[Android] Thread v. 2018: Pixel 6 is out. Google might be bad at phones.

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  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    wunderbar wrote: »
    I will lose them
    I will 100% lose them
    aside from being annoying to charge/sync/whatever I will just lose them

    I never understand this. Do you regularly lose your keys? Wallet? Phone? Wired earbuds? why are wireless headphones that are in a case when not in your ears any different than something like a set of keys?

    Easy to drop when transferring between case and ears, and they fall out of ears.

  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User, Moderator mod
    Entirely separately from my fear of losing them if they were not on a cord, earbuds in general do not stay in my ears and are uncomfortable, I probably have a weird ear shape or something.

    BahamutZERO.gif
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Buds fall out sometimes, usually for me it's when I fall asleep wearing them, which is how I lost that bud on the plane

    Mine fall out occasionally when I'm mowing the lawn.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    yeah I understand the argument about them falling out etc. Totally get that. I would counter that if you have earbuds that fall out of your ears in normal use they don't fit properly and you need to find earbuds that fit better, but that argument I get.

    Whenever I hear/see someone say "I'm afraid of losing them" I generally equate it to misplacing them and that's the thing I get confused about unless you are someone who does lose things constantly. You're no more or less likely to misplace headphones as you are your phone.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    I find buds that fit snugly are often uncomfortable for longer periods. I like a slightly looser fit if I'm gonna wear them for hours on end.

  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Fun times: I tried turning off 5G for a bit and two things happened:

    1) call connection and quality started messing up sporadically. Some conference calls for work, I would have to call back into or the call would keep "skipping" (my term) and I would miss every third word.

    c) battery life didn't improve noticeably


    So I guess thanks for nothing AT&T. My tinfoil hat theory is that AT&T is using Philadelphia as one of their 5G rollout metro areas. I live about 30 miles outside the city but work near the stadiums that are in the city proper.

  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Buds fall out sometimes, usually for me it's when I fall asleep wearing them, which is how I lost that bud on the plane

    Mine fall out occasionally when I'm mowing the lawn.
    wunderbar wrote: »
    yeah I understand the argument about them falling out etc. Totally get that. I would counter that if you have earbuds that fall out of your ears in normal use they don't fit properly and you need to find earbuds that fit better, but that argument I get.

    Whenever I hear/see someone say "I'm afraid of losing them" I generally equate it to misplacing them and that's the thing I get confused about unless you are someone who does lose things constantly. You're no more or less likely to misplace headphones as you are your phone.

    Nah, it's because I sweat like a beast. The earbuds I have will stay in all day if I'm just using them normally, but for exercise or anything that makes me sweat I'm just making rivers.

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    I've never, ever, had a pair of earbuds sit correctly in my ears. Ever.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    Every pair of blutooth headphones I've owned has also cut out at random times (for like a second or two) while I'm exercising/mowing. Never when I have wired.

  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    My Anker wireless buds have never once fallen out, but they're uncomfortable to wear for hours at a time. I've never had an issue with Bluetooth cutting out though, except with cheaper pairs. It almost sounds like something in your yard or nearby is interfering.

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    Zenfone 9 launch event starts in 10 minutes; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh_PJ2BpOso

  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    My Anker wireless buds have never once fallen out, but they're uncomfortable to wear for hours at a time. I've never had an issue with Bluetooth cutting out though, except with cheaper pairs. It almost sounds like something in your yard or nearby is interfering.

    If my phone is in my pocket and I turn my head then sometimes the audio sounds like it's "skipping" like CD players used to do back in the day. It has a whole lot of fat to pass through and BT kind of sucks to pass through things. When I go on my Half Marathon/10K/5K runs then I have to use an arm strap then it doesn't cut. I'm using Jaybird X3s too. It happens more often with cheap Chinese-made BT headphones, obviously, but I can't justify paying more than $129 for a set of BT just to test if it cuts out less often.

  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    My Anker wireless buds have never once fallen out, but they're uncomfortable to wear for hours at a time. I've never had an issue with Bluetooth cutting out though, except with cheaper pairs. It almost sounds like something in your yard or nearby is interfering.

    If my phone is in my pocket and I turn my head then sometimes the audio sounds like it's "skipping" like CD players used to do back in the day. It has a whole lot of fat to pass through and BT kind of sucks to pass through things. When I go on my Half Marathon/10K/5K runs then I have to use an arm strap then it doesn't cut. I'm using Jaybird X3s too. It happens more often with cheap Chinese-made BT headphones, obviously, but I can't justify paying more than $129 for a set of BT just to test if it cuts out less often.

    Actually, I know this is gonna sound crazy and feel free to be like "no that is absolutely not it" but... When I turn my head to the side I can't hear very well out of one of my ears. It's at a very specific angle and it's probably because as a kid I had a shitload of earaches and had tubes put in, but yeah only happens on one side of my head but with any pair of headphones I wear.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Also worth pointing out that some phones also just have bad bluetooth radios/antennas as well. crappy antennas in phones is something that happens but doesn't often get talked abuot.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • SiliconStewSiliconStew Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    My Anker wireless buds have never once fallen out, but they're uncomfortable to wear for hours at a time. I've never had an issue with Bluetooth cutting out though, except with cheaper pairs. It almost sounds like something in your yard or nearby is interfering.

    If my phone is in my pocket and I turn my head then sometimes the audio sounds like it's "skipping" like CD players used to do back in the day. It has a whole lot of fat to pass through and BT kind of sucks to pass through things. When I go on my Half Marathon/10K/5K runs then I have to use an arm strap then it doesn't cut. I'm using Jaybird X3s too. It happens more often with cheap Chinese-made BT headphones, obviously, but I can't justify paying more than $129 for a set of BT just to test if it cuts out less often.

    Bluetooth is 2.4GHz. It is absorbed by the water in your body. Same reason microwaves use it. Depending on where the antenna is in both the phone and earbuds, having the phone against your body in your pocket and turning your head may just add too many obstructions to an already marginal signal to continue to work. Exacerbated by the low power Bluetooth in your earbuds, nice for battery life, bad for signal strength. Besides the arm band have you tried switching pockets? Putting the phone on the other side of your body may give it a less obstructed view to the earbud antenna.

    Just remember that half the people you meet are below average intelligence.
  • m!ttensm!ttens he/himRegistered User regular
    With all this discussion, is there a consensus on a great, affordable, pair of bluetooth buds? I've never had good luck with any as an adult. Right now I use the cheapy free wired ones that came with my Pixel 5a; they aren't dreadfully uncomfortable for long periods of time, but they can fall out very easily. I also have a pair of buds (AKG) I got from my work Samsung phone but the medium size silicone bulb is comfortable but they slip out, and the large is too big and causes pain from where it presses into my ear. I have a pair of cheap noname bluetooth buds (TaoTronics) but they have a similar issue with either slipping out or causing ear pain.

    I wish there was a way to really try before you buy but I don't see how you could really do that, yuck.

  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    https://store.google.com/US/product/pixel_6a?hl=en-US

    Looks like the Pixel 6a is officially released!

  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    m!ttens wrote: »
    With all this discussion, is there a consensus on a great, affordable, pair of bluetooth buds? I've never had good luck with any as an adult. Right now I use the cheapy free wired ones that came with my Pixel 5a; they aren't dreadfully uncomfortable for long periods of time, but they can fall out very easily. I also have a pair of buds (AKG) I got from my work Samsung phone but the medium size silicone bulb is comfortable but they slip out, and the large is too big and causes pain from where it presses into my ear. I have a pair of cheap noname bluetooth buds (TaoTronics) but they have a similar issue with either slipping out or causing ear pain.

    I wish there was a way to really try before you buy but I don't see how you could really do that, yuck.

    in this scenario, if you have a pair of buds you like, I'd look into getting some sort of pair of aftermarket bud bits that fit them and have more sizes than just the small/med/large. they often also have memory foam tips that might work better for you (it will alter the sound profile, but if they fit better, it may be worth the tradeoff)

    Steam | Nintendo ID: Naphtali | Wish List
  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    My Anker wireless buds have never once fallen out, but they're uncomfortable to wear for hours at a time. I've never had an issue with Bluetooth cutting out though, except with cheaper pairs. It almost sounds like something in your yard or nearby is interfering.

    If my phone is in my pocket and I turn my head then sometimes the audio sounds like it's "skipping" like CD players used to do back in the day. It has a whole lot of fat to pass through and BT kind of sucks to pass through things. When I go on my Half Marathon/10K/5K runs then I have to use an arm strap then it doesn't cut. I'm using Jaybird X3s too. It happens more often with cheap Chinese-made BT headphones, obviously, but I can't justify paying more than $129 for a set of BT just to test if it cuts out less often.

    Actually, I know this is gonna sound crazy and feel free to be like "no that is absolutely not it" but... When I turn my head to the side I can't hear very well out of one of my ears. It's at a very specific angle and it's probably because as a kid I had a shitload of earaches and had tubes put in, but yeah only happens on one side of my head but with any pair of headphones I wear.

    Holy. Shit.

    I have the exact same thing.

    When I got I to working out in my 20s I started wearing headphones almost daily and without fail, like randomly, I could tell a difference between my right and left ear. Everything felt louder in my right. Only with headphones. No where else.

    I got so pissed I got my hearing checked by an audiologist and everything was within normal limits.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    m!ttens wrote: »
    With all this discussion, is there a consensus on a great, affordable, pair of bluetooth buds? I've never had good luck with any as an adult. Right now I use the cheapy free wired ones that came with my Pixel 5a; they aren't dreadfully uncomfortable for long periods of time, but they can fall out very easily. I also have a pair of buds (AKG) I got from my work Samsung phone but the medium size silicone bulb is comfortable but they slip out, and the large is too big and causes pain from where it presses into my ear. I have a pair of cheap noname bluetooth buds (TaoTronics) but they have a similar issue with either slipping out or causing ear pain.

    I wish there was a way to really try before you buy but I don't see how you could really do that, yuck.

    earbud fit is extremely hard to say since it literally varies person to person with different ear shapes. As much as I hate the style I've found that in general the ones that do fit me the best are what I'll call the pencil style ones, i.e. airpods style. The Nothing Ear (1)'s are my current favorite, though they have the significant drawback of not even being able to pair to more than one device.

    I think what it comes down to for that, for me at least, is the fact that in earbuds that have the style of the pixel buds or galaxy buds, most of the weight of the bud is above the silicone tip. so they have less of a chance of staying in my ears well as the gravity pulls them away from my ear. The pencil style ones have more weight below the silicone tip, and for whatever reason those tend to stay in my ears better.

    There's also shape. the pixel buds style earbuds are much more sensitive to not fitting well in certain ear shapes since they have more surface area that it physically in contact with your ear, so anything that rubs/presses/creates pressure is more of an issue there.

    Personally, going back to the days of when I wore wired earbuds the best/most comfortable fit I've ever had come from Bose, there's just been something about their soft silicone ear tip and the wings that keep a secure fit while being soft/bendy enough to not cause pain to me that worked so well. I had the QC20 noise cancelling earbuds that I used for years and years because they were so comfortable. Sadly bose's true wireless earbuds are, generously, crap. If the company would finally update the quietcomfort earbuds to something that wasn't terrible I'd probably buy them.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    My wife has officially joined my Google Fi plan and went ahead and upgraded her Pixel 3a to Pixel 6a.

  • SeptusSeptus Registered User regular
    Man, my pixel 3 is dying hard(hardware buttons cause constant volume lowering and screenshot instead of turning off), and I want the 6a, but not the possibly crappy finger reader/poor modem/poor battery management of the 6. But, so many midrange phones are too big, and I'd happily take the 5a but it feels bad to pay the exact same price as the 6a.

    PSN: Kurahoshi1
  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    Man. Out of nowhere I can't send text messages anymore. It worked up until 10ish today. I realized my group text isn't blowing up like it normally does on Friday and when I sent a test message through literally nothing happens.

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Septus wrote: »
    Man, my pixel 3 is dying hard(hardware buttons cause constant volume lowering and screenshot instead of turning off), and I want the 6a, but not the possibly crappy finger reader/poor modem/poor battery management of the 6. But, so many midrange phones are too big, and I'd happily take the 5a but it feels bad to pay the exact same price as the 6a.

    Might want to keep your eye on the Nothing Phone. The stupid techbro hype aside, it looks poised to steal the midrange Android market.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • SirToastySirToasty Registered User regular
    What exactly is the draw for that phone? It looks hideous.

  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    SirToasty wrote: »
    What exactly is the draw for that phone? It looks hideous.

    I think the nothing phone looks great. It looks distinct in a sea of otherwise boring glass slabs that all look the same. I actually hope the company makes it through the first couple revisions and turns into a real competitor because I want more phones that have a unique look, not fewer.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    Also worth noting that the Nothing Phone is a euro only release and really not even worth importing in North America as its missing most of the bands in use for 4G and 5G here. So if you're in North America do not buy it.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited July 2022
    Yeah, I want more weird phones. The Tecno Camon 19 Pro Mondrian is fucking wild. Gimme more shit like that.

    Shadowfire on
  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    I just looked at their site... Holy hell that phone looks exactly like my jam. I love it haha.

  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    the nothing phone people apparently like NFTs and crypto, oh great

    Steam | Nintendo ID: Naphtali | Wish List
  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Naphtali wrote: »
    the nothing phone people apparently like NFTs and crypto, oh great

    Yeah, like I tried to imply, there's a lot of baggage with that thing

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Aww of course they are. The phone looks so cool too.

  • SirToastySirToasty Registered User regular
    Not looking like a sleek monolith and also being backed by crypto bros is about all I need to never buy that phone.

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    i want a phone with an uninterrupted glass front and an uninterrupted smooth glass back that does not have a camera bump. Make the whole phone the thickness of the camera module if you have to. We meme about phones all being rectangle slabs but there are no phones that actually ARE rectangle slabs.

  • SirToastySirToasty Registered User regular
    That but not glass anywhere but the screen and camera. Ain't no reason to have fragile stuff on the parts that don't need it.

  • m!ttensm!ttens he/himRegistered User regular
    I want a phone that can--without a case--fall out of my pocket onto concrete and not have a shattered screen. If you need to make the bezel larger or the screen smaller so I don't have to cover the phone in a big ugly rubber case to make it work then so be it.

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Oh hell yeah fuck camera bumps my god

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • wunderbarwunderbar What Have I Done? Registered User regular
    SirToasty wrote: »
    That but not glass anywhere but the screen and camera. Ain't no reason to have fragile stuff on the parts that don't need it.

    I mean, there are practical reasons. Metal backs are really bad for wireless performance and do not allow for wireless charging. Plastic backs are terrible for thermal management.

    Every material has advantages and disadvantages.

    XBL: thewunderbar PSN: thewunderbar NNID: thewunderbar Steam: wunderbar87 Twitter: wunderbar
  • SiliconStewSiliconStew Registered User regular
    edited July 2022
    wunderbar wrote: »
    SirToasty wrote: »
    That but not glass anywhere but the screen and camera. Ain't no reason to have fragile stuff on the parts that don't need it.

    I mean, there are practical reasons. Metal backs are really bad for wireless performance and do not allow for wireless charging. Plastic backs are terrible for thermal management.

    Every material has advantages and disadvantages.

    Of course the terribly fragile and zero grip glass back needs an even thicker plastic case not just for its own protection but to reduce the increased likelihood of dropping the phone and breaking the actual screen so there's no actual advantage to be had outside of aesthetics. Which are hidden by your case.

    SiliconStew on
    Just remember that half the people you meet are below average intelligence.
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    Alright so Im an absolute moron and I bricked my Pixel 3XL. I called Ubreakifix to see about repairing it and while the person on the phone said $99 the person in store said it'll probably be closer to $500. Absolutely not worth it, especially since I just use it for work and travel (I'm 99.999% sure I've already backed up all the photos).

    So now I have a conundrum - buy the cheapest usable thing I can find and then grab a Pixel 7 Pro in October or buy a midgrade phone now as penance for my stupidity (I'd probably grab the 6a). I've thought about checking Swappa for a used 3XL, but 1) they're like $135 and 2) I figure if I buy a 2022 model now it might be a more useful backup phone in the future should I do something stupid again.

    Does anyone have suggestions for a cheap? Camera quality is unfortunately important as I'm having to take a lot of photos for work and usually some are in low light conditions. I also have an impending vacation coming up and I'll probably end up taking a lot of phone pictures. I like the photos the 3XL takes so something at least that good is fine with me.

    I was originally looking at the Moto G Power 2022 since its currently $170 if I buy it directly through Google Fi, but a quick google says the camera is shit and doesnt work well in low light. One review suggested the OnePlus Nord N200 5G if camera is decent, but its not on Google's compatibility list (a non-5G model is though so I assume it works?). The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is on Google Fi's compatibility list, but its $300 and now we're edging closer to Pixel 6a territory.

    Google Fi is also offering deals on the Samsung A03 and A13, but I dont really like the photos my Note 8 takes so Im iffy on whether budget Samsung phones are going to hold up.

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