In pictures: Google Pixel and Pixel XL!

The first phones made by Google, individually and side-by-side.

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL are official, and we’ve just gotten our grubby little hands on the two phones at Google’s event. A full hands-on write-up and video walkthrough will be with you soon. In the meantime, here’s an photo essay on both phones, as well as a side-by-side comparison of the 5-inch and 5.5-inch models.

Baby Pixel

Google Pixel (5-inch)

Biggie Pixel

Google Pixel (5.5-inch)

Side by side

Google Pixel versus Pixel XL

Fancy cases

Google Pixel accessories

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Everything we know so far
• New navigation buttons
• Google UI + circular icons
• Android 7.1 Nougat
• Pixel vs Pixel XL
• Older Nexus phones

Win a Google Pixel or Pixel XL from Android Central!

Win a Pixel or Pixel XL from Android Central! How? Follow along.

Google’s new Pixel phones are amazing. They are powerful and smart, and take great photos. And they’re also quite expensive, starting at $649 and $769 for the Pixel and Pixel XL, respectively.

But you don’t have to buy either phone right now. Instead, you can enter our competition to win one of these phones. Here’s the deal: enter the contest using the widget below, and follow the instructions for more chances to win.

What you can win: One (1) Google Pixel XL or one (1) Google Pixel and a $100 Amazon gift card. It’s your choice!

Who can enter: The contest is open to all customers worldwide, though the phone may not work with every carrier in every market.

Win a Pixel or Pixel XL from Android Central!

That’s it! Good luck to everyone who enters and enjoy your Pixel!

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Everything we know so far
• New navigation buttons
• Google UI + circular icons
• Android 7.1 Nougat
• Pixel vs Pixel XL
• Older Nexus phones

Google Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on

Our first impressions of the brand new Google Pixel and Pixel XL.

There have been many “Google phones” over the years. In the run up to Android’s announcement eight years ago, rumors swirled of a “gPhone” to take on the increasingly dominant iPhone. Fast forward 18 months and we had the Nexus program, starting with the Nexus One, a Google-branded sold direct to customers unlocked. Since then, Google has collaborated with many manufacturers to show its vision of what an Android phone should be — those partnerships have brought us eight wildly different “Google” Nexus phones.

And now there’s Pixel — the first true Google phone, taking on the name we used to associate with its own Chromebooks. And just like those Chromebooks, the new Pixel and Pixel XL are designed from the ground up by Google, and launched today at an event in San Francisco. Join us as we take a first look at the first phones “made by Google.”

Starting with the hardware

Let’s start with the basics. After weeks of leakage, you probably already know that the Pixel comes in two sizes — a 5-inch regular Pixel and a 5.5-inch Pixel XL. And that they’re powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 821 processor, with 4GB of RAM, and 32 or 128GB of non-expandable storage. That’s standard high-end Android stuff.

More: Google Pixel + Pixel XL specs

On a basic physical level, we’re looking at two rather pretty metal-bodied phones, and size-wise they feel just as you’d expect, with bezels that are hardly tiny. The regular 5-inch Pixel is a comfortable one-handed phone, while the larger XL will be easy to wrangle if you’re used to bigger devices like the Nexus 6P — in fact they’re nearly the same size. The screen is smaller than the 6P’s, but there’s also a lot less going on around the display, despite the presence of sizable top and bottom bezels. And for what it’s worth, the Pixel XL is a bit easier to manage in the hand than the iPhone 7 Plus, which also uses a 5.5-inch display.

In both models, the slightly angled sides allow for an easy grip, and the bevelled edges break up what might otherwise be a monolithic metal design. Comparisons with the iPhone have been drawn, but these don’t really play out in real life. The Pixels are more angular on the sides and back, even having a very slight wedge-like shape to them from top to bottom.

I can’t find a flaw in this hardware design.

The back panel of both phones is flat, with a large, unique glass panel making up the top one-third of the phone, housing the fingerprint sensor dead in the middle and several holes up in the corner: an LED flash, camera, laser autofocus mechanism and a microphone. The glass pane makes the Pixels stand out, but at the same time it’s another place to get gunked up with fingerprints, especially as you run your hand on it to get to the fingerprint sensor (now called Pixel Imprint).

The phones feel really solid, and those who like a smaller phone will rejoice at the quality of the smaller Pixel — but this standard is to be expected for a phone that starts at $649, like every other flagship out there.

Battery life will have to remain an unknown until we’ve spent more time with the Pixels, but based on the numbers alone things are looking pretty good. 3450 mAh to work with in the 5.5-inch Pixel XL should lead to solid battery longevity, though the 2770 mAh in the smaller 5-inch Pixel means you’re unlikely to get more than a day per charge. Both will benefit from the new enhancements to Doze in Android Nougat, though, letting the phone spend more time sleeping throughout the day rather than awake and draining battery. The phones also have Google’s Rapid Charging offering over USB-C, which can add (an admittedly ambiguous) “7 hours” of usage in just 15 minutes.

Get hyped about these cameras

I’ve only spent a little time with the Pixels shooting photos, but what I’ve seen has me extremely excited. On paper we’re basically looking at the Nexus 6P’s camera: a 12MP sensor with really big 1.55-micron pixels. But the important change this time around is speed — even with the great hardware in the Nexus 6P, the camera was slow … that’s just not the case anymore. The camera launches insanely quickly, and captures photos just as fast, in rapid succession.

HDR+ is fantastic, all it needed was speed. Now we have the complete package.

Google is so confident in its speed boost that HDR+ mode is now enabled by default, and it no longer has an extra-long shutter time or foreground processing — you can snap HDR+ photos like you would any other shot, and still benefit from the far superior image processing in the background. That’s a huge deal, because while the Nexus 6P and 5X were solid performers, you really could only get great shots while in HDR+ — and now, that’s the default experience and there’s no performance hit to be seen.

Google’s also touting its extensive software stabilization when recording video, which manages to smooth out otherwise-shaky shots into buttery smooth streams. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work being done there, and it’s really impressive.

A new take on Nougat

Being a Google phone, the software side is where things really get interesting. The Pixel phones run Android 7.1 Nougat, the first maintenance release of Google’s OS. At the base level, it’s similar to Android 7.0 on the Nexus 6P and 5X. But there are several visual tweaks and a few important feature additions that let the Pixels stand out from not only the crowd of Android phones out there, but also Google’s own Nexus devices.

The first phone with Google Assistant at the center of the experience.

Right off the bat you’ll notice a completely fresh take on the Google home screen, with the standard launcher eschewing separated dock, nav bar and app drawer areas for one fluid frosted bar at the bottom of the screen. You can put your most-used apps down there as before, but a simple swipe up anywhere on the bottom of the screen will bring up your app drawer. Those apps, you’ll notice, are also circular. Well, at least Google’s new apps — there aren’t any restrictions put on developers to make their app icons circular, nor will Google force the icons into a circular shape in the software. The circular design might not jive with everyone, but chances are most people will forget about the difference quickly.

Further in visual changes, the Pixel and Pixel XL add a lot of light blue flourishes throughout the interface. All of the buttons, sliders and animations are the same as you’d find on Android 7.0 today, but blue highlights are used to distinguish buttons are portions of the interface that demand attention. Pair that up with lots of soft greys and translucency and it looks good altogether — it’s all a bit more lively and friendly.

Every time you hit the freshly redesigned home button, you get a little hint that there’s something more lurking behind it — press and hold, and you’re now experiencing Google Assistant, baked right into the Pixel and Pixel XL — not unlike the old Google Now on Tap. The interface and experience are markedly different, though. The first thing Assistant expects is your voice — you simply ask it whatever questions you have, or jump straight into giving it commands to do anything you normally would with Google Search. Google Assistant is more powerful, of course, as it can look contextually at what’s on your screen at that moment, or have a conversation based on previous questions or what it knows about you.

Google Assistant is something that takes time to experience in day-to-day life, but I can already see how it’ll be more useful than the old Google Now on Tap paradigm. Having it integrated directly into the core software experience makes much more sense than just having it live in a silo inside Google Now or Allo.

More to come

This is just the tip of the iceberg with the brand new Pixels from Google, and we’re going to be bringing you so much more once we get to spend more quality time with them. Externally, the hardware is very impressive — and it should be for the prices Google is demanding. Internally, you’re getting all of the latest specs with few, if any, compromises. The cameras are extremely exciting, and are poised to be the best we’ve ever seen from a Google-backed phone.

For me, the biggest takeaway here is that Google has made two different sizes of the same phone — not two different phones as we experienced last year. You get the same exact experience whether you prefer the spacious Pixel XL or more compact Pixel, and that’s just as big for the small phone fans as it is for those who want the large phone without any other compromises.

The Pixel and Pixel XL are already up for pre-order in some regions, and that’s just as important as anything mentioned above. If you like these phones, you can just go out and buy them right now and have one delivered within a few weeks. Google’s getting its act together here, and it’s shaping up to be a great first effort in the “made by Google” world.

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Everything we know so far
• New navigation buttons
• Google UI + circular icons
• Android 7.1 Nougat
• Pixel vs Pixel XL
• Older Nexus phones

Google Pixel and Pixel XL: When and where can I get them?

Google has officially taken the wraps of its new pure Android smartphones – the Pixel and Pixel XL. The devices replace the Nexus range and bring with them a premium design, flagship specs and simple “G” branding.

The Pixel offers a 5-inch Full HD display, while the Pixel XL has a larger and sharper 5.5-inch Quad HD display. Both sport AMOLED technology, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor supported by 4GB of RAM. You can read our Pixel XL preview here.

Unlike the Nexus devices, the Pixel smartphones will be a little more widely available than just the Google Store. The devices will go on sale on 20 October and this feature will tell you where you will be able to buy the Pixel and Pixel XL in the UK and the US.

Google Play Store

Google will of course be offering the Pixel and Pixel XL through its own store.

The Pixel will start from £599 and the Pixel XL will start at £719. As we said, both will be available from 20 October, with pre-orders starting from 4 October.

You can find the Google Store Pixel and Pixel XL order page here.

Carphone Warehouse

Carphone Warehouse is stocking the Pixel and Pixel XL. They will be available SIM-free, as well as on a number of networks including EE, iD, O2 and Vodafone.

The cheapest deal for the Pixel with no upfront cost appears to be with Vodafone. You’ll pay £47 a month for 24-months and you’ll get unlimited minutes and texts, along with 1GB of data.

The cheapest deal for the Pixel XL with no upfront cost is again with Vodafone. This one costs £62 a month for 24-months and it will give you unlimited minutes and texts, along with 12GB of data.

Those of you who pre-order will also get a £50 Google Play voucher. 

You can find the Carphone Warehouse Pixel and Pixel XL order page here.

EE

EE is the exclusive network partner for the Pixel and Pixel XL in the UK so if you were hoping for O2, Vodafone or Three not tied into Carphone Warehouse, you’re out of luck.

The Pixel is £9.99 on a £50.99 a month, 24-month 4GEE contract that offers unlimited minutes, texts and 10GB of data.

The Pixel XL is £9.99 on a £55.99 a month, 24-month 4GEE contract that also offers unlimited minutes, texts and 10GB of data. 

Pre-orders will start from 4 October across EE shops, telesales and online. Those that pre-order before 20 October will get a £50 Google Play voucher like Carphone Warehouse customers.

You can find the EE Pixel and Pixel XL order page here.

Verizon

Those of you in the US can pick up the Google Pixel and Pixel XL through Verizon. The network is offering all three colour options and you can buy the devices SIM-free or take out a monthly contract.

The Pixel is available starting at $28.08 a month for 24 months or $649.99.

The Pixel XL is available starting at $32.08 a month for 24 months or $769.99.

You can find the Verizon Pixel and Pixel XL order page here.

Google Pixel XL preview: A new, costly, Google overlord

Google has announced a pair of Pixel handsets, sweeping aside its Nexus brand as it eagerly eyes a more serious smartphone position.

Running under the Made By Google banner, the new Pixel devices offer not only a pure Android experience, but a pure Google experience. Google maintains that its Pixel devices are designed end-to-end in-house, a markedly different approach to the Nexus partnerships which have characterised Google’s phones of the past.

With the Pixel XL taking a superior position to the Pixel it launches alongside, this is the new Android champion, a pure Google overlord, and it’s a costly one at that, priced at £719 in the UK for the 32GB version.

Google Pixel XL preview: Design

With various images of the Pixel XL leaking prior to launch, this design might look a little familiar. That’s not just down to the leaks, but there’s a familiar angle to the face design that reflects some of HTC’s recent handsets like the HTC One A9 or perhaps the HTC 10. Although Google didn’t mention who physically machined the handsets, there’s a whiff of HTC about them. 

The Pixel XL measures 154.7 x 75.7 x 8.6mm and weighs 168g. That makes for a fairly hefty device, but with a 5.5-inch display, that’s what you might expect. Still, it’s lighter and has a smaller footprint than the iPhone 7 Plus, even if it is a little fatter.

Pocket-lint

The bigger differentiation, accordingly, comes around the back, with the metal body punctuated with a glass top section. It’s unconventional, yes, but it’s different, marking this phone aside from the rear, even if the front looks much the same as devices already on the market. It’s perhaps a little weird that you’ve got a glossy glass section where you’ll be tapping the phone to unlock using the fingerprint scanner, but there you go.

The important thing is that the Pixel XL feels solid and it feels like a quality handset. It’s cool and smooth to the touch and reassuringly solid. The fusion of two different materials on the rear is a little odd and we wonder if that signature look matters when you’re likely to slip it into a cover. Still, if you’re asking whether this feel like a £700 phone? Yes, it does, if you’re talking iPhone. 

But with metal bodies coming from the likes of Huawei at perhaps half the price (if not the spec), some might think the Pixel XL is overreaching slightly in the Android world.

• Google Pixel XL vs Pixel: What’s the difference?

Google Pixel XL preview: Daydream display

While the display isn’t so unconventional – there’s nothing too outlandish about a 5.5-inch Quad HD display in modern Android phones – Google’s message is that this is a great phone for Daydream, its VR platform, using the new Daydream View headset.

From the hardware side, this is a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution display, resulting in 534ppi. Like the smaller Pixel, it’s an AMOLED display, meaning it’s vibrant and punchy. Not only is it packed with detail, it looks good delivering your content too. 

We haven’t had the chance to see it in a full range of conditions, we don’t know how this huge display will perform in bright conditions and if it will have the brightness to compete with the likes of the SGS7 edge, the big screen phone to beat. But first impressions are really good. The new Pixel Launcher is full of vibrancy and punch, the dancing dots of Google Assistant looks sharp and defined dancing on a white background that’s lovely and bright.

• What is Daydream and when is it coming? Google’s Android VR platform explained

Google Pixel XL preview: Hardware step-up

When Google’s previous Nexus devices didn’t really push the hardware forward, the new Pixel phones make a minor change over the rest of the 2016 flagship devices in offering a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, with 4GB of RAM.

Pocket-lint

This latest chipset from Qualcomm is a revision of the high-regarded SD820, squeezing out a little more power, ideal for delivering on slightly more demanding VR content. Exactly how this chipset will perform on a wider range of tasks, we’re yet to see.

The 3450mAh battery sounds promising too. Yes, it isn’t the highest capacity out there, but it should see you through the day. With speedy charging via the USB Type-C, a top-up will only take you a brief stop at a wall plug too.

One of the things we really like about the fingerprint scanner is the inclusion of a swipe down shortcuts. We’ve seen this before from Huawei, but it means you can swipe down on the back to access the notifications shade, rather than having to touch the display.

Google Pixel XL preview: Camera conventionality

While a number of devices are shaking up cameras – Apple, LG, Huawei – the Pixel XL seems rather more conventional by comparison. There’s a 12-megapixel camera on the rear, offering 1.55µm pixels and an f/2.0 aperture, meaning it should be good at capturing shots in low light conditions. Add in optical image stabilisation and we’re hoping for a repeat performance of the Nexus 6P.

Pocket-lint

Google’s phones have never been the forefront of camera performance. Traditionally, that’s been left to companies like Samsung (also rather conventional in comparison to some others). The message behind imaging on the Pixel is strong however. Google is claiming great things about this camera, offering very quick launching and capture from what we’ve seen.

One of the headline features is HDR+, an HDR system that aims to fuse multiple images for great results in all conditions: of course, we’ve not had the chance to try them in the real world, yet.

The camera is boosted with unlimited storage for the full resolution photos as well as your 4K video. 

The front camera offers 8-megapixels.

Google Pixel XL preview: A special Nougat treat

While Google released Android 7.0 Nougat earlier in the year than it has done before, the new Pixel devices arrive with a few special treats.

Pocket-lint

The most noticeable element is the new Pixel Launcher. This moves us on from the Google Now launcher, but still offers a side swipe straight into that service. Google Now feels like a piece in a larger puzzle, where Google Assistant is on the rise and Android as a whole is becoming a smart piece in a Google universe that wants to be involved in everything, such as your home.

The new home button is the access point to Google Assistant. A long press will launch Assistant and you can start asking whatever you want. That might be a random question to start, with contextual results following on as you talk to the Google bot. It’s smart stuff, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what this fully-integrated assistant will offer.

• Android 7.0 Nougat review: Subtle but super-sweet OS update

Having seen Android 7.0 Nougat already and spent some time with it, this is a refinement of the smartphone experience. Nougat layers on features to the sweetness of Marshmallow, with a few more exciting elements added for the Pixel handsets. We’re sure that these things will arrive soon on other Nexus phones too, so the Pixel may not keep its advantage for long.

First Impressions

The Pixel XL is a new expression from Google. It’s a statement of intent, wanting to be the best Google phone there it. This isn’t trying to replace the Nexus, it’s a whole other thing.

That might make the £719 price a little hard to swallow. The Pixel XL undoubtedly brings quality, it brings hardware, but unlike buying a phone from Samsung or LG, it doesn’t bring huge quantities of extra potency. You don’t get the feeling that you get more from the Pixel than you’ll be getting from an updated other-brand Android phone in the future.

At the same time, in this new world where Google is taking ownership, it’s a challenger to the iPhone 7 Plus that’s packed full of smartphone goodness a rival in many senses. But with Android so often taking the price advantage, we’re not sure the Pixel XL has what it takes to justify the price it’s asking.

Outside of price, however, this is an Android price, a new Google overlord, and there’s something about that we can’t help liking.

Google Pixel preview: Arise my Pixel apprentice

The Nexus is no more as Pixel swings into the Android zeitgeist, under the banner of “Made By Google”.

It’s a change of message from the company behind Android. No longer is the Nexus a showcase device pitched at developers and built with a partner: it’s now the Pixel and it’s aimed at you, the consumer. That means fewer compromises, perhaps, but it also means the Pixel isn’t the bargain the Nexus once was. Priced at £599, the Pixel lands firmly in flagship territory.

As there were with the 2015 Nexus handsets, you have the choice of two Pixels. The first, previewed here, is the smaller and more affordable device, loosely a replacement for the Nexus 5X. 

To learn more about the Google Pixel XL, the larger device, be sure to head over to our preview right here.

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL: Release date, specs and everything you need to know
• Google Nexus vs Google Pixel: What’s the difference?

Google Pixel preview: Design and build

With the message being that this is a Google phone, the company has steered away from naming the physical device manufacturer, believed to be HTC. The point being made is that this isn’t about the machining (we don’t all talk about the iPhone being a Foxconn handset), but about the sense of this device in its entirety.

Pocket-lint

The smaller of the pair, the Google Pixel measures 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6mm and weighs 143g. The size is dominated by the 5-inch display in the front, surrounded by a bezel that perhaps looks a little underused, but we feel gives the phone a nice balance. There’s a great flat aluminium body, that’s blasted smooth and offered in three colours, black, blue and silver. The blue – Really blue – doesn’t appear to be coming the UK. Sad face.

Where we might expect to see a front fingerprint scanner or a pair of front speakers as was the case with some previous Nexus devices, it’s the lack of bezel adornment that’s perhaps noteworthy. It’s a clean design, but one that’s easy to liken to the iPhone at a passing glance when looking from the front. That was true of the HTC One A9, a device to which this phone presents more than just a passing resemblance.

That might explain the rear design, splitting the metal unibody with a glass top section. It gives a unique look to the Pixel devices, with the rear fingerprint scanner sitting in this sea of glass on the rear. It’s perhaps an odd choice, putting a glossy finish around the area that you’re going to be touching a lot to unlock the phone, but it seems to wipe clean easily enough.

On the black model, the mix of shades and textures of black looks a little odd. We have a feeling that the white is the better option, and we wish we’d had the chance to see the blue, which may well be better still.

Pocket-lint

Google Pixel preview: Display

With a 5.0-inch full HD display, the Pixel doesn’t quite live up to its name with 440ppi. Choosing to keep to a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution should have some benefits for this more-pocketable of the two Pixel devices, like better battery life, but it’s likely to be the 5.5-inch Pixel XL that wows in the visual department.

Google has opted for an AMOLED display in this model and first impressions suggest that it brings everything that display tech offers. There’s plenty of saturation to colours and some lovely deep blacks, although we’ve not had the chance to really test it in a full range of conditions. 

What is apparent is how differently the Pixel is pitched. With that resolution on that size of display, it’s not quite the same proposition as the 2560 x 1440 Pixel XL, which is going to give you more space for gaming and higher resolution for Daydream VR, but Google is insistent that both devices will work equally well with Daydream View, the new VR headset.

• Google Pixel vs Pixel XL: What’s the difference?

Google Pixel preview: Hardware specs

The Pixel offers all the power of the Pixel XL, with the new quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset and 4GB of RAM. For the first time, these Google phones take a small step over the rest of the year’s flagship devices in offering something newer in terms of hardware, even if Qualcomm says it’s only a slight lift in performance.

Pocket-lint

As is the norm for Google’s phones there’s no support for microSD, but with options for 32 or 128GB, there’s a model for those concerned about cost, or those concerned about storage. Still, we’re left wishing that like the rest of the Android world, Google would give us support for external storage.

The Google Pixel has a 2770mAh battery. That’s not huge with many flagship devices offering more: the 5.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 has a 3000mAh battery for example. The Nexus devices were never renowned for battery life, but with a more assertive consumer position for the new Google phone, we’d want a little more.

There’s USB Type-C on the bottom for rapid charging, however, with Google saying you’ll get 7 hours of use from 15 minutes on a charger.

Google Pixel preview: Camera

If there’s one area where Google’s phones have often let other partners have the advantage, it’s in the camera. While Sony, Samsung, LG and others have been pushing the envelope in cameras, it wasn’t until the Nexus 6P that people got excited about a Nexus camera.

Pocket-lint

The Google Pixel has a 12-megapixel rear camera that offers 1.55µm pixel and an f/2.0 aperture. It also offers optical image stabilisation, with Google really pushing the camera’s capabilities at the launch. Boasting about getting a top DxO score for the handset, Google is really throwing the gauntlet down and pushing the Pixel as the best camera you’ll find in a smartphone.

Aiming to boost the performance the Pixel offers HDR+, a system that aims to fuse multiple exposures for great results in all conditions. Google is boasting that the Pixel is the fastest to capture photos. There’s also unlimited storage through Google Photos for original images, with 4K video backup too.

The front camera is an 8-megapixel sensor for all your selfies.

• Google Pixel vs Nexus 5X: What’s the difference?

Google Pixel review: A fresh Android experience

One of the big changes in the run up to launch of the Pixel was the release of Android 7.0. Normally the release of a new Android version is timed to coincide with the launch of new hardware, but in the case of Nougat, it was pushed in late-August.

• Android 7.0 Nougat review: Subtle but super-sweet OS update

That’s because Google wanted to get it out of the way and offer something new for the Pixel. Firstly there’s the new Pixel Launcher. This changes the face of Android from the Google Now Launcher, as Google moves towards Google Assistant and beyond the “Now” experience.

Google Assistant is one of the big elements of the new handsets, with Google pushing the new smart service that aims to fuse all the Googleverse together. Through the Pixel phones and over to Google Home, the new Assistant is designed around you and to support you. In the Pixel, Assistant is baked right in for a seamless experience.

First Impressions

There’s a lot to like about the Google Pixel. It’s a solidly built handset and although many will glance at the face and liken it to the iPhone, it’s a whole different thing.

We actually really like the size of the smaller handset. Where the Pixel XL has to compete against something like the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, the Pixel gets a freer range. Sure, it might butt up against much cheaper rivals like the Huawei P9, there’s no lack of quality. That quality of build should be backed up by performance too, with flagship grade hardware.

There’s still a lot to learn about how the Pixel performs in a daily role, but pitched as a direct competitor to the iPhone, this is something of a Google champion. The question is whether customers will embrace the Pixel message, or if they’ll eye the wide world of cheaper, but still very good Android phones and decide that this Pixel is just a little too expensive.

Google Daydream View preview: The Pixel-perfect VR experience?

Welcome to the 21st century; a time when you can strap phones to your face via the medium of smartphone-powered virtual reality headsets to take you to far-away imaginary lands. And in its latest Google-powered formula, Daydream, we’ve got a veritable Android-based mobile competitor to take on the likes of the Samsung Gear VR (and, fingers crossed, there’s no gamble of a genuine fireball to the face with this one).

Daydream View is a cloth-clad, soft-finish virtual reality headset from Google, initially compatible with the company’s Pixel phones (but, in the future, more NFC-capable Android devices with the correct v7.1 OS will join the party). And, from a hardware point of view, it’s quite unlike anything else out there: think Google Cardboard minus all the flimsy, flexible, cardboardy stuff and the necessity to hold it to your face and what you have is a whole new – and very comfortable – experience. 


That’s one of the things about VR. It’s typically a faff; a laborious process of adjusting straps, slipping on headphones and finding the right tightness for your personal eye-point is just a pain. Not so with Daydream View: slip in a Google Pixel phone (the XL in our case), which quick pairs via NFC, seal it up with the bungee cord, then pull the device’s elasticated headband over your bonce and job done – that’s it.

Because the View is a soft-finish device, devoid of the typical plastic of the Samsung Gear VR and other headsets, it feels more comfortable from the off. It’s almost homely like a casual summer jersey, if you will (we just hope it doesn’t bobble too much over use).

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The other key point about the Daydream View is that it comes with a handheld controller to aid the whole experience. This needs to be calibrated per use, but without any external sensors – yes, we’re looking at you Vive, Oculus, PlayStation VR and most other high-grade options – it does a really good job of acting as a virtual “pointer”. It helps provide the feeling there’s some real interaction in these virtual worlds, rather than just sitting there, shoulders slumped, legs abreast, looking like a Matrix reject wanting back in.

With the headset on, you’re transported to Daydream Home, which is where content lives. Think of it like a shopping mall; a one-stop shop where your purchased content and experiences live for quick access. We tested out YouTube VR, with a Natural History Museum dinosaur-based video experience, and a controller-based game inside a game called Wunderglade, which was similar to Super Monkey Ball (if anyone doesn’t remember that on the Nintendo Wii, it’s all about deft controller-based movements to guide a rolling object around a course; or, in old skool terms, you’d know it as a pinball maze).

Pocket-lint

What’s interesting about Daydream View is that the field-of-view is purposely limited. In devices like Samsung Gear VR you’ll get a slightly more open view, but the extremities of vision are often so blurred the they are of little use and can be distracting – especially if you wear glasses (which you can leave on in Google’s experience, the lenses are far enough away). Daydream View’s view is like a wide-open tunnel, rather than a claustrophobic one, with a hard circular vignette to the outer periphery that helps to focus your experience. It works well, so long as the action is front and centre, otherwise you might notice it like you used to notice those “cinema” black borders on old CRT televisions (and once you see them, they never go away).

As for external light – which can have huge impact on reflective issues if it leaks inside the headset – it’s hard to tell how well Daydream View will cope just yet. We tested the device at Google’s launch on 4 October, which was in a dedicated and darkened booth. With no bothersome external light sources, it was a great experience. How that’ll vary in your living room, well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Pocket-lint

The other point of note is the Google Pixel XL which was powering this whole experience. Its QHD resolution (2560×1440 pixels) made for a tightly-knit view, especially considering the OLED panel used – which minimises the “gaps” between each pixel, so the visual fidelity is heightened.

First Impressions

The only footnote we can really make about Daydream View is whether its £69 price tag (plus the from £599/£719 Pixel/Pixel XL price tag) will deliver enough genuinely desirable experiences to make it a worthwhile venture from day one. What a headset like this really, really needs is quality content.

While Wunderland is, erm, wunderful, it also feels like an experience that doesn’t need VR to make it plausible. Perhaps that’s the thing with VR on the whole: developers need to dedicate the time to make proper virtual reality experiences that transport you to places, not just videos and standard games.

Saying that, from the experience we’ve had even at pre-release, this “Cardboard plus” device feels like its slap bang on the money in terms of price and position. With the right content it’s the most accessible and logical (and untethered) in point to virtual reality that there is. Let’s start dreaming. Or Daydreaming.