Google Pixel 3XL

[mikkh]

Strangely as a long term Linux user, I've never owned an Android phone - till now

I've always had iPhone's and even flirted with a Microsoft phone for a while, which I thought was pretty good.

The Pixel 3XL is old by today's standards, but it was a flagship phone costing a lot of money several years ago and easily beats today's modern budget phones by quite a margin.

The Motorola Moto G10 for example is twice as slow, has half the resolution and a barely adequate camera compared to the Pixel 3XL.

This 3XL already came with latest Android 12, but is not guaranteed to get 13 when it eventually arrives. That's not a big problem as I did have a dual purpose in acquiring this particular phone.

It can be switched to the Ubuntu Touch Linux OS when Android support runs out, thus prolonging it's life.


That's for the future though, for now it's Android and coming from an iPhone SE (2020) I'm impressed by the speed and screen quality.

Though I've never owned an Android phone, as an IT tech I've had many thrust at me with a pleading look in their eye and being asked how to change settings etc.

Samsung and Huawei put their own spin (and bloat) on Android, but Google leave it pretty much at stock Android, which is another reason for picking a Pixel phone.

The Pixels are known for there good, easy to use cameras with one particular gushing reviewer stating it was the best camera on a smartphone ever!

A pretty bold statement, but is a nice camera with good low light pictures and the clever night mode setting enhances any available light and produces some remarkable shots without a flash.

iOS in the iPhone which I'm used to, is simplistic and fairly easy to get to grips with, so switching to Android was a bit frustrating at first.

Now I'm used to it's quirks and have turned off most of the 'helpful' features, it's a joy to use and the bigger screen is a definite bonus for my old eyes which were struggling a bit on the iPhone.

I paid what a Moto G10 costs, but I've got a far superior phone, so don't ignore the older models.

[jazzazz]

This old DINOSAUR was perfectly content with a FlipPhone, my latest a 4G , "GoFlip 2," (Unlocked GSM for T-Mobile).

Had no need or desire for a Smartphone until I was in Amazon, looking for something that I can not recall, and saw this RCA RENO 32G (Enough memory for me, not a saver of A LOT OF STUFF, FREE CLOUD storage is enough for me), Android for UNDER $80 (U.S.), and it works well. Has a quirk or two that I can live with, but mostly works well,especially at that price. Even comes with an already attached screen protector, AND case to be attached.

I have to wonder, how ANY manufacturer (Also made in China like MOST), can even manufacture a smartphone for that price???!!!

One LITTLE quirk is, after I power TOTALLY OFF when going to bed in the evening, within a matter of seconds, it will, ON OCCASION, turn itself back on, LOL, but will stay off every time, turning it back off. I have GOOGLED for the issue, checked, rechecked, and rechecked again any and all SETTINGS, and can not come up with a reason. But like I say, that is a quirk I can live with, LOL

[mikkh]

The common practice is never to switch them off, especially with house phones almost extinct now.
I've got one because it's free as part of my internet package and it looks better on a business card to have two numbers.

The current generation hardly bother with them though and rely solely on mobile/cell phones which they're so attached to, they take them to bed with them.

I don't switch mine off, but it is a stranger to upstairs. I just leave it by the side of my main computer and can't hear it upstairs if someone tries to ring me at an ungodly hour.

[jazzazz]

We still have our home phone, but switched it from POTS (Plain old telephone service) to AT&Ts Digital Voice using the internet, so goes down with a power outage or down internet. But I'm an AT&T (Pacific Bell Retiree) so get it for next to nothing.

Will always have our home phone, too many PEOPLE know us by that, Medical, Financial stuff, etc. etc.

With cell phones, I assume turning them off, which I do going to bed, makes the battery charge last a tad longer, but I could be wrong. I make a mistake about once every ten years, LOL LOL :-).

[mikkh]

Yes my new cable modem (last year or so) came with a telephone connection which I wasn't happy with, but outages are pretty rare luckily.

Switching your mobile/cell off will save the battery because it will be constantly searching for a valid wifi connection.

I switch my internet off which I'm not sure whether that makes it better or worse, but it (mobile) uses 10% or less overnight, depending on how long I sleep for.

[jazzazz]

Yeah, whenever I leave the house, US doing our 4 mile POWERWALK,shopping, whatever, I turn the WiFi off, so it is not constantly looking for a WiFi signal. I rarely have a no signal issue, with T-Mobile and I have their $15/Mo Pre-Paid, unlimited talk, text, 2.5G of Data which I will NEVER EVER come anywhere to needing, being on our WiFi most times.

[mikkh]

While it's proving plenty fast enough for my needs, I thought I'd investigate the next model up - the Google Pixel 4XL

It's obviously got a better main chip, improved camera with the addition of telephoto lens and 6 GB of RAM as against 4 in the 3XL, but is that enough?

The other features seem quite underwhelming though. Slightly bigger battery, very slightly better screen resolution and no improvement at all on other things.

It's also double the price and while that's still cheap compared to a flagship model (most costing 4 figures these days) it might be a bridge too far for a casual user like me.

Talking of flagship models, I have a friend who upgrades every year to the latest Samsung. Partly because he's a middle class snob, but also because the previous handset still retains quite a high second hand/ trade in value, which makes sense if you like the pose value of owning the latest toy. Having used it (Samsung 21 ultra?) It just doesn't feel a premium item worth the money to me.
The camera is decent without being spectacular, it surfs the internet at an adequate speed, but it seems over sensitive for swiping and moving around in the options and is full of Samsung bloatware.

I'd definitely prefer the latest Google Pixel over the latest Samsung any day of the week, if I was going to spend stupid money that is.

Back in the real World, I'd stay at least one generation behind and I could be tempted by the 4XL if it wasn't for one thing. They've changed the fingerprint scanner to facial recognition only.
I don't mind it as an option in phones, but I'd prefer a choice and the choice would be not to use it! The 4a, 5 and 6 all return to fingerprint sensors, which makes it even more strange why they chose facial recognition on the 4XL.

[jazzazz]

Real light on the RAM, but serves my needs at a give away price,


www.amazon.com/RCA-Display-Camera-Unlocked-Smartphone/dp/B08ZCTSVXH?th=1

[mikkh]

Well that opened a whole can of worms, but taught me something I didn't know.

Pressing the link redirects me to the British site where no such phone exists.

But it can be forced to stay on the original link if you add /ncr to the end, which means No Country Redirect.

Google Chrome sticking it's nose in again and making me secure whether I want to be or not, the bastards!

79 dollars equates to £58, so that is a giveaway price. I'm still happy with my Pixel though.

[jazzazz]

It still does this one weird thing of maybe every third POWER OFF, it will turn itself back on, LOL, but only the POWER DOWN in the evening, no other time.

And, after I do another POWER OFF, it does not do it again.

Is that weird or what :-)


Other than that quirk, it runs fine.

[mikkh]

Just bought my 3rd Google Pixel - a 4XL this time, mostly because it was the same price as the 3XL I bought, bargain or what.

I also bought a standard size Google Pixel 3 very cheap because it had some damage to the back that doesn't affect it use though - and it came with 128 GB storage (64 is more common)

And no I'm not hoarding phones, I was asked to look out for cheap but decent handsets by several people and have now fulfilled that task.

Obviously I'm keeping the 4XL for me, not that I need the extra power/RAM but it doesn't hurt to have it ;o

Staying a few steps behind technology works very well for me, I'm getting perfectly adequate hardware that easily beats modern budget phones at sensible prices.

Just waiting for Pixel 5 to go out of fashion now

[jazzazz]

Funny how that RCA Reno 32G phone I mentioned a time ago, actually has a TAD less than 1G of RAM, yet does what I need it to do, email, Text, voice searches & texts, Googling Stuff.

What more is there?? :-).

Well TV, Westerns time, Bye :-)

[mikkh]

The battery on my 4XL started reporting problems and while I was quite happy to pay for a replacement battery - well sort of happy!
It turns out I don't have to because they extended the warranty on 4XL's till the end of this month

Filled out the RMA report and am awaiting the free packaging to send it back in.

If I was one of the younger generations, parting with my phone for several days would have me in a panic, but I don't care if it takes a week or more for a free repair.

I'm impressed I'm covered, not being the original buyer, so well done Google for excellent customer service.

My luck is usually for things to break after the warranty has run out, so nice to have a bit of good fortune for a change.