
Google Pixel phone leaked before unveiling - nyodeneD
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/03/google-pixel-phone-leak-carphone-warehouse
======
lallysingh
It's a rectangle with a screen in the middle. Like an iPhone without the
button. I didn't need to see a leak to know that, and don't see why this is
news. The smartphone market has become really boring in the last few years.
Does anyone care anymore?

~~~
kbody
If you read they article you'll see they are mentioning feature/specs as well,
including "fingerprint scanners on the back".

~~~
freehunter
IMO the idea of "_____ on the back" is terrible usability. My grandma has an
LG something or other with the volume and power buttons on the back, and every
time I use it, I have to flip the phone over to see which button I'm pushing.
That's fine, I don't use it often. But she uses it every day, and she still
does that. Granted she's super old, but phones aren't made exclusively for
Millennials. My car has controls behind the steering wheel, but for every
control behind the steering wheel there is a control on the dashboard too.
Nothing is exclusively hidden out of sight.

~~~
wstrange
I have a Nexus 6P, and the fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone is
brilliant.

It is very easy to find without looking, and you can unlock the phone one
handed. I actually can't imagine why one would want the fingerprint scanner on
the front of the phone.

~~~
freehunter
Well there's already a button there that I'm already in the process of
pushing. I don't even have to think about if I'm using the fingerprint reader
in an iPhone, I just click the button I was already about to press and it
automatically unlocks the phone as well.

What's the point in having a giant bezel to fit a front button like the Pixel
if you're moving half of the function of that button to the back? Now I have
to specifically place my finger somewhere just so the fingerprint can be read.

I unlock an iPhone one-handed all the time. Just tap the home button. Done.

------
coldpie
But will it fit in my hand??? Still looking for a reasonably-sized replacement
for my 2013 Moto X.

~~~
Yetanfou
Is your 2013 Moto X broken? If not, why replace it? Is it more up-to-date
software you want? If so, go for one of the alternative Android distributions
(eg. Cyanogenmod:
[https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Ghost_Info](https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Ghost_Info)).
Is the battery bad? That can be replaced. Is it not fast enough? It might be
with an alternative Android distribution on it. That phone is only 3 years old
so it does not sound like it is in dire need of replacement (if it isn't
broken to begin with, of course). I still use a 2011 Motorola Defy, others use
devices of similar age. If it still works fine why replace it?

~~~
robocaptain
What's the best way to get the battery replaced on one of these?

~~~
coldpie
There's a pretty good discussion about it here:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/MotoX/comments/4pabyq/my_moto_x_201...](https://www.reddit.com/r/MotoX/comments/4pabyq/my_moto_x_2013_battery_replacement_wasnt/)

------
owenwil
This doesn't really tell us much, other than that it looks like a phone and
seems to run software. There's going to be much more to it than this, I
suspect.

~~~
jasonkostempski
I suspect not.

Edit: Also, I hope not. Mobile phones don't need anymore gimmicks, we just
need removable SD cards and batteries brought back and we'd all be set.

~~~
sangnoir
> I suspect not.

I think there will be other announcements. The Android SVP is certainly hyping
the event: _" We announced the 1st version of Android 8 years ago today. I
have a feeling 8 years from now we'll be talking about Oct 4, 2016."_

------
laurencei
"Most other smartphone manufacturers, including the world’s largest, Samsung,
use Android but do not actively develop the software, only modify it, relying
on Google for primary development."

I never really understand this. Surely Samsung has the technical expertise to
develop an OS to suit their own hardware?

Is it really worth relying on Google to make Android, and then "modify it" to
suit their needs?

It is clear the benefit of Apple having control over the entire product - why
do other large smart phone companies not do this?

~~~
feelix
Because it's (relatively) easy to develop a good OS, or one better than
Android, but it's going to be very difficult to get the 3rd party apps to
support your platform before you have enough users. And you wont get the users
without 3rd party app support.

~~~
Grazester
You mean like how easy it was for Firefox?

~~~
feelix
I said "relatively". That is to say: relative to getting 3rd party app support
from everybody.

------
dagurp
Disappointing change of direction by Google. When they started on Android they
envisioned phones becoming like PC's (i.e. you would buy the hardware and
install whatever software you liked). I realise that phone manufacturers stood
in the way of that somewhat but at least they didn't go full Apple, until now.

~~~
zodiakzz
How is it going "full Apple" when there are still going to be millions of
Android phones manufactured by other companies? Did Microsoft go full Apple
when they released the Surface tablets?

~~~
dagurp
I couldn't comment on the Surface tables but I think that Google were doing
alright with the Nexus devices. Now it feels like they're keeping stuff away
from manufacturers.

------
oxplot
Happy to see 128GB versions at launch. I like to keep my stuff (including
music etc) on my phone and I've had to resort to phones with microSD slots to
date. If this is a "sensibly" specced phone, I might skip modding my N5 with
128GB flash.

EDIT: appears to also have microSD slot!

------
hrgeek
Wouldn't having the fingerprint scanner on the back be annoying sometimes? For
example, when your phone is just laying on the table and you want to quickly
unlock it without picking it up.

------
demarq
Those bezels though... In later updates they need to have a look at what LG
did with the LG G2 and G3.

------
denim_chicken
Since it carries the Pixel name I assume it's gonna be overpriced.

------
sidcool
It seems a cross between Samsung and iPhone.

~~~
mrtksn
Probably that's how the project was briefed to the designers, so...

------
mkagenius
Do we really need more phone?

~~~
dexterdog
More than the previous model, probably not, but for the many of us that are a
few generations behind, yes. I am in the market for an upgrade from my Note3
and I'm paying attention.

