B076MB4CYN

Pros
Fastest device ever.
Killer Camera
Stock Android (Mostly)
Beautiful Screen
Excellent Build Quality
Beautiful (if polarizing) Design
Best phone quality
Cons
Price
Some features missing
Not Officially Water Resistant
Should you buy: Yes!
Actual Value: $660

Google has done something amazing. It has gone from the company with the discreet Nexus line to a phone that is literally everywhere. I remember when no one would bat an eye, much less be impressed, from my past Nexus. But this phone has gotten the compliments of everyone it meets. I know that this phone has pretty much divided the Android community and abandoned its budget roots. But if this is the foundation of what is to come, then Google is on a fast track to be the best smartphone.

-Design-

Beautiful. In one word, this phone is beautiful. I have the very silver model with a white front and rear glass and a light aluminum frame. Now I know a lot of people have given this phone trash talk because it looks like an iPhone. But unless you hold one in your hand, you can’t appreciate the small details that Google has put in their design. The phone is not super slim, but the round borders make it really comfortable to hold in my hand. It is light and balanced with a giant glass window in the rear. I personally like it. It gives it a distinct design that can’t be accused of copying Apple. The is a simple G branding that isn’t as pronounced as the Apple logo, but it is there. The entire construction feels solid with buttons that click with just the right amount of force and no wobbling of any kind. It gives a premium feel that makes it feel as good as the price suggest. Gorilla Glass 4 protects the front of the phone, but the rear glass is something that I’m not sure. It feels the same, but I haven’t confirmed it.

-Performance-

Okay let’s cut to the chase. This phone is fast. Really fast. Blistering fast. Sure, benchmarks show that the iPhone’s A10 leaves everyone in the dust. But in real world usage, there is no lag. At all. The Snapdragon 821 is the latest and greatest from Qualcomm and it can handle pretty much everything. It can multitask with split screen and it works flawlessly. The phone doesn’t stutter, even with YouTube open on both the app and Chrome (why you would want to do that is another question). I did write most of this review on my Pixel while watching videos, so it definitely has the horsepower. The 4GB of RAM and extremely fast UFS 2.0 storage keeps it running quickly and responsive. There really seems to be no bottlenecks on this phone and that is really impressive.

-Software-

Android 7.1 comes with the Pixel with the stock experience polished a bit. The launcher is simple and functional and while the round icons might turn off some people, the design is at least consistent going app to app. The UI is extremely simple to use and extremely responsive. But the main feature that is included with the phone is the Google Assistant. She is always alert and ready to respond when saying “Ok Google”. So how useful is she? Very. Think of it as a pocket Alexa with a bit more personality. Asking it any question provides a solid response and gives you the answer directly. Other functions like timer and reminders work flawlessly and almost never fails. Add the voice recognition to it and it is great. Is it perfect? Alas, no. Some questions it can’t find the answer to and it can’t control your smarthome things just yet. It has potential, but it still needs work before it becomes a perfect assistant.

-Display-

AMOLED screens are technically the best displays available right now (the “technically” is another rant for another time), though Apple has proven that you can get a best in class display using LCD. So how does this look? Well, beautiful. 1080p might not be the highest resolution available, but at 441 pixels per inch, the pixels are virtually indistinguishable. This is compared to the iPhone 7, which has a rather modest 324 pixels per inch. Both are great displays, but the Pixel looks better to my eyes than the iPhone. The contrast is extremely good and colors pop with a slight increase in saturation. The iPhone is technically color accurate and the Samsung S7 is a little more punchier with the color saturation. But the Pixel lands right in the middle and the result is something I rather like. Brightness is very good and is easily readable on both harsh lighting and the blazing sun of California.

-Camera-

One area where it isn’t in the middle is in the camera. But my god is this camera good. The 12.3 MP shooter is paired with a 2.0 aperture lens with PDAF and laser autofocus; but no OIS. But hold on! Before you decide to write off the phone as something that is less than the S7 and iPhone 7, there is something you have to know. It doesn’t matter. Most cameras can get really good photos in great lighting. But the Pixel gets really good colors and great white balance. The details it gets in the images are great and it even gives some great depth of field. But where it really shines is in low light. With barely any light, the camera manages to focus, get some detail, and light up the photos. It just manages to get a great shot every time. The video is also silky smooth with EIS managing to keep everything stable. Is it perfect? Nope. The autofocus is a bit finicky at times and OIS would make this amazing camera setup even better, particularly where longer exposure is needed to get a better shot. But overall, it can hang with the best phones this year.

-CONTROVERSY (Personal rant)-

Okay. Let’s address the elephant in the room. The price. Now I was a longtime Nexus fan and I have used the 5, 6, and the 5X and the thing I always loved was that it delivered near flagship specs at a great price. It was also the only way to use the latest and greatest that Android could offer. But the Nexus was never the best phone out there. The 5 had terrible battery life, the 6 was too large and too expensive and both had terrible cameras. The 5X and 6P came closest to delivering the ultimate smartphone. The Pixel follows a completely different philosophy. The Pixel is the culmination of what Google can do without a budget restriction; what it can do to make the perfect phone. This Pixel does not fall short in the components department. It is using the best processor, display, material, build quality, and batteries that it has access to. I was a bit bummed that the Pixel’s price wasn’t lower. But if Google wanted to compete head to head with the iPhone, it had to sacrifice its budget market.

But in a way, the Nexus line succeeded with its mission. Back when the Nexus 5 was released, there were no budget phones that carried flagship specs at an affordable price. And sure, the Nexus had its faults. But it, along with Motorola, showed the world that it is possible to have a great experience on Android without spending a lot. Now, in 2016, the Nexus doesn’t really have a place to be. There are a number of options ready to address the budget segment of the market. There is:
OnePlus One
Axon 7
Motorola G4 Plus
ASUS Zenfone 3
Alcatel Idol 4S
Moto Z Play
Honor 8
Where does the Nexus fit in? Honestly, I’m not so sure. None of these phones are perfect. But they more than deliver on the best value per dollar. The only place left to go is the ultra affordable market (which is currently owned by Blu) and the premium market. Considering the lack of progress in that market, I think Google is the right company to go and change that (although it is coming to butt heads with Samsung). So I do understand the frustration that the Nexus fans must be feeling right now. But I also know that they are covered more than ever before. To put it bluntly, stop hating on the Pixel for what it isn’t and appreciate it for what it is.

-Conclusion-

This phone is not perfect. The Samsung Galaxy S7 has the most features available everywhere and the iPhone just has that premium feel that no other phone can provide. But the Pixel went for a more simplistic route. It doesn’t do all the fancy things that other phones have. But for the essentials and the features it does have, it delivers the best experience in its class. The battery gets through a whole day of use, the camera is the best out there (with the iPhone 7 Plus besting it only because of the 2x zoom), call quality is smooth, and there is literally no lag or stuttering anywhere. Add in the frequent updates and support by Google and this is the equivalent of an Android iPhone. The main issue is the price. Some people might not be willing to spend that much money. But if you can spend the money or want the best of Android, then the Pixel is the best phone available. It is definitely the best phone of 2016.

The Pixel Phone itself is fine. However
THIS IS NOT THE US VERSION OF THE PHONE
Despite the listing saying “Factory Unlocked US Version” this is, in fact, a version from India.
Why does this matter? Because the charger that came with the phone is not the US version. It won’t work with US power outlets.
I bought something that was labelled “US Version” and received something that cannot be used in the US.
Entirely unacceptable.

The phone is great. One of the best smartphones out there. However DO NOT BUY it here! This is not an authorized dealer and therefore you will have no warranty for your phone. And the sellers will not help you out as they are just looking to make a quick buck. I purchased this phone in January and 4 months later the microphone stopped working, it was a hardware issue something that normally would be covered under warranty. But because I did not purchase through the proper channels, Google was unable to help me and could not replace my phone. I am not stuck with a great device where the microphone does not work.

I have this phone but I bought it at Best Buy because every place else was to of stock. I don’t write too any reviews but I just read through the reviews here and see a few 1, 2, and 3 star ratings. People, if you are going to give poor ratings at least describe what the negative points are.
Anyway, back to the phone. I have the 32GB and I am liking the phone more every day. I have had it for 3 days now. It is very fast, all the usual bloat is removed (I always had to root my phones to get all of the unwanted apps off). The camera is fantastic. I work at a technology company where everyone compares their phones and I would say it is right up there with the iPhone 7. The phone build is very sturdy and well built. The fingerprint reader is instant. Pick up the phone and as soon as your finger glides past the reader it instantly unlocks.
Couple of negatives that I knew about but still purchased the phone. I wish the phone has an SD slot for expanded memory. I also like batteries that may be replaced but that seems to be a thing of the past. Water resistant – I had the S7 in my hand ready to buy that instead for this very reason but after watching lots of you tube videos it looks like this phone can handle it’s share of water.

In conclusion, if you are contemplating buying the phone and just can’t decide, go to one of the phone stores and check it out before making the purchase. I think the phone is great and it will always have the latest Android updates as the Android manufacturer makes the phone!!

…Attached a couple pics I took today. You can see the detail if you look closely.

Good luck!

Do NOT purchase this phone from Mega Mobile. T-mobile checked the IMEI number on the new phone I received and found it was a stolen phone!!!

I was scared to order this because the Pixel 1 is already a one year old model and I was unsure of buying a refurbished phone. I was happy that it came in the correct Google packaging and even came with the 3 month free subscription of Google Play Music. The phone worked like it was brand new and had almost no difficulties. The only issues I see are sometimes the sound might glitch when I watch Youtube videos or the phone freezes on Snapchat. These are infrequent problems though and can be overlooked. I’m hoping this phone lasts without any major issues!

Appearance-wise, phone was perfect. Couldn’t find a scratch, nick or scrape anywhere on the unit. Came with an after-market 5W charger and cord. I ended up returning the phone because of hardware issues though. The phone would heat up considerably while charging and then all audio functions (input and output) would stop working until the phone cooled off (hours later after the phone had been turned off). Didn’t have any issues talking with support and getting a return/full refund issued.

So, great phone if you can find one in perfect working order.