Google Pixel 2 XL / Google Pixel XL2

Stunning camera ; The best version of Android ; Minimal bezel ; Feels great to hold

Lifeless screen

There’s nothing revolutionary or noticeably poor about the 3520mAh cell in the Pixel 2 XL. It’s a perfectly fine battery that’ll get you through the day.

Gorgeous design ; Blazing fast performance ; Brilliantly reliable camera ; Excellent software experience, fast updates ; IP67 water-resistant

No headphone jack ; Display has blue tint when viewed from sides

Blazing-fast speed, a brilliant camera, an uncluttered and beautiful Android experience, all in a futuristic, edge-to-edge design. A headphone jack would have been icing on the cake, but this is still the Android cake to own.

Excellent performance ; Truly impressive camera ; It's finally water resistant ; Android 8.0 is powerful and accessible ; eSIM works well with Project Fi

No microSD slot or headphone jack ; Its design feels dated ; Unlimited full-res photo storage only lasts three years ; Middling battery life

Chris is Engadget's senior mobile editor and moonlights as a professional moment ruiner. His early years were spent taking apart Sega consoles and writing awful fan fiction. That passion for electronics and words would eventually lead him to covering...

Edge-to-edge display ; Outstanding camera ; Distinctive design ; Intelligent software

Plastic-like metal ; Screen slightly behind Samsung

Smart design ; Flagship spec and features ; Natural OLED images ; Superb camera ; Very fast

Average audio ; Video lacks a little detail

The Pixel 2 XL has some neat features, scores highly for usability and has a great camera – but you can get better audio

Smart software that will only get better ; Confident design ; One of the very best smartphone cameras

No 3.5mm headphone port ; Expensive ; Poorer screen than last year's model

Despite losing the cherished 3.5mm headphone jack, the Pixel 2 XL makes up for it in spades with a mix of unique and sought-after features like a stellar design, waterproofing, Active Edge and a truly impressive camera.

Incredible camera ; Great speakers ; Best Android experience

Screen shows image retention immediately ; Colors are muted, even compared to other sRGB screens ; No headphone jack

The Pixel 2 isn't the nice dining room table with the fancy silverware. It's the kitchen counter where you actually eat. It's not as impressive, but it's much more comfortable. That's what makes the design of this year's Google Phones great. They're...

Excellent battery life. Terrific low-light camera performance. Elegant Google software. Great build.

No headphone jack or microSD card slot. Lacks Band 71 for expanded T-Mobile coverage.

Buying a Pixel 2 XL may be a little out of your comfort zone, because it isn't sold directly by most carriers. But it's worth it. Verizon sells the 64GB Pixel 2 XL directly for $849.99 or $35.41 per month. But that model has bloatware and a locked...

Pure, glorious, pristine Android Oreo. ; Amazing camera experience. ; First phone to receive Google Lens. ; Beautiful new display and physical design. ; Packed with A.I.-driven surprise and delight features.

Some key features aren't exclusive. ; Not a monumental upgrade over original Pixel XL. ; No headphone jack, no manual camera controls, meh speakers.

Is Google Lens a photo feature, a surprise-and-delight trick, or a productivity tool? It’s actually all three. It’s a fantastic demonstration of Google’s machine-learning chops, and is coming to both original Pixel phones as well as this year’s models.

Solid build with IP67 waterproofing ; Good battery for all-day performance ; Great camera performance in most conditions (now with Night Sight) ; Display's saturated mode gives the look we wanted at launch

Design doesn't make best use of space (large bezel) ; No 3.5mm headphone socket ; Camera white balance inconsistencies ; No microSD card slot ; Default screen display not the most exciting

After a rocky start, Google's tweaks and changes have given the Pixel 2 XL the appeal that it needed. It's not the best design to encase the 18:9 display format, as it's quite large with big bezels, but at its heart this is a powerful pure Android...