Goodbye 'Pixel 6 Pro' -- 9 reasons it's not for me

　"Pixel 6 Pro" is the best smartphone offered by Google. But it's not the best for everyone. It's also not the best smartphone on the market, which includes products from Apple and Samsung. Some issues are likely to be fixed in future software updates, while others are hardware-related issues that are unlikely to be fixed, so you'll need to determine if the issue is important to you before you buy.

I pre-ordered the Pixel 6 Pro and received it a few weeks ago. The return deadline is tomorrow, and I've already packed it up so I can send it back to Google. My main smartphone is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Originally I did not intend to replace this main machine contracted with T-Mobile with Pixel 6 Pro, but I thought that it could be used as the main machine for the MVNO service "Google Fi". But considering the many disappointing points, $899 (116,600 yen including tax in Japan) was too expensive to have as a second smartphone.

　The main feature of recent smartphones is the camera performance, but it is not only the camera performance that is important. If the "Pixel 5a (5G)" is $50 off in the Black Friday sale, the camera performance is also good, so I'm seriously considering buying this for Google Fi instead of the Pixel 6 Pro.

Here are the main reasons why I am returning the Pixel 6 Pro. Some of those issues will be fixed in future software updates, but I wouldn't spend the money to make sure.

1. Charging is slow

Yesterday, I took a boat with my Pixel 6 Pro, spent 9 hours taking pictures, making calls in "Teams", sending and receiving emails and text messages, I did a lot of other things. By the time I got off the boat after work, the battery was at 24%. I plugged the Pxel 6 Pro into my rental car's charger and drove 40 minutes back to my hotel. At that point, the battery was only up to 38%, and then it took over an hour to get it up to 85% at the hotel. It's been a long time since I've seen a smartphone that takes this long to charge. I don't want to worry about whether the battery will last in 2021.

2. Battery life

The battery installed in the Pixel 6 Pro is 5003mAh, so I expected it to last for at least a day even if the display is lit for 6 hours. However, my Pixel 6 Pro had only 4-5 hours of use, and by the end of the day the battery was very low. There is also a slow charging speed, so this is not a smartphone for me.

3. Connection performance

　For me, who spends a lot of time moving and traveling for work, internet connection performance is important. I tend to use Samsung and OnePlus devices because they seem to have better cellular reception. When I used the Pixel 6 Pro with the Z Fold 3, the former would drop and lag while the latter maintained its connection. Sometimes the connection drops to 3G before the connection drops. Many of the other 2021 devices, including my Z Fold 3, are equipped with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X60 modem, but Google says it's using a modem equivalent to the previous Snapdragon X55. is thinking.

4. Fingerprint authentication sensor with low reading success rate

　I didn't put a display protective film on it, but the response of the in-display fingerprint sensor wasn't very good, and the reading success rate was about 40%. . I like the side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the Z Fold 3, and I like the back-mounted fingerprint sensor on the previous Pixel series because it authenticates successfully every time. The Pixel 6 Pro doesn't even have a facial unlock option, which was frustrating every time I unlocked it.

5. Speaker volume and sound quality

　I often use headphones when listening to music or watching movies, but I prefer the sound to come out of the speakers when talking on the phone. is. The Pixel 6 Pro has stereo speakers, but the speaker experience is average as the top speaker (the earpiece speaker built into the display) is very weak. When it comes to speakers, Apple and Samsung dominate, and at nearly $1,000, the Pixel 6 Pro should be able to compete with them.

6. Spotify plays randomly

　For some reason the music that was previously paused on Spotify plays randomly. I don't have this problem with the same version of the Spotify app on other devices, so I don't think it's an app issue. Playing loud AC/DC songs while you're sleeping or having a meeting isn't a fun experience. This issue may be fixable with a software update.

7. Scrolling is not good

When I connected my Z Fold 3 and Pixel 6 Pro to the same Wi-Fi and scrolled at high speed at the same time, Z Fold 3 scrolled better. It was smooth. When I first started using the Pixel 6 Pro, it felt kind of different, but after scrolling through the two side-by-side, something seems to be preventing the Pixel 6 Pro from running at a (per spec) 120Hz refresh rate. It seemed

8. Large, slippery body with curved edges

The Pixel 6 Pro will almost certainly slip off any surface if it's not in a case, and even if you hold it in your hand. It's a very slippery smartphone, and there's no option for a matte finish. Also very large. Even the Pixel 6 is too big for most people. I've given up on devices with curved edges and got used to the Z Fold 3's flat display. Ultimately, I don't like the design of the Pixel 6 Pro.

9. Cameras aren't always great

　In order to check the camera performance of the Pixel 6 Pro, I took a considerable number of photos with multiple smartphones, It was generally better than other smartphones (albeit subjective). However, there were some pictures that did not come out as expected. When I travel, I take pictures of food to show my family what it looks like, but some of them are out of focus. The close-up didn't go so well. Also, I wasn't impressed with the camera performance enough to accept the other issues.

　People want different things from their smartphones, and the problems for me may not matter to you. Some of the issues I've raised are just specs, and some may think that the camera performance and the benefits of long-term updates from Google are a good enough trade-off.

When Google started accepting reservations for the Pixel 6 series, I bought a "Sorta Seaform" color Pixel 6 for my wife. Her wife has a Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, and she thought she would switch because she liked the Pixel 6's camera performance. However, my wife returned the Pixel 6 to me after only using it for two days and asked me to return it and give me the S20 Ultra. My wife's main problems were that it was too slow to respond, the cell connection wasn't as good as Samsung's, and it was too slippery. I'm pretty surprised that my wife is so indifferent to the convenience of Google apps.

　Do you think that these impressions of my Pixel 6 Pro are due to my blind love for the Galaxy Z Fold 3? Has anyone experienced a similar problem? Were there any issues other than the ones listed here that made you stop buying the Pixel 6 Pro or return it?

This article is an article from overseas Red Ventures edited by Asahi Interactive for Japan.