What are your current gripes with the Pixel / XL?

[Jeremy8000]

I think coming from Samsung Galaxy phones, it takes awhile to get use to the Pixel.

What stuns me is how rarely users of the Galaxy phones that migrate to Pixel (or really any other Android OS phone), or vice-versa, comment about the 'back' and 'recent apps' button being in reversed position relative to Samsung's placement. That would bug the heck out of me...

 

[Mountain_Man]

What stuns me is how rarely users of the Galaxy phones that migrate to Pixel (or really any other Android OS phone), or vice-versa, comment about the 'back' and 'recent apps' button being in reversed position relative to Samsung's placement. That would bug the heck out of me...

After about 5 days I'm finally getting use to it. It was def different.

 

[rykaimm]

New fellow Pixel users, which Messaging app do you like better? Verizon (Message+) or the Pixel stock app (Messenger)? Or a 3rd party app?

Aaaand, any suggestions on emojis? I know it's a dumb thing but they're so fun and I want them to look good.

 

[Ultrapale]

I have the smallest of small irritation with one thing, maybe more than one, but mostly this one...
I bought from Verizon, even if people said not to, because I always buy from band I've never had a problem. I normally don't care if they put a carrier branding on the phone, I uninstall/disable bloat, again no big deal. But, for some reason....the VzW on the upper left hand corner of the lock screen kills me, haha. That's where I might see a notification or something and I don't want it there. Removable without root? Maybe that's enough to jump on the VZW hate wagon

 

[strikeIII]

I think my only gripe right now is not being able to remove the Weather/Date from the home screen. I want to use my own customized one. smh.

 

[SteelGator]

I am switching from the iPhone, and so far I really like the Pixel. My ONLY complaint is a feature missing that I often actually used on the iPhone. Basically, with force touch on the iPhone, you can hard press down on the keyboard, and it basically becomes a little trackpad that allows you to move the cursor like a mouse pointer. This is an EXTREMELY useful feature to quickly and highly accurately position the text cursor exactly where you want it.

I wish that there was something like this on the pixel. (maybe there is and I am missing it?)

I'm not sure if this question was fully answered for you. The functionality you describe it not available to my knowledge. SwiftKey keybaord does allow you to have direction arrows that allows for very precise placement of the cursor.

 

[Tf407]

Google, being a cutting edge technology company, failed to put cutting edge technology on this phone; no AOD, no wireless charging, no sd card, no water proofing, etc. I would have also preferred a removable battery. I do like the phone but coming from the Note 7 I wish these were part of this phone.I realize Google is giving you unlimited cloud storage but that is just not my first choice. I would rather store my information on my sd card than in the cloud.

After seeing one in the store I do like the build quality of the phone. I like the look of the phone. It looks very similar to the iPhone. I also like the camera on this phone. I have to return my Note 7 so it comes down between this phone and the LG V20. I am waiting for some user reviews before I burn through some cash on either phone.

SD card technology is not "cutting edge" like you mentioned. Google went unlimited cloud storage which would meet that definition as sd cards, albeit may be your first choice, are less and less useful for most users

 

[SteelGator]

New fellow Pixel users, which Messaging app do you like better? Verizon (Message+) or the Pixel stock app (Messenger)? Or a 3rd party app?

I am using the stock app, Messenger. I have used Textra in the past, but don't use any of the additional functions/customizations it offers. I find the Verizon app cluttered even after customizing, so I don't like it. I has some cool functions, so it is worth checking out.

Aaaand, any suggestions on emojis? I know it's a dumb thing but they're so fun and I want them to look good.

I like those that are on the Google Keyboard well enough, plus the ease of grabbing a GIF.

 

[Jeremy8000]

I think my only gripe right now is not being able to remove the Weather/Date from the home screen. I want to use my own customized one. smh.

I don't mind it so much, but agree it should be removable. What confuses me is why both the stock clock and weather show the date.

 

[strikeIII]

What stuns me is how rarely users of the Galaxy phones that migrate to Pixel (or really any other Android OS phone), or vice-versa, comment about the 'back' and 'recent apps' button being in reversed position relative to Samsung's placement. That would bug the heck out of me...

YES, I'm still trying to get used to this too. I wish they had the option to change them.

 

[strikeIII]

One other gripe which is another one that's not too big of a deal. When you open the recent app list and the fact that the Close All option is all the way at the top and hidden until you scroll all the way back up there to see it is pretty annoying.

 

[T48]

New fellow Pixel users, which Messaging app do you like better? Verizon (Message+) or the Pixel stock app (Messenger)? Or a 3rd party app?

Aaaand, any suggestions on emojis? I know it's a dumb thing but they're so fun and I want them to look good.

Am not on Verizon or using a Pixel(yet). But just downloaded this a couple hours ago. Worth looking into & still checking out myself. End to end encrypted so long as the other end installs as well. This is the same encryption co Google uses for their incognito mode with their Allo app.
Can set as default messenger & it shows an encrypted VoIP call as well.
Search: Signal Private Messenger by Open Whisper Systems free in the Play Store.
Linked to Play Store https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...g.thoughtcrime.securesms&hl=en&token=oeioS6n1

 

[Rumblee1]

Let me be perfectly clear in saying I'm not hating on the phone. I'm loving it. It's super snappy, the camera is just as fantastic as the reviews made it out to be, it's overall a rock solid device that will hopefully sell in large numbers.

But coming from the 6p, there are two things that I am already really wishing this phone improved on.

-Speakers. I know dual front facing speakers are becoming a thing of the past, but the mono speaker in the 6p is leaving much to be desired. It is acceptable for the occasional youtube video, but my big gripe is in notification volume. At max volume, it is about as loud at the 6p was at about 3/4 volume. I have a feeling that is really going to bug me. Some days ive got things going on where that loud notification volume on the 6p was very nice to have.

- the Haptic feedback motor. I should have known, being HTC built, that the vibration motor wasn't going to live up to the 6p. I prefer the awesome feedback the 6p gave. It felt precise, quick, and premium. The motor in the Pixel actually makes it feel sloppy and cheap. If you dont have the phone yet, it feels exactly like the motor in the HTC one M8.

Overall I'm happy with my decision, but what are you finding that you maybe wish was a little better?

EDIT: I know everyone's excited to give their inputs! Lets try to keep things in the perspective of people who have had hands on experience with the device to keep the flux of info as accurate and true to life as possible!

As a music aficionado, dolby atmos would have been nice. Also, much less top and bottom bezel. And the biggest thing, EXPANDABLE STORAGE. Without expandable storage, these phones are premium, but in my opinion, not elite.

 

[Mountain_Man]

One other gripe which is another one that's not too big of a deal. When you open the recent app list and the fact that the Close All option is all the way at the top and hidden until you scroll all the way back up there to see it is pretty annoying.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS
Why do I have to scroll to the top?? Lol

 

[cbreze]

Not an owner, but have been considering one. Reading up on everything and finding a lot of consensus on the single speaker really lacking in the quality dept. For those that don't care and say they just use headphones then stop reading and move along as this is concerning the poor quality of the sound output of the speaker. It's terrible and it's the one thing that keeping me from putting my money up. A lot of people consider this a great feature like the 6P, MXPE,HTC10 and others. A real premium phone has good sound and dual speakers helps give it that. Some single speaker phones sound ok, the Pixel does not. I think Google dropped the ball on this. Even ringtones sound tinny. In any case after reading of the disappointment experienced by those who have it and care about the sound quality I spent some time with an XL and agree it sounds like crap and cheap. I hope they change it in the next version(pixel2). Even the HTC 10 which has great quality thru the headphones, maybe the best in fact to date, has good dual speakers. Was hoping that with HTC as manufacturer it would have a similar setup as the HTC10. The speed is great and most everything else, but when you buy one you get the whole package and you don't want something that annoys you every time you get a call or text tone.

 

[Almeuit]

Not an owner, but have been considering one. Reading up on everything and finding a lot of consensus on the single speaker really lacking in the quality dept. For those that don't care and say they just use headphones then stop reading and move along as this is concerning the poor quality of the sound output of the speaker. It's terrible and it's the one thing that keeping me from putting my money up. A lot of people consider this a great feature like the 6P, MXPE,HTC10 and others. A real premium phone has good sound and dual speakers helps give it that. Some single speaker phones sound ok, the Pixel does not. I think Google dropped the ball on this. Even ringtones sound tinny. In any case after reading of the disappointment experienced by those who have it and care about the sound quality I spent some time with an XL and agree it sounds like crap and cheap. I hope they change it in the next version(pixel2). Even the HTC 10 which has great quality thru the headphones, maybe the best in fact to date, has good dual speakers. Was hoping that with HTC as manufacturer it would have a similar setup as the HTC10. The speed is great and most everything else, but when you buy one you get the whole package and you don't want something that annoys you every time you get a call or text tone.

Do you need it for music and such? To be honest my notifications and stuff sounds just fine. I use headphones for music but I do use speakerphone a lot for calls and it sounds completely okay to me. Better than the Note 7 I had before... but to be fair to the Note 7 it was water-resistant on the speaker so I am sure that had something to do with it.

 

[cbreze]

Do you need it for music and such? To be honest my notifications and stuff sounds just fine. I use headphones for music but I do use speakerphone a lot for calls and it sounds completely okay to me. Better than the Note 7 I had before... but to be fair to the Note 7 it was water-resistant on the speaker so I am sure that had something to do with it.

I'm not a headphones guy and usually listen to music thru either my Bose in the car or the one in the house. I like to peruse thru youtube music videos, watch movie previews, and news clips. A good quality sound system makes this experience quite more enjoyable. Coming from a 6P to a MXPE to my current HTC 10 it seems a real downgrade in the external speaker dept and I just think for the money they could have done much better. It's not important to a lot of people I know, but once accustomed to it, it is hard to have less.

 

[Jeremy8000]

Not an owner, but have been considering one. Reading up on everything and finding a lot of consensus on the single speaker really lacking in the quality dept. For those that don't care and say they just use headphones then stop reading and move along as this is concerning the poor quality of the sound output of the speaker. It's terrible and it's the one thing that keeping me from putting my money up. A lot of people consider this a great feature like the 6P, MXPE,HTC10 and others. A real premium phone has good sound and dual speakers helps give it that. Some single speaker phones sound ok, the Pixel does not. I think Google dropped the ball on this. Even ringtones sound tinny. In any case after reading of the disappointment experienced by those who have it and care about the sound quality I spent some time with an XL and agree it sounds like crap and cheap. I hope they change it in the next version(pixel2). Even the HTC 10 which has great quality thru the headphones, maybe the best in fact to date, has good dual speakers. Was hoping that with HTC as manufacturer it would have a similar setup as the HTC10. The speed is great and most everything else, but when you buy one you get the whole package and you don't want something that annoys you every time you get a call or text tone.

If you don't own one, have you gone out and seen one firsthand? I took the impression from your post that you're basing its quality on the reviews of others, which, to be candid, are generally comparing it to other phones that do have dual front speakers. Be sure to check it for yourself, as while I'm not suggesting you'd by any means prefer its implementation over a dual-speaker setup, it's not like it's gone back to the audio output of the dinosaurs. Though I confess I still have no grasp on why they didn't stick with the dual speakers as they'd designed in the Nexus 6 and 6p - they certainly left enough bezel at top and bottom to accommodate them.

My impression, as an owner coming from the Nexus 6, is that the single speaker is not at all 'terrible;' it's actually quite good versus other single-speaker phones I've heard. Compared to the few phones sporting dual front-firing speakers, sure, it doesn't sound as good or as loud, and if that's critically important to you you should avoid the Pixels, provided you have an alternative that provides dual speakers and isn't sacrificing in other areas on which you place great value where the Pixels outperform.

 

[cbreze]

If you don't own one, have you gone out and seen one firsthand? I took the impression from your post that you're basing its quality on the reviews of others, which, to be candid, are generally comparing it to other phones that do have dual front speakers. Be sure to check it for yourself, as while I'm not suggesting you'd by any means prefer its implementation over a dual-speaker setup, it's not like it's gone back to the audio output of the dinosaurs. Though I confess I still have no grasp on why they didn't stick with the dual speakers as they'd designed in the Nexus 6 and 6p - they certainly left enough bezel at top and bottom to accommodate them.

My impression, as an owner coming from the Nexus 6, is that the single speaker is not at all 'terrible;' it's actually quite good versus other single-speaker phones I've heard. Compared to the few phones sporting dual front-firing speakers, sure, it doesn't sound as good or as loud, and if that's critically important to you you should avoid the Pixels, provided you have an alternative that provides dual speakers and isn't sacrificing in other areas on which you place great value where the Pixels outperform.

Yeah as I mentioned in the post I spent some time with an XL. In store but still side by side with my HTC 10 it is not very good. To put up that amount of cash I need to be 100% wowed. So I will most likely take a pass. It's an awesome device in every other regard. Not knocking it. I have other phones with single speakers that sound much better. Maybe 99% of people just use headphones, I don't. I'm happy to see Google put out such a sweet device and it will surely be refined as newer iterations are released.

 

[ZeroMGA]

The screenshot function sucks. Press and hold power then press the volume lower button and release at the same time? Haven't gotten it to work once. Just messes up my volume or tries to power off.