Michael Brown

A fellow Pixel Superfan had a great experience at the Oakbrook Google Store and he thought he’d share:

Just thought it worth sharing, my mom’s Pixel 7a was having battery issues, I did a chat with support where they told me it wasn’t under warranty, went to the store and they did a special warranty replacement given the battery issues that you can find all over the web. 2 hrs later resolved. Especially great considering she got this phone on my family’s Fi plan with a promo that is still on going for 2yrs.

While there they also fixed my charging issue on my Pixel 5 by using effectively a dentist/surgical pick to pull the pile of lint out.

Just thought the good service was worth sharing with the community. ❤️

It’s nice hearing success stories like this. Especially when the Google Store employees go above and beyond what is even asked of them. I hear this happens a lot. It makes people want to go into the store’s instead of dealing with a contractor online. Still, Google’s been doing a much better job at resolving issues at third-party repair shops as well.

You know, it’s been really interesting to watch how Google’s design has evolved over the years. They’ve gone from playing it safe to really embracing their own unique style, and it’s made a huge difference in how people experience their products. It’s like they’re constantly trying to find that sweet spot between form and function, and it’s been quite a journey to watch. As Ivy Ross, Google’s Head of Hardware Design, put it:

‘How do you translate the sentiment associated with Google—human, optimistic, bold–into color, texture and form?’ That’s exactly what they’ve been doing, and I think it’s really resonating with people."

I mean, think about those early Pixel phones. They were fine, but they didn’t exactly scream “Google.” But now, with the bold colors, playful accents, and those smooth, organic shapes, you can’t mistake a Google product for anything else. And it’s not just about the looks. Google’s design is all about making technology feel more human, more approachable. Those fabric-covered Nest speakers? They’re like a warm hug for your living room. The Pixel Watch, with its gentle curves and that water-droplet inspiration? It’s like a natural extension of your wrist. And don’t even get me started on the Pixel Buds case – it’s so satisfying to hold, like a perfectly smooth pebble.

But here’s the thing: Google isn’t just following trends. While other companies are obsessed with making phones as thin as possible, Google’s focused on making them as useful and enjoyable as possible. And you know what? It’s working. The Pixel Pro and the Pixel Fold are proof that you don’t have to sacrifice functionality for style. So what’s next for Google’s design? I think we’ll see them continue to blur the lines between technology and everyday life, creating products that feel less like gadgets and more like natural extensions of ourselves.

And honestly, I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. It’s clear that Google is committed to creating technology that not only serves a purpose but also sparks joy and feels like a natural extension of our lives. That’s a design philosophy I can definitely get behind.

André Labonté, Project Manager on the Material Design team, directly answers this question:

“Stackable widgets are possible on some Android manufacturer’s devices and this is something we are looking into for AOSP. We getting this request a lot. So stay tuned. We aren’t committed to this yet, but keep asking and we’ll work on it.

OnePlus and Samsung are the Android manufacturer’s that André was mainly referring to, but there are many more across the eastern hemisphere. Having it built directly into AOSP would not only make it available for Google Pixel, but it would free up Android developers from these manufacturers to work on other things. The pipeline seems to be that when things that were once only available on al specific manufacturer devices become available across all of Android, those same manufacturers find something else to be a catalyst differentiator among devices. It’s a health progression.

I’ve been using stackable widgets on my Pixel through the Smart Launcher and it’s been pretty great. I can see the appeal, especially since the general philosophy over widgets is to be an app instance that does one thing really well instead of something that is a full window into the app. Though iOS birthed this new resurgence for widget design, Android continues to provide better functionality and practically on having widgets on the home screen. Soon widgets will be on the lockscreen on mobile.

I’ve started to notice this trend of slimming down smartphones. Samsung teased its next Galaxy S25 ‘Edge’ device that’s going to be 5.84mm thin. Apple is rumored to announce an iPhone 17 Air, also allegedly known as the iPhone 17 Slim, to be around 5.5mm at its thinnest point.

It’s apparent that innovation in the iPhone lineup has become stale, with Apple seemingly experimenting without a clear direction. From the iPhone Mini, Plus, and now Slim. And I’m not surprised that Samsung is following suit as they usually follow Apple’s lead with things. Google has won the GLOMO awards back-to-back with its Pixel Pro devices, and many would agree that their Pixel Fold is currently the best in the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, Google should continue focusing on tuning the hardware of that, continue to fine-tune Pixel Watch and WearOS to bring even more competition to the Apple Watch, continue to research the Android tablet market, drive demand for Android XR, and even put more R&D on an Android tablet and laptops. All of that sounds good. Google, do not waste your time on a Pixel Slim. Your Pixels are already sufficiently thin. If a breakthrough in battery slimming is achieved while maintaining capacity, simply incorporate additional batteries into the existing chassis.