Let's start with the hardware.
For the Pixel 2 in particular, not much is different from last year's model, design-wise. The Pixel 2, like the original Pixel, has a 5-inch, AMOLED display, rear fingerprint scanner, squared-off edges, and a single camera lens. While it comes in a new shade of light blue, the Pixel 2 is about as nondescript as a smartphone can get.
That may sound like a put-down, but the fact that Google played it straight with the Pixel 2 is one of the things I like best about it. In an age when the borders around screens are shrinking to the infinitesimal, screens seem to go on forever, and everything is made out of glass, Google opted to stick with what worked in the past.
Now, that's not the most forward-thinking approach, and the Pixel 2 won't win any awards for creativity or futuristic design. But most people don't need or likely even want a $1,000 glass phone. They need a sturdy, reliable phone that can withstand being tossed in a bag, dropped on the ground, or doused in water. That's the Pixel 2.
The phone is fairly lightweight at 5 ounces, but it feels durable, even with its high-end OLED screen. It has a different feel in the hand than the first-generation Pixel, thanks to a textured, grippy coating on its back. And the Pixel 2 meets the IP67 water resistance standard, which means it can withstand being submerged in about three feet of water for 30 minutes.
It also has sensational battery life. In my tests, the phone lasted nearly two days on a single charge.
Of course, playing videos or using the camera will drain the Pixel's battery, just like on any other smartphone.