Mashable | Raymond Wong

Google's Pixel and Pixel XL have everything you could want in a flagship phone but a first-class design that makes you lust.

Pocket-lint | Cam Bunton

The Google Pixel is the best Android experience available right now. For the first time we get to see exactly what Google has in mind for hardware design and features. Google is completely in control, and you can tell. Everything is tight, refined and polished to a degree we've never seen in a Nexus phone.

Eurogamer | Damien McFerran

This is perhaps the best Android phone ever produced, although we're sure that title will be passed on fairly quickly as Google's hardware partners release their 2017 flagships. Even so, they have a solid template to imitate in the Pixel.

Android Authority | Gary Sims

The SoC is the best Qualcomm has to offer today and the benchmarks show that it is the best in its field (in the majority of cases). You also have excellent cellular support with the X12 modem. On top of that you have a good camera, an above average battery, an option for 128GB of internal storage and the latest version of Android.

Ubergizmo | Hubert Nguyen

The Google Pixel truly cements Google's place in the high-end phone market segment... With the Pixel, you can have the best Android OS experience, with no Camera performance trade off - the Industrial design could be better.

news.com.au | Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson

The Pixel might not be the first phone to carry Google's brand but it is clearly the company's most impressive outing to date. Its form is well crafted, its software pushes boundaries, and its subtle touches, like viewing notifications without even touching the screen, are likely to make this a fan favourite.

The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs

First smartphone designed by Google from scratch ticks many boxes, but isn't quite the stellar world beater some might expect - an iPhone beater but not quite an Android king

Recombu | Chris Barraclough

Of course, with that mammoth price tag, the Pixel phone is really aimed at anyone who demands the absolute best when it comes to performance and mobile photography.

phoneArena | Stephen S.

... with the Pixel, Google's really offering shoppers a no-compromise handset that's still small enough to fit comfortably in sub-giant hands.

Trusted Reviews | Max Parker

A stunning camera makes Google's first proper smartphone a contender for best Android phone of 2016.

TechRadar | John McCann

The Google Pixel is an excellent flagship phone that's only let down by mediocre battery life and the still-developing Assistant. If you can stomach the price point, the Pixel is a breath of fresh Google air in a world of Android over-complication.

The Verge | Walt Mossberg

Google has landed itself in the same class as Apple's iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S7 ... Like those formidable competitors, it's comfortable and practical; fast and fluid; takes very good pictures; and is connected to a strong ecosystem.

The Verge | Dieter Bohn

By almost every metric I can think of - speed, power, camera, smart assistant, you name it - it matches or exceeds the best phones available on the market today. And though the design is far from groundbreaking, it's certainly approachable. The whole package is pretty incredible, and if you're not put off by the premium price, you'll be very happy with this premium phone. I prefer the XL, which isn't huge and seems to get notably better battery life.

pocketnow | Jaime Rivera

Google really needs to think twice about this price tag, because it really doesn't give you all the bang for the buck you're investing. Still, if you don't mind the extra cash, and you're looking for a great experience using Android, then it really doesn't get any better than the Google Pixel, at least for now.

CNET UK | Lynn La

If you're wary of Samsung or looking for a worthy iPhone alternative, the Google Pixel is the high-end Android phone to get. Pure Android at its absolute best.

Engadget | Chris Velazco

These aren't just great first attempts at smartphones; these are great smartphones, period, and every other Android device maker out there should be a little worried.

Ars Technica | Ron Amedeo

This is a cohesive, consistent software package instead of being a branding battleground between Google and a third party...The Assistant is fun, fast, and useful...The only 2016 Android phone with fast OS updates... One of the best cameras on a smartphone. The sky-high price feels more like a marketing ploy ("We're just as good as the iPhone!") than a justifiable price point...The single speaker is a big downgrade from the Nexus 6P. Google is charging more and delivering less.

AndroidPit | Pierre Vitre

If you're looking for the best Android experience, Pixel is the way to go.

The Mirror | Jeff Parsons

The first phone from the Google showcases the very best of its Android operating system wrapped up in a well-designed package. The high price is tough to swallow but on the other hand the Pixel is a worthwhile investment and undoubtedly one of the best smartphones 2016 has produced.

Alphr | Vaughn Highfield, Jonathan Bray

It's a brilliant smartphone that entirely justifies it's place at the industry's top table. It has a great screen, good battery life and the best camera around, and it's both pretty darned quick... While I like the Google Pixel phone, I can't quite bring myself to love them.

Android Central | Alex Dobie

The chassis is attractive... The software is fast and mostly good-looking. It's always going to be up-to-date with the latest Android software, and exclusive tricks from a new and highly ambitious AI-focused Google. The battery easily lasts a day, and charges quickly. The camera matches the rival's.

Digital Trends | Julian Chokkattu

We've come to enjoy the design on the back of the smartphone, and more importantly, Android is better than ever on the Pixel. Assistant will also continue to get better and better, and you won't find performance issues on this phone, either. If you're looking for one of the better cameras in the high-end smartphone market, and want the latest and greatest in software, get the Pixel.

Android Headlines | Nick Sutrich

Is this the best phone you can buy right now? In many ways, absolutely, and unless you need something a little more niche like water-resistance or microSD card support, or just a cheaper phone altogether, it's going to be an uphill battle to look elsewhere.

S21

The Pixel is an excellent example of a good phone that's been over-price and over-hype. It is super fast and comes with a good camera and the latest Android release, but its no way remarkable.... its not a stand-out phone by any means

T3 | Spencer Hart

I like this smartphone a lot, the software is great, and the hardware has a certain odd charm to it. The camera is also very good, which we're really pleased about.The biggest downside is that it lacks any sort of water resistance.

Mobile Syrup | Patrick O'Rourke

While the Pixel and Pixel XL might not be the smartphone for everyone anymore, the high-end devices are exactly what the Android ecosystem needs right now. Make no mistake, the Pixel is the Android device you've been waiting for.

Stuff | Robert Leedhman

Not the slam dunk we'd hoped for, but Google's Pixel still delivers some standout features.

IT PRO | Adam Shepherd

Look past the disappointing Google Assistant, and the Pixel is a highly capable premium flagship. It's not quite as good as its main rivals on paper, and it's missing some fan-favourite features, but we're inclined to forgive it thanks to its slick and sophisticated software and world-class camera.

Expert Reviews | Katharine Byrne

A fantastic camera inside the dullest phone there is – Google's Pixel phone is great, but not without its flaws. It's certainly a welcome concession, but even this and the quality of its camera aren't quite enough to persuade me that the Pixel or the Pixel XL are better buys than their main rivals.

Wired UK | Victoria Woollaston

Android fans will have a lot to love about the Pixel and Pixel XL. They bring some nice touches and useful features to good-quality, albeit not great quality, hardware. What the hardware lacks, the software more than makes up for.

Tom's Guide | Deidre Richardson

We think very highly of this phone's sibling, and it sounds like the Pixel is just as solid a choice if you prefer a 5-inch phone. The Pixel's camera is considered one of the most fantastic parts of the experience, with basic Google apps and services, along with a pure Android experience, thrown in. Be prepared to accept a lower resolution and less battery life if you opt for Google's less expensive Pixel, though.

Coolsmartphone | Greg Morris

This phone is not perfect, there are compromises with the Pixel. It is missing the waterproofing that many seem to expect now, average battery life and a high price point. With all that said, I have changed by default response to the question I always get asked. When anyone says to me now "what phone should I get?" the answer is now – get a Pixel.

Gizmodo UK | Michael Nunez

This phone was different enough to catch the eye of my local barber and barista, both of whom asked if it was the "new iPhone". I told them it wasn't. They asked if it was good, and therein lies the big question. Would I recommend this phone to the average person? The short answer is "no".

TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton

The Pixel performs decently well and offers some of the best hardware available. But it's boring. It's not water resistant. It doesn't offer wireless charging. It doesn't have expandable storage. It doesn't offer a hardware feature we haven't seen, like an iris scanner. The software is the highlight here.

Quartz | Mike Murphy

If you want the newest features that Android has to offer before any other phone manufacturer is going to get them, this is the phone for you. For everyone else, while many of the negatives I've laid out are minor issues. The Google Pixel has an excellent camera, but not much else.