Google Pixel 2 XL – Battery life

There’s nothing revolutionary or noticeably poor about the 3520mAh cell in the Pixel 2 XL. It’s a perfectly fine battery that’ll get you through the day.

I’ve easily managed to make it through the day without reaching for the charger, comfortably going from morning until night with 15-20% remaining. If you’re a lighter user then you’ll probably have enough power left to last until midday the following day – but to stretch to two days will require close management of your settings.

Screen-on time matches that of other similarly sized phones – the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, for example – at around five to six hours, while an hour of Netflix streaming (Wi-Fi on, brightness set to 50%) consumed around 10% on average.

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Google includes a 5A USB-C to USB-C charger in the box, which, through rapid charging will boost battery to 50% in 30 minutes. You’ll be looking at around 1hr 10mins to charge your device from zero to 100%, but that’s still impressive.

There’s no wireless charging, however – no phone with a metal backplate has yet to manage this – but that’s more of a luxury than an essential feature.

Why buy the Google Pixel 2 XL?

It might not be the best Android phone available in every area, but the Google Pixel 2 XL is the one I would buy. It has a stunning camera, the best version of Android and I love the texture Google has put over the metal back.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG V30 both have more features and the OnePlus 5 is a lot cheaper, but the Google Pixel 2 XL shines when you actually use it. Take a picture with it and you’ll forgive the lack of a headphone jack, or the odd front bezel.

My only major criticism is the display. LG’s OLED panel is dull and muted and that’s a shame. Still, this is easily one of the best phones of the year.

Verdict

A stunning camera means this is still the current Android champion.