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Pixel 2 XL review: Is Google the new Apple?

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ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - When the iPhone debuted a decade ago, Apple was the disruptor that would eventually slay Nokia and the host of touchscreens running a shrunken down version of Windows.</p><p>Now, the iPhone is a ubiquitous device. You cannot walk down the street without passing by someone who is tapping on Apple&#x27;s most profitable device.</p><p>Google, whose Android software is in more phones than Apple&#x27;s iOS, has for years tried to translate that dominance into iPhone turf with not much success, no thanks to compromises and issues that come with every release.</p><p>This year&#x27;s Pixel 2XL is no different, with a screen that looked bland and dreary until a software update made the colors pop, though not as vivid as Samsung&#x27;s best.</p><p>For the flagship price that Google is asking for the LG-made Pixel 2XL, a sub-par screen is unforgivable, but the device makes up for it with a fantastic camera, a solid build and an unpolluted version of Android Oreo.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/24/17/googles-iphone-x-rival-hounded-by-display-issues">Google&#x27;s iPhone X rival hounded by display issues</a></li></ul><div><strong>DESIGN</strong></div><p>Like the iPhone challenged its bigger rivals by being different in 2007, this year&#x27;s Pixels are contrarian but in ways you would notice only when you use the device.</p><p>The Pixel 2 and the larger 2XL offer almost exactly the same experience except for the size. The smaller iPhone 8 is deprived of the dual lens shooter of the iPhone 8 Plus and only the iPhone X packs an OLED or better quality screen and facial recognition to unlock.</p><p>Google&#x27;s phones also have metal backs, unlike Apple and Samsung whose flagships are covered almost entirely in glass. The Pixels are also water-resistant.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/business/11/27/pixel.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>A black version of Google&#x27;s Pixel 2 XL is shown in this photo.</figcaption></figure></div><p>The phone&#x27;s body is also coated with a paint-like substance that makes it less slippery and less cold to the touch, which makes it comfortable to hold unlike the series 5, 5s, 6, 6s, and 7 of the iPhone.</p><p>The design is distinct but not particularly beautiful. Unless you put it in a case or cover it with a skin, the glass shade on the back that has become the Google phone trademark since 2015&#x27;s Huawei-made Nexus 6P is bound to pick up scratches.</p><p>The top and bottom have bezels that are larger than those on the Samsung S8 series and Note 8, but they&#x27;re big because they house front-facing speakers that are really loud and don&#x27;t get muffled when you grip the phone on its sides.</p><div><strong>CAMERA</strong></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Before you light up your tastebuds, make sure you grab a great low light photo with Pixel 2. <a href="https://t.co/yKtqh69fW7">pic.twitter.com/yKtqh69fW7</a></p>— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/madebygoogle/status/931628041167663104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>The camera is where the Pixel 2XL shines, proving that with the right software, a single lens is enough to take good pictures.</p><p>Google&#x27;s camera app is fast and the controls that matter, the shutter, video switcher and selfie or front facing camera switcher are all within a thumb&#x27;s reach on the bottom of the screen.</p><p>The camera takes bright, detailed shots even in low light and the colors are somewhere between realistic Apple and oversaturated Samsung.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/05/17/pixel-2-beats-iphone-8-plus-galaxy-note-8-in-camera-fight-reviews">Pixel 2 beats iPhone 8 Plus, Galaxy Note 8 in camera fight: reviews</a></li></ul><p>Pixel users get unlimited storage at full resolution on Google Photos and are the first to try Google Lens, an image-based search that is built into the Photos app.</p><p>Google uses machine learning or artificial intelligence to create a &quot;bokeh&quot; effect in portrait pictures, and the results are comparable if not better than the ones in Apple and Samsung phones.</p><p>See sample photos below:</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/business/11/27/building.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>A sample photo using the Google Pixel 2 XL of buildings and a giant Christmas tree.</figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/business/11/27/plant.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>A sample photo using the Google Pixel 2 XL of an indoor plant.</figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>SOFTWARE AND PERFORMANCE</strong></div><p>Oreo is a refinement of Nougat and a leap from Marshmallow that came 2 years before.</p><p>Notifications are customizable and the settings menu is less cluttered.</p><p>The search bar was moved to the bottom of the screen and the notification shade switches color from white to black depending on the color of the wallpaper.</p><p>Google Assistant can now be summoned by a squeeze of the phone&#x27;s bottom frame, a convenient touch though I mostly forget that the AI-powered helper is there.</p><p>Battery life is enough to get you through a day of moderate to heavy use, comparable to the Galaxy S8 Plus and the Note 8 but not even close to the endurance of the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/21/17/google-to-buy-part-of-taiwan-smartphone-maker-htc-for-11-b">Google to buy part of Taiwan smartphone maker HTC for $1.1-B</a></li></ul><div><strong>CONCLUSION</strong></div><p>Google nearly squandered glowing first impressions for Pixel 2 XL with a screen that shortchanges consumers for the asking price.</p><p>For that compromise, however, you get one of the best cameras on a mobile device and speedy software with guaranteed first rights to new versions of Android.</p><p>A utilitarian build that stands out in a sea of iPhones in colorful cases is a plus.</p><p>The Pixel 2 XL, and by extension the Pixel 2, pack almost enough hardware and software goodness to go from fan favorite to mainstream hit.</p><p>What Google needs to do, before smartphones go the way of the typewriter, is to wrap Android in a gorgeous frame that doesn&#x27;t feel like a compromise.</p>

<p>When the iPhone debuted a decade ago, Apple was the disruptor that would eventually slay Nokia and the host of touchscreens running a shrunken down version of Windows.</p>

When the iPhone debuted a decade ago, Apple was the disruptor that would eventually slay Nokia and the host of touchscreens running a shrunken down version of Windows.