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Google Pixel (OT)
- Thread starter OriginalThinking
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With the Verizon deal and my contract freshly expired, I'm debating whether to pick up the Pixel or wait for next year's design.
My main reservations are the boring design (those bezels...), lack of OIS and lack of waterproofing.
Haven't played with one in person yet, maybe that'll move me one way or the other.
Bummer that there doesn't seem to be a deal on the 128gb model anywhere other than Verizon. I'd prefer an unlocked bootloader.
Thoughts, Pixel owners?
My main reservations are the boring design (those bezels...), lack of OIS and lack of waterproofing.
Haven't played with one in person yet, maybe that'll move me one way or the other.
Bummer that there doesn't seem to be a deal on the 128gb model anywhere other than Verizon. I'd prefer an unlocked bootloader.
Thoughts, Pixel owners?
ronaldthump
Member
With the Verizon deal and my contract freshly expired, I'm debating whether to pick up the Pixel or wait for next year's design.
My main reservations are the boring design (those bezels...), lack of OIS and lack of waterproofing.
Haven't played with one in person yet, maybe that'll move me one way or the other.
Bummer that there doesn't seem to be a deal on the 128gb model anywhere other than Verizon. I'd prefer an unlocked bootloader.
Thoughts, Pixel owners?
dont own a pixel but I've had multiple phones over the years and have never had to need a waterproof phone. I think people tend to fuck up their phones by dropping it then getting it wet.
dont own a pixel but I've had multiple phones over the years and have never had to need a waterproof phone. I think people tend to fuck up their phones by dropping it then getting it wet.
Yeah, you're right. I listed those concerns in descending order, though - I really wish it had smaller bezels, and for the price it seems like it should have OIS. Not to mention the so-so battery life on the 5" model.
Then again, those fast, fast Google updates are why I'm not even considering any other phone. I used to trust Motorola for those things but then it took way too long for things to trickle down to my Droid Turbo, which is a shame because I generally like the user experience on Motorola phones.
osiris3355
Banned
Yeah, you're right. I listed those concerns in descending order, though - I really wish it had smaller bezels, and for the price it seems like it should have OIS. Not to mention the so-so battery life on the 5" model.
Then again, those fast, fast Google updates are why I'm not even considering any other phone. I used to trust Motorola for those things but then it took way too long for things to trickle down to my Droid Turbo, which is a shame because I generally like the user experience on Motorola phones.
What so-so battery life? I own the regular pixel. This phone is fantastic and so is the battery life.
It's crazy how people will dwell on things on paper without even using the device. It's the user experience that makes the pixel so great. Not bullet points.
I saw some reviews that mentioned so-so battery life, and I suppose I'm just paranoid about it because my Droid Turbo and its mighty 3900mah battery began to regularly run into the red after just one day of use once I'd had the phone for a few months.What so-so battery life? I own the regular pixel. This phone is fantastic and so is the battery life.
It's crazy how people will dwell on things on paper without even using the device. It's the user experience that makes the pixel so great. Not bullet points.
I wonder whether that's a matter of software optimization, in which case the Pixel hopefully won't deteriorate so much over time, or the lifespan of a rechargeable battery, in which case within a year the Pixel would become a charge-twice-a-day phone.
Regardless, I'm going to stop into Verizon to get some hands on with the Pixel.
osiris3355
Banned
I saw some reviews that mentioned so-so battery life, and I suppose I'm just paranoid about it because my Droid Turbo and its mighty 3900mah battery began to regularly run into the red after just one day of use once I'd had the phone for a few months.
I wonder whether that's a matter of software optimization, in which case the Pixel hopefully won't deteriorate so much over time, or the lifespan of a rechargeable battery, in which case within a year the Pixel would become a charge-twice-a-day phone.
Yeah a turbo will sway your opinion on what's normal battery life quite a bit.
My coworker went from turbo to pixel and he said battery wasn't too much different due to the pixel handling standby usage better.
I'm guessing the turbo bets better screen on time though but who knows.
andthebeatgoeson
Junior Member
I wonder if the Pixel will function like a droid turbo. I only bought that phone due to the battery and all these phones get worse over time. We shall see.
Going from the droid turbo one, I'm getting about a day's worth. I also am using the phone more. Give me more battery and I'll just use it longer. More browsing. I need an 5000 mah battery. And would love it.
Going from the droid turbo one, I'm getting about a day's worth. I also am using the phone more. Give me more battery and I'll just use it longer. More browsing. I need an 5000 mah battery. And would love it.
Even if what you get out of a full charge degrades over time, between the excellent standby power management and quick charging the Pixel has easily the best battery use I've personally experienced. I find the standard usage drain to be very good to excellent currently as well, and I'm on the 5". As mentioned earlier in the thread, it's just not something I have to worry about anymore.
Edit: Aside from Daydream, which I've been messing with the past few days. That chews through power and heats up the phone right quick, but it's still pretty damn cool. A closer approximation to PC hardware than I expected, at least for the initial "holy shit" moment from folks that haven't tried VR yet.
Edit: Aside from Daydream, which I've been messing with the past few days. That chews through power and heats up the phone right quick, but it's still pretty damn cool. A closer approximation to PC hardware than I expected, at least for the initial "holy shit" moment from folks that haven't tried VR yet.
Fantastical
Death Prophet
I have no complaints about the battery. Better than my 6S ever was.
DavionStriker
Member
No doubt Google native cases are the best, but how durable are they? My 6 year old is good with my phones, but my 15 month old cracked my screen on my old phone. I need an OtterBox type case.
Any impressions?
Any impressions?
Arrowgigantic
Member
How about just keeping the phone away from the toddler?Any impressions?
Not really. Get a TPU case and screen protector and you'll be fine. Diztronic has a perfect fit and costs $10.No doubt Google native cases are the best, but how durable are they? My 6 year old is good with my phones, but my 15 month old cracked my screen on my old phone. I need an OtterBox type case.
Any impressions?
No doubt Google native cases are the best, but how durable are they? My 6 year old is good with my phones, but my 15 month old cracked my screen on my old phone. I need an OtterBox type case.
Any impressions?
I had an OtterBox commuter on my old phone. It is pretty toddler proof. It's been chucked and dropped dozens of times.
Lol. You're not a parent, are you?How about just keeping the phone away from the toddler?
Arrowgigantic
Member
Lol. You're not a parent, are you?
Yeah, I am actually.
You've never had a time where a toddler gets something they shouldn't, like keys or a wallet or anything?Yeah, I am actually.
Arrowgigantic
Member
You've never had a time where a toddler gets something they shouldn't, like keys or a wallet or anything?
Nope, I've always kept that and my phone in my pocket. Hope you're not a gun owner, hahaha.
I did have only one kid, though, maybe if she had an accomplice she'd have been successful.
Violence Jack
Member
I just traded in my Galaxy S6 today for a 32 GB Pixel. I didn't even know about these phones until this past week, and my S6 started having problems with freezing/locking up constantly. Apparently, I wasn't the only one with this problem, as there seemed to be lots of people turning in their S6s. With the trade in credit I got from Verizon, the Pixel ended up being free. I haven't gotten to play around with it much, but I can already see the benefits in having this over a Sumsung, and I love that I can just upload pictures to Google Photos and have it not eat up the storage space. And the Google assistant blows away Siri like its nothing.
Got my free Daydream. Haven't tried mobile VR before so can't really compare to Gear. I have had a DK2 and currently own a Vive and PSVR. While those higher end experiences probably influence me I felt very similarly about DK2 way back then.
Pro's
Simple and easy to setup.
Smart use of flat shading to make appealing visuals that perform well.
Input is included.
One of the higher resolutions out there for VR.
lightweight
Cons
Fake positional tracking of controller is real lame.
Lack of positional tracking in my opinion makes this kind of VR pointless.
warping effect when turning is really pronounced and distracting. A real deal breaker for me. Not sure i'll every really play with this thing again.
Unless you get these things free I just can't recommend anything other than Vive right now, and in that case just barely. Especially since we are talking a pretty penny. Give it a couple years.
Pro's
Simple and easy to setup.
Smart use of flat shading to make appealing visuals that perform well.
Input is included.
One of the higher resolutions out there for VR.
lightweight
Cons
Fake positional tracking of controller is real lame.
Lack of positional tracking in my opinion makes this kind of VR pointless.
warping effect when turning is really pronounced and distracting. A real deal breaker for me. Not sure i'll every really play with this thing again.
Unless you get these things free I just can't recommend anything other than Vive right now, and in that case just barely. Especially since we are talking a pretty penny. Give it a couple years.
thesoapster
Member
The audio hardware in the Pixel must be pretty good. Music playback through my mixer when I play my Roland V-Drums is perfect. I had been using my old Galaxy Nexus for this. The following phones didn't work right:
Galaxy S4
LG G3
Nexus 6P
Galaxy S4
LG G3
Nexus 6P
Fulminator
Member
Got the phone yesterday and loving it
Super fast and I love the screen
Super fast and I love the screen
With the Verizon deal and my contract freshly expired, I'm debating whether to pick up the Pixel or wait for next year's design.
My main reservations are the boring design (those bezels...), lack of OIS and lack of waterproofing.
Haven't played with one in person yet, maybe that'll move me one way or the other.
Bummer that there doesn't seem to be a deal on the 128gb model anywhere other than Verizon. I'd prefer an unlocked bootloader.
Thoughts, Pixel owners?
I can tell you for sure that the lack of OIS is no issue whatsoever. Google's image processing really does take care of everything. I previously had the S7, which does have OIS and I consistently get better shots on my Pixel.
ChronotriggerJM
Member
One thing I can't stress enough in terms of lack of OIS, is to just stabilize the camera on something when it comes to low light shots. Even if your phone has it, you should stabilize, the sensors are just too small for decent low light photography.
DavionStriker
Member
How about just keeping the phone away from the toddler?
Oh ye without kids
Two Pixel notes from the holiday weekend. First, I accidentally dropped mine into a piping hot crock pot full of creamed corn on Thanksgiving day. The phone was upright and was probably 75% submerged. I rinsed it off in the sink and cleaned creamed corn gunk out of the charging port and speaker/mic ports and it seems to be just fine. Second, I unplugged the phone the next morning (Fri) at around 8 AM and didn't plug it back in until about 1:30 this morning and I still had 29% battery (2.5 SoT). Good durability and battery.
andthebeatgoeson
Junior Member
My cell service keeps dropping. Over the past few weeks, it's gotten worse. It'll drop as soon as the call connects.
That's not a pixel thing, is it?
That's not a pixel thing, is it?
Fulminator
Member
anyone having issues with bluetooth headphones? I paired mine to the pixel, and the headphones give me the connected signal, but the audio is still playing out of the phone speakers
Got my free Daydream. Haven't tried mobile VR before so can't really compare to Gear. I have had a DK2 and currently own a Vive and PSVR. While those higher end experiences probably influence me I felt very similarly about DK2 way back then.
Pro's
Simple and easy to setup.
Smart use of flat shading to make appealing visuals that perform well.
Input is included.
One of the higher resolutions out there for VR.
lightweight
Cons
Fake positional tracking of controller is real lame.
Lack of positional tracking in my opinion makes this kind of VR pointless.
warping effect when turning is really pronounced and distracting. A real deal breaker for me. Not sure i'll every really play with this thing again.
Unless you get these things free I just can't recommend anything other than Vive right now, and in that case just barely. Especially since we are talking a pretty penny. Give it a couple years.
You mention that the resolution is pretty good. I've never tried any VR besides the daydream. Is it actually that good? I found the low resolution really distracting.
The flat shaded graphics were great at alleviating the problem though.
ErnieMcCracken
Member
Are they still giving away a Daydream with orders? Was that for pre-orders only?
Arrowgigantic
Member
Oh ye without kids
Got a kid, she's 8. I've always been able to outsmart her though.
Are they still giving away a Daydream with orders? Was that for pre-orders only?
Pre-orders only.
You mention that the resolution is pretty good. I've never tried any VR besides the daydream. Is it actually that good? I found the low resolution really distracting.
The flat shaded graphics were great at alleviating the problem though.
Resolution is noticeable on every VR headset. This is basically what all VR looks like at this point. I used a Pixel XL so the resolution may be a bit higher than the standard Pixel. While the display resolution is technically higher than a Vive for example i'm no expert on what the phone is actually outputting while in VR. Obviously with the Vive you can supersample and basically force better resolutions, but the difference isn't significant especially with the hardware it would require to get smooth framerates. Resolution differences at this point between the headsets isn't a huge deal for me. It's more about input, tracking, and maybe some graphics settings like aliasing.
thesoapster
Member
I've tried out two clear cases - the Spigen Liquid Crystal, and the Google clear case with the frosted bottom half. I'm sending the Google one back...it's way too slippery over most of the phone - more than the phone, itself. The Spigen is at least a bit grippy.
edit: Also the Google case's button reach/feel sucked big time.
edit: Also the Google case's button reach/feel sucked big time.
Got one yesterday but my dumb ass didn't realize the black Friday deal was only on Friday. I thought it was all weekend like some of their other deals. Oh well.
Still a good phone and I picked up a daydream with it. Holy shit this thing is cool. Not a lot of apps yet, but it'll have plenty before too long. I'll prolly spring for a space app that's 5 bucks that looks pretty cool. The only thing I am disappointed with on daydream is you can't watch vr porn on it (unless I just haven't figured it out yet?). It automatically goes into a home screen for the vr which gives you options for apps and your library. Oddly enough there is an option to switch the controller to your opposite hand. Can't imagine what that would be used for if not with porn In mind.
Anywho it's a slick phone, although there is wasted real estate when it comes to the screen. It's a little smaller than I expected given the phone size. But I like it this far.
Still a good phone and I picked up a daydream with it. Holy shit this thing is cool. Not a lot of apps yet, but it'll have plenty before too long. I'll prolly spring for a space app that's 5 bucks that looks pretty cool. The only thing I am disappointed with on daydream is you can't watch vr porn on it (unless I just haven't figured it out yet?). It automatically goes into a home screen for the vr which gives you options for apps and your library. Oddly enough there is an option to switch the controller to your opposite hand. Can't imagine what that would be used for if not with porn In mind.
Anywho it's a slick phone, although there is wasted real estate when it comes to the screen. It's a little smaller than I expected given the phone size. But I like it this far.
Felix Lighter
Member
My phone fell out of my pocket onto a brick floor and the front glass cracked in the upper right corner. It's not ruined but ugh. I don't know why I thought I could go without a case.
Deaf Spacker
Memb
Can anybody recommend a battery pack to charge my Pixel XL with? I travel a bit and at work we can't plug in adaptors to charge via plugs, I'm based in the UK.
I'd like it to support fast charging and be good for a few charges.
I'd like it to support fast charging and be good for a few charges.
ActStriker
Member
Picked up my Pixel yesterday after ordering it on BF.
Liking it so far. Unfortunately the battery pack I bought a couple months ago only has USB-A ports.
Liking it so far. Unfortunately the battery pack I bought a couple months ago only has USB-A ports.
Arrowgigantic
Member
Can anybody recommend a battery pack to charge my Pixel XL with? I travel a bit and at work we can't plug in adaptors to charge via plugs, I'm based in the UK.
I'd like it to support fast charging and be good for a few charges.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GVBFBBO/?tag=neogaf0e-20
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