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Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

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Re: Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

#382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FaceID is terrible when driving. I often have my passenger read and send texts for me, on my iPhone 6S I just had to grab the phone and put my thumb on it. With my iPhone 11, I need to lift it up in front of my wheel, and look directly at it instead of the road, because if you aren't looking at it then it won't unlock.

Alternatively, stop using your phone while you're driving. It's illegal to hold it in your hand while driving in many (most?) states now.

I don't know, touching the fingerprint reader as your passenger holds the phone doesn't seem any more distracting than changing the radio station.

Re: Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

#383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was briefly considering buying an iphone for the first time ever, since I wanted a good camera phone. Scratched that idea when I learned that it didn't have an audio jack.

I ended up making this jump. What I've found works best for me: - In the car I have a Bluetooth audio adapter for the aux in my older car. Works great. - In my backpack I have a pocket where I always leave a headphone adapter. I always put it back if I use it. - Bluetooth to Aux adapter with a small battery. Costs like $20 on Amazon and also lives in my backpack. Has saved my ass many times. Beyond that, I just own m…

I'll be honest, this sounds like quite a set of workarounds when one can just... get this phone.

Re: Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

#384
post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's really quite simple to make yourself. Just put some epoxy in there and shape it to the Phone.

How on Earth would you remove an epoxy plug?

The post said he/she doesn't care about the port and would rather buy one without it. That means it doesn't require to be removeable.

Re: Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

#385

One of the biggest reasons I'm happy with the increasing competition in the budget segments is that they're starting to make the 'right' sacrifices, slightly negating the distinctive features and advantages of flagship phones. Flagship phones will either have to adapt (introducing more useful features and not extra camera-bloat), or people will just keep buying the cheaper ones.

350 dollars is "budget"?

It is relative. For people comparing to $1000 phones this is very "budget", compared to my Asus $250 phone that lives on average 3 days between changes, it is not. Compared to my previous phone, the Nexus 5X I bought for $350, it's in the same range, just newer. I see you are downvoted a lot, I disagree with this reaction.

Re: Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

#387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I ended up making this jump. What I've found works best for me: - In the car I have a Bluetooth audio adapter for the aux in my older car. Works great. - In my backpack I have a pocket where I always leave a headphone adapter. I always put it back if I use it. - Bluetooth to Aux adapter with a small battery. Costs like $20 on Amazon and also lives in my backpack. Has saved my ass many times. Beyond that, I just own m…

I mean, I have a phone with an audio jack, and I plug my headphones into the audio jack and I am happy. How would you sell "no audio jack" to me? What's my gain here?

You, uh, get to work on your habit-forming because you now have more devices to charge?

I mean, practically, once they've managed to kill audio jacks we'll probably transition to HDCP-like DRM for audio so that you need Approved(tm) headphones to listen to your favourite pop music. Once we get there that will be the feature for you ...

Re: Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

#388

This is an awesome phone at $350. I currently have the Pixel 4, but if this was available when I was making my purchase decision, I'd probably have gone with it. That said, the Pixel line of phones isn't known for having long lasting battery. A feature that I've found to be indispensable is wireless charging. I just rest my Pixel 4 on a vertical charging base throughout the day. Otherwise, I'd have to have to constan…

I don't get why Google creates problems for themselves by relying on unproven tech or working backwards. Case in point: adaptive battery. Androids have historically had poor battery efficiency (mah vs. screen on time) against iPhones. Rather than optimize the OS and the apps and provide a larger capacity battery, they size down the battery and introduce software-based battery management with AI. Common responses to c…

The Americans waited for their phones to develop a proper AI/ML model. The Russians used a bigger battery!

Re: Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

#389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

350 dollars is "budget"?

$349 for a phone that will get full OS updates for 3 years works out to $9.69 per month. That's pretty solid. The competing Apple variant (lower res HDish screen but much faster CPU) is the iPhone SE 128GB for $449. It will probably get OS updates for 5 years which works out to $7.48 per month.

All these comparisons are misleading. I call "budget" the phone I bought for my mother for less than $100 (an Asus, for the matter) or the $150 Asus I bought for my father, you call "budget" phones in the $350-450 range that I would call mid-range. We may be both right, I guess.

Re: Google announces Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G, and Pixel 4A

#390
post #369

As an Australian with a Pixel XL which is still perfectly usable, just lacking 'support': > ... it’s fascinating that the most important detail is the price: $349. Local pricing on google store is A$599, despite US$349 ~= A$490. So not quite the same bargain for us, though not hugely surprising. > ... it’s worth remembering that technically, fall ends on December 21st this year. Living in a country with only a dozen…

I'm in Tasmania, so that gave me quite the giggle.

Yeah, well, Australian vendors are all trying to pay down their Toyota Prados and their seven rental property... so, fair go eh.

On a more serious note, where can I get the Pixel A4 locally? I check a couple online stores yesterday but didn't see it yet.

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