14 ms·

Google Pixel: the Android iPhone you've been waiting for

108 points by _pius 10y ago

wlesieutre 10y ago
Nah, still too big. If there's a Pixel Mini in a year and a half when I'm looking to replace this SE, then we can talk. But let's be honest, the product line is a lot more likely to go Pixel -> Pixel 6 -> Pixel 6R -> Pixel 6 Max -> Pixel 7 -> Pixel One -> Pixel X or some nonsense like that.
- gordon_freeman 10y ago
  Pixel Nexus? ;)
- indy 10y ago
  A sub-pixel would be amazing
- technofiend 10y ago
  As a Nexus 6 user it's not big enough and I dread the eventual shift back to a smaller device. So far the Pixel's features and cost aren't compelling me to switch. Particularly since I'm also a Fi customer and their punitive data rates prevent casual photo uploads. My basic use test is activity based: would I take this phone cycling, kayaking, to the beach, etc? Hell no. At a minimum it would need a drybox and I'd be afraid of triggering a costly moisture-related repair to a $900 phone due to some wayward sweat or water.
  - Anasufovic 10y ago
    Ive taken my nexus 6p and previously my nexus 5 on long cycle rides, exposed them to rain, and spilled liquids on them without issues. Phones these days are pretty water resistant, just don't submerge.
- coldpie 10y ago
  I have two phone requirements: stock Android and <5" screen. The Pixel comes so close. If it were cheaper, I would compromise on the screen size. As it is, I just bought a new battery for my 2013 Gen 1 Moto X for $5 instead.
  - oaktowner 10y ago
    My God I love that phone. It's my favorite phone I've ever owned (and I've had several iPhones and several Androids). I broke mine. Sad, sad day.
    - Grazester 10y ago
      I bought that phone in 2014 with a broken screen and was intending to repair it and flip it. I ended up keeping it. That phone was amazing. Voice commands just worked so well. When I was driving and issued a command it would know I was driving and therefore enable the speaker. It also supported what Google now terms "trusted voice"(lets me issue command when locked and it would do it only for my voice alone), something that my Nexus 6 doesn't and for no good reason since the Snagdragon in it supports this. Its too bad the replacement screen crapped out
    - coldpie 10y ago
      Maybe someday professional basketball players will stop moonlighting as phone designers and we'll get reasonably sized screens again.
  - oDot 10y ago
    I recently made StockDroids[1] -- it's still not much but it's a good start if you're in the market for a new phone :) [1]: http://stockdroids.com/ http://stockdroids.com/
    - coldpie 10y ago
      This is really well done, thanks!
    - pan69 10y ago
xd1936 10y ago
https://youtu.be/mOwYlhUbsko https://youtu.be/mOwYlhUbsko https://youtu.be/jJOgF15LLZk https://youtu.be/jJOgF15LLZk https://youtu.be/-FCNA-RwRBQ https://youtu.be/-FCNA-RwRBQ Initial reviews seem really positive. The touch response looks much improved, and that camera is a beast. Battery life looks much better than other Android phones too.
- okket 10y ago
  > Initial reviews seem really positive. Not everyone likes it though: "The Google Pixel Is Too Dumb and Ugly to Replace Your iPhone" http://gizmodo.com/the-google-pixel-is-too-dumb-and-ugly-to-replace-your-i-1787877249 http://gizmodo.com/the-google-pixel-is-too-dumb-and-ugly-to-... The main problem is: It costs way too much and delivers too little for that. To be a competitor to the iPhone at the same price point, the Pixel has to really shine. This is where it fails and is reduced to a lighthouse product for a very special, small group of customers.
  - leephillips 10y ago
    "The Pixel is the first Google phone built from top to bottom" The others were built bottom-up?
  - tomtheelder 10y ago
    > To be a competitor to the iPhone at the same price point, the Pixel has to really shine. This is the rhetoric going around, but I'm not sure it's really true. Sure if their goal was to instantly knock the iPhone off in one generation, but it's not. The goal is to build a really strong and compelling Google ecosystem (home, assistant, chrome, chromecast, all the services that people already use) that the pixel is simply one part of. To me, this is the real end goal, to convince you to buy a Pixel not because it trumps the iPhone on its own merit, but because it ties in with all these other things you use/want to use. I have no idea if that vision will come to fruition, but if it does, then the Pixel just needs to be "good enough" to start taking some market share.
- bitwize 10y ago
  Yeah, the touch response, camera, and battery life may be all great -- by Android phone standards, but they still lag the iPhone. The iPhone is the definitive smartphone. If you have an iPhone budget, you may as well buy the real deal.
atomical 10y ago
I'm still loving my Sony Xperia Z5 compact. The phones are getting too big.
drcross 10y ago
I think it's overpriced. As someone with a Note 4 I don't really see m/any killer features to upgrade to. I half considered the iphone7, being waterproof is a decent feature but I'm not comfortable carrying a phone around that costs as much as a budget car in my pocket. I'd gladly miss this upgrade cycle because in my opinion we've hit "peak phone". A smartphone is a commodity item at this stage. What I do value is not having to work a day extra to afford a phone, those extra 8 hours are now mine.
- flyinglizard 10y ago
  There are lots of incremental improvements that eventually amount to something major, depends on how old is the device you're coming from. Compared to my Nexus 6, the Pixel XL is a major improvement.
  - bbctol 10y ago
    Could you describe how major the jump is? I'm looking to get a new phone, but I'm thinking of seeing if the Nexus 6P price drops rather than going for the Pixel, as they didn't seem that different to me.
    - stevoo 10y ago
      Coming for someone with the Nexus 6 as well, which i am incredibly happy with. I have wondered if it is worth making the jump and getting the Pixel as well. Those phones are mostly the same. The Pixel XL is slightly smaller but offers a premium design and improvements in hardware, including a faster processor and more RAM. Both offer pure Android, but the Pixel receives a handful of exclusive features. At least for me, i believe that i will not switch phone for another year. Pixel is a bit overpriced at that range ( as iphones ). I expected it to be at least a bit cheaper. Either i will wait a few months to see if the prices drops for the pixel or wait for the next year phone.
- toddmorey 10y ago
  On the other hand, my phone is the one device that's always with me, so it's one area where I am tempted to spend a bit more. However, what I'd pay extra for is better stability and a better experience for core features rather than new features. But two new features well worth it this round of phones: Water resistance has been a long time coming. Also hoping unlimited high-res storage for photos in the cloud becomes a standard across all vendors. I know you aren't supposed to trust these services with your precious files, but I've been a horrible steward of my own photos and I'm always out of space on the device.
geodel 10y ago
From my perspective and talking to people who use Android phones, none of them was waiting for iPhone comparable priced Android device. For tech people: it is just assembly of generic hardware components, this time by Google. For non-tech people: it is not an iPhone, so why it is so expensive. I don't think Google is trying to gouge people. It could be that half million sales of a device does not give economy of scale to price any cheaper.
- nevir 10y ago
  As an Android person (and someone who was a fervent iPhone user until the iPhone 6), I've definitely been waiting for a phone without all the usual Android carrier crapware, with a great camera, and not a phablet. Quite excited about the Pixel
  - darklajid 10y ago
    You describe the OnePlus One (cannot comment on the successors after they broke up with CM). The Pixel seems to be a phone loaded with Google crapware instead of carrier trash - and is (I agree with the GP) far too expensive in my world if you look at the hardware alone and want to dump the 'value added services' anyway.
    - the_duke 10y ago
      You get the Google "crapware" on almost any Android device. (contractually mandated by Google) The other crap that the vendors bolt on is always on top of that. PS: I have the One Plus Two. Great device, very happy. Good price. No replaceable battery either, though.
    - Veratyr 10y ago
      The OPO screen is 5.5", which is well into phablet territory (the original Galaxy Note, which was "huge", was only 5.3").
  - post_break 10y ago
    So a Samsung Galaxy S7 U variant?
solnyshok 10y ago
seems a tad overpriced to me. I ordered Xiaomi Mi5s for 2/3 the price
sickbeard 10y ago
Why is the leading contender disqualified? The Samsung Galaxy 7 is still great.. remember the burning phone as the NOTE 7 (and it's more a phablet than phone)
- darklajid 10y ago
  As an owner of a S6E: I'd disqualify those due to unremovable crapware (anything starting with S basically), crappy support for rooting/flashing the phone (ODIN, flash fuse), crappy driver support for 3rd parties (-> No CM, probably never). Touchwiz. If you like Apple, the iPhone is great I guess. If you like Samsung, the S6/S7 series might be great. I'd definitely agree that the hardware is superb in both cases, but would disqualify these devices (in my world, for my use cases and preferences) due to software concerns.
  - ocdtrekkie 10y ago
    "unremovable crapware" like... Google Play Music, Google Play Movies, Google Play Books, Allo, Android Pay, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Translate, et al.?
    - Grazester 10y ago
      Touchwiz > All of that!
    - darklajid 10y ago
      Short version: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I keep that although I don't use it really, no, no, yes Different use cases and all, I guess. The first three are irrelevant in my world (and arguably should be opt in - add their Games thing to that list). You follow with yet another IM/chat/voip application. Android Pay? I'm neither interested, nor do I believe that adoption around here is high enough to use it for anything remotely serious. GMail is something I don't really use anymore, but still keep due to my mostly dormant Google account. YouTube is neat, honestly. Google Translate is something I rarely have a use for. If I need that, translate.google.com works fine in Firefox. Why would I install that as an application? (Update: Only just noticed that you answered in my 'Samsung crapware' thread, I complained about 'Google crapware' in a sibling thread. Maybe we're actually in agreement? I cannot tell if you honestly consider Google's stuff as crap - as I do - or if this is sarcasm)
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ohstopitu 10y ago
I was initially unimpressed by the phone...however after reading/watching the Verge review about it[0], I'm considering it as my next phone (but I'll probably get in a bit later when they have better deals on it) [0] http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13304090/google-pixel-phone-review-pixel-xl http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13304090/google-pixel-pho...
- subie 10y ago
  You should also give the Ars Techinca review a shot. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/google-pixel-review-bland-pricey-but-still-best-android-phone/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/google-pixel-review-b...
- devopsproject 10y ago
  "However, in my short few days of testing, using the smaller Pixel, I never approached the 13 hours or so Google claimed for most activities...Google couldn’t explain my results." http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13310942/walt-mossberg-pixel-phone-by-google http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13310942/walt-mossberg-pi... I'd wait on the full picture about battery life. It seems Android is still plagued with inconsistent and unknown battery life issues.
pjmlp 10y ago
- No replaceable battery - No SD card - Only 2 years updates - Same price range as the iPhone No, that isn't what I was waiting for.
- headhunter 10y ago
  I'm with you. I'm really unclear about why this is exciting to people... it seems like an iPhone that runs android.
  - _pmf_ 10y ago
    > I'm really unclear about why this is exciting to people... it seems like an iPhone that runs android. That's exciting to me. There are some people who highly value Apple's HW engineering but don't want to deal with the closed ecosystem.
    - pjmlp 10y ago
      Except iPhone has 5 years updates.
      - candiodari 10y ago
        And since when is android an open ecosystem ? Ever since iPhones and iPads started supporting sideloading [1] there is zero difference. http://osxdaily.com/2016/01/12/howto-sideload-apps-iphone-ipad-xcode/ http://osxdaily.com/2016/01/12/howto-sideload-apps-iphone-ip...
  - shostack 10y ago
    I tried an iPhone for a week and went back to my old beater Nexus 4 because the notifications were so painful. I much prefer vanilla Android to any of the carrier OSes. To finally have that in hardware that rivals the iPhone plus has some interesting VR capabilities is pretty compelling to me.
    - nicky0 10y ago
mr-ron 10y ago
Preordered mine as a switch from Apple. Mostly because of the Daydream VR line, and I have found myself strongly disagreeing with a lot of Apple's vision. (Lack of VR, Lack of aux)
- subie 10y ago
  Wouldn't be surprised to see Apple unveil something similar to Daydream in the next year or two.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  If you believe Robert Scoble, iPhone 8 is going to have like desktop-grade VR. Now mind you, I don't believe Robert Scoble, but the claim has been made, as if it was fact.
27182818284 10y ago
I'm pretty sure this will be my next phone as it is available on Verizon and I have to get out of the Droid Turbo trap. Having gone through three Turbos (2 Turbo I and one Turbo II) I'm strongly looking to jump away This is an overwhelmingly positive step forward, even if it isn't up there with, say, the iPhone (which I don't think it is in terms of looks, ease of use, app ecosystem, etc) When the rush of orders dies down a bit over the next weeks, I'm going to be placing an order to replace my Turbo II.
- coldpie 10y ago
  This isn't what you said, but just to be clear to all readers: don't fall into the marketing trap. The Pixel is available for all carriers: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/psa-if-you-like-updates-dont-buy-the-google-pixel-phone-from-verizon/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/psa-if-you-like-updat...
qaq 10y ago
The issue is it's hard to imagine Apple deciding to stop making phones, it's fairly easy to imagine google deciding to drop the minor product line or stop supporting it.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  As they just did to all the Nexus users, where last year's phone buyers won't get software-only features like the Google Assistant, just to encourage new phone purchases.
  - lgp171188 10y ago
    All the advertisements about the latest Nexus phones have always been about them being the first to get the latest and greatest uodates and yet it took them just 1 year to ditch those who bought Nexus phones last year. This is clearly a bait and switch imo.
  - viraptor 10y ago
    Isn't the assistant 7.1 only? That's still coming to 6p later this year.
  - eco 10y ago
    Why do people keep saying that Nexus users won't be getting stuff like the Google Assistant? The Long Press activation requires 7.1. That's the only thing holding it up. All Nexus phones receiving 7.1 will have the same Google Assistant that is on Pixel. You can even enable it right now if you want by tweaking a Build.prop file if you running the latest version of the Google app (just not using Long Press). You can also just access it from Allo. It's not some grand conspiracy to get Nexus users to upgrade to Pixel. The new launcher is called the Pixel Launcher (though leaks of it called it the Nexus Launcher). Speculating that Nexus users won't be getting the new launcher is reasonable (though they can just install the APK and it works fine). That has nothing to do with the Google Assistant though. There will be a developer preview of 7.1 for Nexus devices in the next couple of months. Having to wait a couple months to get the latest and greatest Android release after it's publically available on another phone is definitely something Nexus owners can complain about. There is nothing to suggest that Nexus phones won't be getting features like Google Assistant though.
sschueller 10y ago
LG V20 is the phone I've been waiting for but it looks like it will not be sold in Europe. :(
- distantsounds 10y ago
  The V20 is also running 7.0 Nougat, and is available now, which the author failed to mention - in fact, she says the Pixel's the only one running it.
- amyjess 10y ago
  The V20 is just as horribly expensive as the Pixel.
andybak 10y ago
It's nice to see Google totally nail the hardware and overall experience. The camera sounds impressive. The problem for me is that the $700 phones aren't twice as good as the $350 phones. The midrange (or low-high-end) has got good enough that I can't justify doubling the expense. I've got a LG G4 with a faulty mic due to water damage. If I can't repair it I'm seriously considering buying another one because I can't see anything else as good at that price point and nothing that makes me want to spend more.
- sand500 10y ago
  LG phones are one of the most repairable out there. Could easily taken it a apart and replace the mic yourself.
  - devopsproject 10y ago
    Which is nice because it will need to repaired often (bootloops suck)
itg 10y ago
How many years of updates will it get? I'm not spending that kind of money to only get 2 years of official updates when the iphone gets 4-5 years of support.
- tdkl 10y ago
  Two years and another of security updates.
  - viraptor 10y ago
    At least another year. Nexus5 is still bring updated, already past the official date.
    - tonymet 10y ago
      Nexus 5 may get security updates, but it didn't get Nougat
      - viraptor 10y ago
        This is literally the context of the comment I responded to. "and another of security updates."
sschueller 10y ago
Is it just me or did we have a much better selection of phones a few years back? It feels like most phone are trying to mimic the iPhone and that is precisely the phone I don't want. We used to have "hacker" friendly phones with hardware keyboards etc. Does anyone remember the Nokia N900?
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  Yeah, I had basically every Motorola DROID with a keyboard. Until Google bought the company and killed off the DROID 5 which was late stage in development because "keyboards are obsolete".
- darklajid 10y ago
  The N900 was great, but I've basically given up hope for one of those. My favorite was a OnePlus One for some time - it was too big and had some shortcomings, but it was a fast phone with superb CM support from day 1. I flirt with the idea of getting a FairPhone 2 [1] again and again, because it seems a Good Idea and they seem to encourage ports to other platforms (i.e. there were rumors about a Jolla port). 1: https://www.fairphone.com/ https://www.fairphone.com/
- amyjess 10y ago
  I kept my N900 for years and years until I finally broke down and got a Nexus 5 in 2014. I still miss it, but it's just too outdated to be usable anymore.
- jseliger 10y ago
  We used to have "hacker" friendly phones with hardware keyboards etc. There are some in development: https://puri.sm/posts/share-your-input-on-the-upcoming-librem-phones-features/ https://puri.sm/posts/share-your-input-on-the-upcoming-libre..., but they may end up being niche items.
- pjmlp 10y ago
  Any phone that doesn't support the eco-systems of iOS, Android or Windows is going to die, unless it offers some killer feature that manages to have enough sales to keep the company afloat.
patja 10y ago
I subscribe to the WSJ and the one column I have learned to never read unless I want to shake my head at the way the modern media writes tech journalism is Joanna Stern's column. It is tech advice for people uncomfortable thinking for themselves or rightfully fearful they aren't able to keep up with changing technology. "Hey, grown ups, have you heard about the latest thing? Let me tell you how to Snapchat like the kids are doing!"
Sir_Cmpwn 10y ago
I can't even read this article through the google workaround. HN should seriously consider banning WSJ.
- coldpie 10y ago
  Alternatively, you could consider paying for articles you want to read...
  - Sir_Cmpwn 10y ago
    The question is if it's appropriate to post paywalled links on a public news aggregator. Do we want to foster a culture of paying to view the links you see on HN? I don't.
- bitmapbrother 10y ago
  Copy the title. Perform a Google Search. Click the first link. Read full article.
  - Sir_Cmpwn 10y ago
    You could stand to read my comment before you reply.
    - bitmapbrother 10y ago
      I did and it worked perfectly for me.
amyjess 10y ago
I think I'll keep my Nexus 5X for another year or two until the specs of midrange phones surpass it, and then I'll probably go for a Sony or Motorola device, probably whatever the 2018 iteration of the Xperia X or Moto G will be (I favor Sony's hackability but Moto's aesthetic). I'll be pretty bummed to have to leave Project Fi, because it's the best carrier I've ever had, but I'm not buying a Pixel, and my 5X won't last forever. What Google is asking for the Pixel is way too much money. On top of that, I absolutely cannot stand how metal-and-glass phones feel in my hands. I have sensitive skin, and every time I've held an iPhone I feel it digging in and causing me pain. Here's the thing, though: because of the iPhone's popularity, an iPhone user who doesn't like its feel can get any kind of case they can imagine. A simple Google Image Search turns up dozens, if not hundreds, of different leather and suede cases. Searching Etsy turns up options for hand-stitched leather. You can even get an iPhone case that doubles as a stuffed animal, if you really want something soft (seriously: do a Google Image Search for plush iPhone case). The Pixel will never reach that level of popularity. It will never be popular enough for there to be even a quarter of the cases available for it as there are iPhone cases (I'm skeptical it'll have even an eighth of the amount). I also just don't trust Google to seriously make an "appliance phone". Look, Apple is very, very good at making phones that are basically consumer appliances. Google doesn't know how to do that. They've dressed the Pixel up as one, and given it a price and a fuselage to match, but they don't have the experience, and they don't have the app ecosystem. Even their first-party apps are horrendously inconsistent with one another. The reality is that if you want an appliance phone, you should buy Apple, and if you want a hackable gadget for geeks, you should get either an older Nexus phone or buy Sony.
pier25 10y ago
I'd love to buy one if only I could. Still no Google products in Mexico.
meritt 10y ago
Why are new phones so large? I'm stuck on iPhone 5S because everything newer is so damn big.
- tomtheelder 10y ago
  Because people buy the bigger ones. The market seems to have established that the 5-5.7" range is where the money is to be made. Anecdotally, 5" is pretty perfect for me, and using an iPhone 5 is a very frustrating experience.
- nicky0 10y ago
  There's the SE.
jasonkostempski 10y ago
I really can't wait for a retro cell phone fad to be a thing. Remember when you had to replace batteries instead of phones? Manually install SD cards? Type on that hard keyboard? Screens so small they didn't even fill a quarter of your man purse? Now you can live like a double naught! Technology is cyclical.
3chelon 10y ago
"In most situations, I’d rather have the Pixel camera... One reason is the phone’s superior screen. The AMOLED display makes photos look better; even ones taken on an iPhone." What? How does a better screen make the camera better? Also, in the comparison photos, they have shown different images for the Pixel and iPhone. How can we be expected to judge for ourselves based on that? Come on, WSJ. This is just amateurish.
- joshstrange 10y ago
  > Also, in the comparison photos, they have shown different images for the Pixel and iPhone. How can we be expected to judge for ourselves based on that? Came here to say the same thing, it's incredibly hard to judge when you have 2 different pictures. A number of site have nailed this and have the same picture taken with each phone and a slider you can pull across the image to switch between the two phones. All that to say I'm not a photographer and I really couldn't give a shit about the pictures I take. No one has ever shamed me for not having enough definition in a picture I've posted and reallyI'd be fine with a camera from 2-3 iPhone models ago.
  - scintill76 10y ago
    I'm confused... there are two sets of near-identical comparison photos with that pull-slider you described between them, and to my eyes it clearly and fairly shows that the Pixel's colors and clarity are better. Are you guys complaining about the slight differences in angle and camera placement? (i.e. as you pull the slider across, things shift a little bit) It was a little un-satisfying in the sense of falling just short of perfect, but in my non-photographer mind it's plenty close enough to see a fair comparison...
    - 3chelon 10y ago
      Strange... that slider feature wasn't visible the first time I viewed the site. Maybe it got added in later, or maybe it was a browser issue. Thanks for clearing that up, it's now a very good comparison.
stincity 10y ago
Lot of people talking about the phone being too large and I'm sitting here wishing it was bigger.
AdmiralAsshat 10y ago
The Google Pixel phone makes me wish the Google Play Edition phones had caught on, because the more I think about it, the more I realize that's all I really wanted: - The phone I want (an HTC One M7 or M8 at the time) - No OEM bloat - Continued OS and security updates That's it. And unfortunately at the time it had been announced I had already purchased an M7 on-contract from Verizon, so I couldn't well get the GPE Edition. It didn't continue, presumably because it didn't sell as well as they were hoping (though to be fair, none of HTC's phones for the past five years have sold as well as they were hoping). But I really liked that idea: rather than buying the Nexus, which has always had certain compromises (lack of SD card slot), buy the phone you want and Nexus-ify it. After looking at the Google Pixel, I don't really want it: I'd prefer to just buy an HTC 10 that is debloated, not carrier locked, and guaranteed to get OS updates for several years.
jhanschoo 10y ago
For price-conscious potential buyers of the Pixel, the current used-phone market for non-Apple and non-Samsung phones are small enough that depreciation for such phones is rapid. Since Google is marketing the Pixel line as an iPhone competitor, it may indeed have sufficient demand that it depreciates closer to Apple and Samsung than to other Android phones. However, that remains to be seen. It seems to me that limiting oneself to year-old iPhones, just after a new model is released and changing models every year strikes a nice balance between depreciation rate and usability/features.
- nicky0 10y ago
  Year-old new or year-old used?
xroche 10y ago
No QI wireless charging :( Dear Google, I'll keep my Nexus 5
jamisteven 10y ago
Insanely over priced, design is terrible as well. Sony's latest xperia device looks pretty sweet.
- tomtheelder 10y ago
  Eye of the beholder! To me, the Pixel is quite a nice design, and the new Xperias look awful.
gnarbarian 10y ago
My Nexus 5 was my favorite phone. I replaced it with a 5x but I still prefer the old form factor more. The fingerprint reader is nice and so is the camera on the 5x. Google hit a sweet spot with the Nexus 5 in terms of price performance and form factor they haven't been able to replicate since.
a3n 10y ago
I've thought about replacing my Moto X, but the battery lasts two days. In fact I sometimes run out of battery because I forget I'm supposed to charge it. I look at the pixel and nexus and other phones, and I see benchmarks where their battery lasts 7 to 13 hours depending on phone, and I assume those are all best case. I never think about my phone. I think I'd think about it a lot, every day, when I got near the end of my active daytime period, or got home and realized my phone is still charging at work.
- datguacdoh 10y ago
  There's a user over on Reddit who is in Australia and was lucky enough to have received the Pixel XL early. He mentioned that he had low usage, about an hour a day, but is able to get to day 4 without charges in between. Others seem to be saying that two days is pretty easy with "normal" use.
  - a3n 10y ago
    Does he power down, or just not use a bunch of video/audio? My use is light phone/text, and rare email/web while standing in line (but usually I just "be" while I'm in line).
dingo_bat 10y ago
No sd card, no sale.

108 points by _pius 10y ago

Nah, still too big. If there's a Pixel Mini in a year and a half when I'm looking to replace this SE, then we can talk. But let's be honest, the product line is a lot more likely to go Pixel -> Pixel 6 -> Pixel 6R -> Pixel 6 Max -> Pixel 7 -> Pixel One -> Pixel X or some nonsense like that.

gordon_freeman 10y ago
Pixel Nexus? ;)
indy 10y ago
A sub-pixel would be amazing
technofiend 10y ago
As a Nexus 6 user it's not big enough and I dread the eventual shift back to a smaller device. So far the Pixel's features and cost aren't compelling me to switch. Particularly since I'm also a Fi customer and their punitive data rates prevent casual photo uploads. My basic use test is activity based: would I take this phone cycling, kayaking, to the beach, etc? Hell no. At a minimum it would need a drybox and I'd be afraid of triggering a costly moisture-related repair to a $900 phone due to some wayward sweat or water.
- Anasufovic 10y ago
  Ive taken my nexus 6p and previously my nexus 5 on long cycle rides, exposed them to rain, and spilled liquids on them without issues. Phones these days are pretty water resistant, just don't submerge.
coldpie 10y ago
I have two phone requirements: stock Android and <5" screen. The Pixel comes so close. If it were cheaper, I would compromise on the screen size. As it is, I just bought a new battery for my 2013 Gen 1 Moto X for $5 instead.
- oaktowner 10y ago
  My God I love that phone. It's my favorite phone I've ever owned (and I've had several iPhones and several Androids). I broke mine. Sad, sad day.
  - Grazester 10y ago
    I bought that phone in 2014 with a broken screen and was intending to repair it and flip it. I ended up keeping it. That phone was amazing. Voice commands just worked so well. When I was driving and issued a command it would know I was driving and therefore enable the speaker. It also supported what Google now terms "trusted voice"(lets me issue command when locked and it would do it only for my voice alone), something that my Nexus 6 doesn't and for no good reason since the Snagdragon in it supports this. Its too bad the replacement screen crapped out
  - coldpie 10y ago
    Maybe someday professional basketball players will stop moonlighting as phone designers and we'll get reasonably sized screens again.
- oDot 10y ago
  I recently made StockDroids[1] -- it's still not much but it's a good start if you're in the market for a new phone :) [1]: http://stockdroids.com/ http://stockdroids.com/
  - coldpie 10y ago
    This is really well done, thanks!
  - pan69 10y ago

xd1936 10y ago

https://youtu.be/mOwYlhUbsko https://youtu.be/mOwYlhUbsko https://youtu.be/jJOgF15LLZk https://youtu.be/jJOgF15LLZk https://youtu.be/-FCNA-RwRBQ https://youtu.be/-FCNA-RwRBQ Initial reviews seem really positive. The touch response looks much improved, and that camera is a beast. Battery life looks much better than other Android phones too.

okket 10y ago
> Initial reviews seem really positive. Not everyone likes it though: "The Google Pixel Is Too Dumb and Ugly to Replace Your iPhone" http://gizmodo.com/the-google-pixel-is-too-dumb-and-ugly-to-replace-your-i-1787877249 http://gizmodo.com/the-google-pixel-is-too-dumb-and-ugly-to-... The main problem is: It costs way too much and delivers too little for that. To be a competitor to the iPhone at the same price point, the Pixel has to really shine. This is where it fails and is reduced to a lighthouse product for a very special, small group of customers.
- leephillips 10y ago
  "The Pixel is the first Google phone built from top to bottom" The others were built bottom-up?
- tomtheelder 10y ago
  > To be a competitor to the iPhone at the same price point, the Pixel has to really shine. This is the rhetoric going around, but I'm not sure it's really true. Sure if their goal was to instantly knock the iPhone off in one generation, but it's not. The goal is to build a really strong and compelling Google ecosystem (home, assistant, chrome, chromecast, all the services that people already use) that the pixel is simply one part of. To me, this is the real end goal, to convince you to buy a Pixel not because it trumps the iPhone on its own merit, but because it ties in with all these other things you use/want to use. I have no idea if that vision will come to fruition, but if it does, then the Pixel just needs to be "good enough" to start taking some market share.
bitwize 10y ago
Yeah, the touch response, camera, and battery life may be all great -- by Android phone standards, but they still lag the iPhone. The iPhone is the definitive smartphone. If you have an iPhone budget, you may as well buy the real deal.

atomical 10y ago

I'm still loving my Sony Xperia Z5 compact. The phones are getting too big.

drcross 10y ago

I think it's overpriced. As someone with a Note 4 I don't really see m/any killer features to upgrade to. I half considered the iphone7, being waterproof is a decent feature but I'm not comfortable carrying a phone around that costs as much as a budget car in my pocket. I'd gladly miss this upgrade cycle because in my opinion we've hit "peak phone". A smartphone is a commodity item at this stage. What I do value is not having to work a day extra to afford a phone, those extra 8 hours are now mine.

flyinglizard 10y ago
There are lots of incremental improvements that eventually amount to something major, depends on how old is the device you're coming from. Compared to my Nexus 6, the Pixel XL is a major improvement.
- bbctol 10y ago
  Could you describe how major the jump is? I'm looking to get a new phone, but I'm thinking of seeing if the Nexus 6P price drops rather than going for the Pixel, as they didn't seem that different to me.
  - stevoo 10y ago
    Coming for someone with the Nexus 6 as well, which i am incredibly happy with. I have wondered if it is worth making the jump and getting the Pixel as well. Those phones are mostly the same. The Pixel XL is slightly smaller but offers a premium design and improvements in hardware, including a faster processor and more RAM. Both offer pure Android, but the Pixel receives a handful of exclusive features. At least for me, i believe that i will not switch phone for another year. Pixel is a bit overpriced at that range ( as iphones ). I expected it to be at least a bit cheaper. Either i will wait a few months to see if the prices drops for the pixel or wait for the next year phone.
toddmorey 10y ago
On the other hand, my phone is the one device that's always with me, so it's one area where I am tempted to spend a bit more. However, what I'd pay extra for is better stability and a better experience for core features rather than new features. But two new features well worth it this round of phones: Water resistance has been a long time coming. Also hoping unlimited high-res storage for photos in the cloud becomes a standard across all vendors. I know you aren't supposed to trust these services with your precious files, but I've been a horrible steward of my own photos and I'm always out of space on the device.

geodel 10y ago

From my perspective and talking to people who use Android phones, none of them was waiting for iPhone comparable priced Android device. For tech people: it is just assembly of generic hardware components, this time by Google. For non-tech people: it is not an iPhone, so why it is so expensive. I don't think Google is trying to gouge people. It could be that half million sales of a device does not give economy of scale to price any cheaper.

nevir 10y ago
As an Android person (and someone who was a fervent iPhone user until the iPhone 6), I've definitely been waiting for a phone without all the usual Android carrier crapware, with a great camera, and not a phablet. Quite excited about the Pixel
- darklajid 10y ago
  You describe the OnePlus One (cannot comment on the successors after they broke up with CM). The Pixel seems to be a phone loaded with Google crapware instead of carrier trash - and is (I agree with the GP) far too expensive in my world if you look at the hardware alone and want to dump the 'value added services' anyway.
  - the_duke 10y ago
    You get the Google "crapware" on almost any Android device. (contractually mandated by Google) The other crap that the vendors bolt on is always on top of that. PS: I have the One Plus Two. Great device, very happy. Good price. No replaceable battery either, though.
  - Veratyr 10y ago
    The OPO screen is 5.5", which is well into phablet territory (the original Galaxy Note, which was "huge", was only 5.3").
- post_break 10y ago
  So a Samsung Galaxy S7 U variant?

solnyshok 10y ago

seems a tad overpriced to me. I ordered Xiaomi Mi5s for 2/3 the price

sickbeard 10y ago

Why is the leading contender disqualified? The Samsung Galaxy 7 is still great.. remember the burning phone as the NOTE 7 (and it's more a phablet than phone)

darklajid 10y ago
As an owner of a S6E: I'd disqualify those due to unremovable crapware (anything starting with S basically), crappy support for rooting/flashing the phone (ODIN, flash fuse), crappy driver support for 3rd parties (-> No CM, probably never). Touchwiz. If you like Apple, the iPhone is great I guess. If you like Samsung, the S6/S7 series might be great. I'd definitely agree that the hardware is superb in both cases, but would disqualify these devices (in my world, for my use cases and preferences) due to software concerns.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  "unremovable crapware" like... Google Play Music, Google Play Movies, Google Play Books, Allo, Android Pay, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Translate, et al.?
  - Grazester 10y ago
    Touchwiz > All of that!
  - darklajid 10y ago
    Short version: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I keep that although I don't use it really, no, no, yes Different use cases and all, I guess. The first three are irrelevant in my world (and arguably should be opt in - add their Games thing to that list). You follow with yet another IM/chat/voip application. Android Pay? I'm neither interested, nor do I believe that adoption around here is high enough to use it for anything remotely serious. GMail is something I don't really use anymore, but still keep due to my mostly dormant Google account. YouTube is neat, honestly. Google Translate is something I rarely have a use for. If I need that, translate.google.com works fine in Firefox. Why would I install that as an application? (Update: Only just noticed that you answered in my 'Samsung crapware' thread, I complained about 'Google crapware' in a sibling thread. Maybe we're actually in agreement? I cannot tell if you honestly consider Google's stuff as crap - as I do - or if this is sarcasm)

deleted 10y ago

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ohstopitu 10y ago

I was initially unimpressed by the phone...however after reading/watching the Verge review about it[0], I'm considering it as my next phone (but I'll probably get in a bit later when they have better deals on it) [0] http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13304090/google-pixel-phone-review-pixel-xl http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13304090/google-pixel-pho...

subie 10y ago
You should also give the Ars Techinca review a shot. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/google-pixel-review-bland-pricey-but-still-best-android-phone/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/google-pixel-review-b...
devopsproject 10y ago
"However, in my short few days of testing, using the smaller Pixel, I never approached the 13 hours or so Google claimed for most activities...Google couldn’t explain my results." http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13310942/walt-mossberg-pixel-phone-by-google http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13310942/walt-mossberg-pi... I'd wait on the full picture about battery life. It seems Android is still plagued with inconsistent and unknown battery life issues.

pjmlp 10y ago

- No replaceable battery - No SD card - Only 2 years updates - Same price range as the iPhone No, that isn't what I was waiting for.

headhunter 10y ago
I'm with you. I'm really unclear about why this is exciting to people... it seems like an iPhone that runs android.
- _pmf_ 10y ago
  > I'm really unclear about why this is exciting to people... it seems like an iPhone that runs android. That's exciting to me. There are some people who highly value Apple's HW engineering but don't want to deal with the closed ecosystem.
  - pjmlp 10y ago
    Except iPhone has 5 years updates.
    - candiodari 10y ago
      And since when is android an open ecosystem ? Ever since iPhones and iPads started supporting sideloading [1] there is zero difference. http://osxdaily.com/2016/01/12/howto-sideload-apps-iphone-ipad-xcode/ http://osxdaily.com/2016/01/12/howto-sideload-apps-iphone-ip...
- shostack 10y ago
  I tried an iPhone for a week and went back to my old beater Nexus 4 because the notifications were so painful. I much prefer vanilla Android to any of the carrier OSes. To finally have that in hardware that rivals the iPhone plus has some interesting VR capabilities is pretty compelling to me.
  - nicky0 10y ago

mr-ron 10y ago

Preordered mine as a switch from Apple. Mostly because of the Daydream VR line, and I have found myself strongly disagreeing with a lot of Apple's vision. (Lack of VR, Lack of aux)

subie 10y ago
Wouldn't be surprised to see Apple unveil something similar to Daydream in the next year or two.
ocdtrekkie 10y ago
If you believe Robert Scoble, iPhone 8 is going to have like desktop-grade VR. Now mind you, I don't believe Robert Scoble, but the claim has been made, as if it was fact.

27182818284 10y ago

I'm pretty sure this will be my next phone as it is available on Verizon and I have to get out of the Droid Turbo trap. Having gone through three Turbos (2 Turbo I and one Turbo II) I'm strongly looking to jump away This is an overwhelmingly positive step forward, even if it isn't up there with, say, the iPhone (which I don't think it is in terms of looks, ease of use, app ecosystem, etc) When the rush of orders dies down a bit over the next weeks, I'm going to be placing an order to replace my Turbo II.

coldpie 10y ago
This isn't what you said, but just to be clear to all readers: don't fall into the marketing trap. The Pixel is available for all carriers: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/psa-if-you-like-updates-dont-buy-the-google-pixel-phone-from-verizon/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/psa-if-you-like-updat...

qaq 10y ago

The issue is it's hard to imagine Apple deciding to stop making phones, it's fairly easy to imagine google deciding to drop the minor product line or stop supporting it.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
As they just did to all the Nexus users, where last year's phone buyers won't get software-only features like the Google Assistant, just to encourage new phone purchases.
- lgp171188 10y ago
  All the advertisements about the latest Nexus phones have always been about them being the first to get the latest and greatest uodates and yet it took them just 1 year to ditch those who bought Nexus phones last year. This is clearly a bait and switch imo.
- viraptor 10y ago
  Isn't the assistant 7.1 only? That's still coming to 6p later this year.
- eco 10y ago
  Why do people keep saying that Nexus users won't be getting stuff like the Google Assistant? The Long Press activation requires 7.1. That's the only thing holding it up. All Nexus phones receiving 7.1 will have the same Google Assistant that is on Pixel. You can even enable it right now if you want by tweaking a Build.prop file if you running the latest version of the Google app (just not using Long Press). You can also just access it from Allo. It's not some grand conspiracy to get Nexus users to upgrade to Pixel. The new launcher is called the Pixel Launcher (though leaks of it called it the Nexus Launcher). Speculating that Nexus users won't be getting the new launcher is reasonable (though they can just install the APK and it works fine). That has nothing to do with the Google Assistant though. There will be a developer preview of 7.1 for Nexus devices in the next couple of months. Having to wait a couple months to get the latest and greatest Android release after it's publically available on another phone is definitely something Nexus owners can complain about. There is nothing to suggest that Nexus phones won't be getting features like Google Assistant though.

sschueller 10y ago

LG V20 is the phone I've been waiting for but it looks like it will not be sold in Europe. :(

distantsounds 10y ago
The V20 is also running 7.0 Nougat, and is available now, which the author failed to mention - in fact, she says the Pixel's the only one running it.
amyjess 10y ago
The V20 is just as horribly expensive as the Pixel.

andybak 10y ago

It's nice to see Google totally nail the hardware and overall experience. The camera sounds impressive. The problem for me is that the $700 phones aren't twice as good as the $350 phones. The midrange (or low-high-end) has got good enough that I can't justify doubling the expense. I've got a LG G4 with a faulty mic due to water damage. If I can't repair it I'm seriously considering buying another one because I can't see anything else as good at that price point and nothing that makes me want to spend more.

sand500 10y ago
LG phones are one of the most repairable out there. Could easily taken it a apart and replace the mic yourself.
- devopsproject 10y ago
  Which is nice because it will need to repaired often (bootloops suck)

itg 10y ago

How many years of updates will it get? I'm not spending that kind of money to only get 2 years of official updates when the iphone gets 4-5 years of support.

tdkl 10y ago
Two years and another of security updates.
- viraptor 10y ago
  At least another year. Nexus5 is still bring updated, already past the official date.
  - tonymet 10y ago
    Nexus 5 may get security updates, but it didn't get Nougat
    - viraptor 10y ago
      This is literally the context of the comment I responded to. "and another of security updates."

sschueller 10y ago

Is it just me or did we have a much better selection of phones a few years back? It feels like most phone are trying to mimic the iPhone and that is precisely the phone I don't want. We used to have "hacker" friendly phones with hardware keyboards etc. Does anyone remember the Nokia N900?

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
Yeah, I had basically every Motorola DROID with a keyboard. Until Google bought the company and killed off the DROID 5 which was late stage in development because "keyboards are obsolete".
darklajid 10y ago
The N900 was great, but I've basically given up hope for one of those. My favorite was a OnePlus One for some time - it was too big and had some shortcomings, but it was a fast phone with superb CM support from day 1. I flirt with the idea of getting a FairPhone 2 [1] again and again, because it seems a Good Idea and they seem to encourage ports to other platforms (i.e. there were rumors about a Jolla port). 1: https://www.fairphone.com/ https://www.fairphone.com/
amyjess 10y ago
I kept my N900 for years and years until I finally broke down and got a Nexus 5 in 2014. I still miss it, but it's just too outdated to be usable anymore.
jseliger 10y ago
We used to have "hacker" friendly phones with hardware keyboards etc. There are some in development: https://puri.sm/posts/share-your-input-on-the-upcoming-librem-phones-features/ https://puri.sm/posts/share-your-input-on-the-upcoming-libre..., but they may end up being niche items.
pjmlp 10y ago
Any phone that doesn't support the eco-systems of iOS, Android or Windows is going to die, unless it offers some killer feature that manages to have enough sales to keep the company afloat.

patja 10y ago

I subscribe to the WSJ and the one column I have learned to never read unless I want to shake my head at the way the modern media writes tech journalism is Joanna Stern's column. It is tech advice for people uncomfortable thinking for themselves or rightfully fearful they aren't able to keep up with changing technology. "Hey, grown ups, have you heard about the latest thing? Let me tell you how to Snapchat like the kids are doing!"

Sir_Cmpwn 10y ago

I can't even read this article through the google workaround. HN should seriously consider banning WSJ.

coldpie 10y ago
Alternatively, you could consider paying for articles you want to read...
- Sir_Cmpwn 10y ago
  The question is if it's appropriate to post paywalled links on a public news aggregator. Do we want to foster a culture of paying to view the links you see on HN? I don't.
bitmapbrother 10y ago
Copy the title. Perform a Google Search. Click the first link. Read full article.
- Sir_Cmpwn 10y ago
  You could stand to read my comment before you reply.
  - bitmapbrother 10y ago
    I did and it worked perfectly for me.

amyjess 10y ago

I think I'll keep my Nexus 5X for another year or two until the specs of midrange phones surpass it, and then I'll probably go for a Sony or Motorola device, probably whatever the 2018 iteration of the Xperia X or Moto G will be (I favor Sony's hackability but Moto's aesthetic). I'll be pretty bummed to have to leave Project Fi, because it's the best carrier I've ever had, but I'm not buying a Pixel, and my 5X won't last forever. What Google is asking for the Pixel is way too much money. On top of that, I absolutely cannot stand how metal-and-glass phones feel in my hands. I have sensitive skin, and every time I've held an iPhone I feel it digging in and causing me pain. Here's the thing, though: because of the iPhone's popularity, an iPhone user who doesn't like its feel can get any kind of case they can imagine. A simple Google Image Search turns up dozens, if not hundreds, of different leather and suede cases. Searching Etsy turns up options for hand-stitched leather. You can even get an iPhone case that doubles as a stuffed animal, if you really want something soft (seriously: do a Google Image Search for plush iPhone case). The Pixel will never reach that level of popularity. It will never be popular enough for there to be even a quarter of the cases available for it as there are iPhone cases (I'm skeptical it'll have even an eighth of the amount). I also just don't trust Google to seriously make an "appliance phone". Look, Apple is very, very good at making phones that are basically consumer appliances. Google doesn't know how to do that. They've dressed the Pixel up as one, and given it a price and a fuselage to match, but they don't have the experience, and they don't have the app ecosystem. Even their first-party apps are horrendously inconsistent with one another. The reality is that if you want an appliance phone, you should buy Apple, and if you want a hackable gadget for geeks, you should get either an older Nexus phone or buy Sony.

pier25 10y ago

I'd love to buy one if only I could. Still no Google products in Mexico.

meritt 10y ago

Why are new phones so large? I'm stuck on iPhone 5S because everything newer is so damn big.

tomtheelder 10y ago
Because people buy the bigger ones. The market seems to have established that the 5-5.7" range is where the money is to be made. Anecdotally, 5" is pretty perfect for me, and using an iPhone 5 is a very frustrating experience.
nicky0 10y ago
There's the SE.

jasonkostempski 10y ago

I really can't wait for a retro cell phone fad to be a thing. Remember when you had to replace batteries instead of phones? Manually install SD cards? Type on that hard keyboard? Screens so small they didn't even fill a quarter of your man purse? Now you can live like a double naught! Technology is cyclical.

3chelon 10y ago

"In most situations, I’d rather have the Pixel camera... One reason is the phone’s superior screen. The AMOLED display makes photos look better; even ones taken on an iPhone." What? How does a better screen make the camera better? Also, in the comparison photos, they have shown different images for the Pixel and iPhone. How can we be expected to judge for ourselves based on that? Come on, WSJ. This is just amateurish.

joshstrange 10y ago
> Also, in the comparison photos, they have shown different images for the Pixel and iPhone. How can we be expected to judge for ourselves based on that? Came here to say the same thing, it's incredibly hard to judge when you have 2 different pictures. A number of site have nailed this and have the same picture taken with each phone and a slider you can pull across the image to switch between the two phones. All that to say I'm not a photographer and I really couldn't give a shit about the pictures I take. No one has ever shamed me for not having enough definition in a picture I've posted and reallyI'd be fine with a camera from 2-3 iPhone models ago.
- scintill76 10y ago
  I'm confused... there are two sets of near-identical comparison photos with that pull-slider you described between them, and to my eyes it clearly and fairly shows that the Pixel's colors and clarity are better. Are you guys complaining about the slight differences in angle and camera placement? (i.e. as you pull the slider across, things shift a little bit) It was a little un-satisfying in the sense of falling just short of perfect, but in my non-photographer mind it's plenty close enough to see a fair comparison...
  - 3chelon 10y ago
    Strange... that slider feature wasn't visible the first time I viewed the site. Maybe it got added in later, or maybe it was a browser issue. Thanks for clearing that up, it's now a very good comparison.

stincity 10y ago

Lot of people talking about the phone being too large and I'm sitting here wishing it was bigger.

AdmiralAsshat 10y ago

The Google Pixel phone makes me wish the Google Play Edition phones had caught on, because the more I think about it, the more I realize that's all I really wanted: - The phone I want (an HTC One M7 or M8 at the time) - No OEM bloat - Continued OS and security updates That's it. And unfortunately at the time it had been announced I had already purchased an M7 on-contract from Verizon, so I couldn't well get the GPE Edition. It didn't continue, presumably because it didn't sell as well as they were hoping (though to be fair, none of HTC's phones for the past five years have sold as well as they were hoping). But I really liked that idea: rather than buying the Nexus, which has always had certain compromises (lack of SD card slot), buy the phone you want and Nexus-ify it. After looking at the Google Pixel, I don't really want it: I'd prefer to just buy an HTC 10 that is debloated, not carrier locked, and guaranteed to get OS updates for several years.

jhanschoo 10y ago

For price-conscious potential buyers of the Pixel, the current used-phone market for non-Apple and non-Samsung phones are small enough that depreciation for such phones is rapid. Since Google is marketing the Pixel line as an iPhone competitor, it may indeed have sufficient demand that it depreciates closer to Apple and Samsung than to other Android phones. However, that remains to be seen. It seems to me that limiting oneself to year-old iPhones, just after a new model is released and changing models every year strikes a nice balance between depreciation rate and usability/features.

nicky0 10y ago
Year-old new or year-old used?

xroche 10y ago

No QI wireless charging :( Dear Google, I'll keep my Nexus 5

jamisteven 10y ago

Insanely over priced, design is terrible as well. Sony's latest xperia device looks pretty sweet.

tomtheelder 10y ago
Eye of the beholder! To me, the Pixel is quite a nice design, and the new Xperias look awful.

gnarbarian 10y ago

My Nexus 5 was my favorite phone. I replaced it with a 5x but I still prefer the old form factor more. The fingerprint reader is nice and so is the camera on the 5x. Google hit a sweet spot with the Nexus 5 in terms of price performance and form factor they haven't been able to replicate since.

a3n 10y ago

I've thought about replacing my Moto X, but the battery lasts two days. In fact I sometimes run out of battery because I forget I'm supposed to charge it. I look at the pixel and nexus and other phones, and I see benchmarks where their battery lasts 7 to 13 hours depending on phone, and I assume those are all best case. I never think about my phone. I think I'd think about it a lot, every day, when I got near the end of my active daytime period, or got home and realized my phone is still charging at work.

datguacdoh 10y ago
There's a user over on Reddit who is in Australia and was lucky enough to have received the Pixel XL early. He mentioned that he had low usage, about an hour a day, but is able to get to day 4 without charges in between. Others seem to be saying that two days is pretty easy with "normal" use.
- a3n 10y ago
  Does he power down, or just not use a bunch of video/audio? My use is light phone/text, and rare email/web while standing in line (but usually I just "be" while I'm in line).

dingo_bat 10y ago

No sd card, no sale.