**** The Official Google Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL Thread ****

[sesevans]

Assume you are following the slowdown controversy playing out around Apple iPhones lately? If not suggest you have a read over on the Apple hardware threads here on Overclockers. I note a class action lawsuit against Apple has already been filed.

It seems Apple tried to extend the life of its smarphones to protect users but failed to tell anybody. For years consumers have complained that Apple would purposely degrade the performance of older iPhones, pushing them to upgrade faster than they normally would.

This week the theory of slowing iPhones was validated by external sources and eventually corroborated by Apple. Is it that Apple purely wanted to prevent phone shutdowns or to force buyers to upgrade?

Wouldn't it have been better for Apple to design a processor that provides consistent performance throughout the life of the iPhone, even if this resulted in lower peak performance?

From what I have read, this issue does not exist in the Android ecosystem, but I assume there are people out there trying to discover if it is also an Android issue. It seems unlikely, as most flagship Android smartphones ship with much larger batteries that would lengthen the time required for the battery degradation to affect peak current draw.

Apple own-goal that could negatively affect the brand?

 

[sesevans]

The whole headphone adapter issue is really annoying. Removing the headphone port (which is reliable and multifunctional) and then giving us a dongle as a replacement is not ideal, but i can live with it. Issuing a dongle that does not work reliably with the OS however is not acceptable. I shouldn't have to reboot every time I want to listen to wired audio.

As good as the phone is, the more of these issues that come up the more I wonder if Google actually tested this phone before releasing it.

I wonder if you might consider that it is time to move on to a wireless headphone? As you know these are extremely popular. I bought my "smart" Google Pixel Buds as soon as they were released in the UK and as I have mentioned, I am really pleased with them. The Clearly White Pixel Buds I bought are still out of stock on the Play Store, but the Black and Somewhat Blue options are available with a relatively short waiting time. I found no problems with the bluetooth and the sound quality is excellent. I particularly like the Google Assistant feature built into the Pixel Buds which is easy to operate and allows me to keep my Pixel 2 XL in my pocket for many uses.

As you probably know, Apple did the same thing and their Air Pods are also very popular.

 

[sesevans]

All the same, it would be nice if the dongle worked wouldn't it

Fair point. They should.

In my view there is little doubt however that Google is fully committed to getting their hardware strategy right. Simply viewing their Google Play Store devices website or walking into a Google Store within a store such as at PCW Tottenham Court Road provides ample evidence of how far they have come in a relatively short period of time: Pixel phones, Pixelbook, Pixel Buds, Nest Thermostats and cameras and soon doorbell, Google Home (and Mini and Max), etc.

Further, I read today that following success at 12 pop up stores in India, Google is planning to open their own stores in India in 2018, according to zdnet.com. I doubt Google would be opening its own stores (like Apple) if it were not fully committed to hardware.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/google-eyeing-brick-and-mortar-stores-in-india-to-push-pixel/

 

[sesevans]

It seems a bit hit and miss because I use BT headphones for my commutes so about 3 hours a day plus other use throughout the week and never have any issues.

Same experience with my Pixel Buds, a Google product.

 

[sesevans]

I would not be surprised to see the next Google Pixel phone to include wireless "power at a distance" charging. Today it was announced by Energous of San Diego that they received FCC approval for their WattUp Mid Field Transmitter that will wirelessly recharge your battery from up to 3 feet away.

Henceforth, your phone or laptop or tablet will not have to be in contact with any plug or charging pad and will charge in a truly wireless way. It can charge multiple devices simultaneously and is manufacturer agnostic.

Here's an Engadget link with a video demo:

https://www.engadget.com/2017/12/26/fcc-approves-first-wireless-power-at-a-distance-charging-syste/

I assume that it might work if say you are with your phone or laptop or tablet in a coffee shop or at an airport and sitting within range. You would have to designate which devices are to be charged.

The more I think about this short range wireless recharging, the more I think it would also be really useful if it could be used to recharge an electric vehicle's battery. According to a recent FT article, 43% of UK home have no off street parking so recharging presents problems. And particularly when everyone wants to be recharging at a similar time of day.

How useful is this likely to be for you?

 

[sesevans]

You might be curious whether we are a small crowd of buyers of the Pixel 2s and Pixel 2 XLs and the answer appears to be no. In fact, according to Localytics, the US activations of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL over the key Christmas weekend placed the phones (in the US) in the top two slots with activations up 38% for the Pixel 2 and 31% for the 2 XL, ahead of Apple iPhone X and way ahead of iPhone 8s. Sure there are fewer Pixels in the world than iPhones but nice to know that we are buying a highly popular phone.

http://info.localytics.com/blog/goo...perform-the-iphone-x-during-christmas-weekend

 

[sesevans]

Just picked up a Pixel 2 to replace my iPhone 6. So far so good, any recommendations for mods/apps for it which I may enjoy?

One of the great features of Pixel phones is their tight integration with Google apps. If you live in a Google- centric mobile world (and I appreciate that the iPhone has many Google app features), I highly recommend the features of the Google Home app which ties in to the Google Home devices that can control many features in your home including smart lighting, smart thermostat (Nest), smart kettle, etc. Many Pixel phones sold have offered a free Google Home device as part of the purchase and there are many on this site who have begun to use Google Home devices as a result.

And you might find this link to Tom's guide showing Pixel 2 features to be helpful:
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/google-pixel-2-features-enable-disable,news-26308.html

 

[sesevans]

I'm not surprised about the sales,


We are under pressure to sell as many as possible.

Am I correct in assuming you work for one of the UK telecom operators? Was it EE?

 

[sesevans]

Sent a portrait shot to a friends/family group, where one of the outlaws is a pro fashion model that knows her stuff when it comes to cameras, and she was utterly blown away with the one shot I sent... disbelief it "wasn't a fluffy semi-pro camera" and more stunned at the single lens. She bought one instantly.

At the risk of turning into good old Ok Google, I reckon I've shifted a couple of these to iSheep over the last few days, as well as a few true believers/existing converts as well.

Still can't capture a photo of brother's damn puppy without the thing blurring though... oddly, it won't perform on cue and won't stay still for the camera! Wonder if Google has a new product coming that'll help us out along those lines? Ok Google, well??!?!??!?!

Ha! You might check out the Google Clips camera when it comes to these shores. For those impromptu moments.

https://www.blog.google/topics/hardware/google-clips/

 

[sesevans]

Cpw

Well with the deals on the Pixel phones and related hardware (Pixelbooks, Pixel Buds, Google Home and Google Home Mini) and advertising support (they flooded the tv networks and billboards) I would have thought cpw sold huge numbers over the holiday! Hope it was a banner season for you and your team.

 

[sesevans]

Hi everyone,

I don't really need a new phone, but my girlfriend does and I can get myself a good deal on the pixel XL 2 (I like the idea of vanilla android). I was just wondering if the screen issues have been fixed in the latest models to come off the line? I looked at a model in CPW before Xmas and the screen did look very underwhelming.

It's a real shame that they cost cutted an one of the most critical components. It's not something you can or should get away with IMO - especially when it's in the same price bracket as S8+/note 8.

Think the issue was completely overblown from the start and have been using my Pixel 2 XL for several months and have not thought about any screen issues at all because in my opinion, they just do not exist or matter to enjoying this great phone.

I believe a number of perceived screen issues were addressed by an early November security patch update. Google provided users a display option (in addition to the normal setting) called a saturated option in Settings. I suggest that Google wants us to use the natural/normal setting (I do) but for those of us who wanted their OLED screen to resemble past experience, they provided a saturated option.

Whether you think the security patch addressed any perceived issue is a matter of opinion. In mine, I never really noticed the issue and have not given it any further thought.

If you have been following recent posts you will see that the two Pixel phones saw the most "activation" growth of any leading smartphone in the US over the all-important Christmas selling season(they ranked one and two, ahead of the iPhone X, and way ahead of the iPhone 8s), and I would not be surprised if that was the same in the UK.

 

[sesevans]

I just checked my screen settings and it appears it was set to boosted. I thought the standard setting was natural? That was the first time I had been in the menu.

Boosted is the default setting. Natural is available too, as well as saturated:

https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/6111557?hl=en-GB

 

[sesevans]

Thanks for your input. The first thing I did when I went into CPW and picked up the pixel was to go into the settings and see if I ramp up the saturation slightly. Unfortunately the settings were all locked, so I wasn't able to see the difference it made.

To be honest, I don't mind natural looking colours. It was more of the fact that the screen looked quite grainy, like there was a film of fine sand between the panel on the glass. Sounds like a manufacturing by product that shouldn't have made it past QC. I'd love to see an example of a very recently shipped phone to see if they had upped their QC game. Hopefully someone at work will have got one over Christmas and I can take a look at it tomorrow. It looks like a great phone (although **** Google for getting rid of the headphone jack - Samsung and other manufacturers with the jack, with even sleeker designs and better waterproofing have proven that removing it is just unnecessary. /Rant)

Please let us know your impressions of the Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL phone if you see one at work.

On your rant, I am reminded of a Google philosophy I once read: they like to skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been. Dangling wires that need to be tucked in just seems so yesterday. Wireless or near wireless seems the way to go. Voice recognition tech, Bluetooth and advances in AI/machine learning make it easier rethink the wireless smart headphone which is why I thought that the idea of Google's Pixel Buds made perfect sense. I bought a pair last month and have enjoyed using them. They have Google Assistant built-in to the right earbud. The concept is brilliant. The reviews have been lukewarm at best but I have found mine to be a really fun to use and a great way to use my voice to replace many of the actions that I previously required my phone to do. I have posted about my Pixel Buds in the separate section on this site.

 

[sesevans]

I appreciate these might be a little above what you were planning to spend but I got the Apple AirPods for Christmas for my 2XL and they have been excellent so far. I said I'd report back on my findings so here I am.
With the addition of the AirPods for GA app on the Play Store they work just as they would with an iPhone - the only feature that doesn't work is the automatic pause when you remove one of the buds from your ear but I'm not even sure I'd want this. They play/pause music and launch Google Assistant without a hitch. I should point out that I also have a MacBook so I am getting a little more value out of them that way, if I didn't have it I couldn't in all honesty declare I'd still have got them but they are great and I do like the 'no wires' aspect which is what put me off the pixel buds or even the Jaybirds, if I want wireless earphones they are going to be wireless.

Glad you like your Airpods. Some people disagree with your assessment of them, even though they offer the excellent Google Assistant feature. But I must disagree that the GA feature can ever be as good natively as on my Pixel Buds. I have had lots of compliments on the look of the Pixel Buds. The "wire" is no factor to me and if it helps to create a little more stability when I do exercise/run with them, which I expect they do, together with the ear loop, even better. The rear wire is virtually hidden behind the head and below the clothing line.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/11/30/thank-you-apple-for-making-it-much-easier-to-spot-aseholes-7121911/

 

[sesevans]

The USB-C dongle is garbage, just doesn't seem to work consistently with headphones.

Looks like I'm forced to buy some bluetooth headphones. Any recommendations?

Pixel Buds. Lots of comments on the Pixel Buds section of Overclockers within Mobile Phones and Tablets section. They have a choice of three colours, but the ones I chose (Clearly White which match my Penguin/Panda 2 XL) are currently out of stock. The other two colour choices are Black and Somewhat Blue, which I believe are available within a few days of ordering on the Google Play Store.

 

[sesevans]

Honestly these have got such mediocre to bad reviews.

You sound like a paid advocate so much of the time.

Ha Ha. I am simply sharing my own excellent experience with the Pixel Buds. I prefer personal experience to third party reviews any day of the week.

As a further example, reviewers this year slammed the OLED screen on the Pixel 2 XLs supplied by LG. I bought the 2 XLs and have found the screen to be excellent. So have many on this site. So who do you believe? Google and LG and your own personal experience or third party reviews?

And now to further make my point about LG OLED screens, note that someone who knows more about OLED screens than you, me and third party reviewers, namely Apple, appears to have designated LG as their second suppliers this year on their OLED screens!

Suggestion: Take the third party reviewers with a pinch of salt.

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/01/03/lg-display-oled-panel-supplier-2018-iphone-x/

 

[sesevans]

Just won a pixel 2 xl on eBay, but need a case, ant recommendations? Are the official ones any good?

I have the official Google Live Case. I chose a great photo that I positioned into place online and within a few days, the Live Case shipped. I chose the thinner option (there were two thickness levels to choose from) and am quite satisfied. I have had lots of compliments on the photo chosen on the Live Case.

Just feels it makes my phone really personal.

https://livecase.withgoogle.com/select-case

 

[sesevans]

Interesting survey with implications for future phone use says that people who own Google Home or Amazon Echo use phones less. Recall that Google and Amazon both offer phone calling from their Home and Echo devices in the US and Google has said it plans to introduce this feature to UK soon.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/06/amazon-echo-and-other-assistants-often-lower-smartphone-use.html

Would you agree that this trend could have negative implications for Apple and Samsung?

 

[sesevans]

I use my Pixel a lot for its Google Assistant. I also use Google Assistant with my Pixel Buds and of course it is built-in to my Google Home devices.

Google set up a new page where you can find everything its AI Assistant is capable. There are over 1 million things to try according to Google, but to make things easy the list is broken down into categories like “Home control,” “Games & fun,” and “Productivity.” The main page also points to new and trending skills, along with a search bar in case you still can’t find what you’re looking for.

https://assistant.google.com/explore

Hope you have fun exploring it.

 

[sesevans]

Back to the phone. Having had the phone for over two weeks and trying to hammer it daily I am getting around 20% battery before it goes back on charge at night with the normal P2. Very happy with that. It charges quickly also in the morning which was a relief earlier today as I forgot to charge it last night whilst researching a mining rig.

I agree that the battery has been an excellent feature of the Pixel 2 but it looks like future Pixels will only get better, esp if Google is able to take advantage of the haptic technology developed by a small UK company it recently acquired which might free up space for batteries or other components in the Pixel currently used for small speakers.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/b...phabet-tech-batteries-cambridge-a8152896.html

And from The Inquirer: "
... if Google (and bosom chum HTC) can use the Redux technology to make, say, an AMOLED screen into a speaker, then that leaves more room for, maybe more memory… or… a bigger battery?

Google absorbed Redux shares in December and as far as we can tell, the deal was actually done as far back as last August, still way too late for the Pixel 2, but certainly opens up possibilities for the Pixel 3 and beyond."