75% of users put a case on their phone (and 87% of iPhone users), making this feature useless.
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Upcoming 2017 Google Pixel XL May Feature 'Squeezable' Frame for Activating Google Assistant
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I am guessing that the thought process is (maybe) being able to use google assistant in situations where you can't do "ok google". A pocket is the only one I could come up with lol. But anyway, you're not wrong.
That said, I said the same about 3d touch and find myself using it frequently. So, I guess we will have to wait and see.
And I can see any number of instances where you would activate it inadvertently. And then go into Settings and shut it off. Unless your fingers have to be in some exact spot, and then it's little different than having a button.
I'd *hope* that they thought of that. Google even sells there first party cases for their current pixel so...
Seems like this type feature could cause a lot of problems. I know with my iphone when I am trying to use it one hand and I have to stretch my thumb to reach a button or swipe something on the far edge that I find myself squeezing the phone a little harder. Sometimes I even accidentally press the lock button. I think there is enough going on around the edge to not have to contend with this.
Reviews called Touch ID stupid? I only remember reading how impressively accurate it was.
Imagine a fart app that could activate if you squeeze the phone. I'd buy that for a dollar.
6 inches... jesus christ. Are phone manufacturers really that stupid that they think everyones got banana hands?
I have a Pixel and the fingerprint on the back it's pretty great. Falls naturally where your fingers are.
Only awkward use case is when phone is laying flat, but Android has 'smart unlock' which allows you to auto unlock phone in specific locations, when paired to specific devices or if it recognizes your body movement signature. Not missing front touch id a bit.
Best would be front and back.
The awkward moments in public when you squeeze and stroke these new gestures to do things without taking it out of your pocket.
Does everyone realize that HTC already has this feature?
I guess I'm missing this, but what do you do after you squeeze the phone to activate this AI feature? Do you talk to it? If so, I'd think voice activation would make more sense.
I guess I'm missing this, but what do you do after you squeeze the phone to activate this AI feature? Do you talk to it? If so, I'd think voice activation would make more sense.
It's a 2:1 ratio, so it's really thinner than this years?
Google made it clear during the presentation of the Pixel they didn't care about units sold. The only metric they cared about was customer satisfaction, which I'd assume has been pretty high. Google Pixel is pretty great overall, iPhone feel on an Android package.
They've sold few due to supply issues with parts. Phone was out of stock most of the year. Still, I'm pretty sure 'units sold' is not their main goal for the time being (first years). They just want to find a formula that works well, for those who buy into it, and if it does, ramp it up.
I don't know about that.
Personally, I wouldn't underestimate the pull of regular updates in the Android world as well as the fact that this delivers "pure" Android without what some see as unwanted embellishments.
Not sure how the this is a "gimmick" or "dumbest smartphone feature I've seen in a long time." It's a far better implementation than launching Siri on an iPhone. This requires one hand. Siri requires two. Pixel feature works in conjunction with natural hand holding. Siri, no. These two posts read like fanboy nonsense at all costs.
LOL don't judge it based on sales. I love that one. Fine: It's literally less than half the speed of the iPhone. It does not have a linear haptic motor. No pressure sensitivity on the screen. No stereo speakers. Not water resistant. Screen is dimmer than the iPhone and doesn't support native DCI-P3 color gamut. It's much thicker. Despite having a very good camera, Pixel only includes a single lens system so it only has crappy digital zooming, and without optical image stabilization, the video isn't as good. The fingerprint scanner is on the back. The design is as ugly as it gets. Anything else? I would have given it a + for a headphone jack but since getting AirPods for my wife and beatsX for myself, I realize a headphone jack is a waste of space. Wireless freedom is amazing.
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How does Siri require two hands? It requires zero hands ("Hey Siri") or one (hold down the home button). You're either very daft or you've never used an iPhone before (which is highly correlative with such a state). Squeezing a large phone will often require adjusting your grip on the phone to do so. You operate a phone by resting it in your fingers while your thumb reaches around to tap around on the front screen. Siri requires you to press on the front screen (or just talk). Squeezing the phone will require many to bring it in closer/more centered on their Palm, making it impossible to reach the far side of the screen with your thumb.
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It will become a Samsung competitor well before it becomes an iPhone competitor. That's a given. Right now, it's neither.
Asking what you want every time you squeeze a bit too firmly; how annoying!
I already turned off Siri for coming on when I held the home button too long (and as I never use the pointless thing obvs).
Maybe I am as heavy handed as my girlfriend says...
I already turned off Siri for coming on when I held the home button too long (and as I never use the pointless thing obvs).
Maybe I am as heavy handed as my girlfriend says...
What component/part of a Pixel, exactly, is hard to come by? The standard, off the shelf screen? Qualcomm processor? Sony image sensor? They only sold a million until now because they didn't even believe in it themselves. HTC has the capacity to produce far more if given the purchase order ahead of time.
Then we'll just make cases you can squeeze the phone in.
It has an advantage over Samsung in one market area where they will not be able to compete at all unless Google changes it's Android distribution model - people who prioritise regular updates.
The challenge for Google is to grow that market segment into a competitive position.
Or they could go the other way and attempt to change the model and reduce the drastic fragmentation issues, but that would make it a pure hardware competition between Pixel and the rest and Google would be more likely to lose out in that battle.
One thing nobody's really addressed so far are the durability costs of implementing such a feature.
The major drawback for the U11 was the softer, squeezable metal rendered the phone less structurally sound. Refer to 4:39 and watch the results in the video below:
Given that Google had one of the sturdiest phones in the Pixel, the tradeoff doesn't seem worthy of praise.
The major drawback for the U11 was the softer, squeezable metal rendered the phone less structurally sound. Refer to 4:39 and watch the results in the video below:
Given that Google had one of the sturdiest phones in the Pixel, the tradeoff doesn't seem worthy of praise.