Google Pixel 2 XL vs Apple iPhone X vs Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Which Is A Better Buy?
Google, Apple, and Samsung all have launched their flagship smartphones of 2017. Google Pixel 2 XL, Apple iPhone X, and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 are the top notch smartphones for this year. So the question now arises which one should a consumer buy?
Why should someone buy Apple’s most expensive and latest iPhone, leaving Samsung’s (brand currently dominating the Android smartphone market) most advanced phone which is Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Also Google has launched its second-gen Pixel smartphones.
Samsung seems to have recovered from last year’s Galaxy Note 7 battery fiasco, lifted by robust demand for the new Galaxy Note 8 with an innovative bezel-less design. But many consumers might not be willing to buy the Note 8 after Note 7 dented the image of Samsung last year.
With the launch of Pixel smartphones last year, Google raised the bar for Android smartphones and this year Pixel 2 XL stands out among its competitors.
On the other hand, Apple has always been at top of the game with their premium iPhones. However many people find the iPhones overpriced given the features it bears.
Display and Camera
Pixel 2 XL features a 6-inch QHD+ (2880x1440) pOLED display with 3D curved glass and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The Pixel 2 XL’s display is nearly bezel-less with 18:9 aspect ratio.
The main highlight of Pixel 2 XL is its camera, DxOMark Mobile has given the highest rating to second-gen Pixel smartphone. According to DxO, Pixel 2’s camera is better than iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
Google’s handset sports a 12.2-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus + dual pixel phase detection, OIS, EIS, and f/1.8 aperture. On the front of both devices is an 8-megapixel selfie shooter with fixed focus and f/2.4 aperture.
iPhone X features a 5.8-inch super retina HD (2436x1125) nearly bezel-less OLED display with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. There is no home button on this device; instead users will navigate the device through gestures.
It sports a dual 12-megapixels rear camera where one works as a wide-angle lens and other as a telephoto lens with apertures f/1.8 and f/2.4 respectively. The camera has a new colour filter, deeper pixels, faster autofocus in lowlight, and quad LED true tone flash. On the front is a 7-megapixels TrueDepth camera that enables face ID features, wide colour capture, auto image stabilization, and Potrait mode.
Note 8 features a 6.3-inch QHD (2960x1440) super AMOLED infinity display which is nearly bezel-less, full-frontal glass, and an edge-to-edge screen. Following the trend of the dual camera, Samsung has packed this device with a dual camera. It sports a dual rear camera with two 12-megapixels sensors where one works as a wide-angle and other as a telephoto camera with OIS and 2x optical zoom. On the front is an 8-megapixels selfie camera with Auto Focus and f/1.7 aperture.
Software and Processor
Pixel 2 XL runs on Android 8.0 Oreo and will be getting OS, security updates from Google for next three years. The second-gen Pixel smartphone is powered by 2.35GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core processor coupled with 4GB RAM.
Pixel 2XL is available in two storage variants of 64GB/128GB; there is no microSD card slot so the storage is not expandable.
iPhone X runs on the new iOS 11 and powered by A11 bionic which Apple claims is their most powerful and smartest chip. It features a six-core CPU design with two performance cores that are 25 percent faster and four efficiency cores that are 70 percent faster than the A10 Fusion. The handset comes in two storage variants of 64GB and 256GB.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and powered by Samsung’s Exynos 8895 Octa-core processor coupled with 6GB RAM. It has 64GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 256GB through a hybrid dual-SIM configuration where second SIM slot doubles as MicroSD card holder.
Battery
Pixel 2 XL by a 3520mAh which also up to 7 hours of power after 15 minutes of charge. Following the trend, Google has also ditched the 3.5mm audio-jack and the audio is routed through a headphone adaptor.
The battery in iPhone X lasts up to 2 hours longer than iPhone 7 which gives up to 21 hours of talk-time, 12 hours of internet usage. The battery can be charged up to 50 per cent in 30 minutes and supports wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is backed by a 3300mAh battery with fast charging and wireless charging which delivers up to 22 hours of talk time.
Other Features
The new Pixel smartphone comes with Active Edge feature which allows users to launch Google Assistant by squeezing the device which is a pretty similar feature to the HTC’s Edge Sense.
Connectivity options are- dual-band WI-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 + LE, GPS, USB Type-C, GLONASS, and NFC. Both devices are IP67 water and dust resistance. The aluminum unibody smartphone have a fingerprint sensor at their rear panels which unlocks it.
iPhone X is IP67 water and dust resistant. There is no fingerprint sensor on the device instead it uses face ID recognition system. Apple claims that its facial recognition is unhackable but it might be tricky; what if the user is wearing goggles or using the phone in the dark or under different lighting conditions? On the other hand Note 8 and Google Pixel 2 can be unlocked using facial recognition and they even have a fingerprint sensor which Apple ditched in iPhone X.
The handset measures 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm and weighs 174 grams. Connectivity options are – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, NFC, GPS, single SIM (nano), 4G VoLTE. There is no 3.5mm audio-jack so the audio is routed through headphone jack adaptor.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 handset+S-Pen are IP68 water and dust resistant. There is a fingerprint sensor on the right of the rear camera which is used to unlock the device. The handset measures 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm and weighs 195 grams. Connectivity options are – Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v5.0, USB Type-C, NFC, and GPS.
Price and Availability
Pixel 2 XL is priced at Rs 73,000 for 64GB and Rs 83,000 for 128GB variant. Google is offering unlimited storage for your photos and videos. It is available in two colours- black & white and just black.
The iPhone X comes in two storage variants 64GB and 256GB which will be available for buyers at a hefty price of Rs 89,000 and Rs 1,02,000 respectively. It is available in two body colour options- space gray and silver.
Priced at Rs 67,990, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be available on Amazon, Samsung.in, and select retail outlets. It is offered in midnight black and maple gold colours. The biggest drawback many consumers feel with iPhones is its non-expandable storage. Talking about the 64GB variant of iPhone X, it is still 20 grands expensive than the Note 8 whose storage can be expanded up to 256GB.
