The good The Google Pixel has a fantastic camera, especially in low light. It’s elegantly designed. Google Assistant takes one of the most natural, human approaches to answering your voice.
The bad The phone’s display is dim in outdoor sunlight and its camera’s Lens Blur feature is shoddy. It’s splash-resistant rather than dunkable, and it’s pricey compared to previous Google Nexus devices.
The bottom line If you’re wary of Samsung or looking for a worthy iPhone alternative, the Google Pixel is the high-end Android phone to get.
$649.99 Why the Pixel is one of the best Android phones right now
So what’s so great about the Pixel? Aside from the premium hardware, like the camera and processor, it packs new software features that are handy to use day-to-day. Read on to find out more.
The camera is ( mostly) awesome
As you can tell from its name, Google makes a big deal about the Pixel’s camera, and it is superb. It takes even better shots than the already stellar iPhone 7 Plus, which I consider to be the reigning champion of camera phones. If you want the full scoop on how these two compare, check out CNET’s feature, Google Pixel vs. iPhone 7 Plus: Which camera is better?
The camera is fast, images are in focus, and colors look vibrant. Close-up shots appear especially sharp and refined. Landscape scenes retain an impressive amount of detail
Photos taken in dim lighting understandably weren’t as sharp and had more digital artifacts. But the camera did a good job at capturing available light and brightening up scenes. The flash made skin tones look natural as well, and if it hadn’t been for a few reflections in eyes, it would’ve been hard to tell in the photos that it was even used.
The front-facing camera is excellent, too. It has a wide enough lens to fit a lot of content ( read: faces) in each frame, and it softened skin tones enough to look appealing without appearing too airbrushed. To see the images I captured, check out the slideshow below. Google Assistant helps organize your day
The Pixel is deeply integrated with Google’s search services, and it’s the first hardware device to have Google Assistant baked in. Assistant is an AI bot that uses machine learning and Google’s vast search database to answer all kinds of questions you throw its way. It can schedule reminders, look up facts and places to eat, set alarms, give directions, translate phrases and more. And the more you use it, the more it’s supposed to learn about you and become more personalized.
Unlike Google Now ( the company’s previous iteration of a digital assistant) , Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana, Assistant is genuinely conversational. You can use your voice to speak to it in a natural, back-and-forth way, and it has a chat-like interface. After every interaction, there are suggested follow-up queries you can tap on to keep the conversation going.
Firing up Google Assistant ( left) and asking Assistant where to find Japanese tapas nearby ( right) .
Lynn La/CNET
Like with most voice assistants, you forget that they’re there. But when you do remember, Assistant can be useful. It doesn’t hear every question correctly every time, but when it does, it works relatively quickly. Compared to Siri, which sort of checks out after it finishes each task, Assistant builds upon my previous queries, so it made me interact with it longer.
Android Nougat packs some sweetness
The device runs a pure version of Android 7.1 Nougat. It’s the first to have Google’s messaging service Allo and its video calling app Duo preloaded ( you can uninstall them if you want) .Launcher shortcuts, aka Google’s take onApple’s 3D Touch, lets you long-press on some apps to call up additional menu options.You can send GIFs inside Google Keyboard, for all your GIF-fy delights.To reduce eye strain from viewing a bright, bluish display at night, there’s a Night Light setting that tints the screen yellow. ( Other Android phones and the iPhone already do this.) On the back is a fingerprint reader for added user security and services such as Android Pay. It works quickly, and as a bonus you can use it to slide down notifications on the screen.
It looks and feels great
The Pixel and Pixel XL are nearly identical, but the latter has a bigger, sharper display and a bumped-up battery. Other than that, they’re pretty much the same. Both are polished and well crafted, and their sleek, one-piece aluminum design make them more elegant than previous Nexus devices.
Granted, the Pixel does sort of look like the iPhone, but it has chamfered edges and it’s wedge-shaped, which likely keeps the camera flush and avoids an unsightly bump. I also have to agree with what CNET’s Stephen Shankland wrote about the Pixel earlier: it hits a Goldilocks area of weight and heft. While the Nexus 6P was too heavy and the 5X felt too hollow, the Pixel feels just right.
As for that funky two-toned thing on the back, it struck me as odd the first time I saw it, too. Others may never like it ( though I suppose you can slap a case over it) , but it eventually grew on me. The juxtaposition between a matte-metal finish and a glossy panel is unique, and the glass is resilient to scratches and scuffs ( unlike other glossy finishes we’ve tested) . And while I couldn’t test Google’s claim that this shade is supposed to help with the antennas, it did make gripping the phone easier.
It’s just as fast as its Android rivals
With its Snapdragon 821 processor, the Pixel works fast and fluidly. I didn’t notice any lag with day-to-day tasks like launching the camera, quitting apps and calling up the keyboard. Graphics-intense games like Riptide GP 2 delivered sharp scenery and high frame rates.
On paper, the Pixel scored comparable benchmarks to its Android competitors. It fell right in between the expected 27, 000-30, 000 score mark for 3DMark’s Ice Storm Unlimited test, and had the highest multi-core score for Geekbench 4. The iPhone 7, however, blew these benchmarks out of the water, exceeding all these devices by a notable margin.
But unless you’re a hardcore mobile gamer, these numbers shouldn’t mean much. Yes, the iPhone 7 is lightning quick, but so are all these other devices. And when it comes to regular people and how we use our phones every day, the differences in these benchmarks aren’t very discernable in real life. Any of these flagship phones should be fast enough to satisfy most of your mobile needs.
Why the Google Pixel isn’t perfect
As great as the Pixel is, it has weak points that keep it from being the ultimate phone.
The camera has a few drawbacks
The camera’s one big flaw is the optional Lens Blur mode that uses software to attempt the same artsy background blur as the iPhone 7 Plus does in Portrait mode. The Pixel bombs this, with inconsistent, patchy results. The iPhone 7 Plus’ dual cameras nail it.
The camera also defaults to HDR+ Auto. You can toggle off this option, but it resets to Auto every time you launch the camera. This is annoying for those who prefer to shoot their images au naturel by default.
In addition, while low-light images looked great, video wasn’t so stellar. Objects looked smeary and muddy compared to the 7 Plus.
Lastly, photos are accessible through Google’s Photos app, and you get unlimited cloud storage for your pictures and videos at full resolution ( yes, even 4K) . You can turn off cloud syncing, but if you’re a stickler for privacy and don’t want your photos connected to Google servers in any way, you should go ahead and download a different gallery app
The battery’s good, but not special
The Pixel survived a solid work day with medium to heavy usage, but needed a charge at the end of the day. In our lab tests, the Pixel clocked in an average of 13 hours and 12 minutes of continuous video playback on Airplane mode. That’s longer than the iPhone 7, LG G5, HTC 10 and Motorola Moto Z, but the Samsung Galaxy S7 outlasted all its competitors with a 16-hour run.
The Pixel’s battery employs fast charging technology. In 30 minutes, it was back up at 42 percent and was fully charged within 1 hour and 45 minutes. This isn’t superfast compared to, say, phones that use Qualcomm’s Quick Charging technology. For them, a full re-up after an hour and a half is the usual sweet spot.
GOOGLE PIXEL SPECS COMPARISON
Google PixelApple iPhone 7Samsung Galaxy S7LG G5HTC 10Motorola Moto ZDisplay size, resolution5-inch; 1, 920x1, 080 pixels4.7-inch; 1, 334x750 pixels5.1-inch; 2, 560x1, 440 pixels5.3-inch, 2, 560x1, 440 pixels5.2-inch; 2, 560x1, 440 pixels5.5-inch; 2, 560x1, 440 pixelsPixel density441 ppi326 ppi576 ppi554 ppi564 ppi535 ppiDimensions ( inches) 5.66x2.74x0.34 inches ( at its thickest) 5.44x2.64x0.28 inches5.6x2.7x0.3 inches5.88x2.90x0.30 inches5.7x2.8x0.35 inches6.11x2.96x0.2 inchesDimensions ( millimeters) 143.84x69.54x8.58 mm ( at its thickest) 138.3x67.1x7.1 mm142.4x69.6x7.9 mm149.4x73.9x7.7 mm145.9x71.9x9 mm155.3 x 75.3 x 5.19 mmWeight ( ounces, grams) 5.04 oz.; 143 g4.87 oz.; 138 g5.4 oz.; 152 g5.61 oz.; 159 g5.7 oz.; 161 g4.79 oz.; 136 gMobile softwareAndroid 7.1 NougatiOS 10Android 6.0 MarshmallowAndroid 6.0 MarshmallowAndroid 6.0 MarshmallowAndroid 6.0 MarshmallowCamera12.3-megapixel12-megapixel ( wide) 12-megapixel16-megapixel; 8-megapixel ( wide) 12-megapixel13-megapixelFront-facing camera8-megapixel7-megapixel5-megapixel8-megapixel5-megapixel5-megapixelVideo capture4K4K4K4K4K4KProcessor2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821A10 chip ( 64-bit) 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapgradon 8202.15GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8202.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8202.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820Storage32GB, 128GB32GB, 128GB, 256GB32GB, 64GB ( varies by region) 32GB32GB, 64GB ( varies by region) 32GB, 64GBRAM4GBTBD4GB4GB4GB4GBExpandable storageNoneNoneUp to 200GBUp to 2TBUp to 2TBUp to 2TBBattery2, 770 mAh ( nonremovable) 14 hour talk time on 3G, 10 days standby, 12 hours internet use on LTE3, 000 mAh ( nonremovable) 2, 800 mAh ( removable) 3, 000 mAh battery ( nonremovable) 2, 600 mAh ( nonremovable) Fingerprint sensorBack coverHome buttonHome buttonBack coverHome buttonBelow screenConnectorUSB-CLightningMicro-USBUSB-CUSB-CUSB-CSpecial featuresGoogle Assistant built-in; unlimited cloud storage; Daydream VR readyWater-resistant; taptic home buttonWater-resistant; wireless chargingPull-out battery; two rear camerasOIS on front-facing camera; BoomSoundMagnetic Moto Mod snap-on accessories; dedicated accessory port on back
Premium machinery and some serendipity
The Pixel represents a new era for Google phones, and it’s off to a strong start. True, it has its flaws. It’s not truly water resistant like its main rivals, and its battery life isn’t impressive. In that regard, the Galaxy S7 is still the Android champ. It’s also expensive, which is off-putting when you know that phones like the Oneplus 3 perform just as well and don’t cost nearly as much.