Phones Google Pixel 2 / Google Pixel 2 XL

[Aneres11]

So I've had some time with the little Pixel 2 over the last 24 hours and standard Aneres... I am still on the fence.

I am 100% convinced that it is a better phone for me than the 2 XL, which was just a bit too large and too wide for my small hands. .

I love the size, like the feel, actually like the design with the matte back with the splash of gloss, really understated but nice. You know it's a Pixel from a glance, and that's a good thing.

Camera continues to blow me away in pretty much all categories - as is often said, it's difficult to take a bad shot with it.

Problem I have with it, and this is probably an unpopular opinion, is Android itself. I love android, but there are some things about stock Android that bother me. Closing all open apps for a start. Most manufacturers who use a skin make a 'clear all' button appear soon as the open app list is selected. With stock, you have to scroll all the way back through your open apps to get to the top to do it. It's a very small thing, but an annoying one.

Emoji. Again, another nit picker. But Android emoji are awful. Yes, this probably means nothing to a lot of people but I use these things daily. WhatsApp (my main messaging app) used to use the same emoji as iOS but have now got their own designs - admittedly better than Android's own ones, but they still don't look great. I have Textra for messaging, but I don't actually use texts messages ever, so it's a bit of a moot point.

Notifications. I'm getting notified about everything. I've used Android before lol, so I know about this, but I must have done a dozen Google searches yesterday to find out how to stop being notified that an app can be updated. And that an app has been updated. And that wi-fi is automatically set to turn on. And that I've driven past a petrol station. And that wi-fi networks are available and that I'm 30 minutes from work. ENOUGH! I love Android notifications but come ooonnnnn.
This is why I'd never put my mum on an Android device, she'd think there was something wrong with the phone every 5 minutes.

It's a little cramped. Yes, I opted for the smaller Pixel 2 but it is a little cramped when trying to type. Making lots of mistakes which is annoying as I am not on my iPhone X and the keyboards have been set to have virtually the same height so not sure why this is such a transition. I'll get used to that.

All in all, I don't know what to do. The X is £1000. I got my Pixel 2 for £529. With a Google Home Mini - essentially half the price.
If I sold my X I'd struggle to afford one again, so might be sensible to keep it seeing as I love the phone itself. But I was hankering Android. Now I am back on it, I am not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. But I really love this Pixel 2. It's such a good phone and there's so much to love about it. I'm no further forward at all here haha which is annoying, but I guess more real world use will decide it for me.

 

[Tig Bitties]

At the end of the day there is no "perfect" smartphone.

To me that phone would be the iPhone X running Lineage ROM 15.1 based from stock Android 8.1.

I think Apple builds the best hardware and the X is a beautiful design and very high end. But I think iOS blows and feels like something from five years ago, and overall is a frustrating and bad OS. But that's just me. Also Google needs to step up on the hardware, their phone design sucks, and should be much better. And display issues, and the punch list of other misc. problems shouldn't be there.

Overall I am happy with my Pixel 2 XL, it feels like the true successor to the Nexus 6P. The 2 XL is the best overall smartphone of 2017 but I wish they made the phone more compact, like the LG V30. While the iPhone X does look like a great phone too, but unfortunately it runs iOS.

 

[widgeteer]

So I've had some time with the little Pixel 2 over the last 24 hours and standard Aneres... I am still on the fence.

I am 100% convinced that it is a better phone for me than the 2 XL, which was just a bit too large and too wide for my small hands. .

I love the size, like the feel, actually like the design with the matte back with the splash of gloss, really understated but nice. You know it's a Pixel from a glance, and that's a good thing.

Camera continues to blow me away in pretty much all categories - as is often said, it's difficult to take a bad shot with it.

Problem I have with it, and this is probably an unpopular opinion, is Android itself. I love android, but there are some things about stock Android that bother me. Closing all open apps for a start. Most manufacturers who use a skin make a 'clear all' button appear soon as the open app list is selected. With stock, you have to scroll all the way back through your open apps to get to the top to do it. It's a very small thing, but an annoying one.

Emoji. Again, another nit picker. But Android emoji are awful. Yes, this probably means nothing to a lot of people but I use these things daily. WhatsApp (my main messaging app) used to use the same emoji as iOS but have now got their own designs - admittedly better than Android's own ones, but they still don't look great. I have Textra for messaging, but I don't actually use texts messages ever, so it's a bit of a moot point.

Notifications. I'm getting notified about everything. I've used Android before lol, so I know about this, but I must have done a dozen Google searches yesterday to find out how to stop being notified that an app can be updated. And that an app has been updated. And that wi-fi is automatically set to turn on. And that I've driven past a petrol station. And that wi-fi networks are available and that I'm 30 minutes from work. ENOUGH! I love Android notifications but come ooonnnnn.
This is why I'd never put my mum on an Android device, she'd think there was something wrong with the phone every 5 minutes.

It's a little cramped. Yes, I opted for the smaller Pixel 2 but it is a little cramped when trying to type. Making lots of mistakes which is annoying as I am not on my iPhone X and the keyboards have been set to have virtually the same height so not sure why this is such a transition. I'll get used to that.

All in all, I don't know what to do. The X is £1000. I got my Pixel 2 for £529. With a Google Home Mini - essentially half the price.
If I sold my X I'd struggle to afford one again, so might be sensible to keep it seeing as I love the phone itself. But I was hankering Android. Now I am back on it, I am not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. But I really love this Pixel 2. It's such a good phone and there's so much to love about it. I'm no further forward at all here haha which is annoying, but I guess more real world use will decide it for me.

Honestly? Sounds like you’re nitpicking because you want a reason to return the phone and stick with the X. You had a hankering for Android because iOS can be dull. But it works for you in the ways you prefer over Android.

I’d return the Pixel. If you project a few months out I promise you that you can’t imagine not having the X. Same can’t be said of the Pixel.

 

[Aneres11]

Honestly? Sounds like you’re nitpicking because you want a reason to return the phone and stick with the X. You had a hankering for Android because iOS can be dull. But it works for you in the ways you prefer over Android.

I’d return the Pixel. If you project a few months out I promise you that you can’t imagine not having the X. Same can’t be said of the Pixel.

Yeah I hear you. Although I wouldn't say it was nitpicking to give me a reason to return it. I think it's just things become more magnified as I use them both along side each other.

I could happily keep the Pixel 2 as I really like it, but in all honesty I think I marginally prefer the iPhone X. Mainly for the reasons I stated above.
But yeah, iOS can definitely be dull!

 

[widgeteer]

Yeah I hear you. Although I wouldn't say it was nitpicking to give me a reason to return it. I think it's just things become more magnified as I use them both along side each other.

I could happily keep the Pixel 2 as I really like it, but in all honesty I think I marginally prefer the iPhone X. Mainly for the reasons I stated above.
But yeah, iOS can definitely be dull!

It is. If it weren’t for the X, I probably would have switched over to Android full stop this year.

 

[Michael Goff]

It is. If it weren’t for the X, I probably would have switched over to Android full stop this year.

Same here.

 

[5105973]

Yeah I hear you. Although I wouldn't say it was nitpicking to give me a reason to return it. I think it's just things become more magnified as I use them both along side each other.

I could happily keep the Pixel 2 as I really like it, but in all honesty I think I marginally prefer the iPhone X. Mainly for the reasons I stated above.
But yeah, iOS can definitely be dull!

If you can keep only one I think you’d be happier with the X. I also had a terrible time typing on the Pixel 2. I did NOT get used to it in the time I had it. And l made so many mistakes. The X keyboard is absolutely the best I’ve ever typed on, at least as far as virtual keyboards go.

There’s no shame in preferring the X over the Pixel 2 even on the Pixel 2 thread. We are here to help each other get the best stuff we can afford. Or get the most out of what we’ve got.

I think the X is awesome but I am struggling with the display. I can’t read ebooks on it. The flicker makes me feel like I’ve got grit in my eyes pretty fast. I’m okay playing Animal Crossing on it and I can do emails and texts and spend some time on this forum. But I don’t spend hours at a time on those tasks. Ebooks is where I can lose an hour or two on the phone.

It’s not just because it’s OLED. I can read ebooks fine on my S8+. As I recall I did fine on the Pixel 2. There is just something about this display on the X. It’s harsh. Beautiful, but harsh on the eyes. That pwm I guess. I’m not passing this phone to any family members and especially not kids. It will definitely go back in trade. It’s not a keeper the way my 7 Plus is. The 7 Plus will stay with me until someone else in the family needs it.

 

[michael9891]

I've taken plenty of good pics on other phones but in my opinion, the Pixel has the edge. Sunset in Miami today.

 

[5105973]

@michael9891

Wow. I also really liked the Nashville pics too but they made me hungry. I’m on antibiotics now so I have to eat bland food, but I will be dreaming about BBQ tonight! I keep trying to become a vegetarian but fail when the rest of the family waves southern BBQ in my face.

I’m next to my Christmas tree right now. I spent the whole day wrapping presents. Anyway there’s a huge pile of stuff under the tree and around it. I’m hoping one of the boxes has a Pixel 2 in it for me. I dropped enough hints. I think I might have bruised my husband’s big toe those hints were so heavy.

But there’s a chance there’s not. We had the most delivery snafus we have ever ever had in several years of online shopping. A lot of it has to do with Lasership or however it’s spelled. I swear they just throw our deliveries in the trash. So many orders just disappeared into thin air and we’ve spent almost as much time filing claims for refunds as we have getting and wrapping the gifts.

Sorry this is off topic but I thought this little exchange with Amazon’s customer service was funny. English wasn’t the guy’s first language and I could see my humor went over his head. I did explain it was a joke later on.

 

[Aneres11]

I've taken plenty of good pics on other phones but in my opinion, the Pixel has the edge. Sunset in Miami today.View attachment 743589 View attachment 743590 View attachment 743591 View attachment 743592

These are fantastic pics!!

 

[5105973]

Lol I’m a bit late but Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Didn’t get a Pixel. Bummer. I’ll have to keep an eye out for deals.

Lol I got socks! And PJs and pots and pans and spatulas and Air Pods and a silicone case for my X and a band for my watch and an R2-D2. And lots and lots of Porgs. I’d bought some and my husband didn’t know it so he bought some and so we had a bit of a surprise at how many stuffed animatronic porgs ended up in our living room. I’m going to go set up and play with R2-D2. Last year I got BB-8. Anyway I just wanted to drop in and wish everyone happy holidays!

 

[slitherjef]

@GrumpyMom

Just wondering what your thoughts are on the newly (at least to me) apple app store? I gifted my pop a new iPad (the basic one) to replace the ancient zoom he was using.

My mom signed into the thing since she has the apple account and after set up I took a glance to try to find her purchases and the app store was just, ugh I was totally lost. I couldn't find previous purchases, ended up searching for a few apps. Managed to find gift card balance but I mean, to me, the whole app store was a disaster

Am I completely missing something? I have an iPad mini 3 or 4 I barely use, but haven't taken the latest update.

I find it hard to believe that iOS devices are "intuitive" to use and to me a new user would be lost
Maybe it's just me.

Sorry... this went on a bit of an off topic commentary tangent

 

[nospleen]

Lol I’m a bit late but Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Didn’t get a Pixel. Bummer. I’ll have to keep an eye out for deals.

Lol I got socks! And PJs and pots and pans and spatulas and Air Pods and a silicone case for my X and a band for my watch and an R2-D2. And lots and lots of Porgs. I’d bought some and my husband didn’t know it so he bought some and so we had a bit of a surprise at how many stuffed animatronic porgs ended up in our living room. I’m going to go set up and play with R2-D2. Last year I got BB-8. Anyway I just wanted to drop in and wish everyone happy holidays!

If it makes you feel any better, I got cologne. Lol.

Funny thing is my wife and I both guessed our gifts. She goes, "go ahead and give me my wireless charger.". I said, "not until you give me my cologne!" And we were both right.

 

[5105973]

@GrumpyMom

Just wondering what your thoughts are on the newly (at least to me) apple app store? I gifted my pop a new iPad (the basic one) to replace the ancient zoom he was using.

My mom signed into the thing since she has the apple account and after set up I took a glance to try to find her purchases and the app store was just, ugh I was totally lost. I couldn't find previous purchases, ended up searching for a few apps. Managed to find gift card balance but I mean, to me, the whole app store was a disaster

Am I completely missing something? I have an iPad mini 3 or 4 I barely use, but haven't taken the latest update.

I find it hard to believe that iOS devices are "intuitive" to use and to me a new user would be lost
Maybe it's just me.

Sorry... this went on a bit of an off topic commentary tangent

It’s a nightmare. I find both Samsung and Google’s app stores to be easier but they all need improvement.

Honestly Apple hasn’t been intuitive for awhile now. I do find the way iOS 11 works on the X to feel more natural. But I did train on it a bit. It’s still not close to intuitive.

If your mini is a 4 you can probably update and not run into any problems except that the keyboard has now changed. So when you enter a number or punctuation mark the keyboard changes and throws in an UNDO key next to the space bar. You all don’t know how many sentences and paragraphs I’ve lost to that UNDO key appearing when I thought I was hitting the space bar. The space bar shortens to accommodate the UNDO key. I think this was sneaked in on iOS 11. I hate it.

This doesn’t happen on the iPhone, thank goodness or that would be the end of me and iPhones. I’ve gotten used to it on my iPad, more or less. I update to get all the security patches.

 

[5105973]

If it makes you feel any better, I got cologne. Lol.

Funny thing is my wife and I both guessed our gifts. She goes, "go ahead and give me my wireless charger.". I said, "not until you give me my cologne!" And we were both right.

Ah yes, my husband has gotten lots of cologne over the years. It’s a bit frustrating because his mom buys him cologne, too. I got him some Apple stuff and a telescope this year. And a porg. He got me a porg. We each got porgs for everyone. I was worried he might buy porgs after we saw The Last Jedi. It’s scary how we think alike now after 30 years together. So many many porgs! He says more are arriving on Wednesday. Good thing we all are bonkers for them!

 

[Aneres11]

I have my Pixelbook now - Santa came!

I know there is a dedicated thread for this, but it is a little low on posts and a few of you here wanted to know my thoughts on it so thought I'd post here.

Spent most of yesterday setting it up in between eating which is all I mostly did haha.
Had a lot of fun setting it up actually. I have never used a Chromebook before until now, so I had to get to grips with what it actually can (and can't!) do.

First of all, the Chromebook is absolutely gorgeous. It really is a lovely design, feels very premium, and I love the materials that have been used. Lots of reviewers said it, but the white rubber below the keyboard either side of the trackpad is very comfortable and makes for nice hand rests whilst typing. It's also welcome to not have cold metal all over the place too - handy if you have shorts on and want to use it on your lap!

I am a big fan of the lid of the Pixelbook resembling the Pixel phones with the glossy strip over the matte body. Place them together and they look pretty damn sexy!

Once I had set up the Pixelbook, I was greeted with a screen of offers. I was given 100gb of free Google Drive storage which is pretty sweet, as well as 3 months free Google Play Music.
The other offers - a free racing game, 6 months free Netflix - were US only. Way to build my excitement and then shoot me down Google!

Still, I'll take the goods I did bag!

The screen on this thing is sublime. My macbook screen is fantastic too, but this seems just as good if not better, not sure why. Everything is crisp, colours look good, brightness is more than adequate etc. Touch responsiveness is also very good. My work laptop (which is pretty basic) has a touchscreen (it's Windows 10) and it's one of the worst things I've ever had to use. The laptop itself functions fine, but the touchscreen is horrible and laggy. This is nothing like that, it's just like a good tablet.

One thing that I had in my head with Chromebooks that reviews led me to believe, is that they are basic. In my very short time with this machine, it's not a word I would use, personally.
I have never really used Chrome as my main browser as I have used a MacBook for so long, so I have had Safari.
But with all the downloadable extensions that you can get for Chrome it makes the browsing experience pretty damn good.
I have ad blockers for YouTube which actually work (seeing as Google won't bring YouTube Red over here or whatever it's called), as well as ad blockers for websites and of course, push bullet which really is changing the way that I interact with my computer. Shame there is no WhatsApp app like there is for Mac, but I found keeping the web version open in the background works just as well.

The keyboard is another complete win. Easily a better keyboard than the one on my MacBook. The presses are satisfying and actually feel like you're pressing buttons, which isn't something I felt on my MacBook.
Back light is nice and even but I know that kind of thing is a bit of a lottery.

The only issue I have had is a common one - the way Android apps run on it. Some of them run really well, like Twitter for example. But Instagram is not the best. When it opens, it is smart phone sized, and then to resize it the app must restart - this is no biggie as it takes a second to flick back open, but it doesn't look very good when it is open. There is no option to re-size the window to how you'd like either. It's smart phone sized, or full screen and that's it.

It doesn't look too bad, and works fine, but the huge black bars either side are not ideal. I'll stick to the phone app...
Some apps run very nicely though - Google Play Music one such example.

One thing I do like, is that some apps that run by opening within Chrome - like Gmail and YouTube etc, can all be opened as their own window. It removes the 'Chrome-ey' feel from these apps and makes them look like they are their own apps. Gmail is great as you can add your own theme to it - something I wasn't aware of but like a lot.

I like my colourful backgrounds as you can probably tell.

The versatility of the machine is impressive. I think for me, it will be used as a laptop more than anything else, but I game a fair bit and am something of an achievement / trophy hunter so I often use YouTube vids as I play games to find where things are. Cheating, some would say.
This is where tablet mode would come in very handy, or even table top mode.

It's a little heavy compared to something like an iPad, and I don't really know how I feel about the keyboard being behing where you're trying to hold the device. The trackpad is also VERY clicky, so that clicks away terribly as you're holding the device in tablet mode. It isn't my favourite thing about the Pixelbook but I think it will have some use - particularly in bed to browse websites on the bigger screen with it propped against my knees or something. I haven't spent any time at all using it in this mode though, so maybe I'll find a comfortable way to use it going forward.

Having access too all my photos on the device as soon as I snap them on my phone is a massive win - I did the same with my iPhone and MacBook. I've set it so they automatically get stored in my Google drive too which is very handy. I need something to fill the 100gb they have given me after all!

A very cool feature is having the ability to use your Pixel 2 to unlock your Pixelbook - or any Android device actually, it isn't Pixel exclusive.

Just make sure you are close by to your Pixelbook with your phone and once you unlock your phone the Pixelbook will recognise this and unlock too.
You can even set the distance the phone can be although it isn't clear how far these actually are. Still, works a charm.

The last thing I find really neat is the ability to write notes onto the touch screen when the device is locked. Great for those who may use these in schools or offices (I intend to use mine for work too - my boss uses her HP chromebook from 5 years ago to run Citrix receiver and it's brilliant!) as you can just tap notes, doodle or write away and it will auto save to Google Keep so is available across all your devices.

That's it for now really.
I haven't listened to much music on it but the speakers get really loud and whilst they're not the best quality, they do the job. Nice that there's a headphone jack there too for those who still like to use wired headphones without a dongle!

So far I am really impressed with the Google Pixelbook. I'll admit that when I powered it on yesterday morning and just sat staring at a computer that just had Chrome I was a little bit like . But once I started looking at what these things can do, and how you can effectively make Chrome work for you, it becomes something else entirely. I can see why students love this thing. If I had this when I was at school I'd have enjoyed going to school .

Also, meant to say, nice to see Microsoft have released the full Office suite for this now. It's free for Android devices with screens smaller than 10.5" (I believe?) - so I'd need to pay for it via subscription to use it on here. But I think I would. I'd probably get some regular use out of Word and Excel so always good that it's there now should people need it.

I will stop typnig now - can you tell I'm enjoying typing from my Pixelbook!?
Any questions just fire them at me. Sorry if derailed thread I just know a few guys on this Pixel 2 forum wanted some insights!

Merry Christmas!

 

[jamezr]

I have my Pixelbook now - Santa came!


So far I am really impressed with the Google Pixelbook. I'll admit that when I powered it on yesterday morning and just sat staring at a computer that just had Chrome I was a little bit like . But once I started looking at what these things can do, and how you can effectively make Chrome work for you, it becomes something else entirely. I can see why students love this thing. If I had this when I was at school I'd have enjoyed going to school .

Also, meant to say, nice to see Microsoft have released the full Office suite for this now. It's free for Android devices with screens smaller than 10.5" (I believe?) - so I'd need to pay for it via subscription to use it on here. But I think I would. I'd probably get some regular use out of Word and Excel so always good that it's there now should people need it.

I will stop typnig now - can you tell I'm enjoying typing from my Pixelbook!?
Any questions just fire them at me. Sorry if derailed thread I just know a few guys on this Pixel 2 forum wanted some insights!

Merry Christmas!

OMG! That was a great write up! Thank you for that! I think you could have a promising future as a reviewer writer doing this kind of thing. I would sure subscribe to your channels!

 

[Aneres11]

OMG! That was a great write up! Thank you for that! I think you could have a promising future as a reviewer writer doing this kind of thing. I would sure subscribe to your channels!

This would be my dream if I had lots of dollah haha.
I would just buy all these devices, test them out and review them and make videos and blogs etc haha.

But i'd need a lottery win for that to happen and I don't even do the Lottery so probably won't be happening anytime soon!!

But thanks dude that's really great to hear! I love writing about this stuff!

 

[michael9891]

@Aneres11 Derail away! This makes me really want one. So apps like Google Keep etc can be made full screen while in landscape?

I'd love to order one while in the states but if I have any trouble, I'd have to send it back here which could be a pain. And expensive if Google don't cover it.

 

[slitherjef]

So magisk had an update so I accepted it on my device and my sisters and for some reason upon checking safety net her device reads

Safety net check: success
ctsProfile: false
Basic integrity: false

So not sure what's going on with hers. She still appears to have root.

My device passes both

 

[co.ag.2005]

welp, I just had to RMA my "unicorn". I noticed a few weeks ago I'm getting the dreaded cracking/popping speaker issue. Google is shipping me a new phone now and I'll have to send this one back after I receive the new one. I thought I did so well with the screen lottery and other issues people had that I didn't. Oh well. Hopefully my replacement device doesn't have any issues.

On a positive note, being able to chat with Google support directly from the settings menu was an absolute pleasure. I just described my issue and that a reboot and factory reset (at 8.1) didn't fix, he immediately went through the RMA steps, no questions asked. So much better than Samsung support in which I'd have to spend a hour on hold just to chat with someone before getting pushed around to 3 different reps to help resolve the issue. Thanks Google for giving us some solid support options. Now, I just need a physical store so I don't have to play the mail in defective phone game.

 

[Aneres11]

@Aneres11 Derail away! This makes me really want one. So apps like Google Keep etc can be made full screen while in landscape?

I'd love to order one while in the states but if I have any trouble, I'd have to send it back here which could be a pain. And expensive if Google don't cover it.

I'll let the Pixelbook answer this question.

And lastly...

 

[slitherjef]

I wonder how many RMAs this phone has gotten? There has been a lot of mentions in this thread alone. My device could probably technically be considered RMA material . Weird touch issues most notably when watching YouTube vids with the phone in landscape and zooming to fill on video I can't select quality because my touch don't register to pull the menu down, I have to zoom out also menu bar burn in (edit from "but in" blasted auto correct lol). Blue shift off axis. Low headphone volume which is consistent with all Google phones (usually had to modify mixer paths, but can't on this device).

I have yet to use this device real world or as a primary device. Not sure I can.

My previous experience with these phones has really lowered the bar for expectations sadly.

If the note 8 could be rooted this easy, I'd probably be all over that.

 

[michael9891]

I don't particularly need a Pixelbook (aside from wanting away from Apple with my iPad) but I would like one. I'll contact Google later and see where I stand for international returns. It's over £200 cheaper here.

Back to the Pixel, I really like the various panoramic modes. Although I've never got the full on sphere to work. It's incredibly difficult to hit all those dots without moving your phone where it shouldn't.

Here's a couple from this morning using the square setting.

 

[5105973]

@Aneres11 I have to agree with everyone your review is great! My husband just got our 13 year old an Acer Chromebook. Lol it’s not nearly gorgeous as yours! It’s pretty enough for a teenager who will be shoving it into a backpack sometimes. That was one thing we needed to take into consideration. The possibility of mass destruction at sleepovers.

Please keep posting about the new things you are learning about it or Chromebook in general as it’s very helpful.

The white Pixel phone and computer shell combo is beautiful.