DISCLAIMER: I’m not ridiculing anyone who likes these devices. They just weren’t for me.

During the first weekend of December, I decided to try the Google Pixel 2 along with a few accessories (live phone case, car charger, screen protector, and a Google Home mini device) since I was eligible for an upgrade.

A week later, I returned everything to my phone carrier and returned to my Samsung s5.

I hear you doubling over with laughter. “You still have an s5? But that’s so…so OLD!”

Yeah, but it still works!

What I DID like about the Google Pixel 2:

• Call quality was crisp and clear
• Bright screen
• Sharp, clear photos (I only took one so maybe this shouldn’t count)
• More storage for pics via Google drive
• When you use the Live phone case and app, the background display changes to a different picture daily

Here’s what irked me about the Pixel:

• Charging cable was too short
• Icons on the phone and in the notifications didn’t seem bright enough for me. On my s5, they are larger and brighter.
• I didn’t like using Google Assistant. When I use my Bluetooth headset with my s5, I just say “Call Terry.” With the Pixel, you have to say “Ok Google, call Terry.” If I want to open the memo pad on the s5, I just say “Memo pad” and Samsung Voice assistant says, “Start speaking what you to write”; with the Pixel, you have to say “Ok, Google, open Keep,” which is Google’s note taking app. Once it was opened, I couldn’t figure out how to “speak” into it. Now I did use Google Assistant to create a shopping list but I have no idea where it ended up on the Pixel. This may not be a problem for most people but I prefer to have something easier to use, especially while I’m driving.

So what about Google Home?

• I used it to schedule a doctor’s appointment, asked it to play Pandora, and asked it to check the weather. I thought it would grow on me until I thought:

You know, I could do these things myself.

I prefer to pick up my phone and actually schedule the appointment myself or look up info online. Google Home may be good for parents who have their hands full, people with mobility issues, etc.  But it just wasn’t for me.

• I also didn’t like that it always had to be connected to the internet in order for it to work. If I only wanted to play music from my phone (and not from Pandora), why couldn’t I?

Remember that saying, “If ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” That’s how I feel about my old phone—I can still text, make calls, surf the web, use other apps, and it’s paid off (I don’t want another phone note!). Technology has its advantages and is convenient, but sometimes I wonder if it makes things too easy (future blog post?).

What about you? Do you have an “outdated” phone or other device that you still enjoy using?