TLDR; Are y'all excited about the Pixel line? I'm kind of bored and I breakdown what I like but mostly what I don't like about some of their devices.

Just wondering what other people think about the Pixel line? Are y'all excited about the upcoming 11 series and other devices or don't give a rat's ass? 

I've had my P9PXL for nearly two years. Recently I've been craving a new phone because I've never gone longer than two years without swapping out for a new handset. However, the P9PXL was my first flagship phone and I paid full retail for it. So I had told myself I'd use the phone for three to five years to justify the high price I paid. (Plus I paid an extra hundred bucks to get the 256Gb model.) 

Prior to my Pixel I had always used budget to mid-tier phones. But I was jealous of my spouse's Apple ecosystem experience. (I'm in a mixed marriage - I'm Android, they're Apple.) So I went all-in during 2024 and not only bought the P9PXL but I swapped my Galaxy 5 watch for a 45mm Pixel Watch 3 and bought my first pair of non-budget earbuds in the form of the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

After nearly two years with these devices I'm satisfied but bored. The phone is fine but could be improved. When I bought it the only color they had in-stock was Obsidian and I didn't want to wait a week for another color phone to be mailed to me. However, the color choices for the P9PXL were pretty dull across the board. I would have chosen Porcelain if I had the chance but, alas, I got stuck with yet another boring black phone.

The battery life on the 9 XL is not great. It's never been fantastic but it seems to have gotten really worse this second year. (Battery health is at 91%.) Prior to this Pixel I'd had Motos more than any other brand and they typically have phenomenal battery life, so I was spoiled. 

And, lastly, my other complaint about my P9PXL is that the monthly updates that were touted as a big selling point have become painful, as they unleash new bugs every month! I've gotten to where I dread them. It's nice being first in line for new Android (and Wear) OS updates but the monthly phone updates always seem to unleash at least one annoying issue that doesn't get fixed again for one to two more months, only to then be replaced by some other issue. 

On the plus side I find my Pixel to be very reliable. It syncs well with all my accessories. The camera is the crown jewel. It takes beautiful photos, which I use to promote myself online for my line of work. And I use a lot of the AI editing features that are built into Photos, some of which are exclusive to Pixel, is my understanding. I like that my Pixel didn't have any bloatware - not counting the overabundance of Google apps that come preloaded.

I think one of my issues with my P9PXL is that I'm bored with standard slab phones. I'm glad I got the XL but it always seemed a bit too big and definitely too bulky and heavy. I bought my adult daughter a refurbished Samsung Z Flip 5 for Christmas and played with it for three weeks before giving it to her. I was shocked at how well I liked the flip design with the flex window on the outside! It's like two devices in one and so compact when closed. 

And one of my best friends got an iPhone Air, despite my advising against it because of the compromises with some of the specs. However, he's retired and has an old work-related hand injury and wanted the Air because it's so much lighter. He doesn't know a thing about technology so I'm the one that has to set everything up and 'fix' the phone when he's accidentally deleted an app icon. (Uh. No. You don't need to make an appointment to visit the Apple store for that.)

Anyway, I was double shocked by how much I liked handling the iPhone Air! I've always been an Android user but I've actually toyed with the idea of switching to Apple just for the Air, especially if the Air 2 closes the gap with the spec limitations of the first generation model. Plus, after actually playing with the phone, I didn't think the reduced specs were that big of a deal for the Air and that it's ultra thin lightweight design offset any spec downgrades. 

Btw, I love the Pixel Buds Pro 2. They're amazing. I actually sleep with them every single night and they are phenomenally comfortable. I think the sound quality, ANC, and battery life are all great and I adore the design of both the buds and their case. I will likely stick with the Pixel Buds Pro series from now on. 

I like my Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) and think that the Pixel watch line is the most elegant smartwatch design. I find them extremely visually and tactilely appealing and to be perfectly good watches. However, unless I stay all-in on the entire Pixel line I'll probably go back to Samsung watches if I switch my phone to a manufacturer other than Google. (I definitely will if I wind up with a Samsung phone in the future.)

Even though I like the look of the Pixel Watch I do not like the placement of the crown. I do a daily exercise routine that includes 25 push-ups and the crown pushes against the back of my hand and triggers the power menu every single time. I actually developed a minor red callous on the back of my my hand that I had to scrub off in the shower and then treat with hand lotion.

Also, I find the Pixel Watches to feel more delicate to me than Samsungs because of the crown and its placement, and that the entirety of the watchface, top and sides, is exposed Gorilla Glass 5, which is significantly weaker than contemporary Samsung watches which utilize Sapphire Crystal. 

I find the traditional Samsung Galaxy Watch design to be more practical, especially if fitness is your primary goal for a smartwatch. Oh! And Samsung watches come with a whole array of fitness features fully available, whereas Pixel wants you to subscribe to Fitbit to unlock all its features. No thanks.

I am getting a little bit excited about the upcoming Pixel 11 series though. I like the colors that have leaked. A friend of mine who has been with Pixel since it was Nexus has been waiting for a fuchsia phone and it looks like the base Pixel 11 is going to finally deliver that for him. I was personally really into the Canyon/Dune color, which looks to be an orange-y pink that'll be available for the Pro models. It reminds me of sunset. 

What do y'all think? Are you bored by Pixel or excited about future releases? I personally just wish Pixel would offer more options besides slab and full-sized fold phones. I'd nab either a flip or an ultra thin model! But I'm not inspired by the Pixel slabs or traditional folds, which are way too big for my interests. I want to see more design innovations instead of gimmick-y additional features, like the glow light they're touting with the 11 series, which is replacing the gimmick-y temperature sensor. 

And I'd like to see some variation with the watches too. I would love to see the glass quality improved, two flush side buttons, the crown ditched and replaced by a digital bezel for navigation! That would look even sleeker than the watch already looks! (And don't get me started on how Google has dropped the ball on tablets!)

I posted in Android and iPhone communities a couple of weeks ago seeking a solution or at least a reason for issues I've been having with cell phones and a tablet but did not get a resolution, so I'm reposting with updates.

I use a Pixel 9 Pro XL and my spouse has an iPhone 17 Pro Max and an iPad A16. A few months ago my P9PXL started popping up an error message that liquid was detected when I plugged most charging cords into it. The phone became very particular about which charging cords (blocks?) it would work with. The liquid detected error message stopped popping up after a week or two but the sensitivity to which cords it would work with has continued to this day. Interestingly it seems to work best with cheap charging cables and blocks, as opposed to higher dollar/powered cables and blocks.

A few weeks ago the same exact problem began to occur first with my spouse's iPad A16 and then shortly after with their phone 17 Pro Max. They often get a warning message about liquid detected but not always. Sometimes when they plug one of the devices in simply nothing happens. Sometimes they get the liquid detected warning. If they get the liquid detected message there's an option to tap to bypass it. Sometimes when you tap to bypass the device will start charging and sometimes it won't.

I have bought numerous chargers and cables off of Amazon trying to find a fix. All of the blocks and cords are PD and many are supposed to be capable of higher powered charging, i.e. faster. These items range from 20w to 65w. More often than not ALL of the devices (my P9PXL, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the iPad A16) will work with a cheap low power charger/cord purchased from a gas station, as opposed to the higher powered PD compatible items I researched and bought off Amazon. In fact, I have 3-in-1 charging cables that likely came from a convenience store that I keep plugged into the USB-A ports at each end of the couch. Often either/both our phones will not work with the USB-C connection but WILL work with the Apple lightning connection using a USB-C adapter! WTF?!

I have tried charging all three devices at both work and home with no difference in how well they charge. Also, neither my daughter's Samsung Z Flip 5 nor an iPhone 13 we use for work have any of these charging issues. Those devices work with everything without any problems. It's just the P9PXL, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPad A16 that are temperamental about charging.

When I posted this problem initially a couple of weeks ago the overwhelming response in both the Android and the iPhone communities was to clean the ports. I had already had my Pixel phone cleaned by a guy at a Best Buy Geek Squad counter but that didn't do anything. But I did as advised and cleaned all the ports of all the devices myself using 91% isopropyl alcohol, the pointed end of a plastic floss stick, and a couple of small brushes that I had. Cleaning the ports seemed to help improve connectivity a tiny, tiny bit initially but did not resolve the unpredictable charging issues.

I then took my P9PXL to the guy at the phone repair kiosk at the mall to see if it would make a difference having it 'professionally' cleaned. However, instead of cleaning any of the devices he plugged some sort of reader into the charging port of my phone that declared it good and in working order. But when he plugged my phone into the USB-C charging cable he had as part of his repair set-up it did nothing. So he declared my phone's IC chip damaged. He then did the same thing with my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max, which also said the port was healthy, yet the phone would not charge. So the mall repair guy diagnosed all the devices as having damaged IC chips but he never cleaned the ports, which is what I went to him for. I don't trust that diagnosis though because the problem is so hit and miss.

For example, I took all my charging blocks and cables up to work and went through them trying different combinations until I found one that worked with everything. This was a dual 20w charging block (each port has a dedicated 20w port) along with a braided USB-C Apple cord that came with an Apple device. This combo of charging block and cable worked on all three devices at work. I had multiples of both the charging block and Apple cable, so I left one set at work and took another set home.

At the end of our couch we have two end tables that have two US electrical outlets, one USB-C port, and one USB-A port. Both of the Apple devices charged using the charging block and/or cable in all three of the power outlet types. (Used a USB-C to A adapter to test that port.) However, today I plugged the iPhone 17 Pro Max into the cord that was plugged into a charging block that was plugged into the US electrical outlet that's made into the end table. It did not work when it had previously. I then pulled the cord out of the charging block and plugged it directly into the USB-C port made into the end table. It still did not work. HOWEVER, when I plugged my Pixel 9 Pro XL into the cord plugged into the USB-C port it did work and began charging my phone. BUT when I pulled the charging cord out of the USB-C port and plugged it into the charging block that was plugged into a US electrical outlet also made into the end table it DID NOT work.

This all just simply does not make any sense to me at all. There does not seem to be any logical rhyme or reason to this issue we're experiencing between three separate services from two different manufacturers.

I posted in Android and iPhone communities a couple of weeks ago seeking a solution or at least a reason for issues I've been having with cell phones and a tablet but did not get a resolution, so I'm reposting with updates.

I use a Pixel 9 Pro XL and my spouse has an iPhone 17 Pro Max and an iPad A16. A few months ago my P9PXL started popping up an error message that liquid was detected when I plugged most charging cords into it. The phone became very particular about which charging cords (blocks?) it would work with. The liquid detected error message stopped popping up after a week or two but the sensitivity to which cords it would work with has continued to this day. Interestingly it seems to work best with cheap charging cables and blocks, as opposed to higher dollar/powered cables and blocks.

A few weeks ago the same exact problem began to occur first with my spouse's iPad A16 and then shortly after with their phone 17 Pro Max. They often get a warning message about liquid detected but not always. Sometimes when they plug one of the devices in simply nothing happens. Sometimes they get the liquid detected warning. If they get the liquid detected message there's an option to tap to bypass it. Sometimes when you tap to bypass the device will start charging and sometimes it won't.

I have bought numerous chargers and cables off of Amazon trying to find a fix. All of the blocks and cords are PD and many are supposed to be capable of higher powered charging, i.e. faster. These items range from 20w to 65w. More often than not ALL of the devices (my P9PXL, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the iPad A16) will work with a cheap low power charger/cord purchased from a gas station, as opposed to the higher powered PD compatible items I researched and bought off Amazon. In fact, I have 3-in-1 charging cables that likely came from a convenience store that I keep plugged into the USB-A ports at each end of the couch. Often either/both our phones will not work with the USB-C connection but WILL work with the Apple lightning connection using a USB-C adapter! WTF?!

I have tried charging all three devices at both work and home with no difference in how well they charge. Also, neither my daughter's Samsung Z Flip 5 nor an iPhone 13 we use for work have any of these charging issues. Those devices work with everything without any problems. It's just the P9PXL, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPad A16 that are temperamental about charging.

When I posted this problem initially a couple of weeks ago the overwhelming response in both the Android and the iPhone communities was to clean the ports. I had already had my Pixel phone cleaned by a guy at a Best Buy Geek Squad counter but that didn't do anything. But I did as advised and cleaned all the ports of all the devices myself using 91% isopropyl alcohol, the pointed end of a plastic floss stick, and a couple of small brushes that I had. Cleaning the ports seemed to help improve connectivity a tiny, tiny bit initially but did not resolve the unpredictable charging issues.

I then took my P9PXL to the guy at the phone repair kiosk at the mall to see if it would make a difference having it 'professionally' cleaned. However, instead of cleaning any of the devices he plugged some sort of reader into the charging port of my phone that declared it good and in working order. But when he plugged my phone into the USB-C charging cable he had as part of his repair set-up it did nothing. So he declared my phone's IC chip damaged. He then did the same thing with my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max, which also said the port was healthy, yet the phone would not charge. So the mall repair guy diagnosed all the devices as having damaged IC chips but he never cleaned the ports, which is what I went to him for. I don't trust that diagnosis though because the problem is so hit and miss.

For example, I took all my charging blocks and cables up to work and went through them trying different combinations until I found one that worked with everything. This was a dual 20w charging block (each port has a dedicated 20w port) along with a braided USB-C Apple cord that came with an Apple device. This combo of charging block and cable worked on all three devices at work. I had multiples of both the charging block and Apple cable, so I left one set at work and took another set home.

At the end of our couch we have two end tables that have two US electrical outlets, one USB-C port, and one USB-A port. Both of the Apple devices charged using the charging block and/or cable in all three of the power outlet types. (Used a USB-C to A adapter to test that port.) However, today I plugged the iPhone 17 Pro Max into the cord that was plugged into a charging block that was plugged into the US electrical outlet that's made into the end table. It did not work when it had previously. I then pulled the cord out of the charging block and plugged it directly into the USB-C port made into the end table. It still did not work. HOWEVER, when I plugged my Pixel 9 Pro XL into the cord plugged into the USB-C port it did work and began charging my phone. BUT when I pulled the charging cord out of the USB-C port and plugged it into the charging block that was plugged into a US electrical outlet also made into the end table it DID NOT work.

This all just simply does not make any sense to me at all. There does not seem to be any logical rhyme or reason to this issue we're experiencing between three separate services from two different manufacturers.

(I posted this in an iPhone community but it started with my P9PXL and continues, so there's got to be some technical commonality.)

So I'm in a mixed marriage - I'm Android and they're iPhone. Yet we're both experiencing the same issue. A few months ago my Pixel 9 Pro XL suddenly got super finicky about corded charging. It either simply wouldn't charge when I plugged it in or it'd pop up a 'liquid detected' warning message, even though there was no liquid whatsoever. After a few weeks the problem semi-resolved itself. The liquid detected warning message quit popping up and my Pixel phone got better about corded charging, although it still did nothing when I plugged it into some chargers it had previously worked with.

So now several months later not only is my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max doing the exact same thing but their iPad A16 is too. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Neither device wants to charge with any charger or cord. Interestingly, on the occasion I do manage to get a device charging it is usually with a cheap third party charger, like from a convenience store. I have several 3-in-1 chargers with different connection types. I seem to have slightly better luck occasionally with the Apple devices using the lightning cable with a USB-C adapter weirdly enough.

I've ordered charging blocks and cables off Amazon and they either won't work at all or they work for a while and then stop after a few weeks. I am more tech savvy than the average person but not expert by any stretch. However, I am ensuring that I'm ordering PD charging blocks and compatible cables ranging from 20w to 65w.

We can wirelessly charge the iPhone, so it's not dire but the iPad has become a constant struggle. The power will get down into the teens and I'll mess with it for two days before it just suddenly starts charging using a block and cord I've already tried before. Sometimes the override button will work when it says liquid detected and sometimes it won't.

This week I ordered charging blocks and cables that are PD and capable of reaching up to 65w. The product description specifically says that it will work for an iPhone 17. However, they arrived yesterday and they do not work for my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad A16 or my Pixel 9 Pro XL. Both of the Apple devices pop up the liquid detected warning and my Pixel simply does nothing. However, the new chargers work great with an old iPhone 13 we have for our business (using a C to lightning adapter) and it works fine on our daughter's Samsung Z Flip 5. (In fact it fully charged her phone from 1% to 100% in a little over an hour!)

I have tried using the Apple cords that came with the devices but since they no longer provide charging blocks I don't think that any of mine are 'official' Apple brands and, even if they were, they'd be years old now, going back to whenever they used to include the charging blocks with the devices.

I have googled this issue and cannot find any useful information. There has to be some commonality between the new Apple devices and my Pixel 9 Pro XL that's causing them not to work with the chargers.

This is the latest charging set-up I ordered if the specs happen to tell you anything...

https://a.co/d/0hQUYPk4

So I'm in a mixed marriage - I'm Android and they're iPhone. Yet we're both experiencing the same issue. A few months ago my Pixel 9 Pro XL suddenly got super finicky about corded charging. It either simply wouldn't charge when I plugged it in or it'd pop up a 'liquid detected' warning message, even though there was no liquid whatsoever. After a few weeks the problem semi-resolved itself. The liquid detected warning message quit popping up and my Pixel phone got better about corded charging, although it still did nothing when I plugged it into some chargers it had previously worked with.

So now several months later not only is my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max doing the exact same thing but their iPad A16 is too. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Neither device wants to charge with any charger or cord. Interestingly, on the occasion I do manage to get a device charging it is usually with a cheap third party charger, like from a convenience store. I have several 3-in-1 chargers with different connection types. I seem to have slightly better luck occasionally with the Apple devices using the lightning cable with a USB-C adapter weirdly enough.

I've ordered charging blocks and cables off Amazon and they either won't work at all or they work for a while and then stop after a few weeks. I am more tech savvy than the average person but not expert by any stretch. However, I am ensuring that I'm ordering PD charging blocks and compatible cables ranging from 20w to 65w.

We can wirelessly charge the iPhone, so it's not dire but the iPad has become a constant struggle. The power will get down into the teens and I'll mess with it for two days before it just suddenly starts charging using a block and cord I've already tried before. Sometimes the override button will work when it says liquid detected and sometimes it won't.

This week I ordered charging blocks and cables that are PD and capable of reaching up to 65w. The product description specifically says that it will work for an iPhone 17. However, they arrived yesterday and they do not work for my spouse's iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad A16 or my Pixel 9 Pro XL. Both of the Apple devices pop up the liquid detected warning and my Pixel simply does nothing. However, the new chargers work great with an old iPhone 13 we have for our business (using a C to lightning adapter) and it works fine on our daughter's Samsung Z Flip 5. (In fact it fully charged her phone from 1% to 100% in a little over an hour!)

I have tried using the Apple cords that came with the devices but since they no longer provide charging blocks I don't think that any of mine are 'official' Apple brands and, even if they were, they'd be years old now, going back to whenever they used to include the charging blocks with the devices.

I have googled this issue and cannot find any useful information. There has to be some commonality between the new Apple devices and my Pixel 9 Pro XL that's causing them not to work with the chargers.

This is the latest charging set-up I ordered if the specs happen to tell you anything...

https://a.co/d/0hQUYPk4

Even though the title includes 'business' it's really a quality of life ranking that takes into account both pro and anti lgbtq state legislation, rewarding and deducting points accordingly. (Btw, I'm a Texan who moved my family initially to Massachusetts and now upstate NY when I was 40 because of the political climate. I'm 57 now and, man, did we make the right decision!!)

I don't really feel like I'm better than anybody but being gay has always felt like being in an elite club. I'm so grateful to be queer because it's given my life more depth, I believe.

Simultaneously sad and feel-good too. The kid is such a sweetheart cutie...

Judge Eboni K. Williams put the bigoted father on blast in a clip that's racking up millions of views.