Do Google phones have a music player?
Google phones have been around since 2008 with the launch of the HTC-made T-Mobile G1 phone, which was the first phone to run Android software.1 Since then, Google has released various Nexus and Pixel phones that showcase the latest features of the Android operating system. Google phones are known for their quality cameras, fast processors, timely software updates, and smart AI features. The latest Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro continue this tradition with Google’s custom Tensor chipset, upgraded cameras, and Android 13 software.
Overall, Google phones aim to provide a top-of-the-line software and hardware experience directly from the company that develops the Android OS. This allows Google to deeply integrate their AI services like Google Assistant and computational photography into the phone experience. For years, Google’s phones have been considered some of the best camera phones on the market.
1 https://www.androidauthority.com/google-phones-nexus-pixel-history-3260339/
Google’s Flagship Phones
Google has two main lines of flagship phones: the Pixel and Nexus series. The Pixel line launched in 2016 as the successor to the Nexus. Some key Google-branded flagship phones include:
Nexus 5 (LG Nexus 5 – Full phone specifications): Released in 2013, the Nexus 5 featured a 4.95″ 1080p display, Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 2300 mAh battery, and 8MP camera.
Nexus 6 (Nexus tech specs): The Nexus 6 launched in 2014 with a 5.96″ 1440p display, Snapdragon 805 chip, 3GB RAM, 3220 mAh battery, and 13MP camera.
Pixel (Google Nexus 5 specs): Google’s first Pixel phone debuted in 2016. It had a 5″ 1080p screen, Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB RAM, 2770 mAh battery, and 12.3MP camera.
Pixel 2: Released in 2017 with a 5″ 1080p OLED display, Snapdragon 835 chip, 4GB RAM, 2700 mAh battery, and 12.2MP camera. Improved camera quality over the original Pixel.
The Pixel and Nexus lines established Google as a major player in the smartphone market alongside Apple and Samsung. They demonstrate Google’s hardware capabilities and integration with their Android operating system.
Native Music Apps
Google’s flagship Android phones like the Pixel and Nexus devices come with pre-installed native music apps. The main music app was Google Play Music, which allowed users to upload up to 50,000 songs to the cloud and stream them across devices (1). Play Music also offered radio stations, podcasts, and served as a music locker for purchases from the Google Play store.
In 2020, Google announced it would shut down Play Music and transition users to YouTube Music, its new dedicated music streaming service (2). YouTube Music aims to bring together official songs, albums, playlists, and music videos from YouTube’s massive catalog of content. The app makes it easy to transfer existing Google Play Music libraries, playlists, purchases, and preferences to YouTube Music (3).
Overall, Google’s flagship phones continue to offer robust native music apps and seamless migration between services like Play Music and YouTube Music. The focus remains on cloud-based libraries and streaming, high-quality audio, and integration with YouTube’s vast collection of music content.
Third Party Music Apps
Google phones have access to all the major third party music apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, and more. These apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store on any Android device.
Spotify in particular is fully optimized for Android. You can download songs, playlists, and podcasts for offline listening. Spotify also supports Android Auto so you can easily control music playback in your car if it is compatible. Additionally, you can use Spotify Connect to stream music directly from your phone to compatible speakers.
Other popular options like Apple Music and Amazon Music also offer robust Android apps with support for downloading music for offline playback. Overall, Google phones provide access to a wide selection of streaming music apps and services.
Music File Support
Google’s flagship Pixel phones support playing a wide variety of common audio file formats like MP3, FLAC, WAV, OGG, M4A, AAC, and MIDI (Source). This allows you to easily transfer music files from a computer and play them directly on your Pixel without needing to convert them to a different format. The native music player apps as well as third party apps like Google Play Music have no problem opening and playing these standard audio formats.
Expandable Storage
Google’s flagship phones like the Pixel series support the use of microSD cards to expand storage for media files like music [1]. Android has robust SD card support and allows apps like music players to save media files directly to external storage. Pixels launched in 2019 and later do not have a microSD card slot built-in, but can use adapters to connect external SD cards over USB-C [2]. Older flagship models like the Nexus series included microSD slots to allow up to 128 or 256GB of additional storage.
Using a microSD card is an easy way to add a significant amount of extra space for large music libraries. SD cards work seamlessly with Android’s music apps to expand available storage. Some earlier versions of Android limited what apps could write to external SD storage, but modern versions now allow full read/write access [3]. So SD cards enable Google phone owners to store much more music locally on their device.
Audio Jack
Google’s flagship phones, like the Pixel and Nexus lines, have traditionally included a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for connecting wired headphones and other auxiliary devices. The audio jack allows you to plug in your existing wired headphones or speakers without any adapters. It also enables the use of microphones and other recording equipment like this universal mic adapter that works with the audio jack on smartphones.
However, starting with models like the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3, Google has begun removing the headphone jack on some phones in favor of USB-C audio and wireless Bluetooth headphones. But other Pixel models such as the Pixel 3a and Pixel 4a still include the standard audio jack for wired connectivity. So it depends on the specific Google phone model. In general, Google’s lower-cost Pixel models aimed at budget markets are more likely to retain the audio jack.
Bluetooth Connectivity
Google’s flagship phones like the Pixel and Nexus series have excellent Bluetooth connectivity for wireless streaming to speakers, headphones, and cars. Bluetooth version 5.0 or higher is standard on most modern Android phones, allowing high quality audio streaming with AptX HD and LDAC codecs.
You can pair Bluetooth headphones like Airpods or wireless speakers to listen to music and make calls hands-free. The latest Pixel phones also support advanced Bluetooth LE Audio features like Auracast broadcasting to multiple headphones. Some even have dual Bluetooth connectivity to connect two wireless audio devices at once.
In-car infotainment systems are increasingly offering Bluetooth support, so you can stream music, podcasts, and audiobooks directly from an Android phone. This allows you to safely access entertainment hands-free while driving.
Android’s Fast Pair feature makes connecting new Bluetooth accessories quick and seamless. Once paired, devices automatically reconnect each time they are in proximity. With robust Bluetooth support, Google phones provide excellent wireless connectivity options.
Quality and Volume
Google’s flagship Pixel phones are known for their excellent sound quality for an Android device. According to one Head-Fi forum user, the Pixel 4 XL has better sound quality than many laptops when used with high-quality headphones, producing clear audio with tight bass and crisp highs.
The built-in speakers on Pixel phones also provide loud, high-quality sound considering their small size. One Amazon customer reported the speakers on their Pixel 5 as being surprisingly loud and clear for conference calls and YouTube videos.
The native Music app and Spotify on Pixel phones offer equalizer settings to customize the sound to your liking. Users report being able to make audio sound very bass-heavy or more balanced. The maximum volume is loud enough for personal listening while still maintaining audio quality.
Conclusion
In summary, Google’s flagship Android phones like the Pixel and Nexus lines do have music playing capabilities. They come with pre-installed music apps like Google Play Music and YouTube Music that allow you to stream songs and download them for offline listening. Even without expandable storage, the base storage is enough for most people’s music libraries. You can also install third party music apps from the Play Store if you prefer something else. Audio quality is decent through the built-in speakers or headphones, especially with recent models supporting Hi-Res audio. So if you want a phone that can double as a portable music player, Google’s offerings will serve that purpose well. While they may lack some specialty features found in dedicated audio players, their music functionality will satisfy most users.