Phones Google Pixel 2 / Google Pixel 2 XL

[widgeteer]

I would not recommend the Verizon Pixel, as it's not a true Google phone. They lock it down and your beholden to Verizon then.

A Google Phone is only a true unlocked phone if bought directly from the Play Store.

Plus on principal I couldn't give the Nazi carrier one penny.

1) Please don't use the term "Nazi" in relation to a phone carrier. It's gross.
2) You don't even know what you're talking about. The bootloader is locked down on the VZW version, not the phone itself. You can use the phone on any network and receive updates so long as Google supports it. Thus, unless you're one of the 15 or so people who still root Android phones, you won't care if the bootloader is locked.

 

[Tig Bitties]

1) Please don't use the term "Nazi" in relation to a phone carrier. It's gross.
2) You don't even know what you're talking about. The bootloader is locked down on the VZW version, not the phone itself. You can use the phone on any network and receive updates so long as Google supports it. Thus, unless you're one of the 15 or so people who still root Android phones, you won't care if the bootloader is locked.

Sorry about the "Nazi" term, I meant to say that Verizon is an evil corporation, extremely unethical, does very shady business, and should be avoided at all costs.

Where did I say the Verizon Pixel 2 is locked down and only can be used on their network ? I never said that. I said your beholden to them for future updates.

And if you are paying for the phone in full out of pocket why the hell wouldn't you just get the Google Play Store version instead of the Verizon one ? That makes zero sense to me. It's like buying a U.S. Carrier Galaxy Note 8 full price, why not get the better international Exynos version instead, you'd be a fool not too.

LOL at 15 people who still root. Over 111,000 subscribers just for Magisk Root Guide
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl

And the Reddit Pixel root site has 70,000 members
https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/

More like who's buys a Nexus I mean Pixel phone and just uses it stock ? WTF. Might as well just get a Samsung Galaxy or something.

 

[widgeteer]

Sorry about the "Nazi" term, I meant to say that Verizon is an evil corporation, extremely unethical, does very shady business, and should be avoided at all costs.

Where did I say the Verizon Pixel 2 is locked down and only can be used on their network ? I never said that. I said your beholden to them for future updates.

And if you are paying for the phone in full out of pocket why the hell wouldn't you just get the Google Play Store version instead of the Verizon one ? That makes zero sense to me. It's like buying a U.S. Carrier Galaxy Note 8 full price, why not get the better international Exynos version instead, you'd be a fool not too.

LOL at 15 people who still root. Over 111,000 subscribers just for Magisk Root Guide
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl

And the Reddit Pixel root site has 70,000 members
https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/

More like who's buys a Nexus I mean Pixel phone and just uses it stock ? WTF. Might as well just get a Samsung Galaxy or something.

This is incorrect as well. Google issues the updates regardless of network. VZW pIxels and Google store pixels are identical, the former simply has a locked bootloader which has NOTHING to do with receiving updates.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Whatever you do, don't buy a Google Pixel or Pixel XL from Verizon
http://mashable.com/2016/10/07/verizon-google-pixel-bloatware-system-updates/#gr.LyPQRtPq7


Don't buy your Google Pixel from Verizon
https://www.androidcentral.com/dont-buy-your-google-pixel-verizon


Don’t buy your Google Pixel from Verizon! Here’s why
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-pixel-verizon/

 

[KingslayerG5]

Last year, Pixel was the more saturated one and iPhone had more realistic colors. This year, they switched places. What gives?

It's like iPhone X has the camera of the Galaxy S7 this time.

BTW, I do prefer the photos of the X in that Krystal Lora video but I'm not a fan of that yellowish/warmish tint. The Pixel 2 XL looks muted and dead like iPhone 7's.

 

[widgeteer]

Whatever you do, don't buy a Google Pixel or Pixel XL from Verizon
http://mashable.com/2016/10/07/verizon-google-pixel-bloatware-system-updates/#gr.LyPQRtPq7


Don't buy your Google Pixel from Verizon
https://www.androidcentral.com/dont-buy-your-google-pixel-verizon


Don’t buy your Google Pixel from Verizon! Here’s why
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-pixel-verizon/

From your very first link:


"UPDATE: Oct. 13, 2016, 11:47 a.m. ET: Verizon told Ars Technica Google will be in charge of releasing both system updates and monthly security updates for its Pixel and Pixel XL phones. The three pre-install apps will also be easily removable. The original story follows below."

Thanks for the assist!

 

[Tig Bitties]

Ok if your so set on the Verizon version go get it then. But I think that would be a terrible idea.

My point is, if buying off contract, full price, buy the official Google Store Pixel. It's just better, and has higher resale value too.

Only reason to get the Verizon version, is if your work pays for your phone and you have their plan, then get it. Otherwise I would advise against it.

 

[widgeteer]

Ok if your so set on the Verizon version go get it then. But I think that would be a terrible idea.

My point is, if buying off contract, full price, buy the official Google Store Pixel. It's just better, and has higher resale value too.

Only reason to get the Verizon version, is if your work pays for your phone and you have their plan, then get it. Otherwise I would advise against it.

Is this your version of admitting you were wrong?

 

[jamezr]

Ok if your so set on the Verizon version go get it then. But I think that would be a terrible idea.

My point is, if buying off contract, full price, buy the official Google Store Pixel. It's just better, and has higher resale value too.

Only reason to get the Verizon version, is if your work pays for your phone and you have their plan, then get it. Otherwise I would advise against it.

I would have to agree with you on that one.....If you are buying from the Google Store....why buy the locked version where the unlocked is the same price and availability? Personally I would buy the unlocked

 

[Tig Bitties]

I would have to agree with you on that one.....If you are buying from the Google Store....why buy the locked version where the unlocked is the same price and availability? Personally I would buy the unlocked

Thank you Jamezr, that was my point. If you're forking out $850 it's a no brainier to buy the Google Play Store Pixel over the Verizon Pixel. You'd be a fool not to.

 

[5105973]

Last year, Pixel was the more saturated one and iPhone had more realistic colors. This year, they switched places. What gives?

It's like iPhone X has the camera of the Galaxy S7 this time.

BTW, I do prefer the photos of the X in that Krystal Lora video but I'm not a fan of that yellowish/warmish tint. The Pixel 2 XL looks muted and dead like iPhone 7's.

Good to see you back. The Pixel 2 does such a good job of retaining detail. I wish the iPhone X/8/7 would do that. iPhones tend to lose detail because they blow out highlights and that is so frustrating to me. Everything else like hue and saturation I can adjust in post processing but I can’t recapture lost detail with the apps I use, anyway.

It looks like my returned Pixel 2 along with some lady’s registered letter made it out of the mail room of the building where Hubby works and went AWOL at the post office. So now he’s going to have to pay a visit to the post office and try to track down what happened to it there. I hope we can find it. Or get the money back somehow. I think I’d like to get another Pixel 2 at some point. I would have preferred a Panda, but that price is not going to happen. Not with burn in still being a concern and not with it not being my main phone. If I get another, I’d try to go for a white Pixel 2. Definitely directly from Google. I don’t like getting anything from carriers and do so only if there’s a deal going on. The carriers like to throw their weight around too much and tell you what you can and can not have or do with your own g-blasted phone, even if you pay in full. Props to @Tig Bitties for warning people off carriers when at all possible.

 

[widgeteer]

Thank you Jamezr, that was my point. If you're forking out $850 it's a no brainier to buy the Google Play Store Pixel over the Verizon Pixel. You'd be a fool not to.

If you dont' care about rooting your phone why does it matter?

 

[jamezr]

If you dont' care about rooting your phone why does it matter?

Well....its not just about rooting. I mean the unlocked Pixel has an unlocked boot loader BUT also is SIM unlocked and can be used with any carrier. Then if you plan to sell down the line having more options is always better and can get a higher price.

Then if you do want to flash a rom or anything you still have that option as well.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Well....its not just about rooting. I mean the unlocked Pixel has an unlocked boot loader BUT also is SIM unlocked and can be used with any carrier. Then if you plan to sell down the line having more options is always better and can get a higher price.

Then if you do want to flash a rom or anything you still have that option as well.

The Verizon Pixel 2 is sim unlocked, in fact, all Verizon LTE devices sold are sim unlocked. I thought the only difference is the bootloader situation, which doesn't matter if you don't plan to root/ROM... yes, it hurts resale but not by a whole lot, at least when I was looking at used Pixel XL's earlier this year.

https://www.droid-life.com/2017/10/09/which-google-pixel-2-verizon-or-unlocked/

Both versions work everywhere
So what is the difference? Well, there isn’t much of one at all, actually. I say that because the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are unlocked phones that do indeed work on all major US carriers and support 21 different LTE bands here, including those from AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular, and of course, Verizon. We aren’t sure why Google and Verizon are making this somewhat confusing, but it probably has to do with Verizon’s exclusive deal to be the only carrier in the US to sell the phone. Either way, if you buy the Verizon version of the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL, you can then take it to any carrier you want and it’ll work.

 

[5105973]

Ah, I just saw over on Android Central that porgs are on Pixel 2 now. The envy is strong in this one. I’m kind of obsessed with porgs. I’m going to see The Last Jedi on Thursday night.

If I had known my Pixel 2 was going AWOL and I was going to lose $750 into the ether (hopefully only temporarily) I would have held onto my defective Pixel 2 and just done videos on my IPhone so that I could have porgs now! Okay, maybe not, but I do have serious porg envy. Part of me will always be a tween girl at heart that likes cute things! I do think the AR stickers look like so much fun. I hope porg stickers come out for iOS or my S8+. It’s all supposed to be Pixel exclusive though.

Oh I just saw porgs are available on Snapchat. I refuse to use Snapchat but it’s good to see the porg invasion.

 

[Fanaticalism]

Well....its not just about rooting. I mean the unlocked Pixel has an unlocked boot loader BUT also is SIM unlocked and can be used with any carrier. Then if you plan to sell down the line having more options is always better and can get a higher price.

Then if you do want to flash a rom or anything you still have that option as well.

[doublepost=1513099924][/doublepost]Vzw is also unlocked.

 

[slitherjef]

From my sis, first impressions of fi on the XL 2 are good. She used hangouts (instead of messages) inside the store that is normally a dead zone for the note 4 she had on sprint (odd, don't fi use sprint and t-mobile?) and call quality from inside the store from her and our end is said to have been really good and better then that note 4

More testing to be sure. Not sure what kind of actual data speeds are or how well data is. Right now she is playing guinea pig on a new network. I still have yet to put my fi sim in.

 

[fr4c]

Anyone else on the 8.1 update? Since then it has borked my bluetooth connection; AirPods constantly play the pair/unpair sound, and the connection constantly cycles in my car's bluetooth system (connect/disconnect). I've tried removing the devices and repairing, and that didn't fix the issue. Even went into Developer Settings and changed the AVRCP settings between default 1.4, to 1.5 and 1.6. None of these changes have made any difference.

Sad thing is everything was working great on 8.0, doing a factory reset now to see if it makes any difference.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Anyone else on the 8.1 update? Since then it has borked my bluetooth connection; AirPods constantly play the pair/unpair sound, and the connection constantly cycles in my car's bluetooth system (connect/disconnect). I've tried removing the devices and repairing, and that didn't fix the issue. Even went into Developer Settings and changed the AVRCP settings between default 1.4, to 1.5 and 1.6. None of these changes have made any difference.

Sad thing is everything was working great on 8.0, doing a factory reset now to see if it makes any difference.

I'm on 8.1 and haven't had too many bluetooth issues. The only thing I have to do every now and then is re-connect my airpods. Meaning, I open the airpod case and put them in my ears, my Pixel connects and then disconnects causing me to manually select my airpods from the BT menu of the phone. But my car BT connects just find without issue. The airpod issue is annoying but not all the time and I can't remember if it was that way on 8.0 to be honest.

I did factory reset my phone once I got on 8.1 just to get a clean start with such a major point release of software, so maybe that helped? granted, my airpod issue isn't ideal and hopefully google fixes in the next update (if it is 8.1 that borked it).

 

[fr4c]

I'm on 8.1 and haven't had too many bluetooth issues. The only thing I have to do every now and then is re-connect my airpods. Meaning, I open the airpod case and put them in my ears, my Pixel connects and then disconnects causing me to manually select my airpods from the BT menu of the phone. But my car BT connects just find without issue. The airpod issue is annoying but not all the time and I can't remember if it was that way on 8.0 to be honest.

I did factory reset my phone once I got on 8.1 just to get a clean start with such a major point release of software, so maybe that helped? granted, my airpod issue isn't ideal and hopefully google fixes in the next update (if it is 8.1 that borked it).

Did a factory reset, and what do you know, now seems to work fine just now on my commute home in my car. Will sync up my AirPods again and see if that's fixed.

 

[5105973]

Oh my flipping Porgs! Google is the best! I let my contact at Google know that the package disappeared sometime after it left the mail room and told her that it’s possible the phone ended up stolen and Google should blacklist the IMEI. Or track it and see if it’s in use, if they can do that. And she wrote back that it wasn’t my fault the carrier didn’t scan the package when they picked it up and it’s a good thing I used one of their labels. They’re issuing me the refund!

(Edited out TL/DR blather)

Anyway I just wanted to give mad props to Google and their rep for going above and beyond.

They still want us to check with the Post Office and file a claim. I will get in touch with them about the outcome of that.

I definitely feel more confident buying another Pixel 2 from them after a positive experience like this. Especially since they extended the warranty two years. I hope to reapply the refund to a white 2 for Christmas or Mother’s Day.

 

[Fanaticalism]

Did a factory reset, and what do you know, now seems to work fine just now on my commute home in my car. Will sync up my AirPods again and see if that's fixed.

Don't have an issue with my bose soundsport free but in my car, when a call comes in and I answer it, I hear my ringtone through the car speakers for a good 2 seconds before the call connects.

 

[noobinator]

Oh my flipping Porgs! Google is the best! I let my contact at Google know that the package disappeared sometime after it left the mail room and told her that it’s possible the phone ended up stolen and Google should blacklist the IMEI. Or track it and see if it’s in use, if they can do that. And she wrote back that it wasn’t my fault the carrier didn’t scan the package when they picked it up and it’s a good thing I used one of their labels. They’re issuing me the refund!

(Edited out TL/DR blather)

Anyway I just wanted to give mad props to Google and their rep for going above and beyond.

They still want us to check with the Post Office and file a claim. I will get in touch with them about the outcome of that.

I definitely feel more confident buying another Pixel 2 from them after a positive experience like this. Especially since they extended the warranty two years. I hope to reapply the refund to a white 2 for Christmas or Mother’s Day.

What's a porg?

 

[5105973]

What's a porg?

You probably don’t really want to know. It’s the new cute little Star Wars creature in the new movie that’s coming out this week, The Last Jedi. It’s based off of a Puffin, a pug, and a potato according to some comments I read.

Currently my forum avatar has Captain Kirk from the Trouble with Tribbles episode holding a photoshopped Porg. (I find Star Trek/Star Wars mashups amusing).

I didn’t much care for Ewoks, but when I saw a Porg with Chewbacca in the movie trailer, I thought it was too funny. I’m a bit obsessed this week because I finally get to see the movie tomorrow. So of course I’d get sick now. My husband got over the same virus in one day so I’m hoping I’ll recover fast, too.

Pixel 2 and 2 XL now have access to AR stickers that let you put storm troopers and Porgs and other Star Wars characters into real life scenes. I wish I still had my Pixel 2 so I could see porgs all over my dining room table. Of course in real life I probably wouldn’t like that because we all know birds poop profusely on everything. Lol, that’s why I think AR is so cool, you can have the cuteness without the mess.

I am very surprised with the big push Apple was giving AR and their ties to Disney Pixar that they didn’t get AR Star Wars stickers first.

 

[noobinator]

You probably don’t really want to know. It’s the new cute little Star Wars creature in the new movie that’s coming out this week, The Last Jedi. It’s based off of a Puffin, a pug, and a potato according to some comments I read.

Currently my forum avatar has Captain Kirk from the Trouble with Tribbles episode holding a photoshopped Porg. (I find Star Trek/Star Wars mashups amusing).

I didn’t much care for Ewoks, but when I saw a Porg with Chewbacca in the movie trailer, I thought it was too funny. I’m a bit obsessed this week because I finally get to see the movie tomorrow. So of course I’d get sick now. My husband got over the same virus in one day so I’m hoping I’ll recover fast, too.

Pixel 2 and 2 XL now have access to AR stickers that let you put storm troopers and Porgs and other Star Wars characters into real life scenes. I wish I still had my Pixel 2 so I could see porgs all over my dining room table. Of course in real life I probably wouldn’t like that because we all know birds poop profusely on everything. Lol, that’s why I think AR is so cool, you can have the cuteness without the mess.

I am very surprised with the big push Apple was giving AR and their ties to Disney Pixar that they didn’t get AR Star Wars stickers first.

Ah I see. I'm a Trekkie but I'll watch Star Wars eventually. I remember the Tribbles quite well! I haven't been following this thread too closely but why'd you get rid of your Pixel 2? Does your husband still have his 2 XL? I thought I remember him having one.