It’s one thing when it is a bad design element, but when it winds up serving an actual purpose, concessions should be made. iPhone has a notch, and yes it isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but it does provide a highly secure biometric feature. I would rather have the notch, as opposed to a mechanical pop up camera, but the pinhole is the least obtrusive (therefore there should be less whining, but there certainly isn’t), but people are expecting something from a technical standpoint (under the glass cameras) that isn’t ready yet. This whole thing started with the incessant focus on bezel reduction as a “feature”, so if you want to blame someone start there, so you definitely can’t blame iPhone. 🙄😂 Bottom line people live to ridicule and chide, so it doesn’t matter how phones look whether its a design element or an individual deeply personal aesthetic preference. I don’t need a selfie camera, so maybe we can start there...
I agree. Every review I see gets a negative comment either on the phone not being bezeless, having a notch, or if it's basically bezeless and using a pop-up camera. There is no winning.
When describing the face unlock security... “If you’re worried about someone making a lifelike mask of you, maybe you should look at other things going on with your life.” Hahahaha
So true, but given that iPhone X was escoriated for actually delivering a real and totally secure face unlock, it's fair to give Google (and anyone else) grief for security or other implentation failures in this regard.
I don't agree with many of his opinions, this one especially, the Pixel 4 is awful, but he is explaining his POV in an interesting way. The fact that I can listen to something I disagree with and not get annoyed by it, shows that Diater is quite good at doing his thing.
This review hits on so many things I feel like others are missing. What I get out of Google assistant regularly, picture quality, stock android - pretty much all I really want. A wide angle lens would be a nice addition, but not a must. I'd rather have telephoto as well. Coming from a Pixel 1 XL, this is the only phone I want. I'm not jumping ship, and am damn excited. Great review.
@@GM-bw7es I think you're lying... Why would a Note 10 user buy this? And why switch from one Flagship to another in mere months, especially with the excessive leaks?
"I think the top bezel looks okay and i've gotten used to it" it" Let me correct that for you "I finally got used to regular bezels after using smartphones for 12 years"
13:21 After my 3XL upgraded to Android 10 the memory management is a lot less aggressive. I rarely have to wait for apps to open back up. Most journalists don't use a phone more than a few weeks/months, so I don't blame you for not knowing this.
I have poco f1 i have installed pixel experience plus pie rom and waiting for Q its really amazing nut not very well in ram management as in iphone.... Can u tell me how u have this ram management lets compare eachother phone.....tell me your usage and i will do the same
@@mariahwilliams3136 I love mine. The pictures are damn awesome. Zoom is way better than iPhone. My 4XL battery lasts for a day! The only drawback is the lack of wide angle camera ...
12:09 I literally don't know anyone that switches between iOS and Android because of the camera. Most people have picked an ecosystem and stick to it. Sure, people switch between LG, Samsung, and Pixel devices...
As a reviewer who switches between these ecosystems...it's a nightmare sometimes. You can't move WhatsApp messages from one platform to the other, you can only have Snapchat open on one device at a time. A lot of apps backup to iCloud but you don't get the option to back them up to Google Drive, so good luck getting them on Android. The ecosystems really does keep you locked in.
I switch. I don't care about ecosystem hence I work and live in multi OS environment anyway. And I'm not American, therefore iMessage ain't Panacea for me. So no, one can choose other OS based on specs, hardware or innovation (like Retina in iPhone 4 or Soli Radar in Pixel 4)
@@Josh-Teder 100% a reviewer-only first-world problem that is perhaps worth a mention, but should not be a central (or even minor) point of any review that is not specifically about switching. Automotive reviewers also make this same editorial mistake all the time regarding "ease of use", because they are hoping in a new and different car everyday. That is no one else's problem, so stop writing about it. Write for the reader, not for you.
Dieter, I always look forward to clicking on a video from the verge and seeing your in depth and concise breakdown of the software and hardware. Your objectivity about how the flagship phones stack up and what differentiates them was spot on. Keep up the amazing work.
What I took away from this review: traditional camera makers need to start integrating computational photography into their lineup. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 has starting doing this a bit with their rather nice time lapse feature.
i looked at a couple of the time google time lapses on different channels , i did not think they where that good mate , certainly ok for a crappy smart phone , but still somewhat noisy , and they had to be edited , and i have seen a flagship huawei device do the same last year i think , but hand held . Seems way over rated for me , would i spend a tank of gas going out into the sticks with a tripod to get an astro shot that in the end will still be a smart phone camera shot that you will have to edit to make it look half decent anyway ? i`m thinking i wouldnt .
@@khalilkacem2389 interesting why is that? Why does the camera stop it from working? *Strangely the original poster who suggested the reason the soli radar wasn't working removed his post after I asked... First time I've ever had that before
One of the most interesting and break-through features of this phone to me personally - astrophotography. And they couldn't find a way to test it. Damn..
:( I had to fly back from new york and get going on the review, which we spent a lot of time on. Every night at like 11pm I would be like "Okay now I am going to drive two hours out of town to see some stars" and then I would be like "or I could work for two more hours, go to sleep for four hours, and then get back to finishing the rest of the review." I'm bummed about it! - Dieter
yep , very marginal gains . A bigger difference ? did not work out that good for battery life did it . Also did not work out that well for storage on an allegedly camera centric phone that you may take lots of pics and video . Google had to make the 90 hz display part time because the battery was too small :) Yep , very marginal gains .
Stabilization just doesn't seem as good as Apple's optical stabilization imo, and you're limited to 4k 30fps only. That's my guess from using the phone at least.
The video recording is a complete let down. The video panning is blurry and jittery. The dynamic range isn't great either. You should checkout Supersaf's video featuring MKBHD. It's 36 min indepth video with pixel vs iPhone camera.
@@Josh-Teder Why doesn't the stabilization seem as good as Apple's optical stabilization? According to Linus's comparison its at least just as good on both phones. And what do you mean by optical stabilization? Both the Pixel and the iphone have and use OIS and EIS. " and you're limited to 4k 30fps only" OK you are limited to that but how well does it record video? That's the most important thing in the end.
@@UltraFighter18 4k 60 will definitely look better , plenty of other flagships also have 4k recording on the selfie , , not on the pixels , no 1080 at 240 ,cant see any mention of slo mo , but they may have it . basically , it seems google focused on the stills , and not much else , so features = limited .
Yeah I'm happy with my purchase. Got the big one so battery life is less of an issue, and I really don't like iOS. Perfect upgrade from my 2-year-old Pixel 2.
I've heard the Pixel 5 camera will have no actual lenses. You'll just tell it what you want to take a photo of and computational photography will do the rest. "Hey Google, take a photo of my friend Jeff juggling pandas while riding down 5th Avenue on a giant squirrel". You don't even need to take the phone out of your pocket!
I am so waiting for 120hz pro motion on iPhone ... would rather have had that with an LCD Screen than a 60hz oled Screen. iPad Pro User experience feels like a different world compared to iPhone right now.
I disabled it on all my Samsung phones since it was activated more often, than I wanted to, because naturally my finger always lays on the fp reader anyway
@@TheVerge So glad you confirmed this lol. It's like life-changing on Nova Launcher on my s10e, and I'm relieved I'll be able to use the stock launcher if I get a Pixel 4.
The Verge had its ups and downs since the beginning, but Dieter Bohn is a big up. My biggest reason to keep watching to The Verge reviews. Keep it up mate.
I smashed that like button the second you stopped yourself from saying the hot word! This was a great honest review. Presentation was really well done and I appreciate your style of reviewing / reporting.
FINALLY a review that mentions it all. I watched 10 reviews yesterday, or rather last night, and not a single one mentioned the infrared sensor. Sounds amazing. What those reviews focused on was the bad battery life. Man, those people have had a hard-on for that issue. So negative.
9:18 The Verge, when did Apple was the standard for portrait mode? It has always been the pixel (better edge detection, better sharpness...). You are wrong on this point, even in this comparison
Not worth $1000 for those "smart" features though. Abysmal battery life, no ultrawide, no 4k hdr or 4k 60FPS video, screen too dim for outdoor visibility, that hideous top bezel, no reverse wireless charging. There's so much that's missing from the pixel that it's hard to choose this over a iPhone 11 Pro or a Note 10 plus.
Deiter, I am an iPhone 11 Pro Max user and I think you are unfair to Samsung. They have versatile all around cameras with both great photos and videos. Expendable and larger base storage, bigger RAM. Superb battery life... I cannot imagine you would look over if Samsung had lackluster battery life and storage, and videos.
"If you're worried about someone making a life like mask of you maybe you should worry about other things that are going on in your life" Very well said
What about the Soli Radar tech? What kind of wave is it throwing at you? How safe is it? Has any safety test been made so far on the effect of those waves on the human body? Or are users going to end up with hip cancer or smth?
I don't know if that is a right word to use but I think this is the most 'mature' review of the Pixel 4XL of them all. Thank you so much for not making a big fuzz about the things, that some other did, which actually doesn't make a huge diference when using a deviace.
This has been the most complimentary review of the pixel I’ve seen so far. Many others disagree on battery life, the inconsistent 90hz display (which if you want it on constantly you have to go into the dev menu) and the fact that the pixels face unlock isn’t secure.
Great review! Agree with so many points, especially the whole notch thing. Notches are overrated. Agree on battery life. Go with the 4XL. It's been great so far.
he gets what the pixel 4 is about better than most reviewers, even mkbhd whined about this losing the point of whom the phone is targetting and at whom this is aimed for, although it isn't available here in India i would have bought it if it launched, i have the pixel 3 xl and it's awesome and people with 9-5 jobs who prefer android, there's no better phone.
I have one issue with the MAJORITY of these Pixel 4 reviews. Everyone keeps saying "The iPhone 11 only costs $699 while the Pixel 4 starts at a more expensive $799". BUT THEN you IMMEDIATELY compare it to the iPhone 11 Pro which costs at least $999 and then say "The Pixel 4 doesn't have a wide angle lens like the iPhone 11 Pro". So want a Pixel 4 to be better than at the iPhone in pretty much every way, but you don't wanna pay iPhone prices for it?! Like... make up your minds, kids.
its just to say that the pixel price is way too high, most companies are doing "cheap" alternatives to their lineup, s10e and s10 for example, iphone xr and iphone x. pixel 4 and pixel 4xl are both the same and not really cheaper from one another.
@@SnazTasticKobe that device already exists and is selling quite well. It's called the Pixel 3a. It wouldn't make sense for good to sell the 3a at 399 and then turn around and sell the 4 for 599.
What a great review! My first time watching your review and you got everything on point. I had the Pixel 2 XL for almost 2 years now and it was one of the best phones when it came out. I got to say that this phone is worth it if they do drop the price. I got the 4 XL with a pretty good discount and it's worth the price. If Google started the Pixel 4 price lower, it wouldn't be as reviewed negatively by reviewers.
I really wanted the 4 XL 128gb model but that price? I bought the 3a XL on sale for 4oo.oo bucks tax included. Saving 6oo.oo made me & my pocketbook very happy. I don't feel I'm missing much especially in the camera department. Battery life 6to7hrs SOT is very acceptable for my needs. The 670processer works well, no lags or stutters. Stereo speakers and jack. I think I made the right choice, plus the savings. Very good review!3
Pixel 2 XL user here - I'm very happy that I skipped the Pixel 3 as this phone has performed very well these past 2 years. And now that Verizon is giving $450 towards a Pixel 4, I'm grabbing the XL 128gb for $550. Thanks for all this info, I'm stoked!
You know, I've found that ultrawide photos are cool for the first few times. I daily a Pixel 2XL, and like most people, wanted a wide-angle camera. So I bought a lense. A very expensive Moment lense; that I used about 9 times. It was easy to put on my phone, and the case was nice. The lense even did a better job than most wide angle cameras on phones back in 2017. However, I just didn't need it. I realized that wide angle shots distort, noticeably, and over time I started caring less and less about getting *everything* in the shot. I found myself zooming in more than I zoomed out; and for that I'm glad they went with a distance lense instead. I'm really looking forward to upgrading soon.
Dieter makes and keeps his reviews so honest and professional. It's never about what he doesn't like. It's about comparing oranges with oranges, not oranges to Apple. Oranges being Android of course. Pixel 4 offers one of the best, if not the best Android experience and it's not only about the specs. Dieter is a true professional at what he does. Thanks for giving some light to the Pixel 4, instead of shade.👍
I really appreciate this review. I made the mistake of going from iPhone to Samsung and I was miserable with that phone, now I'm considering going back to android for the Pixel 4 and this review was so neutral and honest, thanks!
