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I think it's got a cute camera, but all around it just... sucks. The battery is even worse than my Nexus 5, and the phone is just ugly, especially in the front, in my opinion.
Actually I like the design much better than the M9, not too worried about the battery, and it seems HTC has finally overcome it's greatest flaw in its camera.
Wish it has a dual SIM function (it's important in SE Asia and developing countries) and waterproof.
Otherwise, it's pretty nice.
I just can't believe they are still plastering a fugly logo on the front taking up valuable screen real-estate. I'll never buy another HTC as long as they keep doing that. At the very least they got rid of the "hardware" buttons... except then they replaced it with a larger hardware button copying samsung and apple. The waste of space is just terrible. Nexus 6 has slightly more than half an inch in top/bottom bezeling combined while these things look like they are rocking 1.5 inches or more!
Not to mention it's looks like a sad copy attempt at newer samsung/iphone styles - hardly unique at all. I don't think the copy-cat ploy is going to work for the third guy doing it. I'd bet money that this is yet another flop.
http://www.xda-developers.com/the-a9-is-not-the-hero-htc-needs-nor-the-one-it-deserves/
Xenosis said:
I just can't believe they are still plastering a fugly logo on the front taking up valuable screen real-estate. I'll never buy another HTC as long as they keep doing that. At the very least they got rid of the "hardware" buttons... except then they replaced it with a larger hardware button copying samsung and apple. The waste of space is just terrible. Nexus 6 has slightly more than half an inch in top/bottom bezeling combined while these things look like they are rocking 1.5 inches or more!
Not to mention it's looks like a sad copy attempt at newer samsung/iphone styles - hardly unique at all. I don't think the copy-cat ploy is going to work for the third guy doing it. I'd bet money that this is yet another flop.
http://www.xda-developers.com/the-a9-is-not-the-hero-htc-needs-nor-the-one-it-deserves/
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Click to collapse
I don't think the design is necessarily a bad thing. It may be emulating Apple, but it's still metal and it will appeal to quite a number of people, if not for the design then for the build quality alone. With that being said, the battery is most likely gonna drag the phone down, unless they can do what the Moto G is doing with their battery, which by the way is larger than the A9.
Also, I hope there are capacitative back and recent apps buttons to complement the physical home button. Otherwise, the home button kinda becomes redundant, even with a fingerprint scanner, because you have the full set of controls on the screen right above the home button.
Using HTC 8 years now but couldn't find new model for me. Like the design but inside phone is not what you expecting from phones these days.
Just to hang for time that HTC makes serious phone I switched to OnePlus 2.
HTC A9
Very bad design, I think they need to change thier concept designer and CEO then they try to find another inspiration like One M7 & 8 and I think they will not be able to do that until they think out of Apple hater Box
bennaye said:
I don't think the design is necessarily a bad thing. It may be emulating Apple, but it's still metal and it will appeal to quite a number of people, if not for the design then for the build quality alone. With that being said, the battery is most likely gonna drag the phone down, unless they can do what the Moto G is doing with their battery, which by the way is larger than the A9.
Also, I hope there are capacitive back and recent apps buttons to complement the physical home button. Otherwise, the home button kinda becomes redundant, even with a fingerprint scanner, because you have the full set of controls on the screen right above the home button.
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Click to collapse
Bad? nah. Sad? I think so. Who needs more of the same thing? It's because they are failing that they decided to copy what they thought would be a safe bet. Personally I'm not even too bothered by the small battery as I pretty much always keep my phones around 50% and up as wherever I am there is usually a place to charge them. Fast charging will make that even more feasible. (Probably their logic)
In my opinion, the fingerprint scanner should be on the back of every phone, like many are already doing, not the front. Or even on the side makes more sense. It should be in a place that is easy to access with only one hand. The bottom of the front of the phone makes it so you have to support it with the other hand while swiping to do it comfortably.
My point is that any capacitive/hardware buttons that can be done in software are redundant and they are especially atrocious when taking up screen real estate. When done in software, the screen can be 1/3 inch to 1/2 inch larger.
When I got my One m7 way back, I thought it was awesome and compared to what was out there, it was. That is until other phones came out that were the same size but had smaller bezels, didn't waste space with a giant logo and capacitive buttons. A clear successor in design IMO.
Maybe it's just me but since everyone can do nice specs, a decision on a phone comes down to smaller things and for me, screen size/quality is one of the most important. The way the front of the phone looks is important, and how well utilized the space is is important. HTC has always done a horrible job utilizing space well so far as I've seen.
I hate it. The design is fine but why? Don't copy Apple just to get a few new users to switch. Stick with the M8 style design with some differences. Bezeless? The specs are not that great. They even removed boomsound wtf. (unless it is considered a mid range phone).
They need to spend some money and get ultra specs. They need a 4k screen, ultra boomsound speakers that are really loud with a pop out speaker like the old HTC Surround while keeping it a thin phone, Snapdragon 820 with 2 gh and 3-4 gigs of ram, a 25 ultra pixel rear camera with Nikon DLSR sensors to bring the ultimate in picture taking and making it the best camera phone ever even better than some stand alones, 6 ultra pixel front facing cam, 3500 MaH battery. Now if they did that, I'd buy that in a heart beat or are these features too unrealistic?
HTC needs to realize people care about what is written on the specs sheet next to the phone in a phone store. People see low numbers (even though the processor may optimize it to make the low numbers feel like higer for example battery MaH) they will go to another phone that has higher numbers on the specs sheet.
I just really hope they change their mind about their design philosophy to me its not a good change, but I applaud the hardware and the fact they have marshmellow running on it already
MsEvyLynch said:
I hate it. The design is fine but why? Don't copy Apple just to get a few new users to switch. Stick with the M8 style design with some differences. Bezeless? The specs are not that great. They even removed boomsound wtf. (unless it is considered a mid range phone).
They need to spend some money and get ultra specs. They need a 4k screen, ultra boomsound speakers that are really loud with a pop out speaker like the old HTC Surround while keeping it a thin phone, Snapdragon 820 with 2 gh and 3-4 gigs of ram, a 25 ultra pixel rear camera with Nikon DLSR sensors to bring the ultimate in picture taking and making it the best camera phone ever even better than some stand alones, 6 ultra pixel front facing cam, 3500 MaH battery. Now if they did that, I'd buy that in a heart beat or are these features too unrealistic?
HTC needs to realize people care about what is written on the specs sheet next to the phone in a phone store. People see low numbers (even though the processor may optimize it to make the low numbers feel like higer for example battery MaH) they will go to another phone that has higher numbers on the specs sheet.
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Click to collapse
I don't agree with you on this, HTC hasn't copied from Apple. But it is other way round.
This is the design that HTC has pioneered and continued to evolve. There is a reason why iPhones and Samsung devices now look like they do, because HTC has a superior design. They always seem to fall short when it comes to specs and marketing.
Xenosis said:
My point is that any capacitive/hardware buttons that can be done in software are redundant and they are especially atrocious when taking up screen real estate. When done in software, the screen can be 1/3 inch to 1/2 inch larger.
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Click to collapse
My point was that since HTC already went with a physical home button at the front which doubles as a fingerprint scanner, they might as well include the other capacitive buttons. Having just one button on the front seems kinda pointless. But I do agree that the fingerprint sensor should be on the side or on the back.
MsEvyLynch said:
I hate it. The design is fine but why? Don't copy Apple just to get a few new users to switch. Stick with the M8 style design with some differences. Bezeless? The specs are not that great. They even removed boomsound wtf. (unless it is considered a mid range phone).
They need to spend some money and get ultra specs. They need a 4k screen, ultra boomsound speakers that are really loud with a pop out speaker like the old HTC Surround while keeping it a thin phone, Snapdragon 820 with 2 gh and 3-4 gigs of ram, a 25 ultra pixel rear camera with Nikon DLSR sensors to bring the ultimate in picture taking and making it the best camera phone ever even better than some stand alones, 6 ultra pixel front facing cam, 3500 MaH battery. Now if they did that, I'd buy that in a heart beat or are these features too unrealistic?
HTC needs to realize people care about what is written on the specs sheet next to the phone in a phone store. People see low numbers (even though the processor may optimize it to make the low numbers feel like higer for example battery MaH) they will go to another phone that has higher numbers on the specs sheet.
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Click to collapse
Dude, first of all, anything that has to do with Nikon sucks. Second of all, complaining like that just makes you look bad.
herzig.grant said:
Dude, first of all, anything that has to do with Nikon sucks. Second of all, complaining like that just makes you look bad.
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I'm not complaining, I'm just stating what HTC needs to do to get back where they need to be. Going this route is just making it worse for them.
Honestly I think it is a dumb a** phone and it seems like HTC is in self destruct mode
MsEvyLynch said:
I'm not complaining, I'm just stating what HTC needs to do to get back where they need to be. Going this route is just making it worse for them.
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Yeah you have a point.
I've used HTC phones basically for almost every upgrade I had. I found their build and quality to always be top notch. What I liked about HTC is that you can almost always unlock the bootloader and go the custom rom route and the boomsound speakers. The One A9 ditched everything to try to get more people to like HTC. What I want is a HTC phone with top notch specs 5.1-5.5" screen, I could care less about finger print scanning but sure whynot, a nice shooter with OIS and a competitive price point and I think they should be able to get back. Sense skin on the HTC is what makes the experience unique.
nice especially the design though I'm not impressed with its built and other stuff. sticking with the N5 ndysf
Best thing about HTC these days is still Sense interface. Stock android, Samsung etc...OS/look/feel is garbage. I remember when I first got the Nexus, the one with the led trackball..years ago. I almost dumped that thing in 1 day until I found the ability to get an updated Rom with better apps/design and look/feel of the phone. HTC was a saving grace. Get rid of Blinkfeed, keep the clean/polished apps of Sense and interface...and put some real serious hardware in the phone.
Only good thing about this is going to be marshmellow/developers and the ability to have all carriers supported and unlocking out of the box in the US. Otherwise, from the forums, you can see how support of the M9 and later variants have decreased over the years.
Don't know. Maybe sell the M9 and try the A9...I don't do much with my phone, and the little I do, I really need a better polished interface that Apple/MS have done well for years versus the Android.
Shoot, been playing with Candy 5 on my M9 which is pretty close to Marshmellow and standard Android, what a piece of garbage interface/apps they still produce Google....pretty pathetic considering.
Unfortunately, I'm on Verizon for the next year...likely jump ship in 14 months and go back to something like ATT/Cricket and universal/GSM phones. Good thing my wife/kids have iPhones that will work on any network already. Just need to dump my VZW M9 and move on with my life...gheez. The mobile/cell phone business is really a joke with many manufacturers, such a cluster these days and so many options, most Android.
Hi, I seen a lot of hate on OnePlus for inserting the notch and I want to bring another view on this.
Whenever Apple announced the notch on iPhone X, it seemed like the most stupid thing ever but after seeing it in store i came to realization that it does make sense. Yes you could to what Samsung have done, but notch also makes sense, you are taking unnecessary screen space on top of the phone and just shrinking it therefore giving you more space for notifications, I don't see a problem here. With upcoming version of Android and the notch support, there will be an option for hiding the status bar so it should still be okay for the users that don't like it.
So in reality you are getting more space on your screen, yeah it might seem ugly at first but it's just a matter of getting used to it, I really don't see any point in all the hate towards getting more screen on your phone...If a company can do this why shouldn't they? I'm not an expert but it might also be cheaper to produce a screen with a notch in comparison to what Samsung is doing. This year will most likely be affected by notches as we already see with other android phones.
manufactures have a lot of space on the bottom side for any kind of sensors and camera !!
There is absolutely zero, non reason to make this retarded ugly notch !!
I'm highly disappointed !!
x111 said:
manufactures have a lot of space on the bottom side for any kind of sensors and camera !!
There is absolutely zero, non reason to make this retarded ugly notch !!
I'm highly disappointed !!
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.
Stop with this lunacy...
Cameras at the bottom are absolutely BS
ugh
Xebeck said:
.
Stop with this lunacy...
Cameras at the bottom are absolutely BS
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Click to collapse
they also have a lot of space on each corner !!
and than also can easily make equal 1-2mm bezels all around the screen.
You know that you can hide the notch, right?
x111 said:
ugh
they also have a lot of space on each corner !!
and than also can easily make equal 1-2mm bezels all around the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OnePlus already addressed this. To keep Face Unlock fast and reliable it's best to keep the photo angle in the centre. Moreover, the OP cam is already not the best out there. They would really mess up trying to handle images taken from the side
so many excuses and you are not even marketing representative of oneplus, aren't you? !!
x111 said:
so many excuses and you are not even marketing representative of oneplus, aren't you? !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can we take this down a step.
Oneplus have made their decision about implementing a notch. They have also been upfront about it and given their reasons why (whether you choose to believe them or not).
As a customer you have a choice whether you are going to buy the phone or not. It's as simple as that...
Sent from my OnePlus 5 using XDA Labs
MrDarkness96 said:
Hi, I seen a lot of hate on OnePlus for inserting the notch and I want to bring another view on this.
Whenever Apple announced the notch on iPhone X, it seemed like the most stupid thing ever but after seeing it in store i came to realization that it does make sense. Yes you could to what Samsung have done, but notch also makes sense, you are taking unnecessary screen space on top of the phone and just shrinking it therefore giving you more space for notifications, I don't see a problem here. With upcoming version of Android and the notch support, there will be an option for hiding the status bar so it should still be okay for the users that don't like it.
So in reality you are getting more space on your screen, yeah it might seem ugly at first but it's just a matter of getting used to it, I really don't see any point in all the hate towards getting more screen on your phone...If a company can do this why shouldn't they? I'm not an expert but it might also be cheaper to produce a screen with a notch in comparison to what Samsung is doing. This year will most likely be affected by notches as we already see with other android phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The more i see it, the more i hate it...and i never get used to it.
So...what i'm gonna do about it? Very simple, never buy a phone with it...
Period.
rav101 said:
Can we take this down a step.
Oneplus have made their decision about implementing a notch. They have also been upfront about it and given their reasons why (whether you choose to believe them or not).
As a customer you have a choice whether you are going to buy the phone or not. It's as simple as that...
Sent from my OnePlus 5 using XDA Labs
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Click to collapse
that's my friend absolutely true, I hate all generations of oneplus phones and I did not buy it but it oneplus phones have huge software advantage like Google phones sketch became even worst than oneplus ones in terms of hardware design.
At this point I'm highly disappointed that oneplus is going to make one more phone with completely retarded design.
MrDarkness96 said:
Hi, I seen a lot of hate on OnePlus for inserting the notch and I want to bring another view on this.
Whenever Apple announced the notch on iPhone X, it seemed like the most stupid thing ever but after seeing it in store i came to realization that it does make sense. Yes you could to what Samsung have done, but notch also makes sense, you are taking unnecessary screen space on top of the phone and just shrinking it therefore giving you more space for notifications, I don't see a problem here. With upcoming version of Android and the notch support, there will be an option for hiding the status bar so it should still be okay for the users that don't like it.
So in reality you are getting more space on your screen, yeah it might seem ugly at first but it's just a matter of getting used to it, I really don't see any point in all the hate towards getting more screen on your phone...If a company can do this why shouldn't they? I'm not an expert but it might also be cheaper to produce a screen with a notch in comparison to what Samsung is doing. This year will most likely be affected by notches as we already see with other android phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not about how the notch looks or feels when you hold the phone. Its about copying someone else. I had high hopes from Oneplus because they were the only one doing something different but this time they just copy pasted the stuff from Apple. I can literally tolerate thin bezels but not the notch for sure.
I'm pretty sure OnePlus has been copying for a while. I also don't see anything wrong with "copying" persay. After HTC went with duel front firing speakers on the HRX One (later named M7), should we have hated on everyone else after that, who released duel front phones with firing speakers??
I'm not making an argument for or against the notch... Just want to point out that in all industries, companies take ideas from other companies. It's just the way it works
Sent from my OnePlus 5 using XDA Labs
MrDarkness96 said:
Hi, I seen a lot of hate on OnePlus for inserting the notch and I want to bring another view on this.
So in reality you are getting more space on your screen, yeah it might seem ugly at first but it's just a matter of getting used to it, I really don't see any point in all the hate towards getting more screen on your phone...If a company can do this why shouldn't they? I'm not an expert but it might also be cheaper to produce a screen with a notch in comparison to what Samsung is doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually this is not true
You are not getting more space on your screen.
The size of a screen is measured diagonally. So It doesn't take the notch into account.
The manufacturers are selling us a 5.8 inch display (iPhone X for example) but the usable screen is smaller than the galaxy S8 which is 5.8 inch too, because a part of this screen is covered by the big notch.
The only advantage I find with the notch is that it kinda looks borderless, the display is going to every corner of the phone, which is cool. But the smaller the notch is, the better ! The size of the Essential PH1 should be the MAX allowed size
What pisses me off the most is the manufacturers that just add the notch to look cool, but that leave a HUGE border at the bottom of the phone.
OK I get it, it's technically complicated to remove the bottom of the display (or to curve it like Apple did), but if you can't do it : don't add a notch.
Although I don't find it very convenient, the Xiaomi method to deal with the bottom border without the notch is the best way. If you absolutely want to keep this big bottom border, then add the front facing camera on this border and don't add any notch.
Okay you'll tell me that the bottom borders are not that big, and I agree it's quite small. But it is big comparing to the other 3 borders of the phone. If you look at the P20 or P20 pro, the only thing I can see is that a HUGE part of the front of the phone is wasted by a HUGE border at the bottom. It's the only thing I can see when I look at this phone.
Anyway, I believe the notch shouldn't just be a temporary solution to get rid of the top bezel of the front of the phone. It should also be a temporary solution to get rid of the bottom bezel. Otherwise the manufacturers should just use the bottom bezel for the sensors instead of leaving it useless and ruining the design of their phone with a notch.
There were fake rumors and fake leaks about the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S showing a notch on the top-right corner of the phone. And I find this idea sooooooo cool ! It's the best notch implementation I can see. And even if it was just a fake (was it ?), I love the idea !
All that to say: OK One Plus, we might accept the notch, but not if there is a bottom border as big as the Vivo V9+ as I'm afraid there will be. If there is a bottom border, then the notch makes no sense. We would want to hide it and we would just have the same screen to body ratio as a One Plus 5T, so we would buy the One Plus 5T and the one plus 6 would be forgotten, just like most of the notch-phone will be.
And I agree with everyone : Copying Apple with the notch is a terrible bad idea. It makes you look weak, and makes you look just like a Chinese iPhone copy.
Damn it, the marketing guys should be thinking about it ! Every time someone sees a One Plus 6 using his phone, he would say "Ohh is that the new iPhone ?". Because the notch belongs to Apple. It's sad but it's true. They made sure that everyone knows that they invented the big notch.
So every random guy who loves the design of the One Plus 6 will just be thinking about the iPhone X and would probably eventually buy it. By copying Apple, you are doing advertising for them !
So that's good, make a powerful copy of the iPhone X. But in the end, only a few experienced users will know that you own a One Plus 6 and will envy you for it. But the 95% remaining will just be thinking that Apple is doing a good job.
I am so disappointed about the notch. I though that One Plus had his own identity, and that they would be able to create an original phone with no notch but with minimal bezels. You proved that I was wrong by getting inspiration from the iPhone when designing the back of the One Plus 5. And now you proved the opposite again by copying the notch...
Oops, sorry for the long post
If you take the presumed size of the OP6 screen to be around 6.2 inches, compared to the OP5T screen size of 6 inches then the extra 0.2 inches roughly equates to the size of the notch and effectively the status bar. This gives you that "extra" space compared to the previous phone they did.
The reality is, if you don't want a notch, then your choices are limited, especially if you're looking at the price point this phone is likely to come out at and the rest of the specifications it has.
It's simple, don't be pissed... Just don't buy it, or figure out if you can trade this notch against liking other parts of the phone. No one phone is the perfect phone for everyone
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA Labs
In the Android "P" Itself there is a "Notch" mode when the core OS has a feature for it the vendors willl try to use it + Notch some people think its beauty and something new in display
2018 is a terrible year for smartphones.
That's it. I'm gonna skip every single one.
Can't wait for 2019
I'm never gonna use a notch in my life. Never.
timartinhof said:
2018 is a terrible year for smartphones.
That's it. I'm gonna skip every single one.
Can't wait for 2019
I'm never gonna use a notch in my life. Never.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You presume that next year's phones won't also have notches?
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA Labs
I pray for it every night
timartinhof said:
I pray for it every night
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Click to collapse
Hahahaha so do I
I really hope that manufacturers will find a way to remove this stupid notch very soon !
Maybe if more people would not buy this notched phone oneplus would be forced to bring down the price significantly. Then I can buy it!
So please, hate the notch and don't buy this phone! I heard s9 is a good alternative. ?
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Wow the Pixel 3 XL is getting bagged and dogged on left and right as if it's the worst smartphone ever made. Yes it could have been designed better for sure. Try to go the more minimal notch like Essential or something, and no bottom chin, do the stereo speakers like the HTC 10, or and the iPhone XS, and Note 9's, do, etc... to allow a more full screen design. Yes give us 6GB RAM.
Mainly in tech forums I keep reading so much hate for the Pixel 3 XL;
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/pixel-3-pixel-3-xl.2106788/page-68#post-26666374
And YouTube channels dogging on the phone big time
But I still wouldn't go iPhone, just not an iOS fan whatsoever. And Samsung Touchwiz not my thing either. So if I hate the iPhone, don't like Galaxy phones and the Pixel 3 is sub par, what's the other options? I wish we had a third option, a Windows Surface phone or something.
Oh well, I still have my White Pixel 3 XL on order, and not changing. Yes the notch is ugly, and more RAM would have been nice, but I still value stock Android, updated directly and quickly from Google, and the smooth fluid vanilla UI, and the amazing camera, and A+ rated display, and IP68 rating, and wireless charging. Maybe I'm a sucker, but that's my choice.
Honestly, I didn't even notice the notch when I was checking out the display phone at Verizon. I love the feel of the phone, very well balanced and light compared to my old Nexus 6. Can't wait to get my phone call on Thursday (I hope) to come and pick up my phone.
I think manly they are charging Flagship prices but not delivering on flagship hardware /specs compared to whats already on the market and instead are betting on software to carry them. Now i love pure android how its meant to be not a fan of all tweaks each manufacture adds to the phone, If Samsung offered a note 9 /S9 pure (ie stock android no mods) i think the pixel would be left in its dust. The Pixel's have always seemed to be a generation behind. I love my pixel 2 xl i know i just wanted something more to go with the great feel of stock android and what not. maybe next year, i have my 3 XL ordered and will use it for a week or two to see if its worth the upgrade over my 2 XL
How would I have like to see Google design the Pixel 3 XL? Well on a realistic manner not some unrealistic futuristic design but a realistic version could have been a cross between like the LG V30 shape and size with the minimal bezels but give it the Essential notch and stretch the screen out on the top and bottom. And then do the stereo speakers like on the Note 9 or iPhone so they don't have to be front-facing, and allow for full display with almost no bezels at like 6.2" or so. And give it 6GB RAM. And a bigger 4,000MaH battery.
At the end of the day, for October 2018, I still think FOR ME, the Pixel 3 XL is the best phone out.
- Stock vanilla Android is my bread and butter OS. I go back to owning the Nexus-One when it was new, then waiting in line for the Nexus-S at launch. I just have a thing for stock Android, all other versions of Android just irritate me, or frustrate me.
- Updates first and quickly
- A+ rated display
- Best camera
- Wireless charging now
- IP68 rating is nice
- Phone can easily be rooted, mainly for the best ad blocking and Substratum themes
No other phone right now interests me. The Note 9 or S9+ ? Not at all, no way, Lagwiz still exists no matter what people say. The LG V40, yeah that's cool, but not a fan of the LG skin, and they suck at updates. iPhone XS Max looks super cool, a very beautifully built device, really liked it a lot, but man I hate iOS, and on the XS Max the OS looks out of place, dated like something from a decade ago. OnePlus 6T, yeah will be a great phone, but they always skimp somehow.
Is the Pixel 3 XL the best phone of 2018 ? NO, not at all. But for me a stock Android nerd, it's really the only option.
Yeah if the Iphone XS Max ran android it would be a dream phone lol IMO ... That said i do think the Note 9 Running stock android with all the software options of the pixel 3 would be a great option as well .
PSA:
Don't read Mac/Apple websites for reviews on Android devices. They are quite happy being locked into their apple ecosystem and will never appreciate the open source model of a pixel device.
No hate here, just wish the display was LARGER......Note9/V40 temp me with their larger displays......but I can't get away from pure google... C'mon google, 6.5 next year!!!
Why the hate? Did you notice that big black malignancy at the top of the screen? What about specs that are less than impressive? My guess is the answer is right there between those two things. Flagship means flagship, you want to charge this kinda money you need some wow factor and the ability to say you're second to none and have that hold water.
These devices don't give me that vibe. Too me they're like the second toughest guy on the block saying "Look, I can juggle!" As to the former enough has been said about it. I personally found my Best Buy experience to fall between what some said. At points when I was busy manipulating the GUI I forgot about it completely. Any time I stepped back from specific tasks the thing jumped out at me, it was like getting mugged with an ugly stick every timei looked at the phone as an object.
Yeah, I'm stupid so I'm still thinking about buying even though I'm not convinced I won't be sorry.
razor237 said:
I think manly they are charging Flagship prices but not delivering on flagship hardware /specs compared to whats already on the market and instead are betting on software to carry them. Now i love pure android how its meant to be not a fan of all tweaks each manufacture adds to the phone, If Samsung offered a note 9 /S9 pure (ie stock android no mods) i think the pixel would be left in its dust. The Pixel's have always seemed to be a generation behind. I love my pixel 2 xl i know i just wanted something more to go with the great feel of stock android and what not. maybe next year, i have my 3 XL ordered and will use it for a week or two to see if its worth the upgrade over my 2 XL
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Click to collapse
I don't agree with this at all. The pixel 3 xl has a Samsung screen which looks amazing (and I bet is par or at least close to what you see on a Samsung phone), it has the latest Quallcom processor, the best cameras and software, same day updates, wireless charging, front facing speakers, I mean, what else does it need to be 'flagship specs' to you? What, because it only has 4 GB of RAM? That's literally the ONLY thing I can come up with, and that's only because many OEM's have stuffed more RAM in their phones this year. And honestly, it's not really necessary, at least not for 90% of people who use smartphones. Sheet, iPhones only have 4 GB or RAM. They only had ONE GB or RAM for a looonnnggg time. No one complained about that.
To me, this is a premium flagship, no question. The hate is mostly the RAM and notch. It's superficial. Last year it was the blue shift. Which, I think that plus the terrible quality control was actually warranted. This year, it's not much to hate on. Either you like it, or don't get it. And you can hide the notch. Either way, I'm excited about it coming today. I LOVE 2 xl, but I'm definitely ready for this upgrade, even though I was very on the fence before I checked one out in the store. My point here is, people are going to hate on something every time. Every time. If you don't like something, don't get it. It's really that simple.
My $0.02
gettinwicked said:
I don't agree with this at all. The pixel 3 xl has a Samsung screen which looks amazing (and I bet is par or at least close to what you see on a Samsung phone), it has the latest Quallcom processor, the best cameras and software, same day updates, wireless charging, front facing speakers, I mean, what else does it need to be 'flagship specs' to you? What, because it only has 4 GB of RAM? That's literally the ONLY thing I can come up with, and that's only because many OEM's have stuffed more RAM in their phones this year. And honestly, it's not really necessary, at least not for 90% of people who use smartphones. Sheet, iPhones only have 4 GB or RAM. They only had ONE GB or RAM for a looonnnggg time. No one complained about that.
To me, this is a premium flagship, no question. The hate is mostly the RAM and notch. It's superficial. Last year it was the blue shift. Which, I think that plus the terrible quality control was actually warranted. This year, it's not much to hate on. Either you like it, or don't get it. And you can hide the notch. Either way, I'm excited about it coming today. I LOVE 2 xl, but I'm definitely ready for this upgrade, even though I was very on the fence before I checked one out in the store. My point here is, people are going to hate on something every time. Every time. If you don't like something, don't get it. It's really that simple.
My $0.02
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I was simply stating why i think so many people hate the new pixel 3 xl from reading it sure does seem like a lot don't like it.
I agree the screen looks great but it should since they woke up and used a Samsung panel this time yay , my issue with it is its basically the same size as the 2 xl when you look at the usable part of the display and that is kinda disappointing to me i wanted a screen the size of the note 9 / XS max on the pixel 3 xl instead they went with a huge notch that takes away from the phone in stead of adding to it i honestly think they would have been better with out it at all, in person the notch isn't bad at all its big but once you play with it for a bit i didn't notice it as much and i don't mind the bottom chin as people call it since i love front firing speakers always hated cupping the end of the phone to direct the sound lol . They added an extra front camera and notch but no type of face id another missing feature that would have been a great addition to the pixel but we got wireless charging back so i guess its a trade off.
I said nothing about the ram because i think that's a mute point for most for the exact reason you said, apple has had little ram for a long time there is a difference between the two since apple designs the cpu they can help optimize it for the amount of ram they are using but mostly they iOS optimized for how it can handle the ram. google does the same with the pixel, most of the other phones need the extra ram because all the bs they add uses so much of it. for me as of now my daily usage on my 2 XL is 2.4-3.2 or so, 4gb is enough for me in 6 months that may not be the case but i doubt it
everyone has different ideas of what makes a phone flag ship quality or not, so this is just my opinion and you can agree or not for me i feel they could have done better and they came up a bit short compared to other phones only time will tell though and i still cant wait to get mine and use it to see if its worth the upgrade from the 2xl or not for me.
Nah, I don't buy it. Flagship is flagship. Almost flagship if it weren't for one big weakness is not flagship, it's second rate. I'm one of those people that can take advantage of more than 4 gigs of ram, I'm currently using 3.2 at home which is about average for me but usually hit in the upper 4s, lower 5s at work. Go ahead and name the one phone which is claiming flagship status and charging flagship prices but does not have me covered? See where I'm going?
Flagships is flagship, not second best with software optimization that every rooted oneplus will have installed not too far down the road on a phone that costs little more than half the price. Yeah, I'm talking about the camera. Still perhaps best in class overall but more than one reviewer has noted that telephoto shots lag behind other flagships including the fruit devices. They need to up their game here, flagships don't polish turds, they deliver the best hardware and polish that.
One that doesn't bother me in the slightest that I noted is the phones perceived build quality is a step behind Samsung and Apple. I cant point to one particular thing, either of those two just felt a little more expensive. As I said, I don't care because the phone will go into a case and I wont see it again until I give it to one of my kids or grand-kids in the spring.
So yeah, to me it feels like it's not quite up to flagship par except in price. It's all those things combined that give me that impression. And yeah, I'm still thinking about buying it, last night I got as far as putting it in my cart. Pixel has always been more the whole than the sum of its part, they are satisfying to own even if some things about them are underwhelming. The doubletake on the notch has me spooked though, when I was moving around the GUI it faded out of existence but when I just looked at the phone I kept doing this "whoa, what the hell were they thinking" thing. Cant figure out if that's ever going to go away or if it's going to be like a sore tooth. Still, buy in or not I'll never really consider it flagship hardware and every redraw I get will remind me of it should I start to forget.
The flagship price, the poor software utilization of the notch, the smaller battery and 4 GB RAM were the deal breakers.
The Note 9 is every bit as fast as the Pixel 3 XL, has a much better screen, better battery and SPen for the same price. The Pixel 3 XL may very well be a great phone but when priced with the Note 9, it needed SOMETHING to justify the price. Also, one can easily get a great condition LG V35 ThinQ or S9+ with better specs for hundreds less. Once the price drops, then it might be a better competitor.
For me a premium device needs to last me 2 years and be a useful companion for the duration.
The phone needs to be well built to last, have a good screen and the hardware features need to be ergonomic.
In addition to this the phone must have quick, well thought out software that ties in nicely to my favourite services.
For me, my best option is the Pixel 3 XL. I was considering the new Mate 20 pro as it is very similar in price here in the UK but there is now way I'll be putting up with their software and clutterware for two years. I'm also put off by their storage media and awful to uae, curved screen.
The pixel is getting stick for having underwhelming specs but this is a very short-sighted view unless your sole purpose for the device is to run benchmarks. People needs to evaluate what they use their phones for and what they need to achieve that.
I'm running the original Pixel XL 32Gb and it is still fantastic for all of my everyday uses. My wife is in fact selling her Samsung s9 and will be having my Pixel now that I've upgraded to the 3 XL.
Just as a side note, iPhones are brilliant for many as they offer a great experience across their devices and therefore are useful for their duration. This is more important than having a 40MP camera and 8Gb of RAM for the vast majority.
A lot of that was subjective: I find the Apple experience awful, spread it out across more devices and I call that cancer. I have to say however that your concept in general is on the mark in that the experience is what matters rather than the numbers. It's a fair summation.
for the peeps that hate on the notch and the ram .. just go buy the OnePlus 6T and be done with it
It's all just opinion as we have stayed here. The easy to pick on parts of any product is the visual appearance and listed specs. The new pixel XL appears to be poor in this area for a lot of people. Usabilit of the entire package is impossible to judge from online reviews.
If it is anything like the original Pixel, the phone will be great. If it's like my old Samsung phones or my iPhone 7, no thank you.
The phone is what it is. If you don't like it for the way it looks or a feature that it has or doesn't have, don't buy it. If all you have to say is you hate the notch, spare us. There are a lot of phones I don't like. I don't buy them and I don't seek out their communities and complain about them. This forum is here for the people that have the phone, not for those that hate it.
dmb219 said:
The phone is what it is. If you don't like it for the way it looks or a feature that it has or doesn't have, don't buy it. If all you have to say is you hate the notch, spare us. There are a lot of phones I don't like. I don't buy them and I don't seek out their communities and complain about them. This forum is here for the people that have the phone, not for those that hate it.
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This! Sooo much this! Last year with the pixel 2 xl, there were so many trolls who had zero intention of ever buying the phone who came onto the forum just to talk sheet. One thread went hundreds of pages. It was ridiculous and stupid. If people like that really have that much time on their hands that they have to go troll things that have nothing to do with them, get a hobby or a life. Seriously. I'm surprised there isn't more yet on here. But, people have only begun to start getting their phones, so, I'm not holding my breath that it won't start.
It still looks like a toy next to any Samsung phones.
My note 9 looks like a monster next to my xl3.
I hate the notch. I'm not those people that will get over it.
I never will.
Anyway, display on xl3 looks great to me.
Camera is amazing.
Anything else
For months leading up to the release of the Pixel 3 series, I read all the comments online about how much people hated the over-sized notch and how much of a deal-breaker it would be. Many even said they'll choose the regular Pixel 3 instead of the XL. These sentiments continue online to this day... And yet, it appears the XL is outselling the regular Pixel 3 by significant margins. Even the volume of activity on the xda forums is night and day in favor of the XL variant.
So, can you all please share what made the unforgivable notch so forgivable?
I've had the phone about a week now... You do kind of get used to the notch.. It's not as annoying as some make it out to be, IMO. You can always find a wallpaper that hides it on the home screen at least haha.
i was strongly against the notch since before it even came out, i even considered the regular P3....
after having the P3 XL for a week, i am now at peace with it and dont hate it as bad as i thought i would.
presence06 said:
I've had the phone about a week now... You do kind of get used to the notch.. It's not as annoying as some make it out to be, IMO. You can always find a wallpaper that hides it on the home screen at least haha.
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But why did you select it over the Pixel 3 if you were so worried about the notch?
PuffDaddy_d said:
But why did you select it over the Pixel 3 if you were so worried about the notch?
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When I found out you can hide the notch, it was an easy decision. I like the bigger screen, bigger battery and more software development.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
I was always an Android guy but earlier this year I decided to get the iPhone x coming from a galaxy s8, well I wanted to see if iPhones wore any better since I haven't had one since the 5. Missed my return period and was stuck with it (TMobile financing). The iPhone does have a significant notch as well and got used to it really quickly. Then the pixel 3 and 3 xl got announced and yes everyone hated the notch, except it didn't bother me a single bit. I didn't have the money to cough up for it so I went with the one plus 6T and had that for a couple weeks untill Black Friday when 3xl was discounted send jumped on it real quick. For me it was the form factor, I hated how small the iPhone was, you couldn't enjoy videos or see much really the bigger screen makes a big difference. The notch is something I never even notice now, it's just there. It be great if Google utilized the space a little bit better, hopefully they will do that.
I had the original Pixel XL.
loved the big screen
Updated to 3XL and within a day ... what notch?
PuffDaddy_d said:
But why did you select it over the Pixel 3 if you were so worried about the notch?
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I wanted the bigger screen. I wasn't really worried about the notch.. I had seen the iPhone X and the Essential Phone both having notches and didn't find them annoying really.
Honestly, I dont know why people hate the notch so much. I like it. It forces the notifications and the other icons to the top (on either side of the notch) freeing up screen real estate for apps. I never hated the notch and now that I have it, I dont even notice it.
I truly believe people overreacted with the notch. Who cares about it...seriously. it's fine. not even noticeable when you use the phone daily.
nyydynasty said:
Honestly, I dont know why people hate the notch so much. I like it. It forces the notifications and the other icons to the top (on either side of the notch) freeing up screen real estate for apps. I never hated the notch and now that I have it, I dont even notice it.
I truly believe people overreacted with the notch. Who cares about it...seriously. it's fine. not even noticeable when you use the phone daily.
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People hate the notch because it's new, different, and they don't have one. Once these style phones have been out for a while, everybody will get used to it, and then the people who say they hate it now will be telling everyone how much they love it.
PuffDaddy_d said:
For months leading up to the release of the Pixel 3 series, I read all the comments online about how much people hated the over-sized notch and how much of a deal-breaker it would be. Many even said they'll choose the regular Pixel 3 instead of the XL. These sentiments continue online to this day... And yet, it appears the XL is outselling the regular Pixel 3 by significant margins. Even the volume of activity on the xda forums is night and day in favor of the XL variant.
So, can you all please share what made the unforgivable notch so forgivable?
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Click to collapse
Notch never concerned me.
I have large hands so a bigger phone is just easier to use.
spotmark said:
People hate the notch because it's new, different, and they don't have one. Once these style phones have been out for a while, everybody will get used to it, and then the people who say they hate it now will be telling everyone how much they love it.
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totally agree lol
parakleet said:
I have large hands so a bigger phone is just easier to use.
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Also agree. I have larger hands and I came from the OG - Pixel XL and then switched to a company phone (Galaxy S9, which didnt have a small screen either), i just like the larger screens.
Interesting, it seems that most of you wanted the bigger phone simply because it's bigger.
That make sense, but I'm curious if that takes away google's incentive to improve the design if people still purchase one of the the ugliest phones of the year in droves?
I wouldn't call it one of the ugliest phones of 2018. I upgraded from my old Nexus 6 to the Pixel 3 XL and absolutely love it. Enabling dark mode makes it so I don't even notice the notch. There were a couple of initial hiccups, there always are with a new device. Google addressed the battery issues and distortion/vibration issues when listening to music at lower volume. I love the dual front facing speakers which is why I held out for so long before upgrading from my Nexus 6. Battery life is outstanding for my purposes. I don't have much time at work to fool around with my phone, so normally when I'm headed home after a 9 hr day I'm still sitting at around 80% battery.
Comparing the feel and weight of the Pixel 3 XL to my wife's iPhone 8+, the Pixel feels so much better to hold and is definitely lighter in weight.
PuffDaddy_d said:
Interesting, it seems that most of you wanted the bigger phone simply because it's bigger.
That make sense, but I'm curious if that takes away google's incentive to improve the design if people still purchase one of the the ugliest phones of the year in droves?
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being as unbiased as I can, calling it "ugly" is a little harsh. That's really all personal preference. Some might like it. Some may not. If you think it's ugly, I can respect that as it's your opinion. Personally, i like it and the notch doesnt bother me at all (never did, even before I bought the device).
On a personal level, I dont understand how anyone can call ANY phone ugly. Majority of phones are rectangle. When powered off, they all look the same (for the most part). The backside is where the variations occur. I dont use a case on any phone because the manufacturer spent a lot of time and money designing the feel of the device for a reason. Putting a case on it, ruins the entire reason they made it that way. Other than customizing your cases (which i can understand), many people will say they put a case on it to protect it from breaking. My answer to that is - hold your damn phone. Dont drop it. Dont put it on your lap while sitting down. You're going to forget its there and drop it when you stand up. Besides, you paid a lot of money for a device that you end up covering it with a crappy plastic cover (but I digress) ....
the backside is where most of the variations occur on different phones. If you put a case on it, you cant see the back anyway. So that brings me back to the front, which is why I originally said "i dont understand how anyone can call any phone ugly". The front is almost the same on every (popular) phone.
Well I certainly don't intend to start a discussion about the phone's attractiveness, but we have to be honest and recognize that the large notch, relatively large chin, and inconsistent radius corners, are what made the P3XL stand out from the competition (and not in a good way). The design is so offensive that it caused many to declare they would never buy it or would only but the smaller version.
Clearly, we are quick to condemn and even quicker to forgive ?
I need a bigger screen because my eyes are getting bad, and I like the bigger screen size. Also I can type on a bigger screen easier. I always hit the wrong keys on a smaller screen. If they made a bigger screen, I would get it.
I know many are disappointed with seemingly mediocre specs for a flagship, but I'm very happy with the design choices in the Pixel 5. Here's why:
Aluminum body. I've had enough of the completely impractical "premium" glass bodies that crack when you look at them wrong. Finally a return to something sensible.
Flat OLED. Seems like every flagship has to have curved edges. I haven't seen one phone yet that didn't have imperfections in the curve or drive me crazy with errant touches on the edges. Simple is better.
Return of the fingerprint scanner
NO NOTCH
Reasonable size. It seems like the flagship race always equates "bigger" with "better". I don't subscribe to that theory, and I'm glad to see a more modest size for the Pixel 5.
I do wish it had the Snapdragon 865, Wifi 6, and the telephoto lens, but every other choice was perfect IMO. Even with the CPU, I'm sure that choice was about cost, so it might be the right cost/performance trade-off to go with the 765G. Time will tell, I suppose.
What are your thoughts? Do you feel like this was a step backward or does anyone else feel the same about these design choices?
The form factor is what really sold me. Almost identical to the Essential (RIP)
Coming from the Pixel 4, the Pixel 5 has all of the changes I desire. Making it a no brainer, for me.
Lower power chipset / Less PPI / Larger battery -- All culminating to improved battery life. Probably by a good margin, in daily use.
No Active Edge / No Soli -- I disabled Active Edge and motion sense long ago as I found them more annoying than useful. I imagine not having the Soli chip will help to improve battery life even further.
Rear fingerprint reader -- YES!! These days I'm wearing a mask majority of the time I'm trying to use my phone, rendering face unlock useless. Having the fingerprint reader on the back is VERY welcomed.
Wide Angle Camera -- Another great addition. I don't need improved zoom quality. I need to be able to fit more content into a single picture.
The Pixel 5 is an improvement over the Pixel 4 in every way, in my opinion.
@sn0warmy Side note: your device history is what I wish mine looked like...
flamadiddle said:
@sn0warmy Side note: your device history is what I wish mine looked like...
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It's been a fun journey. I still remember the day I unboxed my Nexus One, right after it was launched. That was a special feeling and it opened the door into the crazy world of rooting/tinkering on Android devices. 10 years later, I'm making significantly more money with a lot more expensive toys and hobbies. Yet, Pixel launch day still gets me excited, every single year. It's the kid in me that will never grow up. :highfive:
All theses features in a 6' phone, it's perfect. I don't enjoy crazy big phones...
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using XDA Labs
@sn0warmy from someone that had the 3 XL - I hope this is a huge improvement as that is my current phone. I have pre-ordered it. What are your thoughts, 3 XL vs P5 (obv you can't say too much besides basing it on specs).
I'm going to get the pixel 5. Currently using 4 XL. My dilemma is that if Google will flash the prices by black Friday like last year. So I may wait till Thanksgiving.
Great price for pixel 5 though
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
HamsterHam said:
@sn0warmy from someone that had the 3 XL - I hope this is a huge improvement as that is my current phone. I have pre-ordered it. What are your thoughts, 3 XL vs P5 (obv you can't say too much besides basing it on specs).
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Click to collapse
The 3XL was a great phone. But I've come to prefer smaller phones. Which is why I went from the 3XL to the 4 (non-XL). The Pixel 4 is a much better size for daily use, for me. So the Pixel 5 is going to be a great size, as well.
As far as features and specs...
1) The Pixel 5 has 2x the amount of RAM as the 3XL. I've come to learn that more RAM is much more crucial to having a consistently smooth experience over time, rather than having a top of the line processor. So the Snapdragon 765G in the Pixel 5 doesn't concern me in the least bit.
2) The Pixel 5 has a 4000mAh battery, which is nearly an 18% increase in capacity, compared to the 3400mAh battery in the 3XL. the Pixel 5 also has a 6.0" display, vs the 6.3" in the 3XL. But the Pixel 5 is also pushing more total pixels, so that may actually be a hit to battery life, between the two phones. Regardless, the Pixel 5 battery should outlast the 3XL battery by a decent margin.
3) Pictures taken with your Pixel 5 will be better than the 3XL. Will it be a huge improvement? Probably not. But it will be an improvement, nonetheless.
vhl71 said:
I'm going to get the pixel 5. Currently using 4 XL. My dilemma is that if Google will flash the prices by black Friday like last year. So I may wait till Thanksgiving.
Great price for pixel 5 though
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That's actually a really good point, which I failed to consider. Last year Google dropped the price of the Pixel 4 by $200 over Black Friday weekend. It irritated a lot of people.
However, last year Google overestimated demand for the Pixel 4 by almost 30% (SOURCE). They were forced to unload inventory, hence the big price drops over Black Friday weekend and again in January, 2020. This year Google is being much more realistic about the total number of units they expect to sell and have adjusted production accordingly.
I do imagine you'll see some sort of promotion for the Pixel 5 over Black Friday weekend. It's in the best interest of online retailers to offer some sort of promotion when buyers are looking for the best deals. Fun fact: Many big name online retailers will generate upwards of 20% of their total yearly online revenue, just over Black Friday weekend.
With that said, I'll be very surprised if Google drops the price by $200 again. If I were a betting man, I'd wager that over Black Friday weekend you'll be able to snag a Pixel 5 for $75 - $100 off. Worst case, it will likely be a "Gift With Purchase" promotion, in which they give you a new Chromecast ($50 value) when you buy the Pixel 5.
@sn0warmy great. Exactly what I was thinking. Overall should be a better experience than the 3 XL especially due to the RAM increase. Looking forward to getting it.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
I'll be picking up a Pixel 5 a few updates down the road (gotta make sure the bugs and issues are worked out first). The Pixel 4 was a bust. It appears the Pixel 5 fixes all the things that went wrong there. I would get the 4a but it's plastic and not water repellant which is a non-starter.
I don't like bigger phones and coming from a Pixel 2 I think the 5 is just right with more screen real estate. The face unlock feature was just as ridiculous as the notch. So glad they are gone. Looks like I'll be able to pick the phone up and unlock it with the finger print sensor just like before (too easy).
As for the processor, they are so fast these days, they could have told you it was the faster chip and you would never have known. Most people don't do anything so intense that they really need all that extra umph anyway and if it lowers the price of a Google phone, great!
sn0warmy said:
Coming from the Pixel 4, the Pixel 5 has all of the changes I desire. Making it a no brainer, for me.
Lower power chipset / Less PPI / Larger battery -- All culminating to improved battery life. Probably by a good margin, in daily use.
No Active Edge / No Soli -- I disabled Active Edge and motion sense long ago as I found them more annoying than useful. I imagine not having the Soli chip will help to improve battery life even further.
Rear fingerprint reader -- YES!! These days I'm wearing a mask majority of the time I'm trying to use my phone, rendering face unlock useless. Having the fingerprint reader on the back is VERY welcomed.
Wide Angle Camera -- Another great addition. I don't need improved zoom quality. I need to be able to fit more content into a single picture.
The Pixel 5 is an improvement over the Pixel 4 in every way, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you on the bigger battery and lower PPI (really lower resolution) to help with battery life but I wish it had the 865 chip. The processor doesn't even have a big impact on battery life when compared to the screen.
I don't care about Soli but I'm really going to miss the active edge. I don't know why you're happy that's gone when you can disable it anyways. Sometimes I like to use the assistant and make sure it's on my phone even if I have other nearby devices. Without active edge the only way to do that is to swipe diagonally from the corners which doesn't work like 75% of the time.
I'm also with you on the rear fingerprint reader. I didn't own a Pixel 4 but I did spend a day with one and the face unlock was awful.
For the camera I'd much rather have a telephoto than a wide angle. The wide angle basically useless to me. I have very often wish I could get closer to the subject of the photo but I've never wish I could get farther away.
---------- Post added at 08:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 AM ----------
flamadiddle said:
I know many are disappointed with seemingly mediocre specs for a flagship, but I'm very happy with the design choices in the Pixel 5. Here's why:
Aluminum body. I've had enough of the completely impractical "premium" glass bodies that crack when you look at them wrong. Finally a return to something sensible.
Flat OLED. Seems like every flagship has to have curved edges. I haven't seen one phone yet that didn't have imperfections in the curve or drive me crazy with errant touches on the edges. Simple is better.
Return of the fingerprint scanner
NO NOTCH
Reasonable size. It seems like the flagship race always equates "bigger" with "better". I don't subscribe to that theory, and I'm glad to see a more modest size for the Pixel 5.
I do wish it had the Snapdragon 865, Wifi 6, and the telephoto lens, but every other choice was perfect IMO. Even with the CPU, I'm sure that choice was about cost, so it might be the right cost/performance trade-off to go with the 765G. Time will tell, I suppose.
What are your thoughts? Do you feel like this was a step backward or does anyone else feel the same about these design choices?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really happy about the aluminum back.
I actually like the feel of the curved edges on my Pixel 2 XL but I honestly don't really carry either way.
It doesn't have a notch but It does have a hole punch which to me is just as bad as the notch. Obstructed screen content is obstructed screen content either way. In fact after learning that the developer option to hide the cutout that was on the Pixel 3 XL isn't on the Pixel 5 has me considering canceling my pre-order.
You make a good point that the flagship race seems to mean bigger is better. I don't even think the Pixel 5 is a modest size I think it's still way too big. I really miss the days of one-handed use and comfortable pocket ability those days have been gone for years and are unlikely to return.
It would be nice to have an actual fast processor instead of the slow 765 but that I think I could probably deal with. I also really wish they would have kept the telephoto of the Pixel 4 instead of going to the wide angle. Or just have three lenses like other phones even at the same price point.
jimv1983 said:
I don't care about Soli but I'm really going to miss the active edge. I don't know why you're happy that's gone when you can disable it anyways.
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I wouldn't say I'm "happy" it's gone. Rather, I found it to be of little or no use. So removal of the associated hardware, which very well could have negatively impacted the battery, even when disabled, is perfectly fine with me.
sn0warmy said:
I wouldn't say I'm "happy" it's gone. Rather, I found it to be of little or no use. So removal of the associated hardware, which very well could have negatively impacted the battery, even when disabled, is perfectly fine with me.
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Yeah on stock it was really useless. On custom rom you could assign apps of actions to it which was really good. I think I am going to miss it
sn0warmy said:
I wouldn't say I'm "happy" it's gone. Rather, I found it to be of little or no use. So removal of the associated hardware, which very well could have negatively impacted the battery, even when disabled, is perfectly fine with me.
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It was essentially just a physical button. It wouldn't be a drain on the battery anymore than the volume buttons would is. Now there is no reliable way to activate the Google Assistant without voice which would trigger other near by devices too. That really sucks.
jimv1983 said:
It was essentially just a physical button. It wouldn't be a drain on the battery anymore than the volume buttons would is. Now there is no reliable way to activate the Google Assistant without voice which would trigger other near by devices too. That really sucks.
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Most likely due to the aluminum frame. Sad anyway
Benjamin_L said:
Most likely due to the aluminum frame. Sad anyway
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What is mostly due to the aluminum frame?
jimv1983 said:
What is mostly due to the aluminum frame?
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Getting rid of active edge I meant. Maybe I am also imagining it the wrong way.
Benjamin_L said:
Getting rid of active edge I meant. Maybe I am also imagining it the wrong way.
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Having an aluminum frame doesn't have an impact on Active Edge. The Pixel 2 was the first phone to have Active Edge and it's aluminum.
jimv1983 said:
Having an aluminum frame doesn't have an impact on Active Edge. The Pixel 2 was the first phone to have Active Edge and it's aluminum.
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Hmm too bad they got rid of it then. Do we know yet who builds the P5?