5 Hidden Costs of Buying a Google Pixel

Google Pixel phones connection a compelling imaginativeness of what Android tin be, but they travel with drawbacks that aren't instantly evident connected a spec sheet. I'm not saying don't bargain one, but present are things to support successful caput earlier you do.

In assorted ways, Pixels are unsocial among Android phones, and not conscionable due to the fact that they travel from the superior institution down Android itself. Like with anything, there's tiny print, and past there's what's near unsaid down the tiny print.

1 You Get an Inferior Processor

Most mobile chips travel from 1 of 3 companies: Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Samsung. Qualcomm Snapdragon processors powerfulness astir high-end phones successful the US, though newer MediaTek Dimension chips amusement they tin spell toe-to-toe contempt MediaTek's dominance implicit the fund extremity of the market.

As for Samsung, its ain Exynos chips spell into Galaxy phones extracurricular of the US and are mostly considered to beryllium not arsenic performant oregon reliable arsenic the Snapdragon versions of the aforesaid phones.

Google Pixel phones usage Google's Tensor chip, which until 2025 person been manufactured by Samsung. Since the Tensor's debut successful 2021, Google's Tensor spot has offered little processing powerfulness and graphical show than you get from Snapdragon-equipped Android phones and Apple Silicon-equipped iPhones. According to Android Authority, that communicative doesn't look similar it's changing with the Pixel 10 adjacent with Google's displacement from Samsung to TSMC.

2 Your Phone Still Has Bloatware

Many Pixel fans bargain Google's phones due to the fact that they spot these devices arsenic Android without the bloat. With Nexus phones, backmost successful the day, this was mostly true. With Pixels, not truthful much.

When it comes to the interface, Pixel phones bash look similar banal Android, which is the mentation you get erstwhile you instal the parts of Android that are unfastened root without proprietary layers connected top. When you entree speedy toggles, cheque notifications, oregon motorboat apps, utilizing a Pixel astatine slightest looks similar you're utilizing an unmodified mentation of Android.

But the proprietary codification Google adds connected apical is baked each passim the Pixel experience. Plus, the telephone is filled with Google apps to the constituent that the telephone is really little utile than different brands if you opt not to motion in. If I were utilizing a Pixel, I would inactive uninstall each the aforesaid apps Google forces different Android OEMs to vessel successful speech for entree to the Play Store.

Google's superior products are each web services, and a Pixel telephone is simply a Google's accidental to merchantability you connected arsenic galore arsenic it perchance can. This is each mostly invisible to radical truthful enmeshed successful Google's ecosystem that they would already instal each of these aforesaid apps anyway, but it tin beryllium profoundly jarring, adjacent frustrating, to those of america that aren't.

3 Expect Lower Trade-In for Your Phone

Most radical successful the US don't bargain phones outright. They get immoderate woody is disposable done their carrier, and they besides instrumentality vantage of trade-in deals. These tin beryllium done the carrier, straight with the manufacturer, oregon via different retailers similar Best Buy.

No substance which way you go, chances are that a Pixel trade-in won't nett you arsenic overmuch recognition arsenic a telephone from Apple oregon Samsung.

This isn't due to the fact that a Pixel isn't arsenic good. It has everything to bash with the worth Pixels person successful the market. More radical ain Apple and Samsung phones by galore offers of magnitude, truthful those brands are phones retailers volition person an easier clip selling. The marketplace for Pixel phones is importantly smaller, truthful they'll springiness you little wealth for it. That said, a Pixel volition inactive mostly beryllium accepted for trade-ins, whereas the aforesaid cannot beryllium taken for granted if you're utilizing different marque similar OnePlus oregon Motorola.

4 Repair Shops Are Harder to Find

Sadly, smartphones aren't designed to beryllium each that repairable. This isn't inherently malicious—companies enactment much effort into making their phones beryllium much durable than repairable, and determination is simply a grade of trade-off. Regardless, you won't person arsenic casual a clip getting Pixel telephone repaired arsenic you would with Apple oregon Samsung.

You tin get Apple repairs by walking into an Apple Store. Galaxy phones are mostly repairable astatine third-party chains similar UBreakIFix. They're besides apt to beryllium supported by smaller repair shops, though you whitethorn brushwood a greater accidental they usage unofficial parts, voiding your warranty (this portion is much explicitly anti-consumer).

Some shops tin repair a Pixel, but determination is simply a higher accidental you volition request to message the telephone backmost to Google for repairs, particularly if you're dealing with 1 of the much niche models similar a Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This means getting your telephone backmost tin instrumentality weeks alternatively of hours oregon days.

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5 Expect More Bugs

This is the facet that is astir hard to cover. Negative experiences aren't accordant capable that issues look during each reappraisal play oregon for each owner. Yet determination is mostly a higher likelihood of determination being issues connected a Pixel than different brands.

Part of this stems from the information that Pixels are usually connected the newest mentation of Android, and arsenic a rule, caller bundle has much bugs than older software. There hasn't been capable clip spent successful the hands of existent users to observe each the quirks and robust them out.

By the clip things settee from the erstwhile update, it's clip for the adjacent one. A telephone stuck connected a year-old mentation of Android whitethorn beryllium moving older software, but astatine slightest the acquisition is time-tested and mostly reliable.

Some issues stem from Pixel hardware alternatively than software, specified arsenic the prime of processor and cellular modems. Yet, immoderate the reason, Pixels don't look to property arsenic well, with a higher likelihood of accrued slowdown, crashes, oregon things conscionable not working. My caput goes backmost to a portion successful aboriginal 2024, erstwhile a writer for Android Central documented their vexation with however rapidly their Pixel 6 became a dumpster occurrence (their words, not mine).

These issues are infuriating for those impacted, but they're inconsistent capable that erstwhile you bring them up, you tin number connected galore Pixel users showing up telling you however they person ne'er had a problem—and they're not wrong.

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Should you debar buying a Pixel? I personally do, but that has much to bash with my distaste for Google bundle and the company's priorities than the telephone themselves. If you similar the Pixel bundle experience, these phones tin beryllium a large deal, particularly the Pixel 9a. Just spell successful with your eyes unfastened astir what to expect.