Thought that was just me!
I’d grab my Px5 from the pocket, raise it up & see the weather/now playing/notifications without any additional interaction.
But since 14, it seems (more than) less responsive to do that. Shakey-shakey to get the same info.
I actual RMAd my 5 for an (intermittent I think) proximity sensor issues but that was a couple of years ago.
I caught it on my 6a and used one of those diagnostic apps that show the status of the proximity sensor and it was showing as triggered despite there being nothing in front of the sensor , it didn’t resolve until I restarted and they the sensor sensed fine.
Must be a bug with android 14.
Some others complaining
https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/s/RusziRUbm4
1 Like
Also , to add that I’ve noticed the always on screen being slow to update, a notification will come through, phone sound and my watch will go but the screen won’t always update.
It may not be a a proximity sensor thing because the screen is on.
The preview of the Black Friday deals is now available at https://store.google.com/?hl=en-GB
E.g. £100 google store credit when buying a Pixel 8 / 8 pro
Ouch, even if they say it wont cause an issue, a commenter said if that was true they would be guaranteeing it:
1 Like
Because other than this you’d be rushing out to get a Pixel! 
3 Likes
Got to get googles exclusive version of RCS somehow 
Given the price though that QC is not great, it makes the phone look like it has a cheap plastic screen protector on it especially for a phone starting at £699 in fighting range of the iPhone 15.
1 Like
The only reason i got the official case was because i had a gift voucher for Google. But it was the worst phone case I have ever had. Within weeks it started falling apart. Literally, the soft parts started warpin, it delimited and the hard parts became brittle and cracked. I’m sure the back of my phone would be in better condition if i had just left it bare.
1 Like
Looks like Google is now making a proper Samsung Secure Folder alternative…
1 Like
I have been Android since the HTC Magic and I made the switch to iPhone a month or so back. Google need to find their way again - the pixel range has become the glitchiest phone I’ve ever owned (last one I had was Pixel 7) and a lot of the basic features are very poor (voice commands on Android Auto randomly stopping recognition even when you’ve used them before, bluetooth music quality, voice dictation, RCS automated failover, less responsive face unlock)
I will miss the automatic do not disturb options on Android, iOS is nowhere near as good there. And I don’t care what anyone says, the iPhone suffers from the lack of a consistent back button / gesture. I think I still prefer Android’s notification system but that may fade with familiarity.
1 Like
It won’t. I’ve been using iPhones for around 5 years now and the notifications aren’t anywhere close to as good as Android was back when I switched.
But the many other pluses obivously outweight this for me. Apple hardware is so solid and high quality. And the app and accessory ecosystem is so far ahead.
Google hardware just doesn’t cut it. Far too many reports of how glitchy the 6 has turned out to be and the 7 doesn’t seem that much better. You pay through the nose for Apple hardware, but (to an extent), you get what you pay for!
1 Like
Not Pixel, but this seems to be the defacto Android thread.
If it wasn’t for Samsung, Android smartwatches would be a complete non-entity.
I got the Pixel Watch 2 free with my Pixel 8 Pro. I just use it as a simple watch, with the “stand up” reminders, and checking my phone notifications when i’m in another room from my phone.
I do track my steps with it when I go for my nightly walk, and also check my heart rate for anything out of the ordinary every couple of days, and that about it.
I do also use Google Wallet on it to pay at the supermarket, and to scan my loyalty cards if I forget my phone.
My deaf partner also has one, and he uses it as his alarm since he is deaf so the vibration wakes him up, plus he keeps it silent as to not disturb me if he has to get up earlier than I do.
Other than that, it’s just a watch. If it broke, or I lost it, I probably wouldn’t bother to replace mine.
1 Like
Got mine free with my Pixel 8 also. It tells the time, is handy for paying when it’s awkward to get my phone out or it has run out of battery, and the sleep tracker has been a revelation in revealing how shockingly little sleep I actually get.
I hadn’t though of trying it as a vibrating alarm; my instinctive reaction to the idea is that I’d worry still half-asleep me wouldn’t know what was going on, and flail the vibrating wrist around and accidently smash something.
I haven’t used other functions like exercise tracking or the like yet. Too miserable out at this time of year.
I like that I got it free with my phone, but I don’t know if I’d go out and buy it if my phone had come without (indeed, I wouldn’t have got the phone without, as I couldn’t have justified paying what I did for the phone alone).
1 Like
Same for me. The watch was “free” but I wouldn’t have paid for just the phone at its RRP. Especially at launch. Getting the watch included softened the blow.
In terms of using it was an alarm, I have sound on but the vibration helps too. If you have notifications on (including vibrate) then I don’t think it would take too long to get used to the alarm vibration either. Took me just a couple of days to adjust.
The fact alarms/timers sync between your phone and watch (incluing snoozing) also helps.
1 Like
I bought my Pixel Watch 2 on sale and I am a big fan. I used to have a Fitbit Charge years ago so it’s nice to be back in that ecosystem. Fitbit still is great for tracking workouts and sleep. I also find the “body responses” to log stress/moods quite insightful.
No issues with it for me at this point! Battery life is great too!
1 Like
It’s always at the back of my mind, but I haven’t scratched mine yet (knock on wood). I’ll take it off and put it somewhere safe if I’m doing an activity where I think I’m likely to knock it against something. And I’ll make sure my shirt/sweater sleeves are down and covering when I’ve got an outside coat on. Also clean it gently every so often with a microwave cloth to lessen the chances of dirt/grit building up and getting rubbed against it.
But that said, I fully expect at some point or other, it will pick up a scuff or two. Such is the way of things that actually get used instead of being preserved in a museum.
It might be possible to get a case for it - IIRC when I looked most manufacturers hadn’t made a new case for the Pixel 2 yet, maybe that’s changed now. Also I think I was a little worried about how a case might affect the form factor or usability of the watch.
1 Like
I am mortified that not only did I do such a bad job at swiping ‘microfibre’ on my phone keyboard, I didn’t even notice it. 
Should’ve gone to Specsavers. 
Don’t have a Pixel Watch, but my Apple Watch very quickly got pretty badly scratched and it’s very visible when the screen is off.
Guessing this will happen when it’s not a sapphire screen.
Do Pixel watches support something similar to Apples Express Mode when on public transport so you don’t have to do anything to pay?