Google Pixel 4 XL

At a glance

• 6.3 inch QUAD HD+ screen
• 12.2mpx + 16mpx dual-lens camera
• 64 or 128 GB storage
• Dual-SIM
• Wireless charging

Highlights

Face-unlock authentication – Google have ditched the fingerprint scanner so you’ll use your face to unlock your phone instead. The recognition technology is one of the fastest of any handset.  

Quick Gestures and Motion Sensor – you can silence interruptions or skip songs with the movement of your hand. Plus, its radar detects when your hand comes close to your phone, automatically lighting up your lock screen for you.  

Adaptive battery – the battery learns what your favourite apps are and reduces power of the ones you don’t use often. It’s also got a longer battery life than the Pixel 4.

Design & Appearance

The Pixel 4 XL has dimensions 6.3in x 2.9in x 0.3in, weighing in at 193g. Like the 4, it’s made from an aluminum frame so feels different from what you may be used to with premium models, but the Gorilla glass makes up for that, making it damage-resistant and water resistant.

Unlike the 3 XL however, the 4 XL doesn’t have a notch and instead has bezels, so it depends what you’re after. The Clearly White and Oh So Orange have a matte glass finish, and the Just Black model having a glossier finish.

Camera

The 4XL has 3 cameras – two at the back and one at the front. At the rear, they’re 16mpx and 12.2mpx, meaning they shoot in ultra HD 4K and proves why the draw factor of Pixels is still the camera. You’ll get a new and improved Night Sight mode as well as the Live HDR+ feature, so you can see how photos look in real time. It also has dual-tone LED flash, back-illuminated sensor and image stabilisation, so your photos will look better than ever.

Display

The QUAD HD+ screen means the 4 XL offers a sharper resolution than its younger sibling, so the keen-eyed of you might prefer this. It has a screen resolution of 1440 x 3040 and a ppi of 537. Combined with the larger screen, this quality makes for high-quality viewing experiences.

Software & features

The Pixel 4 XL Runs on Android 10, but you’re guaranteed to get up to three years’ worth of software and security updates. Like the Pixel 4, it’s got heaps of cool features, such as Google Next Generation Assistant, AR effects for video calling through Duo, 5G support, offline voice recognition and is DNLA certified.

Performance

The Pixel 4 XL uses the Snapdragon 855 processor alongside the high-security Titan M chip. In addition, it’s got 6GB of RAM which is a 50% increase on previous generations.

Unlike the Pixel 4, the 4 XL has a significantly larger 3,700 mAh battery, meaning fewer worries about running out of juice. But if you do, it’s got wireless charging capabilities at super-high speeds which (our prayers have been answered!) are now accessible with third-party wireless chargers. It also has a talk time of over 20 hours, which, as you’d expect, is more than the Pixel 4.