The OnePlus line would be absolutely fascinating. They’ve had such a bizarre history, it would be really fun to see a retrospective from you. I actually bought a OnePlus One based on your review! It was a toss up between it and the Nexus 5, and to this day I still feel the One was the better choice at the time.
i owned a few too.. like 4 or 5 of their phones starting with the G1 actually. and i recall being excited each time a new one was released. super dope seeing them lined up like this
I'm changing personally from the Pixel 2XL, over to the Pixel 6. And I think I'm happy with how these last two phones have turned out. The Pixel 2XL has endured so long and held up so well. The only thing that's diminished at all with this device was the battery. If it wasn't for the battery's life slowly fading away, I'd probably have kept it some time longer. But I think this transition to the Pixel 6 will be keeping me going for a great time over all.
I'd love to see the story of HTC - a manufacturer that had quite a lot of success in the "Android" world and released one of the best smartphones ever "HTC One", but for some reason they got lost
I also would love that. Will always have a soft spot for HTC. My first true smart phone was an HTC Desire (which I had two of, one got stolen) and to this day, like 4 or 5 different phones later, I don't think any other got close. Well, now that I'm typing this, maybe the Motorola Moto X (my first phone with AOD) was also pretty good, but the Desire was way more sexy. I also had one more HTC phone after the Desire (can't remember the naming right now) and loved it as well. I even loved the HTC skin on top of Android on that phone.
30:20 Marques unconsciously wiping dust off that camera bump😅 Great docu-review! It's great to see how far Google and Android have come, sometimes that's hard to see when all you hold in your hand is the latest and greatest.
Shout to HTC. Look back at their flagship line up. People forget how important HTC has been to current smartphones. A lot of what you see today, HTC tried first. Not always great attempts but definitely a company that had flagships which made a huge impact on the industry.
I had the Pixel 1 manufactured by HTC. That phone looked just as good after a year as it did the day I got it and I never used a screen protector and barely a case.
Honestly the rounded square build of the Nexus 5 is the peak of smartphone aesthetics. No other phone will ever compare - I loved mine and the customizable notification light!
That's the beauty of a well produced video and a presenter that knows what he/she is doing. Anything can be interesting if it's packaged in the right way.
Would love to see a “The Birth and Death of LG”, had many friends that gave their phones a try and they never really ended up sticking with them. Wondering what finally took them out of the game.
One of the most underrated phones was the Pixel 3. The awkward choices that Google made for the Pixel 3 XL really overshadowed what a slam dunk the Pixel 3 was. It had everything you could possibly want in a phone at the time. Dual front facing stereo speakers, two selfie cameras, regular and ultra wide, a single perfect main camera, and probably the best thing about it, it was the last phone to have a standard bezel. No notch, no hole punch, just a normal damn screen.
I personally just downloaded an app to hide the notch on the xl, making the notification bar area black to hide it, so the notch was really a non issue for me.
The nexus 4 was an absolutely gorgeous phone, I wanted one so badly but was too young at the time. Stunning design, and the snapdragon S4 pro in it was an absolute beast for the time. Definitely the one that got away for me in terms of phones. Never wanted a phone so much. Hell, even now.
It was my first smartphone and yes I got it because of MKBHD... Sadly I broke it a year later and proceeded to purchase a new Nexus 5 also due to MKBHD😄
I LOVED my Nexus 4. Just a beautiful phone. It was sturdy too, I dropped it about 30 feet onto concrete in it's standard "side bumper" case it came with. It was 100% fine not even a scratch. I did eventually break the front screen when I dropped it directly into a small rock, but I replaced the screen/digitizer myself for pretty cheap. Custom roms and random Tasker automaton stuff.... What good times.
seeing footage of older phones makes me weirdly nostalgic and reminds me of the time I owned it, and what I was up to in life when I got it. owned the nexus 4, nexus 6, pixel 1, pixel 3, pixel 4a 5g, and now the pixel 7 pro.
I'm still using the Pixel 3a right now and it's the best smartphone I've ever used. I want to get a Pixel 6 sometime, but for now this 3a is working just fine.
I have to disagree on the 3a being good. The best pixel I've used was the 2 XL. My 3a XL has had way more problems. In fact right now my assistant barely works (on Android 12) and I just don't feel like resetting my phone. The phone app has been quite buggy for me lately as well
The story of Sony Ericsson, the Walkman phone were fantastic. And Nokia incredible innovators with massive market share, made the smallest phone I ever owned and now have transitioned into obscurity.
Nokia dying was all because of their own stubbornness. They completely refused to let go of their own ancient Symbian OS when the rest of the world was starting to embrace Android and iOS, and they kept releasing flagship nokia phones with Symbian OS with extremely limited functionality compared to their rivals. Then, when they finally started to let go of Symbian they made a completely letal (for them) deal with Microsoft to sell ONLY Windows Phone / Mobile OS. Nokia Lumia and stuff. Windows Phone flopped, and so did nokia. Nowadays nokia is again selling Android phones, with almost no skin (almost stock android) and good updates but they are all so "meh" phones and the brand is so forgotten that they are really struggling to sell any phones at all. I still see their phones being sold, but I very much prefer to buy a Samsung, Xiaomi or iPhone than a nokia. Basic smartphones, basic Android skin, that's all people can think of nokia nowadays. It's sad, but we can say they killed themselves in the Symbian OS days and refusing Android.
@ I tend to suggest Nokia phones, when you can't get anything else for the budget. A relative earlier this year picked up a Nokia, for less than £200, where you're literally not going to get anything better. It's getting updates, and doing what they need. What more could you ask for, in that price range. I find that if you go below the Nokia range, all you'll get is a waste of money and resources.
I’d love to see a series like this for HTC. I know they aren’t really around anymore and their last flagship was released in 2018 but they have been so influential with phones like the HD2, the M8 and so many others. I just think it would be really fun to see how they evolved over time.
I loved my M8, those front-facing speakers were so much better than anything I've in my phones since! Sadly it started having issues with the SIM tray, and then I eventually replaced it with a Samsung S7.
I loved all of my HTC phones. I had the HTC Evo 4G LTE, HTC Evo 3D, M7, M8, One Max, M9, M10, and M11. Then jumped ship for the Pixel 4. Really just followed the HTC team that Google purchased later. I think a look at the high end HTC phones or US HTC phones over the years would be super awesome!
The One M7 was remembered by me as the first phone I picked up and thought to myself "Damn this is premium". I still have a couple of M8 models in my collection of loved phones that still power up.
Yeah HTC would be very interesting. Them and Sony Ericsson definitely took the most risks and gave us the wilder phones too, back in times when smartphones weren't all similar slabs of glass and metal.
The Nexus 6P blew my mind at the time. Was one of the best phones I ever had. It felt so high quality with all the metal and the fingerprintreader was awesome. Also you can't beat stock android.
Man I felt the same way at the time. I loved that phone. I remember the camera being stellar as well. Until one day it went into that boot cycle thing and was basically bricked. The same thing happened to my daughters as well
@@sinuslebastian6366 as someone who has existed on samsung phones for about 10 years, I recently tried out a pixel 4 for a while and man the UI is so much better than oneui its crazy how big the difference really is
Absolutely would love to see a Galaxy S video! Especially the weirdness with the S1 and S2 and how carriers in the US still required "unique" phones with different styles and names. The Galaxy S3 was the first really HUGE Android phone that was unified in name and branding and design, something that truly stood up to iPhone.
The S3 was my first Samsung phone. It was perfect until the inner LCD cracked with the digitizer, outer glass and the remainder of the phone remaining perfect. Somehow though I I was told it was damaged. It may have been, but to engineer an outer glass and rear cover that can allow damage to components underneath them before they fail isn't an acceptable engineering principle. So, that was my last Samsung phone. C'mon Brandon
One correction. The nexus 4 technically did have LTE hardware, however they never opened up the use to it in the software. You could do it yourself (which I did) and then have LTE.
@@shelbyvontrapp I found it odd myself. I can’t take credit for figuring out how to do it. I just followed the instructions I found at the time from XDA forums.
The included chips had LTE but they didn't build in the "necessary" signal amplifier. Which ironically IMO made it a better experience because it got noticeably better battery life when on LTE, coupled with an undervolt that prevented throttling made it get incredible battery life/performance at the time. IMO the best Google phone that ever came out for it's time
The Nexus 5 was my first smartphone and I loved it, used it for 4 years. Then I got the Note 8, and after 5 years I'm finally going to upgrade to a Pixel 7. I'm super excited!
That shot where you cycled through the phones in chronological order was awesome! So satisfying! I love watching your videos because the cinematography and audio are so good. I appreciate the effort you put into making these videos so polished. I would be interested in seeing some more videos about how you make your videos.
I wanted the orange pixel with the matte glass so bad but already had best of the best phone at the time. But the looks made me want it. I have a pixel 6 now and really like it a lot. All I want is for Google to bring back nostalgic things like the colors buttons and things of that nature. Google pixel 6 and 7 are great though.
Loved this history of the Google phones. When I first started making enough to purchase a higher end phone, I got the Pixel 2xl because of the camera reviews. I am a photographer and thought the Pixel would make a good scouting camera. Basically to take quick and dirty shots to test lighting and how the frame could look with my DSLR. But I quickly realized that the camera could very easily stand on it's own in many environments and especially in lower lighting scenarios. I immediately fell in love with the Pixel 2xl. Skip forward a year or so and I switched to the Samsung Note 9. I loved it for what it was as a tool for my photog buisness. But I had grown so used to the stock Android experience and updates and camera and having Google Photo's so easily integrated that I ended up switching back to the 2xl. Then I upgraded to the 3xl. Hated the notch, but did get used to it eventually. Then I upgraded to the Pixel 4xl. I love this phone!!! I have been shopping around for a new phone because I shattered the screen. I thought about another Samsung Note series phone. But nope... I found a used Pixel 4xl on a reputable used tech site (I use them for almost all tech purchases) and just bought it to replace my shattered one. I looked at reviews all over the interwebs and it seemed the 5 series phones were more of a downgrade. That's why I stuck with the 4xl. I love this phone and hopefully in the future I will be able to get the 6! As a veteran on a small budget from the VA I cannot afford the price of a new pixel. So I will just look stary eyed at all the 6 reviews and vids here on YT and dream of the day I can maybe find a used one on the tech site I mentioned earlier. I guess all that rambling is just to say how much I love the Google phones. If anyone is questioning whether they should get one or not, I would definitely reccomend one!!!
I bought a Pixel 1 XL because of your review of it. It was my first time ever experiencing stock Android and also having a competent camera from a phone. I was so blown away by that phone, so I must really thank you for your suggestion. My current 3a XL is incredible as well, but damn did the original Pixel make an impression on me. The best phone I've ever had.
If you're still running a pixel 3A it might be worth the upgrade to the 6 or 6a to get the complete Google experience and to get the upgraded camera sensor.
@@Caiphex Indeed, it is about that time that I could upgrade if I wanted. I'm hoping the 6a's appearance is a little toned down from the 6. Not really a fan of that camera bar.
I absolutely loved my Nexus 4. I love the sparkly glass back so much I had to get a bumper case that was clear in the back. The screen was a little small but crystal clear and perfectly adequate for the time.
and that build quality, oh my god, I still remember the feel of cold glass and metal in my hand, just a solid peace of phone, not to mention then state of the art software, I bought it when Kitkat arrived, it was my first smartphone and to this day it's still the best one
@@Scorpione4 Also, the first phone that google gave the version of lollipop was the nexus 4. Samsung users have waited a long time to meet the lollipop version.
Fantastic video, very nostalgic. I feel like OnePlus story has been covered in various capacities already in recent videos (e.g. "What happened to OnePlus"). A history of Samsung especially with the awful TouchWiz to the great One UI would be very interesting.
"The cheap phone with good pictures", exactly why I got Pixel 4a- I absolutely love it and my next phone will probably be another Pixel, not necessarily an 'a' series next time.
Would love to see a video on the windows phone line! So much to unpack there. I’d really like to have a better understanding of why they couldn’t get it to take off. It was honestly a very stable OS and a great pairing to what Nokia was doing at the time.
Same. There was such a variety of hardware at the beginning - constrained by Microsoft's requirements but trying to think outside the box anyway. I feel like the later phones never really got highlighted in the way the peak Nokia devices did, so it would be interesting to look at them as the conclusion of that line.
My first smartphone ever was a Windows phone, and it was honesty pretty solid back in like... 2010 i think? Ive always wondered why they never took off. Wish there was a way to find out ;)
My guess would be app support. Had a Nokia 920 for a year and was absolutely blow away at how good the camera was and how good it performed in general. But what made me switch to android was the lack of apps I wanted/needed to use.
I for one would be very interested in a deep dive into Sony’s line of flagships over time. I remember how well received the Xperia Z3 was at the time and how they slowly started doing worse and worse after that. Also how their naming scheme completely went off the rails 😂 If not that, HTC would also be very interesting, cause they genuinely tried for a while, but we all remember the U Ultra 😂
The Nexus 6 was easily one of my most favorite phones I've owned and even people who weren't tech enthusiasts loved the phone. One dude told me "Bro, that's a badass looking phone."
Favourite phone I've owned by far. Slowly died a death due to the firmware issue where cores were shut off when battery dropped below 50%. Then one day it dropped out of my pocket as I shut the car door and I crushed it. Gutted!
Considering the last pixels (a versions) have been so good, you should totally make a video on what old phones we can still use in 2021. It will not only help sell those old phones but will encourage recycling…
Your awesome bro! I love this type of content. A galaxy S/Note line up video would be fantastic, also a line up of all the features we expect in a smartphone today and who started the trend or even old features voice to text, hands free, track ball, physical keyboard, the list goes on.
I had that "CRT turning off" effect on my lock screen for YEARS. One of those defining features that was like oh yeah, I can customize my phone. Because at the time, iPhone was TERRIBLE for customization, ringtones, live wallpapers, widgets and pretty much everything else android had over IOS.
Nexus 6P was the greatest phone I've ever owned. This statement is coming from someone who always buys 2+ flagship phone every year (iPhone & Android) since the iPhone 4 & Note 2. Nothing has topped that out of the world experience ( compared to what was available on the market at that time). Now everything is very tiny incremental upgrade.
6P definitely was the best at that time, I've used mine till break the display (2,5y later)... So sad that couldn't fix it because didn't have spare parts in Brazil
Agreed. I've been using two (2) Nexus 6Ps since 2016: 1 for work and 1 for personal use. I loved the phones so much I changed the batteries in them and brought them back to life again. Unfortunately, I had to finally retired my personal 6P last week due to the NAND flash wearing out (made great use of the camera!). I decided to buy a new Pixel 3 XL as a replacement, as it's the last Pixel phone with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The 3XL is decent, but I still prefer the 6P. I still have my work 6P going strong and have no plans to ditch it.
The fact that his 6p still turns on is a minor miracle. There was a class action suite based on ts battery failures. mine still sits on a display shelf in the study.
Dynamight Presentation!!! A lot of researchn went into this video, and it was delivered in a relaxing way as if you were in my living rooim and I was asking you questions about google phones. Not only that but you managed to answer guestions I have had about Google phones that no one was able to answer. Pretty much anyone on YT can give out information, but your delivery and confident voice left no doubt that you knew your stuff and there was no need to question the verasity of anything you said. Seriously enjoyed your video!
The reason as to why google included the trackball in the first few phones were because they were actually afraid that apple would sue them for using multi-touch as apple claimed they patented it. The trackball served as an alternative to touchscreen in case apple forced them to disable the touch function.
I remember really wanted the 5X back in the day, but I was living in a different country where Google phones were generally hard to come by. Then I moved and got the 3a. Let's just say it was an essential phone, really happy with it. Then I got the Pixel 6, largely due to the sheer value of the phone. Kinda wish it's not as big as it is, but still very much happy with it. I like where Google is heading, expecting great things in the future.
I always considered the Moto X to be a "google phone." It felt like an early attempt to make what the pixel is today. A phone that runs google's version of skinned stock android. It felt different than what Samsung did with its skins. My wife's Samsung phones with Touchwiz always seemed to have unnessisary changes vs stock android that didn't improve functionality and often felt unintuitive when I had to help her with her phone.
Yeah, I also consider the first two Moto X and G phones to be Google phones. The second gen X and G were the first non-Nexus devices to ship the Google Now Launcher, which arrived in an OTA update.
Agreed! I think a big reason for this is that Motorola was owned by Google during the Moto x era. A lot of what current phones use as standard were present in the Moto x. The "okay Google" and always on display were pioneered by Motorola with the Moto x and Google has incorporated it into all their stuff after that.
I considered the 5th generation moto x, disgustingly named the "2015 moto x pure/style edition", to be a refinement of the nexus 6. Owning that phone was truly amazing, until about a year and a half later when I realized that Motorola had no intentions of updating the software like google did. Regardless, the specs were even better than the nexus 6 and the software was still clean as a whistle like the nexus phone.
@@OliverFrohlichEDM they're not immemorable, they're just an absolute mess spec wise, they have like 3 same phones with just slightly different specs and 0.1 inch difference on screen sizes. Also the names make no sense anymore. Oh and then their software is another shithole
Wow look who that is. The indian who flexs his costumers iphones on UA-cam shorts. 🤡 i know you only cuz youtube doesn’t have a “not interested“ button for shorts yet but i skip you always.
Your Nexus 5 review was when I subbed. That caused me to buy the Nexus 5. I commented that your review was the reason I bought the Nexus 5 and you responded to my comment. I've been listening ever since.
The Nexus 4 and 5 were the best phones I've ever owned up until that point from android. You forgot to mention that around this time, the 4 and 5 were being highly praised as flagship killers.
i really miss the nexus line for that reason - oneplus took the spot of flagship killer after nexus got killed until around 2018-19 but ever since they went full flagship and started running colorOS instead of oxygenOS there just hasn't been a real flagship killer phone in the android space.
@@aestheticsock8772 I miss them too. However, I did jump over to OnePlus and had enjoyed my time there. We can't be too unfair to them as they were the next up to bat as flagship killers. Not anymore these days, but they did take the crown after Nexus.
Same! The 4 was my first smartphone, and I just loved it and the 5. Can't remember any other phone that I liked that much since than,and just picked up the pixel 6
@@elishaamiri7681 Yea. I've owned every Nexus except the two they released on Verizon. (T-Mobile fan) I haven't bothered with Google since the Nexus and held out until Pix6. I'm very happy to be back.
@@ExDementia666 yes the 5a is great but you lose on other things such as the processing power but yeah other than that i really think it's a better choice overall cuz i and most UA-camrs don't see the difference in the camera quality which google advertised a lot.
I loved my OG Nexus 5 (2013). It was a great design that wasn't a huge phone in terms of thickness, but had a pretty good sized battery capacity for its day. It was a clean design which made it "boring" but that also meant it didn't stand out in an obnoxious way and didn't look old. Heck, it still looks like it'd pass as a semi current phone now.
Surprised he glossed over the Nexus 5 like he did, it was one of the best value phones and surely the most famous Nexus phone. Would be my favourite phone I've owned if I hadn't grabbed a Nexus 6 brand-new for £200 about 6 months after launch.
@@Joshimitsu91 was wondering the same thing. For me, Nexus 5 was the pinnacle of Nexus, its not flashy in appearance but a beast of a phone in software and internals. Kinda like a "sleeper" pc.
I bought my Pixel 3a the week it launched and have loved it ever since. It was the first phone I had ever chosen and bought for myself (all hand-me-downs from my dad from age 10-21). When the 3a launched I watched reviews from MKBHD and others. The things that mattered to me were the camera, an affordable price, a headphone jack, and a clean software experience. The 3a had all of those things so I immediately knew it was the phone for me. It's been great for the past 2.5 years, and it's the first phone I've owned that I've genuinely liked.
An HTC version of this would be really good too, actually just following the evolution of any one of the big phone companies wether they’re around or not now would be super interesting to watch “every ___ phone review” should be like a series
I remember how jealous I was off that beastly first 1ghz chip in the first nexus. Android in the first days was so much fun to be a part of. Arguing which phone is better on forums, watching comparisons and speed tests on your new Android to confirm you made the right choice... Sigh I miss those days
@@wayando exactly, I believe nexus had the first "snapdragon chip" also. Now it's all incremental even 2 years isn't really worth it anymore minds well swap batterys and keep it 3.
@@SpicyNoodleDragon yes I do too but, it just doesn't feel the same because the phones are so similar now. If Google sticks with tensor and starts giving apple a run for it's money on raw power then thingsll get spicy again lmao
@@ShakeNbake9106 they've been working on the tensor 2 for a while now, hopefully it'll match up. Honestly dunno why everyone is going for horsepower rather than MPG
The Galaxy Nexus was my first ever smartphone, and I remember it being so cool an looking so modern… Man has tech evolved in such a small period of time!
I have had quite a few android phones, from the G1 to my Pixel 6 Pro. The two that I loved the most were the Nexus 6P and the Pixel 2 XL. The Nexus 6 by Motorola was also one of my favorites.
I‘d really love to see the Google Edition phones revisited. Also, I remember Sony had some real good smaller phones of their flagships with no compromises. Interesting what Sony is doing during recent years.
I was a proud owner of a Nexus 6P. It felt so premium! The stereo speakers were amazing , everyone was asking which phone was that?! It really felt different. It felt like an upgrade. I have to say that I haven't felt so excited about a phone ever since. Now there all just about the same.. (not talking about flips and folds) with minor alterations.. I was hoping to get the pixel 6pro this year but in Greece the prices are ridiculously high! It's coming at about 1,200€ . Miss the good old days where you could get a flagship in a reasonable price!
I bought a Google Pixel 3 as a budget phone in 2020. I'm a college student and this phone filled my needs for a phone and the camera and software are just such a bonus for me!
Nexus 5 RED was my first smartphone, paid for it entirely myself with my saved up snow shoveling money. I loved that phone so much and when it died I just about cried.
Best midrange phone I owned. Perfect for someone like me who wanted something decent, but not quite a flagship. Though it seems like nowadays it's either budget phone or flagship, that market seems to be getting better with stuff like pixel a variants and the like. Do wish there more options with (relatively) stock android though.
Always wanted a Nexus 6, along with a few other Android phones from around the time period such as the HTC one M7, M8 and M9. I honestly think this was the peak for smartphone designs. And the modding communities around them.
This thorough review, full of historical information as well as specific specs of each single Google phone has to be praised. Watching it as I anxiously wait for my Pixel to arrive tomorrow!
For me, coming from Holland Europe, it's always so strange to hear about phones 'being on Verizon' or 'T-mobile' as a sort of 'lock'. We also have contracts combined with phones but that's just a way to spread the pay. The companies don't 'own' the phone or have their names printed on them. Therefore, most of us just buy a new phone if we want to. We only put our simcard in that's it...
Can't really speak as to other US carriers, but Verizon does not lock their phones or have contacts. If you buy a phone from them, you can pay full price or get 0% financing for 2 years. Choose the latter and it's essentially a "contract"; if you want out early, you have to pay the balance of your purchase loan.
@@slayer100141 But sometimes, nowadays, I still hear (US reviewers) about carrier branded phones or phones coming out 'via' a carrier as a first release or something. Or am I wrong?
Pixel is gonna be the new iPhone competitor pretty soon. i)Makes their own chips. ii)Develops their own software. iii)Has an iconic camera setup which you can't just mistake it for some other phone. (Signature) iv)Gives a whole bunch of different services. v)Most of these services are better on their own phones. Doesn't depend on any other company basically.
The pixels are the iPhone of Android . I always say people who wants to go android get a pixel because its so similar to an iPhone (you an even change the settings to be more swipe friendly like an iPhone) and the least bloatware of all androids
I used to love flashing roms and kernels too. But somehow over time a lot of the features and capabilities that made modding attractive, ended up getting added into stock android . Which made the whole process redundant. Other than getting unofficial software updates. There became less and less reasons to do it
It's still fun to flash android 13 on an s8 plus for example :D there's a guy maintaining it and releasing almost bi weekly updates which is very impressive
3:04 MKBHD: "There was no headphone jack so you needed an ADAPTER for this proprietary mini USB port to plug in headphones" Me: Oh what a horrible ide- *oh wait*
Man, the Galaxy Nexus time was something else! I was also into custom roms and overclocking, and trying to make my phone as close to the Galaxy Nexus software as possible! Phones these days are very refined and stable, but they were far more interesting and fun back then. And perfect timing too, those being my college years. I can't see myself spending hours tweaking phones now.
I agree. I had so much fun with my Galaxy S2, installing custom roms and trying to make it last for eternity. Unfortunately I broke it, but only after 4-5 years of intense use.
Did the same, then got the Nexus 4, and continued tweaking it, couldn't stop. Paranoid Android was doing awesome stuff with it, things that would get into Android years later, like "Halo" which was notification bubbles as they are today, heads up banners for notification, PIE controls ... Awesome. Phones these day aren't all refined though. When i got my OnePlus 6 i stayed on Oxygen OS for maybe a week before switching to AOSP out of frustration, some things just didn't make sense of didn't work properly. With the Pixel 4a 5G though, haven't felt the urge to tweak anything. That's a first !
What's even crazier is I remember Marques reviewing almost all of these when they came out. Time flies man. Edit: I even remember him reviewing the Google play edition's and how much he praised them, always wanted the S4 Play Edition.
3:25 Google Nexus 1 was my First Google phone & I bought it in 2010, I was in love with this phone, specially the amazing Google multicolour animation when you turn it on. Also loved the Track ball and multiple colour changes of the trackball for different notification and you can edit the colours. I still kept this phone in my locker 🙂👍 as in love with that phone and so much family picturs taken with it.
my first google phone was the nexus 5x when i first discovered the google line of phones and then upgraded to pixel 2 and recently bough the pixel 6, it's amazing to see the changes and development over the years and i dont even know it changing from one phone to the next but seeing it all at once shows how far google has come! loved this!
As a kid I pined over the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus when they were the newest of that year... I actually got a Nexus 5 in 2013, and it served me until 2017; looking back on it, I think it was the best Android phone I've ever had. It was a clean slate upon which I was free to customize the phone to my liking. You talking about the little details like the CRT-like screen off animation make me warm and fuzzy inside with nostalgia. I miss the Nexus phones. I really do...
I would love to see an Xperia line review. The Xperia Z was my first flagship phone and I loved everything about it at the time. Plus I think they're just really underrated until now.
The notification light in Nexus One was such a brilliant idea! I customized it so that I could tell by the color and pulse pattern what notification it "displays", but the most important thing is - it was easily visible from any angle, except from the back. Later, I got Galaxy Note 2, and even though it also had a decent notification light, it wasn't nearly as impressive. The colors were dull, they mixed in a strange way, so you can't really tell which color is which because it depends on the viewing angle. But the light was still easily visible when the phone is on the table. And then there was Huawei Mate 10. Holy cow, what a disgrace of a phone. It looks like they chase after the design and specs, and completely screw up when it came down to using it. Aside from being unable to keep the backlight on while your eyes are on the phone, which a 6-year-old Samsung did, they completely ruined the notification light to the point it cannot serve its purpose. It simply is not visible unless you are holding the phone right before your eyes perpendicular to the line of sight. That's it, you can't see the light even if the phone lies on the table beside you, you need to take it in your hand and look at the screen. Excuse me but if I'm looking at the screen already, then just give me the screen notification. And it's no wonder there will be no notification light on future phones: anyone would deem them obsolete trash if all they could see today is such a poor example.
I proudly owned that G1, my first smartphone and it was soo good 😊 (and little sluggish ;) I’m so sad my friend lost it on campus. Super cool you got your hands on the whole lineup
Ah, the good ol Nexus 6P....
Memories.
Your video bending the 6p like a piece of cardboard is forever ingrained in my mind
I was wanting to say this when I heard nexus 6p....didn’t fair to well to your test 😬
memories the 6P deffinitely wanted to forget, you monster!
@jerryRigEverything Hope you didn't break it
@@narahitesh1341 boy howdy do I have a video for you
The OnePlus line would be absolutely fascinating. They’ve had such a bizarre history, it would be really fun to see a retrospective from you. I actually bought a OnePlus One based on your review! It was a toss up between it and the Nexus 5, and to this day I still feel the One was the better choice at the time.
I too i would like to see oneplus history, I too i bought 3T because I saw ur videos and am still using it today.. 😀
One would be all time favorite
I too bought OnePlus 7 by watching @MKBHD review!
OnePlus are shit show of a company and don't deserve a penny, there you go
@@kbeightyseven they certainly used to deserve my money, but I agree they have totally lost their way.
Love these. I've owned the Nexus One and Nexus 4, and Pixels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Hype to see them all back to back to back like this!
i owned a few too.. like 4 or 5 of their phones starting with the G1 actually.
and i recall being excited each time a new one was released.
super dope seeing them lined up like this
Damn you own alot
I'm thinking about getting the six but I have heard the battery life is kinda crappy. What do you think?
@@HypnoticOoze22 battery life is great
This video is made for guys like you... nostalgia just hit you like a truck..
I'm changing personally from the Pixel 2XL, over to the Pixel 6. And I think I'm happy with how these last two phones have turned out. The Pixel 2XL has endured so long and held up so well. The only thing that's diminished at all with this device was the battery. If it wasn't for the battery's life slowly fading away, I'd probably have kept it some time longer. But I think this transition to the Pixel 6 will be keeping me going for a great time over all.
I recently got the battery replaced on my Pixel 2 XL... Still going strong.
I think it's a great decision to shift to pixel 6 I have it and it's keeping very till now and I hope it will another 4 years
I still miss 'squeeze for assistant' on my Pixel 2XL five Pixels later :-(
I'd love to see the story of HTC - a manufacturer that had quite a lot of success in the "Android" world and released one of the best smartphones ever "HTC One", but for some reason they got lost
The design , touch and feel of HTC phones was amazing.
COLD FUSION has a good run down
I also would love that. Will always have a soft spot for HTC. My first true smart phone was an HTC Desire (which I had two of, one got stolen) and to this day, like 4 or 5 different phones later, I don't think any other got close. Well, now that I'm typing this, maybe the Motorola Moto X (my first phone with AOD) was also pretty good, but the Desire was way more sexy. I also had one more HTC phone after the Desire (can't remember the naming right now) and loved it as well. I even loved the HTC skin on top of Android on that phone.
HTC One X and Sensation were amazing at the time
@@Raviatiion One X, yes, that's the one.
30:20 Marques unconsciously wiping dust off that camera bump😅
Great docu-review!
It's great to see how far Google and Android have come, sometimes that's hard to see when all you hold in your hand is the latest and greatest.
Wow close observation
Shout to HTC. Look back at their flagship line up. People forget how important HTC has been to current smartphones. A lot of what you see today, HTC tried first. Not always great attempts but definitely a company that had flagships which made a huge impact on the industry.
I had the Pixel 1 manufactured by HTC. That phone looked just as good after a year as it did the day I got it and I never used a screen protector and barely a case.
Agreed
may she RIP
Best speakers on a phone period
Have an m8 still.
Honestly the rounded square build of the Nexus 5 is the peak of smartphone aesthetics. No other phone will ever compare - I loved mine and the customizable notification light!
YES I AGREE
For me personally, it was the 3a. I have a p8 and I still loved my 3a more.
The Nexus 5 design with 2024 specs and maybe a bezel less display would be perfect.
Marques when you said you’ll make a video reviewing every single Android/Pixel/Nexus phone you did not dissapoint with this one
Can't believe I spent half an hour watching what is essentially a phone documentary. Great job!
to be honest! And it didn't even feel like half an hour. Was so immeresed into the content
That's the beauty of a well produced video and a presenter that knows what he/she is doing. Anything can be interesting if it's packaged in the right way.
I just fell a sleep in my chair
Nexus 4 was my first Google phone. It was the best Android experience ever!
Mine too! Switched from the iPhone 4s, which was my first smartphone.
Mine was the Nexus 5
@@theBnoJ I really wanted a nexus 5…never ended up getting one, though.
@@eamonob84 I had really wanted a Nexus 4, but couldn't find it and had to wait for the 5
Same!!! Then nexus5... But out of all nexus... I love 6p the most
8:16 " I was in the thick of it", he knew about ksi's song all along.
right as he said that i scrolled down 😔
Would love to see a “The Birth and Death of LG”, had many friends that gave their phones a try and they never really ended up sticking with them. Wondering what finally took them out of the game.
LG wouldn’t just stick to something. They were constantly trying to make quirky features, and didn’t focus on anything important
The wing was a great concept and could have been big if it was a company that people actually knew about
He made that video long ago buddy
recently sold my s20 fe and went back to my lg g8. Still really enjoying it. Wish they didn't stop.
HTC too could be interesting
One of the most underrated phones was the Pixel 3. The awkward choices that Google made for the Pixel 3 XL really overshadowed what a slam dunk the Pixel 3 was. It had everything you could possibly want in a phone at the time. Dual front facing stereo speakers, two selfie cameras, regular and ultra wide, a single perfect main camera, and probably the best thing about it, it was the last phone to have a standard bezel. No notch, no hole punch, just a normal damn screen.
except for a good battery
and a the perfect size imo
I personally just downloaded an app to hide the notch on the xl, making the notification bar area black to hide it, so the notch was really a non issue for me.
Hello everyone,
Can I get Android 11 or 12 in Pixel 3 XL in India if I purchase in 2021/2022? Kindly respond.
Love and Respect from India.☺️
@@avinashgupta6106 My pixel 3 has android 12 so yeah you should have the update.
The nexus 4 was an absolutely gorgeous phone, I wanted one so badly but was too young at the time. Stunning design, and the snapdragon S4 pro in it was an absolute beast for the time. Definitely the one that got away for me in terms of phones. Never wanted a phone so much. Hell, even now.
Owned one on day one. What a beast.
It was my first smartphone and yes I got it because of MKBHD... Sadly I broke it a year later and proceeded to purchase a new Nexus 5 also due to MKBHD😄
the good old days of when flashing custom roms was fun
I LOVED my Nexus 4. Just a beautiful phone. It was sturdy too, I dropped it about 30 feet onto concrete in it's standard "side bumper" case it came with. It was 100% fine not even a scratch.
I did eventually break the front screen when I dropped it directly into a small rock, but I replaced the screen/digitizer myself for pretty cheap.
Custom roms and random Tasker automaton stuff.... What good times.
Same for me! But I wanted the pixel 6 pretty damn bad & luckily got one before they sold out
seeing footage of older phones makes me weirdly nostalgic and reminds me of the time I owned it, and what I was up to in life when I got it. owned the nexus 4, nexus 6, pixel 1, pixel 3, pixel 4a 5g, and now the pixel 7 pro.
My pre-teen years I wanted the nexus 5 and nexus tablet. I remember putting both on my Christmas wish list 😭. Just was enamored by it.
I now have the Pixel 6. I'm incredibly happy. The best phone I ever owned was the Pixel 3a though. What a device for its time.
I'm still using the Pixel 3a right now and it's the best smartphone I've ever used. I want to get a Pixel 6 sometime, but for now this 3a is working just fine.
Me too but I think the 3a and 5 were much better..
I have to disagree on the 3a being good. The best pixel I've used was the 2 XL. My 3a XL has had way more problems. In fact right now my assistant barely works (on Android 12) and I just don't feel like resetting my phone. The phone app has been quite buggy for me lately as well
@@vincef886 I have the 4a I love the phone and it works great
Just broke my pixel 3a, and got the pixel 5a 👍
The story of Sony Ericsson, the Walkman phone were fantastic. And Nokia incredible innovators with massive market share, made the smallest phone I ever owned and now have transitioned into obscurity.
Same
Nokia dying was all because of their own stubbornness. They completely refused to let go of their own ancient Symbian OS when the rest of the world was starting to embrace Android and iOS, and they kept releasing flagship nokia phones with Symbian OS with extremely limited functionality compared to their rivals. Then, when they finally started to let go of Symbian they made a completely letal (for them) deal with Microsoft to sell ONLY Windows Phone / Mobile OS. Nokia Lumia and stuff. Windows Phone flopped, and so did nokia. Nowadays nokia is again selling Android phones, with almost no skin (almost stock android) and good updates but they are all so "meh" phones and the brand is so forgotten that they are really struggling to sell any phones at all. I still see their phones being sold, but I very much prefer to buy a Samsung, Xiaomi or iPhone than a nokia. Basic smartphones, basic Android skin, that's all people can think of nokia nowadays. It's sad, but we can say they killed themselves in the Symbian OS days and refusing Android.
I still have my w810i as backup in a drawer - with those funny extra speakers ofc xD
@ I tend to suggest Nokia phones, when you can't get anything else for the budget. A relative earlier this year picked up a Nokia, for less than £200, where you're literally not going to get anything better. It's getting updates, and doing what they need. What more could you ask for, in that price range. I find that if you go below the Nokia range, all you'll get is a waste of money and resources.
Sony is huge on audiophile market and they made some pretty nice other IoT as well.
I’d love to see a series like this for HTC. I know they aren’t really around anymore and their last flagship was released in 2018 but they have been so influential with phones like the HD2, the M8 and so many others. I just think it would be really fun to see how they evolved over time.
I loved my M8, those front-facing speakers were so much better than anything I've in my phones since!
Sadly it started having issues with the SIM tray, and then I eventually replaced it with a Samsung S7.
I loved all of my HTC phones. I had the HTC Evo 4G LTE, HTC Evo 3D, M7, M8, One Max, M9, M10, and M11. Then jumped ship for the Pixel 4. Really just followed the HTC team that Google purchased later.
I think a look at the high end HTC phones or US HTC phones over the years would be super awesome!
The One M7 was remembered by me as the first phone I picked up and thought to myself "Damn this is premium". I still have a couple of M8 models in my collection of loved phones that still power up.
Yeah HTC would be very interesting. Them and Sony Ericsson definitely took the most risks and gave us the wilder phones too, back in times when smartphones weren't all similar slabs of glass and metal.
Lmaoooo stupid ass company how they had such a lead and turned into nobody
I cannot imagine how much effort has gone into making this video, a big thumbs up for putting in all the efforts. Keep it up
The Nexus 6P blew my mind at the time.
Was one of the best phones I ever had. It felt so high quality with all the metal and the fingerprintreader was awesome.
Also you can't beat stock android.
One UI is pretty great too apart from the bloat (which you can delete) imo.
lol pixels dont have stock android anymore. there are some pixel exclusive features now
nexus 5
Man I felt the same way at the time. I loved that phone. I remember the camera being stellar as well. Until one day it went into that boot cycle thing and was basically bricked. The same thing happened to my daughters as well
@@sinuslebastian6366 as someone who has existed on samsung phones for about 10 years, I recently tried out a pixel 4 for a while and man the UI is so much better than oneui its crazy how big the difference really is
Absolutely would love to see a Galaxy S video! Especially the weirdness with the S1 and S2 and how carriers in the US still required "unique" phones with different styles and names. The Galaxy S3 was the first really HUGE Android phone that was unified in name and branding and design, something that truly stood up to iPhone.
The S3 was my first Samsung phone. It was perfect until the inner LCD cracked with the digitizer, outer glass and the remainder of the phone remaining perfect. Somehow though I I was told it was damaged. It may have been, but to engineer an outer glass and rear cover that can allow damage to components underneath them before they fail isn't an acceptable engineering principle. So, that was my last Samsung phone.
C'mon Brandon
I had forgotten about those unique names. I remember the S2 “Skyrocket”
Imagine galaxy phones. Would be a 24 hr long video
I had the sprint galaxy s ii epic. Finding cases for your phone used to be a pain in the ass
@Marques ➕➀➇ 0 5 ➅➂❸⓿❽➂❶ u really think people r gonna believe u??? 🤣
One correction. The nexus 4 technically did have LTE hardware, however they never opened up the use to it in the software. You could do it yourself (which I did) and then have LTE.
Oh my goodness, that’s very weird that they would limit it like that, and also very cool you did that!
@@shelbyvontrapp I found it odd myself. I can’t take credit for figuring out how to do it. I just followed the instructions I found at the time from XDA forums.
I also used a Snapdragon 615 phone which had 4G support on launch but not voLTE. Mods and custom ROMs fixed that.
The included chips had LTE but they didn't build in the "necessary" signal amplifier. Which ironically IMO made it a better experience because it got noticeably better battery life when on LTE, coupled with an undervolt that prevented throttling made it get incredible battery life/performance at the time. IMO the best Google phone that ever came out for it's time
In Canada it actually came enabled with LTE. It was a big deal here as it had some of the fastest speeds on a mobile device up here.
The Nexus 5 was my first smartphone and I loved it, used it for 4 years. Then I got the Note 8, and after 5 years I'm finally going to upgrade to a Pixel 7. I'm super excited!
What a crazy & definitely overlooked period of smartphone history, THANK YOU
1:51 Oh, wow. I wasn't expecting to see myself here, lol. Thanks for including me!
Oh wow, fancy seeing you here!
That shot where you cycled through the phones in chronological order was awesome! So satisfying! I love watching your videos because the cinematography and audio are so good. I appreciate the effort you put into making these videos so polished. I would be interested in seeing some more videos about how you make your videos.
That was sick. Definitely stood out to me, too.
I wanted the orange pixel with the matte glass so bad but already had best of the best phone at the time. But the looks made me want it. I have a pixel 6 now and really like it a lot. All I want is for Google to bring back nostalgic things like the colors buttons and things of that nature. Google pixel 6 and 7 are great though.
Loved this history of the Google phones. When I first started making enough to purchase a higher end phone, I got the Pixel 2xl because of the camera reviews. I am a photographer and thought the Pixel would make a good scouting camera. Basically to take quick and dirty shots to test lighting and how the frame could look with my DSLR. But I quickly realized that the camera could very easily stand on it's own in many environments and especially in lower lighting scenarios. I immediately fell in love with the Pixel 2xl. Skip forward a year or so and I switched to the Samsung Note 9. I loved it for what it was as a tool for my photog buisness. But I had grown so used to the stock Android experience and updates and camera and having Google Photo's so easily integrated that I ended up switching back to the 2xl. Then I upgraded to the 3xl. Hated the notch, but did get used to it eventually. Then I upgraded to the Pixel 4xl. I love this phone!!! I have been shopping around for a new phone because I shattered the screen. I thought about another Samsung Note series phone. But nope... I found a used Pixel 4xl on a reputable used tech site (I use them for almost all tech purchases) and just bought it to replace my shattered one. I looked at reviews all over the interwebs and it seemed the 5 series phones were more of a downgrade. That's why I stuck with the 4xl. I love this phone and hopefully in the future I will be able to get the 6! As a veteran on a small budget from the VA I cannot afford the price of a new pixel. So I will just look stary eyed at all the 6 reviews and vids here on YT and dream of the day I can maybe find a used one on the tech site I mentioned earlier.
I guess all that rambling is just to say how much I love the Google phones. If anyone is questioning whether they should get one or not, I would definitely reccomend one!!!
can you share the " tech site" ?
@@tarekmohammedi291 Please
I've been a Google phone user since getting a Nexus 5 in 2013. I then moved up to the Pixel 2 in 2017 and the Pixel 5 exactly one year ago.
I love my 4xl. Even love the Soli radar and the front facing ID scan, amazing phone
Nah. Get a proper dslr with premium lense.
I used to be a huge Nexus fan. Owned every one of them until Google decided to change it to Pixel and stop selling in my contry
Same i hate Google for not including pixel 6 in my countries and many other
Feel you bro, my country are the same
Exactly, i adored my Nexus 5x and BAMMM!new pixel’s out but not available in my country
What phone do you have now?
@@alexisaguirrevideos Note 20 ultra. It's pretty good but I'd still probably get a Pixel 6 Pro if I could
Pixel 2 will always be iconic. Timeless design.
Definitely! Missing the bright button!
Had one and it was amazing.
Great review! One thing worth mentioning - Pixel 5 was a game changer for me due to a 90 Hz screen + an ultrawide camera 📷
Honestly, the pixel 6 is my favorite phone ever made. THE VISOR IS RAD
But what about the Samsung 21 Ultra?
@@amagicalbear9929 sleeps under the iPhone 13 pro max
The visor is back 🥲
Comment for future video
“Honestly, the pixel 7 is my favourite phone ever made”
Yeah, the square camera module is stupid looking.
I bought a Pixel 1 XL because of your review of it. It was my first time ever experiencing stock Android and also having a competent camera from a phone. I was so blown away by that phone, so I must really thank you for your suggestion. My current 3a XL is incredible as well, but damn did the original Pixel make an impression on me. The best phone I've ever had.
If you're still running a pixel 3A it might be worth the upgrade to the 6 or 6a to get the complete Google experience and to get the upgraded camera sensor.
@@Caiphex Indeed, it is about that time that I could upgrade if I wanted. I'm hoping the 6a's appearance is a little toned down from the 6. Not really a fan of that camera bar.
I absolutely loved my Nexus 4. I love the sparkly glass back so much I had to get a bumper case that was clear in the back. The screen was a little small but crystal clear and perfectly adequate for the time.
and that build quality, oh my god, I still remember the feel of cold glass and metal in my hand, just a solid peace of phone, not to mention then state of the art software, I bought it when Kitkat arrived, it was my first smartphone and to this day it's still the best one
@@Scorpione4 Also, the first phone that google gave the version of lollipop was the nexus 4. Samsung users have waited a long time to meet the lollipop version.
Thanks!
Fantastic video, very nostalgic. I feel like OnePlus story has been covered in various capacities already in recent videos (e.g. "What happened to OnePlus"). A history of Samsung especially with the awful TouchWiz to the great One UI would be very interesting.
Goodness, Marquez would probably take around a whole season of Retro tech just trying to cover all the Galaxy devices lol.
"The cheap phone with good pictures", exactly why I got Pixel 4a- I absolutely love it and my next phone will probably be another Pixel, not necessarily an 'a' series next time.
Would love to see a video on the windows phone line! So much to unpack there. I’d really like to have a better understanding of why they couldn’t get it to take off. It was honestly a very stable OS and a great pairing to what Nokia was doing at the time.
That would be interesting to learn about.
Same. There was such a variety of hardware at the beginning - constrained by Microsoft's requirements but trying to think outside the box anyway. I feel like the later phones never really got highlighted in the way the peak Nokia devices did, so it would be interesting to look at them as the conclusion of that line.
The simplest explanation for why the OS didn’t take off was poor app support, but I’d assume there was secondary issues I’m not too educated on
My first smartphone ever was a Windows phone, and it was honesty pretty solid back in like... 2010 i think? Ive always wondered why they never took off. Wish there was a way to find out ;)
My guess would be app support. Had a Nokia 920 for a year and was absolutely blow away at how good the camera was and how good it performed in general. But what made me switch to android was the lack of apps I wanted/needed to use.
I had the T-Mobile G1 AND the g2 as my first smartphones! I absolutely loved both of them
I for one would be very interested in a deep dive into Sony’s line of flagships over time. I remember how well received the Xperia Z3 was at the time and how they slowly started doing worse and worse after that. Also how their naming scheme completely went off the rails 😂 If not that, HTC would also be very interesting, cause they genuinely tried for a while, but we all remember the U Ultra 😂
Ooh
Flagships every six months was stupid idea. But I love what they are doing with '1' and '5' series.
Agreed! I had the Z2 and it was honestly one of my favorite phone of all time.
Yes please
A classmate of mine had a Z3 and it felt in my hands like holding diamonds. Such an excellent build quality!
I love my normal 5, its basically a pixel 3 with a fullscreen display and MUCH larger battery, which is all I wanted.
I always loved the design of the Pixel 5 but everyone else seemed to think it was boring.
Pixel 5 and 3(& 3a) were the only good looking Pixels. Rest is abomination.
The Nexus 6 was easily one of my most favorite phones I've owned and even people who weren't tech enthusiasts loved the phone. One dude told me "Bro, that's a badass looking phone."
Favourite phone I've owned by far. Slowly died a death due to the firmware issue where cores were shut off when battery dropped below 50%. Then one day it dropped out of my pocket as I shut the car door and I crushed it. Gutted!
@@Joshimitsu91 sucks. My Nexus 6p got stolen. I still miss the camera. 💔
I love that I could stretch out my screen on my Google Pixel 6 Pro, and still be able to see all that I need to see when I'm on MKBHD UA-cam channel👍
Imagine doing this with EVERY SINGLE Samsung phone and the video would be like 2 hours long.
Well, he wouldn't do that. He'd just the flagship phone and all it's versions.
Only S and Note series. It would be like 20 phones
Note 9 last greatest note phone
S10 plus the last greatest Samsung phone
@@bigmaxcc agree
s10 plus was an innovative device in my opinion
the later generation (s20/1) are also good but its just.... kinda similar
Only 2hrs?
Considering the last pixels (a versions) have been so good, you should totally make a video on what old phones we can still use in 2021. It will not only help sell those old phones but will encourage recycling…
Pixels are crap after 3 software updates. Just look at the number of issues Pixel 3 users are facing after updating to Android 11
@@sylvianblade75 lol my 64gb pixel 3 has like 12gb just needed for the update to Android 12
A channel called 91 Tech pretty much does this exact thing, it’s one of main focuses of the channel.
@@sylvianblade75 I heard A12 fixes shitton of stuff for pretty much every issues that exist on A11 and not just on Pixel as well
100%
There is no getting around the fact the Marques is very good at what he does.
True
Your awesome bro! I love this type of content. A galaxy S/Note line up video would be fantastic, also a line up of all the features we expect in a smartphone today and who started the trend or even old features voice to text, hands free, track ball, physical keyboard, the list goes on.
My nexus 4 was my first Google phone. I remember all the ROMS, launchers, overclocking, XDADevelopers apps…
Man it was a collection of memories
I had that "CRT turning off" effect on my lock screen for YEARS.
One of those defining features that was like oh yeah, I can customize my phone. Because at the time, iPhone was TERRIBLE for customization, ringtones, live wallpapers, widgets and pretty much everything else android had over IOS.
Can we do that on an iPhone lock screen???
Please reply. I'd really love to try that out
@@arjunnkrishna no, android only. And it's only old versions of Android
@@cbob213 hmm. It's a really cool effect.
haha i still have it in my custom , it is first thing i look for in a new customrom
Still have it on custom roms
Nexus 6P was the greatest phone I've ever owned.
This statement is coming from someone who always buys 2+ flagship phone every year (iPhone & Android) since the iPhone 4 & Note 2.
Nothing has topped that out of the world experience ( compared to what was available on the market at that time).
Now everything is very tiny incremental upgrade.
6P definitely was the best at that time, I've used mine till break the display (2,5y later)... So sad that couldn't fix it because didn't have spare parts in Brazil
I would have fonder memories of mine if it didn't go Bootloop City on me on a trip to Japan.
Agreed. I've been using two (2) Nexus 6Ps since 2016: 1 for work and 1 for personal use. I loved the phones so much I changed the batteries in them and brought them back to life again. Unfortunately, I had to finally retired my personal 6P last week due to the NAND flash wearing out (made great use of the camera!). I decided to buy a new Pixel 3 XL as a replacement, as it's the last Pixel phone with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The 3XL is decent, but I still prefer the 6P.
I still have my work 6P going strong and have no plans to ditch it.
Funny. It's the only phone I resold immediately because it was just too big for me. I couldn't adjust to the size.
The fact that his 6p still turns on is a minor miracle. There was a class action suite based on ts battery failures.
mine still sits on a display shelf in the study.
Dynamight Presentation!!! A lot of researchn went into this video, and it was delivered in a relaxing way as if you were in my living rooim and I was asking you questions about google phones. Not only that but you managed to answer guestions I have had about Google phones that no one was able to answer. Pretty much anyone on YT can give out information, but your delivery and confident voice left no doubt that you knew your stuff and there was no need to question the verasity of anything you said. Seriously enjoyed your video!
The reason as to why google included the trackball in the first few phones were because they were actually afraid that apple would sue them for using multi-touch as apple claimed they patented it. The trackball served as an alternative to touchscreen in case apple forced them to disable the touch function.
Typical Apple move....Can't beat them, sue them.
@@simplelife4213 they copied apple wtf? you don't want someone to copy your homework and get away with it right?
@@simplelife4213 that’s what every company does, blame capitalism.
@@seananlinjunxi868 I like how people with little understanding of economics use the "blame capitalism" line in everyday conversation now.
@@alh06 he’s not wrong tho. Every company does that
I remember really wanted the 5X back in the day, but I was living in a different country where Google phones were generally hard to come by. Then I moved and got the 3a. Let's just say it was an essential phone, really happy with it. Then I got the Pixel 6, largely due to the sheer value of the phone. Kinda wish it's not as big as it is, but still very much happy with it. I like where Google is heading, expecting great things in the future.
I always considered the Moto X to be a "google phone." It felt like an early attempt to make what the pixel is today. A phone that runs google's version of skinned stock android. It felt different than what Samsung did with its skins. My wife's Samsung phones with Touchwiz always seemed to have unnessisary changes vs stock android that didn't improve functionality and often felt unintuitive when I had to help her with her phone.
Yeah, I also consider the first two Moto X and G phones to be Google phones. The second gen X and G were the first non-Nexus devices to ship the Google Now Launcher, which arrived in an OTA update.
Agreed! I think a big reason for this is that Motorola was owned by Google during the Moto x era. A lot of what current phones use as standard were present in the Moto x. The "okay Google" and always on display were pioneered by Motorola with the Moto x and Google has incorporated it into all their stuff after that.
I have moto edge 20 and it feels pretty googly
I agree with you guys. I loved that phone so much!
I considered the 5th generation moto x, disgustingly named the "2015 moto x pure/style edition", to be a refinement of the nexus 6. Owning that phone was truly amazing, until about a year and a half later when I realized that Motorola had no intentions of updating the software like google did. Regardless, the specs were even better than the nexus 6 and the software was still clean as a whistle like the nexus phone.
I love your videos. I can't ever seem to get enough. You and unbox therapy are my 2 favorites.
I would love to see the history of Nokia. From the Cityman in the 80s, to the notorious 3310 up until the end as Microsoft phones 📱
One of the greatest and biggest mobile companies ever.
they are still making Android phones my man
@@luanrosa3022 You're right! Totally forgot they're making android phones again. Albeit immemorable ones!
@@luanrosa3022 well they are being manufactured under HMD, not Nokia that sold to Microsoft
@@OliverFrohlichEDM they're not immemorable, they're just an absolute mess spec wise, they have like 3 same phones with just slightly different specs and 0.1 inch difference on screen sizes. Also the names make no sense anymore. Oh and then their software is another shithole
That’s another level review 💪
@Handi Indian comments ruin the UA-cam.
No it isnt a review...It is a whole movie
Wow look who that is. The indian who flexs his costumers iphones on UA-cam shorts. 🤡 i know you only cuz youtube doesn’t have a “not interested“ button for shorts yet but i skip you always.
Nexuses ? Nexii ? i remember those questions back then 🤣 nostalgic
Hai bang Fazli! 👋
Your Nexus 5 review was when I subbed. That caused me to buy the Nexus 5. I commented that your review was the reason I bought the Nexus 5 and you responded to my comment. I've been listening ever since.
I looovved that trackball with customized colors for different notifications ✅
I miss the colored notification LED. Made it really easy to see if my phone was done charging or not
The Nexus 4 and 5 were the best phones I've ever owned up until that point from android. You forgot to mention that around this time, the 4 and 5 were being highly praised as flagship killers.
i really miss the nexus line for that reason - oneplus took the spot of flagship killer after nexus got killed until around 2018-19 but ever since they went full flagship and started running colorOS instead of oxygenOS there just hasn't been a real flagship killer phone in the android space.
@@aestheticsock8772 I miss them too. However, I did jump over to OnePlus and had enjoyed my time there. We can't be too unfair to them as they were the next up to bat as flagship killers. Not anymore these days, but they did take the crown after Nexus.
Same! The 4 was my first smartphone, and I just loved it and the 5. Can't remember any other phone that I liked that much since than,and just picked up the pixel 6
@@elishaamiri7681 Yea. I've owned every Nexus except the two they released on Verizon. (T-Mobile fan) I haven't bothered with Google since the Nexus and held out until Pix6. I'm very happy to be back.
Love these. I'm in the market for a new phone and the Pixel is on top of my shortlist
I hate how it's not available in several countries. Big SAD.
Pixel 6!!!
Don't do it if you value your sanity. Cuz the battery life will make you lose it.
@@sinjary the Pixel 5a actually has incredible battery life. It's why I bought that instead of the 6
@@ExDementia666 yes the 5a is great but you lose on other things such as the processing power but yeah other than that i really think it's a better choice overall cuz i and most UA-camrs don't see the difference in the camera quality which google advertised a lot.
The headphones at minute marker 18:42 … are those Audio Technica m50x?
I loved my OG Nexus 5 (2013). It was a great design that wasn't a huge phone in terms of thickness, but had a pretty good sized battery capacity for its day. It was a clean design which made it "boring" but that also meant it didn't stand out in an obnoxious way and didn't look old. Heck, it still looks like it'd pass as a semi current phone now.
Surprised he glossed over the Nexus 5 like he did, it was one of the best value phones and surely the most famous Nexus phone. Would be my favourite phone I've owned if I hadn't grabbed a Nexus 6 brand-new for £200 about 6 months after launch.
@@Joshimitsu91 was wondering the same thing. For me, Nexus 5 was the pinnacle of Nexus, its not flashy in appearance but a beast of a phone in software and internals. Kinda like a "sleeper" pc.
Had the best display!!!
I bought my Pixel 3a the week it launched and have loved it ever since. It was the first phone I had ever chosen and bought for myself (all hand-me-downs from my dad from age 10-21).
When the 3a launched I watched reviews from MKBHD and others. The things that mattered to me were the camera, an affordable price, a headphone jack, and a clean software experience. The 3a had all of those things so I immediately knew it was the phone for me. It's been great for the past 2.5 years, and it's the first phone I've owned that I've genuinely liked.
yeah i loved my 3a, sadly it recently stopped charging though so I had to get the 6, but its also great
Watched this video on my 3a
An HTC version of this would be really good too, actually just following the evolution of any one of the big phone companies wether they’re around or not now would be super interesting to watch “every ___ phone review” should be like a series
In HTC's case, it's more of a post-mortem
I had the nexus 6p back in the day. It was really ahead of its time, one of the best phones ever made.
I love the Nexus 5 to this day, espescially the red one. The Qi charging paired with the metal pucks in the back made it easy to mount it in a car.
I remember how jealous I was off that beastly first 1ghz chip in the first nexus. Android in the first days was so much fun to be a part of. Arguing which phone is better on forums, watching comparisons and speed tests on your new Android to confirm you made the right choice... Sigh I miss those days
In those days 1year worth of upgrade was really significant.
Leo, I still do that even with phones I don't have haha. Just bought the 6 Pro but really wish they put a more power efficient display
@@wayando exactly, I believe nexus had the first "snapdragon chip" also. Now it's all incremental even 2 years isn't really worth it anymore minds well swap batterys and keep it 3.
@@SpicyNoodleDragon yes I do too but, it just doesn't feel the same because the phones are so similar now. If Google sticks with tensor and starts giving apple a run for it's money on raw power then thingsll get spicy again lmao
@@ShakeNbake9106 they've been working on the tensor 2 for a while now, hopefully it'll match up.
Honestly dunno why everyone is going for horsepower rather than MPG
The Galaxy Nexus was my first ever smartphone, and I remember it being so cool an looking so modern…
Man has tech evolved in such a small period of time!
I have had quite a few android phones, from the G1 to my Pixel 6 Pro. The two that I loved the most were the Nexus 6P and the Pixel 2 XL. The Nexus 6 by Motorola was also one of my favorites.
You should do the history of mobile phones :) From that 2 kgs brick to that tiny Panasonic G series and back to bricks.
Keep up those great uploads!
get out
@@theglowcloud2215 go away incel
Very bad replace service
@@xoxoxo5286 you come across as a yikes ngl
I‘d really love to see the Google Edition phones revisited. Also, I remember Sony had some real good smaller phones of their flagships with no compromises. Interesting what Sony is doing during recent years.
It felt like the last ten/eleven years of my life flashed in front of me. The evolution in smartphone tech is just fascinating!
@MKBHD this is one of the best videos one can ever make about the history of Nexus and Pixel. Simply loved it
Man I'd love to see all the Samsung phones throughout their entire history. Amazing video Marques. Greetings from Peru
There's way to many
That would need to be a Netflix series lol They make tons of phones per year.
He could do the flagship series (S/note series and foldables) but that’s it. They make WAYY too many cheap phones
probably just the S series and foldable series
I was a proud owner of a Nexus 6P. It felt so premium! The stereo speakers were amazing , everyone was asking which phone was that?! It really felt different. It felt like an upgrade. I have to say that I haven't felt so excited about a phone ever since. Now there all just about the same.. (not talking about flips and folds) with minor alterations.. I was hoping to get the pixel 6pro this year but in Greece the prices are ridiculously high! It's coming at about 1,200€ . Miss the good old days where you could get a flagship in a reasonable price!
Those speakers right?? Never beter made in a phone to date
Mine bent and then had the power issues. Google bought mine back 1 year later
That's a ridiculous price, in Germany it's 529€
Marques' next video: *Reviewing every phone ever made*
@Joe if anyone would do it, it would be MKBHD or Mrwhosetheboss
@Joe two of the best right now. And Micheal Fisher! I hope to be on their level one day with my reviews! 😤
@@TechDove Your video is really good, never let your hope down, one day you will become a well known tech reviewer for sure
Don't read my name!";"+$!_-
@@Deepak-gt9wd hey thanks! I appreciate that! It's alot of hard work and I absolutely love doing it :)
I bought a Google Pixel 3 as a budget phone in 2020. I'm a college student and this phone filled my needs for a phone and the camera and software are just such a bonus for me!
Nexus 5 RED was my first smartphone, paid for it entirely myself with my saved up snow shoveling money. I loved that phone so much and when it died I just about cried.
A moment of silence for the (probably) most underrated "pixel" phone: the original Moto X.
I had the Moto G. Was a decent cheap phone. Way more durable than nexus 5x with its bootloop problem.
I have one. And I can’t explain well, why the Moto X, was a remarkable phone of all time. Maybe a exaggerated. But MKBHD does a fantastic review.
It was an awesome phone. I would love to see a refreshed version.
Had one, great phone for sure. Had that awesome teal backplate with white on the front. Clean!
Best midrange phone I owned. Perfect for someone like me who wanted something decent, but not quite a flagship. Though it seems like nowadays it's either budget phone or flagship, that market seems to be getting better with stuff like pixel a variants and the like. Do wish there more options with (relatively) stock android though.
Always wanted a Nexus 6, along with a few other Android phones from around the time period such as the HTC one M7, M8 and M9. I honestly think this was the peak for smartphone designs. And the modding communities around them.
This thorough review, full of historical information as well as specific specs of each single Google phone has to be praised. Watching it as I anxiously wait for my Pixel to arrive tomorrow!
For me, coming from Holland Europe, it's always so strange to hear about phones 'being on Verizon' or 'T-mobile' as a sort of 'lock'. We also have contracts combined with phones but that's just a way to spread the pay. The companies don't 'own' the phone or have their names printed on them. Therefore, most of us just buy a new phone if we want to. We only put our simcard in that's it...
Can't really speak as to other US carriers, but Verizon does not lock their phones or have contacts. If you buy a phone from them, you can pay full price or get 0% financing for 2 years. Choose the latter and it's essentially a "contract"; if you want out early, you have to pay the balance of your purchase loan.
@@BrianFuller_0 sounds reasonable!
Europe is not a monopoly, thankfully.
@@slayer100141 But sometimes, nowadays, I still hear (US reviewers) about carrier branded phones or phones coming out 'via' a carrier as a first release or something. Or am I wrong?
Pixel is gonna be the new iPhone competitor pretty soon.
i)Makes their own chips.
ii)Develops their own software.
iii)Has an iconic camera setup which you can't just mistake it for some other phone. (Signature)
iv)Gives a whole bunch of different services.
v)Most of these services are better on their own phones.
Doesn't depend on any other company basically.
there’s one issue. It’s still an Android and not an iPhone.
@@masterdoge17 You're comparing an operating system to a phone name. Also being Android isn't a downside
The pixels are the iPhone of Android .
I always say people who wants to go android get a pixel because its so similar to an iPhone (you an even change the settings to be more swipe friendly like an iPhone) and the least bloatware of all androids
@@masterdoge17 how is that an issue?
Android is simply garbage. Not even in the same league as iOS.
3:05 never would I have thought that google pioneer the removal of head phone jack
This took me back.
Also reminded me of how long I've been enjoying Marques' content. Man.
I used to love flashing roms and kernels too. But somehow over time a lot of the features and capabilities that made modding attractive, ended up getting added into stock android . Which made the whole process redundant. Other than getting unofficial software updates. There became less and less reasons to do it
It's still fun to flash android 13 on an s8 plus for example :D there's a guy maintaining it and releasing almost bi weekly updates which is very impressive
3:04
MKBHD: "There was no headphone jack so you needed an ADAPTER for this proprietary mini USB port to plug in headphones"
Me: Oh what a horrible ide- *oh wait*
1:34 I come home after school and check your channel every day. I love you bro
Man, the Galaxy Nexus time was something else! I was also into custom roms and overclocking, and trying to make my phone as close to the Galaxy Nexus software as possible!
Phones these days are very refined and stable, but they were far more interesting and fun back then. And perfect timing too, those being my college years. I can't see myself spending hours tweaking phones now.
I agree. I had so much fun with my Galaxy S2, installing custom roms and trying to make it last for eternity. Unfortunately I broke it, but only after 4-5 years of intense use.
@@atomka2433 yeah, absolutely. There was always a possibility that you could hard brick your phone! Added to the excitement haha
Did the same, then got the Nexus 4, and continued tweaking it, couldn't stop. Paranoid Android was doing awesome stuff with it, things that would get into Android years later, like "Halo" which was notification bubbles as they are today, heads up banners for notification, PIE controls ... Awesome.
Phones these day aren't all refined though. When i got my OnePlus 6 i stayed on Oxygen OS for maybe a week before switching to AOSP out of frustration, some things just didn't make sense of didn't work properly. With the Pixel 4a 5G though, haven't felt the urge to tweak anything. That's a first !
Just wanted to give props to whoever did the "Google" animation on the intro at 0:38. So cool!
What's even crazier is I remember Marques reviewing almost all of these when they came out. Time flies man.
Edit: I even remember him reviewing the Google play edition's and how much he praised them, always wanted the S4 Play Edition.
I have been watching for 12 years now
@@joshentertainment2 you joined 1 year ago tho🤡🤡
@@lifeisshørt_420 this is my second acount
@@lifeisshørt_420 🤣🤣🤣
3:25 Google Nexus 1 was my First Google phone & I bought it in 2010, I was in love with this phone, specially the amazing Google multicolour animation when you turn it on. Also loved the Track ball and multiple colour changes of the trackball for different notification and you can edit the colours.
I still kept this phone in my locker 🙂👍 as in love with that phone and so much family picturs taken with it.
my first google phone was the nexus 5x when i first discovered the google line of phones and then upgraded to pixel 2 and recently bough the pixel 6, it's amazing to see the changes and development over the years and i dont even know it changing from one phone to the next but seeing it all at once shows how far google has come! loved this!
As a kid I pined over the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus when they were the newest of that year... I actually got a Nexus 5 in 2013, and it served me until 2017; looking back on it, I think it was the best Android phone I've ever had. It was a clean slate upon which I was free to customize the phone to my liking.
You talking about the little details like the CRT-like screen off animation make me warm and fuzzy inside with nostalgia. I miss the Nexus phones. I really do...
I would love to see an Xperia line review. The Xperia Z was my first flagship phone and I loved everything about it at the time. Plus I think they're just really underrated until now.
The notification light in Nexus One was such a brilliant idea! I customized it so that I could tell by the color and pulse pattern what notification it "displays", but the most important thing is - it was easily visible from any angle, except from the back.
Later, I got Galaxy Note 2, and even though it also had a decent notification light, it wasn't nearly as impressive. The colors were dull, they mixed in a strange way, so you can't really tell which color is which because it depends on the viewing angle. But the light was still easily visible when the phone is on the table.
And then there was Huawei Mate 10. Holy cow, what a disgrace of a phone. It looks like they chase after the design and specs, and completely screw up when it came down to using it. Aside from being unable to keep the backlight on while your eyes are on the phone, which a 6-year-old Samsung did, they completely ruined the notification light to the point it cannot serve its purpose. It simply is not visible unless you are holding the phone right before your eyes perpendicular to the line of sight. That's it, you can't see the light even if the phone lies on the table beside you, you need to take it in your hand and look at the screen. Excuse me but if I'm looking at the screen already, then just give me the screen notification.
And it's no wonder there will be no notification light on future phones: anyone would deem them obsolete trash if all they could see today is such a poor example.
I proudly owned that G1, my first smartphone and it was soo good 😊 (and little sluggish ;) I’m so sad my friend lost it on campus. Super cool you got your hands on the whole lineup
Wow! That so great!
Wasn't most Android phones sluggish. I remember my LG aly was kinda laggy
@@Truecrimeresearcher224 nope
I had the G1 as well. I thought it was a great phone, even with its sluggishness.
@@mxnjones ???