Phones Google Pixel 8/8 Pro

[edubfromktown]

Google has really made a mess this time with the latest incarnation of the Pixel storage issue fix... requires ADB!

Sure hope they continue limiting the blast radius to their own Android devices :|

I'll gladly wait longer for software and security updates from one of the other manufacturers who take the time to thoroughly QA/QC and test code prior to foisting releases upon users.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Google has really made a mess this time with the latest incarnation of the Pixel storage issue fix... requires ADB!

Sure hope they continue limiting the blast radius to their own Android devices :|

I'll gladly wait longer for software and security updates from one of the other manufacturers who take the time to thoroughly QA/QC and test code prior to foisting releases upon users.

Yeah this is pretty bad, I'm a big Nexus / Pixel supporter but Google needs to take it's phone more seriously. They do seem like Google beta devices at times.

 

[psp123]

I've never been able to fully trust my Nexus/Pixel devices. There have been random reboots, call glitches and other very weird bugs through the years. I still keep coming back to them for some reason though 🙂

 

[Harthag]

Google has really made a mess this time with the latest incarnation of the Pixel storage issue fix... requires ADB!

Sure hope they continue limiting the blast radius to their own Android devices :|

I'll gladly wait longer for software and security updates from one of the other manufacturers who take the time to thoroughly QA/QC and test code prior to foisting releases upon users.

I'm reading the thread you linked, wow. Users should not have to take all of these steps to fix a problem Google created. I can't believe Google doesn't care enough to provide the fix themselves.

 

[Technerd108]

I'm reading the thread you linked, wow. Users should not have to take all of these steps to fix a problem Google created. I can't believe Google doesn't care enough to provide the fix themselves.

I have a feeling this didn't happen to a lot of people. If it did, I bet the response would have been different but that doesn't make it right and this is the biggest issue I have always had with Google and their products. When stuff goes wrong Google just doesn't seem to care.

And no other company but Google would have their paying customers use ADB tools to fix their mistake.

When I took a leap of faith or idiocy and traded my iPhone 13 Pro Max fir a Pixel 7 Pro my biggest fear was have to deal with Google customer service. Apple is not perfect and it depends who you get but generally speaking they are helpful even years after your iPad is out of warranty they will still help you with software issues. Google you are lucky to talk with a person and when you do there is a limited set of info they can give you then you have to wait for an email response. It sucks.

Now when it comes to software I think part of the bargain of Pixel/Nexus devices in the past was due to the fact that you were essentially a beta tester for new Android features. Feature drops are beta tests to see what features are good and what are not and then those features become a part of mainline Android. Never had a problem with that bargain as long as they fixed issues fast as they arise and I think mostly Google has done that.

The problem is when you spend $1k or more on a phone beta testing is no longer an option. The more "premium" Google pushes the Pixel line the higher the expectations are of the software and hardware. Google has done a great job with providing decent new AI features like call screening and providing a mostly stable OS that people have been satisfied.

However, when you have an update that screws things up as bad as the Google Play store update did and the response is to give users a ADB instructions to remove the update within the files stem, what could go wrong? It is a pretty insane response if you ask me.

This is one of the reasons I always have a Samsung or Apple phone. They may get boring from time to time or not have all the latest tech depending on model but they are generally very reliable and stable.

A phone is a mission critical device. If your phone goes down it can have major repercussions to someone's life. So stability is really important.

I love my Pixel 8 Pro and I haven't had any problems with it at all. I have had some occasional glitches here and there but mostly rock solid. But if I can only take one device with me and I don't know how long I will be until I get back I am probably going with a Samsung device. Pixel's are fun but not always the most trustworthy devices in certain situations.

I was really hoping that with the push of going into the more premium market that these kinds of issues and the terrible fixes were in the past. If Google doesn't do better in the future they may lose the momentum they have been gaining in the last few years.

 

[Technerd108]

Google has really made a mess this time with the latest incarnation of the Pixel storage issue fix... requires ADB!

Sure hope they continue limiting the blast radius to their own Android devices :|

I'll gladly wait longer for software and security updates from one of the other manufacturers who take the time to thoroughly QA/QC and test code prior to foisting releases upon users.

This is why I have always appreciated Samsung. Sure they used to make you wait way too long. But at least you knew that you weren't going to have any major bugs. I have had so many Android OEM brand devices and it is one thing that has been a consistent theme over time. Some companies will rush out an update to be fast but then it is full of bugs and sometimes they can be pretty bad.

Now Samsung is almost as fast as Google but hasn't dropped the quality of it's software. Of course all software major releases contain some bugs but Samsung keeps them to a minimum. This is a big deal on a phone. Fast and reliable updates.

Hopefully Google gets a lot of flack for this and doesn't offer a fix like this unless they are dealing with developers.

 

[Aneres11]

Think you're all doing way too much here. Google release the most timely updates of any android devices I've ever used. They come every single month, and often fix issues that are discovered.

I'm not excusing the ADB thing, but that really doesn't seem to be affecting many people. No one here with devices has had the issue.

It's funny to me how those who were praising Google only a month ago have now jumped ship to Samsung and cant do enough to drag the 8 Pro 🤣. Until October, anyway, when the 9 is out and it's flavour of the month again. 😁

 

[Technerd108]

Think you're all doing way too much here. Google release the most timely updates of any android devices I've ever used. They come every single month, and often fix issues that are discovered.

I'm not excusing the ADB thing, but that really doesn't seem to be affecting many people. No one here with devices has had the issue.

It's funny to me how those who were praising Google only a month ago have now jumped ship to Samsung and cant do enough to drag the 8 Pro 🤣. Until October, anyway, when the 9 is out and it's flavour of the month again. 😁

Look I am not trying to "jump ship". There is no excusing a fix like this to paying customers. Period.

That being said I will criticize any company that deserves it. Just because I like a product or company doesn’t mean I overlook when they clearly didn't do the right thing.

I love the s24 plus and in terms of hardware it is a better phone than the Pixel 8 Pro in every way but the cameras and that is being as objective as I can. The Pixel 8 Pro is still the most comfortable large smartphone I have ever owned.

The thing is once you see something you can't go back. Pixel 8 Pro was the best phone on the market until the s24 series came out. You can look at them, test them, use them and you tend to come to an obvious conclusion. The Pixel 8 Pro was the best and now Samsung has eclipsed the Pixel. It is not people singing praises for Pixel and now turning around for Samsung. People are just more excited about a better product.

Now I focused on hardware because I still think Samsung is best there but in software I still think Pixel is best. But Samsung is pretty close. One UI 6.1 is a decent update.

So sure there are the yes men and women who just love the new shiny. Or love a particular brand so whatever the new brand releases it is the best. But some of us just love the best tech. Tech moves fast. So what is best now will be forgotten in 6 months to a year. It is just how it is.

 

[Aneres11]

The thing is once you see something you can't go back. Pixel 8 Pro was the best phone on the market until the s24 series came out. You can look at them, test them, use them and you tend to come to an obvious conclusion. The Pixel 8 Pro was the best and now Samsung has eclipsed the Pixel. It is not people singing praises for Pixel and now turning around for Samsung. People are just more excited about a better product.

You're just speaking for yourself here but you're presenting as fact. The Samsung has "eclipsed the pixel" in your opinion.
I don't care that people have moved on. I completely agree with you that new tech is exciting and we all jump ship to try something else and see what else is out there.

My point is around this dragging that we've seen since the S24 came out. It's almost like people need to justify the move so what they had before now must be laggy and the performance must be poor and oh look here's Google being terrible and Samsung would NEVER do this. That's the only bit that's amusing me but I guess maybe there's some element of people justifying the switch until the honeymoon phases inevitably wears off.

 

[Technerd108]

You're just speaking for yourself here but you're presenting as fact. The Samsung has "eclipsed the pixel" in your opinion.
I don't care that people have moved on. I completely agree with you that new tech is exciting and we all jump ship to try something else and see what else is out there.

My point is around this dragging that we've seen since the S24 came out. It's almost like people need to justify the move so what they had before now must be laggy and the performance must be poor and oh look here's Google being terrible and Samsung would NEVER do this. That's the only bit that's amusing me but I guess maybe there's some element of people justifying the switch until the honeymoon phases inevitably wears off.

True I am projecting what I think is most probable for most people but what do I know?

Everyone is different. That is all I know.

There is certainly a honeymoon phase with anything new but that doesn't mean you can't distinguish objectively better hardware even in that state of mind.

Don’t worry, the folding phones are next and people will be like Ultra?? That is so old school. Lol

 

[Aneres11]

True I am projecting what I think is most probable for most people but what do I know?

Everyone is different. That is all I know.

There is certainly a honeymoon phase with anything new but that doesn't mean you can't distinguish objectively better hardware even in that state of mind.

Don’t worry, the folding phones are next and people will be like Ultra?? That is so old school. Lol

Lol that'll never happen. Outside of the select few foldable lovers, most people won't justify the foldable at those prices til the cameras fall in line with the flagship. And I completely agree!

 

[edubfromktown]

This is why I have always appreciated Samsung. Sure they used to make you wait way too long. But at least you knew that you weren't going to have any major bugs. I have had so many Android OEM brand devices and it is one thing that has been a consistent theme over time. Some companies will rush out an update to be fast but then it is full of bugs and sometimes they can be pretty bad.

Now Samsung is almost as fast as Google but hasn't dropped the quality of it's software. Of course all software major releases contain some bugs but Samsung keeps them to a minimum. This is a big deal on a phone. Fast and reliable updates.

Hopefully Google gets a lot of flack for this and doesn't offer a fix like this unless they are dealing with developers.

Samsung's worldwide major release approach was a bit puzzling and new to me.

They essentailly had users outside of North America as "beta testers" for a few weeks with an initial One UI 6 release before it was tweaked and made available (even on unlocked devices) for North American S23 models.

In terms of scale, Samsung has quite a large marketshare, so I guess it sort of makes sense. Just didn't find the process well communicated anywhere.

Other manufacturer's dev teams screw up in such a huge way far less often than Google Android and ChromOS groups. They've needed to address that major flaw for years.

A fast half-baked release isn't what I'm looking for. At this premium price level, they've got to do a better job. It might also instill more confidence in consumers so they don't feel that applying an update will be rolling the dice or driving off of a virtual cliff.

Google's dev sloppiness not only impacts their products directly. It has crushed/bricked a larger portion of the Android and ChromeOS manufacturers hardware a handful of times if not more during the past 3 years or so.

 

[TPadden]

Pixel 2 through 8 here, never bricked through Android 14, but I don’t have multiple profiles. From what I’ve read almost all of the bricking problems are with multiple profiles and a single account which Apple doesn’t allow. “Apple ID doesn't work with multiple profiles on the same account. Instead, Apple likes each user to have their own Apple ID account.”

“The only real constant is that it’s happening to phones with multiple profiles, which includes guest and child users. That’s different from having multiple Google accounts on your phone, which doesn’t seem to be triggering the bug.”

Android 14 upgrade is bricking some Google Pixel devices — what you need to know

Multiple users profiles could be to blame

www.tomsguide.com

 

[Harthag]

Think you're all doing way too much here. Google release the most timely updates of any android devices I've ever used. They come every single month, and often fix issues that are discovered.

I'm not excusing the ADB thing, but that really doesn't seem to be affecting many people. No one here with devices has had the issue.

It's funny to me how those who were praising Google only a month ago have now jumped ship to Samsung and cant do enough to drag the 8 Pro 🤣. Until October, anyway, when the 9 is out and it's flavour of the month again. 😁

I really enjoyed the Pixel, but I couldn't solve that duplicate audio notification issue for the life of me. That was ultimately what broke me. I tried 3 different ear buds, didn't want to try a 4th in the Pixel Buds.

 

[840quadra]

Been an interesting ride with the P8P.

Still liking the device and hoping I will convince myself to keep it when the 9 comes out. No interest in any of the (off device) AI enhancements to photos or videos, and overall am happy with what works on device.

Camera (somehow) seems to be a bit better than launch.

 

[Technerd108]

Been an interesting ride with the P8P.

Still liking the device and hoping I will convince myself to keep it when the 9 comes out. No interest in any of the (off device) AI enhancements to photos or videos, and overall am happy with what works on device.

Camera (somehow) seems to be a bit better than launch.

This will be the last Pixel with a unique design comparative to the iPhone. The Pixel 9 Pro leaked renders show a iPhone like design with a camera bump and no more visor.

The Pixel 8 Pro is about the most comfortable large phone to hold in your hand I have ever owned. The performance, battery life, reception, have all been greatly improved over the 7 Pro.

The bay color is stunning in my opinion.

I don't know. I am a sucker for the new tech but I do really like the P8P. I would love to see a 6.8" screen and gorilla armor glass. That would move me along with a new Tensor.

 

[drinkingtea]

Oops, wrote in the wrong thread.

 

[Dave245]

If buying a Pixel 8 Pro in the UK, does anyone know what features will be missing? I’m hearing that those of us outside the US don’t get all features. That seems a bit unfair considering we are paying full price just like everyone else.

 

[The Game 161]

If buying a Pixel 8 Pro in the UK, does anyone know what features will be missing? I’m hearing that those of us outside the US don’t get all features. That seems a bit unfair considering we are paying full price just like everyone else.

I think it's only where google assistant can automatically answer a phone call for you I believe. call screening still works where you can get the assistant to do the call though.

 

[Dave245]

I’m not sure if this is Pixel 8 specifically related, however the app will be available on Google devices by he looks of it. It does look good tho tbf, not sure I agree with adding the advanced version behind a pay wall tho.

 

[The Game 161]

I’m not sure if this is Pixel 8 specifically related, however the app will be available on Google devices by he looks of it. It does look good tho tbf, not sure I agree with adding the advanced version behind a pay wall tho.

19.99 a month certainly pricey.

 

[Dave245]

19.99 a month certainly pricey.

oof, yea i just saw that myself. I thought it would be included in the yearly Google One subscription that I have, it’s not. Very sneaky of Google to create a separate Google One subscription and not include it in the yearly plan.

 

[The Game 161]

oof, yea i just saw that myself. I thought it would be included in the yearly Google One subscription that I have, it’s not. Very sneaky of Google to create a separate Google One subscription and not include it in the yearly plan.

I think they said if you have the 2TB storage option it will be an extra 10 on top. This is US though so dunno about prices for us here

 

[Ludatyk]

I’m not sure if this is Pixel 8 specifically related, however the app will be available on Google devices by he looks of it. It does look good tho tbf, not sure I agree with adding the advanced version behind a pay wall tho.

And I think this is what’s behind Samsung charging for AI features in the future because the most hype Circle to Search feature is powered by Google.

 

[Dave245]

And I think this is what’s behind Samsung charging for AI features in the future because the most hype Circle to Search feature is powered by Google.

This is a good point. Do you think Samsung are going to charge for future AI features (maybe like the ones in Gemini Ultra) or for the current ones but further down the line?