Google Pixel

Physical changes are also welcome, so things like skins, cases, screen protections etc... are fine to discuss.

For me, in this order:

• Wi-Fi calling: it was very surprising that this was not on by default, and enabling it helped a bit with the battery life on my Pixel 7a;
• Try custom launchers: I was happy with the phone but the very first annoying thing is the damn Google search bar and how there was no way to just hide it like any other widget. So I ended up installing KISS Launcher (it's FOSS and still maintained);
• Bite the bullet and install GrapheneOS: you get more security, sandboxed Play Services, a more fine-grained permissions system and you can still install the default Pixel apps from the Play Store while cutting off their internet access, and most importantly you get rid of the Google bar (also enabled Wi-Fi calling as previously done).

The Pixel phone cameras and their AI photo enhancements using Google's Tensor chip are among the things where Pixel phones shine and which make their owners fall in love with them. In case you didn't see it already, please take a look at all of the beautiful shots by the members in our Pixel photography megathread and feel free to contribute your own! 😁

Whether you're a photography geek or just starting out, this thread aims to be a place to share tips and tricks to make the most out of your Pixel phone's camera and its AI magic to capture stunning shots.

Please feel free to share your favorite tricks regarding but not limited to:

• Accessories: what are your must-have accessories that level up your photography experience?

• Composition techniques: rule of thirds, golden ratio... do you use any of these techniques?

• Digital zoom: do you ever use it?

• Google Camera settings: what are your go-to settings in the Google Camera app for different scenarios? Or do you prefer using another app?

• Gripping: how do you like to hold your device when shooting photos and videos?

• Lenses: which lenses do you use the most? Do you find yourself using macro and wide angle more, or telephoto (maybe even for close ups)?

• Lighting: how do you deal with different lighting conditions to get the perfect shot?

• Portrait shots: how do you get that perfect bokeh effect in your portrait shots?

• Post-processing: which Google Camera filters do you use the most? Do you use any other Android apps for additional post-processing or do you post-process on PC?

Model-specific tips are of course also welcome. Don't forget to state what phone model you have when posting!

Can't wait to see what photography hacks you've got up your sleeves! 📸✨

-- with love by AlmightySnoo & hackitfast

(photo featuring the Google Camera app by Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian)

We'll keep it in a single sticky thread for now and see how it goes. Please don't forget to indicate which model you used to take the photo! 😁

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EDIT: Won't be pushing Pixelfed anymore. As someone in the comments already said, it reduces the quality of your photos. And Lemmy.world isn't a small instance anymore and should handle the photos so we'll ignore the recommendation below, unless of course you don't mind the lossy compression that's being applied :-)

If you want a tiny bit of lossless compression before posting your photos, if you're on Linux you could feed them to jpegoptim.

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The following is of course not necessary, but if it's not too complicated for you it might be preferable to host your photos on a Pixelfed instance if they are too large to help lessen the burden on the lemmy.world instance!

Basically, once you upload your image on a Pixelfed instance, you can embed your image here by right-clicking (or long tap if on your phone) on the Pixelfed pic, choosing "copy image link" (or opening it in a new tab and copying the URL if your mobile browser doesn't show this), and then you paste the URL here inside an image tag like this:

![](PASTE_URL_HERE)

Discussions and suggestions about how the community is run, the moderation, the rules etc... go here!

> A new feature called "Screen time reminders" is now available on Google Pixel devices as well as other Android phones.

> New reports of a Google Pixel Laptop are out, and we suspect that this hardware is likely to run Android, not Chrome OS.

> Following the announcement on Wednesday, the new real-time Scam Detection is rolling out to the Phone by Google app beta on Pixel.

I've upgraded my Pixel XL every year from the 6 to the 9 (pro). Say what you will about that financial decision. Each year I've told myself I only did it because it was such a "great deal" either for the sale price on the pixel or the "boosted trade-in value" from the previous.

I thought it would be fun to look at the prices for each in the context of the others and see how they varied from year to year.

Each year I bought the XL model with the lowest storage space (except the 9 pro), and pro when it was offered. Only one of the years I received a promotional item and I'll note that. The total price is listed with tax.

Pixel 6 Pro 128gb 10/19/2021 Total: $969 Trade-in: $175 (of two year old Pixel 4XL) Pixel Buds A: $99 (retail) Net: $695

Pixel 7 Pro 128gb 11/7/2022 Total: $968 Trade-in: $500 Net: $468

Pixel 8 Pro 128gb 12/26/2023 Total $753 Trade-in: $315 Net: $438

Pixel 9 Pro 256gb 11/6/2024 Total: $904 (with "gold" play points discount) Trade-in: $699 Net: $205 Net (If I had bought the 128gb): ~$105

Originally I'd planned to keep my 8 pro another year, but looking at it this way it makes more sense why I couldn't help myself and go with the update again.

On another note, I find it annoying the way Google plays around with "boosted trade-in values." I get that they do a lot of sales to encourage purchases, but changing around the trade-in values to create a sense of urgency and price confusion -- especially on their own phones! -- seems distasteful to me. They should stick with what they think is the actual value of their phones, and admit whether they do or don't hold that value over time.

> Google is preparing to upgrade the kernel version of all Tensor-powered Pixels to Linux 6.1 in Android 15 QPR2.

> In a change to the usual release cadence, Google said yesterday that the next Pixel Watch update is not coming until March 2025.

I got the update notification for Android 15 QPR2 Beta. It said I can now exit the beta without wiping if I opt out of the beta program. I opted out and now I'm seeing this update which says it will wipe data if installed. Should I expect another update to show up instead of this one?

> Following the other three phones in the series, repair parts — including the screen — for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are now listed on iFixit.

> With a recent Pixel Drop, Google introduced a new underwater camera mode to Pixel phones. I gave this a shot in Maui, Hawaii.

> In developing the Tensor G6 for the Pixel 11, Google talks about problems users have had in the past, with battery life unsurprisingly...

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/21812273 > In a leaked slide deck regarding future Tensor chipsets, Google admits that overheating issues have been the "#1 reason" for Pixel returns.

> There’s a new “Performance Loop” band for the Pixel Watch in the works, but it hasn’t been released or officially...

> Google is aware of its Tensor chip's shortcomings, but Pixel 11 might still come with some downgrades - but it's for a good reason.

> After three generations of the Pixel Watch, the Google Store is selling the first watch band from a third-party manufacturer...

> After weeks of not being available, the Google Store has finally restocked the official Pixel 9 Pro Fold case.

> Google has reportedly started rolling out the new battery charging limit feature to Pixel phones with the latest November update.

I keep hearing about Android 15 new features, but my pixel 9 pro fold has not updated itself yet. Anyone in the same situation?

Is this update automatic or do I have to do something to activate it?

> With the Android 15 November security patch, the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold are getting their next update with several fixes.

> Google updated Call Screen with contextual replies last year, and the Pixel Phone app is readying “AI Replies” powered by LLMs...

> Google's Pixel 9 Pro XL is a massive hit, with the device joining the top 10 premium smartphones sold in the US in Q3.

> According to a new report, Google’s cost for producing a PIxel 9 Pro is just over $400, which might be...

> Google Pixel reportedly saw absolutely massive 3x growth in North America in just one month, but it seems too good to be true.

> Over the past day or so, some Pixel owners have encountered an issue where Google Play services says it’s “not supported by your device.”

> The Pixel’s Now Playing history feature may finally show album art for each song instead of a generic note icon.

> Indonesia has banned sales of Google Pixel smartphones for failing to meet domestic content requirements, days after blocking Apple's iPhone 16 in Indonesia blocks Google Pixel smartphone sales over local content rules, following iPhone 16 ban last week.

> Pixel Weather has now widely rolled out to older devices, and this week’s Made by Google Podcast talks about the...

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/21500901 > In addition to the standard 10% back on Google Store purchases, some Google One members today are being offered $150 off the Pixel 9 series.

> As announced with the October 2024 (Feature) Drop, Pixel Weather is now available for the Pixel 6 and newer...

> Google’s Pixel 9a is shaping up to have an earlier launch next year, and as that nears, more information is...

> Ahead of Halloween on Thursday, seasonal Audio Emoji has arrived for Pixel users in the Google Phone app...

> The Pixel 9 still has that new smell but that's not stopping Pixel 10 rumors from surfacing. Here's what we know about the Pixel 10.

> With the October Pixel Drop, the Pixel Watch got a pair of new features and the new Google Contacts Wear OS Tile is now available...

> According to a new report, Google's Pixel 9a is set to adopt a much larger battery, despite being roughly the same physical size.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/21390576 > Google starts selling refurbished Pixel phones. They’re up to 40 percent off and come with the same warranty as a brand-new handset.

I wanted to get this photo of my cat (sleeping in the window) and a treat i got for her in the same photo, when I took the photo the cat was in frame but when it processed neither were in frame completely ruining my photoshoot :( Is there a way to, A: get both in focus (preferred) or, B: keep only 1 in focus

Also, is there any way to prevent a photo from processing? When I take a photo of a screen ex. a funny thing on a school laptop, it looks good in the camera app but when it processes it has warping lines and looks really bad. Compression might ruin it but here's an example:

!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/21198648 > The leaks about Google’s Pixel chip roadmap continue with the core configurations, as well as other specs, for the Tensor G5 and G6 emerging.