In our extensive review of the Pixel XL, we break down what it’s like to use a Pixel smartphone – what does and doesn’t work when you activate Google Assistant, what we love about that wonderful camera, and so on. Almost everything written there applies to the smaller Pixel, making what’s different far more notable than what’s shared. So let’s talk about those differences.
The most obvious one is, of course, the Pixel’s smaller size. The Pixel is to the Pixel XL as the iPhone 7 is to the iPhone 7 Plus; it nestles a little easier in the hand and slips a little more smoothly into pockets, but it’s not quite small enough for one-handed use. If you find so-called phablets overwhelming but still want the benefit of a decent-sized display, the Pixel will probably suit you perfectly.Of course, with a smaller size comes a smaller battery. The device’s 2770 mAh cell lasted just 8 hours 16 minutes in our web browsing test. That’s decent, but when compared against the iPhone 7’s 9 hours 3 minutes, or the Pixel XL’s impressive 11 hours 11 minutes, the Pixel’s smaller battery size is clearly a drawback to longevity.
The other big difference between the Pixel and the Pixel XL is the smaller device’s screen. Instead of a 5.5-inch, 1440p display, the Google Pixel features only a 5-inch, 1080p display, with a significantly lower pixel density to match. Most people won’t notice the difference in clarity between the two screens, but there’s one place where that extra density can be crucial: mobile VR. Only a handful of devices are compatible with Google’s Daydream VR platform, and the Pixel is one of them. The lenses inside the Daydream headset are designed to focus in on your smartphone’s screen, so a lower resolution makes for a far grainier image than you’d get out of a 1440p display.
There is one benefit to the smaller screen: faster processing. The Pixel and Pixel XL share the same system-on-a-chip (SoC) under their respective hoods, namely Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821, a top-tier, quad-core processor. While we’ve seen other phones with the same SoC perform better – the OnePlus 3T garners a lot of benefit from its 6GB of RAM, for example – both the Pixel and Pixel XL perform admirably. Yet despite its smaller size, the Pixel actually outshines the XL. With a lower-resolution screen, the Pixel’s SoC doesn’t have to do as much work to drive graphics to the display, which means it can keep more power in reserve for crucial moments. Granted, we’re talking about a difference of a few percentage points in our tests, but better numbers are better numbers.
Summary
Most top smartphones these days are pretty big, their screens around 5.5 inches from corner to corner and their batteries commensurately large. The Pixel is a nod to the fact that many buyers don’t want such massive displays, but they still crave all the power that comes with big flagship phones. If you fall into that category, you’re in luck; the Pixel is the best 5-inch device you can buy right now.
