FWIW here's my take after 9 days...
After 9 days, here's my feedback on the 32gb XL. I typically take a lot of photos, multi task and read a lot using split screen. I also listen to podcasts daily and my phone signal at home is great yet terrible at work.
TLDR bullet points first:
Standout features:
+ Battery
+ Camera
+ Screen
+ Software
+ Ergonomics
+ Imprint
+ 3.5mm jack(!)
+ Design/build
And these are the misses. Whilst they genuinely don't impact on me they will matter to plenty of other people:
Wireless charging
SD card
Waterproofing
Speaker
Design
The longer read:
Great battery - I'm getting 7 hours at home on WiFi consistently, sometimes more. 4G is closer to 5 hours - still very respectable. The biggest thing is Doze sipping like an iPhone during standby and not having to turn off Location, Bluetooth, etc. Google have finally sorted battery drain. Another comparison is against the SE, S6, and 6P when at work in a really poor signal area. Typically, the S6 would be dead by 4pm, the 6P down to the last 20%, and the SE at 30%. The XL has 50-55% remaining consistently. Bigger battery, maybe, but it has much better standby.
Screen - big, clear, bright enough. Great if you read a lot like me. I tend to have it at 40% brightness most of the time. Night light is a nice addition.
Camera - excellent. Rarely misses a shot with very satisfying images most of the time. As someone who points and shoots daily to capture memories of my kids, this is the biggest accolade I can give it. I don't feel like I need to know anything more than pressing the shutter button to deliver playing results. Double tap power works well to catch the moment. Yes, you can get the odd shot with off colour but that's not common in my use.
Hardware/software as one - really smooth and not even a slight stutter. I don't game much but multitasking is a breeze. Baked in split screen is a real plus - a key feature coming from Samsung Notes - it works with almost all apps despite the warnings. Landscape split screen is just a bonus. Assistant is proving more useful as I use it more so I'm optimistic about what this could do in the future.
Imprint - fast, accurate, and in exactly the right place for this size device. The swipe to bring down notifications is a small addition yet massive improvement when handling a large device.
Build - solid, mostly metal (which I prefer) and cleverly tapers to a wider thickness to eliminate a camera hump. Feels solid yet comfortable.
So what's not so good?
Aside from the obvious misses at the top, I wish the launcher was a bit more customisable - grid size, icon packs, etc.
I also hope they can improve panning EIS stabilisation for videos. It's not bad, but not outstanding either. Maybe I'm optimistic about Google's camera software prowess. OIS would no doubt help.
Wireless charging isn't much to me - fast charging is more than I need when the battery is so good. Waterproofing has never been something I needed.
SD is mitigated by Google Photos and OneDrive on my Office365 sub. Since I don't game much, I have 15gb space which is enough. On a long haul flight, I am fine with the supplied OTG adapter and an SD card or pen drive for movies. Again, these are how I see the absence of these in my situation.
Sound is another - I'm on earphones for podcasts or Bluetooth in the car. I'd prefer front speakers of course. I'm sure plenty of buyers will look at the 6P front speakers and wonder what happened. Appreciate the headphone jack as charging Bluetooth earphones is too frequent and they often run flat at an inopportune moment.
I don't mind the design even if it is conservative or bland. I case my phones and usually go for black anyway. There's no logo on the front which is a plus. The chin is what it is: too big but symmetrical and something to grip to which might help gamers.
Overall, it's the experience that hits the mark. A lag-free, fluid OS, a brilliant camera backed up with long battery life are the pillars. On that basis, it works for me. The number of photos I've taken this past week tell me it's a keeper.
That said, if you're thinking of side grading from another flagship, be sure to weigh up what you might give up to gain elsewhere. Likewise, 6P owners who don't need a rapid firing camera may not see the value in upgrading just yet. Then again, there's much more here than the camera.
After 9 days, here's my feedback on the 32gb XL. I typically take a lot of photos, multi task and read a lot using split screen. I also listen to podcasts daily and my phone signal at home is great yet terrible at work.
TLDR bullet points first:
Standout features:
+ Battery
+ Camera
+ Screen
+ Software
+ Ergonomics
+ Imprint
+ 3.5mm jack(!)
+ Design/build
And these are the misses. Whilst they genuinely don't impact on me they will matter to plenty of other people:
Wireless charging
SD card
Waterproofing
Speaker
Design
The longer read:
Great battery - I'm getting 7 hours at home on WiFi consistently, sometimes more. 4G is closer to 5 hours - still very respectable. The biggest thing is Doze sipping like an iPhone during standby and not having to turn off Location, Bluetooth, etc. Google have finally sorted battery drain. Another comparison is against the SE, S6, and 6P when at work in a really poor signal area. Typically, the S6 would be dead by 4pm, the 6P down to the last 20%, and the SE at 30%. The XL has 50-55% remaining consistently. Bigger battery, maybe, but it has much better standby.
Screen - big, clear, bright enough. Great if you read a lot like me. I tend to have it at 40% brightness most of the time. Night light is a nice addition.
Camera - excellent. Rarely misses a shot with very satisfying images most of the time. As someone who points and shoots daily to capture memories of my kids, this is the biggest accolade I can give it. I don't feel like I need to know anything more than pressing the shutter button to deliver playing results. Double tap power works well to catch the moment. Yes, you can get the odd shot with off colour but that's not common in my use.
Hardware/software as one - really smooth and not even a slight stutter. I don't game much but multitasking is a breeze. Baked in split screen is a real plus - a key feature coming from Samsung Notes - it works with almost all apps despite the warnings. Landscape split screen is just a bonus. Assistant is proving more useful as I use it more so I'm optimistic about what this could do in the future.
Imprint - fast, accurate, and in exactly the right place for this size device. The swipe to bring down notifications is a small addition yet massive improvement when handling a large device.
Build - solid, mostly metal (which I prefer) and cleverly tapers to a wider thickness to eliminate a camera hump. Feels solid yet comfortable.
So what's not so good?
Aside from the obvious misses at the top, I wish the launcher was a bit more customisable - grid size, icon packs, etc.
I also hope they can improve panning EIS stabilisation for videos. It's not bad, but not outstanding either. Maybe I'm optimistic about Google's camera software prowess. OIS would no doubt help.
Wireless charging isn't much to me - fast charging is more than I need when the battery is so good. Waterproofing has never been something I needed.
SD is mitigated by Google Photos and OneDrive on my Office365 sub. Since I don't game much, I have 15gb space which is enough. On a long haul flight, I am fine with the supplied OTG adapter and an SD card or pen drive for movies. Again, these are how I see the absence of these in my situation.
Sound is another - I'm on earphones for podcasts or Bluetooth in the car. I'd prefer front speakers of course. I'm sure plenty of buyers will look at the 6P front speakers and wonder what happened. Appreciate the headphone jack as charging Bluetooth earphones is too frequent and they often run flat at an inopportune moment.
I don't mind the design even if it is conservative or bland. I case my phones and usually go for black anyway. There's no logo on the front which is a plus. The chin is what it is: too big but symmetrical and something to grip to which might help gamers.
Overall, it's the experience that hits the mark. A lag-free, fluid OS, a brilliant camera backed up with long battery life are the pillars. On that basis, it works for me. The number of photos I've taken this past week tell me it's a keeper.
That said, if you're thinking of side grading from another flagship, be sure to weigh up what you might give up to gain elsewhere. Likewise, 6P owners who don't need a rapid firing camera may not see the value in upgrading just yet. Then again, there's much more here than the camera.
