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

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.

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!

To start I'll list everything it comes with in the box. The Google Pixel phone itself of course, 2 USB C cables, a USB C adapter, the Wall charger, sim card tool, and the user guide with other papers. The charge cable itself is a little short, but it works ok. Set up was fast and easy. You have the option to transfer your data from an iphone, or other android device, but I decided to start fresh. You then add your google account, and set up the voice assistant. Thats all. I tested out the messaging and was genuinely surprised out how fast it sent and received messages. Quite a bit faster than my other phone which is an S7. Call quality was very clear both regular and on speaker phone. I had no issues sending or receiving calls. I tested out my LTE speeds up against my Galaxy S7, but of course this will depend on your carrier but here is what I got. Pixel LTE Speed average of 3 tests: 13.98 Down - 3.22 Up Galaxy S7 LTE Speed average of 3 tests: 6.57 Down - 3.42 Up Google has done a lot of advertising about how good the camera is and I have to say thats been true for me. I took some pictures using my Galaxy S7 and the Pixel and did some comparisons. The thing that stood out the most for me was that the pictures the Pixel took had a lot more detail in areas with low light. And the pictures really look good. If a great camera is on the top of your list for what you look for in a new phone this is a great choice. One thing I thought I would notice when comparing the Pixel up against my Galaxy S7 was the quad HD screen on the S7 vs the 1080p screen on the Pixel. And I cant tell any difference at all. The text, icons, and screen all look great. One thing I thought my be an issue was that this version of the Pixel has only 32gb of storage, with no SD card slot. But after setting it up and installing a couple apps I had 7.31gb used of the total available 29.70gb, leaving me with 22.39gb left for the rest of my apps, games, future pics and videos, etc. But this is not that big of a deal because the Pixel comes with unlimited picture and video cloud storage. And a system that automatically backs them up so you dont have to worry about running out of space. Although I dont use fingerprint security since Im the only one that ever touches my phone I tested it out and its awesome. It is extremely fast and never errors out asking for your chosen back up security type. You can set it up to fully unlock to your home screen just by holding your finger on the sensor. Ive used Samsung devices for the last few years so Ive never really been able to use pure Android. And I really like it. Its simple with no overlay that can complicate things. And since its a Google phone you'll get the latest security and firmware updates when they come out rather than having to wait for your carrier to approve the update. The new 7.1 is very fast. I havent experienced any delays, errors, or anything of the sort. Everything just works and works fast. Ive never been much into the whole voice assistant thing, but this phone has made me think twice about that. The new Google Voice assistant is MUCH smarter than before. It works for so many different things, and you can continue in whatever topic you are searching for. It will remember what you are asking rather than having to start over. I think this new voice assistant has won me over. Ill be using it for sure. So overall Google has really knocked it out of the park with this phone. I am very happy with it and the new Android 7.1 features have won me over. If you are looking for the best of Android the Google Pixel is it. Thank you for reading.

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).

I am a die-hard iOS fan. I’ve had every iPhone since they were released and almost every major technology device I purchase is Apple. Coming from the view of someone who is iOS all the way I can tell you that my short time with the Google Pixel has been interesting. I found the phone to be very well-designed and it rivals my iPhone 7 Plus. It’s an exceptional mobile phone and it was actually a pleasure to use. Most of the Android phones we get I pass along to others to write about because the operating system makes me jitter in my sleep. One of my big problems with Android is that the manufacturers and carriers tend to add a lot of ‘bloatware’ to the phones. And, because the carriers like to maintain control as much as possible, sometimes the OS should receive an update, but the carriers don’t allow the update through. The product designer and carrier just don’t ‘talk’ to each other. With Google, they have full over the hardware and software and the OS shows a great improvement with Nugget 7.1. Unlike any other Android phone I’ve ever used, I received an update the second day of using it. I don’t think I ever received an update while using other Android devices so it was a pleasant surprise. Let’s start this review by looking at the build quality. I found the body of the smartphone to be very familiar. The front reminds me of an iPhone without the fingerprint scanner. The ‘chin' is still there on the front of the phone and even though some people are complaining that it’s unused space, I see the non-touch screen real estate to be a useful resting place for my fingers when flipping to landscape mode. Google placed the fingerprint reader on the back rather than the front - this is somewhat typical of other Android-based phone designs. I was very impressed with the set-up process of the fingerprint scanner. It scanned my finger faster than the iPhone and reads my print correct the first time every time. The back of the phone is part aluminum (bottom half) and part glass (top half). Also located on the back is the camera and its flash. You will notice right off the bat that Google found a way not to have the crazy camera hump that the iPhone (and some Samsung phones) has and that makes for a smoother and cleaner look. Even though the back is sleek and smooth, Google did not attempt to hide the antenna line at the bottom of the phone. Apple took care to move the antenna line on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus so that it is less noticeable. The underside of the smartphone has one speaker port and a USB-C port for charging and syncing. The second speaker area looks like a speaker but it’s not. The USB-C post is a nice touch for the phone. At the top, you will see the good old headphone jack everyone is missing on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Personally, I was glad to see the headphone jack removed from the iPhone design, but I know that others still want it. Those people will be happy that Google included it here. When you hold the Pixel next to the iPhone 7 they feel and look very similar. The weight of the Pixel is (143 grams) where the iPhone 7 weighs in at only (138 grams). I found that when holding both the iPhone 7 and the Pixel that the iPhone felt like it weighed more but the specs don’t lie. The small diffidence in weight would be hard for anyone to detect. When it came to comparing the Pixel’s speed to the iPhone, it was a close race to call. When opening YouTube, the Pixel won. Safari won for fastest Internet Browser and the iPhone won for the best Instagram experience because of how it handled video. The general camera function was pretty much a tie. I think the iPhone 7 Plus has one of the best displays in the market, but the colors on Google’s Pixel really stand out with its AMOLED display. Speaking of displays looking, at the photos and video I’ve taken with the Pixel I find them to look beautiful. The camera takes wonderful photos and to be honest I was expecting to say the iPhone would just blow the Pixel out of the water but it really held its own. The Pixel handles backgrounds very well and takes super crisp shots. I like most of the shots I took with the Pixel and found them to show blacks much better than the iPhone, but there were some photos the Pixel overcompensated for with the colors and they look like someone added Instagram filters to them. When it comes to the camera you're getting more if you buy an iPhone 7 Plus but if you're looking for what I feel is the best camera with Android devices, the Pixel is the clear winner. I’m impressed with this Android phone. Nugget is a solid OS and for years I’ve bashed Android. If Apple stopped selling iPhones tomorrow and Google kept on this path with the Pixel it would be my smartphone of choice at this time.

After spending a day with the Pixel, I'm sold. There was a lot of hype around Google's release of this new model and they have come through. While pricey (but what new phone isn't?), the features packed into this device are awesome. What I loved: -The camera (front and rear) are said to be the best available. I agree. Not only is the picture quality great, but the photo app features are plentiful and useful. - Fast charging via USB-C. - Nougat OS seems impressive. This is my first stock Android phone and the lack of bloatware was appreciated. - The integrated google assistant worked amazingly well. The first several voice commands I attempted worked flawlessly, from checking the weather to providing directions to playing music from one of my favorite bands. - The fingerprint scanner on the back can be used to scroll notifications. This means I can get updates with one hand if I'm busy with the other. What I didn't like: - I couldn't find a way to wake the phone up other than pressing the power button. You can wake it up with the fingerprint scanner, but only if you have a lock on the phone as well and I don't like to lock my phones. That's my only negative. Google set out to impress with it's first phone where it controls the hardware and the software and they succeeded.

i would have never imagined holding a Google phone. I always stuck with Apple or Samsung. I have been disappointed with the quality of Samsung products, even newer Galaxy phones are clunky, freeze up, etc. Apple IOS is certainly stable and I can't say anything bad about the phone offerings. The Google Pixel is out of this world, The OS is stable, fast, and has less bloat ware than Samsung. The Google Assistant is much more improved compared to what I have on my Galaxy S6. The hardware is very similar to the iPHONE, which is the standard that all manufacturers try to imitate. I cannot fault Google for that. However, the phone feels good and looks good in the hand. It is def SEXY! The touch screen to me just means the the screen responds in a smooth fashion. The touchscreen on the Pixel is sweet, very fast and responsive. The display is vivid with nice details. One of my favorite things is the camera. As a SEMI-PRO photographer, having a good camera is important. The Galaxy S6's camera was pretty decent. The iPHONE 6 camera is nice and I have seem images from the 7 that rival my DSLR. In my own test, the 12mp camera is on-par with the Galaxy S6 and iPHONE 6. I took some test images, enlarged them to check detail and the Pixel did very well. Color was slightly better on the Apple and Samsung phones. Focus speed is on par with the 6 and S6. Low light, the Pixel lags behind the 6 and S6. Overall I would give the camera an A-/B+ rating. If you are a photographer, the Pixel, 6 and S6 are def good shooters! While hardware is great to review, the network makes a huge difference. Verizon currently offers the Pixel. Thankfully VZW is the BEST network bar none. I have tried Sprint, ATT, T-Mobi, and VZW.

Googles first attempt at their own phone (software/ hardware developed by Google) is a solid homerun, even though it has a few shortcomings! The hardware; at least to me is absolutely beautiful and on par with any of the top cellphone manufacturers out there. The software; is so smooth and buttery, there literally is no lag! It reminds me of iOS in the early days. The screen at 5 inches is a sweet spot, though I love bigger screens, it's a nice comprise especially if you want a big screen but dont have big hands. If you are a died in the wool Android person, this phone is an excellent choice when considering a new phone. The price could be a shortcoming for some, and the lack of headphones baffles me especially when you're competing with the big manufacturers. 32 gb may not seem like a lot of storage these days, but Google gives you unlimited photo and video cloud storage for all taken on the Pixel. Google should be very proud of this phone and anyone should put it on their short list when searching for a phone.