PERFORMANCE: While the Google Pixel 2 XL garners some high scores, many others score better. This phone could still be a good budget choice if you can get it at a good price or if you need only a basic smartphone. Ease of use on the Pixel 2 XL was excellent. The touchscreen use of menus, web browser, camera, buttons, and unlocking the phone were top notch. You should be able to comfortably hold the phone and use its buttons and touchscreen easily. Performance of the Pixel 2 XL was excellent. The maximum upload and download speeds and tested processor performance were very fast. You should be able to accomplish most tasks with no delays. Call quality and convenience on the Pixel 2 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. The phone had some scratches. 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 a few more scratches than the 50 drop test. Overall it was still in good working condition.
PORTABILITY/BATTERY: The 6-inch screen on the Pixel 2 XL comes in a body measuring 6.2-inches tall, 3-inches wide, 0.3-inches thick, and weighs 6.2 ounces. Those measurements mean the phone is taller than most. At 16 hours, it is among the shortest battery lifespans we tested. Its battery is not removable and the phone doesn't support wireless charging.
CAMERA: The main rear camera on the Google Pixel 2 XL measures 12-megapixels. The camera has optical image stabilization to improve your chances of taking better handheld photos under low-light conditions. 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 in a controlled studio simulating sunlight. 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 2 XL comes with an 8-megapixel selfie cam. Overall the selfie camera quality was 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 very good. The maximum brightness level measured 1 meter from the screen was a high 420cd/m² and reflective glare was minimal.
