I think they spent it perfectly, up to mmWave, which btw is only in US (and maybe Australia?). They managed to add 2GB ram, double default storage to 128gb, increase battery by 50% and still make the phone $200 cheaper. It's the perfect BoM if it wasn't for mmWave.
Paying $100 more for mmWave is ridiculous. That's a 15% price increase for something that most people don't need or care for. The fact that you can't buy the non-mmWave version in the US is what makes this a really bad decision. The same is not true for the 4a 5G, which is $500 on the Google Store without mmWave, but has a special $600 Verizon-only version you can get with mmWave. So I have no idea why they didn't do the same for the Pixel 5. Instead you are forced to buy the mmWave version even if you're getting the device through Google Store and will never use mmWave.
Meanwhile here in Canada it's $800 CAD ($600 USD), so I'm happy I got the phone for a great price. That being said, if you don't care for 90hz display, wireless charging and waterproofing, 4a is definitely a fantastic deal at half the price.
This exactly. mmWave is such an absurd expense for literally no return. I think it came out that basically they were forced to support it in order to otherwise be sold as a 5G device through Verizon, and that forced their hand. But $100 for a service that literally no one can use? Ridiculous.
I can't understand the series of events that have transpired where literally anyone in the infrastructure and network and spectrum teams at VZW have been excited about mmWave and think it's a worthwhile investment. The limitations on the technology make it functionally worthless. Its performance suffers depending on your HAND position. It's about as dumb as trying to transmit data to a cell phone over IR and about as practical. It feels like they landed the spectrum and figured they could make some claims about insane speeds, and then the reality around its limitations set in and the core technology doesn't have any way to get around them.
At the end of the day, mmWave, by its very nature, will not penetrate almost any surface. How anyone thought that meant it was a candidate for radio transmission on moving devices is completely beyond me.
You forgot to add that the audio quality is sub par with its below the display speaker that makes it unbalanced from the bottom speaker having weaker output, some displays have a slight space between the body and no one can tell how that'll turn out in a year and CPU is throttled on top of being an average one.
Compared to 4a (not the 5G one), you get better refresh rate (90Hz not 120Hz), more RAM (but 4a already has 6GB), more battery, more accurate fingerprinting sensor, waterproof, wireless charge, almost the same camera quality, lost audio jack port, got slightly heavier and a better design and tries to be a higher class than 4a with its price tag when 5G doesn't mean anything for most which sound like incremental updates that should be set with a similar price tag.
Pixel 4a is the sweet spot for me. Small phone for 2020 standards and works just as I expect it to. I really love the casual design and how it feels in hand. I don't like the glass backs or pure metals. I don't want edge display. I don't care about wireless charging (why do people even feel it's necessary?). I would rather have faster cable charging.
I want a practical phone. I don't care much about gimmicks. The new one plus has 3 useless cameras out of 4. They added two flash and extra cameras for marketing purposes. These little things added by the marketing departments only increase the amount you need to pay and make for a worse experience.
I bought the 4a, on a lark, but it turns out I LOVE the phone. I ordered the Pixel 5 because I figured, worst case, I could give the 4a to kid when I get my 5.
I got the 5 and almost immediately returned it. The 4a is just the best spend money on a cell phone for my needs. This is coming from someone who's owned every Google phone since the G1.
I have to agree that the under-screen speaker in the pixel 5 is awful. I don't know where to "put my ear" every time I get a call, and as a result the audio quality for calls is terrible - muffled, muddy, unclear, awkward. Switch to speakerphone and it is like someone pulled cotton wool out of your ears so it is not like the network connection is poor, just the speaker. It has been a pain in the backside to use as a result since day one of getting it, and the times when I borrow someone else's phones I am just blown away by their "HD audio" they get compared to the pixel 5.
What were they thinking. This must have been brought up during testing?! Surely?
Its not even like the full-height screen adds anything really as you have a stupid extra-large notification bar as it physically needs to be larger to fit the front-facing camera in.
Finally, it does not connect to 5G where Vodafone UK says there is 5G on their coverage maps (and yes my account is enabled for 5G). Either Vodafone is telling porkie pies on their coverage maps, or the pixel 5 can't connect to 5G and so is a total disaster?
I was planning on getting the Pixel 5, but ended up choosing the 4a 5G. Despite the name, it's closer to the 5 than to the 'plain' 4a in nearly all specs [1]. Same camera, processor, and resolution.
The 5 supports higher framerate and contrast, has a bit more RAM, and has some wireless charging features, but the 4a 5G has a headphone jack and is $200 less, so...
A bit off topic but google keep their mouth shut on this issue.
I've got a Pixel 4a and my camera doesn't work. (I have to wait 15 seconds before the "viewfinder" even shows an image and then it might update the picture once every third seconds (if I'm lucky) - completely unusable). And it seems to be a very common issue. The ratings on the camera apps tell that users of seemingly all pixel devices have had this issue since recent updates (for at least a month now).
Not a word from google. I have no idea how to even figure out if this is a hardware or software issue.
Nope, but the fact that the Pixel 4a's screen glass is absolute shit compared to any other phone I've had means it scratches stupidly easily. This is kind of known, as far as I can tell, looking at forums, and Google notably was willing to let me RMA over it. Not a damage warranty, straight exchange. There being camera issues sounds entirely in line with that.
I really, really miss my Pixel 3. It was easily my favorite phone. The 4a is simply not a match.
I loved the pixel 1. I used it from launch until it finally died on me a few months ago. I upgraded to the Pixel 4 and was really disappointed. My primary complaint is the lack of a fingerprint scanner, the face unlock is simply slower and less effective (especially now that I'm wearing a mask because of covid). With the fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 1 the phone was unlocked before i was even done taking it out of my pocket. The face unlock will never be able to match that.
Im excited that the Pixel 5 reintroduced the fingerprint scanner. I am strongly considering tossing my new Pixel 4 and upgrading it to the 5.
The subtitle captures how out of touch I am with regular phone users. I'll be upgrading from a Pixel 2, and had a Nexus 7 before that. My purchase cadence seems different than what I perceive to be typical for iPhone users in particular.
For me, mmWave seems like a nice to have future-proofing feature.
And this reads like a sales pitch crafted specifically for me:
There's no squeeze to activate the Google Assistant, no "Project Soli" hand-waving air gestures, and no Face ID style facial recognition. The only thing you get for biometrics is the tried-and-true rear capacitive fingerprint reader, which works great. There's no headphone jack and no microSD slot, but there are two features you might not normally find in the midrange market: wireless charging and IP68-rated dust and water resistance.
...strangely negative review for a product that seems like a step in the right direction in a number of areas.
> The subtitle captures how out of touch I am with regular phone users. I'll be upgrading from a Pixel 2, and had a Nexus 7 before that. My purchase cadence seems different than what I perceive to be typical for iPhone users in particular.
I think the point is, why not just get the much cheaper 4a?
No one will be upgrading from the Pixel 4a to the Pixel 5. Both phones are available now, new from Google. Instead, they're comparing your choices for an upgrade to your Pixel 2.
I'm in the same situation, and considering buying a Pixel 4a to replace my Pixel 2 now that security updates have stopped.
How out of touch you are with tech reviewers :D (who obviously follow each cycle). While there's plenty people buying new phones often (or at least in some places getting them regularly replaced through their phone plan), plenty people do not always go for the newest thing too.
FWIW, I think there are many people like yourself. I'd be curious to know what the "median" upgrade cadence looks like.
Anecdotally, I have a XS, my last phone was a 5S. My parents and SO's parents have 6's, and they're starting to think about upgrading.
I'm personally happy for the revival of the SE model (cheaper, touch id, upgraded processors, battery, etc). That'd probably be my next one, once the XS falls apart.
I've had a lot of Google/Android phones
- Nexus 5X
- Pixel 1
- Pixel 3
- Pixel 4
Im going back to iPhone. There are too many problems w/Google HW.
The supply chain sucks if something breaks (which happens much more often than my iDevices). My pixel 1 mic stopped working, and it was impossible to find parts to fix it (including for 3rd part repair stores).
My wife's Pixel 3 won't reliably charge wirelessly. You have to reboot the phone 1x per week inorder to get wireless charging to work. So you put it down... And wake up to a dead phone.
My pixel 4 had a terrible Chrome problem until very recently. Chrome would basically lock up the system. The gesture navigation also kind os sucks.
Also, the pixel 4 glass really sucks. I had scratches all over it with the first month... Vs my Moto G7 which has none.
Don't even get me started on the new Android TV chrome cast or the 2 WearOS watches or my chromebox that can't have more than 2 BT devices connected (or it stops working).
For another data point here's my anecdote. My wife and I had Pixel 2s and then we upgraded to Pixel 3s. The only issues we've had were self-inflicted. I dropped both my 2 and 3 causing the screens to crack, but they've been fine otherwise. I also still have a Nexus 5 that's currently running LineageOS.
Google doesn't have the expertise or ship enough volume to make good hardware. If I could get a pure Google experience on Samsung-quality hardware, I'd go for that every time.
I bought a second hand Pixel 2XL and was initially thrilled until I tried plugging it in and realised it was immediately turning itself off - hard and fast. A quick search came across multiple large threads which never had a single reliable "it's because of X" reason - all sort of cargo cult solutions posted but really the device charging port seems to be somewhat fried but no official acknowledgement that's the case from Google.
In the end I ended up returning the CEX (2nd hand store) phone to Google who then sent a new device to me. Though I was glad to get it sorted in that way (and do love the device itself - when it works, it works great) it really put me off ever wanting to buy new their hardware fresh. Just seems to have way too many problems.
The consistency of iPhones and Apple’s predictability really do play in to making the iPhone a easy recommendation.
They clearly understand that phones are now our digital lifelines, not a place to be playing around with weird features.
Apple doesn’t sell a slow phone, even for $399. People complain about Apple’s high prices but the real “secret” is that Apple’s previous generation phones that they continue to sell new are an excellent value.
Their manufacturing is basically perfect. Since the 8/X especially I haven’t heard of any persistent hardware flaw and even before then there was not much to write home about.
You don’t have to wonder when the next iPhone will come out or what it will be like.
iOS never changes based on what phone you have besides minor necessary differences between notch and non-notch phones. I once had to ship my my phone to be repaired, and I was able to restore my exact setup and all data to my backup iPhone 6S. Not only did it work flawlessly, the 6S was still surprisingly fast.
Overall, you really can’t get a phone that lasts longer. Even iPhones that don’t get iOS 14 are still getting security patches. You could feel pretty decently about connecting an iPhone 5S with iOS 12 to a network. Yep, an 8 year old phone - I am positive there are tens of thousands of people still daily driving that phone.
Maybe you've had bad luck with devices? I've stuck with Google phones for a while, and mostly had good experiences. Nexus 5X, Pixel 2, Pixel 4a lately.
The Nexus 5X was great, until it bricked itself. Fortunately, freezing it (literally in a freezer) would get it running long enough to get a few critical bits off.
Pixel 2 was a great phone, no complaints. Only replaced it because the battery life was getting painfully low. And the charging connection got really finicky in the last 6 months or so.
Pixel 4a is also great. Only issue is that for some reason, like a quarter of my contacts names don't show up in the text messenger conversation list. Weird, but I can live with it.
Interesting tidbit on camera sensor and output. I forgot how much ahead of its time the Nokia 808 PureView was! Its sensor size still dwarfs the latest and greatest from Samsung - and especially Apple's new 1/1.7 on the 12 Pro Max.
Pixel 5 using the Snapdragon 765G also grosses over the fact image processing is no longer being handled by Google's custom Visual Core (in Pixel 2 & 3). Inevitable perhaps given performance parity, but shows how much of its photography lead Google has relinquished.
The review is missing the point of millimeter wave 5G. The one place you really need that is where there are huge, dense crowds, and many low-power high-frequency cells to support them. Convention centers. Stadiums. T-Mobile CEO: “Millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum has great potential in terms of speed and capacity, but it doesn’t travel far from the cell site and doesn’t penetrate materials at all. It will never materially scale beyond small pockets of 5G hotspots in dense urban environments.”
Yeah but marketers want to sell using the buzzword as if people's network speed will see a new generation. Besides, who needs more than 100mbps on a phone? You don't need 8k steaming on a phone.
This is my first Pixel phone. Price is a bit higher than I think it should be, but otherwise I love it.
I don't want a "premium" phone, I want a great all-around phone. This one is it for me.
Google dropped the ball on the gap issue though. Mine doesn't have the problem, but I'm disappointed that others are having an issue with an otherwise great phone.
When the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was released, I was so sure I was going to prefer it over the Pixel 5. I even liked its photos better in all the camera comparisons-- all except for excessive blue-ing of the sky and the softening of features in selfies that doesn't go away even if you turn off the beautifying feature.
It's just so much better on paper. Faster charging (with separate charger), expandable storage, zoom lens, wider wide-angle lens, 120 Hz refresh, MUCH faster processor. All for the same price as the Pixel 5.
I'd already preordered the Pixel so I figured I'd just let it come and return it after testing both together.
Well, I did test them both together, and I'm returning the Samsung. (Remains to be seen if I'll keep the Pixel 5 or stick with my Pixel 2.)
I really wanted to like the Samsung; I had really high hopes when people said OneUI had gotten better. But it somehow just feels so sluggish. The face unlock doesn't recognize my face a lot of the time, and the on-screen fingerprint sensor (which only lets me register 3 fingers apparently?) doesn't recognize my finger like 60% of the time. So instead of just being able to pick it up and use it instantly like I can with my Pixels, it usually takes 5-10 seconds for me to get into my phone, as I fiddle around to get either the fingerprint sensor or face unlock to recognize me before sometimes having to just swipe my pattern. The refresh rate is 120 Hz yet for some reason it feels like there's a delay whenever I try to swipe through the UI. The camera is good but it bothers me even more than I expected, how much it tries to smooth my face.
Anyway, the point of this comment isn't to be a review of the Samsung phone, but just to highlight how jarring it was to experience all of that after having a Pixel phone that just worked. Even at my P2's 60Hz it feels more snappy than this brand new phone with a 120Hz display and top-of-the-line processor. Granted, I haven't tried many other phones than a Pixel in a while so maybe they're better, but I would just remind everyone that specs aren't everything. The Pixel 5 runs smooth and does everything I want it to well (although it does take longer than I'd like to process photos).
My only problem is that my Pixel 2 also ran smoothly and did everything I wanted it to. The only reason I'm considering the Pixel 5 is the bigger screen and wide-angle camera. So we'll see how I feel in a few days.
I had a 6p and a Nexus 7 (I think) tablet, both were really disappointing and I vowed to never buy Google hardware again. OnePlus has been great, mostly stock android, cheap and reliable.
OnePlus has great software, great hardware and maintain software updates for a decent amount of time. It's what I'd recommend for people who want a phone that just works.
That said, I have a Xiaomi 9T Pro myself because I wanted a phone without a notch/holepunch, a flat display and a 3.5mm jack.
My favourites where the N4 and P2. The P2 fixed the shitty cameras, and now it looks like finally the P5 will fix the shitty battery life. Can anyone with a P5 comment on how it compares. I'm glad they finally realized the 4 was a mistake. And from the reviews/specs/features the 5 seems perfect - but I'm worried I'm missing something. I don't want to keep changing phones, it just happens because there is always one deal breaker built in.
Google really blew it with the camera. Pixels are known for taking amazing shots and that's where they needed to retain dominance. Instead they removed the telephoto lens and stayed with an ancient sensor. I might have upgraded from my Pixel 4 XL if it was actually an upgrade. The face recognition is useless when wearing masks so just the fingerprint reader would have been enough motivation if the rest of the phone was even competitive.
In a world where companies are shipping working 5x optical zooms, and things like the Vivo X50 Pro have a built in gimbal[1] that make the digital zoom usable too I just don't see how the Pixel competes. The software is but that isn't enough.
While I have never been in the market for an Android phone I do appreciate that this review compares Android to Android and did not blunder off into some comparison with iPhones.
It makes it far easier to understand the underlying issues this phone has when compared to other offerings with similar hardware
I have been very impressed with the Samsung's M-series phones. Extremely cheap phones with extremely good specifications (great screen, massive battery life). Also not made in China (made in Vietnam).
The biggest downside is the factory firmware has Samsung bloatware.
[+] [-] ehsankia|5 years ago|reply
Paying $100 more for mmWave is ridiculous. That's a 15% price increase for something that most people don't need or care for. The fact that you can't buy the non-mmWave version in the US is what makes this a really bad decision. The same is not true for the 4a 5G, which is $500 on the Google Store without mmWave, but has a special $600 Verizon-only version you can get with mmWave. So I have no idea why they didn't do the same for the Pixel 5. Instead you are forced to buy the mmWave version even if you're getting the device through Google Store and will never use mmWave.
Meanwhile here in Canada it's $800 CAD ($600 USD), so I'm happy I got the phone for a great price. That being said, if you don't care for 90hz display, wireless charging and waterproofing, 4a is definitely a fantastic deal at half the price.
[+] [-] disillusioned|5 years ago|reply
I can't understand the series of events that have transpired where literally anyone in the infrastructure and network and spectrum teams at VZW have been excited about mmWave and think it's a worthwhile investment. The limitations on the technology make it functionally worthless. Its performance suffers depending on your HAND position. It's about as dumb as trying to transmit data to a cell phone over IR and about as practical. It feels like they landed the spectrum and figured they could make some claims about insane speeds, and then the reality around its limitations set in and the core technology doesn't have any way to get around them.
At the end of the day, mmWave, by its very nature, will not penetrate almost any surface. How anyone thought that meant it was a candidate for radio transmission on moving devices is completely beyond me.
[+] [-] ashtonkem|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] onlyrealcuzzo|5 years ago|reply
(For those of us that don't know)
[+] [-] mekster|5 years ago|reply
Compared to 4a (not the 5G one), you get better refresh rate (90Hz not 120Hz), more RAM (but 4a already has 6GB), more battery, more accurate fingerprinting sensor, waterproof, wireless charge, almost the same camera quality, lost audio jack port, got slightly heavier and a better design and tries to be a higher class than 4a with its price tag when 5G doesn't mean anything for most which sound like incremental updates that should be set with a similar price tag.
[+] [-] eugeniub|5 years ago|reply
You mean only storage. Even the $400 iPhone SE has multiple storage options, maxing at 256gb for $550.
[+] [-] dorgo|5 years ago|reply
It also misses the ultra wide angle camera, doesn't it?
[+] [-] fomine3|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] m463|5 years ago|reply
5G is a trojan horse.
5G is about peer-to-peer unblockable communication.
It's the way benign and dumb devices can use phones to phone home.
Everywhere that phones go will increase google's data reach.
[+] [-] damnencryption|5 years ago|reply
I want a practical phone. I don't care much about gimmicks. The new one plus has 3 useless cameras out of 4. They added two flash and extra cameras for marketing purposes. These little things added by the marketing departments only increase the amount you need to pay and make for a worse experience.
[+] [-] cowmix|5 years ago|reply
I got the 5 and almost immediately returned it. The 4a is just the best spend money on a cell phone for my needs. This is coming from someone who's owned every Google phone since the G1.
[+] [-] mattlondon|5 years ago|reply
What were they thinking. This must have been brought up during testing?! Surely?
Its not even like the full-height screen adds anything really as you have a stupid extra-large notification bar as it physically needs to be larger to fit the front-facing camera in.
Finally, it does not connect to 5G where Vodafone UK says there is 5G on their coverage maps (and yes my account is enabled for 5G). Either Vodafone is telling porkie pies on their coverage maps, or the pixel 5 can't connect to 5G and so is a total disaster?
[+] [-] kyle-rb|5 years ago|reply
The 5 supports higher framerate and contrast, has a bit more RAM, and has some wireless charging features, but the 4a 5G has a headphone jack and is $200 less, so...
[1] https://store.google.com/magazine/compare_pixel
[+] [-] tjoff|5 years ago|reply
I've got a Pixel 4a and my camera doesn't work. (I have to wait 15 seconds before the "viewfinder" even shows an image and then it might update the picture once every third seconds (if I'm lucky) - completely unusable). And it seems to be a very common issue. The ratings on the camera apps tell that users of seemingly all pixel devices have had this issue since recent updates (for at least a month now).
Not a word from google. I have no idea how to even figure out if this is a hardware or software issue.
Anyone know anything about this?
[+] [-] kllrnohj|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] londons_explore|5 years ago|reply
At this point, while you are technically supported, practically no bugfixes are coming your way.
Return it and buy another phone.
[+] [-] gecko|5 years ago|reply
I really, really miss my Pixel 3. It was easily my favorite phone. The 4a is simply not a match.
[+] [-] fourseventy|5 years ago|reply
Im excited that the Pixel 5 reintroduced the fingerprint scanner. I am strongly considering tossing my new Pixel 4 and upgrading it to the 5.
[+] [-] rch|5 years ago|reply
The subtitle captures how out of touch I am with regular phone users. I'll be upgrading from a Pixel 2, and had a Nexus 7 before that. My purchase cadence seems different than what I perceive to be typical for iPhone users in particular.
For me, mmWave seems like a nice to have future-proofing feature.
And this reads like a sales pitch crafted specifically for me:
There's no squeeze to activate the Google Assistant, no "Project Soli" hand-waving air gestures, and no Face ID style facial recognition. The only thing you get for biometrics is the tried-and-true rear capacitive fingerprint reader, which works great. There's no headphone jack and no microSD slot, but there are two features you might not normally find in the midrange market: wireless charging and IP68-rated dust and water resistance.
...strangely negative review for a product that seems like a step in the right direction in a number of areas.
[+] [-] rsynnott|5 years ago|reply
I think the point is, why not just get the much cheaper 4a?
[+] [-] wffurr|5 years ago|reply
I'm in the same situation, and considering buying a Pixel 4a to replace my Pixel 2 now that security updates have stopped.
[+] [-] detaro|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nl|5 years ago|reply
And that's why it's a negative review...
[+] [-] gen220|5 years ago|reply
Anecdotally, I have a XS, my last phone was a 5S. My parents and SO's parents have 6's, and they're starting to think about upgrading.
I'm personally happy for the revival of the SE model (cheaper, touch id, upgraded processors, battery, etc). That'd probably be my next one, once the XS falls apart.
[+] [-] nottorp|5 years ago|reply
I believe that somewhere, out there, there are iPhone users that change their phone every time Apple puts out something new.
Personally I'm rocking an XS and I haven't even considered getting the 12. I have a friend that's still using a 6 Plus :)
[+] [-] unknown|5 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] anonuser123456|5 years ago|reply
Im going back to iPhone. There are too many problems w/Google HW.
The supply chain sucks if something breaks (which happens much more often than my iDevices). My pixel 1 mic stopped working, and it was impossible to find parts to fix it (including for 3rd part repair stores).
My wife's Pixel 3 won't reliably charge wirelessly. You have to reboot the phone 1x per week inorder to get wireless charging to work. So you put it down... And wake up to a dead phone.
My pixel 4 had a terrible Chrome problem until very recently. Chrome would basically lock up the system. The gesture navigation also kind os sucks.
Also, the pixel 4 glass really sucks. I had scratches all over it with the first month... Vs my Moto G7 which has none.
Don't even get me started on the new Android TV chrome cast or the 2 WearOS watches or my chromebox that can't have more than 2 BT devices connected (or it stops working).
[+] [-] hundchenkatze|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] xnx|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] archon810|5 years ago|reply
I actually had this happen and made Google replace it out of warranty (they sent a refurb).
[+] [-] jaymzcampbell|5 years ago|reply
* https://support.google.com/pixelphone/forum/AAAAb4-OgUsBZo6t...?
* https://support.google.com/pixelphone/forum/AAAAb4-OgUs4rkbD...
In the end I ended up returning the CEX (2nd hand store) phone to Google who then sent a new device to me. Though I was glad to get it sorted in that way (and do love the device itself - when it works, it works great) it really put me off ever wanting to buy new their hardware fresh. Just seems to have way too many problems.
* https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/cm9dt9/cex_bou...
[+] [-] dangus|5 years ago|reply
They clearly understand that phones are now our digital lifelines, not a place to be playing around with weird features.
Apple doesn’t sell a slow phone, even for $399. People complain about Apple’s high prices but the real “secret” is that Apple’s previous generation phones that they continue to sell new are an excellent value.
Their manufacturing is basically perfect. Since the 8/X especially I haven’t heard of any persistent hardware flaw and even before then there was not much to write home about.
You don’t have to wonder when the next iPhone will come out or what it will be like.
iOS never changes based on what phone you have besides minor necessary differences between notch and non-notch phones. I once had to ship my my phone to be repaired, and I was able to restore my exact setup and all data to my backup iPhone 6S. Not only did it work flawlessly, the 6S was still surprisingly fast.
Overall, you really can’t get a phone that lasts longer. Even iPhones that don’t get iOS 14 are still getting security patches. You could feel pretty decently about connecting an iPhone 5S with iOS 12 to a network. Yep, an 8 year old phone - I am positive there are tens of thousands of people still daily driving that phone.
[+] [-] ufmace|5 years ago|reply
The Nexus 5X was great, until it bricked itself. Fortunately, freezing it (literally in a freezer) would get it running long enough to get a few critical bits off.
Pixel 2 was a great phone, no complaints. Only replaced it because the battery life was getting painfully low. And the charging connection got really finicky in the last 6 months or so.
Pixel 4a is also great. Only issue is that for some reason, like a quarter of my contacts names don't show up in the text messenger conversation list. Weird, but I can live with it.
[+] [-] spiznnx|5 years ago|reply
On the other hand, pretty much every Samsung and Apple phone I've owned has been perfect hardware-wise.
[+] [-] paulpan|5 years ago|reply
Pixel 5 using the Snapdragon 765G also grosses over the fact image processing is no longer being handled by Google's custom Visual Core (in Pixel 2 & 3). Inevitable perhaps given performance parity, but shows how much of its photography lead Google has relinquished.
[+] [-] Animats|5 years ago|reply
[1] https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/t-mobile-says-5g-mmwave-de...
[+] [-] mekster|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gman83|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] meowster|5 years ago|reply
This is my first Pixel phone. Price is a bit higher than I think it should be, but otherwise I love it.
I don't want a "premium" phone, I want a great all-around phone. This one is it for me.
Google dropped the ball on the gap issue though. Mine doesn't have the problem, but I'm disappointed that others are having an issue with an otherwise great phone.
[+] [-] drcongo|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] _nothing|5 years ago|reply
It's just so much better on paper. Faster charging (with separate charger), expandable storage, zoom lens, wider wide-angle lens, 120 Hz refresh, MUCH faster processor. All for the same price as the Pixel 5.
I'd already preordered the Pixel so I figured I'd just let it come and return it after testing both together.
Well, I did test them both together, and I'm returning the Samsung. (Remains to be seen if I'll keep the Pixel 5 or stick with my Pixel 2.)
I really wanted to like the Samsung; I had really high hopes when people said OneUI had gotten better. But it somehow just feels so sluggish. The face unlock doesn't recognize my face a lot of the time, and the on-screen fingerprint sensor (which only lets me register 3 fingers apparently?) doesn't recognize my finger like 60% of the time. So instead of just being able to pick it up and use it instantly like I can with my Pixels, it usually takes 5-10 seconds for me to get into my phone, as I fiddle around to get either the fingerprint sensor or face unlock to recognize me before sometimes having to just swipe my pattern. The refresh rate is 120 Hz yet for some reason it feels like there's a delay whenever I try to swipe through the UI. The camera is good but it bothers me even more than I expected, how much it tries to smooth my face.
Anyway, the point of this comment isn't to be a review of the Samsung phone, but just to highlight how jarring it was to experience all of that after having a Pixel phone that just worked. Even at my P2's 60Hz it feels more snappy than this brand new phone with a 120Hz display and top-of-the-line processor. Granted, I haven't tried many other phones than a Pixel in a while so maybe they're better, but I would just remind everyone that specs aren't everything. The Pixel 5 runs smooth and does everything I want it to well (although it does take longer than I'd like to process photos).
My only problem is that my Pixel 2 also ran smoothly and did everything I wanted it to. The only reason I'm considering the Pixel 5 is the bigger screen and wide-angle camera. So we'll see how I feel in a few days.
[+] [-] x87678r|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] shaicoleman|5 years ago|reply
That said, I have a Xiaomi 9T Pro myself because I wanted a phone without a notch/holepunch, a flat display and a 3.5mm jack.
[+] [-] nmlnn|5 years ago|reply
HTC Desire (approx. Nexus1) -> Galaxy Nexus -> Nexus 4 -> Nexus 5 -> Nexus 5X -> Pixel 1 -> Pixel 2 -> Pixel 3 -> ?
My favourites where the N4 and P2. The P2 fixed the shitty cameras, and now it looks like finally the P5 will fix the shitty battery life. Can anyone with a P5 comment on how it compares. I'm glad they finally realized the 4 was a mistake. And from the reviews/specs/features the 5 seems perfect - but I'm worried I'm missing something. I don't want to keep changing phones, it just happens because there is always one deal breaker built in.
[+] [-] liminal|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nl|5 years ago|reply
In a world where companies are shipping working 5x optical zooms, and things like the Vivo X50 Pro have a built in gimbal[1] that make the digital zoom usable too I just don't see how the Pixel competes. The software is but that isn't enough.
Just look at the comparison with other cameras: https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-5-super-res-zo...
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/2020/07/16/vivo-x50-pro-...
[+] [-] Shivetya|5 years ago|reply
It makes it far easier to understand the underlying issues this phone has when compared to other offerings with similar hardware
[+] [-] antisthenes|5 years ago|reply
What happened to the actual mid-range? The specs for the current $300 phones seem to be worse than the specs for $300 phones 3-4 years ago. How come?
[+] [-] someperson|5 years ago|reply
The biggest downside is the factory firmware has Samsung bloatware.
[+] [-] mekster|5 years ago|reply