I would really like to know the answer to that ("why"). My most recent experience is with a Motorola Nexus 6 -- worked great for the first couple years after I got it. But recently a lot of things have been really glitchy. For example, Android Auto takes about 15 minutes to come fully alive, find my position, and plot a route when I plug it into my car. And video playback started stuttering bad. And the CPUs were maxed out periodically
I've uninstalled all third-party apps, cleared cache, and that fixed the issues for about a week, then they all came back. Only thing I didn't do is reflash back to factory defaults. Bought a Pixel 2 to replace it, and am wondering how long it will last.
BTW, this has also been the same experience with several family members, mostly with Samsung android phones -- they work great for a couple years, then start slowing down.
Your experience isn't always representative - and mine isn't either, of course. I've been buying Nexus devices since the Galaxy Nexus and I owned every Pixel device so far and the only genuinely bad experiences where the following:
- Nexus 7 from 2012 became slow as hell due to storage issues after a year. It worked fine after I RMAd it.
- Pixel 2 XL had a terrible display on the first charge. I got it replaced and the new one was way better.
- Pixel 4 XL got replaced once because the phone got quite hot while charging. The replacement has been working well.
I know a lot of people who definitely had more issues with their Samsung and Apple devices.
I perked up when I read this part of the article. I've had my Nexus 6 for nearly two full years and it's not fun to use. Very laggy and I missed many moments because the camera wouldn't load. I ended up getting a Pixel and I'm worried that in a year I'll see this same phenomenon again.
I didn't mention that my 5X flash died (after 18 months of ownership). Or at least I assume it was the flash...since the bootloader failed screen would loop.
That prompted me to buy pixel 1. My pixel 1 became non-functional because dust got in the microphone...and no replacement parts were available. So I got a moto g7 as an interim.
The pixel 3 is my wife's.
The pixel 4 is my current and replaced moto g7 because it's slow as molasses with newer android.
So basically all my replacements were because of a HW failure or SW slowdown.
This compares to my mom's iPhone 6s that still runs snappy. My brother had a 6 that worked fine until he replaced it for the SE recently.
My kids have used our ipads as skateboards across the tile and they still work fine. I drop them regularly... No problem.
My experience with Google HW is that it is sub par.
I don't have a pixel but I've had a bunch of other flagships. The real test, that they all failed, is longevity. Android just doesn't seem able to survive a year of full use without deteriorating into a mess of glitches, one that no developer i know, myself included, has figured out how to fully salvage short of flashing a new ROM.
Plus they don't have a great track record on the hardware durability. Some anecdotes: I had a bootlooping 5X after 11 months of ownership (that Google refused to replace) and my Pixel stopped being able to receive calls, also after 11 months (again, Google refused to replace it). The Chromecast I bought also only worked when it felt like it, which was, maybe 20% of the time. I won't buy their hardware anymore.
Just like with Chrome, Google keeps bloating and bloating. Nexus 6 doesn't last even 4 hours for me. It just sits silently in my pocket and dies without much fanfare. I have basic Google apps, Facebook, Twitter, and a few more. I don't do anything, and when I look at battery breakdown, it's Gmail and Inbox that use more than 20% of the power. Every time I need to go outside of home for more than a couple of hours, I get anxious as I know my phone will give up on me and I don't like carrying power reserves, cables, and all that we shouldn't be doing in 2015!
In general, Android keeps disappointing as there are such idiotic problems that I wonder if Android engineers actually use Android phones in real life. For example, taking videos since day one is a huge pain. You start shooting a video, and then you start cursing shortly after, because background apps kill video quality. How hard is to get this simple thing - shooting videos is a CPU-intensive job, pause everything else until the video is done? This is one of the many issues, I just recently struggled with shooting videos and decided to buy a camcorder again to use for the more formal events and use the phone only spontaneously.
I don't know why you're being downvoted. They most certainly have had historically poor build quality. My Pixel 2 began boot looping after a couple of years of use and apparently that was motherboard quality issue that had been around since the Nexus line. I got a replacement and it happened again after another few months. Google "Pixel 2 bootloop" and you'll find thousands of threads from people with this issue.
That was around four years ago. I switched to an iPhone 11 and have had a fraction of the problems that I had with Android phones.
I used to have a Pixel 2 XL and then later a Pixel 5a. Went through them really fast as the hardware was pretty bad and the phone would just decide to stop turning on at some point. Same thing happened to a relative I gave a Pixel 5a. Phone didn't last a year.
Don't get me started on the Pixel buds. I got tired of contacting customer support for replacements.
That's when I decided not to buy hardware from Google again, and also stopped using Android. Experience in iPhone has been great so far. Phone's fast despite being several generations behind, don't have to worry about not getting security updates.
Can you elaborate? I was personally so happy with Pixel4 that I've decided to buy a new version when my phone lost support.
I still use Android, but the lifespan of every Android device I've ever owned is two years or less. They just don't survive that long. Whether it was the old Nexus 7 tablet that hit a boot loop issue, or charging issues that I've run into on most Pixel phones. My previous pixel even had to be repaired (thankfully under warranty) because of the charge port failing. But again it died 6 months later right around the 2 year mark.
The only saving grace is that I'm usually spending around $300 for the Pixel phones, so it's still likely cheaper than if a bought a higher end Samsung that lasted longer.
Funnily enough, the longest lasting "Google" device I've owned is a ChromeOS Lenovo Duet that I purchased back in 2020. The tablet is decidely sluggish these days, so I don't really use it anymore, but at least it still functions.
Older models of either Google or Oneplus phones seem fine, I have been using a Nexus 6p with no problems other than some battery life but that's expected given how long it's been used.
- nexus s: no issues, after 2 years battery was meh
- nexus 4: the only issue was usb port after 2 years of use
- nexus 5x: no issues
- nexus 6p (owned by my girlfriend): strange issue with battery, the phone just shut off after 20% of use and showed 0%; after warranty repair the phone is still working and had no issues
- pixel 2xl (owned by my girlfriend): no issues per see, but was droped in the bus and the screen got cracks
- pixel 4: no issues so far
- pixel 5 (owned by my girlfriend): no issues so far
all of these phones I still own and store them in the boxes, they still are working.
I've had the galaxy nexus, the nexus 4, a pixel xl, a pixel 3a, and a pixel 6a.
None of them broke. I only stopped using them because they run out of security updates. The only things I bought for them were the light Spigen phone cases.
Maybe the issue is the operator not the phone here.
My Pixel 6 Pro is starting to break down with the same symptoms it was repaired for about a year ago (screen starts flickering and at some point it will just stay dark). The phone is about 2 years old. Hardware wise it's the most unreliable phone I've ever owned.
Especially with the Pixel lineup, there is a historical quality control issue with Google's phones that I'm worried hasn't been solved yet. I owned:
- Pixel 3: Past few months, volume buttons and power buttons gradually stopped working. USB port works for charging, but when connected to a computer, port connects and disconnects in an infinite loop. Bluetooth connection with car always skips/stutters during Maps usage even though iPhones and other Android devices work fine.
- Pixel: Camera stopped working
- Nexus 5X: Infinite boot loop issue, contacted Google and replaced it using warranty
- Nexus 4: No hardware issues
- Nexus One: No hardware issues
The Nexus phones were less problematic. I suspect it's because they were co-designed/manufactured by LG.
As time goes on, I use my phone less, not more, and I haven't dropped Pixel phones, unlike the Nexus ones.
I'm wary of purchasing the Pixel 3a, 4, or 5 since I don't want to be burned a 3rd time by specifically Google-designed phones. I think it would be best to avoid Android OS updates as much as possible as well.
I'm looking for the next smartphone to be modular. Heavily considering a Linux phone easier to DIY repair.
Yeah, it's quite a shame because I've always found the Google made phones to be the best. I had the Nexus 5 for 3+ years, and never had a problem with it. I think when it comes time to replace the Pixel I will have to look at other Android phones.
I kept my OG Pixel for 5 years and had the battery replaced twice (2.5 years and ~4 years in). It worked fine until the last moment when it just died on me (like, absolutely bricked).
I stopped getting software updates after 3 years but the hardware continued to be very capable until the very end. The battery was expected to degrade after some time, and the phone didn't feel as snappy with modern apps, but it was perfectly fine as a phone.
I'm now on a Pixel 5 and expect to go through something similar. It is absurd to me that people switch phones every 2-3 years (or even annually).
Pixel phones have absolutely not been reliable for me. From the Pixel 1 microphone defect to it needing a reboot every few days, and my Pixel 4A boot looping, Google phones are absolutely not reliable IME. (Almost as bad a Razer laptops).
I'm not going to say that this isn't disappointing or isn't a real problem, but to say Google sucks at making hardware is a bit unfair, as every device has design issues.
If this is the major hardware issue this generation, then they're getting _much_ better. I've suffered tons of hardware issues over the years with mobile devices (the worst probably being the iPhone 7 with failing batteries and broken radios) and reliability on my Pixel phones has been pretty darn good over the years. I started with the Pixel 5, then the Pixel 6, now the 8 Pro.
I've uninstalled all third-party apps, cleared cache, and that fixed the issues for about a week, then they all came back. Only thing I didn't do is reflash back to factory defaults. Bought a Pixel 2 to replace it, and am wondering how long it will last.
BTW, this has also been the same experience with several family members, mostly with Samsung android phones -- they work great for a couple years, then start slowing down.
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