November 27, 2019

Pixel 4 After The Buzz: Perfect - While It Lasts

November 27, 2019/ Pedro D'avila

I’m not one to usually buy flagship phones, I just find them oddly unnecessary seeing as the budget market is as capable as it is. This year for my birthday however, I decided to treat myself, and got my hands on a Google Pixel 4, the most expensive phone I’ve yet to own. After spending roughly a week or so with it, I can say that for the most part my experience was perfect - but I’d still have a hard time recommending this device to anyone.

Original Impressions

Upon first unboxing the Pixel 4, I was in awe, in both the best and worst ways. Holding the phone case less made me just appreciate the machinery that went behind constructing such a beautiful device. From its perfectly aligned speaker grills to the soft finish in the back, I felt from the very start that I was getting what I paid for.

Unfortunately, once covered with a case, which you will most likely want to do, the phone’s squared camera has an awful resemblance to Apple’s new IPhone 11 Pro. This resemblance is so striking in fact, that upon laying my phone on a table with the camera facing upwards, most of my friends asked me how I was liking my new iPhone 11.

Perhaps more striking than the phone’s resemblance to Apple’s iPhone 11, is the lack of accessories bundled with the phone. Besides the phone itself and its charger, there is nothing else to be found in the box. This is disappointing, especially when you’re already paying so much money for what should be a premium device. Personally, I opted to purchase an Otterbox case, which provides military grade protection at the cost of style points, and Google’s own pair of USB C earbuds, which for 35 Canadian, offer what I can easily call “decent” audio quality

The Good

I’m going to phrase this as simply as humanly possible: The Google Pixel 4 is an absolute blast to use. From its beautiful 90hz OLED screen to the extreme fluidity that comes with Google’s stock Android powered by the beastly Snapdragon 855, this phone flies through everyday tasks.

But the Pixel is more than just an everyday performer - it’s also a great audio companion. With its stereo speaker setup, I found myself not needing my Bluetooth speaker as much as I did with prior phones, a feature that is definitely nice to have when you’re spending as much as you will be with this device.

When the fun is over (and trust me, it will be - more on that later) the Pixel 4’s quick charge feature should give a full charge in around 50 minutes, meaning that you can get a sufficient enough boost for a couple more hours of fun within a typical shower’s time.

It is no understatement by now that I feel like the Google Pixel 4 absolutely blows it out of the water as a phone - but how does it handle as a camera? The answer is: really good actually. Comparing my photos with that of my friend’s three thousand dollar camera, the Pixel 4 offers a surprising amount of detail. This detail, when paired with Google’s AI smarts, can result in photos that will leave everyone in awe.

Having never personally owned another Pixel phone, I can’t exactly comment on just how much of an improvement the Pixel 4 is, but when side by side with all other modern smartphones I have had a chance to test, I am quick to say that the Pixel 4 offers the most true to life colours, and vest dynamic range that I’ve yet to see coming from a smartphone.

The camera experience is by no means perfect however, in fact, while I’m writing this review, I still can’t come to understand any logical excuse that can explain Google’s choice to opt for a 2x telephoto camera instead of an extra wide lens now that the Pixel lineup finally has moved on from its single lens infancy.

The Ugly

With so many predominantly awesome features, you may be wondering why I am not recommending anyone to rush to their nearest tech store and grab themselves a new Pixel 4. The main answer: battery life. Featuring a 2800 mAh battery capacity on my smaller variant, the Google Pixel 4 lasts me the entire day - but that’s because as a busy university student, I barely interact with my phone as much as the average user.

Throughout my days of use, the Pixel 4 never managed to give me more than 5 and a half hours of screen on time. To make this matter worse, I must specify that these hours were mainly spent on apps such as Google Chrome and WhatsApp, making me wonder how it might stack up for someone who sees themselves using this device as a video streaming or gaming device.

Equally as bad are the memory options. With the roughly 1000 Canadian Dollar version sporting only 64 GB (with no way to expand its memory), I often find myself wondering if I - despite Google’s 5 years of guaranteed software updates - made a wise long-term investment.

Also as “eh” worthy were the new “features” Google introduced to the device, like the smart 90hz display and its radar gestures. Attempting to force the phone to always run at 90hz proved itself disastrous, with almost an hour of usage being discounted from the already mediocre battery life. As for the gestures, I - along with the few people I demonstrated these features to - found them not more than a “gimmick”, specially considering just how easy it is to use the phone’s touch screen to complete the same functions the radar achieves.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, Google’s Pixel 4 is a reliable, beautifully (and unoriginally) designed phone that carries as much potential to be your daily driver as it does to be your hobbyist camera. With that said, not all is perfect, and with what feels like weird gimmicks and less than subpar battery life, I find it hard to recommend the Pixel 4 to anyone that may consider themselves a “power user”.

November 24, 2019

AirPods Pro First Impressions: Surprisingly Good

November 24, 2019/ Pedro D'avila

Since the debut of the original AirPods a few years ago, fans have been wondering what the pioneers of truly wireless earbuds would bring to the table with the Airpod’s next iteration. After briefly testing out the AirPods Pro however, all I have to say is: a lot.

For your discretion, I must make it clear that the following impressions were based on a short in-store demo given at the Apple Store in my local area. I haven’t bought, or received the device, making my first impressions genuine and unbiased. With that said: For as much as I hate to admit it, Apple has just created what are in my opinion the best premium truly wireless earbuds.

Feature wise, the AirPods Pro finally add one much needed feature: noise cancellation. Being an owner of the previous generation AirPods for a while, my biggest complaint was simply just how much outside noise was able to penetrate my music listening experience. With the new technology it packs, the AirPods Pro allow for what is a much quieter and personal listening experience.

Unfortunately this comes with one big caveat. Whilst I was sure that the predecessors would stick in most people’s ears, as it used Apple’s tried and true headphone design, the new silicone tip feels oddly un-Apple like, and leaves me worried that the same universal magic is lost in transition.

As for sound itself, the AirPods Pro sound clearly better than its predecessors. For comparison sake, I would rank it as well as the Samsung Galaxy Buds, except that I felt that the AirPods Pro had a bit clearer base that is so typical with modern Apple and Beats audio products.

One concern of mine that was gladly solved upon first impressions was the charging case itself. In videos and marketing materials, the case can often look oversized, which made me rather worried that the AirPods Pro would not fit a regular person’s pocked. Upon inspection however, I came to a quick relief upon realising that the case is roughly the same size as that of its predecessor, simply trading length for height.

A concern that sadly wasn’t answered during my testings though, were with the earbuds themselves: they’re just so tiny. Don’t get me wrong, I love this new, minimalistic design, as it not only looks better in the ear, but can more easily blend in to most outfits. This however, does not make me less worried that the individual buds will be incredibly easy to lose, and - knowing Apple - very expensive to replace.

Before concluding my first impressions, I’d like to bring some emphasis to one specific word in my original statement: premium. For those of us who can afford to spend between $150 and $300 for audio, I’d truly recommend the AirPods Pro for their great audio quality, and slew of sleek features it provides. For those of us who need every penny justified however, it becomes simply impossible to ignore offerings such as the Awei T10Cs.