Why Pixel 3a/XL so unpopular?

[yurikoles]

I ask this question because I see a very little activity on a ROMs forum, I didn't check other ones.

For example my previous phone, Mi A1 (Android One) has an official builds for most ROM, even my wife's Mi A3 has much better activity. I had bought Pixel because I'm a Google fanboy and its cheapest Pixel available.

My own answer: people with less budget just buy Android One phones (like Mi A* line), people who want Pixel buy a full phone, like Pixel 3 (without a) or 4.

 

[Axe_L_Thief]

I suspect for a few reasons:
1. It isn't needed as the phone runs the latest version of android anyway.
2. Many people buy a Pixel series phone because that's exactly what they want - the latest version of android without skins or bloatware.

 

[Skittles9823]

Yea, there isn't much of a need for ROMs on pixels. Took me 6 months to get to the point I was missing AOSiP and decided to build for it lol.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

 

[Bramton1]

I ask this question because I see a very little activity on a ROMs forum, I didn't check other ones.

For example my previous phone, Mi A1 (Android One) has an official builds for most ROM, even my wife's Mi A3 has much better activity. I had bought Pixel because I'm a Google fanboy and its cheapest Pixel available.

My own answer: people with less budget just buy Android One phones (like Mi A* line), people who want Pixel buy a full phone, like Pixel 3 (without a) or 4.

Before the Pixel 3a and the Pixel OG, I had a LG G3 and the Galaxy S3. Always used custom ROMS. Haven't used a custom ROM for either Pixel. No need.

 

[yurikoles]

Ok, I got it, thanks

 

[alliance1975]

I think pixel popularity will take off when TWRP is able to be installed. I admit I have been spoiled by TWRP and the ease with which ROMs can be flashed and most importantly backups can be made.

 

[SketchyStunts]

I think pixel popularity will take off when TWRP is able to be installed. I admit I have been spoiled by TWRP and the ease with which ROMs can be flashed and most importantly backups can be made.

Ohh, how I miss nandroids!

 

[c_tho]

good thread and yeah i think we're getting to the "post-mortem" point re: ROMs (Skittles9823’ AOSiP notwithstanding). i went from the samsung galaxy s3 -> xperia z3 -> xperia xz1c -> pixel 3a, and each one has been a big step down in terms of ROM availability (i was spoiled with the galaxy s3, in hindsight). i really did think the 3a would be a ROM bonanza but i also agree with the general vibe that stock android is so, so much better than it was 5 years ago that it's harder and harder to find things worth "fixing".

 

[PGHammer]

good thread and yeah i think we're getting to the "post-mortem" point re: ROMs (Skittles9823’ AOSiP notwithstanding). i went from the samsung galaxy s3 -> xperia z3 -> xperia xz1c -> pixel 3a, and each one has been a big step down in terms of ROM availability (i was spoiled with the galaxy s3, in hindsight). i really did think the 3a would be a ROM bonanza but i also agree with the general vibe that stock android is so, so much better than it was 5 years ago that it's harder and harder to find things worth "fixing".

The only AOSP 10 ROM I have run on my Pixel 3a (Havoc 3.1) fixed one thing compared to stock - Voice over WiFi/Voice over LTE - and that is so low-margin that it often goes unaddressed; basically, there's a lot less broke with either stock OR AOSP; result, what is there to "fix"? TWRP itself is needed much less because - even going back as far as Android 8, the OS backs itself up regularly, by default, and without the end user doing anything. (With Samsung Experience (the predecessor to OneUI), I noticed it in the Samsung Members app; it's been retained in OneUI in the same place. It's by default in Android 9 + going forward; it still is in both Android 10 and the 11 Developer Preview - basically, the scutwork is going away. I haven't needed to root at all
with 10; who would have thought that? (In fact, among those of you that still run Magisk on 10, do you REALLY need to root to do what needs (in your opinion) doing? Or are you simply used to having to?

 

[Skittles9823]

I haven't needed to root at all
with 10; who would have thought that? (In fact, among those of you that still run Magisk on 10, do you REALLY need to root to do what needs (in your opinion) doing? Or are you simply used to having to?

Yea. I absolutely need to root to do what I need. QuickSwitch is a must for me, custom kernels which provide wireguard at the kernel level, substratum for uniform dark mode (although stock theming is good now, but for apps that don't have a dark mode yet, substratum is needed), Active Edge customisation is also super convenient.

Thats pretty much the necessary stuff for me, the rest is mainly just custom fonts and liking to have complete control over my device. Also the fact that I'm a module developer so tinkering with this stuff is fun for me :laugh:

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

 

[alliance1975]

The comments suggest everyone has their own set of musts and wants for their devices. Stock Android provides the musts for me as well as some wants. But I will continue to read the forums.

 

[AndDiSa]

I think pixel popularity will take off when TWRP is able to be installed. I admit I have been spoiled by TWRP and the ease with which ROMs can be flashed and most importantly backups can be made.

Ohh, how I miss nandroids!

Not sure if we really need nandroids: you can easily backup and restore apps and their data even without TWRP and generally we have factory images / installation bundles available for our device. So there is not really a need for TWRP ... in addition I doubt that TWRP for Android 10+ will be available soon.

 

[PGHammer]

Yea. I absolutely need to root to do what I need. QuickSwitch is a must for me, custom kernels which provide wireguard at the kernel level, substratum for uniform dark mode (although stock theming is good now, but for apps that don't have a dark mode yet, substratum is needed), Active Edge customisation is also super convenient.

Thats pretty much the necessary stuff for me, the rest is mainly just custom fonts and liking to have complete control over my device. Also the fact that I'm a module developer so tinkering with this stuff is fun for me :laugh:

I ask because how many folks need to go there? If anything, it has become fewer; more Anidroid users, but fewer follks needing to root because the need to root has dropped because the core is more capable than it used to be. You have said it yourself; some of why you root is out of convenience; not typical of most folks, is it?

 

[Skittles9823]

I ask because how many folks need to go there? If anything, it has become fewer; more Anidroid users, but fewer follks needing to root because the need to root has dropped because the core is more capable than it used to be. You have said it yourself; some of why you root is out of convenience; not typical of most folks, is it?

Yea, the need is definitely dwindling. I feel like there will will always be some amount of people doing it though.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

 

[PGHammer]

Yea, the need is definitely dwindling. I feel like there will will always be some amount of people doing it though.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

Stipulated.

Thing is, the A-series Pixel addresses a market that even the Nexus ignored; smartphones that run stock that you don't have to fiddle with. (While the Galaxy Nexus came close, you still had to do some fiddling even with them; the A-series Pixel you just run, pretty much. While there are low-end smartphones - even lower-end than the A-series Pixel - that CLAIM to be as good; they have not proven themselves - not even compared to the Pixel 3a. So we are talking proven software, proven hardware, and at sane pricing. The Converse All-Star (Chuck Taylor) of smartphones. (I'm not THAT old; however, I heard of them - in my case, it was the Nike Air Strike Force as opposed to the pricier Air Jordans. I still have them.)

 

[c_tho]

The Converse All-Star (Chuck Taylor) of smartphones.

relatable, as someone who replaces his broken chucks with a new pair of chucks about every four years

 

[hellodmo]

I came over from the V30, which has an incredibly active community, even nearly 3 years after launch.

The reason I switched to Pixel? I was honestly tired of the time it took to try to turn my V30 into a Pixel. With everything from Pixel Experience (and other AOSP ROMs), to hacks to try to get the Q gestures on Pie, to third party ports of GCam, to people downloading and installing Digital Wellbeing, Google Phone, etc, etc, I finally realized that what I really wanted was a Pixel. So I bought one. And now I have no need to modify it.

I think people pick the 3a line precisely because they don't want to have to hack anything. The users are far more like iPhone users than like Android users. They want nice pictures of kids, and a phone that just works without much effort.

 

[sic0048]

Not sure if we really need nandroids: you can easily backup and restore apps and their data even without TWRP and generally we have factory images / installation bundles available for our device. So there is not really a need for TWRP ... in addition I doubt that TWRP for Android 10+ will be available soon.

Are Nandroids required? No. But the ability to make a full backup of your current ROM so that you can try out a new ROM or develop on a real phone and go right back to square one in the time it takes to flash the backup is certainly beneficial. It makes a huge difference and certainly more people would be willing to experiment on their daily driver phone if it was available. The idea of having to flash factory and then wait for Google to restore all my apps and data makes me cringe.

I for one have decided NOT to try some of the ROMs, etc that are available for this exact reason.

 

[Skittles9823]

Are Nandroids required? No. But the ability to make a full backup of your current ROM so that you can try out a new ROM or develop on a real phone and go right back to square one in the time it takes to flash the backup is certainly beneficial. It makes a huge difference and certainly more people would be willing to experiment on their daily driver phone if it was available. The idea of having to flash factory and then wait for Google to restore all my apps and data makes me cringe.

I for one have decided NOT to try some of the ROMs, etc that are available for this exact reason.

Backing up is easy without twrp. Sure it's no twrp backup, but it's fine.

You can use adb-sync to synchronise the files in internal storage with a folder in your PC and vice-versa. That along with a swift backup of all your apps, app data, etc essentially allows for a complete 100% reliable backup that only takes about 20 mins to backup/restore give or take depending on the speed of the drive it's backing up/restoring to.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

 

[AndDiSa]

@sic0048
I was not referring to Google's restore mechanism, but to have a local copy on an external device which can be restored if needed.
@Skittles9823
There is also my android-backup-project which is still in an early stage but as a POC it's working quite well. I am just analyzing whether there is a chance to prepare e.g. a zip which can be flashed back by standard recovery / fastboot. Probably this is not so easy thinking at generic android devices but for the Pixel ones I expect that it can be more easy.