It may not be terribly surprising that on the day Google releases a new and admittedly awesome phone that they would like you to buy one, but that’s just what their latest video ad is saying. If I hadn’t already been lining up at the Telstra store at opening time this morning, this add just might have pushed my already addled mind over the edge.
The question is will it sway Joe and Jane Citizen? Check out the video below and decide for yourself.
Having now spent more time with the Pixel away from the distractions of the launch event, I’m still as convinced now as I was then that the Pixels will be battling for the best Phone of 2016 and it looks like it’s in with a shot to win!.
Are you close to caving on a Pixel purchase? Let us know below.
I only just noticed when seeing this ad on TV last night, that there isn’t really a clear shot of the phone itself at the end of the ad; front or back! There’s one quick fly-past the full front when it is showing off the Daydream, but otherwise this is an ad that doesn’t even show the product. Weird.
They were towards the back of the store in Perth City Telstra store (the one closest to David Jones and Myer)
I think Samsung and Apple had the prime spot near the front door.
For some reason the xl was able to be held on a cable with a big lock on the case but the normal sized one was locked and couldn’t move.
I hope Google Australia read these comments because JB HiFi failed miserably. The Sydenham store had no display and nothing in a pocket to pull out to show people. Telstra had a great display setup with both phones right at the front of the store. Unfortunately, because people can easily run past and grab one, the phones were locked down tight. They could be rotated but not held. I couldn’t even see the back of the phone. I wanted to see which phone was better in the hand and to see if that was worth the difference in size. The… Read more »
Wow
Played with the phones at Telstra store. They’re nice. Finally the camera’s fast to focus, rotate, change between the front and back and to capture. Still takes time to process the pictures, though. Why Google; with all that processing power?
Since the Note7 passed away sadly, I was kinda inclined towards the Pixel XL. But, they’re only available on Telstra, have large chin, and no SD card support. I’m gonna be sticking with my Nexus 6 for quite sometime again.
I’ll try my luck next time.
How did you test the camera? The phones at my Telstra store were locked down such that the only thing I could photograph was the white background behind the phone!
These were attached to the desk with drawstrings making them easy to take pictures of things around the store.
I’m glad to hear that the store you went to allowed this. The Telstra store I went to had them fixed and unable to remove from the stalk.
It’s takes time to process any HDR photo on any device. It’s just that Google does this by default because it can actually capture HDR much quicker than its competition – and this is the more important element.
I am completely in love with my Pixel. I remember that sense of wonder I got when I first starting using my Nexus 5 three years ago… but this is all of that, massively elevated. The things that I love most – speed, battery life, the finger print sensor, the “alt-tab” double tap of the multi-task button, the design and… the Google Assistant mini gameshow. What a crazy laugh it is. Google needs to take this concept and expand on it. It’s clearly a tech demo designed for easter egg hunters but the potential is enormous – especially for something… Read more »
I had a similar experience at JB Pacific Fair, Broadbeach QLD. I went in just after 9am and looked for the Pixel dispaly, nowhere to be seen. I asked one of the sales staff and he said, Oh they haven’t arrived from the warehouse yet, I’ll make a quick call and find out when we should expect them. He called and said they should be here soon along with the Google rep who will set up the display. I went shopping with for the rest of the morning and wenrt back to the store around 1.30pm and still no sign… Read more »
JB, you’ve done it again.
I will buypass this phone
I will PayPass this phone!
As someone who is considering a handset upgrade, I think the pixel has some stiff competition against the likes of the LG V20. The Xperia XZ would be a contender too if it was running Nougat out of the box.
We went and got one for work. this is jbhifi Top Ryde at 8:58am.
All the marketing in the world won’t help if when a consumer walks into a store to purchase it’s no where to be seen, except for an abundance of iPhones and Samsung’s .
There were no signs of the pixel at all. Guy took 15mins to find them. I feel sorry for Google for having a partner that doesn’t care about their first phone. Definitely no cases either.
I had a similar experience as per above comment.
The pixel was front and centre at my Telstra store 😉
Which store is yours? I’d love to see what an actual Google display looks like!
Post a pic 🙂
I ended up buying one outright at JB Hi Fi in Melbourne’s CBD.
There was no major display like what you see from Apple and Samsung, but a Pixel and Pixel XL were up and running on a stand and there were cases available. It was a pretty meh set up but at least the sales person knew what it was, where it was, and was very quick getting my purchase sorted out.
Low res screen, single camera albite a decent one with no ois, not waterproof, no expandable storage, mono speaker. nope, not that interested. Phone of the year? Really? Would be interested to hear why. Software?
No wireless charging either.
I tried upping your comment 50 times. More wireless charging phones please!
Wireless charging will take off when it can do so rapidly. Until then, wired fast charging is the better option on balance.
It can, that’s the point. Just as quick as a 9v wired Charger. Samsung has been doing it since the note 5.
It can charge as fast as a Pixel for example?
If you mean Quick Charge 2.0? 9v Charging, then yes it does.
Hmm but the Pixel doesn’t use quick charge does it? That’s a Qualcomm standard. If I recall correctly, the Pixel uses USB-C fast charging. Which one is faster though I’m unsure. I do know that USB-C doesn’t need to give up data transfer in order to charge at maximum speed.
Yeah, Qualcomm does have their version, but it can use 9v Charging, same as Samsung. They don’t have quick charge, but still uses 9v Charging. Have tested. The 6P/5X used 5v exclusively at 3A.
The pixel seems to use 9V. will test on Monday with our volt checker and report.
it can use 9V @ 2 amp whihc = 18W, not specifically Qualcom quick charge however
So I wonder what the respective pros and cons are. Maybe wireless charging is expensive to implement. Maybe it stresses batteries more than regular charging. Maybe it’s heat related. There has to be a reason why manufacturers don’t include wireless charging all the time.
What is the phone of the year? The pixel is pretty nice in the flesh, the s7 edge has many more features but it doesn’t wow me either. Sony’s lack of updates puts me off and I’m a Telstra contract guy so the phone I want (v20) is out of reach. I’m ready to buy but aren’t thrilled with the choices, replace my iphone6s with a 7?
If there was a way to completely remove TouchWiz, I’d certainly consider a Samsung, but it just makes it horrible.
Since when has a 2560 x 1440 screen be considered “low res”? Having used the camera a bit today it does a phenomenal job compared to the camera in the 6P and 5X. 128GB is going to be more than enough for me and most people. But above all, this phone is fast. Throwing everything I normally run at it and it doesn’t blink. Feels 20-30 times more responsive than my Nexus 5X.
Certainly the Android phone of the year, not sure it will top the iPhone 7 Plus though.
Ok, there’s a lot of moaning about no OIS but I think it’s time to start driving home why this doesn’t matter with the Pixel. The Pixel’s camera is being raved about for a reason. Let me try to explain. The TLDR is this – the Pixel doesn’t need OIS because it captures images and video in an entirely new way to conventional cameras. Ok, the longer version. First, still photography. Many cameras use Optical Image Stabilisation to help take account of shaky hands and ensure images are sharp. OIS allows for the camera assembly to effectively move in opposition… Read more »