I mentioned this in another thread, but this only applies to their “Team Pixel” ambassador program. Those aren’t actual reviewers, they’re contracted by Google’s PR firm, specifically to promote their product line. They’re not coming after MKBHD and the likes with this. This is just part of their sponsorship agreement.
Worst case scenario in this situation is a few lifestyle vloggers will stop getting free phones.
The second half of the article goes into that a bit. Seems like some reviewers were also grouped into that program before, and the terms weren’t like this before.
The Verge spoke with other independent reviewers and freelance tech journalists who say that they were grouped into the Team Pixel program for review units in the past. For those in the latter group, the new stipulation is a threat to their integrity and livelihood. Matlock says he’s since quit the Team Pixel program over the new terms.
YouTuber Kevin Nether, who runs The Tech Ninja channel, also says the clause led him to quit the Team Pixel program. “As someone who reviews technology for a living, I work with many brands. To be cornered into using one product — that doesn’t work for me, and that’s nothing I want to participate in.”
Nether echoes that he’s never seen this kind of stipulation in previous Team Pixel surveys. Usually, he says, the survey gauges a creator’s interest in various topics, like sports or fashion, to identify areas for collaboration. In the past, he says he’s made it clear to Team Pixel representatives that outside an obligatory post, he will review the device as normal. Nether also says this exclusivity term is atypical. Usually, when brands demand exclusivity from creators or brand ambassadors, they’ll offer payment, have clear disclosure rules, and have limited timelines.
Either Google changed the focus of the program, or the intent wasn’t clear enough in previous years
Either Google changed the focus of the program, or the intent wasn’t clear enough in previous years
I dunno, I got invited to it and I read through the application forms, which looked very similar to the ones they’re posting screenshots of now. Back when I first looked at it a few years ago, it seemed pretty clear that the whole deal was “we’ll give you free phones if you advertise us to your community”. The application process focused very heavily on determining what sort of following the applicant has, how receptive they are to calls to action, etc.
As far as I can tell, the only thing that’s changed is that Google is saying the quiet part out loud, which I would imagine is because a member likely bad-mouthed the product and raised a stink about getting cut off from the freebies. Not to sound victim-blamey, but if anybody in this programed was disillusioned into thinking it was anything short of “be our unpaid advertising monkeys”, then they must not have even taken a cursory glance at the description before signing up.
Thank you for sharing that information.
Then it really does seems like some reviewers were just entering the grey zone willingly, to get phones intended for advertisements and used them for reviews anyway.
Click bait title for sure.
The only reason I am buying Pixel devices is the amazing third party os / rom support (especially GrapheneOS).
Same. I don’t care about the camera or AI features, the speakers could be louder, and a few other nitpicks, but it supports GrapheneOS, has a long SW support cycle, and has some great security hardware, so I bought one. I actually kind of prefer my older, crappy Moto phone in some ways, but I’m unwilling to use an insecure device, and ROMs aren’t supported (well, I guess I could sign an abusive agreement).
So yeah, Pixel wins for me because of GOS and longer SW support. That’s honestly it.
You could try the fairphone
I could, but I’m in the US, and only the Fairphone 4 seems to be available, and that has limited updates left. I’m also not sold on /e/OS, but it’s probably fine.
I’m in the US. I bought the fairphone 5 and it works fine with Mint Mobile, T-Mobile mvno. I got it to replace my LG V20. Both have replaceable batteries.
Fairphone can run GOS just fine btw.eOS is just also “approved” by fairphone themselvesEDIT: no they don’t, I was wrong
Really? It’s certainly not supported by GOS, and it seems to be because FairPhone is late on shipping security patches. It would be awesome if they did get support though.
Could give the fairphone a try
Too expensive for the hardware provided in my opinion.
You definitely pay a premium for repairability and ethics, but IMO it’s worth it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
For many, but I already know how to fix my phones and have all the equipment to do it. Plus, re0airabilith is slowly starting to leech back into the market by means of being forced into it by the government.
Personally, I just want my damned microsd card slots back. I’ve been a samsung note fan for ages because I like the s pen. I’m currently using the last one made with a card slot. The n 20 ultra.
HTC just came back from the android grave and released a nice mid tier phone with a headphone jack and an SD card slot for just $600, but im not ready to give up my s-pen yet. My phone will still be plenty good for the next couple of years, and I’m hoping a company like HTC makes a successful comeback with card slots. I’m more willing to give up my s pen than give up my storage slot.
The fp5 has a SD-Slot btw.
But yeah, I’m also hoping for more repairability in phones, however if you want to buy a new one in the next 2 years I seriously doubt that major manufacturers will have DIY repairable phones by then.
For me, phones have never not been diy repair outside of the ones with parts pairing, on the paired parts. But I know I’m very much the exception to the rule. I have a lot of equipment and experience doing it.
As to the fairphone 5…it’s not really a US phone. You’d have to import it and have no warranty with it. Not a good deal for how much they are and what they’re specd at.
FYI, as of January 1st 2025 both Oregon and Colorado have banned paired parts in smartphones from being sold there. So that shit practice should be going away. The EU has been doing the same.
True, if I had the money to spare I’d definitely consider it.
The Option to install Graphene OS onto the Pixel do be a very good argument for it.
I’ll always be distrustful of Google hardware, but yes. I’ve been considering a Pixel as my next.
GOS is still not for everyone.
edit: less offensive.
So because it’s not literally for everyone, nobody can share an opinion about it?
Weird take.
So just because my car has the ability to tow a trailer it is bad? The pixel gives everyone that wants to the possibility to install a custom ROM, which is great because not every phone allows this.
Yeah that’s what has put me off getting a new Samsung phone as a free upgrade even though they have better specs. They all have the stupid Snapdragon processors.
I think next year will be the time when I buy a new phone too and I’m also looking to get a pixel. I will devinetively not buy a new one but maybe a refurbished one.
Snapdragons are decent for custom roms, the problem is samsung blocking bl-unlock on US SDM phones.
Tech reviews are a corrupt mess and can seldom be trusted, especially reviews by “influencers”.
Also these days it’s all about rushing content and pandering to the lowest common denominator. Though pop tech channels were always this way. I stumbled on Unbox Therapy lately and it’s so blatant that it almost feels illegal.
When is the industry going to recognize that the camera needs to be flush with the back?
This is ridiculous
If the camera really does need to be that thick for lens reasons, couldn’t we at least make the rest of the body bigger with more battery?
Yes, but then it would be slightly heavier and have way too good of a battery life, reducing power bank sales and having the phone last longer without needing to be replaced due to battery degradation.
Mine does that when I put a cover on my phone.
The cover is on the same level as the camera as there’s a cutout on that bit.
Your cover increases battery life?
Attention span is a problem nowadays
My plastic cover doesn’t provide power, no. My cover levels the back to be on even level with the camera — much in the same way the proposed larger battery would.
Yeah, makes sense chief, but a bigger batteries main purpose would be to be a bigger battery while also being level.
Seems like your flimsy plastic cober is kinda shit
It’s a perfectly good silicone cover. You’ve never heard of silicone covers for phones?
The only things shit here are your reading comprehension and attitude.
Excuse me. My cober works just fine.
Then they can’t advertise that the phone is x.x mm thick (if you ignore the thickest part!)
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I wish I didn’t have to put a case on my phone
Why? It’s better to have the part most likely to suffer damage also be replaceable
Because it adds more bulk to an already massive device, and it’d be nice to have the device itself be able to withstand bumps and scrapes without needing extra padding.
I mean, if you want to withstand bumps and scrapes you need padding. But without a case you need the padding to be glued to the phone directly. The bulk remains the same no?
I care about my phone and I’m rawdogging it
I refuse to put anything on my phone, she as naked as the day I got her.
Give it a few more years. At this rate, by 2028, the entire back of the phone will be camera bump and you’ll be able to lay it down on a flat surface at last.
Also, fingerprint scanners don’t belong behind the screen.
Unless you have the greasiest fingers of anyone who ever lived, they just don’t work. I have to lick my fingers to make it see them…
As my grandmother used to tell me, “Your hands are dry, go lotion them up sonny.”
And from that point on, Granny never did question why lil’ Petey bought lube by the 55gal drum load.
At least his hands, amongst other things, were soft and well moisturized.
Don’t chaff your stick.
I thought it was just me! I lick my finger to get it to read too!
Hey Google, this makes me not want a Pixel. I will however accept a large $um to cea$e $haring that $entiment.
Wow those camera bumps look so ugly. They had a nice look in the previous generations
I have the 8 and I find it so frustrating. It makes the phone uncomfortable to hold and pocket
I hate the bumps. The camera in the 4a/5 generation was fine. Hate the new look and feel but had to upgrade because of security updates and not wanting to custom rom because I value NFC payments too much.
I hate the camera bumps. Just make the entire phone the same thickness and - hey! This is crazy, but maybe then you could then add a bit more structural integrity and put a bigger battery and a SD card slot and a headphone jack in there as well.
Honestly, I’d be fine with a less substantial camera and a more substantial battery. The “a” models should have thinner cameras and thicker batteries. Oh, and give the back some texture so I don’t drop it; I have a case, so that’s not a hard requirement.
And There’s some dumbass sack of cartilage that thinks we bought these phone because the aesthetic elevated them over the competition when really we bought them despite them not being designed with human hands in mind
Do you use the phone without a protective case? I find that most cases are designed so that the bump is flush with the back of the case.
That being said, I prefer thicker cases like the Otterbox oder Spigen Tough whatever series, so I could see how such a case would be “too much” for someone.
Every phone I use a case. And every case I use, any camera is at least slightly recessed to protect the lens.
I’ve never given the slightest crap about bumps because its going in a case, and the only people I know who don’t use a case are the same people walking around with broken screens and lenses.
So I’ve never understood any review about how a phone looks without a case. That said, I also like 3.5mm jacks, SD cards for expansion, and replaceable batteries. I don’t care about shaving 1mm off the thickness, 1/8th of an ounce of weight, or any of that nonsense.
I hate what Steve Jobs has done to technology (and the world, considering what a piece of total garbage he was as a person and how many people idolize that d-bag).
Anyway. /rant.
I share all those opinions, so your rant saved me some potential typing in the future.
I wish mine was. I use the Spigen Liquid Air, which is a pretty great case, but it doesn’t solve the bump issue. I prefer thinner cases, and I specifically avoided the Pro because it’s too big, and a big case would kill a large part of why I got the non-Pro model.
I have both an otter box and a spigen to try to make the bump more comfortable. The otter box is better. The bump still sits so proud so as to be annoying
On the 8 Pro, the bump is recessed relative to the Otterbox case (given the “tough” Otterbox model for the 8 Pro, no idea what it’s called)
They should go back to Pixel 2 design.
I had a pixel 3a I really liked back in the day. All I want, though, in the world, is a reasonably sized smartphone with decent specs and good hardware security. It bothers me that you have to pick 2/3
Yeah I miss small phones. My Galaxy s10e and iPhone 13 mini were great. They just stopped making small phones for some reason. Today’s “normal sized” phones would be considered tablets 10 years ago. But hey, my hands ain’t growing…
“The market demands” we’re always told. Meanwhile half the people I meet wish phones still came in reasonable sizes. Really makes me think it has less to do with what the market demands and more what the product managers at the tech companies prefer for themselves
I would think the camera bar would make holding the phone easier, is that not the case? I have a note 20 ultra and I find cases with horizontal camera cover sliders significantly more comfortable to hold than those that try to make the camera bump less noticeable
For me it’s not harder to hold, but it does seem to catch on things periodically. I honestly don’t care much about the camera, and it taking up so much space is annoying. My old phone was pretty much flush (Moto G Power), and the main reason I went with the Pixel is the longer software support and compatibility with GrapheneOS. If a bumpless phone existed that met those two criteria, I would get that instead of the Pixel.
It’s not a deal breaker, but I do find it a little annoying.
I really like the camera bar, and definitely makes it easier to hold
It would if it weren’t a sharp corner… I got the pop socket to keep my fingers away from the bump
Interesting. I guess it’s different strokes for different folks. I’m not a fan of the bump on the naked phone but I also have a Spigen case and actually appreciate the bump.
The Pixel 8 is a little big in my hands so with a secure grip, to me being fingers on one edge pressing the phone into my palm, I can’t reach the full screen. It’s also uncomfortable to hold it that way for long periods. So often I have the phone with my fingers on the back and my pointer touches the bump, keeping it from sliding, even at steep angles. I don’t find the corners harsh but maybe they have worn down somewhat so they are no longer as sharp?
If you use a case like most people do it makes sense.
Not if it’s just a silicone case, it’s not thick enough to compensate for the camera hump.
Source: the phone in my hands
The one in my hand with a silicon case feels fine. Camera bump is only obnoxiously noticeable when it’s naked.
It’s a 3mm bump with the case on on my Pixel 7…
I don’t like that this is the way things are (in relation to influencers) but it seems reasonable to me that if you sign up to shill for a company, you should be expected to shill for the company.
While this is true it should come with the caveat that it is basically reduced to… Advertising.
$1k for a Tensor chip? Hell naw
Content Creators… Aren’t all of those sucking Googles tits by spending their lives on YouTube anyway?
There are also some on Facebook’s, Amazon’s or ByteDance’s respective teats
Yeah but the ones worth your time usually set up some other form of income like patreon so their not as dependant. Its just hard to upstart anywhere else full time because numbers.
American Fair phone users, how’s your experience?
Currently using a FP4 with success. Using Ting/T-Mobile for service.
Nice! I’m on tmo is there a decent Graphene OS rom for the fair phone?
I really wish quadlock would make a case but I suppose I can just print one.
Also that whole channel is hilarious
hilarious? 🤔
Amazing
That could be me…I don’t know anyone else with a pixel.
I know a few people (including myself) who use pixel. They’re pretty moderately priced (compared to iphones) and the functionality is nice. Also, they have the longest Android suppoet.
Google has done price increases the last 2 or 3 years, so they no longer have a price advantage. Samsung also has the same 7 year support window.
Yeah but samsung is bloatware locked down garbage. You can put a custom os on pixels
Not many complaints on my side either. I just wanted a phone without nonsense installed. It’s not quite as customisable as I may want (I can’t get rid of some pre installed applications, but yeah.
Did you get it through your carrier? They add extra bloat vs buying it unlocked
I bought it in the UK, no network locks these days, no bloat. I just mean standard stuff like the Calendar, Gmail, etc.
Wonder if Mr. Mobile caved too…
From what I’ve read, it’s those who are “#teampixel” which he doesn’t seem to be no longer part of the program.
Give his recent video a watch and decide whether he’s caved or not - i don’t think it’s as plain as mkbhf
Oh great that’s a relief
The Option to install Graphene OS onto the Pixel do be a very good argument for it.
