Pixel 6a

[Matty]

Pixel 6a is out next week .. anyone getting one?

£399, but you get free Buds (£99) and they'll even give me £100 for my old 3a making it essentially £200

However, reviews suggest poor battery life and overheating CPU leading to throttling and a hot phone in fairly basic tasks.

Anyone put an order in?

[Simon]

Holding out for a 7/7Pro, depending whether they bring the 256GB models to the UK (preferably 7). But they didn't bring the higher capacity models of 6 and 6 Pro to these shores.

[Beany]

It's nice, but having used a 90hz display for a while I really notice 60hz displays as being 'scratchy' now. My next displays will all have to be 90hz or above methinks, including computer displays....

[Simon]

Marques' review of the 6a sums it up as merely 'ok'. It's a bit of a miss as the 3a and 4a were killer.

[DaveE]

Nope

Really dislike the 6/7 design language, and even though the 6a is a more appealing 6.1" I just hate that ridge thing on the back of them

Lack of wireless charging means it's an immediate "no" as well

Both my wife and I have little charging pads next to the bed, and once you get in the habit of just placing your phone on that overnight, having to actually plug it in, seems like a massive step backwards (1st world problems etc - but it's a convenience that I really value now)

[Matty]

It's nice, but having used a 90hz display for a while I really notice 60hz displays as being 'scratchy' now. My next displays will all have to be 90hz or above methinks, including computer displays....

I get that, after using a 144Hz panel on a monitor, going back to 60Hz is difficult.

Thing is that modern 'regular' phones are massive these days. I find the 3a to be about right size wise, so it's only stuff like the 'a' range that maintains resonalble size.

Google needs to start doing a "Pro Mini".....'a' packaging, Pro inners.

[Marv]

After 4+ years with a One Plus 6T in now going for....an iPhone 13 mini.

Let's see if I can get along with iOS this time round

[Matty]

After 4+ years with a One Plus 6T in now going for....an iPhone 13 mini.

Let's see if I can get along with iOS this time round

Heresy!

TBH I've no idea how people can switch. I'm so deep into the Google ecosphere with various purchased apps, backup to Google Cloud, etc that moving across and getting used to a totally different UI sounds too much like hard work.

[Simon]

^^ Word.

Everyone works this way though - I know we do at work. Get people so integrated into your product stack that it's simpler to renew than to consider switching to an alternative supplier.

Also, my wife has an iPhone and whenever I pick it up to do a task on it I seem unable to do it easily as my brain seems to be hard-wired into the Android way, better or worse. It would take a lot for me to switch now.

[DeskJockey]

^ this.

Had to learn to use as iPhone while dad was kept in a coma to answer his messages etc. Still find it very alien and awkward to do most things, although that's probably also partly down to dad's complete lack of organisation of apps, etc

[Marv]

I'm expecting the first week or so of the swap to be a bit of a struggle

[Matty]

Pixel 6a delivered today.
Same size as the 3a, but heavier. Screen is nice, less bezels. Otherwise...it's a phone, it gets my emails, makes calls and WhatApp works. The end.

Also, fuck setting up new phones 4 different authenticators (!) to reconfigure, 5 different banking apps to sign back into, and numerous other apps to sign back into....at which point you've forgotten the login details and have to reset everything.

Oh, I had the Pixel Buds free.....seem OK. Immediately dislike having to shove them into my ears and "twist" to have it tuck in and fit snug....but otherwise, decent quality audio and Google assistant stuff is handy.

[Rich B]

Also, fuck setting up new phones 4 different authenticators (!) to reconfigure, 5 different banking apps to sign back into, and numerous other apps to sign back into....at which point you've forgotten the login details and have to reset everything.

with iPhones you just hold your new one next to the old one, it then comes up with a weird shape to take a photo of with the new phone on the screen for authentication, then it's done.

[Marv]

Also, fuck setting up new phones 4 different authenticators (!) to reconfigure, 5 different banking apps to sign back into, and numerous other apps to sign back into....at which point you've forgotten the login details and have to reset everything.

with iPhones you just hold your new one next to the old one, it then comes up with a weird shape to take a photo of with the new phone on the screen for authentication, then it's done.

Yeah, there's a similar app that does that with OnePlus phones.
Works really well.

[Simon]

I've 'transferred' every Pixel to date too. Never have to set it up afresh, just transfer across from the old one. Sure, some banking apps need re-authenticating etc, but it's never more than an hour or so from start to done each time.

[Matty]

I mean, the transfer was painless. 15 mins and everything - apps, data, photos etc was copied over.

As I say, it was rummaging around trying to restore all the app credetials that was a PITA. Most of my apps signed in with a fingerprint on my old phone, but when that's reset....how am I meant to remember what deviation of my rotated passwords I used 18 months ago?!