Anyone else wish the Pixel 2 was more like the Nexus 5?

[vzwuser76]

Generally in engineering plastic is functional, not particularly stylish or high end. Whether it's headphones, cars, phones, or anything else, plastic is a very pedestrian (albeit necessary) material choice and no one really wants it on a $650+ phone

I would say look at the Lumia line of phones to see that while some may see plastics that way, it also doesn't HAVE to be that way. Besides the benefits plastic has in terms of radio transmission and wireless charging, I think the options for colors and design are also in the pro column. With metals, many times it's more difficult to get certain shapes than it would be with polycarbonate.

I also believe that polycarbonate has more give in a drop situation, having a bit of flex to dampen the shock, whereas metal and glass are more rigid and do nothing to dampen that shock. The result is most often broken glass. It's kind of the same the glass used in smartphone screens. People wanted less scratches if they didn't go with a screen protector, which means a higher hardness rating. But to achieve that higher hardness rating, the substance has to be more rigid and brittle, which in turn means less flexibility in a drop and the greater chances of breakage. So the choice comes down to less susceptibility to scratches, or less susceptibility to cracking. I think it's no coincidence that Motorola used plastic in their "unbreakable" screens present on devices like the Z Force or Droid 2. While they may accumulate more scratches, their flexibility allows for greater resistance to the screen cracking. IMHO, the best solution would be a combination of the two, a plastic screen with a tempered glass protector. The protector would be resistant to scratches, but in a drop the screen itself should he ok. And since it costs more to replace the screen vs the screen protector, it seems like the best option. However, if you don't use a protector, you run the risk of having a highly scratched screen, so the both would need to be present. Just my 2¢.

 

[AustinIllini]

I would say look at the Lumia line of phones to see that while some may see plastics that way, it also doesn't HAVE to be that way. Besides the benefits plastic has in terms of radio transmission and wireless charging, I think the options for colors and design are also in the pro column. With metals, many times it's more difficult to get certain shapes than it would be with polycarbonate.

I also believe that polycarbonate has more give in a drop situation, having a bit of flex to dampen the shock, whereas metal and glass are more rigid and do nothing to dampen that shock. The result is most often broken glass. It's kind of the same the glass used in smartphone screens. People wanted less scratches if they didn't go with a screen protector, which means a higher hardness rating. But to achieve that higher hardness rating, the substance has to be more rigid and brittle, which in turn means less flexibility in a drop and the greater chances of breakage. So the choice comes down to less susceptibility to scratches, or less susceptibility to cracking. I think it's no coincidence that Motorola used plastic in their "unbreakable" screens present on devices like the Z Force or Droid 2. While they may accumulate more scratches, their flexibility allows for greater resistance to the screen cracking. IMHO, the best solution would be a combination of the two, a plastic screen with a tempered glass protector. The protector would be resistant to scratches, but in a drop the screen itself should he ok. And since it costs more to replace the screen vs the screen protector, it seems like the best option. However, if you don't use a protector, you run the risk of having a highly scratched screen, so the both would need to be present. Just my 2¢.

Regardless, plastic is less premium than typical materials used in construction of phones.

 

[PhiPsi32]

I remember long forum discussions regarding the Nexus 5X & 6P build qualities and the split between plastic and metal bodies. Consumers want high end materials and finishes. But, yeah, I'd go for handset built like a N5 with modern internals.

 

[Mike Dee]

Because I've already ordered the 2XL. I replace phones every two years, I'm replacing the 6p which replaced the Nexus 5, which replaced the Galaxy Nexus.

Lol...ok I see

 

[psteve2005]

I must be the only person who gets great battery life with the regular Pixel. I regularly get 4hrs SOT with 14-18hrs up time and around 10-15% remaining. That's actually the best I've gotten of any phone I've owned, and I had the Droid Maxx and Droid Turbo, which had 3400 & 3900mAh batteries respectively. I could maybe hit 3hrs SOT with them.

The thing to look at is that while the regular Pixel (or Pixel 2 for that matter) have smaller batteries than the XL models, they also have a smaller screen at a lower resolution, and that helps battery life a lot. The screen is probably the biggest draw on battery (except for camera maybe, but the screen is used more than the camera).

The XL is a good looking device, but I just can't go back to a phone that size again. I had the 6p, and while I could deal with it, the regular Pixel is much easier to handle. Since the screen is only 5", it doesn't need a high resolution, and I don't do VR so that's not a concern either.

As for the OP, I wouldn't mind a polycarbonate phone, if they went with something along the lines of the old Nokia Lumia models. Those seemed to be pretty solid, they looked good, and I'd imagine different colors would be easier to do on polycarbonate than anodizing aluminum.

The best SOT I ever got from my Pixel was 5 hours, which is better than I normally see from my XL.

I have to say I'm really torn which to choose this year. Picking up my wife's 5X again tonight reminded me that I could live with a phone that size again, and really enjoy it, but as my XL is my only device I do wonder if I'd miss the extra screen from time to time. Decisions decisions.

 

[openwheelracing]

I have to agree with most here. There is nothing wrong with plastic. Phone prices are thru the roof these days and everyone is claiming "premium design while consumers are scrambling to buy plastic to cover These "premium design" over priced phones. They need to spend more time making phones more functional instead of aesthetics.

Did I mention bezels? OMG bezels. OMG!!!!!

 

[van_basten]

I am still using Nexus 5 as my backup phone. Best one in the Nexus line.

 

[Zendroid1]

Regardless, plastic is less premium than typical materials used in construction of phones.

Is it really less premium or is it just the perception it's less premium? Isn't premium subjective? Aluminum was considered premium on iPhone up until this newest one and we can soda in it.

 

[AustinIllini]

Is it really less premium or is it just the perception it's less premium? Isn't premium subjective? Aluminum was considered premium on iPhone up until this newest one and we can soda in it.

Premium is based on a number of things.
1) Plastic is cheap. Cheap to make, cheap to fix. Anodized aluminum, by comparison, is harder to make. Glass of Gorilla quality is harder to make.
2) Plastic is lower quality. It's more susceptible to heat, it breaks down more easily, it doesn't do well in any extremes
3) Plastic doesn't feel better. It doesn't feel crafted. It feels no better than the extruded blown films of a ketchup bottle...

You're not going to convince anyone that premium isn't a real thing because 99.999% of us know the difference.

Also, your aluminum with Apple comment is wrong, too. You're not replacing something premium with plastic, you're replacing something premium with something equally as premium.

 

[bjrosen]

Premium is based on a number of things.
1) Plastic is cheap. Cheap to make, cheap to fix. Anodized aluminum, by comparison, is harder to make. Glass of Gorilla quality is harder to make.
2) Plastic is lower quality. It's more susceptible to heat, it breaks down more easily, it doesn't do well in any extremes
3) Plastic doesn't feel better. It doesn't feel crafted. It feels no better than the extruded blown films of a ketchup bottle...

You're not going to convince anyone that premium isn't a real thing because 99.999% of us know the difference.

Also, your aluminum with Apple comment is wrong, too. You're not replacing something premium with plastic, you're replacing something premium with something equally as premium.

Plastic looks just as good as painted aluminum, the idea that metal is more premium is ridiculous idea that Apple managed to sell the world on. Now they've moved on to glass backs which are even less durable. The appearance of the back of a phone is a complete don't care because it's going to be covered with a skin or a case anyway. Plastic doesn't block electromagnetic waves, it's inexpensive, which is not the same thing as cheap, and it can be very strong. I would much rather have Qi charging than an aluminum case. I would also like better antennas, cell phone coverage sucks, even Verizon's, so the ability to pick up weaker signals is vastly more important than some bogus idea of what's a premium material or not.

 

[AustinIllini]

Plastic looks just as good as painted aluminum, the idea that metal is more premium is ridiculous idea that Apple managed to sell the world on. Now they've moved on to glass backs which are even less durable. The appearance of the back of a phone is a complete don't care because it's going to be covered with a skin or a case anyway. Plastic doesn't block electromagnetic waves, it's inexpensive, which is not the same thing as cheap, and it can be very strong. I would much rather have Qi charging than an aluminum case. I would also like better antennas, cell phone coverage sucks, even Verizon's, so the ability to pick up weaker signals is vastly more important than some bogus idea of what's a premium material or not.

It's not a sales job or a marketing thing. metal phones aren't tin cans, they're anodized aluminum which are anodized for increased durability.

Plastic is cheap. There's a reason it is everywhere. It's cheap, and when your Nexus 5 cooked with the processor it had plastic was the worst material for it.

I'm not going to convince you, apparently, but the market has more than ruled on what plastic is in the phone industry. If you pay over $500 for a phone, you expect higher quality material (Glass, metal, whatever). Plastic is unacceptable.

 

[anon(4743061)]

A plastic Pixel 2/XL with the same specs and camera with a lower price point would be killer. Aluminum kind of sucks IMO, my Nexus 6p is all dented up from bumps and drops.

 

[AustinIllini]

A plastic Pixel 2/XL with the same specs and camera with a lower price point would be killer. Aluminum kind of sucks IMO, my Nexus 6p is all dented up from bumps and drops.

I wouldn't necessarily argue with that. Although, if iPhone 5C is any indication, Google might be better off just reselling the older models for a longer period of time.

 

[Chex313]

I favored the N5 quite a lot, my first LTE phone, wireless charging.... Holds a special place. Still have a good set, GN, N4, N5, N6,(All working, I keep them charged and off) and now the new Pixel 2 XL looks like a worthy replacement. I have to say tho I only care about the experience...They all look like rectangles to me and I put a case on them from day one , so I do not care what they make them out of. After a couple years they get replaced.

I don't need a Faberge egg, for something that is a tool. Just IMHO

 

[bhatech]

Meh the Nexus 5 looked and felt cheap, I'm happy with current crop of flagships which have more modern and much better build than few years back.

 

[batkingnz]

The Lumia 920 was a little beauty too. That plastic was so shiny and bright and so durable. If it got messed up you could buy a replacement case on eBay for around £10. You needed to open up the phone and re-locate some of the innards, but it was pretty straightforward. The phone had a bit of heft to it too which I found quite desirable.

Agreed I believe the 920 was one of the best looking phones ever made. And it felt solid as a brick. They had initial motherboard problems but the rest of the hardware was amazing and it was so premium in hand.

 

[vzwuser76]

I'm not going to convince you, apparently, but the market has more than ruled on what plastic is in the phone industry. If you pay over $500 for a phone, you expect higher quality material (Glass, metal, whatever). Plastic is unacceptable.

You're correct that aluminum does cost more to produce, but that doesn't make it necessarily better. The difference in price is probably negligible, if a metal body cost more than $20-30, I'd be surprised. That's a fraction of the total cost on a $500+ phone, let alone a $1,000 one.

You referenced glass as a higher quality material, yet in many cases a single drop results in the glass cracking. A premium material should be somewhat durable, and in comparison to plastic, glass is more fragile. Sure it feels more premium, but it's more easily damaged. Why pay more for something made with a material that is more fragile on a product that is going to be more readily exposed to drops and damage? It's the reason I would never own a phone with a glass back.

My main point was that polycarbonate, like what was on the Nokia Lumia series phones, proves that non metal or glass devices doesn't have to feel cheap. There's a stark difference between the Lumia polycarbonate bodies and the pop off plastic battery doors from devices like the Galaxy S3 that could be bent almost in half.

 

[Gray Area]

You're correct that aluminum does cost more to produce, but that doesn't make it necessarily better. The difference in price is probably negligible, if a metal body cost more than $20-30, I'd be surprised. That's a fraction of the total cost on a $500+ phone, let alone a $1,000 one.

You referenced glass as a higher quality material, yet in many cases a single drop results in the glass cracking. A premium material should be somewhat durable, and in comparison to plastic, glass is more fragile. Sure it feels more premium, but it's more easily damaged. Why pay more for something made with a material that is more fragile on a product that is going to be more readily exposed to drops and damage? It's the reason I would never own a phone with a glass back.

My main point was that polycarbonate, like what was on the Nokia Lumia series phones, proves that non metal or glass devices doesn't have to feel cheap. There's a stark difference between the Lumia polycarbonate bodies and the pop off plastic battery doors from devices like the Galaxy S3 that could be bent almost in half.

Good points on durability of plastics over glass and metal on a phone, I've often pondered that. But truth be told the "premium" build notion is really an emotional construct, it's not logical. It's similar to why do people pay more than say $20,000 for a new car? It does the same thing as a higher price luxury vehicle and if taken care off as well as a luxury vehicle will probably outlast the luxury vehicle because it's got basic components with less intricate parts and electronics. But people buy luxury cars off of emotions and becuase they can afford it.

People love the look, feel and weight of metals and glass on a phone. It gives off that "premium" idea, even though it's durability and functionality is questionable when compared to polycarbonate materials. I remember before the whole premium idea was a thing, I enjoyed using a blackberry curve where I would swap out the front plastic faceplate whenever I got a scratch or scuff. There was no need for screen protectors or cases because the actual body of the phone was basically a case, it was great. Nevertheless, the way things are now and myself having had many earlier Samsung Galaxy phones and now newer models, I have to admit, I love the metal and glass look and feel. I just cover it with polycarbonate cases lol.

 

[batkingnz]

True that it's an emotional construct. Maybe we should be using the word quality instead. A 920 with plastic and a big sheet of glass felt better than any other plastic phone I've held. It felt premium in the way that I consider something 'premium' should feel. My aluminum Nokia 6 feels better than my Note 4 did with a plastic back. It depends on what they do with the materials and the overall design. My Nokia 6 also feels better, in my opinion, compared to my S7 edge. A phone that many would consider to be more 'premium'.

 

[wsgrabowski]

Plastic is fantastic. Loved my HTC One: lightweight, great feel, rugged. I love my new LG V30, but the all metal and glass leaves me... cold.