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Phones Google Pixel 2 / Google Pixel 2 XL

michael9891 said:
I have noticed when recording video, the sound can be a little weird (high pitched and tinny). Does anyone know if Google have talked about a fix for this? My phone is definitely up to date.
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My audio on all of the test videos I took was very good but yeah, I’ve noticed some awful audio (wavering distortion, echo-eh tinny sound) on some uploaded video samples I’ve taken a look and listen to. I don’t know how they can fix this when it doesn’t happen to all phones. And even among the same phone it may not happen all the time. I noticed it on one of SuperSaf’s videos and Chris Pirillo’s video taken with his Pixel 2XL. His Pixel 2 XL also colored him yellowish.

Edit to add that I’ve also seen some videos where the audio was excellent and put the iPhone to shame.
 
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Bill credits and adding another line for a BOGO deal is how these carriers get you.

If the Pixel 2 XL is 50% off this Black Friday and we had a chance to pay off the entire balance right after (ala Sprint) instead of staying with Verizon for two years, then the deal would be good. But it isn't. It's lame. Bill credits and we lose it if we wanted to leave the network earlier. I haven't found any phone deals worth mentioning. Weak Black Friday deals this year.

Now reached 3,000 replies for this thread. Wasn't the case last year for Gen 1. Only 110 behind Note8. Shows the Pixel brand appeals to phone enthusiasts.
 
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scouser75 said:
I think I need to do some research before diving in. As much as I absolutely loved my Nexus 5, the hassle of pictures and music was an absolute PITA!

For some reason (maybe old age) I like to have my music and pics on my computer's hard drive.
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If you enable MTP you can drag and drop just like you could on the N5.

People here tend to dream up outlier scenarios then point to them and call it untenable which makes conversation here hard at times. My music and pictures go on my computer to after all I've got 28TB there vs 32GB on my phone and it's far more likely that my phone will get damaged than my desktop.
 
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KingslayerG5 said:
Bill credits and adding another line for a BOGO deal is how these carriers get you.

If the Pixel 2 XL is 50% off this Black Friday and we had a chance to pay off the entire balance right after (ala Sprint) instead of staying with Verizon for two years, then the deal would be good. But it isn't. It's lame. Bill credits and we lose it if we wanted to leave the network earlier. I haven't found any phone deals worth mentioning. Weak Black Friday deals this year.

Now reached 3,000 replies for this thread. Wasn't the case last year for Gen 1. Only 110 behind Note8. Shows the Pixel brand appeals to phone enthusiasts.
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I agree, it's really crummy...just another way to reinstate 2-year contracts, really. The other thing that is annoying with Verizon is that even if decide to do that deal, you can only do it with an unlimited plan. I have no need for that.
 
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GrumpyMom said:
My audio on all of the test videos I took was very good but yeah, I’ve noticed some awful audio (wavering distortion, echo-eh tinny sound) on some uploaded video samples I’ve taken a look and listen to. I don’t know how they can fix this when it doesn’t happen to all phones. And even among the same phone it may not happen all the time. I noticed it on one of SuperSaf’s videos and Chris Pirillo’s video taken with his Pixel 2XL. His Pixel 2 XL also colored him yellowish.

Edit to add that I’ve also seen some videos where the audio was excellent and put the iPhone to shame.
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I definitely don't want to keep returning phones to try and get one with excellent audio all the time. I think with the Pixel, it's about how much you're willing to compromise. It has an excellent camera and is definitely the best phone to use.

I now have to quickly decide if these are worth the issues I've had with them. I can live with the photo app closing & led light flicker (the latter is solved by using a 3rd party camera app). But I really would hate to want to take a quick video and find it ruined because of dodgy audio.

I got the coral fabric case this time and in my opinion, looks amazing with the black phone!
 
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michael9891 said:
I definitely don't want to keep returning phones to try and get one with excellent audio all the time. I think with the Pixel, it's about how much you're willing to compromise. It has an excellent camera and is definitely the best phone to use.

I now have to quickly decide if these are worth the issues I've had with them. I can live with the photo app closing & led light flicker (the latter is solved by using a 3rd party camera app). But I really would hate to want to take a quick video and find it ruined because of dodgy audio.

I got the coral fabric case this time and in my opinion, looks amazing with the black phone!
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Pics of the case? They didn't have this color locally when I purchased mine.
 
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nospleen said:
Well that looks good. Love the contrast between the case and the black.
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I considered a black & white phone but wanted to keep the phone & case to 2 colours. I'll be taking plenty of pics over the next few days which will hopefully make my mind up on whether to keep it or not. Because I do love this phone!
 
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If I did this Pixel 2 XL deal with Verizon, I would end up spending $27 more than my current bill with T-Mobile.

T-Mobile = $81 and change
$70 + 25 - 13+ (Pixel bill credits)

Verizon = $107 or more
$90 + 17

A $420+ 64 GB Pixel 2 XL is tempting even if the panda one doesn't come in that storage.

I actually do prefer Verizon as a network over T-Mobile. Better coverage and faster download speeds from my experience. But it's losing that extra $27+ every month and reverting to only 22 GB instead of 50 GB.

Like I said, I like the Pixel 2 XL but not enough to spend an extra $30 plus having less data. The Pixel 2 XL also lacks headphone jack, microSD slot, and is difficult to be recognized on Mac.

I'm better off with Samsung, LG, or Sony but have no real interest with the S8, Note8, and V30. I also don't want to be stuck with Verizon for that long. I could also trade-in my V20 but will only get $200 for it. Nah. Want the last to offer removable battery for life.


^ I didn't realize the panda had a plastic power button? I don't care since it has double tap to wake and raise to wake. Panda wins it for me. The black does look nice and not as distracting at the front without any white borders but it's like the space gray iPhone X. Same ol', same ol'.

The panda is harder to find and just something different like the silver X. I'm not 100% in love with both two-tone colors but something different for a change. The upper black rear glass is a smudge magnet on both models though. But the panda is said to be smoother and doesn't show smudges below it.

I don't even mind the orange power button. It's like Sega Dreamcast orange light from an off-white console. If you don't mind the display, it's the best smartphone available if you favor camera and battery life. It's better than the previous Pixels for sure even if it removed the headphone jack port.

Sorry, iPhone X owners. You lose here again.

https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13315168/google-pixel-camera-software-marc-levoy
"The moment you press the shutter it's not actually taking a shot — it already took the shot," says Levoy. "It took lots of shots! What happens when you press the shutter button is it just marks the time when you pressed it, uses the images it's already captured, and combines them together."
Click to expand...
 
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Just been taking some test shots indoors using a flash on the Note and 2 XL. No question the Note wins, the 2 XL has a very poor flash in the shots I took. It's rare that I use flash on phones but I found it interesting just how poor it is.

Also used the front camera to focus in on some writing on a TV remote. The Pixel simply couldn't do it.
 
michael9891 said:
Just been taking some test shots indoors using a flash on the Note and 2 XL. No question the Note wins, the 2 XL has a very poor flash in the shots I took. It's rare that I use flash on phones but I found it interesting just how poor it is.

Also used the front camera to focus in on some writing on a TV remote. The Pixel simply couldn't do it.
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Software can only do so much.

If only samsung had made the pixel 2!
 
v0lume4 said:
Google is pulling away and will continue to do so. They realized that the way forward with smartphone photography is software. The sensors aren't getting any bigger!*

*there are sometimes small gains but I digress
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Owning both, I’d say they are equals at misses. The pixel owns the HDR battle with my two devices, where the iPhone is doing better in low light detail, and I like its color reproduction as well. The pixel seems to have better OIS on low light though.

I am not impressed with either portrait mode, the pixel has more success in focus situations, but results always look more fake to me than the X when I can get it to cooperate. Granted I am taking mostly pictures of stationary objects, not people or animals.

It’s hard for me to choose a winner, for different reasons.

Puddled said:
Software can only do so much.

If only samsung had made the pixel 2!
Click to expand...

I am glad they didn’t.

Samsung already owns too much of the Android market as it is. Don’t get me wrong, their hardware is brilliant, but having all eggs in one basket is not good or the best thing for Android.
 
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Even flash on a real dedicated camera is horrible, for good lighting you need a Speedlite
 
For me, I had to choose between Pixel vs Mac, so I chose Mac with Android phone having microSD card.

I don't want to keep going to my parents' home to use their Windows PC to add files on it. The Pixel 2 XL is also too tall for me. I could settle for the smaller Pixel 2 but it looks too boring. Gotta get the panda! Just had Panda Express earlier today. Hehe.. ;)

Now if you compare the Verizon 50% off deal with bill credits vs iPhone X's Walmart deal with a free $300 gift card, the Verizon one is the better deal even with the bill credits. If you are willing to make Verizon your carrier for the next two years, then it's a no-brainer.

Pixel 2 XL (128 GB) = $480
iPhone X (64 GB) = $700 ($300 Walmart gift card)

You are saving more than $200 with a smartphone that is just as silky smooth as the iPhone, double storage than the 64 GB, has better camera, loud dual front speakers, charges slightly faster, and slightly longer battery life. Only area where X murders the P2XL is display.

Oh yeah, Oreo > iOS11

For me, I would rather wait for an actual discount not involving bill credits. Still a no-brainer if you want to stick with Verizon for the long haul. Much better than any BOGO deal from T-Mobile. I say go for it. Unlike Samsungs on Verizon, no carrier bloat. Unlocked to boot. It's a better Black Friday deal compared to the ones for iPhones.
 
KingslayerG5 said:
For me, I had to choose between Pixel vs Mac, so I chose Mac with Android phone having microSD card.

I don't want to keep going to my parents' home to use their Windows PC to add files on it. The Pixel 2 XL is also too tall for me. I could settle for the smaller Pixel 2 but it looks too boring. Gotta get the panda! Just had Panda Express earlier today. Hehe.. ;)

Now if you compare the Verizon 50% off deal with bill credits vs iPhone X's Walmart deal with a free $300 gift card, the Verizon one is the better deal even with the bill credits. If you are willing to make Verizon your carrier for the next two years, then it's a no-brainer.

Pixel 2 XL (128 GB) = $480
iPhone X (64 GB) = $700 ($300 Walmart gift card)

You are saving more than $200 with a smartphone that is just as silky smooth as the iPhone, double storage than the 64 GB, has better camera, loud dual front speakers, charges slightly faster, and slightly longer battery life. Only area where X murders the P2XL is display.

Oh yeah, Oreo > iOS11

For me, I would rather wait for an actual discount not involving bill credits. Still a no-brainer if you want to stick with Verizon for the long haul. Much better than any BOGO deal from T-Mobile. I say go for it. Unlike Samsungs on Verizon, no carrier bloat. Unlocked to boot. It's a better Black Friday deal compared to the ones for iPhones.
Click to expand...
I'd also prefer to wait for an actual discount that doesn't involve bill credits. I have two lines on my account that did the "free" iPhone 7 last year with Verizon to get the $649 bill credits over 24 months and I had to contact Verizon quite a bit because they were taking their time applying the discount and also sending me the e-mail confirming that they received my trade-ins. It was too much hassle for me. Now I just prefer a deal such as Best Buy where they cover the down payment which results in a low monthly payment or can be paid off after 15 days.
 
Ok, 35% off Pixel 2 XL and 50% off Pixel 2. The 128 GB P2XL would still go down to about $624 and still be cheaper than a 64 GB iPhone X by nearly $400.

$450 - Essential
$500 - OnePlus 3T

If the Pixel 2 came in panda and lesser bezels, it would be my choice. But it looks like last year's Pixel. The Pixel 2 would be a far better option than the iPhone 8.

1080p
4 GB RAM
Same camera as XL
Similar battery life as XL

People are just wasting their money on 4.7" iPhones when the X made them moot and has the worst battery life among all iPhones even compared to an SE.
 
KingslayerG5 said:
If I did this Pixel 2 XL deal with Verizon, I would end up spending $27 more than my current bill with T-Mobile.

T-Mobile = $81 and change
$70 + 25 - 13+ (Pixel bill credits)

Verizon = $107 or more
$90 + 17

A $420+ 64 GB Pixel 2 XL is tempting even if the panda one doesn't come in that storage.

I actually do prefer Verizon as a network over T-Mobile. Better coverage and faster download speeds from my experience. But it's losing that extra $27+ every month and reverting to only 22 GB instead of 50 GB.

Like I said, I like the Pixel 2 XL but not enough to spend an extra $30 plus having less data. The Pixel 2 XL also lacks headphone jack, microSD slot, and is difficult to be recognized on Mac.

I'm better off with Samsung, LG, or Sony but have no real interest with the S8, Note8, and V30. I also don't want to be stuck with Verizon for that long. I could also trade-in my V20 but will only get $200 for it. Nah. Want the last to offer removable battery for life.


^ I didn't realize the panda had a plastic power button? I don't care since it has double tap to wake and raise to wake. Panda wins it for me. The black does look nice and not as distracting at the front without any white borders but it's like the space gray iPhone X. Same ol', same ol'.

The panda is harder to find and just something different like the silver X. I'm not 100% in love with both two-tone colors but something different for a change. The upper black rear glass is a smudge magnet on both models though. But the panda is said to be smoother and doesn't show smudges below it.

I don't even mind the orange power button. It's like Sega Dreamcast orange light from an off-white console. If you don't mind the display, it's the best smartphone available if you favor camera and battery life. It's better than the previous Pixels for sure even if it removed the headphone jack port.

Sorry, iPhone X owners. You lose here again.

https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13315168/google-pixel-camera-software-marc-levoy
Click to expand...

One major issue with getting the Pixel 2 XL from the Nazis I mean Verizon = LOCKED down, controlled by the evil corporation. It's not a true Google device if Verizon is the one supplying it. A Nexus or Pixel phone isn't a true stock Google phone if the bootloader is locked down by the carrier. That's just wrong on so many levels, and means no root ever, and no ROM's. Plus on principle it's just not cool of Verizon to do that to the Pixel, they shouldn't be handcuffing the stock Android phone like that.

Plus T-Mobile is a nicer carrier to be on, and cheaper.
 
Underrated? Overlooked?


I still favor the XZ1 Compact for 3.5 mm headphone jack port, microSD slot, and PS4 remote play but the Pixel 2 is getting overlooked here. I would get it in white and not black like the one shown above. Doesn't show smudges as much and I still get the black front that last year's very silver lacked.
 
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