The software and search-engine giant, Google, announced two “Made by Google” phones this year, Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL. With this, the list of year’s most anticipated smartphones comes to an end and now, is the time to analyze which is the best premium smartphone of 2017, whether it’s the Galaxy Note 8 or the iPhone X or the Google Pixel 2XL.
Let’s stack them up and find out!
Pixel 2 XL vs Galaxy Note 8 vs iPhone X Specs Comparison
| Model | Pixel 2XL | Galaxy Note 8 | iPhone X |
| Display | 6-Inch, QHD+ (1440 x 2880 pixels) POLED display;18:9 aspect ratio | 6.3-inch Quad HD+ (2960 × 1440 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity display, 18.5:9 aspect ratio | 5.8-inch super Retina HD display, HDR compliant, 2436 x 1125, 458 PPI, 3D touch |
| Processor | Snapdragon 835 processor with Adreno 540 GPU | Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with Adreno 540 GPU | Hexa-core Apple A11 Bionic Chip with neural engine, M11 Coprocessor |
| RAM | 4GB | 6GB | 3GB |
| Internal Storage | 64GB/ 128GB | 64GB, expandable up to 256GB | 64GB/256GB |
| Software | Android Oreo | Android 7.1 Nougat, with Experience UX 8.5 | iOS 11 |
| Primary Camera | 12.2 MP, f/1.8, OIS, phase detection & laser autofocus, touch focus, face detection, HDR and panorama
Dual-LED flash 4K video at 30 fps |
12MP+12M wide angle telephoto cameras,2X Zoom and Portrait mode, Dual OISF/1.7; f/2.4 aperture
Dual tone LED Flash 4K videos at 30fps |
12MP+12M wide angle telephoto cameras,2X Zoom and Portrait mode, Dual OISF/1.8; f/2.4 aperture
Quad LED Flash 4K videos at 60fps |
| Secondary Camera | 8MP Front-Facing Camera with f/2.4 aperture, 1080p video | 8MP autofocus front-facing camera with f/1.7 aperture, auto HDR | 7MP photos, 1080p videos, f/2.2 aperture |
| Dimensions and Weight | 157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm; 175 g | 162.5 X 74.8 X 8.6 mm; 195 grams | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm and 174 grams |
| Battery | 3520 mAh; Quick Charging | 3300mAh battery with fast charging both on wired and wireless | “lasts up to 2 hours longer than iPhone 7”, supports wireless charging, fast charging |
| Others | 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 2.4G + 5 GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO,Bluetooth 5.0 + LE, NFC, eSIM, GPS, USB Type-C, Fingerprint sensor | 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, Bluetooth v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), GPS with GLONASS, USB Type-C 3.1, NFC, MST, Samsung Pay, IP68 Water and dust resistant | 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, Bluetooth v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), GPS with GLONASS,NFC, Face ID,lightning connector,IP67 Water and dust resistant |
| Price | Rs. 73,000/ Rs. 82,000 | Rs. 67,990 | Rs. 89,000/ Rs. 1,02,000 |
Also Read: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 vs Nokia 8 vs OnePlus 5 Specs Comparison
Design and Build
The iPhone X is the most compact of these three phones. The Pixel 2 XL and the Note 8 will require you to stretch your mitts and aren’t as favorable to one hand usage. Out of the three, the Note 8 is the biggest but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For a few extra mm of waistline, you get an S Pen with compatible display and also a 3.5mm audio jack (something that’s missing on the other 2).
On the front, all the three smartphones are dominated by the full vision displays, with iPhone X having the least amount of bezel (but the tradeoff is a notch on top). Another change that Apple has made on their iPhone X is the missing fingerprint sensor, replaced by the Face ID feature. On the other hand, Pixel 2XL and Note 8 still make room for fingerprint sensor on the rear. The Pixel 2 XL also benefits from setereo speakers at the front.
Also Read: Top 10 Exciting Pixel 2 And Pixel 2 XL Software Features
Talking about their framing, Google’s Pixel 2XL daunts an Aluminium body with hybrid coating and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection up front. Whereas both the iPhone X and Galaxy Note 8 have a metal side frame sandwiched between glass on both front and the back.
All the three are very premium phones when it comes to design. You can’t go wrong with either of these so the main deciding factor should be the size that you’d prefer.
Display
What new does the premium smartphone displays have to offer?
Well, all the three smartphones, be it, iPhone X, Note 8 or, Pixel 2XL offer high-resolution end-to-end OLED displays that reproduce vivid colors, have high contrast and are perfectly legible outdoors.
You won’t see a visible difference in the display quality of these smartphones but the one on the Note 8 is the best out of the three. The Pixel 2 XL and iPhone X are close second.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Review – For Those Who Do A Lot On Their
Performance and Software
The two Android phones – Pixel 2XL and Note 8 – are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 SoC paired with Adreno 540 GPU and backed by 4GB and 6GB RAM, respectively. The storage space on Pixel 2XL is limited to 64GB and 128GB, depending on the variant you choose, whereas in Note 8 you get 64GB of native storage and the option to add secondary MicroSD storage up to 256GB.
iPhone X is powered by the latest A11 bionic Hexacore chipset with the neural engine, which is there to handle some machine learning algorithms. Also, the phone packs 3GB of RAM and 64GB/256GB non-expandable memory.
While all the three phones have enough raw power to handle pretty much anything that you throw at them, the iPhone X with its custom designed SoC is the clear winner here. Out of Pixel 2XL and Note 8, you can expect Pixel 2XL to be a tad faster owing to its minimal software.
As for the software part, the iPhone X should be a good option for people who want to use a simple interface. The Pixel 2XL offers minimal Android experience but with guaranteed updates and gives search and Assistant centerstage. The Galaxy Note 8, on the other hand, is loaded to the brim with features and enhancements that should appeal to the productivity-oriented users.
Also Read: Top 6 iPhone X Features That You Can Experience On Android Phones
Camera and Battery
In optics, both Note 8 and iPhone X come with dual-rear camera setup with optical image stabilisation (OIS), 2X optical zoom and portrait mode, while the Pixel 2XL device clicks quality images from its single 12MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture, both OIS and EIS support, portrait modes and many other features.
Camera experience on all the three smartphones is simply stunning. The iPhone X and Note 8 offer great dual cameras while the pixel works its magic largely relying on its software.
The iPhone X can offer studio lighting, the Note 8 can shoot excellent portraits with real-time preview, and the Pixel 2XL offers bokeh mode for both front and rear cameras.
For selfies, both Note 8 and Pixel 2XL hold an 8MP sensor with the latter benefitting from Autofocus. Whereas the iOS handset can click selfies from the 7MP camera with aperture f/2.2. The front camera on iPhone X also packs the dot projector and IR laser to unlock your phone using the 30,000 face points, even in inadequate lighting condition.
To keep these premium devices up and running, each phone packs a non-removable quick charging battery. The Galaxy Note 8 houses 3300mAh battery, Pixel 2XL 3520 mAh battery, and in iPhone X, for this we have to wait for the actual teardown of the phone, but Apple claims it has 2 hours more backup than the iPhone 7. Also, the iPhone X and Note 8 support fast wireless charging.
Also Read: 5 Apple iPhone X Features That Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Already Had
Verdict
All the three are extremely competent phones and are fully capable of justifying their worth with the experience they shall deliver.
What works for Pixel 2XL?
The Google Pixel 2XL can’t match the other two rivals in terms of hardware, but it still has the best camera (going by the DxoMark rating). The company is backing the stock Android software on phone with a lot of ‘Machine learning’ and AI to make lives simpler and this software expertise is why you’d be betting on Pixel 2 XL. It’s also guaranteed to receive latest Android updates for the next three years.
What works for Note 8?
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is for productivity-oriented users who do a lot on their phones. It has the best AMOLED display so far, an S Pen stylus, and unlike the Pixel 2 XL and iPhone X, it retains dual-SIM support and a 3.5mm Audio Jack. It’s also comparatively less expensive.
What works for iPhone X?
The iPhone X is the most compact phone out of the three and it’s also the fastest. If you are keen on Augmented Reality and don’t want to miss out on what developers might or might not develop in the coming year, the iPhone X should be a good option to go with.
