First Hands on with the Google Pixel XL

Google Pixel XL 32GB White

The Google Pixels are finally out in Australia. Luckily I got to experience this device before its debut and it has been incredible. I have the Google Pixel XL 32GB in white and I can not find anything about this that I really don't like.

At first that huge chunk of glass at the back was a bit bizarre but now that I have had the device for a while its grown on me and adds a premium feel to the device. The main feature we all spend most of our time looking at is the display and holy smokes it is incredible! I personally went into developer options and turned sRGB on to soften those popping colours. Comparing this display to my Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 7 Plus, it wins hands down.

The software experience on this has been a dream I have yet to come across any hiccups. The Pixels layout and fancy wallpapers which ever so slowly move as you unlock your device is just dreamy. When jumping from app to app and playing around on all the new features not once did I see any apps crash or stutter.

Navigating was very simple considering it does not differ much from most other android devices. Having the fingerprint sensor on the back of the device is one of the best positions and something Apple should take note of. There is one gesture you will have to enable straight out of the box which is to allow the finger print sensor to pull down the notification panel. I loved that feature which was on my Huawei P9 and make the device easy to use with out touching the screen.

The camera on the Pixel really does take some stunning pictures. I have a few images below showing of the camera in low light from the Pixel. Coming from some of the best cameras on a smartphone this really does take the cake. Each image is crisp and all were taken on auto with no touching up in post. I will do a comparison shortly with the iPhone 7 Plus and the Galaxy S7 Edge.

In conclusion the Google Pixel is an incredible device and really does out shine the competition with is unique design and polished software experience. if you are in the market to get a new device I would highly recommend.  

Google Pixel XL vs iPhone 7 Plus Back

Google Pixel XL vs iPhone 7 Plus Front

Pixel XL Laneway

Pixel XL Bourke St Melbourne

Pixel XL Bourke and William 

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Unfortunately, it looks like the Note 7 has come to an end all too early. For me this device was absolutely amazing. I got to spend the first few months playing around on the Samsung galaxy S7 and Edge which were equally as good, but just missing those few design tweaks the Note 7 brings. The design of the Note 7 made the device feel smaller and more comfortable in the hand. The way I see it is that it is a mash up of the Edge and S7. Once I first heard about the exploding issues and the recall I reluctantly handed my device in and went back to my Galaxy S7 edge and iPhone 7 Plus.

After only getting a couple of weeks out of this device I was not able to get an in depth review done. But from the experience I had, I found that the display on the device had just that right amount of edge to keep me happy. One thing I got a bit annoyed at with the S7 edge was the accidental touches on the screen in everyday use. The Note had it in that sweet spot where it wasn’t that much of a curve and just looked sleek. As for performance it handled everything I through at it, sure it didn’t beat the iPhone 7 plus in a few quick multitask tests. But for real world usage it was completely fine and I never really notice any delays in opening multiple applications at once.

Battery life was also an easy not only did it come with quick charge but it also lasted me just as long as the iPhone 7 plus, with average 1.5 days. I personally never let mine charge overnight just in case I did get unlucky and cause some serious damage. Call quality on this device both with VoLTE on/off was amazing, the receiver was clear and loud. With my device running on the Telstra 4GX network I was getting on average Download: 170Mbps Upload: 40Mbps Ping: 20 these speeds for a device were amazing and everything was just so snappy.

In my experience camera’s on Samsung’s have always been good and the Note 7 of course does not let us down, especially since it uses the same Sony IMX260 sensor found in the S7 and Edge. I luckily got to do a comparison between the iPhone 7 Plus and the Note which I will be posting shortly. All in all, I have been happy with the Note 7 and will look forward to what Samsung can bring to the table next year. Below are a few images of I got to take with my time on the device. 

iPhone 7 Plus Review

The iPhone 7 plus is Apple’s main flagship of 2016. The device itself looks very similar to the iPhone 6/S except for a few changes with the antenna bands and, of course, the second camera and the ‘revolutionary’ Jet Black. I personally went for the Matte Black 256GB as I didn’t want to deal with scratches associated with the Jet black model.  After experiencing some hiccups (hissing noise) from day one which still has not been resolved, I have managed to work around that annoying noise that prohibits me from using the Video/Voice recorder until Apple finally replaces my device. So unfortunately I will not have any video comparisons yet. I won’t be focusing on the design as it is played out and to be honest boring.

Battery

The main features to me are usability and network. I am a heavy user and need my devices to be up and running all day. For some time now I have been carrying around an extra battery pack to keep me topped up. With the 7 Plus’s 2900mAh battery, optimisation of iOS 10 and the in house Apple A10 processor, I am getting around 1.5 days worth of usage which is incredible. My usage patterns involve playing games (Hearthstone and Pokemon GO), social media, calls and camera. On the odd day I would even see 2 full days of usage.  My usage roughly starts from 8am in the morning and I have been ending the day on 40-50% battery. This means I do not have to charge it overnight; in the mornings I would only be seeing around 1-2% of battery drain whilst I am sleeping. For me this is absolutely perfect on battery life; this is what I have come to expect from flagship devices. Apple has hit the nail on the head with the iPhone 7 Plus battery life.

Performance

Handling the everyday task was smooth and fluid, this being incredibly noticeable since I am a heavy Android user constantly facing poor optimisation of applications. After diving in to the Apple eco-system it is easy to see why they are so popular. Simplicity is everything in iOS, the way that things just work shows how much control Apple has over its operating system. One of the first things you notice is how fast applications open and load up. RAM management is on point and multitasking through all your open applications is painless and smooth. I find myself jumping back and forth between multiple applications with no sign of lag or stuttering. The new Taptic (haptic) home ‘button’ actually didn’t take as long as I thought to get used to- after about a day I didn’t even notice the difference between the physical button and the new sensor.

Call quality on the other hand, I was expecting to be very clear and crisp, in comparison to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. I found that the iPhone was lacking a bit in quality as I was constantly having to check the volume of the device to hear who I was speaking to. I obviously went through testing of the two devices on the same carrier and turning VoLTE on/off. One of the interesting things I have been testing out is the speeds I am getting on Telstra’s 4GX network; these results have been amazing. The speeds on average I was getting on the iPhone 7 Plus were Download: 140Mbps Upload: 40Mbps Ping: 20ms. These speeds are insane and definitely help with everyday use.

Camera

The camera for me has been a pleasure to work with. I managed to get out and take some quick comparison photos between the Galaxy Note 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. I will be doing a full comparison after I capture some low light shots. Below are a few images to take a look at and make your mind up about: 

iPhone 7 Plus Cactus

iPhone 7 Plus Reflection

iPhone 7 Plus Vibrant

iPhone 7 Plus Blue Skies