Cool Pixel 2 pixels: Three Years Later

The pic is definitely not great but hey - I couldn't take it with my Pixel 2! To see some of my Pixel 2 photos, see this link

Tons of photos and three years later - my initial review from 2018 here - my Pixel 2 is still doing really well and I do intend to keep using the '2', even though there are now some issues that do worry me a bit.

During these three years, the Pixel 2 has been in steady daily use and I have also carried it in the front pocket of my kayaking PFD vest on many paddling tours. Close contact with water spray and waves has been frequent and, so far, I haven't had any problems. There is one thing to be aware of, however: when the (USB-C) charging port gets wet, you can't charge the phone - any phone! - until the port is completely dry. These days I always use a tiny piece of Gorilla tape to keep the charging port out of the harm's way and it works just fine.

One of the main advantages with Pixel phones is that you get software updates immediately when Google releases them; this applies both to security patches and Android updates. Unfortunately, after these three years, the Pixel 2 will not get any additional updates in the future and that's a bummer for sure, considering that my phone is still in (close to) top shape. The software updates have been really great; one of my main gripes early on, the auto screen brightness trouble, got fixed quickly and after that it's been perfect.

Pixel 2 was the first showcase phone for amazing computational photography - especially in low light situations. There was also a great bonus: I have been able to automagically upload all my photos and videos to GooglePhotos in full original quality. Soon, this will come to an end but unlimited 'high quality' - which will be the deal for me, as a Pixel 2 owner, later on - is pretty good as well. 

Perhaps the only thing that really worries me now is the battery. Today, I still get decent battery life during summer months but when the temperature drops way below freezing - which is normal for the Nordic winter - the battery just quits when I take the phone out of my down jacket pocket. Replacing the battery can be done, by pro service providers, but it's pricey and I doubt that the water resistance afterwards will be anywhere as good as it's been from the beginning.

I sure like my Pixel 2 and one of the big(!) gripes I have with most new phones - including Pixel phones - is the (huge) size. I do not want a bigger phone! Actually, I don't want a new one at all; my Pixel 2 still does everything I need perfectly well. If only I could fix that battery... 

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