Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
October 2017: Google announced the Pixel 2 XL, and I had a challenging time trying to order the phone’s panda version to be shipped to Lebanon. After facing issues with my Lebanese credit card on the Google Store, I opted for the black version from Amazon due to the panda one being out of stock. I had it shipped to my US forwarding address, paid local US taxes, and then additional shipping and import fees to get it to Lebanon and connected to my local network.
Despite the extra cost of about $300 and the lengthy process, I felt it was worth it. The Pixel 2 XL proved to be the best Android phone I had used in years with an exceptional camera, making me overlook any display or design flaws it may have had.