Ask Paul: June 11 (Premium)

Woah! Here’s a great collection of excellent questions from readers, so settle in and let’s get the weekend started a bit early.
Google Pixel rumors
crunchyfrog asks:

The big leak this week is that Google is planning on releasing a new Pixel phone that is of the folding ilk. I'm finding this one a bit hard to swallow. While Google makes a decent phone overall, Pixel phones are far from a technical marvels and even if they borrow the screen and other elements from Samsung to build this clamshell beast, there is still the glaring problem of a steep lack of consumer demand and the associated high price tag that comes with such a device. With Pixel sales being somewhat flat or even rather flaccid, what are the odds that this is even remotely possible much yet plausible?

Well, Google is definitely working on a foldable smartphone. Whether one appears this fall is, of course, uncertain.

And, for sure, there is a combination of factors to consider here, including the high price and low sales issues you mention, but also the reliability issues for which Pixels are notorious. I really like my Pixel 4a 5G, but I had to replace its display less than one month after I started using it.

On that note, and I don’t think I’ve written about this yet, I’m still interested in the Pixel 6 rumors for now, mostly because it seems like Google has finally gotten the mix right with components and camera lenses, and will finally offer a high-end handset with the right three lenses (wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto). This, despite the fact that my history with Pixel should give me pause. I guess I’m just used to abusive relationships given my 25+ year history with Microsoft. Or maybe it’s just normal for one to hope that this time, finally, it will be OK.

Hope springs eternal, I guess.
My Sonos story
louiem3 asks:

Hi Paul curious how your experience with the Sonos Roam is going since your last article? I've picked up 2 and find myself using them around the house as well as for travel/beach. I'm about to pick up a 3rd one for my 10 year old.

We really like the Roam, but we haven’t had much reason to use it yet (beyond just testing it). What I’ve discovered is that it’s great for its size, but can’t measure up to a Sonos One or Symfonisk, which should be obvious, I know. I tried it in the car during a road trip, but the in-car stereo, which I don’t think of as particularly great, was much better.

But it’s kind of shined in the bathroom. I know that sounds odd, but I listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and music while I shave and shower, and the ability to move the thing around is nice, and it sounds better than a Sonos One when I can bring it into the shower. Which I can because it’s waterproof. And maybe even that sounds like an odd thing to do, but I can play audio at a lower volume level if the speaker is close, so my wife doesn’t have to deal with it from her office or whatever.

Had this thing existed before ...