Web User - UK (2019-11-13)

Google Pixel 4 Product Test

Do you agree? Let us know at [email protected] 13 - 26 November 2019 23

ThePixel4 isn’tperfect

• fans will be disappointed
  by the lack of microSD
  support and fingerprint
  reader, while improvements
  to the camera come via the
  software rather than the
  hardware. Even more
  worryingly, battery life is
  disappointing for a phone
  of this price.
  But despite all that, the

Pixel 4 remains the

pinnacle of what Android

can muster in the fight

against iOS, and does it at

a significantly more

affordable price.

interact with the phone from
seemingly any angle.
This is most useful for
unlocking the phone, with the
screen lighting up whenever
the Pixel 4 detects movement
and swiftly turning off if it’s
left alone. You can also
snooze alarms, skip songs on
Spotify and cycle through
your YouTube playlists with a
waggle of your hand.
The Pixel 4 is running the
latest version of Google’s
mobile operating system,
Android 10, with its own Pixel
launcher overlay. Android 10 is
currently only available on a
select few phones and
includes a handful of new
features and software tweaks.
A system-wide dark mode
is (finally) an option, as well
as a new ‘focus mode’, which
hides notifications from apps
you deem distracting. Swiping
your thumb across from either
side of the screen now acts as
the Back button, swiping up
from the bottom of the screen
brings you to the home
screen and swiping up while
holding your finger in the
middle of the screen opens a
list of recent apps. It’s the
best version of Android yet
and finally manages to give
iOS 13 a proper run for its
money in both responsiveness
and general speed.

Cameras
Google has included the same
12-megapixels camera unit
from previous years, though
it’s now boosted by a new
16-megapixels 2x telephoto
zoom camera. However, this
isn’t particularly special – it
simply allows you to zoom
further into the frame.
Most phone makers have
incorporated zoom lenses into
their flagship phones for some
time now.
The Pixel phones have
always taken great photos,
though, and that has been
further improved here,
particularly in the already
excellent ‘Night Sight’ mode,
with better colour balance in
the dark.
Image quality is as
effortlessly brilliant as ever

• whatever the lighting
  conditions, you can rest

assured that your pictures will

burst with intricate details,

well-judged exposures and a

pleasingly-accurate colour

rendition.

Mercifully, Google refuses

to adopt Apple’s pricing

mode of charging upwards of

four figures for its latest

flagship handsets, so the

64GB Pixel 4 canbepicked

up for £669, whilethe128GB

variant costs £769.This

makes it one ofthecheapest

flagship smartphonesonthe

market. Apple’siPhone11 Pro

starts at £1,049andthe

Samsung GalaxyS10launched

at £799, thoughyoucanfind

it discounted now.

PRODUCT INFO

Google Pixel 4

Price: £669

Buy from Google:

bit.ly/pixel488

SPECIFICATIONS

Q 2.84GHz Octa-core Qualcomm

Snapdragon 855 processor

Q 6GB memory

Q 64 or 128GB storage

Q 5.7in display

Q 16-megapixels rear camera with

second 12.2-megapxiels zoom

camera

Q 8-megapixels front camera

Q 147 x 69 x 8.2mm

Q 162g

FOR

 Best Android software to date

 Pixel camera continues to

impress

 Comprehensive range of new

features

AGAINST

 Poor battery life

 No fingerprint sensor or microSD

expansion

OUR VERDICT

FEATURES +++++

PERFORMANCE +++++

EASEOFUSE +++++

VALUE FOR MONEY +++++

iPhone11 Pro,£1,049

bit.ly/iphone488

SamsungGalaxyS10,

£639.99

bit.ly/samsung488

EVEN FASTER

ANDROID

ALTERNATIVE

Image quality is as effortlessly brilliant

as ever, whatever the lighting conditions