I'm torn because I'm a really big fan of the Pixel experience, but this seems like such a major issue and no one from Google seems to be willing to even acknowledge it.
I've got a pixel 6 currently, and I'm put off ever buying android again. The underscreen fingerprint hasn't worked for 6 months since a software update, Bluetooth just stopped working one morning forcing me to factory reset, the giro frequently (and randomly) flips north and south, meaning I've caught the bus the wrong way many a time relying on Google maps.
I was a happy pixel and pixel 2 owner. After a pixel 5, I'm done with the pixel series. It doesn't feel as nice as it used to and overall feels finicky. Unlimited storage to google photos is great though.
Anything after the Pixel 5 doesn't have unlimited Google Photos storage anymore (but perhaps you knew that and that's the reason you're doing with the series).
I don't get how people claim to "never buy Android again" because one component shipped in one series of devices isn't working as well as on devices of the competition.
Android isn't Pixel. Don't like the fingerprint reader (that definitely sucks) in the Pixel 6? Don't buy a Pixel.
Yeah true, and I'm sure a Samsung would have suited me better, but I bought a pixel because of what I thought would be decent android support.
Up to this point I've only ever purchased android, but usually after ~2 years they stop receiving updates and go downhill pretty quick after that. The fact that the iPhone 8 is still supported on ios16 is crazy to me, that was released the same time as my old one plus 5t, which I loved but just slowed to a brick in 2021. That's why I'd go iPhone
Does this one finally have video output over USB (AKA DisplayPort Alternate Mode)?
I know Google don't make a good Samsung DeX equivalent of their own but there are third-party apps which can provide a usable experience, and they remain unusable if Pixels still don't have this feature.
It’s amazing how underwhelming google’s product launch announcements are compared to apple’s. Not even trying to light up a platform holy war here, just saying that if you’re going through so much work as to create new generations of hardware, seems like something more than a press release is a good idea.
Given Google's severe corporate ADHD, who's willing to bet that Google will still be making watches or tablets in 5 years? Why would any third party develop apps for these platforms, given Google's record?
Apple’s announcements are all pre-recorded theatrics now. They are attention grabbing, over the top, and sensationalized to feel special.
Props to Google for actually doing their event live, cutting to the chase, and not scaring people into feeling like they will die if they don’t buy product X or Y
I agree. I'm going to be very sad when my Pixel 4a dies. Perfect size, plus the headphone jack, and flashable to the various ROMS if I need to. My ideal phone/messaging/audio device, and that's really all I want in a phone these days.
I once saw the 3.5mm jack referred to as "retro" by a tech media outlet once. Except I was the kind of person to use it every week before my original Pixel XL died.
It's one of the reasons I got an Xperia. All the other devices I looked at had some combination of no headphone jack, excessively rounded corners, curved screens, or an intrusive camera notch. The Xperia was the only device on the market that appealed to me in comparison, plus it has an SD Card slot so hopefully the flash memory will last longer.
Thinking about it, one could say that Sony is culturally far behind the other flagship brands in failing to keep up with the (what I would consider regressive) trends in smartphone releases. They're one of the few Japanese companies that release their phones overseas. If they'd made a product that was more appealing to the masses with the expectations set by most brands, then I probably wouldn't have cared for it. But given how much of an outlier the Xperia series is, it feels like something stops them from doing so.
Probably on the 7A.
Just like how they did it with the 6A, which was a bad deal because how off the Norma Pixel 6 was on sale.
Other choices with a headphone jacks are unfortunately limited, you have Sony, but their phones are super Expensive, not well supported and availability isn't the best.
Even without ROMs, it has GMS just like every other phone, at least you don't have to deal with any bloatware or tracking from any 3rd party manufacturer.
I've pre-ordered two phones and watches after anticipating this launch for a while.
Now I'm strongly considering cancelling based on the ongoing issue with Pixels failing to connect to emergency services.
This thread has multiple recent examples and the OOP is trying very hard to get the word out, but so far no acknowledgment from Google:
https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/xwjnf2/pixel_6...
I'm torn because I'm a really big fan of the Pixel experience, but this seems like such a major issue and no one from Google seems to be willing to even acknowledge it.
That's absolutely terrifying.
I will have to remember to tell my Pixel-using family members to keep local police and fire phone numbers in their contacts for quick access.
I've got a pixel 6 currently, and I'm put off ever buying android again. The underscreen fingerprint hasn't worked for 6 months since a software update, Bluetooth just stopped working one morning forcing me to factory reset, the giro frequently (and randomly) flips north and south, meaning I've caught the bus the wrong way many a time relying on Google maps.
I guess that's just my buyers beware, yymv :)
I was a happy pixel and pixel 2 owner. After a pixel 5, I'm done with the pixel series. It doesn't feel as nice as it used to and overall feels finicky. Unlimited storage to google photos is great though.
Anything after the Pixel 5 doesn't have unlimited Google Photos storage anymore (but perhaps you knew that and that's the reason you're doing with the series).
I actually didn't know this, and gives me all the more reason to be done
I don't get how people claim to "never buy Android again" because one component shipped in one series of devices isn't working as well as on devices of the competition.
Android isn't Pixel. Don't like the fingerprint reader (that definitely sucks) in the Pixel 6? Don't buy a Pixel.
Yeah true, and I'm sure a Samsung would have suited me better, but I bought a pixel because of what I thought would be decent android support.
Up to this point I've only ever purchased android, but usually after ~2 years they stop receiving updates and go downhill pretty quick after that. The fact that the iPhone 8 is still supported on ios16 is crazy to me, that was released the same time as my old one plus 5t, which I loved but just slowed to a brick in 2021. That's why I'd go iPhone
Does this one finally have video output over USB (AKA DisplayPort Alternate Mode)?
I know Google don't make a good Samsung DeX equivalent of their own but there are third-party apps which can provide a usable experience, and they remain unusable if Pixels still don't have this feature.
Why in the world do Pixel phones not support DP alt mode? It should come for free with the chipset.
Their phones used to support wireless screen mirroring using Miracast, but that stopped after Chromecast was introduced.
It’s amazing how underwhelming google’s product launch announcements are compared to apple’s. Not even trying to light up a platform holy war here, just saying that if you’re going through so much work as to create new generations of hardware, seems like something more than a press release is a good idea.
Mate, there was an entire event for this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q90v9FLXi1E
I'm sure you'd agree that there is a clear excitement gap with their Watch / WearOS and the recent Apple Watch Ultra release.
I assume people are just done with Google branded hardware. It felt like a premium maker in the early Nexus days, but Stadia felt like the last gasp.
This device costs more than Samsung's and Apple's related products, and relies on older internals (https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/the-pixel-watch-is-o...).
How did they review that, look at the number, and justify that internally without some weird politics and a purposeful head-in-the-sand attitude?
Pixels have:
- the best camera for photos
- the best Android experience on the market
- no Samsung/Xiaomi bloatwate
- 5 years of software support
- great AI features
And many other things. Also specs haven't mattered for a long time now.
The only thing that android needs to improve in performance is Web browser JS performance, because its a joke compared to IOS.
Given Google's severe corporate ADHD, who's willing to bet that Google will still be making watches or tablets in 5 years? Why would any third party develop apps for these platforms, given Google's record?
Considering the size and budgets available, that's a stunningly awful and boring video.
edit: realised it's not a "published by Google" video and assume it's been cut down, which makes a lot of the editing oddness make more sense.
Why do product announcements matter? Like I know many people like Apple's traditionally but they're just ads.
Apple’s announcements are all pre-recorded theatrics now. They are attention grabbing, over the top, and sensationalized to feel special.
Props to Google for actually doing their event live, cutting to the chase, and not scaring people into feeling like they will die if they don’t buy product X or Y
What’s the difference between you and Google dropping your phone? You will only break the glass.
Putting Google AI on your phone is not the sales pitch they think it is.
My most frequent interactions with Google AI are Google Search and YouTube algorithms.
Still wish they would bring back squeeze for assistant. Or at least a dedicated programmable button that works well with the assistant
No 3.5mm jack, no deal.
I agree. I'm going to be very sad when my Pixel 4a dies. Perfect size, plus the headphone jack, and flashable to the various ROMS if I need to. My ideal phone/messaging/audio device, and that's really all I want in a phone these days.
I am afraid it is a lost battle for now.
On the high end only Sony offers a jack on the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5. Everyone else abandoned it.
On the mid end there is still Sony and Chinese manufactures.
Samsung, Apple, Google abandoned it on almost all phones. Even Xiaomi, Oppo/OnePlus and Honor abandoned it on many models.
Maybe in the future the tide will turn and we will once again have it.
I once saw the 3.5mm jack referred to as "retro" by a tech media outlet once. Except I was the kind of person to use it every week before my original Pixel XL died.
It's one of the reasons I got an Xperia. All the other devices I looked at had some combination of no headphone jack, excessively rounded corners, curved screens, or an intrusive camera notch. The Xperia was the only device on the market that appealed to me in comparison, plus it has an SD Card slot so hopefully the flash memory will last longer.
Thinking about it, one could say that Sony is culturally far behind the other flagship brands in failing to keep up with the (what I would consider regressive) trends in smartphone releases. They're one of the few Japanese companies that release their phones overseas. If they'd made a product that was more appealing to the masses with the expectations set by most brands, then I probably wouldn't have cared for it. But given how much of an outlier the Xperia series is, it feels like something stops them from doing so.
Probably on the 7A. Just like how they did it with the 6A, which was a bad deal because how off the Norma Pixel 6 was on sale.
Other choices with a headphone jacks are unfortunately limited, you have Sony, but their phones are super Expensive, not well supported and availability isn't the best.
I’m pretty sure the 6A doesn’t have a headphone jack either. The last in that lineage was the 5A.
Yup, I got that wrong
Zenphone 9 has it I believe.
Plug a $10 adapter into the end of your headphone cable.
Your headphone cable magically gets six inches longer and now plugs into your phone.
Problem solved.
Devices look awesome. Too bad they have to be connected to Google.
Ironically, Pixels are the best phones to de-google, they are the most usable and private phones on the market.
In the case of GrapheneOS, some say it with a Pxi can be the most secure phone on the market.
Checkout:
https://GrapheneOS.org
https://CalyxOS.org
Even without ROMs, it has GMS just like every other phone, at least you don't have to deal with any bloatware or tracking from any 3rd party manufacturer.
And no, Apple isn't that much better either.
They should have continued with the Nexus line.