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It looks like the mi 9 SE will be released global on the 28th of March. I want to "measure" how big the xda community will be for this phone, and also just curious...
If the mi 9 SE will be released globally, will you consider buying this phone (answer in poll)?
Well it's just as easy to modify as most of Xiaomi phones so I guess soon there will be here some custom rom choices. Especially if the only other smaller size competitor is Samsung 10e, for over twice the price.
I have 9se for about three weeks so far and must admit it's a great piece of hardware, but only if you like compact devices. Otherwise I'd rather choose Redmi Note 7 (limited budget) or Mi 9 or keep waiting for Poco F2.
winesh said:
It looks like the mi 9 SE will be released global on the 28th of March. I want to "measure" how big the xda community will be for this phone, and also just curious...
If the mi 9 SE will be released globally, will you consider buying this phone (answer in poll)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, absolutely. I'm looking forward to purchase the 128gb varient. I LOVE compact phones, especially the ones with flagship spec i.e. Sony. But I'm definitely getting the Mi 9 SE.
Actually, its form factor seem to be the best. I would consider buying the P30 or S10e, but the price is way better on the Mi 9 SE.
Just wondering if it worth waiting for the Mi A3 lite, which would be about the same smartphone except for the snapdragon (660 and not 712) but with Android One and b28....
It depends on what is important for you. I am planning to buy too, after I have seen some reviews and possibly if I see some development activity here.
The reasons I would buy this phone are: small size, amoled screen, quite decent chipset and nfc.
I would personally not buy the galaxy s10e because of the high price and the lack of developement I have seen with their previous phones.
kagazushi said:
Actually, its form factor seem to be the best. I would consider buying the P30 or S10e, but the price is way better on the Mi 9 SE.
Just wondering if it worth waiting for the Mi A3 lite, which would be about the same smartphone except for the snapdragon (660 and not 712) but with Android One and b28....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After having a mi A1 for over a year, I'm NEVER getting another Android one phone from Xiaomi!
keeeper said:
Well it's just as easy to modify as most of Xiaomi phones so I guess soon there will be here some custom rom choices. Especially if the only other smaller size competitor is Samsung 10e, for over twice the price.
I have 9se for about three weeks so far and must admit it's a great piece of hardware, but only if you like compact devices. Otherwise I'd rather choose Redmi Note 7 (limited budget) or Mi 9 or keep waiting for Poco F2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about the quality of the photos??? Battery?
WhatzIt2Ya said:
After having a mi A1 for over a year, I'm NEVER getting another Android one phone from Xiaomi!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ho that's interesting, can you explain why? (I guess the amoled screen won't be on the Mi A3 and that's why i'll buy the 9 SE, but still I'm curious)
Trunksleo said:
How about the quality of the photos??? Battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just watched a couple of reviews and forum posts so mine is not a "direct" opinion, anyway
About photos, they are very good. They are not great, as well as big brother Mi 9, probably that's due to the software: AI and drivers are still not perfectly calibrated on Sony IMX586. It looks like worst than Mi 8, even if on paper Mi9/Mi9SE should have a better sensor.
About battery, it's enough! If you use dark theme, you can reach 6 hours of display on. Recently Xiaomi released DC function for Mi 9 , maybe we will see the same for Mi 9 SE because both have AMOLED display, which can benefit of this DC function.
If battery sometime isn't enough, QC @ 18W can pump in a few minutes the energy you need to reach late night.
Trunksleo said:
How about the quality of the photos??? Battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Photos during daylight are great, just as you wish them to be. Every lens is doing it's job well - you can get a nice close up photo with zoom, wide angle lens proved to be useful as well, bokeh is nice (but it used to be so even on Mi 6). I am a little disappointed with night mode though - before I was playing with it on Mix 3 and there the results looked like magic, here are mediocre. It looks like the algorithm is only increasing the general brightness of the photo without recognizing the difference between stuff which should be visible and that is supposed to remain dark. The effect is obviously worse than on Mi 9 (basing on the reviews).
The battery is sufficient. Mi 9 SE as a smaller size phone is not bought for gaming therefore for any other activity can be used quite long. E.g. I've got over 14 hours of continuous movie play (MX Player HW+) and 25 hours when left as a clock (Big Clock app on Google Play). When you're not using the phone the battery drain is about 1% per hour with Ambient Display on.
kagazushi said:
Ho that's interesting, can you explain why? (I guess the amoled screen won't be on the Mi A3 and that's why i'll buy the 9 SE, but still I'm curious)
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Click to collapse
Xiaomi is notoriously slow with updates. Like now, it's the end of March still no March patch, some people didn't even get Feb patch yet. And the biggest f*** up that Xiaomi did is after android pie update. Wifi Mac has changed, some people got their phone bricked, wifi keeps disconnecting, battery life is super poor (4-5h sot), a lot of bugs I encounter every day, still using 3.18 kernel instead of 4.9 etc. etc.
WhatzIt2Ya said:
Xiaomi is notoriously slow with updates. Like now, it's the end of March still no March patch, some people didn't even get Feb patch yet. And the biggest f*** up that Xiaomi did is after android pie update. Wifi Mac has changed, some people got their phone bricked, wifi keeps disconnecting, battery life is super poor (4-5h sot), a lot of bugs I encounter every day, still using 3.18 kernel instead of 4.9 etc. etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so according to you, the best way is to buy the mi 9 se for its hardware and run custom roms on it? That's my secret plan
kagazushi said:
Ok so according to you, the best way is to buy the mi 9 se for its hardware and run custom roms on it? That's my secret plan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, the only reason why switched to custom for a while is because the wifi problem, everyone is facing this issue. It's disconnects won't won't connect back, and 5ghz wifi speed is very poor.
---------- Post added at 09:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 AM ----------
kagazushi said:
Ok so according to you, the best way is to buy the mi 9 se for its hardware and run custom roms on it? That's my secret plan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want the mi 9 se as a replacement device. I finally want a premium (cut down) flagship phone, and hopefully will last for about 4 years or more.
Looks like I was following a false track. The release from 28th only contained mi 9 and redmi note 7.
There have been a few others sources hinting towards a global launch. For now we just have to wait.
winesh said:
Looks like I was following a false track. The release from 28th only contained mi 9 and redmi note 7.
There have been a few others sources hinting towards a global launch. For now we just have to wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many AliExpress sellers are accepting pre-sales with some displaying pictures showing stock of the global version. I have placed an order with HK Goldway, I'll update when it's shipped.
Rdavis27 said:
Many AliExpress sellers are accepting pre-sales with some displaying pictures showing stock of the global version. I have placed an order with HK Goldway, I'll update when it's shipped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is also listed on geekbuying for buying, not only for preorder.
6/64 edition for about 330€ after using coupons seems to be quite a good deal.
Pros:
- 6" screen is still enough.
- Amoled screen and non-intrusive notch.
- Size. The device itself is tiny and lightweight.
- Hardware is below flagship, but much better than mid-range.
- Treble enabled, kernel source already released.
Cons:
- MIUI environment is not so friendly.
- dev scene (I hope I am wrong).
- OEM updates.
Flounderist said:
Pros:
- 6" screen is still enough.
- Amoled screen and non-intrusive notch.
- Size. The device itself is tiny and lightweight.
- Hardware is below flagship, but much better than mid-range.
- Treble enabled, kernel source already released.
Cons:
- MIUI environment is not so friendly.
- dev scene (I hope I am wrong).
- OEM updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Miui and oem updates aren't the issue for me.
Ok, so to summerize:
- Small from factor
- Amoled screen
- Indisplay fingerprint
- 4G b20 and b28
- Widevine L1
- 6Gb RAM
A part for the CPU power, it is even more interesting for me than s10e, and for half the price.
So I definetly swap my OnePlus 6 for this device. The last question is where should we buy it to be sure we have the global version?
I saw that honorbuy.com send the right one with even european charger, but a bit expansive...
Fantacy seller on aliexpress? Anyone ever tried?
Thanks.
kagazushi said:
I saw that honorbuy.com send the right one with even european charger, but a bit expansive...
Fantacy seller on aliexpress? Anyone ever tried?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would reccomend honorbuy because of european stock and no VAT on delivery (if you are based in Europe).
Devices are shipped with european socket charger.
If you buy on Aliexpress you must check any custom duty that would be added to the shipment in your country.
Redmi Note 8 Pro or Realme 5 Pro. Going to buy one of these very shortly.
1. Which one would you buy and why?
2. Which one offers best support /updates?
3.Which one would offer best second hand resale value in 12 to 18 months time? Thanks in advance!
Edit - RNP8 is 6/64gb while Realme is 8/128gb. I'm in Ireland but will probably buy from amazon Spain or Germany as its cheaper.
1) well it really depends on what exactly your uses will be. But the RN8Pro has nfc support, slightly bigger battery, higher camera megapixels both front and rear, they both have fingerprint sensor, RN8Pro comes with Gorilla Glass v5 vs the v3 realme comes with, but the Realme comes with a slightly higher display pixel density. I personally have never had a realme, but I used to have a RN3Pro and now have an RN8Pro and I am very satisfied.
2) again I've never had a realme so I cannot comment on the support/update aspect. The Realme does come with a snapdragon chipset so if you were ever unsatisfied with the stock rom you would have plenty of custom rom options. That being said if you are also looking into custom rom I have been told from the founder of posp that they will soon release an build for the RN8Pro being the first and only custom rom for the device.
3) both of these devices have a very low price. a year from now, and used would cost very little. So neither would get a high return if sold 12 to 18 months from now.
But overall in my opinion I would go for the RN8Pro.
Regards
Hello all,
Jason here,
Few days ago my redmi note 4 has died because of spoiled IC.
So I was wondering to get either Poco F3 or Samsung a52.
Do state the pros and cons of the selection
Usage
- Play game like brawl star, but quitting soon. as it is getting boring. After that not into gaming anymore
- Smooth display as I dont like the lagging when surfing the web or switching between apps
- Battery life must be good
- Storage must be good, as I have quite a number of apps wanting to download and test out.
- Camera should be decent ( If it is not , installing gcam should solve the problem i guess ) [Need some insight on this] ???
- Able to stand at least 3-4 years
- must support AR Core
Thank You.
Regards,
Jason
I'd suggest the POCO F3 because of the Snapdragon 870. Had the same question and I will go for the F3.
I'd suggest F3, too.
I'm not a gamer, but this phone will probably be a worthy successor of my current OnePlus One (and obviously of the Pocophone F1).
- Play game like brawl star, but quitting soon. as it is getting boring. After that not into gaming anymore (Poco f3, flagship range SoC)
- Smooth display as I dont like the lagging when surfing the web or switching between apps (Neck and neck, both have 120Hz with poco f3 having a brighter screen)
- Battery life must be good (neck and neck again, both have similiar sized batteries, but suspect the A52 would do better by 10-20%)
- Storage must be good, as I have quite a number of apps wanting to download and test out. (UFS 3.1 on Poco F3, Samsung didn't mention, so assume Poco F3 as winner)
- Camera should be decent ( If it is not , installing gcam should solve the problem i guess ) [Need some insight on this] ??? (Samsung is better, but the Poco stands near. GCAM is going to take awhile to be implemented for the Poco, as it's a pretty new SoC)
- Able to stand at least 3-4 years (no comments on this, can't guarantee build quality nowadays)
- must support AR Core (Samsung A52 confirmed support, no information on Poco yet)
check this short opinion from Dave2D
ahh okay, wish me luck to get the Poco F3 tonight, I missed out yesterday~
Stay tuned ~
Jason_Lim said:
ahh okay, wish me luck to get the Poco F3 tonight, I missed out yesterday~
Stay tuned ~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where are you buying Poco f3?
For international shipping, I only found in Aliexpress, but the start sale will happen in 29 of march.
Fabio Bertelli said:
Where are you buying Poco f3?
For international shipping, I only found in Aliexpress, but the start sale will happen in 29 of march.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is just pre order though, too bad the Poco F3 dint restock
An overlooked aspect of F3 is the vibration motor. It is the more expensive motor used in Mi 10T Pro and Mi 11. Which offers great haptic feedback. Samsung use a cheaper motor in A52 and A72.
F3 is better than A52 without any question.
flipp0 said:
An overlooked aspect of F3 is the vibration motor. It is the more expensive motor used in Mi 10T Pro and Mi 11. Which offers great haptic feedback. Samsung use a cheaper motor in A52 and A72.
F3 is better than A52 without any question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh what is the use of the vibration motor ??
Btw is the 6GB + 128GB enough ??? For 3 - 4 years usage ??
As the 8gb + 256Gb out of stock
Well at my country Samsung S20 FE and Oneplus 8T costs almost like Pocophone F3...
I'm not sure what I should get, I'm not gaming much.
Hi.. I'm searching for a new phone to replace my f1.. I know the F3 is amazing and fast and everything.. I am asking is it worth buying now.. Because the new Samsung A series are more expensive and perform half as good as the F3 but they are new and will get supported until android 14.. Should I go with the old f3 in 2022 or should I wait for something newer. Like the f4 (I heard it has the same SD 870) so it's not much of a difference when the F3 is now on sale 10.0.0.0.1 192.168.1.254.
Does anyone know if the Poco f3 will officially get the android 14 update next year.. I'm worried about the updates.. Because its already 1 year old and I don't know for how long will it still get updated
How is the phone in general.. And how's the battery life specifically?
it depends of how much you spend for it and your needs. F3 is powerful, smooth with a great display. camera is okay (with gcam), but proximity sensor is garbage and phone will unlock in your pocket when you receive a call. Also there a tons of good rom for it, like arrow os or crdroid. if you pay less than 250 euros it is a great deal. between 300 and 400 you could go for poco x4gt or f4, or realme gt neo 2 5g or gt 5g. also some snap 778 phones are great if you don't mind downgrading soc, like Samsung a52s which has great camera with ois and ingress protection, or realme gt master edition which is lightweighted, well balanced and can be found around 200 euros.
its not worth it now. better buy poco F4. non GT version. the one with SD 870 processor.
The 8/256 version was at 239 euros on amazon prime day and it was probably the best phone that you can get for that price. If the price is right, Poco F3 is the way to go
I bought the 8Gb versione on june 2022. Why the F3?? It is well developed on XDA, low price, do you need anything else?? Not for me. The F4 is similar to the F3 but it is expensive. This is why I chose the F3
F3 good at 200-240 euros. Like Amazon prime sale. Don't buy it in 2022 if the price is above 240€. There is OnePlus Nord 2 at 267€. OnePlus 9 with sd888 at 330€.samsung s21 ultra at 499. pixel 6
I've bought mine one month ago (8/256,325€ free shipping), and I don't regret nothing. The device is superb, and the custom rom support is amazing.
I've been comparing, with the other new members of poco family, and f3 beat them all on those comparisons.
lapirado said:
I've bought mine one month ago (325€ free shipping), and I don't regret nothing. The device is superb, and the custom rom support is amazing.
I've been comparing, with the other new members of poco family, and f3 beat them all on those comparisons
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a fresh f3 bought a month ago 200€ if anyone is interested can contact. Eu only
POCO F3 was also the one I chose. I bought it 2 weeks ago. I'm very pleased with it.
I bought the poco F3 2 weeks ago after a thorough analyze BUT this is my personal opinion based on my personal needs
My main criteria were in order of importance :
Good battery life : my previous phone was a Moto g8 power (2020) which achieved between 10-11h SoT for me. I would be comfortable with at least 7h for the new phone.
Excellent ROM support on XDA : at least one official ROM
Amoled screen
Powerfull : above 40000 pts with AnTuTu V8
Non curve screen
350 USD max (shipping included)
After cross-comparing a LOT of phone on gsmarena and XDA, I came down to the Poco f3.
Hope that helps
BTW, comparison between Poco f4 and f3 with Gsmarena shows differences only in :
Camera area
Better fast charging
Worst endurance (battery life)
It was not significant for MY purpose.
Whatever you do don't get Samsung as it's not at all developer friendly compared to Xiaomi devices.
For instance Samsung deliberately removed fastboot and replaced it with a fake empty one that doesn't even do anything.
Then they force your device to be selinux Enforcing at all times and even setenforce 0 doesn't work. To go permissive you must first hack your own kernel. What a joke...
Bought it for 229€ during Amazon prime days, I just unlocked the bootloader and installed the miui eu rom.... And I can tell you that it's a beast for my usage... This phone will probably last 4-5 years for me.
PocoF3_owner said:
Bought it for 229€ during Amazon prime days, I just unlocked the bootloader and installed the miui eu rom.... And I can tell you that it's a beast for my usage... This phone will probably last 4-5 years for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
best deal
Hey Guys,
Seem here alot of F3 user so my question :
1) miui 12.5.6 global stable - worst battery life, not good & not consistent
2) miui 12.5.5 global stable - currently using now decent battery life with SOT 5 - 6 hours, some time 7 hours SOT, but overnight battery before & after sleep not consistent sometime eat 2~3% sometime 5%...
3) Saw youtuber suggested miui 12.5.3 global stable & below that number rom will be good battery life so any users using miui 12.5.3 global stable can you post/show battery life result is it true good ? Appreciate your sharing
PocoF3_owner said:
Bought it for 229€ during Amazon prime days, I just unlocked the bootloader and installed the miui eu rom.... And I can tell you that it's a beast for my usage... This phone will probably last 4-5 years for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you get OTA update while using MIUI EU Rom
The proximity sensor really is a dealbreaker for me, i wouldn't buy this phone again.
4Style said:
The proximity sensor really is a dealbreaker for me, i wouldn't buy this phone again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the issue with the proximity sensor?
4Style said:
The proximity sensor really is a dealbreaker for me, i wouldn't buy this phone again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your POCO F3 still under warranty than immediately send to Xiaomi center to complain & fix, They has help me & my parent (Both device) fixed to change New sensor & Yes after change it become much better specially less black screen during listen Whatsapp/wechat voice message...
Its late august and there isn't much dev support for the f4. Is the f3 still worth it or should we consider any other device?
if you reach the conclusion of getting a poco f3. Get mi 10t instead
Looking at upgrading and was wondering if it's worth buying a oneplus 9 Pro what is battery life like how long it last
Jason6416 said:
Looking at upgrading and was wondering if it's worth buying a oneplus 9 Pro what is battery life like how long it last
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am on TMO OnePlus 9 Pro and I am well pleased!
So battery life is good I'm upgrading from Samsung s10 lite fancy a change but don't want to make wrong choice
Jason6416 said:
So battery life is good I'm upgrading from Samsung s10 lite fancy a change but don't want to make wrong choice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I left Samsung for OnPlus because of Samsung's unlockable bootloader. Was with Samsung for 12 years, just this year switched to OnePlus for more custom options. However, customize with caution. Do your research first before making a move. Won't go wrong with OnePlus.
Jason6416 said:
Looking at upgrading and was wondering if it's worth buying a oneplus 9 Pro what is battery life like how long it last
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a similar thread with some thoughts...
OnePlus 9 Pro worth buying in August 2022?
Old users planning to keep few more years leave your feedbacks.
forum.xda-developers.com
Yep. I love 9 pro better than 10.
What are custom roms and how do they be installed is it better than android
Jason6416 said:
What are custom roms and how do they be installed is it better than android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do your research, read read read, like the rest of us have done. Shouldn't expect us to do the research and all the work that goes into it and then give you the answer. It will only open you up to more questions.....for us.
No I know that but where the link to the latest rom so I could have a look at them
Here...
OnePlus 9 Pro
The OnePlus 9 Pro is a 6.7" phone with a 1440x3216p 120Hz display. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset is paired with 8/12GB of RAM and 128/256GB of storage. The main camera is 48+8+50+2MP and the selfie camera is 16MP. The battery has a 4,500mAh capacity.
forum.xda-developers.com
Look in the development catagory
It still worth buying? A new 12GB 256GB with complete OnePlus warranty for $662?
These are the OP 9 Pro options I have..
A pre-owned 8GB, 256GB with 4 month OnePlus warranty left for $416
A pre-owned 12GB, 256GB without any warranty for $490
A refurbished 12GB, 256GB with 6 months Cashify warranty for $605
A brand new 12GB 256GB with complete OnePlus warranty for $662
niyonsv said:
It still worth buying? A new 12GB 256GB with complete OnePlus warranty for $662?
These are the OP 9 Pro options I have..
A pre-owned 8GB, 256GB with 4 month OnePlus warranty left for $416
A pre-owned 12GB, 256GB without any warranty for $490
A refurbished 12GB, 256GB with 6 months Cashify warranty for $605
A brand new 12GB 256GB with complete OnePlus warranty for $662
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is still worth buying. With A11 or A13 (not A12), it is equal to anything in the market now. I would go for either the first or the last one in your list, depending on the budget.
niyonsv said:
It still worth buying? A new 12GB 256GB with complete OnePlus warranty for $662?
These are the OP 9 Pro options I have..
A pre-owned 8GB, 256GB with 4 month OnePlus warranty left for $416
A pre-owned 12GB, 256GB without any warranty for $490
A refurbished 12GB, 256GB with 6 months Cashify warranty for $605
A brand new 12GB 256GB with complete OnePlus warranty for $662
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OnePlus had them on site for $399 brand new but sold out. Maybe they will have more. Ebay and amazon had some stock at $349 last week, also brand new.
$662 seems pretty high. I bought mine before they went on sale. It was $469 (Tmo) brand new on eBay. You can probably find a better deal than $500 pre-owned, depending on region
Amazon Germany had a 20% off warehouse deal on Cyber Monday which came out to €464 for a used one in very good condition (12gb/256gb variant). I would not pay more than that.
The OnePlus 9 Pro is still definitely a good buy, even if you stick with OxygenOS 11 or 13 (skip 12, as @TNSMANI said). It's definitely a good buy if you want to eventually dabble in the world of custom ROMs, as the 9 Pro has excellent support in that area compared to the OnePlus 10 series, which has almost none (last time I checked, anyway).
Appreciative said:
OnePlus had them on site for $399 brand new but sold out. Maybe they will have more. Ebay and amazon had some stock at $349 last week, also brand new.
$662 seems pretty high. I bought mine before they went on sale. It was $469 (Tmo) brand new on eBay. You can probably find a better deal than $500 pre-owned, depending on region
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But here, in India the prices are like I mentioned before. My other options are a used 7T for $200-250. Then OnePlus 9R, Poco F4 (unsure about the cam quality compared to 7T) or Pixel 7 series (too expensive, literally can't think of now :/ )
Skynet30 said:
Amazon Germany had a 20% off warehouse deal on Cyber Monday which came out to €464 for a used one in very good condition (12gb/256gb variant). I would not pay more than that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see but I couldn't find any good deals during these Black Friday days and cyber Monday. I too don't want to spend this amount for a pre-owned or box pack of 9 Pro.
TNSMANI said:
It is still worth buying. With A11 or A13 (not A12), it is equal to anything in the market now. I would go for either the first or the last one in your list, depending on the budget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, have the same thoughts. I had the best phone I ever had, OnePlus 7T, till a month back, it's main board died then. So my new phone should be equal or better than 7T by specs, with nearly zero bloatwares, root friendly that doesn't tamper the warranty (only if I'm buying one with warranty), can install modded apps incl. GCam, have custom ROM support (now or whenever it won't get newer official ROMs; found many custom ROMs for 9 Pro), and also able to factory reset the ROM manually (10 series still don't have MSM Download Tool support if I'm correct).
Other options matching these criteria are Poco F4 (unsure about the cam quality when compared to 7T), and Pixel 7 series, but they are too expensive.
In that case, if you can spare the cash, buy
"A pre-owned 12GB, 256GB without any warranty for $490"
Because 12GB Ram could mean better longevity/viability.
I've just got myself one. There are good deals to be had on open box items from Amazon Warehouse Events (10% off earlier, 20% off now). Also went for the 12/256 version but because of the storage not the RAM: I think 12 GB on a phone is ridiculous (not that I mind having it though).
The hardware is excellent. The phone is a bit bulky but all of its size is put to good use as it has an amazing and nearly bezel-less screen. It feels premium to the touch and is still reasonably slim. The only drawback is that (in common w/other SD888 devices), battery life (specifically screen-on time) isn't great. But at least it's fast to recharge (from 0% to 100% in 30').
I bought it for use with LOS as it's a well-supported device. It lives up to my expectations. The custom ROM scene is lively. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to people who just want to run stock OS though. I haven't used stock much myself before flashing LOS and I'm probably biased anyway but the impression is that a lot of the userbase is unhappy about how the things are going, and the general quality of the updates.
It'd be hard to recommend getting into the mess that Color/OxygenOS seems to be now when you could simply get a Pixel 6a, also with a decent camera, better battery life, and next to no software issues whatsoever, for nearly half the price. This is what I got for a relative who just wants things to work, with updates.
Still, the OP9 Pro is a great device to tinker with, if that's what you enjoy. And if you're here on XDA then you probably do.