ISSUE 46 • ANDROID ADVISOR 77FEATUREBut it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Google took its
share of lumps over the past 12 months, and proved
that making great hardware isn’t as easy as it looks.
Here are all the hits and misses in 2017:
Hit: Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
The Pixel phone was one of the best Android
phones of 2016, and the Pixel 2 is just as good, if
not better. The Pixel 2 XL has a bigger screen and
slimmed-down design, and both models have better
chips and batteries. But you need look no further
than camera to see how Google has really set its
handsets apart from the pack.
Unlike the Galaxy Note 8 and LG V30, there’s a
single camera on the Pixels, but it does the work
of two, with excellent zoom and spectacular
portraits. And you don’t need to spring for the more
expensive model to reap the benefits, like some
other companies make you do.
Miss: Pixel problems
The Pixel 2 XL is a fantastic phone, but its release
wasn’t without its problems. First there were display
issues, with some users complaining about dull
colours, image retention, and an aggressive blue tint.
Google kind of remedied those issues with a software
update and a warranty extension, but other problems
continued to crop up: clicking noises coming from the
receiver, random rebooting, and poor audio recording
quality, to name a few. With such intense competition
among Android phones, it put a damper on what
should have been a stellar launch.