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Ok, let's say there is something to this New Note 7 problem.
What phone would you get?
Has to be Android...
HTC 10?
Maybe LG V20?
Pixel?
S7 egde?
I know.... Questions, questions, questions!!!
Has to be a flagship phone and have an S-pen type feature, so none of the current offerings. Have already reactivated my Nexus 6P and will wait a while to see what shakes out.
Wait for S8E... But it will be a pain because I still own a S4
If there is another recall. I hope they just replace it with s7e
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I'll just stick with my Note4 and wait for the Note8, might go the route and flash a Note7 ROM
Since there's no other phone that I absolutely like right now, I will probably just revert back to my Note 4 and be contract free for some time, hoping something better comes along. I had the S7 Edge for a few weeks, and I found it was unresponsive and lagging at times, so there's really no alternative for me.
No idea. In my case in the US I switched carriers so my old device has already been sold and I would have to get something else immediately or terminate my contract with them. I would say Pixel XL if it was sold though AT&T.
i wish they sold the moto z force in the netherlands, no brainer!
perfect specs, almost stock android, shattershield glass (better than gorilla glass 5) waterproof etc etc.
https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-z-force-droid-edition
I'm giving my note 4 to my daughter.. So I need a new phone.
I'm choosing between
1. Google pixel
2. LG v20
3. Sony xz
Hopefully such thing is not happening as Note 7 satisfies almost all my criteria for a good phone... If it does and since none of the current offerings by other OEM able to fulfill what I want, I will just have to go back to my Note 1 (chose it because it has the biggest screen at that time + a stylus)...
koppee1 said:
I'm giving my note 4 to my daughter.. So I need a new phone.
I'm choosing between
1. Google pixel
2. LG v20
3. Sony xz
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Give your daughter a new phone and keep the N4, it has no competition out there.
But at the original starter: there is no other high-end phone out there with a stylus, bar the Note series. If you want a stylus, you'll need to get a Note 4 or 5. The Note 4 is only available second hand and the Note 5 only via grey import. I've made a shortlist myself:
Note 4: only secondhand, SW support has been stopped after MM.
Note 5: no SD, 128 GB version expensive. No European version.
LG V20: not available until at least early 2017, no hardware buttons on the front, no OLED.
Google Pixel XL: way to expensive, no hardware buttons, the big chin is ridiculous
Nexus 6P: again no HW buttons. not a fan of the design (back look likes the white droid from Wall-E)
Axon7: new brand to me. What about support? Their market launch was scrappy.
Moto Z Force Droid: only available on 1 US carrier.
Huawei Mate 9: should be introduced shortly. Big screen, but no HW buttons. Presumably a LCD screen.
S7E: bloody edges... go away! I strongly dislike the glass allround design. It is slippery as hell and gives me back the nightmares I had with my S4 which handled like a wet bar of soap as well.
1+3: delivery times galore. But seems like the best bet for now, especially for the price.
iPhone 7+: Yes, I said it. I would almost consider an iPhone. Especially with the ridiculous price fro the Pixel XL with 128 GB. It should net a good resale price for the S8 Stylus to arrive.
If you want a flagship phone with a 6" flat screen, the choices are dire to non-excistent.
I feel yea, if I have to turn in the Note 7 (which is looking increasingly likely), there isn't really another phone that covers it all.
S7 Edge gives the curved edge, water resistance, camera, SD card, and next-in-class screen.
Note 5 gives me the Stylus.
Mean I'm probably looking at the S7 Edge. *sigh* I just don't like the look of it as much as the Note 7. it's TOO rounded, not just the glass, but the body as well.
Edit...The more I think about it, the more I lean towards the note 5. Camera isn't as good, but the screen is still solid, and I'm really liking the stylus now. SD card...well, most of my music is in the cloud, photos auto back up to the cloud, so end of day, I'm really just losing on water resistance and the AOD, and curved edge. (which I like, because...bezel less on the sides now!)
Guess I'm leaning toward the pixel XL.
I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.
I just talked to Best Buy mobile 10 minutes ago. They told me I need to bring my replacement Note7 in immediately. "a Second recall is coming very soon" I can exchange it for any phone however since I was leasing the Note7 I only have leasing options for a Samsung S7E, LG or Iphone. Any other phone would need to be purchased outright. I asked about the Pixel XL and they told me that I would have to purchase the unlocked $829 phone outright from Google to bring to Sprint. so this Note7 issues goes from bad to worse for users.
notefreak said:
I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.
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You may not have a choice unless you want to use a Gimped phone.
If they do a 2nd recall and cripple the Battery.
notefreak said:
I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.
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Ohhh and Samsung has screwed the Pooch but good here.
I've had every Note and this is problem for me...
There is always a choice. Previous phone, no phone at all, 80% phone...
Same boat here. My note 3 was awesome, still works and runs like new ( on MM currently). Still plenty fast. The only dilemma is I gave it to my son already.
I've been using this s7 edge for a few weeks now waiting on the new batch of note 7's. It's very close performance and spec wise. I just refuse to pay full price for this phone though since it's NOT what I wanted. They had me return / refund my note 7 and buy this in its place. They then said I could return it regardless of how long it took to get a new note 7.... but I think that was just the manager of the store looking out for me. What if I keep this and he gets transferred during the wait, as it looks like this will take a while.
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I just wanted to see who would be switching from android to ios due to the recent discontinued Note 7 lineup. I personally have ordered a iphone 7 plus to see how it will work out. Leave your comments below to share your feelings.
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Nop, I like my coffee like I like my phone. Under my control. Don't get me wrong if some one offers me iPhone ill gladly accept but if I have to buy a phone then I like to have as much control over it as possible even tho i dont need that much control but its not to have control.
I'm not giving up on android but after the note 7 fiasco, I'm breaking my loyalty with Sammy. I purchased an op3 and i'm just waiting for it to arrive.
Leaving samsung, and not just because of the note 7, but because of the note 4. Like xateeq, I like control over devices. I'm just gonna wait till a phone I'm interested in gets full perm root and devs within a reasonable amount of time before I buy it regardless of manufacturer (with exceptions of apple and samsung products which I'll never get again)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA-Developers mobile app
I ran an iPhone last week for a week (6s+), just to see how I'd like it: meh. Even with Android being locked down like our Note 4, it natively does more than iOS. And I'm not charged a fortune for every single app. I ran Spiderman 2, Real Racing 3, and Dead Trigger 2 for a week on both. If you set the graphics to high on Android, looked just as nice. After initial loading, load times were identical enough to be inconsequential. And iPhone has no S Pen. I'm also testing out an s7 Edge, which has no S Pen but has Samsung Pay which I've used A LOT. Still, death of Note 7 removes my next choice. So now, I'm stuck debating whether the Note 5 would suffice, or Axon 7, or v20.
If only another manufacturer offered S-Pen functionality and accuracy..
Note 5 isn't much of an upgrade as compared to our Note 4, and the Note 7 has been discontinued..also I've heard Android N for Sammy is more locked down than M, so I'm not sure if the Note 8 (or whatever the next Gen Note is) can ever be rooted..
See me personally, I don't mind not being able to control my device but I have been pretty loyal to samsung all the way back since the s3 and I just find that my battery life and other things are really bad. I wanted to switch just to see how things would be.
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My first smartphone was an iPhone 3G then I had an iPhone 4. After that I switched to Android. I have enjoyed my Android phones way more. I had a S3 then got the Note 4. I am not unhappy with my Note 4, just wish I could root. Rest of device I have no complaints. My next phone was going to be a Note 7, but now I will just wait till next year. Nothing currently peaks my interest enough to spend $800 or more on a cell phone. I have some interest in the Pixel XL and Galaxy S7 Edge, but not enough to get one. My brother and dad have iPhone's. They work for them, but even with all the changes since iPhone 4, it is not enough for me to come back. I like having control of my device. Also, I would never get an iPhone 7 or any future iOS Devices since no headphone jack.
If anyone wants when I get my iphone to let them know how it's working for me let me know.
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After reading that news and still two years on waiting for the Note4 to be unlocked(which will never happen), I am going to leave Samsung and switch to Sony. The idevices can kiss my ass, never going to back IOS
boofman said:
I'm not sure if the Note 8 (or whatever the next Gen Note is) can ever be rooted..
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If Samsung sells it en masse on contract to the US government, it'll never be rooted. Hopefilly after the Note 7 fiasco (especially with Samsung trying to rush it out ahead of iPhone 7 without fully testing), the government will avoid Note 8, hence increased likelihood of root.
By kid & my wife both wanted iPhones, but I can't bring myself to using it... doesn't do as much as Android IMO. I'll keep running my Note 4 and wait for Samsung to live down this boo-boo and come up with Note 8 that won't blow up.
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I had a hard time trying to decide on what to move on with. Wanted note 7 originally but that's not happening. Wife has iPhone 6 but I'm not big iPhone fan. Love Android. Ended up with a nexus 6p. Half the cost and I can do what ever I want to it. Running 7.1.1 developer preview and it's great. This should do me fine till next year when new devices start coming out.
I had an iphone. Hated it. I do not work the way they want me to work. Let me design my own workflow. Apple ID losing money for the first time in 15 years. Other companies are innovating faster.
I've used lots of phones. LG had severe quality issues, and make sure you never have to get a replacement phone. I swore they just put broken phones back into boxes and mailed them to people as replacements. I got phones that were caked in mud. No kidding. Each replacement 3 or 4 of them was worse than the previous one.
HTC was good. As was Motorola.
But I just love my note 4. No reason to upgrade yet. It's been the perfect phone. I have Samsung TVs, tablets, etc. I like that everything works together. Samsung is innovating very well these days and is nipping on Apple's heals. I'll get the note 8 when it comes out.
As much as I want to switch from note line, I can't let go of the stylus functions. I love I can cut and past pictures and screen shot etc. Can't do that with any phone.
I'll be sticking with my Note 4..as a matter of fact, I'm planning on getting a used non-ATT Note 4 if I can get one for cheap, as I'm not that too impressed with the Note 5 and Note 7 has been pulled off, and I can't let go of the S-Pen Functionality.
I'm also looking at getting a Tab A with S-Pen as a work device, instead of getting a new Note phone if another one comes out..
My phone started behaving bad (random reboots, lags) despite factory reseting and downgrading firmware. I had to buy a new phone. I ended up buying a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge International (SM-G935F). I flashed the Australian (XSA) firmaware on it, and I am very pleased. The phone works wonderfully without any hiccups. It's fully supported through monthly firmware updates, and it has many additional features such as Samsung Pay. I don't even see a reason to root the phone yet. Everything is great, however I do miss the IR blaster and the S-Pen. I'm also scared to drop the phone (glass everywhere, very slippery) even with the Spigen Neo Hybrid case on it.
I am looking at selling or trading in my Samsung S7 Edge in order to get something with a larger screen. I have had the Samsung almost 2 years now, no problems with it, I just prefer something larger and more sturdy feeling (previously had a Note 3). I have been looking at moving to Project Fi and therefore getting a Pixel 2XL, however the number of issues the phones have is pretty concerning.
Both the S7 Edge and Note 3 gave me no problems at all, so seeing a list of a dozen different problems that can affect the 2XL is concerning. If you were to be buying another phone tomorrow, would you get a 2XL again? or knowing how unreliable they can be get something else? I realize not every phone is going to be affected, but it seems like a lot of issues.
I also came from an S7 Edge, which is a great phone. The Pixel 2 XL is just better. If you can afford it, get it. It is just a joy to play with. I personally have no problems with the display. There is a hint of blue when looking at the screen from an angle, but that is just no reason to not buy this phone imho. I find the display to be great. Love it. Stability and responsiveness are top notch. You don't have to worry about tripping knox when unlocking and flashing, and the stereo front speakers are just amazing. Wireless charging would have been nice though.
Yes I would, just because I love stock Android and I haven't experienced any issues with my device. Even if you do have issues, I think Google extended the standard one year warranty to two years so you should be safe in that regard.
Most definitely! Unless there was a reincarnation of the Nexus!!
Without a doubt. I bought the 2XL and returned it a couple days later only to buy it again.
I was coming from the s8+ which is a great phone but side by side to a pixel 2 xl, its laggy and the interface is rough.
Pixel 2 XL is smooth... very smooth.
naiku said:
I am looking at selling or trading in my Samsung S7 Edge in order to get something with a larger screen. I have had the Samsung almost 2 years now, no problems with it, I just prefer something larger and more sturdy feeling (previously had a Note 3). I have been looking at moving to Project Fi and therefore getting a Pixel 2XL, however the number of issues the phones have is pretty concerning.
Both the S7 Edge and Note 3 gave me no problems at all, so seeing a list of a dozen different problems that can affect the 2XL is concerning. If you were to be buying another phone tomorrow, would you get a 2XL again? or knowing how unreliable they can be get something else? I realize not every phone is going to be affected, but it seems like a lot of issues.
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Yes. Battery life and updates much better than mate 9. Love the screen ratio. Wasn't sure I would.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
I love this phone but my wife is not any more impressed with it than her S8+. She upgraded from her S7 edge about the same time I went from a nexus 6P to the 2xl. She can't really see anything this has that she doesn't have on hers. The battery lasts all day for either of us and the SOC is actually pretty much neck and neck every day we compare. To be honest, it's really about whether you dig stock Android and the ability to root and modify stuff. Myself, I left Samsung after the S5 as that was the last one to be really be in the game. I'll never go back. Went to a N6 then 6p and now this. I could not be happier with the phone and am happy to see the scene heating up!
Had Samsung for years prior to the Pixel 2 XL. Can never go back now. Stock android is a joy to use, and this camera is phenomenal. Plus ability to root and customize, it's a no brainer
I've owned every single Samsung phone since the Galaxy Vibrant. I would have considered myself to be a Fanboy. I have my S8+ still. Have not touched it since I have gotten this device. This is my first stock Android device, and I have to say it's pretty damn amazing out of the box. I caught myself just scrolling through the menus to watch the smooth transitions, the lack of lag and stutter is really surprising. I can totally tell what people are talking about when they talk about TouchWiz or the Samsung experience. The screen. I ordered this phone and cancelled my preorder at least 5 times. I hadb the device in hand and was watching all the horror stories everybody is talking about. I found myself looking for every single flaw everybody was experiencing instead of enjoying this device. I ended up returning it with buyers remorse. I had the 64gb version and I forgot the protection package. I kept up on the stories but I found myself really regretting returning it. I bought my black 128gb model and told myself to stay away from the forums and just use the device and see how I feel about it without all the negative buzz. Just using it in daily driver tasks. I not only going myself to really enjoying the display. It's not as Vibrant or over saturated. But I've actually found myself keeping it on the stock settings. Iv also can't believe I forgot up mention battery life... This thing goes on forever. The battery life is so much better than my S8+. I can't imagine how much better that it would be to your S7 Edge. The way I look at it. Samsung is like a Ferrari of cell phones with a bad tune. Amazing car looks great, feels great, but if can't go a whole day without refilling the tank then what's the deal? The 2XL may not look like a cutting edge device, but the tune and the milage sure take it places. I not only would buy this phone again for myself. But I'm looking into getting one for my girlfriend as well. She is hating her S8+. Hopefully this gives you some perspective. I say go for it. You got nothing to lose except a super Vibrant over saturated display.
I will tell you I am on my 6th or 7th pixel for various issues I have lost count and I still want it! Battery is great, camera is unreal, software is fine everything is fine but little blue tint to screen that you wont notice after a few days/week. I just had to get my last replacement XL in and I get bored with the note 8 the pixel is just special and I havent rooted one yet
Yes
Absolutely! Best out there. Is it perfect? No but it comes close. Excellent battery life, camera, quick and smooth. I got the 128gb and for the 1st time I don't miss the lack of sdcard slot.
Would prefer headphone jack, louder ring and notification volume but as I said, I will settle for not quite perfect.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
In all honesty the phone does have its issues that are on on the hardware end. More so the screen having blue tint. If this doesn't bother you then this device would be amazing for you. If you want the fastest updates you don't have much of a choice but to go with google. However new phones will be out in a months time so you might be better off waiting
I came from S8+ which I considered a great device. But I have to quote someone before me: "Samsung is Ferrari among phones, but with a very bad tune."
Can't agree more! So I ditched S8+ with zero regret.
Absolutely! :victory:
Coming from the 6p, the P2XL was a logical upgrade for me, especially since I enjoy rooting and modding my device. My wife has an S8+ While I will agree it has a beautiful screen and superb build quality, I absolutely can't stand TW and some of the lag I've seen on it. It's great for my Mrs, but not my cup of tea. I have zero regrets about the P2XL. It's fast, fluid, easy to theme with root and substratum, and a piece of cake to upgrade when the monthly updates come out. So yes, I'd definitely purchase it again ??
Came from a 6p and multiple nexus's before that, really like the Pixel 2 XL (my second one at least, the first one was horrible blue shift). Biggest disappointment so far is lack of developer/rom support, its kinda shockingly minimal after being used to the Nexus dev community. (also i still think it was priced too high)
Not the best time to buy. Just wait a month as new devices are being released
dieselhazza said:
Not the best time to buy. Just wait a month as new devices are being released
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Yeah If your interested in the S9 G7 or the like. I doubt thats what the OP is interested in. I'm not anyways. No Pixel or OnePlus type developer phones for another 9 months or so....
Sure I would. I love it, and- despite rumours- it works great.
I jumped to iPhones several years ago. However I could not pass up buying this phone. As I can only afford to keep one, what advice would you give me?
How do you like the fold 3?
I was using iPhones since first model been released. I had Fold 1 and that was awesome phone for me but had no IPX* and I have to sell it.
Now fold is certified with IPX8 and I just got it for over a week. Probably never go back to iPhone.
Personal opinion?
I have the 12 pro max (13 pro max getting delivered on friday) and a fold 3.
Having said that, I still reach for my iphone 12 pro max. There's fundamental reasons for that as I have mostly all apple devices (macbook pro, apple watch, apple tv, ipad pro, air tags, home pod, airpods pro, airpods max) and the synergy between the devices can't be beat on android. Samsung makes an attempt nowadays, but there's some problems in that department.
The Galaxy fold 3 is probably the best ereader I've ever had though on the large screen. But the main issues I have with the device are ones due to android - I can't fault Samsung for enforcing adoption of their screen resolution/user experience to all developers. It's not going to happen.
The front display, while decent, you can't get much work done. It's frustrating to use.
I guess YMMV - if I didn't buy it for a steal I would've returned it. But I'm happy with keeping it. Maybe the pixel fold will be more my speed. Who knows
Linux23 said:
How do you like the fold 3?
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I see it as having pluses and minuses. Not certain the mibisrs outweigh the pluses.
imo if the fold doesn't immediately jump out at you as "the phone", especially after using it, i wouldn't go for it. its expensive and has its quirks. i got 1000 off by trading in my old phone, i don't think its worth it full price. i was going to wait for used ones but got lucky. personally i've wanted a folding phone since the first fold, and once they added the spen support and an under display camera, i was sold. i used a oneplus one for 5 years, then a oneplus 7 pro for 2, i'm hoping to stick with the fold 3 for at least 4 years.
Don't be hard on yourself use them both like I do (pro 13 is underway)
I can afford too my keep one.
Considering how long i've been on these forums, i never thought that i'd be saying this...but the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best phone that i've ever owned.
I've been using my F3 for 3 days; Coming from the Note 10+ I still miss my old dead phone.
I needed a Samsung flagship device that supports dual physical SIMs and a Snapdragon cpu.
I was a Sony Xperia fan long time ago before they stopped selling the brand in my region.
Decided to give it a try after all the hype and so far my experience has been okay. I'm not in love yet but I see it coming.
Will I recommend it to a friend? probably not as I don't think the fold 3 is a daily driver phone yet.
It's big and heavy not to mention the S-pen case that adds additional bulkiness... The front screen is ultra narrow and yes the internal screen is awesome but it's does have major flaws like the very annoying crease in daylight ( at least to me ) and the unusual aspect ratio that makes most of the apps display less but bigger content. I works great for browsing and mailing but not much for most of the other stuff.
I will keep my phone and enjoy the exclusive experience it offers but if you're looking for a phone that does everything easily without complexity look somewhere else.
When ever a new phone comes out I get excited like many. My current phone is OP 8pro and is a great phone. But my previous phone was a Pixel 2Xl and I felt it was a great phone. The Pixel still had a better camara than the 8 Pro.
So now comes the Pixel 6 & 6 Pro. They look nice but the 6 pro is slightly bigger and heavier than my 8 Pro. I've searched a lot to see if the series has facial recognition. From what I've brought up I can't find if it has it not. At this point in a "flag ship" phone they should kick a... and have everything plus be a step ahead of anything that has come out with in 6 months.
Does the 6 series beat out my 8 pro, significantly? Should I think about a 9 pro?
Or stay put for another year, maybe wait the OP 10?
Thanks for ay input!
I'm trading my OnePlus 9 Pro in for the Pixel 6 Pro. I can assure you despite what you see in reviews the camera on the 9 Pro isn't quite top notch. Also with OnePlus, they are folding into parent company Oppo completely so my tenure with them has now concluded after having the 6T/7T Pro McLaren/8T/9 Pro.
One plus are basically becoming oppo and one reason I'm changing my oppo Reno 2 for a 6 Pro is that awful updates that oppo do. I've had one actual proper update come through on the phone in 2 years. I've had to mess about using VPN connections to connect to different countries to get any security updates from them. The one Android update they did release almost broke the phone. I'd never go back to them. I had a pixel 2xl previously, which I've still got, and it was flawless even when I had to use it while trying to fix the oppo. I'm looking forward to going back to a phone with regular updates and updates that actually work.
I know too well it's difficult to decide very often. The Pro is slightly heavier than my Note 10+, too - about the same dimensions, just slightly longer and narrower, IIRC, than the Note 10+.
I haven't used facial recognition yet, but maybe I would eventually if it became available. For me, the selling points for the 6 Pro were the 512 GB of storage and the pure Android that works as Google intended it to work - without Samsung's **** software that doesn't work very well even with Google's standard apps.
If you're happy with the software on your OP 8 Pro, I'd stick with it since it has the facial recognition you prefer. That said, the two previous responses are pretty convincing to get the 6 Pro.
If you're still itching for a new phone, though, then absolutely, go for the 6 Pro unless you want to stay smaller, then go for the non-Pro 6 unless you need the 512 GB storage model of the Pro.
I currently have the OP 8 Pro and while the P6 Pro may weigh a little more, the OP is just a hair taller, and they look to be the exact same width. I never found the camera on the OP to be very good. The modded Gcam app works better, imo. So, along with what I'm assuming is going to be a stellar camera, I'm also excited about the AI integration Google wants to bring with their tensor chip. For me, it was a no brainer. I've had the OP for two years and it's starting to show. I think the 6 Pro will be quite a step up.
94b20gsr said:
I'm trading my OnePlus 9 Pro in for the Pixel 6 Pro. I can assure you despite what you see in reviews the camera on the 9 Pro isn't quite top notch. Also with OnePlus, they are folding into parent company Oppo completely so my tenure with them has now concluded after having the 6T/7T Pro McLaren/8T/9 Pro.
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Seeing the reviews, the 6p is close to the iPhone 13 pro max' camera, if not better. However, the tensor chip seems to fall behind but Google did this on purpose and that was to extend battery life despite having a slower processor than their competitors
All of the above have pro's and con's....and price points!
Flagships ftw
hello00 said:
Seeing the reviews, the 6p is close to the iPhone 13 pro max' camera, if not better. However, the tensor chip seems to fall behind but Google did this on purpose and that was to extend battery life despite having a slower processor than their competitors
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Yes, and I am in agreeance on the 6 Pro camera. I was referencing the OnePlus 9 Pro since the OP mentioned it as a possible contender. The Tensor exceeds in the GPU category vs an 888 only slightly, and is also slightly behind in the CPU space vs the 888.
Man, all great inputs thanks!! I understand what some of you've said about the updates. When I had my 2 xl , it was cool that they'd get the updates first. As far as OP, going forward, that it will not be the same OP, that's sad and it's maybe time to "go back home" to a Pixel.
Here's my two cents;
I've been on Android since the HTC H1/Dream. Flashed the heck out of it and eventually got myself a DroidX. From there, I went all into the Nexus line. After that turned into Pixel, I stayed with pixel phones. I like to test phones so over the course of time, I had the OnePlus One (loved that phone). I still have my OnePlus 2, tried several phones from HTC LG; used a Samsung s10 for a good while and I still keep some of my favorite phones, they still all work and I still love them and try to keep them updated with custom AOSP roms; my Nexus 5 is still alive and well, the OnePlus X is still fantastic to hold, the Palm phone is an amazing form factor, the Essential PH-1 is incredible to this day (minus the **** cameras), preferring smaller phones, the Xperia XZ1 Compact is awesome, I just got rid of my old OnePlus 5t and both my brother and my best friend are deep into OnePlus since the One.
But I always end up coming back to a Pixel.
Like someone already said, the cameras are fabulous, but they are definitely not "the best", however, in my experience, they ARE the most consistently close to the best. At the time, the Samsung Galaxy s10 had, arguably, a better camera than the pixel of the era (Pixel 3 or Pixel 4, depending on the date, since pixels release late in the year) but it was never as consistent (with me). With the pixel, I always knew I could double tap the power button and take a shot in just a few seconds, and the picture would come out consistently great. People can get amazing shots with a OnePlus, but it requires more effort than the consistency of the pixel.
I don't really care all that much about picture quality, despite what it may seem, but I think it is a good reflection of essentially everything else. Nothing is really THE most important part of a phone for me except for "feel", and my golden standard is the Nexus 5. Perfect size. The Pixel 3 is also a great feeling device. Sure, RAM is important, but in this day and age, for most people, I'd say 6GB or more is good enough. Less than 128GB of storage is not worth getting at this point. Fast charging is cool, just like wireless charging, but a battery that'll live throughout the day is a necessity (this is one thing Pixels have NEVER been able to excel at, for example, hopefully the 6 changes that).
Then there's the OS, and what comes with it (like, updates). Samsung has gotten MUCH better. Their Touchwiz was absolutely atrocious. But OneUI is not bad. It seems like most manufacturers are going now for a more muted skin than they used to (MotoBlur was pretty bad, HTC Sense was pretty, but heavy, TouchWiz was awful, Miui was an iOS copy) so we're far better off now, but it's easy to misrepresent how awesome it feels to receive updates in time. Google announces a new OS, and you've got it. All the new goodies (mostly). While on any other manufacturer, you MIGHT get it in 3 months, you might not get it at all.
I've been on Android 12 since beta 3 a couple of months ago, on a Pixel 3.
I skipped the 5, sold my 4 and went down to the 3, which still works great. I am hoping the 6 is not huge. Needless to say, I preordered the 6. 256gb. I personally think they did a very compelling job. Sure, it's got last years 5g hardware. Sure, there's no "small" version. Sure, the SoC is not exactly better than what Qualcomm puts out. But I think by now, I've made the point that a phone is more than the sum of its parts. And it seems, imo, that Google found a pretty good balance, with a competitive and consistently great camera, a fantastic feeling phone, at a reasonable price.