Resisting the Urge (Premium)

Like an Apple user might, I briefly tried to solve my Pixel 2 XL problems by spending more money. And then I came to my senses.

As you might remember, I’ve had a few problems with the Pixel 2 XL. OK, I’ve returned two of them for issues that were so severe I couldn’t even use the device normally. And both of them were related to the USB port. In the first case, audio stopped working over the port after working intermittently when I received the phone. And in the second, the USB port stopped making a solid connection with headphone dongles and charging cables.

In both cases, Google replaced my phone with a refurbished unit. I’m not particularly happy with that—especially when I was initially told that I couldn’t get a replacement for my second issue because it was a refurbished unit—but the truth is, these phones were indistinguishable from new.

(And what the heck. I routinely buy refurbished hardware from Apple to save money, and those devices, too, are indistinguishable from new.)

Anyway, I assume it’s obvious why I’m a bit nervous about overusing the USB port on my third Pixel 2 XL. But this is my phone, like the phone I actually use every day. And I need to listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Every single day.

I really prefer the Bose QuietComfort 20 noise-canceling headphones that I use. But they come with a standard headphone jack, so I need to use a dongle to connect them to the Pixel. And my theory is that the Bose’s battery, which sits on the headphone cable two inches from the jack, may have actually contributed to my most recent issue.

That is, the battery has a bit of weight to it. And since it hangs off the port, via the dongle, that weight could be pulling on the whole thing. Could have loosened the connection as I’ve walked with the phone in my pocket. Yes, the phone should be made well enough to survive this very normal usage. But that doesn’t change the fact that this is the phone I’m using.

So I decided to throw money at the problem. You know. Like a jackass.

My first thought was that, since I liked the Bose noise-canceling headphones so much, I should see what the company offered in wireless noise-canceling headphones. And sure enough, it has a wireless version of the headphones I like called the Bose QuietControl 30 Wireless Headphones. They’re expensive, at $300, but when I purchased them, they were $50 off. (They’re still on sale for $250 as I write this.)

These headphones work well and even offer some advantages over my wired headphones. For example, you can actually set the degree to which the noise canceling effect can be felt. But it has a neckband, which I assume contains the battery. And I really don’t like things on my neck.

Worse, the travel case for these headphones is really large. One of the things I like about my current headphones is the small and light packaging, which is ideal for travel.

So I started looking further. Perhaps Bose sells smaller non-noise-canceling wireless headphones too. And they do: So I purchased the Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones for $150. Still expensive, for sure, but $100 less than the QuietControl 30. So it was like I was saving money.

They’re really nice, and while there’s no real noise-canceling, you get a passive form of noise-canceling thanks to the in-ear design. And they are much lighter, with just a cable connecting the two halves. The travel case is tiny too, which is great.

But.

These things are still $150. So I started researching wireless phones generally. The Wirecutter, in particular, has some interesting recommendations. But the best units are still in the $100 range.

All to fix a problem with a $1000 phone.

No, not a $1000 phone. A $1000 phone that I’m about to replace. Why on earth would I spend money now to fix a problem that is about to go away? No matter the amount.

Even more obviously, I already have a solution: My OnePlus 6, which I just set up with a new phone number on Consumer Cellular. This phone has a headphone jack. And it works fine with the Bose headphones I already own and love.

Using two phones isn’t much of a solution, certainly not for most people. But it’s something I can put up with for now until I figure out what I want to do next. My original plan, of course, was to get a Pixel 3 XL and hope for the best. But as I use the OnePlus 6 even more, I’m reminded of why I liked it so much in the first place. And Consumer Cellular? It’s excellent, and it’s very inexpensive.

Maybe it’s time for a change of another kind entirely. More to the point, maybe I should stop throwing money at problems.

Note: There are some affiliate links in there. The Bose headphones I’m returning are both pretty excellent.