Google Pixel XL deals and reviews

Australian PC World | Nick Ross

It is as good as or incrementally better than everything else on the market but the A.I-enhanced Google Assistant elevates it to another level of smartphone technology. However, now that Google's amazing Daydream VR is here - and it's currently exclusive to Pixel - this is the phone to buy.

Mashable | Raymond Wong

Google's Pixel and Pixel XL have everything you could want in a flagship phone but a first-class design that makes you lust.

Know Your Mobile | Richard Goodwin

If you want market-leading battery performance and a brilliant camera, buy this phone. Nothing else compares.

VentureBeat | Emil Protalinski

With the Pixels, it seems like the tradeoff is much better, but it will cost you accordingly. This is currently the best Android phone on the market.

Pocket-lint | Chris Hall

The XL is a pure delivery of Android: it's fast, it's fun, it's high quality; it has exclusive features, the camera works and the battery lasts too... Fortunately the Pixel XL delivers. It's a premium smartphone at a premium price, but it offers a truly premium experience.

pocketnow | Juan Carlos Bagnell

The Pixel XL is an Android fan's safest bet for fluid software performance and timely updates, but the phone's hardware lacks pizzazz against similarly priced competitors. It's a good first step in creating a line of "Google Phones", but at this price we wouldn't blame folks who decide to wait for a more mature Pixel XL 2.

Pickr | Leigh Stark

if you like the look of the iPhone but aren't a fan of iOS, then Google's iPhone really does become a solid choice.

TechSpot | Tim Schiesser

The Pixel and Pixel XL retain the best feature of Google's now-retired Nexus line: the best Android software experience. Now that I've used the Pixel XL, it's clear that this is the best Android smartphone you can buy.

Tom's Guide | Sam Rutherford

Despite a less-than-thrilling design, the Pixel XL is a crowning achievement in Google's quest to marry software and hardware.

PC Mag | Ajay Kumar

The Google Pixel XL is priced to compete with the highest-end phones on the market. And in most regards, it's a success. The Pixel XL represents a combination of powerful hardware, excellent software with the promise of updates, and extensive customer service support.

Phone Scoop | Eric M. Zeman

The Google Pixel XL is a compelling smartphone. It's not without faults, but the pros far outweigh any cons.

Recombu | Alex Todd

Provided the design isn't a deal-breaker the only other thing standing in the way of this device being a perfect 10, is price, and the XL is an exceptionally expensive handset.

phoneArena | Stephen S.

This phone is all about Google's services, and if you're already an Android user with your pics, movies, music, communications, and all that good stuff tied up with Google's servers, the Pixel XL will be ready to hit the ground running, giving you a really tight, nicely integrated smartphone experience.

Trusted Reviews | Max Parker

A true iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S7 rival featuring the best version of Android yet – and a camera that's sure to get you excited about snapping away with your handset.

NDTV Gadgets | Jamshed Avari

Apple loyalists now have the most iPhone-esque Android phone that has ever been created, and it might convince some to switch over. For what you pay, you'll get one of the best smartphone cameras there has ever been, as well as performance enough for any current or future app.

Wired UK | Victoria Woollaston

Android fans will find a lot to love about the Pixel and Pixel XL. They bring some nice touches and useful features to good-quality, albeit not great quality, hardware. It will certainly outdo older Android models you may already own - a must-buy for Android fans.

The Verge | Walt Mossberg

Google has landed itself in the same class as Apple's iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S7 ... Like those formidable competitors, it's comfortable and practical; fast and fluid; takes very good pictures; and is connected to a strong ecosystem.

The Verge | Dieter Bohn

By almost every metric I can think of - speed, power, camera, smart assistant, you name it - it matches or exceeds the best phones available on the market today. And though the design is far from groundbreaking, it's certainly approachable. The whole package is pretty incredible, and if you're not put off by the premium price, you'll be very happy with this premium phone. I prefer the XL, which isn't huge and seems to get notably better battery life.

Android Authority | Nirave Gondhia

The Pixel and Pixel XL represent a new approach to hardware for Google, and while they're not perfect, what they do, they do extremely well. An excellent camera, intuitive Google Assistant, lightning fast experience, the latest hardware and good battery life result in arguably two of the best Android smartphones ever made.

NotebookCheck | Daniel Schmidt

The Google Pixel XL is a very good smartphone. However, its core feature, the Google Assistant, is not a decisive reason to buy it. Above all, it does not justify the price which the manufacturer charges for its product. The Google Pixel XL is a smartphone for enthusiasts and customers will decide whether the concept is successful.

Engadget | Chris Velazco

These aren't just great first attempts at smartphones; these are great smartphones, period, and every other Android device maker out there should be a little worried ... the Pixel XL, is ever so slightly better [than the Pixel]. You'll get the same top-tier performance as on the smaller model, just with a bigger, crisper display and a more capacious battery to sweeten the deal....

Neowin | Timi Cantisano

The Pixel isn't your typical Android handset that tries to throw everything and the kitchen sink at a user. Instead, the experience is subtle and refined, making the menus easy to navigate. There isn't a lot of room for customization, but with the Pixel, Google thinks that you won't need to do all of that. It's a device that is meant to appeal to all and work flawlessly out of the box - and for the most part, it does.

Gotta Be Mobile | Cory Gunther

Ultimately, the Pixel XL is Google's new biggest and best smartphone.

AndroidPit | Camilla Rinaldi

If you absolutely want a smartphone with a great display, excellent performance, and one of the best smartphone cameras, you should definitely take a closer look at the Pixel XL. I

Firstpost | Nimish Sawant

Google Pixel XL offers an excellent camera, great raw performance, good battery life. There's nothing to not like about the device.

GottaBeMobile | Cory Gunther

At the end of the day Google has put together a very well-rounded smartphone that should give Samsung and Apple a run for their money. It's a solid first effort, an entirely new type of Android from the creators themselves.

TechRadar | Matt Swider

The Pixel XL features top-of-the-line specs to introduce Android 7.1 Nougat to the world. This VR-capable phone has a fast processor, smart AI software and a superb camera, all sandwiched into a funky design.

Alphr | Vaughn Highfield, Jonathan Bray

It's a brilliant smartphone that entirely justifies it's place at the industry's top table. It has a great screen, good battery life and the best camera around, and it's both pretty darned quick... While I like the Google Pixel XL phone, I can't quite bring myself to love them.

Android Central | Alex Dobie

The chassis is attractive... The software is fast and mostly good-looking. It's always going to be up-to-date with the latest Android software, and exclusive tricks from a new and highly ambitious AI-focused Google. The battery easily lasts a day, and charges quickly. The camera matches the rival's.

Brighthand | Jamison Cush

The Google Pixel XL is an acceptable piece of hardware buoyed by superb software and excellent performance. It's not the hands-down best Android smartphone, but it's in the mix.

ZDNet | Jason Cipriani

The Google Pixel is the best Android phone on the market. It's fast and has an amazing camera, as well as a battery that lasts all day and then some, and it features the latest Android software improvements.

Stuff | Tom Morgan

Understated looks and a focus on software over top-spec hardware hide what an important phone this is - even if hardware geeks won't be blown away... The Pixel XL wants to be more than the sum of its parts. It's not perfect, but it is still a genuine alternative to the competition - if you're after simplicity above all else.

Digital Trends | Malarie Gokey

Google's Pixel XL is the Android phone we've always wanted. It's as gorgeous, powerful, slick, and easily upgradeable as the iPhone. It's the best Android phone of 2016 hands down.

Android Headlines | Nick Sutrich

Is this the best phone you can buy right now? In many ways, absolutely, and unless you need something a little more niche like water-resistance or microSD card support, or just a cheaper phone altogether, it's going to be an uphill battle to look elsewhere.

The Telegraph | James Titcomb

I wanted to love the Pixel. It has all the right ingredients to be the best smartphone on the market - unprecedented support from Google, great specs, very good battery life - and it certainly won't let you down.

The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs

Supersized smartphone doesn't really bring anything new to the table, but it ticks most boxes. Very good phablet but with price tag to match.

V3 | Matt Farrington-Smith

Given a few years' grace, Google could yet strike the perfect balance between price and a winning feature set. However, for the time being, the Pixel XL is a thoroughly competent, yet expensive alternative.

SlashGear | Chris Davies

... a fast processor and great battery. A camera that's not only good, but capable of some outstanding shots if the conditions are right. Just be sure you like how the flavor of Google's vision tastes, because it's everything the Pixel XL embodies.

The Inquirer | Matt Farrington-Smith

Given a few years' grace, Google could yet strike the perfect balance between price and a winning feature set. However, for the time being, the Pixel XL is a thoroughly competent, yet expensive alternative.

International Business Times | Alistair Charlton

The Google Pixel is a very good smartphone, but it's also very expensive. It's fair to ask if Apple can charge this much, then why not Google? But it will surely be a shock to the Nexus and Android faithful.

CNET UK | Lynn La

Get Google's fantastic Pixel XL if you can cough up the cash and simply want more pure Android goodness on a bigger screen.

Gadgets Now | Rajat Sharma

If you want to experience Android the way it was always meant to be and don't mind paying the premium for it, by all means, go for the Pixel XL. But if you want a value-for-money flagship device ... you'd be much better off going for a Galaxy S7 Edge or an HTC 10.

ITProPortal | Desire Athow

The Pixel XL is a phone full of superlatives but disappointing when it comes to sheer value for money or salient features....The Pixel XL is an exquisite phone but it is just too expensive for most and Google doesn't carry the same cachet and aura as the competition, whether Google wants it or not.

TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton

The Pixel performs decently well and offers some of the best hardware available. But it's boring. It's not water resistant. It doesn't offer wireless charging. It doesn't have expandable storage. It doesn't offer a hardware feature we haven't seen, like an iris scanner. The software is the highlight here.

AnandTech | Matt Humrick & Brandon Chester

The Pixel XL is a decent enough phone, but it is not the ultimate Android phone that people were likely hoping for. It fails to stand out in a crowded market and cannot claim to be the best in any single category; at best it is a jack of all trades.

The Verge | Allison Johnson

There's a whole lot to like about the TCL 20 Pro 5G, but it still feels like a device that's still shaking off some early-generation quirks. While it does offer some features and hardware you'd be hard-pressed to find on any other phone, it's not quite the total package that it should be for that price.

S21

We can't get excited about Google's first attempt at styling a phone however, and the greedy pricing shoots the phone out of the water for the majority of users.