Once he set the screen on force 90hz (to reduce the choppiness), he gave battery life a D....ouch.
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Google Pixel 4/Pixel 4 XL
- Thread starter AustinIllini
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Once he set the screen on force 90hz (to reduce the choppiness), he gave battery life a D....ouch.
Maybe you’ll end up liking it?
A lot of what reviewers are complaining about in regards to the 4 (XL) just doesn’t bother me (lack of a wide angle lens, the forehead, an older processor, the battery [I’m constantly around outlets], etc.). I think I’ll still give the phone a two-week trial when it has a significant discount, and I’ll make up my own mind then. I don’t need crazy specs to be satisfied. I have an iPhone 8 Plus; the 4 XL with all of its “problems” would be a step up for me and a cheaper choice than buying another iPhone. ?♀️
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Good points. Yeah the wide angle lens is a big nothing burger for me, as I mainly take portrait shots mostly, or regular camera shots. And video, I rarely take videos on my phone, once every couple weeks maybe.
SD855 is an older processor now? LOL, the SD855+ is just a hotter running higher clocked revision, barely even noticeable except in benchmarks.
I rarely take videos, too, so the video quality on the Pixel doesn’t bother me. Yes, SD855 is an “old” processor now, lmao. r/Pixel won’t stop screaming about it being “old.” Most of these people seem perplexingly extreme and out-of-touch. I just want a phone that runs smoothly and has a nice camera. I’m so tired of iOS, and I’ve been wanting to own a Pixel for years, but I’ve been afraid to make the jump. I really love the look of stock Android and I’m really happy that the Pixel has Face Unlock now. The 4 XL felt great, too, when I checked it out. I‘ll try it and I’ll make up my own mind.
Ouch...that's probably the most critical MKBHD has been on a top level phone in a long time, and on his self professed favorite line of phones. A big Pixel fan who can't confidently recommend others choose a Pixel 4...that says a lot.
This review genuinely bummed me out.
YeahOuch...that's probably the most critical MKBHD has been on a top level phone in a long time, and on his self professed favorite line of phones. A big Pixel fan who can't confidently recommend others choose a Pixel 4...that says a lot.
This review genuinely bummed me out.
. He just looked so sad, too. ?Edit: I actually only found out about the existence of the Pixel when I watched one of his Pixel videos a few years ago. He used to be so excited about the Pixel.
This was an interesting watch. I was surprised by the results about as much a Marques was as well. Both are really good still cameras.
The best reviewer so far, and as a viewer, I can belive that he is sincere with what he's saying, unlike the rest of youtubers.
When everybody talked about the screen they're just spouting spec and "great." MKBHD is probably the only one that goes through the settings like a real techie and see what's going on, and discovered the aggressive "throttling" of the refresh rate, and how setting it to always 90hz hurts battery life. Same thing with the camera. Everybody else just synced themselves with the marketing materials from Google. MKBHD actually got curious and discovered that the tele-photo lens was not even utilized for zooming. Everything is done by the main wide lens.
Every time I watch MKBHD, it just reminds me how pretentious the rest of "tech" youtubers are. They become a joke when they all are still trying to spin positive views for the Pixel 4.
Same here, may just go right back. I use my banking apps extensively as well as LastPass and GooglePay. This is just poor execution by Google. This was to be my 2nd phone, I'll stick with my IP11P and just be very happy.
Comprehensive camera test of Pixel 4XL, iPhone 11 Pro XL, Galaxy Note 10+ and OnePlus 7T Pro. Surprisingly the phone that came out ahead in low light is not the two that you think.
For me, these were the standouts.
Image quality and HDR D
Low Light C
Wide Low Light A
Astrophotography D
Zoom D
Selfie D
Macro C
For me, these were the standouts.
Image quality and HDR D
Low Light C
Wide Low Light A
Astrophotography D
Zoom D
Selfie D
Macro C
Same here. But more like 50-100 times a day. It's a killer feature, maybe my all time favourite UI function on iOS. I almost never open apps from the home screen anymore, I just swipe down, enter one letter and boom. And it feels like 75% of the time, the phone knows what I'm going to do and presents me with the correct app icon before I have to type anything at all. Sometimes it gets freaky.
Fascinating reading and watching the reviews this time around. This year's Pixel definitely has a big "BUT..." attached.
I'm still going to wait 1-2 months and see how it plays out. But for the first time in years, I'm genuinely tempted to return to iPhone - not really because of the iPhone itself, but because I do eventually want an Apple Watch.
Apple have done brilliantly to narrow the camera gap, too. Fair play - great for consumers.
All that being said, the Pixel IS more than just specs (even if they cheaped out on them so they can magically add them next year and call it "progress") and my Pixel 2 XL has been my favourite phone ever, for sure.
Will revisit this all in a month and see how real users have fared with it - I trust the people more than YouTube reviewers nowadays. They aren't swapping phones every week and give a more realistic viewpoint.
I'm still going to wait 1-2 months and see how it plays out. But for the first time in years, I'm genuinely tempted to return to iPhone - not really because of the iPhone itself, but because I do eventually want an Apple Watch.
Apple have done brilliantly to narrow the camera gap, too. Fair play - great for consumers.
All that being said, the Pixel IS more than just specs (even if they cheaped out on them so they can magically add them next year and call it "progress") and my Pixel 2 XL has been my favourite phone ever, for sure.
Will revisit this all in a month and see how real users have fared with it - I trust the people more than YouTube reviewers nowadays. They aren't swapping phones every week and give a more realistic viewpoint.
I did not have that same take away after watching the video. I thought the portrait mode was not using the telephoto lens for the picture, just depth mapping and then it would zoom off the main lens. I do not think he was saying if you take a regular 2x zoom it was using the main lens.
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Have any reviews mentioned haptics and if they have improved at all? I do not recall seeing anyone cover that. As an iPhone user, I am spoiled in that regard and am hoping the 4 is improved.
I don't have any links but I specifically remember seeing a video last week where someone said the haptics had been improved on the 4. Don't quote me on this but I'm sure they said they were about on par with iPhone.
From what I've seen so far, the iPhone has the edge in night mode shots. Seem to have more detail.
Really? I think the opposite. But I’m probably looking at it as which one takes the more pleasing photo rather than which is more detailed.
Nice to be able to get great results from both though.
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A UK reviewer, although he’s not really a reviewer (I think he’s some sort of designer), has posted a picture of his Google haul.
I’m SO jealous of this. It’s so cool!
There was a Pixel 4 in there too by the way
.He noted something that really hit home for me at the end of the video.
He said that he does recommend the Pixel for people who want a high refresh screen with a great camera and the latest version of Android. That pretty much sums up precisely what group I'm in.
For all of the people who are comparing a bunch of different phones and discussing prices and features, that sounds like a great place to be in. I actually envy that group. As for me, it's either Pixel 4 or wait for something else. There isn't a single Android phone besides Pixel 4 I'm interested in purchasing.
If someone put a gun to my head right now and said, "Pick a phone or else...", I'd buy an iPhone 11 Pro. I have an iPhone 7 now, though, and it really does feel like a boring experience/UI after being on Android.
I did cancel my Pixel 4 preorder, but only because I don't want to deal with the temporary frustration with face unlock not working with apps that I use.
I look forward to reading feedback from other people in the same group that I'm in -- those who want a stock experience with a great camera.
I think the bottom line here is price and your tolerance to price. If you are in a position where it doesn't matter a ton and aren't looking for the best value then the phone will do just fine. If you want a great value then this probably isn't for you. If the prices started at $599 and $699 (instead of $799 and $899), I imagine the conversation we'd be having would a lot different. The price will be in this ballpark probably as early as before Black Friday (last year it was buy 1 get 1 half off a week or so before black Friday).
Wow I have been spending breakfast reading not reviews but actual explanations given by Google themselves and they really intentionally halfassed this phone for some reason. For example according to Android Central which screen shot a tweet from Google, they didn’t offer 4K@60fps because it eats up too much storage space and most people shoot in 1080P so they decided to emphasize improvements to that instead. (MR forum thank you for giving us the eye roll emoji).
As most logical consumers are asking, why don’t they just bump up the storage tiers and let the consumer decide which settings to record at.
Everyone apparently agrees in various comments that such decisions would be acceptable on a mid range phone. They hobbled their flagship like this.
And I don’t need to say anything about the terrible batteries. It’s all being said.
I still intend to pick this up much much later when it’s on fire sale. Or see what the mid range cuties have to offer. Probably I will trade my Pixel 2 for a pittance because the display has gone pink. Ugh, but maybe not, it’s still one of my favorite phones. So yeah I guess the 3XL will go? I don’t know. Whatever.
I do have an unhealthy draw to the cuteness of little Pixels that will eventually have to be assuaged somehow, even though I can see this one is a hot mess of poor choices and missed opportunities. I know I will have fun anyway. It’s just got to get cheap first.
(MR forum thank you for giving us the eye roll emoji).As most logical consumers are asking, why don’t they just bump up the storage tiers and let the consumer decide which settings to record at.
Everyone apparently agrees in various comments that such decisions would be acceptable on a mid range phone. They hobbled their flagship like this.
And I don’t need to say anything about the terrible batteries. It’s all being said.
I still intend to pick this up much much later when it’s on fire sale. Or see what the mid range cuties have to offer. Probably I will trade my Pixel 2 for a pittance because the display has gone pink. Ugh, but maybe not, it’s still one of my favorite phones. So yeah I guess the 3XL will go? I don’t know. Whatever.
I do have an unhealthy draw to the cuteness of little Pixels that will eventually have to be assuaged somehow, even though I can see this one is a hot mess of poor choices and missed opportunities. I know I will have fun anyway. It’s just got to get cheap first.
Wow I have been spending breakfast reading not reviews but actual explanations given by Google themselves and they really intentionally halfassed this phone for some reason. For example according to Android Central which screen shot a tweet from Google, they didn’t offer 4K@60fps because it eats up too much storage space and most people shoot in 1080P so they decided to emphasize improvements to that instead.
As most logical consumers are asking, why don’t they just bump up the storage tiers and let the consumer decide which settings to record at.
Everyone apparently agrees in various comments that such decisions would be acceptable on a mid range phone. They hobbled their flagship like this.
And I don’t need to say anything about the terrible batteries. It’s all being said.
I still intend to pick this up much much later when it’s on fire sale. Or see what the mid range cuties have to offer. Probably I will trade my Pixel 2 for a pittance because the display has gone pink. Ugh, but maybe not, it’s still one of my favorite phones. So yeah I guess the 3XL will go? I don’t know. Whatever.
I do have an unhealthy draw to the cuteness of little Pixels that will eventually have to be assuaged somehow, even though I can see this one is a hot mess of poor choices and missed opportunities. I know I will have fun anyway. It’s just got to get cheap first.
The only explanation I can come up with is that they intentionally cripple key specs so that they don't anger the Android OEMs, like Samsung, by creating a better phone they they offer at a lower price. I don't know if that is true, but it's the only reason I can fathom why they'd do those things, such as putting in a smaller battery and less storage.
Why would it matter to Google if Samsung is angry?
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One of my favorite reviewers:
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That actually hit got me as well, pretty much everyone on this sub forum are the exact users that will likely enjoy the phone the most, but not really geared towards the average user. Mine comes today, so I am still pretty excited to give it a shot.
Mine comes today too and I am still excited about the Pixel 4 XL
. I will use it next to my Note 10+ and 11 Pro max and decide for myself if it is a keeper or not.....I won't open it until after work, but the Pixel definitely has the best packaging I can remember seeing on a phone!
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