Hands-on review: Google Pixel

Google Pixel review

This is a flash hands on review to give you the chance to see what the phone is all about as soon as possible. Stay tuned as we'll be expanding and upgrading this review very shortly with more info.

Nexus is dead. Pixel is king. Say hello to the Google Pixel, a handset ushering in a new era of the search giant's smartphone range.

It arrives alongside the larger (and more expensive) Google Pixel XL, as the firm doubles down on devices for another year.

The Pixel takes over from 2015's Nexus 5X as the smaller offering in Google's line up, pitching it against the likes of the Huawei P9, HTC 10 and Samsung Galaxy S7.

Can it live up to the Nexus legacy? If you've owned a Google-brand smartphone in the past you'll appreciate the no-nonsense stock Google interface – and you'll be glad to know it's business as usual on the Pixel when it comes to the Android Nougat operating system.

For those who are new to Google's handsets, things may be less clear. While HTC is the firm that has actually built the device, the search giant has had a big say in what goes into the Pixel, and how it operates.

These handsets are aimed to showcase the best of Google and Android. They pack new features not seen before on the platform (Google Assistant and a best-in-class camera in the Pixel's case), and you'll be first in line for an update when a new version of Android is launched – usually weeks, if not months ahead of the likes of Samsung, LG, Sony and co.

The Google Pixel sports a first for Google's smaller smartphone, a full and glass metal body, along with a 5-inch full HD display, Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB of RAM, 12MP rear camera, fingerprint scanner, 8MP front snapper

On paper at least then, the Google Pixel looks to be a flagship contender – but can it live up to the hype in real life?

This is a flash hands on review to give you the chance to see what the phone is all about as soon as possible. Stay tuned as we'll be expanding and upgrading this review very shortly with more info.