OK I have to go back and change my opinion on this one. I just got back from a Verizon store where I directly compared my 7+ to the XL2, I sat there for a few minutes staring at them both, I think the staff though I was some weirdo lol. Anyhow I actually found the XL2 side bezel to be a miniscule amount thicker than the 7+, but that was just eyeballing it. I have a feeling the slightly more curved edges of the XL2 contributed to that, so in reality it's probably more accurate to just say they are about the same. I also found myself moderately disgusted with the entire front design of the XL2, between the side bezels and the rounded corners it looks kind of awful. I didn't get that sunken in screen feel, but the design just somehow made the bezels "seem" to be larger than they are somehow. I know I sound nuts, but I actually prefer the XL1 screen setup with it's square corners.
The XL2 screen was only minimally larger than my 7+, which really surprised me. It was virtually the same width, but just a few mm taller. Screen itself was very nice, didn't notice any banding at minimum brightness. Brightness seemed about equal to the 8+ with them both at max, which is decent but not great in my book, probably sucks in sunlight like the 7+ (and XL1) does. The XL2 does have a noticeable blue tint to it, but it's not a big deal and you get used to it. I'm not a typical consumer that believes all that marketing truetone BS anyway, you get used to what you stare at all day.
Finally, the back of the phone felt cheap to me. I don't know why, I think it was just the contrast of the aluminum and glass really gave the feel of cheapness to the aluminum part to my hands and eyes. Coupled with the janky bezel setup in the front and I wasn't really impressed with an almost $1k phone. Having a "larger" screen wasn't anywhere as dramatic as say putting the Note 8 next to the iPhone 7+.
So I cancelled my XL2 order, I just can't see paying almost $1k for the design. They really needed to step up to the plate here if they are going to be charging so much for the phone. I'm going back to my original plan to try and get an iPhone X, and in the meantime keep my 7+ or if the X is delayed maybe get a 8+. Honestly I may not even stay with the X as that has it's own set of issues as well and wouldn't surprise myself if I just kept a 8+ until next year on the hopes of an iPhone x PLUS. I did get to compare the v30 to the XL2, wow the v30 just trounces all over the XL2 design, wow. So that's a contender as well.