Google - Pixel 4G LTE with 32GB Memory Cell Phone - Very Silver (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 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.

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.

Pros: - Amazing cameras (front and back) - Quick access to the camera (double-press the power button) - Quick, reliable fingerprint scanner - Great looking screen (even if "only" 1080p resolution) - Decent battery (gets me through the day with light-moderate use) - Google Assistant - Timely software updates straight from Google Cons: - No water resistance - No wireless charging - No expandable storage - Only one speaker (it looks like there are two on the bottom, but only one is a speaker) - Power button and volume rocker are on the same side (this one is personal preference) I know other people have said this, and I apologize for repeating it, but I wish Google spent a little more time to come up with a different design for the phone. It looks too much like an iPhone from the front (the missing home button is the only giveaway it's not an iPhone) and the back looks as if Google realized halfway through the design that they were making an iPhone, so they added the fingerprint scanner and glass on the top half of the phone. Seriously, turn the phone over and cover the top half with your hand, then tell me it doesn't look "familiar". I was able to get over the design quickly (the iPhone is a nice looking phone), and I'm glad I did. The phone feels great to hold, and unlike my old Samsung Galaxy S6, the Pixel doesn't feel as if it is going to slide out of my hand. I don't feel compelled to slap a case on it to prevent it from being accidentally dropped. The fingerprint scanner is on the back, which took a little while to get used to. The scanner is very quick and accurate, I have yet to have the phone prompt me to try reading my fingerprint again. I don't have a preference as to having the fingerprint scanner on the back or the front of a phone (my previous phone was a Galaxy S6, so I'm used to the scanner on the front), but if you do have a preference it's worth thinking about if you're trying to decide if you want to buy this phone or not. I have the smaller Pixel phone (not the XL), but even though the screen resolution is "only" 1080p, it looks amazing. Colors look great, the picture is sharp, and I wouldn't have guessed the resolution was 1080p had I not known. Watching videos, viewing pictures, or playing games looks fantastic on this screen. Along with a great screen, I was surprised how well the speaker sounds on the Pixel. While the phone doesn't have front-firing speakers, it still sounds clear and loud. I was a little disappointed to see that it only has one speaker. If you look at the bottom of the phone, it looks as if there is a speaker on each side of the USB-C port, however only one is a speaker (the other is an imposter!). I'm not a huge mobile gamer, but the games I do play look great and show no signs of lag or frame loss. As with just about any phone, it does start to heat up after a while when playing, but not warm enough to worry me about damaging the phone. Call quality is great, but what impressed me is the signal strength. I'm seeing full bars of service on my Pixel in the same areas that my wife gets 2-3 bars on her Galaxy S7. My biggest complaint about the Pixel is that Google is asking for flagship pricing while leaving out features found from other flagship phones: no water resistance, no wireless charging, and no expandable storage. I could have forgiven the lack of expandable storage if this was a new Nexus phone, since Nexus phones have never had that feature, but this isn't a Nexus. If you're trying to decide between the Pixel and Galaxy S7, it's hard to not want to go with the S7. ** REGARDING THE PIXEL OR PIXEL XL IF BUYING FROM VERIZON ** There was some confusion online regarding the Pixel and Pixel XL if you purchased them from Verizon and if the phones were locked or not. I wanted to help clear up the confusion: the phones are NOT locked to Verizon Wireless. If you are a Verizon Wireless customer and buy the Pixel or Pixel XL today, you're not "tied" to Verizon with your Pixel phone. You can toss in an AT&T, T-Mobile, or Sprint SIM card without any issues. I was able to use an AT&T SIM card and it worked just fine. Where is the confusion coming from? The BOOTLOADER is locked if you buy the Pixel or Pixel XL from Verizon Wireless. All this means is that you can't flash a custom ROM to the phone. If you don't know what that is, or don't care, then don't worry. Again, the Pixel and Pixel XL from Verizon Wireless are NOT SIM locked. If for whatever reason you don't want to continue being a Verizon Wireless customer later down the road, you're free to take your Pixel or Pixel XL with you.

Let's set one thing straight, this is a phone for the absolutely for Android purest even if they believe it isn't. This phone does not have all the bells and whistles such as a waterproofing, dual cameras, or some crazy iris scanner. What this smartphone does have is rock solid performance and superior timely Android OS updates. Something any consumer would want in an modern android smartphone. Design / Screen: The phone itself is very lightweight in the hand and easy to hold. It is roughly the same height as a Nexus 5x. The round corners to the back makes the pixel feel smooth as you grip it. 2.5D curve smoothness from the screen transitions to the back of the device. It's not a bad thing whatsoever, this device have fantastic build quality as it should for the price tag. Every inch of the phone does feel premium for the most part with a mixture of Gorilla glass on the back and metal. This phone certainly IMO doesn't win a beauty contest for looks. The beautiful 5 inch 1080p AMOLED screen shines on this phone is stunning to look at with colors popping right at you. The Screen also gets bright in direct sunlight as well. There is a fingerprint scanner on the back giving you the ability to unlock your phone among other things with your finger. It is very quick to open up the phone with no lag opening up your device. There is also a headphone jack. Vol keys and power keys feel nice in the hand with very clicky and responsive feedback. No camera hump in the back lets it lay flat on the table. Performance: The Google Pixel is the fastest Android device I have ever used and I'm not just throwing this term around to just any phone. And I used a lot of them. It's so fast that you might shake your head in disbelief how far we come in terms of tech. Every app opens up with lightning speed. No lag, No delay, and No shutter. There is no slowing this phone down with whatever you decide to do. The OS is buttery smooth which you can tell Google themselves really worked hard on the inside as well as the outside. Just scrolling around on the device just feels...better. It's such a natural feel to Android 7.1, I think it may have something to do with all the little touches on Animations that's throughout the entire OS but those small Animations help the overall smoothness of the device. Google also improve the long press. It's when you hold down an icon and a host of shortcuts come up. For example if you hold down the "Play Google Music" icon you will see "I'm feeling lucky", "My Library", and "Recent Activity." While long touch has been around for a long time on Android it seems Google has made it useful. Pretty much they made it like Apple's 3D touch without actually having a screen for the technology. Games blazing with smoothness as I tried Pokémon Go, Vain Glory, Real Racing 3, Dead Trigger 2, GTA:SA, and Unkilled. All of which open up the games rapidly. I will note that I have the 32GB so I couldn't fit that many more games. I recommend you getting the 128GB Pixel if mobile gaming is your thing. When downloading apps the device or charging up the device it doesn't get hot. I can go ahead and tell you that this phone greatly exceeds expectations when it came to performance. While this phone have all the latest and greatest hardware it means nothing without great software. Here is where I have to give Google credit for their first fully manufactured designed phone. The hardware takes a backseat and that is a good thing Google is focusing on. You will see what I am talking about. There is a difference and charm to Pixel. Battery life: I get about 5 hours and 45 mins of screen on time which is pretty standard but they remedy this by using rapid charge technology. Letting you charge up your phone with USB-C for 15 minutes for 7 hours of battery life. The claim is true and the phone charges extremely fast and speedy. If you get up in the morning you probably will have to charge this midday. It could be worse but it's not bad. Sound: It's just ok. Not blown by it and not disappointed. The speaker aren't bad just wish they used front facing speakers rather then the downward speakers. They didn't use the space at the bottom of the chin of the phone to do this but they could have. Camera: The camera is no slouch. And I mean that in the most serious way possible. 12 MP camera on the back provide perhaps the best picture quality I've seen on a phone ever. Due to the large sensor the camera on the pixel picks up just about every single detail. The autofocus is extremely rapid and responsive. It knows exactly what I want to target when tapping on screen. There is no shutter lag whatsoever. Camera something that has never been successful in the Nexus line no matter how hard Google tried (Nexus 6P was the best effort.) Here you no longer have to worry about dealing with a bad camera or being embarrassed to show off grainy pictures, every photo comes out superb. The pixel HDR+ processes the photos much faster than Nexus 6P before providing a better experience but there is no OIS just EIS. I'm no camera expert by any means but what I see with my eyes is beautiful. Oh yeah and Google photos just sweetens camera even more. Speaking of which... Google Photos: Google Photos is an app/cloud service that allows you to backup photos from your everyday life. App is free but it scales down the resolution you took photos. This App is available on the Google Play and on Apple's AppStore for any phone out now. One of the benefits of the Pixel phone is to have free unlimited full size resolution photo space for life as well as videos. (As long as you took the pictures/videos with a Pixel phone.) The most impressive here is that Google gives you free backup videos with 4K! I've been recording in 4K for the past few days and it feels good to not use storage space on the phone itself. This makes me even more excited for Chromecast Ultra coming out because Google will support Google Photos in 4K. You will be able to stream your home movies you recorded in 4K to your TV with ease. Google Assistance: Google Assistant is Google's latest virtual assistant. Pretty much like a an upgrade to Google Now on Tap / Allo. Which is from my experience more powerful and robust than the old version of Google Now. This version gives the impression that you are having a conversation between you and the A.I. It's more natural dialogue that comes off less robotic and more human. It also learns as you use the phone and take interest in things you do in your daily life. You can activate this by holding down the home onscreen button or saying "OK Google." Not only it does those things but it can find information on the screen. For example if you are texing a friend and your friend says "Do you will want to see Deadpool 2 and go to (Insert favorite restaurant here) after?" When you hold down the home button onscreen key it will find you trailers, locations the movie is playing in, times for the movies, news about the movie, and so on. It will also give you locations of the restaurant that was mentioned. Or another example, you can talk to Google assistant and say "What is the best restaurant in Chicago?" She will then look up a listings of the best restaurants in the city. There is many things the assistant can do for you (Like call an Uber) and I have yet discovered them all. Google Now felt more like a beta while this is more of a fully functional version. It's fun to use every now and then but I don't use it often. Oh I almost forgot that she can now also tell jokes like Siri. The Uproar: Big problem that you will find from a lot of people about this phone is that it's extremely expensive for a Google phone. While yes it's more expensive but there have been other Nexus phones with a high price tag before (Nexus 6.) People say there isn't enough features to compare to other flagships out at the time which is certainly true. But you have to remember that this device is strictly Google's, you are getting live 24/7 support right on the phone itself as well as updates day one. Not saying that justifies the price tag I'm just saying that this shows that this phone has a lot of weight with support thrown into it. You also are getting free unlimited full resolution storage for Google photos that even saves 4K videos you record. Behind the scenes there is almost enough there to make up the price...almost. Overall: There is only one word I can think to describe this phone; Fast. It's just fast. No lag at all. It's just a speedy phone with great hardware and unprecedented software that Google optimize the heck out of. if you like things clean, fast, pure Android than this is clearly for you. There is nothing else on the market like it. For such the compact size it's a powerhouse which we don't see that much today in the Android space. Not many "high spec / small screen" phones out there. This phone checks those boxes and many more. I would indeed without a shadow of doubt recommend the Pixel to friends and family for its ease of use, design, and build quality. Google finally getting aggressive going toe to toe with Samsung, Apple, LG, Sony and many other OEMs. If they continue the magnificent path with Pixel line of phones they will eventually rise to the top. The Pixel makes its mark giving us a Google we never seen before and one that should terrify other OEMs. 5 stars. TL;DR: Love the phone, Amazing speed. 5 stars. Good job Google.

(due to Best Buy complaining that my review is too long, I have to revise a lot of what’s on the original draft) Original Review Draft: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13I_bewxTRSSZlst0NCWjG2uTsjRdEapUNmTp6hjaXUU/edit?usp=sharing Let’s get this out of the way. This isn’t Google’s first time in the hardware business. And this isn’t their first phone either. The niche market Nexus brand is part Google and part manufacturer. In last year’s case, that was LG for the Nexus 5X and Huawei for the Nexus 6P. But if you really want to get technical or into specifics, then this is the first Google-branded phone. I’ll start with the biggest barrier entry -- price. This isn’t cheap. Its price point is meant to take on the giants -- Apple and Samsung. Whether or not the high price point is justified depends on how you look at it. With a baseline starting price at $649 for 32GB storage capacity, it’ll definitely tear a “galaxy” sized hole in your wallet. I personally believe that a starting price at $500 would fit better for this phone. But again, this depends on how you view it. Everything here will be compared to my 2 year old Motorola Nexus 6. Immediately, the first thing that gets me is the physical size of it. The Pixel is a 5 inch screen model so having it in my hands feels strange. But the feel of the phone in my hand makes for a nice comfortable grip. The small profile makes for easy reach from one edge of the screen to the other. Those who prefer being able to do things on one hand will find that this is the ideal size. On the other hand, those who prefer larger sized phones will find the Pixel too small. I like the feel of the edges on the Pixel, as it makes it easy to grip, unlike certain other phones. The 5 inch screen is 1080x1920 using AMOLED. Colors look great but I cannot test it under sunlight due to weather. The sound is okay but is a big downgrade from the front facing speakers found in the Motorola Nexus 6 and the Huawei Nexus 6P. There’s only 1 media speaker and it’s located on the bottom edge on the left side (when holding it vertically). As to why Google designed it this way, I do not know. Using the fingerprint reader is wonderful. I do not know why I did not pick up the Nexus 6P last year. But perhaps skipping that year was a good thing, for reasons that will be mentioned later on. The reader is quick and setting up is straightforward. If you opt in to use it on setup, it’ll ask you to use a finger to train it. Afterwards, you can add in more fingerprints (obviously, for your other hand). Unlocking the phone via fingerprint is quick and easy. Security is two layers, however. But it only applies upon the phone’s startup. The second (un)locking layer is through either a pattern, a PIN, or a password. Hardware performance is fast. It is obviously faster than my two year old Nexus 6. But reading/writing to the internal storage should be faster than most other phones out there. The tech-savvy will recognize when I say that the storage interface is UFS 2.0 rather than the old eMMC. 3D rendering should also be fast (and possibly faster than Pixel XL) as it only have to render 1080p. 4GB of RAM makes for a smooth transition between apps and should be plenty for apps that uses a lot of memory. Wi-Fi performance seems pretty good. But most of this is conjecture and subjective, as there are a lot of variables involved. I used “Adventures of Mana” to download and install to test this and the download process took a few minutes to complete, give or take a minute. Using the launcher is a new experience. I’ve used Google Now Launcher for a long time but using the Pixel Launcher throws me off at times. The center button that used to call up the app drawer is now replaced by an app shortcut. So there are numerous occasions where I’d accidentally launch Gmail (the default app placed there) when I wanted to bring up the app drawer. The new Google Assistant is also new. It’s more natural and I’m really liking how it’s executed. The special keyphrase “Good morning” will give you a summary for the day, including weather, news, and any calendar agendas. These can be customized to suit your needs. The camera is a major improvement from the Motorola Nexus 6. But technically there’s little difference betwen the Pixel and the Huawei Nexus 6P. Gone is the optical image stabilization, which may seem like a downgrade. But after testing the software-based video stabilization, I was really surprised in how smooth the test video turned out. Exclusive to the Pixel and Pixel XL is unlimited photo and video storage. This is one of the big selling points, aside from the camera, and truly complements the fantastic camera that the Pixel is equipped with. Personally with this kind of perk, and with the camera, it’ll definitely push me to taking more photos. The selfie camera is also improved, providing a good 8MP sensor that should be able to get your good/sexy side. Little was done to test on how well Pixel performed on Verizon’s network. But I did manage to test their “HD Calling” (aka VoLTE to the rest of the world). Call quality is definitely better, even though the difference is small. But it comes with drawbacks. Should your signal drop below LTE, it’ll drop your call. Another is that not a lot of smartphone comes with this ability. And it’s safe to assume that classic flip phones may not be capable of this too. Overall, I like the Pixel phone. It’s fast. The experience is buttery smooth and snappy. It’s a great upgrade if you have a smartphone at least 2 years old. On the plus side, you’ll be getting the latest update from Google well before anyone would get theirs. Although you’re guaranteed 2 years of major Android upgrades, I question whether or not Google will change their stand for the Pixel. At least security updates will still roll out for a while. The camera is finally awesome and the unlimited photo/video storage perk that is exclusive to Pixel and Pixel XL owners is a major bonus. Do I recommend this? I lean towards a yes, rather than an overwhelming yes. It’s the purest Android experience as designed and envisioned by Google. If the Pixel was $500 or $550 for the baseline model, then I would have recommended it in a heartbeat. But that’s the price set forth by Google. If and when I finally make my switch more permanent to the Pixel, I know I will be enjoying it more and more. Pixel Camera Sample Archive: https://goo.gl/photos/a97VqGiHhRM1nj6T9

When approached to review this Google Pixel 4G Lte 32 Gb smartphone on Verizon's network, I did not hesitate. This is Google's first attempt to build both it's own hardware to run it's latest software, Android 7.1 Nougat. Google really released their first attempt at hardware with all cylinders firing. It is so beautiful, with it's polished aluminum, it's round edges, it's transition from screen to bevel, and the edges that are easy to hold onto. It's too bad mine will be masked in a protective shield of OtterBox, the Defender series and won't shine in all it's technological sleekness. The display is stunning, and I'm coming from a QHD screen. It's 1080p display has vibrant Colors, a sharpness that separates itself from others, without the battery drain of a 4K screen, and it's touch capabilities are exceptional. The Corning Gorilla Glass 4 looks no different that it's later versions, but as you guessed it is more durable and scratch resistance which makes sense. Even though Google's designers opted to move forward lacking front facing, stereo speakers, the mono bottom firing driver delivers clean and rich sound, that is loud while, not distorting at all. This is actually my first USB type C device mobile device. I understand it's purpose, it's just a pain when we are in transition fo standards. I have so many Micro Usb cables, and no Type C, I know not to bargain shop for these type of cables, because of some articles I have read. It will be easier as the standard is adopted across the board. I do appreciate that Google sent two cables and an adapter making the transition to new cables a little easier. I will use the one with the type A to Type C connector to charge my phone overnight with a less powerful charge, in hopes that the less I quick charge the battery, the longer it will last. I will have the charger block and Type C to Type C with me in those situations where I might need to top off the battery while I am out and about. This is also my first smartphone with a finger print scanner. I really love this feature, it makes unlocking the phone a breeze, where usually I would get tired of punching in my code and disable the security all together. This feature keeps the phone locked, but doesn't hinder the use of it. I love that the software is written to use the finger print sensor as additional input gestures. Once you have unlocked the phone, if you swipe down on the finger print sensor your notification shade opens down, if you swipe again, it will show more detail from you notification shade with some setting options, that you can customize to have options you want handy. When your done, swipe up, and the notification shade goes away. The camera hardware is by far the fastest camera I have ever experienced with a smartphone. It's low light capabilities are very strong as well. I have never owned an iPhone, but My daughter swears by their ability to capture images in low light. I am hearing a lot of chatter, saying this camera beats the iPhone...I will see as I continue to use it. This phone definitely captures better front facing images with it's 8 megapixel camera. I am head over heals for Android's 7.1 Nougat. It is so snappy with this hardware. I have had some issues with Google Assistant, but hope Google will be fine tuning or tweaking some of it's features. One in particular, I have a old Motorola Droid sitting in the kitchen, as I need to add something to my grocery list, I do it using Google Now, "Okay Google, add mushrooms to my Aldi list." It adds mushrooms to my Aldi list that is sitting in my Google Keep account. With Google Assistant, it only allows you to add items to your shopping list, which works well, but If you shop at different stores, why wouldn't be able to access or add to any list that is residing in my Google Keep??? I am hopeful that Google will fix this small detail. One of the biggest thing I miss from my old phone, is the knock on/off feature. I just was so use to using it, that I still find myself tapping my screen of the pixel, and waiting for it to wake up.I actually read a few articles reflecting that this feature may be introduced via some updates. But then you still would need to unlock the phone if you have it secure. Another thing that I notice and I'm not sure if it's a hardware issue or a software issue??? With my old phone, I could turn off my data, and I would still receive group messages. With this Pixel, I found that I got notified about the message, but to download it, the Cellular Data switch had to be on. I have only done a little research, because I seldom get group messages. Maybe in the next few days I will test out this 24/7 support, If I do I will update this post, to let you know how it went. I give Google an A+ for this wonderfully designed smartphone. I know that this Google Pixel 4G Lte 32Gb Smart Phone (in Slate) is a little bit of shock at $699.99, being all of Google's other handsets(Nexus) were about half that cost. But if you are the type of person that likes the latest greatest, there are several pricing/financing options when you go to purchase one. I would recommend this product to a friend. In doing some research on this new phone, it is being called the iPhone killer by some, I guess time will tell.

For the past few months, I have been patiently waiting for the latest smartphones to hit the market so I could make a firm decision on which one to get. There were of course the expected contenders, most notably the iPhone 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Apple's latest phone turned out to be yet another incremental upgrade, if you can call it that, since while the iPhone 7 had some nifty upgrades under it's belt, it's big disappointment was the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack. Samsung's Note 7 was supposed to be one of the greatest smartphones the Korean giant has ever produced, until it's unfortunate round of exploding batteries forced Samsung to pull the beloved "father of the phablet" out of the market for good. I really wish the Note 7 was still around. Given the circumstances I had to face from Apple not making significant upgrades to the iPhone and not being able to purchase a Note 7 due to the whole dilemma, I was able to gasp a breath of fresh air when Google first announced a special event that took place earlier this month, with a hint that they were unveiling a new phone. To me, this was surprising at first, because Google usually announces their latest Nexus line of devices during their I/O keynote in the summer, to which then I soon figured that the search giant was about to take a new, bold direction into the role they've played in the development of Android as it nears it's first decade in existence. For the first time, Google (with the help of HTC) is building a product from the ground up, with both the hardware and software being unified in the process... the same way Apple has done it from the start. In case you weren't aware, every Nexus device ever produced was a result of a partnership with a major smartphone manufacturer (Samsung, HTC, LG, etc.). Along comes the Pixel. It is the front-line main vocalist of Google's new line of "Made by Google" products. It is the result of Google's vision of defining what an Android device was supposed to become, and could become in the future. And it is absolutely stunning. It is also quite comfortable to hold in your hand as you use it. Glass and aluminum marry to form a piece of hardware never before seen in the Android ecosystem. The beautiful 1080p AMOLED display has a wide array of colors and also performs well in outdoor use. The fingerprint sensor is incredibly responsive, and the ability to swipe your finger to reveal your notifications comes handy during normal use. I like how I'm able to pick the Pixel up from my pocket and have the screen unlocked and ready to go since my finger naturally lies on the sensor as you grab it. Overall, the design of the Pixel isn't necessarily groundbreaking (for one, it's not water-resistant...), but it still impresses even the pickiest of smartphone buyers. I do wish the device had front-facing stereo speakers like those seen on Sony's Xperia lineup. The era of a mono speaker on the bottom of the phone needs to end, immediately. Lack of microSD card support is also quite unfortunate... have they not learned from Samsung? Pixel sports a 12.5 megapixel rear camera and an 8 megapixel front camera, which Google touts as having the "best camera ever on a smartphone." And you know, they may be onto something when they make such claim, because the Pixel shoots FANTASTIC photos. It is also the fastest camera phone I have ever used. Within just two seconds I was able to fire up the camera and take a detailed HDR+ shot. Depth of field is excellent as well as dynamic range performance. Unfortunately, you will have to use the stock camera app to get the most out of the Pixel camera. If you think your Snapchat story is about to get a makeover, it's not, and you can blame the way Android apps are written for that, not necessarily the phone hardware itself. Speaking of Android (obviously), the Pixel sports the latest version, 7.1 "Nougat" and as expected, is pure Android without any bloatware in sight. Even though this is a Verizon model, it does not come pre-loaded with Verizon "bloatware" and is SIM-unlocked out of the box. I really do think the software is what makes this phone shine, and is a key pillar into the experience Google wants their customers to expect out of owning a Pixel. The biggest feature is the introduction of Google Assistant, which is a more conversational-like version of Google Now that lets you perform a wide variety of tasks. In my personal use, however, I didn't find it as amazing as Google touts it to be. Assistant would frequently not respond with the information I needed for a specific request. You will also probably get bored of the jokes and the trivia questions after awhile. Aside from Google Assistant, Nougat is by far the best version of Android yet, and being able to experience it's true form with the Pixel is something to be appreciative about. I did run into a handful of app incompatibilities however, but I'm sure app developers are swiftly working on updating their apps to support Nougat properly. Overall, the Pixel is probably the best Android smartphone you can currently purchase as of this moment. Don't get me wrong, there are of course other newcomers making the rounds, like the LG V20 and the Asus Zenfone 3, but what matters most is the experience. And I don't feel that a third party manufacturer would be able to give you the experience Google is envisioning. This is why they have ultimately decided to take a strong leap forward by introducing their first ever, 100% Google-made smartphone. By being able to control all aspects of both the hardware and software of the Pixel, like Apple has always done with the iPhone, the possibilities are endless. For your first try, you nailed it quite well Google. This is only the beginning of a new era, and I can't wait to see the Pixel era of products mature to define the future of Android. I really do mean that. Bravo.