Ahead of the Google Pixel 3 devices launch next month, Google has slashed the price of Pixel 2 XL in India to Rs 45,499. Notably, the price cut has been received by the 64GB variant of Pixel 2 XL, according to Mumbai-based retailer Mahesh Telecom. To recall, the Pixel 2 XL 64GB variant was launched in India at a price of Rs 71,000, so with the phone has received a price cut of close to 40%, something we haven't seen with any of the smartphones in recent times. Mahesh Telecom posted on Twitter regarding the Pixel 2 XL's price cut and not about the Pixel 2, but most likely, the smaller Pixel will also receive a price drop in the next few days. As of this writing, Flipkart is selling the Pixel 2 XL at its original price, but again, the new price could be effective in the next few hours. After the price cut, the Pixel 2 XL is one of the best smartphones to purchase under Rs 50,000.
Should You Buy the Pixel 2 XL in 2018?
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL shined in 2017 because of the camera performance. According to various reviews on the web, the newly launched iPhone XS and XS Max were not able to match Pixel 2 devices in terms of camera performance, which explains the entire scenario. The only smartphone which managed to match Pixel 2 in terms of camera performance was the Huawei P20 Pro, which is available at a price of Rs 64,999. So clearly, the Pixel 2 XL is a de-facto option for users looking for a camera-centric smartphone under Rs 50,000. There are other options such as the OnePlus 6, LG G7 ThinQ, but none of them matched the superior camera performance offered by the Pixel 2 XL.
Besides that, the Pixel 2 XL is a decent buy at Rs 45,499. It runs on Android 9 Pie, which made the device better than what Android 8.1 Oreo used to offer. Furthermore, the phone has last year's Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB of RAM which could be the only disappointments are OnePlus 6 offers 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage at Rs 43,999, lower than the Pixel 2 XL after the price cut.
Despite Sporting a Year-Old Hardware, the Pixel 2 XL Has a Lot to Offer
The Snapdragon 835 SoC was 2017's flagship processor and this year, we've seen Snapdragon 845 SoC smartphones such as the OnePlus 6, Poco F1, LG G7 ThinQ and Asus Zenfone 5Z. Even the upcoming OnePlus 6T will have the same chipset. As mentioned, the Android 9 Pie update made the Pixel 2 XL better than what it used to offer in the past with Android 8.1 Oreo. And Google confirmed that the Pixel 2 devices would receive three iterative updates- so Android Q and Android R is guaranteed as well.
The Pixel 2 XL' screen disappointed many including me. It's a hardware issue and doesn't match the Full HD+ screen we get on the OnePlus 6. Other highlights of the Pixel 2 XL include IP67 water and dust resistant rating, all-day battery life- thanks to Android 9 Pie update and stock Android experience. All these features make up the device an excellent buy at Rs 45,499.
That being said and done, if you're looking for a stock Android smartphone with exceptional cameras, then your choice should be the Pixel 2 XL. If you want a smartphone with the latest processor and passable cameras, then go for the OnePlus 6 or LG G7 ThinQ smartphones. And yes, Google is indicating that Pixel 3 will also be priced on the steeper side.
