SpecEagle
SpecEagle review · Google

Pixel (1st gen, 2016) review: 2016 first Google-branded phone.

SpecEagle Editorial·Oct 2016·$649
Overall
86/100
Class rank
#2 of 9
Tier
Flagship
Buy?
Yes
The verdict, up front

Google Pixel (2016).

Google's 2016 first Pixel set the camera benchmark with DxO 89 + unlimited Photos — launched the Pixel line.

01Display

86/100

86/100 puts it above the 80-point average for flagship phones of 2016.

TypeAMOLED
Size5.0"
Resolution1080 x 1920

02Performance

86/100

At 86/100 this is one of the strongest performance showings among flagship phones of 2016 — 16 points above the cohort average.

ChipsetSnapdragon 821
CPU2.15 GHz quad Kryo
RAM4 GB

03Camera

90/100

At 90/100 this is one of the strongest camera showings among flagship phones of 2016 — 10 points above the cohort average.

Main12.3 MP f/2.0 DxO 89
Front8 MP

04Battery

78/100

At 78/100 this is one of the strongest battery showings among flagship phones of 2016 — 8 points above the cohort average.

Capacity2,770 mAh
Charging18 W USB-C PD

05Software

92/100

92/100 — right at the average for flagship phones of 2016.

What works
  • DxO 89 best phone cam of 2016.
  • First Google-branded phone.
  • Unlimited original-quality photo storage.
  • Stock Android first-day updates.
What doesn't
  • No IP rating.
  • Only 3 years of OS updates.
  • No wireless charging.
  • Two-tone glass back polarising.

How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 9-phone cohort of flagship devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .