I often end up commenting that benchmarks, while a useful gut-feel guide, aren't the complete story when it comes to smartphone performance. The Pixel 2 XL might just be the best example of this maxim I've seen this year. In Geekbench 4's CPU test, the Pixel 2 XL tests near identically to any other Snapdragon 835-based system we've tested this year, although a fair distance behind any of Apple's A11 Fusion-based iPhones:
Handset | Geekbench 4 CPU Single Core (higher is better) | Geekbench 4 CPU Multi Core (higher is better) |
---|
Apple iPhone X | 4185 | 10319 |
Apple iPhone 8 | 4270 | 10272 |
Apple iPhone 8 Plus | 4113 | 10221 |
Huawei Mate 10 Pro | 1888 | 6787 |
Samsung Galaxy S8+ | 2020 | 6690 |
Samsung Galaxy S8 | 1989 | 6628 |
Huawei P10 Plus | 1863 | 6544 |
Nokia 8 | 1932 | 6529 |
OnePlus 5 | 1976 | 6506 |
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | 2024 | 6490 |
HTC U11 | 1919 | 6362 |
Sony Xperia XZ Premium | 1908 | 6324 |
Google Pixel 2 XL | 1914 | 6254 |
And here's how it compares using 3DMark's Ice Storm Unlimited benchmark:
Handset | 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Result |
---|
Apple iPhone 8 | 64461 |
Apple iPhone X | 61256 |
Apple iPhone 8 Plus | 59205 |
HTC U11 | 40239 |
Sony Xperia XZ Premium | 40086 |
Google Pixel 2 XL | 39551 |
OnePlus 5 | 39497 |
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | 32277 |
Huawei Mate 10 Pro | 30765 |
Samsung Galaxy S8 | 28409 |
Samsung Galaxy S8+ | 28120 |
However, in real-world usage, the Pixel 2 XL is the swiftest Android phone I've tested this year, hands-down. I can't help but suspect that, aside from its clean Android install (a trick that other phones, such as most of Nokia's handsets, use), Google's managed to sneak in more than a little software optimisation to really push the hardware to deliver because it genuinely does.
For standard everyday tasks, response is silky smooth and fast, whether that's unlocking via the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, checking email or quickly zipping out a social media update. This pushes the Pixel 2 XL beyond the simple realm of hardcore Android aficionados because nobody ever wishes their phone would operate more slowly.
While the Pixel 2 XL is an LG-built device, its smaller partner, the Pixel 2 is an HTC production, and it's from HTC that Google has borrowed the "Edge Sense" concept (also found on the HTC U11) for squeezable sides on the Pixel 2 XL.
Like the HTC U11, you can set the degree of force needed to activate the motion, but unlike the U11, you can't actually pick what feature you'd like to invoke with a squeeze. On the new Pixels, it's to activate Google Assistant or to optionally mute calls, and that's it.
I was one of only a few reviewers who saw merit in Edge Sense but, while it does sell Google services, it feels limiting in a way that Android often avoids. It's a closed platform play that would feel far more at home on an Apple phone, really.
Then there's the contentious issue of the Pixel 2 XL's P-OLED display. Google has made some interesting choices when it comes to calibration, some of which are often overstated, and others that are slightly more problematic.
On the lighter side, the Pixel 2 XL is calibrated specifically to the sRGB standard. That means (in very simplified terms) that it's a significantly less-vibrant display than you might be used to on competing OLED displays from, say, Samsung or most Chinese OEM makers, who love oversaturated displays. Neither approach is "wrong", just "different".
It's probably worth having a decent look at the Pixel 2 XL's display in real life to work out if this is going to bug you and while you're at it, give it a slight tilt.
That's because the Pixel 2 XL has one of the most noticeable cases of blueshift from any premium phone released this year. It's a factor for any display screen because they're typically built to present images straight on.
Still, you really don't have to tilt the Pixel 2 XL much to see it, and once you're aware of it, it's hard to ignore. Again, this isn't a critical error, but it's less than desirable on what is a premium-priced handset, in the same way that the iPhone X "notch" is something of a visual blight.
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