My feelings after a month into the pixel

[wordfool]

The surround sound algorithm is one thing and I can appreciate that. Actual processors do transform sound in some way. However, DACs are snake oil if you ask me. A DAC isn't anything special. HTC 10 uses the same hardware but different software setting for amp output on the pixel.

A DAC doesn't add or remove anything to the experience

Inclined to agree... with the right (very high-end) equipment, some people might be able to tell the difference between, for example, a Cirrus and Burr Brown DAC. For the vast majority of people, the biggest factor in subjective sound quality by far is going to be the quality/characteristics of their headphones/earphones and, of course, whatever EQ software they happen to use.

It's why I really couldn't care less about what DAC is in a phone. TBH, even the Dolby processing stuff is IMO a bit of a joke when you're listening through a pair of tiny, narrow-range cellphone speakers or a set of two-channel earphones, but YMMV

 

[CHILLYWILL_95831]

Well, the pixel phones are selling incredibly well. But my feelings are ones of dissapointment. Over the past year, I've owned 8 smartphones. A galaxy note 4 that was terrific, but at the end of it's life. I went to an LG V10 for the "audio" experience, which is important to me. It was a good phone, but its bulk and unattractive screen made me sell it 4 months in. Got a galaxy S6 edge which was a great phone, but terrible battery life. Then a nexus 5x and nexus 6p. Believe it or not, i liked the 5x better. I bought these 2 handsets to give project fi a try. Then I bought the galaxy S7 EDGE at launch on my Verizon line. Now this is a top tier phone. So when the pixel broke, I bought it for my fi line, but kept the S7 edge too. Well I've got to say the pixel battery life is supreme, and it is very slightly quicker than th S7 EDGE. But its all down hill from there. It's very well built with premium materials, but ugly as sin with wasteful top and bottom bezels. The screen is excellent but no comparison to the S7 line of phones. No expandable storage. No environmental protection. And the AI doesnt do anything different than on any other smartphone running 6.0 and above. FOR THIS I PAID A PREMIUM PRICE? Now, neither the galaxies or the pixel have great audio. So, after lengthy internet reaserches, I bought a ZTE axon 7. I couldnt believe that it turns out to be my favorite so far. Build quality just as good as the top phones, a fantadtic screen, (better than pixel) . Incredibly quick, and an audio system with dolby atmos, need I say more. Oh, and a $349.00 black friday deal. So I'll keep the S7 edge on Verizon, and the Axon 7 on fi. Selling the pixel. Ill probably get more than what I paid considering the backorders.

You didn't mention anything about the OS, which is miles ahead of anything else Android, oh wait did you mention unlimited storage, did you mention VR, did you mention timely updates. You're a guy walking around with 2 phones at any given time, be honest, do you actually believe any one phone could meet your needs?

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

TBH, my feelings on the Pixel come down to this.

It's not a serious looker, nor does it come with a lot of bells and whistles. What it does and actually does quite well is providing a very solid user experience without too much fuss.

Is all that worth $650 - $870? That depends on you. To me, probably not because I can get a solid UX on some other phones that cost less (some of which aren't quite on the same level, though), but as I've said some time before, the Pixel feels like the first step to me. The first step for a line of phones that have more of that "Google" influence. Said first step is a very good one, but obviously not with some missteps. Those should be corrected with the 2017 model, and we may even get a nicely refined version too. Time will tell.

 

[ElronTheElder]

I am a phone nut too and can understand where the OP is coming from.............

This, aren't we all?

Utilizing Project Fi as my purchase "governor" along with it's other benefits. With their limited selection, Pixel is the best game in town.
Reality being: Nexus 5X does all that's needed just slower, the need for an upgrade is questionable. Still, being the phone nut I morphed into a Pixel is in my future...again.

...Good luck in finding your perfect phone.

Agreed.
While there are always windmills to attack, the fun is in the hunt.

 

[christophermccarthy]

8 phones ???????????
They probably have some kind of 12-step meeting for that problem

 

[Jaycemiskel]

My understanding of the AI is that it takes all of the elements from your daily routines and integrates them with cards, email, notification system, and others.

I can actually pull up my cards and it has already searched football games, fantasy football, tracked my packages based on an email, warned me before leaving work that their is a traffic backup that could add 30 minutes to my drive... Suggests gifts reviews for holidays because it noticed I searched... Reminds me of appointments I never put into calendar because it's in my email, double checked weather in advance of a business trip... Gives me a quick update about traffic jams just before lunch... Gives me updates on local concerts and events for the weekend I might like...etc

Does your S7 do that?

I think people are assuming it's just supposed to be a smart conversation. It's much more than that. It integrates all those little apps and things that we've been doing with our devices so I just need to swipe left instead of doing it myself. It may work better or worse depending on how immersed you are in their ecosystem.

Back to bezels...I don't like to make assumptions buy it seems like you define large bezels as flaws. Maybe they designed them for somebody like me who wants to hold something? Large bezels doesn't always equal bad design. I honestly never complained about small bezels like people do large bezels. Doesn't mean it's poorly thought-out hardware.

My S7 edge does all of that. You're not mentioning anything that Google now doesn't already do. Have you never used Google now before on previous phones?

I personally think the Pixel is a good phone, but I'm looking forward to the Pixel 2. I think that will be much more compelling since they'll have "time" to put in more features.

 

[I800C0LLECT]

My S7 edge does all of that. You're not mentioning anything that Google now doesn't already do. Have you never used Google now before on previous phones?

I personally think the Pixel is a good phone, but I'm looking forward to the Pixel 2. I think that will be much more compelling since they'll have "time" to put in more features.

I came from a droid turbo and galaxy s6. The Google now implementation didn't work well at all. The search bar was useful but not much else. Even picking up voice questions never worked well. Maybe that's a device issue?

Droid turbo did better at picking up voice but not nearly as accurate as the pixel. The pixel has been perfectly accurate thus far. The cards are finally useful and integrates well with the voice, email, messaging and notifications. I guess maybe this is the newest version of Google now and they want to delineate from the sub par performer it used to be

 

[ra535i]

Well, the pixel phones are selling incredibly well. But my feelings are ones of dissapointment. Over the past year, I've owned 8 smartphones. A galaxy note 4 that was terrific, but at the end of it's life. I went to an LG V10 for the "audio" experience, which is important to me. It was a good phone, but its bulk and unattractive screen made me sell it 4 months in. Got a galaxy S6 edge which was a great phone, but terrible battery life. Then a nexus 5x and nexus 6p. Believe it or not, i liked the 5x better. I bought these 2 handsets to give project fi a try. Then I bought the galaxy S7 EDGE at launch on my Verizon line. Now this is a top tier phone. So when the pixel broke, I bought it for my fi line, but kept the S7 edge too. Well I've got to say the pixel battery life is supreme, and it is very slightly quicker than th S7 EDGE. But its all down hill from there. It's very well built with premium materials, but ugly as sin with wasteful top and bottom bezels. The screen is excellent but no comparison to the S7 line of phones. No expandable storage. No environmental protection. And the AI doesnt do anything different than on any other smartphone running 6.0 and above. FOR THIS I PAID A PREMIUM PRICE? Now, neither the galaxies or the pixel have great audio. So, after lengthy internet reaserches, I bought a ZTE axon 7. I couldnt believe that it turns out to be my favorite so far. Build quality just as good as the top phones, a fantadtic screen, (better than pixel) . Incredibly quick, and an audio system with dolby atmos, need I say more. Oh, and a $349.00 black friday deal. So I'll keep the S7 edge on Verizon, and the Axon 7 on fi. Selling the pixel. Ill probably get more than what I paid considering the backorders.

Hardware wise I wholeheartedly agree, however, the flat out performance of the Pixel is unmatched. That alone keeps my s7 in the drawer.

 

[Topweasel]

I have to say why do people keep saying no environmental protection? It just doesn't have the i65 or i68 of others. It can take a fall in into a puddles, you can use it in the desert, you can even talk in the rain. You just can't swim with it or baseball toss it into a sand dune.

As for capable sake. Let's take a S7 which is vaunted for premiumness. You get a really fast CPU, great screen, a lovely build style.You get touchwiz, and what OS is the S7 running?

I hate downplaying features. I am a feature guy. But I think there is a diminishing returns on features. When you lose control, lose caabilities, lose security, lose the ability to stay up to date. As iPhone users have told us for years, isn't performance, smoothness and maybe even a simpler more intuitive user interface worth a premium? Not that Google couldn't and shouldn't have included them but when comparing to competing phones, I'd pay more money just to avoid Touchwiz.

I mean as a happy Fi user there is no better phone. But realistically it's worth the premium, maybe not the set if options and doesn't match the priorities of any given user it's not the phone for that person to purchase. But still worth the Premium price.

 

[Rumblee1]

Thanks for sharing! Do you think you would have felt differently if you waited and picked up one for $240 on Black Friday?

A couple notes from the list above:
--The Pixel Screen does some things better and some worse than the S7, they've very comparable. Are you using the Pixel in sRGB mode or in the default mode? Are you using the S7 in basic mode or another mode? Either way, both the S7 and Pixel screens are much more accurate than the Axon 7 and neither have the color shift that the Axon 7 has when viewed at an angle, but that's neither here nor there.
--Google Assistant on the Pixel does do quite a bit more that Google Now does not do and I'm expecting that gap to widen rather than become more narrow. The basic functionality is the same, but Google Assistant is a much better product, even in this early stage.
--When you say neither the S7 nor Pixel have great audio, I have to assume you mean through their speakers? Agreed. Both suck. Through their headphones, the Pixel has a definite edge, but on both speakers and headphones the Axon 7 has a pretty substantial lead.
--On no environmental protection, I think this may have been a mistake, because both the S7 and Pixel do have dust and water resistance ratings, though the S7 is stronger on both fronts. AFAIK the Axon 7 was not certified at all.
--I'm surprised to see that you prefer the S7 camera over the Pixel when both are in automode. I know several reviews have had mixed results, but the general consensus is that the Pixel is the stronger shooter in most conditions. Did you do a lot of comparison shots between the two? How do you feel the Axon 7 camera compares to the other two?

IMO the Axon 7 is one of the more interesting phones of the year. When it was in preorders it sounded like they were going to try to support Verizon and Sprint, which never happened, but that issue notwithstanding, IMO the Axon 7 is what HTC should have released for their 2016 phone. Yes, it's a midranger - and HTC should have been playing in that space since they've lost their ability to compete in the flagship space, despite still have very decent quality to their devices. It even looks like what we would have thought an HTC phone would look like. I give the Axon 7 2 thumbs and both elbows up for a rating.

FYI, I've been using the Axon 7 on Verizon for 3 days now. No issues at all. I'm changing to fi full time and will keep the A7 on fi. ImO, the only thing keeping the Axon 7 in the midranger class is the camera. Excellent outside, just ok in.

 

[kurveb03]

My understanding of the AI is that it takes all of the elements from your daily routines and integrates them with cards, email, notification system, and others.

I can actually pull up my cards and it has already searched football games, fantasy football, tracked my packages based on an email, warned me before leaving work that their is a traffic backup that could add 30 minutes to my drive... Suggests gifts reviews for holidays because it noticed I searched... Reminds me of appointments I never put into calendar because it's in my email, double checked weather in advance of a business trip... Gives me a quick update about traffic jams just before lunch... Gives me updates on local concerts and events for the weekend I might like...etc

Does your S7 do that?

I think people are assuming it's just supposed to be a smart conversation. It's much more than that. It integrates all those little apps and things that we've been doing with our devices so I just need to swipe left instead of doing it myself. It may work better or worse depending on how immersed you are in their ecosystem.

Back to bezels...I don't like to make assumptions buy it seems like you define large bezels as flaws. Maybe they designed them for somebody like me who wants to hold something? Large bezels doesn't always equal bad design. I honestly never complained about small bezels like people do large bezels. Doesn't mean it's poorly thought-out hardware.

What you're mentioning is Google Now functionality. That is present in each Android phone, and has been doing this since a year at least. My Moto X 2014 allows a custom phrase instead of ok Google, and does most if not everything that the assistant does, since Google Now is available for every phone.

 

[wordfool]

It's not a serious looker, nor does it come with a lot of bells and whistles. What it does and actually does quite well is providing a very solid user experience without too much fuss.

Is all that worth $650 - $870? That depends on you. To me, probably not because I can get a solid UX on some other phones that cost less (some of which aren't quite on the same level, though), but as I've said some time before, the Pixel feels like the first step to me. The first step for a line of phones that have more of that "Google" influence.

Sounds like you're describing a mid-range phone!

The Nexus One felt like a first step... and it was in a way, except Google never really found its phone-mojo with the Nexus line. IMO there's still nothing in the Pixel to suggest Google will find its phone-mojo. Until it actually gets a permanent manufacturing partner (or buys one) I think it's wishful thinking to believe this is the beginning of something special. As of now it's simply the beginning of a more expensive and better-marketed line of Nexus phones IMO. Time will tell.

 

[ultravisitor]

I'd pay more money just to avoid Touchwiz.

Amen.

 

[recDNA]

FYI, I've been using the Axon 7 on Verizon for 3 days now. No issues at all. I'm changing to fi full time and will keep the A7 on fi. ImO, the only thing keeping the Axon 7 in the midranger class is the camera. Excellent outside, just ok in.

Did you get 3g as well as lte? I thought it was gsm only? For me it would have been a cool phone until. Note 8 comes out.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Sounds like you're describing a mid-range phone!

The Nexus One felt like a first step... and it was in a way, except Google never really found its phone-mojo with the Nexus line. IMO there's still nothing in the Pixel to suggest Google will find its phone-mojo. Until it actually gets a permanent manufacturing partner (or buys one) I think it's wishful thinking to believe this is the beginning of something special. As of now it's simply the beginning of a more expensive and better-marketed line of Nexus phones IMO. Time will tell.

I am cautiously optimistic.

 

[Rumblee1]

Pixel now on ebay

Well folks, I finally did it. I put my pixel, that I haven't used in over a month, on ebay. It absolutely makes me laugh at all the reviews that have this phone as God's gift to Android. Truth be told, it simply is a good phone for someone that was to only make calls, text, or surf. And doesn't mind being ripped off in the meantime. Within the last year, I gave up my galaxy note 4,and went to the LG V10. That was ok, but a horrible screen, battery life, and it was so big and bulky, I went to the galaxy S6 edge. A great phone, ALMOST. Its drawback, of course, battery life. So when the S7 edge came out, I bought one on day one,and it's been awesome. That wonderful vibrant screen that Sammy packed into a smaller, very comfortable chassis, the best camera on any smartphone, and tremendous battery life. Still, I was missing 1 very important option that us audiofiles yern for. A great hifi system. Low and behold, ZTE to the rescued with the outstanding Axon 7. A smartphone that's got it all. Build quality as good as any premium phone, a battery that'll go all day plus, superamoled screen, 64 gigs internal plus sd card support, plus an audiophiles dream. Dual dac hifi AND Dolby Atmos. Oh yea, the price you ask? Well what could easily have been priced at $800.00,and be worth it, its retail is. $399.00. And if you watch for promotions, you could do better. So Google, WAKE UP. Build a phone REALLY worthy of the price and stop the con game. And to all of the professional reviewers that are getting a stipend from Google, TELL THE TRUTH.

 

[Ry]

Re: Pixel now on ebay

Well folks, I finally did it. I put my pixel, that I haven't used in over a month, on ebay. It absolutely makes me laugh at all the reviews that have this phone as God's gift to Android. Truth be told, it simply is a good phone for someone that was to only make calls, text, or surf. And doesn't mind being ripped off in the meantime. Within the last year, I gave up my galaxy note 4,and went to the LG V10. That was ok, but a horrible screen, battery life, and it was so big and bulky, I went to the galaxy S6 edge. A great phone, ALMOST. Its drawback, of course, battery life. So when the S7 edge came out, I bought one on day one,and it's been awesome. That wonderful vibrant screen that Sammy packed into a smaller, very comfortable chassis, the best camera on any smartphone, and tremendous battery life. Still, I was missing 1 very important option that us audiofiles yern for. A great hifi system. Low and behold, ZTE to the rescued with the outstanding Axon 7. A smartphone that's got it all. Build quality as good as any premium phone, a battery that'll go all day plus, superamoled screen, 64 gigs internal plus sd card support, plus an audiophiles dream. Dual dac hifi AND Dolby Atmos. Oh yea, the price you ask? Well what could easily have been priced at $800.00,and be worth it, its retail is. $399.00. And if you watch for promotions, you could do better. So Google, WAKE UP. Build a phone REALLY worthy of the price and stop the con game. And to all of the professional reviewers that are getting a stipend from Google, TELL THE TRUTH.

lol

 

[Aquila]

Re: Pixel now on ebay

So Google, WAKE UP. Build a phone REALLY worthy of the price and stop the con game. And to all of the professional reviewers that are getting a stipend from Google, TELL THE TRUTH.

lol, no one is being bribed. It honestly is either the best or one of the best phones available, but obviously you feel it is too expensive... millions of people disagree and that's fine for them too.

 

[Rumblee1]

Re: Pixel now on ebay

lol, no one is being bribed. It honestly is either the best or one of the best phones available, but obviously you feel it is too expensive... millions of people disagree and that's fine for them too.

It is absolutely overpriced. Would you buy a BMW without a/c, power windows, etc. And still pay a premium.? I seriously doubt it. What the pixel does it does well. But it was a serious profit maker for Google.

 

[jamezr]

Re: Pixel now on ebay

all phones are not for everyone. Truth is the Pixel is probably the highest rated Android phone so far......
In pure user experience I would rate it right up there with the iphone. The the camera is simply the best on any smartphone.

Enjoy the galaxy S6 edge