PERFORMANCE: Overall the performance of the Google Pixel XL did well but was not among our top scorers. Many users will be satisfied with its performance especially if you're looking for a mid-range smartphone. Ergonomics on the Pixel XL were very good. While not the best, the touchscreen was very good and it is easy to use. You should be able to get comfortable using this smartphone very quickly. Call quality and convenience on the Pixel XL were not the best but they were very good. Sound while on a call was very good in a quiet room and with background noise. Your sound quality will vary due to many factors including background noise, if you are moving between cell towers, the quality of the phone on the other end of the call, and the quality of the cell tower and antenna.
DURABILITY: After 50 drops in the tumbler, our experts rated it as excellent. . Overall, it was in good working condition. After our more strenuous 100 drops in the tumbler the screen and body are tough. Our experts rated it as very good. The phone had some scratches and a very slight deformation on the back. Overall it was still in good working condition.
PORTABILITY/BATTERY: The 5.5-inch screen on the Pixel XL comes in a body measuring 6.1-inches tall, 3-inches wide, 0.3-inches thick, and weighs 5.9 ounces. Those measurements mean the phone is taller than most. At 23.5 hours, it has an above average battery lifespan. Its battery is not removable and the phone doesn't support wireless charging.
CAMERA: The main rear camera on the Google Pixel XL measures 12.3-megapixels. The camera does not have optical image stabilization so handheld photos in low light may be blurrier than cameras with optical image stabilization. Overall the camera performance was very good. The main camera is among our top performers for shooting stills. Images are evaluated on high quality LCD displays. The test photos are taken in a brightly lit studio and outdoors on a sunny day. In the viewing tests the images were rated very good overall. These images are among the best results for color quality, exposure level, sharpness, and image noise. The Pixel XL comes with an 8-megapixel selfie cam. Overall the selfie camera quality was very good.
DISPLAY: Overall the display quality was excellent. The display resolution was high enough, close to or greater than 300dpi, so you see a smooth, crisp display. If the display does have a higher resolution, most people will not be able to tell the difference. Readability outdoors is a combination of brightness, measured in candelas per square meter, and reflectivity. The readability rating was excellent. The brightness level measured 1 meter from the screen was a high 450cd/m² and reflective glare was minimal.
