First impressions?

[Snareman]

I'm coming from a bunch of Samsung phones, most recently the S21+. I'm not sure how many of my complaints are directly the Pixel vs how many are Android 12.

I HATE the large clock on the lock screen that you can't change. I can't read that thing. The only upside is that I know I have a notification when the large clock goes away.

I hate that I can't just swipe down and click on Bluetooth to see connections as I could on the S21, but instead have to go all the way into the settings menu

The speakers sound rather wonky, almost as if the phone is in a tunnel, really not a good sound.

I hate that to get to the close all button I have to click to open the app slider at the bottom and then slide all the way over to the left. ON the S21 it was just right there.

The S21 is only slightly smaller, but really phones don't need to get any larger.

Battery life after 1 day has been great. I'm usually down to 50-60% after a 10h shift at work, but today with probably higher than normal use I was closer to 70%.

The song identifier works surprisingly well. There was a speaker on not really that loud 10-15ft from my phone and there it was telling me what song was playing way over there.

I LOVE that the lock screen notification icons are all white. You couldn't see the ones on my S21 that were blue for instance.

I don't like the gallery app compared to the samsung one. I don't need to see my pics by date. Just throw them all in the album that they are in in one big group. I don't see myself using that app long term.

The magic eraser works surprisingly well and simple. I had to delete and update the camera app to get it to work. Thank you internet for that tip.

The fingerprint reader on the S21 was a little faster, but this one isn't too bad.

I should be able to turn off bubble pop ups globally, which I thought I did, but that didn't do it so I had to go turn them off individually by app.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[JHBThree]

I got a Pro but I think I’m going to return it for a regular 6. It’s just a bit too big for me, and that’s coming from a 13 pro max. I also didn’t think about screen protectors with the curved screen.

 

[buzzy3970]

Is anyone having a problem with the gestures? I'm having a hard time with mines going home with swiping up. It's always a hit or miss for me. Don't know if it's my case(tech 21), but it's super annoying. Never experience this on any of my other devices that use gestures.

 

[buzzy3970]

Also my phone is randomly not displaying recently used apps when I swipe up. Just tested a theory to make sure I wasn't mistaken, but it only shows the app that I'm currently using. Started working after a few minutes but I can't believe how buggy my phone is being. Hoping to have a better experience once my 6 pro comes in.

 

[nelamvr6]

I'm coming from a bunch of Samsung phones, most recently the S21+. I'm not sure how many of my complaints are directly the Pixel vs how many are Android 12.

I HATE the large clock on the lock screen that you can't change. I can't read that thing. The only upside is that I know I have a notification when the large clock goes away.

I hate that I can't just swipe down and click on Bluetooth to see connections as I could on the S21, but instead have to go all the way into the settings menu

The speakers sound rather wonky, almost as if the phone is in a tunnel, really not a good sound.

I hate that to get to the close all button I have to click to open the app slider at the bottom and then slide all the way over to the left. ON the S21 it was just right there.

The S21 is only slightly smaller, but really phones don't need to get any larger.

Battery life after 1 day has been great. I'm usually down to 50-60% after a 10h shift at work, but today with probably higher than normal use I was closer to 70%.

The song identifier works surprisingly well. There was a speaker on not really that loud 10-15ft from my phone and there it was telling me what song was playing way over there.

I LOVE that the lock screen notification icons are all white. You couldn't see the ones on my S21 that were blue for instance.

I don't like the gallery app compared to the samsung one. I don't need to see my pics by date. Just throw them all in the album that they are in in one big group. I don't see myself using that app long term.

The magic eraser works surprisingly well and simple. I had to delete and update the camera app to get it to work. Thank you internet for that tip.

The fingerprint reader on the S21 was a little faster, but this one isn't too bad.

I should be able to turn off bubble pop ups globally, which I thought I did, but that didn't do it so I had to go turn them off individually by app.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

All you have to do to get to your Bluetooth connections is to long press on the Bluetooth tile.

 

[nelamvr6]

I took a tip I read somewhere, it was probably here actually, and I registered both of my thumbs twice as additional fingers, and now the fingerprint reader works much more reliably. It's still not as quick as the reader on the Pixel 5, but at least now I know it's probably gonna open every time.

 

[htcrazy]

Just got the regular Pixel 6 today until my 6 Pro comes. Feeling good, one thing I noticed comparing to latest iPhones and even S21 ultra the speakers aren't really that loud and has that fullness. Average speaker but other than that nothing stood out as immediate opinions. Will play next couple of days and see what I find.

I'm still waiting on my Pixel 6 Pro to arrive, but I use an app from the Play Store on my 4XL called Speaker Boost. It significantly raises the volume and I've used it for a while on my 4XL with no damage at all to the speakers. The version with ads is free and might be worth a try.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

https://youtu.be/3FfbXHeWcH0

Lol Flossy Carter dropped the review, 1 hr 34 minutes long

I think that's the longest real review he has ever done.

Watching it now

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

What app is that providing your stats?

It is called Battery Monitor and is by RYO software.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ryosoftware.batterymonitor

 

[nelamvr6]

It is called Battery Monitor and is by RYO software.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ryosoftware.batterymonitor

Thanks!

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Is anyone having a problem with the gestures? I'm having a hard time with mines going home with swiping up. It's always a hit or miss for me. Don't know if it's my case(tech 21), but it's super annoying. Never experience this on any of my other devices that use gestures.

Not had this issue. It seems quite reliable to me.

 

[buzzy3970]

Not had this issue. It seems quite reliable to me.

Lucky you. Was still happening after I wrote the post. Changed the navigation to buttons and the problem has went away although I hate that you can't customize the button layout.

 

[vhl71]

I got a Pro but I think I’m going to return it for a regular 6. It’s just a bit too big for me, and that’s coming from a 13 pro max. I also didn’t think about screen protectors with the curved screen.

I feel the same. My hands are aching holding this damn thing. Way too big.

 

[Jeremy8000]

My second day on a Sorta Sunny P6Pro. Coming from a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE with a cracked glass Pixel 3 as a backup phone. There is also a mistake called an LG G8 ThinQ G8 sitting around here somewhere too. This is about exactly the same size as the FE, so I was used to it and the P6P size was not an issue. I gasped a little over the size differential of the P3 and the FE.The FE had all sorts of funky touch screen issues and i eventually decided that all of the duplicate Samsung stuff, well, it was just too much Samsung in the long run. Samsung is a lot better with updates these days, but in this regard Samsung is not Google. Basically the FE was a good phone. A lot to like about it. However the P6P will kick the FE's butt twice every day in most ways. The touch screen is a lot better, the screen is brighter, I could not see the FE screen outdoors in sunlight. One thing the P6P might give up to the FE is battery life, but I have not had much time yet to tell much about the battery use. The P6P had 64% when it came out of the box. By the time I plugged it in at bedtime there was 28%. That is with doing all of the setup, downloading the out of the box updates, and updating over 100 apps, plus my usual reading stuff before light out. Probably 3 hrs screen time, but I forgot to check. Battery life usually improves some with age after a few charge cycles.

There has been stated issues with the speakers, but mine beats the FE speakers by a couple of country miles. I'm 73 and don't hear real well, but I could hear the P6P speakers just fine from several feet away. It was a struggle with the FE. Downloaded an app called Max Volume, set it at 125% and boom no more speaker issues. Not entertainment center quality, but not tinny either. Good full sound for a phone.

I ALWAYS had fingerprint sensor issues with Pixel phones. I had the original, the P2 and the P3. Sensors worked fine as long as my finger was in the same condition as when I set up the fingerprint. I'm a farmer and over the years my prints are worn down fairly slick, and my hands are never really clean. I was not real pleased with the prospect of an in screen sensor with the FE, but I think I like that position better now than at the back. The one on the FE never gave me any issues with unlocking. The P6P started out pretty high on the frustration scale, but even with limited time, it is getting noticeably better. The right thumb is still a bit more problematic, and I think I'll redo that print this evening just to see.

So the finger print sensor and the battery are the only things that the FE will stand with the P6P on. It has been raining since I got the phone and I have not had a chance to use the camera enough to really tell anything about it. Grand kids and Halloween will probably change that. I will say the FE does have really good camera. I used its 3x telephoto quite a bit and liked it. The fact I liked the FE telephoto was the big reason I went P6P over the P6.

Thanks for the in-depth insights coming from the s20fe. I am doing the same, with my pixel 6 Pro scheduled to arrive on monday.

The touch sensitivity issues on the s20 Fe have been the most frustrating I can recall experiencing on any phone. Swiping up with gestures works maybe one in five times. I had thought it was simply my specific device, but even after swapping it out under warranty the problem continues. Safe mode, hard reset, none of those resolved it.

One other thing that really irks me about Samsung is that they don't allow you to set up different user profiles. I was able to get around it to a degree with their secure folder, but it's definitely an inferior solution. Also, hated that you could only set up three fingerprints. I'm hoping that the pixels still allows the 10 fingerprints like it used to when I had the pixel 3 xl.

 

[Notefan161]

Fingerprint scanner certainly a lot better on the s21 ultra.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

I feel the same. My hands are aching holding this damn thing. Way too big.

I have put a popsocket on my case and it has made the phone so much easier to handle. Also spread the weight more evenly. Worth a try. If you notice, It is set up so that my thumb is directly over the fps. Means I never miss.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Thanks for the in-depth insights coming from the s20fe. I am doing the same, with my pixel 6 Pro scheduled to arrive on monday.

The touch sensitivity issues on the s20 Fe have been the most frustrating I can recall experiencing on any phone. Swiping up with gestures works maybe one in five times. I had thought it was simply my specific device, but even after swapping it out under warranty the problem continues. Safe mode, hard reset, none of those resolved it.

One other thing that really irks me about Samsung is that they don't allow you to set up different user profiles. I was able to get around it to a degree with their secure folder, but it's definitely an inferior solution. Also, hated that you could only set up three fingerprints. I'm hoping that the pixels still allows the 10 fingerprints like it used to when I had the pixel 3 xl.

5 fingerprints now.

 

[Deleted member 2609113]

I've enjoyed reading these first impressions. Thanks to all for posting.
I just received notice that early this morning I will go from spectator to participate as my P6P is out for delivery before 9am. That seems a bit early but I'll "take out for delivery" anytime today.

 

[MyEyeCaptain]

I just wanted to say (again) for anyone looking in this thread for purchasing insight, that in my opinion the fingerprint sensor is fine. I'm not just saying that because of being a fanboy either, I am not a fanboy. I have had both S-Series Ultras from Samsung and I am confident in saying that this sensor is better than the S20 Ultra's because of reliability and slightly lesser than the S21 Ultra's due to speed. The fingerprint sensor on the S20 Ultra was the tipping point in my returning it, that is how much sensor reliability matters to me.

A few things:

- I didn't do any of the animation stuff that I used to try on the S20 Ultra, though I have seen posts around the web where people are, with varying degrees of success.
- I did register my prints twice for each digit.
- I do not have a screen protector on the device. My S21 Ultra's sensor is essentially perfect...until you put a screen protector on it.

If anyone has any questions about the bare bones Pixel 6, let me know.

 

[recDNA]

Nova launcher is working perfectly on my p6
That's the best solution I've found

Does FPS still work with Nova?