Pixel 5A

Does Google need to flip a switch or something to activate the 5a on their servers? Phones comes with the June security patch, and running system update doesn't find the latest update. And this phone is not on the Android beta 12 program yet, doesn't show up.

Wake up Google.
 
I'm not giving up on my 5A, but I'm already missing my 3XL. My 5A feels rather tiny and the black bars are even thicker than my 3XL when watching video from Amazon and Netflix. My 5A doesn't get very loud, either. I'm thinking the Pixel 6 might be a better match. Will give the 5A the weekend to convince me to keep it.
 
I'm not giving up on my 5A, but I'm already missing my 3XL. My 5A feels rather tiny and the black bars are even thicker than my 3XL when watching video from Amazon and Netflix. My 5A doesn't get very loud, either. I'm thinking the Pixel 6 might be a better match. Will give the 5A the weekend to convince me to keep it.
How many phones have you bought and returned or sold shortly after LOL :)
 
Just leave this here. I am very satisfied coming from my 2 year old opo 7 pro.
 

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How many phones have you bought and returned or sold shortly after LOL :)
A lot! ;)

I can tell pretty quickly if something is going to work for me. Right now, the size is the main problem. I've got a pair of catcher's mitt sized meat hooks. The 5a is easily the smallest phone I've tried in years.
 
So I was walking outside on a Duo video call for maybe 5-7 mins after the phone was on the charger and I got the Phone temp is hot, reduced blah blah warning. Granted its 100 degrees atm but that's no excuse. Hope its a bug...
 
So I was walking outside on a Duo video call for maybe 5-7 mins after the phone was on the charger and I got the Phone temp is hot, reduced blah blah warning. Granted its 100 degrees atm but that's no excuse. Hope its a bug...
Google Duo default resolution on a Pixel is only 720p and it can't be set higher, so your issue is not related to the reported 4K video issue. But running a video call in the hot sun is known to overheat phones.
Reference 1
Reference 2
 
Boxing up my 5A for return. Performance is good, screen is good, camera is good, battery is good, but it's just too small. :( My 3XL feels so much better in hand. I'll try the P6, next.
 
I haven't activated mine yet with my SIM yet. Waiting for Android 12 beta or full release. So far it seems nice like a phone, I find the size right in the middle, its not small or large. Battery life is off the charts :)
 

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You make some nice looking home screens!

Thanks its nothing special, just the minimal clean style for me with dark colors but not super dark I do like a splash of color.

Android homescreen is so much nicer than what can be done on a stock iPhone, way more pleasant on the eyes
 
Thanks its nothing special, just the minimal clean style for me with dark colors but not super dark I do like a splash of color.

Android homescreen is so much nicer than what can be done on a stock iPhone, way more pleasant on the eyes
I've been using this since 2016. I scroll through the dock for other apps I use most often. I love Nova Pro!

nova.png
 
Size wise I think the 5a is just barely the biggest Pixel screen ever?

The 6.3.4” display I think is the largest? Previous big Pixel’s were 6.3” / 6.2” and the rest smaller.
 
How is the 3XL's size great but the 5a is so small it's getting returned?






View attachment 389669

3XL is .07" taller and .14" wider. 1.75mm, 3.5mm

My Fiance who has the 3 XL also says it feels smaller to her, but that it is not a big deal.

The screen on the 5a is actually 0.04" larger :p

To me they are so close as to be indistinguishable unless you compare them side by side.

I'm coming from the normal sized Pixel 3 though. Wish I could buy a normal sized 5a.
 
Alright, so I am in the middle of setting mine up, which is a long process for me, as I have particular tastes.

I thought the screen on my Pixel 3 was fine, until I spent some time on the 5a, and after that the Pixel 3 feels crappy when I go back. Not sure if it is a matter of size or quality.

I will say that I don't much care for the camera cutout in the screen or for th erounded screen edges. I would have preferred a bezel to this, but maybe this is just something I'll get used to. I remember the rounded edges on the Pixel 3 annoying me when I first got it as well, but there was some config hack I was able to do to make them smaller. I can't remember exactly what that was, or if it can still be done on the 5a. I'm guessing probably not, since it looks like the rounded edges are physical, rather than in software like on the Pixel 3.

I'm not quite sure why I need more than one camera on the back. It seems like a waste. I would have preferred if it were more basic in this regard.

Retaining the 3.5mm analog audio jack AND the finger print sensor is a huge plus! The fingerprint sensor does feel like it is in a bit of a more awkward spot compared to the Pixel 3 though, but maybe that's just because this phone is bigger. Hopefully I'll get used to it.

Don't understand why they insist on gesture navigation. Had to go in and return settings to the three buttons to make it usable again. If anyone else - like me - forgot where it was, it is under System -> Gestures.

I'm just getting through my standard privacy and config minimizing on the phone. You know, disabling any and all cloud integration, sync or backup in all system settings and all apps. Disabling all "Assistant" and voice based nonsense and disabling all AI personalization/recommendations/routines. I don't understand why they insist on pushing that garbage on me every time I upgrade a phone. I don't want it now, and I will never want it. You transfer some settings from my previous phone, why not transfer them all?

Also, I've gone through and disabled all data sharing I can with google, and disabled all ad personalization. Again, this should have been inherited from my previous phone.

Replaced the Pixel Launcher with Nova.

Pretty annoying that it won't transfer existing app settings, as part of the data settings (unless they are cloud synced, and I'll never do that) so I'm having to set it up the way I like it... again... placing all the folders and apps where they belong, removing the google search bar from the home screen, placing the clock where I want it, etc. etc.

Next I have to go through and remove most permissions from most apps, and disable/uninstall all of the unwanted included apps (Google Buds, Android Accessibility Suite, whatever the hell "Duo" is, Google News, Google One, Google Play Music, Google Play Services for AR, Google TV, Gpay etc. etc. etc.) Essentially everything I didn't ask for.

Also need to go through and deny most permissions to most apps. I really wish they were all set to "deny everything until asked the first time" by default.

It's really annoying to have to do this every single time...



Overall, better screen (minus some of the annoyances above) more snappy than my Pixel 3 (which is to be expected with a newer phone) and overall not bad.

I know I'm likely never going to get a hpone I like ever again, because they keep insisting on pushing new useless features and using phones the way they want me to, not the way I want to, but in the grand scheme of things, I guess I can live with this one.
 
What settings are you changing for no ads and stuff like scanning in the background.
 
What settings are you changing for no ads and stuff like scanning in the background.

Jeez. I couldn't tell you. I don't claim to understand every single setting I have changed, nor to know how effective I have been at blocking out crap.

Whenever I get a new phone I just go down every single setting in the menus and if it looks suspicious, I disable it. I also go through all google account settings and do the same.
 
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I've been using this since 2016. I scroll through the dock for other apps I use most often. I love Nova Pro!

View attachment 389640

I've been using this icon setup on my main screen for what seems like forever. (replace Brave with Chrome before I swapped over)

Screenshot_20210828-184538.png

Don't really see why people need more than that on the main screen...but that's just my perspective...

EDITED TO ADD: I charged up on Thursday evening and I still have 88%. Liking that...a lot.
 
I've been using this icon setup on my main screen for what seems like forever. (replace Brave with Chrome before I swapped over)

View attachment 389695

Don't really see why people need more than that on the main screen...but that's just my perspective...

EDITED TO ADD: I charged up on Thursday evening and I still have 88%. Liking that...a lot.


Mine looks like this. I hate the Google app and it's search bar, so I always remove it.

I have a few more apps on there than you do, but still pretty clean.

What is that thing with the lion face?

Screenshot_20210828-201335.png
 
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NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a great source for backgrounds.

Screenshot_20210828-172750.png


Pixel 2, FWIW.

(Remember older versions of Android and/or the launcher where the background image was actually a bit wider than visible, and would shift a bit as you flipped left/right between different home screens?)
 
Lion face is the Brave browser

Ah

I had heard of that browser. Initially I thought they were good and privacy oriented, but I heard a bunch of f controversial stories about them suggesting that maybe they weren't so privacy oriented after all and thus decided to avoid.
 
I'm finally done with my phone setup.

I'm awful at typing on this thing. The slightly larger screen is completely throwing off my ability to type fast. Hopefully I'll adapt soon.

Other than that, once configured the way I like it, it's not a bad phone.

Need a better case and screen protectors though. The first one I bought was accidentally a cheap Spigen knockoff and it is pretty bad.

So e of the screen protectors come with a cover for the camera section on the back. Any thoughts on whether or not this is really necessary?
 
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a great source for backgrounds.

View attachment 389717

Pixel 2, FWIW.

(Remember older versions of Android and/or the launcher where the background image was actually a bit wider than visible, and would shift a bit as you flipped left/right between different home screens?)

Sheesh.

No security patches for 9 months!

You can still scroll the backgroujd like that in Nova Launcher I believe
 
Do you guys have location service on or off?

Same with 5G? On or no?

Reason I ask because if the killer battery life this phone gets maybes I can leave those on without destroying battery life?
 
Do you guys have location service on or off?

Same with 5G? On or no?

Reason I ask because if the killer battery life this phone gets maybes I can leave those on without destroying battery life?

I've never had 5G before, so I have no experience there, but I had heard it can use lots of power.

I've only had the phone for a few hours, but thus far I've kept 5G on, and the battery appears to be holding up OK.

I've never turned location services off on any phone I have used. I never thought of it as a battery drainer.

I am pretty careful which apps get location service permissions though.
 
Sheesh.

No security patches for 9 months!

You can still scroll the backgroujd like that in Nova Launcher I believe

Yeah, it's the main thing I hate about Android (or more specifically, Qualcomm's indifference to supporting any SoC more than a couple of years old).

Which sucks, because the phone works just fine for me otherwise. Given the case and screen protector, it still looks practically brand-new. The battery is still in decent shape. I have the 128 GB version, same as the 5a (and enough for my usage). Its Snapdragon 835 isn't that much slower overall than the 5a's 765G (and I'm not using any apps that really pushes it anyways). And 5G isn't that big a deal to me at this time.

I'm waiting to see what the Pixel 6 offers, particularly in terms of length of software support and cost. I'll probably be picking up either the 5a or 6 in the next few months.


Do you guys use any ad blockers?

Firefox + Ublock Origin for the browser.

Also, I have PiHole and WireGuard VPN set up at home that I have my phone set up to use. This covers everything that doesn't use the browser but still might be pulling ads or trackers (e.g., Facebook, the Google News app, etc.).
 
I keep mine simple. Starting out with this and will move to others down the road.
 

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