I love my Pixel. So why is it so hard to convince others to get one?

No, seriously: I don’t get it. Well, at least I didn’t until I stopped to think about it. See, I love my Pixel 6a. Sure, it’s not the latest or the “flagship” model, but I’m not at all afraid to say that it’s my daily driver, because I know that whoever has tried it, knows that it’s good.

But see, here’s where the problem rears its ugly head: not that many people have tried it. Or a Pixel in general.

And I don’t get it.

My Pixel is comfy to hold. It can handle anything that I throw at it. Together, we make such great photos that I actually sold my DSRL. It has tons of exciting, unique features that I appreciate, including a Pocket Operator app from Teenage Engineering, which is my favorite thing ever.

And sure, okay: half of you probably don’t know what Teenage Engineering is, but you don’t need to. Because I think that all of the latest Pixel phones cover the general needs of most modern-day consumers:

• Competitive price
• Can handle anything you may need
• Takes great photos
• Solid battery life

But if that’s the case, then why did I go through three instances in the last six months, where I found it almost impossible to get my friends to consider getting a Pixel phone?

Because, of course, when someone needs a new phone, they come to me. Not only because I’m a trustworthy and reliable friend, but also because the word “phone” is literally in the name of the company I work for.

Case study #1: A good phone on a budget

In all seriousness, I have no idea why this friend of mine had a Huawei phone to begin with. The entire fiasco regarding regulations and bans had already taken place, so why anyone in the west would continue to use a phone from this brand is truly beyond me.

But there we were. Me and my friend with a Huawei phone — battered, broken screen, practically falling apart — ready to go on the hunt for a new phone. So what were the criteria?

• Budget-friendly
• Has a PlayStore (incredible!)
• Not easy to break

Huh. Well… That sounds a lot like “any Android phone out there”, right?

Despite that, my friend insisted that we look at Chinese phones exclusively. And it took me a bit of time to understand why: that’s what he knows. He’s coming from a chinese phone, which would’ve been good if not for the lack of the aforementioned criteria.

Hence, he’s looking to repeat the process, but improve upon it. A totally human thing to do! Therefore, we spent a ton of time looking at Xiaomi phones and Poco phones.

But here’s the thing: those were either more expensive or less practical than a Pixel 6a. So at first, I suggested it. Then, after we browsed ten-ish more models, I reminded him of my suggestion. No reaction, not even curiosity.

In the end, I kind of lost it and went: “Dude, why do you want to pay more to get less when you can get a phone like mine and have all the things you told me you’re looking for?!”

And he went: “Wait, you have one?”

Ah. Of course. How would he know that my phone was a Pixel 6a? To him, it was just this funky looking phone that reminded him of Daft Punk music.

So I just unlocked it, handed it to him and said “go nuts”. Two hours later, the order was in. Now, months later, he says it’s the best phone he’s ever had.

But why was it so difficult to get him to check it out? Hm….

Case study #2: A rugged phone on a budget (?!)

“Wow, like, do those even exist?!” went I, when I heard another friend describe what he was looking for.

“Well, yeah, check these out!”

And then he proceeded to bombard me with links to Ulefone models from more than four years ago. No, seriously: manufacturers aren’t doing a good enough job of explaining why an old phone can be a very bad thing for you if you’re not a techie, but I digress.

So after a short discussion on the topic of “What is a security update and why do I need it?”, we decided that what my friend needs is a Galaxy Xcover phone! He, like many other people out there, had no idea that Samsung had its own line of rugged phones.

Then we saw the price and we realized that no, we weren’t about to order one. That’s the thing with enterprise-oriented phones: they don’t exactly come cheap when you’re looking to get one for personal use.

So, I asked the big question: what was my friend looking for in a phone?

• A great camera
• A durable body
• Solid battery life
• 3,5mm headphone jack (oof)

So, I had to re-introduce my friend to the concept of “2023” and explain that 3,5mm jacks aren’t exactly common in the world of tech anymore. And after that — you know how this goes: I suggested a Pixel 6a.

“I’ll check it out.”

Silence. Dead air. A couple of days pass and a new batch of Ulefone-like Chinese phones get delivered to my IMs.

Oh, god. This again.

“Dude, did you check the Pixel phone I sent you?”

Silence. One day later:

“I’m worried that I’ll break it.”

Hm.

Now, I know that the Pixel A line of phones have plastic backs, which makes them a bit more durable. I also know that there are tons of great, cheap rugged cases for them. I even know that I’ve intentionally thrown my phone across the room with such a case just to see what would happen.

So why did I expect someone, coming from an Ulefone — you know, the phone literally encased in metal, capable of causing a concussion if you toss it around a bit too eagerly — to know any of that?

Better yet: why does Google or any other manufacturer expect people to know how durable modern phones are? When I asked my friend about his worries, he showed me a clip of an iPhone durability test. But is that a fair benchmark for all modern phones?

Well, it doesn’t matter, because I had a solution. We went out. I do the same thing: unlock, hand over and say “go nuts”. After I saw him become impressed, I wrap things up with “Now throw it. Yes, seriously. Throw it. It’s fine.”

A week later, the man had a spiffy Pixel 7a, which he loved. He’s still a bit too worried if it’ll survive, but honestly? I’m confident that it will, especially after his case arrives — he got one just like mine.

Now, don’t go and throw your phone around now. Only I and people in my vicinity can do that. I've got a special amulet that I won from a D&D campaign once and it enables me to throw phones without risk.

But beyond that: Are you starting to notice a pattern here?

Case study #3: A good phone. Period.

“This is going to be a breeze” I said to myself when I was approached by another one of my besties. He’s a Samsung fan and he isn’t looking for budget or Pro-grade: he just wants to have a good Android phone that can get the job done.

So just the usual then:

• Solid set of features
• Enough horsepower to multitask
• A battery capable of getting him through the day

Not even a camera requirement?! Man, this would be easy!

“Hey, man, ready to look at some links?”

“Links? No, we’re going to the store.”

“You… Forgot to get milk?”

“No. I need the phone to feel good in my hand.”

Ah. That’s unique.

And totally understandable, honestly. I mean, when you’re ready to dish out in order to get a good phone, then you should at the very least enjoy holding it, right?

Now, my boy here was rocking the Galaxy S10 for a long time, primarily because it was comfortable for him. But time did its nasty thing and the phone was no longer reasonable or safe for him to carry on using.

So, of course, the first place we stopped was at the Galaxy kiosk to try the latest Galaxy S23 series of phones. And here’s the kicker: they all felt too big to him, as the S10 has a slightly different form factor that makes it feel more compact when held in the hand.

So, me being me, I instantly thought of the Asus Zenfone 9 or Zenfone 10. Full disclosure: this was my alt-pick if I hadn’t gone with the Pixel 6a. Now, these were a bit difficult to find. We went to three or four stores before we found a place that had the Zenfone 9.

It was sealed, so we had to jump through some hoops and get permission from a higher-up before the clerk would agree to open it up for us, so that we could check it out. But it wasn’t in the color we were looking for and it still didn’t feel just right to my friend.

So this was it, then, wasn’t it? My que.

“Hey, I’ve got a Pixel phone and they’re pretty neat. Wanna try mine?”

“Feels a bit off. Didn’t know Google still makes phones.”

We let the topic go and continued browsing Motorola phones. We were hoping to find some place that had the Motorola Edge 40 Neo, but it had just come out and it wasn’t in stock anywhere yet.

Coffee break. I bring up the Pixel again.

“Do they come in other models?”

“Three more.”

“Let’s go.”

And we went. But no store had a Pixel phone at all, let alone one on display. We even went to another neighboring city, where they had Pixels, but they wouldn’t let us see them. This entire thing felt absolutely absurd.

So, end of the day, we devised a crazy plan on how to get a Pixel 7 for him to test out:

1. Order one online
2. Pay for it in advance
3. Test it on-delivery
4. Return it if it doesn’t feel right and wait about a week before getting the sum back

I mean, it’s not a perfect plan. Well, honestly, it’s not even a good plan. But it was our only option.

The good news is that the plan worked. My friend kept the phone. Months later, he’s happy with it. His only gripe is size, as the Pixel 7 feels a bit too large for his taste. And I can relate. But that’s beyond us.

And you know what else is beyond me? Why it was so difficult to find a place where we could actually see a Pixel phone live.

So, why can’t I convince you people to get Pixel phones?!

You go out, you see people with phones. Everyone has a phone nowadays. They’ve got phones from Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus or Xiaomi. But nobody seems to have a Pixel phone.