Why the Google Pixel Will Be a Popular Purchase This Holiday Season

Android Nougat, strong battery life and a high-quality camera are some features likely to make the Google Pixel a popular holiday season purchase this year.

Google is offering two Pixel versions. The first, simply called the Pixel, comes with a 5-inch screen featuring a full-HD resolution and 441 pixels per inch. The second larger version, Pixel XL, has a 5.5-inch display with a quad-HD resolution and 534 pixels per inch. In addition to screen size, the devices differ on batteries—the Pixel XL’s battery is substantially larger than the Pixel’s and can deliver several more hours of life before it needs to be recharged.

Google’s handset runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. The chip is one of the more powerful processors on the market and, according to Google, will be able to handle resource-intensive apps with ease. The Pixel also comes with 4GB of memory and outstanding graphics performance. That all adds up to the Pixel being one of the most powerful smartphones on the market.

Google says its Pixel smartphone is “the highest-rated smartphone camera ever.” Although it has just 12.3 megapixels, they are exceedingly large, allowing the camera to take high-quality pictures in low-light conditions. The Pixel camera also has a f/2.0 aperture that makes it a useful companion in intense light. Plus, its color accuracy is best in class. In some cases, the Google Pixel’s camera could be better than lower-end digital-SLR cameras.

The Google Pixel comes with an impressive design, featuring a slender chassis and small bezel around its screen. It also has a metal case to protect it from falls, and its fingerprint sensor on the back is positioned perfectly so users can unlock the handset quickly. The Google Pixel looks somewhat similar to last year’s iPhone 6s, which also had antenna lines running across its back, but it’s still one of the nicer designs in the smartphone market.

As noted, the Google Pixel comes with a fingerprint sensor on its back plate, which Google says will deliver the security both consumers and corporate customers want. The fingerprint sensor can be used to unlock the device, limit access to sensitive apps and make payments with Android Pay. It’s a feature that rounds out the Google Pixel experience.

Also important to security seekers, the Google Pixel runs the company’s latest Android version, Nougat. With Nougat, users will find a slightly improved design, enhanced notification support and several security and bug fixes that make the operating system better to use.

The Google Pixel delivers up to 26 hours of continuous talk time before its battery needs to be recharged. Those surfing the internet on WiFi can do so for 13 hours before the battery runs out. The Pixel XL can deliver up to 32 hours of talk time and can last 14 hours when users are surfing the web. Either way, users will get outstanding battery life from Google’s smartphone. And, just as important, they can get seven additional hours of battery life after just 15 minutes of charging.

The Google Pixel comes bundled with both new and old Google apps. The device is the first smartphone to offer Google Assistant, a virtual tool that helps users manage their tasks, find photos and keep a travel itinerary. It also comes with the new video-calling service Duo. Along with YouTube, Google Chrome, Google Play and others, those apps make the Pixel a decidedly Google-dominated device.

Google Pixel isn’t cheap. The standard model starts at $649, but hits $749 for those who want 128GB of storage. The Google Pixel XL retails at $769 to start, but will set customers back $869 when they want additional storage. The smartphone is available unlocked through Google’s online store, and Verizon is offering it through a monthly installment plan, which start at $27.08 per month.

The Google Pixel comes in the customer’s choice of 32GB or 128GB storage options. In addition, Google will allow users to store all their photos and videos on its cloud servers at no charge. Google says the combination of ample onboard storage and its cloud service means users never need to worry about running out of storage.