• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Google Pixel (OT)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Who is using this phone with project FI?

Rural or urban majority of time?

How is this phone working with Fi?

I am using Project Fi. Hard to say this early. I've been mostly in office setting or home on wi-fi. I live in Orange County, CA. I did take a walk in Laguna Hills up a hill and I was able to listen to audio via Twitch app without any drops. Next week, I'm going to France and Chicago. I'll let you know about my experience.
 
Well I've upgraded to a 128GB Pixel XL, should be here in a few days.

Considering that I use my devices whilst they're flat on a desk etc due to my disability I hope that knock to wake arrives soon.

There's no notification light is there?
 

northead

Member
I have a free upgrade and I might jump from the S7 Edge to the Pixel, yay or nay?

It depends on what you value. I just got ahold of a Pixel XL, which substituted the S7 edge, and so far the only two noticeable downgrades for me are the lack of the Always-On Display (I tried a third party app but wasn't too happy with it) and wireless charging, which was handy. However, all in all I realized that they were both minor things, and that I'd take the noticeable performance/speed bump any day. And, well, I don't know when the S7 edge will be updated to Nougat (mine is an international unlocked version), so for now that is a plus the Pixel has as well, alongside that sweet unlimited full-res photo upload. As far as waterproofing goes, I've only really had use for that three or four times in seven months with the S7, so that's something I'm not thinking of (and the same goes for the SD card, which I've never used on any phone). Oh, and while cameras are just about the same (with both being stupid quick and good) Pixel Imprint is superior to Samsung's scanner.
 

Draper

Member
Ooooh. I just figured out pulling up after Google assistant is initiated. Neat.

Although I feel like this should be explained somewhere. Felt kinda hidden.
 

killroy87

Member
Does Android have a way of turning off cellular data for specific apps? I'm going on a trip abroad, and bought a travel pack with a limited amount of data, and just want to turn data off for all but a few apps to make sure I don't go over. Apple makes this pretty easy to do, but I'm not finding an easy solution here.
 
AAAAHHHHHH, mine wasn't supposed to ship out until NOVEMBER 29th, but just got an email saying it should be here tomorrow! Unexpected surprise! 😀

Can't wait to trash my OP1

Mine is marked as being Nov 23-25, so hopefully this happens for me as well.
 
Does Android have a way of turning off cellular data for specific apps? I'm going on a trip abroad, and bought a travel pack with a limited amount of data, and just want to turn data off for all but a few apps to make sure I don't go over. Apple makes this pretty easy to do, but I'm not finding an easy solution here.

Just find the greedy app on the Data Usage list (Settings > Data usage), tap it, scroll down a tad, then switch on the Restrict app background data setting.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/3026457/android/8-ways-to-tame-your-data-hogging-android-phone.html
 

Kreed

Member
yeah, that's cool, but i keep my phone flat on the table a lot and im just wondering how i would turn the screen on when it's like that lol
pressing the power button seems kind of awkward in that position

If you allow it, the Assistant can unlock the phone using the "Ok Google" voice command.
 

andthebeatgoeson

Junior Member
I'd go with a Invisible Shield Glass+ screen protector since they are a lot thicker than most screen protectors.
thanks but they are sold out.
www.xtremeguard.com

Have screen protectors for the Pixel phones. They have HD Film dry install, Wet install films and Tempered Glass versions. Be aware they can take several revisions to get the fit just right but their customer service has never failed me in giving me a new one from the newest revision until I was satisfied.

Picked up 2 Wet Install, 1 Tempered and a HD Film for $6 using code Giant92.

Can you explain what all 3 of those do?
 

Draper

Member
So, are these paid reviews on the app store? Because half the reviews for something like Facebook messenger are copy/pastes. And if so, why doesn't Google crack down on it?
 
Well, this is disappointing. Trying to transfer my data from a Nexus 5 to a Pixel XL and whether I do it with the cable or try to restore a cloud backup, Google Play Services crashes and sends me back to the beginning of the copy process.
 

Sky Chief

Member
As in, many of the reviews are copy and pastes of each other.

Also, the latest pixel launcher update says it'll display the weather in the right hand corner. Is that not the case with the Pixel?

My first day with the Pixel there was no weather just a digital clock which seems redundant, when I woke up the next day the weather was displayed instead
 
Getting way better reception at my desk with the Pixel XL than I did with my Edge 6, where I had to go upstairs by the window just to get good enough reception to make calls.

Also, speakerphone voice call sound on Pixel is so good since it seems to just filter out all the background noise versus my landline phone speakerphone, so it actually sounds better than the landline.
 
Someone had a question about the Google Authenticator and a new phone. I forgot who it was but it was a few pages ago... In any event, you do have to setup your Google Authenticator again if you setup your phone via the remote Cloud backup.

FWIW, it's very quick to setup... Took like 2 seconds.

I did not test whether you need to do it if you use the clone cable... I always restore mine from the cloud.
 
Can I really not lock the orientation to landscape mode? It seems like portrait lock only.

What the...that makes no sense. The prior way worked fine which was auto-rotate on or off, so it seamlessly worked on both.

I also noticed that the screen wont rotate to landscape mode on the home screen. Looks like perhaps they did this with their new App bar at the bottom (swipe up for app list) which wouldnt work so well in landscape.

Bad design choice IMO.
 
Someone had a question about the Google Authenticator and a new phone. I forgot who it was but it was a few pages ago... In any event, you do have to setup your Google Authenticator again if you setup your phone via the remote Cloud backup.

FWIW, it's very quick to setup... Took like 2 seconds.

I did not test whether you need to do it if you use the clone cable... I always restore mine from the cloud.

I used the cable method and I did have to re-setup my Google Authenticator. Hope you have either backup codes or the qr codes saved somewhere.
 

Fantastical

Death Prophet
I'm very impressed with battery life, especially after Note 7.

Got up at 6:45 this morning, it's 9:50pm and I have 55% left. I was also using iPhone 6 during the Note fiasco and it's much better. I don't use my phone a ton during the day but I do use it... Especially to listen to podcasts and music.
 
Hmmm... having an issue with MMS on Project Fi + Pixel. Not receiving MMS messages. I use textra for text messaging, and it's oddly not working with any MMS, and I think maybe not even SMS right now. It's difficult to test.

MMS doesn't go through and then it tells me to check my "APM" settings... which I really don't know what to enter.

Has anybody else had this issue?

I'm goin to try using the Google Support assistant if this keeps up and see hwo that works.

I used the cable method and I did have to re-setup my Google Authenticator. Hope you have either backup codes or the qr codes saved somewhere.

If you login to Authenticator app from another authenticated device (eg, your old phone or a computer that's verified), you can copy the QR code from there. That's what I did with mine... Had my computer there and took a photo fo the QR code offthe screen.
 

thespot84

Member
what are the benefits of the cable sync over just redownloading the apps and using something like sms backup and restore? always liked a fresh install, I feel like the cable method negates that
 

this_guy

Member
Hmmm... having an issue with MMS on Project Fi + Pixel. Not receiving MMS messages. I use textra for text messaging, and it's oddly not working with any MMS, and I think maybe not even SMS right now. It's difficult to test.

MMS doesn't go through and then it tells me to check my "APM" settings... which I really don't know what to enter.

Has anybody else had this issue?

I'm goin to try using the Google Support assistant if this keeps up and see hwo that works.

It's actually "APN" settings. Nowadays when you insert a sim card the network should configure APN settings for you. Doing some googling I found this link with people having apn issues on Google Fi:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/project-fi/dhDyYLTkuag

The actual APN setting you should be seeing are in this link:

https://apn.gishan.net/settings/os_1_40_android_0_internet_and_mms_settings_for_project_fi.php

I don't use Fi but hopefully those links will help.
 
It's actually "APN" settings. Nowadays when you insert a sim card the network should configure APN settings for you. Doing some googling I found this link with people having apn issues on Google Fi:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/project-fi/dhDyYLTkuag

The actual APN setting you should be seeing are in this link:

https://apn.gishan.net/settings/os_1_40_android_0_internet_and_mms_settings_for_project_fi.php

I don't use Fi but hopefully those links will help.

Thanks for this! Tried out the first options with no luck... Going to reset and then reach out to the built in Google support and see what's up. COuld also be Textra, but I like Textra, so hoping I can get it figured out.
 

Cosmic Bus

pristine morning snow
I still can't get the notification LED to work even after activating it in the configs and making sure all the apps have it turned on. This was one of my favorite things on my old phone, so it's gonna be a bummer if this doesn't get fixed
 

ArchAngel

Member
Got my replacement unit today and it's finally a good screen without dark or pinkish areas. Now I can touch the old one all around without a case. Love the feeling in hand of this monster. My 2.5D protection glas should arrive this weekend and I hope it fits. There seems to be no good screen protector that I read of though :(
 
I still can't get the notification LED to work even after activating it in the configs and making sure all the apps have it turned on. This was one of my favorite things on my old phone, so it's gonna be a bummer if this doesn't get fixed

Try downloading Light Flow and see if that gets it working. It's working great for me!
 
Welp, I see 3 fine scratches on the glass back. I'm very careful with my products. Only thing I can think of is I had to slam on my breaks yesterday and my phone slid across my car gear shift area. Oh well. I bought two cases, the otterbox defender series and the Spigen Rugged. Learn a lesson from me and don't try to go naked with your phone. That may have worked on the Nexus 5, but that won't work on this one.
 

GtwoK

Member
Just got mine in the mail this morning, arrived over a month early!

Overall happy with it. Snappy as hell. I'm fairly disappointed with the screen though. The whites are way, WAY too warm, and most things look quite oversaturated. Wish there was a way to adjust that.

Also - and I'm not sure why this would be - but when comparing the same photos side by side with my OP1, the OP1's screen looks a lot more crisp? Edges look sharper, small text in the background of photos is easier to read. Why is this?
 

Jasoneyu

Member
Just got mine in the mail this morning, arrived over a month early!

Overall happy with it. Snappy as hell. I'm fairly disappointed with the screen though. The whites are way, WAY too warm, and most things look quite oversaturated. Wish there was a way to adjust that.

Also - and I'm not sure why this would be - but when comparing the same photos side by side with my OP1, the OP1's screen looks a lot more crisp? Edges look sharper, small text in the background of photos is easier to read. Why is this?

I think in the developers options there is a way to change the colour balance
 
Thanks for this! Tried out the first options with no luck... Going to reset and then reach out to the built in Google support and see what's up. COuld also be Textra, but I like Textra, so hoping I can get it figured out.

I'm assuming you have already made the change inside Textra settings, MMS, MMS Behavior, and chose System?

I tested Fi earlier this year on my 6p and had to make this change before I would receive MMS.
 

Cosmic Bus

pristine morning snow
Try downloading Light Flow and see if that gets it working. It's working great for me!

Huh, it does work now, but I'm surprised how tiny and dim the light is compared to my old one. It's barely noticeable unless I'm looking directly down at it. Ah well, not a big deal, I guess.. just different than expected.
 

thespot84

Member
anyone used a relatively thin case they like?

Also, anyone know when the daydream view ships? Doesn't show up in my orders or anything

edit: nm contacted google, promo codes being sent out in 3-4 weeks.
 

GtwoK

Member
I think in the developers options there is a way to change the colour balance

You can switch to sRGB mode, but it just makes things look desaturated and even more yellow, like some gritty movie.

Also, I really like the Pixel Launcher, but I wish there was a way to remove the dock. I never use it, and the ability to swipe up from it to see apps is nice, but an empty dock doesn't need to be taking up that much of the screen.
 

andthebeatgoeson

Junior Member
Getting conflicting numbers on sot. GSam battery monitor says more like 7 hours.

Stats via the settings says maybe 5. It's only been 2 days but I'm a huge battery drain. 10 hours and I'm at 46% and will use it more over the next few hours. I turned off live wallpapers. Does ambient screen waste battery since it wakes up the screen with notifications?

Any other battery tips?
 
I'm assuming you have already made the change inside Textra settings, MMS, MMS Behavior, and chose System?

I tested Fi earlier this year on my 6p and had to make this change before I would receive MMS.

It's actually "APN" settings. Nowadays when you insert a sim card the network should configure APN settings for you. Doing some googling I found this link with people having apn issues on Google Fi:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/project-fi/dhDyYLTkuag

The actual APN setting you should be seeing are in this link:

https://apn.gishan.net/settings/os_1_40_android_0_internet_and_mms_settings_for_project_fi.php

I don't use Fi but hopefully those links will help.

Thanks for the info... Seems to actually be that I need an update sim. I went from the Nexus 6 -> Pixel XL, whcih requires an updated Sim card. Apparently this was common when going from the Nexus 6 -> Nexus 6P, but because I went from the N6 -> Pixel I didn't see that notification. Googie is sending me one and should hopefully get it by this weekend.

When I ordered the phone it had an option to come with a free sim but I didn't think about it because I had my N6 sim already... Looks like I needed it!
 

JambiBum

Member
Does anyone know if you can remove the google search widget that comes pre installed? I know that you can stop the phone from bringing up the google menu when you swipe left in settings, but I can't seem to remove the dumb widget.

Also, does anyone know if you can customize what settings show up in the notification bar when you pull down? I know you can long pull to get more, but I want the option to turn the location setting on and off there but there doesn't seem to be a way (unless I'm missing it) to customize what settings can go in the bar.
 

northead

Member
Does anyone know if you can remove the google search widget that comes pre installed? I know that you can stop the phone from bringing up the google menu when you swipe left in settings, but I can't seem to remove the dumb widget.

Also, does anyone know if you can customize what settings show up in the notification bar when you pull down? I know you can long pull to get more, but I want the option to turn the location setting on and off there but there doesn't seem to be a way (unless I'm missing it) to customize what settings can go in the bar.

You can't remove it on the stock Pixel Launcher, but I would suggest that you give Nova or most of all Action a spin — they're just infinitely better launchers, which would indeed allow you to get rid of it.

As far as the toggles go, I'm not sure you'll find the one you're looking for, but this app could help.

EDIT_ Forget it; I got it all wrong. If you want them to show up in the main bar, you just need to drag them in the top panel (swipe down twice, then hit the pencil icon at the top right) and make sure that it's one of the first six. That app still has more tiles you can add, though.
 

highrider

Banned
I'm about to upgrade and it's between this and the 7+. I prefer android but I've never really used apple phones that much. The only thing really giving me pause on the pixel is the lack of water resistance. I feel like a top end phone should have that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom