Who likes their Pixel 2 XL, let's hear about it

[djepperson1]

love it I don't even notice the blue shift at all anymore. I have learned that there is to much that makes this fantastic phone to keep looking for flaws.

 

[BattleSwine]

I love this phone. Everything the Nexus 6P did well, the Pixel 2 XL does even better. Can't remember the last time my 6P went 2 days between charges. P2XL has done when several times already. Main reason why I replaced 6P was due to needing to recharge it 3-5 times every day. It's going to be nice not having to worry about carrying charger(s) during the holidays. Daydream VR is a nice addition.

 

[bnice]

Glad to know folks are enjoying the phone.

 

[rich250]

Love mine also

 

[anon(9681881)]

I have had my Pixel 2 XL for a few days and it is fantastic. I don't have any problems with burn in yet. I can see the blue tint a few people are talking about but you have to turn the display to an angle that I would never use to see it. At normal viewing angles it is not there. I absolutely love the phone. I am a retired photographer and the camera is as good as it can get. DSLR quality.

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

Have the 2 XL and loving it so far. My mini review:

- Performance is crazy good. Extremely fast. This is how phones should perform and on rod the main reasons why I don't think I'll go to a non-Pixel phone.

- User interface and experience is exceptional. The most refined and polished version of Android I've used. Phone doesn't feel cluttered with features and apps and all this additional stuff I don't want. I don't buy into the 'more means better value' mantra of other phones.

- The screen is fine. After all the hysteria about it, having it for a week now, there aren't any issues with it. Don't notice any blue tint, not unless I consciously look for it. I do think the screen colours are a bit 'off'. Reds looks kinda brown, so I hope Google's update does make the colours pop just a little more.

- The camera is so impressive. Taking photos this weekend, I'm so surprised this quality of images come from a phone.

- Battery life has been exceptional. Getting 6 hours screen time which for my usage is very satisfactory.

Now on to the thing so don't like:

- The build. This just doesn't feel like a phone at its price point. I'm not really a fan of the plastic coating to make it 'grip'. It doesn't look or feel like an extremely high end smartphone like the Galaxy, Note, iPhone etc. To me it feels like a mid range phone with a high end price point. I had a look and feel of the iPhone X and it's day and night between the two phones. The iPhone X looks and feels like an absolutely luxurious device worth the cost. The Pixel 2 XL doesn't, like at all.

- The rounded corners I don't like and I don't like how there are deisgn differences between the Pixel 2 and 2 XL.

- I still don't like the glass 'window' at the back of the phone. It's smaller and done more tastefully than last year's Pixel, but I still think it's ugly and serves no purpose. Either remove it or have the whole back glass.

So overall I think the Pixel 2 XL is excellent, though it doesn't seem like Google are putting much effort into the build/design of the phone. With the iPhone it looks like Apple are in absolute control over every aspect of the phone, from software to every screw on the device. It doesn't feel that way with the Pixel. The software is absolutely Google, but the hardware just looks like we're going back to the old Nexus days when a supplier makes some generic body for Google at the last minute. And if I'm wrong and this is Google's absolute best effort on hardware, then that's even more disappointing - it's nowhere near close to Samsung, Apple, HTC etc.

So I hope Google next year, with all that HTC talent take hardware seriously. There's no reason why the two Pixel phones have different deisgns - one small bezels/one large, cameras in different locations, rounded screen corners/non rounded screen corners. I mean it's just a mess.

Otherwise, on the software, I really have no criticisms whatsoever. Google are by far the best at software and that is the most important thing to me.

 

[Calabash52]

The main reason I got the Pixel 2XL was hating the long wait for the updated operating system from Android. It seemed like it took one year for Samsung to make sure they could use the operating system with their phones. With Pixel, when the newest operating system comes out, presto! I get it, no waiting. that and the camera were the two biggest draws for me. BTW I love my phone, no issues, blue if I tilt it, big deal, buttery smooth...

 

[alodar101]

Have the iPhone 8+, note 8 and Pixel 2xl. All 3 are really good. Just went side by side with an iPhone x. I'm liking my xl just fine thank you

 

[kenorian]

Had the phone for a week. I love it. Is it perfect? Of course not, nothing in this world is. Is there another device out there that I'd rather have? Nope.

 

[Almeuit]

Loving mine. Especially the camera... It's been awesome. I also am enjoying the snappy feeling of the software.

 

[Jimmy Sullivan]

I'm thinking about a upgrade to pixel 2.. but I'm going to wait till the price comes down a little bit I think

 

[wyelkins]

I'm thinking about a upgrade to pixel 2.. but I'm going to wait till the price comes down a little bit I think

I hear that. I won't be buying another phone for a long time. Keep an eye out for Black Friday deals. Probably some OG Pixel deals and maybe some on the 2.

 

[csiguy1]

I freaking love my perfect 2XL. Best phone ever for me!

 

[nelamvr6]

I love mine, best phone I've ever had.

 

[Mike Dee]

Loving it every minute.

 

[silvra7]

It's the first phone I've owned that can go more than a day without a full charge. Coming from the HTC One M8 and its LCD screen I see the color shift and "off" colors. To me the color shift at even the a very slight angle is noticeable and unfortunate especially since who really holds their phone straight on 100% of the time? Is it a deal breaker? For me no, but mostly because the HTC U11 has questionable Verizon compatibility and the U11+ doesn't look to be coming to the US anytime soon. On top of that my three year old M8 is on its last leg with regards to battery. Aside from that, guaranteed timely updates for 3 years and software as Google intends it, for me there's not really another option. Also, coming from the M8 and as someone for whom sound in only one ear drives them crazy, the stereo speakers are a must.

All this said, I would be very curious to know for sure if the degree of color/blue shift is a universal issue vs quality control issue? If a QC issue is it coverable under the warranty? My hope is that it is QC and covered so I'll hold out, and if not hopefully they'll have a similar trade in deal for next year's Pixel 3 XL as they did with the OG Pixel XL.

 

[Gil Emery Jr]

coming from a Droid turbo 2...I love this phone

 

[LeoRex]

So far so good.. the performance of the phone is actually surprising. I've had several Nexus phones and they all tend to outclass their peers but this thing is on another level. The best word I can use is 'immediate'... There's no hesitation. I thought my 1XL was speedy,

I've noticed some mention how the build is disappointing.. i want to say I disagree quite strongly. I don't equate a slab of glass as premium, I think slippery and delicate. We are going to be seeing quite a few shattered iPhone Xs in the wild... Premium build, premium repair bill.

Glass is a horrible, horrible choice and I was more than pleased to hear Google wasn't going to go that route. Then once I got it in hand I was equally pleased that they applied a coating to increase grip.

I haven't had a lot of seat time with the camera yet... But what I've seen has impressed the hell out of me. Google's been setting the gold standard of mobile photography and this thing will be the leader until the Pixel 3 drops. And we haven't even seen the best that it can do yet.

Screen? I don't have any problems. Is it the best out there? Nope. Do I care that it's not? Nope. Is it good enough to suit my needs? Yep. I suppose my opinion would be different if the rest of the phone wasn't so insanely good... I'll put up with a few display quirks for the rest of the goodies.

 

[alodar101]

I've had the Pixel 2xl for a week now. I have several friends at work that had it also, but the NOTE 8 too. they have moved back to the NOTE. I have the NOTE 8, and iPhone 8+. But, I've loving this pixel. I can't put more Stupid's in Stupid Fast. Its reliable beyond the other phones, and its battery is really good. The screen discolor, is more imagined, to me. Even with the update, I see very little difference. But...I'm happy with it. I noticed by screen brightness is set at 21%. I could swear I set it higher.

Even still, I've not had a single failure in anything I've done with this thing. I do wish, now, I'd waited for the panda. And, I miss Samsung Pay. Besides that, I am enjoying the simplicity of the device. If I let myself think about feature comparison with the NOTE 8, I just remind myself of all the feature, I paid for, but would never use. If someone had told me what it was, exactly, I was missing, I think I would say....if I don't miss it on the Pixel, just how important is it.

I'll be sticking with the Pixel 2xl as my driver.

 

[LeoRex]

I am enjoying the simplicity of the device.

This is ultimately what keeps me in this line... I've mostly used phones from both the Nexus and Pixel lines since the Nexus 5 and I just prefer the efficiency of use. Some will call it boring but I see it differently. I have zero use for a feature I never use. And while some OEMs pack their phones with whizbangs, that comes at a cost. It's more stuff to drag around internally. I've yet to come across a software package, whether it's an application, a server, or an operating system... that keeps performing at a high level the more stuff you bolt in it. And that's exactly what OEMs are doing; they open up Android and start stuffing in code to do this or that. All that adds up. Go slap a 80lbs rucksack on Usain Bolt's back and see how quickly he gets down that track.

That's not too say I don't go looking for features... The stock screenshot function is really bare bones, for instance. But devs FTW. I've been a big fan of Screenshot Crop & Share. It turns a spartan screenshot function and turns it into something few OEMs can match.

There are a few other areas that I would love more depth. Id love to have LG's AOD on my 2XL for instance. I'd have to go the custom ROM route for that (which I'm not opposed to by the way). But for the most part, I can go out and snag an app that gives me a specific feature that I'm looking for.

But I control how much or how little... It's my call. With many other phones, it's all or nothing. You order up a Note 8, you get the whole menu even though you can't stand that nasty microgreen, feta and seaweed extract salad... Don't like it? Tough, your forced to eat it.

This phone is, by far, the most nimble and immediate device I've personally put my hands upon. And those little things make a difference. Like the double tap to switch windows. By the time I'm pulling my finger away after that second tap, that second app is there, on screen. Touch response, one of the most underappreciated features of a phone, is so gratifyingly fast. This thing has to have one of lowest touch latencies of any phone ever made, it sure feels that way.

There is but one phone that can go about those mundane, everyday tasks with the same smooth urgency and it has a half eaten fruit etched on its back. The other people who've looked at this phone are amazed at just how responsive every action is... As if you aren't giving the software instructions but instead issuing direct commands to the screen.

I mean, I'm even pleased with audio coming from the much maligned yet rather high quality aux-C dongle. If they put one of these in the box of every USB-C equipt phone, I think fewer people would be lamenting the death of the 3.5mm jack.

From speed, to the battery efficiency to the camera.. And oh that camera.. I haven't even had a chance to really run it through it's paces and I'm still amazed. This thing impresses me to no end.