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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

#511

Post by doubleunplussed »

p1necone wrote: post #498
sjwright wrote: post #490

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If what you want is wired earbuds that connect directly to a jack on the phone, nothing has changed. Such earbuds still ship with iPhones today. If you want to use wired headphones, the $9 adapter works well. Wireless headphones are also widely available and have batteries that last all day. I realise the above doesn’t perfectly cater to all customers, but anecdotally it seems to cater well enough to enough of them.

The main issue for me personally is not being able to charge and listen to audio at the same time. The main use case for headphones on my phone for me is watching streaming video in bed and that drains the battery pretty fast. I know there's a (kind of bulky) dongle for charging + headphones, but I'd rather buy a device that has the ports I need already. The $9 adapter is cool though. Afaik it's pretty much the best…

I bought one of those adaptors, and whilst it worked with my charger at home, when I really needed it on a plane, my phone thought it was supposed to charge the plane :/.

I've pre-ordered the pixel 4A. My phone was dying anyway, but I'm going to like having a headphone jack again.

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

#512

Post by sjwright »

p1necone wrote: post #498
sjwright wrote: post #490

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If what you want is wired earbuds that connect directly to a jack on the phone, nothing has changed. Such earbuds still ship with iPhones today. If you want to use wired headphones, the $9 adapter works well. Wireless headphones are also widely available and have batteries that last all day. I realise the above doesn’t perfectly cater to all customers, but anecdotally it seems to cater well enough to enough of them.

The main issue for me personally is not being able to charge and listen to audio at the same time. The main use case for headphones on my phone for me is watching streaming video in bed and that drains the battery pretty fast. I know there's a (kind of bulky) dongle for charging + headphones, but I'd rather buy a device that has the ports I need already. The $9 adapter is cool though. Afaik it's pretty much the best…

I understand the earbud+charging dilemma; my wife had the exact same bedtime use case issue. I bought her an Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 stand which holds the phone vertically. Its non-rapid charging speed is not an issue when the phone is charged overnight. (In fact the slow speed is probably good for battery longevity.)

As for myself, I bought Bose QC35's prior to upgrading to my first jackless iPhone so I was never affected by its absence. I almost never use earbuds.

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

#513

Post by zerocrates »

bufferoverflow wrote: post #343
zerocrates wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Relatively lucky of you to have a 5X that lasted that long: mine succumbed long ago to the "boot loop" issue, apparently due to soldering issues endemic among 5X phones.

Yeah, we got 2 out of 3 Nexus 5X boot looped. They were great phones, but what a massive let down. And Google never paid us anything to correct the problem. That's why I'm never buying a Google branded phone.

Mine was well outside its warranty period and whatever Google was also offering, so I didn't even try to get a replacement or refund.

My recollection is that the problem was an LG manufacturing defect that also affected some of their self-branded phones released around the same time... but yes, I don't know that I'd call Google a "stand behind their product" company in the way some are.

I wouldn't really describe myself as upset with the lifetime of my 5X, but I definitely would have kept it longer. I shifted to the Nokia 6.1 which was fine although with its own quirks and issues, but the price was certainly right. I'm happy now with a Pixel 3a.

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

#514

Post by baby »

ac29 wrote: post #468
PhantomGremlin wrote: post #460

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a lot of telecoms are kind of ignoring 4g/lte deadspots in favor of just putting new NSA 5G cells That just emphasizes what marketing bullshit 5G is. Telecoms won't properly build out infrastructure to avoid LTE deadspots, and yet are pushing 5G. But ... people say that proper 5G needs many many more cells than LTE!

> Telecoms won't properly build out infrastructure to avoid LTE deadspots, and yet are pushing 5G Its not entirely irrational - if your customers spend 99% of their time in some given area, it could make sense to improve capacity in those areas instead of chasing that last 1% of coverage.

This is why this industry should be nationalized

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

#515

Post by MithrilTuxedo »

schoolornot wrote: post #222
droidno9 wrote: post #68

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…

Apple and Google aren't both just using jabber for messaging?

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

#516

Post by panpanna »

jessriedel wrote: post #417
dangus wrote: post #404

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, as my original comment pointed out, the two “unlock” phases are: 1. Phone standby to phone on (as you describe) 2. In-phone software actions, typically, password manager or locked/private apps (banking, etc) For case #2, I greatly prefer FaceID. For case #1, it’s a toss up for me.

Ok, but interactions of type #2 are probably a hundred time rarer. Personally, I rather like that I have to actively decide to authorize the use of a password.

Yeah, #2 could probably be abused by a malicious app.

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

#517

Post by Farbklex »

mchusma wrote: post #131

My pixel 3a is by far the best phone I have ever owned (across both iOS and Android). Comparing the 4a to this it looks like a bunch of solid incremental improvements across the board. Huge fan of basically everything here. Price, screen size, phone size. Battery size could be a touch bigger, as my 3a has the best battery life I just wish for about 10% more for edge cases.

Can agree. Switched from Samsung Galaxy S7 (the battery started to struggle) and was amazed. 400€ and I got a solid phone with an excellent camera. The battery is decent, I can still play the occasional rounds of Call of Duty mobile and I can rely on updates for a few years.

As an android developer myself, I don't see why anyone should buy a more expensive premium phone. Except if they want to have it as a status symbol.

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

#518

Post by alpaca128 »

boring_twenties wrote: post #474
pixelmonkey wrote: post #374

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the biggest differences between the 4a and the older 4 and 4 XL is that the 4a has a rear fingerprint reader, whereas the 4 and 4 XL want you to use face unlock. So strange that this isn't emphasized (or even mentioned) on the comparison page. This was actually the primary thing that kept me on a Pixel 2 for so long, since it also has a similar rear fingerprint sensor design (and I just pre-ordered the Pixel 4…

Relevant username... Face unlock is complete BS, no disagreement there. However... has anyone actually looked into how secure those phone fingerprint readers are? Could very well be that the reason they're pushing face unlock so hard is they know their fingerprint tech is even worse.

A fingerprint sensor is more secure than "swipe to unlock". And that already makes it a great feature for the many consumers who don't want to enter a pin or password every time.

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

#519

Post by Rebelgecko »

PhantomGremlin wrote: post #460
thomspoon wrote: post #457

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lower latency, easier to place cells in public places due to a broader range of frequencies, better bandwidth. The lower latency part is what’s going to enable edge computing for AR/VR, autonomous driving (separate via V2V but related), and other functions that need low latency. Cell phones are just a bonus. Also, a lot of telecoms are kind of ignoring 4g/lte deadspots in favor of just putting new NSA 5G cells it see…

a lot of telecoms are kind of ignoring 4g/lte deadspots in favor of just putting new NSA 5G cells That just emphasizes what marketing bullshit 5G is. Telecoms won't properly build out infrastructure to avoid LTE deadspots, and yet are pushing 5G. But ... people say that proper 5G needs many many more cells than LTE!

The 5g signal I get at home is only through T-Mobile's lower bands, which are apparently slower than 4G. It's a bit silly

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

#520

Post by vondro »

userbinator wrote: post #252
malkia wrote: post #27

Has Audio Jack! (Comparison with other Pixel 4's) - https://store.google.com/magazine/compare_pixel?toggler0=Pix...

A bit sad and amusing that a physical jack is actually considered a feature now... what's next, removable battery? Expandable storage?

My personal opinion: Of course it is a feature! I can use cheap generic headphones (Blackberry headset user here) and charge at the same time. I can use the same headphones with my computer. I can also switch between phone and computer in about a second, no pairing no BS and it works reliably all the time.

I care less about the removable battery - in every phone I had I was able to change it myself, tools are cheap, the only thing you need is to watch some tutorials and calm down to have your hands steady.

Expandable storage is also great. I mean, how can it even be considered "not a feature"? You can very cheaply expand your storage - e.g. in situations you run out of storage. I don't get it, what's not to like? Honest question.

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