Thoughts on Pixel

I have been a Pixel owner since late August 2024, and it's easily one of the best phones I've owned. I switched from an iPhone 15 Pro, continuing my long-standing, completely accidental tradition of oscillating between iOS and Android. I'd always disliked using Android, I found it clunky and inconsistent. But once I got my Pixel, I realized that it wasn't Android’s fault, it was the fact that I had only used Samsung phones. The Pixel was a breath of fresh air, with its beautiful Material You theming, it's excellent cameras, and good enough performance/battery life. Can't forget the thermometer, too. That's a nice plus.

For the most part, I thought I would be using this phone for my full 3-year contract. It's just that good. I was considering cancelling my $10/mo early upgrade addon and just sticking with the Pixel. When the S25 Ultra came out, I did consider switching, but ultimately decided against it. I love my Pixel, and One UI is awful.

A few days ago, I was out at a mall and went inside my local Apple Store because it had been a while since I last went in there and I just wanted to check it out. I walked in there thinking my Pixel would be laughably better than the iPhones in there, but I left with a different sentiment. After playing around with the demo iPhone briefly, I realized how much I missed iOS. The perfect haptics, the beautifully consistent design, the shockingly robust camera control, and oddly enough, even the lock screen customization menu caught my eye. I started reconsidering why I had stuck with Android, wondering about what I would miss if I switched to iPhone, and there wasn't much. It mostly boiled down to Circle to Search and the slightly better notification system, both of which I could live without. iOS has more benefits and it one-ups Android on nearly everything, in my eyes. Android still hasn't even gotten the photo picker right.

I miss AirDrop, AirPlay, Face ID, iMessage, and so much more. I miss the consistency. 

I'm not saying iOS is better than Android, but the main selling points of Android over iOS don't apply to me. As much as I hate to admit it, I am not a power user. I don't need to install apps outside the store, I don't need to get a terminal running on my phone, and I don't need to change my assistant app. On my Pixel, I am nearly stock everything. Out of all the apps on my phone, ~98% are from the Play Store, and out of all the apps that I use often on my phone, 100% are from the Play Store. The most “power user” thing I've done is using Tasker to make my wallpaper cycle through different images when I turn off my phone, something that iOS has built-in. 

I hate to say it, but in my experience iOS is more stable than Android. The Pixel is a great experience, but only when it works. It is the epitome if “when it works, it works perfect, but when it doesn't work, it really doesn't work.” 

Sometimes the launcher fails to open apps, sometimes Bluetooth with Google’s own Pixel Buds disconnects with no warning, the damned shutter lag in the camera app makes it near impossible to get the perfect shot, the photo picker doesn't have a search bar making it near impossible to find a photo unless it's brand new. Overheating isn't a constant issue like some experience on older Pixels, but occasionally it loves to get almost too warm until I reboot. For every good thing about Pixel, there are 1.5 bad things about it. 

So, I've made the decision. I am going to switch back to iPhone. I've loved the time I've spent with the Pixel, and it still remains in the top 3 of best phones I've ever owned, but unfortunately the other spots (including the #1 spot) are occupied by Apple.