Pixel 2 vs iPhone: Why Google's phone is the best update

Technology

Much cheaper

Let's start with the costs. A new 64GB Pixel 2 costs $ 350, £ 370 or $ 500 less than a 64GB iPhone X. The chart below compares the prices of Pixel 2 and iPhone X. The price of Pixel 2 is exactly the same as that of a basic iPhone Cost up to the iPhone 8.

Price Pixel 2 and iPhone X

	Pixel 2 64GB	Pixel 2 128 GB	iPhone X 64GB	iPhone X 256GB
American Award	$ 649	$ 749	$ 999	$ 1,149
British Award	£ 629	£ 729	£ 999	1 149 £
Australia price	$ 1,079	AU $ 1,229	$ 1,579	AU $ 1,829

I must admit that Google is making a larger version of its phone with the same processor and the same camera called Pixel 2 XL . A 64GB version of the XL costs $ 849, £ 799 or AU $ 1,399. At launch, the Pixel 2 XL suffered from screen problems that Pixel 2 did not encounter.

Apple also manufactures the iPhone 8, which has the same processor and the same wide angle camera as the iPhone X. The iPhone 8 costs $ 699, £ 699, $ 1,079, this which is more like the cost of a 2. Pixel

But my iPhone friends were not interested in the Pixel 2 XL or the iPhone 8. For them, it's either l & rsquo; # 39; iPhone X or the Pixel 2.

Support Support

There seems to be some confusion on the US networks that support the Pixel 2. You can buy and finance an unlocked Pixel 2 from Google and the # Use on AT & T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and Google Project Fi. Some third-party retailers like Best Buy also sell and finance unlocked Pixel 2 phones. And there is always Verizon, who sells the handset to use it only on its network.

The iPhone X can be bought and funded by Apple, third-party retailers and all major carriers

Notch vs. Front

Both phones are almost identical in size. The iPhone X is a thinner and smaller hair, but has a bigger screen – 5.8 inches compared to the 5 inches of the Pixel 2. The iPhone X is more important, weighing 31 grams, 1 , 09 ounces more than Pixel 2.

The design of Pixel 2 is consistent with the way phones have watched the last three to five years. On the front, there is a pronounced forehead, chin and glasses. The corners are rounded and there is a rear fingerprint sensor. Despite this outdated formula, the fit and finish of the phone give it a contemporary look – especially the small glass panel at the back that houses the camera.

I also love the laminated aluminum texture of the bottom of the Pixel 2. It's reassuring and comfortable to hold. I raise this issue because I have an unspoken anxiety by holding the iPhone X. I am so scared to drop it. In a CNET fall test, the glass of the iPhone X cracked on the first drop . But when I hold Pixel 2, I do not feel the same discomfort.

The iPhone X is essentially all glass with a stainless steel strap that really connects the phone. It looks like an accessory from a futuristic sci-fi movie or a jewel. The screen, apart from the "notch", covers the front and is framed by the smallest of the glasses. The only buttons on the phone are next to the edges.

Instead of a home button, Apple has added actions to the screen. During my first days on the phone, I found these new gestures frustrating, but now they are like second nature. Apple has replaced the fingerprint sensor (previously integrated into the home button) with FaceID. The phone unlocks as soon as you look at the screen. It works like a charm for me, but if you think you're going to miss unlocking your phone with a fingerprint, the Pixel 2 is a better fit.

The speakers of both phones are decent and stronger than the original Pixel and the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. But none of these phones offer the rich and rich sound of, for example, the Razer Phone .

Quick charge compared to headphones

The Pixel 2 comes with a fast charger that can add 7 hours of battery life after 15 minutes of charging. The iPhone X supports fast charging, but does not come with the cable or wall charger that you will need to make it work. You need to buy a USB-C cable at Lighting ($ 25, £ 25, AU $ 35) and a 29-watt charger ($ 49, £ 49, AU $ 69).

The iPhone X is capable of charging wirelessly with a charging mat driver (not included). Pixel 2 does not support that, but with this 15-minute top-off mentioned above, I do not think you'll miss it.

Here's what happens in the box for an iPhone X and Pixel 2:

What's in the box

	iPhone X	Pixel 2
Wall charger	5W USB	18W USB-C
Charging cable	Flash to USB	USB-C to USB-C
Earphones	Yes, with Lightning connector	No
Headphone jack adapter	Lightning at 3.5mm	USB-C to 3.5mm
Extras	No	Quick switch adapter

Neither phone has a headphone jack, but both come with an adapter so you can always plug in your wired headphones. The iPhone X also comes with Lightning earbuds connected, while the Pixel 2 does not come with any. If you do not have an old pair that you can use, you will have to spend more money.

Apple also sells wireless headphones called AirPods ($ 159, £ 159, AU $ 229), while Google offers its own wireless headset called Google Buds (159 $, 159, AU $ 249).

So what's the takeaway here? Whatever phone you go with, you will have to adopt Dongle Life . But …

Android Oreo is good

The biggest change you need to take into account is not the physical phones themselves, but how are you going to change operating system – to know for Android. For seasoned iPhone owners, older versions of Android had a reputation for being chaotic and less secure. In early Android, depending on the phone, could be a bumper fire full of bugs, late updates and bloatware applications from carriers and manufacturers.

But that changed with Android Oreo. It works as well on the Pixel 2 as iOS 11 on the iPhone X.

You might also miss some Apple-centric features such as iMessage and FaceTime – especially if you have friends and relatives who

But in addition to leaving behind the blue bubbles, Android Oreo and iOS 11 are perfectly compatible in terms of functionality, security and ease of use.

Since Google does both hardware and software, like Apple, the company is good at sending regular updates to Android.

iPhone X has Apple Pay and Siri, while Pixel 2 has Android Pay and Google Assistant, the latter can run on an iPhone too. If you subscribe to Apple Music, the service is available on Android.

If you have bought a lot of applications or games on iOS, you will have to redeem them on Android. This is not as important as a few years ago since most apps are "free" with in-app purchases.

Switching from one to the other inevitably means a small learning curve. But Android Oreo will probably surprise most iOS users with its stability and features.

To learn more about switching from iOS to Android, check out our article on tips and tricks

Google recently announced Android P its next major update. Apple will probably release its first developer version of the next iOS at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) next week .

The Best Cameras

The Pixel 2 has a single rear camera compared to the dual cameras -rear on the iPhone X. Both phones are capable of capturing fantastic photos and videos. Yet in my eyes, the Pixel 2 takes better pictures than the iPhone X .

I prefer that Pixel 2 images have more detail and sharpness thanks to . This does not mean that the iPhone X is a slouch. It's better on enlarged photos as its second camera has a telephoto lens and allows 2x optical zoom. Zooming on Pixel 2 is not always pretty, but is better than other digital zooms .

Both phones have portrait mode, which gives an artificial depth of field imitating photos taken with a SLR camera and a fast lens.

The iPhone X creates this effect better. The portraits have a progressive transition between the subject and the background that looks more like a DSLR portrait. Apple also allows you to adjust the light effects after the fact to make a really pop portrait photo.

Pixel 2 separates the background and the foreground with laser-like precision. This can sometimes seem a little artificial or Photoshop-ish. But there is something dramatic and seductive about the results as well.

In addition, the iPhone X takes incredible photos in portrait mode of fish . , also. Here, the Pixel 2 exceeds what the iPhone X can produce anyway. The selfie portraits of Pixel 2 are as good as what his rear camera can produce. The selfie portraits of the iPhone X unfortunately do not always nail the effect "blur in the background".

As for the video, the iPhone X is the king, and offers better picture quality and more shooting options. On the other hand, the video stabilization of the Pixel 2 is the best

Battery longer than the fastest processor

The chip A11 of the iPhone X blows the processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 in the Pixel 2. In reality, however, it's hard to tell the difference. None of the two phones seem slower than the other.

Speed ​​Tests of Pixel 2 and iPhone X

	iPhone X	Pixel 2
GeekBench 4 single-core	4,232	1,917
Geekbench 4 multi-core	10,329	6,396
Ice Storm 3DMark Unlimited	63,446	39,267

In our loop video battery tests, the Pixel 2 lasted 13 hours, 28 minutes compared to the iPhone X for just 11 hours, 45 minutes. This is not a huge difference. In real life, I have never had a problem with the use of one or the other phone without recharging.

Extras

The Pixel 2 comes with a connector to transfer media files from your old iPhone to your new Google phone. In addition, if you run out of space for your photos and videos, be aware that you enjoy unlimited storage space on your Cloud Pixel 2.

The phone can also be used with headphones Daydream View ($ 149, £ 99, AU $ 149). The headset is covered with a fabric and has a tiny black mirror style remote control. You can access YouTube VR content, Netflix, the New York Times (my favorite) and more. Although it's fun to use, I ended up using Daydream View as much as my slow cooker – a lot for the first few weeks, but barely since.

Finally, the Pixel 2 supports ARCore apps and has Google Lens software that can overlay information about the world around you using the camera and the Photos application.

The iPhone supports iOS AR apps and has FaceID, which allows Animoji messages . Apart from this, integration with AR and VR platforms is quite limited.

AppleCare for iPhone X costs $ 200 and offers 2 year coverage from the date of purchase against any type of damage. Google's "Preferred Care" costs $ 129 and covers Pixel 2 for 30 months. But it lacks the convenience of a real Apple Store. Although there is no Google Store with a Google Genius Bar for quick repairs, there is a 24-hour live customer support system, to which Pixel users can access in the Settings on the phone.

Other phones exist, but …

iPhone 8

Even though my friends are torn between a Pixel 2 and an iPhone X, it's worth recognizing that a iPhone 8 and Pixel 2 match better … in terms of price and design. The iPhone 8 has a polished version of the same repetitive design as the iPhone 7, 6S and 6.

The interiors of the iPhone 8 are about the same as those of the iPhone. iPhone X. In our battery tests, the the iPhone 8 lasted an hour longer than the iPhone X when playing a video loop with a half brightness. Both phones have the same wide angle camera, but the iPhone X also has a second rear camera and FaceID.

Pixel 2 XL

The Pixel 2 XL has a larger screen at 6 inches compared to the Pixel 2 inch display. The glasses on the 2 XL are significantly thinner, giving it a more modern look and feel than its little brother the Pixel 2. Inside, everything is the same except the battery. The 2 XL has a battery of 3,520mAh while the Pixel 2 has a smaller 2,700mAh.

Galaxy S9

It is also interesting to note that the new Samsung phones, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are now available. Both phones feature a variable aperture camera promising sharper images with everyday use. But Pixel 2 still took better pictures during the preliminary tests. CNET has extensive coverage of new phones, but none of my iPhone owner friends who wanted a Pixel 2 was interested in the Galaxy S9.

The Pixel 2 and its stock version of Android have a simple and clean mojo that appeals to an iPhone user more than the "add anything" approach of Samsung.

In 4 months

Keep in mind that we are just after the halfway between Apple and the latest Google launches and their upcoming ones. Apple generally released a new iPhone in September, while Google launched the two generations of pixels in October. But 4 months can be a long wait to update your phone.

The Best Android Phone for iPhone Lovers

The Pixel 2 is the most iPhone-like phone I've seen on Android. This is a solid choice for someone who lives the life of Apple. Upgrading to Pixel 2 means that you will save money, get the best phone camera for photos and have a device that does not need to be coded. Plus, Android Oreo offers a level of fit and finish that will surely surprise the most dedicated iOS user.

Once you decide to change, all you need is to do what color Pixel 2 you want.

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Editor's Note : This story was originally published on March 14, 2018 at 4 am One of the main questions I had about this article was the security of Android compared to iOS. Here is a story that CNET has published since explores how Google has made Android as safe as iOS .

I asked a few people to talk to me about the warranty and software support for each phone. Google offers a two-year warranty on the Pixel 2, while Apple covers the iPhone X for a year. However, Google only supports security updates on Pixel 2 for "at least three years". Apple has not shared how long the new versions of iOS will support the iPhone X, but currently iOS 11 can run on phones as old as the iPhone 5S which was launched four and a half years after the launch. [19659133] [ad_2]
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