Google Pixel review

MANILA, Philippines – Three months in, and we’re still using the Google Pixel as our main Android smartphone. With all the Droids we’ve been reviewing lately, that says a lot.

We took our time with this review as we felt features such as the camera and Google Assistant needed a long evaluation period before we could come to a conclusion – and we were right.

These are all our Pixel findings after a quarter of a year.

Nothing trumps the speed and fluidity of the Google Pixel’s 12.3-megapixel camera and its app.

The Design Didn’t Grow On Us

Sad to say, the bland design didn’t get better with age. As much as I appreciate the symmetry in front, too much space is wasted on the unused bezels – space which could have been used for dual-front-facing speakers like on the Nexus 6P.

I also can’t forgive the upperback portion. I honestly thought there was a greater purpose for the glossy glass, yet all it did was record my finger smudges, saving it for a day when someone steals my phone and uses the marks to unlock it using my fingerprints, which brings us to our next point:

It Greatly Benefits From A Case

Despite its finely crafted metal body and perfectly sized 5-inch frame for single-handed use, you’re better off buying a case the moment you get a Pixel. The glass area surrounding the fingerprint scanner is prone to tiny scratches no matter how careful you are, and the metal area can get quite slippery.

We were fortunate enough to find a perfect case for the Pixel, Nillkin’s Super Frosted Shield. The red version matches our black Pixel perfectly, while its grippy texture and shock-absorbent material made us less worried about handling such an expensive phone.

Google Assistant Has A Long Way To Go

I really wanted this feature to succeed, I really did, but the commands I want it to perform the most aren’t there yet. Getting Google Assistant to open specific files in Drive, search for certain people in my Photos app, or even just help compose simple emails is frustrating at times.

And those aren’t on random apps, either. Assistant should be able to do every function possible on Google’s official Drive, Photos, and Gmail apps. Having it set reminders, check the weather, and play games with you is cool and all, but those can easily be done without the help of artificial intelligence.

Battery Life Is Generally Superb

The quality of Pixel’s battery life is debatable. I’ve heard a lot of bad things; at the same time, I’ve experienced fine endurance when I needed it most. Getting five hours of screen-on time over the course of one-and-a-half days has become commonplace, and that’s a good thing. Turn off the full-time voice activation and minimize LTE use, and you should manage two days on one charge.

Nothing Beats Its Camera

To this day, nothing trumps the speed and fluidity of the 12.3-megapixel camera and its app. Although Apple and Samsung can state their own cases why their cameras rule, the Pixel camera makes smartphone photography so seamless, and does so without any fancy optical image stabilization or second lens.

Photo after photo, I’m always impressed by the Pixel’s outputs. Its HDR mode is in a category of its own, and I highly suggest keeping it on at all times to boost colors and handle tricky lighting situations. It’s my go-to camera when the sun fully sets, and the 8-megapixel selfie camera is good, too, despite the lack of promotion.

This Phone Never Slows Down

Its Snapdragon 821 processor may be outdated soon, but in no way can the Pixel be considered slow. Unlike most Android handsets, this phone maintains its original speed for months. A lot of credit should be given to the 4GB of memory and lack of microSD card expansion, which would otherwise slow down the interface because of potentially sluggish external storage.

Its Android Is A Strange “Stock” Android

It feels so strange using a Google phone which doesn’t have a truly pure Android operating system. Sure, it’s on the latest 7.1 Nougat version and replaces the user interface built by the Nexus series, but it still feels like I’m using a third-party skin.

Don’t get me wrong: The visuals are spotless and swiping from below to open the app drawer should have been implemented a long time ago; I just get the feeling Google will revise the design all over again in the next Pixel phone, especially if a manufacturer other than HTC takes the lead.

Waterproofing Is Sorely Missed

Having used a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge before taking on the Pixel and playing with Sony’s Xperia XZ from time to time, I feel bad about not possessing some level of water- and dustproofing on this phone. It’s not everyday I go on beach trips or deal with splashes, but the peace of mind just isn’t there.

Unlimited Full-Resolution Photo Uploads Is A Superb Deal

As someone who constantly moves from one device to another, placing everything on the cloud is vital in ensuring all my files are accessible. While any decent smartphone can back up photos and videos for me, none can do it as well as the Pixel.

Having all my pictures and videos automatically synced to my Google Photos account at full resolution means I never have to worry about instant quality loss or degradation over time. I love how this is a permanent feature that adds so much extra value to the Pixel’s high asking price.

Is This Your Gadgetmatch?

I could just end the review here and tell you there’s no better Android smartphone than the Google Pixel right now, but I have to share a few more thoughts.

For one, finding a unit anywhere in the world hasn’t gotten any easier. Google is experiencing shipment problems through its official channels, so you must deal with a third-party retailer for any chance of purchasing one.

And then there’s the issue concerning its chipset. As fast as it is at the moment, it’ll soon feel slow once smartphones equipped with Qualcomm’s revolutionary Snapdragon 835 processor begin coming out next month.

Finally, let’s talk about the price. Starting at $649 for the 32GB storage variant, the Pixel isn’t cheap, and you’ll have to spend a hundred dollars more for the 5.5-inch Pixel XL, which only adds a better Quad HD resolution and larger battery to its value.

With the soon-to-be-outdated hardware and expensive price tag compared to all the other great phones out there, the Pixel isn’t as attractive as it once was, but for the time being, this will continue being my go-to handset for its camera and updated software alone.