Pixel 4

This was leaked so bad that it isn't really funny anymore. Ordered that regular Pixel with a poor 2800mAh battery.
 
Well you don't have much of a choice other than iOS then if you're truly concerned about privacy, IMO. Of course Apple can probably still see a lot of your activity, but I would trust them more to protect and handle my data responsibly than I would Google or any other OEM. This is coming from someone who's never owned an Apple device as well.

I was just about to agree with this, also as someone who hasn't owned any apple products.

But.. that new bootloader exploit that affects nearly a decade worth of products makes me wonder.. how many other vulnerabilities are there that affects multiple generations? They can't even patch it.. the code is in read only memory!

I wanted to like the p4 but the price/specs aren't where I want to be. So OnePlus 7t here I come!
 
I don't give a fuck about privacy, I knew that was gone years ago, might as well make the data overlords do something for me instead of acting like its the 1950s.

Sorry to hear that.

My brother is a programmer, and when people say they don't care about privacy, he'll say, ok, for the next 7 days, then let me listen in on every single phone call you make, be it personal or business. Let me read every single text you sent and received over one week. And let me review every e-mail from the past week.

If you don't care about privacy, that then this shouldn't be a problem. Let's do it.
 
I was just about to agree with this, also as someone who hasn't owned any apple products.

But.. that new bootloader exploit that affects nearly a decade worth of products makes me wonder.. how many other vulnerabilities are there that affects multiple generations? They can't even patch it.. the code is in read only memory!

I wanted to like the p4 but the price/specs aren't where I want to be. So OnePlus 7t here I come!

No device will be perfect, at least Apple tries though. Privacy has been a big concern for them whereas Google is a advertising company who makes money off data they collect from you. Don't get me wrong, I still like Google and use their products, I just don't like their business model very much and think people give them too much of a break.
 
Bummer. No post Pixel 4 launch price drops on either Pixel 3 or 3a.

At least not as of right now in the Fi shop. :(

(well, the 3 is discounted to $499, but it has been for months)

upload_2019-10-15_12-50-48.png



Now I have to decide what to replace my dead phone with. Probably going to be a small sized 3a or 3. Not sure which. Slightly higher price with faster CPU vs. slightly lower price with available analog audio out.

Choices choices.
 
Well you don't have much of a choice other than iOS then if you're truly concerned about privacy, IMO. Of course Apple can probably still see a lot of your activity, but I would trust them more to protect and handle my data responsibly than I would Google or any other OEM. This is coming from someone who's never owned an Apple device as well.

Apple is just as bad. Just a few days ago it's been found out they send data back to fucking Tencent in China. iAds? Sorry, that was the same damn thing and the SDK is still in use. I see Facebook and Instagram from my wife's iPhone being blocked in Pi-hole all the time. Those two apps are amazingly "chatty".

There is no company better than another in the mobile space. They all suck in your data and use it to their advantage. Apple just covers it up better and it has forced Google to make changes. The ability to get Google Assistant locally on a device and have most of the data never leave the device? That's a huge slap at Apple and how shitty Siri is and always will be.

But if you want a device that's "private" you have two options: Librem 5 by Purism or Android device with Lineage and no Google Play Services.

Sorry to hear that.

My brother is a programmer, and when people say they don't care about privacy, he'll say, ok, for the next 7 days, then let me listen in on every single phone call you make, be it personal or business. Let me read every single text you sent and received over one week. And let me review every e-mail from the past week.

If you don't care about privacy, that then this shouldn't be a problem. Let's do it.

I care about privacy but I also understand that with these ecosystems there is a cost to getting "free" stuff. Frankly I don't do anything in my email that I wouldn't want somebody to see. My browsing? You want to see the Star Wras LEGOs I look up for my kids? How about all the research I did for a new mini-van after some dipshit ran into my wife and totaled our 2012 Odyssey? You can see how much stuff I research for MS Azure, SharePoint, and OneDrive for my job if you want. I really don't care. It's nothing personal. It's nothing I have to hide. I seperate those important parts of my life away from Google. Any billing account for things like Power or Gas? Don't go to my Gmail. Protonmail for that shit. Totally separate account strictly for bills and things.

I run a Pi-hole at the house and my Android phone auto connects to my OpenVPN server to filter all my requests even when away from the house.

In the end there's a difference between "privacy" and being "private" and understanding the difference is what really matters.


All that said...I'm in with Pixel 4XL as soon as T-Mobile offers up the pre-orders in 11 hours or so.
 
Why do they still only have 128 GB as the max storage option? That's so annoying. >_>
 
Why do they still only have 128 GB as the max storage option? That's so annoying. >_>

I went with the 128GB option on my Pixel 1, only because back then the choice was 32GB or 128GB, and I knew 32GB wouldn't be enough.

In 3 years of use, with all cloud syncing disabled, I was never able to exceed 60GB of storage.

I just ordered a Pixel 3. I went with 128GB instead of the smaller 64GB model, but I was going back and forth on which one to choose. I figured the 64gig model would probably be ok, but who knows how storage usage will change in my apps in the next few years, so I decided to go 128GB just to be on the safe side.

Still very frustrating how much that costs compared to just buying a microSD card if it had a slot for it :/
 
I went with the 128GB option on my Pixel 1, only because back then the choice was 32GB or 128GB, and I knew 32GB wouldn't be enough.

In 3 years of use, with all cloud syncing disabled, I was never able to exceed 60GB of storage.

I just ordered a Pixel 3. I went with 128GB instead of the smaller 64GB model, but I was going back and forth on which one to choose. I figured the 64gig model would probably be ok, but who knows how storage usage will change in my apps in the next few years, so I decided to go 128GB just to be on the safe side.

Still very frustrating how much that costs compared to just buying a microSD card if it had a slot for it :/
To be entirely fair, the onboard storage is usually faster than the fastest uSD cards nowadays. Does it matter? Probably not for most people's intended usage.
 
I went with the 128GB option on my Pixel 1, only because back then the choice was 32GB or 128GB, and I knew 32GB wouldn't be enough.

In 3 years of use, with all cloud syncing disabled, I was never able to exceed 60GB of storage.

I just ordered a Pixel 3. I went with 128GB instead of the smaller 64GB model, but I was going back and forth on which one to choose. I figured the 64gig model would probably be ok, but who knows how storage usage will change in my apps in the next few years, so I decided to go 128GB just to be on the safe side.

Still very frustrating how much that costs compared to just buying a microSD card if it had a slot for it :/
My apps alone take up more than 80 GB. It’s frustrating.
 
Apple is just as bad. Just a few days ago it's been found out they send data back to fucking Tencent in China. iAds? Sorry, that was the same damn thing and the SDK is still in use. I see Facebook and Instagram from my wife's iPhone being blocked in Pi-hole all the time. Those two apps are amazingly "chatty".

There is no company better than another in the mobile space. They all suck in your data and use it to their advantage. Apple just covers it up better and it has forced Google to make changes. The ability to get Google Assistant locally on a device and have most of the data never leave the device? That's a huge slap at Apple and how shitty Siri is and always will be.

But if you want a device that's "private" you have two options: Librem 5 by Purism or Android device with Lineage and no Google Play Services.

This is incorrect.

Apple sends Safe Browsing data to Tencent only in mainland China, and the data is purposefully obscured; Tencent can't see the URLs you're visiting. It can't simply find out that someone in Beijing has been reading about the Tiananmen Square massacre and have the police cart them away. iAds? Apple still has tighter restrictions on data sharing. Yeah, Facebook and Instagram are talkative apps, but you haven't shown evidence that they're doing anything that isn't necessary for them to run as expected.

This is what's frustrating about arguments over privacy -- people make false equivocations based on half-heard stories, throw their hands up in defeat and then use the less private option. Apple gear and services are not "just as bad;" they're demonstrably better about privacy. People tend to demonize Google more than it warrants, but if you care about privacy on your smartphone and don't want a highly-customized niche device, you get an iPhone.
 
If your brother really wants to see every email, phonecall or text I send for a week... Whatever? I already expect those to be watched? I try to act in such a way that I don't need to keep any secrets?

I don't expect anything I do online, or even offline, to be private. So I just don't do terrible things. It's a fuckton better than trying to hide shit all the time, I went down that path years ago and it was miserable.

Your brother might find out that I *gasp* might say suggestive things to my fiance or look at porn occasionally. Oh no. Such a shame.
If I consider my email boring, I can't even imagine how mundane a 3rd party will view it.


Anyway, haven't had a chance to look at the pixel reveal event yet. Probably gonna get to that in a few days, it's been busy for me lately. Sounds like good background noise while I do my water changes. (It's a fishtank thing.)
 
This is the first release of the pixel that I haven't followed closely and pre-ordered. Just too much money for what you are getting in my opinion. I downgraded my Pixel 3 to a 3A and the increase in battery life was worth the small difference in performance. The next phone I get will probably be a 4A or whatever they call it.
 
Well there wasn't really any surprises with the announcement other than Google dropping unlimited original quality pics/vids backup for the new phones. Seems pretty counter-intuitive to keep the base storage at 64GB then if we can't at least keep the original quality videos, picture quality seems negligibly different between original and "high quality" anyways, but video seems to be noticeably worse and 4K video eats storage up pretty fast. Speaking of which; how dafuq could they not still offer 4K60 on these phones? Other phones with the same hardware handle it just fine and they already disappointed last year with the iPhone XS launched with 4K 60 as well and the Pixel 3s never got it. Another thing Google seems to be neglecting with video is audio recording as well; Pixel 3s were a noticeable regression in audio quality playback even over the Pixel 2s (though that was supposedly a bug that got fixed after a couple months but never saw anyone follow up about it) and the new iPhones or many Samsung's seem to be best as far as that goes as well.

Unless there's reviews surprise with better than expected battery life, photos, or something else, not sure I'll be replacing my 2 XL with this unless there's a helluva Black Friday discount or something coming up for it. Seems that Google fails again to compete at the overpriced $800+ phone market, but that's just my first impression and I'll try to reserve complete judgement until the reviews are out in the next couple weeks.
 
I'm a huge Nexus / Pixel fan, I have the Pixel 3 XL, my Wife the Pixel 2 XL. But honestly this Pixel 4 release is not getting me crazy hot. I have the 4 XL in the cart, and just pausing on actually clicking buy,. My only beef with my 3 XL is mediocre battery life. The 90hhz display and FaceID would be cool on the Pixel 4, but that's about it.

What about the Assistant built into the hardware itself, and not needing to go online, same with the new voice to text, it's all done on the phone hardware on the Pixel 4. is that something the older Pixel phones will get too, or is it an exclusive to the Pixel 4 line only?

I am very jealous of the battery life on the new iPhone 11 Pro Max, upset that Google didn't even try to compete in that department.
 
I suspect it'll be pixel 4 exclusive because they're claiming it needs that new hardware coprocessor to make it happen.

But I've learned to not buy pixels at launch, so I'll see how many of these upgrades get passed down to my pixel 2. I think I can still get another year out of it.

Though I would love google assistant offline, my sometimes super long commute requirements tend to go through patches of zero coverage, which is also why I'm a fan of more than just 128GB storage space and I'm a bit frustrated they don't offer that now.
 
What about the Assistant built into the hardware itself, and not needing to go online, same with the new voice to text, it's all done on the phone hardware on the Pixel 4. is that something the older Pixel phones will get too, or is it an exclusive to the Pixel 4 line only?

I suspect it'll be pixel 4 exclusive because they're claiming it needs that new hardware coprocessor to make it happen.

That is what I have been reading too. Pixel 4 advanced voice recording to another level by integrating automatic voice transcriptions. What also took me by surprise was the search feature, I can see myself using it for retrieving voice and transcribed text from recorded meetings and lectures.



 
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I was able to watch the event.
Honestly, the Home Nest stuff intrigues me the most. I've been thinking that doubling Google Home as repeaters makes PERFECT sense, but now I gotta see if that will work with a non google router or not. Also curious if its Wifi 6/AX or just 5/AC.
Price is silly high though, I haven't paid more than $25 a google home (and we have 4 of em.)

The Radar seems ridiculous, the new screen looks nice, I don't like the fact that its face ID only but whatever.
Nothing else sounds bad, nothing sounds too great. Lack of full size infinite photo backup sucks but I already have a terabyte of google space so I guess I gotta start filling that up. =(

Time to hope for a Buy one Get One combined with adding a new member to my Fi plan in 6 months or so...
 
I like this guys videos, this really shows the phones in great detail, but wow the forehead top bezel really looks large, and makes the Pixel 4 look dated.



Isn't the rumor for the 2020 iPhone's, that are due to release in September, to get rid of the notch, and have all the sensors buried under the glass, and a little bit in the thin tiny bezel. That the iPhone 12 will have a thin equal sized bezel on all 4 sides, being perfectly symmetrical and like all display, zero notches, no punch holes, no tear drop, etc...



Saying that, I feel the Pixel 4 will not age well.
 
I like this guys videos, this really shows the phones in great detail, but wow the forehead top bezel really looks large, and makes the Pixel 4 look dated.



Isn't the rumor for the 2020 iPhone's, that are due to release in September, to get rid of the notch, and have all the sensors buried under the glass, and a little bit in the thin tiny bezel. That the iPhone 12 will have a thin equal sized bezel on all 4 sides, being perfectly symmetrical and like all display, zero notches, no punch holes, no tear drop, etc...



Saying that, I feel the Pixel 4 will not age well.

I don't understand the extreme dislike for bezels.

Sure, I don't want huge ones, as they would make the phone needlessly large for its screen size, but I'd argue the "forehead" bezel on the Pixel 4 is tiny. Only a few millimeters. It's not like older phones at all. I'm not buying a Pixel 4 for other reasons, but that bezel wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

It's a phone, not a fashion accessory. Don't buy it based on looks. What it looks like is totally irrelevant.
 
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I pre-ordered a white 128 XL. Street date is a week from Friday. I could have gotten the "oh so special limited edition orange model" but then I thought, why do I want an orange phone?

Anyway, like everyone else, I wish the bezels were sexier like a Note or One Plus 7 pro, but honestly, after about a week or so, I honestly stop caring or noticing how my phone physically looks. I remember the last time I was seduced by the sexiness of a phone's hardware design (here's looking at you Samsung S6 curve display) and I distinctly remember not caring about the aesthetics after a very short time. (and incidentally that phone ended up being a giant POS). What do I always care about? The software and performance of a phone. That's something you never stop noticing and hopefully it will continue to be top notch on this phone. Just watching reviewers scroll through pages, this phone looks like it absolutely flies.

 
Yeah, I agree you get used to any phone after a short while, and usage experience is the important part. It's going to be interesting to see how Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7t shake out in a few months.
 
So I canceled my order on Google Store since I didn't see my $100 anywhere. Also what's the point ordering that case since you should be getting that GC and order whatever you want.. Google always makes it complicated. Will prolly go with Amazon for that gift card.
 
So I canceled my order on Google Store since I didn't see my $100 anywhere. Also what's the point ordering that case since you should be getting that GC and order whatever you want.. Google always makes it complicated. Will prolly go with Amazon for that gift card.

I pre-ordered with Best buy and they gave me a $150 gift card on the spot.
 
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So I ordered this case so I would have something to stick the phone in (that's what she said) after it arrives. I'll probably order a couple more in the coming days. I also ordered a few glass screen protectors. As a small side bonus, the screen is flat so fitting a glass protector shouldn't be an issue.

Spigen needs no introduction for quality cases and precise cutouts. They have gone full out and released a collection of nine cases for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.

Scroll down to the bottom of their page to View by Collection

SPIGEN
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Spigen needs no introduction for quality cases and precise cutouts. They have gone full out and released a collection of nine cases for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.

Scroll down to the bottom of their page to View by Collection

SPIGEN

I've used the rugged armor on my Pixel 2/3/3A and S8. Even with a few drops here and there no issues.
 
That is what I have been reading too. Pixel 4 advanced voice recording to another level by integrating automatic voice transcriptions. What also took me by surprise was the search feature, I can see myself using it for retrieving voice and transcribed text from recorded meetings and lectures.





So how is this different than just opening your favorite note taking app, and pressing the little microphone on the keyboard?

IMHO voice to text is so bad that I usually wind up spending more time fixing errors than it would just take to type it in the first place, but if you really want to, I feel like we've had that feature for years.
 
More reviews I read, the more I think this is a pass. And I'm a huge Nexus / Pixel nerd.

All reviewers saying the 90hz display is it's biggest deal, they say everything else is just standard 2019 smartphone stuff, nothing great.

-Battery size seems too small
-6GB RAM is good, but for this price should be 8GB
-Display isn't bright enough outdoors like Galaxy 10 line and iPhone 11
-No ultra wide camera
-Design with huge forhead bezel, and side and bottom bezels not symmetrical looks cheap
-Most reviewers saying the sonar is a gimmick, most users will forget it's there. Plus it's not reliable, doesn't work all the time as advertised.

When phones like the OnePlus 7 Pro are out for $649, compared to the Pixel 4 XL for $900+, it's hard to pick the Pixel.

And if battery life and ultra wide camera are your thing, the iPhone 11 Pro is out.
 
More reviews I read, the more I think this is a pass. And I'm a huge Nexus / Pixel nerd.

All reviewers saying the 90hz display is it's biggest deal, they say everything else is just standard 2019 smartphone stuff, nothing great.

-Battery size seems too small
-6GB RAM is good, but for this price should be 8GB
-Display isn't bright enough outdoors like Galaxy 10 line and iPhone 11
-No ultra wide camera
-Design with huge forhead bezel, and side and bottom bezels not symmetrical looks cheap
-Most reviewers saying the sonar is a gimmick, most users will forget it's there. Plus it's not reliable, doesn't work all the time as advertised.

When phones like the OnePlus 7 Pro are out for $649, compared to the Pixel 4 XL for $900+, it's hard to pick the Pixel.

And if battery life and ultra wide camera are your thing, the iPhone 11 Pro is out.

I canceled all my orders. This one really blows. What a shame on Google releasing such a dull device. The whole event sucked. Now looking at my wife's iPhone 11 Pro. Looks and feels a complete product.
 
I canceled all my orders. This one really blows. What a shame on Google releasing such a dull device. The whole event sucked. Now looking at my wife's iPhone 11 Pro. Looks and feels a complete product.

This may be the worst Pixel release to date. Very mediocre. Hardware not top of line. Just overall a good phone, but not a $900+ phone.
 
This may be the worst Pixel release to date. Very mediocre. Hardware not top of line. Just overall a good phone, but not a $900+ phone.

They never ever had top of the line hardware on a pixel. But at least their prices reflected that. This one I don’t quite understand, they are charging top tier prices for mid tier hardware.
 
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