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Phones Google Pixel 2 / Google Pixel 2 XL
- Thread starter kkh786
- Start date
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The off-axis color on my husband’s newly arrived iPhone X is a very subtle aqua color. It actually looked white to me until I got closer and got practically cheek to cheek with him to peer down at the display and then it resolved itself to a very white color a hint warmer. So whatever Apple did to mitigate blue shift did work well, at least on this IPhone X.
It’s a bit early yet to see if there is as much quality variability in this release as there has been for the Pixels.
I’m really itching to do a speaker comparison because he said the iPhone 7 Plus speakers sounded better to him than the iPhone X speakers.
It’s a bit early yet to see if there is as much quality variability in this release as there has been for the Pixels.
I’m really itching to do a speaker comparison because he said the iPhone 7 Plus speakers sounded better to him than the iPhone X speakers.
X is in, doing updates on iOS now. already have my key apps on the device, including the normal benchmarks I run. Kinda looking forward to running one of them that works on my 3G, and the X at the same time. It is a yearly thing for me.
True blacks on an iPhone is almost Alien to me, after so many years of only having that on Android. "is this thing on"?
I am torn between true tone and keeping it shut off. with it off, the color temps are similar to my pixel. With it on, it looks a little bit yellow, but no more yellow than my iPad Pro when True tone is active on that.
Man I wish you could customize the home screen with widgets on iOS. Especially with this phone.. I actually have some on Android that would fit well within the horns (next to the """Notch""").
True blacks on an iPhone is almost Alien to me, after so many years of only having that on Android. "is this thing on"?
I am torn between true tone and keeping it shut off. with it off, the color temps are similar to my pixel. With it on, it looks a little bit yellow, but no more yellow than my iPad Pro when True tone is active on that.
Man I wish you could customize the home screen with widgets on iOS. Especially with this phone.. I actually have some on Android that would fit well within the horns (next to the """Notch""").
Based on what I’ve seen so far, which isn’t much though my husband has been generous, I agree with your observations. My husband is trying to get used to True Tone on the X.
We had taken a few pics with my Pixel and my husband’s X. The Pixel was really smacking the iPhone X down until I realized we didn’t have HDR turned on in the iPhone X. Once that was done, well goodness it gets so close between them!
HDR is really what makes the magic, and so the company that has the most consistent implementation of that feature will take the crown. They both demonstrate they are capable of implementing HDR very well, so that’s why I’m stressing consistency as a key deciding factor. But we need to take more pictures in more lighting conditions to make that determination.
We were taking some outdoor photos in waning daylight and indoor photos with light coming in from the windows. In these conditions, HDR seems pretty key to getting good smartphone pictures. Without HDR, the iPhone X was producing some unimpressive photos and I could tell Hubby was getting a bit anxious about that. He doesn’t take as many smartphone pictures as I do, so he forgot about HDR on the iPhone.
iPhone X does have a strong tendency to blow out highlights. This can be mitigated sometimes with technique, like learning to change your angle a bit. On the Pixel2, the camera takes care of that for you. I hope someone at Apple takes notice and they can tweak that somehow.
I didn’t run into my yellow hue problem on my Pixel today because there was still enough daylight, where that’s not going to be a problem. That problem seems to be a function of how the white balance is calibrated to common incandescent lighting, I think. I’m no expert so this all is my best amateur guess and open to correction.
I think that’s all I’ll be able to contribute for a bit, but I’ll pop in to read when I can. Tonight is hectic, tomorrow is insane and then a glorious day of rest awaits on Sunday, or so I hope!
It's going to be panda Pixel 2 XL for me or space gray iPhone X.
It's tough. Pixel 2 XL looks better to me in black or panda. The black upper rear does smudge up but since most of the rear feels matte, it won't be like either colors of the X which is prone to smudges.
The silver X surprisingly shows alot of fingerprints. I'm aware it is glass similar to glossy plastic but I don't remember the white 4/4s that way. What kills me is I sold the Pixel for X to replace it. This 2 XL is too tall. I prefer X's size.
I might not get a phone at all anymore and be good until next year or so. But I need to cancel Verizon again. Wasted $60 for nothing.
It's tough. Pixel 2 XL looks better to me in black or panda. The black upper rear does smudge up but since most of the rear feels matte, it won't be like either colors of the X which is prone to smudges.
The silver X surprisingly shows alot of fingerprints. I'm aware it is glass similar to glossy plastic but I don't remember the white 4/4s that way. What kills me is I sold the Pixel for X to replace it. This 2 XL is too tall. I prefer X's size.
I might not get a phone at all anymore and be good until next year or so. But I need to cancel Verizon again. Wasted $60 for nothing.
Based on what I’ve seen so far, which isn’t much though my husband has been generous, I agree with your observations. My husband is trying to get used to True Tone on the X.
We had taken a few pics with my Pixel and my husband’s X. The Pixel was really smacking the iPhone X down until I realized we didn’t have HDR turned on in the iPhone X. Once that was done, well goodness it gets so close between them!
HDR is really what makes the magic, and so the company that has the most consistent implementation of that feature will take the crown. They both demonstrate they are capable of implementing HDR very well, so that’s why I’m stressing consistency as a key deciding factor. But we need to take more pictures in more lighting conditions to make that determination.
We were taking some outdoor photos in waning daylight and indoor photos with light coming in from the windows. In these conditions, HDR seems pretty key to getting good smartphone pictures. Without HDR, the iPhone X was producing some unimpressive photos and I could tell Hubby was getting a bit anxious about that. He doesn’t take as many smartphone pictures as I do, so he forgot about HDR on the iPhone.
iPhone X does have a strong tendency to blow out highlights. This can be mitigated sometimes with technique, like learning to change your angle a bit. On the Pixel2, the camera takes care of that for you. I hope someone at Apple takes notice and they can tweak that somehow.
I didn’t run into my yellow hue problem on my Pixel today because there was still enough daylight, where that’s not going to be a problem. That problem seems to be a function of how the white balance is calibrated to common incandescent lighting, I think. I’m no expert so this all is my best amateur guess and open to correction.
I think that’s all I’ll be able to contribute for a bit, but I’ll pop in to read when I can. Tonight is hectic, tomorrow is insane and then a glorious day of rest awaits on Sunday, or so I hope!
Great feedback and insight into the different photo situations. I ran into the HDR wall on my 7 when I was testing between it and the Pixel 2. At the time I hadn't disabled the native Pixel 2 HDR, and, I had forgot to turn on the built in HDR on the iPhone. I haven't taken any pictures with the X yet. Just feeling too lazy after a long week, so sitting with an adult beverage, surfing the forums, and setting up my new device.
I did however stumble upon an interesting result on the X when I benchmarked 3DMark's Sling Shot Extreme on it though. And shared my result over on the iPhone Forum.
iPhone 4 | Pixel 2 | iPhone X
I am not reading too much into it yet, as oddly the demo video at the beginning has the Pixel 2 dropping frames and playing less smoothly, and the iPhone did that part flawlessly. During the Demo the behavior between the two flipped. I can report that my games (including Does Not Commute) play perfectly on the X, with good frame rates.
Checked out the iPhone X today at the Apple store. Really beautiful device. I honestly am impressed, and I was anticipating the opposite.
Man, what I would give for an iPhone X running Android. iPhone hardware plus Google Pixel software = a grand slam home run.
Man, what I would give for an iPhone X running Android. iPhone hardware plus Google Pixel software = a grand slam home run.
I'm thinking Pixel 3 might be a home run if Google learns from their mistakes. The reality is the Pixel 2 XL is the best android phone on the market without the screen issues. Right now, it's just a fine device.
Before I was going to cancel my Verizon account again after feeling a little underwhelmed by the iPhone X, I really did consider the Pixel 2 XL. I was on the phone trying to cancel the line and mentioned to the lady I really wanted the P2XL but too tall and worry about the burn-in issues.
Tonight was experiencing my best service from Verizon because the people were real cool and the black dude remembered me asking if I ever got the Pixel 2 XL. I check the black P2XL when I'm usually at Best Buy and it's so tempting. One BB employee mentioned he liked my grey Google cap. Google blood in me. Very brainy company.
I kinda flip flop between black or panda but would go with panda since the white matte finish won't show as much smudges. I shall return getting a Pixel but maybe for next year. I'm content with an easy-to-carry SE for work. Pixel 2 XL seems great. It whipped the 8 Plus' butt in SuperSaf's camera comparison.
Battery life
Camera
Smooth UI
Just doesn't excel in display. And kinda a jip from Google to give unlimited storage in original size for Google Photos to first gen Pixel owners for life but not for the 2 owners.
Might need to repurchase a Pixel 1 but in 128GB for it. But the Pixel 2 XL with the smaller glass rear looks so much better. Anytime Verizon shows the panda one, I go whoa!
Design
Front - iPhone X > Pixel 2 XL
Back - iPhone X < Pixel 2 XL
Front is close because there are people who hate the notch. Imagine if Samsung and LG decided to put a notch on their TVs? Everyone would be ticked off. But if Apple does it, many will try to rationalize it.
Tonight was experiencing my best service from Verizon because the people were real cool and the black dude remembered me asking if I ever got the Pixel 2 XL. I check the black P2XL when I'm usually at Best Buy and it's so tempting. One BB employee mentioned he liked my grey Google cap. Google blood in me. Very brainy company.
I kinda flip flop between black or panda but would go with panda since the white matte finish won't show as much smudges. I shall return getting a Pixel but maybe for next year. I'm content with an easy-to-carry SE for work. Pixel 2 XL seems great. It whipped the 8 Plus' butt in SuperSaf's camera comparison.
Battery life
Camera
Smooth UI
Just doesn't excel in display. And kinda a jip from Google to give unlimited storage in original size for Google Photos to first gen Pixel owners for life but not for the 2 owners.
Might need to repurchase a Pixel 1 but in 128GB for it. But the Pixel 2 XL with the smaller glass rear looks so much better. Anytime Verizon shows the panda one, I go whoa!
Design
Front - iPhone X > Pixel 2 XL
Back - iPhone X < Pixel 2 XL
Front is close because there are people who hate the notch. Imagine if Samsung and LG decided to put a notch on their TVs? Everyone would be ticked off. But if Apple does it, many will try to rationalize it.
Agreed about the notch. Held an iPhone X in hand today, and while you learn to easily tune it out, you still feel like it's a compromise. And it really does look silly in landscape mode. There is no dancing around that fact.
I had Samsungs in the past (Note3, S4) and they always lagged. I also briefly used the S7 and Note 5 a few times and lag is apparent.
However, I have been on the Note 8 for a couple of days now and I really like the phone! The only thing it lacks against the P2XL is the camera. Apart from that, the Note 8 is head and shoulders above the P2XL. No lag whatsoever and the device feels very premium.
In your opinion, how much better is the Pixel 2 camera than the Note? Camera is the main reason I'm getting a 2XL.
I won't even humor you with the a response to the front camera. The P2XL simply outclasses the N8 with how it handles front facing shots under low light. Daylight shots are even better.
The rear cameras of the N8 are pretty good, I would say about a couple of steps below the P2XL. The P2XL is rather agressive when it comes to bokeh and sometimes it misses and you see portions of the background sharp and in focus. However this happens rarely and very close to the subject so you will miss it if you don't know what to look for. While we all take DXO scored with a grain of salt, take a look at both N8 and P2XL sub-scores. N8 makes most of it scores from the zoom while the P2XL does from picture quality.
The zoom in the N8 is very good, but if you don't care for that it won't matter. Personally I don't care for zoom so it is a non-entity for me.
If you are making this decision on camera, P2XL is a no brainier. However, for me the camera is one component of the whole package, and this is where the N8 wins.
Thanks for that, appreciate it. I won't make my decision solely on the camera but the camera is the main reason for trying the Pixel.
Great, please let me know how you like the device. I didn't want to drop a $1000 on a phone just for the camera. I'm going to wait until the P2XL falls to $500-$600 on swappa and then buy it
After a day of shooting photos with both the Pixel 2 and iPhone X, I can say with confidence that the Pixel 2 camera experience wins.
Not only are most pics sharper and better colored (the contrast of the Pixel are spectacular), it’s also faster to use and launch (in fact, I still can’t believe there isn’t a faster way to launch the iPhone camera). Plus, unlimited Photos backups is so nice and so much easier to see and access your photos from on any Google account.
Not only are most pics sharper and better colored (the contrast of the Pixel are spectacular), it’s also faster to use and launch (in fact, I still can’t believe there isn’t a faster way to launch the iPhone camera). Plus, unlimited Photos backups is so nice and so much easier to see and access your photos from on any Google account.
And the Pixel Visual Core isn't even enabled. While the benefits of said chip are unclear, we do know the experience should improve and be faster.
I finally received my Pixel 2XL yesterday. I cancelled my order a few times as I read the reviews. It was hard to justify an additional 500 after the trade, Pixel XL, based on the screen issues. However, I decided to give it a test drive and see these issues firsthand myself.
Form Factor / Build Quality
The phone feels very solid, not heavy, not light, almost dense feeling. I never had an issue with the Pixel XL, but this one feels nicer in the hand to me. I do like the new coating on the aluminum as it is not as slippery. However, I purchased one of the Google cloth cases for it to be safe. (Case is great!) The reduced bezels are nice. I think the solid black front versus the gray of the XL looks much nicer. It looks a little more Samsung from the front and to me, that is a good thing.
The only issue I can see is the the gap where the screen meets the sides of the body look prone to pick up pocket lint.
Android 8.0
The OS feels very polished. I like iOS and switch back and forth, but I am really leaning towards the Android side more and more with each release. It is very fluid, intuitive and it may sound strange to say this, fun to use. I like the interactions with the notifications. The OS itself just has a light feeling to it that I really enjoy.
Screen
Here is the piece I figured I would have the most issues with. I am picky, I know I am picky and everyone who knows me, can attest to that fact.
So far, so good! I am well on my way to a 5.5 hour day and I live in an area with a poor signal. My original XL would get 4 or so.
Camera
WOW. WOW. WOW. I knew the reviews said it was good, but I was still surprised that it had improved so much from my XL.
Summary
I fully expected to hate the screen and return the phone. Paying an additional 500 to move from my XL to the 2XL meant I had to really enjoy the 2XL. So far, I am planning on trading the XL and keeping the 2XL. It is not the perfect phone, but if you like stock android, good build quality, camera, and battery life, it is hard to beat. The 2 year warranty also gives some peace of mind.
Form Factor / Build Quality
The phone feels very solid, not heavy, not light, almost dense feeling. I never had an issue with the Pixel XL, but this one feels nicer in the hand to me. I do like the new coating on the aluminum as it is not as slippery. However, I purchased one of the Google cloth cases for it to be safe. (Case is great!) The reduced bezels are nice. I think the solid black front versus the gray of the XL looks much nicer. It looks a little more Samsung from the front and to me, that is a good thing.
The only issue I can see is the the gap where the screen meets the sides of the body look prone to pick up pocket lint.
Android 8.0
The OS feels very polished. I like iOS and switch back and forth, but I am really leaning towards the Android side more and more with each release. It is very fluid, intuitive and it may sound strange to say this, fun to use. I like the interactions with the notifications. The OS itself just has a light feeling to it that I really enjoy.
Screen
Here is the piece I figured I would have the most issues with. I am picky, I know I am picky and everyone who knows me, can attest to that fact.
- Colors - are definitely muted, the reds do look a bit brownish. I prefer an accurate display vs over saturation, but I think most users will prefer the saturated version update that is currently being developed by Google.
- Blue Shift - I thought this would drive me nuts. But, if I am being honest, it does not bother me at all with normal interactions with the phone. Besides trying to see the shift, it does not come up in my normal day to day interactions. It does seem much worse on white backgrounds vs watching a video for example.
- Burn in - Still too early to tell, but I downloaded the 8.1 beta as it has fading soft buttons. Hopefully that helps some. Google did replace an XL under warranty for the burn in issue, so I feel comfortable that they would address.
So far, so good! I am well on my way to a 5.5 hour day and I live in an area with a poor signal. My original XL would get 4 or so.
Camera
WOW. WOW. WOW. I knew the reviews said it was good, but I was still surprised that it had improved so much from my XL.
Summary
I fully expected to hate the screen and return the phone. Paying an additional 500 to move from my XL to the 2XL meant I had to really enjoy the 2XL. So far, I am planning on trading the XL and keeping the 2XL. It is not the perfect phone, but if you like stock android, good build quality, camera, and battery life, it is hard to beat. The 2 year warranty also gives some peace of mind.
We will finally have sun again tomorrow!
Since hdr is off by default on the X, and HDR+ is almost locked on by default with the pixel, I am having a hard time picking a winner.
Do I adjust one to match the other? Pixel core is not active yet either, will that change things?
Basic photos the pixel looks better, portrait, the X looks better as the DOF is more realistic to what my SLR can do, there is no fake looking cutoff for blur; which the pixel has.
Since hdr is off by default on the X, and HDR+ is almost locked on by default with the pixel, I am having a hard time picking a winner.
Do I adjust one to match the other? Pixel core is not active yet either, will that change things?
Basic photos the pixel looks better, portrait, the X looks better as the DOF is more realistic to what my SLR can do, there is no fake looking cutoff for blur; which the pixel has.
Went ahead and installed the Oreo Beta. Not a ton to report, however I did notice that the nave buttons are faded now after a couple of seconds without use. Also, my song identification had stopped for whatever reason and is now working again.
The other visual change I see is the quick toggles panel is translucent. Not a whole lot else is jumping out at me.
From Apples support page about OLED screens....
Should this apply to the Pixel 2XL?
"If you look at an OLED display off-angle, you might notice slight shifts in color and hue. This is a characteristic of OLED and is normal behavior. With extended long-term use, OLED displays can also show slight visual changes. This is also expected behavior and can include “image persistence” or “burn-in,” where the display shows a faint remnant of an image even after a new image appears on the screen. This can occur in more extreme cases such as when the same high contrast image is continuously displayed for prolonged periods of time. We’ve engineered the Super Retina display to be the best in the industry in reducing the effects of OLED “burn-in.”"
Should this apply to the Pixel 2XL?
"If you look at an OLED display off-angle, you might notice slight shifts in color and hue. This is a characteristic of OLED and is normal behavior. With extended long-term use, OLED displays can also show slight visual changes. This is also expected behavior and can include “image persistence” or “burn-in,” where the display shows a faint remnant of an image even after a new image appears on the screen. This can occur in more extreme cases such as when the same high contrast image is continuously displayed for prolonged periods of time. We’ve engineered the Super Retina display to be the best in the industry in reducing the effects of OLED “burn-in.”"
That is the main reason I rushed to install it, that and wanting to see of my app crashes were resolved. I love the dimming buttons. I wish it would Invert colors like the X does when you are on a bright screen. I think this would also help save those precious pixels.
I don’t see any difference in speed or camera abilities, so I am curious if the Pixel core is activated in this release? Is it even being used in the stock camera application anyway? I can’t seem to find any direct comments from Google on this.