I still use Pixel 4 and the fabric case is so great to the touch, too bad the new ones don’t have them.
Comment on Now, if it was a Pixel...
LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
If it was a Pixel 2 or a 4a I’m keeping it, that phone was peak modern smartphone before everything went downhill with no rear fingerprint scanner and fixed focus selfie cams
Rusty@lemmy.ca 1 week ago
Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
Do you have GrapheneOS installed on it? That way, you could at least get the update to Android 14.
Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 1 week ago
Oof, the Pixel 2 XL was hot garbage. I returned mine four times due to speaker issues, and the fourth was no better.
LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
Wild. Had no issues until the 5th QC wise but it was all downhill from there. I’m now considering carrying a dumb phone and some alternative to a smartphone
some_random_nick@lemmy.world 1 week ago
I have a 4a 5G variant and I can’t stand how the “stock” experience manages to be worse than on my old Samsung :-/ The pics are great tho
LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
Say whaaaat.
How’s the pixel experience worse than Samsung? That’s the reason I stopped buying Samsungs way back. All the malware PUPs Samsung loads on being my main sticking point.
some_random_nick@lemmy.world 1 week ago
The most annoying thing is that major android updates are mandatory. I could not choose NOT to update. Notifications are bugged as hell for ages. Some just disappear, some don’t even ring/light up. Samsung had some apps that had more features compared to the Google alternatives. The only annoying this were all teh MS apps that I couldn’t deinstall.
LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
Strange. I’ve never updated my Pixel and it doesn’t bother me about it, and you can always also roll back after an update also since there are no e-fuses or measures of that type, in fact there is even an official tool for this that runs in the chrome browser of all things. I’ve been meaning to go back to Android 10 from 13, ‘Material You’ is just an eyesore.
I’ve not had issues with notifications either, perhaps it’s worth it to check your settings?
If there are specific Samsung apps you miss, why not download them from Google Play if available or Apkmirror, or look for FOSS alternatives on F-Droid?
velvetThunder@lemmy.zip 1 week ago
Well it’s less features for less bloat.
From there it depends how much of those extra features are useful / how much you miss in stock android.
LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
What features? Most of the bloat is just duplicate applications like “Google photos” and “Samsung photos”
Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
GrapheneOS gets rid of all the Google crap, it’s a much lighter and more minimal experience, I really like it. It also has some significant privacy and security improvements, it’s pretty neat.
some_random_nick@lemmy.world 1 week ago
I was thinking about it ever since Louis Rossmann showcased it. But as he had problems using his banking app and some other stuff, I decided it wouldn’t be worth the hassel. Also, many people wrote that with Graphene you lose a lot of the fancy camera shenanigans that Google made. And the camera was one of the more important points in getting this phone.
Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
There’s a very detailed article about GrapheneOS banking app compatibility where you can check if your bank’s app works on Graphene: github.com/…/banking-apps-compat-report/
Regarding the camera: Yes, you lost some quality with the default GrapheneOS camera app. But you can easily install the official Google camera app from the Play store (or anonymously through Aurora) to get full quality. You don’t even need Google play services installed for that to work, and you can revoke it’s network access, so it’s completely offline and private. I use the Google camera app all the time, it works flawlessly.
tsugu@slrpnk.net 1 week ago
I 100% agree. Stock android experience is garbage even compared miui.
Oha@lemmy.ohaa.xyz 1 week ago
Loved my Pixel 2 XL. Upgraded to a P5 a year ago tho. Really amazing phone
Cosmos7349@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Don’t have a 4a, but big fan of my 5a with Graphene! The last one with both usb-c AND a headphone jack! It has been my phone of choice since my iPhone SE broke, and it is still my main driver.
frazorth@feddit.uk 1 week ago
I’m still on my Galaxy S10e.
The last normal sized phone with USB C and a headphone jack.
Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
The Pixel 7a is almost the same size, just 0.2 inches bigger. Unlike the S10e, it is still supported by Google and gets security updates (until 2028). And you can install a better, more secure Android ROM like GrapheneOS.
androogee@midwest.social 1 week ago
Phones without a headphone jack can take a flying leap off anl bridge and fuck themselves on the way down
Nikki@lemmy.world 1 week ago
sony is trying to fill that role, i like my xperia:3
frazorth@feddit.uk 1 week ago
Ah, I thought the latest ones were going big again. I’ll have to check them out.
Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
GrapheneOS is the way to go, unfortunately the 5a won’t be supported by Google for much longer, only until August of this year. GrapheneOS will probably provide a few extra months of extended support though.
Cosmos7349@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Oof that’s really sad