4 ms·

I’m still bitter about my last Pixel with the stuttering display (no real-time thread for the graphics), the settings all over the place (I counted 4 different

I’m still bitter about my last Pixel with the stuttering display (no real-time thread for the graphics), the settings all over the place (I counted 4 different addresses for my home, and 1 was deeply hidden in their assistant), and the debug strings in UPPER_SNAKE_CASE in the Google apps, which is unacceptable for a device that is sold to everyone.

nicbou 2y ago
My Pixel 5 is an amazing device, but it's slowly falling apart, software-wise. Bugs bugs and more bugs! It's also no longer getting software updates, and its successors have a laundry list of issues. The alternative is Samsung, the company that doesn't understand privacy nor consent, or Apple, whose phones lack uBlock support.
- otachack 2y ago
  Hold strong! I replaced my 5's battery about a year ago after it started bloating. I usually draw the line though when security updates cease. Staying with the Pixel line is easier but I'm trying to divest from Google in general and moving to a different phone would be a big step.
- coder543 2y ago
  AdGuard has worked well enough on Safari on iOS for years now.
  - nicbou 2y ago
    It does nothing for cookie banners
    - coder543 2y ago
      Nothing? AdGuard offers a “cookie notices” filter, which is presumably designed to remove cookie banners. I haven’t tried turning it on.
- Modified3019 2y ago
  Kagi’s Orion browser for iOS actually supports ublock and other browser extensions. It’s a bit wonky and on iPhones there’s a lack of configurability, for example there’s no way that I know of to bring up a dialog to block elements in ublock, or adjust the settings in dark reader, but they do seem to work well enough in their default flavor. The reading list functionality is less ergonomic, but tabs/pages are more ergonomic imo, and it seems to work better with webpages that safari spins it’s wheels on. Unfortunately it doesn’t help the forced zoom that Apple forces on everything when a text box is loaded, that is then compounded when giving it focus with a cursor for writing (yes, I’ve already tried all system systems that could potentially disable that. Nothing works, Apple’s text input continues to be straight up burning garbage on multiple levels) I’d say it’s worth trying, and sending feedback to.
- dudeofawesome 2y ago
  If uBlock is the only thing holding you back from an iPhone, you can use the Orion browser, which can install many Chrome extensions (including uBlock Origin)
  - NotSammyHagar 2y ago
    how do we know the orion browser isn't somehow spying on you? I want an opensource browser, that's where I do so much financial and other transactions (as well as like bank company apps). That browser should be something like a fully opensource de-googled chrome browser, but it doesn't seem to exist on mobile.
    - freediver 2y ago
      1. It is a zero telemetry browser 2. It is a browser with a users paying for it business model These mean that it is easy to verify any 'spying', and that there is no incentive to do that.
    - IX-103 2y ago
      You're not going to see that on an iPhone. Apple doesn't really allow competing browsers. Even Chrome for iPhones is just reskinned Safari.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- debo_ 2y ago
  I had similar issues with my pixel 3a about three years ago, and I switched over to Pixel Experience. This got me up to Android 13, and everything just works great to this day. I'm pretty sure there won't be an Android 14+ Pixel Experience build for this device, though.
- ranza 2y ago
  Wait, you can install uBlock on chrome mobile?
  - nicbou 2y ago
    You can install it on Firefox for Android. It's one of the main reasons I'm on Android.
  - freedomben 2y ago
    You can install all kinds of extensions on Firefox on Android my friend. Firefox for Android is one of the killer apps now IMHO. Termux, Tasker, KDE Connect, and NetGuard are some others.
- buu700 2y ago
  FWIW, I use a Pixel 8 with an aramid fiber case (Thinborne), and it's pretty much a strict upgrade over the Pixel 5. Only real downside is that it's ~1.6mm thicker than a caseless Pixel 5, but on the other hand the added protection of a case comes in handy.
  - spondylosaurus 2y ago
    Does the case make the candybar-style camera feel less bulky? I'm in the market for a new phone, and the Pixel form factor is really nice, but the protruding camera makes me hesitate.
    - buu700 2y ago
      I personally don't mind the candybar-style camera and think it looks kind of cool. It's definitely not something I actively notice or think about while using the device, and I like that when I set the phone down the entire screen is tilted slightly upwards rather than just one corner. Having said that, if the camera bar is an issue for you, the case wouldn't make a difference one way another. There are cases that are flush with the camera bar to mask the protrusion, but those obviously extend the total thickness to be at least as thick as the section of the device with the camera bar, whereas the aramid cases are more like a few sheets of standard office paper.
      - spondylosaurus 2y ago
        Good to know, and thanks for the info!
- fsflover 2y ago
  Another alternative is GNU/Linux phones.
- doublepg23 2y ago
  You can use "Content Blockers" on iOS, they add ad-blocking to Safari. I quite like the (paid) Wipr one.
TwentyPosts 2y ago
Which Pixel was that? I'm really happy with mine (7a)
alanbernstein 2y ago
What is the problem with upper snake case? That seems like a bizarre complaint to me.
- tlhunter 2y ago
  I think the point is that grandma shouldn't see "ERR_INVALID_USRN" instead of "Error: Invalid Username" when logging into an account.
  - alanbernstein 2y ago
    I read "debug strings" as something more hidden than "user-facing error messages", but perhaps you're right. Of course, a snake case error code is more searchable, so objectively more useful in at least one sense.

nicbou 2y ago

My Pixel 5 is an amazing device, but it's slowly falling apart, software-wise. Bugs bugs and more bugs! It's also no longer getting software updates, and its successors have a laundry list of issues. The alternative is Samsung, the company that doesn't understand privacy nor consent, or Apple, whose phones lack uBlock support.

otachack 2y ago
Hold strong! I replaced my 5's battery about a year ago after it started bloating. I usually draw the line though when security updates cease. Staying with the Pixel line is easier but I'm trying to divest from Google in general and moving to a different phone would be a big step.
coder543 2y ago
AdGuard has worked well enough on Safari on iOS for years now.
- nicbou 2y ago
  It does nothing for cookie banners
  - coder543 2y ago
    Nothing? AdGuard offers a “cookie notices” filter, which is presumably designed to remove cookie banners. I haven’t tried turning it on.
Modified3019 2y ago
Kagi’s Orion browser for iOS actually supports ublock and other browser extensions. It’s a bit wonky and on iPhones there’s a lack of configurability, for example there’s no way that I know of to bring up a dialog to block elements in ublock, or adjust the settings in dark reader, but they do seem to work well enough in their default flavor. The reading list functionality is less ergonomic, but tabs/pages are more ergonomic imo, and it seems to work better with webpages that safari spins it’s wheels on. Unfortunately it doesn’t help the forced zoom that Apple forces on everything when a text box is loaded, that is then compounded when giving it focus with a cursor for writing (yes, I’ve already tried all system systems that could potentially disable that. Nothing works, Apple’s text input continues to be straight up burning garbage on multiple levels) I’d say it’s worth trying, and sending feedback to.
dudeofawesome 2y ago
If uBlock is the only thing holding you back from an iPhone, you can use the Orion browser, which can install many Chrome extensions (including uBlock Origin)
- NotSammyHagar 2y ago
  how do we know the orion browser isn't somehow spying on you? I want an opensource browser, that's where I do so much financial and other transactions (as well as like bank company apps). That browser should be something like a fully opensource de-googled chrome browser, but it doesn't seem to exist on mobile.
  - freediver 2y ago
    1. It is a zero telemetry browser 2. It is a browser with a users paying for it business model These mean that it is easy to verify any 'spying', and that there is no incentive to do that.
  - IX-103 2y ago
    You're not going to see that on an iPhone. Apple doesn't really allow competing browsers. Even Chrome for iPhones is just reskinned Safari.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
debo_ 2y ago
I had similar issues with my pixel 3a about three years ago, and I switched over to Pixel Experience. This got me up to Android 13, and everything just works great to this day. I'm pretty sure there won't be an Android 14+ Pixel Experience build for this device, though.
ranza 2y ago
Wait, you can install uBlock on chrome mobile?
- nicbou 2y ago
  You can install it on Firefox for Android. It's one of the main reasons I'm on Android.
- freedomben 2y ago
  You can install all kinds of extensions on Firefox on Android my friend. Firefox for Android is one of the killer apps now IMHO. Termux, Tasker, KDE Connect, and NetGuard are some others.
buu700 2y ago
FWIW, I use a Pixel 8 with an aramid fiber case (Thinborne), and it's pretty much a strict upgrade over the Pixel 5. Only real downside is that it's ~1.6mm thicker than a caseless Pixel 5, but on the other hand the added protection of a case comes in handy.
- spondylosaurus 2y ago
  Does the case make the candybar-style camera feel less bulky? I'm in the market for a new phone, and the Pixel form factor is really nice, but the protruding camera makes me hesitate.
  - buu700 2y ago
    I personally don't mind the candybar-style camera and think it looks kind of cool. It's definitely not something I actively notice or think about while using the device, and I like that when I set the phone down the entire screen is tilted slightly upwards rather than just one corner. Having said that, if the camera bar is an issue for you, the case wouldn't make a difference one way another. There are cases that are flush with the camera bar to mask the protrusion, but those obviously extend the total thickness to be at least as thick as the section of the device with the camera bar, whereas the aramid cases are more like a few sheets of standard office paper.
    - spondylosaurus 2y ago
      Good to know, and thanks for the info!
fsflover 2y ago
Another alternative is GNU/Linux phones.
doublepg23 2y ago
You can use "Content Blockers" on iOS, they add ad-blocking to Safari. I quite like the (paid) Wipr one.

TwentyPosts 2y ago

Which Pixel was that? I'm really happy with mine (7a)

alanbernstein 2y ago

What is the problem with upper snake case? That seems like a bizarre complaint to me.

tlhunter 2y ago
I think the point is that grandma shouldn't see "ERR_INVALID_USRN" instead of "Error: Invalid Username" when logging into an account.
- alanbernstein 2y ago
  I read "debug strings" as something more hidden than "user-facing error messages", but perhaps you're right. Of course, a snake case error code is more searchable, so objectively more useful in at least one sense.