As I wrap up my first month with the Pixel XL, there are a few observations that are worth noting about Google’s ‘first’ smartphone that weren’t apparent in my initial review.
OK Google, what else do you do?
The Google Pixel XL. Image credit: Jay McGregor
The most striking obserbation is how little I use Google Assistant. In the first few days I peppered it with constant commands, testing out its limits. Once I discovered its limits, I gradually stopped using it.
The issue with Google Assistant is the ‘assistant’ part. At the moment using the Assistant in Allo, for example, gives you some nicely packaged-up Google searches. Which is fine and saves you wading through lots of information. But where’s the deeper control? Why can’t I dim my display by asking Assistant? Why can’t Assistant download and setup apps for me on request?
Google Assistant. Image credit: Jay McGregor
It also needs to be more active. I want push notifications of places to eat nearby when I’m in a particular area, or the ability to quickly add events to my calendar from messaging apps (the pop-up menu when you highlight text should have an ‘add to calendar’ option).
Whilst Assistant impresses, it’s limited functionality puts you off from using it. Perhaps I’m just a pessimist, but when I want to perform an action, I assume Assistant won’t be able to do it. Which puts me off from asking. It’s the same with Amazon’s Alexa.
It won’t last a year
Elsewhere, my initial concerns about the design wearing easily appears to be prescient. The seam between the display and the chassis easily damages and it’s getting worse. A case would solve this, of course. But it shouldn’t be so easily scratched by everyday use.
The Pixel XL appears to wear easily. Image credit: Jay McGregor
The all-metal, rough-textured design still impresses me, however. Maybe I haven’t had the Pixel XL long enough, but I still like to twirl it around in my hand and appreciate the design. Even the rear-facing glass panel has grown on me.
The bottom-left placed speaker was a bad design choice, too. Your finger or palm almost always appears to obscures it. Fortunately the volume of sound that the Pixel XL gives off is enough to permeate through your finger to still be audible, but that doesn’t make-up for the poorly thought-out speaker placement.
Fast, powerful and long-lasting
Performance-wise I’ve noticed some minor stability issues. I’ve had the occasional app refuse to open – forcing a restart for it work – and the odd freeze. The latter possibly being an app issue. With that said, these problems are in the minority.
My overall takeaway, however, is that it’s a fast, powerful device. From unlocking to opening an app you notice how smooth, and quick, the process is.
But it’s the battery that is the stand-out performance feature. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have to constantly worry where your next charge is coming from. 2016 has not been a good year for battery life when it comes to smartphones. It remains the one area that’s yet to advance, which is thanks to the few developments in battery technology.
I’m comfortably getting 18 hours between charges with medium use during the day, including music, browsing and gaming on commutes, and leaving it to rest overnight without plugging in. A couple factors are at play here; Android’s improved power management and Doze 2.0, which conserves battery when the phone isn’t in use or physically moving (which is why I’m losing under 10% of battery overnight).
It’s helped by how quickly the battery charges. It’s not the fastest – LG and Samsung are leading that race – but a full charge takes just under 90 minutes. And I rarely charge to 100% because that’s bad for your battery, so I charge to about 70%, which takes around an hour. An hour a day of charging for 18 hours use is a good return.
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A great, bland camera
A few shootouts have shown how the Pixel XL trounces the competition. Shutter speed – even with HDR on – colour reproduction and detail are all very impressive.
But it’s not all plain sailing. The lack of features in the camera app irk me. Google has never included the depth of controls other brands like LG have when it comes to its stock camera app. The only additional shooting modes are panorama, photosphere and lens blur. The latter being the most useless because the bokeh effect is a software trick that doesn’t work that well.
Still the best
The biggest issue – depending on how you see it – with the Pixel is how bland it is, which is fairly typical of Google’s phone line. But this isn’t necessarily a negative – it comes down to what you want from your phone. For me, it’s refreshing that the Pixel XL doesn’t come with the bloatware of a Samsung phone, or unnecessary gimmicks that don’t add to the overall experience. It’s like a blank canvas that I can build upon. The basics are covered; in an excellent camera, excellent battery, nice design and a crisp display – the rest is up to you. For me, that’s exactly what I want from my smartphone.
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Jay McGregor is a journalist who writes for The Guardian, Forbes, TechRadar and is a correspondent for BBC’s James Hazel show. Follow his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JayMcGregorWrites/
