Pixel 2 Camera, Battery Life Reviews: Google Smartphone's Camera Makes It a Good Buy
The anticipated Pixel 2 officially launches this week, but early reviews for the Google smartphone suggest it still has a long way to go when it comes to camera features and battery life.
Customers are scheduled to receive their Pixel 2 preorders as early as tomorrow, Oct. 19. Verizon, Google's exclusive carrier of its smartphone line, will reportedly have the new units in stores beginning Thursday this week.
While both the Pixel 2 and 2 XL will be made available, a Verizon spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that the stock will depend on the store location. Further details on inventory were not revealed.
Reviews for the Pixel 2 are finally out and most media outlets commended Google for the device's impressive features, particularly its camera. According to Wired, the Pixel 2 proves camera specs do not matter that much as long as it has an intelligent software.
The camera has 12.2 megapixels (MP) and f/1.8 aperture on the back, along with 8 MP and f/2.4 on the front. Despite having average sensors, the Pixel 2 has a good software. Google managed to train an algorithm to recognize human heads, which gives the Pixel 2 the ability to do the same kind of soft-background snaps similar to the iPhone 8 Plus.
As for its battery life, the Pixel 2 needs more improvement. Gizmodo notes that compared with the Pixel 2 XL, the Pixel 2's 750 mAh battery offers significantly less battery life. The media outlet conducted a test on both Google smartphones and the Pixel 2 lasted 8 hours and 59 minutes before its battery died. The Pixel 2's record is nearly 15 minutes short of the Galaxy S8's time and over two hours short of the Pixel 2 XL's mark.
The Pixel 2 is available for $649.99 (64GB) or $749.99 (128GB), and comes in three colors: white, blue and black.