The Google Pixel 3 Is a Very Good Phone. But Maybe Phones Have Gone Too Far

[tempestn]

From the actual review the article links to, I've got to say, this is pretty cool:

Super Res Zoom is Google’s software that aims to make up for the missing telephoto lens. The machine learning–powered feature makes photos taken with digital zoom look better. Typically, photos taken with optical zoom are higher resolution, while digitally zoomed photos look grainy and blurry.

Here’s how it works: Whenever you take a photo, your hand is never perfectly still. It moves ever so slightly. Super Res Zoom uses those hand vibrations to capture the image from slightly different angles to get more information from that scene. Those angles are used to make digitally zoomed-in photos appear more detailed and higher resolution.

[diggernet]

Sounds great for a static scene, but it's bound to cause problems when zooming in on moving subjects.

[basch]

It's nothing new. Hydra has done it for years and years.

https://creaceed.com/ihydra/specs

It can merge up to 50 images to create either a giant picture, or a zoomed picture.

[dplgk]

Seems this tech could be applied to any phone but I suppose it'll only be applied to the pixel 3. Not my pixel 2.

[whorleater]

I really don't know how to feel about this article, because it's barely a review of a phone, and more of a review of phone culture. The actual review of a phone is only a smidge more than a press release ("call screening is cool! cameras are good!"), but then it makes some nice digressions into phone culture, yet never seems to reach a satisfying conclusion?

I suppose this says something about the state of phones where "reviews" can basically be anything cause all smartphones are pretty much the same now.

[faitswulff]

This piece shouldn't be read as just a review. I see it as a commentary on how mundane tech can be while simultaneously undermining the fabric of society.

[WillPostForFood]

The Google Assistant call screening sounds really interesting. I probably get 10 spam/scam calls for every legit call. I'm curious how it will work, or if telemarketers will end up gaming the assistant. This is the first feature since 2007 that would get me to consider switching from iPhone.

[keyle]

Someone was forced to write a review for a phone, but felt like having an op-ed about the philosophical impact that our phones has on us? Fun read though.

[Chazprime]

This is certainly one of the most bizarre hardware reviews I’ve read, including this rather bombastic claim:

Our phones are radicalizing and dividing society

Perhaps the title of this piece should be changed:

“Google Pixel 3, I literally can’t even”

[carbonatedmilk]

I didn't know https://twitter.com/nihilist_arbys was doing phone reviews now too.

[confutio]

This is a bizarre review that goes from "fire and brimstone smartphones are causing genocides" to complaining that the back scratches easily. Not really sure what it adds. It also doesn't touch on the new wellness and privacy features that are being added to a lot of modern phones.

[redial]

I would say it is not what it adds, but what it expresses without attempting anything else than having those words read. It echoes the disconnect a lot of us feel between the power of a world-changing-device with what is being used for, embodied I think in what I often read here on HN comments: "This era has produced the smartest (or more knowledgeable) and wealthiest people in the history of humanity an what are they doing? trying to make you click on ads."

The smartphone has reached maturity and very little more can be said that hasn't been said about the technology inside of it so maybe it's time we take a step back and rethink the place of it in our society, or maybe not or not yet. The value of at least asking that question is what I took from the article.

In other words, it is more a "review" not of the phone but of the people using it.

[sAbakumoff]

i mean just turn off notifications.