Google Pixel XL 128GB (2016)

6 month review – If you been following my reviews from the Samsung to OnePlus to Nexus I've switched to pixel which means you know I'm a pure android kind of tech geek. People read reviews to make a decision on where to spend their hard earned cash. I ordered mine on the first day of release which means I didn't get held up like those geeks waiting for weeks… Read more

on end for a pixel.

Fault, Bluetooth issue when pairing devices. It's happen once to me in 6 months all I did was turn off phone and back on (software update required) hopefully April or May.

Fault, Snapchat camera takes time to focus must tap on screen to adjust happening since the beginning.(could be app problem camera loads good on its own)

Resolved, speaker crackling sound when watching the mummy trailer on max volume (software update fixed it)

Resolved, now cards not updating January or February (software update fixed it)

Resolved, slippery phone. All I did was get a rhino shield bumper protector and slap on a skin from dbrand it's a tight fit but it works.

Con, google support chat. It worked for the first month which was great sometimes you don't like to talk to people. Now it's only call back but least its instant.

Con, you can never order the blue ever well not for Australia

Pro. You can call someone while you're navigating without touching device just do a hey google comannd.

Pro. Manage 5 hours of SOT easily daily. Claim 7 hours of use with 15 minutes of charge? Take that with a grain of salt.

Overall. No lag from phone. Just remember to clear the cache from settings. I have not put a custom rom on this pixel no need it just works. Yes the camera is legit works great it's on par with its rivals.

Any questions just ask. Who knows what my next phone might be. Samsung S8 on the horizon also note or I'll wait for iPhone 8 and pixel 2 to make my decision.

Amazing Smart Phone, how most smart phones should be! – I bought this in late November when I was getting very frustrated with my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (which was the replacement for my Samsung Galaxy Note 7).. Although I have had Nexus devices a couple of times in the past, the Pixel XL is just a fabulous device that is so easy to use. Is the Pixel XL better than my original Note 7? Well, no I don't… Read more

think it is quite as good, especially without the S Pen, but it doesn't come with the risk of catching fire!

While I love this phone, it does have its own little quirks and did take a little getting used to having mainly used Samsung Galaxy phones as my primary devices. The biggest complaint I hear is that it is boring, but I disagree. It just looks elegant and a little timeless in its design. While the camera is mostly fantastic, it does have some pros and cons which compared to the Samsung Galaxy S7 / Note 7, which take amazing low light pictures.

Overall, I am just very happy with the Pixel XL. Although I bought the 128gb version, I now realise that I actually needed to.

Pretty good - some quirks – The look - Not exciting looking (looks little like iphone/HTC) - Nice display colours are vibrant - Not the skinniest but still nice to hold The Good - Clean Android install - great for purist/minimalist - no bloatware - Headphone jack - Comes with adapters - Fast - 12mb camera - good photos even in low light - Good battery life -… Read more

Android pay - add loyalty cards

Other little things

- Press green button to answer call - I always hated the swipe to answer

- Live cases looks good bit gimmicky (detects copyright)

Middle of the road

- Fingerprint responsive but on back - must pick up - swipe down for notifications I don't use it (I had LG G4 so am used to it)

- Google assistant - contextual searches good but still needs work

- Pixel launcher > overall don't like it - missing features like - No notification badge - - I have my own preferred launcher: Nova launcher

- It has swipe up for app drawer and long press - I like

- Date/weather widget not customisable - terrible actually

- Keyboard not exciting although you can add stickers and gifs - I use - Swiftkey but I see Google keyboard has come out - will try

The Bad

- Mono speaker on bottom

- No expandable storage

- No notification badges on pixel launcher

- Pick up display time - doesn't do it like Samsung does

- Not water resistant

- No accessories - eg. Samsung Led display case

- No wireless charging

- Notification bar icons - reception bars and battery percentage - hard to see

- No vol adjust in notification dropdown! - must press side buttons

- Turning off mobile data is a 2 step process - why??!!

A truly outstanding device – Despite bland looks, this device is a great performer. Battery life is outstanding, the screen is pin-sharp and responsive, phone reception has always been solid for me, and the interface is always snappy and smooth. The speaker is okay, but nothing special. But the real star of the show is the camera - it's simply amazing, and it's very… Read more

difficult to take a bad photo with it. In tough conditions, where most cameras will struggle, it doesn't even seem to try. It makes you look like a pro. And the power button double-tap shortcut to open the camera is icing on the cake - you can be ready to take photos before it's fully out of your pocket. I could rave about it for hours.

Pure android experience – It takes beautiful pictures and gives the user pure android experience. Absolutely love how the phone is very responsive to the users needs. Has a great texture and good grip too. The only downfall is that the I feel it's pricey. Nevertheless, You get what you pay for the quality and the experience.  Show details

Love it! – Being totally over Apple phones, this is a magnificent alternative! I don't think I could go back to Apple. Easily the quickest feeling phone I've ever had with a great camera and operating system. Feels so snappy going between menus and opening apps. Also seems to have many more customizable options than compared to an iPhone. And bloatware free!  Show details

Great Phone.... terrible product support from Google – Have used the phone for nearly 1 year.... was absolutely fabulous with great quality pictures and very easy to use. Then in February, Google released an update to the phone service app... and it all went down hill... for three months now, and even after a replacement phone on which the camera failed, Google hasn't supported the product... so… Read more

unless you are a phone guru... stay away from Google products as product support will let you down... a shame because original equipment is great.

The Pixel XL is a dud – Since the software update to 8.1.0 My Pixel XL has had problems. Firstly the phone screen would not turn on. Currently the microphone on my Pixel XL is dead. I can hear incoming callers but they cannot hear me. The eBay seller advertised the phone with AU WARRANTY which looks like a fraud as the seller refuses to answer my emails and has… Read more

seemingly not taken any action. I have had one quote of $550 to replace the main board on my PIxel XL. This problem is wide spread so much so that a Class Action has been launched against Google in the USA over the dead microphone issue. In the early days of this problem Google was replacing dud phones with new ones and in Australia ???

Not worth the price – For a $1,000 smart phone, I expect more.. much much more... After just 1 month using it, there's a black line in the screen (all the way from the top to the bottom). During that 1 month, I treated it with the most care possible because it's a $1,000 phone. It never fell, even to a sofa or cushion. So I was very disappointed with the black line. I… Read more

came to JB Hi-Fi and they agreed to replace it with the new ones. I had to wait for around 1 week for the replacement because it had some scarcity issue due to the hype and popularity.

The replacement phone developed no line, but somehow the internet connection can't run smoothly using my office's wifi. Whenever I watched youtube, it lagged to stream the video. It only happened on my office's wifi, but none of my coworker's phone ever had this kind of issue, and neither did my other smart phones.

So I finally decided to sell it to my cousin at a loss. Not worth the price, not even worth the hype.

Pixel XL reliable work horse, – Although this phone is no longer a flagship, it is therefore a cheaper and reliable budget option. Pure android simplicity and steady UI. Great camera backed by Google AI features. Limitless pic and vid Google cloud storage, automatically uploading. Runs Pie OS very well. Battery life hard to beat. Excellent low price down from up over a… Read more

thousand aud to now in the low three hundreds.

Metal chassis.

Industrial style rather than latest expensive curved glass etc.

Latest tech and USB C for fast charge and data transfer.

Fantastic internet support from Google.

Relatively easy to work on.

Great phone – Personally I was worried switching from apple to android again but the Pixel XL is great and doesn't make me regret my decision. The camera is fantastic and takes awesome quality photos and I get the latest & best updates. Would recommend to new phone searchers :) Bit on the pricey side, but worth it.  Show details

Fantastic Phone – Really great phone. One of easiest phone to operate I have ever had. It really is simply to use. The camera is awesome, takes fantastic good quality photos. The apps run smoothly on the phone also. I am happy with the brightness and quality of the phone. It's very fast and great how you can get the latest Android version.  Show details

Great phone however doesn't hold resale value – Love the phone, and the camera is incredible! However, it was quickly superseded by the GS8 and then the iPhoneX. Decent battery life. Wish it were waterproof. Clean Android is a godsend, and you're guaranteed the latest software first for at least a few years after purchase. A good buy, especially with the bargains around now, but don't expect it to hold resale value like an iPhone.  Show details

Best phone i've bought – I really like this phone because its responsive, camera quality is sharp and arguably better than the iphone, video capability of 4k and is smart enough to track the things that i like in its 'google news feed' service. The only thing i could fault is the battery life but other that that this is my favourite phone thus far.  Show details

Smart and simple – This is my best ever phone. It's easy peasy to use. Voice activated and no need to even use the keyboard as voice controls all the phones options. Messaging is a Breese. The camera is fantastic. The Google options are state of the art. It has too many options for my review they're all great. Brilliant thanks Google.  Show details

Best phone ever – So I have had this phone for over a year now... Wanted to wait before posting a review, I can safely say this phone is as fast now as it was the day I purchased it, pictures are amazing! Reception is amazing, sound and screen quality is amazing.... If you are in the market for a new phone look no further  Show details

Smartphones are my business - this is the best phone I've ever had – For my personal phone, I switch between Apple and Android devices every few years so as to remain familiar with both in terms of user experience and development environment. iPhone is excellent and has been for years. The Pixel is the first Android phone that I believe surpasses that excellence in almost every way. that said - HOWEVER - the… Read more

first run of Pixels had issues with battery life and connectivity. We contacted Google Pixel customer support and Google replaced our phones with newer fault-free hardware, swiftly and free of charge.

Their app marketplace and customer support aren't at Apple's level yet, but for me I prefer this phone above all others.

Good, not without fault – I have two Google pixel xl. One started making an internal vibrating sound when it was being called withing 24hours had shut down and would not switch back on. The second phone failed within two weeks. The second one would not take charge. As we all know things are not made to last forever so I was not suprised. Both phones where replaced under warranty. Having used HTC, BlackBerry, iPhone and Samsung I am happy with the pixel xl.  Show details

Android the way it was meant to be – The main reason this phone was considered was that it has stock Android for the operating system - many brands put their own apps and software skins on top of Android, slowing it down and modifying it. This is the way Android was meant to be. The phone is built solid, feels nice to hold and the buttons have a nice click. Performance is great and with 4GB of ram and decent processor, it does not lag.  Show details

Super good mobile phone with Google advanced technology – Super good mobile phone with Google advanced technology, purchased through google store Australia and have been using for almost 1 year without any problem. Fast shipping and delivery service provided. have to say the android operation system is really well built in pixel phones. Strongly recommend people to use this one.  Show details

Google iPhone – Some might call this the Google iPhone because it looks very similar but the finger print sensor is in a better location. Having had all the Nexus devices right through to this one the only disappointments I have with the device is that there are no front facing speakers which was trademark nexus.. The other thing is that the bezels at the top… Read more

and bottom are huge and excessive.. Had there been speakers there it would have made sense.

I would still buy an iPhone for an older user.. Google haven't perfected that bit yet.

Like other users I agree the camera is superb.. No mucking around trying to get the shot in focus.. Just open the camera and take the phone.. Done!

The best Android flagship if you want an easy and smooth experience – The best Android flagship if want an easy and smooth experience & a high price tag doesn't bother you (though second hand models are pretty reasonably priced now). The build quality is great and the camera is fantastic. No shutter lag, very quick autofocus and lots of detail. My only gripes with the phone are * Software features are a bit barebones in areas * Slippery without a case * No waterproofing * Bezels are a bit big  Show details

android at its best – Google says its newest phone has the best camera on a phone and it is undisputed quality is often remarked by my friends. fast, reliable, monthly security updates, top end android flagship device. no removable storage but 128 gb is more than enough for everything. best of all is unlimited upload storage at original quality photos taken on the Pixel.  Show details

Excellent phone. Power in my hand – Too good for a phone. Unlimited drive storage. Excellent camera. The phone is very light. 5.5 inch screen is AMOLED and has a 4k resolution. Very nice. 4gb ram is also really nice and battery life is also excellent. Runs for 24 hours with one charge cycle.  Show details

Best Android phone out there! – After a terrible experience with 3 Samsung phones (2x S7 edge and 1x note 7) I decided to try Google with the refund from Samsung. Although not as feature packed as Samsung flagships, which I believe has contributed to Google's reliability, I have found the Pixel XL to be the best Android device I have ever used. It just works! Simple as that. I can't wait for the next version to come out as I will definitely be upgrading.  Show details

Best phone I've had, but $$$ – This is my 5th Android phone over 7 years and it's by far the best user experience I've had. It's consistently smooth, takes great photos, and is stock android (so no carrier or manufacturer bloat like TouchWiz). Highly recommended if money isn't an issue, however other phones exist for arguably much better value. ~$1400 is a lot to pay for the Google experience.  Show details

This phone sucks – Many of you may like this phone. Maybe I was just unlucky with it, but I have had nothing but trouble with this phone and I wish more then anything I would have stay with Samsung. I will be going back as soon as I pay this crap off. Drops calls, freezes, battery life sucks. All in all. Crappy phone and when trying to get it fixed Google just wants… Read more

to play the run around game with you. I'm so over this phone. I have had it since the week it came out and for the past two month been trying to get them to take mine back and send me one that work. So far I am still stuck with this one. But hey texting works write, how needs to be able to talk on the phone when schools call about sick children, and when your paw falls and need to go to the hospital. They can just text right? Don't buy this phone. If you do. I truly hope you have better luck then I do.

I love this phone – Fast and reliable. Love the video stabilisation although I think that's probably a standard feature for most recent Android. Love having the most current version of Android. Functionally it feels very similar to my Nexus so the swap was very easy. My toddlers have been throwing this phone around and it seems to withstand the punishment well.  Show details

Best mobile for now – It's plain not cluttered with crappy software. Extremely solid build. XL one is quite difficult to handle if you are used to a smaller device at first but getting used to it is easy. Charge times are amazing. I have been using it for a couple of months now and enjoying every moment so far.  Show details

The best mobile I ever used – First Google Assistant to introduce. This phone battery lasted a long time and I like using Google assistant which is very helpful. Can be very expensive but it is worth it for longer years to use. If you purchase the VR, it is even better on graphic and feel so real.  Show details

Good Phone but way overpriced – I bought the Pixel XL after the Galaxy Note 7 recall. The Note 7 was the most unbelievably good phone ever in my opinion. The Pixel XL fell well short and yet cost $100 more. I like many things about this phone but the price doesn't justify buying one. Probably best to take a look at something like LG G6 or Galaxy S8 when they hit the market. Even a one plus 3t delivers much the same for less than half the price.  Show details

Perfect – It is a very good phone as compare to other phone in the market. Its screen resolution is very good..outlook is brilliant. Phone speed is very good..it's price is very cheap as compared to other. Battery backup is not too bad. It's good to have a google phone you don't need to wait for android updates  Show details

Wow! – This phone is brilliant. I describe it as a Samsung in an iPhone shell... But better. I will never go back to iPhones or Samsung again. It's practical and easy to use. the camera is great! The only one issue is have and it's not really and "issue", is that finding cool covers and cases is hard, they are all usually basic and simple. But otherwise Highly recommended phone.  Show details

The best camera for smart phones – Great camera, fast processor, crisp large screen.... This is a really great phone. I would give 5 stars if it is waterproof and a bit cheaper. One of the features I like is to switch to the front camera, you only need to do a quick flip motion. Very handy and fast if you only have one hand to hold the phone.  Show details

Worthy of 5 stars plus!!! – Easy to use and easy to upload new apps. I can download a new app from my main menu screen and I have so much space its unbelievable even though I have all social apps I currently use...Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest etc. I have never had a problem once with the phone except that now I can't live without it! Pictures and videos are superb. They… Read more

are crystal clear! What more can I say..other than for every $1 I have spent on this phone is truly good value for money.