Google just announced their two new flagship devices for the year, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. These devices were two of the most anticipated phones of the year for the fact they are introducing the new Pixel smartphone line, which Google decided to use, dropping the iconic Nexus line.
Both the Pixel and Pixel XL come with the latest specifications, but they weren’t met with a lot of positive feedback. Ever since the first leaks appeared online, users didn’t really dig the design of the phones, some calling them ugly.
Below, you will find a few reasons why you shouldn’t buy and why Google Pixel and Pixel XL aren’t an ideal choice if you are looking to replace your current smartphone.
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#1. Glass and aluminum back
Alright, the days of smartphones with back covers consisting of glass and metal are gone. Now it is all about unibody smartphones. Apple is using an all aluminum back on their iPhones, and Samsung is using an all glass back. Google decided to use metal on the bottom part of the phone, and glass on the upper part.
In theory, it doesn’t sound bad, but when you take a look at the pictures, one thinks that the design could have been much better. The Nexus 6P had a better and more industrial looking design.
#2. Verizon exclusive
If there’s a telecommunications company that loves to have exclusive Android phones, that is Verizon. If you want to buy an Android smartphone in the US, chances are that it is a Verizon exclusive. And that is no different with Google’s flagships.
If you want to buy a Google Pixel and Pixel XL, you have to go with Verizon as it is a Verizon exclusive. However, you can buy it unlocked for $649 on the Google Play Store.
#3. Gimmicks
Google bragged about a new camera feature which lets you take a bunch of photos one after another really fast, so you can choose the best one. While it may sound fun, this is old news. Other Android phones have had this feature for years and there are apps in the Google Play Store with this functionality.
#4. Overall features
Everyone was waiting for the next big thing. Many were expecting a shiny new Pixel device with unseen features. Apple likes to take risks and introduces unique features, such as 3D Touch, new home button, the removal of headphone jack and more. The Google Pixel was just another smartphone.
It has improved specifications and that is it. Google was really focused on its AI and how the software works, and it didn’t really do a good job at balancing the hardware with the software.
As always, these are some of our opinions. You might agree and disagree. Both the Google Pixel and Pixel XL are great devices and many users will buy them.
Did you just seriously call the removal of the headphone jack by Apple an introduction of a new unique “feature”? 🙂
you missed a big point. you cannot re sell the phones……….or google will ban you. pixel is dead on arrival
You lost all credibility with that title.
Only when it goes on deep-sale. Too expensive. The Pixel phones are two (2x) times the price they should be. Shame on Google for becoming greedy shysters. They sell your data and charge top dollar for hardware now. This is treason against all of us Nexus loyalists. Google also has a wrong-headed obsession to prevent full experience with rooted devices and this CTS which is more of a ploy to destroy AOSP and 3rd Party roms. Next phone may be time to switch. No waterproofing, no IP67, no expandable storage, massive bezels and no removable battery. Pixel (non-XL) is just stupid price- over twice the price of the phone it replaces. Disappointed by a google which is getting more and more greedy and determined to fragment the Android OS until its so bad they are the only “game in town” with apple-priced devices? If I can be jailbroken or rooted I may consider iphone 8 at this point – I can wait with the 5x.
Yeah, the Google Pixel phones are not the phones to get if you’re into hacking.
You can get the same functionality for half the price with the One plus 3t by simply renaming your device ID to “pixel” in the build.prop file. The over mystified smoothness won’t be anything special once the same touch engine is applied to every other phone with nougat. For the same amount of money cheaper even, you can get the S7 that has pages more capabilities in terms of both hardware and software and is capable of actual professional audio, video and photography and features a vr platform that actually works well with a massive library.
I don’t understand the appeal of this thing at all beyond marketing hype. The promotion of devices that literally listen in on you 24/7 with a constant connection to Google servers would be a terifying prospect if Google didn’t pay for so much positive press and to downplay their ever increasing invasion into our lives. People were creeper out enough by Google Glass and its constant surveillance to put a stop to it. I wonder when people will notice that this isn’t much different at all.
Mark my words. The next pixel will feature project tango which will be used to crowd source a three dimensional model of the world just like how their location services were used to crowd source a map of all our WiFi Hotspots without our consent. With the mapping of WiFi hot spots they were caught stealing data from our personal networks. Let’s hope they demonstrate better ethics moving forward.
if apples idea of taking a risk is removing the headphone jack for a minimal decrease in thickness, and releasing 3 or 4 versions of every phone with hardly any improvements, I’ll take anything but apple. iphones are overpriced and the camera quality is average at best in good lighting conditions and downright unusable in low light. the pixel can have glass on the back of the phone as it takes just a little bit of force to break the latest gorilla glass. most of the above bashing if the pixel is simply cosmetic and there’s no way of actually showing accurate numbers on how many people liked it or not as both companies flood the market with good or bad examples. I purchased and used an iphone7+ and a pixel xl and compared them and the iphone literally didn’t have a single feature that matched up to the pixel. the camera Sony produces for the pixel made me wonder why apple even bothered advertising that the 7 has a camera at all. u lock response time varied with the apple and it needed the screen to be turned on before I could even get into it using a fingerprint. not to mention the clumsy attachment if you want to plug wired headphones in while bt’s charge. speaker volume and call quality was also far behind the pixel. I realize apple pays companies and sites for good reviews, especially in comparison to droid flagships, and said companies are the only ones invited to unveilings, but people should be able to have at least a short and honest counterpoint to read before believing hyped up marketing and then being disappointed. apple has customers who will buy apple, regardless of comparable phones just because they’re apple and droid has the same kind of following. the people in between, however, deserve fair and unbiased reviews. the iphone7 just doesn’t measure up.
pixel XL just another meidocre android phone. not worth the money. Dont buy it. I am very disappointed in mine. I could have spent only 100 bucks and got a better phone. no FM receiver (GOOGLE you SUCK).
I am going on my THIRD pixel phone because the speakers stop working and won’t play videos for no reason at all. I want to get back to my Samsung. This was such a bad choice for a phone. I am very disappointed.
I hate my pixel so much. Stupid Verizon said I’d love it. They were wrong and I’m not sure why I’m surprised.