Google Pixel smartphone

[ZesPak]

RobDickinson said:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/android-7-1...

Sounds like despite selling nexus phones as a way to get android updates first google shaft their customers release an even higher tier phone that has exclusive android update and newer version.

Honestly if I owned a nexus I'd be pissed.

? For now nothing of this is certain, what we know :
A new Google /nexus was due, they showed a new phone with new features and OS version.

They can even push 7.1 to the 6p and below before anyone gets their hands on a Pixel for all we know...

Ps: paid 400 for a 6p,should I be salty that a year later, at double the price, you can buy a better phone?

[jamoor]

The camera should be the best on any smartphone today in theory. The Nexus 5x/6p were and still are imo, especially in low light conditions.

[sjj84]

I'd been waiting for this to come out too, not many phones available now with a 5" screen, everything seems to be bigger. Not interested at that price, I knew they'd be more than the previous nexus phones, but that's a massive leap.

Currently got a z3 compact, had put off buying the z5 compact whilst waiting for the pixel and now the z5 compact doesn't seem to be available. Not sure what to get now.

[gr1340]

ZesPak said:

Just watched the announcement and I must say it piqued my interest a bit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhsd2F8BIz0

Especially the "free unlimited photo storage"...

I backup all my photo's to the cloud and have been paying about 2€/month. I've been running out and have been contemplating the 1TB... but that's 10€/month!.

Anybody that ordered got some more details on that? Is it unlimited time? What happens in 4 years if I get another phone? Or after one year? The 1TB (let's call that "unlimited" ) will work out at 120€/year... that puts the phone price in another perspective imho and I would seriously consider it tbh.

Having just checked Googles Pixel page, it states:
Unlimited backups for photos and videos taken with your Pixel phone.

That would suggest once the phone has gone, so has the unlimited storage.

[Funk]

I've also been keeping an eye on this as a 6P owner and I have to say I'm a little underwhelmed. I'm getting bored with my 6P and with any upgrade I'd want to stay with the larger screen and AMOLED (so that means Pixel XL) and the 32Gb capacity is too stingy in this day and age. I have a 32Gb 6P (for reasons I won't go into here) and I'm often having to make space. That leaves me with just the 128Gb XL @ £819... Err...no.

I can get an S7 Edge 32Gb, pop my 128Gb card in and have a MUCH slinkier-looking handset for just over £600. I've slated TouchWiz in the past but it seems they've toned it down somewhat on the latest handsets and it's far less obtrusive. Unless the screen on the Pixel is jaw-dropping, I've not seen a better screen than on the S7/S7E.

I think Google may have overestimated what people are willing to pay for the new models; if Android die-hard techies like me who bought into the whole Nexus idea are baulking, what chance do they have of getting Joe Public to cough iPhone money for what is still, basically, the 'new Nexus phone'? I can even see them losing users to Apple as Apple have brand cachet that Google simply don't.

The innards all sound very good but the lack of expandable storage, lack of stereo front-firing speakers and IP rating all mark it down considerably in my book. It's not even a very attractive handset (says the 6P owner). I have to be frank, the benefits of Nexus aren't even all that timely - I forced 7.0 download through the beta programme and even then I didn't get the September security update through last month - I had to re-enroll in the beta and un-enroll again to get it. I might just get a used S7E (anyone selling one?), see how I get on with it and possible get the S8 Edge when it launches next year (it's mooted for sometime around MWC...).

[Alex]

Besides a faster processor, I cannot see any improvement in the hardware at all.

[Funk]

Alex said:

Besides a faster processor, I cannot see any improvement in the hardware at all.

Pixel XL (Nexus 6P in brackets):

• 534ppi (518ppi)
• Snapdragon 821 (Snapdragon 810)
• Adreno 530 (Adreno 430)
• 4Gb RAM (3Gb RAM)
• 32 hours talktime (23 hours talktime)

The 6P is an octa-core 2Ghz ARM whereas the Pixel XL is a quad-core 2.15Ghz Kryo - the 6P might actually have the edge on CPU perhaps but at the expense of power consumption (and arguably who needs an octa-core CPU in a phone..?).

[Alex]

Higher PPI, but same screen resolution (6P bigger)
Longer talktime claimed, but same battery capacity.

There's nothing to tempt me to upgrade, especially given the price.

[Funk]

I would imagine the longer run-time is thanks to the quad-core rather than octa-core CPU as it will use significantly less power.

I agree with you though; I'm not tempted by it either.

[Alex]

It's disappointing, because I am serial Nexus buyer and have bough every iteration.

[George111]

durbster said:

George111 said:

This is funny . . . all you Android fanbois (!) moaning that Google and Samsung are charging the going rate for a smartphone

Apple charged a lot to develop the infrastructure, the so called eco system etc - and are now reaping the benefits and Google obviously now wants a piece of that pie . . . Apple Pie

Sorry - I can't help but gloat a little bit

That's an odd thing to say.

If they needed to charge extra so they could invest in their ecosystem, they wouldn't currently be sitting on vast mountains of cash.

Besides, it's probably quite a bit cheaper to create hardware that works exclusively with your ecosystem than having to support a large set of disparate standards and specifications.

Put simply, Apple charge what they do because people love throwing money at them, but I'm not convinced Google are in a position to perform the same trick.

People are used to paying a premium for Apple, but we're used to getting stuff from Google for free.

It's not an odd thing to say, many of the people on this thread are the same people who criticised Apple for charging so much for their iPhones, and now we have Google, the Savior of people who despise all things Apple, the open source Christ Child doing exactly the same thing as the evil Apple Empire. Gave me a lot of chuckling

Well, Google think they're in the same position as Apple - but clearly they're not. Oh dear, what are we to do . . . buy Samsung, the alternative Savior of those who hate Apple . . . oh no, they catch fire . . .

Honestly, it doesn't get better than this

[durbster]

George111 said:

It's not an odd thing to say, many of the people on this thread are the same people who criticised Apple for charging so much for their iPhones, and now we have Google, the Savior of people who despise all things Apple, the open source Christ Child doing exactly the same thing as the evil Apple Empire

But the majority of responses in this thread are saying the Pixel is too expensive for what it is, just as the iPhone is. I can't see many (any?) posts defending Google here.

[Funk]

durbster said:

George111 said:

It's not an odd thing to say, many of the people on this thread are the same people who criticised Apple for charging so much for their iPhones, and now we have Google, the Savior of people who despise all things Apple, the open source Christ Child doing exactly the same thing as the evil Apple Empire

But the majority of responses in this thread are saying the Pixel is too expensive for what it is, just as the iPhone is. I can't see many (any?) posts defending Google here.

Agreed. It's like Ford suddenly deciding to charge Merc money - the product doesn't really justify it in my view.

I'm not saying it's a bad phone, I'm just saying I think it's poor value for money given how little it's moved on from the Nexus 6P which was around £450-£550. I'm struggling to see what the extra cash actually gets you - to my eyes it's still just a mid-to-high-end phone but now asking ultra-premium pricing.

[ZesPak]

George111 said:

It's not an odd thing to say, many of the people on this thread are the same people who criticised Apple for charging so much for their iPhones, and now we have Google, the Savior of people who despise all things Apple, the open source Christ Child doing exactly the same thing as the evil Apple Empire. Gave me a lot of chuckling

Well, Google think they're in the same position as Apple - but clearly they're not. Oh dear, what are we to do . . . buy Samsung, the alternative Savior of those who hate Apple . . . oh no, they catch fire . . .

Honestly, it doesn't get better than this

You've got it all wrong, again.

We criticize apple and their brainless sheep for putting up with pricing, shameless lock in, non user serviceable items and lack of functionality because we are afraid that manufacturers will follow, removing removable storage, replaceable battery and eventually... Upping their prices to get a piece of the frankly ridiculous profit Apple makes per device.

And now they do. You laugh because now the smart considerate buyer has to pay more for less because the flock does.

Soon we won't have any interesting cars left because most people want an A3 diesel.

How's that?

[jamoor]

ZesPak said:

You've got it all wrong, again.

We criticize apple and their brainless sheep for putting up with pricing, shameless lock in, non user serviceable items and lack of functionality because we are afraid that manufacturers will follow, removing removable storage, replaceable battery and eventually... Upping their prices to get a piece of the frankly ridiculous profit Apple makes per device.

And now they do. You laugh because now the smart considerate buyer has to pay more for less because the flock does.

Soon we won't have any interesting cars left because most people want an A3 diesel.

How's that?

Give it another few years and the Chinese makers will be the ones we are talking about.

[plasticpig]

jamoor said:

Give it another few years and the Chinese makers will be the ones we are talking about.

Or Indian. Anyone getting Wickedleak Wammy Titan 10?

[130R]

I doubt Google picked the price out of a hat. It's priced directly against the iPhone because their research says that's what people are willing to pay at the top end.

[jammy_basturd]

130R said:

I doubt Google picked the price out of a hat. It's priced directly against the iPhone because their research says that's what people are willing to pay at the top end.

It's an underwhelming phone for a top end price!

[ZesPak]

jammy_basturd said:

It's an underwhelming phone for a top end price!

That does sound familiar.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Luke. said:

s2kjock said:

I have been holding off replacing my Nexus 4 until this was officially released.

At £399 I might have gone for it but £599 is bonkers. Back to the drawing board for a replacement for me

Get a 6P?

Would love one but 128gb 6P has been unavailable for a while. Don't want to 64gb, not enough