The Pixel XL beats out all comers in the 5.5″ or larger smartphone category, but at a high price tag. Buy it if you want the best Android smartphone in creation. For those looking for a budget model, try the OnePlus 3 $170 Nextbit Robin.

The downside, for me, is I often want to check the time or unlock the phone while it's lying on the table.

Eye-catching design; Fast camera – and no camera bump; Clever Google Assistant

Not waterproof; Average battery life; Not the bargain Nexus was

For years now, I've said the best Android phone would be an iPhone running the operating system. The Pixel XL finally delivers on that. Sure, it's a very similar design (people always ask me if it's the 7 Plus), but it's also a design that works.

[Update 1: Now that Google's Daydream View VR headset has launched - and it only works with the Pixel at present... and it's revolutionary and brilliant - the value proposition of this phone has been elevated.

Google Assistant's A.I; is innovative, Superb camera, Fast, Unlimited cloud storage, Fast charging, Daydream VR compatibility

Battery life is modest; Expensive; Not pretty; Single speaker is retrograde step; Not waterproof; 15% price hike for Aussies

At the Made by Google event which took place in October, Google announced two new phones . Unlike their regular Nexus phones, these were two phones made completely by Google - the Pixel and Pixel XL.

The Google Pixel XL is a very good smartphone. However, its core feature, the Google Assistant, is not a decisive reason to buy it. Above all, it does not justify the price which the manufacturer charges for its product.

good display, high-end build quality, LTE Cat; 11, fast WiFi, excellent voice quality, great cameras, low SAR values

no Dual-SIM; no microSD support; PWM; SoC throttling

There is no such thing as a perfect smartphone. I know because I've been trying to find one for longer than I care to remember. There's also no such thing as being 100% happy with the phone you have. At least this is true for me.

Very fast; Great camera; Long battery life; 2 years of OS updates; 3 years of security updates

Expensive; Not water resistant/water proof; No stereo speakers

For years, Google has employed other mobile brands – LG, Motorola and HTC to name but three – to help design and manufacture its Nexus smartphones and tablets.

Debuts latest Android Nougat OS; Clean; slick and efficiently stripped-back interface; Google Assistant is impressive; Sharp; punchy and detailed screen; Comprehensive; high-quality camera

Sound quality is uncompetitive; Not fully waterproof

Had a HTC 10 but drowned it. The Pixel XL so far is great. The finger print scanner on the back works extremely well. The camera and video quality the best yet, with the quick launch of either by long pressing the camera app is a great feature.

The new Google Pixel phone and its supersized cousin, the Google Pixel XL, represent a paradigm shift in the smartphone world. Although this isn't the first time the search giant has sold smartphones under its own name, it's the first time it has marketed them under the Pixel brand.