Thoughts on Android Central's article on Pixel 3's "horrendously slow" camera?

[tedmingo]

My Pixel 3 XL camera opens instantly. No lag with the camera.

 

[Prince Cory]

TLDR; Bluetooth connections are affecting the camera launch.

Bluetooth is the root of this problem. I have this EXACT problem and the only change is that I recently started using my WearOS watches again right before Christmas and I got a Galaxy Gear for Christmas. Now whenever I launch the camera, the Galaxy Gear vibrates and P3XL alerts that the connection was lost prior to camera being usable. Disabling Bluetooth and then launching camera yields fast launches and ready state again.

I have young kids (4y & 8m) and I've missed shots to the point where I've wanted to toss the phone. Hopefully this gets echoed and validated to where Google addresses it.

 

[Kwan Lowe]

https://www.androidcentral.com/im-fed-how-slow-google-pixel-3-camera

The author says it can take the camera on his P3 five seconds to open(!). For me it's nearly instantaneous. i'm not sure how much I've tried using the camera while listening to music though which they say makes it even worse. Anyone else have a problem with this?

Takes under a second for me, even with music playing. Clickbait.

 

[Almeuit]

Long answer: I'd rather knowingly install a cocktail of a Trojan, worm, and a slew of viri, with ransomware, on a rooted device with an unlocked bootloader as opposed to Facebook on my phone.

Facebook is basically that .. on a normal phone lol .

 

[Jeremy8000]

What I'd like to know is what apps Andrew installs on his phone, and if the camera works normally in Safe Mode. If it's not slow in Safe Mode, then something he routinely installs is causing the issue, and I'd guess that the other people who complain about this problem have that same app (or a similar app) installed as well. I saw a reply to a tweet asking him if he tried Safe Mode, but what he said was that after a factory reset, it works normally for a short while, but then after installing "a few apps," it starts again. I'd like to know what those few apps are, and if he's tried uninstalling them one by one.

^^

Best post in this thread.

Safe Mode testing is basically the simplest and most reliable means of troubleshooting emerging issues on stock application performance. Factory reset will remove outside interference as well, but is much more of a headache and adds the additional variable in the form of available storage/RAM.

It seems pretty clear it's an app issue, and he could have easily confirmed this by, on noting the return of the issue, flipping to safe mode to see if it persisted. This would not have been overly technical for AC's readers, so if done, should have been indicated in the article to clarify that it is in fact, not just in hypothesis, a phone hardware or software issue rather than an impairment suffered at the installation of a 3rd party application. If, for some reason I can't fathom, his preference was to omit any discussion of efforts to troubleshoot to make certain his criticism had a foundation, a disclosure to that effect should have been made.

It stands to reason that the issues he cites cannot have been his experience from the beginning, or there would have been mention of the issue in his initial review.

It's also worth noting that the "fed up" article was posted on January 3, just two days after his January 1 update of his article crowning the Pixel 3 as the Best Android Camera in 2019- citing it as being the best choice for most people because of its effortless point-and-shoot performance - and no caveat or qualification inserted with regards to perceived lag.

 

[y2whisper]

I don't think it's 5 seconds but it is long enough that people notice it. the app opens fast but the shutter button isn't available immediately to snap photos. mileage may vary but I think I've seen enough cases out there that this can be a thing. now after that initial delay, things are smooth so in a lot of use cases it's fine. and the speed of a double press + delay may not register with someone who needs to open their device and maybe swipe once or twice to get to the app while people strike the pose they want.

 

[swebb]

AC is doubling down on this by posting another "news" article referencing three cherry picked negative posts from this thread.

I wonder if anyone looks at the home page after they update it. Back to back articles on the P3 from the same author, with one about the horrendous camera and the other about the P3 being the best overall android phone for most. And then this that jeremy8000 noted:

^^
It's also worth noting that the "fed up" article was posted on January 3, just two days after his January 1 update of his article crowning the Pixel 3 as the Best Android Camera in 2019- citing it as being the best choice for most people because of its effortless point-and-shoot performance - and no caveat or qualification inserted with regards to perceived lag.

 

[Mike Dee]

TLDR; Bluetooth connections are affecting the camera launch.

Bluetooth is the root of this problem. I have this EXACT problem and the only change is that I recently started using my WearOS watches again right before Christmas and I got a Galaxy Gear for Christmas. Now whenever I launch the camera, the Galaxy Gear vibrates and P3XL alerts that the connection was lost prior to camera being usable. Disabling Bluetooth and then launching camera yields fast launches and ready state again.

I have young kids (4y & 8m) and I've missed shots to the point where I've wanted to toss the phone. Hopefully this gets echoed and validated to where Google addresses it.

I am using a wear OS watch and no lag.

 

[Silverhd07]

https://www.androidcentral.com/im-fed-how-slow-google-pixel-3-camera

The author says it can take the camera on his P3 five seconds to open(!). For me it's nearly instantaneous. i'm not sure how much I've tried using the camera while listening to music though which they say makes it even worse. Anyone else have a problem with this?

People need to quit being so impatient... Are DSLRs and the old 35mm cams instant? No! Enjoy the moment with the people you are with and conversate later about the memories. Put the stupid phone down!

 

[chevyman29]

^^

Best post in this thread.

Safe Mode testing is basically the simplest and most reliable means of troubleshooting emerging issues on stock application performance. Factory reset will remove outside interference as well, but is much more of a headache and adds the additional variable in the form of available storage/RAM.

It seems pretty clear it's an app issue, and he could have easily confirmed this by, on noting the return of the issue, flipping to safe mode to see if it persisted. This would not have been overly technical for AC's readers, so if done, should have been indicated in the article to clarify that it is in fact, not just in hypothesis, a phone hardware or software issue rather than an impairment suffered at the installation of a 3rd party application. If, for some reason I can't fathom, his preference was to omit any discussion of efforts to troubleshoot to make certain his criticism had a foundation, a disclosure to that effect should have been made.

It stands to reason that the issues he cites cannot have been his experience from the beginning, or there would have been mention of the issue in his initial review.

It's also worth noting that the "fed up" article was posted on January 3, just two days after his January 1 update of his article crowning the Pixel 3 as the Best Android Camera in 2019- citing it as being the best choice for most people because of its effortless point-and-shoot performance - and no caveat or qualification inserted with regards to perceived lag.

I beg to differ , I believe this was the best post in this thread!

 

[davidnc]

Cool beans. I had 5 different Pixel 2 XLs and every one of them had terrible displays.

Nothing at all wrong with the display on my Pixel 2 XL

 

[LTrane]

My Camera app was opening lightning quick out of the box but then slowed down over time. On advice of a forum member who replied to Andrew's post, I removed the Camera app from Battery Optimization and that resolved the issue. Camera is opening lightning quick again. Easy fix!

 

[Tinyteeners]

I was surprised to see an article surrounding the pixel 3's camera being slow, mostly because I usually think a lot of these things are in my head when I purchase a new phone. Mine is horrendously slow as well, taking multiple seconds to fully open and snap the photo, often too late to capture whatever it is I'm trying to photograph. I have young children, and a lot of my photos end up being empty frames of my living room, as they get up and walk away before my phone can follow my command to capture the moments!

 

[mapdoc]

No camera lag issues for my P3!!

 

[KillerQ]

People need to quit being so impatient... Are DSLRs and the old 35mm cams instant? No! Enjoy the moment with the people you are with and conversate later about the memories. Put the stupid phone down!

Agreed on all fronts... But get ready for the "Yea, but DSLR cameras didn't start out fast and slow down over the course of a few days," lol.

 

[kemorr]

Zero problems of the sort. Was very surprised to read that article and felt it was actually misleading based on experience. Usually takes me longer to fish phone out of my pocket than to activate camera....

 

[Brannigan Carter]

I have a Pixel 2XL, but when the 3 released I got the new camera updates. I haven't had an issue with the app opening, but the focus is horrendous now. If I'm zoomed in AT ALL, I can forget about any sort of autofocus happening. I have to dip the phone down to focus on a closer object, which reminds the camera that it is, in fact, a camera, and then it will usually autofocus. It's terrible. And how are we in 2019 without a 24fps option in Google Camera?!

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

It's also worth noting that the "fed up" article was posted on January 3, just two days after his January 1 update of his article crowning the Pixel 3 as the Best Android Camera in 2019- citing it as being the best choice for most people because of its effortless point-and-shoot performance - and no caveat or qualification inserted with regards to perceived lag.

I suppose the problem could have started on 2 Jan, but you'd think it might have prompted an edit.

 

[bull2760]

My camera overheats my phone when taking video or using playground. I'm in the process of RMAing my phone. I have not had any issues with the camera app launching. As fast as I open it, it's on the screen ready to take a picture. Taking pictures is instant, where I see delay is in the AI making adjustments to the photo in proseccing, especially when doing portraits. But picture quality is still amazing. My wife has XS and I did some comparison shots. Pixel does take better photos IMHO. Especially night shot. Took some pics of us out for dinner in a very low light setting, the pixel 3 shined!

 

[Mike Dee]

I have a Pixel 2XL, but when the 3 released I got the new camera updates. I haven't had an issue with the app opening, but the focus is horrendous now. If I'm zoomed in AT ALL, I can forget about any sort of autofocus happening. I have to dip the phone down to focus on a closer object, which reminds the camera that it is, in fact, a camera, and then it will usually autofocus. It's terrible. And how are we in 2019 without a 24fps option in Google Camera?!

Have you checked the Pixel 2 threads for anyone having the same issue?