0037: Pixel 4 XL Ramblings

Show Notes

Pixel 4 XL Review

I will do my best to focus on my thoughts on the phone and not Android 10 (see episode 0027)

Design

• I chose white (orange was never an option), but with my case, you can't tell (more later on the case)
• Square camera bump with two cameras, flash, and a sensor
• Almost exactly the same size as the 3 XL as is the screen without notch
• Power button is softer than Pixel 3 XL and taking time for me to get use to double-click to launch camera
• Volume up/down
• No finger printer reader (no notification swiping)
• No headphone jack (see Pixel 3a) - I've already adjusted and really like the USB-C buds
• Notchless design with a big forehead that you quickly forget about and I'm over the notch and the chin discussion

Hardware

• USB-C connection
• Does NOT include USB-C headset (bummer) - for the price, it should
• Includes USB-C charger and transfer cable (took me about 2 mins to transfer data from 3→4 and about 5 more to download apps and updates)
• Thanks to eSIM, Google Fi service transfer from Pixel 3 to 4 was quick and easy (although there is a physical SIM slot with dual SIM support coming later)
• Stereo speakers have good sound for vocal audio, fair to good for music, and great for movies (depth)
• Three microphones for Google Assistant, phone, Duo, and other applications are working well for pick up and Google assistant

Processor and Memory

• I chose the 64 Gb model (I still had space left over on my 64 Gb Pixel 3 XL)
• Qualcomm® Snapdragon 855™ octo-core - snappy and no lag yet (time will tell with Android OS)
• Titan M Security Module - adding extra security to OS and Face Unlock
• Pixel Neural Core for AI powered image manipulation - more camera time needed to really see how this is working
• Adreno 640 handles the graphic processing - FAST and can't wait to tryout some games

Battery

• Pixel 4 got slammed in reviews for battery life (I can't vouch for those reviews)
• Pixel 4 XL is excellent and better than my year old 3 XL (so an upgrade from my now one-year old battery) - I usually have 75%+ after lunch
• I never leave my phone to charge overnight and try to top it off when I know I can remove it from charger

Screen

• Amazing 6.3" QHD+ AMOLED at a whopping 537 pixels per inch (ppi)
• No notch and I'm okay with that
• 90 Hz screen really ads to the fluidity of the swipes and scrolls
• HDR support for online video viewing
• Bright enough (no issues outside for me in regular use)
• Gorilla Glass 5 - I've heard some screen protectors are messing up motion sense and face unlock because they cover the forehead hardware, which is why I use a folio case (more later)

Camera

• Zoom up to 8x works really well (remember to not crop to zoom after shot, use pinch to zoom and click the shutter)
• Unlimited photo storage for high resolution (not original RAW)
• I've not had the time or the opportunity to really try out the camera, may be more in future episodes - initial photos seem great

Face Unlock

• Quick setup (move your head around the camera as directed)
• Bypasses the lock screen
• Amazing recognition speed - lifting phone turns on cameras
• LastPass now works (in beta) - it appears if you select LastPass, you no longer have access to Android login (still researching)
• Controversy around eye closed (maybe you shouldn't sleep around people you don't trust?)
• Check out the settings to tailor your experience

Motion Sense

• Minimal number of "Quick Gestures" that include music navigation and phone silence for calls and alarms
• Hopefully future updates will bring additional features such as gesture to show notifications and scrolling through documents (great suggestions from reddit users u/buckozdude/)
• Is Google preparing us for a future without a touch screen and purely gesture UI?

Google Assistant

• Voice activated, swipe from corner (Android 10), or squeeze the sides
• Just seems faster and more responsive due to more on device processing for requests that don't require connectivity
• New colorful integrated design (not a pop-up card) - there's talk that this is not available when phone is connected to G Suites account, but is working for my educational account
• Car accident detection - lets hope I never get to check this, but make sure to activate in settings

Recorder App

• Transcription is spot on and accurate (had fun with a co-worker trying it out)
• Show's a general waveform tied to transcription
• Transcription words are highlighted as you listen to recording
• Search the text of a bunch of recordings to find the one you need

Android Auto

• I have Android Auto again and it works better on the Pixel 4 XL than it ever did on the 3 XL
• More responsive and it's been so long since I used it, there have been some improvements
• Better Google Assistant recognition and response time

Miscellaneous

• Comes with three months of Google One with tech support and 100 Gb storage

Case

• Feitenn Google Pixel 4 XL Wallet Case ($10.00) – I purchased gray, but there are many colors available
• Protects screen when closed
• Protect camera bump from scratches
• Image at the top of the show notes

Reddit Comments

• I asked the Pixel Power Podcast Reddit community for some thoughts

Final Thoughts

• I didn't need a new phone
• If I wasn't doing this podcast, I might have waited another year
• Upgrading my wife to a Pixel 3 XL helped my decision
• If you have a Pixel 3, XL, or a, I would recommend you wait one more year
• The Pixel 4 XL is going to serve me well
• Phone is evolutionary, not revolutionary
• I believe we will see more revolutionary features come via software and many of them may be exclusive to the 4
• Is it me, or can you always tell when an iPhone user reviews a Pixel device?

What'd I miss? Post your comments on the episode Subreddit post comments.

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