Google Pixel is finally official. The search giant launched its new series of flagship Android phones at an event in the US. Terming it as the first Google phone, the company announced the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones with Android 7.1 Nougat. The Pixel and Pixel XL will come with Snapdragon 821 processor, 4 GB RAM and AMOLED displays.
Google Pixel and Pixel XL Specs
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The Google Pixel and the Pixel XL are extremely similar phones. They share almost everything in terms of the hardware, except for the display and battery size. Google has emulated the iPhone strategy to a great extent here, from the design, specs to the pricing too. We’ll come back to the pricing later, but here’s a quick glance at the specs.
The Google Pixel comes with a 5 inch AMOLED display with a full HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of ~441 PPI. The Pixel XL comes with a 5.5 inch Quad HD AMOLED display with a pixel density of ~534 PPI.
Both the Pixels run on Android 7.1 Nougat, with a brand new Google Assistant taking the centerstage here. Google is looking to emulate Siri and Cortana – while it had tried to do so with Google Now before, it turns out the company is transitioning over to Google Assistant now. We will touch on it in a lot more detail in a separate post.
Google has talked a lot about the cameras in the new Pixels. Both the phones come with the same 12 MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and Phase Detection Autofocus. The phones come with dual LED flash for assistance in low light. Video recording up to 2160p at 30 FPS is supported. On the front, you get an 8 MP snapper.
The more interesting bits about the cameras are in the software department. Google has been working over the last few months to optimize the new Pixels. To demonstrate this, the company showed off a side-by-side video recording with two Pixels – one with stabilisation enabled and the other with stabilisation disabled. The difference, in the keynote video, was staggering. How it performs in real life remains to be seen.
Coming to other specs, the new Pixel and Pixel XL come with 4 GB RAM, 32 GB or 128 GB UFS 2.0 internal storage. There is no option to expand the internal storage with a microSD card.
Both the Pixels support 4G LTE, with Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC. There’s no wireless charging sadly, but you get Quick Charge 3.0. Google has included USB 3.0 along with a USB Type C port. The Pixel comes with a 2700 mAh battery while the Pixel XL comes with a 3450 mAh battery.
Here is how Google advertised the Pixel [Video]
Google Pixel And Pixel XL FAQ, User Queries And Answers
Question: Do the Google Pixel and Pixel XL have dual SIM Slots?
Answer: No, the Pixel phones do not come with dual SIM slots. You get a single SIM slot with support for a nano SIM card.
Question: Do the Google Pixel and Pixel XL have microSD expansion option?
Answer: No, the devices do not support microSD expansion.
Question: What are the color options?
Answer: The devices will be available in Blue, Silver and Black color options.
Question: Do the Google Pixel and Pixel XL have the 3.5 mm headphone jack?
Answer: Yes, the devices come with a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Question: What all sensor do the Pixel and Pixel XL have?
Answer: The new Pixel phones come with fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, proxity sensor, compass and a barometer.
Question: What are the dimensions?
Answer: Google Pixel – 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6 mm
Google Pixel XL – 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6 mm
Question: What is the SoC used in the Pixel and Pixel XL?
Answer: Both the Pixel and Pixel XL come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 821.
Question: How is the display of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL?
Answer: The Google Pixel comes with a 5 inch full HD AMOLED display. It has a pixel density of ~441 ppi.
The Pixel XL comes with a 5.5 inch Quad HD AMOLED display. It has a pixel density of ~534 PPI.
Question: Do the Google Pixel and Pixel XL support Adaptive Brightness?
Answer: Yes, they support adaptive brightness.
Question: Which OS version, OS type runs on the phone?
Answer: Both the devices run on Android 7.1 Nougat.
Question: Do the new Pixel phones come with capacitive buttons or on-screen navigation buttons?
Answer: Both the devices come with on-screen navigation buttons.
Question: Do they come with a fingerprint sensor?
Answer: Yes, both the phones come with a fingerprint sensor.
Question: Can we Play 4K Videos on the Google Pixel and Pixel XL?
Answer: The Google Pixel can only play videos up to full HD resolution whereas the Google Pixel XL can play videos up to 2K resolution.
Question: Is Fast Charging supported on the Google Pixel and Pixel XL?
Answer: Yes, both the devices support fast charging – Quick Charge 3.0.
Question: Do they support USB OTG?
Answer: Yes, they both support USB OTG.
Question: Do they come with a Gyroscope sensor?
Answer: Yes, they come with a gyroscope sensor.
Question: Are they waterproof?
Answer: No, the devices are not waterproof.
Question: Do they have NFC?
Answer: Yes, the devices come with NFC.
Question: How good is the camera quality of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL?
Answer: The Google Pixel and Pixel XL come with a 12 MP primary camera with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus and dual-LED flash. On the front, they feature an 8 MP secondary camera with f/2.0 aperture.
We haven’t tested the new Pixel phones yet. Once we have done our testing, we will post more details in the review.
Question: Do they have Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)?
Answer: No, the devices do not come with OIS.
Question: Is there any dedicated camera shutter button on the new Pixel phones?
Answer: No, they do not have any dedicated camera shutter button.
Question: What is the weight of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL?
Answer: Google Pixel – 143 gms
Google Pixel XL – 168 gms
Question: Do the Pixel phones come with stereo loudspeaker?
Answer: The Pixel phones come with a single loudspeaker, downward firing. They do not come with stereo loudspeakers.
Question: Can the Pixel phones be connected to a Bluetooth headset?
Answer: Yes, they can be connected to a Bluetooth headset.
Question: Is Mobile Hotspot Internet Sharing supported?
Answer: Yes, you can create hotspot to share internet from the Pixel phones to other devices.
Conclusion
The new Google Pixel and Pixel XL demonstrate that Google is stepping up its game, at least on paper. Both the phones come with the latest specs, stock Android software with a brand new Google Assistant. However, they don’t offer anything drastically different from any other phone out there. Perhaps companies like Samsung and others have innovated a lot more in both the design of the hardware as well as new software features than Google has in the new Pixel phones.
On the first impression, the new Pixel phones don’t seem to be offering anything that any other phones don’t. In fact, with the cheapest Pixel costing $650, Google is taking a very big gamble. The new Pixels come with iPhone-like pricing – Google has promised to offer 2 years of software updates while Apple has been offering 4-5 years of updates to its iPhones, on an average. All things considered, the new Pixel phones seem more overpriced than even the new iPhone 7.
