1 yr. ago • 88%

The Pixel 8 is Google's weakest small flagship in years - Android Police

www.androidpolice.com The Pixel 8 is Google's weakest small flagship in years

The Pixel 8 would be my perfect phone... if Google didn't ruin it

38 comments

"The angled corners of the Pixel 7, along with the extended bezel around the entire screen, now seemed dated compared to Google's 2023 stylings."

Fucking designers. This year we have round corners, SO ELEGANT! Wait, now we have SQUARE corners! Round is so drab now! Wait, round is elegant again!!
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...Give me back my Nexus 5...

72
- I mean, in fairness, this is a reviewer. I think the obsession with everything being different than it used to be is mostly a consumer, marketing and reviewer thing. Designers certainly have a role to play in the problem too, though.
  
  19
  
  Nah, we designers only do stuff that help boost sales. If people want changes, we will do them, even if the make not much sense because they’ll sell more stuff. Kind of sad but this is it.
  
  12
  
  designers design based on the context and if the reviewers and people create a context of X style then the designer is going to use X style. blame the designer if you want but throw out everything a designer was required for, too. aka every single thing in your eyeline. its was all designed by a designer.
  
  "but i made this object" congrats ur a designer.
  
  0
- Oh dear, someone wrote my beloved old phone name after all these years! You are not forgotten mai gud boi Nexus 5 😭
  
  10
  
  Got mine from a friend for $150. It was so good despite its less than ideal battery life.
  
  0
- Damn do I hate zero bezel phones. I liked to be able to: 1. Hold my phone. 2. See the screen while I'm holding the phone.
  
  Wild expectations huh? Yet, some phone manufacturer seem determined to make unholdable delicate slabs. Bring back the bezel.
  
  2
- Like the Pixel 6a which uses plastic on the back.
  
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The gating of a lot of the software features and UWB are really disappointing in the non-pro 8. I'd love a smaller phone, but they really do push you to the big one if you plan on keeping it for any length of time.

Even the pre-order bonuses are only for the larger phone.

Need more places calling them out on this.

40
- If you preorder the smaller 8 you get pixel buds pro for free.
  
  13
- Skipping UWB makes me wonder about Google's commitment to their Find network.
  
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  They didn't even mention the find network. I have my doubts they are even going to release it.
  
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"small"

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While it's far from the small flagship plenty of us want (a dream that's as good as dead), compared to behemoths from companies like Samsung, I'll happily settle for a phone series that gets a little easier to hold every year.

Or maybe they could just stop using heavy, brittle material for back covers because they look shiny.

25
- Like the Pixel 6a which uses plastic on the back.
  
  3
  
  And doesn't look worse for it
  
  5
I really don't get why the Pixel lineup always gets this weird... hostility directed at it every release cycle. It's like the Pixel line is always given an extra level of scrutiny, that makers like Samsung, OnePlus, or even Apple don't get. There are reasons to give it scrutiny, especially on the software side, but some of the things thrown at the Pixel line (especially since the 6) just sometimes seems... petty. I'm not saying it's without fault, I'm a Pixel 6 Pro owner after all and can definitely offer some criticisms. But a lot of the criticisms about the design of the models always seems like nitpicking, yet it becomes a big to do.

I just don't get it, is it just the Google name that brings about higher expectations?

22
- It's just bashing Pixel gets the clicks. Expect to see sensationalized headlines and million articles to milk the release cycle for clicks.
  
  4
Been using pixel phones back when they were Nexus, but it's always bothered me that the phone that doesn't have a desktop mode is made by the same company that makes the OS that has a desktop mode. It's such a useful tool that I think I'm going to go back to Samsung, haven't had one of their phones since the S4. Not sure why Google doesn't let you use desktop experience on their phones.

10
- Because if it can do that it can plug into a TV for playing content, but Google wants to keep you in the casting ecosystem.
  
  1
I'm very sad I paid for a Fold and don't get 7 years of updates.

7
- Bold of you to assume that that screen is gonna last 7 years.
  
  8
- Actions above words. Apple has demonstrated long term support for their devices and still doesn't promise anything. So I have a hard time believing in Google's commitment.
  
  -3
Hmm pretty heavy compared to my 4a, 143g vs 187g.

5
- Every Pixel since the 4a has been too heavy in my opinion. I upgraded to the 6a from the 4a and if I could I'd be using the 4a today instead (water damage).
  
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  And they keep getting bigger. I went from a 3a to a 6a and prefer the 3a
  
  2
So, the both have almost identical hardware? Same photo sensor? Great, anyone running graphene can get the cheaper one knowing they are not missing out on anything.

4
- To be fair, the secondary sensors are not the same, only the main sensor.
  
  5
- And at least now the Pixel 8 has a 120 Hz screen, while the Pixel 7 only had 90 Hz
  
  2
@ijeff I've had a few Pixels the last few years, but I think I'll give this year's lineup a miss and stick with my Pixel 7 Pro

3
- I don't why people buy multiple phones. Over the span of few years. Is it not a hassle to always set them up?
  
  9
  
  It literally takes 1h max, and the majority is done automagically. Setting them up is the least annoying part of it all...
  
  3
  
  Cause I don't care about tweaking every little thing on the phone. I just leave 90% of the defaults on and it's basically set up when I buy it. I just figure out where the new stuff is when I need it and it's worked just fine for me.
  
  1
I went from Nexus 5 to Samsung s7 and now s10 which is so smooth in hand. I was thinking of upgrading to s23 but it looks like an iPhone 5, edges are so sharp that I'll pass. Eyeing on the pixel 8 now. It will be a big upgrade for me anyway so not bothered about the pro having higher specs. I simply can't handle (literally) phones bigger than that, and actually can't be bothered by the latest AI gimmicks. I would in fact deactivate stuff that would need to connect to a server to improve the pictures or videos I take.

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Does it have wired external display connectivity? I currently have pixel7 and that might be only reason to actually upgrade.

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- It doesn't. Mishaal has suggested it may just be a software block so rooting could potentially enable it.
  
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