Pixel 5

[...] i've been using this setup for 7+ years. Obviously with other phones (former pixel 5) but the passport form factor of the pixel fold works great for one handed use and I use it folded most of the time. [...] I build webapps so there's no difference using my phone or a laptop save for app switching/multi-window speed. As for typing speed, sure it's a bit slower but it helps I program in clojure(script) so the concise and terse syntax helps. Also, when I need to dive into developer console I use KiwiBrowser which is slower to get around compared to desktop chrome but it gets the job done. [...]

Agreed, I was recently looking through photos from my Pixel 5 and realized that it had "helpfully" modified an image of a bunny, making the fur look wavy and adding a weird faded-out eye on the body. On top of that, it applies skin smoothing to every photo, even with the beauty filter disabled. It irked me enough that I'm looking for a new third-party camera app. Despite using exclusively Pixel/Nexus phones for the last 12 years, I might abandon them entirely once this phone dies.

I recently just got my RMA fulfilled for a Pixel 5 that developed a spicy pillow after 5 years, but I've already sworn off Pixel devices from here on out after this and a total lemon of a Pixel 6 I had bought my wife for her birthday. In general, the whole planned obsolescence business model of smart phones has really soured my opinions of this technology that is now central to our lives.

[...] Majority of the phones I owned during that time had some quirks or issues. The worst examples were Nexus 5X and Pixel 5 – both just suddenly froze one day, shut down, and never turned back on again. After that Pixel 5 surprise I grudgingly switched to iPhone 12 mini. I still think Google’s Android UI is the best one out there for me, and I despise a lot in the iPhone UX (such as the keyboard) but I just need a phone that works and I can get repaired or replaced easily if I need to. At least in Finland, Google’s customer service has been abysmal over the years.

I did pay $500 for my Pixel 5. [...] But it was well worth it. 5 years later I still have the phone. I just replaced the battery back in December, which was $70 USD at a trusted phone fix-it shop. [...]

I had to replace my phone 😞 The pixel 5 had a damn good run, but after four and a half years, the battery started to swell on me. It was so bad the screen got pushed out. [...] It still works, even though it doesn't get updates anymore.

My Pixel 5 made me switch to iOS after a software update made it unusable. A year later, the iPhone mostly gets out of my way. However the keyboard and browser options are artificially limited. [...] The hardware is the best I've had in years. Battery life is really good. [...]

[...] I used to have a Pixel 5. As somebody who uses phones minimally (<10 min average screentime per day), but still wants utilities beyond a feature phone for special use cases (maps, translate, digital tickets, public transport, NFC payments), it was about as small as I needed it to be to tuck it away in my pocket for the whole day. [...] The first one lasted 2 years before the battery swelled up and I had to dispose of it. [...] Then eventually Google Pay stopped being supported on the second, since it was a few years beyond security updates. [...] I don't want to get into Apple products (despite minimal use, I did have the phone customised so that it was stripped bare in terms of apps and notifications, and had a launcher which I preferred over Google's native design), and every tech blog talking about small phones led back to Pixel 5, or one of the ones just after which was also out of sale and security coverage. [...] Get one with a big screen into peoples hands, then keep riding on the payments for games, movies, TV and web browsing that follows that. As somebody who never used my phone for any of these things, I'm clearly not important to the market for the one-off payment of a new phone every 5/6 years.

[...] Through to the Pixel 5 family, you only get three years of updates, period. Through to the Pixel 7 family, you get an additional two of security updates. [...] I'm not sure why you consider the current five-years-of-updates policy to not be creating an unacceptable amount of e-waste. I have (and still use) nearly-twenty-year-old laptops with the latest Linux kernel and desktop environment software (& etc) versions available. [...] The only maintenance required has been battery replacement and occasional thermal paste replacement. [0] Only five years of updates? [...]

This post was made from a refurbished Pixel 5 I scored for $250. [...] under-screen finger print reader). Here is to many more years of 2-3 days of use on a charge and good-but-not-great pictures

I still carry my Pixel 5 for this reason. 2 replacement batteries in now and I have a spare sitting on a shelf. That said the Pixel 9A is tempting as it's not much larger than my Pixel 5. [...]

Just a heads up, when I contacted Google Support about this, they insinuated that this is something slowly being rolled out across Pixel 5 devices, so while it may work now, it could stop at any moment. The issue I received when tapping to pay was "Your phone doesn't meet software standards". It did mention it can be due to rooting (my phone wasn't rooted) or "uncertified software" (of which I didn't have any). [...]

Wasn't there a recent recall of 4a phones that had their battery life killed by an update? [...] My Pixel 5 also turned into a broken mess in its last year. [...] I was hoping to keep it for at least two more years but the battery became really bad and the OS became super buggy.

[...] It's how Google lied to users about the update, then the update wrecking their phones to a point where it doesn't work. If my phone were to have naturally been destroyed then I get it, I have to move on. I'm sure a lot of people have Pixels here, if all of a sudden it is forced to update, and the phone becomes unusable, would you not be angry? What if Microsoft forcefully updated and made all processors around 2018 bricked? I've browsed here so much and everyone loves to use old and cheap CPUs for their crafts which are beautiful here. [...] Hopefully you are all prepared as Pixel 5/6 have been having battery issues as well and a forced update might be coming for that. [...]

[...] I'm still rocking a Pixel 5, which is actually my second Pixel 5. [...] Right now the camera is the only thing tempting me to upgrade, but I'll probably wait another year.

[...] Ended up buying a refurbed Pixel 5 (the model before Google introduced the new camera bar design) that's still kicking, been very happy. [...] It's still larger than the Pixel 5 too. The iPhone, to be fair, is closer to the Pixel 9 in size/weight than the Pixel 5 too.

Been using a Pixel 5, and never going back to expensive phones again. Free storage for photos forever unlimited! Free Gemini AI right on the phone. [...]

The only technical limitation I have encountered using these ROMs is related to GPS: my position is often lost Graphene's new network location feature I believe it uses which is starting to have fairly decent coverage, at least in large parts of Europe. You can contribute to BeaconDB even if you have an ordinary Google phone by installing I use LineageOS myself (because Graphene no longer supports my Pixel 5), and unfortunately it doesn't do network location out of the box. You can get network location on LineageOS by installing MicroG, but it's currently somewhat flaky.

[...] I have an old Pixel 5 which I stopped using because Google dropped Google Pay (tap to pay) on it. I moved to a new device (Pixel 9) for daily usage but still have the 5 laying around (due to low resale value). At the time I moved, Pixel 5 was about 1.5 years (November 2023) beyond Android security updates. [...] I'd quite like to use this as a backup device for basic utility (camera, phone, SMS, basic read-only web use) and to take with me for runs and travelling. [...]

[...] In hindsight, I really miss using the Pixel 5 and semi-wish that I'd kept using it and just switched Google Pay/Wallet for card. [...] I changed to a Pixel 9 because I had an opportunity around the same time to get it cheaper, and thought I may as well go to the latest model to keep security updates up to 2030. Even after a few months, I can't get used to the weight, size, the back case design (slippery glass and fingerprint magnet), and sticking out camera block. [...]

[...] I opened this thread to leave the same comment that Google pay is working for me on my pixel 5. I bought it second handed and replaced battery so I didn't spend too much money on it, but it would be a real shame when that rollout reaches me. [...]

It's a shame phones don't get super long support. Just feels like a waste that my phone (pixel 5) which still runs good, feels good, has a long battery, just isn't going to lose support this year I'm not gonna "upgrade" until this phone dies the big death, but it's still a bummer

Just ordered a Pixel 9 Pro, whoop! (not the XL) My Pixel 5 is still ok, but the battery is struggling more and more, and it gets really hot if I do anything with it. It complains of overheating if I use it for GPS navigation on longer trips, or filming longer videos..!

Im still on a pixel 5 pro and it works great. Thats a 4 year old device. Im actually surprised how well it still holds up today

I got a used Pixel 5 a few years back that I've been very happy with, and it's still going strong. Would probably get a refurbished Pixel 8 now if I had to upgrade, but I've heard good things about the A series as well, which are cheaper

are phone screens more scratch-prone than they used to be? i carried my pixel 5 around in my pocket quite carelessly for years without a single scratch but the phone i got a few months ago is absolutely riddled with tiny shallow scratches

I would like a new pixel myself, currently rocking a Pixel 5 since I've had it since 2021. Likely look to get a pre-owned one myself to be honest

I've been running @grapheneos.org on my Pixel 5 for two years now without issue. [...] The only Google apps on my phone are either sandboxed away, or contained on a sub-profile. [...]

I got one from Amazon and have had it for years. Pixel 5. Usually go off brand for cases

In Jan '22, I bought a refurb Pixel 5. [...] Battery's bulged so much it's about to make the screen crack. [...]

Still salty as hell 2 years later that my Pixel 5 bricked itself overnight after just over a year, apparently owing to an obscure security update fault present in every Pixel all the way back to the first model Managed to get a special refund out of warranty but fuuuck I liked that phone

I got a google pixel 4. [...] I even got the google pixel 5! [...]

So in 2017 I got a Pixel 2. Used that for three years until I got a Pixel 5 in 2019. Pixel 5 busted up after three years, then I used a Unihertz Jelly Star and that was my favorite but it stopped working one day. [...]

Old phone? It's a Pixel 5 from five years ago. My first Android ever in 2012 already supported 802.11ac with speeds faster than any internet connection I've ever had

[...] Same with phones - moving from pixel 3 to pixel 5, scrolling through settings or the home screen was a palpable difference. Pixel 3 now feels broken. [...]

I'm writing this on a grapheneos pixel 5. [...]

That also could have been from the phone manufacturer OR from the carrier. This is why I've avoided non Pixel phones since the Pixel5 came out. None of that 2 or 3 apps for the same thing so everybody can get their ad cut payout.

Not sure what exactly you mean with "open source OS" and if Lineage counts as one in your book: it supports quite a few cheap and also fairly recent Motorola phones, which are also easy to unlock: For family, I just got a used Edge 30 Neo for 100$ and put LineageOS on it, and it works like a charm. Phones like the Moto g84 go for even less and still can be bought new for a decent price. Xiaomi would be even cheaper, but I would highly discourage getting one because the unlock process is plain ridiculous nowadays. And as others have already noted, if you don't mind getting a phone that's a few years old, a used Pixel 5 is not expensive (still happily using a Pixel 4a and don't see why I would need to upgrade).

[...] What open OS support is ether expensive Pixels, or outdated models. You can buy a refurbished Pixel 5 for less than 200$. Great screen, great camera, 5G, the works. [...]

[...] It works fine on GrapheneOS (Pixel 6), but banned by Google on Pixel 5, which is not supported by Google with security updates. [...]

This message was sent from a Pixel 5 still in great condition! It's the best phone I've ever had, it's the perfect size and has a fingerprint reader on the back. Everything I've tried since it has been a regression.

[...] My only query about this cool project is why not wifi? [...] Comment to author: Gotta add the Pixel 5 to your homelab inventory! [...]

I agree, but I got the Pixel 5 instead; the 5 is actually smaller while the screen size is larger due to the curved screen corners. It also has a fingerprint sensor, unlike the 4. That being said, I still miss the squeeze-activated flashlight on the 4.

In 2025 I have a dedicated pixel5 with no SIM card that is nothing but an mp3 player. It has nothing installed but VLC. Life is too short to deal with the ridiculous interoperability of (simple music files) and (any modern computing platform).

I have the same problem - missed the first couple of letters on every line. Also FF on Android (Pixel 5).

A couple of months ago my pixel 5 suddenly had its battery charge curves change, and peak voltage was limited. Suddenly I only have around 60% of the capacity I had the day before (monitored by an app using the coulomb counter functionality of the charge controller) I was disappointed I couldn't seem to find any news about it.

I'm not understanding this comment. I'm running this site on my Pixel 5 and on Firefox on a Thinkpad W530 (12+ years old) and it's flying on both. What part is laggy?

[...] The 2004 4th gen 40 GB is 176 grams and is a bulky 110 cm3. That's quite a bit more than my pixel 5, which is 151 grams and just 81 cm3. In fact, could buy nearly any old phone and do better, immediately, and have a much nicer display and better bluetooth codecs and the ability to play lossless formats.

[...] It sat for a little while because my phone was old. Then I got to upgrade to a Pixel 5 and one of the first things that excited me was the ability to explore the headset. [...]

On my phone (Pixel 5) I don't need to unlock to take a picture (double click on power button) or switch to the next song (slide menu down, click Next). [...]