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Hello everyone,
I recently sold my 910v for two main reasons: It was a nightmare to use on the t-mobile network; and it was a nightmare to mod/root/have fun with (not "that" kinda fun :angel. Anyways, I've been eye-ing some new phones, and the ones that caught my attention are:
Note 4 910F (same lovely note 4, modding community is going strong, can be had for around/under $400 USD wher I live)
Note 4 910C (Same as above, but I've heard better things about the Exynos variant)
OnePlus 3 (Cheap, new, will get lots of official support, and modding community is strong. Only concerns are weak WiFi capabilities and non-removable battery/no sd card)
Those 3 are on my major hit-list. Only reason why the OnePlus 3 is even mentioned is because it's the closest to the note4 specs wise, and can be had readily for $400; whereas the international note 4s are quite harder to obtain at this price. I've seen quite a lot of 910Gs and 910Hs, but I've never truly understood the differences between them and the other international variants. I believe it was certain LTE bands, but I could be wrong.
Now, here's where I'd love to hear your suggestions. Some of the criteria:
I'm a t-mobile user, so something that has LTE bands that I can make use of is a key requirement. International phones are preferred.
Specs wise; I'm not a gamer at all, and generally look for fluid UI, and HD video streaming.
Camera is one of the priorities, as I love to take photos of nice scenery and what-not. Not really a selfie person. I'd set the baseline as the note 4's camera in this case.
I prefer AMOLED screens, and resolution isn't a biggy. 1080p as the minimum.
Battery life is important, but I'm not looking for something that holds a charge for a week. I charge my phone every night after a ~17 hour day of being off charge. Note 4 as a baseline would be optimal.
I don't care how the device looks. I'll put a case on it anyways.
I'm tight on budget, so I can't go above $400. I'm willing to look into second hands/3rd party dealers (ebay, etc)
Modding support is important. I love to flash roms and kernels to get the best out of my phone (plus adaway for those horrible ads). So something that is easy to mod and has a healty/active community here on XDA.
Not really a huge priority, but removable battery/expandable storage are preferred.
Any insight on the matter is greatly appreciated. Now, off I go in search of le dank deals! Huzzaa!
EDIT#1: Just found out about the ZTE Axon 7; and boy, it looks amazing.... on paper. Hopefully they work out the WiFi and signal issues (confirmed to be fine on global version, or by flashing global rom on US variant) and the camera being glitchy in low-light conditions.
Another phone that caught my eye is the older LG G4; I can get it sub $300 and it seems to be slightly better than the note 4 overall. I still favor the newer axon 7 over this.
I see that the s20fe has higher specs, likely to be updated about the same amount of time
It's pointing me hard to leave the pixel family and rejoin (infuse and note 3) the Samsung family.
Anyone have any input? I see that Samsung seems to have a few processor and support issues. Obviously we do not know what issues the pixel 5 will bring but with a known chipset I'm guessing few.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s20-fe
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-5
Probably get better answers there, and probably once the devices are both out.
I left samsung for lack of timely updates years ago and went back to Samsung this year since they've fixed the updating policy. 5 I found a new s20 plus for just over 1/2 off, and the battery life has been insane compared to pixel 3.
_Dennis_ said:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s20-fe
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-5
Probably get better answers there, and probably once the devices are both out.
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Click to collapse
Actually chose this forum on purpose since neither are out.
I own pixel devices so I'm really looking for the Samsung argument.
Thanks though.
You'd honestly probably get more bang for your buck with the S20 FE. The specs are better on the FE side and if software updates are an issue, Samsung just released recently that they're now supporting 3 years of android updates for their devices and I'm sure it'd apply to the FE.
Some specs to consider, the 120hz (FE) vs the 90hz (Pixel) may not seem that substantial but, in practice it can be noticeable. 25W Charging (FE) vs 18W (Pixel). 4500 mAh (FE) vs 4080 mAh (Pixel). SD865 (FE) vs SD765 (Pixel).
The biggest question for you to answer is, do you like stock ui or samsung one ui. Now, I will say samsung is feature enriched with the interface and you'll never be bored with your phone. I've been using the pre-beta one ui 3.0 on my galaxy and I'd like to think that it's actually nice. I've personally never been a fan of stock ui that pixels give but, again, that's my preference. Either way, both devices are solid.
I'm providing a spec sheet of the 2 for you to look at. Sorry it's a long stretched screenshot lmao, may have to save it or zoom in.
View attachment 5109227
megaghostgamer said:
You'd honestly probably get more bang for your buck with the S20 FE. The specs are better on the FE side and if software updates are an issue, Samsung just released recently that they're now supporting 3 years of android updates for their devices and I'm sure it'd apply to the FE.
Some specs to consider, the 120hz (FE) vs the 90hz (Pixel) may not seem that substantial but, in practice it can be noticeable. 25W Charging (FE) vs 18W (Pixel). 4500 mAh (FE) vs 4080 mAh (Pixel). SD865 (FE) vs SD765 (Pixel).
The biggest question for you to answer is, do you like stock ui or samsung one ui. Now, I will say samsung is feature enriched with the interface and you'll never be bored with your phone. I've been using the pre-beta one ui 3.0 on my galaxy and I'd like to think that it's actually nice. I've personally never been a fan of stock ui that pixels give but, again, that's my preference. Either way, both devices are solid.
I'm providing a spec sheet of the 2 for you to look at. Sorry it's a long stretched screenshot lmao, may have to save it or zoom in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks,
I actually suspect the p5 battery life to be similar due to the screen size I do agree the 20fe wins specs hands down.
My only gripe with pixel stock ui is the lack of a second notification volume slider.
I'm more concerned with things that I'm not aware of, such as "Samsung has wronged it's community""chipset bugs", broken promises, etc.
mrkhigh said:
Thanks,
I actually suspect the p5 battery life to be similar due to the screen size I do agree the 20fe wins specs hands down.
My only gripe with pixel stock ui is the lack of a second notification volume slider.
I'm more concerned with things that I'm not aware of, such as "Samsung has wronged it's community""chipset bugs", broken promises, etc.
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Click to collapse
I'd say their reliability has definitely upped within the past say 3 years. Before the galaxy s8 it was kind of a mess. Now, their phones are relatively solid. The FE is gonna be well rounded if anything, phones like my Galaxy S20 Ultra push limits and almost too far (the 108mp camera has horrible auto focus), to where they fix it in the next generation (Note 20 Ultra uses a different auto focus mechanism) but, with that being said, the FE seems to use what they know works and go from there. If anything, it's a slightly mellowed down S20 with a flat screen and the S20 is a good phone. I wouldn't worry too much about updates, they're working pretty quick on 11 for us and that speaks volumes.
The pixel 5 is a midrange spec phone selling at flagship price, i would never buy it unless its less than $300
loris100 said:
The pixel 5 is a midrange spec phone selling at flagship price, i would never buy it unless its less than $300
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P5 or p4a? I agree on the p4a being a $300 phone.
The p5 is maybe $100 more than I'd like to see. But the flagship price anymore is $.9-1.1k and the p5 is likely $700.
I'll definitely be waiting for black Friday/cyber Monday to make the decision.
Right now a $600 fe is tempting, but again I've dug myself pretty deep into the pixel brand and an unlocked bootloader is worth something too.
One of my big things would be if it's going to be possible to get either of these with unlocked bootloaders.
I feel like the pixels usually have a way of doing that, but not the samsungs. At least not the US Snapdragon ones, and since i'm on a CDMA carrier, i can't use any of the exynos variants. Now Verizon is switching to VOLTE end of the year, but it looks like the exynos phones won't have that either.. There are some articles about being able to enable VOLTE on some samsung devices from 2018 / 19, but until everything is launched and folks mess around.. who knows. I don't know that i'll buy another phone unless I can get custom roms. It's just a whole different world.
This phone is a massive 90° turn for google as much on the software side than the hardware.
SO let me know:
1- Are you excited for the GP6 Pro?
2- Do you plan on buying it?
3- What the feature, following the leaks and the I/O that you anticipate the most?
For me :
1- YESSSSSS!!!!!!! (see the title)
2- I'd love to, I'll wait though. I want to see the firsts feedbacks before buying one.
3- To me, the whitechapel SoC really picked my interest a lot. It will either be a deception or a big nice surprise, don't disappoint me Google!
Yes, sort of.
Maybe. I have the Pixel 5: a meh phone, with useless VZ 5G so I turned it off. The only things I'm happy with are battery life, weight/portability, and that I didn't upgrade my plan to a 5G plan.
New in-house chip. I'm not holding my breath on "new and improved" because Google tends to let everyone down prior to announcement, so I'm expecting the same here.
Edit: To be fair, I flipped flopped on buying the Samsung Galaxy 21 Ultra for the camera. What keeps me with Pixel is their call screening. There's been so many of them, the call screening is the best.
I'm buying it the second it's ready!
I'm not excited bcz it has the same 8mp periscope that Vivo, Realme or ZTE etc are using
SidRose01 said:
I'm not excited bcz it has the same 8mp periscope that Vivo, Realme or ZTE etc are using
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Lol and that shows some ignorance. Those other phones don't use Google's software processing for photos. And that's a HUGE deal.
Bwyan Benton said:
Lol and that shows some ignorance. Those other phones don't use Google's software processing for photos. And that's a HUGE deal.
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We can atleast have GCam on other 8mp periscopic phones to get a similar output like GP6 pro. Hence wanted Google to have its in-house sensor or atleast get one from other sensor makers specifically for GP6 pro. PS: those other phone can atleast have GCam and I didn't ignore this.
I'm gonna buy it as soon as I can. I am still running my Pixel 2XL.
1- Yes, finally the Pixel phone we were waiting for.... Hopefully
2- Day One
3- Combination of the Whitechapel SOC and Camera setup. Still not the same amount as the 21 Ultra, one thing Google knows is how to get the best out of hardware they go with. We are talking about the potential capability of iPhone structure but with more modern tech throughout the phone.
I'm very excited as I am for most Pixel releases. I am buying the second it becomes available. I'm afraid if I wait, with the chip shortage, I might miss out if I don't act fast. I am really excited about the new chip and, hopefully, tight integration between software and hardware. I am also really excited for the triple camera setup. Between the nearly 1" sensor, higher resolution and Googles image processing software I am fully expecting them to retake the photo crown back from Apple.
I would like to see eSIM availability on day one. One National carrier, and eSIM for spare carrier/international travel. I sold my Samsung S21+ Unlocked because I couldn’t activate an eSIM!
I have currently a Oneplus 8 Pro. Camera is very average, with Android 11 they moved further away from stock Android, Updates come very slow now that there are newer Oneplus devices (had november security patch until mid february, then we got january patch instead of february...)...
I am so excited for Pixel 6 Pro, as this phone is finally a pixel phone that seems to make no compromises:
Tripple cam
Big Battery
120 hz
Great performance chip (not a hardcote gamer, so must not be top notch for me)
New camera senors...!
I think Pixel 6 Pro will crush it this year.. looks like a S21 Ultra with clean Android.. !! Nice!
But i guess the price tag will be huge, around S21 Ultra launch price (maybe just a little less)
I'm not excited. Mainly because ever since I bought the Pixel 1 and loved it, and used it until a year ago when I got a 512 GB Samsung, I was anticipating getting a 256 GB Pixel as my next upgrade once one was available. I waited four years and now, though, I wouldn't upgrade to another Pixel unless it had 512 GB of internal storage (or have a Micro SD slot, which won't happen with the Pixel). I like my music local and in FLAC, and have my entire library with me. I'm happy that they've finally decided to have 256 GB of storage as an option, but that just won't cut it for me anymore.
I'm extremely apprehensive about this, on one hand it's possibly the flagship Pixel that we've always wanted. On the other hand, it's running a custom chipset that's based on exynos. What does that mean for root access? It seems like exynos chips are always running behind on getting rooted and are generally less efficient than their Snapdragon counterparts. That's complicated by the fact that it's basically a bespoke chip now just for pixel phones.
We'll see, I'm currently holding on with my OnePlus 6t, but OP is dead to me going forward. I was planning on definitely switching to Pixel, but now I'm waiting to see how much access the dev community has to the device
BittahWarlock said:
I'm extremely apprehensive about this, on one hand it's possibly the flagship Pixel that we've always wanted. On the other hand, it's running a custom chipset that's based on exynos. What does that mean for root access? It seems like exynos chips are always running behind on getting rooted and are generally less efficient than their Snapdragon counterparts. That's complicated by the fact that it's basically a bespoke chip now just for pixel phones.
We'll see, I'm currently holding on with my OnePlus 6t, but OP is dead to me going forward. I was planning on definitely switching to Pixel, but now I'm waiting to see how much access the dev community has to the device
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Yes, Oneplus is really not what it once was anymore.
For Exynos Chipset: the exynos Chipset in the S21 Series is great. It is about on the same level than the Snapdragon. Some people even claim it has better battery life and doesnt heat up as much than the Snapdragon version.
Since the Pixel 6 Chip seems to be based on this Exynos Chip with some minor changes, i am sure it will be great!!
It is the first Exynos phone i would buy.
The difference between exynos and snapdragon s21 is not noticable anymore. I m pretty sure that performance and battery will be great.
Mtha86 said:
Yes, Oneplus is really not what it once was anymore.
For Exynos Chipset: the exynos Chipset in the S21 Series is great. It is about on the same level than the Snapdragon. Some people even claim it has better battery life and doesnt heat up as much than the Snapdragon version.
Since the Pixel 6 Chip seems to be based on this Exynos Chip with some minor changes, i am sure it will be great!!
It is the first Exynos phone i would buy.
The difference between exynos and snapdragon s21 is not noticable anymore. I m pretty sure that performance and battery will be great.
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Click to collapse
True, while the gap is closing, there is still a gap. That's really not my main holdup, it's getting root without losing too many features.
Google has been tightening the reins on Android for years. Hopefully we will get full root access without many sacrifices, just need to wait and see
The last google phone I purchased was the Nexus 4 at release, then later I got a Nexus 9. The Pixel series has never interested me, especially design wise. If the P6P's renders are accurate it'll be my 1st google device in years.
I've been running Samsung devices the past few years because no Pixel hardware has really impressed me since the 2XL. The software has been great but hardware has been lacking. I desperately want to get back on the Pixel bandwagon and if all these leaks turn out to be accurate this will finally be the phone that does it! I'll be trading in my Note Ultra 20 on it. Wish we didn't have to wait til late September or October.
Yep...I am. I hope the Pro version has a flat screen instead of a curved screen though.
Raiz said:
This phone is a massive 90° turn for google as much on the software side than the hardware.
SO let me know:
1- Are you excited for the GP6 Pro?
2- Do you plan on buying it?
3- What the feature, following the leaks and the I/O that you anticipate the most?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I'm stoked. Haven't been this excited for a Google device since the Galaxy Nexus w/Ice Cream Sandwich, though the Nexus 5 leak accompanied by KitKat ranks up there.
2. I plan on F5'ing the Google Store repeatedly as soon as the presentation starts, so yeah.
3. Whitechapel and, Material You (biggest software overhaul since 4.4). Also it seems like Google gives a darn about hardware now.
wolfeyes30 said:
Yep...I am. I hope the Pro version has a flat screen instead of a curved screen.
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With u on this
I'm going in...and have committed to Google's Newest (for now) offering, mainly, due to my ADHD/OCD advisement and my current Pixel is pretty much taken care of thanks to the
platform offered by our great allies @ SWAPPA!
Given the purported IP67 rating & considerably larger power-source over the 4a(5G), I'm fully aware of the fact these two handsets are damn near twins, I decided not long ago I wouldn't be a Pixel 6 taker(when/if offered this fall).
As always, comments, opinions, and yes, even some fun ridicule are always welcomed!
Stay clear of the delta variant, & safe journeys!
To each their own.
But I can't force myself to pay $450 for an 18% larger battery. Considering that my current rooted Pixel with custom rom and excellent tuning will last through the entire day 100% of the time. The 15% brighter screen, coupled with 1/4" larger size, and 65,000 more pixels, and a 50% faster refresh -- will absolutely cancel out any increase in battery size, and then some. Its SOT time will suffer considerably, and almost certainly be worse than 4a 5g. Then there's the 30w charging. Supposedly the Pixel 4a 5g tops out at 18w. But this is demonstrably false. My own charging maxes out at nearly 27w. 9v @ 2850mah. So again, this is of zero benefit. The 10% faster charge rate would still require about 10% longer to charge with the larger battery... that again, would likely discharge at a much faster rate than the 4a 5g. IP67 is nice, but again... its not worth $400. Especially considering that I can literally throw my current Pixel 4a 5g into the ocean... twice... and just buy 'new' ones for less money. :-/
I mean, if it had the new Tensor cpu... and a ultra premium camera, rather than the same 12.2mp thats been in it for the last 4 years. Some cool new features like under display front camera and fingerprint.
But its literally the same effin phone. Google is now following the same identical business model as Apple. Upgrades that aren't -- well... upgrades.
The biggest change between the 4a and 5a? the 4 and the 5 in the model number. Its disgusting to me.
Do you really not have anything better to spend your $450 on?? I mean, thats a years worth of car insurance. Or 2 car payments. Or Rent. Or 6 escort services. Or a weekend in Vegas. Or 4 pixel 4a 5g's off craigslist that youd set on fire and record it in 4k while playing Freebird in the background.
Just what he said! (Is the same friking phone)..
bubbyj said:
To each their own.
But I can't force myself to pay $450 for an 18% larger battery. Considering that my current rooted Pixel with custom rom and excellent tuning will last through the entire day 100% of the time. The 15% brighter screen, coupled with 1/4" larger size, and 65,000 more pixels, and a 50% faster refresh -- will absolutely cancel out any increase in battery size, and then some. Its SOT time will suffer considerably, and almost certainly be worse than 4a 5g. Then there's the 30w charging. Supposedly the Pixel 4a 5g tops out at 18w. But this is demonstrably false. My own charging maxes out at nearly 27w. 9v @ 2850mah. So again, this is of zero benefit. The 10% faster charge rate would still require about 10% longer to charge with the larger battery... that again, would likely discharge at a much faster rate than the 4a 5g. IP67 is nice, but again... its not worth $400. Especially considering that I can literally throw my current Pixel 4a 5g into the ocean... twice... and just buy 'new' ones for less money. :-/
I mean, if it had the new Tensor cpu... and a ultra premium camera, rather than the same 12.2mp thats been in it for the last 4 years. Some cool new features like under display front camera and fingerprint.
But its literally the same effin phone. Google is now following the same identical business model as Apple. Upgrades that aren't -- well... upgrades.
The biggest change between the 4a and 5a? the 4 and the 5 in the model number. Its disgusting to me.
Do you really not have anything better to spend your $450 on?? I mean, thats a years worth of car insurance. Or 2 car payments. Or Rent. Or 6 escort services. Or a weekend in Vegas. Or 4 pixel 4a 5g's off craigslist that youd set on fire and record it in 4k while playing Freebird in the background.
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Click to collapse
Right On!
My thoughts are that the 5a 5G is what the 4a 5G should've been to begin with (but of course that would've made it too similar to the 5 at the time of release). I'm happy with my 4a 5G and at the same time a little bummed that I needed a phone urgently three months ago and got that. I might consider a Pixel 6 Pro after some months.
killchain said:
My thoughts are that the 5a 5G is what the 4a 5G should've been to begin with (but of course that would've made it too similar to the 5 at the time of release). I'm happy with my 4a 5G and at the same time a little bummed that I needed a phone urgently three months ago and got that. I might consider a Pixel 6 Pro after some months.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I feel you on that, kinda going through that myself but decided not to purchase either.
For one, the Pixel 6 isn't really a choice, right?! Not too many folks are going to buy a new handset that's playing second string. I noticed immediately when I started looking, the 256 & 512gb P6P's we're already gone, just the 128gb's stg. we're left. What's more, the P6 had the 256 & 128gb's on hand, but then the slower/lower display refresh rate and reduced RAM (<2gb) kinda talk you out of it. The P6P's we're definitely Google's choice for new buyers, as I noticed their Google store site was all centered around the Big Gun, and that's just marketing. You had to do a little digging around the site to find a P6 to send to your cart, whereas google.had the device comparison all set-up when you selected their choice, or the P6P model! No freebies, neither, that hit me right from the start....no $10.00 off your order like I had when purchasing my P5a.
I'm not gonna spring for neither at the present, but will keep an eye on their new SoC, Tensor, to see how it performs and such. It's kinda like when you're out shopping for a new ride and you see a new model & it's one you like, but then that old school rule of thumb kicks in to remind 'ya don't buy it if there's a major component change (like the engine, etc) & it's in it's model year? Sorry for rambling, but believe it or not this was my mindset, and helped me to decide to wait this one out, at least for the time being.
Some people just have to have the latest and greatest, regardless of what improvement it might bring them. Kinda like the iStuff folks. I like the idea of assessing cost vs benefit - like how much money are you spending for what sort of difference. I bought my Pixel 2 after it had already been out for a year, and used that until I upgraded to the Pixel 5 earlier this year...and only because the battery was showing its age. I won't be upgrading to the 6, and the only reason why I got the 5 over the 4a was because I wanted a bigger battery. If the 4a 5g were still in stock, I'd get one for my wife to replace her Pixel 3.
Who knows, now that the 6 is out, we might see a price cut on the older devices?
V0latyle said:
Some people just have to have the latest and greatest, regardless of what improvement it might bring them. Kinda like the iStuff folks. I like the idea of assessing cost vs benefit - like how much money are you spending for what sort of difference. I bought my Pixel 2 after it had already been out for a year, and used that until I upgraded to the Pixel 5 earlier this year...and only because the battery was showing its age. I won't be upgrading to the 6, and the only reason why I got the 5 over the 4a was because I wanted a bigger battery. If the 4a 5g were still in stock, I'd get one for my wife to replace her Pixel 3.
Who knows, now that the 6 is out, we might see a price cut on the older devices?
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Click to collapse
I'm with ya buddy. As you can see, I stated the same identical thing in an earlier post here. Pixel took a page from the iPhone handbook and made it their own. An upgrade that's not an upgrade. Changing the name of a device is not an upgrade.
bubbyj said:
I'm with ya buddy. As you can see, I stated the same identical thing in an earlier post here. Pixel took a page from the iPhone handbook and made it their own. An upgrade that's not an upgrade. Changing the name of a device is not an upgrade.
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Click to collapse
I would disagree. The Pixel 6 / 6 Pro are kinda revolutionary in the sense that they're on the Tensor SoC platform whereas all Pixel and Nexus devices since the Nexus 4 in 2012 have used Qualcomm Snapdragon. This is Google's first venture using in-house designed hardware, although the Tensor is quite similar to the Exynos platform. The Tensor makes some compromises to accommodate the TPU, so it seems like Google is investing a lot in AI hardware; both the SD888 and Exynos 2100 easily outperform so it will be interesting to see what happens with the next generation.
But, I can see your point on the upgrade perspective; it's worth noting that the Nexus/Pixel line has never exactly been cutting edge. Google has typically opted for mid-range processors in most devices. I think the purpose of the Pixel line really is aimed at the "Google experience" - Android more or less in its native form, with the Google suite fully integrated. You can certainly make the argument that this has been Apple's model for quite some time, but it obviously works - people keep buying iStuff with the latest number even though it looks and performs pretty much the same as the previous generation.
Was so confusing considering buying either the 4a 5G or 5a 5G. And I ended up with the Pixel 4a 5g, just for the google photos unlimited backup
V0latyle said:
I would disagree. The Pixel 6 / 6 Pro are kinda revolutionary in the sense that they're on the Tensor SoC platform whereas all Pixel and Nexus devices since the Nexus 4 in 2012 have used Qualcomm Snapdragon. This is Google's first venture using in-house designed hardware, although the Tensor is quite similar to the Exynos platform. The Tensor makes some compromises to accommodate the TPU, so it seems like Google is investing a lot in AI hardware; both the SD888 and Exynos 2100 easily outperform so it will be interesting to see what happens with the next generation.
But, I can see your point on the upgrade perspective; it's worth noting that the Nexus/Pixel line has never exactly been cutting edge. Google has typically opted for mid-range processors in most devices. I think the purpose of the Pixel line really is aimed at the "Google experience" - Android more or less in its native form, with the Google suite fully integrated. You can certainly make the argument that this has been Apple's model for quite some time, but it obviously works - people keep buying iStuff with the latest number even though it looks and performs pretty much the same as the previous generation.
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Click to collapse
You're not disagreeing at all *with me*. Because I made no such statement -- that the Pixel 6/Pro wasn't an upgrade over the older phones.
In fact, we are in full agreement --- the Pixel 6 and Pro are among the best phones ever made IMO. The camera alone is revolutionary. The new 50mp 4/1 binned camera is the best in the business at this very moment. Couple that with the Tensor and its AI computing, mixed with the Gcam's computational photography core... Nothing even comes close. A huge battery, with a 5nm process.... its just a beautiful device inside and out.
But again, I never made a single comment regarding the Pixel 6/pro. The OP/title is discussing the Pixel 4a 5g vs the Pixel 5a.
My post is discussing the 4a 5g vs 5a, as well.
I'm not sure how anyone could confuse that.
With the 5a, my post and statement still stand strong. Its an 'upgrade' in name only. And google appears to be exploiting name changes as upgrades, much like the cult of iWhatever.
There's literally no difference between an 8 and 10.
-same main camera 12mp dual pixel
-same selfie camera 7mp
-same battery 2700mah
-same processor A11
-same gpu Tri-Core Bionic
-same ram 3gb
-same storage 64/128/256
-same ssd type (NVMe)
-same cell bands (4g LTE)
-same wifi adapter (a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 and 5, no 6)
-same essential size (5.5" vs 5.7")
The only 2 and real differences:
-the iPhone 8 scores HIGHER on GeekBench!!
-the identical iPhone X was $300 more at $999 vs $699 for the iPhone 8.
This is nothing short of delusional and psychotic. $300 for a name change, and a 3% bigger screen, and a 4% drop in benchmark scores.
The pixel 5a is exactly the same scenario. Its benchmark scores are actually fractionally lower. And nothing else is really different. Its battery life is essentially the same as the 4a5g, even though its bigger... due to its fractionally larger and brighter screen.
Its fraudulent. And everybody should be able to recognize this. Those that don't, likely deserve the abuse.
bubbyj said:
You're not disagreeing at all *with me*. Because I made no such statement -- that the Pixel 6/Pro wasn't an upgrade over the older phones.
In fact, we are in full agreement --- the Pixel 6 and Pro are among the best phones ever made IMO. The camera alone is revolutionary. The new 50mp 4/1 binned camera is the best in the business at this very moment. Couple that with the Tensor and its AI computing, mixed with the Gcam's computational photography core... Nothing even comes close. A huge battery, with a 5nm process.... its just a beautiful device inside and out.
But again, I never made a single comment regarding the Pixel 6/pro. The OP/title is discussing the Pixel 4a 5g vs the Pixel 5a.
My post is discussing the 4a 5g vs 5a, as well.
I'm not sure how anyone could confuse that.
With the 5a, my post and statement still stand strong. Its an 'upgrade' in name only. And google appears to be exploiting name changes as upgrades, much like the cult of iWhatever.
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The Pixel "a" series has always been intended as a "budget" alternative via compromises on hardware and storage. The 4a 5G and 5a are almost identical - they both use the SD765G, same as the Pixel 5. The biggest differences are the 5a is slightly bigger and has a much larger battery. So in that sense, I suppose I could agree with you - the only way a 5a would be an upgrade over the 4a 5g would be battery life. Kind of an odd marketing strategy if you ask me; the 4a 5g could have easily been the 5a, and the 5a could have just had the same hardware as the 5 and become the 5XL.
bubbyj said:
There's literally no difference between an 8 and 10.
-same main camera 12mp dual pixel
-same selfie camera 7mp
-same battery 2700mah
-same processor A11
-same gpu Tri-Core Bionic
-same ram 3gb
-same storage 64/128/256
-same ssd type (NVMe)
-same cell bands (4g LTE)
-same wifi adapter (a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 and 5, no 6)
-same essential size (5.5" vs 5.7")
The only 2 and real differences:
-the iPhone 8 scores HIGHER on GeekBench!!
-the identical iPhone X was $300 more at $999 vs $699 for the iPhone 8.
This is nothing short of delusional and psychotic. $300 for a name change, and a 3% bigger screen, and a 4% drop in benchmark scores.
The pixel 5a is exactly the same scenario. Its benchmark scores are actually fractionally lower. And nothing else is really different. Its battery life is essentially the same as the 4a5g, even though its bigger... due to its 90hz and brighter screen.
Its fraudulent. And everybody should be able to recognize this. Those that don't, likely deserve the abuse.
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I'm not sure I would go so far as to decry this as "fraudulent" or "abuse". Generation wise, the Pixel a has always come after the namesake model. I do consider it odd that there's both a 4a and a 4a (5G), with different hardware, and they were only released 3 months apart; it almost seems like Google could have just gone with the 4/4XL, 4a, then the 5 and 5a.
And, with the Pixel 6/6 Pro having identical CPUs but nearly double the RAM and definitely double the storage on the Pro....it does kinda seem like they're going Apple.
But, people still buy it. I've always considered the iStuff model a ripoff too and if Google does the same thing, it'll still be a ripoff. But, they will keep doing it because people will keep buying the phones. Including myself. Though I'll probably wait a bit longer before I upgrade again. I came to the Pixel 5 from the 2.
robocopvn said:
Was so confusing considering buying either the 4a 5G or 5a 5G. And I ended up with the Pixel 4a 5g, just for the google photos unlimited backup
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Good call. I've found 4a 5g's on the used (and perfect condition) market for $150.
The 5a 5g has been a huge bust for Google too.
when the 4a 5g came out, it was obviously the deal of a lifetime. You essential got a Pixel 5 for half the price. The only real differences are the IP68 rating, a metal frame, and 90hz display.
The 8% larger battery is more than eaten up by the 50% faster display refresh on the Pixel 5.
So the Pixel 4a 5g was an amazing deal upon introduction. But considering you can get Pixel 5's for $250 on the used market today, anyone who would spend $500 on a 5a is glutten for punishment.
Sadly, the 6a rumor mills are in universal agreement -- it'll use the same 12.2mp IMX 363 main camera as every pixel has used since #2 was released. Which in itself isn't necessarily a *bad* thing. But its tired. And should be REtired.
The 6a should be coming with the 50mp sensor.
I'm a camera guy and make my living as a photographer. I exclusively use the Pixel 4a 5g as my camera, which blows most people's mind -- as they often use $2000+ DSLR camera's. The fact that I can do everything they can with a cheap phone, is just unheard of.
In fact, I created cost/effectiveness ratio's of today's leading phones. The gold standard for benchmarking camera's is the legendary dxoMark score. It takes about a dozen benchmarks into consideration and creates a single score using their proprietary formula. Here is a list of my c/e ratio's (LOWER IS BETTER, scored as dollar per 1 point)
Galaxy S21 Ultra: 121 @ $1200 $ 9.91
Galaxy zFold 3: 124 @ $1800 $14.52
iPhone XS Max: 106 @ $1100 $10.38
xPeria 1 III: 114 @ $1300 $11.41
Google Pixel 5: 120 @ $700 $ 5.83
One Plus 9 Pro: 124 @ $970 $ 7.82
Iphone 13 Max: 137 @ $1100 $ 8.03
And then....
GOOGLE PIXEL 4A 5G 120 @ 350 $ 2.91
While I realize that the camera isn't the only thing that people look for in a phone. CPU's are super important. Pixels per inch. Battery size.
But the great fact of phones is this and nothing less: The average phone buyer is NOT a power user. They take selfies, stalk on facebook, check email, send texts, watch netlfix/porn, and maybe listen to some music. Which means 90% of users can literally tell ZERO difference between using an iphone 13 pro and a samsung a12. I mean, having the facebook app open in 0.8 seconds vs 1.1 seconds is the biggest difference between the two phones and uses.
The 5a and the 4a5 literally have the same capabilities, at the same speeds, with the same results, and same user experience. Its highway robbery.
V0latyle said:
The Pixel "a" series has always been intended as a "budget" alternative via compromises on hardware and storage. The 4a 5G and 5a are almost identical - they both use the SD765G, same as the Pixel 5. The biggest differences are the 5a is slightly bigger and has a much larger battery. So in that sense, I suppose I could agree with you - the only way a 5a would be an upgrade over the 4a 5g would be battery life. Kind of an odd marketing strategy if you ask me; the 4a 5g could have easily been the 5a, and the 5a could have just had the same hardware as the 5 and become the 5XL.
I'm not sure I would go so far as to decry this as "fraudulent" or "abuse". Generation wise, the Pixel a has always come after the namesake model. I do consider it odd that there's both a 4a and a 4a (5G), with different hardware, and they were only released 3 months apart; it almost seems like Google could have just gone with the 4/4XL, 4a, then the 5 and 5a.
And, with the Pixel 6/6 Pro having identical CPUs but nearly double the RAM and definitely double the storage on the Pro....it does kinda seem like they're going Apple.
But, people still buy it. I've always considered the iStuff model a ripoff too and if Google does the same thing, it'll still be a ripoff. But, they will keep doing it because people will keep buying the phones. Including myself. Though I'll probably wait a bit longer before I upgrade again. I came to the Pixel 5 from the 2.
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As I pointed out earlier the 'much larger battery' is a fraudulent claim. Its larger in 'name only'.
Youtube has multiple videos of the 4a 5g, the 5a, and the 5 going head to head on battery life tests. The one that I watched in full shows that the pixel 5a is at 5% at the moment the 4a 5g shuts down. They are using the same battery drain test app, with the screen brightest adjusted to the same level. Whats most interesting about this test is that the pixel 5a is freshly unboxed and has a 100% new and unused battery. So it hasn't lost any of its charging abilities. The user states that the Pixel 4a 5g used in the test has 7 months worth of daily drains and recharges. Likely over 200 charging cycles. According to all available information, 5% battery life is lost per 100 charges. So its safe to say that Pixel 4a5 used has about 90% life at this point. Meaning, a fresh 4a5 will likely perform equally or better than the 5a because of its 65k less pixels, and 10-12% dimmer screen at max brightness. So that perk/plus is out the window. The larger battery is simply to compensate for its faster burn rate.
To repeat and beat an already dead horse... The 4a5 and the 5a are basically the same phones with different names printed on them. The 6 and the Pro however are vastly different, with major and awesome upgrades between the two -- fully justifying the 'pro moniker'.
1)Pro has a MAJOR screen upgrade. It goes from a 2400x1080 screen to a 3120x1440p. Thats the difference between 4.5 million pixels and 2.5 million pixels. A nearly 100% increase in resolution. The difference is palpable. And your eyes are immediately turned onto it.
2)Pro has a 33% faster frame rate. 120hz, vs just a 60-90hz variable rate for the 6. Scrolling feels like another entire world when you compare the two. The 6's GPU will support hundreds of frames per second with many of todays graphically intense games... but the screen will only show 60 of those frames for most games (as they aren't built for variable hz rates) and even if they are, it'll only show 90fps at the very best due to the screen limitations. The Pro, however, will show 120fps. Again, its like you're in another world. Anyone who thinks you can't tell the difference, i urge them to swap between 30fps and 60fps on their google camera app... you'll never ever go back to 30fps again, because the difference is THAT profound. Truly.
3)Pro has a 3rd and absolutely incredible camera -- the first telephoto camera in the google lineup. This provides 4x optical zoom. Optical zoom loses ZERO resolution and quality for the 1st 4x zoom. Couple this with the super resolution function of dual pixel technology, the tensor's AI, and google camera's superior computational core --- you can literally zoom up to 10-12x on this camera without a single visual loss of resolution. Its incredible.
4)Pro has a VASTLY upgraded selfie camera. With 40% more resolution, much larger pixel size for increased light intake and color contrast output... the difference is night and day. In fact, its self camera rivals the main sensors on most any other phone on the market.
5)Pro has a >5000mah battery.
6)Pro has 50% more RAM. But not just 'more'... its also 33% faster with its bandwidth and the actual processing of memory.
7)Pro has 25% more Pixels per inch, 2x more color contrast, and 10% brighter screen.
8)Pro has mmWave and Ultrawide band on ALL models. The 6 requires an upgrade to the "mmWave UW" model to achieve this.
9)Pro has a half terabyte model, not avaialble on the 6.
Now... can you see why this isn't apple "upgrades"??
But when you compare the 4a5 and the 5a.... I'd literally be typingj 1)same, 2)same, 3)same, 4)same, etc.
V0latyle said:
I would disagree. The Pixel 6 / 6 Pro are kinda revolutionary in the sense that they're on the Tensor SoC platform whereas all Pixel and Nexus devices since the Nexus 4 in 2012 have used Qualcomm Snapdragon. This is Google's first venture using in-house designed hardware, although the Tensor is quite similar to the Exynos platform. The Tensor makes some compromises to accommodate the TPU, so it seems like Google is investing a lot in AI hardware; both the SD888 and Exynos 2100 easily outperform so it will be interesting to see what happens with the next generation.
But, I can see your point on the upgrade perspective; it's worth noting that the Nexus/Pixel line has never exactly been cutting edge. Google has typically opted for mid-range processors in most devices. I think the purpose of the Pixel line really is aimed at the "Google experience" - Android more or less in its native form, with the Google suite fully integrated. You can certainly make the argument that this has been Apple's model for quite some time, but it obviously works - people keep buying iStuff with the latest number even though it looks and performs pretty much the same as the previous generation.
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I tend to agree...the only thing I would add is it seemed just a short while ago Google was pulling away from Samsung and beginning to go their own way and then came the Tensor, which we know Google asked the monopolizing conglomerate, Samsung for some pointers, etc., and a handshake later, maybe a partner?! Don't get me wrong, since abandoning ship (uh, that's Samsung's Flag-ship), one of the things that no price tag could cure was having 2 apps (1 Google & 1 Samsung) for everyday usage stuff tho I prefer "Native Android" too in lieu of Google! My handset isn't bogged.down with as much bloatware and when scrolling my app drawer I DON'T SEE, total apps on device=507!
And my point's in here somewhere, I promise, and Google, I get it, why take a huge risk to totally reinvent the wheel if it's not necessary but then are we gonna see the same dropoff from customer goodwill from Google as some saw from Samsung, (i.e., everyone remembers where it all started) with the Note 7 debaucle?! When Samsung finished, and tied a neat little bow on it, several thousand (dare I say million) of us were left holding our "junk" in one hand & the Galaxy Note 7 FE (fan edition, yeah which, btw, I offered up to them, hey guys let's call it: Galaxy Note 7 FS, you know for Fuc#'s Sake...no takers on that one)!
Let's hope/pray Google with it's latest Flagship challenge, decide to hold fast to a higher customer goodwill standard so not as to mirror the outcome that their "new" S.Korean SOc chipset partners had. Sorry I turned my "reply/add to" into the makings of a sound-off platform, God forbid. smh
evnStevn
p.s..dammit man, I know better, but Is it just me, or does anyone else see a striking resemblance with the new Pixel line and the historical Galaxy S10 series, forgoing the huge camera bump? It might be these old eyes, idk
evnStevn said:
I tend to agree...the only thing I would add is it seemed just a short while ago Google was pulling away from Samsung and beginning to go their own way and then the Tensor which admittedly Samsung is their partner on this?! Don't get me wrong, since abandoning ship (uh, that's Samsung's Flag-ship), one of the things that no price tag could cure was having 2 apps (1 Google & 1 Samsung) for everyday usage stuff tho I prefer "Native Android" too in lieu of Google! My handset isn't bogged.down with as much bloatware and when scrolling my app drawer I DON'T SEE total apps on device=507
And my point's in here somewhere, I promise, and Google, I get it, why take a huge risk to totally reinvent the wheel if it's not necessary but then are we gonna see the same dropoff from customer goodwill from Google as some saw from Samsung, (i.e., everyone remembers where it all started) with the Note 7 debaucle?! When Samsung finished, and tied a neat little bow on it, several thousand (dare I say million) of us were left holding our "junk" in one hand & the Galaxy Note 7 FE (fan edition, yeah which, btw, I offered up to them, hey guys let's call it: Galaxy Note 7 FS, you know for Fuc#'s Sake...no takers on that one)!
Let's hope/pray Google with it's latest Flagship challenge, decide to hold fast to a higher customer goodwill standard so not as to mirror the outcome that their "new" S.Korean SOc chipset partners had. Sorry I turned my "reply/add to" into the makings of a sound-off platform, God forbid. smh
evnStevn
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For sure. Samsung is one of the worst offenders with bloatware. My opinion on hardware as well as operating systems is thus: Allow users to have the freedom to choose whatever cloud integration they want. Samsung is trying their damnedest to break into cloud services and AI like Google, but I can't say I have ever been particularly impressed with anything they've had to offer. Besides, people like convenience - most users would rather have "One Account - One Google" instead of having to have a Samsung account, a Verizon account, etc. It's one thing to have the option - it's another entirely to have everything default to one option, and to try to discourage users from using competitors' options.
Microsoft is particularly bad at this with Edge. I prefer Google, including Chrome, for most of my services...simply from a perspective of convenience. They've done a pretty good job of streamlining everything. But, Microsoft has been particularly insistent on use of Edge...even for enterprise platforms (I use Windows 10 LTSC). When I changed the default browser, Windows was like "But have you tried Edge?" Nope, don't want it. "Are you SURE?" Yep. I'm sure. "Okay, we're going to install it for you anyway, and every once in a while we'll ask you again just in case you change your mind."
Yeah, no. I'm a stubborn old mule. The more someone tries to convince me to do something, the less likely I am to even consider it. And if I've made my decision yet you pester me anyway, I'm DEFINITELY not going to change my answer.
and did Microsoft put those fake Chrome browser links out there to fool folks when trying to download their favorite and best established browser...how dare I suggest such a thing?! Preposterous!!
Buying a new [used] phone and was looking at the S20 Ultra and OP9.
Found two decent prices for here in Aus: S20U @ $570AUD versus OP9 @ $440-500AUD.
I will likely keep the phone for three to four years, so curious about durability, build-quality, hardware, software/development. I know the OP9 is newer and faster (on paper), but how does it stand the test of time compared to Samsung who has been in the game or longer.
Thanks!
I had the OnePlus 9 for the wife and I currently have the 9 Pro for myself. She really wanted the Flip3 so T-mobile offered me $400 for it so all I had to do was put $170 down for it and that was it. They're also offering me $00 for my 9 Pro, but it's fully unlocked (sim/bl) and if I end up getting the Ultra, it would be the SD version and I would be stuck with a fully locked phone so I'd want to keep my 9 Pro to tinker with. Sorry if this doesn't help you at all, didn't know if you were looking for opinions specifically of what you're asking for, or if you wanted opinions on why someone would want it over the 9/Pro.
cheers. yeah just generally curious what people think. and sorry, its the 9 pro that I am looking at.
both mine would be unlocked. I've never owned a OnePLus device, but samsung is classic reliable..
Samsung has a better update policy, but fixed promised from the S21 series. Oneplus is currently experiencing difficulties in this area. Samsung guarantees updates for at least 3 years starting with the 21 models, if not more in the meantime.
I have a Oneplus 9 pro and just treated myself to a comparison with the Samsung S22 ultra. Except for disappointing improvements in the camera, I do not see any advantages, on the contrary; with root, your warranty is gone. So I'm sticking with Oneplus. Add the buds pro if you like listening to music; the sound is perfectly tuned to the phone and sounds worlds better than on other phones. The display of the 22 Ultra is on par, the speakers are worse, and the performance feels identical (Exynos for me). Keep in mind that the 20 Ultra is a bit older.
In terms of weight and form factor, I think the Oneplus is more durable and less vulnerable to drops.
But the update policy is still up in the air (because of ColorOS), but updates will certainly come.
Thanks for replying. I am definitely leaning towards OP9 Pro.
jewnersey said:
Thanks for replying. I am definitely leaning towards OP9 Pro.
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From my nearly one year experience with the OnePlus 9 Pro and more with OnePlus itself (since the OnePlus 3, also went through the 7 Pro and the 8 Pro), the software update has gotten worse with time, especially with the OnePlus 9 Pro, which had a clearly bad first release of OxygenOS 12 (consider December 2021 was the worst month to get a OnePlus 9 Pro up to date).
As they are actively merging with OPPO (hardware and software), the first days were rough, but they are clearly improving with every updates and the C.44 is quite good so far (I even tried the full ColorOS 12 experience but came back to OxygenOS 12 because of throttling in games and a few other minor points). So if you're willing to trust OnePlus on their updates, I think you can have a quite decent phone.
On the hardware side, the charging system is clearly the best I've gone with (65W wired and 50W wireless, it's crazy fast). The screen is beautiful (it comes from Samsung factories, sooooooo... Let's say it won't be very different if you go for a recent Samsung phone). The partnership with Hasselblad is really bringing some improvements (even if it's software side) and that's the first phone that made me really enjoy taking pictures.
The supported communication bands are in line with pretty much all actual standards and had never to complain for any kind of connection (WiFi, Bluetooth, 2G/3G/4G/5G).
For me, it's a big recommendation, but if you had told me you hesitated with a S22 Ultra, I would have been a little less partial on it.
I like the design of S20 Ultra, but for some people could be bulky, big, heavy. For me design for S20 Ultra is Much Nicer than OnePlus 9 Pro. I like square phones. 9 Pro is absolutly Not.
Samsung = Bloatware. I don't know/care if you still can root it.
OnePlus 9 Pro you can root, debloat. It works very good. For me battery is great.
I have European phone & now i use ColorOS 12 stable global C.46.
If you have money, go for Samsung S22 Note, only wwith SnapDragon !
But if you don't want to throw money on a phone, OnePlus 9 Pro is great.
I hope none take this the wrong way, but I've had the 8 pro, then 9 pro coming from the pixel line, and it has been super sweet.
With Oppo taking control, I'm seriously concerned with them not releasing source code anymore in a timely manner. The reason I moved to this phone was a kernel dev moving(& me following), and now he has given up on the 9 pro , due to this issue. Thankfully currently, we have some really nice talent supporting our device.
I've always been on a custom ROM for the last seven+ years until the 8 pro and the 9 pro. With a few tweaks, OnePlus devs along with the awesome devs here on XDA had everything I used in the years past, and usually was more featured, and everything I needed.
Going forward, I suppose only custom ROMs will do the trick, but like previously mentioned, maybe the support for OnePlus 9 pro will improve from Oppo.
I'm really thankful for this community, and for their support with this device. I hope for the best going forward for OnePlus, Android, etc, but I find it hard to see me getting another OnePlus, but maybe I might change my mind, since I really like the idea of a device with the support for Gapps or microg, etc. I hope whatever you decide to do works out with no regrets, and I hope this could maybe be of use.
If root access wasn't a deciding factor for me, I would own an S20 Ultra right now instead of the 9 Pro. It ultimately came down to the fact that root on Samsung is effectively non-existent now, and root on OnePlus has always been easily achieved.
The S20 is smooth, pretty, innovative, and everything that most people would want in a high-end smartphone. It's also bloated, but I assume you can still somewhat debloat with adb. The OP9P is also a great phone, though maybe not as great as the early hype. However, I've always been happy with it, and I love that there's a great development community, even if it's a bit smaller than the 8Pro or 7 Pro. A lot are still holding out for the 10Pro.
That said, modding on OP9P on OOS12 is severely limited at present compared with OOS11 due to no sources (no custom kernels, etc.) and most of the UI being part of the theme so you can't change it via traditional methods. If this is the direction they're going long-term, this might be my last OP phone too. There are lots of great custom ROMs if you're into that, but personally I don't like having to wipe my data and start fresh to install custom ROMs, then spend weeks getting my phone back how I want it only to decide I'm not crazy about the ROM I chose (or it's not stable/a feature I need doesn't work) and have to do it all over again. I just find the whole process too tedious for a device I rely on every single day. I prefer a phone with a versatile, rootable, highly moddable stock firmware.