Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 5 XL

[Ludatyk]

Overall, the phone feels like mid range device both in terms of hardware and performance. Stock Android is smooth as ever but it's the same old story here. Software can't completely makeup for average hardware and specs. I still think it's a good phone once there's a discount, but not at this price.

Kind of feels like Google shot themselves in a foot. As you just mention, we all know why people gravitate toward the Pixels... Stock Android. However, from your observation and many others... people not only want Stock Android, but price is a huge factor as well.

Most are complaining that it should be priced at $600. So, lets try to price it at $600... but there's the Pixel 4a 5G at $500. And, I think that's the root of pricing it at the $600 mark. 3 deciding factors are 2 extra GBs of RAM, Wireless Charging and Water Resistance. Looking at it from their perspective, it doesn't make much sense to only charge an extra 100 bucks for those 3 set of features.

I honestly feel they priced it correctly just by going off their product lineup. What screwed them up is having that Pixel 4a 5G among the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. If that Pixel 4a 5G didn't exist, then there's a possibility that we could have seen the Pixel 5 priced at $600.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Now that it's the work week and I'm using my phone for my cl customers and stuff phone calls sound like absolute garbage on this phone. This is extremely disappointing I've had several different calls and they all sound like they're underwater or far away.

we'll see the rest of the day but this might be a deal breaker I mean not keeping the phone just terrible at earpiece quality during the phone call.

Whereas my Pixel 4 XL was totally normal worked perfect for phone calls never an issue hearing anybody. But this pixel 5 is night and day worse.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Kind of feels like Google shot themselves in a foot. As you just mention, we all know why people gravitate toward the Pixels... Stock Android. However, from your observation and many others... people not only want Stock Android, but price is a huge factor as well.

Most are complaining that it should be priced at $600. So, lets try to price it at $600... but there's the Pixel 4a 5G at $500. And, I think that's the root of pricing it at the $600 mark. 3 deciding factors are 2 extra GBs of RAM, Wireless Charging and Water Resistance. Looking at it from their perspective, it doesn't make much sense to only charge an extra 100 bucks for those 3 set of features.

I honestly feel they priced it correctly just by going off their product lineup. What screwed them up is having that Pixel 4a 5G among the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. If that Pixel 4a 5G didn't exist, then there's a possibility that we could have seen the Pixel 5 priced at $600.

My view is that they messed up their pricing by starting with the P4a at $349. That phone from day 1 should have been $299. That caused the mis-pricing on their other 2 phones. The P4a 5G would have looked better either at $399 or $449 and the P5 starting at $550.

To me, the P4a is really worth $249. The only problem Google would have created would be demand and supplying that demand which they had with the P4a when it was first released. In their entire 2020 lineup the P4a is their best bang for the buck phone, hands down.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Now actually using the Pixel 5 during workday, I have to say not terribly impressed. My 4 XL felt way more premium, and better sound for sure, more solid and not like a little toy. I don't know, not loving the phone right now, it's ok. And I'm a huge Nexus / Pixel fan, but this just seems kind weak.

 

[noobinator]

Now actually using the Pixel 5 during workday, I have to say not terribly impressed. My 4 XL felt way more premium, and better sound for sure, more solid and not like a little toy. I don't know, not loving the phone right now, it's ok. And I'm a huge Nexus / Pixel fan, but this just seems kind weak.

The good news is you can find an excellent condition 4 XL for much less than the 5.

 

[Tig Bitties]

The good news is you can find an excellent condition 4 XL for much less than the 5.

I still have my Pixel 4 XL, might actually just go back to it for now.

The ear piece speaker is just bad, and overall the speakers sound poor.

 

[Ludatyk]

My view is that they messed up their pricing by starting with the P4a at $349. That phone from day 1 should have been $299. That caused the mis-pricing on their other 2 phones. The P4a 5G would have looked better either at $399 or $449 and the P5 starting at $550.

To me, the P4a is really worth $249. The only problem Google would have created would be demand and supplying that demand which they had with the P4a when it was first released. In their entire 2020 lineup the P4a is their best bang for the buck phone, hands down.

I get it you want phones at a great price, but then there's not much profit when Google price it at $299. I'm only looking at it from their perspective, from our perspective... we want flagships that Samsung and Apple offer below 1k. But that's never going to happen.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I get it you want phones at a great price, but then there's not much profit when Google price it at $299. I'm only looking at it from their perspective, from our perspective... we want flagships that Samsung and Apple offer below 1k. But that's never going to happen.

The thing is neither the P4a, P4a 5G or the Pixel 5 are flagship phones. You already have other smartphone makers offering more for about the same or even less money. The OnePlus Nord, the Samsung A51. I can get similar performance from a Moto G Power (2020) vs P4a. The camera might not be as good but the other day the Moto G Stylus was US variant with a clear case for $199. I would have bought it but it had no NFC which I need.

The other thing is Google is not in the Pixel business to make money, they are in the Ads business. If they were serious about making money on with their smartphone business they would price them and supply them so they could compete with the likes of Samsung but they appear to have NO interest in that. Pixel phones are a hobby for Google.

 

[hallux]

It's sounding like if Google Fi can sort out the visual voicemail on the Samsungs (currently not supported from what I understand) I might just have to cave and grab an S20+ or an S21+ (or whatever the new one will be called). I guess I could also change carriers, but Fi works for me...

 

[Jason2000]

Now actually using the Pixel 5 during workday, I have to say not terribly impressed. My 4 XL felt way more premium, and better sound for sure, more solid and not like a little toy. I don't know, not loving the phone right now, it's ok. And I'm a huge Nexus / Pixel fan, but this just seems kind weak.

I agree about the speaker. Its horrible. I have already processed a return and will ship it back to them in the next day or 2. The feel of the phone and the weight do not bother me. I love how light it is. But the speaker is horrible. So bad I almost had myself convinced I had a defective unit. But reading your comments and others it appears the speaker is just bad. Not so much for video/gaming but when talking to people its not acceptable. Did they not try calling someone when testing it...lol. Anyways this may be it for me with trying Android. I try every year or 2 and always walk away not being impressed with something. Maybe I am just too used to the iPhone. Oh well. Looks like I saved some money this year.

 

[jdlindsey7]

Now that it's the work week and I'm using my phone for my cl customers and stuff phone calls sound like absolute garbage on this phone. This is extremely disappointing I've had several different calls and they all sound like they're underwater or far away.

we'll see the rest of the day but this might be a deal breaker I mean not keeping the phone just terrible at earpiece quality during the phone call.

Whereas my Pixel 4 XL was totally normal worked perfect for phone calls never an issue hearing anybody. But this pixel 5 is night and day worse.

I have heard this a lot but found that I don’t have any issue with the speaker quality for phone calls. It sounds no better or worse than my iPhone XS Max (maybe my iPhone isn’t any good either and that’s why I don’t notice the difference).

However, the speaker is definitely garbage for video, but I use headphones mainly when watching video so that won’t bother me.

 

[michael9891]

I rarely use my phone for calls but it's been fine for me. I did call Dell a couple of times when I first got it and both times sounded pretty dodgy. So I immediately called someone else straight after to test it & was fine, so put it down to Dell.

I'm quite happy with the price this year, but then we got a pre order bonus worth a quarter off the cost of it.

Still think I'd be happier with a 4a 5G and it's bigger screen. I'll pre order the 12 Pro Max and if I can get that on the 13th, I'll give myself until the 4a 5G arrives to decide which phone I'll keep. Common sense tells me to stick with a Pixel though and buy a Tab S7 Plus.

 

[Tig Bitties]

So just for the heck of it I stop by my local T-Mobile store and looked at the OnePlus 8T and I do like pixel phones more than one plus, but specifically comparing the Pixel 5 to the 8T there's no comparison the AT just seems much higher quality night and day better screen technology, I felt a lot smoother and more fluid OS. For a similar price ranges the AT just seemed significantly better.

 

[Awesomesince86]

I personally liked the haptics on the 4a so presumed they'd be the same on the 5?
Samsung have got really good haptics now too so hoping all other Android manufactures follow suit. No excuse for it in this day and age.

Having used the Pixel 4 XL on a few different occasions last year, I can say for sure that its not the same haptics and is noticeably worse on the Pixel 5. The Pixel 4 XL had probably the best haptics Ive felt on a non-iPhone and thats not the case with the 5. My s20 plus has better haptics than the Pixel 5.

 

[Aneres11]

Interesting. I think because I came from a Sony who's haptics are the worst I've ever l experienced, the 4a felt great lol.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Pretty much anyway I compare the two phones my 4XL and the new 5 I have to say the 4XL is just a better phone except maybe in two departments for sure the battery life is night and day better on the Pixel 5 and the brightness on the screen is a bit better on the Pixel 5.

Everything else the 4XL is just a more premium phone better speakers, better haptics, more premium feel and build quality. Way better phone calls.

 

[Awesomesince86]

Kind of feels like Google shot themselves in a foot. As you just mention, we all know why people gravitate toward the Pixels... Stock Android. However, from your observation and many others... people not only want Stock Android, but price is a huge factor as well.

Most are complaining that it should be priced at $600. So, lets try to price it at $600... but there's the Pixel 4a 5G at $500. And, I think that's the root of pricing it at the $600 mark. 3 deciding factors are 2 extra GBs of RAM, Wireless Charging and Water Resistance. Looking at it from their perspective, it doesn't make much sense to only charge an extra 100 bucks for those 3 set of features.

I honestly feel they priced it correctly just by going off their product lineup. What screwed them up is having that Pixel 4a 5G among the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. If that Pixel 4a 5G didn't exist, then there's a possibility that we could have seen the Pixel 5 priced at $600.

Some other reviewers have mentioned this as well, but Google have reached their limit with what they can do with software alone. Rather than get the hardware to match, they dropped hardware even more along with price. The problem is, even the competition in the mid range offer a much better package of hardware and software for the same price. So Google still have the same problem they had with previous Pixels and that is they are still caught between going budget and going flagship.

Google shifted more towards the Nexus style of going midrange and letting software shine. The problem between now and the old Nexus devices is that before stock Android was so far superior than anything Samsung or LG offered that it stood out by a mile. Thats no longer the case. Samsung's OneUI is very good and OnePlus UI is close to stock. Also, they no longer stand alone in the midrange market in terms of cost. Samsung and OnePlus (and Apple) offer phones at those price points.

Google still need a major rethink or need to fill more areas of the market.

 

[michael9891]

Am I the only one that turns haptics off as soon as I get a new phone? I just find them annoying.

 

[Awesomesince86]

Am I the only one that turns haptics off as soon as I get a new phone? I just find them annoying.

I turn off bad haptics. iPhone haptics are amazing. The detail and feel is really good and adds to the experience IMO. Most of the others are just annoying buzzing.

 

[michael9891]

I mean anyone else simply not like them? I find them pointless and add nothing to a phone experience for me.

 

[Aneres11]

I love haptics. So much so that I hate bad haptics with a passion.
Samsungs haptics are nice and I find myself missing the little buzz when swiping up to go to the home screen which I'm yet to see on another Android phone.

Iphone haptics are good but you don't get them anywhere near enough for me. No option to turn it on for keyboard presses in settings which is just completely stupid.

 

[michael9891]

Must be me then, I just don't see what they add aside from being annoying! Although not half as bad as people who have keyboard clicks on.

 

[hallux]

@michael9891 the only vibrations from my phone are when I get a notification (depending on my volume setting) or a phone call, or if I have an app that uses vibration for something. I don't use the key press vibration either.

 

[jamezr]

Am I the only one that turns haptics off as soon as I get a new phone? I just find them annoying.

I turn them off too.....

 

[michael9891]

I'm not going to start a new thread just to ask this.

Can anyone see Google releasing a new flagship as soon as March as some rumours have suggested? With the release schedukt this year, it shows anything is possible with Google. But 5 months later?