Apple is far ahead here, but Samsung and several other Android makers aren’t much behind. I’ve figured out that it works best when the phone is sitting flat on the table. Fortunately, you shouldn’t need to do that much battery management on the Pixel 4 XL, but it too could be better on the battery life front. It’s better than it was on the Pixel 3, but I don’t think it has caught up to the iPhone 11 Pro. The good news is that the selfie camera is set to a 90-degree field of view, which is wider than the usual 70-degree field of view. For all the aforementioned inadequacies in the battery and storage departments, the Pixel 4 XL’s hardware excels in the finer details. If you still want a Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL, there’s still stock at plenty of retailers, but once they’ve gone that’s it. Look at her jacket — there’s just so much more detail here. The Pixel 4’s screen is excellent, at least indoors. Once I figured out that it requires a clean sweep across the entire top of the phone, though, I really liked using it. The lack of an ultra-wide camera still stings and has thankfully been rectified for Google’s latest flagship as well as the Pixel 4a 5G — albeit at the expense of the telephoto camera. Google says that it ratchets down the refresh rate to 60Hz at the system level whenever possible, however. According to a new report, Samsung will introduce the ability to use Bixby Voice as a biometric option with One UI 3.1. The company tells me that it’s working on a solution and there’s an interim “fix” involving setting up a work profile, but it’s a hassle. Apple, Huawei, and Samsung have all excelled in phone camera imaging in 2020, but few have come close to matching Google’s excellence in the field of computational photography. The blacks look deep and rich instead of shiny and blown out. It has a camera that continues to take incredible photos, keeping pace with the iPhone 11 Pro. What that means is that when you speak to the Google Assistant, it doesn’t need to ask a server on the internet to translate what you said into actionable text. Special Deal: Discover the best Huawei Black Friday deals! Hallmark movies are a staple of any Christmas tradition. And Apple caught up on that front. Exposure is uniformly on point, dynamic range is stunning, colors pop without being too saturated, and the white balance is almost always accurate to life. The justification for adding the second lens is that Google was able to take advantage of a multiplier effect on the Super Res Zoom technology it debuted last year. It keeps an otherwise good phone from being great. I’ve had no problem getting through a full day of fairly constant use, but certainly not more. The Pixel 4 still tends towards more contrast and more blue tones — though it’s much less dramatic than the Pixel 3 was. (Pro tip: don’t leave it on all the time, as it will chew through your battery.). 6 months in, the Pixel 4 XL doesn't command the same price it did at launch. Google Pixel 4 XL review: Design If you've never really warmed to the two-tone design that Google used on its previous Pixels, the Pixel 4 lineup represents a bit of a departure. In addition, many of the Pixel 5 extras will trickle down to the Pixel 4 XL such as Extreme Battery Saver and Hold For Me. It’s not a perfect transcription, but it’s much faster and more accurate than other live transcription apps I’ve tried, and it does it all without needing an internet connection. The reason the Pixel’s face unlock feels so fast is that when you pick up the phone, it simply jumps right into what you were doing before without requiring you to tap or swipe on the screen at all. Source: Andrew Martonik / Android Central. And unfortunately, the Pixel 4 doesn’t impress. The Pixel just keeps doing its look. Plus, Google’s Night Sight papers over the low light issues remarkably well and adds a touch of flair with its fantastic astrophotography mode. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. It’s technology it developed for Night Sight last year, applied to the regular camera mode. The radar forms a bubble over the phone, and if you move outside it, the always-on display turns off. It leads me to worry-charge early in the day if I know I have a late dinner or an event to go to in the evening, or make sure I have a portable battery handy when traveling. He has been a mobile enthusiast since the Windows Mobile days, and covering all things Android-related with a unique perspective at AC since 2012. When one of them goes off and you reach for the phone to see what’s up, it immediately quiets the phone down a little. We've all been tempted by a seemingly good tech deal, however, you should avoid those cheap Apple Watch and Fitbit knockoffs on Amazon. Android has a reputation for “jank,” aka stuttery animations and general weirdness in things moving on the screen. The orange has coral tones to it, depending on the light, and it’s also limited-edition for some reason. Despite promising early on that the feature would grow over time, Google added a pause and resume music gesture in March and… that’s it. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission. Here's why. The Pixel 4 XL’s camera should require no introduction. The Pixel 4 XL’s radar tech is still hit-and-miss, with hand waves and swipes ignored as often as they are actually registered.