- Dec 29, 2017
- 9
- 0
- 0
I only get a new phone about every two years and have been using the Nexus line for the last couple partly because the "pure Android" software and early o/s updates are ideal for developing my Android apps. My all-time fave was my Nexus 5, which my wife is now happily using (loves the wireless charging!). My 5x has not been so great an experience. It always had inconsistent battery problems, things that made it run very hot, etc. until after 18 months it bricked on me with the dreaded "bootloop" bug. Google sent me a free refurb replacement, but after 6 months it has some of the same problems and recently it locked up so that I had to do a factory reset from the recovery screen. So I decided to go in a different direction and started researching.
I looked at everything from $300 bargains to $700+ flagships as long as they met my requirements for size and required features (e.g. NFC so Android Pay works). I found a couple of good possibilities, but going through the forums I found that most had various compatibility problems. I'm also getting a new car in a few months and shopped for that partly on the basis that it had to support Android Auto (so no Mazda, Nissan, and others). But it also appears that a lot of phones out there are having their own issues with consistent AA operation, requiring everything from specific cables to having to enable USB Debugging under the Developer Options!
So in the end I decided that you can't beat the latest Google phone for Google app compatibility -- or at least the likelihood that things will be worked out and updated -- and there is now a new Pixel 2 sitting in its box on my desk, waiting for me to charge it up and start the setup. I wouldn't want to give or sell my flaky 5x to anyone so I took the $50 trade-in offer from the Google Store.
Looking forward to seeing what's new with this baby and then in a few months seeing how it works with Android Auto in my new Subaru!
I looked at everything from $300 bargains to $700+ flagships as long as they met my requirements for size and required features (e.g. NFC so Android Pay works). I found a couple of good possibilities, but going through the forums I found that most had various compatibility problems. I'm also getting a new car in a few months and shopped for that partly on the basis that it had to support Android Auto (so no Mazda, Nissan, and others). But it also appears that a lot of phones out there are having their own issues with consistent AA operation, requiring everything from specific cables to having to enable USB Debugging under the Developer Options!
So in the end I decided that you can't beat the latest Google phone for Google app compatibility -- or at least the likelihood that things will be worked out and updated -- and there is now a new Pixel 2 sitting in its box on my desk, waiting for me to charge it up and start the setup. I wouldn't want to give or sell my flaky 5x to anyone so I took the $50 trade-in offer from the Google Store.
Looking forward to seeing what's new with this baby and then in a few months seeing how it works with Android Auto in my new Subaru!
. My current car is a 2011 Outback whose tech is really outdated now, so I'm anxious to upgrade to a 2018 Outback that has all the latest phone-based technology as well as the newest driver aids (adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, etc.). We also have a 2015 Mazda 3 that has a nice infotainment system (w/o Android Auto), but nothing special in the assist features.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram