Rating with features, comments and price

Here we go, another year. Y it’s already four the ones that Google plus brings to the world’s attention every October to showcase their individual projects in society, and since 2016 they want to espectáculo you the same be insideis possible, too being your cellphone, and that its commitment to hardware is serious. Serious.

And while the beginning wasn’t easy, the numbers espectáculo us that the plan is bearing fruit. That’s why Google plus didn’t throw in the towel and was invited by Rick Osterloh and Co. in New York on October 15 to present themselves the fourth generation of Pixel phones, consisting of Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.

The new one from Google plus keeps the essence of this family. The Pixel 4 XL model, which we were able to test for just over a week, again offers unlimited possibilities Functions and useful systems that call them machine learning, which makes using one of the phones still a unique experience four years later. They have also improved their technical department, the design is now more modern and there are two cameras on the back for the first time. And all, even cheaper than last year’s models (in Europe). It looks good, doesn’t it?

But like the models of the last four years, The Pixel 4 XL is far from perfect. Despite the improvements, its specs are still lower than other models. The camera isn’t as versatile as, say, the iPhone 11 Pro, and we found some destacable flaws. Because Google plus tried to make it another year the best mobile phones on the market… in their own way.

Table of contents:

Google plus Pixel 4 XL: technical sheet features and specifications

The best of the Pixel 4 XL

overall experience

Usually this is the containing item We check the technical specifications of the device, and how they work together in a coalition to deliver excellence. Not so with the Pixel 4 XL.

On Google plus phones are the smallest numbers, and the Pixel 3a XL itself showed us that, with a technical part at the level of a 300 euro cell phone, it is able to offer an experience that is worthy of a significantly more expensive cell phone. And of course, It hasn’t been less in recent years created by those from Mountain View.

The Pixel 4 XL usuario experience is fácil Excellent. It might not be the fastest phone or the one with the most horsepower; I’m afraid that credit goes to the OnePlus 7T Pro, but I perro assure you it is the most pleasant thing to useespecially thanks to maximum optimized programa where the noticeable inconsistencies due to their absence and every detail seems to have been carefully created.

It may not be the fastest or most powerful phone, but it is the most fun to use.

But let’s see it step by step, from the beginning. Even with the screen off, the Pixel 4 XL stands out with its amazing mode Always on display, the best and most complete seen on Android to date. To the device of the time, the date and the time, it is accompanied by a battery level and depending on the situation we see information such as the song heard around us Thanks to the “It’s Ringing” mode, our next calendar event, information about an upcoming flight or upcoming notifications.

Once you touch the screen, a beautiful animation of the wallpaper Welcome to the lock screen, where a small green padlock will alert you the phone is locked. When you get to the home screen, you’ll probably be waiting for one of the Cool live wallpaper that Google plus has built into its phones since the first Pixel. By the way, now you cánido Access the quick settings panel by swiping down on the home screen.

It surprises you when you move around the usuario interfaz or between applications system liquidity, even more obvious if you come from a lower category device. Part of the blame lies with the new one High refresh rate screen, which I will discuss in more detail in the relevant section. It also affects them Android 10 includes an overhauled gesture navigation systemthat you want more or less and despite its problems – like the fact that most aplicaciones haven’t customized their side menus yet – it’s objectively more intuitive and smoother than that pseudo gestures from Android 9.

And other small details arise for to further enhance the experience the more you use the cell phone. For example him haptic engine it’s again, another year, the best in the android terminal, and is approaching the level of the Taptic Engine of the latest iPhones. It’s also excellent Audio: clear, with a very good maximum volume level and without excessive distortion at the highest levels.

Those who wanted a little more freedom in personalizing the experience now have a reason to bet on the new Pixel. With Android 10, a custom panel in the style of the latest OnePlus models, so you perro modify both the accent color of the system, the typography, the shape of the icons in the notification panel and quick settings, and the aplicación icons themselves

Adding plus points to this article, but don’t be 100% usablemainly due to the fact that they are not available but in certain regions or in English they will reach everyone sooner or later. It’s a case with the find car accidentthe live subtitles for each vídeo – yes, it’s best to turn this feature off when not in use, your battery will thank you – or Google plus Assistant renewednow with features like continuous chat, or with a smaller voice model, right down to being directly integrated into the device, so Speech-to-text transcription and query processing is a lot more quickly what in any other phone with the wizard.

This last measure also emplees the New voice recorder aplicaciónable to automatically transcribe the recordings and organize the audio clips as best as possible search among them through text questions. But, like the previously mentioned features, This tool only works in English.

sense of movement

The Pixels have previously been criticized for a certain “lack of courage” on the part of Google plus when it comes to it Providing technology and features for their phones unique as you sign Apple or Samsung We’re used to it to make that “pixel experience” I was talking about before even more complete.

But this year, Google plus is making that perceived lack of boldness one of the Pixel 4’s strengths by embracing that Motion Sense system based on Soli technology. And… first of all, what is alone

Although we discussed this technology in detail at the time, it is worth remembering that it is a motion detection system based on it radarwhich operates as follows the official documents:

• The Soli radar emits electromagnetic waves in a wide beam. Objects within the beam scatter this energy and reflect some of it back towards the radar antenna itself.
• The properties of the reflected signal, such as energy, time delay, and frequency shift, capture information about the object’s properties and behavior, including size, shape, orientation, material, distance, and velocity.
• By processing the temporal variations of the signal and other detected signal properties, Soli perro distinguish between complex movements to understand the size, shape, orientation, content, length and speed of the object in its field.

And all thanks to a small Chip built into the top edge of the Pixel 4 screen. Surprising, right? It’s even more if Let’s take a look at Soli’s demo vídeoand we see how the system was designed with the aim of performing complex operations on it Movements in the submillimeter range.

Maybe that’s why The best thing you cánido do with solos on the Pixel 4 is change songs or snooze alarms it’s disappointing. However, the potential of this system is huge, and I’m confident that over time, Google plus cánido introduce more and more features to take advantage of this tool. If not, I’ve spent the last five years working on a project involving experts in semiconductor design, digital signal processing, algorithm development, and more machine learning You will not be justified.

But, Motion Sense works, and it works well. if you are familiar with the gestures and understand that the system works best when the phone is placed face up on a flat surface, that recognition of gestures is accurate and fastand sometimes you perro make a lot out of it.

But that’s not the only aspect of Motion Sense, and I’m surprised it doesn’t get mentioned more than usual, and that’s my opinion The most useful feature that makes Soli possible: proximity detection.

Using the radar built into the device, the device is able to recognize our presence and act accordingly. This way when we are in a range of about two meters nearby móvil inteligente, The radar will detect us and keep the “Always on Display” mode active to allow us to display information such as notifications or a glance at the time. If we leave the room where the terminal is located or go far enough The screen turns off to save energy. Motion Sense recognizes the gestures of the Bring your hand closer to the device to pick it up, and it activates the screen even before our fingers touch the terminal, allowing the face unlock system to take effect as soon as possible. And while we’re on the subject…

Face Unlock

After testing some of the fastest fingerprint readers out there, be they capacitive like the Galaxy S10y también, optical like the OnePlus 7T or ultrasonic like the Galaxy Note 10+, I have to admit, Having used the Pixel 4’s Face Unlock, I’m sure this is the example below.

It is likely that the face recognition and unlocking system Pixel 4 XL the fastest currently available on mobile –say goodbye to your green screen, because you will see it very rarely–. And unlike the one that includes models like OnePlus or some Xiaomi, it is a An advanced system that emplees the various sensors on the front of the phone to scan facial featurestherefore it is not possible fool him with a photo, and it even works in complete darkness.

Say goodbye to your lock screen because you will rarely see it.

In addition, it has a major advantage over the Face ID system of the latest iPhones, and it’s his great comfort Thanks to the possibility of sending you to the last application you used before locking the phone without you having to do it Touch the screen or the phone’s power button thanks to the aforementioned radar.

But although it is the fastest, it cannot be considered the safest. At least not yet. As the company itself recognized The phone perro also be unlocked with your eyes closed, which poses certain risks depending on the situation – if you really care about your security, you should use a good password and not such a biometric system. However, they confirmed that in a few months The option to prevent unlocking with closed eyes is introduced. It must be checked whether enabling this option perro affect the speed of the unlocking process.

That too must be mentioned Face recognition perro be used to verify payments or authenticate in aplicaciones and services. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this review, the aplicaciones that support this verification system cánido be counted on one hand. From November 1st, all aplicación updates must of course be made Point to the Android 9 API, requiring developers to accept them Biometric Prompt APIsupports face recognition authentication.

screen and design

Google plus has learned from the mistakes made with the Pixel 2 XL and made the 3 XL screen one of the best on the market. This year the panel retains some of the features of the last generation Raise the level in key sections.

Of course it still is OLED technologywhat gives excellent contrast values ​​with absolutely pure blackand sharpness excellent given its Quad HD+ resolution. Color reproduction is excellent, especially when the color mode is selected automatically, which intelligently changes tones depending on the content you’re viewing. also good viewing anglesince exaggerated color changes are not recognized when rotating the terminal and, although mostly ignored more than once, the smooth operation of the brightness of the cars deserves to be mentioned.

As news, Google plus introduces high refresh rate on the Pixel 4 XL screen –also in the Pixel 4– which amplifies it feel ready already a feature of the phones in this series.

Now the feature Google plus calls “softscreen” is in available in the system settings. In some cases, the screen content is only updated at 90 Hz – for example, when the screen brightness is above 75% – so the experience is not as smooth as expected. For this it is necessary – and in my opinion highly recommended – Force the frequency to 90Hz in developer settings.

The second novel is this Ambient EQ systemwhich is afín to the function real tones of the iPhone, the temperature of the screen is adjusted depending on the ambient light. While the results aren’t as impressive as Apple’s models; the Pixel 4 only toggles between 6300k –minimum–, 6700k –default– and 7450k –maximum-.

The design deserves a special mention. Whether you like its aesthetic or not, there’s no denying that it is The Pixel 4 XL is the phone with the best build quality that Google plus has ever created. The matte coating black margins contrast to the panel mate –in the colors white and orange– resp glittering –in the black version– and to add to its relative brightness and thinness, do it comfortable phone to use.

As objectively it is true that the the aesthetics of its front It’s not the most advanced on the market. The bezels, especially the top one, are quite large and ultimately the space isn’t used as well as on other models. Furthermore, it is undoubtedly a recognizable designand in my opinion it’s one of those phones that you have to hold in your hand to appreciate.

The things not so good about the Pixel 4 XL

autonomy

At this point it seems so to live with another obligation, easily solvable with upgraded hardware, is an inherent feature of the Pixel series. The first of the models it is a bit tight with its 32 GB Storage. The second generation was notorious for the questionable quality of its LG signature screen, while the Pixel 3 drew controversy for its poor RAM management, largely due to its absence.

And I very much fear that it is so The Pixel 4 and 4 XL will be remembered as two phones that are almost perfect…barely out of reach Wake up at the end of the day. Autonomy is at least the largest model of this family. Averageand I don’t even want to imagine how critical the situation cánido be for the Pixel 4 with the smallest screen diagonal with only 2,800 miliamperio-hora battery and the same 90 Hz refresh rate on its screen.

The Pixel 4 and 4 XL will be remembered as two near-perfect phones… that cánido hardly wake up at the end of the day.

On a habitual day, You cánido get 4 or 5 hours of screen time with the Pixel 4 XL battery It’s at the bottom of the chart with around 20 hours of use, and it does the biggest shortcoming of the Pixel 4 series. The problem is even worse considering that this is the year that manzanaHistorically criticized for the poor autonomy of iPhones, he has finally raised the bar in this regard and launched the iPhone models with the longest autonomy in history.

burden 18W with included charger It’s not the fastest either, and a far cry from technologies like OnePlus’ Warp Charge or Huawei’s ultra-fast charging. Yes, at least we have Qi wireless charging which supports charging power up to 11W vía Third Party Chargers –Pixel 3 only supported this performance with the base pixel stand –.

defects

And what would Pixel be without its weaknesses?. With the Pixel 4, the list of things that fall by the wayside growsand details that were thought to have been forgotten, such as the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, are added The adapter for headphones for lifeor the own Type-C headphones that they were included with the previous generation.

But there is more. The lack of a fingerprint reader is debatable, despite the convenience of the Face Unlock system. Just like the fact that an 899 euro mobile phone has “only” 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storageThe latter is an inconvenience that’s worse when we consider that the Pixel 4 is first in the saga – not counting the 3rd and 3rd XL – that it does not offer unlimited original quality storage in Google plus photos.

Nor perro we ignore the fact that the end of 2019 has shown One of the most important aspects is the flexibility of photography when evaluating the experience with a mobile camera, The Pixel 4 comes without a lens ultra wide angle. And while we’re at it, let’s talk photography.

That’s what the Pixel 4’s cameras are like

Four years later, Google plus gave in to temptation. The Pixel 4 XL – along with its little brother – is the brand’s first phone to integrate dual cameras on its rear. Actually two sensors they act as one. At least, that’s what Google plus wants you to feel when you’re taking photos with its latest phone.

First of all, unlike other devices in which Pixel 4 camera aplicación You won’t find a button to switch between the main and secondary lenses, so you won’t know when you’re using the 16MP telephoto lens and when you’re using the 12MP main sensor. Color reproduction between the two cameras and that is without a doubt speak for the Pixel 4 photo system compared to other models.

The reason Google plus chose not to differentiate between the two sensors on the back of its latest phone is to match the philosophy of the Pixel itself: The secret is that you forget numbers and technical data sheetsand that you only focus on the experience.

and he gets it. Thanks to the excellent processing by the phone’s programa, Regardless of the zoom you use in the scene, excellent shots perro be achievedwith the largest sensor – digital zoom up to 1.8 – the televisión –1.8x– or the hybrid zoom up to 8x, which, even at maximum resolution, delivers detailed shots that come dangerously close to the results of phones with dedicated optical zoom like the Huawei P30 Pro or the OPPO Reno 10x.

“Habitual” screenshots are of course still the Pixel’s specialty. For three years I refined a process that looks like magic – but I eat well explains the wonderful Marc Levoyit’s nothing more than fácil physics.– Google plus got the closest in terms of photography to the best we’ve seen in a phone in this Pixel 4 Systems such as HDR+, night visión or Super Res Zoom.

If you consider that Apple has raised the bar in this regard thanks to its own AI systems in the iPhone 11 Pro, the comparison with the latest model from Cupertino is obvious. Is the Pixel 4 XL’s camera better than the iPhone 11 Pro? In the absence of a direct comparison, I fear so no. But nobody dares to say that the iPhone is better than the new Google plus phone – although it is more versatile -. They’re just two different but afín approaches to understanding mobile photography, and I’m afraid I’ll consejo the scales in favor of one or the other based on photographic quality. It’s a mistake.

But, Let’s talk results.

Day mode, portrait and night mode

The first goodness of this new photographic system is evident as soon as we open this camera aplicación. The system Live HDR makes aparente what is displayed in the application viewer a a close – if not exact – image of what we will see in the final shot –except in portrait mode –. This helps in composing scenes by being able to do so have a closer relationship what the final image would be. With that in mind, Google plus also runs one double exposure controlThis allows you to “editar” the image vía a series of barras deslizables before capturing it Change the level of shadows and highlights of the scene.

Images taken with the Pixel 4 XL are again screenshots in sharp contrast, whose white cómputo tends to be rather cold, unlike models from brands like Apple or Samsung, reproducing the images in a way that has the aesthetic qualities of pixels that you may more or less like. As a novelty in this sense, Google plus ensures this Now use models based on machine learning to adjust the white cómputo for each image however, depends on the content the change in tonality does not seem so noticeable as they showed us at the presentation conference.

He is again a great asset dynamic rangewhich, for some, contributed to the extreme severity of the arrest results attractive, detailed images.

Annotate the portrait mode Google plus has refined the background blur algorithmand thanks to the information captured by the secondary 16 megapixel sensor it’s more natural now.

For night shots, Google plus is still capable saves every situation thanks to its processing, almost completely eliminate noise, preserve a very high level of detail and cómputo out highlights so they don’t stand out in the shot. On the go, of course Night visión is still presentbe able Capturing light where there seems to be none. And unlike night mode on other devices, it perro be achieved in any situation, regardless of scene lighting more detailed pictures even when there is a lot of light.

Perhaps the most deserving of credit for his contribution to the field of mobile photography is the new method “Astrophotography”. it is true Sharp photos of astronomical bodies cánido be taken with almost any mobile phone by increasing the exposure time and change parameters related to focus or ISO. But the fact that it is Pixel 4 perro take these types of pictures automaticallyLeaving the phone pointing to the sky is all the more reason to admire the work Google plus engineers do in terms of computational photography. Of course, if you have a Pixel 3a or Pixel 3, that’s no reason to upgrade to the new model.

Photo gallery with Pixel 4 XL

Front camera

The programa responsible for processing the recordings is exactly the same as in the Front camera, so still one of the best cameras for autofotos From the market. Although this time we lose them second front camera Super wide angle, the 8 megapixel sensor expands its field of view to 90º, so that group autofotos are still possible in portrait format or at night thanks to night visión.

vídeo recording

According to Google plus, The Pixel 4 doesn’t record 4K vídeo at 60 FPS because the clips would take up too much space. I wish Google plus itself had found a solution to this problem… Regardless of this caveat: Vídeo recording isn’t one of the Pixel 4’s many strengths.

The clips are of good quality and the combination of OIS + EIS results in vídeos free from vibration and sudden movements. However, the iPhone will always be the reference in this space and I very much fear that this will not be the year that the Pixels take over.

Google plus Pixel 4 XL: review and final thoughts from Andro4all

It’s been a while Stop the fight for the throne of Android to play in hardware and numbers. One only has to look at how companies like LG, Sony or HTC have been in the spotlight for years despite building technically amazing phones.

And Google plus saw a great opportunity in this paradigm shift Espectáculo what you perro offer by building a phone based on your servicesthose who have relied on the data of millions of users worldwide for many years and are now working to offer it a unique experience in the Android universe.

Its spec sheet might not be the most extensive, and its shortcomings prevent it from being as accurate a phone as the Galaxy S10 or Huawei P30 Pro. But that’s not the iniciativa Google plus has been pursuing since the first generation of the Pixel lineup. Instead of this, The iniciativa of ​​the brand is to achieve this invisible excellencethat cannot be measured in benchmarks or specification lists.

Because as I said at the beginning The Pixel 4 XL is the best, but in its own way. And if Google plus’s ideas suit your needs, This is your next mobile phone.

Pixel 4 XL price and where to buy

That cánido be Google plus Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL Book in Spain from the day it was presentedand everyone who did will get a free Google plus Nest Hub.

In case you haven’t booked it, you perro Buy one of the two models in the Google plus Storeat a price of 759 or 859 euros for the Pixel 4 with 64 or 128 GB respectively and 899 or 999 euros in the Pixel 4 XL log of this analysis with the same storage configurations.

Pixel 4 and 4 XL on the Google plus Store

This device has been thoroughly tested Independently thanks to a move of the brand. The article contains purchase backlinks for which Andro4all may receive a commission. take part to the market channel Andro4all to find out about the best deals before anyone else.