As a Pixel user, I’m jealous of these 8 things

I’ve been a loyal Pixel consumer for a while now. Presently, I’m rocking a Google Pixel 9 Professional, and I’ve cherished each minute with it. Though there are different cool telephones on the way in which in 2025 (to not point out many different terrific Android telephones accessible at present), I wouldn’t be shocked if my subsequent telephone is a Pixel 10 Professional. What can I say: I’m nothing if not constant.

Nevertheless, I work at Android Authority, so I’m consistently utilizing telephones from different firms. Though there are outliers, I discover that each telephone has at the least one factor about it that I want my telephone had. One latest instance is with the OnePlus 13 — I’d love to have a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery in my Pixel 9 Professional. Heck, I’d even take a 5,000mAh variant.

General, although, I are usually most jealous of Samsung telephones. However this isn’t due to {hardware} — Samsung has been fairly stingy with {hardware} upgrades over the previous few years. Quite, it’s due to One UI. Whereas I like Google’s stock-like tackle Android in Pixel UI, Samsung’s One UI merely provides a lot extra.

With that in thoughts, listed here are the eight issues I, a Pixel consumer, get jealous about every time I choose up a Samsung flagship.

With the introduction of One UI 6.1 on the Galaxy S24 sequence, Samsung launched a function I’ve cherished ever since: an always-on show (AOD) that helps wallpapers. It’s a easy factor that doesn’t change a lot concerning the consumer expertise. The truth is, if something, it makes the consumer expertise worse because it nearly definitely makes use of barely extra battery energy than a typical darkish display screen would.

Nevertheless a lot my pragmatic mind would like to reject wallpapers on AODs based mostly on that alone, the opposite half of my mind loves them. Most of my day, my Pixel 9 Professional sits face-up on my desk whereas I work. If I may have a cool wallpaper seem there as a substitute of a black display screen with some textual content, it will make it all of the extra interesting.

The wild factor is that every one this function requires is an LTPO display screen that may go as little as 1Hz, which my Pixel 9 Professional helps. So there’s no motive why Google couldn’t add this to my telephone — it simply hasn’t.

I hope we’ll lastly see one thing just like this with the Pixel 10 sequence that might finally roll again to the Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 sequence (the Pixel 7 sequence doesn’t assist 1Hz refresh charges). A person can dream.

With the ability to customise the AOD wallpaper on a Pixel could be nice, however Google can also be missing in relation to customizing the lock display screen. As soon as Apple began permitting strong customization of the iPhone lock display screen, Samsung rapidly adopted swimsuit.

Today, a Samsung lock display screen can have personalized fonts, colours, widgets, and shortcuts. Samsung provides all kinds of decisions right here, too, with over a dozen clock types, limitless font decisions (you’ll be able to add your individual fonts), and assist for all the colours of the rainbow. Altering the app shortcuts that seem within the two decrease corners of the lock display screen to something you need can also be a terrific perk.

To its credit score, Google additionally provides a customizable lock display screen — it’s simply a lot extra restricted than what Samsung provides. You’ll be able to’t make the nook shortcuts no matter you need; Google limits your coloration choices to solely a range it chooses based mostly on Materials You pointers; and there’s no manner so as to add your individual fonts. I hope Google stops being so restrictive quickly.

In fact, by the point this goes secure, Samsung customers may have already been utilizing DeX for practically a decade. First launched with the Galaxy S8 sequence, DeX is a desktop mode for Android. It means that you can entry your telephone’s information, launch apps, play video games, and rather more utilizing a Home windows-esque interface. All you want to do is join your telephone (both wired or wirelessly) to a monitor. Then join a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, and increase: your telephone is a desktop.

I’ll readily admit that I in all probability wouldn’t use DeX quite a bit if I had it. I convey my laptop computer just about in all places I am going, and I can’t consider a state of affairs by which I’d have entry to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard however not even have my laptop computer with me. Nevertheless, not accessing DeX on my every day driver doesn’t permit me to even take into consideration options. Who is aware of: If I had a desktop mode on my Pixel 9 Professional, perhaps I wouldn’t carry my laptop computer in all places as a result of I’d’ve found out a greater system utilizing my telephone.

Both manner, I hope Android’s native desktop mode rolls out quickly, even when I don’t find yourself utilizing it typically on my Pixel. All the Android ecosystem would profit, and I can solely think about how a lot enjoyable it will be to make use of a gaming telephone just like the ASUS ROG Cellphone 9 Professional as a desktop-like emulation station on the go.

After I journey with my associate, we prefer to cross the journey time by watching films and TV exhibits collectively. It’s nice to have the ability to entry content material from my Plex server whereas on a airplane, for instance, and watch it along with Bluetooth headphones.

Sadly, to do that, we will’t use my Pixel 9 Professional. That’s as a result of Pixels don’t assist two simultaneous Bluetooth audio connections. Even on my Home windows laptop computer, this is a matter — one I get round utilizing the VoiceMeeter freeware.

Samsung customers don’t want to fret about this, although. That’s as a result of Samsung merchandise assist twin Bluetooth connectivity. If I had a Samsung telephone as a substitute, each my associate and I may join our headphones to my telephone and revel in no matter content material we would like collectively.

This function is hardware-dependent, so Google would want to speculate considerably to convey it to Pixels. Nevertheless, that is additionally a type of options that die-hard Samsung followers could be loath to surrender. If Google desires these Samsung customers to leap ship, supporting two simultaneous Bluetooth connections definitely wouldn’t harm.

Again when Google was wholly invested in Google Assistant (earlier than Gemini took its place on the totem pole), the corporate was actually into selling Assistant routines (now referred to as Automations). These let you set off a number of good dwelling capabilities by way of voice instructions in your telephone, good speaker, smartwatch, and many others. These automations may also contain smartphone capabilities, equivalent to sending a textual content, turning your telephone into Do Not Disturb mode, and extra.

Regardless of Google pushing this difficult, Assistant routines had been by no means actually smartphone-centric. They had been principally centered on good dwelling capabilities with smartphone automations as a pleasant additional. Samsung’s Routines operate, although, is the other: it’s principally concerning the telephone and likewise occurs to contain some good dwelling stuff.

Samsung’s Routines function means that you can create If-And-Then-style formulation in your telephone. For instance, you can design a routine that turns your telephone’s show all the way in which down, units it into silent mode, and turns off all of your family lights everytime you drop the telephone onto a selected wi-fi charging pad from the hours of 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM. You would additionally make it so your telephone routinely texts your spouse that you simply’re in your manner dwelling everytime you get into your automobile in your work car parking zone. The sky is the restrict, actually, for the way helpful Routines might be for you.

Google was planning to launch a generative AI-powered digital assistant only for Pixels (rumored as Pixie or Pixel Sense), however it appears that evidently these plans had been modified, and Pixie was break up into Pixel Screenshots together with some Gemini additions. We don’t know if Google would ever take these Gemini integrations additional, replicate Google Assistant’s routines in Gemini, or take one other stab at good, context-aware automations. For now, although, Samsung and its Routines are the clear winners by way of smartphone automation.

Double-tapping the ability button routinely opens the digicam on most Android telephones, together with Pixels. It’s a terrific shortcut because it means that you can have your telephone in your pocket, attain in, seize it, and by the point it’s out of your pocket, your digicam app is open and able to go, permitting you to nab these vital photographs earlier than the second passes.

As nice as that is, there are a lot of explanation why you would possibly want this shortcut did one thing else. Out of the field, One UI means that you can set this shortcut as just about something you want. You’ll be able to have it set off one among your Routines, activate the flashlight, begin a voice recording, or launch actually any app you need. With Pixel UI, although, you’re trapped. Except you put in a third-party app to get across the limitation, all you are able to do with a double-tap on the ability button is launch the digicam…or do nothing.

I perceive why Google doesn’t need this to be extra sophisticated than it must be. I additionally perceive that most individuals on the market, even when given the chance, would depart the double-tap shortcut as a digicam launcher (I do know I’d). Nonetheless, the concept I may do one thing totally different is significantly better for me than being unable to. What if, for instance, I carried two Pixel telephones with me: one for enterprise and one for private use? In that state of affairs, I’d in all probability adore it if double-tapping the ability button did one thing else on my secondary telephone.

I doubt Google will change this anytime quickly, however it will be good if it did.

Talking of double-tapping issues, one of the vital cherished options of One UI can also be one of many easiest: double-tapping on any empty area on the house display screen to lock the telephone. Samsung means that you can flip this off for those who don’t need it, but when I do know something about Samsung followers, it’s that the overwhelming majority would by no means wish to lose out on this small however vital function.

When you consider it, it is smart why that is so common. In case you want convincing, depart your telephone flat on a desk, face up. Unlock it after which navigate across the UI a bit. If you’re able to lock it once more, what are you able to do? On a Samsung telephone, you simply double-tap on your private home display screen (I like to make use of the standing bar space for this), and your telephone locks. On a Pixel, although, you want to hit the ability button. This isn’t practically so simple as the double-tap and may be awkward for those who can’t use your left hand for some motive.

Whereas not permitting customers to manage what double-tapping the ability button does is considerably comprehensible, it makes little sense as to why Google doesn’t assist this. Even when most Pixel customers didn’t use it, it’s a type of issues that Samsung customers wouldn’t wish to quit. Google enabling this on Pixels would, if nothing else, assist Samsung customers be extra comfy leaping into the Pixel ecosystem.

I’ve saved the perfect for final. For anybody on the market who doesn’t know, Good Lock is an official “retailer,” in a manner, that helps highly effective customizations for Galaxy telephones. Usually, if there’s something you’ll be able to consider that your Galaxy telephone doesn’t do out of the field, Good Lock in all probability has an answer.

Actually, Good Lock is a win-win for everybody. Energy customers can get what they want, and Samsung doesn’t must bloat up One UI anymore than it already does to appease the small choice of customers who wish to do this factor. Moreover, a big proportion of Good Lock modules are made by impartial builders, taking the burden of improvement away from Samsung.

Good Lock is so nice and so helpful that it’s completely mind-boggling that Google doesn’t have a counterpart on Pixel telephones. Pixel customers are normally simply as tech-savvy as Samsung customers, in order that they’d have the ability to deal with a Good Lock-esque system. Apart from, Good Lock isn’t a factor that comes commonplace with Galaxy telephones, however it’s very easy to get. Google may do an identical setup to stop function creep.

Samsung has an ace within the gap with Good Lock as a result of, as soon as once more, an enormous swathe of geeky Galaxy customers would by no means use a telephone with out it. That forestalls Galaxy followers from switching over to Pixels, which Google mustn’t ignore.

These are the eight issues I’m most jealous of relating to Samsung telephones. Are you a Pixel consumer? Which of those are you most jealous about? Vote within the ballot above after which inform us extra about your alternative within the feedback!