I always LOVED Google phones, until THIS happened to my Pixel...

I always LOVED Google phones, until THIS happened to my Pixel... - Google Pixel Guides, News, & Discussion

I'll try to keep this short as I could be writing a short story about how I've experienced the best and the worst about Google phones over the years. Unfortunately, what stands out today for me, is the worst.
I've owned Google phones since the Nexus 4. I've owned ( 2 ) Nexus 4, ( 2 ) Nexus 5, ( 1 ) Nexus 5S, ( 1 ) Nexus 6, ( 3 ) Pixel and ( 2 ) Pixel 2 XL. I also want to mention that I'm a software / hardware engineer (yes, both) with over 10 years experience with various electronic devices and technologies. I've also participated in fixing numerous bugs in Android and done my fair share of testing.
One thing I've noticed over the years is that ALL Google phones I've owned ALWAYS had some sort of defect. For example, the Nexus 4 had issues with the charging port. I had to get it replaced once. The second phone also stopped working after a few months and was discarded. The Nexus 5 had huge problems with the digitizer and had to be replaced as well. The Nexus 5S stopped working a few weeks after its 1 year warranty period - the CPU was at fault and the phone simply stopped booting. Nexus 6 had corrupted memory and needed to be formatted every weeks or so, until it died a few weeks after the end of the warranty period, again.
And that brings me to talk about the Pixel.
I bought the first Pixel phone when it was released in October 2016. Loved the phone. The camera was top notch and the phone in general was a blast to use. Until it stopped working properly. At the end of 2017, shortly after the warranty had ended, the Pixel's microphone stopped working. The phone could no longer record any sounds, whether by video or phone call audio. Google was nice enough to replace the phone out of warranty this time, but the second device they sent me had the same problem. So I had to send it in AGAIN for exchange. And so came the third Pixel. This time though, the phone seemed to be working properly... until I had to use the phone on a public 2.4 GHz network and realized 2.4 GHz was totally broken (Connecting -> Saved -> Disabled). The phone would only connect to 5 GHz networks, but I couldn't have known that before having to use the phone on a 2.4 GHz network (the phone always connected to a 5 GHz network at home). I called Google again, but this time, they refused to exchange the phone, stating it was out of warranty. But this (once brand new) phone never worked right when I purchased it. It had always been defective, and I had been deceived.
And that brings me to talk about the Pixel 2 XL.
I bought the Pixel 2 XL at the begining of 2018. Great phone, loved it, and was really hoping this phone would NOT exhibit any of the issues the Pixel had (or any oit. But I was wrong. About 8 months after I purchased the phone, the charging port stopped working suddenly. So again, Google offered to replace the device with a refurbrished one. But I have no more confidence. What will happen next? I'll get another 2-3 replacement phones until my warranty expires and I'll have to buy a new $1000+ phone again? This makes no sense. This is totally unacceptable. I was hoping Google would eventually sell devices at the height of their reputation, but it seems they chose the cheap way out. Selling cheap devices that break often, and exchanging them for equally cheap devices to rip people out of their money, is kind of a cheap business practice. Isn't it, Google? I'd be happy to hear what others have to say about their experience with Google phones, but in the meantime...
I'm done with Google phones.

I have had 4 pixels 2016 128gb... First one out of the blue had a boot loop that was caused by a hardware failure that caused it to keep rebooting... Got a refurbished one from Verizon (cause that's who I purchased from) then it took 3 refurbished phone to get one that didn't exhibit the bootloop behavior after updating updating to Oreo.
Now after 6 months that phone has a screen issue where it flexes allot on the left side and makes the screen go blank or unresponsive... I can't use a case due to the slight pressure it puts on the left edge...
I've bought a LG G7 which comes with a 2 year warranty so hopefully I will be covered if something like this happens...
Didn't they extend the warranty up to 2 years in the pixel 2 xl because of the display fiasco in the beginning?
Only gripe is I liked my 5 inch phone... LG camera is ok but not awesome like the pixel... And people may say bezels are ugly but I prefer to have some space to hold the phone without accidentally touching something

two_cents said:
Didn't they extend the warranty up to 2 years in the pixel 2 xl because of the display fiasco in the beginning?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They DID extend the warranty to 2 years for the Pixel 2. But that doesn't change the fact that Google's phones have been flawed since the beginning and they don't seem to be doing anything about it. And even if the warranty is 2 years, if you have to wipe and exchange your phone every 6-8 months, that's still pretty pathetic if you ask me.
And I get you about the other phones not having the best cameras. That's one of the main factors that motivated me into buying Pixel phones in the first place. But a flawed phone with an awesome camera is pretty much useless.

Hello OP,
I'm afraid I will have to close this thread for now as it is against our Device Forum Rules.
Regards
Jerry

Related

[Q] How is your Optimus 7 holding up?

Hi everyone!
I was just wondering how everyone's Optimus 7 is holding up! Searching in Google I did not find that many problems... but I've been through hell with it!
First there were some fixed color vertical lines in the display... this was around 9 months after purchase. I did get bothered, but since they require 1 month (!!!) to send the repaired phone back to you here in Italy, I didn't send it.
Then it started rebooting a lot... gave some memory errors... and then finally would lock at the LG logo after rebooting a few times. Obviously at this point I sent it to repair... Ah, and the touchscreen was also not responsive at times.
I got it back, and the service center said that they made "electronic repairs". Fair enough, but... the touchscreen was still not responsive at times (the other problems were fixed)!
Then I send it again... got it back, now they said the exchanged the full motherboard. Should be fixed now, right? WRONG!!! Still the same problem!
Today I just sent it ONE MORE TIME to the repair center... I've been now almost two months without my phone, and I bought it only 13 months ago.
I've really lost faith in LG by now... So, what's YOUR experience with the phone? Am I unlucky or are these problems really common?

I've had no issues, and I can't really return mine as I live in the US and am using an unsupported phone.
The gorilla glass was a big seller for me because I hate screen protectors and even when they are on I still manage to scrath the glass. Aside from a minor scrath on the one side, the phone has taken my abuse with flying colors.
Was able to update and unlock my phone and runs quite well on AT&T's network.
Though there have been other reports of the issues you have had, I guess I'm just lucky.

not lucky too, my phone is now in service after a month use, i had problems with touchscreen
u talked about "not responsive at times", mine was working for itself - running application, scrolling on it's own, etc., once i look at the screen and had about 200 appointments
and as i red somewhere here, it was worse when i connected the phone to a charger, the difference was that i used original charger

My family use two E900 and two E906. No problems so far with the phones after a couple of months

Hardware wise it's fine and i am still pleased with it, it does not get recognized anymore by Zune though so probably i will be left behind when the new update comes up lol.

I have 2 of them and both of them randomly restart... I cannot use them anymore! LG Service in my country is unreliable and I'm saving money to buy 2 other models... LG devices are crap and I wouldn't say that if they were trying to support their customers with firmware updates or even some official announcements...they have left us eating their s%^& instead...

I bought one last October and it works fine till now (i receive all the updates)
It is vodafone branded and never flash it .

Well, mine (vodafone de) got a problem with the battery (poor) and video recording. It just freezes the camera app after I click cam button to end the recording.
Since I'm in russia and the service is in deutschland... it's dumb to send it back and then here again) It's easier to buy $300 lumia 710 here / $150 focus on ebay. Since I don't really use recording, i don't mind, I'll wait for wp8 devices.
As for the updates - flawless! I got them almost instantly, loving vodafone and LG support for the platform.

After 8 months mine started randomly reboot on its own, and as LG Support is not working across Europe I am now fighting seller (Amazon) to repair it. If not, I try to sell or repair and sell it.
And as I was never happy with WinPhone I hope I will get my money back and go for Android or iPhone afterall. Use to have WinMobile-system phones since 2004 but new Windows Phone is just a great mistake of Microsoft - greed is not always good advisor.

Hi All,
My Optimus is holding up quite well. I did have issues with the intermittent shutdown / reboot. This has disappeared since 8107 (maybe simply some luck?). I flashed my phone with a firmware from the forum here (thanks Nasirahmed), since then I have a dutch ROM and tethering. Then I updated with the force method to 8107 (I have little patience ).
Hardwarewise my Optimus has been topnotch. I dropped it from considerable heigth a few times and after reassembly of the battery and batterydoor it still works very well and there is no visible damage. Quite different from my former HTC diamond 2 and Xperia. The Xperia disintegrated spontaneous, got repaired and continued disintegrating. The Diamond 2 fell three times (from less heigth) every time there was visible damage and eventually the screen got broken (and repaired I must say). So I think the Optimus is a quite sturdy device.
Windows phone 7 is nice and fast, has considerable limitations (compared to for example Android and WM6.5) and I doubt it if I would buy a WP7 again.
My two cents.
Ronald

My phone came up today from the third visit to the repair center... let's see if it is finally OK!
About the Gorilla glass, something weird happened to me: after I dropped a few water drops on the screen back in December, some "air bubbles" appeared on the screen... When I first took the phone to assistance, the guy just said that it was the screen protector (???) and just removed it (in front of me), so indeed there is a screen protector... I neved noticed it before the bubbles appeared.
Anyway, if the glass of the screen is Gorilla Glass, why does it comes from the factory with a screen protector? Do I need to buy a new one (he said this wasn't covered in the warranty...)?

I removed my screenprotector also. It annoyed me, and the device has Gorilla glass, so what can happen??

No issues here. In fact, its been an incredibly stable & sturdy phone for me.
Ive dropped it more times than I care to admit to & it has very little to show for it.
The screen has only one tiny scratch, no idea how it happened considering I have been at it with a chisel, screwdriver, keys, drill & craft knife since to see if they do any damage. That screen is near indestructible.
I love how well built it feels. I pulled off the charger cover a few months after buying it (which was as soon as it was available in the uk)
Software wise, Ive not had many problems either. Used to have the odd random restart here & there, but that was fixed when mango appeared.
So yeah, still a happy chappy

Sincerely? Like s**t.
It's the worst phone I have ever had. WP7 is great, no complains here. But considering how tight the OEM specs for WP7 is, LG screwed in everything they could.
The screen is just average at best;
The camera is probably the worst in 1st gen Windows Phone;
The physical buttons are a good idea, but they are too big and the plastic is too cheap. Specially the Windows button;
The battery-life is short, really short. Before and after Mango;
And the random resets, at least once a day, sometimes in the middle of a conversation.
My next phone will be another Windows Phone, but I will never buy anything from LG again, not only phones...

GolfVR6 said:
Sincerely? Like s**t.
It's the worst phone I have ever had. WP7 is great, no complains here. But considering how tight the OEM specs for WP7 is, LG screwed in everything they could.
The screen is just average at best;
The camera is probably the worst in 1st gen Windows Phone;
The physical buttons are a good idea, but they are too big and the plastic is too cheap. Specially the Windows button;
The battery-life is short, really short. Before and after Mango;
And the random resets, at least once a day, sometimes in the middle of a conversation.
My next phone will be another Windows Phone, but I will never buy anything from LG again, not only phones...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't agree with all your complaints, even though I will also not go to LG again due to my own problems. Anyway, before all the hardware faults I had, my main complaints were:
1) VERY, VERY bad auto white balance in the camera. When the flash was on, 70% of the times I got completely blueish images.
2) I like the idea of actual physical buttons... but not this noisy! When in bed these buttons can actually wake my girlfriend (yes, she is a light sleeper).

I have no problems at all; only the battery is draining too fast even with all battery saving options turned on and also in airplane mode But the hardware buttons are great! It´s great that you never can hit them accidentally And I love the aluminium backcover, it looks so good! The display is also good, but in daylight its sometime hard to read... Now I´m only missing a custom rom and some apps or games like Tap Tap Revenge

Apparently battery life is a common problem among optimus 7 users. I haven't had any problem with mine (I've had mine for 6 months) except for a terrible battery life while HDSPA connection is on.

mine is rebooting like crazy now. I'll bring it today to my dealer, for repair. but I think LG will screw me, because mine is vodafone-rebranded, and originally it was OPN. Although the issue has nothing to do with the flash, and they certainly know that, because it seems that sooner or later, al Optimus 7 will start rebooting and fail the SD

My Optimus 7 started rebooting randomly, and also the battery wasn't lasting as long.
Buying a new (real LG) replacement battery seems to have cured both problems

Time to say something positive about the E900
It is the best mobile in terms of reception that I ever had. 2G, 2.5G, 3G (HSDPA) are stable and fast (T-Mobile in Germany). Compared to my former devices (HTC Legend and Samsung Galaxy S) this is excellent.
The Wifi reception is even better than my laptop's Wifi (Dell Latitude E5410) and definetly best among my three mobile phones.
Wifi tethering works absolutely flawless, no need for cables anymore.
I received updates always with one of the first waves (besides tethering which arrived first on Vodafone branded devices). For the old HTC Legend as well as the Samsung Galaxy S there are no more firmware updates expected. But LG and Microsoft still deliver updates for the first generation LG E900. That's what I call a good service.
Sure, there are some points the E900 is not rocking. The display is very bright at night (you can light up a whole cinema ) and doesn't have the colors of the AMOLED displays but we knew that before buying it. But the TFT doesn't have the gaps between the pixels like AMOLED displays.
And the camera is no DSLR. With good light conditions it is ok for snapshots. But for real photos I would never use the optics of a mobile phone. And I don't want LG to integrate a fullsize DSLR chip and lenses. That won't fit in my pocket
Ah, yeah, the random reboots. Had that issue on my device as well. But it occurs less often than my Samsung Galaxy S is hanging completely.
Summarizing I am happy with the E900 and I will continue to use it as long as LG and Microsoft provide support for it. It was a great deal to buy it a year ago for just 190 EUR.

Samsung quality control and assistance

Hi to all,
I want to share with You just a quick reflection on Samsung quality control and assistance.
In my company I have 3 Sgs, 5 Sgs II, A Galaxy Tab 7 and a Galaxy Note.
Sadly, every single product have some defect.
Speaking particularly for the screens, the first sgs have all some annoying burn in effect, one have even the flickering screen because of the interference to the screen caused by wifi/data mobile module on the screen itself, the Sgs II are note better, ever single screen has different temperature and two are completely yellow and less sharp then the others making reading nearly impossiblenot to mentio here too burn in effect visible on dark background and at the end the Galaxy Note shows no true black, bad gamma calibration, black clipping on videos...
So if the amoled, superamoled, superamoled plus tecnology is so immature why they continue to market it and when you go to a reparation center they say that they don't see any problem with the screen refusing to make the reparation or the substitution of the screen?
I wrote a lot of letter and email to Samsung asking for reparation but only 1 time they recognized the fault on the screen and replaced it.
I bought my Note 2 month ago and when I realised that the screen was ****ty I went to the shop where I bought it asking for a replacement and they said to me that the screen was perfect so since they never see any fault on my products they never repair or replace them in warranty.
Not to make a comparison but I have also, 2 Iphone 4s and 2 Iphone 4, Ipad, Ipad 2, Imac, Macbook Pro and MAcbook Air and when I had a problem with these products I had always received a good customer assitance.
Home button become unresponsive in Iphone 4: they replace it in warranty, Screen of Ipad II and Macbook Pro present light bleading of the Lcd pannel: they replaced 4!!!times in warranty until it was perfect.
Macbook air's keyboard become creapy, the replace it in warranty.
Im not an Apple fanboy and I hate their closed os politic but I hacve to admit that when I faced a problem they were there to help me.
Samung leftme alone.
Their repair centres are ridicolous, operator of the phone assistance unprepared and they never answer to questions...only standard replies.
It seems to me to talk to anyone.
I love Android world, custom roms, kernel, overclocking, undervolting, cm, miui atc etc... but producers of the phones and tablets do not match.
Bad assistance, slow updates and products that without xda guys comes to market with a lot of bugs and problems
Sorry for the outburst, I just want to inform many who are in my conditions that they are not alone and that we all should complain with Samsung for its scandalous post assitance service and quality control of the products.
Sorry for my bad English,
Just my 2 cents

+1. I read about this too. This is the risk I knew when I bought my second Samsung phone. Maybe try selling your current Note?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

I really tought about it but I spent 700 euros and now I don't wanna sell it for around 500 .
I love Android but all the manufactorers seems to do less quality control then Aplle sigh sigh.
It's not only Samsung....
I have a Transformer and it has light bleeding and some dead pixels... Htc desire dust under screen and back button doesn't work anymore, htc deisre Hd has a small crack between the two part of the backplace, htc Sensation the speaker doesn't work anymore...
Maybe I'm just not lucky with Android phones....
I'm ok with all these problems but when you go claiming for warranty they should not make a lot of problems like "this is not properly a defect of the device"
Anyone knows how to contact someone in Samsung to send them directly the phone?

I have suspected and raised this issues before here too. However, the idea totally got smashed by most of the members here

Trade for a Pixel XL?

Hey guys I came across see guy locally that is VERY interested in trading his Essential for my Pixel XL, I must admit that I'm intrigued by this phone but very worried about all the negativity surrounding it. Can you guys give me your honest opinion since you guys are current users?

Jess813 said:
Hey guys I came across see guy locally that is VERY interested in trading his Essential for my Pixel XL, I must admit that I'm intrigued by this phone but very worried about all the negativity surrounding it. Can you guys give me your honest opinion since you guys are current users?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love it...it's compact and super sturdy. Built well. I have no issues with the camera...they've updated it several times and I'm not a professional photographer. It comes with an unlockable bootloader and they said during their AMA source will be released in the next week or two. Development will be there. For such a unique device I have no qualms with it at all.

I came from the Pixel XL and dont regret it at all. I'm really excited about the future of this device. Although Essential had some issues on launch they have really stepped things up regarding customer support, communication and updates. Having them involved in the community (Reddit AMA) says a lot about how they feel about us, the customer. The build quality is superior to anything I've ever held and I change devices about every 6 months. It will take a lot from a future device to get me to switch from this. Since the updates I've had really good luck with the camera, even at night. If I were you I'd go for it!

I have a Pixel XL and an Essential - while the build quality of the Essential is top notch (feels really well weighted IMHO) and the edge to edge display really impresses, there are a few things that really annoy me.
- Placement of the hardware buttons (I keep reaching for the power button only to hit the volume buttons)
- Touch sensitivity is all over the place. Many times it does not register when I press on the screen, forcing me to do this multiple times. Given the amount of time we spend interacting with our phones, this can get pretty frustrating.
- General stutters & slowdowns. For a near-stock Android phone, this phone is really laggy when performing certain actions. It just grinds to a halt for a second or two. My Pixel XL or OnePlus 5 do not ever do that.
- Buggy software. I've noticed that the camera app will randomly freeze, forcing me to close it and reopen. I've noticed the same thing when interacting with the system settings.
- Camera: The Pixel XL camera (and app) blows this away. The Essential one is slow to focus, slow to switch modes etc. And the image quality is not comparable to the Pixel XL.
I know most of these issues could probably be fixed with tons of s/w updates, but I am not sure people want to wait and be the beta testers for this phone. For now, IMHO, Pixel XL > OP 5 > Essential PH-1. Having said that, the phone shows a lot of promise but we will need to wait and see if they can deliver on their promises.

rajeshr said:
I have a Pixel XL and an Essential - while the build quality of the Essential is top notch (feels really well weighted IMHO) and the edge to edge display really impresses, there are a few things that really annoy me.
- Placement of the hardware buttons (I keep reaching for the power button only to hit the volume buttons)
- Touch sensitivity is all over the place. Many times it does not register when I press on the screen, forcing me to do this multiple times. Given the amount of time we spend interacting with our phones, this can get pretty frustrating.
- General stutters & slowdowns. For a near-stock Android phone, this phone is really laggy when performing certain actions. It just grinds to a halt for a second or two. My Pixel XL or OnePlus 5 do not ever do that.
- Buggy software. I've noticed that the camera app will randomly freeze, forcing me to close it and reopen. I've noticed the same thing when interacting with the system settings.
- Camera: The Pixel XL camera (and app) blows this away. The Essential one is slow to focus, slow to switch modes etc. And the image quality is not comparable to the Pixel XL.
I know most of these issues could probably be fixed with tons of s/w updates, but I am not sure people want to wait and be the beta testers for this phone. For now, IMHO, Pixel XL > OP 5 > Essential PH-1. Having said that, the phone shows a lot of promise but we will need to wait and see if they can deliver on their promises.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also don't think everyone is experiencing all these bullet points.
I agree it took a little bit to adjust with the volume and power buttons, they are flipped unlike my Nexus.
Touch sensitivity, I mainly only notice that on the border of the screen. I'm assuming this is setup this way so your hand doesn't accidentally touch things when holding the phone since the borders are so minimal.
Personally I haven't noticed any stutters or slowdowns. It runs butter smooth.
Software has pretty much been fixed on my end since their last few updates.
Again, this is maybe just my experience, but I wouldn't assume everyone is seeing the same issues. There are quite a few happy campers from reading through the other threads.
I think you will enjoy the phone a lot. Coming from a Nexus, your phone will feel way less clunky with these screen borders.

Jess813 said:
Hey guys I came across see guy locally that is VERY interested in trading his Essential for my Pixel XL, I must admit that I'm intrigued by this phone but very worried about all the negativity surrounding it. Can you guys give me your honest opinion since you guys are current users?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be a bit skeptical of the source of the phone.
I'd trade but you want to know source.
He would still be inside the return window.
He could sent the Essential back and get a PXL and have change back.

Personally I would do it. The Pixel XL will be replaced in a couple weeks and therefore will be harder to sell if you want to upgrade. Also, I have asked for an RMA and then changed my mind twice on this darn Essential phone because every time I feel this strange connection with it. I want to root for Essential. This sounds silly, of course. I have the S8, have had the G6 and all the other flagships before, but this phone is to me the Nexus device of 2017. I had the Pixel and Pixel XL and while I loved the software and camera, once you hold the Essential phone then the Pixels will have laughably huge bezels and will feel five years old in your hand.
So, the camera. I have taken some awesome outdoor shots and I have also taken some that look like they were from a 2014 Moto X. There is no consistency with this camera. I want to believe in it and I have seen what it is capable of, but when I reach for my S8 the experience blows the Essential away. The camera app freezes on the Essential and is extremely slow. If anyone disagrees, then I completely respect that but I will ask if you have compared it to the best of 2017 devices? That said, the best compromise I have found is this: install the Google Pixel camera and set the power button quick launch to launch that camera. Then leave the default camera app icon in the normal place. So now, I can quickly launch the fool-proof Google camera when I need to snap a quick image, but I can take my time with the Essential camera when I have that time to give. I have a 7 month old son and trust me, he ain't waitin' for that damn Essential camera to load!
TL;DR - I would make the trade.
-Collin-

Man, I'm thinking about returning my Pixel 2 XL for an Essential. Wanted the Essential but then all the bad reviews of the camera and what not turned me away. It is literally half the cost of the P2XL with the price drop. It's nice to have one of, if not the best camera, but I feel silly paying $1000 for this phone when I can get a brand new phone with similar specs for half the cost. Not to mention the disappointing screen issues.
I like to run custom stable ROMs which is why I'm looking at these two phones and the P2XL will certainly have more development. I'm not even sure if the Essential has sold enough to have any decent development. I would hate to be stuck with a phone that ends up getting no development. I guess that's what makes the Pixel worth a grand. I never buy brand new phones and always look for deals on Craigslist but this time I thought I'd pull the trigger on something brand new.....the experience was meh.

I am in a similar boat as you (except I have a pixel). If this phone get done development I might pull the trigger. Partly because at least for me, the whole rom game on the pixel is just a nightmare thanks to the two boot slots. I REALLY miss the simplicity of the nexus. But I get it that having the two slots makes things great for stock users but I have soft bricked this phone so many times. If this phone can be simple like the nexus days (once the images come out) I am really tempted. Also depending on when oreo gets dropped

My previous phone was a LeEco Le Pro 3, bought it last year during a black friday sale, it was released almost 2 months before that sale. No roms or any development at that time, but a couple months later a bunch of great roms were available. I think is just a matter of time, be patience, also, we have stock android, why the hurry to flash a new rom?

b316kane said:
I am in a similar boat as you (except I have a pixel). If this phone get done development I might pull the trigger. Partly because at least for me, the whole rom game on the pixel is just a nightmare thanks to the two boot slots. I REALLY miss the simplicity of the nexus. But I get it that having the two slots makes things great for stock users but I have soft bricked this phone so many times. If this phone can be simple like the nexus days (once the images come out) I am really tempted. Also depending on when oreo gets dropped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The PH-1 has two boot slots just like the Pixel.

I don't remember hearing that. Are they doing the automatic updates too? I figured it was unique to pixels

I am sending back a Pixel 2 XL and getting the Essential

30 day return policy from Amazon right? I'm just gonna get an Essential use them both for a week and make a decision

I have an Essential. It is a solid phone and performs well. However (and this is going to sound strange), it is an unbelievably slippery phone. I took their word that it was made of space-age materials and was drop-resistant, and I didn't get a case. It slipped out of my pocket the second day I owned it while I was sitting down. Screen cracked and it is $200 to replace.
There are really no quality cases available, so I would wait to see if there is going to be any aftermarket support before buying an Essential.

Jess813 said:
Hey guys I came across see guy locally that is VERY interested in trading his Essential for my Pixel XL, I must admit that I'm intrigued by this phone but very worried about all the negativity surrounding it. Can you guys give me your honest opinion since you guys are current users?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just be sure the one you are trading for is not locked to Sprint, unless you're on Sprint of course.
appleguy2 said:
I have an Essential. It is a solid phone and performs well. However (and this is going to sound strange), it is an unbelievably slippery phone. I took their word that it was made of space-age materials and was drop-resistant, and I didn't get a case. It slipped out of my pocket the second day I owned it while I was sitting down. Screen cracked and it is $200 to replace.
There are really no quality cases available, so I would wait to see if there is going to be any aftermarket support before buying an Essential.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a number of decent cases available. I'm using the Incipio NGP Pure:
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Incipio-Shockproof-Polymer-Shock-Absorbing/dp/B076H16TWP
A lot of people like the Tudia cases, especially the new one that just came out with the glass back.
The complaints about the Incipio is that it doesn't work with glass screen protectors... Well 99% of the glass screen protectors available for this phone don't fit right anyways... What I ended up getting was the Incipio Plex Plus Flex... which they claim is flexible glass (I think it's just plastic) but either way, it fits with their case and is invisible on the phone. I managed to snag it on a Black Friday sale because it's kinda expensive for a screen protector, but either way, my phone is now fully protected and looks excellent. I can post pictures if you're interested.

New tablet after Pixel C?

After 2 years and 1 month my Pixel C got the split screen and black screen issue and seems to have died. I spent an hour on Google chat seeing if they could resolve the issue but they wiped their hands and said get a local repairer to fix it. The problem is no local repairer's are able to fix it as Google don't make it anymore, so they don't have the parts! I need a new tablet. I don't want to go down the Apple route if possible. Does anyone have a recommendations for cheap, powerful rootable tablets 10 inch in size? I was thinking about the Huawei Mediapad M5, but after Google's announcement yesterday I am not so sure. Any idea's?

At this point, Samsung is basically the last bastion of powerful Android tablets. I don't think they have unlockable bootloaders but I'm not 100% on that. The tab s4 has a SD 835 and the s5e has a SD 670. Both have similar cpu performance to the tegra X1, though the GPU will be worse on both. That said, they both can be had for around 400-600$ depending on spec. Tablet size I believe is the same, but the screen is bigger and oled. More RAM and more storage by default. I wish there were more options, because I too was looking at the mediapad m5 until the other day. Now I'm looking at either one of these Samsung tablets, or just picking up a used pixel c. Hope that helps a little.

If you don't want a Samsung tablet (I can't stand Samsung) then you might be better off just buying a used Pixel C off of eBay. They are going for between $150 and $200. I think you are going to have trouble finding a better deal than that.
There are some interesting tablets out of China using iPad and Microsoft Surface screens. They are cheap and you need to be careful about finding one that has a community of supporters. TechTablets maintains a list of recommended tablets that have been reviewed. You have to understand that you are not getting something of the quality of a Pixel C or iPad. That being said, you get a ton of bang for your buck. Especially if there are community-based ROMs available for them. https://techtablets.com/recommended-chinese-tablets-brands/
You also might want to check out the Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Plus if you want something that is getting active development on XDA developers. It uses a 16:10 screen which is kind of a balls aspect ratio for a tablet in my opinion but it has decent guts and can be had for $285-$300 on AliExpress. I just got its 8" little brother, the Mi Pad 4. The MIUI OS that it comes with is not horrible but it's a lot better once you install an AOSP ROM on it like Havoc OS.

Thanks for your input. I have decided to get the Huawei tablet, so we'll see what happens. Oddly since Google told me to do one and I was unable to get it fixed by only local suppliers I found a video on youtube showing the problem and a possible (maybe temporary) fix.
It involved lifting the top of the screen from the back and adjusting the display ribbon cable. I tried it, but couldn't do it and cracked the screen in the process (hairline).
The day after Google emailed and said they were assessing my chat with them and asked if there was any liquid damage to the tablet and to send them 4 pictures of each side of the tablet (front, back and both sides).
Why do you think they want to do that, and if they were going to give me a refurbished tablet do you think they still will if I explain my story with a link to the youtube video? Cheers for any replies in advance.

mightywhites29111971 said:
Thanks for your input. I have decided to get the Huawei tablet, so we'll see what happens. Oddly since Google told me to do one and I was unable to get it fixed by only local suppliers I found a video on youtube showing the problem and a possible (maybe temporary) fix.
It involved lifting the top of the screen from the back and adjusting the display ribbon cable. I tried it, but couldn't do it and cracked the screen in the process (hairline).
The day after Google emailed and said they were assessing my chat with them and asked if there was any liquid damage to the tablet and to send them 4 pictures of each side of the tablet (front, back and both sides).
Why do you think they want to do that, and if they were going to give me a refurbished tablet do you think they still will if I explain my story with a link to the youtube video? Cheers for any replies in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am curious, did you ever hear back from Google?

12paq said:
I am curious, did you ever hear back from Google?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did. I sent them the pictures of my device and explained to them how I got the crack, which I got when trying to follow this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb3By2Z-Zt4
They said as it has physical damage they would not do anything. Even though I explained the damage was done trying to fix the device as they or no-one else would. They didn't even offer to look at it, as the problem is the ribbon cable for the screen, and me trying to open the device up will not have affected what was the issue in the first place. Google's customer service is abysmal. Apple would not treat its customers this way IMO.

Odd. Sorry that went ****ty for you.
A year ago I tried to fix my Pixel C's stuck power button and cracked the screen badly. I told Google what happened and they sent me a new Pixel C. I didn't purchase a protection plan and it was more than a year old... I don't get it. ?

I'm selling my Pixel C 32Gb in like new condition with adapter & cover through Amazon EU Fulfillment. It is bootloader unlocked and comes with latest Pixel Experience installed. Shipping & payment will be done through Amazon so if interested, send me PM for the link.

12paq said:
Odd. Sorry that went ****ty for you.
A year ago I tried to fix my Pixel C's stuck power button and cracked the screen badly. I told Google what happened and they sent me a new Pixel C. I didn't purchase a protection plan and it was more than a year old... I don't get it. ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither do I. Not even a cursory offer to look at it and then say it was my fault. It's like they're saying 'we dont' make tablets any more so if you have any problems then tough ****'. I now have the Huawei Mediapad M5 and as nice a tablet as it is it's not quite the same

I am keeping an eye out for a new tablet but I am pretty picky about it so I might have to wait. I essentially would like the Pixel C again* but faster and with more Android appropriate hardware (think GPS, haptic feedback, better touch screen, cameras that don't entirely suck in every way possible). Either same size with larger screen (smaller bezels) or a bit larger overall would be good too. The new Samsung tablet with the SD855 is something I'll look at. The rumored Nvidia tablet also will merit a look. But for now I will save my money.
*This to me means a decent keyboard accessory, mostly stock/Google Android, open bootloader, and higher quality components.

I've been debating what to upgrade to for awhile now. Then I noticed on eBay there was a seller who is unloading a batch of near new Pixel C 32gb. I sniped an auction at the end and got one for $122.00 US. The tablet is almost new and running fine. For the price, I am going to stay with the Pixel C for a bit longer.
If this is an option for you guys check out eBay. It prolonging the inevitable, but the price is right.

I also hope that mine will run forever. I have it now for about three and a half years and it's still going strong. If mine goes down, I think about getting another one before I try any Samsung tablet. I can't stand anz of the current models, to be honest.

What about Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Plus? It has Snapdragon 660 and I saw a price of $225.

Why did you choose the Pixel 4 over the Pixel 4 XL?

I'm honestly on the fence..
I pre-ordered a Pixel 4 but am second guessing myself so I am curious to hear your thoughts about order the P4 rather than the P4XL.
I'm mostly worried about battery life and quite honestly the Pixel 3 felt just a tad small in the hand when I owned it.
I think my dream size would be the full size of a Galaxy S10, but that's another story..
Anyway.. help solidify my choice.
Why did you choose the Pixel 4 over the Pixel 4 XL?

I have a Pixel 3XL and I ordered a P4XL but then I cancelled and ordered a standard P4. When I bought the 3XL I was doubtful because of the dimensions but then the screen and other things convinced me. After a while my wife got a P3, the other day I realized that the screen of the P4 is slightly bigger than the 3 while keeping the same phone dimensions. I played a bit with the P3 and when I got back to my XL...well it felt huge while the 3 was fine and with the 5.7" would be almost perfect for me.
With the time I got quite ok with the XL volume but I have to admit that generally it's not really comfortable to carry and manage, it's "bareable".
Just hope the P4 battery is fine.

I just like a normal sized phone. I've always felt the Nexus 5X was like the perfect size for a phone. I like to be able to use my phone one handed a lot of the time and I can barely do that with my current phone. The Pixel 4 is shorter than my G7 and thinner (width-wise) as well. The XL is attractive only because of the larger battery but I prioritize ergonomics over that.

I've held the xl, I have small hands, I couldn't operate it with one hand effectively. I felt like I was going to drop it constantly. The regular pixel is perfect.

I really want the Pixel 4 over the XL. I currently have a Note 9, but it's just way too big for my hands to use comfortably, the XL is pretty much the same size as this. I'm just really worried about that small battery in the Pixel 4, otherwise I don't really have any complaints about it. I don't care that it can be unlocked with my eyes closed, that's a non-issue to me. 64GB is more than enough for my apps as I store my photos and videos online and losing unlimited original quality upload is also a non-issue for me. But that battery... ?? I hope they've worked some sort of magic into this Pixel Neural Core for better battery life, otherwise 2800mah just isn't going to cut it

It's the closest phone to the Moto X that I can get in 2019.
Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

thesebastian said:
It's the closest phone to the Moto X that I can get in 2019.
Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly!

Had a play with the pixel 4 yesterday in a retailer. Compared that to the Mrs pixel 3 and my 2xl.
The pixel 4 is a nice size and to be honest, the 2xl with a military grade drop protection case is just to large.
Admittedly I've just purchased a case for the pixel 4 when it arrives with so called military grade drop protection.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

The 4XL is just too big. At 160mm x 75 mm, it's about the size of a Nexus 6 (159 mm x 83 mm) which I had and found unusably large -- the screen is too big to be operated one-handed, even without a case.

Size

I pre ordered the P4 as I have smaller hands. You can't beat pure android, no bloatwear and first to get updates.
What I don't like with the Google phones, of which I have had all of them except the P3, is when a fault with the phone happens, the Google process for returning and getting a replacement is shocking, especially when I've heard loads of instances when Google send you a refurbished phone to replace what could be your brand you faulty phone.
iPhone , which I've never owned, but family members have, do not mess customers about. If you have a faulty phone still within warranty, they either repair it in store in about 2 hours or simply give you a new one on the spot.
I've never incurred a faulty Google phone yet, I'm just dreading it ever happens. Google need to review this process. I also heard instances that it takes days/weeks for the phone to come back, totally unacceptable for this day and age.

Pixel 4...
Mines ordered.... it arrives tomorrow and I can claim a free Chromebook..!!!
But...
I do wish Nokia had got the 9.1 / 10 ?? ready for this side of Xmas..
Better light camera engine, new CPU, Android 1, 2 years of updates..
I cannot help but feel the p4 is just another incremental upgrade and not a huge leap forward.. but a huge amount of gimmicks... I.e soli.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I'm going to be honest.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 4 are about the same size (what matters to me is the width, also the weight).
But pixel 2 is still much more easy to handle with one hand (and a thin case)
The extra bigger screen of the Pixel 4 makes it more difficult to handle.
Still Pixel 4 is much more comfortable with one hand than any XL/Phablet version.
But I wouldn't mind if Google in the future released an additional "Pixel XS" based on a 5" and smaller than Pixel 2
Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

I love the P3 size so I went with the P4. I had the 2XL and 3XL and they just were too big overtime and I feel like the screen to body ratio is silly on them.
Battery sucked on my P3 and so far it sucks as well on my P4.

I had the pixel 2 and was great for my small hands, I bought the 3xl and I am not happy with it, screen is too big for me to reach, I ordered the pixel 4 because is the smallest flagship with Android stock on it
I'll let you know if it is ergonomic enough when I'll receive it

Size. Finger crossed for the battery...

Size

skip24ftlb said:
Had a play with the pixel 4 yesterday in a retailer. Compared that to the Mrs pixel 3 and my 2xl.
The pixel 4 is a nice size and to be honest, the 2xl with a military grade drop protection case is just to large.
Admittedly I've just purchased a case for the pixel 4 when it arrives with so called military grade drop protection.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Nexus 6 I still use and a Moto Z2. I use the Nexus 6 at home all the time because of its larger screen on WiFi (it has no SIM card). It is rooted and running a custom ROM. I recently took both on an overseas trip and put the local SIM card in the Nexus 6 and my local one in the Z2. I probably used the Nexus 6 more than the Z2 on the trip. I had no issues with its size and my hands are not large. This is why I decided to buy the XL because 1) I can handle the larger screen size and 2) want the larger battery.

seburton said:
Size
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same
---------- Post added at 08:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:52 PM ----------
gpvecchi said:
Size. Finger crossed for the battery...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had it 24 hours.
Battery life seems ok for me, but I'm a moderate user.

152bobby said:
I pre ordered the P4 as I have smaller hands. You can't beat pure android, no bloatwear and first to get updates.
What I don't like with the Google phones, of which I have had all of them except the P3, is when a fault with the phone happens, the Google process for returning and getting a replacement is shocking, especially when I've heard loads of instances when Google send you a refurbished phone to replace what could be your brand you faulty phone.
iPhone , which I've never owned, but family members have, do not mess customers about. If you have a faulty phone still within warranty, they either repair it in store in about 2 hours or simply give you a new one on the spot.
I've never incurred a faulty Google phone yet, I'm just dreading it ever happens. Google need to review this process. I also heard instances that it takes days/weeks for the phone to come back, totally unacceptable for this day and age.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gosh... Hard to read that. You obviously have not the smallest clue how warranty repair works. I work in a company which sells electronics, we are ASP for Lenovo and Apple, means we are qualified to repair devices from those manufacturers. I work in customer service, hearing all sorts of nice people complaining and crying, insulting me for no reason etc. while having no knowledge how things work at all and that things often are done this way to make them satisfied. But customers, like e.g. you, always find something to complain. If you give out a replacement fast, but refurbished they complain about that. If you repair and this takes many weeks (not possible to fasten the process, it's already done as fast as possible!), they complain that it takes too long.... *sigh*
To make some things clear as you don't know (as well as most others) what you're talking about:
- warranty repair means: you can send your device directly to the manufacturer or let your seller handle that for you (which takes up even more time)
- your seller can send it to an ASP or the manufacturer, in most cases it will be an ASP and NOT the manufacturer, even with Apple
- atm waiting time in most Apple stores including ASPs here in Germany is two weeks minimum (!), not 2 hours!
At our Berlin ASP for Apple it's atm 3-4 weeks before your device is even touched the first time, same in other Apple stores there - always depends on where you live and how many other Apple users live near you - even heard from customers waiting for more than 6 weeks for the repair of their AirPods handed over directly in Apple Store (not ASP), no "simply give you a new one on the spot" - don't tell people such a crap
- most manufacturers (again: also Apple!), if not all, often hand out refurbished devices in case of warranty repair to make the process, which could easily take 6 weeks in case of a real repair of your original device, faster for the customer. This is because most customers are just constantly complaining and whining. To stop that they hand out devices FAST, which then is often, even with Apple, another refurbished device
- if some spare parts have to be ordered and then repair fails (you couldn't always predict that before), it's possible to wait a few weeks and then get a refurbished one
- pretty sure many customers think they got a new device, but got a refurbished one as you often can't tell the difference - refurbished are devices which SHOULD be this way, that you can't tell the difference... if you can it's just not well done
- think about: if thousands of people with broken devices for 1000 $ would always get a new phone while it is easily repairable in the end the costs would be higher than the revenue, they would have to stop producing as margins are already very low on devices but only high on accessories, contracts (like e.g. Apple warranty extension), paid services (like Apple Music), revenue from App Store, etc.
- ALL manufacturers handle it that way, repair time (regularly): 4-6 weeks, doesn't matter which manufacturer (not only Google, as you suggest)
- Apple grants only 1 year! guarantee (while it's 2 years with Google) - that's what I call not acceptable for this day and age! You couldn't imagine how many raging customers I have to do with because of this extremely poor service by Apple, especially when thinking about the huge prices their products are offered for. And they are totally right, that's why I do my best to help them, though often not possible when warranty is gone after only one year. Personally I'd never buy anything from Apple and wouldn't recommend those products to anyone.
- in very rare cases manufacturer or ASP decide to hand out a new device, e.g.: repair not possible, no refurbished device available or very annoying customer getting loud in the store (no joke), still always depends on the person deciding that... "Apple does..." or "Manufacturer XY does..." Sorry, but those statements are just b******* and have nothing to do with reality. You should be aware that not everything will work the way you like to, because some things are just not possible the way you wrote it on your Christmas list, even after a "review of this process" (it's hard to stay polite when reading such du... not very well conceived statements).
Got a new device instead of repair or refurbished? Just enjoy and be happy and be sure that next 100 customers probably won't be that lucky. Know one or two people who got a new device? That doesn't mean that company XY always handles it that way (except for things like hard drives or very cheap things). Most probably they got refurbished but didn't realize that as it was well done or even a device from a refund, almost untouched (but also not new).
Got some broken EarPods? I will send some new ones for free to the customer because transportation back + recycling + sending new ones costs more than just sending new ones. (Such cheap stuff won't be repaired at all.)
Oh forgot...
Chose Pixel 4 because don't like huge panels. It must fit the front pocket of my pants and easily be usable with one hand. Both not the case for XL. To add: gesture navigation is awesome, I'd never imagined that (was never a fan of gestures before)!.

Database Users

welcome