Pixel 2 – A Phone Filled with Fun and Useful Features

The estimated reading time for this post is 7 minutes

If you’re looking for a high-quality Android phone that’s filled with features, check out the Pixel 2. This phone has one of the best smartphone cameras and plenty of unique skills that make it worthy of your consideration.

Google’s newest phones are the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL and have nearly the same features as each other. The biggest difference is that the Pixel 2 has a 5 inch screen while the Pixel 2 XL has a 6 inch screen.

Verizon Wireless lent me a Pixel 2 for review.

Design of Pixel 2

The phone is made of aluminum with a AMOLED screen that displays 16 million colors and provides a bright and vivid display.

The screen is always on, so you can see the time, the title of the song that’s playing or other information, even when your phone is in sleep mode.

Pixel 2 is water and dust-resistant with front-facing stereo speakers. There’s no headphone jack on the phone, but it comes with an adaptor so you can plug headphones into the charging port.

Battery

The Pixel 2 has a 2700 mAh battery which lasts up to 16 days of stand-by time and up to 25.37 hrs of usage time, according to Verizon Wireless.

Pixel 2 offers fast charging, with a USB-C cord. After being plugged in for only 15 minutes, the Pixel 2’s battery can last for 7 hours. Unfortunately, wireless charging is not a feature of the Pixel 2.

In my testing the battery held up well, even after extensive use. I would forget to charge the battery and still have power left on Day 2. The fast charging worked well so that I could quickly get power by charging the phone for a short time.

Setting Up the Pixel 2

Setting up a Pixel 2 is simple, the phone walks you through the process. During setup, it offers to transfer data from iPhone or your old Android phone. A Quick Switch Adaptor is included so you can connect your old phone to the Pixel 2 to transfer contacts, photos, files, etc.

Unlocking Your Phone

The Pixel 2 gives plenty of options to unlock your phone. You can use your fingerprint on the back of the phone, enter a passcode or say “OK Google” to let Google Assistant unlock your phone.

If you use Google Assistant to unlock your phone, you’ll need to use Voice Match so Google Assistant can learn your voice and know it’s you speaking. Google Assistant warns that this is a less secure way to unlock your phone than using a passcode or your fingerprint.

Camera

The camera of the Pixel 2 is top-of-line, and a key reason many people consider getting this phone. Instead of dual lenses, as with the iPhone, the Pixel 2 incorporate the advanced features of the phone in a single lens on the back of the phone.

The camera takes 4K videos. Fused Video Stabilization can help videos appear more stable:

Life’s smoother with Pixel 2’s Fused Video Stabilization. pic.twitter.com/P1vvTtDEgH

— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) February 22, 2018

The rear camera is 12 megapixels and the front camera is 8 megapixels for your selfies.

To test the camera, I brought it to the Philadelphia Flower Show. Here’s my Flickr album with photos from the show taken with the Pixel 2:

The Pixel 2 camera can take Motion Photos, similar to Live Photos on the iPhone, that include a short video. This feature is helpful to take shots of movement and to make GIFs.

Here’s a link to a Motion Photo taken with the Pixel 2: Pixel 2 Motion Photo Sample. Click on the photo to see the motion in action.

Fun and Useful Features

Google has packed this phone with fun and useful features. If you just picked up the phone and used it as you would any other smart phone, you might miss the cool tricks the Pixel 2 can do.

Summon Google Assistant with a Squeeze

On the Pixel 2, Google Assistant can be summoned by squeezing the sides of the phone. That way you can ask questions with just a squeeze, instead of using your voice or going into an app.

You can even adjust the pressure setting of the squeeze so you can choose how firmly you want to press the sides of the phone to access Google Assistant.

Google Lens

Google Assistant on the Pixel 2 can use Google Lens to identify objects, translate text, provide information and more. Summon Google Assistant, then tap the camera icon in Google Assistant.

=> See, Google and Pinterest Offer New Image Search Options to learn more about Google Lens.

Focus on objects you want more information about, then tap on what specifically in image you’d like to know more about. Google Assistant will offer suggestions. You can tap on the one you think is most helpful.

You can also use Google Lens in the Google Photos app on Pixel 2. Tap the Lens icon and Google Lens will give you more information about what’s in the photos.

Google Lens did a great job identifying flowers at the Philadelphia Flower Show:

Google Lens isn’t 100% accurate though. It thought my dog Astro was a cat. Fortunately, Astro thought that mistake was funny and wasn’t offended in the slightest.

Users can provide feedback to help Google Lens learn more and better.

Update — Astro got a haircut so I tried Google Lens again. Lo and behold, Google Lens correctly identified Astro as a dog:

(Note to self: Don’t put off Astro’s grooming appointments until he looks like a cat.)

AR Stickers

Have more fun with your photos by using AR (augmented reality) stickers on the Pixel 2. Open the camera app, then tap the menu icon (three stacked lines in the upper left corner of the screen). Choose AR Stickers and you’ll see a choice of sticker packs at the top of your screen.

=> Learn more about Augmented Reality at Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality – What’s the Difference?

Current AR sticker packs for the Pixel 2 include Stranger Things, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, foodmojis, and many more.

Tap the sticker you want to have in your photo and it’ll appear on the screen. You can drag it to the place you want using two fingers, then take a photo or video with the AR sticker in it. What’s very cool is to add more than one AR sticker and watch the characters interact with each other.

This video demonstrates the fun you can have with Pixel 2’s AR stickers:

https://youtu.be/DoS7VwKd0Ys

Note that some AR stickers make noise so you may not want to add one while you’re at work, unless your workplace is noisy and/or fun-filled.

Now Playing

You can turn on the Now Playing feature in settings to have the sleep screen tell you what song in playing nearby. The music doesn’t have to be coming from your Pixel 2, it could be playing on another speaker.

The name and artist of the song will appear at the bottom of the sleep and lock screens.

 

Instant Translation with Pixel Buds

Because the Pixel 2 does not have a headphone jack, you may want to get a set of Bluetooth earbuds. If your life involves translating other languages, you may want to invest in the Pixel Buds.

These earbuds work with any Bluetooth-enabled phone. But only on the Pixel 2 (and XL) do the Pixel Buds provide real-time language translation. I have not tested the Pixel Buds.

Free Unlimited Storage with Google Photos

Google Photos gives free unlimited storage at full resolution for all of your photos taken on the Pixel 2.

Without the Pixel 2, Google gives users unlimited storage for photos up to 16 megapixels, above that size they will be compressed. Or you can pay a fee to Google for unlimited storage at full resolution for photos not taken on a Pixel 2.

Availability

Pixel 2 is available from Verizon Wireless in three colors:

• Just Black
• Kinda Blue
• Clearly White

Pixel 2 XL is available from Verizon Wireless in two colors:

• Just Black
• Black & White

Two storage options are available for both the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL, though there is no card slot to expand storage.

The Pixel 2 is priced:

64 GB for $649
128 GB for $749

The Pixel XL is priced:

64 GB for $849
128 GB for $949

Your Thoughts

Are you looking to get a new phone? What features of the Pixel 2 are most compelling for you? Are you thinking of switching from an iPhone?

Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!