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The Pixel 8 is Google's weakest small flagship in years - Android Police (www.androidpolice.com)
submitted 1 year ago by ijeff@lemdro.id to c/android@lemdro.id
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[-] thantik@lemmy.world 71 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

"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!!
‎
...Give me back my Nexus 5...

[-] Cris_Color@lemm.ee 19 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] mrfriki@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

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.

[-] sock@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

designers arent paid for their ideas theyre paid to design what the (sometimes idiots) want you to make. clients always right (unless theyre really wrong) n all that

[-] sock@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] Zeroxxx@lemmy.my.id 11 points 1 year ago

Oh dear, someone wrote my beloved old phone name after all these years! You are not forgotten mai gud boi Nexus 5 😭

[-] evident5051@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

Got mine from a friend for $150. It was so good despite its less than ideal battery life.

[-] UFODivebomb@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] kae@lemmy.ca 40 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] Nerdulous@lemm.ee 13 points 1 year ago

If you preorder the smaller 8 you get pixel buds pro for free.

[-] sbv@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Skipping UWB makes me wonder about Google's commitment to their Find network.

[-] Auli@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago

They didn't even mention the find network. I have my doubts they are even going to release it.

[-] sbv@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

It's apparently still under development, but ...

[-] dandroid@dandroid.app 29 points 1 year ago

"small"

[-] TomBishop@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] lud@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

Like the Pixel 6a which uses plastic on the back.

[-] MaggiWuerze@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago

And doesn't look worse for it

[-] golli@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

As if most people would ever see the back to begin with, considering most will use a case

[-] arovei@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] curiousaur@reddthat.com 2 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] worldofgeese@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

I'm very sad I paid for a Fold and don't get 7 years of updates.

[-] Rocha@lm.put.tf 8 points 1 year ago

Bold of you to assume that that screen is gonna last 7 years.

[-] dingleberry@discuss.tchncs.de -3 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] wax@lemmy.wtf 5 points 1 year ago

Hmm pretty heavy compared to my 4a, 143g vs 187g.

[-] PoorAristocat@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 1 year ago

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).

[-] PainInTheAES@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

And they keep getting bigger. I went from a 3a to a 6a and prefer the 3a

[-] HidingCat@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Even plastic-backed phones are all around this weight now. Even the smaller phones are getting heavy!

[-] wax@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I dont get it to be honest. The plastic back on the 4a is perfectly fine. I have a cover anyway, who cares how it looks. I don't think it's more durable either? Why are plastic ones getting heavier though?

[-] HidingCat@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Probably packing more into the same space. Battery capacities have been going up and that's weight. Phones are getting bigger too. A few mm here and there and it's an extra 30% in volume, which also translates to more mass.

[-] wax@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, I guess. The pixel 8 finally looks like closer to the 4a in terms of size though

[-] albsen@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] GenEcon@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

To be fair, the secondary sensors are not the same, only the main sensor.

[-] monotremata@kbin.social 6 points 1 year ago

Specifically, the 8 pro has a 5x telephoto 48mp sensor that the base model lacks, a 48MP wide angle sensor compared to 12MP on the base model, a thermometer the base model lacks, 12GB of ram vs 8 on the base model, and a slightly larger and brighter display and slightly larger battery (though the gain in battery is probably roughly offset by the increased power draw of the screen). I believe those are the only hardware difference.

Source: https://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Google-Pixel-8-Pro-vs-Pixel-8-Google-is-about-to-reap-the-harvest_id5921

[-] LaggyKar@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago

And at least now the Pixel 8 has a 120 Hz screen, while the Pixel 7 only had 90 Hz

[-] BlueChicane@mastodon.social 3 points 1 year ago

@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

[-] JulyTheMonth@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 year ago

I don't why people buy multiple phones. Over the span of few years. Is it not a hassle to always set them up?

[-] Firipu@startrek.website 3 points 1 year ago

It literally takes 1h max, and the majority is done automagically. Setting them up is the least annoying part of it all...

[-] LastYearsPumpkin@feddit.ch 1 points 1 year ago

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.

[-] gregorjan@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

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

[-] ijeff@lemdro.id 4 points 1 year ago

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

[-] Alami@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

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.

this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2023
71 points (88.2% liked)

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