Join me in reviewing the top 5 features of the Google Pixel and the Google Pixel XL.
Aside from the obvious size difference catering for smaller hands the main differences of the Pixel against the XL will be screen resolution and battery and the varying sizes of onboard storage available.
Google Assistant
The spotlight feature of the Pixel will be the Google Assistant. Years of work has been placed into one nifty AI that can understand more than the regular commands and boy does the assistant help a lot.
Aside from the usual commands Google Assistant can understand context from your last search question making the experience more seamless way more than Siri or Cortana can.
Pixel Imprint
Coming form the Nexus Imprint which is the fingerprint sensor, this year’s version is faster and snappier at responding to the security feature.
Even more so, Google added gesture functions that will call down the notification tray when swiping down from the scanner and doing it again will open the quick settings option.
Stock Android
It’s hard to dismiss how stock Android feels buttery smooth every time you pick up a Nexus device, now a Pixel. No one can ever go wrong with using Vanilla Android the way it was intended to be used.
No bloat, no skins, just pure performance. Bar none. Except, of course, the next release from Google – Android Oreo, perhaps?
What’s better is that they’ve removed the app launcher to make way for a swipe up gesture to call on apps. A shortcut on apps that give you quick commands upon entering an app much like this on the camera app and this on the browser that make the experience more seamless.
Camera
Google has claimed that the Pixel has the best camera placed in a smartphone as also certified by DxOMark, a respected reference for image quality, to have the highest score amongst all smartphones available in the market today.
It shows.
Outdoor shots give color accuracy with great dynamic range.
Indoor shots resulted in much the same quality and performance.
Low lit scenarios are colored better compared to other flagship phones and night shooting has never been brighter. Yes, there are some grain and noise present in night images but what other smartphone can balance it the way the Pixel does?
Unlimited Cloud Storage
What good are your photos without storage? Great thing Google thought of that and provides unlimited cloud storage for your memories at full resolution. No, that wasn’t a mistake. Full resolution. Unlimited. Not like the Unlimited surfing capabilities of Verizon or Sprint or Globe or Smart. No holds barred unlimited.
What do you think of the Google Pixel and the Pixel XL? Let us know at the comments section below.
Mabuhay, Manila.
Google Pixel, Pixel XL Official price, Full specs, Release date in the Philippines
- Display: 5-inch AMOLED 1080p / 5.5-inch AMOLED 1440p Quad HD
- Design: Polished glass + unibody aluminum, Gorilla Glass 4
- Size: 8.6mm thin
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor (high-end chip late 2016), up to 2.15GHz speed
- GPU: Adreno 530 graphics
- RAM: 4GB
- Memory: 32GB or 128GB internal storage, no microSD card
- Camera: 12MP f2.0, proprietary IS, LED flash, 4K video
- Selfie: 8MP f2.0, 1080p video
- Connectivity: Single SIM, 4G LTE Cat. 9, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC
- Port: USB Type-C, 3.0 speed
- Audio: mono speaker, standard
- Battery: 2770mAh / 3450mAh, Fast Charging
- OS: Android 7.0 Nougat, Google Assistant, Unlimited Photos storage
- Colors: Quite Black, Really Blue, Very Silver
- Release date: October 2016 in the USA, Canada, online stores in the Philippines
- Price: $649 or P32k (before taxes) Philippine pesos for the 32GB model of Pixel, $749 or $37k for Pixel XL
