SpecEagle
SpecEagle review · Google

Pixel 2 (2017) review: 2017 portrait mode camera king.

SpecEagle Editorial·Oct 2017·$649
Overall
88/100
Class rank
#1 of 9
Tier
Flagship
Buy?
Yes
The verdict, up front

Google Pixel 2 (2017).

Google's 2017 Pixel 2 hit DxO 98 with single-lens AI portrait mode + IP67 — set the AI computational photography era.

01Display

86/100

At 86/100 this is one of the strongest display showings among flagship phones of 2017 — 7 points above the cohort average.

TypeAMOLED
Size5.0"
Resolution1080 x 1920

02Performance

88/100

At 88/100 this is one of the strongest performance showings among flagship phones of 2017 — 17 points above the cohort average.

ChipsetSnapdragon 835
CPU2.35 GHz octa Kryo 280
RAM4 GB

03Camera

92/100

At 92/100 this is one of the strongest camera showings among flagship phones of 2017 — 8 points above the cohort average.

Main12.2 MP f/1.8 OIS DxO 98
Front8 MP

04Battery

78/100

At 78/100 this is one of the strongest battery showings among flagship phones of 2017 — 10 points above the cohort average.

Capacity2,700 mAh
Charging18 W USB-C PD

05Software

94/100

94/100 — right at the average for flagship phones of 2017.

What works
  • DxO 98 single-lens AI portrait mode.
  • IP67 water resistance.
  • Active Edge squeeze for Assistant.
  • Stock Android Oreo.
What doesn't
  • No 3.5 mm jack (controversial).
  • 2,700 mAh still small.
  • Front-facing speakers awkward bezels.
  • Just 3 years OS updates.

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? .