Google Pixel Smartphones

2023: Google's $1,800 flexible smartphones break down on second day after purchase

At the end of June 2023, after the first devices arrived to customers on the Internet, there were complaints about problems with the flexible screen in the Google Pixel Fold smartphone, which cost $1800. Some users' devices broke down on the second day after purchase.

On the Reddit forum, users post photos of their screens that crashed after one day of use. Users reported that Google had filed applications with the attached photos and that the company would need 24 to 48 hours to respond. According to Google, this really looks like a display defect and that the company will send a replacement.

Google Pixel Fold with broken screen

According to Ron Amadeo of ArsTechnica, his Pixel Fold's screen was damaged by a small shard. Since the protective film for the Pixel Fold's internal display does not cover the entire OLED display underneath, Amadeo suggests that the pressure from the small shard caused damage to the screen. He also explained this by the fact that the Pixel Fold smartphone folds absolutely evenly, without bumpers and guides that could leave a few millimeters of space in the closed position.

According to Cnet, other foldable phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Flip, also faced problems peeling off the internal screen and other hinge-related breakdowns. Early press samples of the first Galaxy Fold had so many problems that Samsung delayed the launch of the device.

Folding screens are a complex engineering problem. Fragile displays are not covered with a layer of glass, as in traditional smartphones. Instead, manufacturers use Ultra Thin Glass - an ultra-thin glass that allows you to fold the display at extreme angles. In addition, for additional protection, manufacturers from the plant add a plastic screen protector. But even so, if pieces of material fall under a plastic protective screen, they can press the screen, causing damage. Google is providing spare parts for Pixel Fold on iFixit if users want to try to fix the phone's breakdown themselves.^[1]

2022: Google to pay millions for cheating in smartphone ads

On November 28, 2022, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement of the conflict with Google (owned by Alphabet holding) and iHeartMedia. In the process, which turned into a fine for Google, seven American states participated.

We are talking about false advertising of Pixel 4 smartphones on radio stations. According to FTC documents, in 2019 Google turned to iHeartMedia and 11 other radio networks to promote the Pixel 4 family of devices. In 2019 and 2020. the presenters broadcast about 29 thousand misleading messages about the capabilities of smartphones and their experience in using them. The ads were broadcast in English and Spanish. In fact, most of the leading smartphones were not provided for testing.

Google and iHeartMedia paid influencers to promote products they never used, showing blatant disrespect for advertising market rules, the FTC said.

Regulators in New York, Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts and Texas took part in the proceedings. Pixel 4 radio ads were found to have violated consumer laws. According to the case file, the IT giant Google paid more than $2.6 million to iHeartRadio and almost $2 million to other radio networks. In particular, the capabilities of smartphones were actively advertised in terms of photography (including in the dark), interaction with the intelligent voice assistant Google Assistant, etc.

As part of the settlement of the conflict, Google and iHeartRadio will pay a fine of $9.4 million. In addition, companies are prohibited from broadcasting ads containing information that could mislead consumers. Google, commenting on the agreement reached, said they were happy to solve this problem. The company emphasizes that it takes advertising laws as seriously as possible.^[2]

2021

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro announced on Google Tensor chip

On October 19, 2021, Google introduced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones, which will run on the Google Tensor chip for the first time instead of the Qualcomm processor. According to the developers, their single-chip system is 80% faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 in the Pixel 5, and the built-in 20-core graphics chip is 370% faster.

Google's Tensor chip allows you to remove items from photos, such as a photobomb or an interfering object in the background using a feature called, a magic eraser. Other improvements to the camera include face blur, which eliminates the blur itself from the moving object and provides a more accurate transmission of skin tone. Tensor also allows voice dictating in more places, even with a strong hum. The system on the Google Tensor chip combines a processor with two high-performance cores, two medium and four energy efficient ones, a 20-core graphics chip, a machine learning processing engine, a signal processor for image processing, a context engine, and a security chip.

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro on Google Tensor chip

Tensor also includes a function, live chat translation, and voice dialing, so the user can start typing and it will automatically translate into another language. This function works with the following languages: English, French, Japanese, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Polish, as well as Russian. The live translation function also applies to subtitles, an audio recorder and a camera. As for the credits, when watching video or listening to audio, your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro can display the translation of French, German, Italian or Japanese into English, but the feature is still in beta.

Google's Pixel phones can help you combat spam calls and messages, including on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram, with features to block such calls and messages and alerts if the device suspects someone is trying to trick you into asking for your password.

The Pixel 6 packs a 6.4-inch display, while the Pixel 6 Pro has a sharper 6.7-inch screen. Both have high refresh rates like Samsung's S21 phones and Apple's more expensive iPhone 13 Pro models, making scrolling smoother. Both models are equipped with high-resolution wide-angle cameras for clear images and ultra-wide-angle lenses that allow you to fit more into each picture. But the Pixel 6 Pro adds a third telephoto lens for 4x optical zoom. Plus, the Pixel 6 Pro has a clearer front camera than the Pixel 6. The Pixel 6 Pro also has extra memory, which can speed up work if you run a lot of apps at the same time. The Pixel 6 Pro can come with up to 512GB of storage, while the Pixel 6 has 256GB. Both phones come with 128GB in the initial configuration.

Google's Pixel phones charge to 50% in just 30 minutes. However, as with the new Samsung and Apple phones, Google does not include a charger, so you will have to purchase your own 30-watt USB-C plug to work. The Pixel 6 packs a large 4,600mAh battery and the Pixel 6 Pro packs a 5,000mAh battery.^[3]

Pixel 6 release plan on its own processor

Alphabet Inc said its upcoming flagship phones, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, will be powered by new in-house Tensor chips.

Previously, it Google used processors Qualcomm in all of its Pixel phones, starting with the first models released in 2016.

Google did not provide technical specifications for its new processor, but the company developed this component involving several former Apple engineers.

2019

Pixel 4 and  Pixel 4 XL announcement with radar that accurately detects hand movements

On October 15, 2019, Google unveiled the flagship Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL smartphones, which use radar for the first time on the market.

This high-precision sensor recognizes gestures (wave of the hand, clenched fist, crossed fingers, etc.), allowing you to control the device using gestures without touching the display. Simply waving your hands in the air, you can, for example, switch musical compositions in the player, adjust the volume of the sound or reject calls.

Thanks to this technology, the developers, according to them, implemented the fastest face unlock: the phone reacts to movement even before the user picks it up.

Google has unveiled the world's first smartphone with radar. It accurately recognizes hand movements

New items come in two sizes, 5.7 and 6.3 inches, and three colors - black, white and orange (the latter will be released in a limited edition). Apart from size, phones are no different.

Google paid special attention to the capabilities of the dual camera. A 16 megapixel module was added to the main one at 12 megapixels. The camera also supports super zoom and Live HDR + technology. HDR + allows you to put multiple photos into one for better quality. In the Pixel 4, the technology works in real time, which allows you to immediately see what the picture will be like.

The voice recorder on the Pixel 4 is equipped with artificial intelligence. It allows you to transcribe recorded audio into text in real time, and then search for a particular phrase in this text.

The smartphones are based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. The amount of RAM is 6 GB, the built-in memory can be 64 or 128. It is possible to work with one physical and one virtual SIM card (eSIM).

The models support 18-watt USB Power Delivery charging and wireless charging. The cases are made of metal and glass and have water protection according to IP68.

The phones are equipped with NFC, Titan M security module and Pixel Neural Core neural processor.  Thanks to the latter, the camera application can process HDR + in real time, immediately showing approximate results to the user on the screen^[4]

Google pays $5 for face image

In late July 2019, Google announced a face recognition unlocking feature for the new Pixel 4 smartphone. To improve the previous version of the software, Google decided to publicly collect the necessary data, for which it offered users $5 gift certificates in exchange for face scans.

Google aims to improve face unlock feature by paying people to use their physical data

A company spokesman confirmed that the purpose of the scan is to make sure that there are no systematic errors in the operation of AI. Biometric systems, including facial recognition technologies, improve the operation of their algorithms by evaluating huge databases, but with insufficient diversity, such systems can have serious problems. These difficulties are especially acute when recognizing the faces of non-Eurasian women, faced with which the system often fails.

To rid the Pixel 4 of these flaws, Google needs to train AI on a brand new photo base that reflects the real diversity of the planet's inhabitants. Google therefore creates a representative sample taking into account gender, age, ethnicity and other factors. The new AI should also be able to adapt to the time of day and the level of lighting in the room, so Google employees enter this data into the database.

The received data will be stored for 18 months, but the user can at any time request the removal of his photo from the database. Google notes that each photo is assigned an impersonal identification number, and the materials themselves will be encrypted. As for the operation of the smartphone, the system will perform all calculations on the device itself, so that the images obtained during operation will never get into the network and will not be transmitted to other Google services. Other sensors that ensure the safety of the smartphone will work in the same way.^[5]

Google will pay $7.3 million for the deliberate sale of defective smartphones

On May 14, 2019, Google announced a settlement of a class action lawsuit, the initiators of which accused the company of knowingly selling defective smartphones.

The first generation Google Pixel phones have a problem with microphones and audio codecs: voice communication disappears, and the problem was also common for new devices. The main cause of the defect is a factory defect. Back in 2017, Google recognized the malfunction and explained it by the occurrence of cracks in fiber optic connections when soldering an audio codec, which caused the vulnerability of the microphone and its breakdown.

Google will pay owners of faulty Google Pixel phones up to $500

In connection with this problem, a class action lawsuit was filed against Google. The company was aware of the defect but continued to sell faulty smartphones even as complaints turned massive, the plaintiffs said.

In mid-May 2019, Google agreed to pay compensation. The maximum amount per user is limited to $500. Those who bought with a Pixel with a marriage and exchanged it under warranty for a new device in which the breakdown remained can count on such a refund. If the defective device has not been replaced, then a payment of $350 is due.

In addition, Google will reimburse the deductible - the minimum amount of damage not covered by the insurance policy - for gadget insurance. All other Google Pixel owners will receive up to $20, even if the tubes did not have a problem with the microphone.

The total amount of Google's expenses for resolving a class action lawsuit from owners of faulty smartphones is estimated at $7.3 million.

Earlier in 2019, Google and Huawei agreed to pay up to $9.75 million to owners of non-working Nexus 6P smartphones, which were going into a cyclical reboot. LG has also settled a similar proceeding against several Android phones, including the Google Nexus 5X.^[6]

Pixel 3а и Pixel 3a XL

On May 7, 2019, Google introduced two smartphones in the Pixel line, retaining the main features of the older versions, but having a much lower price - Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL.

According to the company, as in the older versions, the main difference between smartphones and each other is in size. The Pixel 3a has a 5.6-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2220 by 1080 pixels, while the Pixel 3a XL has a screen size of 6 inches. In addition, the Pixel 3a has a 3000 milliampere-hour battery, and the Pixel 3a XL has a capacity of 3700 milliampere-hours. Otherwise, the characteristics of smartphones are similar. They have four gigabytes of RAM and from 64 to 128 gigabytes of permanent memory, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor, a main camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels and a front eight-megapixel camera, as well as a 3.5 mm audio jack. Both devices received a polymer case with one of three colors: black, white and purple. Smartphones run Android 9.0 and Google guarantees Android updates and security patches for three years after release. The Pixel 3a and 3a XL will go on sale in 13 countries (Russia is not among them) since the presentation, priced from $399 for the younger version and from $479 for the older one.^[7]

It was possible to reduce the price of the Pixel 3A and 3A XL not only by installing a less powerful central processor. The materials of the case were also cheaper - Google completely abandoned the glass coating on the back panel, which was the hallmark of all three generations of Pixels. Here the glass has been replaced with ordinary glossy plastic, in other words, both smartphones are now completely plastic, even without metal design elements. The reinforced Gorilla Glass disappeared from the front panel - it was replaced by a more affordable analogue of Dragon Trail. In addition, support for wireless charging and protection against moisture and dust have disappeared from the specifications of smartphones.

Cameras are the main advantage of both smartphones. Like the older Pixel 3 models, it uses a single main Sony IMX363 sensor with a resolution of 12.2 megapixels and pixels of 1.4 microns, equipped with f/1.8 aperture optics. The image sensor is complemented by an optical stabilizer and a set algorithms of image quality improvements - the main feature of the "Pixel" series. This includes, among other things, the Night Sight mode for shooting without a flash in low light - in twilight or light-up night lighting of city streets. The camera in the Pixel 3 (and now in the Pixel 3a) has Super Res Zoom mode, which allows you to zoom in on objects using artificial intelligence both digital zoom and maintain the highest possible image quality.

One of the Pixel 3a's interesting exclusive features is augmented reality mode in the Google Maps app, which will display navigation arrows superimposed on camera images in real time.^[8]

2018: Google Pixel 3 и Pixel 3 XL

On October 10, 2018, Google introduced the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones.

Both Pixel 3 series smartphones are made in aluminum alloy cases and are equipped with LCD displays based on OLED matrices, as well as protection using the Gorilla Glass 5 glass panel - from both the front and back of the case.

The older Pixel 3 XL is equipped with a 6.3-inch screen with a resolution of 2960 × 1440 pixels, an aspect ratio of 18.5: 9 and a characteristic "monobrow." The more affordable Pixel 3 model received a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2160 × 1080 pixels, an aspect ratio of 18:9 and no "monobrow." Representatives of the company stressed that, despite the increased diagonal of the screens compared to the Pixel 2, the dimensions of the Pixel 3 smartphones remained almost the same as achieved by narrower frames around the screens.

Pixel 3 smartphone screens support Always On technology, extended dynamic range (HDR) and numerous color modes, including the option to increase color saturation with an increase in sRGB gamut color gamut by 10%. Both models of the Pixel 3 series are equipped biometric scanner on the back. Protection against moisture and dust has been brought to the level of the IP68 standard, which allows the gadget to be immersed in water to a depth of 2 m for half an hour without consequences for performance, Google emphasized.

The hardware platform of Google Pixel 3 smartphones is an 8-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 mobile with integrated Adreno 630 graphics, but with an increased clock frequency of computing cores to 2.5 GHz (versus the standard 2.3 GHz). In addition, the smartphones received an additional Titan chip, providing additional security at the hardware level.

Both Pixel 3 models will come with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB onboard storage. The built-in stereo speakers are located on the front - in the upper frame (in the "monobrow" of the XL model) and under the screen. Instead of the classic 3.5mm audio connector for headsets, Pixel 3 smartphones use a standard USB Type-C port, while the headset is connected via the supplied adapter.

Google's flagship Pixel 3 XL has a 3,430mAh battery, while the base Pixel 3 is equipped with a 2,915mAh battery. The standard charger with USB Type-C 3.1 interface, supplied with smartphones, has increased power - 18 W versus 10.5 18 W for Pixel 3 models. According to Google, the presented smartphones are capable of playing video on a single charge for 11 hours, while recharging for 15 minutes is enough for the battery life of the smartphone for about 7 hours.

Smartphones of the Google Pixel 3 series have acquired Qi wireless charging. Presented simultaneously with smartphones, the Pixel Stand docking station provides 10W power.

As noted in Google, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones received a main camera based on a single 1/2.55-inch 12.2 MP sensor (pixel size 1.4 microns) with optical stabilization, dual phase autofocus Dual Pixel PDAF and wide-angle optics with f/1.8 aperture. The front selfie camera is based on an 8 MP sensor with two modules that allow you to change the viewing angle from 75 ° to 97 °. One of the modules is equipped with 28 mm focal length optics and an f/1.8 aperture, the other is equipped with 19 mm ultra-wide-angle optics with an f/2.2 aperture.

Smartphones of the Pixel 3 series are capable of writing video in up to 4K at 30 frames per second, 1080p at 60 or 120 frames per second, or 720p at 240 frames per second, according to Google.

According to the developer, key changes in photographic capabilities affected the software tooling of smartphones based on. algorithms artificial intelligence Thanks to this, smartphones support improved HDR + mode and with Top Shot function, which uses AI to guarantee the selection of high-quality images from the trial series. The Super Res Zoom function - also using AI, smooths out quality degradation during digital scaling. Night Sight technology provides optimal shooting results in low light.

Smartphones support the built-in Google Lens app, which, when you point your camera at an object, can automatically read various information, including addresses, price tags or contact details.

The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones out of the box will come with a clean operating system Android 9.0 Pie. In addition to support for Active Edge, compression control - as in previous models of the company, OS also provides gesture control.

The presented smartphones received support for Google Call Screen technology, which provides the ability to independently answer calls to the Google Assistant instead of the user. The user will be able to monitor the text of the conversation and prompt options for an answer.

Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphones will be available in three color versions of the case: "Just Black," "Clean White" and "Not Pink."

As of October 2018, the pre-order for Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL in, USA,, To Canada, and Great Britain France Germany eight other countries is already open. Complete with Pixel USB-C headphones, the Pixel 3 XL smartphone will cost $900 or $1,000 for versions with 64 GB or 128 GB storage, respectively. The Pixel 3 will cost $800 or $900 for versions with 64GB or 128GB storage. Additionally, you will have to pay $79 for the Pixel Stand with wireless charging, $199 for the keyboard, and $99 for the stylus. The Pixel 3 smartphones will come with a 6-month trial subscription to Music YouTube.^[9]

Notes