The Google Pixel has been available now for a little over 4 months and currently has received outstanding reviews. Not surprising, considering the specifications of the phone:
5” 1080p display
Snapdragon 821 processor
4GB RAM
32GB or 128GB of storage (depending on the model)
Android 7.1
USB-C (supports fast charging)
12MP rear camera and 8MP selfie camera
2770 mAh battery
The processor and the 4GB of ram ensure that the phone is lightning fast. 32GB should be enough for most people but having the option of 128GB is nice if you need it. In addition, the phone has a lot of cool features like Google Assistant, Google Daydream and Google Home; but by all accounts, what makes the phone amazing is the camera.
The Camera Hardware
The camera in the Google Pixel is 12MP and has a wide aperture f/2.0 lens it also utilizes larger photosites. Oh, and it also uses lasers to take better pictures (more on that later). 12MP is a fairly normal resolution for photos. The wider lens helps with taking photos in low-light conditions. The larger photosites means that the phone can use much faster shutter speeds.
The Camera’s Software
But it’s not just the specifications of the camera that make for great photos. The real driving force here are the algorithms created by Google to improve the photos you take. The default camera mode is Marquee mode (or HDR+) which takes several images at once, analyzes them, and combines them into the best possible photo.
Unlike other flagship phones the Google Pixel doesn’t have optical image stabilization. Instead, the phone uses a combination of their hardware features and some of the principles of “lucky imaging” to select the best possible photo.
Did I mention that the phone uses lasers? OK, while technically true that the phone uses lasers, they aren’t the type of lasers that are visible to the human eye. The Pixel uses an infrared laser and an advanced algorithm to help with real-time focusing.
Summary
Google has come out strong with the first phone marketed as a Google phone. They’ve focused on the areas that Google is great at, software development. Google has some of the best programmers working for them and it shows, especially when it comes to their camera. Google Daydream, Google Assistant and Google Home are nice but are secondary compared to the other features of the phone.
The Google Pixel 1 has a lot of features that are useful, like the google assistant and unlimited storage for photos and videos. The design is sleek and modern, and the phone is overall easy to use. However, there are some downsides to this phone. The battery life is not great, and the camera could be better. Overall, though, the google pixel 1 is a great choice for a cell phone.
We will soon be performing repairs for this device. Check Cell Phone Repair Vancouver for more info.