The Pixel XL was the best “phablet” phone to date (Android performance wise), as of last year that is. And like every other flagship smartphone, the new iteration is here to be the new king of the castle. Accordingly, Google went all out with its new Pixels, especially the Pixel 2 XL. With its advent, it seems that the list of 100,000 PKR phones is growing larger flagship by flagship.

Bezel-less meets boldness

Abandoning the curved edges of last year’s Pixels, the Pixel 2 XL adopts a bolder rectangular edge coupled with an all-aluminum body, some glass coated edges, and a hybrid coating for that premium feel you want. Positioned perfectly on the back for your finger to reach without any trouble is probably the world’s fastest smartphone fingerprint scanner; it’s more accurate and secure than a significant amount of handsets currently sporting fingerprint scanners.

On the front we have an almost bezel-less 6 inches display. Now since this is not completely (or almost completely) bezel-less like the Galaxy S8 or the LG V30, we’re treated to two front facing stereo speakers as well; the top one even doubling as an earpiece. Overall, the phone is IP67 water and dust resistant certified, so you don’t have to worry about dropping it in the pool every now and then (although we do recommend being cautious with it).

Tall, high res and beautiful

Simply put, that’s the screen of the Pixel 2 XL. Sporting a near bezel-less 6 inch QHD+ P-OLED display with the now flagship standard 2:1 aspect ratio, the Google Pixel 2 XL checks all the boxes in the flagship screen department. The QHD+ display puts the resolution at 537ppi and the screen to body ratio is at a very nice 77.42%. All these numbers simply mean indicate that the display on the Pixel 2 XL is one to be stared in awe at. The P-OLED display lets the screen curve into the body without breaking since it’s actually made of a type of plastic instead of the traditional glass.

One of the world’s best camera-phone just got better

With the last year’s Google Pixel and Pixel XL rocking the best cameras on a smartphone to date, it’s hard to imagine how Google can top it. Well, with the Pixel 2 XL, they’ve done just that; with a DxOMARK rating of 98, it puts last year’s chart topping 89 look subpar and with the promise of Google Lens integration, the Pixel 2 XL’s primary camera is more than just a camera. Now it will be able to read text and identify images right in the native camera app instead of having to use a 3^rd party software.

The camera itself is a single rear-facing camera with a 1/2.6-inch 12MP sensor, an f/1.8 aperture, OIS, and Dual-Pixel Autofocus. Notice how it says single rear facing camera instead of dual. Well, Google has opted not to go with the trend of dual cameras, nevertheless, they’re giving you all the goodies they come with anyway. Yes, you read that right, the Pixel 2 XL will be fully capable of taking your blurred background portrait pictures, and not just with the back camera but with the front one too! This is all thanks to the software upgrade in the camera where it can now simulate a shallow sense of depth to distinguish between the background and foreground.

Top notch hardware in a top notch phone

Being a flagship phone, all the specs you’ve come to expect in the Pixel XL 2 are present. We have the Snapdragon 835 10nm processor, 4GB of RAM, 64/128 GB storage options and a beefy 3,520mAh battery for all day use. Since it is a Google phone, Android 8.0 Oreo is pre-installed with the latest security and OS updates always arriving first.

Like Apple ensures that its software/hardware optimizations are as smooth as silk, Google follows suit with its Pixel releases. In short, you’ll simply see no lag atop the Android Oreo leading to a powerful and commanding all-round user experience for you to enjoy.

Pixel 2 XL pros:

• Large screen in an appropriate body size
• beefy battery
• high end all-round specs
• beautiful display
• Vanilla Android due to superb processing power

Pixel 2 XL cons:

• Price, and maybe screen size for some?