By working on both hardware and software in unison, the company hopes its new Pixel and Pixel XL phones can take on Apple and the mighty iPhone at its own game: premium hardware, brilliant camera, optimised software and (unlike all Android partners) a stream of fast, reliable updates.
Of course brand recognition will take time, but there’s a big advertising budget and the new Pixel range is arguably the most exciting smartphone development in recent years. So, if Google has you tempted, which Pixel should you buy? Let’s take a look at the differences…
Note: this feature is a summary of the key differences between the Pixel and the Pixel XL. Please read my detailed comparison review of both phones for real world testing.
Design & Size - Bland But Brilliant
If there’s one thing that could put you off buying a Pixel or Pixel XL, given their premium prices (more later), it is a design language that appears woefully generic.
Both models have more than a passing resemblance to recent iPhones and even HTC’s own mid-range iPhone lookalike, the A9. But unlike these phones, the Pixels don’t make good use of their large top and bottom bezels as they lack a physical home button, off-screen navigation keys or even front firing stereo speakers (a staple of the last two Nexus models).
And yet if you pick up a Pixel or Pixel XL you will be very impressed by their build quality. The two share identical aluminium chassis with a quirky half glass back (designed to maximise antenna performance), beautifully machined ports (including a headphone jack) and flat yet bevelled edges which feel great in hand. As such the only physical difference between the Pixel and Pixel XL is size:
- Pixel - 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.5 mm (5.66 x 2.74 x 0.33 in) and 143 g (5.04 oz)
- Pixel XL - 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.5 mm (6.09 x 2.98 x 0.33 in) and 168 g (5.93 oz)
It is notable the 5-inch Pixel is only 5g heavier than the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 while the 5.5-inch Pixel XL is a whole 20g lighter than the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus and a lot more compact. That’s a win, even if the Galaxy S7 Edge remains by far the most compact 5.5-inch smartphone on the market.
Colours come in ‘Very Black’, ‘Quite Silver’ and ‘Really Blue’ - and yes, Google is clearly poking fun at the sometimes preposterous names phone makers give to their handset finishes.
Both Pixels retain their headphone jack, a major selling point for some users. Image credit: Gordon... [+]
But it isn’t all good news with the Pixel and the Pixel XL. Aside from their generic looks they lack both wireless charging and water resistance like Apple and Samsung’s flagships. Unofficial tests of the latter on YouTube suggest the phones do actually resist water well, but I wouldn’t risk your warranty on it.
Displays - Bigger Is Better, Just
There tend to be two significant perks with bigger phones which make up for their bulk: longer battery life and larger screens. And yes, the Pixel XL does indeed best the Pixel but also has the advantage in quality not just quantity:
- Pixel - 5.0 inches (~69.0% screen-to-body ratio), 1080 x 1920 pixels (~441 ppi pixel density), AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
- Pixel XL - 5.5 inches (~71.2% screen-to-body ratio), 1440 x 2560 pixels (~534 ppi pixel density), AMOLED, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
The step up in resolution is the key factor here. The Pixel XL’s 2K resolution is just a fraction sharper than the Pixel under close inspection, though in isolation you won’t be disappointed with either.
Both the Pixel (left) and Pixel XL (right) have superb displays, but the XL edges it - just. Image... [+]
Both screens are bright with rich colours (nothing too gaudy), wide viewing angles and fingerprint resistance that is second to none. Samsung still holds top spot for the very best smartphone displays, but the Pixels panels remain a treat for the eyes.
Performance - Wolves In Sheeps’ Clothing
But despite the impressive build quality and strong displays, the two biggest reasons you should consider the Pixels are their camera (coming next) and performance:
- Pixel and Pixel XL - Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821 chipset, Quad-core (2x2.15 GHz Kryo & 2x1.6 GHz Kryo) CPU, Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB RAM
The Pixels are the first phones on the market to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 chipset.
On paper this seems to be an incremental upgrade on the 820 seen in most 2016 flagships, but in practice it runs much cooler and more efficiently than its predecessor which means there’s virtually no performance throttling and more consistent battery life. The 821 also has specific optimisations for traditional Android weak spots like scrolling and camera responsiveness.
The Pixel and Pixel XL get mildly warm with intensive use, but never hot like their rivals. Image... [+]
But the real star of the show is Android 7.1 which debuts first on these phones. Codeveloped alongside the Snapdragon 821, the Pixels feature a level of hardware and software optimisation unseen in any previous Android smartphone. In real world use these devices are iPhone-fast and silky smooth.
Android 7.1 also means both phones get unique features like the Google Assistant (a fast, accurate, if early stage Siri rival that’s best in class). There’s also a tweaked user interface and redesigned homescreen with round icons, quick ‘3D Touch’ like app shortcuts and a cleverly hidden app drawer. But the performance is the real killer feature.
Given it runs a lower resolution (and therefore less demanding) display, the Pixel should have a slight edge over the Pixel XL, but it’s not something you’ll notice. As it stands, these phones have no rival on Android.
Cameras - Setting A New Benchmark
But while performance is astonishing, the real selling point of the Pixel and Pixel XL is likely to be their much talked about cameras. And here’s the good news: they live up to the hype.
On paper the specs appear modest:
- Rear Camera: 12 MP, f/2.0, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash, Front: 1/2.3" sensor size, 1.55µm pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
- Front Camera: 8 MP, f/2.4, 1/3.2" sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size, 1080p
But in use what immediately catches the eye are the speed of the Pixels’ cameras and Google’s superlative image processing.
Shooting moving images in scenes with multiple light sources has never looked this good. Full... [+]
Side-by-side there is no difference between the Pixel and the Pixel XL - they are stunningly quick with virtually no shutter lag and incredibly good in both very bright and very low light scenarios. All this makes for a welcome change from Apple which increasingly treats the 4.7-inch iPhone optics as an afterthought.
And better still is the fact the Pixel and Pixel XL stand head and shoulders above the pack when it comes to end results. Below are several comparison shots between the Pixel XL, Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 7 and there is only one winner.
Right now the Google Pixel is clearly the best smartphone camera with the Galaxy S7 second and the... [+]
On a sunny day the Pixel camera retains far more detail in bright areas like the Sky and tree line, while there’s also more detail in areas of shadow and greater colour accuracy compared to the Galaxy S7 Edge (which notably exaggerates the greens of the grass) and the iPhone 7 which washes out the shot with an overly grey look.
The same can be seen in night shots where the Galaxy S7 Edge has a tendency to turn low light shots yellow and the iPhone further greys out shots to the extent that they could almost be black and white. The Pixel strikes a much better balance retaining both colour and detail. Apple fans will point to the dual camera iPhone 7 Plus, but my review found it offers very little improvement on the standard iPhone 7 - particularly in low light.
The Google Pixel again retains better colour and detail than its acclaimed rivals Full resolution... [+]
One tip: try to use Google’s HDR+ mode as much as possible. That’s the secret sauce.
If the Pixels do have a weak spot, it is their video. In daylight results are excellent and by tying the cameras’ movement to the integrated gyroscope, motion is smoother than any rival - video panning seems to be on rails. And yet colours are not quite as vivid as the Galaxy S7 Edge (the opposite of the camera results) while at night Google’s image processing can come unstuck and even tear the shot if there’s a lot of movement.
So photography fans grab the Pixel and Pixel XL, video fans look to Apple and Samsung.
That said there is a final win for the Pixel cameras: they have flush camera backs compared to the unsightly bulges on iPhones and Galaxies which stop them lying flat. And given this is generation one of Google’s Pixels, rivals really should be scared of what Google will come up with next.
Battery Life And Charging - Quietly Impressive
Perhaps one area which doesn’t get discussed enough with the Pixels, however, is their superb battery life:
- Pixel - Non-removable Li-Ion 2770 mAh battery, USB Type-C connector
- Pixel XL - Non-removable Li-Ion 3450 mAh battery, USB Type-C connector
The larger battery in the Pixel XL means it has the edge despite its larger screen, but both phones should easily get you through a full day - even with heavy use. In practice I’d say the Pixel XL doesn’t quite match current battery king the iPhone 7 Plus, but it’s hugely impressive nonetheless while the Pixel eats Apple’s standard iPhone 7 for breakfast.
Both Pixels also support quick charging and, in a time when quick charge technologies are fragmenting, Google should be praised for using the quick charge standard built directly into USB 3.1 rather than proprietary Qualcomm (‘Quick Charge’), Oppo (‘Flash Charge’) and OnePlus (‘Dash Charge’) standards used by others. Pixels also both use USB Type-C ports which may mean new cables for some, but it is quickly becoming the standard across modern smartphones.
USB Type-C fast charging is welcome, but wireless charging is strangely absent. Image credit: Gordon... [+]
The Pixel charges slightly faster than the Pixel XL given its smaller battery (circa 1hr 10 minutes vs 1hr 30 minutes), but both will deliver a 0-30% charge in approximately 15 minutes.
The downside, however, was touched upon at the start of this article: Google has skipped wireless charging - despite its half glass back. This will be a deal breaker for some and of no concern to others, but it is a shame given the potential of this technology to revolutionise smartphone usage (think wireless charging in cafes, planes, trains, etc). That won’t happen if companies keep ignoring it.
Storage And Cost - Google Adopts Apple Pricing
And now perhaps the most contentious part: the Pixel and Pixel XL are priced like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus:
- Pixel - $649 (32GB), $749 (128GB) - £599, £699
- Pixel XL - $769 (32GB), $869 (128GB - £719, £819
This makes perfect sense given the Pixels can stand toe-to-toe with Apple’s iPhone (and in my opinion they best them) but Google has been famous for its flagship fighting yet budget friendly Nexus range in the past. It seems we must wave goodbye to that.
One aspect Google has kept from the Nexus range, however, will also be unwelcome: no expandable storage. Google (like Apple) has never been a fan of expandable storage, but - much like wireless charging - this will be a deal breaker for some and a non-issue for others.
They may not look exciting, but the Pixel and Pixel XL are currently the best smartphones on the... [+]
Bottom Line - 2016’s Best Smartphones, But Bigger Is (Slightly) Better
When looking at the differences between the Pixel and Pixel XL the reality is there are not that many. And in an era where anything that isn’t a phablet tends to means compromise, that’s great news. That said the Pixel XL is the slightly better phone thanks to its improved screen and superior battery life.
If the Pixels are to succeed, Google’s marketing will have to overcome their dull exteriors, but as a first true foray into united hardware and software these phones are a triumph.
In fact I’d go as far as saying the Pixels are the best smartphones currently available. Apple and Samsung will need to up their game before the Pixel range becomes as well known as iPhones and Galaxies. On this first showing, they certainly deserve to be.
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