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Phones · Google Pixel

Google Pixel 2 XL

8owners with an opinion
60%of verdicts positive
1/1positive/negative since 2024
0happy after 3+ years

Praised for reliability; criticized for battery and software.

What owners wrote

Doesn’t like it
if it didn't spaz out while installing LineageOS on it, I'd still be using my Pixel 2 XL. it was probably struggling with some hardware failures (I dropped it a lot...) and wouldn't boot after. Pixel 6s were on sale and I got one of those, no regrets. I am not enthusiastic about Google as a company, and I may consider an iPhone for my next cell, but I've been satisfied with the Pixel line so far.
Recommends it
I went from : Iphone 5 (New but not most recent) | Screen broke from the inside after 3 years \ -> Samsung Galaxy S7 (New but not most recent) | Friend made me great offer for 2XL -> Google Pixel 2XL (Used, 200 CAD) | gave the Galaxy S7 to my mother. She never had a Cellphone before. I'm heavily thinking about upgrading from 2XL to Pixel 6 (Not Pro) and giving my 2XL to my mother since the Galaxy is rebooting randomly even after a fresh reset. The Google Pixel 2 XL is the best phone i've ever owned and I've personally never had any issue with it.
Neutral
I'm a hobby photographer and I already pre-ordered the Pixel 5. I suspect there will be no comparison in the picture quality. However I also edit big, 47MP jpegs from my Leica on my Pixel 2XL and amusingly I'm not sure if it will be faster or slower to edit on the Pixel 5, given the processor. Alas the 2XL has cracked in 3 corners and is held together by tape, so to the 5 I go.
Doesn’t like it
So true! When I got my Pixel 2 XL I wanted to bite my a for not having checked for a jack upfront. It kind of works with an adapter, I still prefer jacks so.
Likes it
They are producing a lot of things. I use a lot of them personally. Just love YouTube TV. It is not just a lot cheaper but a far better user experience. Have a Pixel Book and with Google "producing" GNU/Linux support it is ideal for me. Have a Pixel 2 XL which I just love. Best smart phone I have ever owned and barely carry my iPhone any longer. We have Google Homes throughout our house that they produced. But lots of tech. K8s, TensorFlow, Gvisor been playing with. But the biggest thing for me personally is the Google research papers. It is just amazing what Google shares and I really appreciate how much they give back and how they are willing to share their secrets. I am shocked they decided to basically share Borg to the world but more power to them. We just never had a tech company as generous as Google. I am old and been in tech for almost 40 years. Only company I can think of that would be even close is Bell Labs. But no where near the scale of what Google gives away.
Neutral
I pre-ordered the Pixel 2 XL, and got it as part of the first ship... I don't care for the rounded display, it's almost impossible to use input without issue unless you have a case on it (didn't have the case for the first few days). Beyond this, the bluetooth issues since Android 8 have been outright painful. The recent update has helped a lot, but it's still not right, about to cancel Pandora. Other than the bluetooth issues really enjoying the device.. The look/feel (beyond round edges effecting input) is spot on. I am hoping to not have to replace the battery on this device in less than 2 years though. My Nexus 6 literally caught fire after battery issues around 15 months in use.