Phones Google Pixel 2 / Google Pixel 2 XL

[Lava Lamp Freak]

I just got back from looking at the new Pixels.

The Pixel 2 XL felt great in hand. The screen is definitely laminated. I don't know why anyone would have the impression it was sunken in. The screen was at the glass and didn't look sunken in at all -- just like my S8.

The screen was bright. Compared next to my S8 I didn't detect a difference in max brightness. However, the XL 2 had a bluish tint to the screen which I didn't like. I couldn't detect any banding in the store. The viewing angles weren't good compared to my S8. At an angle the screen become blue quickly with much more brightness dropoff than my S8.

It was very vibrant. I read a comment that someone thought it was muted. Next to my S8 it was more vibrant -- even with the vivid color option turned off -- than my S8 is on the sRGB mode. I don't know if the XL 2 has an sRGB mode, so the oversaturation would bother me if it couldn't be disabled.

Overall I thought it was a high-quality device. The bezels and size didn't bother me -- as long as it is used without a case. (I didn't even think anything about the bezels when using. I love the flat screen and am tired of the curved edges on my S8.) If I were to purchase it I'd use a skin rather than a case, since putting a case on it would make it feel too large.

The normal size Pixel 2 just isn't a very good phone at all. It felt fine in the hand, but the screen looked very washed out and was too small. It's a strange thing -- the phone itself is larger than my S8 but the screen is smaller and the 16:9 ratio just feels very limited now. I don't want to go back to 16:9 again.

I was pretty set against buying an XL 2, but right now I'm not sure. If the screen can be changed to sRGB color, then maybe that would change the bluish tint. I could do without wireless charging since it charges very quickly with the power adapter in the box.

My main motivation is I badly want to be on stock Android. My S8 is getting very sluggish and laggy now. A restart used to temporarily fix it, but now even restarting isn't helping.

I still prefer the size of my S8. I wish I could get the S8 with stock Android.

 

[widgeteer]

Any thoughts on how the device felt or operated?

A little lighter than I prefer but I have been using a Note 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, so perhaps I'm just used to heavy phones. With all the glass back phones now I do understand why some might feel the phone's back is a bit plasticky feeling. I don't agree but I get it.

Performance seemed fantastic. I opened a bunch of apps (no games) and none refreshed while flipping back and forth. Camera is SICK. Fast, gorgeous pics even in an ugly lit retail store.

Oh, and if anyone who wants this doesn't care about locked bootloaders I would order through Verizon. Black 128 is delivering on Oct 25, Panda XL 128 is Nov 8.
[doublepost=1508007604][/doublepost]

Its also possible those bezels bothered you because you got used to the Note 8.

The side bezels are actually smaller than the iPhone X.

Not concerned about the bezels as my iPhone has big ones so it cant possibly be any worse. Just the screen brightness and quality with the shipped units concerns me. Waiting for reviews of this phone before plonking cash on either the Note 8 or iPhone X or Pixel 2 XL.

It's side bezels definitely looked thicker than the iPhone 8's. No idea about the X.

You're right, perhaps I'm used to the Note but the V30 doesn't sport those bezels. Normally I'm purely into performance but I found this design distracting.

 

[michael9891]

@widgeteer I know it'll probably be hard to tell from just a quick look but would you say the camera is likely to be noticeably better than the Note 8? The camera is the main reason I've pre ordered one.

 

[FFR]

A little lighter than I prefer but I have been using a Note 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, so perhaps I'm just used to heavy phones. With all the glass back phones now I do understand why some might feel the phone's back is a bit plasticky feeling. I don't agree but I get it.

Performance seemed fantastic. I opened a bunch of apps (no games) and none refreshed while flipping back and forth. Camera is SICK. Fast, gorgeous pics even in an ugly lit retail store.

Oh, and if anyone who wants this doesn't care about locked bootloaders I would order through Verizon. Black 128 is delivering on Oct 25, Panda XL 128 is Nov 8.
[doublepost=1508007604][/doublepost]

It's side bezels definitely looked thicker than the iPhone 8's. No idea about the X.

You're right, perhaps I'm used to the Note but the V30 doesn't sport those bezels. Normally I'm purely into performance but I found this design distracting.

Don’t think it’s you wigeteer.
Pixel xl2 side bezels does look chunkier than the iPhone 8+.

 

[widgeteer]

@widgeteer I know it'll probably be hard to tell from just a quick look but would you say the camera is likely to be noticeably better than the Note 8? The camera is the main reason I've pre ordered one.

Nah, no way I could tell the difference. And honestly, I doubt it'll be noticeably different. Note 8 camera is awesome. Listen, we live in a great time where virtually all the top flagships have baller cameras. Anything noticeably better would probably come from an actual dedicated shooter.

 

[5105973]

I just got back from looking at the new Pixels.

The Pixel 2 XL felt great in hand. The screen is definitely laminated. I don't know why anyone would have the impression it was sunken in. The screen was at the glass and didn't look sunken in at all -- just like my S8.

The screen was bright. Compared next to my S8 I didn't detect a difference in max brightness. However, the XL 2 had a bluish tint to the screen which I didn't like. I couldn't detect any banding in the store. The viewing angles weren't good compared to my S8. At an angle the screen become blue quickly with much more brightness dropoff than my S8.

It was very vibrant. I read a comment that someone thought it was muted. Next to my S8 it was more vibrant -- even with the vivid color option turned off -- than my S8 is on the sRGB mode. I don't know if the XL 2 has an sRGB mode, so the oversaturation would bother me if it couldn't be disabled.

Overall I thought it was a high-quality device. The bezels and size didn't bother me -- as long as it is used without a case. (I didn't even think anything about the bezels when using. I love the flat screen and am tired of the curved edges on my S8.) If I were to purchase it I'd use a skin rather than a case, since putting a case on it would make it feel too large.

The normal size Pixel 2 just isn't a very good phone at all. It felt fine in the hand, but the screen looked very washed out and was too small. It's a strange thing -- the phone itself is larger than my S8 but the screen is smaller and the 16:9 ratio just feels very limited now. I don't want to go back to 16:9 again.

I was pretty set against buying an XL 2, but right now I'm not sure. If the screen can be changed to sRGB color, then maybe that would change the bluish tint. I could do without wireless charging since it charges very quickly with the power adapter in the box.

My main motivation is I badly want to be on stock Android. My S8 is getting very sluggish and laggy now. A restart used to temporarily fix it, but now even restarting isn't helping.

I still prefer the size of my S8. I wish I could get the S8 with stock Android.

I want to go with a skin, too, but never used a skin before. What brand are you planning to use? I was thinking of using D-Brand and replicating the Panda color pattern using the appropriately colored skin pieces after seeing a mock up someone posted on Android Central.

 

[widgeteer]

Don’t think it’s you wigeteer.
Pixel xl2 side bezels does look chunkier than the iPhone 8+.

That pic doesn't even do it justice. None of them do. You have to see it in person. It's such a weird design.

 

[5105973]

Don’t think it’s you wigeteer.
Pixel xl2 side bezels does look chunkier than the iPhone 8+.

Wait, what? No way!

 

[AustinIllini]

Side bezels? Who cares?

 

[Radon87000]

Someone on Reddit had posted the exact measdurements of the side bezels of various phones. Cant find that post
[doublepost=1508009486][/doublepost]

Don’t think it’s you wigeteer.
Pixel xl2 side bezels does look chunkier than the iPhone 8+.

Seems almost the same size as the X to me. The curved glass on the X just makes them slightly invisible

 

[FFR]

That pic doesn't even do it justice. None of them do. You have to see it in person. It's such a weird design.

Maybe it’s the white shell around the black bezels that’s making it look really chunky or maybe it’s the curve of the screen,

 

[FFR]

Someone on Reddit had posted the exact measdurements of the side bezels of various phones. Cant find that post
[doublepost=1508009486][/doublepost]
Seems almost the same size as the X to me. The curved glass on the X just makes them slightly invisible

Radon you need to stop making things up. The pixel xl2 is not just as or close to the iPhone x in terms of side bezels.

 

[Radon87000]

Radon you need to stop making things up. The pixel xl2 is not just as or close to the iPhone x in terms of side bezels.

Post a proper frontal pic of both. They look almost the same from the front

 

[widgeteer]

Post a proper frontal pic of both. They look almost the same from the front

Dude, forget pics. Go see it in person. X might be as bad. Dunno.

 

[FFR]

Post a proper frontal pic of both. They look almost the same from the front

Phone isn’t out yet it.

You think they look “almost the same from the front” Clearly can’t admit when your wrong.

Ps the picture you posted: the pixel xl clearly looks slimmer in profile than the iPhone x. That’s clearly not the case.

7.7 mm for the iPhone x vs 7.9mm for the pixel xl 2.
Press renders aren’t to scale.

 

[noobinator]

 

[slitherjef]

#Bezelgate....

Any rate who else has started checking daily to see if Google charged their order yet? (*finger tap finger tap...*)

 

[Tig Bitties]

Ouch that blue screen is brutal on the 2 XL, the HTC Pixel 2 there looks much better and truly white.

I honestly don't care about bezels. I'd rather have HTC build the 2 XL, even if it meant iPhone type bezels, or more of a Nexus 6P bezel setup, I'd be fine with that.

 

[AustinIllini]

#Bezelgate....

Any rate who else has started checking daily to see if Google charged their order yet? (*finger tap finger tap...*)

Considering my credit card fiasco, I'm checking more frequently than that.

 

[deany]

Great that folks are being so particular, at these prices it would be foolhardy not to be.

 

[5105973]

That blue tint actually looks like the holy grail of desired display tints back in the days before Apple declared warm screens were intentional and everyone on this forum was complaining about their too warm “cat pee yellow” displays. Then came the dire warnings about how bad blue displays are for the eyes and everyone suddenly had to have that app that gave night shift mode. Next thing we know, warm displays are “in”and everyone hates cool displays.

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

That blue tint actually looks like the holy grail of desired display tints back in the days before Apple declared warm screens were intentional and everyone on this forum was complaining about their too warm “cat pee yellow” displays. Then came the dire warnings about how bad blue displays are for the eyes and everyone suddenly had to have that app that gave night shift mode. Next thing we know, warm displays are “in”and everyone hates cool displays.

I think our eyes adjust to what we use. Without comparing you don't really notice. Right now sitting at my desk and comparing my S8 to my LG monitor, my S8 looks yellow tinted. But when I'm using my S8 without comparing it seems pure white to me.

 

[jamezr]

Don’t think it’s you wigeteer.
Pixel xl2 side bezels does look chunkier than the iPhone 8+.

I don't think they look chunkier at all to me. I will go back to the VZW store and do a side by side with my 8 plus and the XL2. I think the side bezels are bigger on the iphone. Even in the picture you posted the side bezels look bigger on the iphone.

 

[Tsepz]

Post a proper frontal pic of both. They look almost the same from the front

Good grief, that notch, looks like dead pixels.

Give me the Pixel XL 2 with its non intrusive bezels any day.

Google clearly were not concerned about design here, otherwise this could have just taken the LG V30 design.

 

[Tsepz]

That blue tint actually looks like the holy grail of desired display tints back in the days before Apple declared warm screens were intentional and everyone on this forum was complaining about their too warm “cat pee yellow” displays. Then came the dire warnings about how bad blue displays are for the eyes and everyone suddenly had to have that app that gave night shift mode. Next thing we know, warm displays are “in”and everyone hates cool displays.

Indeed!

In fact when I was setting up my Note8 display i realised that I prefer the Blue tint over the "warm" yellow. Thankfully we have freedom to adjust these things, and I went for a cooler setup.