Google Pixel 2 XL

Equipped with a gorgeous 6-inch screen, the Pixel 2 XL is one of the best Android phones in the market. It brings a lot of impactful changes that bumps up the price to Rs. 38,887, but if your intentions align towards photography, the range is entirely worth it.

The revolutionary camera of Pixel 2 is back in XL but is much more reliable with more screen space to judge the image and more powerful battery that will give your better video recording time. This phone is best for large screen enthusiasts who dabble a bit in photography to get Insta-likes.

If Pixel 2’s thick bezels had been an eye-sore for you, Pixel 2 XL has you covered. It comes with thinner bezels, with only the top and bottom bezels being visible, which is justified by the two front-facing speakers at the top and bottom producing rich audio. A bit weightier than Pixel 2, XL has a 6-inch display offering more screen space to play with. It is sturdy with glass around the top and aluminium covering the bottom three-quarters of the phone. The fingerprint sensor, which is beneath the stripe and right at the centre is easy to reach. Like Pixel 2, headphone jacks have not been installed in 2 XL. There is a USB-C dongle, but wireless is the best way to go.

Pixel XL has incorporated a lot of changes in the display, making it sprint past the Pixel 2. The most significant one is the 6-inch display with 2880 x 1440-pixel resolution, that puts it right in line with other competing flagship phones. Registering a colour gamut which is slightly lower than 130%, it is not as striking as the original Pixel or Pixel 2 but has better contrast and colour accuracy. However, it suffers a blow when viewed from different angles because of a blue tint present on the display and discernible graininess. Registering 438 nits on the light meter, compared to the 346 of Pixel 2 and 437 of Samsung Galaxy S8, it has good sunlight legibility. A flagship improvement over Pixel X is the introduction of QHD+ compared to the 1080p of Pixel 2. Better cinematic experience and crisp display, you can quickly immerse into virtual reality using Google Daydream View.

Pixel 2 XL does not come with any significant performance update over Pixel 2. Packed with Snapdragon 835, similar to OnePlus 5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 8, it can engage in fast multitasking and produce impressive gaming performance. One of the best features is the ultra-fast 10 second boot time that puts Pixel 2 XL way ahead of its competitors. While it is partnered with a 4GB RAM which is lower than the current standard of 6GB among similar flagship phones, the duo keeps the average performance at 6,120 which gives a true flagship experience.

The marquee feature of Pixel 2 XL is the 12MP rear camera with a f/1.8 aperture. While most flagship phones are moving to dual-camera set, including iPhone 8, Pixel 2 XL comes with a single, powerful lens that is capable enough to give top flagships a fierce competition. It is not a significant upgrade over Pixel 2, but the faster processor helps in taking snappy pictures with faster autofocus. Focus and lighting are accurate, and the widened aperture takes in enough visual information for impressive colour reproduction. Both rear camera and 8MP selfie camera come with Portrait Mode, one of which snaps a normal image and the other an image rich with bokeh. Even low-light images turn out to be amazingly bright. Video shooting is fine, but if you want something exceptional here, iPhone X is a better option. Google introduces its kind of Apple’s Live Photo called Motion which records a second of footage surrounding a snap. It makes a memory chain but is not much of a use for still photographers.

The welcome increase of battery capacity from 2,700 mAh to 3,520 mAh brings Pixel 2 XL into fierce competition with smartphone giants like Samsung Galaxy series. Though it gets outclassed by mid-range phones like Asus ZenForce 3 Zoom with its whopping 5,000 mAh battery, Pixel 2 bests its competition by hiding many different battery-saving features in its software. It can last for a day with light-to-moderate use. Wireless charging would have been a plus in Pixel 2 XL, but like Pixel 2, it has not been incorporated in the device.

Google Pixel 2 XL is a significant upgrade over Pixel 2 concerning design and display. The QHD+ display is a welcome change, and thinner bezels help with the screen space though it sticks out like a thumb when compared to iPhone X. However, open the camera, and it can do wonders for you with its single camera, including low-light photography that can beat smartphone giants. This phone is for the budding photographer and the entertainment fanatic craving for both power, bigger screen, slimmer bezels and outstanding captured image quality.