level was 18% (that is, you can play for more than 5 hours). From personal observations, I can say that the Pixel XL surpasses the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge in autonomy and discharges almost like the Apple iPhone 7 Plus - charging is required every two days, without any particular difficulties it turns out 5-6 hours of the screen. But on a regular Pixel, I have met complaints about autonomy. Keep in mind.

A few words about sound. The Qualcomm codec, which is part of the Snapdragon 821 chip, will satisfy most listeners. Of course, it's not worth pairing the phone with high-impedance headphones like Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro - it is not capable of shaking them - but the Pixel proved itself worthy with the Denon D600 and Sennheiser Momentum M2 (via wire). With them there is a small volume reserve, the study of frequencies is not satisfactory. True, recently I had the imprudence to compare the Pixel XL with the Meizu Pro 6 Plus and the Chinese flagship, of course, made it clear that a dedicated DAC and amp are still rubbish. But, again, the vast majority of the Pixel XL will enjoy the sound. No worse than the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge or Xiaomi Mi5s.

conclusions

Ideals, as you know, do not exist, but if we close our eyes to conventions, then I am ready to give the title of the ideal Android smartphone to the Google Pixel XL. It fits the bill most closely, offering a flawless Android Nougat experience, a great camera, and a great hardware foundation. This combination of qualities cannot but be expensive, and this is the main reason why the Pixel family is unlikely to become popular in our country. If you are not constrained in funds and are considering a balanced device for the next couple of years (and not an iPhone), then it is in front of you.

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