Google Pixel

We are in the midst of the holiday season which means that many of you are getting brand new devices. If you happen to have received or picked up one of Google’s brand new Pixel phones, you might be considering a case to protect your new handset. If so, look no further than the five cases that we’ve handpicked below.

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Google’s Pixel smartphone received a ton of praise following its announcement, including in our review, but in the time since, several hardware and software issues have been forcing many to take a second look at Google’s flagship. There have been camera issues, defects, and even some audio problems, but now another issue is starting to pop up, and it’s easily the worst yet ─ premature battery shutdowns.

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I’ve done nothing but praise the Google Pixel for its smooth and not-frustrating user experience since it was released, but it appears that that’s not the experience that everyone is having. Some Google Pixel owners are now reporting (via Google Product Forums) that the device is suffering random freezes — making the phone completely unusable for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes…

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According to a (seemingly targeted) email that Sprint sent out recently, you can bring over an unlocked Google Pixel to the carrier and get up to $325 in service credits when you activate your device. That would in effect bring down the price of a new Google Pixel XL down to $445 out of pocket if you’re willing to stick with Sprint for a whole 24 months…

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Especially with a rear fingerprint sensor, Double-tap to check your phone on the Pixel and Pixel XL was a highly requested feature. Added as part of December’s 7.1.1 update, many users have reported that the Move is quite inconsistent, with Google now investigating and working on a fix.

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We told you a couple days ago that some Google Pixel users — including two of us here at 9to5Google — are experiencing a weird audio distortion problem when playing different media at high volumes. Now, it appears that some tinkerers have found a temporary workaround as we wait for Google to fix the issue — and the good news is that it’s solely a software fix…

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Google’s Pixel smartphone definitely isn’t perfect, but it’s still a fantastic option for Android fanboys and normal people alike. Earlier this month we told you about one hardware defect affecting some users (which Google seems to have actually recognized now, thankfully), and now it seems like another unrelated issue is popping up for even more people. This time, it looks like there might be something wrong with the Pixel’s audio output…

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It’s “sweater weather” in NYC today as Google says (some disagree), and that means the Mountain View company is channeling its whimsy and giving away some machine-knitted mini-sweaters to promote the Pixel (which, I might add, is great as a gift for normal people). To complement the occasion, Google is also offering some discounts on sweater- and holiday-themed Live Cases…

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I’ve been using my Google Pixel for more than 2 months now (check out my full review in case you missed it), and I have to say it one more time: This is easily my pick for best Android phone of the year. If you’re looking to buy a phone for a friend or a loved one, I can’t recommend the Pixel enough…

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When Google announced its new Pixel devices, many began to speculate that perhaps they were the company’s most serious attempt yet at competing head to head with Apple and the iPhone. With a premium price tag and Google having greater control than ever over the development and support of the device, it seemed like the goal was to win over iPhone users.

Now, in an interview on TWiT’s “All About Android” show, Hiroshi Lockheimer Google’s senior vice president of Android, Chrome OS, and Play, has admitted that capturing iPhone users is in fact one of the goals of the Pixel..

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For some reason, until now, asking to change your house’s temperature with a Nest thermostat worked just fine with Google Assistant on a Home device, but not from a Pixel. However, as Android Police reports, this should not be the case anymore…

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Screen protectors aren’t for everyone, but for those who spend a lot on their device and want to better protect it from scratches and the occasional drop, a good tempered glass screen protector is well worth the investment, along with a solid case. I’ve tested several tempered glass screen protectors since buying the Google Pixel XL, but none have really impressed me, until I tried one from Orzly…

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Just the other day, Google officially kicked off the rollout of the latest version of Android, 7.1.1 Nougat, to both Nexus and Pixel devices. With that update, Google brought along some new “moves” which have made a big difference to one of Google’s long available but neglected features — Ambient Display.

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Today Google officially released Android Nougat 7.1.1 for the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, and several Nexus devices. With the over the air firmware update file now out in the wild, you can sideload the update instead of waiting for it to eventually come to your device…

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Update 12/27: Following a small update aimed at devices on UK carriers, Verizon has just listed a new build (NMF26U) for the Pixel and Pixel XL. This update is likely minor with release notes only mentioning security patches. Interestingly, the Google Developer site has not been updated with links to the factory image or OTA.

Following a brief developer preview, Android 7.1.1 is now available for Nexus and Pixel devices. The update brings features that have been on the Pixel since October to current Nexus and Android One devices, as well as the Pixel C. Meanwhile, the Pixel and Pixel XL gain some new Moves and other bug fixes.

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The Pixel and Pixel XL are, indubitably, fantastic smartphones. Some (me included) would argue that they’re actually the very best on the market, at least in the Android realm. However, if there’s one thing very few people have been enthusiastic about, it’s the phones’ design. Besides its similarities with the iPhone, the Pixel phones are simply bland, save for the distinctive glass panel at the back.

So if there’s not much beauty to show off, this could be a great opportunity to give full priority to protection, especially given the presence of glass, however little of it. Our friends over at MobileFun have reached out to us to show a few options, so go after the jump to see if there’s anything for you…

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One of the best features of the Google Pixel, by a long shot, is the fantastic rear camera. The 12.3MP sensor is capable of taking some breathtaking pictures and some incredible video, however, it’s not perfect. We’ve already seen that the Pixel has some lens flare issues under certain lighting conditions, but now, some users are reporting some strange issues with the camera app.

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