234

Previously on Lemmy:

Past Discussions:

Sorry for the delay for the weekly. Server's not that stable right now, maybe we should start the thread on Sundays instead.

I always like to switch things up once in a while because it's fun. So, let's get back to the brand discussion this week for the Google Pixel. We'll do a discussion on repairability next week. Again, ideas are always welcome here.

I've never used a Pixel, but people around here should know that I've been very critical of Google's product decisions over the years, and the Pixel is no exception. In my point of view, discontinuing the Nexus series, buying out the talents from the remains of HTC and starting an official "made by Google" phone is the equivalent of reddit buying out Alien Blue to make the official reddit app. I think it's the event that scared big Android manufacturers like Samsung enough to start making their own ecosystem away from Google, as they are concerned that Google may start locking software features to their own phones instead of improving Android overall (rightfully so, I might add).

It really makes no business sense at all to turn your manufacturing partners into your competitors, but then again, it's Google.

With that being said, the first years of the Pixels has been marred with growing pains. Whereas the Nexus line has always been barebones, no frills development devices, it seemed to me that the people who made Pixels don't even use Android and are insistent on turning Pixel into iPhones, removing the headphone jack on the Pixel 2 despite the antagonistic ad from the original Pixel, Pixel exclusive software features like Google camera that necessitating the need of rom mods, as well as the quality issues that seems to be inherited from the Nexus days just really soured me from considering Pixels, as I think it's against the spirit of openness that made Android great.

But it seems like in recent years, they finally figured out that a large percentage of people who bought Androids not because they can't afford iPhones, but because they like Android, and I see the introduction of the "a" series as progress. The recent Pixel ad campaign also made me think that they finally figuring it out: people want different things, trying to turn Android into worse versions of iPhones was not going to work, so they should be trying to make the best Android for Android users instead.

(It's also the reason I think all the previous reddit clones failed, but Lemmy will be the one that finally succeeds.)

(page 3) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] Blaidd@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

My last 3 phones have been a Pixel 2 XL, a Samsung Note Ultra, and a Pixel 7. I may just be lucky, but I have never had a single problem with any of my Pixel/Nexus phones.

I decided to try the Note for the s pen a few years ago and found it to be a much, much worse experience. Software on the Pixel is head and shoulders above all of Samsung's bloatware, and the Note's screen died for no reason after a year and a half. Meanwhile, the Pixel 2 XL is still going strong (I had to use it for a bit after the Note died), and the Pixel 7 is a great phone.

[-] Defaced@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Went from iPhone 11 to Pixel 6a. The only thing I miss is faceID, The fingerprint sensor works for the most part but it's not perfect, face id was always accurate and worked every time. Performance is great, the os is smooth, I had a moto g power before the iPhone and it was garbage, the pixel 6a is night and day compared to that phone. I was a bit hesitant to move back to Android, I was pretty accustomed to iOS, but Android 13 is amazing and I'm hoping 14 is even better. I just wish I had waited a little bit longer and the 7a would've been available. The best part so far has been using it with Google Fi and pixel pass, I get guaranteed upgrades every 2 years to the latest phone, and it includes YouTube music and premium as well as play pass. Honestly the perks of the pixel and pixel pass have paid for themselves.

[-] chickenfish@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Current Device: Pixel 7 Pro Previous: Galaxy S4, LGG4, S8, S10e.
Got the Pixel because there was a sale plus a really good trade value on the s10e

It's fine.
Im not a heavy phone user. Im not doing a whole lot of gaming or videos or developing or whatever power users do, and it suits my needs. There are a few things I miss from Samsung, but overall the UI is fine and the battery is normally loads better than anything Ive had in a couple of years.

[-] nullPointer@programming.dev 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

been a pixel user since they were called nexus. about as minimal bloat as you can get without going FOSS.

currently still on a 3a as it still gets the job done. I use my old nexus6 with FOSS as a basic handheld around the house. smart thermostat, sprinkler controller, throw YouTube up on the TV, etc.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] got2best@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Curious what device are you using right now op?

[-] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I use a Moto Edge to post here.

[-] k0mprssd@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

ive owned a pixel 2 xl, 4, 5, and currently on a 6 xl, ive enjoyed my pixels but (mostly in the case with the 4 and 5) they have some sorta dealbreaker. my 2 xl was great but the regular sized 4 was notorious for horrible battery, which it definitely had, so i got a 5 when it came out which was a decent phone but i wanted more speed and 120hz so when the 6 series came out i thought it would be a good upgrade to stay on. at first the bugs were kinda bad but they've been ironed out. at this point im just sad my bootloader is locked so i cant install grapheneos 😔 as for whether i wanna stay with pixels, i dont enjoy googles spying so if another good pixel comes out thats worth upgrading to in a few years comes out i may get an unlocked one, or just jump ship entirely

[-] FlashZordon@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I've owned various Pixels since the first one.

Pixel XL > Pixel 3XL > Pixel 6 Pro

One could say I've had 3 of the worst Pixels.

They would be right in a sense. But I've used each of these for about 2-3 years (The 6 Pro will be 2 soon).

Really like the user experience and the software but the hardware really starts to show their age after about a year and a half in. With slowdowns and stuttering

The 6 Pro is the only one I haven't had any problems with.

I love the cameras on all of them and I can only say good things about them. The unlimited storage of the Pixel 3 lasting only until recently was a bummer. But now I've been backing them up on my local server at home.

[-] Deftdrummer@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

3rd pixel, and each one has had persistent problems. Not ready for primetime. Currently have the 6P and with the heat issues it has just been OK.

They still have yet to make a fully fleshed out product.

[-] foof@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

I've been happy with the Pixel 6 Pro, which is still going strong with good battery life and continuing software updates after almost two years. Much nicer UI than the Samsungs I have had. The only thing I don't like is that it's Google spying on my entire life.

[-] Harbingerof@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Made the switch from a series of galaxies to the 6 pro. And boy do I regret it. It's given me nothing but problems. Most recently the backlight partially failed and low light settings cause it to flash or be completely unreadable at night. I'll be going back to Galaxy asap

[-] dinckelman@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Not entirely positive. I own 3 separate Pixel 2XL units, and before that i've had two Nexus 6P. The experience is pretty much exactly what people will tell you. Everything seems perfect at first, but as time goes on, issues come up, and they don't go away.

On the Pixel, the battery life and battery degradation were the worst offender. Fingerprint scanner would occasionally either refuse to work, or start working significantly worse over time, requiring a factory reset. Never had modem issues personally, but the network coverage always felt worse than with other devices. Not gonna go into the display tint drama, because that's just a bad display, but that did suck. The burn-in, even at 75% brightness, was absolutely horrible though. One of the 3 devices had the power button stop working completely.

My 6P didn't live for too long though. I, unfortunately broke my first unit, due to my own fault, however I still possess the second one, albeit it's completely unusable, as it has the battery drain defect. The device doesn't hold charge, and shuts down at anywhere between 25 and 50%, showing 0% on reboot.

Even with all of that in mind, I would still consider a Pixel in the future, but issues like this have appeared in basically every Pixel generation yet, and it's not a good look, especially considering the price

[-] havokdj@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

They are awesome because you can get graphene or calyx on them!

[-] Yoz@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Tbh stop buying phones if you dont really need it. My Redmi phone hasn't given me a signal issue in the past 6 years. Still going strong.

[-] eth0slash0@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Galaxy Nexus to Pixel 6a (current) user. I did not have a pixel 1 or 2, but have had the rest. That Nexus 5x hung on for a while, as it should, being one of the best phones of all time, helping me skip right into pixel 3.

Side note: Nexus 7 was the greatest tablet of all time.

Out of any android, I preferred the nexus (now pixel) for it's simplicity. It's the way android was meant to be. Every other OEM is just someone copying the smart kids homework and making up random bullshit to call it their own.

Custom ROMs are great though.

[-] jcrabapple@dmv.pub 3 points 1 year ago

I had every Nexus except for the 5, and every Pixel except for the 5. I've had really good luck with them all. Only problem I had was after about a year the wireless charging stopped working on my Pixel 4 XL. I've handed down almost every single phone to either my parents or my kids after at least a year of use and they continue to last a few more years. I can't recall one ever dying. I swear by them.

[-] Unfocused@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

I had the original pixel XL then switch to samsung s21 and now im on a pixel 7 and I can say with out doubt the the pixel 7 is way more responsive and feels so much faster then any samsung phone I have ever used. Samsung puts a lot of spyware bloatware crap on there phones. if you hook a samsung up to adb and have a look at the list of apps that are spying on you its insane, all the apps listed in the settings on the phone are not all the apps installed. lots of hidden apps running in the background. Something that would piss me off was every update installed a bunch of apps i never wanted and had removed previously. I have recently installed grapheneos and its amazing and seem less, I could install it on my moms phone and it would not be a problem. works just like any other android phone except google play is locked in a cage and can only do what you allow it to. I have google play services installed but basically took all its permissions away, so that the camera app and the few other apps that look for it are not bothering me about it. google play services never connects to the internet on my phone.

I will never go back to a samsung phone, I love the stock android experience its simple and no fluff.

[-] MrPloppy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Got a Pixel 6. Still loving the design, software and (reasonably) quick updates.

[-] kratoz29@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

I can't speak about the hardware because I have never had one, but I can about the software because I am a custom ROM user and I come from MIUI, I won't say MIUI sucks, although it does in some aspects when I first got my first AOSP based ROM I was amazed with how fast it was, but it only got better for me because of the introduction of Monet icons and Material You since A12, since that moment I barely ever got back to MIUI.

For me AOSP is a true beauty and works pretty well, although it can be lacking features (which A14 seems aiming to "fix") I enjoy using it a lot, and if I ever get a Google Pixel I would feel at home no doubt about it.

[-] techgearwhips@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

The fingerprint sensor on my P6 was trash. Then somehow when I upgraded to the P7 with that Best Buy deal... The fingerprint sensor was even worse. Deal breaker for me. The only reason I'm not using a Pixel device right now.

[-] BubblyMango@lemmy.wtf 4 points 1 year ago

Can confirm 6's fingerprint sensors sucks. It gets worse when you put a screen shield on (it has an option to adjust the fingerprint sensor to having a screen shield. It still sucks even with it on).

[-] RubberElectrons@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Typing this on my CalyxOS pixel 3. I like this phone just fine, camera works great, apps I don't trust get installed in my "work" profile which I just got a toggle on and all those apps are forcibly paused. Battery life is basically all day based on how much I turn the screen on.

Life's good when your phone works the way you want without advertising at you, and operates reliably.

[-] mycroftholmess@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

They’re awesome! But kinda unusable when you’re outside and connected to mobile data. Phone heats up quicker than usual, battery doesn’t last as long. I’m on a Pixel 6A, for context.

[-] SpacemanSpiff@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

I've had Google phones since the Nexus line and all the odd numbered Pixels to include the 7 Pro. My wife has used the Samsung Note (I forget which versions) and is using the Samsung Fold now. I definitely like the Pixel line better than the Samsung phones she's used primarily because of the monthly updates and a few features like call screening (you can even hear the person on the line while the Google message is playing to hear what they may be saying before you pick up or send them to VM) and call holding (the phone will monitor the call when I'm on hold and alert me when a person gets on the line.). The Pixel camera is pretty good, but I have to admit I like the Samsung Fold camera a little better.

[-] Kangy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I swapped to a Pixel 7 Pro from a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra after having serious stutter and performance issues with my S22.so far I've loved it and it's performed so much better than the S22 I had.

I do miss the customisation Samsung had with Good Lock modules though. Maybe I'll have to look into rooting my phone unless I can find a no root alternative.

Long story short it's been around 6 months and I'm still very happy with it.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] covert_czar@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 year ago

If not nothing i would choose pixel and install lineage os on it

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›
this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2023
234 points (96.4% liked)

Android

28194 readers
206 users here now

DROID DOES

Welcome to the droidymcdroidface-iest, Lemmyest (Lemmiest), test, bestest, phoniest, pluckiest, snarkiest, and spiciest Android community on Lemmy (Do not respond)! Here you can participate in amazing discussions and events relating to all things Android.

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules


1. All posts must be relevant to Android devices/operating system.


2. Posts cannot be illegal or NSFW material.


3. No spam, self promotion, or upvote farming. Sources engaging in these behavior will be added to the Blacklist.


4. Non-whitelisted bots will be banned.


5. Engage respectfully: Harassment, flamebaiting, bad faith engagement, or agenda posting will result in your posts being removed. Excessive violations will result in temporary or permanent ban, depending on severity.


6. Memes are not allowed to be posts, but are allowed in the comments.


7. Posts from clickbait sources are heavily discouraged. Please de-clickbait titles if it needs to be submitted.


8. Submission statements of any length composed of your own thoughts inside the post text field are mandatory for any microblog posts, and are optional but recommended for article/image/video posts.


Community Resources:


We are Android girls*,

In our Lemmy.world.

The back is plastic,

It's fantastic.

*Well, not just girls: people of all gender identities are welcomed here.


Our Partner Communities:

!android@lemmy.ml


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS