Phones Google Pixel 2 / Google Pixel 2 XL

[mjschabow]

Yeah I’m really thinking about pulling the trigger on the smaller Pixel 2. The form factor and price really sells me. I have the iPhone X right now and while it’s great I could use some cash as I’m between jobs and have been itching for pure google experience.

 

[nviz22]

Yeah I’m really thinking about pulling the trigger on the smaller Pixel 2. The form factor and price really sells me. I have the iPhone X right now and while it’s great I could use some cash as I’m between jobs and have been itching for pure google experience.

Sorry to hear that. I agree that selling an X would be a good cost cutting measure since it means more $ in your pocket. Plus the Pixel 2 can do the same things the X does, maybe even better (photos/videos, etc etc.)

 

[Aneres11]

That was quick! What color do you have the display set up as? What are your initial impressions over the regular Pixel 2? I feel like I'm still going to get the regular Pixel 2 but the extra screen is tempting.

I swapped and changed on my smaller Pixel as the 'boosted' mode was really pleasant and made photos look truer to life.
Sometimes I used saturated if I had a colourful wallpaper as things just popped nicely.

For this XL, I'm all out saturated, but boosted mode isn't as bad as the first XL I trialled late last year.
Colours don't seem anywhere near as muted..

Oh and for those wondering as I never actually shown the case despite saying I liked it (lol) - here it isL

It's ultra thin, which I like, but is like a translucent grey so you can still see some Panda.
It's a panda in a rain coat, if you will.

 

[Bass]

What case is that? It looks nice.

Are the buttons on the side flush with the case, or are they raised slightly so you can easily touch/press them? The reason I ask is I bought a cheapo thin case from Amazon and the buttons are flush with the case, so they aren't easily identifiable by touch which was annoying (so I went back to my thicker, silicone case).

 

[Aneres11]

What case is that? It looks nice.

Are the buttons on the side flush with the case, or are they raised slightly so you can easily touch/press them? The reason I ask is I bought a cheapo thin case from Amazon and the buttons are flush with the case, so they aren't easily identifiable by touch which was annoying (so I went back to my thicker, silicone case).

It was from the shop so I'm not sure what it is but I'll check the packaging.

Yeah the buttons are a little bit flush but they are pressable although it does make it a little difficult compared to nekkid.
I just wanted to try and cut the bulk as much as possible.

 

[mjschabow]

Sorry to hear that. I agree that selling an X would be a good cost cutting measure since it means more $ in your pocket. Plus the Pixel 2 can do the same things the X does, maybe even better (photos/videos, etc etc.)

Thanks! Yeah, layoffs suck but I'm back on my feet. I actually played with both the regular and XL in the store and I just thought that while I like the screen size, I'm starting to get to the point where bigger phones aren't my thing anymore, and it sucks that most manufacturers cripple the smaller versions of their phones. I'd rather be able to use my phone one handed. I rarely watch movies on my phone as I have a Chromecast/Apple TV at home.

We'll see! Hoping my iPhone X sells and then I think I'll pick one up!

 

[Aneres11]

Thanks! Yeah, layoffs suck but I'm back on my feet. I actually played with both the regular and XL in the store and I just thought that while I like the screen size, I'm starting to get to the point where bigger phones aren't my thing anymore, and it sucks that most manufacturers cripple the smaller versions of their phones. I'd rather be able to use my phone one handed. I rarely watch movies on my phone as I have a Chromecast/Apple TV at home.

We'll see! Hoping my iPhone X sells and then I think I'll pick one up!

Agreed about the one-handedness. It was great to be able to use my smaller Pixel 2 with one hand and have all the exact same features from the bigger device.

I'm enjoying the XL for this huge screen, but not being able to type one handed or reach with one hand is a bit annoying.
Have to just decide which one I want to trade off I guess!

 

[mjschabow]

Agreed about the one-handedness. It was great to be able to use my smaller Pixel 2 with one hand and have all the exact same features from the bigger device.

I'm enjoying the XL for this huge screen, but not being able to type one handed or reach with one hand is a bit annoying.
Have to just decide which one I want to trade off I guess!

Yes! My only wish is that the smaller version had cut down on the bezels a little bit so they could pack a 5.5" screen in there. Maybe this year. I will say that the iPhone X definitely nailed it with the form factor, so it would be great to see the Pixels close the gap there.

My only worry is if the Pixel will truly work with Cellcom in Wisconsin. I've seen some issues where MMS doesn't work and you have to manually edit the APN's by literally tricking it with a different carrier's sim card. That's the only think I'm nervous about. Then again, I could always send pictures over FB Messenger.

 

[Cryates]

Since I've decided I'm riding the Pixel train from here on out, I told myself I was going to quite reading rumors on devices and stop reading the internet chatter on forums like this, but man it's so..damn..hard to quit.

 

[jamezr]

Since I've decided I'm riding the Pixel train from here on out, I told myself I was going to quite reading rumors on devices and stop reading the internet chatter on forums like this, but man it's so..damn..hard to quit.

You need to get into a 12 step program my friend.....the only way to beat this addiction....
First step...admit you have a problem.....
repeat after me.....
I have a problem.......I am a phone addict

 

[LukinLedbetter]

You need to get into a 12 step program my friend.....the only way to beat this addiction....
First step...admit you have a problem.....
repeat after me.....
I have a problem.......I am a phone addict

Hi, my name is LukinLedbetter and I am a phone addict.



Oh, and I went ahead and bought the iPhone X again.

 

[Aneres11]

You guys can chant all you want.
We will NEVER change.

 

[Bass]

It was from the shop so I'm not sure what it is but I'll check the packaging.

Yeah the buttons are a little bit flush but they are pressable although it does make it a little difficult compared to nekkid.
I just wanted to try and cut the bulk as much as possible.

Ah no worries, that sounds similar to the case I've got and I ended up getting frustrated that I was struggling to discern where / what the buttons were, as they were too flush and not pronounced enough!

It seems like you either have to sacrifice some bulk for a case that has pronounced buttons, or sacrifice buttons being flush for a thin case. I'd like a happy medium!

 

[Cryates]

The weird thing is, it's becoming increasingly easy to not switch and stick with a phone for multiple years because the advancements just aren't that substantial. Smartphone design in a lot of ways has peaked. What hurdle, outside of eliminating the notch, has the iPhone X not crossed? From a hardware standpoint, it's a nearly flawless phone.

 

[jamezr]

The weird thing is, it's becoming increasingly easy to not switch and stick with a phone for multiple years because the advancements just aren't that substantial. Smartphone design in a lot of ways has peaked. What hurdle, outside of eliminating the notch, has the iPhone X not crossed? From a hardware standpoint, it's a nearly flawless phone.

Not perfect by any means.......Camera is in the wrong place imho...should be centered. Not a fan of the FaceID...it did not work all the time for me. Much prefer the physical home button. No headphone jack......

 

[Harthag]

I would suggest getting a d-brand skin for the Pixel 2 XL. It covers the entire back, sides, top, and bottom. Got the matte black skin myself, it feels almost the same as naked.

Also got the Dome Glass screen protector and it is by far the best screen protector I've ever had. There's no dot matrix, it covers the entire screen, and does not peel up / bubble on sides at all. I am buying this brand for every future cell phone I get.

This combo of screen protector + skin is so awesome and eliminates all of the bulk.

My husband had one of the first batch ones and wasn’t too impressed. But he saw one at Best Buy today that looked gorgeous. Google really must have done something to improve their displays. There were two sample units that had beautiful displays to rival most other displays I’ve seen.

He loved the fluidity of stock Android and if he doesn’t get along well with the S9+ he ordered he will send it back and get a Pixel 2 XL. He has enjoyed Samsung in the past so he felt he’d give them one more chance to impress him.

I agree there are really great ones and really bad ones, the difference is striking. Rumor I read was phones manufactured December 2017 onward have improved. Mine is totally uniform in terms of brightness and color and has very minimal blue shift, just like the good ones I played with at the store. It isn't iPhone X quality (when you get a good one) but it is a stellar display. I've seen many iPhone X displays that pale in comparison to my P2 XL. QC issues aplenty with every company.

I'm also eyeing the standard S9 because I too am an addict...

 

[5105973]

I would suggest getting a d-brand skin for the Pixel 2 XL. It covers the entire back, sides, top, and bottom. Got the matte black skin myself, it feels almost the same as naked.

Also got the Dome Glass screen protector and it is by far the best screen protector I've ever had. There's no dot matrix, it covers the entire screen, and does not peel up / bubble on sides at all. I am buying this brand for every future cell phone I get.

This combo of screen protector + skin is so awesome and eliminates all of the bulk.



I agree there are really great ones and really bad ones, the difference is striking. Rumor I read was phones manufactured December 2017 onward have improved. Mine is totally uniform in terms of brightness and color and has very minimal blue shift, just like the good ones I played with at the store. It isn't iPhone X quality (when you get a good one) but it is a stellar display. I've seen many iPhone X displays that pale in comparison to my P2 XL. QC issues aplenty with every company.

I'm also eyeing the standard S9 because I too am an addict...

Yeah my husband got an X with a very poor display quality. It has terrible blue shift. Yet it does True Tone very well. I had an X with a really nice display with a hint of pink staining at the extreme periphery. It could not render True Tone the way True Tone is meant to look. I got a baby aspirin orange shade when I tried to use it. Ultimately the display was a key factor in my return. The pwm flicker gave me eye strain.

There is some pwm flicker on my Pixel 2 but it doesn’t bother my eyes as badly as my X did.

 

[mjschabow]

Not perfect by any means.......Camera is in the wrong place imho...should be centered. Not a fan of the FaceID...it did not work all the time for me. Much prefer the physical home button. No headphone jack......

Face ID annoys the crap out of me too. It's horrible when I'm driving. Yeah I know I shouldn't be unlocking it when driving but pretty much everyone does it. LOL!

 

[Cryates]

Not perfect by any means.......Camera is in the wrong place imho...should be centered. Not a fan of the FaceID...it did not work all the time for me. Much prefer the physical home button. No headphone jack......

Face ID is probably the way forward though for all manufacturers long-term, unfortunately. No headphone jack is already the way forward, save for Samsung. I also implied the iPhone X was near perfect which is incorrect. What I was trying to say is, using that phone as the gold standard of current smartphone tech, how can it really get better in the future, enough to warrant constant upgrades? Sure the cameras can improve, Face ID can get faster, etc but those are all imcremental upgrades. Cameras can't really get much better than they are for a mobile device, or at least not enough to warrant a constant upgrade. Face ID can get faster and more reliable through software.

I just don't see much to warrant constant smartphone upgrading when the smartphone is nearing its peak. What's the next breakthrough step forward? Folding phones? Dual (front/back) displays?

 

[The Game 161]

Face ID is probably the way forward though for all manufacturers long-term, unfortunately. No headphone jack is already the way forward, save for Samsung. I also implied the iPhone X was near perfect which is incorrect. What I was trying to say is, using that phone as the gold standard of current smartphone tech, how can it really get better in the future, enough to warrant constant upgrades? Sure the cameras can improve, Face ID can get faster, etc but those are all imcremental upgrades. Cameras can't really get much better than they are for a mobile device, or at least not enough to warrant a constant upgrade. Face ID can get faster and more reliable through software.

I just don't see much to warrant constant smartphone upgrading when the smartphone is nearing its peak. What's the next breakthrough step forward? Folding phones? Dual (front/back) displays?

Face ID is only going to get better and better going forward

Face ID type is coming to pixel 3 from the rumours and it is the future

If you turn attention off it’s flawless on the iPhone x

 

[Harthag]

Yeah my husband got an X with a very poor display quality. It has terrible blue shift. Yet it does True Tone very well. I had an X with a really nice display with a hint of pink staining at the extreme periphery. It could not render True Tone the way True Tone is meant to look. I got a baby aspirin orange shade when I tried to use it. Ultimately the display was a key factor in my return. The pwm flicker gave me eye strain.

There is some pwm flicker on my Pixel 2 but it doesn’t bother my eyes as badly as my X did.

Pink shift and pink edges are the worst, I also had iPhone X screens like that and didn't keep them. Funny you mention PWM flicker has been better on your Pixel 2. It doesn't bother me at all but I notice it more on the Pixel than I do on my iPhone X.

Do you have the Pixel 2 standard or XL? I couldn't stand the standard Pixel 2 because it had horrible black crush and blotchiness when watching all video content. The only fix was to download a (really great) 3rd party app but it still made the blacks too bright for me. Tried this on several Pixel 2 devices, it is just how they are calibrated. I have no issue with my XL though.

 

[widgeteer]

Face ID is only going to get better and better going forward

Face ID type is coming to pixel 3 from the rumours and it is the future

If you turn attention off it’s flawless on the iPhone x

I have Attention on and Face ID has been phenomenal for me since day one.

 

[The Game 161]

Face ID annoys the crap out of me too. It's horrible when I'm driving. Yeah I know I shouldn't be unlocking it when driving but pretty much everyone does it. LOL!

Not everybody does no

They certainly shouldn’t be if they cared about the lives of what’s around them

 

[Cryates]

Face ID on the Pixel 3, I'm not sold on being an actual thing. The initial reports were that Android manufacturers were two years behind Apple on that technology, and with Google only just going into its third year of hardware design, I'm not sure they are mature enough for that venture yet. If they do implement it, then at the very least keep Touch ID on the back as a complimentary option.

The issue with Face ID on the X for me was, it was not always reliable, and it gave the user no other option outside of passcode entry. That's a miss on Apple's part.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

Face ID is only going to get better and better going forward

Face ID type is coming to pixel 3 from the rumours and it is the future

If you turn attention off it’s flawless on the iPhone x

I turned attention off and still get so many fails. Really gets on my nerves.