Google Pixel XL review: Plans | Pricing | Specs

Google's larger original Pixel phone redefined what you might want in a phone with a strong hardware focus, although not everything feels premium.

Google's original Nexus brand for its own phones was killed off in favour of Pixel, supplied back in 2016 with the smaller Pixel and larger Pixel XL handsets.

At the time, the Google Pixel XL combined some cutting edge technologies and software along with a big helping of Google’s own in-house apps and cloud-centric thinking. For hardcore Android fans the Pixel XL had been highly anticipated, and the good news is that the wait was (mostly) worth it.

Design

• Plain design doesn't feel premium
• No headphone socket.

• Read more on the Google Pixel XL design

  

  For a premium phone, the Pixel XL looks ordinary. Place it against direct contemporary competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge or Sony Xperia XZ and it looks downright under-designed, and that’s leaving the obvious comparison against Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus out of the conversation.

  It’s by no means a bad looking phone, but it’s very plain for the asking price.

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Camera

• Good low-light performance for a single lens camera

• Read more on the Google Pixel XL camera

  Google’s central pitch for the Pixel and Pixel XL was based on the quality of their cameras, claiming at the time that they were the "world’s best" smartphone cameras.

  Even at the time we weren't certain we’d agree with that level of hype, but the Pixel XL can manage some very good looking photos.

  For example, here’s a quick tree photo taken with the generally very good iPhone 7 Plus:
  Here’s the same photo, taken with the Pixel XL, with colours that pop just a little brighter:However, it’s not a total home run for the Pixel XL. Here’s a rather dull subject in dull light – the corner of a freezer in a darkened laundry. Here’s the Pixel XL’s take:
  And here’s what the iPhone 7 Plus made of the same scene.Neither picture is brilliant and has plenty of noise, but the Pixel XL's shot is slightly darker with a less balanced take on the white areas of the freezer.

  The Pixel XL's camera is very good, and nicely user-guided for those who just want decent photos with a minimum of fuss, although there are plenty of manual controls if that's more your style.

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Performance

• Snapdragon 821 compared well
• Google Assistant showed off Google's AI ambitions
• Lacks water resistance

• Read more on the Google Pixel XL performance

  

  There’s a distinct advantage to having full control over both the hardware and software when it comes to making a truly premium phone. Apple has this kind of advantage in iOS, and the Pixel XL shows that Google’s gone down this path as well. In pure benchmark terms, here’s how the Pixel XL compares with a range of contemporary flagships using Geekbench 4’s CPU test:

  Handset	Geekbench 4 CPU Single Core (higher is better)	Geekbench 4 CPU Multi Core (higher is better)
  Apple iPhone 7 Plus	3374	5649
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	1359	5333
  Samsung Galaxy S7	1378	4718
  Apple iPhone SE	2449	4171
  Apple iPhone 6s	2465	4052
  Google Pixel XL	1629	4051
  Sony Xperia XZ	1636	3604
  Google Nexus 6P	1293	3594
  Motorola Moto X Force	1352	3581
  Sony Xperia X	1122	2626
  Motorola Moto G Play	522	1334

  Here’s how it compares using 3DMark’s Ice Storm Unlimited test:

  Handset	3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Result
  Apple iPhone 7 Plus	37956
  LG G5	29597
  Apple iPhone SE	29276
  Samsung Galaxy S7	28903
  Samsung Note7	28646
  Google Pixel XL	28458
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	28402
  Apple iPhone 6s	28171
  HTC 10	27392
  Sony Xperia XZ	26279
  Sony Xperia X Performance	26125

  That might suggest mid-range performance out of the Pixel XL’s Snapdragon 821 processor, but the reality of using it is that it’s as fast, and often faster than comparable premium handsets.

  That’s possibly a quirk of testing Geekbench on Nougat, but the day to day reality of the Pixel XL is that it’s a nicely powerful handset with a clean UI, as Google’s own inhouse phones have tended to be. We've pushed it hard, and it's always come back quickly at us, as you might expect of a highly optimised handset.

  The Pixel XL was the first phone available in Australia with Google’s Nougat pre-installed. Nougat added features like split-screen app multi-tasking and a very clean interface. This means you can configure the Pixel XL to your precise needs without having to worry about pre-installed apps that you can’t uninstall. Our test unit came with Telstra's 24/7 app installed, but had no problems with us quickly uninstalling it.

  Google Assistant first made its debut on the Pixel and Pixel XL. The pumped up version of Google Now is even smarter, with plenty of contextual smarts around conversations you have with it, and suggestions based on your location, search history and calendar as you use it. This extends to limited app control as well. Voice assistant technology is still something of a love or loathe proposition, but what Google’s done with Assistant is exceptionally smart. It's meant to learn as you go, becoming ever more useful for your daily needs, whether that's commuting information, setting calendar appointments or sending out quick messages.

  Google Assistant can be a great tool for finding out all sorts of information, but it’s very much a two-way trade. To make the most of it, you’re leaving an Internet-connected microphone running 24/7, just waiting for you to say "OK Google" and kick it into gear. Google is still a company that trades in information, including yours, and the Pixel XL continues its goals of knowing everything possible about you for ad serving purposes. Some won’t be fussed in the least by this, but it’s at least worth knowing that this is happening at an accelerated rate with the Pixel XL

  In performance terms we couldn't overlook the fact that the Pixel phones have never supported expandable memory via microSD card.

  Look, we get it Google. Really, we do.

  You’re all about the online services, so why would anyone need onboard storage? While you could opt for the more pricey 128GB Pixel XL if your budget can stretch to it, there aren’t that many sealed storage Android devices, and we did miss the easy ability to flick a microSD card’s worth of content into the Pixel XL. It’s all well and good to offer app, photo and document storage in the cloud if you run out of space, but that involves upstream mobile data, which is a potentially pricey proposition.

  One of the key differentiators for 2016 flagships has been the inclusion of water resistance in some form. The Pixel XL is as sealed down as anything else, but it’s not specifically rated for water ingress, which is a disappointing miss.

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Battery life

• 3450mAh battery gives easy all-day battery life
• No wireless charging

• Read more on the Google Pixel XL battery life

  The larger size of the Google Pixel XL allowed Google to throw 3450mAh of battery capacity into the handset, giving it easy all-day battery life, especially with Nougat's inbuilt battery optimisations. That being said, it's a sealed battery and if you were looking to buy one, the battery would be a little on the older side unless it's been refurbished. While plenty of 2016 handsets offered wireless charging, this wasn't a feature that Google saw fit to add to the Google Pixel XL.

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Verdict

• Pure Google for those who love that approach.

• Read our full Google Pixel XL verdict

  Google very much played its software-first vision of what a smartphone could be with the Google Pixel XL. It’s a fine premium phone, but the focus on Google services and customisation means it’s best suited to the Android faithful who want a pure Google experience. There’s little of the app-driven hand holding you’d find on the likes of a Samsung phone here.

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Pricing and availability

Google Pixel XL

Google's first big Pixel phone

The Google Pixel XL is Google's first inhouse phone under the Pixel branding, complete with Google Assistant and a very smart camera indeed.

• The Google Pixel XL originally sold in Australia outright for $999.
• The Google Pixel XL is also available from Optus on contract plan terms.