I like the additions to Nougat but I'm really annoyed that it seems like Google is locking a few of them up to be Pixel features that require the new phone. Google Assistant integrated into the core OS à la Google Now looks to be Pixel-only from what I've read. I don't really feel compelled at all to upgrade from my Nexus 6P given the increased price and design changes (dual front facing speakers, please Google - look at that chin!).
I think Google made a smart move by selling this through Verizon carrier stores as they had a hard time getting the Nexus name known to people outside the tech-savvy Android user base. Putting physical phones in stores will let people see it side-by-side with iPhones and Samsung Galaxys and it will help the brand grow. Hopefully next year we get a more inspired design - not another iPhone clone - and a few really killer features to validate the increased price point.
The day I need google assistant to tell me jokes - remind me to kill myself for there is no longer any purpose in my existence.
I guess simpletons will be stunned by all that cheesy hype, for me it was quite off-putting. I'd feel stupid and shallow getting a phone promoted in such a silly manner. It might be worse than apple LOL. But explains it all, seeing how they target the same price point. And sure, that's where the money is. Took them long enough...
Basically the sensor is one of the best available (at least the best Sony has - a supplier that seems to be the flavor of the day for Android OEM's) but not THE best. I for $650-$750 I expect something better than a $30 sensor. The camera is constantly one of the most disappointing aspects of Android phones and they really need to get on it. Samsung and Apple each have over 800 engineers, programmers and testers working on their cameras so it's no surprise the experience and quality of using a camera on the Galaxy S7 and iPhones are always the industry benchmark.
So long story short, why don't OEM's just pay a few bucks more and license Samsung's ISOCELL sensor?
Because Samsung would not sell or license the sensor to anybody, at least not at any reasonable price. It's their competitive edge, they will never give it away. Same is valid for Apple...
Whaaa? Even 400 USD is too expensive. The 32GB Nexus 5X is now sold for under 300USD. Last week I picked up a 32GB Moto X Pure from Best Buy for just 250USD + tax. With the exception of the fingerprint scanner (which X does not even have) it matches the Nexus 6P in every other meaningful spec.
If this phone had OIS and NVMe I'd happily plunk down $850 on the 128G 5" model. I bought a 6S plus when it came out because my M7's battery was EOL but iOS is just such a bad environment. The 6S hardware has spoiled me though and I don't want to go back to shaky cameras or slow storage.
Also that blue is really pretty and it's always surprising how companies aren't trying to capitalize on aesthetics when they spend so much on design[1].
Also there really is something to be said for 720p240 support. Anyone slightly science minded can appreciate how useful of a tool it is to have on you at any time.
This. If Hugo Barra was still with us as Android CEO, I can see these devices being at least $100 less... That was his philosophy of the Nexus 4 and 5. Best readily available specs, latest and greatest Android at a **competively low price.**
Now that we have cheaper but beasily ohones a la the Axon 7 and OnePlus 3, Its hard to recommend.
Not trash but I was fully expecting OIS at least for the XL model. The pricing is disappointingly Apple-esque, as is the lack of an SD card slot. To get the XL with decent storage (128GB) they're asking almost $900. That is quite literally what Apple charges for the 7 Plus 128GB. There's no way this thing should be priced on par with an iPhone 7 Plus. I mean I think Apple charges too much to start with but for an HTC-built Pixel? Seriously Google? Stop. Smoking. Crack.
"Not trash but I was fully expecting OIS at least for the XL model."
Yep, when the Nexus 6 from 2014 has a feature that is missing from what is supposed to be Google's 2016 answer to the "Jesus phone", you have to wonder what is going on with their design team.
Doesn't have ois, doesn't have waterproofing, has oddly huge bezels, doesn't have microsd slot, looks like a device for 100 bux from a noname chinese oem. Costs more than a galaxy.
I'd definitely grab a 5" Pixel phone, to replace my Nexus 4... If it were priced under $400. I don't even care about the aluminum unibody design. I'd totally go for a plastic phone as I'd be putting it in a case as I always do with my phones. $649 is _maybe_ reasonable on the larger 5.5" phone, but this is Google, so it should be more like $400 for Pixel, $500 for Pixel XL.
True it is overpriced, but is it any more overpriced than these pixel phones? TLDR version: Specifications suggest the Elite X3 is less overpriced than the Pixel XL.
Lets compare the Elite X3 vs Pixel XL as it seems to be the most comparable: 6" vs 5.5" 2560x1440 AMOLED - both SD820 2.15GHz vs SD821 2.15GHz Adreno 530 - both 4GB LPDDR4 - both 64GB Flash vs 32GB / 128GB flash 2x2 WirelessAC - both X12 LTE Modem - both 33 hrs talk vs 32 hrs talk - both 14 hrs web - both USB 3.0 Type-C - both 16MP (1.31µm pixel) f/2.2 vs 12.3MP (1.55µm pixel) f/2.0 rear camera 8MP (1.12µm pixel) f/2.2 vs 8MP (1.4µm pixel) f/2.4 front camera 4K video @ 30fps - both MicroSD slot vs No storage expansion IP67 rated vs no water and dust resistance Wireless Charging vs ? Desktop Dock included (for Continuum) vs No potential equivalent $800 vs $770 / $870
The Pixel XL has a potentially slightly faster SoC (2.2GHz vs 2.4GHz), but both companies elect to run them at 2.15GHz, so that's a wash. The Pixel has more or less storage at a +$70 or -$30 price point. Battery life is a wash. The camera is a little better on the Pixel, but plenty capable on the Elite X3. The Elite X3 has uSD card expansion, wireless charging options (not sure if Pixel XL has this), IP67 rated dust and water resistance, and a desktop expansion dock. Even without the dock, I'd consider these pretty comparable, if a bit different. Including the dock, I'd say the HP Elite X3 is pretty clearly less overpriced than the Pixel XL.
Coworker pointed out that I missed a few things the Elite X3 has as well: Miracast Support on the Elite X3 4150mAh battery vs 3450mAh battery (though the battery life still ends up as a wash) Wireless charging on the Elite X3 is WPC(Qi)/PMA dual mode
Don't forget the Anniversary Update rolled out for the X3 and improved performance with the SD820 (among many other changes/improvements). Both in terms of "feel" as well as benchmarks. A couple of the guys that did previews with the X3 have updated and wrote follow-up articles that really praised the AU update for providing major tangible benefits to W10M users, especially the X3.
The only reason I wouldn't consider the X3 is that it lacks CDMA. I can't wait for CDMA to die off completely.
Wow, lots of hype for what looks like just another Android phone - and one that isn't even really all that top of the line like it was hyped. Also I don't think it's a big deal but it's worth noting the new phone is actually quite a bit thicker than the Nexus it's replacing, that's a bit surprising.
I suspect that unit volumes are down on this generation of 'flagship' phones, but that with their astronomical margins, net income is up. Kind of similar to what Intel is doing abandoning ~4W SoCs below Core M. Why charge $25 for a chip when you can call another 'premium' and charge $250?
what a shame, was really looking forward to a new pixel phone.. but at 600 pounds here in the uk, no thanks. don't give a toss about aluminium on a phone that'll live in a case.
Hang on, so the Pixel XL is more than 1mm thicker than the 6P for same battery capacity, basically same camera setup (no, EIS doesn't obviate OIS) and now there are no stereo speakers to boot? Also the price has increased significantly? What a let-down.
Htc demands premium pricing... or so they think. Compared to the galaxy s7 these pixel phones have nothing premium about them. Smaller batteries, no ois, no sdcard, not water resistant, no wireless charging, low res for the regular pixel, too much bezel/chin. Price cuts are bound to happen sooner than later.
Those bezels can only be seen as better than horrible only by iphone users since they are accustomed with the roadkill design. The design overall is bland and unoriginal. Pentile is dishonest and should be illegal. No microSD makes for a worse device in so many ways, it is unethical and bad business. The price shows that Google has no idea how the world outside Cali looks like.At this point this kind of pricing is for luxury devices not high end.
The daydream headset seems fairly decent and hopefully 1080p LCD is allowed too, you lose in latency but gain subpixels.
Just thinking about those bezels. In early 2014, LG managed to make a 5.5" screen fit into a body 146.3x74.6x8.9mm. At the time it seemed big, but in hindsight it was a marvel of compactness. 146.3mm is shorter than the Nexus 5X!
Earlier this year, ZTE managed to fit stereo speakers, capacitive keys (even if they were a bit squeezed in) and a 3220mah battery in a unibody measuring 151.7 x 75 x 7.9 mm. That's impressive engineering. Oh and it sells for US$400.
The Pixel XL is just lazy design. I mean, they put glass on the back yet still somehow needed antenna bands! Apparently the glass protrudes from the aluminium too, just so they can claim they don't have a camera bump.
I get all the '...but integrated, smooth software experience' arguments, but honestly, you can already get that on a 6P. If Google had just made a beautiful custom rom for an Axon 7 or OP3 I'd be much happier.
After the HTC One, HTC went full retard, is the Sony master of "I know sh*t of what im doing in the smartphone business but we think is not our fault, look HTC one"
Generic software, generic hardware... no make that outdated hardware and premium price. What were google thinking? I am willig to bet that this latest and greatest handset will be trashed in a speed test by more than a year old iPhone 6s. Dont be evil... yeah right.
People on this thread seem to think of products as merely the sum of their components. By all accounts, it seems that they've finally designed a product, top-to-bottom. I'm particularly interested in the larger camera sensors, and finally seeing dual core in big.little become the norm.
Same size sensor pixels as in the previous Nexus phones.
Hardware-wise it's hard to see what the Pixels bring to the game. iPhones are better engineered; Samsungs are more innovative. Both are water and dust resistant. Assistant still seemed a bit slow and buggy in the demonstration, so it's not as if they're bringing killer software either.
Before I contributing to the whining that seems to be coming from all corners of the internet I want to say this:
When I saw the "Really Blue" color I was hoping that it'd be the new YInMn Blue pigment that AMD is using on their Radeon Pro WX series of cards. I feel that using that new color would give the Pixel phone something *extra* special - especially since Blue is their special color anyway. Based on the look of the phone in the pictures I'd guess that they're *not* using the new pigment.
On to my complaining: Even before the official announcement I'd been intending to potentially grab the larger capacity version of the Pixel XL - depending on official specs and pricing. BUT I stepped away to talk about work for like 10-15 mins before the store page went live. When I got back they were sold out. Now they're shipping in 6-7 weeks.
Also, I was a bit disappointed that the price for the 5.5" plus 128GB storage was gonna cost $869 before tax...
Part of my desire to get another Google device was to try out Fi. Partly to see what the coverage is like, and very likely to save some money over my existing plan.
But pretty much no matter what my savings per month are on the plan it'll still end up costing more than just getting a OnePlus 3 and staying where I am now...
HTC 10 at $550 (thru this week) WITH Uh Oh protection is looking pretty tempting... I'm a sucker tho, still tempted to get a Pixel as an upgrade to my N5... If either had Qi charging that'd make my decision easier, just can't bring myself to go Samsung tho.
Reading the comments here, it occurred to me that people involved in / interested in tech have sure changed.
So much negativity - even scorn.
It's time to wake up and realize that - like happened with personal computers many years ago - it's about the software, not the hardware. In fact not just the software, but about the experience and what it can do for you. Both Apple and Google realize this, and it shows in their latest releases. The newer hardware is a vehicle to better, more intelligent software capabilities. Not just apps, but an entire system with increasingly integrated, friendly, and fluid workflow.
You have no idea whether the Pixels are any good until you get your hands on them and the models that follow next year (it will take some time for the software to live up to its promise).
The big thing from Apple is iOS 10, not the iPhone 7 or its hardware specs! As much as I appreciate the small, very useful iPhone 7 improvements (stereo speakers I can actually hear in the car, OIS for photos of product boxes in ~dark stores that come out sharp and legible every time, even faster LTE), the part that's made a real change in my life lately is that I'm finally getting my iPhone, iPad Pro with Pencil, MacBook Pro, iCloud, and apps to work FOR me in a cohesive fashion - close to living up to the promise of technology.
Google's trying to do the same thing, and given their resources and technology, they have an awfully good shot at not only competing, but blazing a brighter trail.
A coworker who was paying more attention to the tail end of the liveblog than I was got a 32GB Pixel. I'll try to wait for that to show up so that I can try it out and get his impressions before I decide whether to get a Pixel XL + Fi, or get a OnePlus 3 and stay with my old $50 unlimited T-Mobile plan.
The limiting factor will be how long the shattered glass lasts on my backup Nexus 5 I'm now using. I kept it pristine in a case for more than a year. Then I lent it to a friend who'd dropped her iPhone. Of course she also dropped the Nexus 5 in the handful of weeks she was borrowing it...
If the OP3 were a bit smaller I'd be all over it, can someone start making small but well spec'd mid-to-high end phones again? I don't think IT is about any one thing, IT IS subjective at this point...
Some people will put a higher priority on things like updates (me), or water resistance, or wireless charging, or Type C, or size, or design, or audio, or camera... No one phone does all those equally well or even well enough.
You'd think we'd be there by now, given how commoditized the maket, but we're not.
Actually, it's not all about the software. With shit hardware, doesn't matter how good the software is.
Nor is it all about the hardware. With shit software, doesn't matter how good the hardware is.
It's the FUSION of software + hardware that matters. They have to work together.
That is why I prefer phones with unlocked bootloaders, so I can choose my own fusion of hardware + software, and not have to be reliant on what is some marketing droids idea of what they think I want - which is usually offbase.
For me, at these prices, with no SD card slot, and to a lesser extent no replaceable battery, they just aren't worth the money, no matter how good the software.
Don't sell the iPhone 7 short. The performance of the A10 is shocking. This is what, a two year lead Apple will have against the competition going forward? Android flagships are already behind the A9 from last year. I don't know how Qualcomm is supposed to catch up at this rate, its worse than AMD vs Intel.
Although the A10's performance is astonishing in benchmarks, I do wonder what that means for user experience. I mean, I know lots of people happy with iPhones 5Ss, there's no lag or jitter on my Nexus 5X, my work iPhone 6 seems the same, etc...
And why should performance matter so much? An old SoC like Snapdragon 800 already does what the most people would like to accomplish with the smartphone. On the other hand, iOS has serious limitations. I have a huge media library, and I can't put any of it on my iOS devices without going through the buggy trainwreck that is the iTunes for Windows.
"The performance of the A10 is shocking. " Yes on battery life, the battery tests by Which in the UK showed iPhone 7 to be significantly worse in battery life than Android peers.
You're not wrong, of course not. But putting this service (the combination of hardware and software which actually delivers value to a user) at such a high price point for such lousy hardware is disappointing. If you spend that much money you want to get something which feels special.
More to the point though, I found the demonstration disappointing (at least the mistake showed it was real... But it was still a mistake, and a big one). It seemed slow and still rather awkward while being demonstrated in what will have been best-case conditions. Currently OK Google doesn't work outside of silent environments. I await reviews of the Assistant service, but it doesn't appear ready yet.
"Google notes that there will be two configurations of the phone: a North American version, and a Rest of World version."
So, when shall we finally get a device that travels well? Why must an $800+ "flagship" device with all the modern bells and whistles, still be limited to either this *subset* of LTE frequencies or that one. Why not design the radio/antenna to handle the whole set, with ability to switch on/off the appropriate bands depending on the region it's in? I'll pay the extra $100, if that's what it takes... Is there some law of physics forbidding such a thing?
I'm by no means an expert, but to some degree, yes I believe physics comes into play.
I remember Bryan and Anand discussing something like this on one of the old podcasts where they were talking about Qualcomm's new at-the-time envelope tracker.
IIRC having an antenna, even an actively tuned one, that works well on ALL of those different frequencies is a pretty big engineering challenge. I'm sure switching in the radios and amplifiers is also a factor, but now we're even farther outside of my area of expertise.
The bands a single device can cover has certainly expanded - compare the LTE bands on an iPhone 5, 5S, then a 6 and you'll see the progression. I was going to use Nexus devices for my example but they didn't illustrate the trend very well.
Firstly, yes indeed about the Nexus devices. That was part of my point. Though, the old Nexuses were 'mid-range' devices; these new Pixels are 'premium' -- so they'd better have at least superior band coverage compared to the Nexuses.
But secondly, I do realize that antenna tuning makes it hard to design a truly universal antenna. But then, just put in two different antennae: one for North America, the other for Rest of World. Switch between them, depending on where you are. Put them on/along opposite surfaces/sides of the phone, to avoid one shielding/interfering with the other. Yes, it'll add to the BOM, and possibly even to thickness/size/weight of the device; maybe it'll even require a plastic case instead of an aluminum one. So make it into a 'universal' or 'world-phone' SKU and sell it as such, with the appropriate markup. I for one, would jump all over it. Anyone who travels even episodically, probably would as well...
^^ As an afterthought, maybe even go the 'modular' route; for instance integrate the LTE antenna into an easily-swappable back-cover. Then, I could just buy both back-covers, and swap them as I travel between NA vs. rest of world....
As an amendment to above, Project Fi does offer international service -- apparently, by partnering with various international phone companies for each respective country. Whereupon ability to communicate with respective international phone networks comes in, which is what I'm talking about in the first place (i.e. with respect to available/usable LTE bands.) The plan (how you pay for it) is subservient to the radio technology (how you connect in the first place.)
Gentlemen. I thought that this "For America" and "For rest of the world" thing has more to do with the fact that the American telcos use Qualcomm proprietary CDMA tech for stuff (also, FDD-LTE) while the rest of the world uses the European GSM/3G standard (also, most developing countries adopted TDD-LTE). So basically, they now have two different base-band transceivers that they can implement.
And then you also have phones that can do CDMA, TDD-LTE, FDD-LTE along with WCDMA/GSM. My Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 supports CDMA on China Telecom using a UIM card, similar to a SIM card on GSM. North American CDMA carriers don't support UIMs and rely on an internal subscriber ID locked to the phone. I've also used my phone with LTE and GSM carriers without any problems although North American LTE bands aren't supported, probably because of antennas design issues.
I see you guys fixed the reference to support for Qualcomm Quick Charge. Benson suggests that you use Power Delivery as it is the correct term for the technology. Quick Charging could confuse users with the proprietary tech.
The phone is pretty uninteresting to me for a lot of reasons, but holy shit: NO CAMERA HUMP! Pray to the gods that this encourages the other handset makers to drop that shitty trend.
The Nexus 6P didn't have OIS either and managed to have the best low light camera of any phone when HDR+ was turned on. And then there is Google's new EIS for videos. I don't think lack of OIS is a big deal, or even a deal. It makes up for it with huge pixels and clever software.
When did the camera hump become such a big deal? I'm not being facetious, it just seems like a weird point to focus on...
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the lack of a hump, but phones like the very first Moto X and N5 had no hump or almost no hump and I don't remember people making a big deal about it.
Have humps gotten more prominent over the last few gens? I remember my first two HTC EVO having very prominent humps, wasn't a big deal after slapping a case on tho.
Lack of OIS is a big deal for video IMO, at least at 1080p... At 4K there's more res to play with but I have my doubts EIS/AF is really effective then.
They also had to make the phone super thick. It's over 2 mm thicker than the iPhone 7. Sure there's a hump on the 7 but if Apple (and Jony Ive with his thick skull) could get over their stupid logic that "the reason we use the phone a lot is because it's somehow more 'compelling' when thinner" and make the i7 even just as thick as the SE, it wouldn't have a hump either.
If the trend continues and sheep keeps swallowing it, you will see next gen Nexus, Iphone, Galaxies at over $1000 for the base model because theyre now "mega premium".
It's a bit like the crazy house prices in parts of the UK. So long as people are willing to pay that much, vendors will service the market.
These kinds of phones will become increasingly rare luxuries though, like Ferraris and Lamborghinis or fancy watches. The rest of us will be using entirely adequate Chinese phones. I just hope one of those manufacturers will begin using stock Android and introduce a decent update policy. That's the one area Google and Apple still win.
The way I see it, now that we have pretty adequate almost-disposable 200USD smartphones like the Moto G4, I don't know if I am going to demand updates for longer than a couple of years. But it's puzzling how fast some flagship phones are abandoned by their vendors.
The trend will not go on forever. It's basically a bubble that will eventually burst. I am seeing more and more people with well-paying jobs who used to get a new iPhone every year since the first release right now still hanging onto their perfectly working Samsung Galaxy S5, iPhone 5, etc.
As a Nexus customer many times over (preorders except my Nexus 7 2013) this is underwhelming. I was okay with the 6P pricing and picked up a pair of the 128GB versions for myself and my wife. I'm not seeing the value prop for this being $220 more than that device. Good luck Google/HTC, I just ordered a OnePlus 3 to screw around with.
...and the prices will keep on rising if we keep on buying. Seriously, come on people, if everyone waited two months the price WILL drop. Forget the marketing, forget the buzz that lasts ten minutes when you get the new shiny gear, be sensible for once.
We're being totally taken for a ride with pricing.
Enough of this flagship pricing madness. Just now, I have a feeling that Google will have a mid-range priced Pixel probably in a few months or next year, depending on their priorities.
Look like Google trying to get into the luxury class mobile device class with the Pixel! It going be impossible given what the current Pixel is against the Phone 7! Plus, Pixel has no following in the luxury class. Apple has their fanboys and Samsung has their tech nerds! I guess you have to start somewhere by the current Pixel is not a good competitor for this!
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
103 Comments
Back to Article
ddriver - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Decent specs, some interesting features, many useless, overpriced. That sums it up.WithoutWeakness - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Really Blue. Very Silver. Much Color. Such Wow.I like the additions to Nougat but I'm really annoyed that it seems like Google is locking a few of them up to be Pixel features that require the new phone. Google Assistant integrated into the core OS à la Google Now looks to be Pixel-only from what I've read. I don't really feel compelled at all to upgrade from my Nexus 6P given the increased price and design changes (dual front facing speakers, please Google - look at that chin!).
I think Google made a smart move by selling this through Verizon carrier stores as they had a hard time getting the Nexus name known to people outside the tech-savvy Android user base. Putting physical phones in stores will let people see it side-by-side with iPhones and Samsung Galaxys and it will help the brand grow. Hopefully next year we get a more inspired design - not another iPhone clone - and a few really killer features to validate the increased price point.
ddriver - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
The day I need google assistant to tell me jokes - remind me to kill myself for there is no longer any purpose in my existence.I guess simpletons will be stunned by all that cheesy hype, for me it was quite off-putting. I'd feel stupid and shallow getting a phone promoted in such a silly manner. It might be worse than apple LOL. But explains it all, seeing how they target the same price point. And sure, that's where the money is. Took them long enough...
Samus - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Anybody who's interested in the sensor quality (or lack there of, frankly) should check out the Mi5s pic's here that showcase a variety of situations.http://www.gizbeat.com/10919/sony-imx378-is-the-ne...
Basically the sensor is one of the best available (at least the best Sony has - a supplier that seems to be the flavor of the day for Android OEM's) but not THE best. I for $650-$750 I expect something better than a $30 sensor. The camera is constantly one of the most disappointing aspects of Android phones and they really need to get on it. Samsung and Apple each have over 800 engineers, programmers and testers working on their cameras so it's no surprise the experience and quality of using a camera on the Galaxy S7 and iPhones are always the industry benchmark.
So long story short, why don't OEM's just pay a few bucks more and license Samsung's ISOCELL sensor?
tuxRoller - Saturday, October 8, 2016 - link
The sensor is only one part of the equation.Optics are extremely important and I'd imagine that's where xiaomi skimped.
Ananke - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
Because Samsung would not sell or license the sensor to anybody, at least not at any reasonable price. It's their competitive edge, they will never give it away. Same is valid for Apple...Lolimaster - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Users need to stop bitting the $600+ "premium" smartphones.$400 should be their limit, nexus 6P at $400 was a high end and premium as anything else, now $250 more for another "premium device".
UtilityMax - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Whaaa? Even 400 USD is too expensive. The 32GB Nexus 5X is now sold for under 300USD.Last week I picked up a 32GB Moto X Pure from Best Buy for just 250USD + tax. With the exception of the fingerprint scanner (which X does not even have) it matches the Nexus 6P in every other meaningful spec.
willis936 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
If this phone had OIS and NVMe I'd happily plunk down $850 on the 128G 5" model. I bought a 6S plus when it came out because my M7's battery was EOL but iOS is just such a bad environment. The 6S hardware has spoiled me though and I don't want to go back to shaky cameras or slow storage.willis936 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Also that blue is really pretty and it's always surprising how companies aren't trying to capitalize on aesthetics when they spend so much on design[1].1. Copying competitors' arbitrary bad decisions.
willis936 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Also there really is something to be said for 720p240 support. Anyone slightly science minded can appreciate how useful of a tool it is to have on you at any time.willis936 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Oh and stereo front firing speakers. I really hope that design doesn't die with the One. That's probably the most underrated feature in a smartphone.zeeBomb - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
This. If Hugo Barra was still with us as Android CEO, I can see these devices being at least $100 less... That was his philosophy of the Nexus 4 and 5. Best readily available specs, latest and greatest Android at a **competively low price.**Now that we have cheaper but beasily ohones a la the Axon 7 and OnePlus 3, Its hard to recommend.
serendip - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Hugo Barra is with Xiaomi now so he's really making 'em cheap ;)zeeBomb - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Xiaomi needs to hit NA...pronto...as long as they can get a design that won't smack em with a design lawsuitosxandwindows - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
overpriced trash.close - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Definitely not trash. But also definitely overpriced..Alexvrb - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Not trash but I was fully expecting OIS at least for the XL model. The pricing is disappointingly Apple-esque, as is the lack of an SD card slot. To get the XL with decent storage (128GB) they're asking almost $900. That is quite literally what Apple charges for the 7 Plus 128GB. There's no way this thing should be priced on par with an iPhone 7 Plus. I mean I think Apple charges too much to start with but for an HTC-built Pixel? Seriously Google? Stop. Smoking. Crack.kaidenshi - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
"Not trash but I was fully expecting OIS at least for the XL model."Yep, when the Nexus 6 from 2014 has a feature that is missing from what is supposed to be Google's 2016 answer to the "Jesus phone", you have to wonder what is going on with their design team.
zeeBomb - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Oh right... It doesnt have OIS? Pros and cons of ois again??? If there was though, it would have like a 90+ rating on Dxomark.Alexey291 - Thursday, October 6, 2016 - link
Doesn't have ois, doesn't have waterproofing, has oddly huge bezels, doesn't have microsd slot, looks like a device for 100 bux from a noname chinese oem. Costs more than a galaxy.Definite winner there.
JoeyJoJo123 - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
I'd definitely grab a 5" Pixel phone, to replace my Nexus 4... If it were priced under $400. I don't even care about the aluminum unibody design. I'd totally go for a plastic phone as I'd be putting it in a case as I always do with my phones. $649 is _maybe_ reasonable on the larger 5.5" phone, but this is Google, so it should be more like $400 for Pixel, $500 for Pixel XL.I dislike the Pixel premium prices...
Lolimaster - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
It seems $10 worth of aliminum magically turns out to be a $200+ extra to be premium.UtilityMax - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Nexus 5X is now sold for under 300USD in many places online, and I bet the 6P will come down in price by the time of holidays.lmcd - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
As a Windows 10 Mobile fan, it frustrates me to see about 10 Android phones with the same specs and design while I cannot get even one.Makaveli - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Buy the HP Elite x3damianrobertjones - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Waaayyyyyyyyyy overpriced.BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
True it is overpriced, but is it any more overpriced than these pixel phones?TLDR version: Specifications suggest the Elite X3 is less overpriced than the Pixel XL.
Lets compare the Elite X3 vs Pixel XL as it seems to be the most comparable:
6" vs 5.5"
2560x1440 AMOLED - both
SD820 2.15GHz vs SD821 2.15GHz
Adreno 530 - both
4GB LPDDR4 - both
64GB Flash vs 32GB / 128GB flash
2x2 WirelessAC - both
X12 LTE Modem - both
33 hrs talk vs 32 hrs talk - both
14 hrs web - both
USB 3.0 Type-C - both
16MP (1.31µm pixel) f/2.2 vs 12.3MP (1.55µm pixel) f/2.0 rear camera
8MP (1.12µm pixel) f/2.2 vs 8MP (1.4µm pixel) f/2.4 front camera
4K video @ 30fps - both
MicroSD slot vs No storage expansion
IP67 rated vs no water and dust resistance
Wireless Charging vs ?
Desktop Dock included (for Continuum) vs No potential equivalent
$800 vs $770 / $870
The Pixel XL has a potentially slightly faster SoC (2.2GHz vs 2.4GHz), but both companies elect to run them at 2.15GHz, so that's a wash. The Pixel has more or less storage at a +$70 or -$30 price point. Battery life is a wash. The camera is a little better on the Pixel, but plenty capable on the Elite X3. The Elite X3 has uSD card expansion, wireless charging options (not sure if Pixel XL has this), IP67 rated dust and water resistance, and a desktop expansion dock. Even without the dock, I'd consider these pretty comparable, if a bit different. Including the dock, I'd say the HP Elite X3 is pretty clearly less overpriced than the Pixel XL.
BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Coworker pointed out that I missed a few things the Elite X3 has as well:Miracast Support on the Elite X3
4150mAh battery vs 3450mAh battery (though the battery life still ends up as a wash)
Wireless charging on the Elite X3 is WPC(Qi)/PMA dual mode
Alexvrb - Thursday, October 6, 2016 - link
Don't forget the Anniversary Update rolled out for the X3 and improved performance with the SD820 (among many other changes/improvements). Both in terms of "feel" as well as benchmarks. A couple of the guys that did previews with the X3 have updated and wrote follow-up articles that really praised the AU update for providing major tangible benefits to W10M users, especially the X3.The only reason I wouldn't consider the X3 is that it lacks CDMA. I can't wait for CDMA to die off completely.
rodmunch69 - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Wow, lots of hype for what looks like just another Android phone - and one that isn't even really all that top of the line like it was hyped. Also I don't think it's a big deal but it's worth noting the new phone is actually quite a bit thicker than the Nexus it's replacing, that's a bit surprising.Lolimaster - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
I think we are at a point were a "new" company starts this shit from scratch.New ecosystems + devices below $400 for the most premium models.
YES, im talking about you NOKIA.
K_Space - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
To avoid the camera bump, the whole phone became a bump.BurntMyBacon - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
I don't really mind a bit of extra thickness if it means more battery life.lostleaf - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Any idea what the amoled panels are for 5"? Is it the same as the 6P?jwcalla - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Downright retarded pricing.Lolimaster - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
The idiots who agreed to pay those prices on galaxy S5/6/7 Notes 4-5-7, iphones 6/6S/7 are the actual retards.Are you in the club?
Meteor2 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
I'm guessing he isn't.I suspect that unit volumes are down on this generation of 'flagship' phones, but that with their astronomical margins, net income is up. Kind of similar to what Intel is doing abandoning ~4W SoCs below Core M. Why charge $25 for a chip when you can call another 'premium' and charge $250?
maximumGPU - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
what a shame, was really looking forward to a new pixel phone.. but at 600 pounds here in the uk, no thanks.don't give a toss about aluminium on a phone that'll live in a case.
alpha64 - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Isn't the Snapdragon 821 supposed to run up to 2.4GHz, whereas the 820 ran up to 2.15GHz?Cinnabuns - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
From both the carphone warehouse leak and other articles, it seems like Google is just underclocking the 821. Maybe for battery life reasons?frostyfiredude - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Both have down clocked versions, 1.8Ghz for S820 and 2.15Ghz for S821. For the overlapping at 2.15Ghz, the S821 version is more efficient.mpokwsths - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
No.Look at the Snapdragon 800 2.3 Ghz vs 801 2.3 Ghz example.
Same frequency but not exactly the same SoC.
Ryan Smith - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Google/HTC is using a lower clocked version of the 821.asfletch - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Hang on, so the Pixel XL is more than 1mm thicker than the 6P for same battery capacity, basically same camera setup (no, EIS doesn't obviate OIS) and now there are no stereo speakers to boot? Also the price has increased significantly? What a let-down.shabby - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Htc demands premium pricing... or so they think.Compared to the galaxy s7 these pixel phones have nothing premium about them.
Smaller batteries, no ois, no sdcard, not water resistant, no wireless charging, low res for the regular pixel, too much bezel/chin. Price cuts are bound to happen sooner than later.
T1beriu - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Not even a mention that the 821 is running at 820 speeds?!jjj - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Worst hardware ever made by Google?Those bezels can only be seen as better than horrible only by iphone users since they are accustomed with the roadkill design.
The design overall is bland and unoriginal.
Pentile is dishonest and should be illegal. No microSD makes for a worse device in so many ways, it is unethical and bad business.
The price shows that Google has no idea how the world outside Cali looks like.At this point this kind of pricing is for luxury devices not high end.
The daydream headset seems fairly decent and hopefully 1080p LCD is allowed too, you lose in latency but gain subpixels.
asfletch - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Just thinking about those bezels. In early 2014, LG managed to make a 5.5" screen fit into a body 146.3x74.6x8.9mm. At the time it seemed big, but in hindsight it was a marvel of compactness. 146.3mm is shorter than the Nexus 5X!Earlier this year, ZTE managed to fit stereo speakers, capacitive keys (even if they were a bit squeezed in) and a 3220mah battery in a unibody measuring 151.7 x 75 x 7.9 mm. That's impressive engineering. Oh and it sells for US$400.
The Pixel XL is just lazy design. I mean, they put glass on the back yet still somehow needed antenna bands! Apparently the glass protrudes from the aluminium too, just so they can claim they don't have a camera bump.
I get all the '...but integrated, smooth software experience' arguments, but honestly, you can already get that on a 6P. If Google had just made a beautiful custom rom for an Axon 7 or OP3 I'd be much happier.
LostPassword - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Should of kept Huawei. Thats what happen when you go htc. Overpriced pbonesLolimaster - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
After the HTC One, HTC went full retard, is the Sony master of "I know sh*t of what im doing in the smartphone business but we think is not our fault, look HTC one"zeeBomb - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
They just couldnt innovate...the dude who did the design of the M7 left iirc after a year, new CEO, etc...shit really hit the fan.Lavkesh - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Generic software, generic hardware... no make that outdated hardware and premium price. What were google thinking? I am willig to bet that this latest and greatest handset will be trashed in a speed test by more than a year old iPhone 6s. Dont be evil... yeah right.TheinsanegamerN - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
using the latest snapdragon SoC is outdated hardware now?gobaers - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
People on this thread seem to think of products as merely the sum of their components. By all accounts, it seems that they've finally designed a product, top-to-bottom. I'm particularly interested in the larger camera sensors, and finally seeing dual core in big.little become the norm.Meteor2 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Same size sensor pixels as in the previous Nexus phones.Hardware-wise it's hard to see what the Pixels bring to the game. iPhones are better engineered; Samsungs are more innovative. Both are water and dust resistant. Assistant still seemed a bit slow and buggy in the demonstration, so it's not as if they're bringing killer software either.
MrCommunistGen - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Before I contributing to the whining that seems to be coming from all corners of the internet I want to say this:When I saw the "Really Blue" color I was hoping that it'd be the new YInMn Blue pigment that AMD is using on their Radeon Pro WX series of cards. I feel that using that new color would give the Pixel phone something *extra* special - especially since Blue is their special color anyway. Based on the look of the phone in the pictures I'd guess that they're *not* using the new pigment.
On to my complaining:
Even before the official announcement I'd been intending to potentially grab the larger capacity version of the Pixel XL - depending on official specs and pricing. BUT I stepped away to talk about work for like 10-15 mins before the store page went live. When I got back they were sold out. Now they're shipping in 6-7 weeks.
Also, I was a bit disappointed that the price for the 5.5" plus 128GB storage was gonna cost $869 before tax...
Part of my desire to get another Google device was to try out Fi. Partly to see what the coverage is like, and very likely to save some money over my existing plan.
But pretty much no matter what my savings per month are on the plan it'll still end up costing more than just getting a OnePlus 3 and staying where I am now...
Decisions...
Impulses - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
HTC 10 at $550 (thru this week) WITH Uh Oh protection is looking pretty tempting... I'm a sucker tho, still tempted to get a Pixel as an upgrade to my N5... If either had Qi charging that'd make my decision easier, just can't bring myself to go Samsung tho.DCide - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Reading the comments here, it occurred to me that people involved in / interested in tech have sure changed.So much negativity - even scorn.
It's time to wake up and realize that - like happened with personal computers many years ago - it's about the software, not the hardware. In fact not just the software, but about the experience and what it can do for you. Both Apple and Google realize this, and it shows in their latest releases. The newer hardware is a vehicle to better, more intelligent software capabilities. Not just apps, but an entire system with increasingly integrated, friendly, and fluid workflow.
You have no idea whether the Pixels are any good until you get your hands on them and the models that follow next year (it will take some time for the software to live up to its promise).
The big thing from Apple is iOS 10, not the iPhone 7 or its hardware specs! As much as I appreciate the small, very useful iPhone 7 improvements (stereo speakers I can actually hear in the car, OIS for photos of product boxes in ~dark stores that come out sharp and legible every time, even faster LTE), the part that's made a real change in my life lately is that I'm finally getting my iPhone, iPad Pro with Pencil, MacBook Pro, iCloud, and apps to work FOR me in a cohesive fashion - close to living up to the promise of technology.
Google's trying to do the same thing, and given their resources and technology, they have an awfully good shot at not only competing, but blazing a brighter trail.
MrCommunistGen - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Wow, YES. This.A coworker who was paying more attention to the tail end of the liveblog than I was got a 32GB Pixel. I'll try to wait for that to show up so that I can try it out and get his impressions before I decide whether to get a Pixel XL + Fi, or get a OnePlus 3 and stay with my old $50 unlimited T-Mobile plan.
The limiting factor will be how long the shattered glass lasts on my backup Nexus 5 I'm now using. I kept it pristine in a case for more than a year. Then I lent it to a friend who'd dropped her iPhone. Of course she also dropped the Nexus 5 in the handful of weeks she was borrowing it...
Impulses - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
If the OP3 were a bit smaller I'd be all over it, can someone start making small but well spec'd mid-to-high end phones again? I don't think IT is about any one thing, IT IS subjective at this point...Some people will put a higher priority on things like updates (me), or water resistance, or wireless charging, or Type C, or size, or design, or audio, or camera... No one phone does all those equally well or even well enough.
You'd think we'd be there by now, given how commoditized the maket, but we're not.
Meteor2 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
... iPhone SE...eldakka - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Actually, it's not all about the software. With shit hardware, doesn't matter how good the software is.Nor is it all about the hardware. With shit software, doesn't matter how good the hardware is.
It's the FUSION of software + hardware that matters. They have to work together.
That is why I prefer phones with unlocked bootloaders, so I can choose my own fusion of hardware + software, and not have to be reliant on what is some marketing droids idea of what they think I want - which is usually offbase.
For me, at these prices, with no SD card slot, and to a lesser extent no replaceable battery, they just aren't worth the money, no matter how good the software.
KoolAidMan1 - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Don't sell the iPhone 7 short. The performance of the A10 is shocking. This is what, a two year lead Apple will have against the competition going forward? Android flagships are already behind the A9 from last year. I don't know how Qualcomm is supposed to catch up at this rate, its worse than AMD vs Intel.Meteor2 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Although the A10's performance is astonishing in benchmarks, I do wonder what that means for user experience. I mean, I know lots of people happy with iPhones 5Ss, there's no lag or jitter on my Nexus 5X, my work iPhone 6 seems the same, etc...TheinsanegamerN - Monday, October 10, 2016 - link
software matters much more for user experience. The note 4 with a snapdgraon 805 felt much slower then a nexus 5 with a snapdragon 800.Mobile hardware is peaking soon. Software needs to be the main focus soon, not hardware.
UtilityMax - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
And why should performance matter so much? An old SoC like Snapdragon 800 already does what the most people would like to accomplish with the smartphone. On the other hand, iOS has serious limitations. I have a huge media library, and I can't put any of it on my iOS devices without going through the buggy trainwreck that is the iTunes for Windows.Speedfriend - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
iTunes alone is what stops me ever buying an iPhone for personal use againDParadoxx - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Completely. This made me thing of switching back and then I remembered iTunes. Nope.osxandwindows - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Or just replace that music app and download from pc easy.Speedfriend - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
"The performance of the A10 is shocking. "Yes on battery life, the battery tests by Which in the UK showed iPhone 7 to be significantly worse in battery life than Android peers.
osxandwindows - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
How interesting that they didn't bother to test the 7 plus, at all.Meteor2 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
You're not wrong, of course not. But putting this service (the combination of hardware and software which actually delivers value to a user) at such a high price point for such lousy hardware is disappointing. If you spend that much money you want to get something which feels special.More to the point though, I found the demonstration disappointing (at least the mistake showed it was real... But it was still a mistake, and a big one). It seemed slow and still rather awkward while being demonstrated in what will have been best-case conditions. Currently OK Google doesn't work outside of silent environments. I await reviews of the Assistant service, but it doesn't appear ready yet.
boeush - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
"Google notes that there will be two configurations of the phone: a North American version, and a Rest of World version."So, when shall we finally get a device that travels well? Why must an $800+ "flagship" device with all the modern bells and whistles, still be limited to either this *subset* of LTE frequencies or that one. Why not design the radio/antenna to handle the whole set, with ability to switch on/off the appropriate bands depending on the region it's in? I'll pay the extra $100, if that's what it takes... Is there some law of physics forbidding such a thing?
MrCommunistGen - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
I'm by no means an expert, but to some degree, yes I believe physics comes into play.I remember Bryan and Anand discussing something like this on one of the old podcasts where they were talking about Qualcomm's new at-the-time envelope tracker.
IIRC having an antenna, even an actively tuned one, that works well on ALL of those different frequencies is a pretty big engineering challenge. I'm sure switching in the radios and amplifiers is also a factor, but now we're even farther outside of my area of expertise.
The bands a single device can cover has certainly expanded - compare the LTE bands on an iPhone 5, 5S, then a 6 and you'll see the progression. I was going to use Nexus devices for my example but they didn't illustrate the trend very well.
boeush - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Well, two things.Firstly, yes indeed about the Nexus devices. That was part of my point. Though, the old Nexuses were 'mid-range' devices; these new Pixels are 'premium' -- so they'd better have at least superior band coverage compared to the Nexuses.
But secondly, I do realize that antenna tuning makes it hard to design a truly universal antenna. But then, just put in two different antennae: one for North America, the other for Rest of World. Switch between them, depending on where you are. Put them on/along opposite surfaces/sides of the phone, to avoid one shielding/interfering with the other. Yes, it'll add to the BOM, and possibly even to thickness/size/weight of the device; maybe it'll even require a plastic case instead of an aluminum one. So make it into a 'universal' or 'world-phone' SKU and sell it as such, with the appropriate markup. I for one, would jump all over it. Anyone who travels even episodically, probably would as well...
boeush - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
^^ As an afterthought, maybe even go the 'modular' route; for instance integrate the LTE antenna into an easily-swappable back-cover. Then, I could just buy both back-covers, and swap them as I travel between NA vs. rest of world....LostPassword - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
well you have to remember google is trying to push project fi, they're global cell service thingy.boeush - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Project Fi doesn't seem to be much of a "global cell service thingy" -- at least not according to Google's own coverage map:https://fi.google.com/coverage
It's really just a barely US+ kind of a service.
boeush - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
As an amendment to above, Project Fi does offer international service -- apparently, by partnering with various international phone companies for each respective country. Whereupon ability to communicate with respective international phone networks comes in, which is what I'm talking about in the first place (i.e. with respect to available/usable LTE bands.) The plan (how you pay for it) is subservient to the radio technology (how you connect in the first place.)SeleniumGlow - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Gentlemen. I thought that this "For America" and "For rest of the world" thing has more to do with the fact that the American telcos use Qualcomm proprietary CDMA tech for stuff (also, FDD-LTE) while the rest of the world uses the European GSM/3G standard (also, most developing countries adopted TDD-LTE). So basically, they now have two different base-band transceivers that they can implement.serendip - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
And then you also have phones that can do CDMA, TDD-LTE, FDD-LTE along with WCDMA/GSM. My Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 supports CDMA on China Telecom using a UIM card, similar to a SIM card on GSM. North American CDMA carriers don't support UIMs and rely on an internal subscriber ID locked to the phone. I've also used my phone with LTE and GSM carriers without any problems although North American LTE bands aren't supported, probably because of antennas design issues.Sushubh - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
I see you guys fixed the reference to support for Qualcomm Quick Charge. Benson suggests that you use Power Delivery as it is the correct term for the technology. Quick Charging could confuse users with the proprietary tech.https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BensonLeung/posts/Gnj...
Cygni - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
The phone is pretty uninteresting to me for a lot of reasons, but holy shit: NO CAMERA HUMP! Pray to the gods that this encourages the other handset makers to drop that shitty trend.Xinn3r - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
The lack of camera hump comes at a price: No OIS.grayson_carr - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
The Nexus 6P didn't have OIS either and managed to have the best low light camera of any phone when HDR+ was turned on. And then there is Google's new EIS for videos. I don't think lack of OIS is a big deal, or even a deal. It makes up for it with huge pixels and clever software.Impulses - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
When did the camera hump become such a big deal? I'm not being facetious, it just seems like a weird point to focus on...Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the lack of a hump, but phones like the very first Moto X and N5 had no hump or almost no hump and I don't remember people making a big deal about it.
Have humps gotten more prominent over the last few gens? I remember my first two HTC EVO having very prominent humps, wasn't a big deal after slapping a case on tho.
Lack of OIS is a big deal for video IMO, at least at 1080p... At 4K there's more res to play with but I have my doubts EIS/AF is really effective then.
Meteor2 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
The hump is the entire glass panel, which is proud of the aluminium body.CloudWiz - Thursday, October 6, 2016 - link
They also had to make the phone super thick. It's over 2 mm thicker than the iPhone 7. Sure there's a hump on the 7 but if Apple (and Jony Ive with his thick skull) could get over their stupid logic that "the reason we use the phone a lot is because it's somehow more 'compelling' when thinner" and make the i7 even just as thick as the SE, it wouldn't have a hump either.CloudWiz - Thursday, October 6, 2016 - link
Correction: 1.4mm thicker.guachi - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
The only smartphones I've owned have been Nexus phones, three of them, but the prices on these Pixel phones are ridiculous.$869 is absurd.
Lolimaster - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
Right now smartphones are a scam when they went above $400.At $700-900, you get more aluminium, features and compute power with a ultra portable laptop.
Lolimaster - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
If the trend continues and sheep keeps swallowing it, you will see next gen Nexus, Iphone, Galaxies at over $1000 for the base model because theyre now "mega premium".Meteor2 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
It's a bit like the crazy house prices in parts of the UK. So long as people are willing to pay that much, vendors will service the market.These kinds of phones will become increasingly rare luxuries though, like Ferraris and Lamborghinis or fancy watches. The rest of us will be using entirely adequate Chinese phones. I just hope one of those manufacturers will begin using stock Android and introduce a decent update policy. That's the one area Google and Apple still win.
UtilityMax - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
The way I see it, now that we have pretty adequate almost-disposable 200USD smartphones like the Moto G4, I don't know if I am going to demand updates for longer than a couple of years. But it's puzzling how fast some flagship phones are abandoned by their vendors.UtilityMax - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
The trend will not go on forever. It's basically a bubble that will eventually burst. I am seeing more and more people with well-paying jobs who used to get a new iPhone every year since the first release right now still hanging onto their perfectly working Samsung Galaxy S5, iPhone 5, etc.iranterres - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - link
So we get an iPhone with an Android running on it. Aye Google.willis936 - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
I wish. I hate iOS but it's hard to deny that the 6S has better hardware than any 2016 android.Bob Todd - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
As a Nexus customer many times over (preorders except my Nexus 7 2013) this is underwhelming. I was okay with the 6P pricing and picked up a pair of the 128GB versions for myself and my wife. I'm not seeing the value prop for this being $220 more than that device. Good luck Google/HTC, I just ordered a OnePlus 3 to screw around with.damianrobertjones - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
$649/$769/$869...and the prices will keep on rising if we keep on buying. Seriously, come on people, if everyone waited two months the price WILL drop. Forget the marketing, forget the buzz that lasts ten minutes when you get the new shiny gear, be sensible for once.
We're being totally taken for a ride with pricing.
P.s. Only a matter of time before I'm banned. :/
Motormouth - Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - link
Arn't the frequencies presented (both in the table and main text) those used by SD 820?zodiacfml - Thursday, October 6, 2016 - link
Enough of this flagship pricing madness. Just now, I have a feeling that Google will have a mid-range priced Pixel probably in a few months or next year, depending on their priorities.Harry_Wild - Friday, October 7, 2016 - link
Look like Google trying to get into the luxury class mobile device class with the Pixel! It going be impossible given what the current Pixel is against the Phone 7! Plus, Pixel has no following in the luxury class. Apple has their fanboys and Samsung has their tech nerds! I guess you have to start somewhere by the current Pixel is not a good competitor for this!