Pixel 5(store.google.com)
store.google.com
Pixel 5
https://store.google.com/product/pixel_5
237 comments
People get bent out of shape when sites hijack their back button, but I dislike when they hijack my scrollbar and make me scroll through animations.
Scrolljacking like this is just never a good idea, why do massive companies keep trying this? I can't imagine it improves their metrics. Go ahead and put your pictures and videos in there but let me read the damn page. It's not immersive, it's annoying.
It looks good in a conference room, and that's what the incentives of the designers optimize for.
You and I aren't the real customers of the artists that built this page, the people paying their consulting fees are.
You and I aren't the real customers of the artists that built this page, the people paying their consulting fees are.
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I never minded animations in scrolljacking. I despise scrolljacking that just changes my scroll mechanics (speed up, slow down, alter acceleration) for no reason.
I suspect that the average person unfortunately responds better to (i.e. is more likely to buy after seeing) such a "fancy" presentation instead of being repulsed by many of us who are extremely used to how certain functions work and expect consistency (and usually just want to see the specs, not a sales pitch).
It's not just about how I expect the web to work, I'm looking at Google's website on Google's phone in Google's web browser and it's _janky_. It's just bad. I as a software developer feel confused and disoriented, how is Grandma supposed to read this?
Plus it slows down my browser to a crawl.
The page is unusable on an iPad (5th gen) due to the scrolling feature. I have a general aversion to products with sales channels failures, since my heuristic is that if you can’t get your sales right then support or product is even worse.
Using that heuristic with the current sales page for the iPad Pro, don't consider upgrading.
This, I dont mind the animation, as long as it is silky smooth, 60Fps with little CPU usage, i.e it wouldn't warm up my iPad or iPhone or my MacBook Air.
I have yet to see any web page scrolling animation that is smooth doesn't cause Jank. And it is very bad experience. I remember the Trash Can Mac Pro website had that website design , and I cant imagine any Pro actually like that. ( And the current AirPod website as well )
These low frame rate animation actually cause me headache and making me throw up.
I have yet to see any web page scrolling animation that is smooth doesn't cause Jank. And it is very bad experience. I remember the Trash Can Mac Pro website had that website design , and I cant imagine any Pro actually like that. ( And the current AirPod website as well )
These low frame rate animation actually cause me headache and making me throw up.
The best part is my fans revving up to max and getting noisy as heck.
It actually detects your scroll speed (on mobile anyway) and skips certain animations if you’re scrolling fast enough. Still feels weird though.
They looked at Apple's product pages, couldn't figure out how they work and why they are made to work like that, and piled all up on their own pages.
On a more general note, I totally agree with you: scroll hijacking is a real issue and very very few people actually take care to implement it correctly. The New Yorker is one of the few who usually get it right in their interactive stories.
On a more general note, I totally agree with you: scroll hijacking is a real issue and very very few people actually take care to implement it correctly. The New Yorker is one of the few who usually get it right in their interactive stories.
Both sucks.
I do like these presentational sites when done well. [0]
So not this one.
[0] https://www.apple.com/ipad-air/
So not this one.
[0] https://www.apple.com/ipad-air/
IMO, they both are just horrible. My Mac fan starts buzzing soon after I open any of them, as a bonus to the shitty UX. But yes, Apple one is done much better.
Huh, I don’t know what’s up with that page, but it works horribly on my recent iPhone. Like, not just that it’s conceptually bad, but the text flickers, images appear for a second and then disappear, and it’s not smooth at all. Maybe it works better on Chrome on a desktop, but you’d think the Apple would get their site to work well on their own devices!
The performance is simply terrible for me. Is there something wrong with my setup (32 core Sandy Bridge, Linux, Firefox), or do companies simply not test this stuff on desktops?
How does their javascript make the back gesture on my Chromebook not work? Not a fan of that.
I tried to browse it and it's barely usable on Firefox on my old computer.
Also you can't basically skim through the page / infos as everything is oversized and all over the place.
Eventually I closed the page without knowing much about the phone (I noticed the lack of jack plug though).
Also you can't basically skim through the page / infos as everything is oversized and all over the place.
Eventually I closed the page without knowing much about the phone (I noticed the lack of jack plug though).
It's especially galling when the first thing you stutter to says "Smooth, fast performance. More RAM lets you move from
task to task, super fast." :)
The effect reminds of a medieval music box, or the manual crankshaft of an antique car. Turn scroll wheel to see more. Really, technology?
Not only that. Scrollbar animations are almost always slow, laggy unless you happen to own top performance computer. It also robs me of knowing where am I in site or even animation frame. Is it over yet? Or do I just need to scroll a bit more to reveal whole intended picture?
Just when the world needed more solipsism, distraction, anxiety, surveillance, and mindless entertainment...
Just links to the front page of the Google Store.
The /us/ URL worked for me outside the US.
https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_5?hl=en-US
https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_5?hl=en-US
Yeah, that one works.
I like that the "Compare" tab shows some dimensions in mm and some in inches. The Pixel 5 has a "151 mm" screen, the Pixel 4a (5G) has a "6.2 in" screen.
I don't see it that way. The phone skeleton shows inches everywhere for me. Display section shows both inches and mm for diagonal.
Disc: Googler.
Disc: Googler.
I see it as both mm and inches too.
https://snipboard.io/DU5lun.jpg
https://snipboard.io/DU5lun.jpg
Headsup, for me (Mainland europe), this instantly redirects to the general google store homepage, which is currently selling the 'nest audio' product above the fold.
To visit, try: https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_5?hl=en-US
If that doesn't work: First open a private browser window, then go to: https://store.google.com/us/?hl=en-US®ionRedirect=true
then in the menu, pick 'Pixel', 'Pixel 5'.
To visit, try: https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_5?hl=en-US
If that doesn't work: First open a private browser window, then go to: https://store.google.com/us/?hl=en-US®ionRedirect=true
then in the menu, pick 'Pixel', 'Pixel 5'.
I think this is "wrong" in terms of UX.
I click on the link, and it should show me all the information of Pixel 5, because that was my intention when clicking on it.
If it is not available in my country, simply show a big banner saying it is not available. Why are they deferring me to somewhere else.
Users: I know I cant get it, but can I at least look at it? Google: Nope you cant. Go Somewhere else.
And this is Google's fourth year into selling Pixel Phone.
I click on the link, and it should show me all the information of Pixel 5, because that was my intention when clicking on it.
If it is not available in my country, simply show a big banner saying it is not available. Why are they deferring me to somewhere else.
Users: I know I cant get it, but can I at least look at it? Google: Nope you cant. Go Somewhere else.
And this is Google's fourth year into selling Pixel Phone.
I had to use tor, and keep making new circuits until it worked.
No headphone jack, thus not even up for consideration.
No headphone jack, thus not even up for consideration.
> No headphone jack, thus not even up for consideration.
Just curious, which flagship smartphone of any manufacturer offers a headphone jack in 2020?
In any case, Pixel 4A 5G has a headphone jack – and comes with the same processor as Pixel 5.
So, it's either water resistance and wireless charging, or a headphone jack nowadays.
Just curious, which flagship smartphone of any manufacturer offers a headphone jack in 2020?
In any case, Pixel 4A 5G has a headphone jack – and comes with the same processor as Pixel 5.
So, it's either water resistance and wireless charging, or a headphone jack nowadays.
>which flagship smartphone of any manufacturer offers a headphone jack in 2020?
There's the builtin assumption that I care about flagships. I don't. I only care about headphone jacks. Thus, my options are limited to devices with headphone jacks.
Regarding flagships, I could get a flagship now, or get a better (than the current flagship) non-flagship phone for much cheaper, by the next generation.
If they hate my money, so be it. I feel no pressure whatsoever to replace my OP3, and once I do, chances are I'm not going to get a flagship, by the look of it.
>In any case, Pixel 4A 5G has a headphone jack – and comes with the same processor as Pixel 5.
Exactly my point.
>it's either water resistance and wireless charging
I don't care about wireless charging. Water resistance, it would of course be nice to have, but I haven't ever accidentally destroyed a device with water before, so it's not like I need the feature, unlike the headphone jack.
Besides latency being a pet peeve of mine, I do play really tight rhythm games on my phone, I have for several years, and this isn't something I'm willing to give up. Both bluetooth and external DAC+Amp devices have higher latency than headphone jacks.
There's the builtin assumption that I care about flagships. I don't. I only care about headphone jacks. Thus, my options are limited to devices with headphone jacks.
Regarding flagships, I could get a flagship now, or get a better (than the current flagship) non-flagship phone for much cheaper, by the next generation.
If they hate my money, so be it. I feel no pressure whatsoever to replace my OP3, and once I do, chances are I'm not going to get a flagship, by the look of it.
>In any case, Pixel 4A 5G has a headphone jack – and comes with the same processor as Pixel 5.
Exactly my point.
>it's either water resistance and wireless charging
I don't care about wireless charging. Water resistance, it would of course be nice to have, but I haven't ever accidentally destroyed a device with water before, so it's not like I need the feature, unlike the headphone jack.
Besides latency being a pet peeve of mine, I do play really tight rhythm games on my phone, I have for several years, and this isn't something I'm willing to give up. Both bluetooth and external DAC+Amp devices have higher latency than headphone jacks.
> There's the builtin assumption that I care about flagships. I don't. I only care about headphone jacks.
No, my point was that your comment about Pixel 5 not having a headphone jack was a bit pointless, because no smartphone manufacturer offers a headphone jack in its flagship device in 2020.
No, my point was that your comment about Pixel 5 not having a headphone jack was a bit pointless, because no smartphone manufacturer offers a headphone jack in its flagship device in 2020.
I don't understand. I don't see how one statement follows from the other.
Please elaborate further.
Please elaborate further.
I mean, everyone could have predicted that Pixel 5 won't have a headphone jack, because its last three predecessors didn't have it, either.
So, if a headphone jack was a requirement of yours, a flagship Pixel device should have never even been in consideration.
So, if a headphone jack was a requirement of yours, a flagship Pixel device should have never even been in consideration.
Thank you for the clarification.
I haven't given up on "sane" -with a headphone jack in them- flagships being released, but as you say it's pretty bad lately.
I haven't given up on "sane" -with a headphone jack in them- flagships being released, but as you say it's pretty bad lately.
Not sure what you mean by Mainland Europe (it's not a single country) but it works for me here in France.
That's because it's available in France. If you try to load it in The Netherlands, it does what they're saying.
> Not sure what you mean by Mainland Europe
Perhaps continental Europe?
Perhaps continental Europe?
Mainland Europe meaning not an an island I assume.
I get a page saying "this service is not available in your country"
The phone seems to be largely what everyone expected, though the ability to change lighting during post processing looks like an interesting feature.
Honestly, the thing that stood out the most on this page was that they were using Quibi to show off the screen. Paid product placement?
Honestly, the thing that stood out the most on this page was that they were using Quibi to show off the screen. Paid product placement?
> stood out the most on this page was that they were using Quibi
Same and definitely paid.
Seems like a dumb move on Google's part to associate with a brand that is largely unknown and on (already) on life support.
Same and definitely paid.
Seems like a dumb move on Google's part to associate with a brand that is largely unknown and on (already) on life support.
For me, the thing that stood out where the 24 footnotes. The rest looked more like a normal smartphone. Wow, it can create a hotspot, but wait: it also supports wireless charging...
I am a bit confused that those features are being promoted in 2020 when my S3 from 2012 also has those abilities. Maybe it's just the promotion, but it doesn't really feel like a phone that I must buy.
I am a bit confused that those features are being promoted in 2020 when my S3 from 2012 also has those abilities. Maybe it's just the promotion, but it doesn't really feel like a phone that I must buy.
I don't think they've done a good job of phrasing it, but the pixel 5 supports "reverse wireless charging", allowing other wireless devices to charge off of it.
Sadly other "wireless" devices, sadly not other phones.
I don't think this is accurate. I clicked through the footnote from the Google store page and found this, https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/10107702?p=wire.... Which includes phones.
So Pixel 5 came after 6P. Google's naming remains confusing.
The pixel series has been very reasonably named.
Pixel 1, Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 5.
You're mixing in Nexus 6P, of the Nexus line, which ended five years ago.
Pixel 1, Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 5.
You're mixing in Nexus 6P, of the Nexus line, which ended five years ago.
The Nexus line was named after the number of inches, not chronologically. Nexus 4 = 4 inches, Nexus 5 = 5 inches, Nexus 6 = 6 inches, Nexus 7 = 7 inches, Nexus 9 = 9 inches.
Newer versions within the same number of inches were dealt with by smacking some arbitrary letters like "X" and "P" and sometimes the year "(2013)" in the case of Nexus 7.
Newer versions within the same number of inches were dealt with by smacking some arbitrary letters like "X" and "P" and sometimes the year "(2013)" in the case of Nexus 7.
An average user doesn't called it Pixel, Nexus, whatever. For them, it is the Google phone. Only geeks care about such nuances.
Pixel 5 came after the Nexus 6p. The iPhone SE 2 also came out after the iPhone 8. :shrug:
Not that this is much better, but there is no iPhone SE 2. It is just the iPhone SE.
So did Pixel 1, 2, 3, and 4. It's a completely different product line/branding from (Nexus) 6P.
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who the hell wrote this copy? The writers of Idiocracy? What's with all the empty naive bombastic language?
'The ultimate', 'super fast', 'hyperspeed', 'Extreme Battery Saver', 'Superfast downloads', 'Ultrasmooth streaming', ' superfast signal', 'ultrawide lens', 'jaw-dropping', 'super-smooth panning'.
They should finish with 'If you don't buy it, fuck you!'
'The ultimate', 'super fast', 'hyperspeed', 'Extreme Battery Saver', 'Superfast downloads', 'Ultrasmooth streaming', ' superfast signal', 'ultrawide lens', 'jaw-dropping', 'super-smooth panning'.
They should finish with 'If you don't buy it, fuck you!'
Viewing the page on the Lynx browser renders the copy as trippy post-modern newspeak poetry:
The ultimate 5G
Google phone.^1
Buy Pixel 5
Smooth, fast performance.
More RAM lets you move from
task to task, super fast.
Sing in the rain.
It can take a splash or spill, no problem.^2
Power up without a plug.
It charges wirelessly, and shares battery life.^3,4
Sorta Sage
Just BlackGosh! You made my day, thank you :D
It even looks a little cynical and critical.
I would like to see Sir Patrick Stewart recite that.
Is "It can take a splash or spill, no problem" a reference to the meme of the Long Island guy petting a bodega cat?
this is beautiful and hilarious
They should just go all-in and bring back the 90's. "Pixel 3000 EXTREME MAX"
You missed the best one: "superhero-level security chip"
And the color names are "Sorta Sage" and "Just Black"....
And the color names are "Sorta Sage" and "Just Black"....
But it's got electrolytes!
>We aren’t in your region yet
Europe, EU member, not even a non-EU country. Oh well see you next year then. Maybe one day.
Edit: a visual guide to Google in 2020 https://i.imgur.com/DiXEYBF.png
Europe, EU member, not even a non-EU country. Oh well see you next year then. Maybe one day.
Edit: a visual guide to Google in 2020 https://i.imgur.com/DiXEYBF.png
Huh, it seems like they have gone with Snapdragon 765 instead of 865. Is the price difference between the processors that high?
Also, I think Google should commit to four year updates now.
Also, I think Google should commit to four year updates now.
765g has a builtin 5g modem, 865 is a 2 chip solution.
865 is faster, costs more, uses more energy, and takes up more board real estate.
If the next gen 8 series qualcomm can integrate the modem, it might be an easier decision. Currently the 765g seems like the overall superior solution, even if somewhat slower.
865 is faster, costs more, uses more energy, and takes up more board real estate.
If the next gen 8 series qualcomm can integrate the modem, it might be an easier decision. Currently the 765g seems like the overall superior solution, even if somewhat slower.
OnePlus 8 have it for the same price (little lower actually)
What is the current state of performance for 5g chipsets, from Qualcomm and more generally? Do early adopters face (comparably) higher energy consumption and poorer performance (bandwidth, signal, channel access) versus 4g and upcoming 5g chips? I've seen reports that battery life impacts are so significant that most users opt to turn 5g functionality off. Is this still the case?
N.B. Pixel 5 has a Qualcomm 765G chipset
N.B. Pixel 5 has a Qualcomm 765G chipset
Any idea if there's just one model? - or are there a US/rest of the world LTE variants like previous pixels?
Pretty interesting (and disappointing to me) that their top of the line phone has a smaller screen than their mid-range.
I wish they'd make a proper 7" phone. Not 7" because it's super elongated (Galaxy S20 Ultra), but like the old Nexus 7, minus all the bezels. Because the Nexus 7 was wider than phones are today, it has like 30% more screen space than a 7" phone.
I wish they'd make a proper 7" phone. Not 7" because it's super elongated (Galaxy S20 Ultra), but like the old Nexus 7, minus all the bezels. Because the Nexus 7 was wider than phones are today, it has like 30% more screen space than a 7" phone.
Is that a fingerprint scanner on the back? My Pixel 4 doesn't have a fingerprint scanner and its a pain in the ass to use the face unlock (especially now because of covid).
To me, it seems like the 4a 5G is the better phone (slightly larger screen, audio jack!!!) and is cheaper by a couple of 100 dollars. Is the wireless charging and water-proof worth the extra 200?
The 5 also has 2GB more RAM, 200mAh more battery life, a 90hz screen with more contrast (1M:1 vs 100K:1 ratio), aluminum vs. plastic body, and Gorilla Glass 6 vs. 3.
It also looks like the 4a 5G has two sub-models for different networks, whereas the 5 has them all in one model. So if you desire more portability between 5G networks, the 5 is a better option there.
That's pretty much all I could see as notable differences. Not saying any of that is worth the price difference, but perhaps it explains it a bit. I am definitely going to wait for the inevitable Black Friday deals they do shortly after release. They discounted $200 in past years, which makes the 5 much more palatable to me.
It also looks like the 4a 5G has two sub-models for different networks, whereas the 5 has them all in one model. So if you desire more portability between 5G networks, the 5 is a better option there.
That's pretty much all I could see as notable differences. Not saying any of that is worth the price difference, but perhaps it explains it a bit. I am definitely going to wait for the inevitable Black Friday deals they do shortly after release. They discounted $200 in past years, which makes the 5 much more palatable to me.
> The 5 also has 2GB more RAM, 200mAh more battery life, a 90hz screen with more contrast (1M:1 vs 100K:1 ratio), aluminum vs. plastic body, and Gorilla Glass 6 vs. 3.
After a while of use, some of those (more RAM/battery/screen/body material) are not tangible changes you notice. But, yeah, am with you on needing separate devices for different networks and that maybe 5a might be the right value-for-money.
After a while of use, some of those (more RAM/battery/screen/body material) are not tangible changes you notice. But, yeah, am with you on needing separate devices for different networks and that maybe 5a might be the right value-for-money.
The A-series of phones has consistently been better than the "full" phones. They have a headphone jack; are usually slightly smaller; are much cheaper; the backs are sometimes made out of better materials (glass is the worst material for a phone back). You'd be a fool not to wait for the 5A's improvements.
No, those features are not worth it. I can't use a phone while it is wireless charging, but I can use it while it is plugged in and charging. That feature is worthless to me. A headphone jack, on the other hand, reduces the number of devices I need to charge, which is very useful.
I don't know if they are "worth" that delta, but I know I'm not buying a phone that lacks those two features.
I will only buy waterproof phones. I use mine as a bicycle and motorcycle GPS.
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The designers of this page must be using iPhones, because my Pixel 4XL stutters and crawls through the scrolljacked animations.
That and the 3 popups makes me wonder, who is this built for??
That and the 3 popups makes me wonder, who is this built for??
From the very initial scroll through things, I'm not impressed.
Now I'm not a habitual phone upgrader, I tend to replace my phone when the old one wears down or breaks. I bought the Pixel 4 after my Pixel 1 died and was fairly unimpressed overall. Their headlining market points for the Pixel 5 just... aren't that interesting.
- 5G: Doesn't really matter to me. 4G is plenty fast for everyday use and I wouldn't try heavy enough streaming off data to even need to increase
- Wireless charging: not new
- Photos in the dark: not new
- Google Assistant: not new... and honestly, kinda crap. I turned off a lot of permissions on my phone and the assistant is virtually useless now. I can't give it commands from the lock screen or do even basic things with it unlocked while driving. At this point I'll probably root and just put a custom ROM on there because nothing google packaged with the phone is all that useful.
The battery is nice, but its also not worth a $800 price tag.
I think Google needs to stop chasing the iPhone and go back to the Nexus style of simple+good+affordable. Even the 4a seems like a stronger value proposition imo.
EDIT: I just noticed that they brought back the fingerpint unlock on the back? Okay, that is a huge plus; the face unlock is a generally shitty feature usability wise. I was kinda upset when I gave up wireless charging for the Pixel 1 but fell in love with the fingerprint unlock on the back. When I went to Pixel 4 and lost the fingerprint in exchange for Wireless charging I kinda felt like I made a poor choice. Now that they finally combined the two I'll give them credit.
Now I'm not a habitual phone upgrader, I tend to replace my phone when the old one wears down or breaks. I bought the Pixel 4 after my Pixel 1 died and was fairly unimpressed overall. Their headlining market points for the Pixel 5 just... aren't that interesting.
- 5G: Doesn't really matter to me. 4G is plenty fast for everyday use and I wouldn't try heavy enough streaming off data to even need to increase
- Wireless charging: not new
- Photos in the dark: not new
- Google Assistant: not new... and honestly, kinda crap. I turned off a lot of permissions on my phone and the assistant is virtually useless now. I can't give it commands from the lock screen or do even basic things with it unlocked while driving. At this point I'll probably root and just put a custom ROM on there because nothing google packaged with the phone is all that useful.
The battery is nice, but its also not worth a $800 price tag.
I think Google needs to stop chasing the iPhone and go back to the Nexus style of simple+good+affordable. Even the 4a seems like a stronger value proposition imo.
EDIT: I just noticed that they brought back the fingerpint unlock on the back? Okay, that is a huge plus; the face unlock is a generally shitty feature usability wise. I was kinda upset when I gave up wireless charging for the Pixel 1 but fell in love with the fingerprint unlock on the back. When I went to Pixel 4 and lost the fingerprint in exchange for Wireless charging I kinda felt like I made a poor choice. Now that they finally combined the two I'll give them credit.
> Google Assistant: not new... and honestly, kinda crap. I turned off a lot of permissions on my phone and the assistant is virtually useless now.
This kind of feels like the complaints that a site is broken then you find out the person commenting has disabled javascript. Of course it's less useful with all the permissions locked down.
Anecdotally I find it really useful, I get people have privacy concerns but given I'm not willing to uproot my email and change all the sign ups I'm using either gmail or direct google login for I'm already pretty exposed to Google. I use it a lot driving since I can just squeeze the bottom sides of the phone to launch it.
As for the fingerprint reader that's weird, they had both on the Pixel 3 (at least the XL version I have), don't know what would have changed to make it not possible on the 4.
This kind of feels like the complaints that a site is broken then you find out the person commenting has disabled javascript. Of course it's less useful with all the permissions locked down.
Anecdotally I find it really useful, I get people have privacy concerns but given I'm not willing to uproot my email and change all the sign ups I'm using either gmail or direct google login for I'm already pretty exposed to Google. I use it a lot driving since I can just squeeze the bottom sides of the phone to launch it.
As for the fingerprint reader that's weird, they had both on the Pixel 3 (at least the XL version I have), don't know what would have changed to make it not possible on the 4.
Yeah, it is a bit nitpicky, but overall I've been totally underwhelmed with Google Assistant. Maybe it was their marketing for how "advanced" of an AI it is (when all they really mean is its voice recognition is pretty strong).
My issues in general which lead me to locking down the permissions, and not really looking back, is that its frustrating to work with. If I'm trying to text hands free in my car it has random delays that have no audio cue to work with. If I'm holding the phone, I can feel its vibrations telling me when its ready... but I'm driving, so handling the phone itself seems like a poor choice.
After that I tried some things like "Ok Google, when I get home remind me to put the trash out"... to which point it launches a calendar app and requires me to manually press things... or mishears me and just tries googling for random shit. Again, not helpful while driving.
I tried playing with it. I had my navigation open while commuting in an unfamiliar corner of the country once and I said: "Ok Google, I need to use the bathroom"... so it google searched constipation cures.
For the record, the permission it wants me to enable is Web & App Activity Tracking... which should not block me from voice texting but here we are.
---
Nitpickiness aside, it just isn't that special anymore is it? I don't see what's so special about a niche, buggy voice prompt that requires me to run apps manually half the time. Its a nice feature to include, but it has never felt like a "selling point" to the phone lines.
My issues in general which lead me to locking down the permissions, and not really looking back, is that its frustrating to work with. If I'm trying to text hands free in my car it has random delays that have no audio cue to work with. If I'm holding the phone, I can feel its vibrations telling me when its ready... but I'm driving, so handling the phone itself seems like a poor choice.
After that I tried some things like "Ok Google, when I get home remind me to put the trash out"... to which point it launches a calendar app and requires me to manually press things... or mishears me and just tries googling for random shit. Again, not helpful while driving.
I tried playing with it. I had my navigation open while commuting in an unfamiliar corner of the country once and I said: "Ok Google, I need to use the bathroom"... so it google searched constipation cures.
For the record, the permission it wants me to enable is Web & App Activity Tracking... which should not block me from voice texting but here we are.
---
Nitpickiness aside, it just isn't that special anymore is it? I don't see what's so special about a niche, buggy voice prompt that requires me to run apps manually half the time. Its a nice feature to include, but it has never felt like a "selling point" to the phone lines.
There's definitely some limitations, but once you know how to phrase queries in a way it understands them GA gets useful. You're not conversing with a person still you have to phrase the question right just like we all learned to do with search engines when they first came out.
For example I don't think reminders has geofencing at all so you're asking for something it just can't do. If you are just asking it to remind you of something at a certain time it will just do it no manual interaction required.
For the bathroom thing there's one leap that makes it tough, Google doesn't know if a place has a public restroom, at least it's not something they surface on Maps if they do, so to answer that it'd have to have had a manual thing added saying gas stations, rest stops, etc. generally have public toilets.
Are you on vibrate with no alert or media volume? Mine plays a little boop boop noise when it's initialized the mic and is ready for me to speak...
For example I don't think reminders has geofencing at all so you're asking for something it just can't do. If you are just asking it to remind you of something at a certain time it will just do it no manual interaction required.
For the bathroom thing there's one leap that makes it tough, Google doesn't know if a place has a public restroom, at least it's not something they surface on Maps if they do, so to answer that it'd have to have had a manual thing added saying gas stations, rest stops, etc. generally have public toilets.
Are you on vibrate with no alert or media volume? Mine plays a little boop boop noise when it's initialized the mic and is ready for me to speak...
RE: Geofencing - GA actually doesn't take in reminders for prompts like "When I get to work" or "When I get home". Give it a try and see if it works better for you
RE: Bathrooms - You hit it mostly on the head. I just wanted to find a gas station, fast food, restaurant, typically anything that would have public washroom access. I had no idea how far until the next town, what services they had, etc.
RE: Voice promtping. I had full bluetooth media volume (I always drive listening to podcasts) but virtually never have notification sounds on.
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I think I do understand why there's limitations. But it gets to the point where if every use-case I have for a voice assistant is "we're just not there yet" then at a certain point that voice assistant is useless.
Microsoft Word had voice typing in like 2003 or some shit. If GA is only really good at doing Google searches or typing my voice in a text it honestly isn't that impressive of a feature to me; its gimmicky and not "flagship feature" imo.
EDIT: Another example. One of the very first things I tried doing with GA on my Pixel 1 was "What are the highway conditions?" as I was preparing for work. The google result I got was for something like Arizona highway conditions... even though I live in Sask. Canada.
RE: Bathrooms - You hit it mostly on the head. I just wanted to find a gas station, fast food, restaurant, typically anything that would have public washroom access. I had no idea how far until the next town, what services they had, etc.
RE: Voice promtping. I had full bluetooth media volume (I always drive listening to podcasts) but virtually never have notification sounds on.
---
I think I do understand why there's limitations. But it gets to the point where if every use-case I have for a voice assistant is "we're just not there yet" then at a certain point that voice assistant is useless.
Microsoft Word had voice typing in like 2003 or some shit. If GA is only really good at doing Google searches or typing my voice in a text it honestly isn't that impressive of a feature to me; its gimmicky and not "flagship feature" imo.
EDIT: Another example. One of the very first things I tried doing with GA on my Pixel 1 was "What are the highway conditions?" as I was preparing for work. The google result I got was for something like Arizona highway conditions... even though I live in Sask. Canada.
I've had an iPhone since Google Assistant really became a "thing," but I use my Google Home all the time to get answers to questions that I'm surprised it's able to parse, like "what was the name of the dog in <movie title>", or "what song has the lyrics <insert lyrics here>". In fact, I'd say that 9 times out of 10 it gives me a pretty decent answer to any question I ask it. Of course, that may be because I'm familiar enough with the limits of technology to know what types of questions not to ask.
As far as reminders and stuff go I'd recommend just trying that sometime when you're not driving just to see what the workflow is like. Sometimes you just have to set something up the first time you use a feature (like picking which calendar you want reminders saved in) and then from that point on it's transparent.
As far as reminders and stuff go I'd recommend just trying that sometime when you're not driving just to see what the workflow is like. Sometimes you just have to set something up the first time you use a feature (like picking which calendar you want reminders saved in) and then from that point on it's transparent.
That's interesting I guess? Having a voice assistant to answer google searches really isn't something I'm interested in. As I discuss this more and more I feel like I'm just not the target customer for what their "Assistant" is trying to reach.
> As for the fingerprint reader that's weird, they had both on the Pixel 3 (at least the XL version I have), don't know what would have changed to make it not possible on the 4
My guess is that with the 4, they wanted to try to move in the same direction as Apple with facial unlock and therefore didn't think it was worth the cost to add a fingerprint reader, but then COVID happened and it turns out that unlocking with your face is impossible when wearing a mask, so they've realized that a fingerprint sensor is still useful.
(This is coming from a Pixel 4 XL user who has been frustrated with the lack of fingerprint sensor since shortly after getting it but doubly so since wearing a mask has become a mainstay of my daily life).
My guess is that with the 4, they wanted to try to move in the same direction as Apple with facial unlock and therefore didn't think it was worth the cost to add a fingerprint reader, but then COVID happened and it turns out that unlocking with your face is impossible when wearing a mask, so they've realized that a fingerprint sensor is still useful.
(This is coming from a Pixel 4 XL user who has been frustrated with the lack of fingerprint sensor since shortly after getting it but doubly so since wearing a mask has become a mainstay of my daily life).
I'm honestly not sure I understand that you're complaining there are no new features whilst saying they need to go back to simple + good + affordable. It's pretty affordable for the CPU, RAM, storage etc. I buy Pixel phones specifically because they don't come with any """useful""" shit. Because useful typically means 500MB of RAM POS bloatware bundled in with the vendor's ROM and buggy home screen replacement.
It seems straightforward to me:
* Google has not been able to put together the new features that would justify this flagship cost
* Because they cannot, they should instead focus on their strengths which are simplicity, all around quality, and affordability (e.g. the $349 4a)
* Google has not been able to put together the new features that would justify this flagship cost
* Because they cannot, they should instead focus on their strengths which are simplicity, all around quality, and affordability (e.g. the $349 4a)
Apparently it's also without a headphone port, which is a deal breaker for me.
While I agree, you should definitely grab yourself a set of Jabra 65-85t bluetooth headphones and transition to the future :)
Thanks for taking my word soup and putting into a way more concise comment.
I loved Nexus (and the Pixel 1) because I'm getting them straight from Google without contract to my wireless provider and without their additional bloat software. I like getting updates direct from the source in a timely manner and I figure they want their brand on quality product.
At this point it feels like they're using their brand to justify overcharging on something which is hardly better than a lot of the market competition. Its a fine proposition if they're the clear winner in all things Android but they really aren't anymore, why keep pretending and just go back to that niche of: Quality, Simple, Affordable?
I loved Nexus (and the Pixel 1) because I'm getting them straight from Google without contract to my wireless provider and without their additional bloat software. I like getting updates direct from the source in a timely manner and I figure they want their brand on quality product.
At this point it feels like they're using their brand to justify overcharging on something which is hardly better than a lot of the market competition. Its a fine proposition if they're the clear winner in all things Android but they really aren't anymore, why keep pretending and just go back to that niche of: Quality, Simple, Affordable?
But don't they have that covered? The 4a looks pretty good.
I'm not particularly concerned about the Pixel 5's price since I assume there will be a 5a next year. People who care about 5G might buy it, but you don't have to.
I'm not particularly concerned about the Pixel 5's price since I assume there will be a 5a next year. People who care about 5G might buy it, but you don't have to.
I lost my Pixel 3 recently and upgraded to a Pixel 4 (but had a Pixel 1 as well). You skipped right to the worst incarnation - no fingerprint unlock, mediocre battery life.
Yeah, seems that they listened, I'm very pleased that they are bringing back the fingerprint sensor for Pixel 5.
Why?
Face Unlock is a godsend, Pixel 3 was my first phone with fingerprint scanner and I hated every minute of using it.
It was unreliable piece of &^*&^%&^, I had to teach it my fingers every week during the cold season (which in my country is close to 7-8 months) and during summer I had to do it only once a month maybe - during winter the air gets colder fingers dry out especially if you have allergy (and I do).
And it was slow, I did unlock with pattern faster.
As for battery, I don't feel that it is poor in Pixel 4 (I ditched Pixel 3 as soon as the preorders for Pixel 4 started), but I use wireless charging all the time, I have it at work and at home, so my phone is almost always at 100%.
And now I'm puzzled, why did they bring back fingerprint scanner in Pixel 5? Apple didn't bring it back after they jumped the face unlock wagon.
Not to mention inferior CPU/CPU in Pixel 5, it looks also worse than even in Pixel 3, but the price is still premium.
So basically now we get a Nexus quality phone with Pixel price point.
It was unreliable piece of &^*&^%&^, I had to teach it my fingers every week during the cold season (which in my country is close to 7-8 months) and during summer I had to do it only once a month maybe - during winter the air gets colder fingers dry out especially if you have allergy (and I do).
And it was slow, I did unlock with pattern faster.
As for battery, I don't feel that it is poor in Pixel 4 (I ditched Pixel 3 as soon as the preorders for Pixel 4 started), but I use wireless charging all the time, I have it at work and at home, so my phone is almost always at 100%.
And now I'm puzzled, why did they bring back fingerprint scanner in Pixel 5? Apple didn't bring it back after they jumped the face unlock wagon.
Not to mention inferior CPU/CPU in Pixel 5, it looks also worse than even in Pixel 3, but the price is still premium.
So basically now we get a Nexus quality phone with Pixel price point.
Personal opinion: Face unlock in the age of face masks might as well not exist. Ideally, both options should be available concurrently.
Yeah, both options would be best.
But "age of facemasks" depends on country. In mine I need to wear masks only in stores, public transport.
But in those places I also need to wear gloves, so both ways of unlocking phone are unavailable to me.
And still, Apple manages to keep their unlocking mechanism.
But "age of facemasks" depends on country. In mine I need to wear masks only in stores, public transport.
But in those places I also need to wear gloves, so both ways of unlocking phone are unavailable to me.
And still, Apple manages to keep their unlocking mechanism.
"Keep phone unlocked until I imminently enter and exit a store" would be an interesting feature.
I'm having the exact opposite issue -- going from the Pixel 3 to 4, Face Unlock is absolute trash. With FP I already had my finger on the reader as I was pulling my phone out of my pocket / picking it up, and it'd be unlocked and ready by the time I had it held up. Face Unlock fails every other try, adding a few seconds to the unlock, it doesn't work with masks. It's super frustrating and no amount of re-learning is fixing it. Pattern/PIN unlock isn't an option (keep in mind this is also your encryption key for full device encryption), so having to type in a passphrase even occasionally is a PITA.
Otherwise I agree, my battery life feels fine, and the upgrade to the 5 doesn't seem all that worth it.
Otherwise I agree, my battery life feels fine, and the upgrade to the 5 doesn't seem all that worth it.
Oh, in my case Face Unlock is reliable, sometimes to reliable, when I try to put my phone away it suddenly unlocks because my face was near :)
Oh and a trivia about Pixel 4 Soli (which is a gimmick, nothing more), I was wondering why my music suddently restarted so frequently when I was in car.
And I found out why after few days - since a week we have a lot of rain, so when I drive I have windscreenwwipers and this was somehow being picked up by soli (when my phone was mounted near windshield, but not that near) :)
Oh and a trivia about Pixel 4 Soli (which is a gimmick, nothing more), I was wondering why my music suddently restarted so frequently when I was in car.
And I found out why after few days - since a week we have a lot of rain, so when I drive I have windscreenwwipers and this was somehow being picked up by soli (when my phone was mounted near windshield, but not that near) :)
Yeah I had to disable the proximity sensor for the music controls, it 1) triggered constantly when I didn't want it to, and 2) took 4-5 tries when I actually tried to use it (ie swipe to the next song with dirty hands in the kitchen). It's a neat idea, just unpolished.
I'm surprised you had as much trouble with the Finger scanner as you did. I never had to retrain my fingers in all the time I've owned it (going on 4 years now)
I live in the Canadian prairies, so cold + long winters are no stranger to me, and the fingerprint just always worked. The face unlock fails more in the winter because I'll be wearing a scarf or headcover which renders it useless. Heck, even in the summer it fails frequently because I'll have sunglasses on
I live in the Canadian prairies, so cold + long winters are no stranger to me, and the fingerprint just always worked. The face unlock fails more in the winter because I'll be wearing a scarf or headcover which renders it useless. Heck, even in the summer it fails frequently because I'll have sunglasses on
It's only $799 CAD, which puts it into the mid range with all this price inflation.
Good catch, I'll edit.
Google Assistant was actually pretty interesting – they have a new feature called 'Hold for Me' that allows you to put it on hold when you're in a call waiting queue with someone like your bank and it'll let you know when it's your turn. That alone seemed pretty big to me! Demo: https://twitter.com/ow/status/1311373805814767619
Looks useful indeed, but is it related to assistant in any way apart from branding? It seems like something that they can just put in the phone app.
Looks really useful, but that's software side. Hopefully other versions will be getting that update as well. Wouldn't make sense to gate that behind the Pixel 5, but maybe they will.
The price is very disappointing. Similarly spec'd Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite 5G will cost about $300.
For an additional comparison:
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G[1], which was announced on the same day and with the similar price tag as Pixel 5, comes with Snapdragon 865 processor, 5000mAh battery, 6.67" display size, and wireless charging, but lacks an OLED display, a dedicated security chip, a water resistance rating, and a "zero-bloatware" Android experience.
I would still pick any Pixel smartphone over any Xiaomi smartphone, if they were available in my country. But at least there is an open-source tool on Github for safely removing most of the Chinese bloatware that comes with Xiaomi devices[2].
[1] https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_10t_pro_5g-10437.php
[2] https://github.com/Szaki/XiaomiADBFastbootTools
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G[1], which was announced on the same day and with the similar price tag as Pixel 5, comes with Snapdragon 865 processor, 5000mAh battery, 6.67" display size, and wireless charging, but lacks an OLED display, a dedicated security chip, a water resistance rating, and a "zero-bloatware" Android experience.
I would still pick any Pixel smartphone over any Xiaomi smartphone, if they were available in my country. But at least there is an open-source tool on Github for safely removing most of the Chinese bloatware that comes with Xiaomi devices[2].
[1] https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_10t_pro_5g-10437.php
[2] https://github.com/Szaki/XiaomiADBFastbootTools
> The battery is nice, but its also not worth a $800 price tag.
> fingerpint unlock on the back
> 4G is plenty fast for everyday use
I bought a Moto G7 Power a couple years ago. 5000mAh battery, and a low-energy processor. I can do 3+ days without charging. Fingerprint unlock on the back. 4G wireless.
It's under $200 USD right now. This, after years of whatever the flagship android phone was.
> fingerpint unlock on the back
> 4G is plenty fast for everyday use
I bought a Moto G7 Power a couple years ago. 5000mAh battery, and a low-energy processor. I can do 3+ days without charging. Fingerprint unlock on the back. 4G wireless.
It's under $200 USD right now. This, after years of whatever the flagship android phone was.
I've got the same phone, used only the charger provided with it, followed as many of the battery saving rules as I could and after about a year and a half it's down to needing a charge every night after a day of heavy use.
I'd still highly recommend it though. It's a great phone overall and comes without q lot of preinstalled bullshit.
I'd still highly recommend it though. It's a great phone overall and comes without q lot of preinstalled bullshit.
Yeah, it's been a couple years for me and the battery is showing it's age- but I didn't charge it last night, and I'm still at 33%.
But at $200, buy one every 12 months and you're still ahead compared to buying a flagship every 2 years.
My only hangup is that the camera is not great. I don't take a lot of photos, but it was a noticeable step down from the Pixel 1.
But at $200, buy one every 12 months and you're still ahead compared to buying a flagship every 2 years.
My only hangup is that the camera is not great. I don't take a lot of photos, but it was a noticeable step down from the Pixel 1.
Yeah, the camera's not the best, I think there's two other versions of the g7 though. One of them has a better camera, but doesn't have the battery life. I think it's the g7 play but i'm not entirely sure.
> Wireless charging: not new
It irritates me that this has been a feature off and on since the Palm Pre or before, and that phone makers alternately trot it out as new shiny and then silently take it away again at random times. Every device should have it, IMO, for the convenience.
It irritates me that this has been a feature off and on since the Palm Pre or before, and that phone makers alternately trot it out as new shiny and then silently take it away again at random times. Every device should have it, IMO, for the convenience.
I liked the Pixel 1's metal backing which is my understanding why Wireless Charging was not possible. All things considered, the tradeoff of metal phone vs. wireless is a pretty good choice to have depending on how you use your phones.
Not to mention the pixel 4's glass design makes it heavy.
Not to mention the pixel 4's glass design makes it heavy.
Personally I hate Qi charging because it's bad for battery health due to heat and it increases weight by coil and surface material like glass.
I like to have Qi for ear buds, watch or something like smaller battery devices, but not for phones that has big batteries.
I like to have Qi for ear buds, watch or something like smaller battery devices, but not for phones that has big batteries.
I'm honestly more disappointed that they didn't bring wireless charging or waterproofing to the actual midrange with those specs.
To be fair, I also could care less about the spec sheet. Given the screwy market segmentation caused by the 865, and the fact that new and substantial WiFi/Bluetooth/USB upgrades won't consistently hit devices for another few months, I've more or less written off 2020 as a gap year for anything high-end regardless, the way I should have the year that the 810 shipped.
In the meantime, what could be really interesting is the kernel - specifically, if this supports GKIs out of the box, and what comes out of the XDA crowd if it does. (They're not required to use in testing until device kernels begin moving to 5.4, but given that the Pixel line generally implements these kinds of architectural changes first as reference devices it would still be a safe bet I think.) This could lead to a lot of traction for projects like Halium, for instance.
To be fair, I also could care less about the spec sheet. Given the screwy market segmentation caused by the 865, and the fact that new and substantial WiFi/Bluetooth/USB upgrades won't consistently hit devices for another few months, I've more or less written off 2020 as a gap year for anything high-end regardless, the way I should have the year that the 810 shipped.
In the meantime, what could be really interesting is the kernel - specifically, if this supports GKIs out of the box, and what comes out of the XDA crowd if it does. (They're not required to use in testing until device kernels begin moving to 5.4, but given that the Pixel line generally implements these kinds of architectural changes first as reference devices it would still be a safe bet I think.) This could lead to a lot of traction for projects like Halium, for instance.
I am still using a Pixel 1, and I am completely happy with it, aside from the degraded battery life. If the Pixel 1 was still receiving security updates, I would be happy to stick with it. I would just replace the battery. However, I think security updates are somewhat important, so I will probably end up buying a new-model phone.
It would be nice if my phone could be like my computer (running Debian). I can always install a new OS version on it. It never gets permanently cut off from receiving security updates.
It would be nice if my phone could be like my computer (running Debian). I can always install a new OS version on it. It never gets permanently cut off from receiving security updates.
the google assistant was reasonable, but now it's become crap because of one minor change
and that is that it no longer beeps after saying "hi google", so no idea if it's actually processed the wakeup word
and then sometimes it no longer responds after commands, e.g. "set alarm for 8am", so you have no idea if it's actually done it
until a month or so ago you could work around this by uninstalling the updates, but now they've done something to the clock app so if you do that you can't set alarms with it at all
annoying
and that is that it no longer beeps after saying "hi google", so no idea if it's actually processed the wakeup word
and then sometimes it no longer responds after commands, e.g. "set alarm for 8am", so you have no idea if it's actually done it
until a month or so ago you could work around this by uninstalling the updates, but now they've done something to the clock app so if you do that you can't set alarms with it at all
annoying
My Note 8 still beeps to let me know it's ready for my command. Is this a model-specific thing?
> I think Google needs to stop chasing the iPhone and go back to the Nexus style of simple+good+affordable.
That's exactly what they did. The recently released $349 4a reviewed really well, most reviews compared it explicitly to the original Nexus.
That's exactly what they did. The recently released $349 4a reviewed really well, most reviews compared it explicitly to the original Nexus.
[deleted]
I would add that honest specs would help.
I'd like to know sensor size. Not "pixel width." Sensor size+aperture, to a first order, is what you want to know about a camera.
I'd like to know sensor size. Not "pixel width." Sensor size+aperture, to a first order, is what you want to know about a camera.
It's all useless. With a regular camera, absolutely, but I don't think the Pixel has changed its sensor since the 2? It's all post-processing improvements.
I'm impressed that you managed to get through the crazy multi-directional animantions during your scroll-through and were able to collect any info.
I think the only new things I saw were the ultrawide lens and the lighting effects in Google Photos, which were neat but not breathtaking.
Pixel 4a (4G) must be for you. If you need much cheeper, it's Xiaomi's chance.
I love shopping for new devices and it's about time for me, coming from a Pixel 3. I skipped the 4 because it seemed like a sideways step rather than an upgrade, and disappointingly, the same seems true here.
I think Google just made me into someone who'll look elsewhere when my Pixel 3 falls apart.
It's just not compelling enough to upgrade, and believe me, I don't even need much of a reason.
I think Google just made me into someone who'll look elsewhere when my Pixel 3 falls apart.
It's just not compelling enough to upgrade, and believe me, I don't even need much of a reason.
> And with Hold for Me, Google Assistant waits on hold for you and lets you know when someone's on the line.
This seems like a pretty cool feature. I used to be on Android and remember Google making calls on my behalf for reservations, but this feature is done on-device it seems.
This seems like a pretty cool feature. I used to be on Android and remember Google making calls on my behalf for reservations, but this feature is done on-device it seems.
Please take off the parallax, its really painful to use.
I would love to switch from ios to android. I actually want to move back to an android device. My dilemma is, i want an apple credit card (or something similar) and better cameras compared to apple
I would love to switch from ios to android. I actually want to move back to an android device. My dilemma is, i want an apple credit card (or something similar) and better cameras compared to apple
> i want an apple credit card (or something similar)
Why an apple credit card? Like, when you say "something similar" what would apply?
Why an apple credit card? Like, when you say "something similar" what would apply?
Anything that would give me all of this and lets me use android and give me a nice looking platinum card. Or an app that will let me use my apple credit card in android
https://www.apple.com/apple-card/
https://www.apple.com/apple-card/
Hmm. Very tempted to trade in my 4 for this, and I'd much rather have fingerprint unlock than face unlock. It's cheaper than the 4 and has a bigger battery. I'm sure the cameras are at least adequate. Is it worse than the 4 in any way?
I don't know how to compare the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 765G with Octa-Core in the Pixel 5 to the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855* with Octa-Core in the Pixel 4.
I wonder if Google Fi is going to do anything special with 5G? I haven't noticed any particular announcements.
Edit: pulled the trigger. I'm so glad they went out of stock on the regular google store, because that reminded me to buy it on the Fi store, where I got better trade in value, and the green one is available.
I don't know how to compare the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 765G with Octa-Core in the Pixel 5 to the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855* with Octa-Core in the Pixel 4.
I wonder if Google Fi is going to do anything special with 5G? I haven't noticed any particular announcements.
Edit: pulled the trigger. I'm so glad they went out of stock on the regular google store, because that reminded me to buy it on the Fi store, where I got better trade in value, and the green one is available.
855 is much more powerful
The simple fact that this has an aluminum body will make me upgrade to it eventually.
I'm super tired of glass backed phones because I have broken every single one I've ever owned.
I'm super tired of glass backed phones because I have broken every single one I've ever owned.
In the UK at least - you get a pair of very nice Bose QC 35 IIs (RRP £299) free, if you buy soon.
These are selling on eBay for £200 currently, though I'm sure that price will drop a bit once the market gets flooded.
If you do sell at that price though, that brings the price of the phone down to £399, and at that price it is a steal.
The Pixel 4a is a great phone for £350, and this brings a bigger battery, faster CPU, 5G, wide-angle lens, 90hz screen, wireless charging, water resistance, and 2GB more memory for an extra £50 if you are able to offload the headphones.
These are selling on eBay for £200 currently, though I'm sure that price will drop a bit once the market gets flooded.
If you do sell at that price though, that brings the price of the phone down to £399, and at that price it is a steal.
The Pixel 4a is a great phone for £350, and this brings a bigger battery, faster CPU, 5G, wide-angle lens, 90hz screen, wireless charging, water resistance, and 2GB more memory for an extra £50 if you are able to offload the headphones.
Discrepancy in pricing between North American Pixel 5 and European/International Pixel 5 seems to be because the North American version includes mmWave.
128Gb storage & no sdcard slot?
Last two years have been difficult for me when choosing new phone. It's been, what am I willing to downgrade?
Is it camera options, quality or screen resolution, headphone jack, battery life etc.
This year's pixels fixed the cameras and fingerprint sensor luckily, but screen sizes and resolutions are downgrade :(
Seriously considering note 9 before it's too old...
This year's pixels fixed the cameras and fingerprint sensor luckily, but screen sizes and resolutions are downgrade :(
Seriously considering note 9 before it's too old...
I wish the big companies stop doing parallax websites.
My initial thought: somebody went to town with that scroll.
I mean, well prepared marketing page should cause me to think about the product, hopefully favorably, not about completely pointless misuse of scrollbar that some web designer with a huge workstation probably could run fluidly.
I mean, well prepared marketing page should cause me to think about the product, hopefully favorably, not about completely pointless misuse of scrollbar that some web designer with a huge workstation probably could run fluidly.
Pixel 5 is everything Pixel 4 should've been, this is essentially a last year's phone with processor that's also as fast as last year's flagship processor. And none of it is bad in any way, $699 of asking price is appropriate.
What's sad is that Pixel phones even after 5 generations have had at least one tragic flaw which would be a deal breaker for many;
- Pixel 1 - Giant bezels
- Pixel 2 - OLED burn-in and color issues
- Pixel 3 - Gigantic notch
- Pixel 4 - Radar which still isn't proven to be useful, no ultrawide camera.
This is first time that Google made a flagship phone (3a and 4a are still midrange) that doesn't have any obvious flaws, so I hope it changes fate of Pixel line for good.
What's sad is that Pixel phones even after 5 generations have had at least one tragic flaw which would be a deal breaker for many;
- Pixel 1 - Giant bezels
- Pixel 2 - OLED burn-in and color issues
- Pixel 3 - Gigantic notch
- Pixel 4 - Radar which still isn't proven to be useful, no ultrawide camera.
This is first time that Google made a flagship phone (3a and 4a are still midrange) that doesn't have any obvious flaws, so I hope it changes fate of Pixel line for good.
The Pixel 3 has no notch, though I'm guessing the XL does.
(I'm on a Pixel 3 now!) Spouse has 2 XL which I think I like a pinch better than my 3 but not enough to switch out. I went from a Nexus 6P and this is definitely better but also not an overwhelming upgrade. Just happy to resume getting updates and have a great camera.
The 4 and 5 do not interest me, and "latest updates" is not nearly the value proposition it was 5 years ago (or maybe I'd miss it...?) So I definitely expect my next phone to be non-Google like OnePlus or maybe Motorola.
(I'm on a Pixel 3 now!) Spouse has 2 XL which I think I like a pinch better than my 3 but not enough to switch out. I went from a Nexus 6P and this is definitely better but also not an overwhelming upgrade. Just happy to resume getting updates and have a great camera.
The 4 and 5 do not interest me, and "latest updates" is not nearly the value proposition it was 5 years ago (or maybe I'd miss it...?) So I definitely expect my next phone to be non-Google like OnePlus or maybe Motorola.
I went from a Pixel 2 to the OnePlus 6t.
If you are used to the pixel series, prepare to be disappointed by the "value add" brought to android by other vendors. This device is supposed to be close to "vanilla" android, but it still has several annoying modifications that make it worse than the devices Google sells directly. Newer OnePlus devices have even more extensive changes, too.
I doubt I'll every buy a non-google Android phone again. The software and update story of the Pixel series is still the real compelling value there, and it's worth the premium.
If you are used to the pixel series, prepare to be disappointed by the "value add" brought to android by other vendors. This device is supposed to be close to "vanilla" android, but it still has several annoying modifications that make it worse than the devices Google sells directly. Newer OnePlus devices have even more extensive changes, too.
I doubt I'll every buy a non-google Android phone again. The software and update story of the Pixel series is still the real compelling value there, and it's worth the premium.
Bezels are good. My fingers regularly activate stuff at the edges of the screen because the bezels are too small on my Pixel 3A.
The 4a would be perfect with a slightly better processor. I would have easily paid $50-$100 for that.
You've excluded the non-XL models.
The Pixel 2 was good, as was the 3.
The Pixel 2 was good, as was the 3.
The Pixel 5 (765) has a 16% slower CPU/GPU than the Pixel 3 (845). Not going to "upgrade". My next phone will likely be a OnePlus with a 35% faster CPU, 120Hz screen, more ram, etc etc. The big downside with the OnePlus is the camera. The Pixel camera is the main reason I've stayed.
https://www.techrankup.com/en/smartphone-processors-ranking/...
https://www.techrankup.com/en/smartphone-processors-ranking/...
The smaller process size means better battery life. I'll take better battery life over 16% faster performance.
I'm rocking a 3a and rare desire for a faster processor/CPU. more battery life is more important than additional performance once you hit a certain point.
I'm rocking a 3a and rare desire for a faster processor/CPU. more battery life is more important than additional performance once you hit a certain point.
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For a lot of folks, their smartphone represents their gaming machine. Performance matters as mobile games get more and more complicated.
More games are doing parallel releases with similar engines and graphics between consoles, the PC, and phones (Genshin Impact, for example (even though I loathe their business practices)).
More games are doing parallel releases with similar engines and graphics between consoles, the PC, and phones (Genshin Impact, for example (even though I loathe their business practices)).
I have to admit about 50% of my time is spent on Gaming. Battery life is of little concern to me right now because I work from home and 15 mins to 50% fast charge on the pixels nullifies most battery low scenarios. I don't even bother plugging in my phone at night now.
Well then it is obvious that the Pixel 5 is not catering to that audience. And that is fine.
More detailed CPU benchmark shows that single core performance is increased and multi core performance is a bit increased. It should be "upgrade" for most users because single core performance is mostly matter. It should be upgrade for CPU. IMO high-end SoC's GPU is mostly for gaming.
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/3926726 https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/3970865
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/3926726 https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/3970865
I think you can use the camera app from Pixel (GCam) on the Oneplus phones, and it applies similar post-processing. So best of both worlds?
Yes, developers have ported the Google Camera app to many devices that use the Snapdragon SoC:
https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/
https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/
Have you used a recent OnePlus? Their cameras are actually really good. I'm very happy with the camera on my OnePlus 8.
8 series doesnt have an integrated 5g modem yet. Its a compromise either way until next gen stuff.
I'm very curious, what do you expect to get out of a 35% faster cpu? Are you running cpu intense programs on your phone regularly?
I look at these phone announcements nowadays and realize I don't care about any of their value propositions.
The phones sold 5 or 6 years ago were good enough on any of those metrics by my standards: I look at my 5 year old phone, look at the new ones, and realize that just the hassle of setting a new one up wouldn't be worth it.
Also they need to scrap all the Google software crap like "Google Assistant" out of their marketing. I have yet to meet someone who would consider anything like that a feature. People expect it to be an annoyance at best - that's those who don't give a fuck about privacy.
The phones sold 5 or 6 years ago were good enough on any of those metrics by my standards: I look at my 5 year old phone, look at the new ones, and realize that just the hassle of setting a new one up wouldn't be worth it.
Also they need to scrap all the Google software crap like "Google Assistant" out of their marketing. I have yet to meet someone who would consider anything like that a feature. People expect it to be an annoyance at best - that's those who don't give a fuck about privacy.
The Pixel phone setup was very, very good. It copied all of the data off my old phone and was off and running. I don't even think I had to re-enter passwords.
I like the Google assistant. It's useful for "set timer 15 minutes" while my hands are dirty from cooking. (I had an even better use, "Remind me at 8 PM to take out the trash" while I'm driving, but for some idiotic reason "Reminders are currently not available for GSuite users"[1]).
[1] https://support.google.com/assistant/thread/11607814?hl=en
I like the Google assistant. It's useful for "set timer 15 minutes" while my hands are dirty from cooking. (I had an even better use, "Remind me at 8 PM to take out the trash" while I'm driving, but for some idiotic reason "Reminders are currently not available for GSuite users"[1]).
[1] https://support.google.com/assistant/thread/11607814?hl=en
for most people phones have reached the same peak as laptops: only buy a new one if yours breaks
I agree with you but set up of a new phone is pretty simple if you move Android->Android or iPhone->iPhone. Your google or apple account should sync everything
But does it run SailfishOS?
I want this, and not a > 1000 euro phone with no headset, compulsory face recognition, and an AI supercomputer chip with a battery which last half a day.
Half of the phones to come out over the last 5 years felt like they were engaged in a useless gimmickry arms race and it's a really clever move to be the first to pull the plug on that trend IMO. I for one was not expecting it.
Of course, I'm not going to buy because I have both the 3XL (this phone, best phone ever IMO, indestructible and does the things I need well) and the 4XL which I don't use as face unlock was annoying to begin with and now, simply put, useless.
In a year where company execs can, for instance, present a watch and with a straight face say "up to 18 hours battery life" I like to think that these guys brought some sanity to the table.
They figured out what people care about, refined those elements and dumped the rest of the useless crap. Who actually uses AR apart from a few pokemon players and some other niche uses, who cares about a 5% better camera when all cameras are amazing, and who wants to pay >1000, when phones have reached a reasonable performance level in any category. Which phones of the last three years are too slow?
It feels like the grown-up version of the smart phone. One size offering which falls in the sweet spot, amazing camera, fast refresh display, the only biometric that people actually like, and it's waterproof.
Face recognition is dead in the water, unless the law becomes having QR codes on face masks. That's why my pixel 4XL is still new and unused.
Additionally, a lot of people have less disposable income in light of recent events.
My pixel 3XL is still great so I'll hold off for now, but I'm super happy to see this type of "evolution". Just my ten cents.
Half of the phones to come out over the last 5 years felt like they were engaged in a useless gimmickry arms race and it's a really clever move to be the first to pull the plug on that trend IMO. I for one was not expecting it.
Of course, I'm not going to buy because I have both the 3XL (this phone, best phone ever IMO, indestructible and does the things I need well) and the 4XL which I don't use as face unlock was annoying to begin with and now, simply put, useless.
In a year where company execs can, for instance, present a watch and with a straight face say "up to 18 hours battery life" I like to think that these guys brought some sanity to the table.
They figured out what people care about, refined those elements and dumped the rest of the useless crap. Who actually uses AR apart from a few pokemon players and some other niche uses, who cares about a 5% better camera when all cameras are amazing, and who wants to pay >1000, when phones have reached a reasonable performance level in any category. Which phones of the last three years are too slow?
It feels like the grown-up version of the smart phone. One size offering which falls in the sweet spot, amazing camera, fast refresh display, the only biometric that people actually like, and it's waterproof.
Face recognition is dead in the water, unless the law becomes having QR codes on face masks. That's why my pixel 4XL is still new and unused.
Additionally, a lot of people have less disposable income in light of recent events.
My pixel 3XL is still great so I'll hold off for now, but I'm super happy to see this type of "evolution". Just my ten cents.
I'm not sure this is a trend breaker. OnePlus seems to do the same.
No Face Unlock :(
This was my single reason to swich from Pixel 3 to Pixel 4.
And now they removed it and put a CPU/GPU that is slower than in Pixel 3.
And now they removed it and put a CPU/GPU that is slower than in Pixel 3.
I respect your preference but I think you're in a minority on face vs fingerprint, not even adjusting for covid facemasks.
I wonder why.
(In my case fingerprint scanner was forgetting my fingers in a week or my fingers changed in a week when summer ended - the only clue I got is that during winter skin gets dryer and might influence scanner readings, it was very frustrating)
I was hoping that Apples push for that would force other manufacturers to adapt it also.
I was hoping that Apples push for that would force other manufacturers to adapt it also.
For most users, the fingerprint sensor on Pixels works reliably - and when it does, it's also very convenient, because your finger pretty much lands in the exact right spot when pulling it out of the pocket.
It doesn't forget my fingers, but it won't let me in if my hands are very damp (like after a shower). Though I do get some sour grapes out of the fact that it's not a bad idea to force me to enter my PIN once in a while, so I don't forget.
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$699.00 for a mobile with old specs and at least $100 more than something like an Oneplus 8.
https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=10386&idPhone...
Am I missing something? Will people actually buy this?
https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=10386&idPhone...
Am I missing something? Will people actually buy this?
I'm a hobby photographer and I already pre-ordered the Pixel 5. I suspect there will be no comparison in the picture quality.
However I also edit big, 47MP jpegs from my Leica on my Pixel 2XL and amusingly I'm not sure if it will be faster or slower to edit on the Pixel 5, given the processor. Alas the 2XL has cracked in 3 corners and is held together by tape, so to the 5 I go.
However I also edit big, 47MP jpegs from my Leica on my Pixel 2XL and amusingly I'm not sure if it will be faster or slower to edit on the Pixel 5, given the processor. Alas the 2XL has cracked in 3 corners and is held together by tape, so to the 5 I go.
I really hope I can move all non-notification icons (and clock) to the right side of the screen, so I can tell when I have a notification at a glance. That was the most frustrating change introduced by the notch for me, and from the screenshots, it looks like it persists even without the notch.
As usual, the site only works for US IPs
How is it that 5 hasn't shown up on MKBHD's channel??
Did he piss off the Pixel team with saying that 4 was "a massive victim of its own hype"?
Did he piss off the Pixel team with saying that 4 was "a massive victim of its own hype"?
Incidentally, for anyone who works in consumer hardware, is there usually any stock in the "I'll wait a few months for a later batch in case they fix some hardware problems" approach some people take?
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seems phones, want to be cameras these days. we've had cameras for 100s of years. yet all phone marketing is about, the phone being a camera, not being good at being a phone. at least with spam screening my pixel 3a does a somewhat okay job at being a phone. and for the camera part, film cameras I still good. I use one that I bought on ebay for 25$.
PassMark benchmark scores for Pixel phones:
Google Pixel / XL: 1,893 / 2,285
Google Pixel 2 / 2 XL: 5,556 / 5,402
Google Pixel 3 / 3 XL: 6,359 / 6,934
Google Pixel 4 / 4 XL: 8,722 / 8,656
Google Pixel 3a / 3a XL: 5,334 / 5,088
Google Pixel 4a: 6,476
The following phones use the same Snapdragon 765G SoC as the Pixel 5:
Motorola Edge (4-6GB RAM): 6,717
OnePlus Nord (8GB / 12GB RAM): 7,036 / 7,190
With 8GB RAM, the Pixel 5 should have a performance score comparable to the Pixel 3 XL.
https://www.androidbenchmark.net/device_list.php
Google Pixel / XL: 1,893 / 2,285
Google Pixel 2 / 2 XL: 5,556 / 5,402
Google Pixel 3 / 3 XL: 6,359 / 6,934
Google Pixel 4 / 4 XL: 8,722 / 8,656
Google Pixel 3a / 3a XL: 5,334 / 5,088
Google Pixel 4a: 6,476
The following phones use the same Snapdragon 765G SoC as the Pixel 5:
Motorola Edge (4-6GB RAM): 6,717
OnePlus Nord (8GB / 12GB RAM): 7,036 / 7,190
With 8GB RAM, the Pixel 5 should have a performance score comparable to the Pixel 3 XL.
https://www.androidbenchmark.net/device_list.php
I think the price is pretty reasonable but the hidden cost of owning this phone is that you'd be handing Google more data about yourself they could ever collect by other means.
It's not so fun but it looks like great for daily use.
* lightweight 151g even though it support 5G and battery is increased.
* 8GB of RAM (Pixel 4 was fewer 6GB even high-end)
* Fingerprint auth again!
Currently I don't want 5G because it increases weight by adding antennas and battery capacity but not much value compared to faster 4G. Anyway, 4G high-end devices are no longer released so this is an acceptable device with 5G.
* lightweight 151g even though it support 5G and battery is increased.
* 8GB of RAM (Pixel 4 was fewer 6GB even high-end)
* Fingerprint auth again!
Currently I don't want 5G because it increases weight by adding antennas and battery capacity but not much value compared to faster 4G. Anyway, 4G high-end devices are no longer released so this is an acceptable device with 5G.
So underspec'd that it hurts...
I was holding out for the Pixel 5 to be released.
Its a huge disappointment. I ended up buying my first choice Oneplus Nord.
Its a huge disappointment. I ended up buying my first choice Oneplus Nord.