ISSUE 44 • ANDROID ADVISOR 19REVIEWOn the Google phone there’s a couple of
millimetres of bezel at the edges – it’s just not quite
as impressive as Samsung’s handset.
There’s also a problem with the Pixel 2 XL: viewing
angles. If you tilt the phone or look at it at an angle,
whites turn blue. This isn’t noticeable most of the time,
but in menus and on web pages it can get annoying.
And neither the Galaxy S8 nor the HTC-made Pixel 2
suffer from this problem.
There are obvious design cues taken from the
original Pixel, notably the split back. Here, though, the
top section is black on both models – Gorilla glass is
used to allow the radio signals to pass through rather
than ugly antenna lines. This, unlike the aluminium
body, does immediately get covered in fingerprints.
The fingerprint scanner is still on the back but
below the glass panel rather than within it as with last
year’s Pixel XL. And unlike the S8’s crazy location next
to the camera, the Pixel 2 XL’s scanner is in just the
right place to fall under your finger.
There’s still just one camera and an LED flash next
to it, so no option for a telephoto or wide-angle photo
as with most of the Pixel’s rivals. But it still has a few
tricks up its sleeve which we’ll explain below.
The major news is that both Pixels are now water
resistant, but like other phones, ditch the headphone
socket in favour of digital audio via the USB-C port.
The Galaxy S8, though, keeps the old minijack, which
could be a dealmaker for some.
There are no buttons on the front of the Pixel:
Android’s navigation keys are on screen as is
normal for Google phones.