Google
The Pixel 6 Pro is Google’s best smartphone, read our full review, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best smartphone for everyone. It’s also not the best smartphone out there that includes phones from Apple and Samsung. Some things can be fixed with software updates, but others are hardware related so you need to decide whether or not they are important to you.
I pre-ordered a Pixel 6 Pro and it arrived a few weeks ago. My return deadline is tomorrow and everything is packed and ready to go back to Google. Readers know that my primary daily driver is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, and while I wasn’t looking for the Pixel 6 Pro to replace it on T-Mobile, I thought it could serve as my primary Google Fi device . At $ 1,000, it’s too expensive to keep as a second phone as the phone has let me down in many ways.
See also: Best Android Phone 2021: Top Expert Picks
Camera performance is a primary focus for smartphone manufacturers today, but there’s a lot more to a smartphone than just the camera. Given that there will be a $ 50 Black Friday discount on the Pixel 5A 5G, I’m seriously considering picking up this phone instead for its camera and Google Fi compatibility.
Here are the top reasons I’m sending the Google Pixel 6 Pro back. Some of these can be fixed with software updates, but I am currently unwilling to spend the money to find out.
- Slow loading: Yesterday I used the Pixel 6 Pro to take photos, make teams calls, email, text, and more while cruising on a boat for nine hours, so the battery dropped to 24% by the end of the work day was. I put it in the rental car charger and drove 40 minutes to the hotel. The battery only went to 38% and then at the hotel it took over an hour to reach 85%. I haven’t seen a phone charge this slowly in a long time and I can’t deal with battery fear in 2021.
- Average battery life: The Pixel 6 Pro has a 5,000 mAh battery, so you can easily get through a full day with at least six hours of screen life. I see four to nearly five hours of SOT and a battery that is very weak at the end of the day. Combined with slow loading, it’s not the phone for me.
- RF reception: Connectivity is important to me as I spend a lot of time commuting and traveling. Samsung and OnePlus have always excelled at cellular reception performance, so I use them as the standard. Using the Pixel 6 Pro at the same time has shown that if my Z Fold 3 continues to keep me connected, it will lag and the signal will drop. I even saw the Pixel crash on 3G before it lost connectivity. I understand that Google is using an older generation Qualcomm X55 modem, while my Z Fold 3 and other 2021 devices have a newer X60 modem.
- Unreliable fingerprint sensor: I didn’t install a screen protector, but the fingerprint sensor under the display was unreliable with a success rate of around 40%. I love the side sensor on the Z Fold 3 and even the rear sensor on older Pixel smartphones that are 100% functional. There isn’t even an option to unlock the face on the Pixel 6 Pro, so using a secure lock on the device was frustrating.
- Loudspeaker volume and quality: I usually use headphones when listening to music or watching movies, but I like solid speakers for phone calls. Although the Pixel 6 Pro has stereo speakers, the top speaker (built into the phone’s headphone speaker) is very weak, so the overall speaker experience is just average. Apple and Samsung excel in this area, and Google’s flagship should compete for $ 1,000 at this level.
- Random Spotify outbreaks: For some reason, Spotify randomly starts playing my last paused music at random times on the Pixel 6 Pro. I have the same version of Spotify on my other phones that don’t so I don’t think it’s the application. Exploding AC / DC while sleeping or during a meeting is not a pleasant experience. This seems to be fixed with a software update.
- Scroll not quite there: When I place my Z Fold 3, both displays, next to each other with the Pixel 6 Pro and both are connected to the WiFi, it shows that quickly scrolling the display up and down on the Z Fold 3 is a more seamless experience I’ve started to use the Pixel 6 Pro. I thought the experience was a little different, but it wasn’t until I placed them side by side that I confirmed that something was preventing the pixel from behaving the way a 120Hz refresh rate should.
- Big, slippery and curved edges: The Pixel 6 Pro must be put in a case or it will slide off almost any surface and out of your hands. It’s an extremely slippery phone and there are no matte finish options. It’s a very big phone too, and even the Pixel 6 is too big for a lot of people. I’m done with curved edges and was spoiled by my flat screens on the Z Fold 3. Overall, I’m just not a fan of the Pixel 6 Pro’s design.
- Cameras aren’t always great: I took some photos on multiple phones to see how the Pixel 6 Pro performed, and while it regularly outperforms the other phones (quite subjective, depending on what you like in a picture), I’ve got bad shots too experienced than I expected better. When I travel I take food shots to share great meals with my family and most of them have some food in focus and some not. It didn’t work very well on close subjects, and I wasn’t impressed enough to accept the other compromises for the camera alone.
We all have different needs for our smartphones and some of my concerns above may not apply to your situation. There are also some that are just the way the phone was built, and you have to decide whether you’re willing to compromise on the camera and long-term updates from Google.
See also: Google Pixel 6 Pro in the test: Google’s best smartphone so far, but is it enough?
When Google started its pre-orders, I bought a Sorta Seaform Pixel 6 for my wife thinking she would appreciate the camera and an upgrade to her Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. After just two days, she returned it to me and said to return it and give her the S20 Ultra back. Their main problems were that it was too slow and unresponsive, the cellular signal wasn’t as good as it was with Samsung, and it was too slippery. I was quite surprised by their lack of enthusiasm for the handy Google software elements.
I am curious whether my feedback on the Pixel 6 Pro will be blinded by my fascination for the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Have you experienced any of these issues with the Pixel 6 Pro? Are there other aspects of the phone that caused you to skip the purchase or also to return it?
