Articles about Pixel 2 XL

Doubt disturbed my commitment to give up the Apple Way for the Google lifestyle two months ago. Preparing to pack up my wife's 64GB white iPhone X, I was taken aback by how pretty it was. She kept the thing in a case, which protected from damage but also obscured beauty. For fleeting seconds, I wondered why switch. Product design that generates joy is another benefit—and one transcending any, and every, feature.

But the moment passed, and I boxed up her smartphone along with my 256GB black iPhone X. Google gave great trade-in values, which dispatched the hassle of reselling the devices on Craigslist. Eight weeks later, writing this post on Pixelbook, I don't regret the decision. Confession: The transition isn't quite complete, but we're getting there. 

Continue reading →

Six years ago today I penned my personal Declaration of Independence from Apple, nearly a month after pledging to boycott the company's products and services—and I did, only to quietly stop six months later. They say history repeats, eh? On this July 4th, I forsake the fruit-logo company once more. From Apple I return to Google, choosing one digital lifestyle over the other—and not for the first time, as some commenters will be quick to argue.

Past to present: By summer 2012, I viewed various patent assaults by Apple against Samsung and others as competition by litigation, not innovation. Weighing on my decision in 2018 is a newer—and more aggressive—attack against Qualcomm, which headquarters are in San Diego (my city of residence). While a Qualcomm customer, Apple also is a fierce chip competitor that seeks to bolster margins by paying less for patents—and by invalidating or diminishing them, destabilize competition from the Android Army.

Continue reading →

With the launch of Samsung's Galaxy S9 and S9+, we now have a full contingent of new flagship smartphones to pit against each other. The S9 joins the iPhone X and the Pixel 2 as one of the handsets shoppers will be choosing between.

While you may feel that you are settled firmly in the Android or iOS camp, it's not until you look at the full specifications of each of these top of the range phones that you can really make a decision. So that's just what we're doing. Here's how the Galaxy S9, Pixel 2 and iPhone X compare.

Continue reading →

Early adopters have discovered a number of problems with the display of the Pixel 2 XL, which could make the flagship a tough sell in its segment. To make sure that that does not happen, Google has decided to upgrade the warranty.

Google is moving the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL to a two-year worldwide warranty, which is designed to "give users peace of mind," knowing that it will address any issues that may arise during that period. Google, however, says that it is done despite the quality of Pixel 2 XL's display being in line with that of similar devices.

Continue reading →

When you pay big bucks for a smartphone you expect it to be flawless. That's why people make a big deal out the problems they find on a flagship device. Things are no different with Google's new Pixel 2 XL, which exhibits some serious issues.

The problems stem from its display which, put simply, is not of the highest quality. Users have reported color shifting when looking at the screen from an angle, poor color reproduction and, most-recently, burn-in. That last bit is especially worrying because the Pixel 2 XL has only been around for a couple of weeks.

Continue reading →

An increasing number of smartphones are ditching the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL follow this trend. While it is something of an inevitability that the old-style jack will be completely replaced, there are still plenty of people who mourn its loss.

While there is a move towards more widespread use of Bluetooth headphones and other alternatives, many people still question why the 3.5mm has to go. Now Google has offered something of an explanation, putting it down -- at least in part -- to the "bezel-less future" of phones.

Continue reading →

I would like to thank Google for saving me thousands of dollars in needless spending. Near the end of today's gangbuster hardware event, I was ready to order two new Chromebooks and smartphones, one each for me and my wife. But "error 500" pages on the company's store website and long-lead new product availability dates prompted me to cancel the one order successfully made and to delete the others in process from my shopping cart.

For a company whose product managers droned on this morning about all the reasons why artificial intelligence is so right, Big G got the store selling experience all wrong. I have waited through most of 2017 for a new Google-branded Chrome OS laptop. While hardly a fresh hardware design concept, Pixelbook is nevertheless tempting enough to bring me back to the AI and voice-assistant contextual future from the Apple rotting on the overly-obsessed touch-UI tree. I was willing and ready but instead walked away angry.

Continue reading →

Google just announced the second-generation Pixel smartphones. The new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, which come with Android 8.0 Oreo, feature a best-in-class camera, improved display with always-on functionality, faster internals and more storage than before.

The main differences between the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are in the display and battery departments. The Pixel 2 features a 5-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 and 16:9 aspect ratio whereas the XL version comes with a 6-inch pOLED panel with a resolution of 2,880 by 1,440 and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Pixel 2 XL has the most-impressive display of the two, hands down.

Continue reading →

Google’s Pixel smartphones were among the best Android flagships released last year, and Google is expected to announce their successors today.

In addition to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones, we’re also expecting the search giant to reveal other products, including a new Google Home, a new Daydream headset, and a new Chromebook.

Continue reading →

Google is expected to take the wraps off the Pixel 2 next month along with -- probably -- the Pixel 2 XL. Last year's Pixel event took place on October 4, and the appearance of a billboard in Boston suggests that the same date will be used this year.

The Google billboard says simply: "Ask more of your phone" and then the date, Oct. 4. The sighting of the billboard comes just as the LG-manufactured Pixel 2 XL passes through FCC.

Continue reading →