Mobile Phone Thread S2

[Anpanman]

Which airline is running the Manchester service out of interest? China Eastern?

It's Juneyao Airlines. I had a nice view of 'Colourful Petals' which visited today, along with Genshin Impact I already mentioned they also have schemes called Chinese Peony, Chinese Silk Ribbon and Oriental Ruby.

You are very welcome!

[wakka]

Interesting. That's cool they have a range of schemes like that. Anyway I think we have derailed this thread enough!

[MartyG]

The AI stuff seems absent. Not sure when that kicks in, but there's supposed to be a way to let you know when a call on hold gets answered, but it didn't so I had to wait ages to book a dentist appointment.

You need to change the assistant to Gemini.

[MartyG]

Made By Google 2024 - summary: everything is powered by AI.

Absolutely zero reasons given to get a Pixel 9, especially seeing as it seems so tightly integrated with their cloud AI - just no.

Plus this year they are more expensive and don't include the new watch as a freebie - massively worse proposition from Pixel 8/Pro from what they announced.

Definitely wait for the innevitable discounts on this one - saved me £1099 anyway (that's for the 128GB phone, although will will get the 256GB phone for that if you pre-order).

[Nu-Eclipse]

Everything MartyG said.

Not worth it with the price increases and continued reliance on weak Samsung Exynos Google Tensor SoCs to power the hardware, though I'm sure I'll probably get a forum-stalking clown telling me I'm wrong because he worked in the industry, apparently.

Probably gonna rock my Pixel 8 for another year, not least because I doubt the trade-in value will be any good.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Plus this year they are more expensive and don't include the new watch as a freebie - massively worse proposition from Pixel 8/Pro from what they announced.

I do understand why people are pissed about no more pre-order bonus wearables for Google Pixel hardware, but (as much as I hate to say it), I can understand why Google don't want to have to keep offering freebies that are (their deep pockets notwithstanding) at cost to them every year. Apple don't offer a free Apple Watch and/or AirPods with every iPhone pre-order and Samsung don't offer Galaxy Buds and/or a Galaxy Watch so Google shouldn't be expected to do the same.

That said, Google really need to upping the quality of their Pixel hardware now if they're going to charge Apple/Samsung prices.

[MartyG]

But they've also increased the price, make it a doubly worse proposition - you just open the door to a Samsung Galaxy Ultra iMax, assuming they don't fill their phone with needless AI gubbins too - I have a Pixel XL, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 6, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 8 Pro - and you can't convince me to upgrade to Pixel 9 Pro, then I think you've missed the mark tbh.

[Nu-Eclipse]

But they've also increased the price, make it a doubly worse proposition - you just open the door to a Samsung Galaxy Ultra iMax, assuming they don't fill their phone with needless AI gubbins too - I have a Pixel XL, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 6, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 8 Pro - and you can't convince me to upgrade to Pixel 9 Pro, then I think you've missed the mark tbh.

Again, I don't disagree. I have a Pixel 8 and, barring an incredible discount on a 9 Pro, I don't plan to upgrade. I've owned a Pixel 2 and 4XL before that as well as Nexus phones in the past. The trade-in prices look crap too, arguably even worse than they have previously and that's saying something when Android phones have historically depreciated badly.

The price bump is obviously pissing users off. I don't think it would've done if the Pixels had more hardware quality. The Tensor chips are a step or two behind the competition and for years Pixel users have reported countless issues with the hardware. Google should have nailed the hardware basics after EIGHT iterations of Pixel but they haven't. Apple and Samsung phones can usually justify high prices because the hardware quality is spot-on.

That said, I stand by what I said earlier. Google clearly weren't going to keep subsidising Pixel pre-orders with wearable freebies, just like the free cloud storage for photo/video that you got with the first five Pixels wasn't going to last either.

Also, you're having a laugh if you don't think Samsung and other Android OEMs aren't going to go all-in on AI too. Apple are already there. Smartphones are as iterative as they have ever been since the original iPhone emerged. AI is almost certainly the final frontier in that respect.

[MartyG]

Give it three months when they still have a stack of unsold ones in the warehouse. And the AI bubble is going to burst, it's just a matter of time.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Give it three months when they still have a stack of unsold ones in the warehouse. And the AI bubble is going to burst, it's just a matter of time.

You might well be right about AI. I personally want nothing to do with it.

FIngers crossed that consumers vote with their wallets to help kill it.

[Nu-Eclipse]

ICYMI.

[QualityChimp]

I'd forgotten about FlightRadar24, which is strangely hypnotic, and straight away, these bad boys started flying over the place we were staying on holiday. The Boeing RC - 135W Rivet Joint (Goose51) showed up, but the two Eurofighter Typhoons did not!

It gave me a chance to try out the optical zoom, which is probably my fave thing about the phone (Pixel Pro 8).
On the beach, my family were swimming and zoomed in on the canoeist.


This is at the zoo and a fair few of the animals were a long way away, but the phone let you take closer photos.
That's a bear eating a canoe.
Pretty sure the guy from the beach took a wrong turn. RIP.


I was a bit pissed that Google have shafted me with all the offers, though.
No YouTube Premium because I'd had a trial a few years back.
No Google One 2Tb storage because I'm already paying for a lower package.
Spoke to support and there was absolutely no flex or compromise (one month), so I'll have to pay to increase my Google One to 1Tb, but only the 2Tb has unlimited "magic edits", although I'm finding it a bit rubbish, if I'm honest.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Vodafone merger with 3 could leave 1m customers of the latter unable to find cheaper deals.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/22/vodafone-merger-three-customers-unable-find-cheaper-deals

[fishbowlhead]

Vodafone merger with 3 could leave 1m customers of the latter unable to find cheaper deals.

https://www.theguardian.com/business...-cheaper-deals

Its absolutely laughable anyone has to waste even a second of time or 1 penny to find out if this merger will lead to a “substantial lessening of competition”.

[QualityChimp]

I nearly forgot to send a spare phone to Google, but they sent a box and it was really easy to sort out.
I've got £170 coming to me to help pay off the monthly fees.

I've still not mastered the Pixel 8 Pro yet. All the clever stuff is in there somewhere.
Camera has been great, though.

Here, watch this video as an example of how good the sound and zoom is:

->Open Spoiler<-

View this post on Instagram