Google Pixel 4 XL review 4 months later: is it worth getting one in 2020?

And the list goes on. Face recognition on the Pixel 4 is awesome and I'll find it hard to switch to a phone that uses a fingerprint scanner instead. Also, the Pixel 4 XL was picked as the phone with the best speakers in our recent blind test. The vibration motor is powerful and provides excellent haptic feedback. The new Recorder app and Live Captions work well and could be super useful to many.

Are two cameras enough in 2020?

Pixel phones have always stood out with their cameras, and the Pixel 4 series is no different. I'm more than happy with the quality of the photos my Pixel 4 XL takes. Portraits and Night Sight photos also look fantastic. All the while, the camera app itself is fast, clean, and simple.

However, I feel like Google cut one too many corners here by not including a super wide-angle camera on the Pixel 4. This is not something you can compensate for using smart software algorithms. A super-wide lens is invaluable in certain situations, be it when taking photos in tight spots or fast-paced videos. 

Project Soli is a major disappointment

For several years, Google has been working on Project Soli: a radar-based sensor system allowing a device to sense gestures with utmost precision. Fancy videos of the system in action show how virtual dials and buttons can be controlled effortlessly by the snap or flick of a finger. No touching the phone required.

The Pixel 4 and 4 XL are the first two phones to ship with Google's radar-based system – and it's bad on so many levels. First of all, its use is extremely limited. With a wave over the screen you can skip songs, mute alarms, or play with your Pokemon live wallpaper. That's it, really.



Now, I would have loved being able to skip songs with a wave of my hand – while driving to work, for example – but my Pixel 4 XL detects the gesture only about 20% of the time. A month ago, after spilling my cup of tea while trying to skip a song with a wave, I turned all gesture controls off.

Strangely, my colleague Eugene, who's also been a Pixel 4 user for several months, reports that gestures work almost perfectly on his unit. Is my Pixel 4 XL a dud? I don't think it matters. The Google Pixel 4 would have been a better phone without Project Soli. Google's radar chip makes the phone more expensive and more complicated without solving any problems. I would gladly trade it for another camera or extra storage – both features that would have been much more useful.

Is the Pixel 4 battery life really that bad?

Not really, or at least not on the Pixel 4 XL which I've been using. With typical use involving music streaming, web browsing, social media, and watching YouTube video in the evening, the phone still has about 40% of charge left when I go to bed.

But it's not great either. For some reason, my Pixel 4 XL loses about 10-15% of charge overnight if I forget to charge it. In other words, it looks like its stand-by efficiency is terrible for a modern phone. The drain persists even with gesture detection turned off.

Speaking of battery life and charging, I now have a simple wireless charger on my desk at work. When I'm not using the phone, I just leave it there. This way I never leave the office fearing that the Pixel 4 XL may die before bedtime, even if I'm planning on going out.

Is a Pixel 4 worth getting in 2020?

I think Google made a mistake when it launched the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL at $800 and $900 respectively. There wasn't a whole lot to justify such high cost, so Google's phones failed to make a positive first impression with the public.

But a Pixel 4 XL costs less than $700 right now, and that I'd call a fair price. Too bad that few people would care at this point, with the Samsung Galaxy S20 series on preorder and all models of the Samsung Galaxy S10 on sale.

So yes, a Pixel 4 XL is totally worth getting – but I'd say it's not a phone for hardcore enthusiasts.

Buy a Google Pixel 4 XL: