I must be one of those consumer-types that see something everyone is talking about and immediately think I like it too. Despite being perfectly happy with my Samsung Galaxy S7, when the first Google Pixel smartphone appeared in front of me, in the hands of my mother-in-law, my eyes lit up. It had recently been replaced with her Galaxy Note 5, which forced me to wonder if it had burst into flames or dropped into a lake, because why would you need to replace arguably one of the best Galaxy devices (or phablets in general) out there? Whatever the reasoning, I asked to take a look at the almighty Google Pixel, the smartphone that we have seen in commercials, and auto-plays during our website surfing and YouTube watching. Nearly four months have gone by since the device released, and although more current reviews may criticize my view at the time, I thought it was a beauty.

Although technically manufactured by HTC, these are the first ‘Made by Google’ pair of smartphones. The Google Pixel, and the larger Google Pixel XL are two of the best looking devices to ever hit a television screen (or your hands if you have one). As you may be able to tell, advertising works, or it did on me. Before my actual interaction with it, I could see it's exuberance, and it’s intrigue just by watching the commercials; and could only guess how incredibly delicate it must have been crafted to look like that. Other than that, it has been said to perform amazingly well, come with a DSLR-level camera, and a day’s worth of battery. However, the price point is that of the iPhone 7 Plus, which is a good $800 at least, a not-so-good reality when we’re used to many Android-based devices out there being wallet-friendly.

Is the Pixel smartphone good for business? Well, if we’re considering the insane Christmas sales the company bulldozed into the hands of consumers, this refined smartphone continues to be ahead of the pack. But if you start comparing it to the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, things get tricky. See, since the overnight popularity, the Google smartphones have become nearly impossible to acquire, as Google has had continual accusations of inadequate supply and shipping of the models. As the best Android phone to ever meet the market, this has been poor practice on Google’s part. With that, there’s also a huge supply issue with the higher-demand Pixel XL, as the 128GB XL model has not been in stock at Google’s online store since November of 2016! Furthermore, other distributors, such as Verizon Wireless, have made the purchasing process just as difficult for ready-to-spend consumers. The 128GB XL model isn’t set to ship from Verizon until March.

Both the 5.2-inch Pixel and 5.5-inch Pixel XL bear a pretty small chassis, and a pretty much identical thickness to the iPhone 7 Plus. It’s easy to say the Pixel XL could very well be the equal to iPhone 7 Plus. As far as specs, both Pixels bear an AMOLED display- adding extra colors and vibrance in photos. Cameras in both Google devices and Apple device are great, but there’s a bit of an upside happening in the XL’s excellent HDR+ mode and detail. An added bonus is the battery life in the XL’s “Doze” mode, perfect for saving energy, and unique to the brand. Ultimately, the XL lasts longer in one day if one needs to do some power-saving, but for all-day use, the two rivals are pretty much equals.

Speaking of equals, Google basically took all the good things about other Android devices and smacked them all into one lovely Pixel. For a search engine and OS entity, it sure did a good job taking its talent to another level. With a Snapdragon 821 processor, it also has 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 128GB of storage, USB Type-C for charging, and one heck of a camera. If going high-end is the decision you are wanting to make, not a factor, or you just want the very best out there, the Pixel probably has it. Those of us who don’t have over $850 to spend (sources show they have since lowered the price), consider some of the other not just good, but pretty great Android phones out there. These more affordable devices include the OnePlus 3, LG V20, and Moto Z Force Droid Edition, some for up to half that price.