Pixel 4a XL back cover shows the dual camera that could have been
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- Anonymous
- mqq
- 02 Jul 2020
-Sam-, 29 May 2020Why r u keep saying "affordable price"
For a "mid-range... moreSpeak for yourself. Some people have decent disposable incomes - I have a OnePlus 8 Pro, an iPhone XS Max and a Pixel 4XL sitting on my desk, none of which I use. I use a P30 Pro.
Why? I have an average income, but my house is paid for, my car is paid for, I have no children, I don't drink, and phones are a hobby.
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- Anonymous
- qJ}
- 01 Jun 2020
700 USD flagship with a good camera sounds like a great idea actually.
plus you get better updates, better security and no additional spyware
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- Anonymous
- sxr
- 01 Jun 2020
Google will be more successful in the phone business if it gives up its greed.
How does Google show greed? Let me count the most glaring 4 ways:
1. Not only do Pixel phones have ZERO micro sd expansion, but they also offfer at most, a crippled maximum of 128 GB internal storage option only. Why? Because Google wants you to subscribe to its Cloud Services so you pay monthly subscription - for life. While Apple supports old iphones with 6 years of software updates, Google only provides 2 years, even for Google branded phones which it owns.
2. No headphone jack. Why? Because google doesn't want to give you the option to listen to music with your old, trusty, durable, long-life, audiophile grade wired earbuds and headsets that never seems to need replacement, ever.
Google (and other manufacturers) are forcing you to buy bluetooth earbuds that are annually disposable and are very easy to drop and easy to lose (drop one piece of the completely wireless bluetooth pair on a sewer or drainage or crowded place and you'll have to buy a new pair). Also, the small batteries they contain only means they'll become worthless in less than 2 years as the worn out batteries will now drain fast and charge longer. Also, software updates on wireless bluetooth earbuds can be engineered to render them dysfuntional so you'll replace them sooner! Just like phone updates meant to accelerate planned obsolescence really! And no, it's not conspiracy theory. I have 3 Xiaomi phones that Xiaomi killed through software updates that resulted to fast battery drain and disabling of fast charging and shift to super slow 200mA charging rate!
3. Disabling USB C 3.1 alternate mode - video out. The USB C 3.1 spec actually allows for USB-C to HDMI video out of the phone in all other android phones with that USB C 3.1 hardware. Google intentionally disabled such video output in Google Pixel phones and Android One phones (those with the VANILLA android software).
Why did Google intentionally CRIPPLE the hardware (USB C 3.1) which is supposed to be capable of video out using USB-C to HDMI adapters? Because Google discourages offline DRM-protected movie downloads in the phone's storage for screen mirroring later via USB C to HDMI adapter.
Google sells cloud storage and sells Chromecast so there's the motivation. Also, Pixel phones have limited internal storage options so it's not very nice to highlight just how crippled non-expandable 128GB storage is for Netflix and movie buffs.
Remember when Youtube used to have unlimited offline downloads for free? And now you PAY monthly for some 'premium' downloads just to store them for offline viewing, and even then, they expire if you fail to refresh youtube downloads every month! This happens even if you keep on paying the monthly Youtube premium subscription!
4. Google disabled wireless screen sharing / wireless screen casting of DRM coded OFFLINE downloads from Google Play Movies, Netflix, Amazon Prime movies, etc.
Now this quirk only happens in Pixel phones and Android One phones (except for Google Play Movies which happens in other phones as well). It happens, YES, even if the phones have Widevine L1 certification.
Why? Because Google wants you to buy a Chromecast for screen casting of DRM encoded movies. Chromecast renders offline movie downloads absolutely worthless because, it will still need DATA/internet connection to fetch the movie online instead of using the previously downloaded offline version.
Chromecast just makes your phone act like a remote. It will IGNORE the offline downloads of your Google Play Movie collection. Chromecast needs to stream the movie anyway and waste your data just so Google can monitor your viewing habits! Also, offline casting of movies only encourages people to buy phones with micro SD storage expansion or those with huge internal storage. People tend to save mobile data use for Facebook, news, shopping and gaming only. Data heavy activities like movie downloads and movie watching - they tend to download them from free wifi sources instead which are available everywhere, saving them precious data! And it doesn't matter if the free downloads are slow. Once done, these offline downloads will look absolutely marvelous screen shared on a big screen TV without hiccups and buffering and they stay with the user's phone anywhere they go! Google absolutely doesn't want that because you won't need a chromecast and your viewing habits won't be monitored (how often you play a movie)!
- K
- Kriegsherr
- 3SI
- 31 May 2020
Android Master, 31 May 2020Still not as bad as Sony. Sony are completely clueless bar... moreNot now but soon they will be.
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- Android Master
- 8vX
- 31 May 2020
Kriegsherr, 29 May 2020exactly. no wonder they are at a loss with their hardware d... moreStill not as bad as Sony.
Sony are completely clueless barely selling half a million in 3 months worldwide.
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- Gykes
- XBA
- 30 May 2020
Zero , 29 May 2020With the Pixel 5 the Pixel a line is about to end. My exact thoughts
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- Anonymous
- C9a
- 30 May 2020
The 4XL should have been a btter selling phone they should have release this phone
- TheGoldenMellifluous
- y{0
- 29 May 2020
-Sam-, 29 May 2020Why r u keep saying "affordable price" For a "mid-range... moreWell, just saying... Flagship smartphone prices had risen since 2017, with an average of approx. $850+, every segmentation of smartphones price also has risen as well of its felt, including mid-ranger, hence creating $400 mid-ranger as cheap nowadays, even for some people think that's slightly expensive. However, if the flagship smartphone price ascended again next year, then $400 mid-ranger would be even cheaper than ever.
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- -Sam-
- X}Q
- 29 May 2020
Why r u keep saying "affordable price"
For a "mid-ranger" 400$ is not a affordable price
- Kingslayer
- IbE
- 29 May 2020
Anonymous, 29 May 2020Nexus 5 was the last decent phone from Google. Since then o... moreNexus 5 is trash compared to what we have now.. LOL! Yes, I understand context but let's not forget the battery life, display, and display were mediocre on the Nexus 5 when first released. I tried buying one just last year just for fun and because my cousin gave me a Nexus 4.
So many people are trashing a device that's not even out yet. It's $349 from what I'm hearing and it's 128 GB. The only sacrifice is the chipset which is on par with the Pixel 2 from 2017. But the Nexus devices had the flagship SoC but Google cut corners with the camera, display, and battery life. For their Pixel a-series, they're doing it reversed. Sacrifice on the SoC but excel in the other more important aspects.
I think this is going to be my next device to replace my Essential Phone as a secondary. My primary will still remain my Pixel 3. I love everything about this 4a. Plastic back which I'll cover with a case anyway. Headphone jack since neither my Essential and Pixel 3 have it and my iPhone headphones are in my glove compartment. Fingerprint scanner. Great price.
The 16 GB Nexus came in at $299. This is only $50 more with 8 times more storage and way better internals. No glaring weaknesses like the Nexus 5 had when first released. And I'm not rushing to get it either. I can wait at the end of the year for this. I just need it just in case my Essential dies out on me since that phone is hard to repair.
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- Peachy001
- myM
- 29 May 2020
bababooey, 29 May 2020I had the 5 and it was great aside from pretty bad battery ... moreMy 2XL is still going well. Works fine, but I'd like a wide angle for it. Ditch Silly radar, ditch that squeeze tosh. Knock a mm or too from the height of the 2xl. Jobs a good un.
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- Anonymous
- Imx
- 29 May 2020
Soli-chip, astrophotography mode, a digital assistant that runs circles around Apple's siri, and an unmistakable design language that sets it apart from the "apple" rans.....I love my orange & black Pixel 4 XL and wouldn't trade it for anything.
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- Peachy001
- myM
- 29 May 2020
abigfanoftechs, 29 May 2020Just bring back Nexus prices, not the name. :-)Agreed. No idea why anyone is wanting a Nexus? What was all the fuss?
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- OpionatedMan
- nmN
- 29 May 2020
One good camera with good software is better than multiple cameras with poor software.
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- bababooey
- 4YS
- 29 May 2020
Anonymous, 29 May 2020Nexus 5 was the last decent phone from Google. Since then o... moreI had the 5 and it was great aside from pretty bad battery life (from Google? go figure). The Nexus 5X was great too other than the relatively high probability of a bootloop, which was LG's fault. But I have a family member with a nearly 4 year old 5X that's still going strong. My girlfriend's OG Pixel has had a shit battery for the last 2 years almost.
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- Anonymous
- SHp
- 29 May 2020
Nexus 5 was the last decent phone from Google. Since then only overpriced phones for beta testing its latest android. Gcam was good at the very beginning but you cannot sell 5 years of junk relying only on one camera software. Bye bye Google.
- X
- XCIV
- rK6
- 29 May 2020
Anonymous, 29 May 2020Bring back Nexus.I agree. Pixel devices have been a complete mess since release. Flawed in the worst ways. Either it's the boring and ugly design or pathetic battery life. Nexus phones were at least affordable.
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- Kriegsherr
- 3SI
- 29 May 2020
travstr, 29 May 2020well at least Google has confirmed they're completely out o... moreexactly. no wonder they are at a loss with their hardware department.
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- Anonymous
- vMf
- 29 May 2020
Samsung better