The phone is UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE. Pixel with eyes closed now. Coming from Xiaomi, the difference between the two is day and night. I won't even talk about the specs numbers (how many GHz processor, how many MP camera, etc.) because they don't matter anymore. What matters is how well the software works with the hardware, and Google is going against Apple in this.
TLDR:
Positives: Everything
Stand out from other models: Camera, Software, AI features
Negatives: Charging speed, lack of official support in Greece, heats up very easily in the summer
Competition: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (over a thousand), iPhone 13 Pro (much over a thousand)
Before I write anything, I just want to warn that because Greece is not an "official" country that supports the Pixel, there are some basic losses like Wifi calling, VoLTE, also I don't know what's going on with the warranty. There are also some optional goodies missing like Call screening, Hold for me, etc. For me, none of these were dealbreakers and the phone is already fantastic without them.
First of all, it is made of premium materials and it shows. It is clear visually that it is a flagship. However, you must definitely get a case for 2 reasons. Firstly, because it is made of glass, which means it collects fingerprints and slips incredibly. Secondly, because the camera bar is very susceptible to scratches. There is no space for an SD card, a second SIM, or a headphone jack. Unfortunately, this is the norm, but there are solutions (extra space in the cloud, the phone supports eSIM, and there are wireless headphones). Its speakers are very satisfactory with a very clear stereo sound. It has NFC, of course, but something I miss coming from Xiaomi is the IR Blaster. The fingerprint is on the screen and optical, I have no complaints but no compliments either. There is also the option of face unlock for greater convenience (but not so reliable since it only uses the front camera). The screen has a very good resolution and the phone is very comfortable to hold for its size. It helps that they have placed the power button above the volume buttons instead of below. It is easier to hold with one hand that way.
As for the features: We have the second-generation Tensor processor, which doesn't seem to reach the most powerful Snapdragons or Apple's in tests, but practically in everyday use the phone flies. It overheats a bit at first because it learns AI and all the summer months. Quite challenging. However, it almost never lags, all apps open and close lightning fast, and heavier tasks like gaming are fine. I haven't tried heavy games, of course, and I don't intend to. The software is generally minimalist, stock android, without too much. However, no matter how much I write, they cannot capture how wonderful an experience it is, because where Tensor stands out is of course in AI. From processing photos, videos, to learning when you charge it and which apps you use throughout the day to optimize battery usage, this phone teaches you, and I love it more and more over time. And it's these little things, like being able to say "Silence" to an alarm and stop it. A bunch of things like that! Of course, I must emphasize that half or more of the goodies promised by Google are not available in our country. I hope in the future they will recognize us as an official country so that features like call screening will come here as well. 5G and VoLTE are now officially supported so there is no need to root to enable them. Wifi calling remains, and it requires a process but can be done, even without root. The battery easily lasts over a day with normal use, and a little less than a day with heavy use. Charging is slow, and that is a complaint I have about the phone in general. As if slow charging wasn't enough, it requires a PD3.0 PPS charger to reach maximum wattage.
Separately, I want to mention the camera because at this moment there is no phone on the market that takes better photos (with the main camera) than the Pixel. What your eye sees is what it captures, and the best part is that you don't need to adjust anything to take a good photo. Just point and shoot. There are some settings for those who are interested, and the phone can shoot in RAW, but in 90% of cases, the best shot is automatic. There is also an ultrawide lens that is very good but not spectacular, and a telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom that is spectacular. Especially thanks to the image processing algorithm, you can take photos with 30x zoom and they come out very clear. Video is also excellent, although it has not yet reached the level of the iPhone, it can go up to 4K60 on all cameras (I have it at 4K30 for 10-bit HDR). The front camera takes very good shots in adequate lighting, but admittedly struggles in less light. There are also some tricks thanks to Tensor like long exposure which is very interesting.
In summary: The phone is worth the money and more. It is recommended especially for those who want a) a flagship experience and do not want to spend a fortune b) a simple minimalist stock Android with frequent updates c) a phone that takes extraordinary photos without much effort d) all of the above. However, as I mentioned before, it is not "officially" supported in Greece and you miss out on some basic and many extra goodies, it's a bit like getting a Ferrari and driving it on the dirt road of your village. Still, it's worth it.
Update 21/6/23
The phone overheats quite a bit in the summer, so be aware.
Update 14/12/23
With the latest update, we officially have 5G in Greece. Next up, Wifi calling