Pixel vs Pixel XL

[droidfamily]

I'm trying to decide which to go with. Which did everyone choose and why?

 

[Aquila]

I recommend the XL because it's bigger and has a 28% larger battery and will work better for VR for those that care about it. I have both.

 

[mightyfacundo]

128gb XL for me. I wanted the bigger screen, bigger battery, and storage. Very happy with my choice.

 

[sydneycooper1979]

I went regular pixel. I like having a small Android phone with great specs. I love that the two versions have the same internals (besides battery size). I forgot how nice it is to use a phone with one hand!

 

[SteelGator]

I like big screens, so the XL was the only size I considered. It is very comfortable in the hand, and I am able to operate it with one hand pretty well.

 

[CardFan502]

I wanted the larger screen and longer battery life, so the choice was easy for me.

 

[Jeremy8000]

I'm trying to decide which to go with. Which did everyone choose and why?

Coming from a Nexus 6, going to a 5.5" is a pretty sizable drop in screen size - I couldn't fathom going to a 5". Also, while I don't know how much I'll use the VR, there's no question that quadHD will offer a far better experience than 1080p. Having played with it in a store (won't have mine till Tuesday), I'm also comfortable that I'll be able to do pretty much anything with it one-handed (the swipe on the FP sensor to pull down notifications looks nice).

As far as what I'd recommend, I'd say to consider the following: if you have small hands and want to use it 1-handed, +1 for the Pixel. If you plan on using VR, +1 for the Pixel XL. If you plan on watching a lot of media on it, +1 for the Pixel XL. While some mention the larger battery as a perk to the XL, it's worth remembering that the XL is driving a larger, higher resolution screen so requires more power to run the device over the same amount of time - I wouldn't expect a big difference there. I do think it's great that Google introduced a smaller option that really doesn't give up any of its benefits provided in the larger unit (other than screen resolution, which, tbh, will likely only be highly noticeable in VR use).

 

[LyricalNonsense]

The xl, bigger screen, battery, and pixel density.

 

[anon(596177)]

The phones are identical other than screen resolution and battery size, so choose based on what form factor you feel will work better for you. If you take in more media during the day, like YouTube videos, spend a lot of time on the internet, Facebook, you may be better off with the XL as the bigger screen makes it easier to take all of that in. If you enjoy portability, using your phone with one hand, and not having to worry about where you're placing your phone when you're sitting down or whether or not it's going to fit in your pocket go with the smaller pixel. The great thing about these two phones is you're really not making a sacrifice going with one of the other.

I went with the smaller pixel, and even though the XL has a bigger battery and it's supposed to get better battery life, I'm finding the battery life on the smaller pixel to be very very good.