It's going back. So sad...

[Ayrow]

After four days, I'm returning my Pixel 2 XL.
It is a wonderful phone in every respect........except for one.
I just couldn't get past the screen. I had a positive attitude and hopes beyond hopes.
I tried. I really did.
No burn-in issues - that wasn't the problem (yet).

It's the blue. Blue everywhere. At an angle, off center, or looking at photographs - everything just had this blue tinge to it that I couldn't deal with. The grainyness and color fringing in the text was there, too. Not cool.

I love and trust Google and have been a diehard Android fan from the beginning, but I paid over a $1000 for this and I refuse to swallow that expensive pill, knowing these annoyances are there.
Why Google? WHY??...

I'm sure Google might send out a patch to deal with some of this, but in the meantime, I'm going back to my Nexus 6.
It's really a shame. The software experience on this phone is amazing. And the camera...oh, that camera. Simply stunning.

Well, at least I get my headphone jack back....

 

[Guyinlaca]

Maybe try a replacement. I've seen some side by side where one was blue at every turn, and another was only blue at extreme angles. Most OLED screens have this problem to some degree, though Samsung has done a great job of minimizing the effect.

The Pixel 2 XL is by far the smoothest Android phone out there and I hope they deal with the quality control issues.

 

[Ayrow]

Maybe try a replacement. I've seen some side by side where one was blue at every turn, and another was only blue at extreme angles. Most OLED screens have this problem to some degree, though Samsung has done a great job of minimizing the effect.

The Pixel 2 XL is by far the smoothest Android phone out there and I hope they deal with the quality control issues.

I agree. It was a wonderful Android experience. Smoothest phone I've ever used.
I'm just not in the mood to play "order, return, order return, repeat.." with a $1000 device.
If this were a $400 phone, I might have some patience for that.

I was also having some bluetooth issues, but that could have been the device I was connecting to (car).

All in all, if you can tolerate the screen, it's an amazing phone

 

[jrg67]

I just boxed mine up today to return for a refund as well. I decided that I didn't want to go the RMA process at this stage. It's still too early for Google/LG to tighten up manufacturing quality and it's not worth it for me to pay $912 to maybe get a decent one. I want to see how it is in a few months or possible for holiday sales and re-buy it then but until then.. back to my 6P with its rapidly degrading battery. I should note that I returned mine for multiple reasons including the top selling point of this phone, the camera. I could not get a good pic out of that phone for the life of me and I don't know why. Also, charging was not fast at all. So couple those things with the screen issues (for me it was extreme blue tint, graininess, black smear, and overall terrible white balance/contrast tuning to the point where it was actually uncomfortable to look at the screen without night light on) and it was unfortunately the decision that had to be made. I REALLY liked everything else about the phone and know that the charging and camera must have been a true defect as a factory reset didn't resolve it. So if the screen was up to par for a $900-$1000, I'd have just RMA'd it. So sad.. I really hope Google and LG get their sh*t together on the manufacturing side to fix all the little crap with it and the major glaring issue being the screen. Either tighten up ship with the current OLED display or switch to a samsung panel for better/more consistent manufacturing. I have got to believe someone or many people are getting fired over this fiasco.

 

[flex360]

bye bro

 

[galaxys]

Another one bites the dust... bummer!

 

[travblue]

I just boxed mine up today to return for a refund as well. I decided that I didn't want to go the RMA process at this stage. It's still too early for Google/LG to tighten up manufacturing quality and it's not worth it for me to pay $912 to maybe get a decent one. I want to see how it is in a few months or possible for holiday sales and re-buy it then but until then.. back to my 6P with its rapidly degrading battery. I should note that I returned mine for multiple reasons including the top selling point of this phone, the camera. I could not get a good pic out of that phone for the life of me and I don't know why. Also, charging was not fast at all. So couple those things with the screen issues (for me it was extreme blue tint, graininess, black smear, and overall terrible white balance/contrast tuning to the point where it was actually uncomfortable to look at the screen without night light on) and it was unfortunately the decision that had to be made. I REALLY liked everything else about the phone and know that the charging and camera must have been a true defect as a factory reset didn't resolve it. So if the screen was up to par for a $900-$1000, I'd have just RMA'd it. So sad.. I really hope Google and LG get their sh*t together on the manufacturing side to fix all the little crap with it and the major glaring issue being the screen. Either tighten up ship with the current OLED display or switch to a samsung panel for better/more consistent manufacturing. I have got to believe someone or many people are getting fired over this fiasco.

Interesting

 

[dethknite]

Not to talk you back into Pixel 2, but there is the fact that the OLED display is designed to display wide gamut colors and is limited in most apps to simply RGB leaving a dull palette and such.... however, Google has said they will release a fix (Saturated Colors) soon..
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-pixel-2-xl-warranty-color-mode/

Then there is this as well:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/77gm3r/android_oreo_color_gamuts_and_pixel_2_explained/

 

[jrg67]

Interesting

Vague.

 

[Ayrow]

Not to talk you back into Pixel 2, but there is the fact that the OLED display is designed to display wide gamut colors and is limited in most apps to simply RGB leaving a dull palette and such.... however, Google has said they will release a fix (Saturated Colors) soon..
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-pixel-2-xl-warranty-color-mode/

Then there is this as well:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/77gm3r/android_oreo_color_gamuts_and_pixel_2_explained/

Yes, I am very aware of that.
My argument is, for spending a $1000+, I shouldn't have to wait.......... for something like that to correct itself.
This is a competitive market and Google should know better.
Forgetting the lousy color gamut, overall the screen is just not up to par for a device of this caliber.
I don't expect this phone to be absolutely perfect, but this screen is just not in the same class as the rest of the phone.

As I've mentioned, the phone, the build, and the software experience is top-notch. It is such a shame that Google dropped the ball on the screen - y'know,.....the most-important part of the phone.
Perhaps in six months I'll try again. But I refuse to spend this kind of money for a product that is obviously not ready for prime-time.

 

[jrg67]

bye bro

Truly hope to be back soon.

After I posted that, I read a few more posts regarding people returning their 2XLs and the responses literally surprised me. There is so much hate towards people expressing their decision to return it over obvious manufacturing issues and not wanting to deal with the RMA process. It's almost like people are personally offended like they were hand assembling the phones themselves and simply cannot understand there being defective devices out there. Not saying you are being that way by saying "bye bro" bc that is way less harsh than I read earlier but damn. This has become sort of comical that the people who are keeping their phones are defending them so vehemently and not believing others who's phones were defective. It's like basically saying we are whining about non issue mythical problems.

 

[Ayrow]

Truly hope to be back soon.

After I posted that, I read a few more posts regarding people returning their 2XLs and the responses literally surprised me. There is so much hate towards people expressing their decision to return it over obvious manufacturing issues and not wanting to deal with the RMA process. It's almost like people are personally offended like they were hand assembling the phones themselves and simply cannot understand there being defective devices out there. Not saying you are being that way by saying "bye bro" bc that is way less harsh than I read earlier but damn. This has become sort of comical that the people who are keeping their phones are defending them so vehemently and not believing others who's phones were defective. It's like basically saying we are whining about non issue mythical problems.

Yup. People like that in every forum on the internet.

 

[travblue]

Vague.

I haven't received my Pixel 2 XL yet so I'm just taking notes..... Let me know if that's still too vague for you

 

[lensgrabber]

People that RMA their phone for either a replacement or for a return, do you have to pay for shipping or does Google give you prepaid shipping?

 

[cwalker0906]

Got my replacement today, I also sent back because of blue. Well my new one is night and day difference. I will post pics when my wife gets home. Can easily see the difference.

 

[SquallLHeart]

i'm doing an RMA myself.. but for other reasons.. but before i divulge too much off the original topic... why is there so much variance between displays?!?! some phones start turning blue at a fairly shallow angle.. and some more at sharp angles.. that's ridiculous how varied it can be. the off-axis shift is certainly worse on my personal one vs the one i looked at before (started 20 degrees instead of 40)

and even though off-axis shift isn't really bothersome to me as much.... the GPS lock was unstable.. great when it works... really bad when not. it feels like when i first had my LG built N5.... GPS problems all over again..
GPS location shooting me over a mile away from where i am? unacceptable!!

a display issue i also did notice was how the display dealt with dark colors and blacks... with significant clipping (aka "black crush").. as well as the lag that causes the "black smear".. it is certainly below average.
with after having troubles with GPS location.. i was done.. support was contacted.. and after troubleshooting with them through various steps... they are going to send a replacement.

now, i am still invested in getting the Pixel 2 XL.. display issues or not... but GPS needs to work and that camera is another reason why i'm still going to give it another go. even looking up my manufacturing date (Oct 19th?!).. i felt it was probably not part of any early batches that might've had worse problems... but goodness... i dunno what they're gonna do... send me a refurb? even newer built? i'll see in a few days..

---------- Post added at 03:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 PM ----------

People that RMA their phone for either a replacement or for a return, do you have to pay for shipping or does Google give you prepaid shipping?

They pay.. Google support emails you the shipping label and paperwork for your package.

 

[ggreenwood334]

more power to you. if you can wait until it goes on sale to buy it again and the kinks are worked out. that's awesome. i on the other hand couldn't wait. but i'm in the third batch. shipping "today" "no movement" lol. so we will see what they have done.

 

[superkev72]

My personal phone is a Pixel 2 XL and work phone is a Samsung S8+ funny thing is off angle they BOTH have a blue tint to them. No doubt it is more pronounced on my pixel 2 xl but it's not detectable looking at either phone and about 5 degree rotation left or right. Using both phone's I never see the tint 99%+ of the time. I guess it's being reported there is a random element in the degree of blue you get when at an angle but really mine isn't that much worse than my S8+ to a point where its not something that even occurs to me unless I am perusing a forum like this etc..

 

[royshero]

My pixel XL is going right back... In my pocket because it's ****ing dope

 

[Ayrow]

i'm doing an RMA myself.. but for other reasons.. but before i divulge too much off the original topic... why is there so much variance between displays?!?! some phones start turning blue at a fairly shallow angle.. and some more at sharp angles.. that's ridiculous how varied it can be. the off-axis shift is certainly worse on my personal one vs the one i looked at before (started 20 degrees instead of 40)

and even though off-axis shift isn't really bothersome to me as much.... the GPS lock was unstable.. great when it works... really bad when not. it feels like when i first had my LG built N5.... GPS problems all over again..
GPS location shooting me over a mile away from where i am? unacceptable!!

Can't speak to the GPS issues. I had some Bluetooth issues, but like I said, it may not have been the phone.
As far as the display - it wasn't "bad" per se - I've seen worse. My complaint was it isn't good enough - especially on a $1000 device.
To reinforce my point, if you put my Pixel 2 XL side-by-side against my 3-year old+ Nexus 6, the difference is mind-blowing. Motorola hit it out of the ballpark with this display. That was what really did it for me.

And for the record, my Nexus 6 also has an OLED screen. Still no burn-in that I can see and that sucker is on, all the time.