Date: 29 March 24, 02:22 AM
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 Pixel4a



Bill


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Phone arrived a little while ago. First impression is good, about the same size as the SE, maybe a bit taller and not quite as wide, very light.  Phone seems pretty fast. Setup was easy, I used the included adapter to connect the 2.  Everything transferred quickly but I didn't have a lot. I skipped the pictures for instance. The pixel doesn't seem to have an "always use the speakphone" that SE had, or I haven't found it.  And I need to adjust the volume.
Clearly I haven't had this long enough to really have an opinion.
Going to need 2-3 days...........
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

scuzzy


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  • In an emergency, 9-1-1 calls ME.

The Pixel 4a's screen must seem big when compared to the iPhone SE. I hope it works out for you, especially the speakerphone.

I didn't know that the SE has a setting to default to the speakerphone. It's not a feature that I would use, but it's nice to know it's there.

I recently learned that the Pixel 5's main speaker is actually under the display, and is not as loud as a normal speaker port. The secondary speaker (on the bottom), is an actual speaker port and louder than the main speaker. Hopefully that won't be an issue for me. I would have preferred a normal speaker port, even it made the phone a fraction of an inch taller.


Bill


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I have an opinion now.  The 4a and SE are close to being identical in size, the 4a about an 1/8" taller.
This pixel doesn't hold a candle to the Apple...sort of like a Volkswagen and a Benz. Or a Taurus and a Sig.
The Speaker phone is not accessible until I actually make a call or receive a call. And then I have to select it. Volume is barely adequate; I have had to turn down the volume on the SE.
Pixel build quality feels flimsy and slippery.
I wish I had been this sure about deciding on a carry gun.   Would have saved me some cash.

I just printed the return label.
Guess I have officially now joined the dark side......
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

scuzzy


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  • In an emergency, 9-1-1 calls ME.

You have to do what works best for you. If the iPhone SE meets your needs, then I can't blame you. There is no doubt that the SE build quality is premium, especially at its price point, and it does have a very good speakerphone. Kudos to Apple. Too bad that iOS has more irritations than I can stomach.

Even if I'm not happy with the Pixel 5, I cannot imagine returning to iOS for any reason. The experience has been far too stressful for me, and I have no desire to do a repeat. If the Pixel 5 ends up being a fail, I will VERY reluctantly return to Samsung instead. It would be nice if I could simply install Android on my iPhone. Lol

On the other end of the spectrum, I spoke with my sister last night and she is thrilled with her new Pixel 4a. However, it replaced a cheap 5-year-old Motorola phone that left much to be desired, and that was giving her a lot of problems. I suppose it's a matter of perspective.

Bill


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I hope the 5 is all around a better deal for you. I'm glad this is over for me. One less thing....
The other thing I forgot to mention about the 4a is the keyboard is smaller than the SE.
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

scuzzy


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  • In an emergency, 9-1-1 calls ME.

I hope you're right, because the Pixel 5 is going to have to work for me. Nothing else comes close to meeting my needs, and I have no desire to own another monster-size phone.

Android keyboards can be resized in the keyboard settings. On the default keyboard, you have 5 sizes to choose from (short, mid-short, normal, mid-tall, and tall). I installed Swift Keyboard on my Note 9 and could adjust it by dragging the border to my exact preference, and I could choose from multiple skins. The predictive text in Swift is also better than iOS, as far as I'm concerned. One major irritation I have with iOS is that the comma and question mark keys are in the secondary key set instead of the primary.

Bill


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Having to change screens for the period and comma is actually a PITA. The SE has a Zoom function that resized the keyboard a bit which helped. Using it horizontally also helps.

My daughter suggested a bigger phone, I almost laughed.  As I told her, it's not my eyes, it's the fingers.

I'm told the predictive text gets better as it's used.
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

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Bill


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Any such for a comma??
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

scuzzy


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  • In an emergency, 9-1-1 calls ME.

There is a shortcut, although not as slick as the one for the period.

When typing a message, press and hold the "123" key, and then slide your finger to the comma. When you raise your finger, it will place a comma at the end of the word and immediately take you back to the alpha keyboard. BTW: This trick works for any other punctuation, number, etc.

Another useful feature (now available on Android - finally) is "mousing" your message. Just press and hold the space bar, and then move the cursor to place it exactly where you want.

Bill


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Where are you getting these goodies? 
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit

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  • In an emergency, 9-1-1 calls ME.

I figure there's better ways to do things and consider that some things are hidden, so I will Google search for solutions. Some things I was already familiar with, and others my daughters teach me along the way. I only recently learned of the 'comma' shortcut.

I've known about the iOS mousing feature for a couple years, and have lamented that until recently it was not an option on Android. On the other hand, I've been using the 'period' shortcut on Android for years.

Here's another... when you write out a message and you need to delete the last sentence, give your phone a quick shake instead of hitting the back key. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Last 2 keyboard tricks that I know:

 1. Double tap the shift key to lock the CAPS.
 2. Hold down a key (such as the letter e) for special characters. Example: Café

Bill


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So far everything you've mentioned has worked. I picked up the double tap space bar somewhere,  and it works well too. Thanks.
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit