Why I’m (reluctantly) tossing my Pixel 6 Pro

I’m going to the . to miss Google Pixel 6 Pro, I’m real. In its good days during the nine months it was my daily driver, it was one of my all-time favorite handsets. But the constant issues eventually exhausted me, with the last straw coming in the form of several hair-pulling issues during a recent vacation.

It’s time for something new, something reliable.

During my recent trip, I regularly ran into the dreaded connection problem that my colleague Rita told me the other week. The Pixel 6 Pro languished with a pathetic bar of HSPA+ while my wife’s Galaxy S20, on the same network, sat very happily with two bars of 4G. Not great if you’re taking on the responsibility of a road trip DJ or looking for nearby places to grab a bite to eat.

Read more: The Pixel 6 Pro has the worst connectivity and reception of any phone I’ve used

Like many of you, I haven’t traveled much in the past year, so I haven’t noticed this problem until now – I’m usually at home, where the connection is slow but stable. Although I honestly can’t remember having connectivity issues in the first few months when I spent some time roaming in and out of 5G areas with no issues. I wouldn’t be surprised if Google breaks something during an update in the last six months.

However, that was far from my only problem. While driving, I often used Google Maps’ “stops” feature to map out a nicer ride or avoid local traffic hotspots. An hour into the trip, my Pixel 6 Pro was already warm and slowed down to a creeping switch between Maps, Signal, and Spotify (don’t worry, I was the passenger). Just as Maps transitioned to the next waypoint, the app hung indefinitely. I was forced to come closer, losing my waypoints. That’s annoying enough in the middle of nowhere, but a problem compounded by a phone that already struggles to hold a signal.

If these issues had occurred individually, I would have attributed them to bad luck or a one-time thing. But for the past nine months, I’ve been constantly covering up the frozen Wi-Fi connections, the slow fingerprint scanner, a not-so-scratch-resistant screen, high temperatures during video calls, finicky wireless charging speeds, and auto-dimming issues. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve told myself these were prizes worth staying in first class on the Google Express. But I’ve finally shaken the illusion – the experience doesn’t match the brochure.

Perhaps more frustratingly, Google has improved the Pixel 6 experience since launch, but still hasn’t solved many of the lingering, fundamental problems. We’ve seen quality-of-life improvements like VoLTE roaming support and custom camera performance, as well as all-new features like Pocket Operator and digital vaccination cards. But the fact that so many customers still suffer from issues reported months ago suggests that they either can’t be resolved or that Google just isn’t prioritizing them.

Our full statements: Google Pixel 6 review | Google Pixel 6 Pro Review

What are the alternatives?

Honestly, I (we) knew the phone wasn’t perfect while writing our second opinion Pixel 6 Pro review back in Nov. My main motivation for dealing with these bugbears was the Pixel 6 Pro’s flexible camera array. It’s still a setup that’s hard to beat, even if I’ve grown tired of the phone’s heavy-handed handling and so-so ultra-wide capabilities. The camera selfie portraits and the additional Google Photos editing tools are truly amazing and an experience I’d be hard pressed to replicate anywhere else. I’m also a sucker for the unusual design and the 120Hz screen is equally as great, but that’s no longer enough for me to live with the phone’s other flaws.

The problem is, what else is there? A great flagship camera is a must-have for me, but the Google Pixel 6 Pro remains in a league of its own in its price range. For a comparative photography experience, turn to much more expensive alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Sony Xperia 1 IVor Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max. That’s not a hugely attractive prospect for my wallet, considering their price tags all start north of $1,100.

I’m lucky enough to have a Galaxy S22 Ultra on my desk that will soon take over (job benefits), but I’ve had my eye on the more Pixel-priced Galaxy S22 or S22 Plus to buy as a long-term one solution. Both are pretty great all-rounders, have solid cameras and, most importantly, would save me from all of these aforementioned problems. There’s a small part of me that still wants to take it out with the beautiful but flawed Pixel 6 Pro and hope Google fixes the issues eventually, but I have to rule that out.

The lesson for the coming Google Pixel 7 is that an excellent long-term purchase does not have to have any problems to be a phone. Great cameras, live translations and long-term upgrades tick all the right boxes, but loss of signal during a trip or apps crashing when you need them most turn livable niggles into buyer remorse.

More ideas: The best Pixel 6 Pro alternatives