Like them or not, Google's Pixel phones will be the iPhone competitor we've demanded for years

Conspiracy theory here, tinfoil hat time. What if the Pixel actually was selling very well on Verizon from Oct - Dec. which I think it was, and now it's out of stock. But what if the big guys like Samsung and LG got pissed they had competition from Google directly, and viewed this Pixel phone as a threat, and maybe they made a stink about it ?

That also begs the question, maybe Google didn't originally allow the Pixel phones to be on all U.S. carriers for a reason, knowing if it got real popular and was a success, it might dent into the sales of the big Android players like Samsung, LG, Motorola, etc... And then a shit storm would brew up.
 
Interesting theory sure, but as I mentioned earlier in this thread or some post related to the Pixel devices someplace around here I had checked with someone I know who manages a B&M Verizon company store here in Las Vegas and he said (at the time of that post) that his store had probably sold 1 of the Pixel smartphones (not the Pixel XL) up to that point in time and he himself had only a handful of people even express interest in them.

I just got off the phone (pun not really intended but whatever) with him and he said in December his store sold a whopping grand total of... 2 Pixel phones and still no Pixel XL sales at all that he's aware of so to me even though that's just one Verizon company store out of thousands (I suppose) it's somewhat telling in terms of popularity. The price really hurts it considering it's not really top of the line specs start to finish. A lot of people are seriously wondering why Google didn't put more effort into providing real water-resistance on the Pixel devices and for many people that's the deciding factor these days for them to just choose something else, price be damned.

I don't think it's a question of allowing the Pixel phones on other networks for sale, I think because of how carriers work with phone manufacturers it was a contractual issue with some cash changing hands aka a bidding war and Verizon has some damned deep pockets and a shitload of customers. Perhaps AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint just couldn't come up with the necessary bids to make Google think it was worth their time or perhaps the other carriers just express zero interest in the devices considering all the others they're selling or something else. The discussion could have worked something like this and I can imagine it pretty clearly:

Google: "We got some new phones coming out in late 2016, our own products, manufactured by HTC, with fantastic top of the line specs and..."
Carrier rep: "So, you have some phones, as in plural, ok, how many?"
Google: "Well, we have the Pixel, and the Pixel XL."
Carrier rep: "So, you have two phones, is that right? What, are they the same thing but just different sizes?"
Google: "Yes, exactly, the Pixel is a 5 inch---"
Carrier rep: "Ok, got it, like the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus situation which is making us a metric fuckton of cash."
Google: "Well I suppose if you look at it that way then yes that would be---"
Carrier rep: "And you intend to push your own updates direct to the devices when they're released, bypassing our control? Will these be stripped of our feature-laden additions that customers surely love?" (aka the bloatware)
Google: "If you must know this is the successor to our rather popular Nexus lineup so yes we do intend to keep the bloa---errrr... additional carrier provided features to as minimal as possible."
Carrier rep: "Ok, thanks for coming in, good luck with that. We'll pass, we're doing just fine with Samsung, LG, and especially Apple these days, good lord is Apple awesome or what?"

Yep, I can imagine that perfectly. :D
 
Comment from a guy on XDA;

Problem is that Google just isn't making enough of them and the bulk of them is going to Verizon. I've been told by a good friend of mine at Google that they only made/will make 2 million. They just couldn't get enough NAND and Samsung screens. That's it until the next Pixel 2 which I'm told has some custom, in-house designed photo asic hardware.
 
Zorachus said:
Comment from a guy on XDA;

Problem is that Google just isn't making enough of them and the bulk of them is going to Verizon. I've been told by a good friend of mine at Google that they only made/will make 2 million. They just couldn't get enough NAND and Samsung screens. That's it until the next Pixel 2 which I'm told has some custom, in-house designed photo asic hardware.
Click to expand...

Any rumors on the pixel 2 release timeframe?
 
Any rumors on whether the Pixel 2 will actually look...good?
 
My wife and I walked into Verizon and both got Pixels on the same day. The day AFTER Christmas btw...
 
dmerit said:
Anyone using one of these as primary phone would really like to here impressions on the hardware and software.
Click to expand...

Here's a quick pros and cons from me. I have had my Pixel XL since the 2nd week of November. I love my Pixel XL a lot but after my time with it, I still feel like I liked my Note 7 more from a hardware point of view and because of a few software features. Obviously that ship has sailed though.

Pros:
-Frequent security updates you can count on
-Frequent incremental updates to built in apps and features
-Google WIFI assistant is great if you need to save mobile data and are near open WIFI
-Included unlimited uploads to Google Photos is convenient
-Camera is very nice and produces very fast consistent results with no tinkering with manual settings etc.
-USBC-PD is used for charging. Seems like a standard that could become standard for fast charging in the future...
-Great battery life. I can consistently get 5.5 hours if screen on time.
-Very fast and smooth. Pleasurable to use. This is probably the number one reason to get this phone. It is very noticable. You can even feel the difference when scrolling...

Cons:
-Screen, while nice isn't as bright for outside viewing as even my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Note 7 was even better... This feels like a 2 generation old screen. It's nice and sharp with great contrast thanks to OLED
-Build quality.... Compared to my Note 5 and Note 7... The volume and power rocker switches feel kind of loose and makes it feel like they could have spent some time improving the tolerances. I've seen many complaints about this.
-Headphobe jack at the top of the phone annoys me but thank God it's still there...
-The screen has a bit of flex near the earpiece I noticed and in the iFixit teardown, they comment that they don't feel the display assembly is well supported...
-Phone application sometimes doesn't pop to the forefront when using the phone when you get a call or us easily dismissed by hitting the home button, So you kind of have to navigate there. On my Samsung Note 5 and Note 7, they provide a little pop up bar at the top of the screen allowing you to answer, end a call or even activate speaker. It's just slightly more refined and I prefer it to the Phone app on the Pixel XL
-Canadian carriers don't support WIFI Calling or VOLTE on these phones but this has been standard for me since at least the Note 4... There is no indication that this will ever be supported based on the feedback I see in the Rogers community forums...
-Slippery as a bar of soap... Seriously, if your hands are dry or cold (see hands in the winter time). Makes a case more required than any other phone I've had (except my iPhobe 6), though other aluminum phones like the iPhone have similar issues. Surprisingly glass is actually less slippery... But that is only on the top of the phone that isn't where I am gripping...
-Case selection is a but limited. It's slowly improving but I have bought 2 Spigen cases and a Rhinoshueld crashguard and all of them have things that bother me. UAG us launching cases but they aren't available in Canada yet (except for import which would cost $70-80), here's hoping that happens soon
-Glass back looks cool IMHO but the camera sits behind it and it sits flat on the surface of the table. It's easily scratched. It seems extremely likely you will get a scratch over the camera at some point if you frequently put your phone on tables without a case... Also many people have broken this without even dropping the phone from threads I've seen over at Reddit. Repairs are expensive and from what I've heard, parts availability has been low...
 
If there's any truth to the speculation above about Google shipping only a relatively small number of Pixels, it just makes the demise of Nexus this year all the more aggravating.

If Pixel 2016 was only going to be for 2 million diehards worldwide, it might as well have just been the Nexus 6 III priced $150 lower (perhaps with a few minor hardware concessions to get there). Then go balls to the wall next year with a grandiose Pixel debut when they're actually ready to make a popular mainstream phone.
 
More from the XDA guy who's friend works at Google;

"I was told that the majority of units produced go to Verizon because of the deal Google made with them. I think my contact said 1.3 million sold through to consumers with more than 50 percent of that through Verizon."
 
What's Best Buy's official response as to why they stopped carrying the XL ? It's shows on their website "This item no longer offered" and the few stores I went to check in for it, said they don't sell that phone anymore, just the small Pixel.

So is the Pixel XL just a short limited release from Google ? Just to gauge the public's interest, as a test ? And once all the supply is taken up soon, it's gone until the Pixel 2 later this year ?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LOL now Verizon website shows 03/10/2017 for Pixel XL availability. Over two months out !!! To me only the 1% of diehards would be cool waiting for that, but the average Joe Blow public guy would never sign up for that, they'd say, screw it I'll just take the Galaxy S7 or iPhone 7 instead.

99% of the average smartphone buyers, walking into the a phone store to trade in or upgrade their current phone, or broke their current phone and need a new one A.S.A.P. will no way say, that's cool, call me in 2 months when they come back in. I think most want to walk out of the store with their shiny new phone, setup and running.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the review, just got a s7 was thinking of trading for this may just stick with this for now.
 
You guys don't find this strange ?


- Best Buy pulling the Pixel XL from their website, and not available to order in stores anymore, and the sales staff saying they don't carry that specific phone anymore.

- Verizon having MAJOR backorders on the XL. Most dates from Verizon now showing March delivery dates. This phone has been out for 3 months already, and now all of a sudden is out of stock for 2 months.

- Google Store out of stock on most of the XL's, the Silver is not even an option anymore from them right now, the Black and Blue versions only available in 32GB, and have a 3 to 4 week wait.


Again this phone has been out since October, but all of a sudden it seems near impossible to get a 128GB brand new Pixel XL, especially the Silver/White version. Something is up
 
dmerit said:
Anyone using one of these as primary phone would really like to here impressions on the hardware and software.
Click to expand...

I have the 32gb XL. It's fantastic. So smooth. App rarely crash. No more than normal. The camera is amazing. Stabilization of video is second to none. The only caveat I have is the screen edges are beveled. Using a screen protector leaves like 1.5-2 mm of screen that the protector won't cover all around the edge. Kind of destroys the clean look of the phone. But it's needed since the screen is very easy to scratch. Had my droid turbo for 2 years and beat to hell, barely a mark on the screen with no protector. This Pixel I had for 3 days before the screen was starting to get scratched up. They must have used gorilla vagina instead of glass.

Otherwise the phone is amazing performance wise. Pure Android at $120 per 8. ;)
 
When I ordered our XL's in November from Verizon they were back ordered. Took about 2.5 weeks to ship. They've been that way for a while. I think they're selling rather well. I know a good amount of people with Pixel's.
 
Riccochet said:
I have the 32gb XL. It's fantastic. So smooth. App rarely crash. No more than normal. The camera is amazing. Stabilization of video is second to none. The only caveat I have is the screen edges are beveled. Using a screen protector leaves like 1.5-2 mm of screen that the protector won't cover all around the edge. Kind of destroys the clean look of the phone. But it's needed since the screen is very easy to scratch. Had my droid turbo for 2 years and beat to hell, barely a mark on the screen with no protector. This Pixel I had for 3 days before the screen was starting to get scratched up. They must have used gorilla vagina instead of glass.

Otherwise the phone is amazing performance wise. Pure Android at $120 per 8. ;)
Click to expand...

Nah, vaginas are tough. ;)

betty+white.jpg
 
I've had XLsince launch. No problems at all..We dumped our Notes and have no regrets. Build quality is great, I only have a skin on the back..Front is naked and I've never had a scratch. BAttery is amazing​
 
Has there been any update or news as to why Best Buy stopped carrying the Pixel XL, and only keeping the small Pixel ?

I ask because I have a ton of gist cards for BB, and would like to sue those to help purchase a XL outright, but Best Buy people are telling em they stopped selling that phone.
 
I'd just use one of those conversion services to change the Best Buy gift cards (gist cards, nice typo there you made) to cash or a MasterCard or Visa debit card or something - yes you'll lose some funds in the process but if you want that specific phone it's probably not going to happen through Best Buy.
 
The lack of availability at Best Buy in the US is probably temporary. You can get the 32gb XL at bestbuy in Canada. They still list the 128gb but that is a virtual unicorn to find if that's what you are looking for...
 
If you ask me right now as of January 30, 2017 what's the best Android phone out right now ? My answer would easily be the Google Pixel XL.

But...

This phone is the frigging white unicorn, does not exist.

Verizon shows it back ordered for two months well into March, and Play Store always has it on back order continuously, with an e-mail sign up alert. Best Buy stopped selling the XL at end of December.

So what the hell is really going on here ? I've read articles on Android Police, and other tech sites recently, complain about the lack of stock, and no updates or answers from Google or HTC as to what's going on. It's a big mystery as to why the XL is always out of stock now, four months after release. In the U.S. the XL is just not to be found anywhere in stock for sale right now.

Soon enough the next gen 2017 flagships will be here, the Galaxy S8, and LG G6. Once those two phones hit stores in March and April, the Pixel line will be last years news and all but forgotten.

Good job Google, really good going trying to get a high end flagship out to the masses. It lasted maybe three good months before the phone disappeared. And then they just release it on one U.S. carrier only ? Google if your trying to be like Apple and Samsung, the phone needs to also be on ATT, T-Mobile, and Sprint, and in stock in all the stores. Otherwise just forget this game your playing, you lost.
 
I loved everything about the Pixel except the rear mounted sensor. Sadly, I think phones are heading in that direction.
 
There really can't be a best Android device, to be honest, but I say that anytime I see someone make that claim, it's a knee-jerk reaction for me since everybody is different so, there just can't be a "best" since we all want different things. I know the Pixel devices are nice, and powerful, and sleek, and fast running basically vanilla Android which we can all agree is fantastic to have (note I'm avoiding using "best" again because I can do more with a custom ROM based on AOSP aka vanilla Android than vanilla Android is capable of) but the fact that it is vanilla and so plain and dare I say it boring in most respects that it can be a negative more than a positive but that's just me again.

Anyway, when I saw mention of the next version of the Pixel devices last week I already knew there was a problem: when you start talking up your next big thing when the current big thing hasn't even got a real foothold that's not a good thing. :)

As mentioned earlier, the decision to go with Verizon was a costly one (on multiple levels) and apparently other carriers were simply not interested at all with this one and I'll bet you that's absolutely true given the pricing of the Pixel devices. The other carriers got used to the somewhat cheap (by comparison) pricing of Nexus hardware to them for resale and saw the Pixel devices and said "Nope, ain't happening, no thanks, we'll pass..."

Could just be some major issues with supply lines to build the Pixel devices, who knows for sure, but is known is that it's hurting 'em, absolutely.
 
I would not be surprised to see the Pixel XL have a major price reduction 6 months after release.

Remember the Galaxy Nexus it was sold for full flagship pricing for it's day @ $649.00 and was a Verizon exclusive only, and worldwide sold at full price. Fast forward to April that next year, just six months after release, and it got reduced to $399.
 
Last edited:
Had no idea there was a stock issue with this phone. I was researching Pixel and Google Fi last night for about 3 hours, decided to jump in. Had no issues signing up for Google Fi and ordering a Pixel XL 128GB in Black. Supposed to ship next week.

I was talking about it to a friend and he couldn't believe I was able to just order one without any issues, guess he's been trying to find one for the past 2 months (Pixel XL 128GB).
 
Just because you ordered it and it's all good at this moment doesn't mean that you'll start getting notifications from Google in the next 24 hours telling you "Oops, sorry, we made a booboo and you're at the back of the line..." Then another one extending that delivery date, then another, and so on. :D
 
Supersnake said:
"PSA: Google says 'production of the Pixel has not stopped' despite erroneous Telus email" - 9to5Google
Click to expand...

Ok that is probably true. But why don't they just explain why it's back ordered like FOREVER lately ?

- Best Buy stopped selling and carrying the Pixel XL. It's discontinued on their website not available for order.

- Verizon has crazy long shipping dates. If ordered in January was showing like a mid March delivery, which is a 2 month wait.

- Google Play Store is always out of stock on the 128GB model never available to order. And the 32GB version only in black and very limited quantities.


Google wants the Pixel to be the next iPhone and Galaxy phone. But this Pixel XL was released way back in October, which is four months ago and now has been in back order hell nowhere to be found. And really no explanation from Google as to why ? I find that very strange.
 
Zorachus said:
Ok that is probably true. But why don't they just explain why it's back ordered like FOREVER lately ?

- Best Buy stopped selling and carrying the Pixel XL. It's discontinued on their website not available for order.

- Verizon has crazy long shipping dates. If ordered in January was showing like a mid March delivery, which is a 2 month wait.

- Google Play Store is always out of stock on the 128GB model never available to order. And the 32GB version only in black and very limited quantities.


Google wants the Pixel to be the next iPhone and Galaxy phone. But this Pixel XL was released way back in October, which is four months ago and now has been in back order hell nowhere to be found. And really no explanation from Google as to why ? I find that very strange.
Click to expand...

My suspicion is that Google has a lot to learn about the supply chain, really. It's trying to play in the big leagues without fully understanding demand forecasting and other manufacturing concerns. One of Apple's biggest advantages in the Jobs/Cook era has been its mastery of production: it succeeds in part because its hardware is actually available. You don't have to wait months for it to start shipping (unless it's truly new territory, like the initial Apple Watch or AirPods), and shortages don't last so long that people lose interest.
 
Got frustrated none in stock in Houston( XL). VZN, Google store and BB do not have a clue when stock is going to be in. Bought used Nexus 6 from a forum user in mint condition for 200 USD and I am very satisfied with a custom ROM on it.
Plus VZN was planning to lock the boot loader again.

800 USD for a XL is too much for a phone. Samsung with their battery exploding fiasco left a huge opportunity for this phone to put a dent into the competition and Google missed the boat in my opinion.
 
I ordered 2 XL's a few months back. It was listed as backordered at the time, but still shipped in like 3 days. Don't know why they have such problems with XL. If it's a hardware issue or bug I sure as hell haven't seen that on both units I have.
 
Aurelius said:
My suspicion is that Google has a lot to learn about the supply chain, really. It's trying to play in the big leagues without fully understanding demand forecasting and other manufacturing concerns. One of Apple's biggest advantages in the Jobs/Cook era has been its mastery of production: it succeeds in part because its hardware is actually available. You don't have to wait months for it to start shipping (unless it's truly new territory, like the initial Apple Watch or AirPods), and shortages don't last so long that people lose interest.
Click to expand...

That isn't really true. Apple has had inventory problems in the past, just like Google does now. Google hasn't really made a production phone before, all their previous phones were more niche and for developers. This is their first true wide distribution model and so they are still gauging interest. It would have been worse for them to over produce and not get enough buyers.
 
Tiberian said:
Just because you ordered it and it's all good at this moment doesn't mean that you'll start getting notifications from Google in the next 24 hours telling you "Oops, sorry, we made a booboo and you're at the back of the line..." Then another one extending that delivery date, then another, and so on. :D
Click to expand...

Wanted to update on this: My XL Quite Black 128GB just shipped, I placed the order on February 2nd.
 
pandora's box said:
Wanted to update on this: My XL Quite Black 128GB just shipped, I placed the order on February 2nd.
Click to expand...

order direct from Google?
Ohhhh, looks like they have the quite black 128gb XL's back in stock.
Or, purchasable anyway. "Ships in 4-5 weeks."
 
NoOther said:
That isn't really true. Apple has had inventory problems in the past, just like Google does now. Google hasn't really made a production phone before, all their previous phones were more niche and for developers. This is their first true wide distribution model and so they are still gauging interest. It would have been worse for them to over produce and not get enough buyers.
Click to expand...

Here's the distinction: Google has always had inventory problems. Apple has them only seldomly.

Consider this: for the past several years, Apple has launched new iPhones like clockwork: a new model is announced in early September and is available Friday the following week. iPads, Macs and Apple Watch updates are usually in a similar boat. They may sell out of the initial run quickly, but you know there will be steadily increasing streams of supply and that you can order one knowing you'll get it within a few weeks at most. It's predictable to the point where delays and major out-of-stock problems are exceptions to the rule.

Then there's Google, where you might as well be rolling the dice. Quick, this specific capacity and color combo is available! Buy it before it's out of stock for the next month! That's happened for years, and it never seems to get better. If you don't buy early, even at carrier stores, there's no guarantee that you'll get what you want at all. Google won't have mastered things until you can reliably get the Pixel you want, where you want, within days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top