Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display that pops, its a high quality screen and matches that of other well known Amoled devices, its that good. Rocking the new Snapdragon 821 processor and 4gb of ram you wont find anything but smoothness when using this devices, from the moment you use it you will see just how fluid everything, and credit to google for making the software to take advantage of the hardware 32gb of storage or 128gb, kinda sad we didn't get a 64gb option also as 128gb is more than ill ever need and 32gb is just not enough for me personally Gorilla glass and like most phones its a fingerprint magnet Finger Print sensor on the back works liek the previous Nexus with an added bonus, you can now slide your finger down the scanner to lower the notification shade on the phone 12.3mp camera with large pixels at the back and 8mp at the front, this is another place Google have nailed it, the camera is amazing. Crisp clean images to rival any other handset. For video this is where Google may just stand in a league of there own, not only is it great at capturing detail but by placing the camera with the gyroscope it has created some of the most amazing stabilization ever seen, it has to be seen to be believed USB C with fast charging of course. Only a single firing speaker but in my opinion the best you can get for a single fire system, it has some good sounds for what it is At 3,450mAh, the Pixel XL's battery is among the largest we've seen in a flagship Android phone this year. Aesthetically the Pixel XL is a little bland, with a very large chin thats there for no reason other than symmetry, it feels great in hand but lacks that visual pop you get with some of its Not only does this device work great on Verizon, but i have also used this on T-Mobile with no issues So to sum it up, the Google Pixel XL is the greatest phone i have ever used, its slick, its easy to hold, its a pleasure to navigate, while it may not be a looker on the outside its Googles magic on the inside that really makes this device shine and for me is a glimpse of the future. for a first generation true #MadeByGoogle device its really remarkable Oh and Google assistant is great... and tell it "Im feeling lucky" for a really good surprise

I switched from a Galaxy S6 edge to the Google Pixel XL, my wife has an iPhone 6, and my impressions of the Pixel thus far have been very positive with some exceptions. First off, the phone is aesthetically similar to the iPhone 7 Plus with the exception of no button on the front and a finger print sensor on the back. I found the fingerprint sensor to be actually quite useful except if it's mounted in your car, then you would have to revert to using another log in option. As soon as you use the fingerprint unlock button, which is appropriately on the middle back of the phone for your index finger, the phone is on and unlocked ready to go. The responsiveness of the phone and OS were quite noticeable due to the fast processor and DDR memory. The camera has definitely lived up to the hype and outperforms both my S6 edge and iPhone 6; the shutter speed is very fast and pictures and video are the best I've seen on a phone as noted in the professional reviews. The only downfalls are there is no micro SD card slot, which really doesn't matter to me since Google allows you to use unlimited cloud storage for your photos and video which usually take up most of the memory. If this is a concern, I would suggest opting for the 128gb version. Another downfall is the fact that it is not waterproof like the S7 and iPhone 7 which I would've expected with new technology, so maybe in the next version I suppose. Other than those two exceptions, the phone has lived up to it's expectations all around as extremely responsive, fast, beautifully designed and obviously works great with the latest Android software offered first on the only truly all Google phone on the market. And lastly, I must add, the battery lasts very long even with heavy usage and has not yet exploded... sorry Samsung, I just had to even though I enjoyed your phones until then. I still rated this phone a 5/5 star due to all the features and, to me, it's clearly the Android phone to beat and sets the bar even with the aforementioned exceptions.

This phone is blazing fast! Applications open up fast and switching between apps is smooth and quick also. The camera is probably one of the best currently out and the low light pictures I took have turned out great. I found that I really didn't miss the optical image stabilization as much as I thought I would. It simply works good. If you like to have movies and lots of music stored on your device I would suggest getting the 128gb version, although the 32gb will suite me just fine. I just have to get used to letting Google photos delete my old photos to make room. It's nice that they give you unlimited full size storage in you photos account now. Now the bad, I don't care too much for the boring design, I wish it was a little flashier. But to be honest, I will just hide it in a case anyway. I also came from using a Samsung device and I do miss the physical home button and the onscreen buttons are taking some time to get used to. All in all, this is a great phone and you won't be disappointed with it.

First off I love this phone in every way except one... it basically looks like an iPhone. But past that it works amazingly well. The screen is clear and it is fast. I had to go with the 32GB model because I am impatient and I had already gone through two Note 7s. The space has not been an issue... every once in a while I check the status and see I am hovering around 29GB and then run the clean up tool and I am back to below 20GB of space used. I will say I loved my Note 7 (mine never got even a little warm) but the Pixel XL is really nice.

I was hoping to get a note 7 but we all see how that went. After I heard about this phone I decided to give it a shot and am glad I did. It runs smooth as silk. I haven't had any of the problems I've had in the past. I do wish they still had a SD cards slot but those seem to be a thing of the past.

I have had the phone for about a month now and it is the best phone I have had. It is not perfect but is better than the Samsung Galaxy's I have owned and the Iphone 7 I have used. Let’s review some of the key points : Construction - It is all metal and glass. The back is different, glass on top and metal on bottom. It is thicker than I expected. Not that it is too thick, I just expected something along the lines of an Iphone 7 or Ipad Air 2. It is about 20% thicker than an Iphone 7. The bezel on the top and bottom is much larger than I expected and one of the things I do not like about the phone. It is a little over 1/2 an inch. I just do not not understand, there are no touch buttons on the bottom but the top has the front facing camera and some other necessary camera sensors so it looks like wasted space. Perhaps there is some internal reason to have the space but I would have used the bezel real estate for front facing speakers like the HTC ( which is ironic since HTC makes the Google Pixel.) Software - no bloatware, just fully Android optimized goodness. Since it is the first phone that designed by Google to work with Android, everything works flawlessly. The best is the new Google Assistant – it is simply great. This is what I really like on the phone , it really sells the phone and blows away anything on the market. Google Assistant is Google's latest version of a virtual assistant. Yes, the Android phones and tablets have Google Now – but this is far more that "Ok Google" voice controls. It is almost conversational. Voice recognition is consistent and accurate. The A.I. behind it blows away Siri. Camera - the pictures you get with this phone are as good if not better than dedicated point and shoot digital cameras. I tested it in multiple conditions and everything came out great. I can honestly say the camera produced the best pictures I have ever seen from a phone. Video was impressive as well. There is some type of image stabilization built in and it really eliminates camera shake. I am not sure if it is all software based or hardware and software but it really works well. Outside photos are breathtaking, you cannot beat it. Storage – the model I received has 32 gb. Google is trying to tout their cloud storage but 32 gb is just not quite enough, especially since there is no micro SD slot. Go for the 128 gb option and you will be better off. Google gets a thumbs down for not making a 64 gb version. Google you should know better than this and is one of the reasons it did not get 5 stars. Battery and charging - Talk time is fantastic. I decided to not charge the phone to see how it lasts. With standard use, I did not have to charge it for nearly two days. With heavy use, it still lasted over a day. Impressive. Charging is very fast. I drained down the battery to only a few percent and it charged in to 100% in about 90 minutes. No wireless charging. Screen - The screen has it's strong points and it's weak points. The colors absolutely pop and it looks better than an Iphone and it looks even better than the smaller Google Pixel that I saw in a store. I do not know if the smaller Pixel has a different screen but I could see a difference. I did find that the screen it not as bright as I would like , it is noticeable in a bright enviroment ( like sunny day. ) I would say the Samsung Galaxy S7 is slightly better and the Iphone is a notch down ( not by much.) Performance – this is hard for the average user to quantify it does not make sense to go over testing. What I can say it there was no lag whatsover for switching between apps, video playback , games etc. I could not even make the phone slow down regardless of what I tried. Forget about looking at benchmarks – there is more than enough power for all users here. Technology is reaching the upper limits of what is noticeable in power in phones so there is no concern here. Overall, I recommend the phone . There are some minor quibbles but no deal breakers. The Pixel XL would have gotten 5 stars if there was expandable storage and the screen was brighter. One note, the phone is water resistant but not at the level of the other flagships phones from Apple and Samsung. I do not think it is a big deal but I have no way of testing it so keep that in mind if it is important to you. Regardless, do not buy this phone for the specs, buy it for Google software and Google eco system , it is flawless. Don't get me wrong, the camera is the best of the best and battery life is good but it is the Google Assistant that I really like. The XL might be a bit big for some so look to the smaller Pixel version if you have small hands. You will get the same performance for the most part. Regardless of which one you get, make sure to get the 128 gb version, the 32gb is not enough ( after transferring all my programs and info over, I have 16 gb left and think that will eventually fill up. ) This is a an example of great first generation technology by Google, get the phone and you will not be disappointed.

By far the best Android device I have yet and have been with Android from the beginning. Super fast and responsive, wish it had more memory but who needs more memory when all your photos are stored for free in HD in Google photos

The Google Pixel XL phone looks ordinary and bland on the outside. The thick white front bezel resembles the famous white phones from another well known phone maker. The back of the phone is smooth except for the upper third which has a glass plate. Within the confines of the glass plate are the fingerprint reader, the rear facing camera lens, flash, and sensors. The right edge has a nicely textured power button to differentiate it from the volume up and down buttons located along the same edge. Google retains the headphone jack along the top edge for those of us who still haven’t gone totally wireless yet. The usb-c charge port and the speaker are located along the bottom edge. However, the phone’s interior hardware belies the pedestrian exterior. Inside the phone is some serious muscle: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 4GB of RAM, 12mp rear/8mp front-facing cameras, dual band wifi supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.2, and more. See the product specs for more details of what can be found under the hood. Internal storage is limited to either the 32gb, or 128gb if you are willing to pony up the extra cash. I find it disappointing that Google continues to omit the micro-sd storage on its phones. While I understand Google is encouraging us to use its Cloud, I do not feel totally comfortable having my precious memories and private digital information stored in Google's servers. Performance wise the Pixel XL is a champ. The Snapdragon 821 chip makes everything fly at lightning speed on the phone. Swipes are very fluid and responsive. Apps open nearly instantaneously. And with 4GB of RAM, the phone can handle a number of apps simultaneously without slowing down. However, I noticed that when the phone was downloading files or when the camera app was being used, the phone would get very warm. I figure the processor was generating the heat which was being dissipated through the back of the phone. Not a big deal, but something to take note of. The Google Pixel's defining feature, besides the pure android experience, is the Google Assistant, a virtual assistant that will respond to your questions and commands. I'm still experimenting and learning to use it, but in the limited time I had with it, I can tell you the Google Assistant is quite advanced and impressive. It got most of my queries correct, and I can have a conversation with it. As a sample of things I had the Assistant perform which included opening apps, dictating and sending e-mails, looking up restaurants and driving directions, and inquiring on the weather forecast. I found the camera on the phone to be very good. The camera handled outdoor daylight pictures well. Pictures are vibrant, sharp, and vivid. The HDR mode is good at balancing the exposure to control highlights and dark shadow areas. The camera also performed well indoors with low lighting. Keep in mind that the camera does not have image stabilization so when taking those indoor, low light photos, keep your hand steady to reduce motion blur. The camera's burst rate is very fast. I held the button down for burst mode for ten seconds and was able to take 90 pictures. In another trial run, I was able to take 84 photos. I am guessing from my simple testing, that the camera can take between 8-9 photos per second in burst mode. While you can use the burst mode to take action shots, this camera neither tracks the subject nor re-focuses between frames. Keep your expectations in check and don't expect dslr quality burst action shots. I briefly shot some videos, and they were also very good. The phone can shoot video in 4K. In my testing, I used the phone to browse the web, take pictures, watch some youtube videos, and listen to music with bluetooth connection. I was able to use the phone pretty much all day without needing to re-charge. Of course battery drain will be different for each user since this will be dependent on how bright you adjust the screen, whether you're downloading and watching videos, and using processor intensive apps. So if you are planning to use the phone like I do, then you should be good to go for the day with a re-charge overnight. In summary, besides the bland exterior, this is one of the best phones, if not the best one, available on the market today. Combined with the latest state-of-the-art hardware and the pure android experience, Google pulls ahead of its competition, at least for the time being. The latest Android 7.1 is a joy to use and the Google Assistant proves to be a promising addition to the Google line up which will one day be as essential as Gmail and Google Maps are today. Finally, I compiled a brief list of what I thought are the Pros/Cons of the phone: Pros +Very responsive; blazing fast +No lag opening apps +Even though it is Verizon, it is unlocked and can be used with other carriers +Headphone jack (I am glad that Google did not eliminate the headphone jack) +Effortless pairing and connection of Bluetooth v4.2 +Textured power button +Very good camera +Night Light – tints screen red to make it easier to read in dim light. Cons -Large bezel -Ordinary design -Gets warm when downloading files and using camera -No micro sd slot -Not water resistant

Google First phone is a great, there are very few flaws on the phone and most of them have more to do with android software as a whole than anything in particular about the phone. The biggest problem the phone has is the small storage space on the phone. I recommend to anyone interested in the phone to get the 128gb version. I am not saying the 32gb is unusable but if you like to have a lot of media on your phone like videos or music you will run out of space very quickly. Photos are not that big of a deal because google lets you upload and backup at full resolution an unlimited amount of photos and videos. My only other issue with phone is the design of it. While the phone feels great to hold the actual look is rather uninspiring, most people that saw me with thought at fist it was an Iphone 6 plus. it wasn't until they saw the rear with the fingerprint scanner and partial glass backing could they tell the difference. Now on to the good, The performance of the phone is great everything is smooth and sleek and runs well. In my time with the phone so far i have not had any stuttering or freezing with any apps. The Camera on the phone is phenomenal, I have been blown away by the photos i have been able to take. The quickness that the camera app loads and can take photos is great. Google's first phone is great and it makes me excited to see what they will do in a couple of years.

So the obvious positive is it connects all my google accounts super easily. Love that. I have used iphones and apple products my entire life so I am more familiar with Apple iOS then Android. So there is a bit of a learning curve with regards to Android. I have enjoyed being able to customize my screens and icon placements better. The device is lighter than my iphone 6s plus and just slightly smaller in overall size. Screen looks great. Pictures and videos are amazing. one drawback I have so far (and this could just be still learning how to use it correctly) is I am not able to send photos and videos as easily on this device as I was on my iphone. It seems if I I try to send a photo or video in a message it just sends a link and the end user as to view in my photos folder. Not all videos and photos are going through to my recipients via email or messages. So I am still learning the best way to share with others. That is a bit frustrating. Overall I really like the phone. Batter life seems great. Spend the weekend at Disney and had great battery life. Easily connected to wifi signals. Another thing to know, I got the 32GB version but the system software takes up 5.39 GB. So that already limits how many other apps and photos and videos I can have on the phone. I like the fingerprint sensor on the back. It is comfortable and easy to use in that position.

The Pixel is the first time that Google has tried to create it's own phone rather than just providing the software. And, frankly, it shows. The hardware on this phone is a bit of a mixed bag that I'd say overall is rather average as flagships go. But that doesn't particularly matter - it's the software that sets this thing apart from every other Android device I've used. If you've never had a chance to try stock Android, you probably have no idea just how much faster it is than the modified versions that phone manufacturers tend to use. And the Pixel, running the latest version of Nougat (yet to be released anywhere else) is a step above that already high bar. The phone is amazingly responsive and quick to work, not to mention a lot more stable than most. It's also got some really impressive optimizations when it comes to power. The battery isn't particularly big by modern standards, but you'd never know that from how long it lasts. Even after a full day of use, it still had 40% power left when I got home. Adding to this performance is the rather hefty fast charger, that can very quickly top you up and uses the latest USB-C standard. The build quality is also excellent. It just feels good in your hand - owing to a very subtle taper to the design and careful machining on the aluminum body. There are no gaps or issues with balance. And the antennas are perhaps the most comprehensive I've ever seen on a phone - making it possible for you to use this thing on pretty much anything you want anywhere in the world barring a few exceptions. That alone might make this worth picking up if you frequently travel out of the country. If you're looking at the cameras, I think you will also be pleasantly surprised. The camera is amazingly sharp for only being 12MP - in fact it's much better than the 16MP cameras I've seen on the market. The autofocus is instant, the color balance pretty decent under most light, and it supports a wide range of specialized features such as slow motion, photospheres, and filters. That said, there are a few lingering issues that keep me from giving this phone full marks. Biggest is the fact that Google has neglected to include any options for removable storage, opting instead for a cloud based solution that will offload videos and photos. That's fine in theory, but if you're going to be spending a lot of time away from WiFi it could chip into your data plan pretty quickly. Also, it seems to me that this misses the fact that most android users end up eating up more space with apps than they do media, and there's no way to move those into cloud storage. With Android having so many options for expandable storage, the lack of a microSD slot seems to be a glaring omission. Another issue I noticed is heat. Under most circumstances, the phone's quad core processor runs in low power mode. And when that happens, it's actually very cool. But if you start taxing it, the metal body begins pumping heat straight into your hand at a rather startling rate. It quickly became uncomfortable when I was transferring large amounts of data, I can only imagine that sustained use could be difficult without a case. The last main feature of the phone - it's integration of the Daydream VR technology also by Google - is unfortunately not something that I could test for this review. I suspect it's very good given the high resolution of the screen, but suspect is all I can do. Overall, I rate the Pixel very high, but not quite at the top of the pile. There's no question it's got the best software on the market. But the hardware very much feels like a first attempt no matter how I look at it. It's a very good first attempt, but still no doubt room for improvement. I think almost everyone would be happy with the phone as it is, and if the standout features are what you're looking for, then it'll probably be fantastic. But if you're holding out for expandable storage, a more compact design, or some of the more ambitious features Google has been prototyping, you may want to wait for the second generation. If this one is any indication, I anticipate great things.

The first noticeable trait of the Pixel XL is its sleek and slender design with its very light weight. When initially setting up the device, I liked the dual security of using a fingerprint and a numeric code to lock out unwanted viewers. The battery was just about full strength right out of the box. After upgrading preinstalled apps and installing new apps, along with using energy which depleted the battery, I was surprised with how quickly the phone recharged itself! A down side of the Pixel is its mimicking of the Apple I-Phone non use of a micro-SD card to expand the storage. Fortunately, Google gives unlimited storage for photos and videos, but unfortunately no unlimited storage for music or documents. The Pixel’s display is extremely rich in color. All videos play brilliantly similar to a HDTV. The camera can take quality photos in low or bright light. The two cameras can capture pictures in the front or back of the phone. Using social media apps (snap chat, face book, instagram, etc.) to video call works great clarity. The volume level is more than adequate for a phone. Google Assistant with voice recognition is better than the basic Google search on older model phones. Having all Google apps and software and hardware enables the phone to avoid the glitches that happens with multiple companies working together on manufacturing one phone. I have only used the phone for one day, so I am sure that there is more to critique about the Pixel phone, but for using it for only a day, I find more positive statements to say than negative statements to say!

Let me start of by stating that I just didn't like the stock Android Google shipped the phone with. I just couldn't get into it. After a day, I had to switch to another launcher and remove Pixel and Google Now, it just didn't fit with my style. I recognize it is me, so I am not downgrading the phone at all on the UI/Software even though that seems to be a big deal, the new Google assistant just didn't do it for me at all. I just didn't find it useful. I guess I'm getting old. However let me state that is me, and others I'm sure will love it. The nice thing is unlike other phones you not stuck with the default launcher, so Yay for that. Though I haven't found a launcher yet that is making me love this phone. Hopefully I will one day, until then lets move on the other aspects of this phone, because I'm sure my above issues with the UI is more me. Hardware. Google found a good partner in a different OEM to build the phone for them. They did an excellent job. The phone is built solidly and size wise if this is the larger of the phones, this is the one to have, at least for my hands it fits perfect and the fingerprint sensor in the back is perfect. In fact I recommend making sure you get the senor to recognize both unlocking fingers on your left and the right hand to make 1 touch unlocking easy, because the one feature I like is when I pressing my finger on the senor it unlocks and turn my phone on. No reaching for the power button on the side. Very nice. Also under touch gestures enable the fingerprint senor on to drag down the notification bar, that too is handy. I was worried when I saw the speakers on the bottom of the phone, I thought great, tinny and quiet. They are actually fairly loud and decent sounding. In my office I could stream music and hear it quiet clearly. So the speaker is of good quality and loudness. The screen is great. I can use it outdoors in bright sunlight with minimal squinting at it, and watching a few movies/tv/videos on it I had no issues and everything looked great. Nice to see the WiFi chipset support Wireless AC. That is a plus in my household. In normal usage, watching videos, streaming music etc the phone would get a bit warm that my hands would notice it, but not hot. So Its nice to see the 821 handles itself quite well there. Now the downsides I found which is why I'm rating the phone as average: For the size of the battery (and I admit, maybe after a few days it will improve, but so far no luck) using the phone as I normally would I can eek out about day of use. With the size battery they are packing I was hoping for at least a day and half, but that doesn't seem to be the case so that makes me a sad panda. No slot for a MicroSD. If you are like me and travel and find yourself in situations without internet then the 32GB model may not be enough. If they had added a MicroSD slot it wouldn't be an issue, however in having this phone for 72, and just loading my normal Podcasts/Audiobooks/E-Books/Videos (Work and Leisure) I ran out of space and had to pair back. If you keep a lot of media on your device do yourself a favor and get the 128GB version. Also it is a shame they do not have a dual sim model. It would be nice to not carry 2 phones. Camera. A lot of people where down on the fact the camera didn't have Optical Image Stabilization. However Google via software worked around that and it is one of the better camera phones I've had to shot with. It is quick and takes good pictures. Not going to replace my DSLR anytime, but I don't mind grabbing this for taking a picture of the kids. Overall it isn't a bad attempt for Google for hardware. It is solid hardware, and for a phone it is responsive. Mine didn't come with any Verizon installed apps, and appears completely unlocked, however that could be the early versions they grabbed whatever was handy, so your mileage my vary. If you do consider this phone (and for android this is one I would, if only because Google will update this monthly which is important because OS underlining Android is always being updated) do yourself a favor and get the 128GB version so you have space to store your media and apps.