Go to a Verizon store? Post your thoughts here!

[Mike Dee]

Just got back from Verizon.
- Pixel 2 looks more premium to me. I like the beveled glossy trim around the front edge. The XL just has the curved bezel.
- Pixel 2 XL has the blue tint with the slightest tilt. It looks very annoying.
-why do I feel the 2XL has bigger bezel than the 2? The whole front just looks odd, it is hard to explain. Not impressed by the LG panel.
-Both screens are less saturated than my Pixel. Both screens are brighter at 100%.
- the black Pixel 2 looks very slick. The blue Pixel 2 power button looks fun from far, but feels and feel plasticky. The black power button is more impressive.
-the coating feels like a very fine powder coat. Not bad at all.

I wish HTC made the 2XL. The design is odd. The regular 2 is very impressive. The only improvement it needs is longer display with smaller top and bottom bezel, however, the current design does not bother me at all
-

I don't get it...I didn't see any blue tint

 

[GTvert90]

I couldn't agree with you guys more. First off, why did they use two separate manufacturers? I think the identical look of the first gen sizes was nice and uniform, same as the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 plus.

The pixel 2 is most certainly the more premium device, which is a bummer

My guess is to reduce the supply issues they had last year... I'd be shocked if it happens next year with Google buying the Pixel team

 

[popkurn611]

I don't get it...I didn't see any blue tint

I saw the blue tint IMMEDIATELY. The slightest you angle the phone the whole screen turns blue. Try it when your on a white background like google.com or in a new email

 

[Ca_lvn]

I drove 20 miles today to go to a second Verizon corporate store and they didn't have it displayed, very disappointing, it was a beautiful day to enjoy the scenery anyway

 

[cyndie1030]

No way. the XL looked and felt more premium. well the ones I interacted with anyway. The pixel 2 looks good though, and it felt good, I just couldn't stand the crazy big bezels. Larger screen is the way to go.

I'm feeling okay with canceling the 2 XL and getting the 2 instead. The Pixel XL they sent me in September as a replacement for the 6P battery issue has white bezels and I figure the black ones on the Pixel 2 shouldn't bother me. Only thing I'm hoping for now is the Notification Light is also on the Pixel 2.

 

[rog152]

Question..will thew Verizon Pixel's get updates day one like the one's bought from the google store? I got burned on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus..

 

[Joe the Insider]

Question..will thew Verizon Pixel's get updates day one like the one's bought from the google store? I got burned on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus..

Yes

 

[osubeavs728]

I went and checked out a black XL2. Gotta say, the metal back of the 2 felt pretty much the same as the back of my XL...so I definitely disagree with the "non-premium" feeling comments, whatever that means. Overall, loved the look, feel, size, etc. Made me even more excited to get my Panda in the mail

 

[Torisen1]

I visited today and checked them out.

The screens were at least as bright as the Pixel XL but not worlds brighter. Both panels looked decent enough to me. The color temp is a little cooler, hence the bluish tint some say they are seeing, but the whites seemed more white with less pink hue. As others have said, the portrait mode on the store units only works on the rear camera.

I took a couple of test shots and they looked mostly good but there was a woman in the far background that was oddly managed by the effect and it wasn't perfect to say the least. Other than her, though, the rest of the bokeh was amazing.

I actually quite liked the feel of the newer textured aluminum backs. It felt quite nice to me. And the curved glass on the felt pretty good. The bezels/screen definitely have a different "vibe." It's tough to describe. I think the think that's throwing people off is that it's a screen that WANTS to be bezel-less but isn't. So the fact that it feels like it should be but obviously isn't makes it a dichotomy of expectations (visual vs. tactile). Nonetheless, I think it would become invisible after daily use as quickly as the white front did for me on the 2016 Pixel XL (I always traditionally preferred black fronts).

I didn't get to try out the speakers, unfortunately, but I don't think I'll be disappointed. I'm not an audiophile. I normally use the speaker for some phone calls and for watching YouTube videos while cooking.

Either way, the wife needs to move on from her Moto X PE since it was abandoned by Moto/Lenovo and she really loves the Pixel camera. So I'm on board with the 2 XL I pre-ordered on day 1. I just wish I had ordered the stormtrooper (I prefer that over "panda" since I'm a stormtrooper with the 501st Legion) as it would have been more my "style" these days.

501st Represent! I wasn't part but I did help out my bro Scorch at some events back in the day before I moved to Denver.

Thanks for your take on the phone!

 

[Jeremy8000]

I saw the blue tint IMMEDIATELY. The slightest you angle the phone the whole screen turns blue. Try it when your on a white background like google.com or in a new email

Well... While reading your post against the white background on my Pixel XL, I see the exact same thing. Looking at it on my Nexus 6, same thing. Nexus 7 (2013), don't see it. Considering that this represents phones built by Motorola, HTC (confirmed iirc to have used a Samsung panel), and LG, I have to wonder if this just something intrinsic to OLED displays (the Nexus 7 is IPS).

 

[Jeremy8000]

Visited a carrier VZ store on my way home today, but they only had the Pixel 2 on display. The sales rep said they hadn't bothered to put out the Pixel 2 XL because there was "no point" as it was just a bigger version of the same, then said the only differences were screen size, battery size, and ..... that the bigger model added a better camera and support for Google Lens.

I think the least knowledgeable person who frequently AC forums could run laps around VZ reps.

 

[popkurn611]

Visited a carrier VZ store on my way home today, but they only had the Pixel 2 on display. The sales rep said they hadn't bothered to put out the Pixel 2 XL because there was "no point" as it was just a bigger version of the same, then said the only differences were screen size, battery size, and ..... that the bigger model added a better camera and support for Google Lens.

I think the least knowledgeable person who frequently AC forums could run laps around VZ reps.

Haha were they talking about last years models? Bc then I would agree. But even so, one is 1080p the other is quad hd!

To answer your other post that u replied to me on, I don’t think this is just due to OLED screens because I have had numerous android devices, mostly Samsung, and never had that blue angle tint before. The pixel 2 did it slightly enough that I can live with, but the XL 2 was extremely bothersome to me.

 

[dsalazar86]

has anyone noticed that the portrait mode is disabled on the front camera for the Verizon display units

 

[rog152]

dsalazar86
has anyone noticed that the portrait mode is disabled on the front camera for the Verizon display units



yes

 

[Jeremy8000]

Haha were they talking about last years models? Bc then I would agree. But even so, one is 1080p the other is quad hd!

To answer your other post that u replied to me on, I don’t think this is just due to OLED screens because I have had numerous android devices, mostly Samsung, and never had that blue angle tint before. The pixel 2 did it slightly enough that I can live with, but the XL 2 was extremely bothersome to me.

Just the usual clueless reps. Doubly frustrating to me as I used to help market and train salespeople on smartphones in the old days (back when the Sidekick, Treo, and Windows Mobile phones were cool).

Will have to try another store to check out the 2 XL, but unless it's really excessive it won't bother me - the only time I look at the phone from other than a 'frontal' perspective is if it's on my desk and I'll checking a notification, in which event tonal shift and color accuracy aren't of any concern.

 

[dsalazar86]

dsalazar86
has anyone noticed that the portrait mode is disabled on the front camera for the Verizon display units



yes

Hopefully this isn't present in the unlocked pixel 2 I ordered

 

[dsalazar86]

Haha got it

 

[codeda]

Played with both today and agree about the coloring being different on the two, but I thought both screens looked nice. I thought the 2xl looked weird from the front though. A bit bulbous. Maybe better with a case.

 

[bbhybridchris]

I visited our local store this evening and got a chance to handle and play with both the 2 and 2xl. Both devices feel premium to me and certainly feel like incremental upgrades to last years devices. This honestly not a bad thing to polish what they already started. I have a XL now and for some reason I feel more drawn to the regular Pixel 2. I don't know that the screen was better as some have said but I think for me it may be the fact that it still has bezels. The XL2 is in this weird place of having minimized bezels but not as thin as they could be. I used an S8+ earlier this year and needless to say I am back on my XL now. I think I'm probably the odd ball out but I kind of like having bezels. The coating that is on the back of the new phones is different for sure. The best way I can describe it is I have the concrete D Brand skin on my XL and it feels very similar. It is almost like a very fine grit rhino liner coating on the phone. it definitely adds some grip ability. I'd like to hear others opinions on how the screen of the XL 2 melds with the aluminum on the sides. It is definitely not seamless in my opinion it has a slight lip which I felt right away. After a few minutes of use I completely forgot about it but it was definitely different at first. The squeeze for assistant is way more usable and natural then I ever thought after they announced it. My summation is that both are great incremental upgrades to last year's devices and looked and performed very well.

 

[Jeremy8000]

Hopefully this isn't present in the unlocked pixel 2 I ordered

Hopefully that isn't present on the Verizon retail units either...

I have a friend that works there and I must agree. They wanted to promote her. She said no thanks and has been working there for at least 5 years. I just shook my head.

If it was a promotion to store management, it may actually make sense to decline. Depending on the commission structure, a good salesperson can make far more than a manager.