8 ms·

IMO they peaked with the Nexus 6 - camera has gotten worse and they make up with it in software or try to. You could and can see this at night or stacked shots

IMO they peaked with the Nexus 6 - camera has gotten worse and they make up with it in software or try to. You could and can see this at night or stacked shots in N6 vs pixel 4,5,6. They bought the best phone hardware and software companies (Motorola and Android) and gutted them both.

grapheneos 20d ago
They purchased Motorola Mobility for the patent portfolio as essentially a nuclear deterrent against Apple and then sold it to Lenovo. They're doing quite well internationally but haven't been a big brand in the US for a while. Their flagship phones are going to have GrapheneOS as a selling point soon and we'll hopefully be able to expand beyond the high end over the next couple years.
- hypercube33 14d ago
  I have my parents and in laws running Moto phones. They hold up well, are well built, just no big flagship phone that I'm drawn to. I like their flat screens, SD cards, headphone jacks, all that good stuff. I think their cameras are getting better now too so that'll probably tip me over with the icky new Pixel 11's
- GeekyBear 20d ago
  > They purchased Motorola Mobility for the patent portfolio as essentially a nuclear deterrent against Apple By Apple, you mean Microsoft. The early Android device makers had to pay a per device patent licensing fee to Microsoft. Google sued Microsoft for massive amounts of money using video standards essential patents they purchased from Motorola, but it didn't work out well for them in court. https://www.ft.com/content/46d36fce-15c6-11e3-950a-00144feabdc0?syn-25a6b1a6=1 https://www.ft.com/content/46d36fce-15c6-11e3-950a-00144feab...
  - grapheneos 20d ago
    Apple was actively going after Android OEMs including Samsung too. We did mean Apple but Microsoft was also relevant. The point was that they primarily bought Motorola Mobility to strip mine it for patents.
    - GeekyBear 20d ago
      The company that Google targeted with their Motorola patents was Microsoft. Google sought to ban the sale of Microsoft products that used the H.264 video standard on a global basis if Microsoft didn't hand over a literal fortune. > Microsoft and Motorola are embroiled in a legal spat around the world over the software giant’s alleged use of Motorola industry-standard H.264 patents in its many products. Motorola has argued that Microsoft has used the technology illegally and should have its products banned until it licenses them. Motorola says that Microsoft should pay $4 billion for the use of its technology, applying a 2.25 percent royalty based on product price. https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/microsoft-wins-big-one-in-motorola-patent-infringement-suit/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/microsoft-wins-big-o...
belowavgiq 20d ago
There is really no "they", all Nexus phones weren't made by Google. Hence why, the 5X aside, everyone has nice memories of them.
- hypercube33 14d ago
  I had the Galaxy Nexus (Samsung) and the Nexus 6. I may have had the Nexus 4 or 5, I dont remember. I had a few HTC phones before that and the DROID by Moto before that as my original smart phone. The DROID was peak - I miss the slide out keyboard.
- wolvoleo 20d ago
  The nexus 4 was also really mediocre. Only partial 4g and poor battery life iirc. The nexus 5 also by LG was bulls eye though. Except for the ceramic letters constantly falling off.
canucker2016 20d ago
Google also bought the HTC hardware folks for the Pixel phones - see https://www.engadget.com/2017-09-20-google-buys-htc-pixel-team-1-1-billion.html https://www.engadget.com/2017-09-20-google-buys-htc-pixel-te... Nexus 4-6 were manufactured by LG IIRC.
- Grazester 20d ago
  The Nexus 6 is a Motorola phone
IneffablePigeon 20d ago
...have you tried any of the cameras from the last 5 years or just the pixel 6? My 11 pro's cameras are by far the best cameras I've ever used on a smartphone, my previous iPhone included.
- kuschku 20d ago
  Have you seen the raw images you get out of those cameras? They're still the same grainy low res webcam sensors they were 10 years ago (if not worse), most of the improvement is just AI hallucinating details.
Grazester 20d ago
As someone who has a Nexus 6. You are delusional to say the camera was better than anything Pixel.

grapheneos 20d ago

They purchased Motorola Mobility for the patent portfolio as essentially a nuclear deterrent against Apple and then sold it to Lenovo. They're doing quite well internationally but haven't been a big brand in the US for a while. Their flagship phones are going to have GrapheneOS as a selling point soon and we'll hopefully be able to expand beyond the high end over the next couple years.

hypercube33 14d ago
I have my parents and in laws running Moto phones. They hold up well, are well built, just no big flagship phone that I'm drawn to. I like their flat screens, SD cards, headphone jacks, all that good stuff. I think their cameras are getting better now too so that'll probably tip me over with the icky new Pixel 11's
GeekyBear 20d ago
> They purchased Motorola Mobility for the patent portfolio as essentially a nuclear deterrent against Apple By Apple, you mean Microsoft. The early Android device makers had to pay a per device patent licensing fee to Microsoft. Google sued Microsoft for massive amounts of money using video standards essential patents they purchased from Motorola, but it didn't work out well for them in court. https://www.ft.com/content/46d36fce-15c6-11e3-950a-00144feabdc0?syn-25a6b1a6=1 https://www.ft.com/content/46d36fce-15c6-11e3-950a-00144feab...
- grapheneos 20d ago
  Apple was actively going after Android OEMs including Samsung too. We did mean Apple but Microsoft was also relevant. The point was that they primarily bought Motorola Mobility to strip mine it for patents.
  - GeekyBear 20d ago
    The company that Google targeted with their Motorola patents was Microsoft. Google sought to ban the sale of Microsoft products that used the H.264 video standard on a global basis if Microsoft didn't hand over a literal fortune. > Microsoft and Motorola are embroiled in a legal spat around the world over the software giant’s alleged use of Motorola industry-standard H.264 patents in its many products. Motorola has argued that Microsoft has used the technology illegally and should have its products banned until it licenses them. Motorola says that Microsoft should pay $4 billion for the use of its technology, applying a 2.25 percent royalty based on product price. https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/microsoft-wins-big-one-in-motorola-patent-infringement-suit/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/microsoft-wins-big-o...

belowavgiq 20d ago

There is really no "they", all Nexus phones weren't made by Google. Hence why, the 5X aside, everyone has nice memories of them.

hypercube33 14d ago
I had the Galaxy Nexus (Samsung) and the Nexus 6. I may have had the Nexus 4 or 5, I dont remember. I had a few HTC phones before that and the DROID by Moto before that as my original smart phone. The DROID was peak - I miss the slide out keyboard.
wolvoleo 20d ago
The nexus 4 was also really mediocre. Only partial 4g and poor battery life iirc. The nexus 5 also by LG was bulls eye though. Except for the ceramic letters constantly falling off.

canucker2016 20d ago

Google also bought the HTC hardware folks for the Pixel phones - see https://www.engadget.com/2017-09-20-google-buys-htc-pixel-team-1-1-billion.html https://www.engadget.com/2017-09-20-google-buys-htc-pixel-te... Nexus 4-6 were manufactured by LG IIRC.

Grazester 20d ago
The Nexus 6 is a Motorola phone

IneffablePigeon 20d ago

...have you tried any of the cameras from the last 5 years or just the pixel 6? My 11 pro's cameras are by far the best cameras I've ever used on a smartphone, my previous iPhone included.

kuschku 20d ago
Have you seen the raw images you get out of those cameras? They're still the same grainy low res webcam sensors they were 10 years ago (if not worse), most of the improvement is just AI hallucinating details.

Grazester 20d ago

As someone who has a Nexus 6. You are delusional to say the camera was better than anything Pixel.