Previously on Lemmy:

Past Discussions:

Sorry for the delay for the weekly. Server’s not that stable right now, maybe we should start the thread on Sundays instead.

I always like to switch things up once in a while because it’s fun. So, let’s get back to the brand discussion this week for the Google Pixel. We’ll do a discussion on repairability next week. Again, ideas are always welcome here.

I’ve never used a Pixel, but people around here should know that I’ve been very critical of Google’s product decisions over the years, and the Pixel is no exception. In my point of view, discontinuing the Nexus series, buying out the talents from the remains of HTC and starting an official “made by Google” phone is the equivalent of reddit buying out Alien Blue to make the official reddit app. I think it’s the event that scared big Android manufacturers like Samsung enough to start making their own ecosystem away from Google, as they are concerned that Google may start locking software features to their own phones instead of improving Android overall (rightfully so, I might add).

It really makes no business sense at all to turn your manufacturing partners into your competitors, but then again, it’s Google.

With that being said, the first years of the Pixels has been marred with growing pains. Whereas the Nexus line has always been barebones, no frills development devices, it seemed to me that the people who made Pixels don’t even use Android and are insistent on turning Pixel into iPhones, removing the headphone jack on the Pixel 2 despite the antagonistic ad from the original Pixel, Pixel exclusive software features like Google camera that necessitating the need of rom mods, as well as the quality issues that seems to be inherited from the Nexus days just really soured me from considering Pixels, as I think it’s against the spirit of openness that made Android great.

But it seems like in recent years, they finally figured out that a large percentage of people who bought Androids not because they can’t afford iPhones, but because they like Android, and I see the introduction of the “a” series as progress. The recent Pixel ad campaign also made me think that they finally figuring it out: people want different things, trying to turn Android into worse versions of iPhones was not going to work, so they should be trying to make the best Android for Android users instead.

(It’s also the reason I think all the previous reddit clones failed, but Lemmy will be the one that finally succeeds.)

  • Unsaved5831@lemm.eeEnglish
    18·
    1 year ago

    Quite happy user of Pixel 6a. The only few annoying things are:

    • Under-the-screen fingerprint sensor works less than half of the time. At night and in bed, it blinds me.
    • Battery, despite adaptive battery, still feels surprisingly draining fast from time to time. The battery merely just hold for the day whereas I don’t even have that much screen time or background running apps.
    • Kevin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      1 year ago

      Under-the-screen fingerprint sensor works less than half of the time. At night and in bed, it blinds me.

      This is my biggest complaint. The “old” style of fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone worked so well, but they replaced it with this shitty one.

    • liara@lemm.eeEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      I’ve managed to get in the habit of pointing the screen away from my eye sockets in bed when it’s dark. 60% of the time, it works every time

    • Zed@lemmy.worldEnglish
      31·
      1 year ago

      Pixel 6a user here, the fingerprint reader works 9/10 for me, only rarely refuses to unlock because of a misalignment or something, wondering how people who complain about it actually use it.

    • ludwig@lemmy.worldEnglish
      21·
      1 year ago

      At night and in bed, it blinds me. You can add a setting to the quick settings drop down, that makes the screen go even dimmer.