So, what does it do?
If
you expect anything from a Google phone, it’s perfect optimisation
for the Android operating system, and that’s exactly the area in
which the Pixel shines. The addition of the Google Assistant, an
artificial intelligence in the same mold as Apple’s Siri and
Microsoft’s Cortana, is a definite plus. It’s a more responsive
and ‘human’ robot than the other two (ironically enough).
Pixel, which runs Android Nougat 7.1, is also the first to include
Google’s Duo and Allo social apps.
The Pixel is built around its two cameras (12.3 megapixels at the rear and 8 megapixels at the front) and a promise that the device can take decent pictures in almost any light. It’s true – the Pixel is arguably one of the best phones out there for amateur photographers, with some comparisons placing it above the iPhone 7’s camera. Pixel can also shoot videos in 4K, although that’s not a particularly new feature, while the device utilises a fingerprint sensor - Pixel Imprint - on the rear for secure unlocking.
This> Google Pixel XL full, in-depth review: The new best Android phone https://t.co/3ww4ixHa3t @madebygoogle #madebygoogle #Pixel #android pic.twitter.com/Tu8htGKmOk— Nick Ross (@NickRossTech) October 18, 2016
Google
has made no compromises as far as technology (and expense) is
concerned, a fact that may alienate fans of the Nexus, the
search giant’s previous phone, which had earned something of a cult
following as an inexpensive powerhouse with developers. The Pixel is
a sleeker, faster Android, ideal for business or productivity tasks.
Specs-wise, it uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 CPU, which makes
it a great option for the more graphics-heavy mobile games, as
well as for apps that utilise Daydream VR.
As
mobile VR is likely to become more of an incentive to buy a phone in
future, especially for gamers and online poker players, who have
already adopted the Samsung Gear as the go-to for VR casino, the 821
is an important part of the Pixel. The Snapdragon draws
less battery power, reducing the footprint of conventional
apps like Angry Birds or Betway poker,
as well as making famous battery hog Pokémon Go require less of
an investment in pre-charging.
On the downside,
the Pixel features one of the biggest design crimes since the
smartphone era began – it has a partially glass rear. While the
company claims that it has a function in improving reception, the
presence of metal around the glass reduces its effectiveness (at
least, according to science, it does),
meaning that it’s a deliberate design choice, and one that looks
entirely forced. It’s also not waterproof and only has a
single speaker, making it a little awkward for entertainment
purposes.
Is
it Any Good?
Let’s
get one thing out of the way – the Pixel is a fantastic device. If
you're in the market for a new Android, you can do a lot worse than
the Pixel or its bigger brother, the Pixel XL, which is being sold as
an update to the Nexus 6P.
However,
the fact that it’s impossible to separate the Pixel from
comparisons with the iPhone 7 is a tragedy because, at best, the
Pixel is the best Android phone on the market, and, at worst,
it’s the closest Google has ever come to imitating the iPhone.
Unfortunately, those two points combined qualify the Android platform
as a natural second to Steve Jobs’ landmark device.
The
Pixel and the Pixel XL have identical pricing ($649 and $849,
respectively) to both versions of the iPhone 7, which suggests
that comparisons to the latter are indeed the benchmark that Google
was aiming at. It’s a ‘safe’ device, as far as Google is
concerned; it’s far from revolutionary and it doesn’t do anything
the iPhone doesn’t do.
Due
to blind luck, it has come along at a perfect time, however, when
Apple’s main rival in the mobile market, Samsung, is having a hard
time stopping its phones from exploding.