The Google Pixel is a Google phone that hit the market about a month ago. This family of newcomers should replace the famous Google Nexus series and bring new super-phones to the market that could stand on the line of the iPhone.
Now Google is changing tactics by emphasizing that this phone is a completely Google product and aims to differentiate itself completely, creating something new and better than anything before. We will find out in the following text whether they succeeded in that.
This news should come as no surprise, as there have been many attempts in the form of various Nexus phones to exceed the specs offered by the iPhone, particularly highlighted with the release of the Nexus 6P. However, Google failed to surpass the famous Apple phone.
What is Google Pixel?
As Google says, the Google Pixel is a next-generation smartphone with three most important features:
- the highest quality camera so far – this super-camera should give sharpened photos in any type of lighting, and in the package, with the phone, you get great storage for all photos and video files you take,
- a battery that lasts a long time – made to last long capacity of only 2770 mAh, while the Pixel XL comes with a 3450 mAh battery,
- Google Assistant – your personal assistant provides answers to questions, finds photos, manages your tasks, and many other things that will make your life easier.
Sounds interesting, but are we impressed? Not yet. So let’s see what else Google Pixel has for us.
What does the Google Pixel look like?
When it comes to design, Google has played it safe. The phone is made of a combination of metal, aluminum, and glass, with slightly rounded edges. On the background of the Google Pixel, it can be noticed that the upper part is slightly thicker than the lower one.
This is because the glass part on the back occupies 2/3 of the surface. Unfortunately, at first glance, it seems that the glass part is very delicate and that you will surely see scratches on it in the next few months, but don’t worry. It is Corning Gorilla glass of the fourth generation that guarantees quality and durability.
The phone itself is sold in two sizes – a smaller one called simply Google Pixel, with a 5 ” display, and a larger one – Google Pixel XL, which has a 5.5 ” display. Google Pixel phones come in three colors – Quick Black, Very Silver, Really Blue, which is again expected and does not differ much from the competition.
The phone is very well modeled, so it is easy to hold in your hand. It’s not too thin – the 7.3mm Google Pixel, while the Pixel XL is 8.5mm, and not heavy. The weight of the phone is 143g for the Google Pixel, and 168g for the Pixel XL.
How exactly does the Google Pixel camera work?
It seems to us that the Google Pixel has one of the best cameras in the world. It is very similar to the one on the iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7, more precisely it works on the same principles of duplicate lenses.
Let’s explain what this is about – although the rear camera is only 12.3 megapixels, it also contains a double LED light and two f / 2.0 lenses. This complex camera works by taking multiple photos at once and then combining and digitally processing them to eject the best one.
This way you get your perfect photo in just a few moments, and the whole process of image processing and selection takes place under the hood.
In addition to these “super-powers”, the Google Pixel camera also has autofocus, a much faster HDR, called HDR +, and all the other accessories that make shooting very easy and fun.
The Google Pixel can record video in the increasingly popular 4K resolution and uses a gyroscope to stabilize the video. This means that you can record video while driving a car, rollerblading, or exercising and you will get very high quality and realistic video.
We must also mention the standard 8MP front camera, which also has a built-in HDR, which ensures that this camera works great in any lighting.
Can Google Pixel hardware match the iPhone?
The Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL have almost identical hardware – the battery and resolution are slightly different, while the processor and internal memory are the same. The processor powered by the Google Pixel is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, with 4GB of RAM and 32/128GB of external storage.
As for the famous Pixel battery, this is a phone that will surely last all day but you will have to charge it overnight. On the other hand, you will be pleased to hear that you can use the Quick Charge option. Thanks to this improvement, you can charge your phone in just 40 minutes, which is great news.
On the back of the phone is the Pixel Imprint – a fingerprint scanner that works very quickly and will not activate if you have the phone in your pocket. The 3.5mm headphone jack is located on the top of the phone, while the speakers are on the back of the phone.
With an excellent AMOLED display (and 1080 × 1920, 441ppi resolution), color saturation and brightness are extremely good. The screen is adaptable to your eye, so the image will look quite good when viewed from another angle.
Additionally, you can adjust the display to the RGB color system and thus get an even more vivid and beautiful coloration if you are a fan of slightly higher saturation. These features make this phone a great tool for watching videos, short movies, and playing games.
Which OS has Google PIxel?
The operating system powered by Google PIxel is Android, of course. To be precise, this is the latest version of Android Nougat 7.1. As the first reviews say, its speed still cannot be measured with Apple devices, but that shortcoming does not matter much when used.
The most famous and best addition to this OS is Google Assistant, which you can find on Now on Tap and Google Now. In essence, this assistant is modeled on Siri – the iPhone version.
Google Assistant is very easy to share photos with you, play your favorite songs, videos, and games, call a person, provide you with all the information (from the best restaurants in town to a list of movies that are in the cinema).
The assistant is activated by simply typing within the app or with the “OK Google” command, even when your phone is locked. There are also some restrictions regarding Google Now, which are related to the fact that if you “do not know” to provide an answer, you will probably see the Google search bar on the screen.
Is Google Pixel the new superphone?
Looks like we’re going to have to wait for some next version of Google Pixel to be able to call it a super-phone. For now, we can say with certainty that this is one of the better and more interesting Android phones on the market. If you loved the Nexus, you’re sure to love the Pixel phones as well. If you are a perfectionist, then the iPhone will still remain the number one phone for you.