On the eve of this review publishing, Google finally committed to issuing a software update that would add eye detection to face unlock. But the Pixel 4 has at least five major new hardware-based features: face unlock, Motion Sense, the new Google Assistant, the new 90Hz display, and a second telephoto camera lens. On the front, Google has done away with the grim notch from last year, instead offering a small but noticeable top bezel. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I wasn’t able to get far enough away from the city this week to really test it, but here is a shot from the pier by the Ferry Building in San Francisco — despite the light pollution, it managed to capture some stars even though the moving clouds. Apple tends to choose design over functionality, and are iPhones are known for their advanced technology.

We didn’t notice it was working until we switched it off to reveal a harsher, colder-temp default color setting - which is kind of the point. Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads.It still produces great photos in a variety of situations, although the lack of an ultra-wide lens means it’s somewhat less versatile than pretty much every other Android flagship released in 2019. We saw pictures of the phone weeks before the event, and we even learned about Face unlock while Google teased the. Take the time to make your selection among the different versions of the refurbished Google Pixel 4 XLs, or any other high-tech refurbished phone that you might want! The good news: Google has upgraded the RAM on its Pixel phones for the first time, finally now offering a 6GB phone, which means low chances of background apps closing, and no general slowdown to speak of. Although the Pixel’s face unlocking was good in my experience, it’s won’t be the biometric solution of choice for everybody.

Other interests include Buddhism, spending time in Tibetan monasteries, and translating ancient Tibetan texts. When purchased from us, your device will come with a genuine Google Pixel USB C charging cable as standard.While we appreciate seeing the bump in RAM here, nearly every other flagship now uses 8GB as the standard (barring the iPhone).

They are one of the most used features in the smartphone experience and are often taken by granted by people who do now know how the gadget works. Instead, it’s the interplay of the new features on the Pixel 4 that make the whole thing feel more seamless and natural. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). It’s not at the head of the pack for new, industry-leading features - but if you like shooting photos without much fuss, the Google Pixel 4 XL is for you.When the phone is completely still and in Night Sight mode, it will switch to taking a significantly longer set of exposures —- sometimes several minutes long — to capture the stars. I’ve gotten about four hours of screen-on time, which translates to about a day of use if you don’t push it. I should mention that while I had no issues with Motion Sense detecting my hand as I reached for the phone, David did. Google is also known as Alphabet because Google renamed itself as Alphabet in 2015 and made Google a subsidiary.

Weirdly and annoyingly, Google doesn’t include either headphones or an adapter in the box anywhere except France and Australia. I’m also bummed that Google is pushing people towards paying for its Google One cloud storage instead of offering full-quality Google Photo backups or providing more on-board storage. The adaptive 90Hz refresh rate won’t impact battery life as much as it would if it weren’t variable, but a bigger battery here seems like a missed slam dunk. The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are the best argument that specs don’t tell you everything you need to know about a phone — because the experience of using a Pixel 4 is better than any other Android phone.The Pixel camera’s dominance is at serious risk of being eclipsed by other phones next year if Google doesn’t step up its game even more in the next 12 months. Dual speakers poke out the bottom around a USB-C port, while the right side has a lock button and volume rocker. While other Android flagships have strived for ever-sleeker and glossier looks, the Google Pixel line has hewed toward simpler rounded geometry - the ‘premium’ has been in the hardware and software, not the design. Google Pixel phones are made in China, but Google is trying to move production to Vietnam to avoid higher manufacturing costs.