Codename | |
---|---|
Developer | |
Manufacturer | HTC |
Series | Pixel |
Model | Pixel: G-2PW4100 (North America) G-2PW4200 (International) Pixel XL: G-2PW2100 (North America) G-2PW2200 (International) |
First released | October 20, 2016 |
Availability by region | October 4, 2016
October 13, 2016
|
Discontinued | April 11, 2018 [2] |
Units sold | 3.35 million (as of Oct. 2022) [3] |
Predecessor | Nexus 5X Nexus 6P [4] |
Successor | Pixel 2 |
Type | Smartphone (Pixel) Phablet (Pixel XL) |
Form factor | Slate |
Dimensions | Pixel: H: 143.8 mm (5.66 in) W: 69.5 mm (2.74 in) D: 8.5 mm (0.33 in) Pixel XL: H: 154.7 mm (6.09 in) W: 75.7 mm (2.98 in) D: 8.5 mm (0.33 in) |
Mass | Pixel: 143 g (5.04 oz) Pixel XL: 168 g (5.93 oz) |
Operating system | Original: Android 7.1 "Nougat" Last: Android 10 |
System-on-chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 |
CPU | Quad-core (2 × 2.15 GHz & 2 × 1.6 GHz) Kryo 64-bit ARMv8-A cores |
GPU | Adreno 530 |
Memory | 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM |
Storage | 32 GB or 128 GB, UFS 2.0 |
Battery |
|
Display | Pixel: 5.0 in (127 mm) FHD AMOLED, 1920 × 1080 (441 ppi) Pixel XL: 5.5 in (140 mm) QHD AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 (534 ppi) All models: 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4 100% NTSC Color Space 100,000:1 contrast ratio 24 bit/px depth, 16.78 million colours |
Sound | Loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack [5] |
Rear camera | 12.3 MP Sony Exmor IMX378 1.55 µm pixel size with f/2.0 aperture, phase-detection Autofocus + Laser Autofocus, HDR+ Processing, Night Sight, HD 720p (up to 240 FPS), FHD 1080p video (up to 120 FPS), 4K 2160p video (up to 30 FPS), Electronic Image Stabilization (sampling gyroscope at 200 Hz) |
Front camera | 8 MP Sony Exmor IMX179 1.4 µm pixel size with f/2.4 aperture, FHD 1080p video (up to 30 FPS) |
Connectivity | GSM, LTE, LTE Advanced, Voice over LTE, HSDPA, CDMA |
Other | IP53, proximity/ALS, accelerometer+Gyrometer, magnetometer, Pixel Imprint (fingerprint sensor), barometer, Hall effect sensor, Android Sensor Hub |
The Pixel and Pixel XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line, succeeding the Nexus line of smartphones. They were officially announced on October 4, 2016 at the Made by Google event and released in the United States on October 20. On October 4, 2017, they were succeeded by the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
The Pixels have an aluminium chassis, with a glass panel on the rear, a USB-C connector, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a 12.3 megapixel rear-facing camera. At launch, the devices featured certain exclusive software features, including the 7.1 "Nougat" update to the Android operating system, integration with the Google Assistant intelligent personal assistant, live technical support services, and unlimited full-resolution Google Photos backup for the life of the device.
The Pixels received mixed reviews, with praise for the devices' performance and cameras, but several critics noted similarities with Apple's iPhone line in terms of hardware design, and criticized the Pixels's lack of waterproofing and high price.
Google previously co-developed flagship Android devices with original equipment manufacturers through the Nexus program, which were designed to be "reference" devices for the Android platform, but the devices retained similarities to other devices made by their respective partners. [6] Rick Osterloh, former president of Motorola, joined Google as its senior vice president of hardware in April 2016, [7] and Google initiated development of an ecosystem of in-house products and platforms, including the Google Home smart speaker, Google Assistant intelligent personal assistant, and Google Daydream, Google's virtual reality platform. [8] The Pixels were announced on October 4, 2016, [9] and serve as Google's launch devices for Android 7.1 "Nougat". [10] The song Closer by Lemaitre Music was used in the device's introductory film. [11]
Osterloh said in an interview with The Verge that "a lot of the innovation that we want to do now ends up requiring controlling the end-to-end user experience". The Verge wrote that the Nexus program had "fulfilled its mission", with a Google spokesperson stating that there are "no plans" to make another Nexus device. [6] The Pixel was designed by and marketed as being a Google product. Google worked with HTC on a contract basis on development [12] [13] but have said that the Pixels are not based on any existing HTC device. [6] It offered Huawei the contract to manufacture the devices, but after Google refused to dual-brand the phone with credit to the manufacturer, Huawei declined the offer. [14]
In the United States, Pixel is exclusive to Verizon Wireless and Project Fi, but also available direct-to-consumer via Google's online store [15] [6] or from Best Buy. [16] [17] In the United Kingdom, they are available direct-to-consumer via Google's online store, and through EE and Carphone Warehouse. [18] In India, they became available for preorder from October 13 from Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and Cromā, [19] with general store availability on October 25. [20]
On October 4, 2017, Google announced the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones, succeeding the original Pixel devices. [21] The Pixel and Pixel XL were removed from the Google Store and discontinued on April 11, 2018. [2]
Pixel uses an aluminium chassis, with a glass panel on the portion of the rear housing the camera and "Pixel Imprint" fingerprint sensor.
The phones have a USB-C connector supporting USB 3.0, for power and data exchange. The phone features a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which received media attention for being a contrast to competing smartphone Apple iPhone 7, the first not to feature the port. [22]
The Pixel and Pixel XL both use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 system-on-chip, with 4 GB of RAM. [5] [23] They are offered with either 32 GB or 128 GB of UFS 2.0 non-expandable internal storage. [9]
The two models are differentiated by screen and battery size. The standard Pixel's display measures 5 in (130 mm) 1080p AMOLED with a 2770 mAh battery, [24] while the Pixel XL's display measures 5.5 in (140 mm) 1440p AMOLED with a 3450 mAh battery. [25]
Pixel features a 12.3-megapixel rear-facing camera, which uses an f/2.0 aperture, and a Sony Exmor IMX378 sensor with 1.55 μm pixels. [26]
Lacking optical image stabilization, the camera uses a digital image stabilization system tied to the phone's gyroscope and motion sensors at a sampling rate of 200 Hz. [4]
To improve capture speed, 30 frames are continuously captured per second while the camera is active. When a photo is taken, up to 10 of these frames are composed to form a single image. [27] Later software updates to Pixel introduced "Night Sight", an enhanced low-light photography mode first introduced on one of the devices' successors, the Pixel 3. [28]
The Pixel and Pixel XL shipped with Android 7.1 "Nougat", an update to 7.0 that was initially exclusive to the Pixel. Android 7.1 was later released for some existing Nexus devices in December 2016, but certain features remained exclusive to the Pixel. [10] [29] [30] [31]
Pixel supports Google Assistant, and provides live technical support services integrated into the OS. Similarly to Nexus devices, it receives Android updates directly from Google. [9] [32] Pixel also supports the Google Daydream virtual reality platform. [9] Pixels 1–5 included unlimited full-resolution Google Photos backup for the life of the device. [9] [27] A November 2016 update added additional motion gestures, including double-tapping the screen to show alerts, and raising the device to wake the screen. [33]
Google states on its support pages that the Pixel and Pixel XL are guaranteed to receive new Android version updates until October 2018, and guaranteed to receive security patches until October 2019. [34] [35] In August 2017, Google released Android 8.0 "Oreo" for the Pixel and Pixel XL. [36] Android 8.1 Oreo was released for the Pixel and Pixel XL, as well as some other devices, on December 5, 2017. [37] Although after the date Google guaranteed the Pixel and Pixel XL would receive new Android versions, Google released Android 10 to the Pixel and Pixel XL in September 2019. [38] [39] [40] Google released the final official security update to the Pixel and Pixel XL in December 2019. [41]
All Pixel and Pixel XL models are multi-band devices. [42]
Bands | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pixel & Pixel XL region version | 2G | 3G | 4G | |||||||||||||||
GSM | CDMA | TD-SCDMA | UMTS | LTE-FDD | LTE-TDD | |||||||||||||
US, CA, PR | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 | BC | 0 | 1 | 10 | — | B | 1, 2, 4, 5 | 8 | B | 1-5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17 | 20 | 25 | 26, 28 | 29, 30 | B 41 | ||
International | BC | 0 | B 34, 39 | B | 1-6 | 8 | 9, 19 | B | 18-21 | 32 | B 38-41 | |||||||
The Pixel and Pixel XL received mixed reviews. Dieter Bohn of The Verge said the Pixel smartphones are "...easily the best Android phones you can buy" and gave the product a 9 out of 10, praising its long battery life and Google Assistant integration. However, criticism has been aimed at its pedestrian design and lack of waterproofing. [43] [44]
Matt Humrick of AnandTech praised the camera being flush with the body, but was critical of the price, stating that Nexus fans who were looking for a more affordable option would be disappointed. [45] Chris Velazco of Engadget praised the build quality, camera, and performance, but criticized the high price, and lack of proper water-resistance present in rivals, such as the iPhone 7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7. [46]
Writing for Ars Technica , Ron Amadeo said of the phone, "[it has] unbeatable software and support with a great camera, wrapped in a familiar exterior." [47] Zach Epstein of BGR wrote in February 2017 that "There’s also no question that the phones feature a design that is sleek and impressive, yet all too familiar. Yes, that’s a nice way of saying that Google blatantly ripped off the iconic design that Apple has used on its iPhones for the past three generations." [48]
In June 2017, Ars Technica reported that Google Play's app for the Pixel Launcher, an app pre-installed on all Pixel phones, had been downloaded between one million and five million times. Although the report acknowledged the measurement's imprecision, the publication credited it for providing the first possible sales numbers. [49] [50] In February 2018, an analysis by International Data Corporation (IDC) reported that Google shipped a combined 3.9 million Pixel/XL and Pixel 2/2XL phones in 2017, almost double the number of shipments from 2016, [51] when Google shipped nearly 2 million Pixel and Pixel XL phones in three months. [52]
The Pixel and Pixel XL have exhibited numerous problems since release, including:
Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance, though its most widely used version is primarily developed by Google. It was unveiled in November 2007, with the first commercial Android device, the HTC Dream, being launched in September 2008.
Google Nexus is a discontinued line of consumer electronic devices that run the Android operating system. Google managed the design, development, marketing, and support of these devices, but some development and all manufacturing were carried out by partnering with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Alongside the main smartphone products, the line also included tablet computers and streaming media players; the Nexus started out in January 2010 and reached its end in October 2016, replaced by Google Pixel.
The version history of the Android mobile operating system began with the public release of its first beta on November 5, 2007. The first commercial version, Android 1.0, was released on September 23, 2008. The operating system is developed by Google on a yearly cycle since at least 2011. New major releases are announced at Google I/O along with its first public beta to supported Google Pixel devices. The stable version is then released later in the year.
The Nexus 6 is a phablet co-developed by Google and Motorola Mobility that runs the Android operating system. It is the successor to the Nexus 5, and the sixth smartphone in the Google Nexus series, which is a family of Android consumer devices marketed by Google and built by an original equipment manufacturer partner. The Nexus 6 and the HTC Nexus 9 served as the launch devices for Android 5.0 "Lollipop".
Google Pixel is a brand of portable consumer electronic devices developed by Google that run either ChromeOS or the Android operating system. The main line of Pixel products consist of Android-powered smartphones, which have been produced since October 2016 as the replacement of the older Nexus, and of which the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are the current models. The Pixel brand also includes laptop and tablet computers, as well as several accessories, and was originally introduced in February 2013 with the Chromebook Pixel.
The second-generation Nexus 7, also commonly referred to as the Nexus 7 (2013), is a mini tablet computer co-developed by Google and Asus that runs the Android operating system. It is the second of three tablets in the Google Nexus tablet series, the Nexus family including both phones and tablets running essentially stock Android which were originally marketed for developer testing but later marketed by Google to consumers as well, all of which were built by various original equipment manufacturer partners. Following the success of the original Nexus 7, this second generation of the device was released on July 26, 2013, four days earlier than the originally scheduled date due to early releases from various retailers. The tablet was the first device to ship with Android 4.3.
Nexus 5 is an Android smartphone sold by Google and manufactured by LG Electronics. It is the fifth generation of the Nexus series, succeeding the Nexus 4. It was unveiled on October 31, 2013 and served as the launch device for Android 4.4 "KitKat", which introduced a refreshed interface, performance improvements, greater Google Now integration, and other changes. Much of the hardware is similar to the LG G2 which was also made by LG and released earlier that year.
Google Fi Wireless, formerly Project Fi and Google Fi, is an American MVNO telecommunications service by Google that provides telephone calls, SMS, and mobile broadband using cellular networks and Wi-Fi. Google Fi uses the T-Mobile network. Google Fi is a service for US residents only, as of late 2023.
The Nexus 5X is an Android smartphone manufactured by LG Electronics, co-developed with and marketed by Google as part of its Nexus line of flagship devices. Unveiled on September 29, 2015, it was a successor to the Nexus 5. The phone, along with the Nexus 6P, served as launch devices for Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which introduced a refreshed interface, performance improvements, increased Google Now integration, and other new features.
Nexus 6P is an Android smartphone developed and marketed by Google and manufactured by Huawei. It succeeded the Nexus 6 as the flagship device of the Nexus line of Android devices by Google. Officially unveiled on 29 September 2015 along with the Nexus 5X at the Google Nexus 2015 press event held in San Francisco, it was made available for pre-order on the same day in United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Japan.
The Pixel C is a 10.2-inch (260 mm) Android tablet developed and marketed by Google. The device was unveiled during a media event on September 29, 2015. On October 9, 2018, it was succeeded by the Pixel Slate.
Android Nougat is the seventh major version and 14th original version of the Android operating system. First released as an alpha test version on March 9, 2016, it was officially released on August 22, 2016, with Nexus devices being the first to receive the update. The LG V20 was the first smartphone released with Nougat.
Daydream is a discontinued virtual reality (VR) platform which was developed by Google, primarily for use with a headset into which a smartphone is inserted. It is available for select phones running the Android mobile operating system that meet the platform's software and hardware requirements. Daydream was announced at the Google I/O developer conference in May 2016, and the first headset, the Daydream View, was released on November 10, 2016. To use the platform, users place their phone into the back of a headset, run Daydream-compatible mobile apps, and view content through the viewer's lenses.
CopperheadOS is a mobile operating system for smartphones, based on the Android mobile platform. It adds privacy and security features to the official releases of the Android Open Source Project by Google. CopperheadOS is developed by Copperhead, a Canadian information security company. It is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0, although its source code is not available for public download.
Android Oreo is the eighth major release and the 15th version of the Android mobile operating system. It was initially unveiled as an alpha quality developer preview in March 2017 and later made available to the public, on August 21, 2017.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as the successors to the Pixel and Pixel XL. They were officially announced on October 4, 2017 at the Made by Google event and released in the United States on October 19. On October 9, 2018, they were succeeded by the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as the successors to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. They were officially announced on October 9, 2018 at the Made by Google event and released in the United States on October 18. On October 15, 2019, they were succeeded by the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.
The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as mid-range variants of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. They were officially announced on May 7, 2019 at Google I/O, seven months after the announcement of the original Pixel 3 lineup, and were released on the same day. On August 3, 2020, it was succeeded by the Pixel 4a.
The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as the successors to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. They were officially announced on October 15, 2019 at the Made by Google event and released in the United States on October 24, 2019. On September 30, 2020, they were succeeded by the Pixel 5.
The Pixel 5a, also known as the Pixel 5a with 5G, is an Android smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. It serves as a mid-range variant of the Pixel 5. It was officially announced on August 17, 2021 via a press release and released on August 26.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)