Google Pixel 2 - The Best Android Phone For 2018

The android smartphone market is vastly saturated, to the point that differentiating one android device from another is a bit of a challenge in itself. There are android manufacturers like Samsung which focus solely on throwing everything under the sun in its devices and make something to give Apple a kick in the gut to manufacturers like Xiaomi who focus on providing the best bang for buck in the budget segments. But if there was ever an Android device that truly defined the Android OS in its purest and simplest form, it would be Google’s own Pixel line-up.

The Pixel smartphone line-up is Google’s own way of taking on Apple and at the same time showing people what they have been missing from the Android OS. The last gen Pixel wasn’t really a ground shaking success as we hoped it to be but it did make quite a few headlines and saw Android enthusiasts take a vested interest in the device.

As a result, now we have the Google Pixel 2 that was just recently launched. So let’s quickly go through what Google has in store for us with the new device.

Design and Display:
The Pixel 2 comes in 3 colours, “KindaBlue, Clearly White and Just Black.” The reason why I’m mentioning the colours first is because I really like the naming scheme. Coming to the device, it has an all-Aluminium build but unlike regular aluminium, it has a very rough feel at the rear giving it a nice grip when holding it in hand.

It also has a small glass incorporated into the design at the rear surrounding the camera and the flash which gives the aluminium a nice contrast. I particularly like the black glass incorporation in the “Clearly White” colour scheme which makes the entire device pop. A fingerprint sensor which is embedded near the glass panel that could be a problem because the glass is fingerprint magnet and taping it accidentally could attract a lot of fingerprints.

The display is a 5 inch 1080p screen with an AMOLED panel. I’m a big fan of the panel as it offers sharper colours, better blacks and awesome contrast. But the main reason why Google decided to go with an AMOLED panel is probably because it is necessary for the daydream VR to work. The screen display’s slightly warmer colours (as with all AMOLED screens) and there is no option to calibrate it in case you prefer natural looking colours.

Performance:
The phone comes with the Snapdragon 835 which is an 8 core CPU with Snapdragon’s own Kryo cores running at the heart. It also happens to be the fastest SoC for android at the time of writing as Snapdragon hasn’t launched the newer 845 series SoC at the moment. But nonetheless, this is a best of a processor and handles multitasking like a fat kid snacking up on burgers. It is also coupled with 4GB of RAM to accommodate the multi-tasking.

Now some may argue that this is a bit less as compared to Samsung or what other manufacturers provide at the price point. But the fact of the matter is that it has less because it needs less. RAM management is excellent on stock android.

Also Check: People's Reaction After The Release Of Android 8 Oreo In Google Pixel

Software:
By any measure, the software in Google’s own devices is the best in the business. It is one of the first devices to come with Android 8 Oreo out of the box. There is no additional skinning, no bloatware, nothing to deviate you from the OS. Google always keeps bragging on about the Android “Experience” which most of us keep wondering what it is about. But after using a Pixel device, it’ll become clear to you.

Also Check: How To Root Google Pixel In Android 8 Oreo Update

There is a certain joy in something which are simple and work as advertised, and that’s exactly what you get with the Pixel 2. Other than that it also has Google Assistant built in and it can be summoned by squeezing the device. This is something that after getting used to is hard to get out of.

Sure, it can have a bit of a learning curve but once that’s over, it’s difficult to use any other Android device. So in summary, it is essentially what Android is meant to be before manufacturers ruin it with their skins and bloatware.

Camera and Storage:
Last year’s Pixel had one of the best camera when it came out and amazingly Google has done it again. The camera on the Pixel 2 has the highest DxO mark score of any mobile smartphone camera clocking an astonishing score of 98 which is higher than both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the iPhone 8 Plus.

What’s even more amazing is the fact that Google managed to achieve it using just a single camera setup which is a 12.2MP unit with an f/1.8 aperture. The camera performs astoundingly in any given lighting condition and even low light images are good. The front has a single 8MP fixed focus camera with an aperture of f/2.4.

Find Out More: Android 8 Oreo Features

The Pixel 2 can be had with two storage variants, one with 64GB and another with 128GB without an option to expand it. Fortunately it comes with unlimited space with Google photos which is a boom if you take a lot of photos and need to store them.

Battery and Connectivity:
The Pixel 2 comes with a rather small 2700mAh battery which isn’t befitting its proportions at all. It is by no measure a small device and we have seen bigger batteries in smaller enclosures than this.

Connectivity wise, it supports Indian network bands as it is already launched here. It also has Wi-Fi 802.11, a/ac/b/g/n/n 5GHz, MIMO, Bluetooth v5.0 and GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS support.

Is Google Pixel 2 The Best Android Phone?:
Getting in terms with the Google Pixel 2 is like detoxing from a drug addiction. It comes as a refreshing change in this age where every other Android phone feels like some half-baked attempt at making it stand out.

The Pixel 2 is a natural winner if all you look for in a phone is unadulterated Android, great camera and tank like build quality. Speaking of tanks, The Pixel 2 has an IP67 rated water and dust protection. The Google Pixel 2 Price in India starts from around Rs.59000 for the 64GB model which is a good bit cheaper than Apple’s iPhone 8.