Develop Bugs

Pixel xl or s8 plus?

Kind of in a hard spot right now, both amazing phones but which one do you guys recommend?

Camera on the Pixel still beats the S8 & due to pure Android it feels much faster

Do you care about an unlocked boot loader, custom ROMs, root?

Pixel xl bought straight from Google you have a lot more freedom, and best part of all you can try out Google project fi. Also pure Android is the best in terms of speed, no bloatware, and you'll get the latest updated with the pixel XL. Or you can wait for the pixel 2 which is soon to be unveiled

Yeah i decided to go for the xl, i don't wanna wait for the s8 to get root and also i love flashing custom roms etc..

Mother of God. Of course the Pixel! Why would you want a lagfest phone? And this isn't because this is Pixel section, create same topic on Samsung section and my answer will be same, except there won't be any answer as I don't visit their section.
Congrats in advance by the way.

kel29738 said:
Kind of in a hard spot right now, both amazing phones but which one do you guys recommend?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having used both the pixel XL and the samsung s8 plus, I would definitely recommend the pixel XL for the below reasons
1) The HDR+ is excellent in the google pixel XL. The front camera is also great for selfies
2) Stock android, haven't seen it lag till date. After a few weeks quite a bit of lag is visible in the S8 plus
3) in my view the Pixel XL is easier to hold and use on a daily basis. The Samsung S8 plus is quite scary to hold especially if you are a person who moves around a lot and travels
4) The google assistant is of some use. I didn't use the Bixby at all while it was there (no voice support)
5) The battery life is brilliant and gets me through the day
The only downside is the speaker output in the google Pixel XL but yeah I have bluetooth speakers. I miss the Always on Display but I love my Pixel XL that I got back to it and wouldn't look for a replacement

Shawn haz root said:
Do you care about an unlocked boot loader, custom ROMs, root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you do the Pixel XL isn't actually a great phone. Google made the Pixels to run stock Android. They want Pixel users to run stock Android. Independent development is almost nonexistent for the Pixels compared with the wide variety of roms, kernels and tweaks that were available for the earlier Nexus devices. The Pixel is a headache to flash on, root and develop for. There is no official version of Magisk for the Pixel and according to the dev there may never be. Custom kernels for the Pixel are missing the most basic modification that custom kernels usually provide --the ability to change the governor. The Pixel XL is an excellent phone if you want to run stock Android but anyone who claims it's a great phone for development and flashing is either lying, stupid or completely delusional.

jhs39 said:
If you do the Pixel XL isn't actually a great phone. Google made the Pixels to run stock Android. They want Pixel users to run stock Android. Independent development is almost nonexistent for the Pixels compared with the wide variety of roms, kernels and tweaks that were available for the earlier Nexus devices. The Pixel is a headache to flash on, root and develop for. There is no official version of Magisk for the Pixel and according to the dev there may never be. Custom kernels for the Pixel are missing the most basic modification that custom kernels usually provide --the ability to change the governor. The Pixel XL is an excellent phone if you want to run stock Android but anyone who claims it's a great phone for development and flashing is either lying, stupid or completely delusional.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But still I don't see the S8 being in a better place with knox when it comes to custom ROMs and kernels. On the contrary I would say it is worse in that section.

Funny. I just sold my galaxy s8+ for a regular pixel .... Yes 5" pixel. I really wanted an xl but finding a use 128gb google version pixel for $100 was a no brainer. Here is my little story and why i say PIXEL ALL THE WAY.
i bought this pixel has a spare since is was.such a great price. I had my galaxy s8+ since launch. amazing phone until i used the pixel for a few minutes. There i learned how laggy and stuttery the sg8 is. I couldnt even use it anymore since i already experience how smooth the pixel was. I sold my gs8+ 2 days after and kept the pixel. The gs8 is a great phone and has all this feature. But software which is my main purpose i purchase the phone doesnt cut it. I want a smooth OS experience and not the lag hell like touchwiz even with its 835 chipset. Things are much more laggy than this.
By the way. I got the pixel for $100 but in black. I was tired of black phones and took mine to ubreakifix. They charged me $250 to do an entire very blue conversion. Looks brand new out of the box white face screen and blue housing. One of the few with a very blue 128gb version.

jimmmysil said:
But still I don't see the S8 being in a better place with knox when it comes to custom ROMs and kernels. On the contrary I would say it is worse in that section.
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Click to collapse
That might be true but I still don't think you can recommend a Pixel based on independent development and custom Roms and flashing. There is much more independent development for the One Plus phones if that is a big reason you want to own an Android phone. I've tried a number of custom Roms on the Pixel XL, more out of long standing habit than anything else. None ran better than stock and the only one I found that ran without a single issue was Dirty Unicorn. All of the other Roms I tried would either have bugs or would lag over time, which doesn't happen with stock on the Pixel. The only reason to run a custom rom on the Pixel is either that you can't live without Substratum theming or the custom rom has some feature that is vitally important to you--but it's almost guaranteed that you will be sacrificing some performance and stability on a custom rom because the Pixel was made to run stock Android and does so remarkably well. That's just an opinion of course and I'm sure people on the Pixel love their custom roms. The only thing I miss (I went back to stock) is using a dark theme. I think if Google actually allowed theming natively like the OnePlus and some Sony phones do the Pixel would be close to perfect. The only obvious problem is the Pixel speakers which are unforgivavly bad for such an expensive phone. I swear to God that I'm not exaggerating --my friend got a 20 or 30 dollar phone from the Cricket Store and it has better speakers than the Pixel does. Google never should have released this phone with such terrible speakers. Otherwise as long as you want to run stock Android the Pixel is great.

There are actually people, normal users, who purchase a phone based off on development? Yes OnePlus and all them inferior devices have much more development, but you are gonna buy that thing over a Pixel because it has more development? I mean what the heck is wrong with people? A heavily modified OnePlus will still not perform as good as a bare stock Pixel at first place!
Take the developers out of the picture obviously, they can buy a OnePlus just for development's sake, but I am saying about us normal users.

TouchWiz is realy ugly, so I recommend a Pixel XL

ithehappy said:
There are actually people, normal users, who purchase a phone based off on development? Yes OnePlus and all them inferior devices have much more development, but you are gonna buy that thing over a Pixel because it has more development? I mean what the heck is wrong with people? A heavily modified OnePlus will still not perform as good as a bare stock Pixel at first place!
Take the developers out of the picture obviously, they can buy a OnePlus just for development's sake, but I am saying about us normal users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well one plus has a lot worse camera but unfortunately breasts pixel in speed and battery life by far...
I have seen ppl owning one plus 5 having over that 12 hours of sot with custom rom and kernel...
I am a pixel user myself and I would love to see Google boosting so much our battery life. It is too bad that Google gets beaten in its own operating system in performance and battery life by a a smaller company and a bunch of developers...

I would definitely wait 2 month and get the xl 2.

I purchased the S8, HTC U11 and Sony XZ Premium. Nothing is as smooth as Google Pixel XL. Returned all of them and kept my Pixel XL.
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA-Developers Legacy app

LOL no one gonna tell you to get an s8 on a google forum buddy.
I have both.
if you want faster update and some noticeable speed. get pixel xl
if you want gorgeous phone, with latest hardware, more features , SD card, wireless charging, water proof. get S8

TheUndertaker21 said:
LOL no one gonna tell you to get an s8 on a google forum buddy.
I have both.
if you want faster update and some noticeable speed. get pixel xl
if you want gorgeous phone, with latest hardware, more features , SD card, wireless charging, water proof. get S8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does anyone know why samsung phones always lag so horribly? can it be fixed on a users end or is it something that samsung would have to change as a company? ive noticed its had lagging issues every since the galaxy s5 but i didnt know if it was something that had to do with the cache or something slowing it down i remember on my galaxy s5 it would build up like a gb of cache within a day or two and soon as i cleared it out it would work extremely well again for a few minutes then itd be really crappy again.

You are going to get a lot of people say they owned a billion devices and they sold them all for the Pixel. You are also going to get people say that the pixel is great because it doesn't lag.
I guess you could say that a Galaxy S8 might lag, but you have to keep in mind, that it does ALOT more than a Pixel. Literally all the pixel has software wise over the S8 is that it is fast. That's it. The Galaxy S8 software features blow the Pixel out of the water. It can do so much, and has so many features built in right out of the box. Also keep in mind that S8 currently has full theme support which the Pixel cannot do (incase you get board of the layout/appearance etc). Something to also consider, is that the Pixel XL is wider and could be considered harder to hold than the S8+. Personally I find them both too big, but the S8+ is easier to hold, especially in portrait. Also that the S8 and the s8+ have bigger screens and better battery life in general than both Pixels.
In the end I think it's just software based. If you like to pay for extra apps, and get varied user experiences over UI's created by different developers, and put up with the Google issues they have with their own devices and how many updates and bug fixes they get, and you value speed over software features then Pixel is the best choice.
If you think aesthetics, software features, hardware features (water resist, better speaker, bigger screen, bigger battery etc) then S8+ is the best choice.

I'm sick of the issues with this Pixel XL and I am going to preorder the Note 8 as soon as it's available. Really wanted this Pixel to work but too many issues, mostly bluetooth but there are feature on the Note line that I actually used and never realized how much until I didn't have one.

Honeymoon Over Already??

I managed to pick up a Pixel 2 XL about a week ago. Initially I was very impressed and excited about it. 48 hours later I was "meh". The camera is great, assistant awesome at interpreting requests and to me - nothing beats the stock android experience.
Frankly I'm a bit disappointed at Google for allowing Verizon to sell this phone (and Google selling it) with the bootloader locked.
History:
I've owned every Nexus/Pixel since Google and HTC released the very first device.
Before the Pixel I used the S8. I preferred it's size to the S8+.
I think my dream device would be the Pixel experience in the S8 form factor or the Pixel XL's minimal bezel design in a smaller form factor. (angrily staring at the design team behind the Pixel 2)
After the 5T launch today - I'm toying with the idea of just buying one of those and selling this XL
What are your thoughts?

taifuller said:
I managed to pick up a Pixel 2 XL about a week ago. Initially I was very impressed and excited about it. 48 hours later I was "meh". The camera is great, assistant awesome at interpreting requests and to me - nothing beats the stock android experience.
Frankly I'm a bit disappointed at Google for allowing Verizon to sell this phone (and Google selling it) with the bootloader locked.
History:
I've owned every Nexus/Pixel since Google and HTC released the very first device.
Before the Pixel I used the S8. I preferred it's size to the S8+.
I think my dream device would be the Pixel experience in the S8 form factor or the Pixel XL's minimal bezel design in a smaller form factor. (angrily staring at the design team behind the Pixel 2)
After the 5T launch today - I'm toying with the idea of just buying one of those and selling this XL
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One Plus is trash. Keep the XL.

dhaugru said:
One Plus is trash. Keep the XL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's that based on? Have you had a chance to handle the 5T? (Not trying to be funny, just curious)
I'm aware of the differences in specs. Looking at value, pocketing a couple hundred bucks while having a very similar experience is appealing.

Try it hands on style and report back. Good luck

taifuller said:
What's that based on? Have you had a chance to handle the 5T? (Not trying to be funny, just curious)
I'm aware of the differences in specs. Looking at value, pocketing a couple hundred bucks while having a very similar experience is appealing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It feels like I see something weekly about them stealing user data. No thanks. Also 1080 screen, no water resistance, some new BS camera that will under perform....nah. Happy with my Note 8 and 2 XL.
No, I haven't touched the 5T and have no desire to.

taifuller said:
I managed to pick up a Pixel 2 XL about a week ago. Initially I was very impressed and excited about it. 48 hours later I was "meh". The camera is great, assistant awesome at interpreting requests and to me - nothing beats the stock android experience.
Frankly I'm a bit disappointed at Google for allowing Verizon to sell this phone (and Google selling it) with the bootloader locked.
History:
I've owned every Nexus/Pixel since Google and HTC released the very first device.
Before the Pixel I used the S8. I preferred it's size to the S8+.
I think my dream device would be the Pixel experience in the S8 form factor or the Pixel XL's minimal bezel design in a smaller form factor. (angrily staring at the design team behind the Pixel 2)
After the 5T launch today - I'm toying with the idea of just buying one of those and selling this XL
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do what you want, bro.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA-Developers Legacy app

dhaugru said:
One Plus is trash. Keep the XL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not completely true. I just came from the 3T. It was great except the camera. It actually took over as my favorite phone (that I've owned) from the S3. I also have a OnePlus One and bought the 5 but didn't like it so I kept my 3T until I got the 2 XL.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs

MrMeeseeks said:
Not completely true. I just came from the 3T. It was great except the camera. It actually took over as my favorite phone (that I've owned) from the S3. I also have a OnePlus One and bought the 5 but didn't like it so I kept my 3T until I got the 2 XL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my previous comment to give you context to back up my opinion.

I agree, I have the note 8 and 2 xl currently. Thinking hard about returning 2 xl and buying the 5t. I got a locked bootloader also, this phone isnt as fun as a unlocked. Ill never buy from verizon again. I got lucky last year and was able to use depixel8 before the patch, not so lucky this time around.

the only advantage oneplus has over pixel is the price but if you can afford pixel, pixel is better choice.
Oneplus wont update the phone beyond 2 updates, that means you'll have to depend on custom roms after android P.
Also this my personal point of view that they are drifting away from the stock android slowly, their useless apps like clock, calculator, dialer doesnt make sense.
releasing a phone every 6 months is another thing i dont like.
pixel has faster updates, longer support, better camera.
I'm an ex oneplus 3 and oneplus 3t user btw.
but ultimately things do come to your personal preference and point of view.

taifuller said:
nothing beats the stock android experience...Frankly I'm a bit disappointed at Google for allowing Verizon to sell this phone (and Google selling it) with the bootloader locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm confused. The phone is awesome, but because you apparently chose to buy the Verizon version and the bootloader is locked, you don't like it.
First of all, you do realize that 99.9% of the population has no F-ing clue what a bootloader is, nor will they ever in a million years care to find out.
But according to you, Google is somehow at fault for allowing a carrier to sell a phone with an insignificant modification none of its mainstream customers will care about. And somehow this is a "problem"?
If you are so outraged about the bootloader, why didn't you buy the device directly from Google?
Second of all, since when does the Pixel 2 XL run stock Android? Stock Android is the latest AOSP build. At this point Google has a thinly skinned Android variant that can only be described as "Google's Android".
And if you're so into "stock" Android, why does it matter if the bootloader is locked? So you can put a custom rom onto the device and thereby not use "stock" Android?
Apologies but your post seems to have no purpose than to bash the Pixel 2 XL and suggest that buying another device is a good idea. Why do we need to tell you what to do? If you don't like it, get rid of it. End of story.

I had the OnePlus 5, awesome phone considering the price.
But the camera sucks, no waterproofing, and slow updates.
Plus the updated launcher sucks.

TokyoGuy said:
I'm confused. The phone is awesome, but because you apparently chose to buy the Verizon version and the bootloader is locked, you don't like it.
First of all, you do realize that 99.9% of the population has no F-ing clue what a bootloader is, nor will they ever in a million years care to find out.
But according to you, Google is somehow at fault for allowing a carrier to sell a phone with an insignificant modification none of its mainstream customers will care about. And somehow this is a "problem"?
If you are so outraged about the bootloader, why didn't you buy the device directly from Google?
Second of all, since when does the Pixel 2 XL run stock Android? Stock Android is the latest AOSP build. At this point Google has a thinly skinned Android variant that can only be described as "Google's Android".
And if you're so into "stock" Android, why does it matter if the bootloader is locked? So you can put a custom rom onto the device and thereby not use "stock" Android?
Apologies but your post seems to have no purpose than to bash the Pixel 2 XL and suggest that buying another device is a good idea. Why do we need to tell you what to do? If you don't like it, get rid of it. End of story.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, thanks for your point of view. Certainly wasn't my intent to upset you or anyone else who enjoys the phone.
I never cited the bootloader lock as an issue for not liking the phone. I do LIKE the phone. Obviously I do not think it's a deal breaker because I DID knowing purchase a bootloader locked edition of the phone. My point is times are changing and I either need to change with them or find a better value. I said was disappointed in Google for allowing the change.
I'm stating from a value standpoint there may be other options that offer a similar experience. Of course value is perceived by everyone differently.
Thinking back to the Nexus 5, in my opinion one of the best phones released under Google's hand, was awesome because of the value. Yes, I'm aware that when the Nexus 6 came out we left value land for premium land.
What I meant by bringing up the 5T is - I can purchase very similar hardware for less and run the same applications at no additional costs. The trade off is a sacrifice in screen quality and camera quality??
Thank you on your clarification of what the true stock android experience is. To clarify, I prefer "Google's Android" to other manufacturer's implementation of Android. Is that better?
I got great feedback from others that I reminded me of the non-tangible benefits of owning the Pixel over a different device.

dhaugru said:
One Plus is trash. Keep the XL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
more like, OnePlus is amazing for the price, but Pixel 2 XL is better in nearly every way (except charging speed)
Source: own/ed OnePlus One, OnePlus 3, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 XL

2x4 said:
more like, OnePlus is amazing for the price, but Pixel 2 XL is better in nearly every way (except charging speed)
Source: own/ed OnePlus One, OnePlus 3, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Pixel XL, Pixel 2 XL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the OPO and OP2 from them. The OPO, great...the OP2....terrible. I have also been active on their forum for years and that has told me all I need to know about them.
They will not see anymore of my money.

dhaugru said:
I bought the OPO and OP2 from them. The OPO, great...the OP2....terrible. I have also been active on their forum for years and that has told me all I need to know about them.
They will not see anymore of my money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i didn't get the OP2 since I read terrible reviews about it, but I did get the OP3 and it has been amazing to be honest in my experience (except for the GPS lock bug that was present a few months, which has since been resolved). I am both impressed by the fluidity, speed, and frequency of updates on their software and disappointed by their decision to only provide major feature updates on the OP3/T for such a short time (not to mention launch the OP5T without Oreo)
I got the Pixel XL 2 since I wanted a better camera and so my SO could use my OP3 with 2 SIM cards (for more data), but I could have easily kept it and kept using it past the SW timeline via custom ROMs - even the camera is pretty amazing once you sideload the GCAM mod that lets you use Google's algorithm (SIGNIFICANTLY better post-processing than the stock camera)

2x4 said:
i didn't get the OP2 since I read terrible reviews about it, but I did get the OP3 and it has been amazing to be honest in my experience (except for the GPS lock bug that was present a few months, which has since been resolved). I am both impressed by the fluidity, speed, and frequency of updates on their software and disappointed by their decision to only provide major feature updates on the OP3/T for such a short time (not to mention launch the OP5T without Oreo)
I got the Pixel XL 2 since I wanted a better camera and so my SO could use my OP3 with 2 SIM cards (for more data), but I could have easily kept it and kept using it past the SW timeline via custom ROMs - even the camera is pretty amazing once you sideload the GCAM mod that lets you use Google's algorithm (SIGNIFICANTLY better post-processing than the stock camera)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah see that's the thing for me....I don't want to have to d*ck with custom ROMs or sideloading anything. My communication is way too important to me to take chances modding my device.
Glad you like the 2 XL. I am happy with it as well. Currently flipping back and forth between the 2 XL and Note 8. Can't decide which one I like more...depends on the day. :laugh:

dhaugru said:
Yeah see that's the thing for me....I don't want to have to d*ck with custom ROMs or sideloading anything. My communication is way too important to me to take chances modding my device.
Glad you like the 2 XL. I am happy with it as well. Currently flipping back and forth between the 2 XL and Note 8. Can't decide which one I like more...depends on the day. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What makes you pick the N8 somedays besides the screen? Curious not bashing.

taifuller said:
I managed to pick up a Pixel 2 XL about a week ago. Initially I was very impressed and excited about it. 48 hours later I was "meh". The camera is great, assistant awesome at interpreting requests and to me - nothing beats the stock android experience.
Frankly I'm a bit disappointed at Google for allowing Verizon to sell this phone (and Google selling it) with the bootloader locked.
History:
I've owned every Nexus/Pixel since Google and HTC released the very first device.
Before the Pixel I used the S8. I preferred it's size to the S8+.
I think my dream device would be the Pixel experience in the S8 form factor or the Pixel XL's minimal bezel design in a smaller form factor. (angrily staring at the design team behind the Pixel 2)
After the 5T launch today - I'm toying with the idea of just buying one of those and selling this XL
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to look angry at the design team mate. Can't make a small phone with small bezels without severely reducing the battery size. Which in turn will make battery life suck.

Gilley said:
What makes you pick the N8 somedays besides the screen? Curious not bashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the procision of the S-Pen. I am also in sales and it's handy to quickly jot a quick note when working with customers to gain contact info or to highlight important points within the conversation.
I also use it as my in-flight media library with the expanded storage. The headphone jack is nice too!

OnePlus 6?

Anyone here going for the OnePlus 6?

If it supported Verizon...I would no doubt. But, no such luck this time around either.

No! Going to keep my badboy Pixel XL 2!!

Hell no! I've got enough data mining in my life already! ?

Battery 3300 is very bad for a 6.28 inch screen.
Knowing the release of op 6, I bought pixel 2 xl very recently (slightly higher price paid than avengers edition of op6). OP camera software often so bad that we end up waiting and using gcam mods.
Camera, Battery life and display are better in pixel 2 xl.
Oneplus forum is a war zone no courtesy shown by many. Ofcourse we could use xda for it though.

srikanth.k39 said:
Battery 3300 is very bad for a 6.28 inch screen.
Knowing the release of op 6, I bought pixel 2 xl very recently (slightly higher price paid than avengers edition of op6). OP camera software often so bad that we end up waiting and using gcam mods.
Camera, Battery life and display are better in pixel 2 xl.
Oneplus forum is a war zone no courtesy shown by many. Ofcourse we could use xda for it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3300 is fine and will actually yield great battery life because
1. The screen is still 1080p
2. SD 845 will be more efficient
I'm most likely getting one, but definitely keeping my 2 XL. The camera, as well as my current setup (Stock+Root+Flash Kernel+Xposed w/ GravityBox) is absolutely perfect for me.
Not to mention the amazing camera on the 2 XL! I'm sure the 6's camera will be great, but I doubt it will beat the 2 XL.
So all-in-all, I'll have both! If the camera performs at least close to the 2 XL, and when development picks up, then I'd probably consider selling my 2 XL down the road and using the 6 as my daily driver - at least until the Pixel 3 comes out lol

NO!

No. OnePlus is an awful company.

No, im not going back to oneplus .

From my personal experience: anyone coming from a OP to a Pixel will not buy another OP.
Yes, it has great specs, but try to profile the GPU and trace the dropped frames on every single screen and then compare to a Pixel. Having the latest SOC and a 20MP+16MP camera. 8GB of Ram... all that means little when their software is an absolute mess and has basically 0 polish.
This might be an odd sentence but here's the bottom line:
You're paying 550€ for a phone that has the specs of a 850€ phone but getting the performance of a 550€ phone. That's why it doesn't cost 850€: you're not getting the same experience you get on a Pixel and it's not even remotely close.

Question is why would i?
Sent from my Google Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs

rickysidhu_ said:
3300 is fine and will actually yield great battery life because
1. The screen is still 1080p
2. SD 845 will be more efficient
I'm most likely getting one, but definitely keeping my 2 XL. The camera, as well as my current setup (Stock+Root+Flash Kernel+Xposed w/ GravityBox) is absolutely perfect for me.
Not to mention the amazing camera on the 2 XL! I'm sure the 6's camera will be great, but I doubt it will beat the 2 XL.
So all-in-all, I'll have both! If the camera performs at least close to the 2 XL, and when development picks up, then I'd probably consider selling my 2 XL down the road and using the 6 as my daily driver - at least until the Pixel 3 comes out lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice.
I was the owner of OP 5T before as daily driver.
I was very less options left at that time coming from iphone to android. I have more restrictions, I needed phone with work profile (so rooting has to be given up). I badly needed a dual aim for daily driver. S8+ fingerprint placement I hated. So chose OP5T. Camera software was very bad the default one. Tired of exploring multiple gcam modes etc... The famous oil painting effect on pics has not been resolved for months on 5T when I owned.
My current set up is S9+ as daily driver (work phone) just because of dual sim support. Keeping pixel 2 XL as secondary one (most of my personal use occasional work email check) Neither Pixel nor iphone can become my primary until dual sim versions released though with my restrictions.

srikanth.k39 said:
Nice.
I was the owner of OP 5T before as daily driver.
I was very less options left at that time coming from iphone to android. I have more restrictions, I needed phone with work profile (so rooting has to be given up). I badly needed a dual aim for daily driver. S8+ fingerprint placement I hated. So chose OP5T. Camera software was very bad the default one. Tired of exploring multiple gcam modes etc... The famous oil painting effect on pics has not been resolved for months on 5T when I owned.
My current set up is S9+ as daily driver (work phone) just because of dual sim support. Keeping pixel 2 XL as secondary one (most of my personal use occasional work email check) Neither Pixel nor iphone can become my primary until dual sim versions released though with my restrictions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I didn't like my 5T when I had it. Sold it very quickly. My 5 on the other hand was strangely better, even though it came before the 5T.
I also was not happy about the camera issues like you mentioned + the vibration motor felt very cheap.
I like how much custom development is available for those devices, which is a big reason why I'm most likely going to buy it and just switch between my 2 XL and that whenever I feel like it.
I've never had Samsungs though but if it's treating you well, why not continue using it

FrankBullitt said:
Yes, it has great specs, but try to profile the GPU and trace the dropped frames on every single screen and then compare to a Pixel. Having the latest SOC and a 20MP+16MP camera. 8GB of Ram... all that means little when their software is an absolute mess and has basically 0 polish.
You're paying 550€ for a phone that has the specs of a 850€ phone but getting the performance of a 550€ phone. That's why it doesn't cost 850€: you're not getting the same experience you get on a Pixel and it's not even remotely close.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I said this on a portal discussion regarding the release of the 5T, and it bears repeating here. For a company with "Never Settle" as its slogan, OnePlus does an awful lot of "settling", i.e. compromising, on the most important part [the display] of a smartphone. The display was why the OP5T never factored into my buying choices. The OP6 isn't any better, as it's still not quad HD like on flagship devices. So for yet another year OnePlus will simply be a pretender to the throne.
If OnePlus really wants to play with the big boys, they need to stop compromising and go all out. Make a product that will truly knock people's socks off.

rickysidhu_ said:
Yeah I didn't like my 5T when I had it. Sold it very quickly. My 5 on the other hand was strangely better, even though it came before the 5T.
I also was not happy about the camera issues like you mentioned + the vibration motor felt very cheap.
I like how much custom development is available for those devices, which is a big reason why I'm most likely going to buy it and just switch between my 2 XL and that whenever I feel like it.
I've never had Samsungs though but if it's treating you well, why not continue using it
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Due to no dual sim support, I had to live with samsung. S9+ has better camera, beauty and display though battery life is worse compare to pixel 2 xl even with full hd+ we all know it is due to bloatware services/apps.
Heard rumours that Apple is also considering dual sim versions for next iPhone, hope google do consider dual sim versions.
By the way I did try huawei honor v10 and 20 pro. Unfortunately work profile issues and bad support made me avoid them completely.

tekkitan said:
No. OnePlus is an awful company.
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and liars. I got OP5 and returned, because camera was terrible, but they talked about "clearer photos". They lied in performance test.....for me they bad reputation company

FrankBullitt said:
From my personal experience: anyone coming from a OP to a Pixel will not buy another OP.
Yes, it has great specs, but try to profile the GPU and trace the dropped frames on every single screen and then compare to a Pixel. Having the latest SOC and a 20MP+16MP camera. 8GB of Ram... all that means little when their software is an absolute mess and has basically 0 polish.
This might be an odd sentence but here's the bottom line:
You're paying 550€ for a phone that has the specs of a 850€ phone but getting the performance of a 550€ phone. That's why it doesn't cost 850€: you're not getting the same experience you get on a Pixel and it's not even remotely close.
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Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I said this on a portal discussion regarding the release of the 5T, and it bears repeating here. For a company with "Never Settle" as its slogan, OnePlus does an awful lot of "settling", i.e. compromising, on the most important part [the display] of a smartphone. The display was why the OP5T never factored into my buying choices. The OP6 isn't any better, as it's still not quad HD like on flagship devices. So for yet another year OnePlus will simply be a pretender to the throne.
If OnePlus really wants to play with the big boys, they need to stop compromising and go all out. Make a product that will truly knock people's socks off.
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Frank: The OnePlus 5T was the fastest phone on the market until the S9+ came out and gave it a run for its money. Then the 6 came out and it is now the fastest/best performing device on the market. And OxygenOS is amazing, clean, and adds useful features (like face unlock that's actually good). Plus OnePlus added in over 200 optimizations to make it even better. Look it up. There are tons of videos to prove it's faster and smoother. Your comment has no grounds.
Strephon: How can you say anything about the display of a phone when defending the Pixel 2 XL? It literally had a huge scandal, and still isn't fixed. The normal resolution gives it an edge in battery life, and overall performance. The 27" monitor I'm typing this on is 1080p and at 2 feet away is no issue. You're telling me a 6 inch phone with that resolution is a problem? Plus the Amoled OnePlus uses is much better quality compared to the Pixel's lackluster LG panel. I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from the Pixel forum, but come on, lose the blinders, people.

Had 3 devices from OP so far (OPO, OP5 and OP5T) and still use them but not going to get another one anymore. Why? Because Pixel devices is what suits me the best... top hardware with top software.

Bliznade said:
Strephon: How can you say anything about the display of a phone when defending the Pixel 2 XL? It literally had a huge scandal, and still isn't fixed. The normal resolution gives it an edge in battery life, and overall performance. The 27" monitor I'm typing this on is 1080p and at 2 feet away is no issue. You're telling me a 6 inch phone with that resolution is a problem? Plus the Amoled OnePlus uses is much better quality compared to the Pixel's lackluster LG panel. I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from the Pixel forum, but come on, lose the blinders, people.
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The quoted post above is sponsored by OnePlus, where "Never Settle" is an oxymoron.
You mentioned us P2XL owners having blinders on when nothing could be further from the truth. While we may have unwanted press over non-issues such as blue shifting and color profiles, at least our devices were assembled with the screens pointed in the right direction, unlike the OP5T.
Ignoring the fact that people rarely view their devices at the extreme angles required for the blue shift to be noticeable, the phenomenon is inherent in ALL AMOLED displays. My Galaxy S4 has it. My Nexus 6 has it. My P2XL has it. Of the three the S4, having an early AMOLED screen, has blue shift to a greater degree than either my Nexus 6 or my P2XL.
The only reason blue shift and the color profile were even mentioned is to drive page views. As for the color profile non-issue, I use the original color profile and not the boosted or saturated modes. No problems here, and in fact I enjoy the color accuracy.
OnePlus having a FHD screen is not a problem if you're not used to anything else. But a flagship device has a QHD display, period. What OnePlus has done here is what they have always done: compromise. When they stop, perhaps then we'll take notice.

Bliznade said:
Frank: The OnePlus 5T was the fastest phone on the market until the S9+ came out and gave it a run for its money. Then the 6 came out and it is now the fastest/best performing device on the market. And OxygenOS is amazing, clean, and adds useful features (like face unlock that's actually good). Plus OnePlus added in over 200 optimizations to make it even better. Look it up. There are tons of videos to prove it's faster and smoother. Your comment has no grounds.
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Yes, my comments have no ground.
https://www.reddit.com/r/oneplus/co...soon_discontinuing_development_i_wont/dyi9wh0
It's not just the camera; everything on the Pixel 2 is way, way more polished than anything that OnePlus (and I on my own) could ever make.
As much as I hate to admit it, my custom ROMs can't touch the stock ROM on the Pixel 2 in terms of polish and performance. Lately I've been doing more scientific performance assessments on Android (for the sake of research with a professor at my university), instead of just using the phone and thinking, "Seems good to me!," and the results I pulled off the Pixel 2 absolutely crush the results I pulled from stock LineageOS 15.1 on the 3T. It is very difficult to get frame drops while playing with the Pixel 2, whereas I instantly recorded frame drops galore on the 3T. This has been a bit of a wakeup call to me in that I need to reevaluate my ideology and follow a more scientific strategy in optimizing Android on a phone (i.e., using the dozens of test suites Google has built for Android). The bugs that bother users the most are the ones that tend to happen a small percentage of the time (like random reboots), and the Pixel 2 has clearly been optimized to the point where most of those rare bugs are nonexistent (e.g., frames are rarely dropped).
When I ran one of Google's UI performance test apps on the Pixel 2 against my LineageOS 14.1 ROM on the 3T, my ROM dropped frames nonstop (according to this tool) while the Pixel 2 dropped zero frames...
Deep down, I'm a kernel developer and that's where I excel. I'd rather stick to what I know (and enjoy) with kernel hacking and leave the pain of polishing userspace to Google's army of engineers.
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You were saying something about oneplus, weren't you?
I owned oneplus phones, I owned Nexus, I own a Pixel2XL. Tell me about daily performance again, please.

Is the 3XL still worth it?

I'm in the process of getting a new phone in the coming days. To keep it simple here, i'm debating 3XL or S10(e). I'm not going to wait long enough for the Pixel 4 to come out. OnePlus 7 Pro is sadly not available through my carrier.
So, is the 3XL still a good deal when Price is identical to the S10(e)? I've had Samsung in the past and Nexus's before that. I now the Samsung OS and am fine with it. I live in Europe, so getting AOSP for the S10 should be an option. Camera is important but not priority one. An overall fluid/fast system is more important to me. I also don't care to much for specs. Solid Batterylife is on my list too. I'm not a poweruser, so 3-4 hours SOT should be enough for a day or two. Oh, and i don't have a Problem with either notch or holepunch.
With that, would you get the 3XL for guaranteed Android Q and faster Updates, or the S10 for better specs/Display and being overall newer?

I had the chance of one plus, Samsung S10, Huawei p30pro. Chose the pixel for the updates and camera. No regrets whatsoever. Camera stunning, updates each month, 5-6 hours screen time, great build, wireless charging and IP rating, smooth as performance and a very underrated screen. Coming from the LG G7, which I loved, this phone is a level up in everyway.

@domsch1988 Why not the 3a XL? Much better value especially if you're not a power user. Only thing it's not waterproof and has no wireless charging, slightly lower processor but a great phone.

go for the OnePlus. I've played with it (friend bought it) and its solid. I have a 3XL but if I can do it over, i'd either stick with the 2XL or upgrade to the OnePlus.

I still think the Pixel 3 XL is the Android phone to get, until the 4 XL in Oct. Best camera, smooth OS, timely updates every month, no bloatware.
What other phone is out there? Galaxy S10? LOL I'll pass. LG G8 or V50 ? No thanks. OnePlus, yeah they are are good, but, not the best camera, and some features missing

I would choose Oneplus. I'm so disappointed with the Pixel 3 XL. The fingerprint sensor sucks. I had the 1+ 5T and it was far better than this. It's my last Pixel.

I'll change my 3 XL for a 5 XL, that's how much I love it.

for me pixel 3 xl is the phone to buy because its a nice design lovely to hold timely updates. The only thing am not happy about is the ram and how its managed i would have liked to see an extra 2 gigs here.

Traded my S10 Plus for the Pixel 3 XL.
Great decision in my view. Running Android Q beta 4, no need to carry DSLR with me (S10 camera was awful).
Only downside is the RAM and it's management. Would choose it over again in a heartbeat

bobby janow said:
@domsch1988 Why not the 3a XL? Much better value especially if you're not a power user. Only thing it's not waterproof and has no wireless charging, slightly lower processor but a great phone.
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Since i'm getting it on Contract, they are equal in price (basically 1€ without any change in what the plan will cost me). The 3a will be getting guaranteed Updates for 6 Months longer. Other than that, i feel the 3XL is far better.
If i'd pay for it up front, i agree 100%. I'm currently rocking a Redmin Note 5 Pro. So i'm confident, that the Hardware in the 3aXL would be well enough. I just don't have the value benefit when both phones cost the same in my case.
To everyone else: I really appreciate the input. Seems the Pixel is still the Phone to get. Will be my first time getting a phone for the camera. But with my wife and me expecting a child, i'm sure that's a great decision

Despite what I have read of other's experiences with this phone, in my case it is the absolute best phone I have ever had. Coming from a long line of Samsung Note phones and Galaxy phones, it just can't compare. I highly recommend it. Updates are timely and without delay on the first Monday of every month. It is very responsive and the camera is the best in the industry. I have learned with this phone that specs mean nothing if the software is not optimized. Samsung phone shave great specs but software (IMO) is not optimized. I got tired of Samsung's locked bootloader, no root on phones and batteries that after 6 months did not last more than a few hours. For me, this is the ONLY phone worth the money today.

Easy. Get the 3xl or even 3aXL and save some money. Either will be fantastic.

Other than Google not being able to fix the sound (changes from clear to bassy/muffled and back randomly) this phone is awesome.

yaron316 said:
Traded my S10 Plus for the Pixel 3 XL.
Great decision in my view. Running Android Q beta 4, no need to carry DSLR with me (S10 camera was awful).
Only downside is the RAM and it's management. Would choose it over again in a heartbeat
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This. I tried the S9+ then the S10+. Couldn't wait to get back to the Pixel.

nyydynasty said:
go for the OnePlus. I've played with it (friend bought it) and its solid. I have a 3XL but if I can do it over, i'd either stick with the 2XL or upgrade to the OnePlus.
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The OnePlus is no upgrade IMO. I just spent a week testing both the OnePlus 7 Pro and the P3 XL and the bottom line is that the two phones are a perfect example of specs not telling the whole story. The OnePlus is nice but in the end it went back and I kept the P3 XL. Main issues with the OnePlus was the distortion caused by the curved edges (why did they do that? Loss of functionality for nothing in return... if i wanted a fashion statement I'd buy an iPhone.) I don't get why everyone gets hysterical over a notch that hardly ever really intrudes on the P3 XL while ignoring the distortion of the O7P that is annoying 100% of the time. Also in spite of all the reviews gushing over the 90 fps display it really was a big... meh. If you look closely it is somewhat smoother than the 60 fps flagships but these are already so good that the slight improvement is just not that big a deal and I think I'd probably have ended up just leaving the 90 fps option off to get the 10% or so battery life back. But the OP7 display was brighter than the P3 XL, I'll give it that.
The other problem on the OP7P was the camera. It's come a long way and is certainly competitive with the big boys but I found the P3's image to be superior most of the time. If you aren't picky about the camera then the P7 should be fine. Last is the general feel of the phone and the pure Google Pixel OS (and all the little nonessential but nice goodies) made the P3 just feel more comfortable and day-to-day usable to me. Also FWIW the P3 supports Verizon WiFi calling and the OP7 does not (or at least I couldn't find any setting that would make it work.) Something that won't matter for some but will for others so just mentioning it. Also if you think you may ever want to use Google Fi (for the international coverage if nothing else) then the Pixel is the better choice, also a factor that may or may not matter depending on the user.
I'm not hating on the OnePlus, it's a great phone and would probably be my phone if it weren't for the P3 XL. But an 'upgrade'? Nah.
.

At this point in the year I would honestly wait things out to see what happens with the Pixel 4. I love the Pixel 3xl and wouldn't buy anything else at this point. The first phone that I enjoy using and the camera is awesome! With the Pixel 4 it can only get better, even if the numbers are still not up with the S10 it wouldn't matter to me. Fast, no bloatware and the ability to take it anywhere and use it anywhere is what I enjoy.

S10e would be a downgrade in my opinion.
I actually ordered the Snapdragon S10e and quickly realised I miss that higher quality screen of the Pixel 3 XL. As this was the Snapdragon S10e I had gcam installed but it was very buggy and just nothing like the original.
The pixel 3 XL has a wider screen too, makes viewing content a lot better, the Samsung phones are narrow so it almost seems like you lose out on content, for me it was noticeably enough to keep this phone!

Question Will You Upgrade to Pixel 7 / Pro?

I was just interested to see who here plans on upgrading to the Pixel 7 / Pro come October? I'm on the fence but leaning towards sticking with my 6 Pro for another year. From what I've seen, spec-wise, I do not see it as a significant upgrade. And Android 13 is Android 13 on either phone. I tend to upgrade most years and am typically disappointed with the result (since my Pixel 4 XL, which I really did like). I mean, it's exciting to get a new phone but certainly not necessary unless you have a good reason (damage or whatever).
What say you all?

If the battery life, camera flaring issues and cellular connectivity is better, I might upgrade at the end of the year. I really like my 6 Pro, but its just those few things that been a bit of a pain. My OnePlus 8 Pro on Android 12 have had less issues overall compared to this phone, and being on 5G doesn't murder the battery life as much as it does on my 6 Pro.
I've read that Google's trade-in policies can be sketchy at times. I had thought about trading in the 6 Pro for the 7 Pro, but I've been on the fence with that.

tonyfiore75 said:
I was just interested to see who here plans on upgrading to the Pixel 7 / Pro come October? I'm on the fence but leaning towards sticking with my 6 Pro for another year. From what I've seen, spec-wise, I do not see it as a significant upgrade. And Android 13 is Android 13 on either phone. I tend to upgrade most years and am typically disappointed with the result (since my Pixel 4 XL, which I really did like). I mean, it's exciting to get a new phone but certainly not necessary unless you have a good reason (damage or whatever).
What say you all?
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Think I'll wait for the 8. The 7 sounds like a minor update so far, hardware wise. Some have speculated that the 8 may be produced on Samsung's 3nm Process, although others have said that it may not because it will be too expensive. I've got the 2XL, 4XL and 6 Pro, so just may stick with the 2 yr updates.

Yes, though I'm considering trying the next Samsung flagship for fun too

Come to think of it, excpet for the OG Pixel XL (I always use XL phones excpet for the Pixel 3, which I don't like) ), I have not liked the 3 and 5 series AT.ALL. *for obvious reasons) and still have my 2XL and 4XL as cherished backsups and am totally in love with my P6P.
So it looks like the odd-numbered series I don't like and the even I do, at least so far, so will probably not upgrade.

FoneWatcher said:
Come to think of it, excpet for the OG Pixel XL (I always use XL phones excpet for the Pixel 3, which I don't like) ), I have not liked the 3 and 5 series AT.ALL. *for obvious reasons) and still have my 2XL and 4XL as cherished backsups and am totally in love with my P6P.
So it looks like the odd-numbered series I don't like and the even I do, at least so far, so will probably not upgrade.
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I love the superstition, haha.
I remember the days where upgrading your phone was a BIIIIIIG deal. This goes back to my days of having a Samsung Captivate. I mean, each new phone was a totally new experience. Now, not so much. I'd probably still be happy with my Pixel 4 XL. But I always trade my phones in to get a discount. At this point, though, I really see no reason to upgrade to the 7. Maybe when the prices drop later in the year or in 2023 it would make more sense but I am USUALLY The guy that buys the new Pixel on day 1. Definitely not this year.

Nope. Next phone is going to be either a Pixel Fold, Galaxy Z Fold 5, or the Pixel 8 Pro.

Nope. Same Modem I read. And No 50MP shots really left a terrible taste in my mouth. 12MP is 12MP I don't care if it's BINNED or not. My 3aXL took better pictures and that really burnt me.

Lughnasadh said:
Think I'll wait for the 8. The 7 sounds like a minor update so far, hardware wise. Some have speculated that the 8 may be produced on Samsung's 3nm Process. I've got the 2XL, 4XL and 6 Pro, so just may stick with the 2 yr updates.
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Same here, I only got the even numbers Pixels.
Still using my 4 XL, I'm having a hard time parting with it
But I'm probably gonna use my 6 Pro very soon now that Android 13 has finally ironed out the bugs of 12.
I'm still slightly worried about the battery life and cell reception though.

Ghisy said:
I'm still slightly worried about the battery life though.
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I know the September update did address the battery life specifically, if that eases your mind at all.

My wife and I will likely either be waiting for the Pixel 8 Pro / XL / SuperMondo, or potentially until sometime after all security updates stop for the Pixel 6 Pro, so sometime late 2026 or early 2027.
Edit: We did similar for the Pixel 1/XL - didn't update until after it stopped receiving monthly updates.

I've been testing MVK that is under volted and it has cleaned up a lotttt of the heat this phone use to give me. And he's UV the modem as we speak. We playing with . Android 13 and MVK have honestly solved 96% of my problems I had with this Raven.

Gytole said:
it has cleaned up a lotttt of the heat this phone
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Yeah, I've found the heating issue to be problematic myself. In fact, I think it's led to quite a few unplanned reboots of my phone. It happens a lot ON the Pixel Stand, as a matter of fact.

tonyfiore75 said:
Yeah, I've found the heating issue to be problematic myself. In fact, I think it's led to quite a few unplanned reboots of my phone. It happens a lot ON the Pixel Stand, as a matter of fact.
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That's why I don't like wireless charging. Nothing but heat. And where there's a magnetic field, there's an electrical current, and where there's a electrical current, there's a magnetic field. Understanding this physical principal teaches us that although it is "cool" visually, it's not "cool" physically. But yeah this phone has terrible thermals. Since google gave me the middle finger I am tempted to tear the phone apart and see if I can place A. Thermal paste, and B. Thermal pads in the phone in places to allow the phone to act more as a heat sink. But as of now my phone rarely goes above 120f anymore and the battery is consistently below 100f. It use to COOK on A12.1

tonyfiore75 said:
I know the September update did address the battery life specifically, if that eases your mind at all.
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Uh huh, I noticed that in the changelog. Well, let's hope so!

Gytole said:
But as of now my phone rarely goes above 120f anymore and the battery is consistently below 100f
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And what did you do to achieve this besides not using wireless charging? I couldn't quite understand what you meant in your earlier post.

tonyfiore75 said:
And what did you do to achieve this besides not using wireless charging? I couldn't quite understand what you meant in your earlier post.
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I'm on a test Kernel of MVK that is under volted. Less heat.

What I need is; faster charging, an improved 4G/5G modem and better wifi connectivity.
What I want is; a much faster processor (not gonna happen), a flat screen (never gonna happen).
Unless they give me a sweet trade in price like Apple, what's the point for a slightly better camera, probably free pixel buds, and the same screen?
If you want all the 4G/5G bands across all carriers in the US, and the ability to root the device that you own and paid for , your stuck with this 2018 era Samsung processor, and low nit screen.
I would probably spring for a Pixel Fold, just to have something new.

Amd4life said:
I would probably spring for a Pixel Fold, just to have something new.
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I actually think I would as well.

Lughnasadh said:
Think I'll wait for the 8. The 7 sounds like a minor update so far, hardware wise. Some have speculated that the 8 may be produced on Samsung's 3nm Process, although others have said that it may not because it will be too expensive. I've got the 2XL, 4XL and 6 Pro, so just may stick with the 2 yr updates.
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I have the same opinion as you, probably going to wait for the 8.