Two Weeks with the Pixel 9 Pro XL
I've been using a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL as my daily driver for a couple of weeks now. Here are my impressions so far.
The Good
- I'm running standard Android on the Google flagship phone, so I had high expectations for it to just work. So far, so good—yay!
- I can use the F-Droid app store.
- I’ve installed Syncthing and it's working great. I use it to sync everything I want between my devices using my local network: photos from my phone, Obsidian notes, my KeePass database file, and documents. Everything is synced across devices and backed up to my NAS.
- I’ve installed KeePassXC and it's working well. I've moved most of my credentials from 1Password to KeePassXC and I use Syncthing to keep the password file synced between my Android phone and two Linux computers.
- The Home Assistant companion app’s device tracker works great. My presence is detected without issue, which allows automations to run smoothly. Nice.
- I can use real Firefox on my phone.
- I've replaced my Apple Watch 8 with a Garmin Venu 3. I've only used it for a few days, but so far, so good.
- I can track my music analytics with Last.fm again. Yay!
- The bike handlebar case for the Android phone works perfectly.
- Android Auto works fine. It honestly feels like a direct clone of CarPlay.
The Bad
- Android, out of the box, is very chatty. The constant reminders, tips, and recommendations are a bit exhausting. I continue to turn off and disable these things as they pop up, but oof.
- I find notifications on Android to be not so great. I admit it could just be that I'm used to how iOS notifications work. I will persist.
- Speaking of notifications, Home Assistant notifications on Android seem to be a bit delayed compared to iOS. This mostly doesn’t matter, but I do have a security alert set up: when a person is detected, Home Assistant sends me a notification with a screenshot from the relevant camera. I want these alerts immediately, but sometimes they take a minute or two. I'm not sure if there's a configuration tweak to fix this, but I plan to research.
- The screen isn’t as nice. I don’t usually notice it in day-to-day use, but when reviewing nighttime footage using the UniFi Protect app, it appears noticeably darker compared to other devices showing the same scene.
- I sometimes notice occasional static or bumpy playback when listening to Bluetooth audio like music or audiobooks—usually when I’m active, like weeding the garden or mowing the lawn with my Jabra earbuds in.
- Resuming music isn’t as smooth. I use a Jabra headset for work, both for Teams calls and listening to music. When I join a call, the headset switches over smoothly. But on iOS, music would almost always resume automatically after the meeting. This is rare with Android. Sometimes, I even have to go into the Bluetooth settings and manually reconnect to the Jabra.
- I miss the nightstand mode on iOS more than I expected. When my iPhone was on its MagSafe charger, I could wave my hand in its general direction and it would wake up, displaying the time in low-light mode. There’s no such mode for Android. I’ve tried one app so far, but it still requires touching the screen. I know—very first world problems.
The Ugly
So far, I haven’t found any deal breakers. I don’t have a MacBook, so I don’t care about syncing between my phone and macOS using iCloud.
Conclusion
Despite noticing several things that aren’t as polished compared to iOS, I’m still pretty happy with how it’s going. My main goal—being able to use my phone how I want—is being achieved. I’ve had to make a few concessions here and there, but nothing has been a deal breaker so far.