I turned my old Pixel into a TV box and security camera — and only one was worth it

The author stripped the 2018 Pixel 3 XL—equipped with a Snapdragon 845, 6 GB of RAM, and a 5,800 mAh battery—and connected it to a 4K TV via a USB‑C‑to‑HDMI adapter and a dedicated charger. By installing Android TV‑compatible launchers and apps such as Plex and YouTube, the phone delivered smooth 1080p playback and responsive navigation, essentially replicating a $30‑$40 budget streaming stick. For the security‑camera experiment, the same device ran a free IP‑camera app that streamed a 720p feed to the author’s smartphone. The phone’s aging processor, limited thermal headroom, and lack of a native power‑over‑Ethernet solution caused frequent overheating and rapid battery drain, forcing the author to keep it plugged in continuously and still experience dropped frames.

This DIY approach mirrors a broader trend of extending the useful life of flagship smartphones that are otherwise retired after software support ends. As Android 13 phases out updates for Pixel 3 XL, owners are looking for post‑support value, and the cheap hardware cost—often under $20 on secondary markets—makes the device an attractive candidate for niche projects. Meanwhile, the market for dedicated streaming dongles and low‑cost security cameras continues to expand, pressuring hobbyists to weigh the effort of repurposing against buying purpose‑built devices that offer better integration, OTA updates, and energy efficiency.

The experiment underscores two practical takeaways for the maker community. First, the Pixel 3 XL’s display‑output capability and mature Android ecosystem make it a viable, low‑cost alternative to commercial streaming sticks, especially for users who already own the handset. Second, the phone’s hardware constraints and lack of native power‑delivery options render it a shaky foundation for continuous‑run surveillance, where dedicated cameras provide superior reliability and lower power consumption. Future iterations of Android’s “Project Mainline” modular updates could mitigate software‑support concerns, but until then, the value proposition remains uneven.