Pixel 8 Pro • Hacker News Board

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#251

Post by kelnos » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:49 PM UTC

soperj wrote: post #34

ireallywantthat wrote: post #6

Too expensive for my tastes. Give me 380USD phone which lasts for next 5-8 years, feels premium, is repairable, camera is decent, replaceable battery, OS is just Vanilla Android with atleast 5 years(more years of Software updates would be welcome) of Software Updates and when you can't provide it, make it hackable enough to install Custom ROMs.

I still don't get the "premium feel" line when everyone covers their phone in a case anyway. I don't care if my phone is made of plastic when it actually makes it less prone to breaking when dropped.

I don't know if I've just been excessively lucky, but I've never put a case on any smartphone I've owned since 2010, and I've only cracked the screen on two of them. These days (probably for the past 4 years) I do put the thin-film screen protectors on as well, and replace them if they get damaged.

I've always been of the feeling that I'm buying this lovely, well-designed piece of hardware, why would I want to cover it up in an ugly plastic case?

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#252

Post by utopcell » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:50 PM UTC

kimbernator wrote: post #178

It's starting to feel silly, having a yearly release cycle for smartphones. So much of this product page is focused on new software functions that may have some vague relationship with the slightly upgraded hardware, but that could mostly be released to existing phones. Every new iPhone, Pixel, or Samsung phone basically claims the camera is marginally better and hey, look at these software features that have very li…

Five years ? Why would someone want to experience hardware advances in large steps instead of continuously ?

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#253

Post by omoikane » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:50 PM UTC

willseth wrote: post #74

Is anyone else confused by the inclusion of a temperature sensor? Was there a demo that explains why anyone would want this? What?

Maybe the plan is to eventually have the phone include every possible sensor and do everything.

https://xkcd.com/2212/

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#254

Post by freedomben » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:51 PM UTC

xnx wrote: post #71

syncbehind wrote: post #32

I wonder if the audio magic eraser feature will make it to older pixel phones. That and the best-shot one seemed very interesting. It also seems very arbitrarily limited to the newer ones, 7/7pro seem like they should be more than capable of driving these features. Is software limiting going to be the norm going forward for phones? Because, I don't think this is worth upgrading from last years phones from a hardware…

I couldn't find a comprehensive history of all the features that have debuted on a new phone and then been allowed on older phones, but it's fairly common. 2 examples are listed here: https://www.phonearena.com/news/pixel-6-series-gets-pixel-7-...

Yep, I expect most of these to make it to older pixels but probably not for a few months. There are some that probably require the newer Tensor G3 chip though, which can't be backported.

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#255

Post by kelnos » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:52 PM UTC

kylecazar wrote: post #196

It's odd to me that my Pixel 7 Pro is worth less in trade-in value than iPhone 11. I'm sure there are reasons, but it stings a little.

I was surprised to see my Pixel 4 is worth $250 for trade-in.

I've never actually traded in any of my old phones, on the fear that the new one might break at some point and I'd need a backup. Granted I've only once had to take advantage of this in the 13 years I've had smartphones.

I didn't click all the way through, but I'm hoping you don't have to turn in the old phone immediately... I'd like to hang onto it for at least a couple weeks just in case I find the backup/restore process hasn't completely done its job.

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#256

Post by grecy » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:52 PM UTC

grepLeigh wrote: post #173

This is a meta comment, but I think it's extraordinary that we're only 15ish years from the first smartphone release and we've already reached the "boring" incremental improvement phase for these tiny pocket supercomputers. Consider how long it took PCs to reach the same stage (with a fraction of the adoption). It was like 20 years from Kenbak-1 to the 90s PC era.

> It's extraordinary that we're only 15ish years from the first smartphone release and we've already reached the "boring" incremental improvement phase for these tiny pocket supercomputers.

I think people are not yet ready to accept the exact same thing is about to happen to cars. Some company will have a perfectly usable electric self-driving vehicle and will produce tens of millions of them a year. They will be an appliance, like your toaster, and nobody will care anymore.

I'm sure it will happen to other things in our lives too.

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#257

Post by matsemann » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:52 PM UTC

kimbernator wrote: post #178

It's starting to feel silly, having a yearly release cycle for smartphones. So much of this product page is focused on new software functions that may have some vague relationship with the slightly upgraded hardware, but that could mostly be released to existing phones. Every new iPhone, Pixel, or Samsung phone basically claims the camera is marginally better and hey, look at these software features that have very li…

In the iPhone 15 release they wrote "huge leap" 6 times. It felt like something to anchor the perception and to trick journalists to include it in a sentence. But when they say it so much, it kinda shines through that it's mostly just desperate words. "any man who must say I'm the king is no true king" vibes.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-debuts-iphone-1...

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#258

Post by amelius » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:52 PM UTC

Jcampuzano2 wrote: post #110

soperj wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still don't get the "premium feel" line when everyone covers their phone in a case anyway. I don't care if my phone is made of plastic when it actually makes it less prone to breaking when dropped.

I've been saying this to people for years. Tons of companies market how a phone feels, its looks/colors but then almost everybody just ends up slapping a case on it. I literally couldn't care what a phone was made out of/how it feels since I just put a case on it before I even use it for a day in most situations.

Not really true for the Samsung Flip phones out there. I don't know many people who use a case on them.

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#259

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:52 PM UTC

utopcell wrote: post #252

kimbernator wrote: post #178

It's starting to feel silly, having a yearly release cycle for smartphones. So much of this product page is focused on new software functions that may have some vague relationship with the slightly upgraded hardware, but that could mostly be released to existing phones. Every new iPhone, Pixel, or Samsung phone basically claims the camera is marginally better and hey, look at these software features that have very li…

Five years ? Why would someone want to experience hardware advances in large steps instead of continuously ?

[deleted]

Re: Pixel 8 Pro

#260

Post by RedComet » Wed, Oct 04, 2023, 8:53 PM UTC

modzu wrote: post #78

pixel 6 and 7 have severly weak fingerprint sensors, they overheat, and have basic telephone connectivity issues. its unfortunate not to see any of these basic table stakes addressed and instead just get a dog and pony show for the camera software and how it can produce fake photos

The fingerprint sensors on the 6 and newer are terrible and massive downgrades in every way from previous models. Is there any indication that the 8 is moving to ultrasonic as rumored?