Do you still recommend the Pixel 2?

[1countryboy]

I have a Droid Turbo I bought factory refurbished a couple of years ago that now needs a battery. I don't feel comfortable trying to install a new one myself and it's about $80 to have a store do it. Thinking about just applying that money to picking up a used Pixel 2 or iPhone 7.

The Droid's 5.2" screen is about right for me so the Pixel 2 (5") and iPhone 7 (4.7") would be close in size. I do hate how heavy the Droid is though so was hoping for some relief there.

I have no loyalty to either IOS or Android but do have an iPad which I love. Was thinking about picking up a used iPhone 7 to see how I liked that over an Android until I came across reviews about the Pixel 2... so now I'm undecided.

I live in an rural area with no easy access to checking phones out in person though family members are all Apple fans so familiar with the iPhone 7.

The new Pixel 2 & Pixel 2 XL seem to be getting a lot of complaints but in my case lets focus on the former. I know some phone owners are really picky whereas sometime the average person wouldn't even notice so trying to sort through it all.

Is the pixel 2's main complaint about the bezels being too big which in turn makes it look like an older style phone?

Pixel 2 owners do you wish you had gotten something else?

 

[cyndie1030]

Nope. I'm perfectly happy with the Pixel 2. I was afraid it would feel too small coming from the N6P but I like the smaller form factor. I don't understand the thing people have with the bezels. They don't bother me and gives me a place to hold it without waking the screen up. The thing is lightening fast, good battery life (I end most says with 65-75% left) and love the camera. I mostly got it for the three years of updates and the monthly security updates. No regrets at all. My son got the Pixel 2 and he is coming from the iPhone 6 and he's been loving it.

 

[bxrider117]

I have them both of the phones. My wife uses the iPhone 7 and I use the Pixel. I recommended the Pixel, but I have never used an iPhone as my main phone. I've always used Android phones. I have always liked the iPhone form factor. The Pixel will offer you that but I'm my opinion will give you better battery life as well as an operating system that you're used to. If you have Verizon they are giving you $300 of of the Pixel and then you may be able to trade in your Droid turbo.

 

[cbreze]

Love my P2(non XL) and it is a keeper IMO. I also have an iPhone 7 with very low mileage that I just cannot seem to go back to but no matter as I much prefer the pixel. My iPhone 7 is going up for sale if your interested. But regarding the bezels, a non issue for me, do not notice them and like the finger rest anyway for holding. I don't think the Droid turbo is getting the full $300 Verizon trade in credit. You'd need to check on that. Not sure your provider. Can't go wrong with a P2 or an iPhone 7. A matter of preference.

 

[liscon17]

I returned my 5t in favor of the pixel 2 and I dont regret it at all. There are a couple of features I wish the Pixel had but I'll take the trade off in favour of having a great camera and a solid software experience.

So I wish the pixel was able to charge a lot quicker than it currently does, it appears to be considerably slower than dash charge.

Of course a headphone jack would have been a good addition but most 2017 flagships have removed this.

Battery wise I do feel it is not great as a lot of people make out to be, only getting 4hrs screen on time using Oreo 8.1, hopefully it will improve with updates. I bought my P2 after 8.1 was released so I had no time to compare between 8 and 8.1 as I updated straight away.

I don't find the bezels distracting or annoying to look, the fact front facing speakers are housed within them makes up for it. There are definitely times when I miss the larger display of the 5t and this design will definitely date very quickly going into 2018.

I'd only recommend if you can get the phone $100 off the retail price

 

[bbycrts]

I love my Pixel 2 - best phone I've ever owned. I was bummed that they didn't go with a full screen display, but in use it's really more of a bezel envy thing than a practical problem. I got an Essential phone because of that bezel envy, but while beautiful it just can't beat the Pixel 2 in real time operation. I'm selling the Essential and keeping the Pixel 2.

 

[TraderGary]

Do I still Recommend my Pixel 2 XL 128?
Yes.

 

[Almeuit]

I have the XL but I have no issues recommending a regular Pixel 2 to people. They're great phones .

 

[libra89]

I have the Pixel 2 and it's a nice phone. Personally when it comes to size, the original Pixel is noticeably shorter and closer to the size of the 4.7" iPhones and I prefer that size to the Pixel 2. Otherwise, it's a great phone for sure but as someone who came from the OG Pixel to the 2, it isn't massively better for me.

The bezels on the Pixel 2 make it easier to use it for me with one hand with the height of the phone. I don't regret trying the Pixel 2 at all, I'm just one that prefers a smaller phone. If you are the kind of person who uses phones for a long time, you can't go wrong with the Pixel 2 at all with 2 years of support and 3 years of software updates.

 

[1countryboy]

Thanks for all the replies everyone very valuable information.

I forgot to mention (don’t laugh) I will be using this with Tracfone’s BYOP plan. Any BYOP phone has to use Verizon service which is Tracfone’s provider in my area. Anyway been using my Droid this way without any issues.

I will be looking for a used Pixel 2 which would mean almost new since it was recently released. Swappa has several for sell but what would you consider a fair/reasonable price for a phone this new?

How come phone reviews rarely mention call quality, call volume, and reception anymore. As I’ve gotten older and don’t hear as well these things are important to me. Should one surmise they are all pretty much the same anymore?

Since I’ve had my Droid Turbo I’ve used a OtterBox Commuter case and I’m sure it’s helped whenever I’ve dropped my phone. On the other hand the OtterBox combined with the thicker Droid made for a pretty heavy phone... although well protected.

Any good cases for the Pixel 2 that will protect from drops yet not be big, thick, & heavy?

Just a comment about the iPhone 7 I actually played around with a relative’s phone yesterday. The screen to me just seems kind of dull looking at least compared to my Droid and other Android phones I’ve seen.

 

[scorpiori]

I returned my 5t in favor of the pixel 2 and I dont regret it at all. There are a couple of features I wish the Pixel had but I'll take the trade off in favour of having a great camera and a solid software experience.

So I wish the pixel was able to charge a lot quicker than it currently does, it appears to be considerably slower than dash charge.

Of course a headphone jack would have been a good addition but most 2017 flagships have removed this.

Battery wise I do feel it is not great as a lot of people make out to be, only getting 4hrs screen on time using Oreo 8.1, hopefully it will improve with updates. I bought my P2 after 8.1 was released so I had no time to compare between 8 and 8.1 as I updated straight away.

I don't find the bezels distracting or annoying to look, the fact front facing speakers are housed within them makes up for it. There are definitely times when I miss the larger display of the 5t and this design will definitely date very quickly going into 2018.

I'd only recommend if you can get the phone $100 off the retail price

Word by word!

Pixel 2 without a doubt the Best and smoothest phone I ever used.

BTW I do like iOS, I think it's a well polished os.
About 3 years ago when I turned to Android (after rocking iOS for like 4 years) I did like the system (the 'back' button! the back button!...) Of course the overall DIY , but did miss the iOS smooth experience.
I had HTC, Nexus, lg and Samsung..

After rocking the pixel 2 I came to a conclusion (and pretty damn fast..) that if it's Android it can only be pixel. Not other skins and laggy mutations

The Best, purest ,smoothest and fastest Android experience you can get. At least in my opinion.
No Android device that I owned gave me even near this Pixel 2 perfect software experience.

For now on it will be pixel 3,4,5 etc.. haha

Happy New year!

 

[libra89]

Thanks for all the replies everyone very valuable information.

I forgot to mention (don’t laugh) I will be using this with Tracfone’s BYOP plan. Any BYOP phone has to use Verizon service which is Tracfone’s provider in my area. Anyway been using my Droid this way without any issues.

I will be looking for a used Pixel 2 which would mean almost new since it was recently released. Swappa has several for sell but what would you consider a fair/reasonable price for a phone this new?

How come phone reviews rarely mention call quality, call volume, and reception anymore. As I’ve gotten older and don’t hear as well these things are important to me. Should one surmise they are all pretty much the same anymore?

Since I’ve had my Droid Turbo I’ve used a OtterBox Commuter case and I’m sure it’s helped whenever I’ve dropped my phone. On the other hand the OtterBox combined with the thicker Droid made for a pretty heavy phone... although well protected.

Any good cases for the Pixel 2 that will protect from drops yet not be big, thick, & heavy?

Just a comment about the iPhone 7 I actually played around with a relative’s phone yesterday. The screen to me just seems kind of dull looking at least compared to my Droid and other Android phones I’ve seen.

Honestly, I'm not sure on the price since the Google Store has these phones on sale right now themselves. The Pixel 2 with 64gb of storage is currently on sale for $599 (regular price is $649) and the 128gb one is $699 so make note of that.

I agree with you on the note about call quality, call volume and reception. They aren't all the same for every phone. MrMobile always talks about call quality in his reviews on YouTube and PhoneArena has a section just for volume and call quality in their reviews. In my experience, the reception for the Pixel 2 is excellent and is actually one of the best out there right now, if not the best. Call quality and volume have been without issue for me. In fact, sometimes the volume can seem louder than what I would think.

No idea about the cases but I wanted to address the sale and your points about actual phone calls.

 

[PowrDroid]

I was in the exact same situation as you. I had a Droid Turbo for the past three years. The battery was fatigued and wouldn't get me through a full day. I thought about replacing the battery but wanted a better camera and a fingerprint sensor. I got the Pixel 2 XL.

It's not as heavy as the Droid Turbo and it's only about a 3/8" longer. I don't notice it being much different in my pocket than the Turbo. I have a Spigen Crystal case on it which is somewhat minimal in size.

A couple of observations Pixel 2 XL vs. Droid Turbo
Believe it or not, the battery is better in the 2 XL. Better than when the Turbo was new. It's nothing for me to get 6 hours screen on time and have 35% battery remaining.
The camera is way, way better than the Turbo. I do miss the giant sized photos the Turbo took with the 21MP sensor but the Pixel 2 XL camera is much better.

I went for the 2 XL over the regular 2 because I wanted the bigger battery, the larger sized screen, higher res screen, plus I didn't want the bezels on the Pixel 2.

If you have any questions for this former Turbo owner let me know and I'll respond.

 

[1countryboy]

Not sure what happened to my post so I’ll try again. That’s an amazing picture PowrDroid that definitely would be something to look forward to.

Don’t think I could handle the Pixel 2 XL just too big for me. Do think the Pixel 2 would fit my needs better.

Are our Droid Turbo’s worth anything since they need a battery replacement?

I probably can’t be picky with the color since I will be trying to pickup a used one but are most buying the Pixel 2 in black?

 

[PowrDroid]

Not sure what happened to my post so I’ll try again. That’s an amazing picture PowrDroid that definitely would be something to look forward to.

That wasn't my picture, that was someone else playing around with AR's. I've edited it out of my post.

Are our Droid Turbo’s worth anything since they need a battery replacement?

I doubt it. Turbos in good working condition might be worth $100.

 

[JustBlaze330]

I just came from an iPhone 6 but was on Apple doesn't many a gen of devices. You sound like you may want to check out the Moto g4 or another unlocked device you could buy cheaper unlocked. The pixel 2 blows my old six out of the water so far on day one.

 

[anon(5630457)]

I was one of the very vocal people speaking out against the Pixel 2 XL's screen quality when it came out. But when Google added the Boosted and Saturated mode for color, the screen looks just as good as any other phone I've used this year (and I've used many phones this year!). The off-axis blue tint on the 2 XL is the same as it is on the S8 Active. Non-issue.

I would recommend the Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL to anyone and everyone from now on. I love the devices!

 

[1countryboy]

You guys sold me on the Pixel 2 I picked one a few minutes ago can’t wait to get it.

Now to pickup a case or two to try out. Has anyone tried the Spigen Neo Hybrid or Spigen Rugged Armour case? Then there’s the Spigen Crystal too... I’m looking for a case that has good protection, but thin and grippy.

Can anyone recommend a tempered glass screen protector?

 

[idiotekniques]

You guys sold me on the Pixel 2 I picked one a few minutes ago can’t wait to get it.

Now to pickup a case or two to try out. Has anyone tried the Spigen Neo Hybrid or Spigen Rugged Armour case? Then there’s the Spigen Crystal too... I’m looking for a case that has good protection, but thin and grippy.

Can anyone recommend a tempered glass screen protector?

I have the Spigen Liquid Crystal and think it's thin enough while providing respectable drop protection.

I also have the Spigen Rugged Armor Extra, which I thought would be bulky but is not. The extra protection on the corners is appreciated and looks just fine as part of the package. The hand feel of the Rugged Armor Extra is really nice as well. Not sure how they got that finish on it but it works, very well.

 

[milehigherik]

I have owned the S8+,v30 and the Pixel XL currently. I absolutely love it. The simplicity with full functionality for my needs. The camera is just...wow. I don't want manual mode. I've never used it. Battery lasts more than a day but I charge overnight.