The phone build is pretty solid. But it doesn't quite have the wow factor. In fact the XL I found to be pretty big for my hands ( yes I don't have a big palm/fingers) even though the length and width is the same as OnePlus 3. Its mainly due to slippery sides and greater thickness vs. the OP3. But the software is a gem. No slowdown, no bugs, no juggling with the settings to get something to work. Everything just works. But that's also its downside. It just about works than trying to wow you. Appreciate the amazing and consistent camera, battery life, screen, etc. But then no features for power users to make the stock Android more productive. Google Assistant is great but that is just 1 feature and may not remain exclusive to Pixel for long anyway.
## Screen & responsiveness - Excellent. Almost iPhone like responsiveness with a top notch AMOLED screen
## Camera - Amazing. Best you can get in the market for now.
## Form factor and ergonomics - Average. Not for small hands. Try the Pixel in that case instead of the XL variant, unless VR is absolutely necessary for you ( 2K display vs. 1080p)
## Battery - Good for now ( Both Standby and SOT) . Based on less than 24 hrs of usage
## OS - Clean and fast. Vanilla Android ( Nexus users will be at home)
## Customization - Almost nil vs. what's in stock Android Nougat
## Call Quality - Fantastic
## Speakers - Loud for daily use but just above average for a single speaker setup
## Google Assistant - Fun and most productive while driving or when you have your hands busy. Otherwise you will still use Google search more than AI ( unless you don't find it weird talking to your phone alone or with people around)
What I miss based on my usage of other devices -
1.) Double Tap to Wake Screen or Trigger Ambient Display
2.) Lack of Ambient Display on Wake to Lift. It only lights when notifications arrive, that's it. May be it will get fixed later via an OTA
3.) Capacitative buttons vs software buttons to save more screen estate
I still recommend getting this device. You will not be overwhelmed by it. But it will grow on your slowly. Just don't expect too much after unboxing the device. Remember for any device to do everything that it promises is still tough. There are always conflicts and/or compromises and/or bugs. I haven't found any for this one yet.!