Google hits back at Apple and Samsung with a second-generation Pixel phone that excels in software and photography

The Pixel 2 is a great phone with excellent hardware and performance, a relatively boring design, respectable (but not amazing) battery life, and the best camera available in a smartphone today (if you don't need dual cameras).

Always-on display The Google Pixel 2 has an Always-on display and this lets you see if there are notifications, without even touching the phone. You can also authorise the Always-on display to listen in the background and then automatically show the artist and song title of any music that is played...

The Pixel 2 is a brilliantly fast, compact smartphone with a stunning camera.

Blazing fast speed; Great software experience; fast updates; Excellent camera; IP67 water-resistant; Compact; colorful screen

No headphone jack; Average battery life; Chunky edges around screen; dated design

In case you skipped right to the conclusion, here's what you need to know. There aren't a ton of things that separate the Pixel 2 from the Pixel 2 XL, so the model you choose will most likely depend on whether you want a big or small screen.

Best-in-class camera All-day battery life IP67 certified Loud and clear front-facing speakers Easy-to-use and practical Android experience Fluid; quick performance Google is finally good at designing smartphones 64 GB of base storage Active Edge is very useful

The Pixel 2 feels like the lesser option due to large bezels Pixel 2 XL's display feels like a step down from the Pixel XL's No headphone jack No USB Type-C headphones in the box High price tag While useful; Active Edge should have more features

Google's vision of Android is becoming clearer and clearer with each passing year, and although we're not 100% of the way to the final product, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are an amazing example of how well a phone can be both built and designed.

IP67 water and dust resistant; Stunning new design (Pixel 2 XL; Solid build with great grippy coating; Front-facing stereo speakers; Wide Bluetooth audio support; Daydream VR support; Unrivaled performance; Excellent battery life on both phones; Squeeze to launch Google Assistant is handy; AI-driven...

Last year, for the first time, Made by Google phones hit store shelves with a fresh look and new name to replace the aging Nexus. While Nexus represented pure Android for the nerds, Pixel was about making something truly great for everyone. And it was.

Polished; speedy performance; clean software and great front and back cameras

Screen isn't as vibrant as competitors; ActiveEdge is a pain to use; lack of bezel free display is confusing

The Pixel 2 has everything good about the guts and software of its larger 6in sibling, the Pixel 2 XL , but squeezed into a smaller phone. On paper that sounds fantastic, but the large bezels around the screen, with big top and bottom panels, make the Pixel 2 look dated next to its top-end Android...

very fast; long battery life; great screen; squeezable sides; latest version of Android and rapid updates; interesting built-in AI; water resistant; fantastic camera; unlimited photo and video backup

large bezels; dated design; expensive; no expandable storage or removable battery; no headphone jack; no wireless charging

The Pixel 2 is basically Google's second attempt at creating an Android version of the and a proper competitor to the . Instead of focusing solely on top-end specs and including every feature imaginable, it aims to aims to offer users the cleanest Android experience possible.

Truly amazing camera; The best version of Android; Nice display

Boring design; Huge bezel

I have a hard time keeping phones for more than six months. The promise of a better experience with new hardware is often too hard to resist, but every once in a while a phone is good enough to keep me grounded. The Pixel 2 is probably one of those phones.