Phones Google Pixel 2 / Google Pixel 2 XL

[widgeteer]

So with the second year warranty, why would anyone buy Google's insurance? Maybe I should cancel mine.
[doublepost=1509121574][/doublepost]

Flossy Carter unboxing is out

I called his take on it to the letter. Floss is a Samsung guy because he LOOOVES all the extra features. Pixels are all about pure performance. Which I get. If you don't find the delta in performance between the Note 8 and the Pixel too big, there isn't that much to suggest the pixel over the Note. Totally get it.

Oh, and I want to hug him: YES, THE DISPLAY IS GOOD. Period. If you get a flawed panel with burn in, return that. But if you don't like the display, that's purely preference. It is not objectively a bad display. Not even close.

 

[co.ag.2005]

I've been really enjoying my Pixel 2 XL. I haven't had any of the screen issues that most have talked about except for the slight color change when viewing the screen off axis. That's a non-factor to me since I rarely view my screen off axis.

things I love
-size. this is a perfect form factor for me, not too big, not too small but all screen.

-fp sensor. quick and easy to reach

-software experience. software just flies! I like the refinements of Oreo and look forward to quick updates. In fact, I installed the 8.1 dev preview last night and that's been running like a champ. It was nice to have the new install method too, where the bulk of the install occurs while the phone is powered on and you can use your phone at the same time. At the end of the install, it needed to reboot and was on a "G" updating screen for maybe 30 seconds and then booted up. Easy peasy. So much better than android updates (or even iOS updates) that render your phone useless for a good 5 minutes.

-bluetooth performance has been great so far. I didn't own the original XL and knew it had a lot of issues, but this seems to be on par with my Note 8 which is not a bad thing!

-battery life - great! all day batter life. SOT is usually between 4-5 hours but I never get great SOT on any android phone. but the battery lasts me all day without having to worry about it. It's been off the charger for 5.5 hours as of now with 78% battery left (1.5hr SOT).

there's not much to dislike. As I said before, I don't have any screen issues which is awesome. I just hope they don't crop up. But, this phone is going back Google as it was just a test drive device to see if I'll be keeping my Panda (or Penguin? (orange button)) 2 XL when it arrives in a few weeks. So far, the verdict is me keeping the Penguin 2 XL and selling my Note 8.

 

[v0lume4]

So with the second year warranty, why would anyone buy Google's insurance? Maybe I should cancel mine.

The insurance covers accidental damage (with a deductible). The standard warranty does not.

Destroy your phone on the concrete? Water damage? The insurance covers that. Without it, you're out another $850 for a new phone. That's why I'm keeping it, personally.

 

[widgeteer]

The insurance covers accidental damage (with a deductible). The standard warranty does not.

Destroy your phone on the concrete? Water damage? The insurance covers that. Without it, you're out another $850 for a new phone. That's why I'm keeping it, personally.

Thanks for that. I was too lazy to look it up. I shall keep mine.

 

[840quadra]

Unboxing videos are such a snooze fest to me. I am more interested in deep qualitative testing than I am initial impressions of features. My favorite type of reviews aren’t even available yet, from people who have used the devices for a month solid.

The insurance covers accidental damage (with a deductible). The standard warranty does not.

Destroy your phone on the concrete? Water damage? The insurance covers that. Without it, you're out another $850 for a new phone. That's why I'm keeping it, personally.

I had purchased Care on all of my iPhones / iPads, including my 7 (that I still have), and quite honestly never needed it. I decided to go without on the Pixel 2, my iPad Pro 10.5, and likely any future iOS devices.

Added up, I have spent more than the iPhone X (Almost for 2 now) for coverage I never really needed / used.

 

[widgeteer]

Unboxing videos are such a snooze fest to me. I am more interested in deep qualitative testing than I am initial impressions of features. My favorite type of reviews aren’t even available yet, from people who have used the devices for a month solid.



I had purchased Care on all of my iPhones / iPads, including my 7 (that I still have), and quite honestly never needed it. I decided to go without on the Pixel 2, my iPad Pro 10.5, and likely any future iOS devices.

Added up, I have spent more than the iPhone X (Almost for 2 now) for coverage I never really needed / used.

You're not wrong with hands on videos, but Flossy is a breed apart from other reviewers. He's more of a personality that has specific likes that you either jibe with or you don't. I think he's a really smart guy who understands the difference between what is a reasonable complaint vs something closely related to OCD. For instance I like and respect Ericka Griffen but I find she sometimes gets a wee bit too obsessive in what she sees as a flaw.

 

[comper]

So with the second year warranty, why would anyone buy Google's insurance? Maybe I should cancel mine.

Warranty =/= insurance for any accidental damage which is the main reason someone would buy it in the first place.

 

[widgeteer]

Speaking of Floss, I need him to do a full Essential review. He has trashed it mercilessly in his last two videos. It's becoming a hilarious running gag.

 

[840quadra]

You're not wrong with hands on videos, but Flossy is a breed apart from other reviewers. He's more of a personality that has specific likes that you either jibe with or you don't. I think he's a really smart guy who understands the difference between what is a reasonable complaint vs something closely related to OCD. For instance I like and respect Ericka Griffen but I find she sometimes gets a wee bit too obsessive in what she sees as a flaw.

It’s just not my thing to be honest. Too many of these people are just YouTube stars, with no more of a valid or professional assessment than people posting on here. Quite honestly, I take people on here more seriously than any of these YouTube people.

That said, I do enjoy watching reviews done by kids, or lesser known people with regards to devices. They always feel more real world and organic. They are also fun to discover, which is part of what YouTube used to be all about, discovering interesting content.

 

[noobinator]

I love flossy. He’s a down to earth guy that gives his opinions and encourages everyone to use their own eyes and brains to make decisions.

And I love his cat Xerxes. Hilarious in this video how he put the cord on the cats neck as a necklace/collar.

 

[Puddled]

Unboxing videos are such a snooze fest to me. I am more interested in deep qualitative testing than I am initial impressions of features. My favorite type of reviews aren’t even available yet, from people who have used the devices for a month solid.



I had purchased Care on all of my iPhones / iPads, including my 7 (that I still have), and quite honestly never needed it. I decided to go without on the Pixel 2, my iPad Pro 10.5, and likely any future iOS devices.

Added up, I have spent more than the iPhone X (Almost for 2 now) for coverage I never really needed / used.

Care to share the review(ers) you like?

 

[840quadra]

Care to share the review(ers) you like?

Yeah I will dig through my bookmarks when I am back at my Mac at home, don’t have them on this device. Some have poor entertainment value, so it will show how boring of a person I am!

 

[5105973]

You're not wrong with hands on videos, but Flossy is a breed apart from other reviewers. He's more of a personality that has specific likes that you either jibe with or you don't. I think he's a really smart guy who understands the difference between what is a reasonable complaint vs something closely related to OCD. For instance I like and respect Ericka Griffen but I find she sometimes gets a wee bit too obsessive in what she sees as a flaw.

I don’t think he appeared on that Samsung commercial, either, did he? Not as a voiceover or anything. I hope not. What I like about him is he does buy these things he reviews and he spells out even during unboxings what he thinks stinks. I may not end up agreeing with his final verdict but I do walk away with a better sense of the device’s traits. And I admit I like to see what Xerxes will do. He knows Xerxes is a huge draw so he makes sure she puts in an appearance. Or she decides on her own. She is a cat, after all.

Two of my cats like to check out unboxings. One likes to watch me apply screen protectors. I’ve used her tail tip to swipe debris from the display before. Sometimes the static works in my favor, sometimes not.

I wasn’t expecting the feral cats to show up and check out the Pixel 2XL when I put it out on the deck. I had noticed our deck looks like that wood background Flossy uses for his unboxing videos. So I sat it down and Mama cat showed up. After I took her picture with the phone and ran back in for cat food for her, her son showed up so I got him with the phone, too.

Jeez, sorry, I’m babbling about cats. I am sooo sleep deprived. Normally waking up for preorders doesn’t faze me but yesterday after the school Carpool I was on my feet in the kitchen for hours, then again after dinner to bake and decorate a cake with custom frosting artwork. While constantly being interrupted by a frantic teenager who doesn’t know where anything is after I cleaned her room the other day. “What is this giant flat thing in my room?!!”
“It’s the the floor, sweetie. I know you haven’t seen it in a while but it came with the house. If you’ll notice, we have one in every other room of the house, too.”

 

[deany]

Big fan of 'The Tech Guy' he's unbias and not elitist.
Review of the all important (to most nowadays) camera.

Looks like Pixel 2 wins here overall, except at night, which possibly will be fixed with googles 'hidden features'.

 

[widgeteer]

I don’t think he appeared on that Samsung commercial, either, did he? Not as a voiceover or anything. I hope not. What I like about him is he does buy these things he reviews and he spells out even during unboxings what he thinks stinks. I may not end up agreeing with his final verdict but I do walk away with a better sense of the device’s traits. And I admit I like to see what Xerxes will do. He knows Xerxes is a huge draw so he makes sure she puts in an appearance. Or she decides on her own. She is a cat, after all.

Two of my cats like to check out unboxings. One likes to watch me apply screen protectors. I’ve used her tail tip to swipe debris from the display before. Sometimes the static works in my favor, sometimes not.

I wasn’t expecting the feral cats to show up and check out the Pixel 2XL when I put it out on the deck. I had noticed our deck looks like that wood background Flossy uses for his unboxing videos. So I sat it down and Mama cat showed up. After I took her picture with the phone and ran back in for cat food for her, her son showed up so I got him with the phone, too.

Jeez, sorry, I’m babbling about cats. I am sooo sleep deprived. Normally waking up for preorders doesn’t faze me but yesterday after the school Carpool I was on my feet in the kitchen for hours, then again after dinner to bake and decorate a cake with custom frosting artwork. While constantly being interrupted by a frantic teenager who doesn’t know where anything is after I cleaned her room the other day. “What is this giant flat thing in my room?!!”
“It’s the the floor, sweetie. I know you haven’t seen it in a while but it came with the house. If you’ll notice, we have one in every other room of the house, too.”

All of this! But what I love most about Floss besides that he's just flat out entertaining? There is ZERO ZERO ZERO production value to his videos. The dude will cut a video and then tell you he had to take a call. I don't think he includes his cat because she's a big draw, I think his cat is just hanging out with him and he doesn't give a crap. It's refreshing to watch.

In fact, I really hate overly produced youtube reviews. One of the worst is someone fairly popular - the unboxing therapy guy. His personality is obnoxious but his videos are cut to within an inch of their lives. The problem is you have a lot of youtubers that cut and edit in stuff just for the sake of it without thinking about whether or not it's actually helpful to what they're trying to achieve. The Verge's videos are exceptionally well produced, and thoughtful in how they present the material. So they're an exception to my rule. Droid-Life is pretty hacky, and Kellen needs to understand that his "talking head" version of these things isn't good.

 

[deany]

All of this! But what I love most about Floss besides that he's just flat out entertaining? There is ZERO ZERO ZERO production value to his videos. The dude will cut a video and then tell you he had to take a call. I don't think he includes his cat because she's a big draw, I think his cat is just hanging out with him and he doesn't give a crap. It's refreshing to watch.

In fact, I really hate overly produced youtube reviews. One of the worst is someone fairly popular - the unboxing therapy guy. His personality is obnoxious but his videos are cut to within an inch of their lives. The problem is you have a lot of youtubers that cut and edit in stuff just for the sake of it without thinking about whether or not it's actually helpful to what they're trying to achieve. The Verge's videos are exceptionally well produced, and thoughtful in how they present the material. So they're an exception to my rule. Droid-Life is pretty hacky, and Kellen needs to understand that his "talking head" version of these things isn't good.

Agreed. His adorable cat is there for the same reason as us, it is his voice and directness.
He comes out with some real nuggets, I guess its known as 'street' or 'prison' slang but its strangely appealing, in a Pulp Fiction kind of way.
Like Tucker Gott (different genre and totally different style) rising stars for sure.

 

[840quadra]

No wonder I keep touching my Apple Logo on my iPhone. I keep trying to swipe up and down to view notifications.. Interestingly, the iPhone 7 fits inside it’s case, and the Pixel 2 case almost perfectly.

 

[deany]

No wonder I keep touching my Apple Logo on my iPhone. I keep trying to swipe up and down to view notifications.. Interestingly, the iPhone 7 fits inside it’s case, and the Pixel 2 case almost perfectly.

View attachment 728078

Has that been on the Weber, slow and sear?

 

[840quadra]

Has that been on the Weber, slow and sear?

I don’t know what you mean (the pattern at my desk?), but I can report that my Pixel case is Terible. It does it’s job, but it feels like the rubber they use to coat cheap tools with. Waiting for good bumper cases to become available!

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Have any of you tried Vudu on the Pixel 2? I still can't play any of my purchased videos with Vudu or FandangoNOW. I've reported the issue to Vudu and am waiting to hear what they say. I do see others posting negative feedback on the Play Store about this same issue, so it may not be limited to new devices.

 

[slitherjef]

Mine is due in today, at least last time I checked. First thing right off the bat will be a bootloader unlock...

Then root. At least I think SuperSU has been updated for the device

 

[deany]

Michael Fisher has his say on the Pixel 2, more 'hands on' this time.

 

[v0lume4]

All of this! But what I love most about Floss besides that he's just flat out entertaining? There is ZERO ZERO ZERO production value to his videos. The dude will cut a video and then tell you he had to take a call. I don't think he includes his cat because she's a big draw, I think his cat is just hanging out with him and he doesn't give a crap. It's refreshing to watch.

I only found Floss because those of you here that have linked his videos. I like his enunciation. He's a terrific narrator.

 

[5105973]

Agreed. His adorable cat is there for the same reason as us, it is his voice and directness.
He comes out with some real nuggets, I guess its known as 'street' or 'prison' slang but its strangely appealing, in a Pulp Fiction kind of way.
Like Tucker Gott (different genre and totally different style) rising stars for sure.

I grew up on a street with some guys like him. Well actually they all moved in around my late teens. Before that it was both black and white people from southern states like South Carolina and West Virginia, which is how I got my accent and a lot of being a lady southern style, because if you came to my neighborhood you could hardly tell you weren’t in South Carolina or West VA. My mom liked how they did things. She’s from Asia and wanted to make sure I would be a proper American so she’s got me half raised up Asian Tiger Mom style and half raised up southern style. I’m such a cultural mess!

My next door neighbor was so funny in the way Flossy is. My dad and I would sit outside for hours listening to him go on about his day. He was a character. He was dating my friend Shay’s mom. I missed him when they moved. But the couple from Trinidad that moved in are close to my parents age and they all became best friends so it worked out nice. They’re like family to me, too.

As for Lew of Unbox Therapy he lost me a little bit when he did that thing of talking to himself and then dramatically NOT reviewing the IPhone 8. It was right there, talk about it and let me make up my own mind, darn it. Sigh.

 

[epicrayban]

-software experience. software just flies! I like the refinements of Oreo and look forward to quick updates. In fact, I installed the 8.1 dev preview last night and that's been running like a champ. It was nice to have the new install method too, where the bulk of the install occurs while the phone is powered on and you can use your phone at the same time. At the end of the install, it needed to reboot and was on a "G" updating screen for maybe 30 seconds and then booted up. Easy peasy. So much better than android updates (or even iOS updates) that render your phone useless for a good 5 minutes.

Yep. The software download/install in the background is one of the coolest things about Android. This is what an advanced mobile OS looks like; not iOS where not only are there no background updates, but you must be on WiFi to even download it (ditto large apps).

Great write-up. Glad you're enjoying your XL and the software. It really is a step above the competition.