Pixel 2 vs iPhone 8 vs Galaxy S8: What's the best phone right now? Google's latest home made mobile promises a slick stock Android experience and brilliant photography. But the cheaper Galaxy S8 and the pricer iPhone 8 are similarly compelling.
Why should I care about the Google Pixel 2?
Since the Android operating system launched in 2008, Google has offered it out to other smartphone vendors for free. There are huge range of Android smartphones on the market, covering everything from cheap and cheerful phones like the Wileyfox Swift 2 X, through to high-end handsets like the Galaxy Note 8. Unfortunately, most smartphone makers modify Android to differentiate their devices from competitors'. The result is a confusing array of user experiences and slow software and security updates (a problem exacerbated by carrier networks).
The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are made by Google directly. By designing the hardware and software in tandem, Google offers a unified experience similar to that of Apple's iPhone. Pixel users get access to the latest versions of Android before anyone else along with important security updates, which often takes months to make it to other Android smartphones. The user experience is also exactly as Google designed it, free from the third-party skins and superfluous extras that often slow down performance. Samsung's TouchWiz UI, for example, is better than in years past, but it's still not as slick as what Google offers as standard.
How does the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 design compare?
The original Google Pixel remains a fantastic phone, particularly when it comes to photography, but it's never been a looker. For the sequel, Google has refined the design considerably, but has opted for two dif
The Pixel 2 XL slims down the bezel and rounds off the corners of its six-inch POLED display for a modern look. Like the Galaxy S8, the display is at a 18:9 aspect ratio, which is longer and slimmer than the 16:9 display of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. This makes both phones more comfortable to hold and smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus, which only features a mere 5.5-inch display. Both the iPhone 8, upcoming iPhone X and Galaxy S8 feature glass on the front and rear. The Pixel XL 2 opts for a small strip of glass instead on the rear instead, with the rest made out of aluminium.
How big is the Google Pixel 2 compared to other phones?
Apple's poor old iPhone 8, which sports a design that dates all the way back to the iPhone 6, can't compete with Samsung or Google when it comes to the all important screen-to-body ratio.
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
- GOOGLE PIXEL 2
- 145.7mm x 69.7mm x 7.8mm | 143g
- GOOGLE PIXEL XL 2
- 157.9mm x 76.7mm x 7.9mm | 175g
- APPLE IPHONE 8
- 138.4mm x 67.3mm x 7.3mm | 148g
- APPLE IPHONE 8 PLUS
- 158.4mm x 78.1mm x 7.5mm | 202g
- SAMSUNG GALAXY S8
- 148.9mm x 68.1mm x 8mm | 155g
- SAMSUNG GALAXY S8+
- 159.5mm x 73.4mm x 8.1mm | 173g
- The Galaxy S8 measures a mere 78.5mm wide and packs in a 6.2-inch screen. The iPhone 8 Plus measures 78.1mm wide, but only features a 5.5-inch display. The Pixel XL 2 is the slimmest of the three at 76.7mm wide, and still features a six-inch display. The iPhone 8 Plus can't compete for comfort, but the iPhone 8 is fine if you don't mind the smaller screen.
Which phone has better specs?
There's little to tell the Pixel 2 and the Galaxy S8 apart. If you're in the US, both phones and their bigger brothers feature the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, along with 4GB of memory and a choice of 64GB or 128GB storage options. The UK version of the S8 features Samsung's own Exynos 9 8895 SoC, which performs as well as, if not better than the Snapdragon 835.
- The iPhone 8 features Apple's latest A11 Bionic SoC. The combination of Apple's own chip design coupled with highly optimised software mean that iPhones are typically much faster than Android phones. None will leave you wanting for speed, though. On the Android side the Pixel 2 is expected to offer the smoothest experience thanks to tight hardware and software integration. Many Samsung phones have suffered from performance degradation and smooth scrolling issues in the past.
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The iPhone 8 and Google Pixel 2 feature IP67 water and dust resistance, but the Galaxy S8 goes a step further with an IP68 rating. The difference is that a seven rating ensures a device can survive underwater for 30 minutes at a depth of one meter, an eight rating means a phone can survive for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters. It's not a huge difference, especially if all you want is for your phone to survive the odd drinks-related mishap.Oh, and despite both the iPhone 8 and Google Pixel 2 featuring a lower water resistance rating than the Galaxy S8, the Galaxy S8 is the only phone to feature a 3.5mm headphone jack. Apple cited courage for the loss of the headphone jack, while Google preferred to just avoid talking about it entirely. Either way, it's an inconvenience with no real benefit to consumers. You do at least get front-facing stereo speakers on the Pixel 2.
What about the screen?
Technically, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have the lowest PPI rating of all the phones, but in real world use you'd be hard pressed to tell—they both look sharp. More notable are the different display technologies: the iPhones use an IPS panel, the S8s and the Pixel 2 use AMOLED panels, while the Pixel 2 XL uses a POLED panel. OLED technology offers deeper blacks and richer colours than IPS, but some find the look overblown. 
The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus feature Apple's True Tone technology, which debuted in the iPad Pro. True Tone automatically adjusts the white balance and brightness of the display based on ambient lighting, which results in a more natural picture. Apple's displays tend to be more colour-accurate than those of competitors too, making them ideal for content creators that need to proof on the go. That said, you can calibrate displays on Android phones using a number of apps.What's so special about Android?
iOS is a great operating system, but thanks to Apple's tight software integration it can be restrictive. What Android offers is the ability to do whatever you like with your phone (and these days offers the same range of apps too). Want to drag and drop files onto it? Just plug it into a PC or Mac via USB and use it as an external drive? Want to change how you launch apps? Just download a new launcher from the Play Store. The flipside to such openness is that Samsung has its own take on Android, which some love and some hate. Called TouchWiz, it changes a number of core Android UI conventions, while adding some features of its own.Most of these features are gimmicks. For example, there are retina and facial logins, but the former is slow, while the latter is easily fooled with a photo. Apple's Face ID in the upcoming iPhone X is expected to be much more secure. The dedicated Bixby button on the side of the S8, intended to activate Samsung's digital assistant Bixby, is largely useless because Bixby is useless. Samsung doesn't allow you to remap the button, although you can disable it. Samsung also includes its own apps, which duplicate the functionality of Google's with little benefit, adding clutter to the S8.
- Stock Android 8.0 (left) versus the chaos of Samsung's TouchWiz.
- Since the Pixel 2 runs a clean version of Android 8, it's fast and free of superfluous clutter. If, like many, you live inside the Google ecosystem, the Pixel 2 is ideal. Google Calendar, Drive, Mail, Keep, Docs and others all automatically sync, while Google Assistant keeps you in the loop on upcoming travel plans and appointments. The latter can be activated just by squeezing the phone, which saves you from having to say, "OK Google" (although that works just fine too). Thanks to Google's years of search and machine learning experience, Google Assistant is more useful than Siri and wipes the floor with Bixby.That said, if you live in the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone 8 might be a better choice. Google includes an app with the Pixel 2 to make it easier to switch to Android, but purchases on the likes of iTunes or the App Store won't be transferred, so you have to buy your favourite content and apps again. If you use a Mac, the ability to use iMessage on the desktop is also a boon, as is the ability to answer calls across other devices like iPads and Apple Watches. WhatsApp is the platform agnostic option to use if you switch to Android, but that only works if all your friends use it too.
Which phone takes the best photos?
The iPhone 8, Pixel 2, and Galaxy S8 are all flagship phones and as such all take excellent photos regardless of lighting conditions. Really, it comes to the sort of shots your prefer. The S8 takes to take slightly oversaturated photos, while the iPhone 8 errs on the flatter side. It remains to be seen how the Pixel 2 handles photography, but its predecessor takes consistently brilliant photos that strike a balance between the vividness of the S8 and the colour accuracy of the iPhone thanks to HDR+ tech.There are different features to be aware of, though. The iPhone 8 features a single 12MP f/1.8 camera sensor, while the iPhone 8 Plus features an additional f/2.8 12MP telephoto sensor, which functions as an optical zoom. It also allows you to change the depth of field in a photo after taking it, allowing for smooth bokeh effects. The S8, Google Pixel 2 and their bigger brothers all feature a single camera sensor instead.Google is using machine learning to accomplish much of what Apple does with two lenses with just one 12MP f/1.8 sensor, enabling similar bokeh effects. The Pixel 2 also features Google Lens, which allows you to search using images. Simply point the phone at an object and the Google Assistant will identify the thing, person, or place that it is and bring up relevant information that might include a Wikipedia entry or a map location.Google's machine learning chops mean that the camera is only going to get better with time. Apple has made a name for itself in machine learning too and includes a dedicated processor on the iPhone 8 for such functionality. That leaves Samsung and the S8 which, while a fine photo taking machine, doesn't support as many useful features. It's also worth considering that Google offers unlimited storage of high resolution photos to any Google Pixel owner, which is a nice touch.What about battery life?
The iPhone 8 features a 1821mAh battery, while the iPhone 8 Plus features a 2675mAh battery. Both get you through a full day of mixed use, although the iPhone 8 Plus can stretch to over a day and half. The Galaxy S8 features a 3000mAh battery, while the Galaxy S8+ features a 3500mAh battery. Battery life is similar to the iPhone 8, although the larger S8+ has been known to last as much as two days with light use.The Google Pixel 2 features a 2700mAh battery, while the Google Pixel 2 XL features a 3520mAh battery. Google claims both phones sport "all day battery life," which is likely to hold up under testing. They support fast charge too, which Google claims can net you seven hours use from a mere 15 minute charge.I still don't know what to buy, decide for me
If you're into Android, the Pixel 2 XL is the phone to choose, although at £629 for a 64GB Pixel 2, £729 for 128GB Pixel 2, £799 for a 64GB Pixel 2 XL and a whopping £899 for a 128GB Pixel 2 X, they're not cheap.The Galaxy S8 has come down in price significantly since launch, with a a 64GB sim-free version available online for around £530. A 64GB Galaxy S8+ goes for around £614 sim-free and since both it and the regular S8 support micro SD card memory expansion, there's little need to go for the version with more internal storage.The iPhone 8 costs £699 for a 64GB version, or £849 for a 256GB version. A 64GB iPhone 8 Plus costs £799, while a 256GB version costs £949. That's a lot of money for a phone with a dated design. The iPhone X will cost £999 at launch, which is even more still, but at least you get a more modern design and extra features in exchange.
