So for those not following along, I got a smoking deal dropped in my lap. A brand new Quite Black Pixel 128GB for $400 since a buddy won it as a sales spiff and is an Iphone guy. So I am off and running with a new phone. I have been a Motorola fan boy for a number of years but having tasted the sweet nectar of the Nexus 6 I knew I couldn't go back to a locked device. Plus I am on Project Fi so I had to go with a google phone for an "upgrade". As most know I was not a fan of the Pixel at launch and even less a fan of the price. As the days, weeks and months passed I was even less (even less-less?) a fan of the availability and fulfillment Google has provided. All that aside, I was intrigued by Google's first effort at full control over a device. And for posterity having one is nice. I like innovative devices. Still have my Atrix and my Moto X, they are special. I think this has the potential to be special too.
I will be reviewing the phone over the next little while adding thoughts and opinions to this post as they come up. I will be basing my review on MY situation, i.e. cost and carrier (Fi) and location (Kansas City metro). I thought $400 was a fair price for the phone and I will base my judgments on that premise. I have owned the phone for a little over 36 hours at this point and as I do sleep a little sometimes I am still really getting to know it.
PROS
Screen: Amazing. It's a stunning display easily the brightest and sharpest I have ever played with.
Size: This will also appear in the CONS bear with me... but it reminds me of my Moto X it is the perfect size for any hand. Nice to have a phone that fits well in the pocket again.
Build: It's solid as a rock, very light but solid. The edges are sexy and smooth, the glass both front and back is seamless. It's a very deceptively attractive phone. (As a "hot rod" guy I appreciate it the same way I appreciate horsepower over chrome and paint)
Camera: So far so good, but the jury is still out. I need to play with it more. I can say this, it's faster than snot.
Fingerprint scanner: Didn't realize how much I missed having one. It's SUPER responsive and I like the gesture controls.
Speed: It's smoking fast, buttery smooth. Oddly, not as fast as I'd expected. I guess that speaks to how well the N6 has held up over the past 30 months.
UI: Vanilla Android 7.1.1 you simply can't beat it.
24/7 Assistance: I will detail this below, but WOW what a great added service. This is invaluable for those purchasing for a child or older parent/loved one.
Vibration: Odd to add this to the PROS or CONS but I like that it vibrates well in the pocket so you know you have a call but when I have it on my desk at work it doesn't sound like a bag of marbles rattling on a tin pie pan.
CONS
Size: I think if I had my druthers I'd have preferred the XL, coming from the N6 it's a STARK difference in screen real estate. However I didn't have that opportunity.
Bugs: I have the minor WiFi thing. It's mostly fine but at work (where the signal is weaker) it sometimes drops connection, it does pick it right back up. Usually only takes 30 seconds or so.
Battery: It may still be settling in but I just made it through the day with the Pixel yesterday. Had 19% left at bed time, normally on the N6 I had 40+% on an average day.
Bezels: Huge, huge, huge and unnecessary.
Last night at 8 this was going to be a scorching review but instead it turns out I am just stupid. I was having the WiFi issues and then last night the volume rocker quit working. I mean it worked and then it just didn't. I was sure it was a hardware issue, I was ticked, I always hear about issues with new phones but have never really gotten a lemon in all my phones, So I was lit. But I remembered 24/7 assistance, so I tried it out. I was connected via chat with a nice gentleman within 2 min or so. He got my issue, asked me to go to settings, asked me to make a change and boom, perfect. So again ... I CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH HOW VALUABLE THIS IS AND CAN BE to both new and intermediate Android users. I mean just a superb value added service.
So a day and a half in I give it 8 out of 10. I am not "passionate" about it like I was my Motorolas, there is (as yet) no emotional connection. It's a device, a tool and a damn fine one. Pardon my French.
More to come.
(edit added a couple pros/cons I forgot)
I will be reviewing the phone over the next little while adding thoughts and opinions to this post as they come up. I will be basing my review on MY situation, i.e. cost and carrier (Fi) and location (Kansas City metro). I thought $400 was a fair price for the phone and I will base my judgments on that premise. I have owned the phone for a little over 36 hours at this point and as I do sleep a little sometimes I am still really getting to know it.
PROS
Screen: Amazing. It's a stunning display easily the brightest and sharpest I have ever played with.
Size: This will also appear in the CONS bear with me... but it reminds me of my Moto X it is the perfect size for any hand. Nice to have a phone that fits well in the pocket again.
Build: It's solid as a rock, very light but solid. The edges are sexy and smooth, the glass both front and back is seamless. It's a very deceptively attractive phone. (As a "hot rod" guy I appreciate it the same way I appreciate horsepower over chrome and paint)
Camera: So far so good, but the jury is still out. I need to play with it more. I can say this, it's faster than snot.
Fingerprint scanner: Didn't realize how much I missed having one. It's SUPER responsive and I like the gesture controls.
Speed: It's smoking fast, buttery smooth. Oddly, not as fast as I'd expected. I guess that speaks to how well the N6 has held up over the past 30 months.
UI: Vanilla Android 7.1.1 you simply can't beat it.
24/7 Assistance: I will detail this below, but WOW what a great added service. This is invaluable for those purchasing for a child or older parent/loved one.
Vibration: Odd to add this to the PROS or CONS but I like that it vibrates well in the pocket so you know you have a call but when I have it on my desk at work it doesn't sound like a bag of marbles rattling on a tin pie pan.
CONS
Size: I think if I had my druthers I'd have preferred the XL, coming from the N6 it's a STARK difference in screen real estate. However I didn't have that opportunity.
Bugs: I have the minor WiFi thing. It's mostly fine but at work (where the signal is weaker) it sometimes drops connection, it does pick it right back up. Usually only takes 30 seconds or so.
Battery: It may still be settling in but I just made it through the day with the Pixel yesterday. Had 19% left at bed time, normally on the N6 I had 40+% on an average day.
Bezels: Huge, huge, huge and unnecessary.
Last night at 8 this was going to be a scorching review but instead it turns out I am just stupid. I was having the WiFi issues and then last night the volume rocker quit working. I mean it worked and then it just didn't. I was sure it was a hardware issue, I was ticked, I always hear about issues with new phones but have never really gotten a lemon in all my phones, So I was lit. But I remembered 24/7 assistance, so I tried it out. I was connected via chat with a nice gentleman within 2 min or so. He got my issue, asked me to go to settings, asked me to make a change and boom, perfect. So again ... I CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH HOW VALUABLE THIS IS AND CAN BE to both new and intermediate Android users. I mean just a superb value added service.
So a day and a half in I give it 8 out of 10. I am not "passionate" about it like I was my Motorolas, there is (as yet) no emotional connection. It's a device, a tool and a damn fine one. Pardon my French.
More to come.
(edit added a couple pros/cons I forgot)
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