'Google Pixel XL' review: A fresh take on Android

Rating: ****1/2

Price: Rs 57,000

We all know Android. Or do we? Google thinks we don't, which is why they've now taken matters into their own hands.The result is the Pixel -the first phone `made by Google'. These are Google phones through and through unlike the Nexus phones, which were co-branded with either HTC, Huawei or LG. Google has taken full control of both hardware and software to build a more seamless experience. Simply put, this means a better Android experience. You still get the benefits of Nexus phones: these will be the first devices to get updates, directly from Google, as and when they are released.Plus, there are no interface customisations, just a smooth, fast and pure Android experience. The hardware design is subtle, elegant and a bit boring if we're being honest. There is nothing that screams flagship at first glance, which is a shame considering the asking price.

A big bonus is that it feels very well built.It's an aluminium unibody design with a very nice amoled screen. One of the unique features is the hybrid glass-metal back panel. The glass area on the back doesn't seem to serve any real purpose (it still has antenna bands) apart from looking interesting. There's also a fingerprint sensor on the back -it's fast to setup, fast to unlock and incredibly accurate. It comes with Android 7.1 Nougat and there are numerous tweaks around. It has some beautiful, fluid animations, a new app drawer and redesigned icons. You can press and hold on most apps to get more options. It can transfer all your content from your old phone (even iOS) -an adapter is included in the box for cable connections. It includes unlimited storage for full res photos and 4K photos (this is huge -and worth a lot of money if you use a lot of cloud storage). Performance is top notch too, thanks to the Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB RAM and fast storage.

The Pixel has a big trump card though (pardon the expression) -and that is the Google Assistant. This is a context-aware assistant, still in beta, that gets better each day you use it. You can use it to open apps, set reminders (the usual stuff) but you'll also have fun exploring the depths of what machine learning can do. You'll hear the constant refrain of `privacy risk' levelled at the Pixel. Our take is simple: you're already using most of Google's services anyway -what's the harm if it actually makes your life easier?
The camera has been the topic of much debate. It doesn't have optical image stabilisation, considered a prerequisite for a flagship device now. But the Pixel has a camera that is very , very good. The sensor has large pixels (for better light gathering), wide aperture and an almost magical electronic image stabilisation (EIS) system that relies on data from phone sensors to counter shaky hands. Is it the absolute best phone camera we have used? No, but it's very close. The couple of areas where the Pixel camera slips up are colours (they're too saturated) and there's an annoying delay (sometimes) when it's processing images. If there is one glaring issue, it's with the price difference between the Pixel and Pixel XL -both are essentially the same phone, barring the display and battery size. And yet, the XL is priced Rs 10,000 more than the Pixel which is totally unjustified.


The Google Pixel XL is making waves and emerging as one of the favourites. (Image: BCCL)

Is it the absolute best phone camera we have used? No, but it's very close. The couple of areas where the Pixel camera slips up are colours (they're too saturated) and there's an annoying delay (sometimes) when it's processing images. If there is one glaring issue, it's with the price difference between the Pixel and Pixel XL -both are essentially the same phone, barring the display and battery size. And yet, the XL is priced Rs 10,000 more than the Pixel which is totally unjustified.


The specifications in detail. (Image: BCCL)

It's clear that Pixel is a 'pure' Google Android experience, unencumbered by the vagarities of the customisations that almost every manufacturer is wont to do. And there's also no doubt that its one of the best flagships of 2016 with software that's going to keep getting better. If you want the best that Android has to offer, this is it.