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Google Addresses Pixel 2 XL Display Issues, Pixel 2 Clicking Sounds With Software Updates (phonedog.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from PhoneDog: Google explains that it's been investigating reports about the Pixel 2 XL's display and that this has given it "confidence that [its] displays are as great as [it] hoped they would be". Still, Google will be taking steps to respond to consumer complaints about the screen. Google plans to issue a software update that'll add a "saturated" color mode that will make the colors more saturated and vibrant, but less accurate. This way, consumers that feel the Pixel 2 XL's screen is too muted can punch up the color saturation themselves.

When it comes to burn-in, Google says that its investigations of the Pixel 2 XL's display found that its "decay characteristics are comparable to OLED panels used in other premium smartphones." Google does plan to take further steps to fight burn-in, though, and it's testing an update that'll add a new fade-out of the navigation bar buttons after a short period of inactivity. Google is also working with more apps to use a light navigation bar to match the app's color scheme. Additionally, the update will reduce the maximum brightness of the Pixel 2 XL's screen by 50 nits, which Google says will be "virtually imperceptible". This will reduce load on the display with very little change on its observed brightness. This update will roll out to the Pixel 2 XL "in the next few weeks." Google also touched on the reports that some Pixel 2 phones are emitting some clicking sounds. The company plans to release an update in the coming weeks to address the issue, but until then, it says that Pixel 2 owners can turn off NFC by going into Settings > Connected Devices > NFC.

103 comments

  1. Hereâ(TM)s wrong mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But itâ(TM)s more prettier

  2. Did not address the important issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    How do you turn off tracking and disable the government backdoor?

    1. Re:Did not address the important issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh my sweet summer child. Those things can never be turned off. It's for your own protection. We wouldn't want the terrorists to win, now would we?

    2. Re:Did not address the important issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do you turn off tracking and disable the government backdoor?

      Unfortunately that is a feature, not a bug.

    3. Re:Did not address the important issue by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      Faraday cage protection case.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:Did not address the important issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't login to google account with your phone when you get it.

    5. Re:Did not address the important issue by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      ... you bought a phone from the company most known for its tracking and its ads and you want to disable tracking on a piece of hardware made by them? That's like buying an iPod and bitching about iTunes.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    6. Re: Did not address the important issue by kurkosdr · · Score: 1

      By not forgetting to wear your tinfoil hat darlin'

  3. Does it matter? by 110010001000 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Anyone who is willing to slash out a premium for a smartphone is getting an iPhone, or possibly a Samsung. I have a hard time believing Google is selling > 100k of these to actual customers who are not Google employees.

    1. Re:Does it matter? by Lisandro · · Score: 3, Funny

      The original Pixel sold very well and was deemed the best premium smartphone of 2016 by many.

    2. Re:Does it matter? by grasshoppa · · Score: 1

      There is a market for them. A lot of folks don't like the bloatware on Samsung phones and won't get an Apple, for instance.

      --
      Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
    3. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bought two for my household, and the difference between my last three years of Samsung (Galaxy S5, S7 Edge and S7) and the Pixel 2 is night and day. After using it for one day, I would never willingly purchase another phone that isn't pure Android, as the speed and battery savings are amazing.

    4. Re:Does it matter? by omnichad · · Score: 1

      I won't buy a Samsung because I like plain Android and it's a lot of trouble to put everything back the way I like it. I still want a nice Android phone.

    5. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The original Pixel sold very well and was deemed the best premium smartphone of 2016 by many.

      Sold very well? Are you smoking crack??? Where did you get that idea from?

      The Pixel was just another iteration of the Nexus - the only difference was the marketing (which includes encouraging websites to publish glowing reviews) and the price.

    6. Re:Does it matter? by Lisandro · · Score: 4, Informative
    7. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Pixel 2016 sold +1 million units. Until recently it was impossible to buy one from their store; Google had an awful time meeting demand.

    8. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1 million units is essentially a dud. Windows Phone alone sold 8+ million in 2015.

    9. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you for real? 1 million units in 8 months is a shitload of phones. If you want to compare OSes instead of models though Android as a whole outsells iOS by 4x and Windows Phone by 300x.

    10. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would I get an iPhone and be stuck in Apple's walled app garden or a Samsung and not be able to get latest updates? At least with a Nexus or Pixel phone I have an unlocked phone that I can modify everything except baseband/camera firmware, apply all updates as soon as they come out and choose not to use any walled garden. Don't login to google, don't use the play store.

    11. Re: Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's been no bloatware on Samsung phones for the last couple years at least, the only difference is having an alternative to Google apps like the browser or voice assistant.

    12. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An awful time meeting demand when talking about single-digit millions of devices when real manufacturers are involved usually either means you made something too complex to actually manufacture (yield issues), supply chain constraints, or availability is being artificially kept low (they don't want to manufacture more than they are).

      Also, since when is just over 1 million phones reason to celebrate? HTC is getting death knell articles written about them with 14 million phones shipped in 2016.

      A million phones isn't nothing - it's exactly a million more than I've shipped. But let's not act like they are burning up the market here. The iPhone X isn't even available yet, and they still have a 6+ week backlog of orders even with it's ridiculous price meant to limit demand.

    13. Re:Does it matter? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Of course Android outsells everyone, they're still selling brand new phones that run old Android versions from several major versions ago and marketshare is nothing near the latest OS version.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    14. Re:Does it matter? by Desler · · Score: 1

      Ummm, what? Apple blows past that in preorders alone.

    15. Re: Does it matter? by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      TouchWiz. And I say that as a Sumsung user.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    16. Re:Does it matter? by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      And, so? If the OS and apps work for you - so what? Do we shun those who run older versions of OSX or Linux or Windows as "unworthy of consideration" because of an older OS? Lots of people want to keep iOS at the older version, but with Apple's constant insistence to "UPGRADE NOW!" via nagware, and in some cases update without permission, well - that's not quite equivalent, is it?

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    17. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stay on topic, we are talking about hardware. Compare like for like. But if you want to go down this path, then we should state that Apple makes more profits with iOS phone sales than all the Android phone sales combined.

    18. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not a fan of Samsung. Too many models sharing the Galaxy branding and have non-intuitive model numbers! To use a car analogy, it's like if every car make from Honda to Porsche was just one make and had a bunch of confusing and unhelpful model numbers. I get that Galaxy S8 > S7 > S6, but is a Galaxy Note 8 > Galaxy S8? I'd have to google it. I'm quite happy with my Pixel, or more specifically I guess a Pixel 1, and like iphone's logical model numbers, I know with certainty that Pixel 2>Pixel 1 and can infer that XL stands for eXtra Large so Pixel 2 XL is bigger than a Pixel 2 with stats greater than or equal to the pixel 2. Also, at least on my carrier (Verizon), Samsung phones come with carrier bloatware pre-installed, are slow to receive updates, and come with an unnecessary Samsung launcher whereas Pixels do not.

    19. Re:Does it matter? by Maury+Markowitz · · Score: 1

      > The Pixel 2016 sold +1 million units

      The 2016 iPhone 7, which everyone dismissed, sold 80 million in the same period.

      > Google had an awful time meeting demand.

      Then they suck. Microsoft delivered more phones in that period. MICROSOFT!

    20. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One million sales globally is pathetic. It is right up there with Tesla sales numbers. Apple sells more than that on pre-orders just in the United States.

    21. Re:Does it matter? by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      Google had an awful time meeting demand.

      That's because they planned terribly and their store sucked.

      When it was out of stock, the only option was to keep checking back every day or whatever to see if it was now in stock. Why not let me back order? I'm not a child I can stand waiting but don't make me waste my time checking your website. I just want to order it and be done and not think about it anymore.

      All this during basically the only time they were going to sell any phones in the first place. By the time the device was in stock no one cared anymore the launch hype had been over for months.

    22. Re:Does it matter? by Anubis+IV · · Score: 1

      1 million phones in 8 months only sounds like a huge number until you compare it to the competition. And once you provide that context, it becomes obvious that the linked numbers refute your claim from earlier in the thread that "[t]he original Pixel sold very well".

      For instance, Apple accounts for a minuscule portion of the global market, yet they managed to sell over 50 million iPhones in their most recent financial quarter. Mind you, that's over one quarter, rather than the 8 months your links says it took for the Pixel to reach 1 million. That was also in the quarter that is historically Apple's weakest each year, since it doesn't include any product launches or holidays, whereas the Pixel's sales window included both. Moreover, those numbers were considered bad for Apple, whereas you're trying to suggest that sales of less than 2% that amount over a greater period of time are going "very well". The fact that you ended your original statement by claiming that it "was deemed the best premium smartphone of 2016 by many" doesn't exactly inspire confidence either, since if this was Wikipedia, your sentence would already have a "[who?]" edited onto the end of it.

      I don't mean to rain on Google's parade (I truly do hope that the Pixel takes off in a big way), but 1 million units sold in 8 months for a flagship smartphone is paltry once you put it in context. Hopefully the Pixel 2 does better, but all of the reporting I've been seeing so far is in the vein of this summary and seems to point towards them reaching for the stars but coming up short. Hopefully they'll iron out the kinks, learn their lessons, and do better next time.

    23. Re:Does it matter? by Anubis+IV · · Score: 2

      Are you for real? 1 million units in 8 months is a shitload of phones.

      No, it isn't. The Galaxy Note 7, a flop by all accounts, managed to sell 2.5x that many units in the two weeks it was on sale before Samsung pulled it. In the quarter ending this last April, Apple had what was widely considered to be a bad quarter when they managed to only sell 50 million iPhones.

      1 million only looks like a lot until you look at what others are doing.

    24. Re:Does it matter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, i didn't bring "Windows Phone" into the discussion...

  4. Plan B Software Development by Arzaboa · · Score: 1

    This sounds more like something that was tested as a "feature", not chosen as #1 by the consumer group that tested it, and now played back to the people as though this were a fix.

    --
    "It's a sign" - E. Corp

  5. Make me think of another cie. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Will promise you the perfect device then make it worst with update (like otherOS per example).

  6. OLED Burn-in problems by zifn4b · · Score: 4, Informative

    It would seem that the newer OLED panels suffer more from burn-in than LED. I'm glad this was brought up. I'll be refraining from upgrading to OLED until this sort of thing is made better or a newer technology supersedes it. More details here for those who are interested. The burn-in is not permanent but can occur when a static image is present in as little as 45 minutes. The ghosting is not permanent like older CRT and Plasma screens but it's annoying to have to run through steps to clear it up periodically.

    --
    We'll make great pets
    1. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't know how similar the oleds are between the $10 hobby i2c modules ('maker stuff') and the oled big color screens; but I've built quite a few of the 1.13" i2c oled display projects and one of them has been a gps clock that has been on for at least 2 years now. its display cycles between calendar and some other modes but the display is always on. and its already showing 'lines' of fade, based on which pixels were lit the most.

      on my diy projects, I put the oleds in sockets so they can be replaced later. of course, phones are so ANTI FIX-ME (hardware) that they'd never think of letting users replaced worn out screens. sigh...

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    2. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by thegarbz · · Score: 1, Insightful

      It would seem that the newer OLED panels suffer more from burn-in than LED.

      They do nothing of the sort. It would only seem that specific lemon panels from a specific manufacturer (LG) suffer from burn-in problems.

      Burn-in that isn't permanent and which is fixed without burning adjacent pixels is called a design defect and not a feature of OLED technology.

    3. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by Dan+East · · Score: 4, Informative

      I don't think that's true that OLED burn in is not permanent. I was very surprised to learn it is even possible in this day and age - OLED seemed to be the end-all technology for displays, as the contrast ratio is extremely high and the colors are vivid. I guess everything comes with a downside. Search for OLED burn in on Samsung phones, and you will see it's a serious problem. OLED pixels have a lifespan, and they will gradually wear out and dim over time. It's quite simple - if you have pixels that are consistently at a higher brightness than other pixels, they will wear out sooner and will look different.

      A friend purchased a Samsung Note that has bad burn in. They tried a number of things to fix it (utilities that strobe the display in different colors, etc), and trust me, it is indeed permanent. The title bar and the keyboard areas are permanently ghosted on that phone. It's is most noticeable on bright white screens, as the worn out pixels cannot emit as brightly as the others. The darker the image being displayed the less noticeable it is.

      --
      Better known as 318230.
    4. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      If they make it easy to replace a $50 component, what keeps you buying new $800 phones?

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    5. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by Zorro · · Score: 1

      Return of the Screen Saver!

    6. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's definitely permanent. I picked up a Blackberry Q10 with a Super AMOLED display for next to nothing a few years back. It was a demo unit at the Verizon store, and since it was a Blackberry, it was rarely touched.

      The text input field for the SMS app is permanently burned into the screen. It's a white field on an otherwise black/dark screen, and trust me when I say it's definitely noticeable and nothing will get rid of it. I wasn't too worried about it since I just bought it to play around with, but I'd be pissed if I spent hundreds or more dollars on a phone and it ended up burning in like that.

    7. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      I don't think that's true that OLED burn in is not permanent. I was very surprised to learn it is even possible in this day and age - OLED seemed to be the end-all technology for displays, as the contrast ratio is extremely high and the colors are vivid. I guess everything comes with a downside. Search for OLED burn in on Samsung phones, and you will see it's a serious problem. OLED pixels have a lifespan, and they will gradually wear out and dim over time. It's quite simple - if you have pixels that are consistently at a higher brightness than other pixels, they will wear out sooner and will look different.

      No, OLEDs always wore out. It's just these days the lifetimes have been lengthened considerably from the early days, though blue has always been somewhat vulnerable for wearing out the quickest.

      You have to remember that Samsung AMOLED is the most mature technology, having been around for a few years now. Sony tried with the SED OLED (used in their OLED TVs years ago), while LG has their own.

      The holy grail for screen technology isn't OLED though - ti's micro-LED. Micro LED displays are similar to OLED, except instead of an organic material being used, it's standard miniaturized LEDs. Since it's the organic part is what wears out, micro LEDs would theoretically last longer

    8. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

      Oled has been suffering from burn in since day zero. Hence i always have been staying away from Oled TVs.
      Not sure if this problem is even entirely fixable you can hack around it to some degree.

    9. Re:OLED Burn-in problems by rickyslashdot · · Score: 1

      Let's review a couple of items - OLED are BRIGHTER and MORE VIVID, but suffer BURN-IN failure issues.
      RESOLUTION - DON'T fix the burn-in issue, just reduce the brightness and contrast - well, GOLLY-GEE - - - now we are reverting to the older LED display illumination and contrast - so just fork over the $$$ for the NEWEST_&_BEST technology, and then cripple it so it doesn't damage the screen - OR . . . just remain with the current development level of LEDs and save the NEW_OLED tech for those that just MUST have the latest and greatest.

      Sorry for the sarcasm (but only a little bit), but it's kinda' like throttling the efficiency of any device just to make sure it doesn't meet an early end-of-life failure.

      Make it GREAT, find a FLAW, fix the FLAW by making it NOT-SO-GREAT. Where's the advantage, other than to the mfgr who charges for the premium feature, then charges again to downgrade that feature to keep from failing early.

      cheers . . .

      --
      redneck geek
  7. NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by XXongo · · Score: 0
    "until then, it says that Pixel 2 owners can turn off NFC by going into Settings > Connected Devices > NFC."

    What is NFC, and why is that related to clicking noises?

    Enough with the TLAs, ok?

    1. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by TheCycoONE · · Score: 3, Informative

      Near field communication is what it is; and wikipedia knows more about it than I do: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      If you don't want to read that: It's a wireless communication protocol that requires very close proximity, used for mobile payment, and sometimes to transfer settings to new phones.

      Why is that related to the clicking noise? Well my first guess of interference is thrown out by the fact that they can fix it in software; maybe someone can shed light on this?

    2. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2

      What is NFC, and why is that related to clicking noises?

      If you google on "TCP/IP Over Bongo Drums", you'll find that NFC on smartphones clicks because the phones are so small. If the Pixel was the size of a Bongo Drum, the NFC would sound like a Bongo Drum, but the test consumer target group wasn't very comfortable with Bongo Drum sized smartphones.

      On the other hand, test consumer target groups have responded very positively to shoe phones, the only complaint being the whining emitted from Agent 13 hiding in the shoes.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    3. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "until then, it says that Pixel 2 owners can turn off NFC by going into Settings > Connected Devices > NFC."

      What is NFC, and why is that related to clicking noises?

      Enough with the TLAs, ok?

      How the hell do you not know what NFC is by now?

    4. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by burtosis · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The clicking noises are probably noise leaking into the audio amplifier from the modulation of the NFC radio. The frequency of the radio is out of hearing range but the modulation is not, and intermodulation can appear as low frequency noise. My iPhone lte radio has done the same thing to land lines on several occasions.

    5. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is the cancer killing Slashdot. Near 4 million UID users that are complete tards.

    6. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      Every GSM phone has done this to any amplifier and speaker within a foot or so when the radio was active. Was super annoying and I'm glad it's gone with the shift to LTE.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    7. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because he's a lazy git that doesn't realize that complaining about everything not being spoon-fed to him with airplane noises takes far more time than it would have to put 4 keystrokes into the search bar on his browser (N-key, F-key, C-key, enter) and find the answer himself.

      I mean, it's only a technology that's been around for about 15 years now. How can he be expected to keep up with all this cutting edge nonsense that ships on literally every phone worth talking about? I'll bet RFID is a magical mystery to him too.

      Oh noes, he's probably going to bitch about another acronym now! Reply in advance: don't be a lazy git and look it up yourself. Stop being dependent on others for the simplest shit ever.

    8. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe /. isn't the right site for you.

    9. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by Ingenium13 · · Score: 1

      It's not related to both noises being reported. I got a Pixel 2 XL and it's currently being RMAd for a dead pixel and for this reason. The noise is like a static, interference hiss that lasts about a second or so then goes away, and comes back again anywhere from 1-10 seconds later. It was not related to NFC for me, I disabled it and still had the issue. It seems to be more linked to wifi. My switch lights would all flash the moment the noise began, such as a broadcast packet being sent. I'm assuming it's actually a grounding or shielding issue, since the noise is very clearly something inducing a current in the speaker.

      That being said, my phone also could not see GLONASS navigation satellites (other Pixel 2 XLs could), so I had more RF issues than just the earpiece noise.

    10. Re:NFC is TDM TLA, SEA, OK? by Ingenium13 · · Score: 1

      It's not the cause of both interference related noises. Mine was not caused by NFC (disabling it did not fix it). It seemed instead to be linked to wifi activity, and was very clearly caused by current being induced in the speaker. My phone also was unable to receive GLONASS navigation signals (other Pixel 2 XLs could), so I had more RF issues than just the earpiece speaker. Anyway, it's being RMAd currently, we'll see if the next one has the same issues.

  8. I don't think that word means what you think it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There seems to be a discrepancy between the title of the story, and the summary... The title says Google addressed, and the summary says Google plans to release. To me it sounds like they haven't addressed anything yet. Shouldn't we wait to see if their software "fix" fixes anything before claiming they've addressed the issue...

  9. MicroSD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And the missing MicroSD slot? And the lack of a close app feature on apps? And the "we have shut two apps to save power" for apps I wanted to close days ago when I finished with them, but couldn't because you won't let users close apps? And the lack of features compared to the OEM phones? And the missing audio jack? And the annoying way it closes apps in the background I want to keep running?

    These masturbation phones from Google do not sell in large quantities and until they decide to make phones to suite customers, rather than Google own agendas they really won't sell.

    Look at the lack of excitement over the Chromebook Pixel coming out.... you Google lot merged Chrome OS and Android, Android users want a big Android tablet suitable for touch, not a WIMP interface. ChromeOS users wanted a locked down OS that grandma wouldn't break. You merged them because they're both Google projects, and Pinchai was ChromeOS lead. Not because customers were crying out for a merge. So Android was crippled in the tablet market to make way for FrankenOS. Instead of addressing Android's shortcomings on large tablets, you made a system more suited to a mouse, with a 90's style trackpad to boot than fix the actual problems users and reviewers report with these large tablets.

    Shark+jump+Google.

    1. Re:MicroSD? by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      I've not used a Pixel device, but is there really a lack of a close app control? I can do that just fine on my Shield K1 tablet, but it is a software button - did they remove this because... reasons?

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  10. Re:I don't think that word means what you think it by tsqr · · Score: 1

    There seems to be a discrepancy between the title of the story, and the summary... The title says Google addressed, and the summary says Google plans to release. To me it sounds like they haven't addressed anything yet. Shouldn't we wait to see if their software "fix" fixes anything before claiming they've addressed the issue...

    "Addressed" means "spoke about". As opposed to, "released fix for", which is what you seem to be looking for.

  11. There is also the blue screen problem by Streetlight · · Score: 1

    Apparently, the new Pixel 2 XL screens made by LG have a blue tint. No comments from Google about that problem.

    --
    In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell
    1. Re:There is also the blue screen problem by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

      If they are changing the color saturation they can surely add a RGB adjustment as easily.

    2. Re:There is also the blue screen problem by Streetlight · · Score: 1

      Google's answer is basically. "You are not holding it right."

      https://i.imgur.com/cqBAsNR.pn...

      --
      In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell
    3. Re:There is also the blue screen problem by Bongo · · Score: 1

      Users are holding it at the wrong angle.

    4. Re:There is also the blue screen problem by Desler · · Score: 1

      They commented on that by simply handwaving it away claiming you are holding it wrong.

    5. Re:There is also the blue screen problem by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      The issue is a (large) blue shift when viewed from an off angle (as little at 15 degrees). I have a Pixel 2XL. It's real and is present on every phone.

  12. Let's start with the easy part by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The stark white background. Try a pale shade of blue,or gray. Not rocket science;using an extension to do this, however gives the browser unnecessary excess baggage and too many options or settings that remind one of KDE. I'm not saying this fixes the problem; but it does buy Google engineers some time to craft a hardware solution; the bean counters will cream their knickers at the phrase authorized repair; legal will carefully word an announcement that avoids use of the word recall.

    TSA will add another item to their list of banned items, Google Pixel appearing right above Laptops and Lithium Ion batteries and canned hairspray

    1. Re:Let's start with the easy part by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would TSA ban the Pixel 2 cellular phone?

  13. OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by Paradroid888 · · Score: 1

    When the iPhone X launched and they showed how you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get back to home, I thought it was a bit odd, but their decision to avoid onscreen buttons does look smart now they've switched to OLED. Will Android follow suit now that phones are converging on an all-screen front with no hardware buttons?

    1. Re: OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When the iPhone X launched and they showed how you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to get back to home, I thought it was a bit odd, but their decision to avoid onscreen buttons does look smart now they've switched to OLED. Will Android follow suit now that phones are converging on an all-screen front with no hardware buttons?

      Expansive desktop has been a configurable option in Android for a very long time, I've used it on my last 3 Android phones.

      Apple ripped it off Android.

    2. Re:OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      Will Android follow suit now that phones are converging on an all-screen front with no hardware buttons?

      I don't know, did iOS phones start going in that direction after Samsung released the S8?

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    3. Re:OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The X replaced TouchID with FaceID, therefore there is no need for a physical or on-screen button. Also, Samsung will have to come up with better biometric security rather than rely on simple photographic verification which can be fooled with a picture of the face or eye.

    4. Re:OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      The S8 has no physical home button, Apple didn't invent that. Too bad Apple advises people who are under 13 or have siblings to not use FaceID; Samsung's retina unock would likely be an ideal solution for them.

      Apple did innovate in the screen-notch market, though. Real courage!

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    5. Re:OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The S8 has no physical home button, Apple didn't invent that.

      I didn't say they did invent it. Do you have shit for brains?

      Samsung's retina unock would likely be an ideal solution for them.

      No. Those under 13 or twins will affect the Sansung biometric authentication too. Also, their implementation uses a camera to do simple photographic matching and can be fooled with pictures of the user's face or eyes. Whereas Apple's method uses a sensor that records infrared dots projected onto the face. I am not saying this method is perfect, but there is no demonstrated way to fool the system at this point.

    6. Re:OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by BronsCon · · Score: 1

      Those under 13 or twins will affect the Sansung biometric authentication too.

      Eh? Your retinas don't change drastically as you enter adulthood, nor do twins have identical retinas.

      Also, their implementation uses a camera to do simple photographic matching and can be fooled with pictures of the user's face or eyes.

      Eh? Email me. We'll set up a time and place to meet, you take and print a picture of my eyes, and go ahead an unlock my S8 Plus. You can have the phone and $100 cash if it works. The truth is you need a bit more than just a photo of my eyes to unlock my phone. Can it be bypassed? Indeed, but it's a bit more involved than just grabbing a pic off Facebook. You need a photo taken form the right distance and angle, with the right type of camera, using the right type of lens, a bit of luck in capturing the iris structures accurately enough, printed using a specific printer (they found a single model that worked for this), and a contact lens. A camera capable of taking the necessary photo is going to be on the large side, a proper DSLR or mirrorless with a 200mm lens, to the point that you aren't going to hide yourself taking several shots at 5 meters directly in front of my gaze as I'm looking right at you (the only way to get a good photo for this purpose).

      I am not saying this method is perfect, but there is no demonstrated way to fool the system at this point.

      Other than being the owner's twin, you mean? If you can't pull that off, you can always just knock the owner unconscious, slide their eyes open, and hold the phone in front of their face. Incidentally, that both requires less stealth, precision, and equipment than the S8 retina scan hack and works on both the iPhone X and the S8.

      I am not saying this method is perfect, but there is no demonstrated way to fool the system at this point.

      The only reason FaceID hasn't been publicly cracked yet is because it isn't yet in the hands of anyone outside of Apple. I give it until November 5; it comes out on the 3rd.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    7. Re:OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you do have shit for brains. Does it move from side to side as you walk or is it a hard turd?

    8. Re:OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by BronsCon · · Score: 1
      You do realize that FaceID is the same technology Microsoft used for Hello, right? . FaceID was cracked before Apple implemented it and we'll see this when security researchers get their hands on it. From the lined article:

      After all, even 3-D facial recognition systems have been spoofed before: Two years ago Berlin-based SR Labs used a plaster mold of a test subject's face to cast a model that beat Microsoft's Hello facial recognition system. That setup was implemented in multiple brands of laptops and used the same sort of infrared depth-sensing cameras [as the iPhone X].

      I'd venture to guess that the one of us who doesn't understand why FaceID has not yet been publicly put to shame is the one with shit for brains, if you wish to insist that one of us does. That's on you, though.

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
    9. Re:OLED and onscreen buttons - bad match? by BronsCon · · Score: 1
      ugh... Botched the link. That first line should be:

      You do realize that FaceID is the same technology Microsoft used for Hello, right? It's been cracked. FaceID was cracked before Apple implemented it and we'll see this when security researchers get their hands on it. From the lined article:

      --
      APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
  14. Google Masters of Lip-Service by thegarbz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Apparently Google judged the burn-in on their displays in line with the industry despite problems being reported in the first few weeks where as industry standard is for the situation to be unnoticeable for several years.

    Apparently the screen is fine but we'll make software changes to make the totally not problematic screen less likely to cause a problem which totally doesn't exist in the first place.

    Apparently Google's answer to problems with display colours changing with viewing angles are a software update to make them more saturated?

    Like what the heck? Why not just give customers the middle finger? At least there would be less reading involved.

    1. Re:Google Masters of Lip-Service by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

      On the one hand, you're right that maybe this means that the specs aren't up to what was advertised... on the other is it different than having a lithium battery say its 0-100% is the 'safe range' subset of capacity rather than the actual physical/chemical capacity of the cells?

    2. Re:Google Masters of Lip-Service by Paradroid888 · · Score: 1

      Well, they deliberately avoided the issue of the blue tint on viewing angles - don't think they had much choice there, they would have been well aware of that prior to launch. More and more it seems like they had to choose this panel because of supply issues.

    3. Re:Google Masters of Lip-Service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...problems with display colours changing with viewing angles...

      Wait, so if I'm hearing this correctly, the users are simply holding it wrong?

    4. Re:Google Masters of Lip-Service by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Nothing. But I was equally critical of Samsung's software patch for the Note 7. Just don't claim everything is fine while you're pushing out patches to fix the issues you claim aren't issues.

    5. Re:Google Masters of Lip-Service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google has not addressed the screen graininess. There is no way to fix this issue because it is a characteristic of the panel. LG has always had lower quality screens compared to Samsung. This reminds me of a problem a few years back when ghosting and yellow tint issues were found on Macs with panels made by LG while the Samsung panels were fine. The XL screen is a lower quality part compared to Samsung panel in the non-XL.

  15. Re:This exactlly. by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    How do I know that Apple is such a good citizen themselves? I am getting a new iPhone, not due to some loyalty or trust towards apple, but just the fact I have some paid apps that I don't want to purchase again, and still more apps are made for iOS then Android. Android Phones and the Pixel isn't necessarily a bad phone.

    Don't worry there are plenty of excuses of saying what your choice to get an iPhone is a good one vs getting an Android. Also if you want an Android you can get a bunch of different excuses to show why that is a better product.

    I have seen a speed test comparison of the Pixel/2 vs the iPhone 8. The Pixel/2 held its own fairly well. It just failed when it needed to do some big processing job, But it seemed to be faster with smaller jobs, and loading data.

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    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  16. TCP/IP Over Bongo Drums by XXongo · · Score: 1

    Ooh! I really really want to implement TCP/IP Over Bongo Drums, but I don't think that's supported on Red Hat. If I install Ubuntu, are there third party bongo providers?

  17. Re:This exactlly. by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    I'm sorry but the iPhone 8 and iPhone X are crap. The best phone on the market right now is the iPhone SE.

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    #DeleteFacebook
  18. Time Traveler's Solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You take a time machine to the 1800s and bask in the knowledge that your phone can't be tapped because phones have not been invented yet...

  19. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I guess we are just looking at it wrong?

  20. Had a problem within 24 hours: Love it anyway. by bbsguru · · Score: 3, Interesting
    OK, Got my Pixel 2 XL a couple of days ago. At the end of my first day of use, I put the phone on the charger, then noticed about an hour later it was flickering and flashing like crazy. Unplugged it but it kept up, so I did a power-Restart. Flickering stopped, but there was a 1/4" spot at the left edge of the screen near the bottom bar that looked like the old "leaky LCD", with a streak of lightness going across the whole screen. A smaller spot was midway up on the right side, with a similar light streak.
    WTF?
    After another power cycle failed to clear it, I called Google, who immediately arranged for a replacement to be shipped (Thanks Google!). I really expected to hear something about some process I should go through to 'fix it' in some way. After another day of use, the problem HAS been reduced. In fact, if it were no worse that this in the first place I would likely not have called at all. Meanwhile, I'm charging it with power off to be safe.

    Bottom line, I still like this phone very much. It's wonderfully fast, and easier on the hand than my Nexus 6 was. The prompt replacement just reinforces my already long and happy relationship with Google hardware.

    1. Re:Had a problem within 24 hours: Love it anyway. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pixel2 owner here as well... still no issues. (I don't use NFC, so dunno what everyone is talking about). Literally the best phone I've ever used (so far)... wish it was a bit smaller (it's nearly identical in size/feel to Nexus 5X, which is a bit larger than original Pixel this one replaced---takes a bit of time to get used to a slightly bigger phone).

  21. But we got to give the credit for.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Giving a workaround for the clicking, they could simply said that it's a nonexisting problem but instead they accepted it and gave us a very easy fix by turning of a feature that nearly anyone uses anyway.

  22. Re: This exactlly. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You think Apple is any better? They just keep it closed source so you can't see it.

  23. Re: This exactlly. by kurkosdr · · Score: 1

    Of course, Android is the only major mobile OS that doesn't force you to use the vendor's services in order to use the OS. You don't even have to use the Google Play Store service. There is F-Droid and Amazon's App Store and you can sideload those stores as apk files using Bluetooth. Instead, you have to use Apple's App Store if you want to install any app on your device. But please, don't let facts get between you and your beliefs. Google is teh ebil, I luvs you Apple!!!111

  24. Re:This exactlly. by Maury+Markowitz · · Score: 1

    > How do I know that Apple is such a good citizen themselves?

    A perfectly valid question. But then what's this...

    > Android Phones and the Pixel isn't necessarily a bad phone.

    What does that have to do with your first statement?

    The OP is saying you shouldn't buy a phone from a company who's primary business is tracking you. You can agree or disagree with that statement, but you went really non-linear there.

  25. Re:This exactlly. by Powercntrl · · Score: 1

    I'm sorry but the iPhone 8 and iPhone X are crap. The best phone on the market right now is the iPhone SE.

    Not sure if you're being sarcastic, but there's only two choices if you want a current generation only choice. Because somewhere along the line, every Android phone manufacturer simply decided to concede that market to Apple.

    --

    ---
    DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
  26. Re:This exactlly. by Powercntrl · · Score: 1

    Somehow part of my post disappeared, and I didn't pay attention to the preview. It was supposed to read:

    Not sure if you're being sarcastic, but there's only two choices if you want a current generation sub-5" smartphone: Sony's Xperia Compact line, or the iPhone. If you want a 4" smartphone that isn't a clamshell packaged pile of crap, permanently stuck on an outdated version of Android, the iPhone SE is your only choice. Because somewhere along the line, every Android phone manufacturer simply decided to concede that market to Apple.

    --

    ---
    DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
  27. Re: This exactlly. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apparently you completely ignored where the person he responded to said the phone was a POS literally right before taking about privacy issues?

  28. Re:This exactlly. by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    The iPhone SE is the perfect size and still has a headphone jack. It's two wins vs the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X.

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    #DeleteFacebook