16 votes

The Pixel 4’s 90Hz display only works at high brightness levels

23 comments

  1. [16]
    Bullmaestro
    Link
    I mean, at least you can go into developer settings and force 90Hz at all times. But it's something really basic for Google to fuck up with, especially when the 90Hz display is a major advertised...

    I mean, at least you can go into developer settings and force 90Hz at all times.

    But it's something really basic for Google to fuck up with, especially when the 90Hz display is a major advertised feature.

    7 votes
    1. [14]
      skybrian
      Link Parent
      Seems like it's kind of a gimmick though? It doesn't make the phone more capable or easier to use.

      Seems like it's kind of a gimmick though? It doesn't make the phone more capable or easier to use.

      3 votes
      1. [13]
        Weldawadyathink
        Link Parent
        Have you ever experienced high refresh rate displays? For a desktop they certainly are not a gimmick. I personally have not used one on a phone, but I have heard nothing but praise from people who...

        Have you ever experienced high refresh rate displays? For a desktop they certainly are not a gimmick. I personally have not used one on a phone, but I have heard nothing but praise from people who have used them.

        12 votes
        1. unknown user
          Link Parent
          Yup. The iPad Pro has a 120Hz display, which Apple calls "Pro Motion", and it's buttery smooth, in a way that you can't describe if you've only experienced 60Hz displays. Standard refresh rate...

          Yup. The iPad Pro has a 120Hz display, which Apple calls "Pro Motion", and it's buttery smooth, in a way that you can't describe if you've only experienced 60Hz displays. Standard refresh rate doesn't look bad after you've gone back to it—it's not like the HiDPI "retina" transition—but it's certainly noticeable when you're using a high-refresh-rate device.

          11 votes
        2. [11]
          skybrian
          Link Parent
          I didn't, but I tend to be unimpressed by minor audiovisual improvements. For example, I do notice that a Retina display is somewhat better, but I decided it there's no reason it matters....

          I didn't, but I tend to be unimpressed by minor audiovisual improvements. For example, I do notice that a Retina display is somewhat better, but I decided it there's no reason it matters. Noticeable doesn't mean important.

          These sort of improvements seem to be symbol of luxury that brands are pushing, rather than something of practical use.

          4 votes
          1. [10]
            TheJorro
            Link Parent
            High refresh rate isn't a minor improvement, it results in a fundamentally different level of smoothness that affects perception in many ways. Faster reresh means a smoother experience means...

            High refresh rate isn't a minor improvement, it results in a fundamentally different level of smoothness that affects perception in many ways. Faster reresh means a smoother experience means better user experience. Higher framerates are more often sought than higher resolutions these days when it comes to gaming monitors, and more than other things like HDR and accurate colours, because it's such a significant difference.

            It's hard to come back from high refresh rates after experiencing it for a while.

            3 votes
            1. [9]
              Akir
              Link Parent
              I disagree. Sure, high refresh rates are great for gaming where reflexes are very important, but for user interfaces, you're just talking about smoother animations, which are typically just a...

              Faster reresh means a smoother experience means better user experience.

              I disagree. Sure, high refresh rates are great for gaming where reflexes are very important, but for user interfaces, you're just talking about smoother animations, which are typically just a waste of time.

              Beyond that, high frame rates are not enough for interfaces involving text. It's much more important to eliminate ghosting artifacts than it is to achieve a high refresh rate, especially on tiny screens where you are constantly scrolling through text.

              1 vote
              1. [8]
                TheJorro
                Link Parent
                Smoother animations are exactly what I'm talking about because animations are all over modern Android and iOS, especially with gesture navigation. People have claimed high refresh rate phones...

                Smoother animations are exactly what I'm talking about because animations are all over modern Android and iOS, especially with gesture navigation. People have claimed high refresh rate phones feeling smoother since Razer first launched their 120Hz screen phone. It may not be a true tangible difference but the feel of it is enough to make people believe in the difference.

                The ghosting thing doesn't seem to be much of an issue with high refresh rate phones so far.

                1. [7]
                  Akir
                  Link Parent
                  Smoother animations do not actually make the user experience more friendly or efficient, though. You should also keep in mind that people who are impressed by the smoothness of the Razer phone are...

                  Smoother animations do not actually make the user experience more friendly or efficient, though. You should also keep in mind that people who are impressed by the smoothness of the Razer phone are going to be the people who would buy the Razer phone, i.e. gamers who are already obcessed with high refresh rates because it affects their performance in games.

                  1. [5]
                    Weldawadyathink
                    Link Parent
                    I'm not really sure what you are trying to argue. I would agree that high refresh rate is not a revolutionary change to user experience, but it does have an effect. Simply changing the visual...

                    I'm not really sure what you are trying to argue. I would agree that high refresh rate is not a revolutionary change to user experience, but it does have an effect. Simply changing the visual style of a user interface, while not moving or changing anything else about the interface, can have a noticeable effect on the user experience. Animations also have an effect on the user experience. If you don't believe me (and have an android phone), go into developer options and disable animations. The user experience is worse (although some people prefer this). Making animations smoother can have a noticeable effect for the user experience in the same way.

                    2 votes
                    1. [4]
                      Akir
                      Link Parent
                      That's basically it. @TheJorro was selling it as a big innovation, but it really doesn't do anything useful for the user. I'm not coming across as combative, am I? At your suggestion I actually...

                      I would agree that high refresh rate is not a revolutionary change to user experience

                      That's basically it. @TheJorro was selling it as a big innovation, but it really doesn't do anything useful for the user.

                      I'm not coming across as combative, am I?


                      At your suggestion I actually did turn off animations and it actually did dramatically improve my experience. Most things are much more snappy than before and it feels like things load faster. The only problem is that it's very inconsistent across apps. It disables loading animations in some apps (the only kind of animation I think is actually beneficial), and it doesn't work for every kind of animation. Tapping on the tabs (screens?) icon on firefox, for instance, still has the windowshade animation. Apps that swipe left and right to different scenes will still use transitions even if you tap a button to change views. If it were consistant, it would be a vast improvement to my experience.

                      1. [3]
                        TheJorro
                        (edited )
                        Link Parent
                        No I wasn't. I specifically said it wasn't merely a minor improvement. There's still a wide gulf between "not a minor improvement" and "big innovation". After all, it's still a nice-to-have...

                        That's basically it. @TheJorro was selling it as a big innovation, but it really doesn't do anything useful for the user.

                        No I wasn't. I specifically said it wasn't merely a minor improvement. There's still a wide gulf between "not a minor improvement" and "big innovation". After all, it's still a nice-to-have feature, not a necessity, even in gaming monitors.

                        The intensity of the purpose of your argument is so confusing and comes across as combatitive because you're responding much more strongly than is warranted. It reads like you don't want HFR to exist on phones at all for some reason.

                        1. [2]
                          Akir
                          Link Parent
                          That is not at all what I meant to do. I have nothing against HFR. To be clear, is it my perceived lack of clarity the reason why I appeared to be combative to you?

                          That is not at all what I meant to do. I have nothing against HFR.

                          To be clear, is it my perceived lack of clarity the reason why I appeared to be combative to you?

                          1. TheJorro
                            Link Parent
                            I mean, it wasn't truly combative but I think arguing towards a point that wasn't actually made puts it in that direction. I think we were confused about what each other were getting at.

                            I mean, it wasn't truly combative but I think arguing towards a point that wasn't actually made puts it in that direction. I think we were confused about what each other were getting at.

                  2. TheJorro
                    Link Parent
                    I don't think that's a fair assumption. There's no indication or statistics to show that the vast majority of Razer phone usage time is for gaming exclusively. Plenty of media outlets and...

                    I don't think that's a fair assumption. There's no indication or statistics to show that the vast majority of Razer phone usage time is for gaming exclusively. Plenty of media outlets and reviewers who don't focus on games (e.g. LTT, MBT) have noted when reviewing other phones that they do wind up missing that smoothness from the high refresh rate screens in general use, not for gaming specific purposes. If nothing else, this should very clearly indicate that the high refresh rate had quite a significant effect on simply using the phone, not just playing games.

                    Again, this isn't about how HFR displays make the UX friendlier or more efficient, it's about making it feel better for the user. That is also a major part of the user experience and I don't see why that should be dismissed.

                    2 votes
    2. Jedi
      Link Parent
      People were speculating it may be due to hardware issues, but it seems to work fine for me after forcing 90Hz.

      People were speculating it may be due to hardware issues, but it seems to work fine for me after forcing 90Hz.

  2. [7]
    ThyMrMan
    Link
    I mean this has to be some sort of bug right? Cause if not it seems such an odd choice, it shouldn't matter what your brightness is for 90hz.

    I mean this has to be some sort of bug right? Cause if not it seems such an odd choice, it shouldn't matter what your brightness is for 90hz.

    2 votes
    1. [5]
      nothis
      Link Parent
      Sounds like it's a battery saving thing that's somehow tied to screen brightness rather than a more specific (and sensible) setting.

      Sounds like it's a battery saving thing that's somehow tied to screen brightness rather than a more specific (and sensible) setting.

      7 votes
      1. [4]
        unknown user
        Link Parent
        If only there was a way to make the phone a couple of millimetres fatter but also fit an actual battery in it… Alas, the technology doesn't exist yet! Maybe our grandchildren will experience...

        If only there was a way to make the phone a couple of millimetres fatter but also fit an actual battery in it… Alas, the technology doesn't exist yet! Maybe our grandchildren will experience phones that last more than a couple of days. /s

        7 votes
        1. timo
          Link Parent
          It seems phone companies always try to go for extra features AND thinner phones. It never seems to work out very well in daily use. But, it probably sells more. It seems a bigger problem on for...

          It seems phone companies always try to go for extra features AND thinner phones. It never seems to work out very well in daily use. But, it probably sells more. It seems a bigger problem on for high-end phones though.

          Here I am with a low/mid-range phone packing a 4000mAh battery :D That's (a lot) more than most flagships.

          5 votes
        2. [2]
          scrambo
          Link Parent
          There are some companies out there getting it right though, if battery life is that important to you! LG G8 (and V50 Thinq) both have 4000 mAh batteries Asus Zenfone 6 (which I have) has a 5000...

          There are some companies out there getting it right though, if battery life is that important to you!

          • LG G8 (and V50 Thinq) both have 4000 mAh batteries
          • Asus Zenfone 6 (which I have) has a 5000 mAh battery (I can easily go two full days with my usage, I've not been able to deplete it in one day yet)
          • Asus ROG 2 Phone has a 6000 mAh battery (and great specs to boot!)

          Then you have a wide variety of mid-price phones from ZTE, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo which have a decent battery life as well.

          Another interesting fact about the 4 phones in the list above is that they also all still have the headphone jack ;) If that's an important feature to you at all.

          2 votes
          1. deknalis
            Link Parent
            Google's own Pixel 3A has terrific battery life in my use. I can get 6-8 hours of screen on time per charge, get through 2-3 days if I'm not intensive. And it also has a headphone jack. The 3A...

            Google's own Pixel 3A has terrific battery life in my use. I can get 6-8 hours of screen on time per charge, get through 2-3 days if I'm not intensive. And it also has a headphone jack.
            The 3A seems to be the only Pixel worth buying at the moment.