Google Pixel 4: Travel Review

Whether it be a honeymoon to the Bahamas or your world-tour, technology has evolved from simply an utility to a travel companion. On my recent trip to Toronto, I brought my new Google Pixel 4 with me in the hopes of answering one simple question: Can it stack up to my extreme needs?

“My Needs”

Before throwing a thousand words at you about what the Google Pixel 4 does well and what it lacks, I think it’s important to define what “my needs” are - especially since in a world so vast, everyone’s will be well different. As an university student travelling across Canada to Toronto, my needs were as follows:

My phone needs to last a full day of use

My phone needs to have good WiFi and Data connectivity no matter where I am

My phone needs to take photos good enough to serve as polished memories.

It may sound like a simple list, but I can assure you that not all phones I’ve had in the past fit all three of these criteria, and some - didn’t fit any. Take my iPhone SE for example, not only did that phone had to be charged after thirty minutes of Google Maps usage, but it struggled to maintain WiFi even at home, let alone in the go. And its cameras, for the lack of a better word, simply reeked.

A Companion During the day - and night

As I mentioned in my early impressions, the Google Pixel 4 had an average battery that somehow lasted an entire day of normal use. During a trip however, my usage can range from a full day of video streaming as I wait for my plane to departure, to about an hour of Google Maps as I struggled to find my way around downtown Toronto. In both cases, the Google Pixel 4 faired better than expected.

In a full day of streaming, which happened to be the day I arrived in Toronto, I got to my airbnb after hours of music and video streaming with about 5% of juice left to spare. Whilst this may not be as impressive as some other phones in the market, it got me through the boredom of a two hour bus ride to my local airport, a tedious four hour flight, and a thirty minute Uber ride.

When the day was less crowded however, the Google Pixel 4 really shined, lasting me two days of full usage with one hour of Google Maps each day and the annoying, but most needed, alarm every morning. Though it passes my tests, I still question the phone’s ability to be used as a map and an entertainment tool, so for those types of travellers, I would seriously recommend a battery pack in the event your tech companion decides its time to go home.

Connected Everywhere

My experience with WiFi and data reception was also very positive. Not only was I always able to get good WiFi strength no matter where I was, but I also received stronger data signals than reported with my iPhone SE. This was surprising, as I was under the impression that I would lose LTE connection as soon as I left Calgary’s downtown core, but the Google Pixel 4 kept me connected the entire way.

As Toronto is a bigger city, my experience only improved once I arrived to my destination, with WiFi hotspots located essentially everywhere. This, paired with Google’s smart AI capabilities that warned me of an unsafe network kept me navigating danger free through the streets of Toronto. With this said, the Google Pixel is very much a phone designed for the North American markets, and I am curious to test out the device further when I return to Asia over the winter break.

A Camera Paired with a Phone

Google’s AI and the Pixel’s 4 lenses result in a picture of my girlfriend that brings me joy every time I look at it

At night the Pixel 4 still captures a fair bit of detail

This average picture of a delicious plate of chicken makes me wonder what Google’s AI is up

A fantastic view from the balcony of my Airbnb

As every Google Pixel reviews, the camera is always the device’s most raved about feature, and with the Google Pixel 4 - this is no different. Throughout my week in Toronto, I shot most photos as I would normally to really get a feel for how the average consumer would experience their trip through Google’s dual cameras.

My findings were that camera quality ranged from insanely mind blowing to average, with others around me noticing the varying quality just as much. At times photos of my girlfriend or buildings were simply stunning, with multiple people asking me if I had brought a DSLR alongside me.

At other times however, photos were a bit dull, lacking the detail and finesse necessary to make a photo truly bring a memory to life. It was during these moments that I was left scratching my head the hardest: How was it that Google’s AI was so powerful in making portrait and landscape shots so magnificent, but failed so miserably at making food pictures deserving of an awe. Whilst the answer is beyond me, I can only hope that Google may eventually update its camera software, making it work similarly to Huawei’s or Xiaomi’s whenever it recognises a juicy piece of chicken posing for the camera.

Overall however, the Google Pixel 4 was a joy to use as a camera, as it not only made me extremely excited to experience the end result of every shot, but made me hopeful that future smartphones can truly make every photo awe worthy.

Conclusion

After returning home and reliving life from the comfort of my couch, I am glad I chose the Google Pixel 4 as my travel companion this time around. Not only was it a dependable device for the tasks in which I needed it to achieve, but it brought me a certain joy in using all its levels of technology as diverse tools throughout my stay.

Is it the best travel phone though? This is a question that unfortunately has no answer, as my needs may very well be different from someone else’s. In fact, as I mentioned previously, if you see yourself using your phone intensely during your trip, then perhaps the Pixel 4 is not the phone for you - but for my needs, it’s more than perfect.