The Google phone is finally here. After selling a range of third party manufactured Nexus phones, Google has unveiled its own super-phones – the Pixel and Pixel XL at a special event in San Francisco, California. Offered at an eye-watering price tag of Rs. Rs 57,000, the Pixel mobiles represent the best of hardware and software crafted by Google.
A Sneak Peak at the Phone Features
As per Google, the Pixel and Pixel XL are built on five pillars namely, the Google Assistant, Photography, Storage, Communications and Virtual reality. These cool smartphones support Pixel launcher and use rounded icons for a cleaner interface. You will also find a fantastic new wallpaper that pulls in images from Google. It also allows you to change the wall image on a daily basis. The iconic search bar has been replaced by a pill shaped icon and a view of the date. You can simply tap the home button to launch the Google Assistant now. There is no app drawer icon and so you have to swipe up from the bottom to see all your apps.
Design and Feel
What distinguishes the two Google phones from one another is the screen size and resolution. Google Pixel is a 5-inch phone with 1080p resolution whereas, the Pixel XL is a 5.5-inch phone with quad-HD display and 2,560 x 1,440 AMOLED panel. The smartphones are offered in classy “very silver” and “quite black” colour variants in UK. Another thing to note about the new Pixel phones is the beautiful build made from the mixture of aluminum and glass akin to the 2015’s HTC A9. The Pixels look and feel a little more rectangular. The buttons at the bottom are embedded in the screen. Owing to such design, there is a lot of space especially beneath the screen that has been left unused. A fingerprint scanner is mounted at the back giving it a minimalist appearance. However, the glass panel at the rear makes the phone appear plasticky making it a bit upsetting. The design isn’t bad, but the duo lacked in beauty when compared to the Samsung phones and Apple iPhone designs launched in 2016. Overall, the phones are comfortable and light to use. The XL also doesn’t feel over-sized when compared to other phablets.
Performance
Pixel XL Specifications
The LG V20 is the first phone with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. However, the new Pixel mobiles are upping the ante by offering Android 7.1 Nougat. So you get all the perks that the upgraded version of Android OS has to endow, like thesplit-screen apps and an improved Doze mode. Google’s latest smartphones also carry their own skin on top called as the Pixel Launcher. They run the all new Snapdragon 821 processor paired with the 4GB RAM. They also support 32GB or 128GB storage options. With a 10% bump in processing power over the Snapdragon 820, these superphones ensure top-notch performance. This also means that the handsets will be able to the run the Daydream VR software much more smoothly. Unfortunately, you won’t find a microSD slot on either of these phones akin Apple when it comes to expandable storage. Photos can free up storage by moving photos and videos to the cloud.
Camera
One of the biggest selling points of the Pixel and Pixel XL is the 12 MP rear cameras equipped with the clever optical image stabilization. This was a big surprise to the camera lovers as the Nexus devices were never known to be manufactured for photography. But now these beauties compete the Galaxy S7and iPhone 7 specs on the paper at least. Another thing that we found great was the easy camera operation. Just double click on the lock button and the camera pops up immediately. Switching between the front and rear camera is possible with a little double flick with your wrist. The Pixel’s unlimited photo and video storage is a cherry on the top. It simply guarantees that you won’t run out of space.
Battery
To satiate the Pixel XL’s large size and pixel-hungry screen, that handset is backed by a hefty 3450mAh battery. The younger Pixel offers a relatively smaller 2770mAh battery. Although its quite difficult to judge the Pixel’s battery size. The cell-phones also come with quick charging technology, so you can get up to 7 hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of charging.
Other Features
Pixel handsets are the first phones to offer the Google Assistant feature. You just have to hold down the home button to activate it (or just say “OK Google”). The Google Assistant intelligently answers all sorts of questions you ask such as — nearby restaurants, upcoming films, information from Wikipedia, your calendar, and so on. The Pixel phones are also endowed with Google’s newest apps like Google Allo and Google Duo. These pre-installed apps lets you video call and text all your friends, whether they’re on Android or iOS.
Verdict
Although building a world-class phone is an immense challenge, Google’s Pixel looks like a very good attempt. Design-wise the phones aren’t quite appealing but they are comfortable and easy to use. By offering powerful processors, great software, and intelligent apps; Google has left no stone un-turned to offer its users an incredible performance and experience. The world-beating camera quality is also a thumbs-up. Considering the unprecedented apps and the inbuilt features, the phones can be a big blow for other competitors.
Source: Medium