Google Pixel and Pixel XL: Tech specs, features, pricing

Hello Pixel and Pixel XL, goodbye Nexus. These new phones are made by Google, designed by Google, and manufactured by Google — although, technically HTC is the company making them. These are Google phones through and through, as you can see no branding other than the “G” Google logo in the back.

Unlike the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X, these Pixel phones are top-shelf devices with premium features, and they come to the market to compete head-to-head with Samsung Galaxy and Apple’s iPhone (and if you look closely they even look a little bit like the iPhone 7).

Pixel variants

The new Google phone comes in two variants, including the 5-inch (Pixel) and the 5.5-inch (Pixel XL), and both handsets sport most of the same hardware specs.

Pixels are available in three colors, including “very silver,” “quite black,” and there is also the “really blue” color option, but it’s only limited to the U.S. market initially.

Google Pixel colors: “very silver,” “quite black,” “really blue”

Pixel design

The handsets feature an aluminum unibody design, and on the back of the phone, you’ll notice two types of finish: A metal finish on bottom and a glossy “glass shade” with a coat of Gorilla Glass 4 to make it scratch resistant (but it’s a fingerprint magnet) on the top, which also helps the antennas get better reception. In addition to the rounded edges that helps to make it less slippery.

Pixel tech specs

	Pixel	Pixel XL
	Display
Display	5.0 inches FHD AMOLED at 441ppi 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4	5.5 inches QHD AMOLED at 534ppi 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Size	5.6 x 2.7 x 0.2 ~ 0.3 inches 143.8 x 69.5 x 7.3 ~ 8.5 mm	6.0 x 2.9 x 0.2 ~ 0.34 inches 154.7 x 75.7 x 7.3 ~ 8.5 mm
Battery	2,770 mAh battery Standby time (LTE): up to 19 days Talk time (3g/WCDMA): up to 26 hours Internet use time (Wi-Fi): up to 13 hours Internet use time (LTE): up to 13 hours Video playback: up to 13 hours Audio playback (via headset): up to 110 hours Fast charging: up to 7 hours of use from only 15 minutes of charging	3,450 mAh battery Standby time (LTE): up to 23 days Talk time (3g/WCDMA): up to 32 hours Internet use time (Wi-Fi): up to 14 hours Internet use time (LTE): up to 14 hours Video playback: up to 14 hours Audio playback (via headset): up to 130 hours Fast charging: up to 7 hours of use from only 15 minutes of charging
ON BOTH DEVICES
Operating System	Android 7.1 Nougat
Design	Aerospace-grade aluminum unibody Glass shade with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 821 (MSM8996 pro) Quad Core 2x 2.15GHz / 2x 1.6GHz
Display	100% NTSC 100000:1, super contrast ratio True black level Full 24-bits depth or 16.77 million colors Less than 40% brightness decrease at 30 degree viewing angle
Memory	4GB LPDDR4 RAM
Storage	32GB 128GB
Video	1080p @ 30fps, 60fps, 120fps 720p @ 30fps, 60fps, 240fps 4K @ 30fps
Camera	Front-facing Camera: 12.3MP Large 1.55μm pixels Phase detection autofocus + laser detection autofocus f/2.0 Aperture Back-facing Camera: 8MP 1.4µm pixels f/2.4 Aperture Fixed focus
Media	Single bottom-firing speaker 3 Mics Noise Suppression
Connectivity	Supports up to CAT 12 (600Mbps DL / 75Mbps UL) depending on carrier support GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MIMO Bluetooth 4.2 NFC
Sensors	Proximity / ALS Accelerometer / Gyrometer Magnetometer Pixel Imprint – Back-mounted fingerprint sensor for fast unlocking Barometer Hall effect sensor Android Sensor Hub Advanced x-axis haptics for sharper / defined response
Charging	USB Type-C 18W adaptor with USB-PD 18W charging
Ports and Slots	USB Type-C USB 3.0 3.5mm headset jack Single Nano SIM
Colors	Quite Black Very Silver Really Blue
In Box	USB Type-C™ 18W adaptor with USB-PD A-C cable (USB 3.0) C-C cable (USB 2.0) SIM tool Quick switch adapter

Features only on Pixel

There are a few features that set the Pixels apart from the rest, and even from other Google phones. Perhaps the most important feature is that they are currently the only devices including Google Assistant out-of-the-box, which is Google’s answer to Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, and even Amazon’s Alexa, and it comes preloaded with Android 7.1 (Nougat).

Pixel owners can also store every photo and video captured with these phones with their original resolutions for the life of the device, meaning never running out of space anymore even when recording 4K videos.

If you ever need help, a Google technician can quickly remote into your phone to offer support.

Google is also proud to ship Pixel with a 3.5mm headphone jack — unlike the iPhone 7.

Pixel camera

According to the company the 12-megapixel camera is the best camera on a mobile device with an overall DxOMark Mobile score of 89, which is high number and huge deal. People using these phones will notice no more delays when rotating the phone to take pictures on portrait or landscape, and after autofocus.

Then there is the front-facing camera which features an 8-megapixel sensor, and rotating the phone back and forth will switch back and front-facing camera.

Pixel battery life and ports

The Pixels sport the updated version of USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging. You can’t remove the battery, but you should get up to 13 hours of battery life surfing the internet and watching videos on the Pixel, and about 14 hours on the Pixel XL. Google also claims that a 15 minutes charge will give you up to 7 hours of battery life.

While the Pixel phones will do a pretty decent job when it comes to water resistance, but they’re only rated to IP53, which are not as good as the other phones like the ones from Apple and Samsung.

How to get a Google Pixel

Pixel pricing starts at $649 for the 32GB, and then goes up to $749 for the 128GB, and $769 and $869 for the Pixel XL.

You can pre-order the phones now unlocked from the Google Store, or in the United States, you can also get them exclusively on Verizon. Keep in mind that if you purchase the phone from Verizon, the company will control updates roll out, not Google. This means that you may not get new features and improvements as soon as Google releases them.