Google Pixel 2 review
The best camera on a smartphone
OUR VERDICT
The Pixel 2 clues us in on why Google called its phone series Pixel: it was building the best camera on a phone. This second-generation effort fulfills that promise with not only the best-in-class photos, but also dual front-facing speakers and water-resistance. It's a great size, but you'll need to be okay with its dated looks and the fact that there’s no headphone jack.
FOR
- Top-of-the-line photos and video
- Dual front-facing speakers
- Premium water-resistant body
AGAINST
- Bezels really stand out in 2017
- No 3.5mm headphone jack
- Camera app could be better
Welcome to the best Google Pixel 2 review on the internet. Even with the technical issues that this Android phone went through at launch, it remains one of our most recommended for one reason: it has an amazing camera and starts at a normal smartphone price. On top of that, Google has since issued a patch for the audio glitch problems, so it stays put as one of our favorites. Your only issue may be finding one in stock, as Google in the US and UK is sold out. Luckily, it's readily in stock at Verizon and via Google Pixel 2 deals.
The Google Pixel 2 is here to prove that two rear cameras aren’t always better than one on a phone, especially if you favor photo quality over the latest all-screen designs. We have the picture proof below
It’s Google’s superior software that pushes this Android Oreo phone to snap the best-looking pictures we’ve seen, topping the camera on last year’s impressive Pixel and Pixel XL debut.
What’s more, this year's upgrade is faster, water-resistant and adds a new way to call up the Google Assistant: simply squeeze the phone’s sides to launch your new AI buddy. It sounds like a gimmick, but it’s easier than accidentally hitting another (Bixby) button.
The Pixel 2, with its 5-inch screen, doesn’t look like the future of smartphones, except for its lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack – you're going to want a pair of our best Bluetooth headphones for this one.
Unlike the Pixel 2 XL, which has an edge-to-edge 6-inch display and tall 18:9 aspect ratio, the Pixel 2 is bezel-heavy. Of course, we now know it has more vibrant colors and no signs (yet) of screen burn-in problems like its larger counterpart. Depending on how the XL screen performs in the long run, the Pixel 2 may actually be a case of "better small than sorry."
- Want something larger? Check out our Google Pixel 2 XL review
The bezels won't bother you if you want a phone that’s a great size, runs smart software and has a fantastic camera that will make your friends – even your Samsung-owning friends – jealous. The Pixel 2 is for people who favor functionality over fashion.
Price and release date
- Starts at $649 / £629 / AU$1,079 for 64GB model
- Announced October 4, shipped Thursday, October 19
- In the US, try Verizon if the Google Store still has delays
The Google Pixel 2 price didn't increase year-over-year, so like its dated design, it isn't keeping up with the competition. This is surprising for a phone announced on October 4, and a release date of October 19.
It costs $649 / £629 / AU$1,079 for the 64GB version, and $749 / £729 / AU$1,229 for the 128GB configuration. In the US, this phone is sold on-contract through Verizon only among carriers, but worry not, ordering it from the Google Store will mean it works on all networks, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint.
For a limited time you can get a free Google Home Mini with your purchase of the new Pixel 2 if you're in the US, UK, Australia, Canada or Germany. However, expect long wait times, especially for the delayed white version of the phone.
Design
- Great size and likable design
- Squeeze the sides to launch Google Assistant
- Waterproof, but no 3.5mm headphone jack
The Google Pixel 2 has a likable size and aesthetic, if you can look past the fact that the phone won’t wow you with an all-screen front. It has a futuristic camera, but the design has a distinctly last-year feel to it.
It easily fits into one hand thanks to its palmable dimensions and light weight. A few years ago this would’ve been considered a phablet, but today, next to the Note 8, it’s a normal-sized Android phone. Most will be able to manage one-handed operation of its 5-inch screen, something that's literally a tall order with the 6-inch Pixel 2 XL.
Both new Pixel phones are now IP67 waterproof (meaning they can survive underwater up to 1m or 3.3ft down for an hour) and retain a glass-and-metal design on the back, albeit with less glass toward the top compared to their predecessors.
The fingerprint scanner has been moved – don’t worry, it’s not off-center, as on Samsung’s new phones – onto the textured aluminum portion of the back, while the camera remains on the glass part, and has a protective ring around it now.
You won’t find a headphone jack on this phone, nor even USB-C earbuds inside the box – it comes with just a simple 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter. Google may have done some research and figured out that you probably own better headphones than the ones it usually supplies for free – plus, it’s all the more reason for you to buy into those Pixel Buds that just launched, right?
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