Nexus-N/Pixel XL ( 2016 )

[jamezr]

That looks great! I do love the dark look. I have my SE and my S7Edge done up like that. Of course it doesn't conserve battery on the SE like it does for the Edge. But it looks good.

Update: Kitty passed peacefully in his sleep. He had a perforated bowel likely from eating something he shouldn't, but it could have been FIP. We can't know without a necropsy which would be expensive and still possibly inconclusive. I'll be trying to catch the rest of his family today. They will be vetted then released back out where I will continue to care for them along with occasional help.

Awwww so sorry to hear about the kitty! But at least he passed peacefully and knowing someone very nice like you cared for him

 

[5105973]

Awwww so sorry to hear about the kitty! But at least he passed peacefully and knowing someone very nice like you cared for him

Thank you. Our family is very subdued today. Definitely not a typical Saturday around here. Something similar happened to us in 2011 on November 16. There is a Martina McBride song that covers it: "Anyway". Things don't always turn out like we'd wish, but if they're worth doing at all, do it anyway. So we keep on trucking.

Getting back on track with the thread, in another few months I can try again. By then the reviews on the Daydream headset will be out. If they're good I might go for the XL. That's the thing about things not working out like you plan, it leaves you room to imagine and dream something else.

 

[bgro]

Thank you. Our family is very subdued today. Definitely not a typical Saturday around here. Something similar happened to us in 2011 on November 16. There is a Martina McBride song that covers it: "Anyway". Things don't always turn out like we'd wish, but if they're worth doing at all, do it anyway. So we keep on trucking.

Getting back on track with the thread, in another few months I can try again. By then the reviews on the Daydream headset will be out. If they're good I might go for the XL. That's the thing about things not working out like you plan, it leaves you room to imagine and dream something else.

sorry to hear about Kitty

 

[Aneres11]

So sorry to hear about kitteh too. . Thoughts are with you.

Had a bit of time with Pixel now. Will be posting my thoughts later on.
Picked up a screen protector (I actually really like it, I'm converted!) and an official case and popped it on. Looks pretty good.
I love how clean the white phone looks especially with an uncluttered screen.

Had an amazon notification to say my mint green case arrived today so looking forward to seeing that when I get in. Sold one today on my shift too. Yay.

 

[5105973]

sorry to hear about Kitty

Thank you.
[doublepost=1478362815][/doublepost]

So sorry to hear about kitteh too. . Thoughts are with you.

Had a bit of time with Pixel now. Will be posting my thoughts later on.
Picked up a screen protector (I actually really like it, I'm converted!) and an official case and popped it on. Looks pretty good.
I love how clean the white phone looks especially with an uncluttered screen.

Had an amazon notification to say my mint green case arrived today so looking forward to seeing that when I get in. Sold one today on my shift too. Yay.

That does look lovely! I originally ordered a black Pixel but silver was my first choice but unavailable at the time. I do like both colors. That is an exceptionally clear case. When I tried a Ringke clear case on my Note7 the results were dull with a hint of an amber tinge. This case looks very good and doesn't change the silver hue. I hope it serves you well.

 

[Roadstar]

That looks great! I do love the dark look. I have my SE and my S7Edge done up like that. Of course it doesn't conserve battery on the SE like it does for the Edge. But it looks good.

Update: Kitty passed peacefully in his sleep. He had a perforated bowel likely from eating something he shouldn't, but it could have been FIP. We can't know without a necropsy which would be expensive and still possibly inconclusive. I'll be trying to catch the rest of his family today. They will be vetted then released back out where I will continue to care for them along with occasional help.

So sorry to hear about the kitty At least he went peacefully in good care.

Regarding the Pixel, I'll try to wait for the next generation which hopefully gets waterproofing too. My S7E should be fine until that. At least I hope so.

 

[lowendlinux]

I got an intelliarmor screen protector and a slick wraps naked case with a rainbow g logo coming. I'm liking having a small phone again so I want to keep it small

 

[Aneres11]

The mint case is actually really really nice.

Official clear one has been retired after all of 7 or so hours haha.

Apologies for low light photos. Damn dark evenings .

But for a fiver you can't complain! Will post my proper initial thoughts after I've grabbed some food and done some boring house chores!

 

[MRU]

What display mode are folks using ?

I'm SRGB.

Anyone seen a nice leather case akin to Apple's iPhone cases for the Pixel ?

 

[lowendlinux]

sRGB

 

[Aneres11]

So my thoughts then...

@MRU I was just using the out of the box screen mode, but did notice that colours were extremely vibrant, almost to the point that I wasn't enjoying the screen too much.
Even with low brightness, the phone colours did seem off. I've enabled SRGB and whilst I find that too subdued, it is better for photographs I have taken.

Could do with a mode in the middle of the two, ideally.

Well I haven't really used the Pixel for too long, but I already love it.
Having used iPhone for the past few weeks, I just find that Android lets you use your phone exactly how you want to. Multi tasking is easier, changing your wallpaper is easier, checking data usage is easier, its just swipe down and long press. With iPhone it is the most convoluted and non-straight forward process ever. Why?!

So that's refreshing!

The phone itself is lovely. I am struggling a little with the smaller size though. Definitely now become accustomed to a larger device and don't find a smaller, more pocket friendly phone to be more of a benefit to me than a larger screen with more 'real estate' to quote you American's .

Having said that, it's still a nice design although I am annoyed with this bottom bezel in particular. It just doesn't make sense, especially when you see the likes of a HTC 10 that doesn't compromise its screen as the buttons take place in the bezel, how it should be as far as I'm concerned. Having held a HTC 10 today it feels like a much bigger phone, but in reality there's hardly anything between them.

Loving notifications as per standard Android goodness. Although with this phone, I don't really like how I can't see what app has a notification apart from the notification icon at the top of the screen. It's enough for most people, but I also like having a little blob over the app itself. A small thing, but a niggle for me. I know I can change the launcher, which I'm guessing will give me that, but I love everything else about this launcher I don't really want to change it.

Battery life has not been great for me. Although I am used to my 7 Plus, which is just incredible. For instance, now I'm on 12% and I've been working today. In quiet spells I have been using the camera and social media etc, but it still seems quite lowly. Still, it's almost lasted a full working day for me, so I can't complain too much.

Screen - as stated above. Colours too saturated, SRGB too muted. Need a balance!

Camera. Well this is the one I need to test. One thing I hate hate hate is this 4:3 ratio thing. Why have we got a tiny square as a viewfinder and a massive black box with a shutter button in it? The iPhone does the same and it just annoys the hell out of me. Turn it down to shoot in 8 MP and it disappears and gives me 16:9 - but surely that's a big compromise in quality? I don't understand camera technology too much tbh, so my moans are probably not valid, but it does frustrate me. The Lumia 950's shot in 16:9 constantly and you launched the camera and the whole screen was a viewfinder. Same with a lot of other phones. Is there some secret benefit to the 4:3 ratio that I don't know about?

The actual camera quality seems very very good so far though. Haven't uploaded any photos just yet to really scrutinise but the few I've taken are really good, even in low light. Will post more with this.

The fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone is taking some getting used to but it works perfectly every time. I actually like it a lot but it does require me to hold the phone a certain way, a way I wouldn't necessarily hold it, but nonetheless it isn't a problem.

Still wish there was a memory card slot, and still wish there was wireless charging, but you can't have everything I guess.

One thing I am a bit blown away by is the amount of wallpapers to choose from for this phone. This is something I have been wanting in a phone like forever. Silly right. But that's just me.
I must have changed my wallpaper today about 10 times haha. One of the guys who works with me in CPW kept seeing my phone and commenting how good they all looked. They all look amazing and really show the screen off. With how stripped back this version of Android is too, I am finally able to have a really detailed photo as a home screen without covering it over with a massive widget or clock or Google bar. This subdued google tab is the best thing ever haha, I love it.

I just tried 'OK Google' and the assistant thing is actually amazing. Whether or not OK Google has always been like this with previous devices, I don't know. But I was having the time of my life haha. I did exact comparisons with 'Hey siri' and OK Google just owned it.
The amount of information that Google gives back to you when you ask it a question is head and shoulders above Siri.
I can see me using this all the time now!

When the Pixel first got announced I wasn't particularly blown away. But nor was I with the 7 / 7 Plus and I ended up with a 7 Plus.
I love the iPhone now, but if I'm being totally honest, I'd sack both of the phones off and I'd get a Pixel XL and be done with it. But having 2 phones (and one that works when I am at work which my iPhone doesn't due to coverage) is working out for me as today it was great to actually be able to communicate with people throughout the day and use my phone on my break etc.
But for all the things I love my iPhone for, which is mainly Car Play, Wallet and Apple Play, I could get an iPhone SE and be done with it. I don't even use iMessage everyone I text is on WhatsApp (literally everyone) and those who are not I send SMS.

Now the Pixel (seemingly) has a camera that can keep up with this 7 Plus it almost seems like a good idea haha.

But for now I'm happy having my iPhone and such a good version of Android with this lovely hardware. I just wish the hardware was a little more considered (bezels) and then I'd be really happy.

 

[MRU]

So my thoughts then...

@MRU I was just using the out of the box screen mode, but did notice that colours were extremely vibrant, almost to the point that I wasn't enjoying the screen too much.
Even with low brightness, the phone colours did seem off. I've enabled SRGB and whilst I find that too subdued, it is better for photographs I have taken.

Could do with a mode in the middle of the two, ideally.

Completely agree.

Normal is retina burning colour wise, and sRGB is a tad 'too' subdued. It's still better and more accurate than normal, but even comparing saturation to the iPhone the sRGB mode is a notch below its saturation level.

As you say, we need a couple more choices between the two settings ...


Great write up by the way

 

[macfacts]

For the people with the pixel using a case, is it easy to use the double tap power button short cut for the camera? I love how easy it is to double tap the home button on Samsung phones.

 

[Aneres11]

For the people with the pixel using a case, is it easy to use the double tap power button short cut for the camera? I love how easy it is to double tap the home button on Samsung phones.

With the official Pixel case it's very easy as there is a cut out for the button. With this gel case I got from Amazon, the button is covered by the case and there is a button mould on the case. It does make it stiffer and more difficult to double press, but it does still work and hasn't 'misfired' yet. I guess it depends on the case at the end of the day.

 

[Aneres11]

Just for further thoughts sake... something I never really considered properly until I'd typed it out earlier.

The HTC 10 I referenced, I'd never paid much mind to that particular device until very recently and it currently is sat in my house (brand new and boxed but open) as it was the phone I chose for my mums upgrade (I pay her phone bill) that she didn't want.

I got that phone as it was the one that was worth the most from her upgrade choices as she was keeping her existing iPhone. Plan was to keep it myself but then the Pixel got the better of me.

I had a little look of the HTC after I typed the above and the size and feel of it in the hand is (dare I say it) much nicer than the Pixel. I'm already starting to shake my head at myself.
The 10 is a very well crafted phone from my brief little play then. What I like the most with it is the supposed sound quality the phone emits and how the headphones provided are also amazing. That's a pretty big thing for me seeing as I use my phone as a music player above everything else. The fact the Pixel doesn't even have headphone is a little frustrating.

Not only that, but there's a memory card slot in the 10. And a finger print scanner in a better place and a bigger screen and no on screen buttons.

This Pixel better take some fantastic photographs when I test it tomorrow or I'm going to be having some serious doubt going on in my head which I really didn't expect nor am I welcoming.

The life of a tech addict. I swear my partner will lose his mind if I end up returning the Pixel or something. If you never hear from me again after tonight then you know what's happened .

I was feeling so content with the Pixel until I looked at that bloody HTC!

 

[MRU]

Just for further thoughts sake... something I never really considered properly until I'd typed it out earlier.

The HTC 10 I referenced, I'd never paid much mind to that particular device until very recently and it currently is sat in my house (brand new and boxed but open) as it was the phone I chose for my mums upgrade (I pay her phone bill) that she didn't want.

I got that phone as it was the one that was worth the most from her upgrade choices as she was keeping her existing iPhone. Plan was to keep it myself but then the Pixel got the better of me.

I had a little look of the HTC after I typed the above and the size and feel of it in the hand is (dare I say it) much nicer than the Pixel. I'm already starting to shake my head at myself.
The 10 is a very well crafted phone from my brief little play then. What I like the most with it is the supposed sound quality the phone emits and how the headphones provided are also amazing. That's a pretty big thing for me seeing as I use my phone as a music player above everything else. The fact the Pixel doesn't even have headphone is a little frustrating.

Not only that, but there's a memory card slot in the 10. And a finger print scanner in a better place and a bigger screen and no on screen buttons.

This Pixel better take some fantastic photographs when I test it tomorrow or I'm going to be having some serious doubt going on in my head which I really didn't expect nor am I welcoming.

The life of a tech addict. I swear my partner will lose his mind if I end up returning the Pixel or something. If you never hear from me again after tonight then you know what's happened .

I was feeling so content with the Pixel until I looked at that bloody HTC!

I actually prefer the pixel size wise over my HTC 10. For me it feels better in my hand but to be honest it's a tight match as there definitely common denominators between them.

The HTC 10 is probably the most underrated phone of the year.

Whilst the HTC 10 has a lot of stock Google elements, if it had run stock android fully I think I would never have got the pixel. As much as I like sense, I would still choose stock android personally.

 

[Aneres11]

Play tennis on a Sunday morning (at a ridiculous hour ha) so thought I'd take the pixel along with me to snap some of the greenery (or orange / brownery as it is now!) to do a quick camera test.

Tried to take the same shot with the 7 Plus so I could do a comparison.

Early impressions are kind of as expected. The iPhone 7 Plus is a little lifeless in terms of colour whereas the Pixel is more saturated, very very Samsung like.
I personally think that the Pixel produces results that are really similar to the Note 7 that I had, if a little less saturated maybe? But if so, only just.

Here are some samples below, compression is a problem so not a great way to compare but it gives you an idea.

These photos are all point and shoot in HDR and have not been edited.

iPhone 7 Plus

Pixel

iPhone 7 Plus

Pixel

iPhone 7 Plus

Pixel

iPhone 7 Plus

Pixel

iPhone 7 Plus

Pixel

Not much between them I don't think. Apart from the obvious slight colour differences.

Both very capable shooters, but really nice that the Pixel seemingly has a camera that is up there with the best.
Whether or not this will result in more people coming away from Samsung / iPhone, I don't know.
I had a guy in CPW yesterday who wanted to upgrade his iPhone and he was telling me how much he loved his tech so was thinking about a change to Samsung.
I said 'What about a Pixel' and motioned over to the stand. His response - 'A what?'...

I didn't really push much further as he then asked me if his Apple Watch would work with the S7 Edge, so I knew then that I was dealing with someone who didn't really know all that much about their tech...

But even with me showing him the Pixel stand, and with all the adverts I've seen advertising the phone, there still doesn't seem to be an overwhelming sense of interest? See how it sells.

One thing I was disappointed with - lens blur. Or whatever you call it.
2 photos I took ended up like this:

Took the same shots with iPhone in the same position and no problems.

 

[5105973]

Play tennis on a Sunday morning (at a ridiculous hour ha) so thought I'd take the pixel along with me to snap some of the greenery (or orange / brownery as it is now!) to do a quick camera test.

One thing I was disappointed with - lens blur. Or whatever you call it.
2 photos I took ended up like this:

Took the same shots with iPhone in the same position and no problems.

Unfortunately that's a known issue with Pixel cameras. Some seem to experience it worse than others, according to the conversation I've seen on Android Central about it. Google is aware and working on a software fix but it will only work for auto HDR photos. I guess most people have that mode on most of the time anyway.

I've found your discussion fascinating as you mention every phone I've had pass through my hands since summer or have thoroughly considered.

I have had the Note 7 and the Galaxy S7. Post-recall, I have an S7 Edge, an IPhone SE, an iPhone 6Splus, and just got my HTC-10 late last night (I'd almost given up on Fed-Ex delivering it when my delivery status changed from Out for Delivery by End of Day to No Delivery Schedule Available or something to that effect).

My iPhone SE and S7 Edge team is hard to beat. The SE is small and gets the job done. My S7 Edge is pure luxury. It has so many features and executes them well. Where I find it indispensable is in its ability to record video with an audio quality that is very immersive in its ability to recreate the sounds and a sense of direction as I experienced them while recording. It's an amazing thing to behold when I watch videos I made of the children at the school Halloween festival and feel like I'm there again.

I've been used to IPhones all these years so I did not realize how almost muffled the audio is in comparison to what it could be if Apple were to implement stereo mics.

I considered the iPhone 7, not the 7Plus due to its size, but have seen complaints that the camera is still plagued with the Monet watercolor distortion on low light photos (and even some well lit photos) that I have seen on my 6SPlus.

As for why I'm bothering with the HTC, I was curious about the sound quality which is indeed exactly what I hoped it would be for music playback even over low quality streaming services. I was also interested in a form of Android not as enclosed in a Samsung ecosystem. Given the QC issues Samsung has had recently I'm not sure I will remain with them beyond this generation. The HTC ecosystem is not as heavily done. The price was right (though now with $572 in vet bills to pay, everything feels a bit pricy). But the price difference between it and a Pixel with similar insurance coverage made it the one I chose to keep over my Pixel preorder.

I still find the Pixel extremely interesting and depending on how things go with the Daydream VR headset, I would also probably prefer an XL for that purpose. I will likely wait until generation 2. Unless they remove the headphone jack. Then I am going to stay with the main three I am playing with now. I'll leave the 3.5 mm jack behind on MY terms when I am darn well good and ready and not because Apple and others want to soak me for more money on accessories and pretend it's to save space or for advancement.

(6S Plus will go back to At&T on Next or end up as a family all-purpose device, which it pretty much is already).

 

[deany]

Can I ask Pixel uses does the Pixel have the exact same functionality as the 'Google Home' just smaller speaker, microphone etc
ie is google assistant on the Pixel the same experience as google assistant on 'Google Home'.

thanks in advance

 

[5105973]

Can I ask Pixel uses does the Pixel have the exact same functionality as the 'Google Home' just smaller speaker, microphone etc
ie is google assistant on the Pixel the same experience as google assistant on 'Google Home'.

thanks in advance

Deany, if you download the messenger app Allo, the Google Assistant will interact with you via text or the microphone (if you enable it). That way you can get an idea of how it ties in all the data it collects on you and becomes smarter over time as you interact with it. On a Pixel, the Assistant is accessible in the way Siri is on an IPhone. I am not sure myself if the Assistant on Google Home is the same as the one in Allo. But from what I read, the one in Allo is closest to what Pixel is doing with Assistant without being the more integrated-with-the-hardware version.

It is so strange...I wanted very much to experience the wonders of Google Assistant but when I try to get everything set up even on a more modest level on my non-Pixel Androids, I can't make myself accept the necessary level of tracking to make it all work as it should.

I am not sure why I didn't run across it in my IPad or on my Samsung, but something about the settings interface on my HTC 10 led me to find a deeper level of privacy settings on my Google account than I had access to until I got the HTC 10. I got access to EVERY verbal interchange I've had with the Assistant since I started playing around with it on my Samsung devices through my gmail account registration and Allo. It freaked me out to hear the audio clips. They're perfectly innocent questions about the weather and the funniest one was when I asked why a cat would scoot on its butt. (Poor feral I'm monitoring might have tapeworms, apparently). But I was still taken aback to really see and hear the data mining in action, even though on some level I was aware of it and permitted it.

I decided to forgo use of Chrome and install Firefox on my HTC 10 instead. It simply refuses to function at all unless I agreed to let it track pretty much everything I do on my phone. It got my temper up a bit, unfortunately. I hate pushy salespeople and pushy apps. On the S7 Edge I used the Samsung browser and in IOS I use Safari so this was my first skirmish with the actual standalone Chrome browser in many years.

But at least Google is upfront about what they collect and let you have access to it and the ability to delete it. I recently read that Apple also collects everything we say to Siri and stores it for two years. But we don't see it or have access to it.

I am a bit confused as to what Google does with all of this info. They say very firmly that only the account holder can see all this data collected on them. But then that makes it unclear to me precisely what they are selling to their advertising partners. There have been recent changes that make it unclear to me how much, if at all, they are anonymizing the data they sell.

Oh well, at least there are many options on Android. It's funny that I've gone from being intensely serious about Assistant and instead am researching privacy. I pivot so much I ought to become a politician...after I lock down my manic queries about cat habits.

 

[deany]

Deany, if you download the messenger app Allo, the Google Assistant will interact with you via text or the microphone (if you enable it). That way you can get an idea of how it ties in all the data it collects on you and becomes smarter over time as you interact with it. On a Pixel, the Assistant is accessible in the way Siri is on an IPhone. I am not sure myself if the Assistant on Google Home is the same as the one in Allo. But from what I read, the one in Allo is closest to what Pixel is doing with Assistant without being the more integrated-with-the-hardware version.

It is so strange...I wanted very much to experience the wonders of Google Assistant but when I try to get everything set up even on a more modest level on my non-Pixel Androids, I can't make myself accept the necessary level of tracking to make it all work as it should.

I am not sure why I didn't run across it in my IPad or on my Samsung, but something about the settings interface on my HTC 10 led me to find a deeper level of privacy settings on my Google account than I had access to until I got the HTC 10. I got access to EVERY verbal interchange I've had with the Assistant since I started playing around with it on my Samsung devices through my gmail account registration and Allo. It freaked me out to hear the audio clips. They're perfectly innocent questions about the weather and the funniest one was when I asked why a cat would scoot on its butt. (Poor feral I'm monitoring might have tapeworms, apparently). But I was still taken aback to really see and hear the data mining in action, even though on some level I was aware of it and permitted it.

I decided to forgo use of Chrome and install Firefox on my HTC 10 instead. It simply refuses to function at all unless I agreed to let it track pretty much everything I do on my phone. It got my temper up a bit, unfortunately. I hate pushy salespeople and pushy apps. On the S7 Edge I used the Samsung browser and in IOS I use Safari so this was my first skirmish with the actual standalone Chrome browser in many years.

But at least Google is upfront about what they collect and let you have access to it and the ability to delete it. I recently read that Apple also collects everything we say to Siri and stores it for two years. But we don't see it or have access to it.

I am a bit confused as to what Google does with all of this info. They say very firmly that only the account holder can see all this data collected on them. But then that makes it unclear to me precisely what they are selling to their advertising partners. There have been recent changes that make it unclear to me how much, if at all, they are anonymizing the data they sell.

Oh well, at least there are many options on Android. It's funny that I've gone from being intensely serious about Assistant and instead am researching privacy. I pivot so much I ought to become a politician...after I lock down my manic queries about cat habits.

Hi Grumps
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it.
Will download 'Allo' and give it a
whirl.
RIP kitty ∞ X

 

[MRU]

1 day 18 hours on battery.
5hr 55 mins SOT
Battery at 5%

Pretty great results altogether.

 

[deany]

1 day 18 hours on battery.
5hr 55 mins SOT
Battery at 5%

Pretty great results altogether.

Hi

Hope you are enjoying your new "Google Pixel"

Can I ask:

If you said "Hey Google, remind me to phone Mrs Jones at 4.00pm today"

I guess at 4.00pm the device would say "Dont forget to phone Mrs Jones".

But if you were away from your Pixel at that exact minute 4.00pm and missed the important message would you get "Dont forget to phone Mrs Jones" ad infinitum until you say "okay Google thanks for reminding me"

or would that reminder be lost.

.....do you think the Pixel Assistant is very different or the same as Google Home

thanks in advance

 

[MRU]

Hi

Hope you are enjoying your new "Google Pixel"

Can I ask:

If you said "Hey Google, remind me to phone Mrs Jones at 4.00pm today"

I guess at 4.00pm the device would say "Dont forget to phone Mrs Jones".

But if you were away from your Pixel at that exact minute 4.00pm and missed the important message would you get "Dont forget to phone Mrs Jones" ad infinitum until you say "okay Google thanks for reminding me"

or would that reminder be lost.

.....do you think the Pixel Assistant is very different or the same as Google Home

thanks in advance

You'd simply have the notification to do that task in your notification drawer.

 

[deany]

You'd simply have the notification to do that task in your notification drawer.

Hi
Thanks, appreciate it, so the Pixel wont speak for a notification it just pops up on screen.
Wonder what Google Home does?