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Google Pixel: Quite, really and very good-looking
With Google designing both the hardware and software, the Pixel promises to shake up the smartphone market. Take a closer look at the Pixel.
Patrick Holland
The Google Pixel is a top-shelf smartphone inside and out
Google designed two smartphones: the 5-inch Pixel (shown above) and the 5.5-inch Pixel XL.
The back is defined by glass on the top and aluminum on the bottom.
The Pixel has a 441-pixel-per-inch AMOLED display.
To much hoopla, Google said the 12-megapixel camera on the Pixel is the best camera ever on a smartphone (to test that claim, we compared the Pixel with the iPhone 7).
There is a back-facing fingerprint sensor called a Pixel Imprint.
The phone comes in three colors: Very Silver, Quite Black and a limited-edition Really Blue.
The G on the back stands for Google.
The bottom is only 7.3 millimeters (0.2 inch) thick.
The Pixel has a barely noticeable wedge shape.
The right side of the phone has a volume rocker and power button.
The Pixel is sold unlocked and can be used on any major US carrier by swapping SIM cards.
Yes, that is a headphone jack.
A view of the Pixel's USB-C port, speaker and microphone.
Notice the absence of a camera bump. This is due to the Pixel's wedge-shaped design.
The power button, on the side, can be pressed twice for quick access to the camera.
The Pixel comes with unlimited storage for photos and videos (even 4K) on Google Photos.
What is this phone missing? The Pixel is not dust- or water-resistant.
The camera does not have optical image stabilization, though there is digital stabilization for shooting video.
The Pixel and Pixel XL share the same good looks.
Spec-wise, both phones are very similar.
Here we see the Pixel in Very Silver underneath the Pixel XL in Quite Black.
These phones will go head-to-head with offerings from Samsung, Apple and LG.
Both Pixels are wedge-shaped, thinner at the bottom edge.