Review of Google's Pixel 4 phone after a week of using it as my personal smartphone, including camera test, battery life performance, exclusive Android features and more.

From dodgy face recognition to the fast-draining battery, it's impossible to recommend the Pixel 4 in its current state. Especially as that asking price is way more than rivals such as the OnePlus 7T, which boast similar specs. That said, Google's camera tech is once again stunning, with boosted HDR+ smarts for capturing great-looking photos in all kinds of conditions.

Speed isn't an issue thanks to the Snapdragon 855 chipset, so games like PubG Mobile play at the Extreme frame rate settings without issue. Unfortunately, the Pixel 4 is absolutely atrocious when it comes to battery life. A full charge will often be drained before bedtime, and if you test it with media streaming and gaming, Google's 2019 flagship will die well before that.

Stay tuned for my full review of the XL model but for now I have to say, hold back on buying the Pixel 4. Maybe check out the 3a instead, which is a lot cheaper and still packs some smart camera tech.