It's Going Back

[hpilot]

I have gotten the new Google Phone every year for as long as I can remember. But this year will be different. I got my Pixel 4 XL today, and I tried so hard to love it, but I can't - it's going back. I spent hours on the phone with Google trying to get everything to work right, but to no avail. The face unlock just doesn't work consistently - at all. Most of the time I have to tap the screen to wake up the phone and get it to unlock. It will not wake up by just picking it up and looking at it about 50% of the time. This is progress? The fingerprint sensor on my Pixel 3 XL works 100% of the time. I have done a side by side comparison with my -3 XL, and there it is night and day - and not in a good way for the -4 XL. The -4 is 35% heavier than my -3, and it is VERY noticeable. They took away the accent color menu and icon shape menu in the Developer Options. The 90 Hz display is useless because you almost never see it - the screen needs to be above 75% brightness for it to come on. They took away the good stuff, and only added useless gimmicks. I so wanted to like it, but I can't. This phone is half-baked...

 

[hpilot]

Here are two quick test shots in low light. The first one is the best, and it was taken with my Pixel 3 XL. The second shot is with the -4. Which do you think is better?

 

[strikeIII]

Have you considered maybe you just had a bad device? My Face Unlock works flawlessly and pictures are on par with my Note 10+ iPhone Pro Max.

 

[EMGSM]

Have you considered maybe you just had a bad device?

^

This

 

[SupraLB]

Some of these features should be in Beta testing mode, not full release to the masses on a $800-$1100 phone. Too many logical problems arising.

For camera, they used the same Sony IMX363 camera lens as Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a. All the improvements appear to be software computations, which the P3 will soon get according to Google. (outside of 2x zoom of course).

Here is a good comparison. In half these shots, the Pixel appears slightly better or the same to me. In the others, I could probably spend 3 minutes in photoshop making them equal.

 

[almath]

How many threads are going to be made of the disdain for a Pixel phone...
It's time to merge all of them..

 

[hpilot]

Have you considered maybe you just had a bad device? My Face Unlock works flawlessly and pictures are on par with my Note 10+ iPhone Pro Max.

Maybe it is defective, but I doubt it. In any case, a replacement phone would still be 35% heavier, and all the other problems would still be there. I just don't see the upside to this phone, it is all negative. I just don't understand how face unlock is an advancement. It reminds me of the stupid door handles they put on Tesla cars. Another person just died in Miami because the rescue people could not open the door of the Tesla Model S as it was burning after an accident. The door handles would not pop out. We figured out door handles 100 years ago, why change them just because we can. It's the same way with unlocking a phone - form over function...

 

[ricflairwoo2]

Maybe it is defective, but I doubt it. In any case, a replacement phone would still be 35% heavier, and all the other problems would still be there. I just don't see the upside to this phone, it is all negative. I just don't understand how face unlock is an advancement. It reminds me of the stupid door handles they put on Tesla cars. Another person just died in Miami because the rescue people could not open the door of the Tesla Model S as it was burning after an accident. The door handles would not pop out. We figured out door handles 100 years ago, why change them just because we can. It's the same way with unlocking a phone - form over function...

It's not working because you have to act like you are picking your phone up and tilting it. I think the radar activates based on an algorithm that accounts for the accelerometer. If my phone is in my bookbag resting vertically. I can pick it up and the radar will not activate. You have to pick up the phone and tilt the phone a little. Technique only...

 

[thunderup]

I get it, if the phone's not for you then it's not for you. Where are you getting that 35% number, though? The 3 XL weighs 184 grams. The 4 XL weighs 193 grams. Heavier? Yes. But that's like 5%, not 35%. Maybe I'm missing something obvious?

 

[anon(9918034)]

I have gotten the new Google Phone every year for as long as I can remember. But this year will be different. I got my Pixel 4 XL today, and I tried so hard to love it, but I can't - it's going back. I spent hours on the phone with Google trying to get everything to work right, but to no avail. The face unlock just doesn't work consistently - at all. Most of the time I have to tap the screen to wake up the phone and get it to unlock. It will not wake up by just picking it up and looking at it about 50% of the time. This is progress? The fingerprint sensor on my Pixel 3 XL works 100% of the time. I have done a side by side comparison with my -3 XL, and there it is night and day - and not in a good way for the -4 XL. The -4 is 35% heavier than my -3, and it is VERY noticeable. They took away the accent color menu and icon shape menu in the Developer Options. The 90 Hz display is useless because you almost never see it - the screen needs to be above 75% brightness for it to come on. They took away the good stuff, and only added useless gimmicks. I so wanted to like it, but I can't. This phone is half-baked...

You do know that you can set permanent 90hz in developer options.

 

[GTvert90]

I have gotten the new Google Phone every year for as long as I can remember. But this year will be different. I got my Pixel 4 XL today, and I tried so hard to love it, but I can't - it's going back. I spent hours on the phone with Google trying to get everything to work right, but to no avail. The face unlock just doesn't work consistently - at all. Most of the time I have to tap the screen to wake up the phone and get it to unlock. It will not wake up by just picking it up and looking at it about 50% of the time. This is progress? The fingerprint sensor on my Pixel 3 XL works 100% of the time. I have done a side by side comparison with my -3 XL, and there it is night and day - and not in a good way for the -4 XL. The -4 is 35% heavier than my -3, and it is VERY noticeable. They took away the accent color menu and icon shape menu in the Developer Options. The 90 Hz display is useless because you almost never see it - the screen needs to be above 75% brightness for it to come on. They took away the good stuff, and only added useless gimmicks. I so wanted to like it, but I can't. This phone is half-baked...

Didn't the icon and accent color move to the pixel customization app?

 

[SARCtech]

I think you have a defective device....but....it sounds like it just isn't the right device for you anyway. I'm sorry you had such a frustrating experience.

My Pixel 4 XL is working great so far. I am very pleased with it. I too had a frustrating experience with a device so I can understand how your feeling. Take it back and treat yourself to a device that works better for you.

 

[Clancy3434]

Maybe it is defective, but I doubt it. In any case, a replacement phone would still be 35% heavier, and all the other problems would still be there. I just don't see the upside to this phone, it is all negative. I just don't understand how face unlock is an advancement. It reminds me of the stupid door handles they put on Tesla cars. Another person just died in Miami because the rescue people could not open the door of the Tesla Model S as it was burning after an accident. The door handles would not pop out. We figured out door handles 100 years ago, why change them just because we can. It's the same way with unlocking a phone - form over function...

The only time face unlock hasn't worked for me was when i tried to look at my phone with my covers pulled over my head so as not to wake up my sleeping infant.

Aside from that? It actually has worked TOO well... i.e. it's opening my phone when I just want to check the time.

Seriously think you just got a lemon.

 

[hpilot]

I get it, if the phone's not for you then it's not for you. Where are you getting that 35% number, though? The 3 XL weighs 184 grams. The 4 XL weighs 193 grams. Heavier? Yes. But that's like 5%, not 35%. Maybe I'm missing something obvious?

My mistake. I must have been looking at the Pixel 3 weights. Thanks for fact checking me. It just seems a lot more than 5% heavier for some reason.

 

[thunderup]

My mistake. I must have been looking at the Pixel 3 weights. Thanks for fact checking me. It just seems a lot more than 5% heavier for some reason.

I wasn't trying to be a jerk, seriously. It just didn't sound right. I do agree with you, the weight difference is noticable. I've already adjusted, though, and it feels normal now. My wife has an iPhone 11 Pro Max. Talk about a heavy phone...that thing is a brick.

 

[hpilot]

Didn't the icon and accent color move to the pixel customization app?

I found that after I made the post. It is a "Styles" app. I spent 45 minutes with Google Tech Support trying to figure out how to change the icon shapes, and they were clueless about this. I found it myself later on by accident.

 

[SARCtech]

I found that after I made the post. It is a "Styles" app. I spent 45 minutes with Google Tech Support trying to figure out how to change the icon shapes, and they were clueless about this. I found it myself later on by accident.

Sadly this doesn't surprise me. What happened to the days when tech support knew their own product?

 

[hpilot]

You do know that you can set permanent 90hz in developer options.

Yes I know that, and I have now set it on. The problem is that according to reviewers, it totally drains the battery at a high rate. However, I will give it a try.

 

[osubeavs728]

How many threads are going to be made of the disdain for a Pixel phone...
It's time to merge all of them..

There will be more, no doubt. The announcement of returns always confuses me. The people who like to hang out here and just bash the phone without any interest in purchasing will probably be here about a month or two.

Every year, every phone. SMH.

 

[hpilot]

The only time face unlock hasn't worked for me was when i tried to look at my phone with my covers pulled over my head so as not to wake up my sleeping infant.

Aside from that? It actually has worked TOO well... i.e. it's opening my phone when I just want to check the time.

Seriously think you just got a lemon.

Here is my problem: It only works about 50% of the time. Whenever it doesn't work, all I have to do is tap the screen, and it instantly unlocks - why? Nobody can tell me why it works like that. Is it a security flaw, or is it like that by design. I could probably live with it like this, but I have to know how it works.