We found this a bit more gimmicky than Face Unlock, but there are a couple of situations where it's really useful: one, it lowers the volume of your alarm when your Pixel senses your hand is reaching towards it. Two, it brings up the always on display and notifications only when your hand is in close proximity. These extras really add to what's otherwise a fairly uninspiring albeit powerful handset from Google: the truth is there are better specced, better looking Android phones out there.
We were reasonably impressed with the battery life though, landing at around percent at the end of every evening after a day of average use. In our usual hour-of-Netflix test we saw a battery drop from percent to 93 percent, which is one of the best results on the board, and you shouldn't have any problems getting the Pixel 4 XL to last a day.
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That said, it's probably not going to be all that forgiving if you forget to charge it overnight wireless charging is supported, same as last year. We have to finish with the camera, which has been the primary selling point of the Pixels since their introduction in This year we get a second lens for the first time, a telephoto lens that helps Google's image processing software in getting better zoomed in shots. Technically, it's a And, as you would expect, it's a wonderful camera too: capable of taking top-quality shots in all situations at all angles.
Color is well reproduced, white balance is intelligently handled, and that camera zoom a mix of optical and digital is capable of getting some fantastic results. The big party trick this year is not Night Sight — which remains excellent — but a new Astrophotography Mode. That's right, you can actually shoot the stars with the Pixel 4 XL. You do need to find an area where night pollution isn't a problem, and you do need to keep the phone still for a four-minute exposure, but it's incredible that we're now at this stage with mobile phones.
Once again, the camera is a compelling reason to buy a Pixel this year — check out our gallery , plus the plethora of Pixel 4 XL sample photos you can find elsewhere on the web. The caveat is that others, especially Apple, have been catching up in terms of mobile photography: the Pixels are no longer the clear leaders in the field that they once were.
The pros, then: the Pixel 4 XL has a fantastic camera, a large, sharp screen, a clean software experience, and some really useful extra features on top Face Unlock, Motion Sense, AI voice transcription in real time. We've really enjoyed using the Pixel 4 XL, but not everyone will like all of its strengths as much as we do.
As for the cons, the design is a little insipid, there's no wide-angle lens on the camera, and it's a pricey handset too. There are a lot of fantastic Android phones on the market as we approach the end of , and it's very difficult to make the argument that the Pixel 4 XL is the one that offers the best value — especially with the Pixel 3a still available. Product page: Google. LOG IN. Menu HOME.
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Search Query Submit Search. Mobile Technology. Facebook Twitter Flipboard LinkedIn. The Pixel 4 XL is Google's biggest and best phone for View 15 Images. Black, white and orange are your choices for the back color. Face Unlock lets you slide into your Pixel 4 XL with just a look.
The Pixel 4 XL adds a second camera lens to the rear of the phone for the first time on a Pixel. As in previous years, the Pixel 4 XL has an outstanding camera — great results are possible even on drab days. Zooming in 2x in this case results in very little loss of detail or quality. Even on an overcast day, the Pixel 4 XL impresses at capturing detail and balancing light. Here we're using 3x zoom, but the Pixel algorithms keep the image looking sharp and vibrant.
Capturing detail and color on close-ups is no problem for the Pixel 4 XL. Shutter speed is excellent across all distances on the Pixel 4 XL. As with models from previous years, the camera is the main reason to pick up a Pixel 4 XL. This is one feature that works fantastically well — by the time you've lifted up your phone to your face, you're in. You need never see the lock screen again, if you don't want to.
Google Pixel 4 review: the best Pixel yet might not be good enough
One issue with this, however, is that apps which use your fingerprint for security such as banking apps will no longer work, and you'll have to revert to manually typing in your password until these apps get updated to accept face unlock. The face scanner is one reason the top bezel is so large; the other is Motion Sense, which utilises a tiny radar packed into the phone to allow you to skip songs, silence songs and more with a wave of your hand.
We've seen this before in various guises from other manufacturers, and while Google's implementation works pretty well, it's not perfect — and we can't really imagine using it very much. What we can imagine using is the Recorder app, exclusive to the Pixel 4, which transcribes spoken audio in real-time as you record — perfect for interviews, meetings, and lectures.
You can search through your notes with ease, and even run searches for "applause" or "music" Google can recognise those too. The Recorder app works offline if needed, as Google has managed to embed some machine-learning artificial intelligence trickery on the device itself.
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Speaking of AI, Google Assistant gets better yet again, and should now be able to respond to queries more quickly and with less reliance on the cloud. The rest of the specs of the Google Pixel 4 are rather average — or at least average for a flagship Android phone in Specs aren't everything, of course — Apple's iPhones famously get by on less RAM thanks to the software optimisations going on behind the scenes — but they are something.
In just about every category you can find a phone that's beaten the Pixel 4 this year, which isn't a good look for a flagship launching after everyone else has had their go. The Pixel 4 is fully waterproof and dustproof, with an IP68 rating which means it can survive for up to 30 minutes in water at a depth of up to 1. Wireless charging and fast charging are here again, as last year, and you can use the same Pixel Stand that launched alongside the Pixel 3 to turn your phone into a nightstand display. You've got USB-C or Bluetooth for audio, because the headphone jack is gone for good, and the phone also offers a good-quality pair of stereo speakers.
They're fine for gaming, podcasts and movies, and at a push, they'll do for music as well. One important benefit of the Pixel range so far has been unlimited Google Photo uploads at the original quality — unfortunately that ends with the Google Pixel 4. The likes of Samsung, Apple and OnePlus have made substantial steps forward with their handsets this year.
Google Pixel 4 XL review: Untapped potential - Android Authority
Google has also made progress with the Pixel 4, in terms of the camera, Motion Sense, Face Unlock and integrated AI — but there are some misses among the hits as well, which you should bear in mind if you're thinking about picking one up. When it comes to the hardware design, and the internal components, and the battery life, the Pixel 4 is not much more than satisfactory. If Google wants to appeal to power users it needs to go further than a maximum of GB of internal storage and no memory card support, for example.
Yes, it's the best Pixel yet, but the improvements aren't big enough in comparison to the rest of the field — it feels as though Google has lost ground this year. The Pixel 4 still takes stellar photos, and the on-board AI including Google Assistant remains the gold standard that everyone else needs to beat The reasons to buy a Pixel phone are the same as ever with the Pixel 4 — that pure Android experience, the power of Google Assistant, and the magic that Google can do with photos including astrophotography, this year.
The Pixel 4 adds some nice touches as well, like Face Unlock and the Recorder app. Most of this is the AI and software at work though — and it feels as though the hardware side is less of a priority for Google. Compare all of the cheapest Google Pixel 4 deals in one place with this dedicated guide. Compare iPhone 8 deals to find the cheapest plans and more in the UK. Caught short? Here's where you can still buy toilet paper. From overclocked triple-A fare to small yet mighty indies, these are the best PC games to add to your collection.
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