I’ve had a lot of requests for the Pixel 2 XL. When a new phone is released, I don’t
normally test both sizes since they are usually made by the same company and the structure
and materials are the same. But when Google makes phones, they divvy out the phone construction
and the Pixel XL has a different manufacturer than the regular size Pixel. So, the construction
is different. Google has approved both versions of the phone though, and slapped their name
on it. So, if anything goes wrong down the road, Google should be the one to take care
of it. Let’s test the Pixel 2 XL.
[Intro]
I’ll admit I was a little mean in my regular sized Pixel 2 video. I don’t take back anything
I said of course, but I will try to point out a few benefits of the Pixel lineup during
this video. Google has advertised Gorilla Glass 5 on this 6-inch OLED display, which
you already know scratches at a level 6, with a deeper groove at a level 7 – all verified
here by my buddy Moh. One big perk of owning the Pixel 2 phone is the front firing stereo
speakers. If your face is always pointed towards the screen, the sound should also point right
back toward your face, just like with the TV or at a movie theater. It just makes sense.
And the Pixel 2 has that. The speaker grills are made from a thinner style of metal screen,
but it is secure and it’s better than the white cloth that we saw last year. So thumbs
up for that.
The front camera is protected under the front glass of the screen. Down here on the back
of the phone, we have our branding – the letter G. Now, the old Nexus phones had a
problem with the Nexus lettering falling out of the back plastic. This metal G is inlayed
and glued pretty hard into that G slot in the back of the phone. Even digging at it
with my razor blade, it was difficult to remove, so I really doubt it’s ever going to fall
out on its own.
Now the back surface of the phone is the same material we saw on the Pixel 2 and can be
scuffed up by keys. This coating, or thick paint on the phone, is very similar to plastic.
And the marks are permanent – they don’t rub away or disappear like we saw on the anodized
aluminum like we saw on the OnePlus 5T. It’s very important to never put phone and keys
in the same pocket or purse.
Using the Mohs picks on the back of the phone, we start seeing very permanent damage at a
level 3 – same level of hardness that plastic has. But you know, if you treat your phone
extremely well, or put a case on it like a normal person, you won’t have to worry about
any of that. One huge perk of owning a Pixel phone is unlimited quality storage or pictures
and videos online, up until the end of 2020. After that you still get to keep what you’ve
uploaded, but the deal only continues to include nonoriginal quality picture storage after
that. So it is a great thing, but it doesn’t last forever…kind of like the dinosaurs.
Rex was looking a little too much like Barney over here, so I added some teeth, and now
he’s looking a little better…you know, art class with Jerry stuff.
The coating applied to the back of the phone wraps equally along the sides, and it feels
good and looks really good…even if it is a bit softer than normal metal with glass
that we normally see on flagships. The same thick paint covers the volume rocker and power
buttons. The razor blade of truth exposes the metal underneath both buttons which is
interesting because the color button on the Kinda Blue Pixel 2 was plastic. Once again,
plastic is not a bad thing, it’s just good to know what is where. Speaking of what is
where, the headphone jack is still not here, but hey, if you’re into that kind of thing,
party on. I just hope your party speakers are all Bluetooth.
The camera is also something that Google excels with, combining all that portrait mode stuff
into one pretty high-quality sensor is quite the feat, and it is protected with real glass
and has a metal lip surrounding the lens. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this
camera. The fingerprint scanner can still get scratched up. It’s not ceramic or anything
like we saw on the OnePlus 5T. But this time around the fingerprint scanner does keep working
after my abuse. So if the scratches are all superficial, it should still function. The
Pixel 2 XL screen lasted 10 seconds under the heat from my flame, and it’s interesting
to note that the regular size 2 lasted 15 seconds. I honestly don’t think this 5 second
difference has any indication of potential burning between display manufacturers, it
just could be the angle o f my flame. I would need to burn quite a few more Pixels to test
this theory, but it’s still kind of interesting. Maybe someday we’ll find an actual use for
this burn test.
And now the bend test, checking the structural integrity of the phone. The Pixel 2’s water-resistance
was compromised by a badly placed antenna line that cracked and could separate under
pressure. With this Pixel 2 XL, there is some minor flex, but there is no splitting along
the frame of the phone when bent from the front or the back. It remains solid. Here’s
another quick look at the weak point on the Pixel 2. Keep in mind that the weak point
isn’t a deal breaker. A phone would be totally fine under normal circumstances. It’s the
accidents and the abnormal circumstances that we are planning for here with my videos. And,
judging by the look of it, the Pixel 2 XL is a little bit better prepared for the abuse
cellphones sometimes endure. The main thing to watch out for with the Pixel XL is the
plasticky paint coating that’s a bit softer than metal. But, with a little protection
on your very expensive investment, like a case or a skin, and you’ll be just fine
for a pretty long time.
While this phone isn’t going to be my daily driver, it’s still going to be a really
good phone for a lot of people. Let me know what phone you want to see tested here next
on my channel. Rex wants you to subscribe to my future videos, and he thanks you a ton
for watching. We’ll see you around.