Google - Pixel 4G LTE with 32GB Memory Cell Phone (Verizon)

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The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Google Hits Home Run With Pixel

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  The Google Pixel is a game changer. My last phone was a Nexus 5X. I purchased the 5X for some of the same reasons I love the Pixel: pure android, the earliest updates, and a great feature set for the price. Pixel takes things a few steps further, though, with a several exclusives and a truly premium feel. In the box: 32GB Very Black Pixel phone, wall charger (USB-C), Two USB cables (one with USB-C on both ends, one with USB-A on one end and USB-C on the other), USB-C to USB-A adapter, 3-month pass to Google Music, brochure information, and key to open SIM tray. Pixel is an excellent phone, but it is not perfect. Many reviews have complained about the large chin on the phone. Maybe it is bigger than it needs to be, especially given that there is only one speaker on the face of the Pixel, but it doesn't really matter. In person, it looks fine and offers an easy place to hold/balance the phone. Others have complained that it is not waterproof. I'll give them that. It is basically splash resistant, so it definitely lags behind several rival phones in this regard, and I do wish it were more resistant to water and dust. Some people don't like the look of the phone with the glass tile on the back. That's a matter of taste; I actually like it and think it adds a distinctive touch to the phone. Some people complain about the lack of an SD card or a 64Gb option for memory. I'll give them that; I wish Google would be a little more flexible in terms of memory, but at least they did include a nifty memory manager with unlimited cloud storage for full-sized pictures and video (very nice add-on). I am slightly disappointed the phone doesn't include wireless charging. Some people complain about the price, but this phone justifies the price when compared to the competition. It is not a Nexus; it is a new thing entirely, and it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best flagship phones in the industry. But when it comes to negatives, that's it; and those are all minor issues relative to the overall function of the phone. And everything else about the Pixel is amazing. The phone feels great in the hand. It is clearly a premium phone in terms of look and feel. I have the "Very Black" version (which strikes me more as a very deep gray, fwiw), and it is very attractive. With 4Gb RAM, the new Snapdragon 821 chip, and Nougat 7.1, the Pixel flies effortlessly through any task. I haven't found anything that makes it stutter. It is the fastest phone I have ever used, bar none. The 1080p Super AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass 4 offers a fantastic screen image with rich colors and great viewing angles. The glass also feels good. I don't usually see reviews mention the feel of the glass, but I have used some phones where the glass just doesn't feel as nice. This one feels great. And it has night mode built in. This is a terrific screen, although the Pixel XL does have better resolution than the 5" Pixel. It can wash out a little in direct sunlight, so be aware of that. The camera is AWESOME! I'm picky about cameras (those 20+mp Nokias with Carl Zeiss lenses spoiled me). The 5X had a decent shooter, but was frustratingly slow. Pixel improves the camera and is extremely quick about launching, focusing, and taking the shot. It is, quite simply, one of the best phone cameras on the planet. The camera includes a bolstered HDR+ mode that helps improve low-light performance, which was already impressive with the Nexus 6P and 5X. Additionally, Google includes electronic image stabilization, which has performed impressively thus far when taking pictures or shooting video, even in 4k. Google points out the phone doesn't have a camera bump. To remove the bump, Google made the phone very slightly thicker at the top, so it tapers to the bottom. This allows it to rest flat when on a desk or table. I don't actually mind camera bumps, but it was a thoughtful design touch. You might not even notice the taper if no one points it out to you. I will say the lack of a camera hump makes the phone just look more coherent than some others. I love the fingerprint reader on the Pixel. It is similar to the one from my 5X, but it has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Most notably, you can swipe down on the fingerprint reader to open the notifications panel. It's no wonder some reviews have called the Google fingerprint reader the best in the business. It has worked every time for me. So far, the 2770mAh battery gets me through the day a bit better than the similarly-sized battery in my 5X did. I'll be interested to see how it performs after its been broken in longer. Frankly, I would have preferred a slightly larger battery, though – say maybe 3000mAh. Google says it reaches 90% charge in 15 minutes. I was at about 40% when I plugged it last night, and it zoomed to 100% in less than 10 minutes, so that was good. Plus, the battery appears to be safely of the non-exploding variety. ;-) In terms of software, Nougat 7.1 is an excellent incremental improvement with one serious wow factor that is currently exclusive to Pixel – the addition of Google Assistant. While Siri usually just annoys me, I am a big fan of Cortana. Google Assistant is already better than both, especially in terms of recognizing a series of questions in a conversational manner. You need to try it to believe it. It was a lot of fun to just play with at first. Google Assistant scores extremely high in terms of recognizing what you say. Sure, it still makes a few mistakes, but the potential is very enticing. It can also provide you a snapshot of your day in the morning, which can be very helpful. Pixel launcher is also pretty nice. I've generally used a third-party launcher in Android, but I might end up staying with the Pixel launcher due to the neat features (swipe up for the app drawer, easy access to Google Assistant, etc). But there isn't much customization with the launcher, and that factor may drive me back to something like Nova Launcher Pro. Several additional little software tweaks are much appreciated. For instance, now it is easy to visually see how to initiate a 3-way call in the native dialer. It's a little thing, but I've long griped about the dialer in Android. Also, you can use app shortcuts (Quick Actions), which is similar to Apple's 3D Touch feature. Basically, a list of options will appear when you long press on an app icon. This can be very helpful. It seems odd to include the fact the phone has a headphone jack as part of a review, but it is worth mentioning these days. The jack is located on the top of the Pixel. Some people seem bothered by the location, but I actually tend to prefer it there. I should also note I am extremely pleased the 5" Pixel has the exact same specs as the larger 5.5" Pixel XL, other than screen size and resolution. A five-inch phone is right about the sweet spot for me, and my only regret with the 5X was the fact it was a lower tier phone than the larger 6P. I'm happy to see Google recognize that its "smaller" phone can be every bit the premium handset as its larger phone. The Pixel fits my hand well and is easy to operate with one hand. Of course, the larger XL should be better for Google Daydream View (Google's new virtual reality offering), given the higher resolution and larger screen; but I expect the Pixel will be fine, too. I have not had an opportunity to experiment with Daydream, but the Pixel phones are the only ones currently that support it. It is worth noting the Pixel has 24/7 customer service built into the OS. That indicates to me that Google is serious about this being a long-term project. At the end of the day, the Pixel is an excellent phone. It has performed every task flawlessly. Could it be improved? Sure, and I expect the next generation will have some welcome tweaks. But I'm very excited with this new direction by Google and think they've done a great job with the first gen Pixel. Very highly recommended. Pros: --Latest OS directly from Google --Google Assistant --Speed --Great camera --Unlimited cloud storage for full-size pictures and videos --Exclusive Pixel software features --Solid, premium feel and appearance --Beautiful screen --Quick charging --Flagship specs --Responsive fingerprint reader --Easy one-hand operation --Daydream ready Cons: --Not waterproof --Single speaker --Lacks expandable memory --Smallish battery --No wireless charging I've included a few photos. The pictures with three phones all show my 5x (left), Pixel (middle) and iPhone 6 (right) for comparison. Despite the mild negatives, the Pixel is a 5-star performer and deserves all the accolades it is getting in the press. I believe this the best 5" phone on the planet right now. If you want a top-tier Android phone, I highly recommend the Pixel.

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  Posted 9 years ago by mikeheel

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Excellent, Pure Android Phone

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  Easily one of, if not the best Android phone. The hardware is superb, and the latest version of Android (7.1) is very polished. There are many things to like about this phone. The camera is definitely at the top of the current selection of smartphones. The battery life has also been very good. I'm easily getting a full day, and could probably go another half-day. I usually just put it on the charger at night. Which brings up another great feature - rapid charging. The Pixel can get around half the batter in a matter of about 15 minutes. The screen is very sharp, and has great color. Really, there isn't anything I can complain about with the hardware. I wouldn't mind if it was water resistant. I also do miss the wireless charging of my previous phone. There's also the great fingerprint sensor on the back, which is a great spot for it, and it works excellently to unlock the phone quickly. You can also swipe down on it to slide down the notifications menu. The only trouble I've had so far was connecting to my car stereo via Bluetooth. Though, this issue was remedied with a quick conversation with Google's support, which can be accessed from the settings on the phone itself. For those wondering, I was getting the error of Bluetooth connected (no media). Just needed to do a Network Connections Reset from the settings. If you're looking for a high-end Android phone, you can't go wrong with the Pixel. Pros: Camera, Battery Life, Performance, Rapid Charging, Screen, Fingerprint Scanner Cons: No wireless charging, not water resistant, wish the Google Assistant would read text messages via Bluetooth in my car (this may be able to done with a third-party app, or a future update).

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  Posted 9 years ago by dustinw

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Pixel is like that geek in your senior high

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  I have HTC 10 and iPhone 7, so I can provide unbiased reviews. I owned 2 Nexus devices (Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 5) in the past. So I'm very excited to get my hands on the Pixel. Pros: - Fast, no lagging - Fingerprint reader placed strategically on the back, it actually does work better than being placed on the front. I thought it would be awkward, but it's pretty natural. - Nougat UI is clean and fluid. - Assistant is very smart! I was driving and it sent me a notification that there's an accident ahead. - Google smart lock remembers most of my password when I downloaded my apps. - Camera is very vivid. I was worried when I learned the camera doesn't use OIS technology since I record videos of my kids but they turn out great with very minimal shaking. - Battery: fast charging! Up to 70% in 15 minutes. - No bloatware - CDMA and GSM: iPhone 7 stripped this dual technology feature. I'm glad Pixel is keeping it. Cons: - Design: I still love the design of HTC 10 the best. I honestly don't get the half glass design on the back. iPhone 7 is just meh. - Speakers: I expected more since Pixel is made by HTC after all. But the 2 firing bottom speakers do not sound as rich as front firing speakers of HTC 10. - The 2 changes in Nougat that bothered me the most: center key is no longer opening the drawer, now you have to slide up on the arrow to open up your drawer. The option to clear all your apps hidden on the very top, so if you have many apps opened up, you actually have to scroll all the way up before you can clear them all. Why??? - Charging: no light indicator, red or amber or green. No battery percentage on the icon. I think this goes back to Vanilla Android design. TouchWiz or Sense build in their own. - No SD card, although this is not as a big of a deal anymore for me since it comes with unlimited photo storage, and I uploaded all my music to Google Play anyways. In summary, Pixel is like that geek in your senior high. Not as pretty with that weird glass on the back, but this phone is smart and powerful!

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  Posted 9 years ago by bzma2