Phones Google Pixel 2 / Google Pixel 2 XL

[5105973]

Caught this on my Pixel 2 XL this morning while blowing bubbles with my 2 year old daughter. Pretty cool to see the reflection of the trees in my backyard! Not sure if imgur compressed the photo but thought it turned out pretty good!

I played around with Deep Art Effects and a Photo Editor App to mix your bubble with a picture I took of the moonlight over the Atlantic using my S9+ and made a wallpaper of it all. It's a little bit crooked but I was just goofing around trying to get the hang of things.

Anyway the possibilities for cool art effects with that bubble are endless. Using it as-is would be awesome, too, but I don't yet know how to manipulate the background without touching the bubble. I can in Photoshop on a desktop computer but using apps on a phone is new to me.

 

[co.ag.2005]

I played around with Deep Art Effects and a Photo Editor App to mix your bubble with a picture I took of the moonlight over the Atlantic using my S9+ and made a wallpaper of it all. It's a little bit crooked but I was just goofing around trying to get the hang of things.

Oh wow! I'm flattered! Nice work.

 

[5105973]

Oh wow! I'm flattered! Nice work.

Thanks I am just learning what I can do on the phone. I used to be really good with Photoshop on a desktop. I used to design custom skins for Sims games for the modding community. I used to collaborate with this incredible artist who lives in Brazil. Great times! I actually prefer the bubble as-is. It works better that way to match either a blue or purple Samsung. I just need to figure out how to use the apps to only change the background so it all fades and doesn't interfere with the icons and texts.

 

[nospleen]

Witten just turned 6 months! He was my shotgun buddy when I picked up the kids from school.

 

[5105973]

Witten just turned 6 months! He was my shotgun buddy when I picked up the kids from school.

He's so cute! He looks like he's pretty well full sized now. It's been 35 years since I got to raise a puppy. I forgot how fast they grow up. My last two dogs were already over two when I adopted them.

Here's my latest attempt with the bubble-beach wallpaper. I wanted a dark theme.

I also did manage to get a decent one with the bubble as-is. It looks more degraded here than it actually turned out.

[doublepost=1522809485][/doublepost]Bubble as-is. Set as home page wallpaper these look okay. Set as lock screen they look a little wonky at the very top. I need more time and practice or maybe a better app.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I have no had a Pixel 2 XL for less than 24 hour. The camera has been much talked about but my biggest surprise is speed. Using this phone is utterly surreal. Scrolling on Instagram, moving between conversations on WhatsApp or using a property listing app like Rightmove is lightening quick.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I have now had the phone for 24 hours. The camera is a mixed bag for me. Low light photos are good but outside of that I find the HDR effect to make some photos a bit CGI. The high contrast and oversharpening sometimes makes faces look older than they should be.

I bought the pixel used on ebay and can still return it.

 

[5105973]

I have now had the phone for 24 hours. The camera is a mixed bag for me. Low light photos are good but outside of that I find the HDR effect to make some photos a bit CGI. The high contrast and oversharpening sometimes makes faces look older than they should be.

I bought the pixel used on ebay and can still return it.

Can I hug you? As a 51 year old woman who tries to take care of myself, I die a little inside every time I see a picture of myself taken with this camera.

I look in the mirror and things don't look too bleak. Hell, if I wear one of my college team hoodies, I still get carded when I order a drink in a restaurant.

Mind you, nobody is going to mistake me for a super model, but I did inherit my beauty queen mom's resistance to wrinkles, somewhat. She is 81 and only just starting to get wrinkles around her eyes. She's got not one single wrinkle on her forehead or around the mouth. I want to smack her...she complained nonstop when her hair went salt and pepper gray. The woman was 75 when that happened, for crying out loud.

I am not quite as well off as her in that respect. So far, I have a good frown line between my brows due to, well...frowning. I mean I AM GRUMPY, so frowns happen, but that's been it, hey not bad for a half century old bat, or so I thought.

But those Pixel pics make me look like The Crypt Keeper's little sister. I keep wondering do I really look that bad? Why can't I see it in the mirror? Maybe my vision has gone along with my looks? Am I beset by a split personality that does meth? I mean, really, what the heck?

Otherwise I do love what this camera does with light and shadow and details...as long as the subject isn't my face.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Otherwise I do love what this camera does with light and shadow and details...as long as the subject isn't my face.

Actually I wouldn't mind the HDR, sharpness, highlights and contrast turned down in other photos for a slightly softer and less CGI looking image. In certain situations I could careless if a trash can or a gutter in the background is in focus. Not everything in an image needs highlighting at the expense of a subject whether it an object, person or landscape.

Hopefully Google will offer more control in an update.

 

[Fanaticalism]

I have now had the phone for 24 hours. The camera is a mixed bag for me. Low light photos are good but outside of that I find the HDR effect to make some photos a bit CGI. The high contrast and oversharpening sometimes makes faces look older than they should be.

I bought the pixel used on ebay and can still return it.

Enable face retouching

 

[Macalicious2011]

Enable face retouching

I have tried it but don’t like it. I would prefer an image with without heavy processing.

 

[Harthag]

Well I just re-ordered a standard Pixel 2, lol. Previously returned / sold due to bad black crush issues. Sold the Pixel 2 XL due to screen flashing when locking / unlocking that still isn't resolved by Google. My S9 has a slight bit of black crush but it is very tolerable, and I find myself slightly annoyed at the animations always stuttering / frame drops. It happens DAILY when using WQHD+ resolution. The S9 is still my favorite phone overall. But I miss the clean and smoooooth Pixel software experience and want a 16:9 phone again. So I'll live with the Pixel 2 black crush and just use the Screen Balance app to adjust it a bit. Positives far outweigh the negatives and if I'm bothered by it on any given day I'll just watch video on the S9.

I'm satisfied enough now with Android to sell my iPhone X and (for now) be out of the ecosystem completely. My girlfriend is getting used to video chatting using Duo on her iPhone, so that was the last hurdle. First time since the iPhone 4 that I'll be without an iPhone. The S9 and Pixel 2 combo has me very excited. I'm sure I'll cave and buy the next iPhone later this year, because I'm nuts...

 

[Aneres11]

The Pixel 2 is amazing. Such a powerful phone in a small body. I loved everything about the device.

 

[nviz22]

The Pixel 2 is amazing. Such a powerful phone in a small body. I loved everything about the device.

Are you planning to try out the XZ2 Compact, HTC U12+, or OnePlus 6?

 

[Aneres11]

Are you planning to try out the XZ2 Compact, HTC U12+, or OnePlus 6?

XZ2 Compact no. If I was going to try any it'd be the regular XZ2 but I really don't like the new design. I also think for the price they're charging and for what's missing compared to other flagships, they're still playing a game of catch up.

One Plus absolutely not.

And who knows re the U12+. Chances are the camera will be great going by the last two HTC devices, but m pretty struck on the P20 Pro so far to want to move away from it.

 

[nviz22]

XZ2 Compact no. If I was going to try any it'd be the regular XZ2 but I really don't like the new design. I also think for the price they're charging and for what's missing compared to other flagships, they're still playing a game of catch up.

One Plus absolutely not.

And who knows re the U12+. Chances are the camera will be great going by the last two HTC devices, but m pretty struck on the P20 Pro so far to want to move away from it.

For me, the XZ2 Compact is my backup plan to the S9+ issues I am dealing with. Since I am getting a free DeX unit and I am confident my next S9+ will work, I am going to stick with Samsung hopefully. I am excited about the HTC U12+ since it will be like an iPhone X except w/ Android.

The OnePlus 6 would be attractive only based on their pricing hitting $500 or less.

 

[Aneres11]

For me, the XZ2 Compact is my backup plan to the S9+ issues I am dealing with. Since I am getting a free DeX unit and I am confident my next S9+ will work, I am going to stick with Samsung hopefully. I am excited about the HTC U12+ since it will be like an iPhone X except w/ Android.

The OnePlus 6 would be attractive only based on their pricing hitting $500 or less.

Yeah I've no doubt the XZ Compact is a capable device. I love Sony phones I'm just disappointed that they don't seem to have taken the strides that they could / should have done this year.

I don't like One Plus devices and their cameras are traditionally a minus point so unless that changes (which I doubt) I won't be interested.

 

[nviz22]

Yeah I've no doubt the XZ Compact is a capable device. I love Sony phones I'm just disappointed that they don't seem to have taken the strides that they could / should have done this year.

I don't like One Plus devices and their cameras are traditionally a minus point so unless that changes (which I doubt) I won't be interested.

The OnePlus is just a budget flagship.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Positives far outweigh the negatives and if I'm bothered by it on any given day I'll just watch video on the S9.

That's my view as well. There's no perfect phone but the lightening fast user experience and price heavily outweigh the slightly bulky body and functional design.

 

[5105973]

Black crush on Pixel 2 is such a weird thing. It makes my display challenging to use at night. My S9+ has some black crush, too at night lighting conditions. It's tolerable. I was just surprised to see it on such an amazing display.

 

[Harthag]

Black crush on Pixel 2 is such a weird thing. It makes my display challenging to use at night. My S9+ has some black crush, too at night lighting conditions. It's tolerable. I was just surprised to see it on such an amazing display.

It is one of the traits of most OLED screens, sadly. Apple just does an amazing job with the iPhone X. There's something going on underneath the hood to accommodate for it, per the screen comparison article posted in the S9 thread.

My Pixel just got delivered at home, hopefully I'll get a nice white / uniform screen an no other defects.

 

[5105973]

It is one of the traits of most OLED screens, sadly. Apple just does an amazing job with the iPhone X. There's something going on underneath the hood to accommodate for it, per the screen comparison article posted in the S9 thread.

My Pixel just got delivered at home, hopefully I'll get a nice white / uniform screen an no other defects.

I just wonder if what Apple did has anything to do with the display causing my eyes such intense fatigue that I had to give up hope of using an X as a daily driver. My husband at some point might give me his X when he updates but I would not use it for much if he did. I’m more likely to suggest he trade it in for a discount on his next iPhone.

I had a very pretty OLED display on my X. But the pwm flicker did my eyes in. Fortunately I didn’t get migraine headaches unlike some forum members. I’m prone to migraines, but was spared them from this particular potential trigger.

My Pixel 2 display has the same flicker issue. It can tire my eyes out a bit sometimes. The display isn’t as contrasty as the one on my X so there’s less a feeling of glare from it. I still do the bulk of my ebook reading on my iPhone 8 Plus and S9+. I favor the 8 Plus’s LCD display for this purpose.

 

[Harthag]

I just wonder if what Apple did has anything to do with the display causing my eyes such intense fatigue that I had to give up hope of using an X as a daily driver. My husband at some point might give me his X when he updates but I would not use it for much if he did. I’m more likely to suggest he trade it in for a discount on his next iPhone.

I had a very pretty OLED display on my X. But the pwm flicker did my eyes in. Fortunately I didn’t get migraine headaches unlike some forum members. I’m prone to migraines, but was spared them from this particular potential trigger.

My Pixel 2 display has the same flicker issue. It can tire my eyes out a bit sometimes. The display isn’t as contrasty as the one on my X so there’s less a feeling of glare from it. I still do the bulk of my ebook reading on my iPhone 8 Plus and S9+. I favor the 8 Plus’s LCD display for this purpose.

No idea on how these companies determine what frequency to implement PWM, but maybe the frequency is different on the Pixel vs. iPhone and it bothers you less. I think for this reason, among many others, the upcoming 6.1" LCD iPhone will be the best selling iPhone of all time.

*Edit, well, the Pixel 2 screen is still trash. Even with the screen balance app enabled videos are just unwatchable. Already requested return from Google, too bad. Hopefully the Pixel 3 will be OK.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I have now owned a Pixel 2 XL for a few days. I'm absolutely in love and am convinced I made the right decision. The speed is great that picking the phone up to check something something quickly is second nature. This is very handy if you need to keep an eye on a toddler.

 

[GigabitEthernet]

How has the Pixel 2 aged?