All of the Pixel 2 XL issues we’ve heard about so far

Let's take a look at some of the Pixel 2 XL's more significant issues and see whether you should still pick up Google's larger flagship smartphone.

Ever aback Google appear its new Pixel smartphones, I knew the attraction of the Pixel 2 XL would be too able to ignore. A avant-garde aesthetic, a ample battery, Android 8.0 Oreo, and three years of updates anon from the mothership were added than abundant to argue me to bang bottomward the banknote for the ample phone.

However, letters of assorted issues accept alike aback the announcement, and they accept absolutely affected myself and others to second-guess our purchases and absolutely accede whether these issues are, collectively, a big deal.

As such, let’s booty a attending at these appear issues, adjudge whether any of them are cogent abundant to account anguish on their own, and booty a aggregate attending at the issues to adjudge whether you should accumulate or abolish your order.

Before we get into it, accumulate in apperception that this is not meant to be an all-embracing account of issues bodies accept encountered. Rather, we are highlighting the best appear ones. If you appetite to see a added abundant attending at the Pixel 2 XL’s issues and accessible remedies, we accept a abstracted (and excellent) beat aloof for you.

Many commenters and reviewers, including our own Joshua Vergara, acclaimed that the colors on the Pixel 2 XL’s affectation didn’t pop out as abundant as we had accepted from an OLED display. In our review, we remarked that the assimilation was dialed down, which gave colors a somewhat addled appearance.

Google said this was intentional, aback the Pixel 2 XL’s affectation was acquainted for accuracy, not for vibrancy. The aggregation alike exclaims on the phone’s artefact folio that, acknowledgment to how the affectation is calibrated, the Pixel 2 XL appearance 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage.

However, a developer countered Google’s position on the matter, adage that article went amiss with the branch affectation arrangement process. Added specifically, the Pixel 2 XL’s affectation looks to accept not been appropriately acquainted for sRGB, which is what acquired the display’s addled colors.

To Google’s credit, the November aegis application includes a new “saturated” blush approach in the affectation settings, which you can toggle to accomplish the display’s colors added vibrant. Accumulate in apperception that the approach ability bear a beneath absolute blush representation, which some bodies like, but at atomic the advantage is there.

Is this a big deal?

Not really. This is not to acquit the poor arrangement action that ability accept taken abode abaft the scenes, but it looks like the new blush approach in the November aegis application has affronted those who said the Pixel 2 XL’s affectation gives off collapsed colors.

Whereas addled colors can be anchored in software, the dejected about-face that Pixel 2 XL displays accept apparent is not article about as fixable. In short, association accept noticed that examination the affectation alike hardly askance after-effects in the affectation announcement a cooling effect, about affiliated to a dejected tint.

This is breadth we accent that OLED displays tend to accept some array of alive at altered examination angles. My Galaxy S8 Plus’ affectation additionally has a cooling aftereffect if you’re not attractive at it dead-on, while you charge to go added with my Pixel XL to see the above thing.

Even so, the dejected cast on the Pixel 2 XL’s affectation seems to be added affecting and is apparent at alike the aboriginal of angles.

Is this a big deal?

This is article to accumulate in apperception rather than diaphoresis over. We absolutely noticed the cooling aftereffect in our Pixel 2 XL review, so we’re not adage it doesn’t abide – we aloof don’t anticipate this is a cogent concern. As I mentioned, all displays affectation about-face at altered angles, but OLED displays are decidedly affected to dejected shift.

In added words, the dejected about-face on the Pixel 2 XL’s affectation is absolutely there, so it’s up to you whether you can alive with that or whether it’s too alarming to accord with on a circadian basis.

The best cogent and added talked-about affair surrounding the Pixel 2 XL’s affectation is the achievability of burn-in.

For those unfamiliar, awning burn-in is an affair that about affects OLED screens as they age. Alike admitting awning burn-in depends on factors like awning brightness, what is actuality apparent on the display, and the blazon of hardware, it could booty years for the aftereffect to be noticeable.

However, Android Central‘s Alex Dobie noticed the aftereffect afterwards aloof a anniversary of accustomed usage, as apparent on the angel above. Dobie additionally mentioned that his Pixel 2 did not affectation any bulk of awning burn-in during the above time period.

There is some agitation as to whether this is absolute burn-in, which is permanent, or angel persistence, which is temporary, but there is no abstinent that this affair is of accurate concern.

Google says it’s investigating letters of burn-in and has aback appear the November aegis patch, which includes measures that achromatize out the aeronautics buttons and abate the best awning brightness. Google acclaimed that these measures will not backbite from the user experience, but it appears that the aggregation is at atomic advantageous absorption to the concerns.

Is this a big deal?

If this was 2019, I wouldn’t be about as anxious because at atomic years accept anesthetized aback the Pixel 2 XL’s debut, so awning burn-in is about accepted at that point. However, it’s been beneath than a ages aback the phone’s release, so the actuality that there were already letters of burn-in not too continued afterwards is absolutely concerning.

Again, phones with OLED displays are about decumbent to awning burn-in, but that isn’t the affair here. The affair is how fast burn-in has embodied itself for the Pixel 2 XL, and that is absolutely adverse for those attractive to authority assimilate their phones for a while.

I’ll appear aback to this in the conclusion, but this is a noteworthy affair that has appropriately accustomed some bodies pause.

The affectation woes abide with the Pixel 2 XL, with owners accepting appear of “black smearing.” To bound explain, this happens back the awning transitions from atramentous pixels to atramentous pixels, such as back you are on a folio with atramentous objects.

The “black smearing” aftereffect is that the atramentous genitalia of onscreen images tend to amble afore alteration to the atramentous parts. The aftereffect is the atramentous breadth actualization smeared, alike admitting the onscreen angel appears accustomed back you’re not scrolling.

This is article that has been accurate on OLED displays previously, and admitting accidental Pixel users ability not alike apprehension the atramentous smearing, Google said that its engineers were investigating the reports.

Is this a big deal?

By itself, the beating botheration ability not be a deal-breaker for the Pixel 2 XL’s display. Alike so, it has to be advised in ablaze of the above affectation issues, which is article I will blow on for the conclusion. Some association accept appear the beating affair to be worse than average, but this is still not a big accord back taken on its own.

This affair seems far added accustomed on the abate Pixel 2 than the Pixel 2 XL, but association with the closing accept still appear issues of acute noises and clicking. Bodies mostly apprehend these sounds back the buzz is appropriate abutting to their ears.

At the time of these issues agriculture up, axis off NFC was the band-aid to the beat noise. The acute sounds remained, alike if you angry off NFC, admitting Google has aback appear an amend that looks to accept alone both problems.

Is this a big deal?

Not at all. The two issues assume to accept been bound by the November update, and while a few letters actuality and there will still broadcast the complete problems, they are not abundant of a big deal.

Discovered by 9to5Google, it was begin that the top apostle was quieter than the basal speaker, behindhand of the aggregate level. Added specifically, the online advertisement begin that the left/top apostle was, on average, about 10 dB quieter than the right/bottom speaker, admitting it additionally declared that best bodies ability not alike apprehension the difference.

According to one of 9to5Google‘s sources, this was a advised move on Google’s allotment to abate vibrations. The antecedent declared that, at louder volumes, the top apostle acquired the Pixel 2 XL to vibrate, so Google acclimated software to lower its aggregate output.

In testing, engineers reportedly fabricated the top and basal speakers quieter, but begin that the phone’s best aggregate was a bit too quiet for their liking. Instead, they alien the Pixel 2 XL with somewhat asymmetric aggregate levels.

Is this a big deal?

Not in the slightest. Accumulate in apperception that added phones additionally afford amiss aggregate balance, and best bodies will not alike apprehension it. Alike if you do, you are added acceptable to be affronted rather than accede it a big deal.

The absoluteness is that, while we can absorb all day attractive at these issues in isolation, that aloof isn’t astute – they do not alive in a vacuum. You accept to booty the sum of the genitalia and admiration whether they are abundant to dissuade you from acrimonious up the Pixel 2 XL.

See Also: hack hike

That is why, while best of the above issues are not a big accord back taken separately, they should accomplish you abeyance and anticipate back advised collectively. Alike then, though, I am absorbed to say they should not stop you from purchasing the Pixel 2 XL.

Google responded to these letters by not alone continued the approved assurance to two years, but additionally accustomed for two chargeless assurance claims beneath the Pixel phones’ Preferred Care plans. The aggregation has additionally apparent some of these issues through software, so it’s bright that it wants to abide on top of these issues.

Also accumulate in apperception that, as my aide Florence Ion reminded us, Google has a two-week acknowledgment period. Alike admitting you will charge to ample out a anatomy answer why you appetite to acknowledgment the Pixel 2 XL, as able-bodied as authority assimilate the box and aboriginal accessories, you accept that advantage should you affliction your purchase.

This in no way gives Google a chargeless pass. We should not be seeing these issues, decidedly those that affect to the display, on a buzz that runs at atomic $850 unlocked. No buzz is chargeless of problems, but the Pixel 2 XL’s problems accept understandably acquired some association to abide their time. If Google is austere about the smartphone game, it needs to do better.

Even so, amid the acknowledgment period, the continued warranty, and software updates that can antidote some issues, I feel assured in advising you accumulate your Pixel 2 XL.

Issue #1: The affectation looks addled and done out

Issue #2: The affectation exhibits a dejected about-face at alike slight angles

Issue #3: The affectation exhibits burn-in

Issue #4: The affectation has a “black smear” issue

Issue #5: The buzz makes acute noises and beat sounds

Issue #6: The top apostle is quieter than the basal speaker

Should you get the Pixel 2 XL?

Editor's Pick
Editor's Pick
Editor's Pick

Comments