Gadgetory

Google's new phones the pixel 2 and pixel 2 XL are a bit of a contradiction in some ways they fit right into the latest phone phrases but in other ways they but the trend and yet still at the end of the day all the hardware and specs you think are important in making a premium phone aren't even what the pixel twos are about it's important to note here that the main difference between the two phones are mostly size and screen related and neither of them are more advanced than the other the pixel 2 is smaller with a 5-inch display and the pixel 2 XL has a sharper 6 inch screen it also has a bigger battery to accommodate the larger display moving on like that Apple iPhone and Motorola MOTO phones the pixel twos don't have headphone jacks if you don't already use wireless headphones this can get pretty annoying to have to carry around a dongle all the time second the pixel twos have squeezable sides similar to the HTC u 11 just give it a quick squeeze and Google's digital voice enabled assistant launches finally the phones fall in line with its competitors by being water-resistant they can be submerged in about 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes so you won't have to worry about an accidental dunking at the same time though the pixel 2 and pixel 2 XL go against what everyone else is doing - in a time where thin bezels are in the pixel - especially has thick bezels this is likely due to the dual audio speakers moving to the front but it makes the phone look a little less slick and a little more dated compared to its competitors more importantly though unlike a lot of premium phones these days the pixel twos don't have dual cameras Google says it doesn't really need it and that the phones still pack a great camera and the reality is it's true the pixel 2 has a fantastic camera I tested the phones out at the Auckland Zoo and my photos came out great the phone's portrait mode feature uses a combo of algorithm training and a special depth mapping image sensor to create dramatic bouquet style images with blurred backgrounds Google also added optical image stabilisation for steadier photos and video recording the results are pretty impressive like the original pixel last year the pixel 2 is still excellent at handling low-light photography and Google added an HDR plus enhanced tool that processes more exposures so your trickiest photos come out evenly lit there are also fun jiffy motion photos you can take that's similar to the iPhones live photos but other than the camera the pixel twos main draw is its software and the fact that it's so deeply integrated with Google's ecosystem and vast search database ok Google what's your fruit bats eat assistant works with a whole new slew of Google devices like the pixel buds which has an in-ear translation feature that's exclusive to pixel 2 you'll also get prompt OS updates from Google and there's google lens lens works a lot like Samsung's Bixby vision app calling up information about objects and the world around you if you wanted to know more about an album for instance just take its picture and lens will identify and show you more information about it it works on art landmarks books and on business cards to auto populate a context card it also sometimes though not always accurately work on other sorts of things too but you have to make sure the image is clear and pretty recognizable for lens to register it yes and in this case it's a type of tortoise lens is available in the pixel too first in the Photos app and then later in a system but it'll roll out to other Android devices afterward with premium phones gaining more parity with one another and competition as fierce as it is the pixel to and pixel to excel rely on Google's brand cachet ecosystem and software services to differentiate themselves in the end goggle pulled off another solid phone and with the help of its fantastic camera the pixel 2 is the best choice for anyone looking something other than the Apple and Samsung mainstream