Also, like on the iPhone 8, Google absolutely insists that its augmented reality system works just fine with one camera. It showed off a few AR demos at a media event—the usual furniture-placement app, a game, and an app that adds 3D fictional characters to your photos—but it still feels like Google's ARCore is well behind Apple's ARKit in terms of developer support so far. Multimedia and Camera The Pixel 2's 12.2-megapixel, f/1.8 camera is among the best of its kind. We've seen, testing smartphone cameras recently, that 12 or 13 megapixels is about the top limit of low-light quality on a smartphone sensor; anything more, like the 16 megapixels on LG's V30, is wasted in low light.

Selling your phone directly to another person takes more time, but can be more financially rewarding. It depends greatly on the market environment when you put your Pixel up for sale, though, which is in itself an ever-changing thing. The best time to sell your phone is generally before a new generation comes out, but since that’s not possible with Pixel 2, you’ll have a bit of competition. Still, there are plenty of people looking for inexpensive Pixel 2s following the Pixel 3 launch (especially the notch haters out there), so it shouldn’t be too hard to find an interested buyer. The Pixel 2 also acquires a feature from the HTC U11 called EdgeSense. Squeezing the phone’s sides launches the Google Assistant, which in our experience has come in handy, and is way better than adding a dedicated AI button – Samsung uses such a button for its Bixby assistant, and we can’t stop accidentally pressing it on the Galaxy S8 and Note 8. Upgrades are coming, showing that this camera app isn't a fixed point. Google says that an upgrade "in the coming weeks" for the phone's HDR capabilities will enhance image quality in mixed lighting.Keep future trades/sales in mind.The better you take care of your new phone — for instance, by purchasing insurance, a case, and/or a screen protector — the higher your eventual trade-in or resale value is if you want to undergo this process again in the future. Front-facing stereo speakers have become rare among smartphones, which too often fire onboard audio out of the bottom of the phone through a single speaker. Having them increases the size of the top and bottom bezel, but stereo speakers are part of the functionality-over-fashion trade-off we’re talking about. This isn't to say that the Pixel 2 is a bad phone. It's suffering from the same problem that the iPhone 8 is, which is being the lower-middle child in a crowded field of good choices. As it is, it's our fourth (or so) choice for a higher-end Android phone, which is more of a statement about the strength of the Android field than the weakness of the Pixel 2. If you're aching for a Pixel this year, go big. Those big front-facing speakers really pay off with the Pixel 2's speakerphone, which is very loud, if rather harsh. Loud but harsh is also how we'd describe the earpiece voice tone; we prefer the Pixel 2 XL, which has a rounder sound, if not quite as loud. Noise cancellation is fine, if not industry-leading. The Pixel only has a 2,700mAh battery, but Google's software has always been great at conserving power. We got 8 hours, 48 minutes of LTE streaming on our Pixel 2, which is terrific for a small phone like this. It doesn't quite measure up to the Pixel 2 XL (9 hours, 25 minutes), but of course, the XL has more room inside. The phone supports fast charging, but not wireless charging. Software and Performance

Google clearly wants to push you toward Bluetooth, and it's pushing a new "fast pairing" technique that's supposed to make it easier to pair your Bluetooth headset. Right now, though, it only works with a handful of headsets: the Libratone QAdapt Over Ear, Google's own Pixel Buds, the Plantronics V8200, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, and some headphones made by a company named AiAiAi. That said, I didn't have any trouble pairing the phone to my Plantronics Voyager UC headset.Google's Pixel camera software is very simple, without RAW support, manual mode, or many scene settings; Google encourages you to strike out and get that stuff through third-party camera apps. Currently, the flagship software feature is Motion Photos, which, like Apple's Live Photos, capture a snippet of video with each picture. The phone also has a software bokeh mode that works on both the front and rear cameras. As for getting the best price on your new phone — take a look at our buying guides. Hopefully, with the credit or cash you earn from letting go of your old Pixel, you can get the shiny new device you’ve been hoping for at a reasonable price. The Google Pixel 2 price didn't increase year-over-year, so like its dated design, it isn't keeping up with the competition. This is surprising for a phone announced on October 4, and a release date of October 19. This becomes a question of sweet spots, and I just don't think the Pixel 2 is it. If you're just looking for a good, affordable Android phone, the OnePlus 5 is pretty great. If you're looking for the Pixel experience, the XL is superior. And I still love the body design of the Samsung Galaxy S8, the most elegantly built phone on the market. The bezels won't bother you if you want a phone that’s a one-hand-friendly size, runs smart Google software, and has a fantastic camera that will make your friends – even your Samsung-owning friends – jealous. Google's camera is only sometimes bested by the Samsung camera and the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro... but not always. Video recording, we always found to be better on the Google Pixel 2. It may only bested by the the rumored Google Pixel 3, but don't expect that phone until October.