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Hi,
My friend is planning to get a 5t along with his note 8. Few questions-
1. How is this phones screen as compared to note 8's screen, comparing them at max settings?
2. How smooth is the OS? He is skeptical about it since he is switching from stock android and touchwiz.
Any other down sides of this phone? I hope the screen is really an infinity display like the s8.
I really like the curved edges of the S8. I prefer the S8 in terms of the display it is curve display which makes the screen to body ratio very low.
In terms of OS. I would prefer the OP5T.
billubakra said:
Hi,
My friend is planning to get a 5t along with his note 8. Few questions-
1. How is this phones screen as compared to note 8's screen, comparing them at max settings?
2. How smooth is the OS? He is skeptical about it since he is switching from stock android and touchwiz.
Any other down sides of this phone? I hope the screen is really an infinity display like the s8.
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Click to collapse
I've had and regularly use a lot of phones due to my work. One of them being the Note 8.
The Note 8 comes out of the box set at 1080p, but does have the edge in the display department (no pun intended) if you set it to QHD. However unless I'm purposefully staring at it looking for pixels I can't really tell a difference in practical day to day use. The 5T has a gorgeous display and on mine at least, the colors are more accurate. The display is made by Samsung for OnePlus so it's honestly top notch in terms of quality and the "jelly scrolling" issue that was present on the OnePlus 5 for some is gone now with the 5T. So, is the Note 8 better in terms of display? Yes. As it should be, the starting price is about twice that of the 5T. Is it worth twice the asking price? Absolutely not.
The OS kills Samsung's flavor. Touchwiz is a hot mess, and it's even worse when you've had it for a few weeks and Touchwiz starts to really lag. It's much better on the Note 8 than the S8+ due to the RAM upgrade, but it's still there and really irritating. It's been an issue with Samsung phones for years. Oxygen OS is smoother than Touchwiz and frankly, smoother than stock Android on a Pixel in my experience. But that's likely due to the specs of the 5T (I have the 8GB RAM/128GB model). OnePlus changes very little about stock android, they only add a few things that make it a little more convenient and slightly more customizable. It's not a skin as you'd find on a Samsung, LG or Huawei among others. The OnePlus destroys Samsung in terms of smoothness of the OS and multitasking/general use.
One downside people talk about is the camera. Camera is a mixed bag. Honestly that side of marketing with smartphones is ridiculous. The Samsung has the edge, but that's all it is. There's not a smartphone out that can replace a DSLR and there's not a single one out that doesn't have noise or other issues in low light or when pixel peeping. Auto mode for auto mode in the same circumstances there's not enough of a difference to warrant the price hike either. Is it better on the Samsung devices? Yep. But only marginally in the real world. I can't count how many times I've shown people shots taken in identical conditions of identical subjects on all the phones I have and no one can get it right as to which took what shot. There's no clear winner and there's very little difference between them. People tend to just pick a bandwagon and hop on it. The differences come when you really play with pro mode and work to shoot with each phone's strength, but that's not real world use and that's entirely invalid for comparisons or determining which phone to buy. In real life people don't schedule shoots or wait for ideal lighting and conditions for their phone to pull it out and take a photo. That's what professionals do, and professionals don't use smartphones which are the equivalent of drug store disposable point and shoots. People in real life buy a phone they like and they pull it out in a split second on auto mode and snap a shot of the kids, the dogs or what have you.
Down sides depend what you are interested in though. For example yes, the 5T doesn't have an edge display. It also doesn't have the nasty glare or slippery feel that comes with the newer Samsungs. Also if a person relies heavily on the Samsung gimmicks incorporated into Touchwiz, you'll find the 5T very bland and lacking. Personally I never use the "advanced features" on Samsung phones and the only thing I use on my Note 8 is the S pen. And I do love that thing. If you don't like those things and want a more stock experience or a faster phone with at least twice the battery life (my 5T gets 9-10 hours SOT every time I test it, the Note 8 does great to get 3, sometimes almost 4 if I really gimp it for battery life) then the Samsung is the one with the downsides.
Different phones designed for different folks. With the OnePlus 5T you get what you pay for. However they absolutely cannot raise the price again without adding certain things such as a higher resolution display, an IP rating and what have you. With the current $1,000 flagships, you don't get anywhere near what you pay for. They're priced way too god damned high and don't offer enough over phones like the 5T to warrant twice the price. But if you can get them for $600 or less, they're the better buy unless you really care about battery life and specs.
Symphony0fLife said:
I've had and regularly use a lot of phones due to my work. One of them being the Note 8.
The Note 8 comes out of the box set at 1080p, but does have the edge in the display department (no pun intended) if you set it to QHD. However unless I'm purposefully staring at it looking for pixels I can't really tell a difference in practical day to day use. The 5T has a gorgeous display and on mine at least, the colors are more accurate. The display is made by Samsung for OnePlus so it's honestly top notch in terms of quality and the "jelly scrolling" issue that was present on the OnePlus 5 for some is gone now with the 5T. So, is the Note 8 better in terms of display? Yes. As it should be, the starting price is about twice that of the 5T. Is it worth twice the asking price? Absolutely not.
The OS kills Samsung's flavor. Touchwiz is a hot mess, and it's even worse when you've had it for a few weeks and Touchwiz starts to really lag. It's much better on the Note 8 than the S8+ due to the RAM upgrade, but it's still there and really irritating. It's been an issue with Samsung phones for years. Oxygen OS is smoother than Touchwiz and frankly, smoother than stock Android on a Pixel in my experience. But that's likely due to the specs of the 5T (I have the 8GB RAM/128GB model). OnePlus changes very little about stock android, they only add a few things that make it a little more convenient and slightly more customizable. It's not a skin as you'd find on a Samsung, LG or Huawei among others. The OnePlus destroys Samsung in terms of smoothness of the OS and multitasking/general use.
One downside people talk about is the camera. Camera is a mixed bag. Honestly that side of marketing with smartphones is ridiculous. The Samsung has the edge, but that's all it is. There's not a smartphone out that can replace a DSLR and there's not a single one out that doesn't have noise or other issues in low light or when pixel peeping. Auto mode for auto mode in the same circumstances there's not enough of a difference to warrant the price hike either. Is it better on the Samsung devices? Yep. But only marginally in the real world. I can't count how many times I've shown people shots taken in identical conditions of identical subjects on all the phones I have and no one can get it right as to which took what shot. There's no clear winner and there's very little difference between them. People tend to just pick a bandwagon and hop on it. The differences come when you really play with pro mode and work to shoot with each phone's strength, but that's not real world use and that's entirely invalid for comparisons or determining which phone to buy. In real life people don't schedule shoots or wait for ideal lighting and conditions for their phone to pull it out and take a photo. That's what professionals do, and professionals don't use smartphones which are the equivalent of drug store disposable point and shoots. People in real life buy a phone they like and they pull it out in a split second on auto mode and snap a shot of the kids, the dogs or what have you.
Down sides depend what you are interested in though. For example yes, the 5T doesn't have an edge display. It also doesn't have the nasty glare or slippery feel that comes with the newer Samsungs. Also if a person relies heavily on the Samsung gimmicks incorporated into Touchwiz, you'll find the 5T very bland and lacking. Personally I never use the "advanced features" on Samsung phones and the only thing I use on my Note 8 is the S pen. And I do love that thing. If you don't like those things and want a more stock experience or a faster phone with at least twice the battery life (my 5T gets 9-10 hours SOT every time I test it, the Note 8 does great to get 3, sometimes almost 4 if I really gimp it for battery life) then the Samsung is the one with the downsides.
Different phones designed for different folks. With the OnePlus 5T you get what you pay for. However they absolutely cannot raise the price again without adding certain things such as a higher resolution display, an IP rating and what have you. With the current $1,000 flagships, you don't get anywhere near what you pay for. They're priced way too god damned high and don't offer enough over phones like the 5T to warrant twice the price. But if you can get them for $600 or less, they're the better buy unless you really care about battery life and specs.
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Thank you so much for such a detailed review. Is the infinity display on 5T really worth it without the edge display or the side edges/curves? We don't have a opo showroom in our state so can't really check the phone physically. 5T is not water proof, flash is also not good, no vr compatibility, audio speaker is just fine. Any other points that we need to keep in mind? Are they still cheating with benchmark tests?
billubakra said:
Thank you so much for such a detailed review. Is the infinity display on 5T really worth it without the edge display or the side edges/curves? We don't have a opo showroom in our state so can't really check the phone physically. 5T is not water proof, flash is also not good, no vr compatibility, audio speaker is just fine. Any other points that we need to keep in mind? Are they still cheating with benchmark tests?
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Glad to help!
I've never heard OnePlus call it an infinity display. And it's just a term Samsung uses. Yes, on Samsungs you have the display spilling over the edges. Some people like it, others don't. I don't. It has a horrible glare and it alters the picture on screen for the worse, not better. The edge display makes things look really weird on the Samsung phones. So I prefer the flat edges like the 5T has and that Samsung had on the S7 and below, with the Edge display being optional. The bezels on the OnePlus are slightly larger than on the Note 8 and the S8 but not by much and not enough to hinder the experience. It's still a 2:1 ration (or 18:9, however you like to say it). It's not quad HD, so right, no VR, but is the same ratio and looks gorgeous. It's hard to explain. Yes the resolution is lower, but it's not noticeable unless you really pixel peep. Quad HD isn't enabled by default on the S8, S8+ or Note 8 and you don't notice much difference when you enable it to be honest. Most people use their Samsungs on 1080p and don't even realize it. Most aren't tech freaks like us and don't even know you can turn it on.
Flash, I'm not sure what you mean about it not being as good? I already addressed photos above, the flash is fine and not noticeably different in every day use. 5T is not water resistant (even the Samsungs are not water PROOF) but OnePlus has stated it will stand up to splashes just fine. Unless you need to swim or shower with your phone, the 5T should be ok. Audio speaker is mono like the Samsung, but is louder than Samsung and sounds slightly better, though the Samsung has the edge if you use headphones. Headphone sound quality is slightly better with the Samsung. Speaker is better on the 5T.
Benchmarks, I don't know. But they don't mean anything real world either. Like the cameras, it's largely a marketing gimmick. Whatever single or multi core score it gets doesn't mean a thing when translated to actual use. But yeah, it kicks everything else's ass. But it should, being that it has the best specs in the industry for this year. So I don't know if they still fluff numbers, but whether they do or not they still win in the spec pissing contest.
Edit: Simplified, if you can get a 2017 flagship for less money than a 5T costs, or within $100 of the 5T for the Note, the S8+, the V30 or the Pixel 2/2XL, it's worth it to get the flagships. If it costs any more than that, they're not better "enough" to warrant spending the money and I'd go with the 5T. Because the only areas they're better are either gimmicks or they are only marginally better, not several hundred dollars better.
Symphony0fLife said:
Glad to help!
I've never heard OnePlus call it an infinity display. And it's just a term Samsung uses. Yes, on Samsungs you have the display spilling over the edges. Some people like it, others don't. I don't. It has a horrible glare and it alters the picture on screen for the worse, not better. The edge display makes things look really weird on the Samsung phones. So I prefer the flat edges like the 5T has and that Samsung had on the S7 and below, with the Edge display being optional. The bezels on the OnePlus are slightly larger than on the Note 8 and the S8 but not by much and not enough to hinder the experience. It's still a 2:1 ration (or 18:9, however you like to say it). It's not quad HD, so right, no VR, but is the same ratio and looks gorgeous. It's hard to explain. Yes the resolution is lower, but it's not noticeable unless you really pixel peep. Quad HD isn't enabled by default on the S8, S8+ or Note 8 and you don't notice much difference when you enable it to be honest. Most people use their Samsungs on 1080p and don't even realize it. Most aren't tech freaks like us and don't even know you can turn it on.
Flash, I'm not sure what you mean about it not being as good? I already addressed photos above, the flash is fine and not noticeably different in every day use. 5T is not water resistant (even the Samsungs are not water PROOF) but OnePlus has stated it will stand up to splashes just fine. Unless you need to swim or shower with your phone, the 5T should be ok. Audio speaker is mono like the Samsung, but is louder than Samsung and sounds slightly better, though the Samsung has the edge if you use headphones. Headphone sound quality is slightly better with the Samsung. Speaker is better on the 5T.
Benchmarks, I don't know. But they don't mean anything real world either. Like the cameras, it's largely a marketing gimmick. Whatever single or multi core score it gets doesn't mean a thing when translated to actual use. But yeah, it kicks everything else's ass. But it should, being that it has the best specs in the industry for this year. So I don't know if they still fluff numbers, but whether they do or not they still win in the spec pissing contest.
Edit: Simplified, if you can get a 2017 flagship for less money than a 5T costs, or within $100 of the 5T for the Note, the S8+, the V30 or the Pixel 2/2XL, it's worth it to get the flagships. If it costs any more than that, they're not better "enough" to warrant spending the money and I'd go with the 5T. Because the only areas they're better are either gimmicks or they are only marginally better, not several hundred dollars better.
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Once again thank you so much. Last 2 queries can you please post a photo of the edges and a pic which shows all the bezels? I have a S7 and I get your point but it will be hard to explain to him. Second I was talking about the benchmark cheat in which opo was involved in, some senior members made a detailed thread about it, Google one plus one benchmark cheat XDA. Has anyone tested the 5t to find out the real benchmarks?
He just messaged me to ask you this, he will be getting a Gadgetshieldz protector for his 5t which is installed by soaking the protector in water mixed with detergent or some other chemical, since the phone is water resistant will there be any issues with the screen or any other component if the liquid goes inside the phone? Lastly is oneplus one guaranteeing software updates till 2 years?
Hey dude, let me give my 2 cents since I owned the note 8 and the 5T.
1. The 5T display is REALLY good. I'm the type of person that barely notice a difference between QHD and Full HD. As a matter of fact I'm using my note 8 on 1080 p cause I cannot tell the difference. Of course there is one but i barely see it. The point is the 5T display is excellent.
2. The 5T is insanely fast. OnePlus is known to have zippy software and it's very consistent throughout the UI. That is the last thing to worry about on the 5T, performance. It's absolutely stellar and it is amongst the fastest phone out there period. Whether it's an iPhone or pixel or whatever else, the 5T is top 3 hands down.
Now your friend has a note AND is getting a 5T as well? That is the absolute best combo to have besides having the note and an iPhone X. He is gonna love it and will be able to switch back and forth. Tell him to pull the trigger, the 5T is totally worth it.
I forgot to answer your questions about downsides of the phone. Well it doesn't have any IP ratings, it doesn't have wireless charging and the camera isn't the best. It's ok/good but definitely not great. The hardware is there but the software still needs some work (camera).
Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 02:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:11 PM ----------
billubakra said:
He just messaged me to ask you this, he will be getting a Gadgetshieldz protector for his 5t which is installed by soaking the protector in water mixed with detergent or some other chemical, since the phone is water resistant will there be any issues with the screen or any other component if the liquid goes inside the phone? Lastly is oneplus one guaranteeing software updates till 2 years?
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I wouldn't worry about those screen protectors that you soak in water and apply on phones, it's made to be that way. Of course if you go crazy and purposely pour water in the headphone jack or USB x port then you'll have issues. But splashes here and there will be no issues. As far as updates, who knows. We know for sure Oreo is coming and most likely Android P but beyond that I haven't heard anything personally.
Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
billubakra said:
Once again thank you so much. Last 2 queries can you please post a photo of the edges and a pic which shows all the bezels? I have a S7 and I get your point but it will be hard to explain to him. Second I was talking about the benchmark cheat in which opo was involved in, some senior members made a detailed thread about it, Google one plus one benchmark cheat XDA. Has anyone tested the 5t to find out the real benchmarks?
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Click to collapse
The moment I get home and have both phones handy I will post some photos, sure. And again, the benchmark thing doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter if it scores 15,000 in Geekbench or whatever. What counts is real world use. For example, the iPhone scores spectacularly well in benchmarks and is a train wreck in day to day use. I sold my iPhone X already, but it was a jittery mess. Scores are high, but real world doesn't reflect that. Samsung scores pretty well too but again, real world it's a mess. Stutters and lags abound in Touchwiz. My Sony scored lower than my others and it is the smoothest performance hands down next to the 5T. If you're into benchmarks I'm sure you can find answers on here but I'm telling you, they're just for folks to "nerd out" on. They don't mean anything in the real world. But yes, OnePlus was caught fudging the numbers (why, I don't know since they are the king of specs anyway) but I am not sure if they still do.
As to the screen protector, as long as he doesn't submerge the phone he should be fine. But keep in mind - the Samsung is not water proof. It's water resistant. So water CAN damage it. The OnePlus is not rated as water resistant, but OnePlus says it's fine with things like splashes or rain drops. He's not going to hurt it using a wet application screen protector.
Updates - Who knows. Manufacturers always over promise on updates these days. They claim it'll be updated for a long time and they'll roll them out fast. OnePlus and Essential so far are hands down the best in terms of fast besides Google themselves, but OnePlus has dropped the ball on long term before. The 3 and 3T are getting Oreo, I'd imagine the 5 and 5T will get Oreo and the next major update at a minimum. Beyond that you'd have to ask them. I imagine many don't bother since people tend to upgrade every year or two but if you plan to use it for 2+ years you'd be best served to ask them. Though Samsung definitely won't be updating theirs fast and I doubt they'll get anything beyond what the 5T does either. Manufacturers want to sell phones. Not keep old phones running for years and years. 2 years is the outside for most manufacturers. Where you have a win on the OnePlus is the developer community. The bootloader is unlockable and you can install any ROM you want. With the specs it has the phone will be supported in some way for years and years, just potentially not by OnePlus themselves.
barondebxl said:
Hey dude, let me give my 2 cents since I owned the note 8 and the 5T.
1. The 5T display is REALLY good. I'm the type of person that barely notice a difference between QHD and Full HD. As a matter of fact I'm using my note 8 on 1080 p cause I cannot tell the difference. Of course there is one but i barely see it. The point is the 5T display is excellent.
2. The 5T is insanely fast. OnePlus is known to have zippy software and it's very consistent throughout the UI. That is the last thing to worry about on the 5T, performance. It's absolutely stellar and it is amongst the fastest phone out there period. Whether it's an iPhone or pixel or whatever else, the 5T is top 3 hands down.
Now your friend has a note AND is getting a 5T as well? That is the absolute best combo to have besides having the note and an iPhone X. He is gonna love it and will be able to switch back and forth. Tell him to pull the trigger, the 5T is totally worth it.
I forgot to answer your questions about downsides of the phone. Well it doesn't have any IP ratings, it doesn't have wireless charging and the camera isn't the best. It's ok/good but definitely not great. The hardware is there but the software still needs some work (camera).
Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 02:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:11 PM ----------
I wouldn't worry about those screen protectors that you soak in water and apply on phones, it's made to be that way. Of course if you go crazy and purposely pour water in the headphone jack or USB x port then you'll have issues. But splashes here and there will be no issues. As far as updates, who knows. We know for sure Oreo is coming and most likely Android P but beyond that I haven't heard anything personally.
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Thank you to you too. Can you please post a photo is the screen sleeting the bezels? Are you using the 8gb variant?
Symphony0fLife said:
The moment I get home and have both phones handy I will post some photos, sure. And again, the benchmark thing doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter if it scores 15,000 in Geekbench or whatever. What counts is real world use. For example, the iPhone scores spectacularly well in benchmarks and is a train wreck in day to day use. I sold my iPhone X already, but it was a jittery mess. Scores are high, but real world doesn't reflect that. Samsung scores pretty well too but again, real world it's a mess. Stutters and lags abound in Touchwiz. My Sony scored lower than my others and it is the smoothest performance hands down next to the 5T. If you're into benchmarks I'm sure you can find answers on here but I'm telling you, they're just for folks to "nerd out" on. They don't mean anything in the real world. But yes, OnePlus was caught fudging the numbers (why, I don't know since they are the king of specs anyway) but I am not sure if they still do.
As to the screen protector, as long as he doesn't submerge the phone he should be fine. But keep in mind - the Samsung is not water proof. It's water resistant. So water CAN damage it. The OnePlus is not rated as water resistant, but OnePlus says it's fine with things like splashes or rain drops. He's not going to hurt it using a wet application screen protector.
Updates - Who knows. Manufacturers always over promise on updates. The 3 and 3T are getting Oreo, I'd imagine the 5 and 5T will get Oreo and the next major update at a minimum. Beyond that you'd have to ask them.
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Thanks a lot. Will wait for the photos.
billubakra said:
Thank you to you too. Can you please post a photo is the screen sleeting the bezels? Are you using the 8gb variant?
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I no longer have the 5T. Someone offered to trade me a note 8 factory unlocked brand new and I had to do it lol. The resale value is why and ultimately the note is the superior phone.
Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
barondebxl said:
I no longer have the 5T. Someone offered to trade me a note 8 factory unlocked brand new and I had to do it lol. The resale value is why and ultimately the note is the superior phone.
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Lol I would have done the same ...probably sell the note and get another one plus 5t or a a pixel....profit
Any good?
I have heard the One plus is the best phone, is it true? What about a comparison to the Iphone X?
Symphony0fLife said:
The moment I get home and have both phones handy I will post some photos, sure. And again, the benchmark thing doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter if it scores 15,000 in Geekbench or whatever. What counts is real world use. For example, the iPhone scores spectacularly well in benchmarks and is a train wreck in day to day use. I sold my iPhone X already, but it was a jittery mess. Scores are high, but real world doesn't reflect that. Samsung scores pretty well too but again, real world it's a mess. Stutters and lags abound in Touchwiz. My Sony scored lower than my others and it is the smoothest performance hands down next to the 5T. If you're into benchmarks I'm sure you can find answers on here but I'm telling you, they're just for folks to "nerd out" on. They don't mean anything in the real world. But yes, OnePlus was caught fudging the numbers (why, I don't know since they are the king of specs anyway) but I am not sure if they still do.
As to the screen protector, as long as he doesn't submerge the phone he should be fine. But keep in mind - the Samsung is not water proof. It's water resistant. So water CAN damage it. The OnePlus is not rated as water resistant, but OnePlus says it's fine with things like splashes or rain drops. He's not going to hurt it using a wet application screen protector.
Updates - Who knows. Manufacturers always over promise on updates these days. They claim it'll be updated for a long time and they'll roll them out fast. OnePlus and Essential so far are hands down the best in terms of fast besides Google themselves, but OnePlus has dropped the ball on long term before. The 3 and 3T are getting Oreo, I'd imagine the 5 and 5T will get Oreo and the next major update at a minimum. Beyond that you'd have to ask them. I imagine many don't bother since people tend to upgrade every year or two but if you plan to use it for 2+ years you'd be best served to ask them. Though Samsung definitely won't be updating theirs fast and I doubt they'll get anything beyond what the 5T does either. Manufacturers want to sell phones. Not keep old phones running for years and years. 2 years is the outside for most manufacturers. Where you have a win on the OnePlus is the developer community. The bootloader is unlockable and you can install any ROM you want. With the specs it has the phone will be supported in some way for years and years, just potentially not by OnePlus themselves.
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Waiting for the photos my dear. Is the warranty of opo taken care by oppo's service centers?
Just for a giggle, my last THREE phones cost less than my 5t. I bought all of them direct from China and they all exceeded my expectations. I kept the last one - a Xiaomi Redmi Note 2- for two years (unheard of for me!) and the only reason I've given up on it is because the power button is failing. To my amazement, in a side by side comparison, it holds up to the 5t pretty well, in particular having a screen with much more accurate colour saturation. Compared to that, is a 5t worth £499 Vs the £117 the Redmi Note 2 cost? Heck no! Do I like the 5t? Yep! Would I buy another if I dropped it tomorrow? Nope, I'd buy another cheap phone from China because they offer fantastic value for money
I talked my wife into buying the OnePlus 5T after months of listening to her complain about her Moto X Pure Edition and me having to constantly factory reset it (probably at least once a month to keep her happy). No idea what she was doing to the thing as i didn't have nearly as many problems with my MXPE, but regardless i finally talked her into buying a new phone. I hoped at the very least to alleviate myself from having to constantly listen to complaining about how slow it was, how it couldn't take a good picture to save its life (the pictures i can agree with, they were pretty horrible), and having to spend a couple hours backing up data, factory resetting, and restoring her photos and whatnot every month. She's really picky with phones and had her heart set on a Note 8 (especially after i picked up the GS8+ about a month or so ago for myself) but she was really turned off by the $900 price tag of the Note 8. She thinks that it's completely ridiculous to spend that much on a phone, which i agree with fully.
Thankfully she ended up listening to me and ordering the OP 5T. After she received her OP 5T and got it all set up, she fell in love with it. I i have messed with the phone quite a bit and first thing that hit me was that I immediately enjoyed the user experience. I had previously run custom ROMs on my MXPE and this phone is truly in a whole other league. The speed of it is incredible. It even makes my GS8+ seem like a slug at times. The software experience is really refreshing. Minimal changes to stock Android with the tweaks that are implemented done very seamlessly and with a purpose in mind. The screen, although it's "only" 1080p and not 1440p, is incredibly crisp in my opinion. I had it side by side with my GS8+ and honestly preferred the OP 5T's screen over my S8+'s. I'll also admit i do not like the curved screen on the S8+ at all so that may have something to do with my opinion on the OP 5T's screen quality. The cameras aren't quite on the same level as Samsung phones, or the pixel line for that matter, but they're by no means bad cameras. I've seen numerous reports that the cameras are terrible or that they simply don't take good pictures. I had my wife take a pretty good amount of photos over the last few days so that i could see the quality for myself and they honestly aren't anywhere close to being bad. They blow her previous phone out of the water (not that it's really difficult to do). All in all this phone IMO truly is a flagship caliber phone without the flagship price attached to it.
The only downsides that i have found so far -
1- It doesn't properly/fully support Verizon (i'm on StraightTalk but i use the Verizon towers/4G SIM) which means that i won't be switching to it
2- This is probably more of an Android problem honestly, but SmartLock doesn't work well/consistently on the OP 5T. There's a workaround floating around the internet to disable trusted agents in the fingerprint/security settings and that does work, but only temporarily. After a reboot it just stops working and sometimes even after using the workaround it stops working for seemingly no reason. Pretty frustrating for my wife when my GS8+ utilizes SmartLock perfectly. We're both hoping that this is addressed in a future software update
All in all though, this phone is a no brainer for $500. If you're on a service provider that utilizes GSM you just cant beat the price to performance ratio that this thing has. And that software experience, lawd have mercy is it good.
Symphony0fLife said:
One downside people talk about is the camera. Camera is a mixed bag. Honestly that side of marketing with smartphones is ridiculous. The Samsung has the edge, but that's all it is. There's not a smartphone out that can replace a DSLR and there's not a single one out that doesn't have noise or other issues in low light or when pixel peeping. Auto mode for auto mode in the same circumstances there's not enough of a difference to warrant the price hike either. Is it better on the Samsung devices? Yep. But only marginally in the real world. I can't count how many times I've shown people shots taken in identical conditions of identical subjects on all the phones I have and no one can get it right as to which took what shot. There's no clear winner and there's very little difference between them. People tend to just pick a bandwagon and hop on it. The differences come when you really play with pro mode and work to shoot with each phone's strength, but that's not real world use and that's entirely invalid for comparisons or determining which phone to buy. In real life people don't schedule shoots or wait for ideal lighting and conditions for their phone to pull it out and take a photo. That's what professionals do, and professionals don't use smartphones which are the equivalent of drug store disposable point and shoots. People in real life buy a phone they like and they pull it out in a split second on auto mode and snap a shot of the kids, the dogs or what have you.
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Click to collapse
While I don't think any phone on the market claims to have a camera comparable to a DSLR, there is something to be said for having a capable camera and there are pretty significant differences in photo quality between a 5t and phones like the Note 8/Pixel 2/iPhone X when attempting to capture difficult shots, e.g. low-light, moving objects, etc. I was considering a 5t in addition to my Pixel 2 XL to fill my interest in modding, tweaking, flashing, etc since my Pixel 2 XL is locked. I played with my friend's 5t for a bit to specifically test out the camera and found it just can't keep up for my needs, and didn't leave me with a lot of confidence. When a camera performs poorly in specific situations, I'm less likely to use it. If most of my shots were of non-moving objects in broad daylight, the 5t would suffice. However, most of my shots are of my kids, who are very active and often in low light and indoor situations in addition to being outdoors in broad daylight. The best camera is the one you have on you and for capturing moments in my family's life, I wouldn't want that camera to be the one on the 5t.
billubakra said:
Hi,
My friend is planning to get a 5t along with his note 8. Few questions-
1. How is this phones screen as compared to note 8's screen, comparing them at max settings?
2. How smooth is the OS? He is skeptical about it since he is switching from stock android and touchwiz.
Any other down sides of this phone? I hope the screen is really an infinity display like the s8.
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Click to collapse
Its worth the price. You can see comparisons on youtube... Its the best phone since they released op 3 period
sh4ne said:
The only downsides that i have found so far -
1- It doesn't properly/fully support Verizon (i'm on StraightTalk but i use the Verizon towers/4G SIM) which means that i won't be switching to it
2- This is probably more of an Android problem honestly, but SmartLock doesn't work well/consistently on the OP 5T. There's a workaround floating around the internet to disable trusted agents in the fingerprint/security settings and that does work, but only temporarily. After a reboot it just stops working and sometimes even after using the workaround it stops working for seemingly no reason. Pretty frustrating for my wife when my GS8+ utilizes SmartLock perfectly. We're both hoping that this is addressed in a future software update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I was so glad to switch off Verizon earlier last year when I got my Pixel XL, to goto T-Mobile. I'm saving money, am on a network with the same speeds, and have the luxury of buying non-carrier phones.
2. I had this issue with SmartLock on OxygenOS as well. it was annoying, and they need to fix it. I switched to 8.1 AOSP firmware and all my problems went away. Oxygen was okay, but AOSP custome firmware always manages to be superior to stock firmwares.
---------- Post added at 09:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 PM ----------
mlin said:
While I don't think any phone on the market claims to have a camera comparable to a DSLR, there is something to be said for having a capable camera and there are pretty significant differences in photo quality between a 5t and phones like the Note 8/Pixel 2/iPhone X when attempting to capture difficult shots, e.g. low-light, moving objects, etc. I was considering a 5t in addition to my Pixel 2 XL to fill my interest in modding, tweaking, flashing, etc since my Pixel 2 XL is locked. I played with my friend's 5t for a bit to specifically test out the camera and found it just can't keep up for my needs, and didn't leave me with a lot of confidence. When a camera performs poorly in specific situations, I'm less likely to use it. If most of my shots were of non-moving objects in broad daylight, the 5t would suffice. However, most of my shots are of my kids, who are very active and often in low light and indoor situations in addition to being outdoors in broad daylight. The best camera is the one you have on you and for capturing moments in my family's life, I wouldn't want that camera to be the one on the 5t.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm the same as you, but with the screen and not the camera. I went to a Pixel 2 XL from a Pixel XL and found that I just couldn't use a phone with a poor screen. I had to dump it in favor of a good screen that wasn't curved and had an unlockable bootloader. The 5T fit the bill nicely and the camera is average, but then again I don't have kids.
Hi, I am hoping some of you can help me
I am currently using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in the UK. I have had this for 2 years and generally I am very happy with it. Right now the battery life does suffer a little, and on long days I am preserving its use for it to last me as much as can be, but generally I am very satisfied with it.
Right now through Black Friday there are some very nice S9 deals. I can get it for zero upfront, £38 a month on a 24 month contract with 25GB of Data. As it gets closer to Black Friday, I may even be able to get it cheaper so it is very appealing. Question is.. should I?? Right now I am paying £20 for SIM only so this will be a little jump in price.
I LOVE the look of the S9. I also love the look of the S8 actually but the idea of a better speaker in the S9 really draws me in plus the fact that suprisingly, the S9 have better deals at the moment. I know the S10 is right round the corner, but unless this comes with significant improvements I dont think I will be tempted by what will be at least to begin with big prices.
There is just one nagging concern that is stopping me from purchasing at the moment - the battery. What do people advise? How are people getting on with the S9 with this that have ideally upgraded from the S7 edge which people generally praised for its battery? I plan on using my devices for a minimum of 3 years. Is the S9 good for this? Or would you advise me waiting to see what the S10 has in stock? Even though it is unlikely I will want to pay anything more than £45 a month (tops!) for my contract?
Some help and advise really would be massively appreciated!
S9 battery is a weak point. I use the phone constantly on battery saver mode. This way i get an extra hour to around 4.30SOT. if you are a heavy user, this aint it. Exynos battery optimization is very poor. But i would suggest you to go for Note 9 or even a S9+ for the extra camera and battery.
Also, you can't enjoy full resolution and you have to downgrade and use at FHD+ for battery.
Ram management takes a hit with massive battery saving tricks you are forced to do. The phone also heats up a lot. Charging times are not that great. Camera quality deteriorated over months.
With this phone you have to extra careful with drops. It costs me 300USD for a small crack on screen.
The positives are the usual. Speakers are great. Screen is awesome. Samsung pay is life saving. Wireless charging. IP68. Headphone jack! SD card!
I would say Note 9 or S9+
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
verifiedthug said:
S9 battery is a weak point. I use the phone constantly on battery saver mode. This way i get an extra hour to around 4.30SOT. if you are a heavy user, this aint it. Exynos battery optimization is very poor. But i would suggest you to go for Note 9 or even a S9+ for the extra camera and battery.
Also, you can't enjoy full resolution and you have to downgrade and use at FHD+ for battery.
Ram management takes a hit with massive battery saving tricks you are forced to do. The phone also heats up a lot. Charging times are not that great. Camera quality deteriorated over months.
With this phone you have to extra careful with drops. It costs me 300USD for a small crack on screen.
The positives are the usual. Speakers are great. Screen is awesome. Samsung pay is life saving. Wireless charging. IP68. Headphone jack! SD card!
I would say Note 9 or S9+
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Hmm, ok.. I really wish that was a more positive response regarding the battery But I really appreciate your honest and in depth review!
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
shaunwwfc said:
Hmm, ok.. I really wish that was a more positive response regarding the battery But I really appreciate your honest and in depth review!
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only a few users have terrible battery life like that, it's not the greatest but with everything on maximum performance, all radios enabled (not BT), auto brightness around 50% most of the time, I can easily get 5 hours SoT with normal usage, when I got the phone I was averaging 6-7 hours SoT, but obviously the more apps you install...
Talking about the S9 flat here, the S9 plus has a bigger battery same as your 7 Edge did
I upgraded from the S7 flat and it was a very nice upgrade, I would not switch back, faster, a lot nicer design, (Get a case though, the bezels are very small and using the camera without accidentally touching the screen is difficult without a case), camera is very nice indeed, I wouldn't say it was a huge step up from the S7 especially with RAW / Pro mode, but with the new f1.5 low light ability it is definitely a step up in certain scenarios
Personally I would say yes it is still a worthwhile upgrade from the S7/Edge
Hey there!
I moved from the s6 to the s9 after my s6 died. Honestly, I didn't feel a big upgrade. If my s6 was working I would probably return the s9. Your s7 edge is a very nice phone. I'd say if money isnt a big issue, wait for the s10.
*Detection* said:
Only a few users have terrible battery life like that, it's not the greatest but with everything on maximum performance, all radios enabled (not BT), auto brightness around 50% most of the time, I can easily get 5 hours SoT with normal usage, when I got the phone I was averaging 6-7 hours SoT, but obviously the more apps you install...
Talking about the S9 flat here, the S9 plus has a bigger battery same as your 7 Edge did
I upgraded from the S7 flat and it was a very nice upgrade, I would not switch back, faster, a lot nicer design, (Get a case though, the bezels are very small and using the camera without accidentally touching the screen is difficult without a case), camera is very nice indeed, I wouldn't say it was a huge step up from the S7 especially with RAW / Pro mode, but with the new f1.5 low light ability it is definitely a step up in certain scenarios
Personally I would say yes it is still a worthwhile upgrade from the S7/Edge
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your thoughts. I am going to closely monitor the price for the next fortnight. With really good feedback I think I would go for it right now. Having read multiple reviews now I am leaning towards seeing what the s10 can offer, especially battery wise.
ssalehh said:
Hey there!
I moved from the s6 to the s9 after my s6 died. Honestly, I didn't feel a big upgrade. If my s6 was working I would probably return the s9. Your s7 edge is a very nice phone. I'd say if money isnt a big issue, wait for the s10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply! I am starting to think that!
I second waiting to see how the S10 plays out since you are planning on keeping your new phone for the long haul. I actually just purchased a used S9 and am very happy with it (haven't had it long enough to comment on battery life). If you can afford the up front cost, the used market for mint/very good handsets is very competitive right now. However, the launch/trade-in deals for the S10 should put you in the ballpark of the S9 deals you are seeing now.
Edit: Plus, S9/S9+ deals should be great after S10 launches.
I've been the Galaxy as a daily driver since the S8 came out, and when the 9 was released I upgraded.
The S8 size was pretty decent, but when I went to the S9, it was a tad bigger and noticeably heavier. Honestly I like smaller phones. The S9+/Note phones are just too big for me.
Pros: Great screen, great camera, I get decently fast charging time.
Cons:
-Battery life is "fair". For work I use my phone a lot to research on ebay and take pictures. It just doesn't seem enough. I've tried some optimizations such as FHD+, black background, black theme, battery saver programs, no major social media apps running ( usually i used the web based) and I am a bit disappointed. If I use my phone a fair amount in the morning I feel like I will be low later on and will need to charge. Honestly that seems to be one of my bigger drawbacks. If I could get a full day of use from early in the morning to the evening no problem, I'd be good.
- Samsung lag. Oh yes it's here. When going from ebay app to camera, to stock sms app, youtube, I get hiccups more than I'd like to see. I have animations to .5x to make things feel snappier, but I just wish the optimization was better. I won't switch to an iphone, but man after playing with an iphone and seeing how fluid it is, I am a bit envious. I won't switch to Apple, that's just me. Sometimes the auto-rotate doesn't seem to respond as smooth as iPhone.
- The edge screen. Meh. Was cool at first, but it makes glass protectors difficult. You have to pretty much go with Whitestone dome glass, and it's expensive. And then that breaks and you need another $35. I am exploring other options and recently found a glass protector that uses loca glue and UV application just like the whitestone for $18 on Amazon. It has arrived, just haven't put it on yet. I can live without the edge screen.
Today I tested out the Google Pixel 3 at Best Buy. Surprisingly it was only a tad smaller than the S9, but it did weigh less. But maybe that small difference in size does help better with one handed use. Pixel 3 is on Android P, and I played around with it and it was very fluid like the iPhone. I have a promo with T-Mobile on a payment plan for my S9, but if i could just jump right over to the Pixel 3 I would.
I'm hoping Android P will make things better, more optimized and better battery life. Personally, if you have to get a phone now, I like the Pixel 3. Since I'm stuck in a promo paying for this S9, I will most likely upgrade to the S10 when it comes out.
Jeez, I can't stand reading "samsung lag". Now let's be honest and call it "Android lag", because out of 100 different Android phones just Pixels and OnePlus do not show *any* type of stuttering *ever*.
shaunwwfc said:
For £38 a month would you not go for this then? put up against the S7 edge would you not say it is a worthwhile upgrade?
I will start looking at the S9 + and the Note9 although I have to say I am not so keen on the prices they offer....lets see what black Friday brings!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you like the phone bro get it. I own S9, Nokia 7.1, Essential Phone, OnePlus 6, & Pixel 2. All are more or less the same on battery life. Use adaptive brightness & close apps you're not using. Other than that leave Android to do it's job at RAM management, etc. I heavily use my S9 because it's my newest toy and I consistently get 6+ hours of SOT. I don't play games on my phone or do prolonged video streaming.
Hope that helps
Upgraded from the S7 to the S9 for around 400€. It is not worth the money imho. The design is great, no question, the fingerprint sensor is way faster - but other than that there is not much to gain here. The camera is marginally better but not worth the money and the battery life is quite disappointing. I would wait for the S10 or other phones next year.
sot from s9+?
shaunwwfc said:
Hi, I am hoping some of you can help me
I am currently using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in the UK. I have had this for 2 years and generally I am very happy with it. Right now the battery life does suffer a little, and on long days I am preserving its use for it to last me as much as can be, but generally I am very satisfied with it.
Right now through Black Friday there are some very nice S9 deals. I can get it for zero upfront, £38 a month on a 24 month contract with 25GB of Data. As it gets closer to Black Friday, I may even be able to get it cheaper so it is very appealing. Question is.. should I?? Right now I am paying £20 for SIM only so this will be a little jump in price.
I LOVE the look of the S9. I also love the look of the S8 actually but the idea of a better speaker in the S9 really draws me in plus the fact that suprisingly, the S9 have better deals at the moment. I know the S10 is right round the corner, but unless this comes with significant improvements I dont think I will be tempted by what will be at least to begin with big prices.
There is just one nagging concern that is stopping me from purchasing at the moment - the battery. What do people advise? How are people getting on with the S9 with this that have ideally upgraded from the S7 edge which people generally praised for its battery? I plan on using my devices for a minimum of 3 years. Is the S9 good for this? Or would you advise me waiting to see what the S10 has in stock? Even though it is unlikely I will want to pay anything more than £45 a month (tops!) for my contract?
Some help and advise really would be massively appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a good phone, I have the Exynnos variant and battery life sucks but otherwise its great, speakers are great on it, much better than my works iPhone 8, the screen is great also, I don't normally like Samsung but I really like this, plus it has a headphone jack.
But the battery life is the major downside, I would certainly get a good battery bank.
Finally if I was to choose now I would likely get a Pixel 3 XL, 3 years of updates sounds amazing to me.
If you do more than just the basics, get the Plus or Note. I got the straight S9 because it was on offer (30GB on EE no upfront cost £32/month) and although it was a steal it's a pain in the arse. I have the smartwatch and a Pokeball (So that's 2 bluetooth devices it's trying to keep up with) and play Pokemon Go with messaging apps and an overlay, and it's doing all this kind of stuff at once, 4GB is nowhere near enough RAM on Android. iOS could manage it easily, but Android is not iOS...
The result is it lags like crazy. Usually just as I want to do something quickly like take a photo and it sits and chugs for a minute (presumably out of memory and using storage as swap space) instead. Or the fingerprint reader will take like 5 seconds to register and unlock. I regret skimping, and wish I'd just splashed out and waited for the Note.
I'm sitting on a fence I've been scooting on for the past 2 phone upgrades. I currently have a Note 9 and in my head, the natural choice would be a Note 10+. That had been my thinking until Sprint released the OP7 Pro 5G. I know all the specs and all the differences between both on paper. I guess maybe I'm trying to get someone to convince me one way or another. I don't think I've seen a screen better than the ones on Samsung flagships and I'm afraid I'd be trading down if I went OP7. I know about the 90hz screen but since I've never seen it on a phone, I could live without it since I wouldn't know what I'm missing out on. At the same time, my s-pen use has dropped dramatically since I first used on on the Note 4 and honestly, I never use it unless I'm cropping a screenshot, which is rare. Someone just slap the ish out of me and tell me what to choose -_-
Edit: Forgot to mention, I live in Dallas. So I'd have access to Sprints 5G, as rudimentary as it is now. Hence the fence sitting
marky310 said:
I'm sitting on a fence I've been scooting on for the past 2 phone upgrades. I currently have a Note 9 and in my head, the natural choice would be a Note 10+. That had been my thinking until Sprint released the OP7 Pro 5G. I know all the specs and all the differences between both on paper. I guess maybe I'm trying to get someone to convince me one way or another. I don't think I've seen a screen better than the ones on Samsung flagships and I'm afraid I'd be trading down if I went OP7. I know about the 90hz screen but since I've never seen it on a phone, I could live without it since I wouldn't know what I'm missing out on. At the same time, my s-pen use has dropped dramatically since I first used on on the Note 4 and honestly, I never use it unless I'm cropping a screenshot, which is rare. Someone just slap the ish out of me and tell me what to choose -_-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on how much you take selfies as well. The S-pen is good for snapping pictures like a remote that I enjoy. Also Dex to put the phone folders on the desktop is something that's cool. You're right though. Nothing beats the Samsung AMOLED screen. The screen is a little larger it looks like with the 6.8" than the One Plus at 6.67". Looks like the One Plus doesn't have wireless charging if you used that. Only other main differences is the battery on the Note 10+ is larger at 4300mAh vs the One Plus at 4000mAh. 91% screen to body ratio on the Note 10+ vs the 88.5% on the One Plus. I wouldn't worry too much regardless on which phone you get with 5G since 5G is very limited and very finicky right now. Sure, it might be better next year but they said it's a lot harder to maintain a 5G signal since it uses millimeter waves and much harder to penetrate through walls. I don't see 5G really getting steam until probably the end of next year going into 2021.
Water resistance. I own a pool that I use all the time and snap pictures of the family. The One+ it is t an option. Is this a few $100 to me... Yes.
marky310 said:
I'm sitting on a fence I've been scooting on for the past 2 phone upgrades. I currently have a Note 9 and in my head, the natural choice would be a Note 10+. That had been my thinking until Sprint released the OP7 Pro 5G. I know all the specs and all the differences between both on paper. I guess maybe I'm trying to get someone to convince me one way or another. I don't think I've seen a screen better than the ones on Samsung flagships and I'm afraid I'd be trading down if I went OP7. I know about the 90hz screen but since I've never seen it on a phone, I could live without it since I wouldn't know what I'm missing out on. At the same time, my s-pen use has dropped dramatically since I first used on on the Note 4 and honestly, I never use it unless I'm cropping a screenshot, which is rare. Someone just slap the ish out of me and tell me what to choose -_-
Edit: Forgot to mention, I live in Dallas. So I'd have access to Sprints 5G, as rudimentary as it is now. Hence the fence sitting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
10+ 512GB 5G. When using 5G, it's like you are in a different planet. Truest me. And, as everyone else dumps their cell phone because it doesn't support 5G, you'll already be where you want to be.
Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk
Note10+. I had the same battle basically, in my mind. Screen, DeX, s-pen, IP68, wireless charging, WAY better camera (that's what made up my mind), most premium feeling and looking phone around... Samsung just has an amazing thing going right now. This phone is the most incredible piece of technology I've ever owned. I'm coming from a Note9, which I previously thought was basically unbeatable (only upgraded due to the amazing deals). SO glad I chose this phone.
PsiPhiDan said:
Note10+. I had the same battle basically, in my mind. Screen, DeX, s-pen, IP68, wireless charging, WAY better camera (that's what made up my mind), most premium feeling and looking phone around... Samsung just has an amazing thing going right now. This phone is the most incredible piece of technology I've ever owned. I'm coming from a Note9, which I previously thought was basically unbeatable (only upgraded due to the amazing deals). SO glad I chose this phone.
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Click to collapse
I appreciate all these answers. Its definitely reinforcing a lot of the feelings I have for the Note series. I really do feel like if I choose the 10+, I'd be just as happy as this. But I've always had an itch to try something new once the shine of a new note wears off. Part of me feels that may be due to the almost insignificant jump from the note 8 to 9 and I have a feeling going from 9 to 10+ would be a lot more impressive. I still have time to decide, but I really wanted to put feelers out whole I could. Thanks so much, dudes :laugh:
marky310 said:
I appreciate all these answers. Its definitely reinforcing a lot of the feelings I have for the Note series. I really do feel like if I choose the 10+, I'd be just as happy as this. But I've always had an itch to try something new once the shine of a new note wears off. Part of me feels that may be due to the almost insignificant jump from the note 8 to 9 and I have a feeling going from 9 to 10+ would be a lot more impressive. I still have time to decide, but I really wanted to put feelers out whole I could. Thanks so much, dudes :laugh:
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Click to collapse
Thing is, you'll get the opposite answer from OnePlus 7 forums. They'll tell you to get the OP7 Pro because of the 90Hz screen, no hole punch camera, faster updates, faster overall UI (I sincerely doubt that any UI could be faster than this Note10+ on performance mode, Nova launcher, and 0.5 scale animations though... This is INSANE), and Oxygen OS instead of Samsung's bloated UI. That's what they'll say, whether true or not. So I hope you put out feelers on both sides or the battle wasn't fair! Either way, this phone is better for ME. Not sure what's better for you.
PsiPhiDan said:
Thing is, you'll get the opposite answer from OnePlus 7 forums. They'll tell you to get the OP7 Pro because of the 90Hz screen, no hole punch camera, faster updates, faster overall UI (I sincerely doubt that any UI could be faster than this Note10+ on performance mode, Nova launcher, and 0.5 scale animations though... This is INSANE), and Oxygen OS instead of Samsung's bloated UI. That's what they'll say, whether true or not. So I hope you put out feelers on both sides or the battle wasn't fair! Either way, this phone is better for ME. Not sure what's better for you.
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Click to collapse
That's exactly what I did, lol. Made basically the same thread on the OP7 forum to gauge both sides. I think I'll come down to me trying both out in store and getting a feel for both.
I might be able to offer another opinion for you, but with the same results.
I was a pretty loyal iPhone fan for the longest time since the 3GS. I had a couple of forays into the Android world, with the OnePlus One and LG V20, because like you, I wondered what it was like on the other side. I really liked the OnePlus One, but a bad customer service experience turned me off to them until the 6T came out and I decided to try them again. I had the phone for less than 48 hrs before I brought the phone back for another iPhone.
Fast forward to August 2019 and I fell in love with the Note 10+ instantly. I had always wanted one but the Note 7(?) fiasco turned me away. I went in to Best Buy one day and got some hands on time with it, and I was hooked. It's the first time I've ever pre-ordered a phone, it was very exciting. Now that I've been using the phone for awhile, I can honestly say it's been a great experience. Camera, screen and the Samsung ecosystem are all top notch. And, no buyers' regret!
Anything but the Note 10 or 10+ It's not all rosy as it seems, the camera quality is sub par and you'll be constantly disappointed when you open the camera to take a pic. Call quality is not great because of the weird placement of the speakers. 60Hz display seems retarded compared to 90Hz, huge difference. Now I don't know One plus 7 camera quality but Pixel 4XL will definitely have much better camera. So coming from another Note 10+ owner don't buy this iteration, it's basically crap. I owned a note 8 and 5 prior to this. My next phone will definitely be a Pixel or One Plus.
cyanotrix said:
Anything but the Note 10 or 10+ It's not all rosy as it seems, the camera quality is sub par and you'll be constantly disappointed when you open the camera to take a pic. Call quality is not great because of the weird placement of the speakers. 60Hz display seems retarded compared to 90Hz, huge difference. Now I don't know One plus 7 camera quality but Pixel 4XL will definitely have much better camera. So coming from another Note 10+ owner don't buy this iteration, it's basically crap. I owned a note 8 and 5 prior to this. My next phone will definitely be a Pixel or One Plus.
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Click to collapse
The camera is not sub par. It may not be the best, but it is definitely in the top 3 or 4. Also I have never, ever had a problem with call quality although I think that front facing speakers do sound better, but call quality and sound as it pertains to music or video are two different things. Fact is, it is only loudmess is only slightly less strong compared to the S10 (+), which has front facing speakers. This iteration isn't crap, but is different. If you are yearning for the productivity of yesteryear, wait for next years Note (or maybe the year after that). The S line and the Note line will probably be merged and the Fold will more than likely inherit the S-pen and become the new productivity device. Remember, even though the Pixel and OnePlus are great phones, the screens and the technology everyone is raving about, comes from Samsung. They also made the screens for the 3 and 3a. As for the 60Hz v. 90Hz debate, yes it is a noticable difference, but does that mean the Note experience sucks. No it doesn't suck and the fast charging is comparable to the OP7 Pro and it also offers fast wireless charging, as well as reverse wireles charging. While not necessary, wireless charging is extremely convenient. You can find wireless chargers in coffee shops resteraunts, airports and even in a lot of newer cars. Its great to be able to just throw your phone on the dash while driving across town and still have all of its fuctionality while its charging. In my opinion the Note 10+ is a great phone; overpriced, but a great phone none the less. BTW, I do own both Pixel and One Plus devices, as well as Xiaomi, Vivo and Huawei. So I do have several phones that I can compare against.
Of course the big main screen is the #1 positive.
If anything is going to break this deal its
#1 the small cover screen first and foremost.
#2 it's the cameras but I've been surprisingly OK with the ZF3 shots lately.
How Bout you?
i shifted to all apple last year and im so in love with my iphone 12 pro max, i love the eco system
but i still want to buy Samsung as i love the extra customization and its like tab and phone
my main concerns
are there any cases from rhinoshield or any well known brands? my phone falls to much from my hands
my last s20 ultra have so much focus issues that never wanted to go back to samsung, maybe i got a defective unit 12 pro max cam is awesome
the inside screen quality, i watched a durability test and the nails still damage the inner screen
I went the opposite way. I just returned my z-fold 3 because of the battery life and the cameras. The s-pen flip case was absolutely horrid. I just feel for a $1,900 phone, it was underwhelming. I'm hoping on the z-fold 4, they put the s-pen solo in the phone. It just wasn't the note replacement I hoped it would be. I ordered an s21 ultra 512 GB but I won't be here till the end of the month so I'm looking forward to that now.
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
I went from S21 Ultra to Fold 3, I certainly won't be going back to to a candy bar phone again. The cameras do a good enough job for me, the S21 camera array would have been nice, but I do wonder how much it would bump the price up.
I don't mind the outside screen either, certainly easier to type 1 handed, where the S21 U was quite wide to use like that.
I found this video the other day, regarding the cameras
bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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Don't tell people to "stop the bull****". It's not your role to police who says what. All opinions are good to go.
bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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Maybe in your opinion but I have my own. The cameras are basically up to par with my Note 20 5G. Maybe you are willing to sacrifice to have a folding screen but I am not. Cellular reception also was worse and I have a feeling that is what was killing the battery. By all means enjoy your F3 and I'll enjoy my S21. Like I said, I am looking forward to the Fold 4.
I love my fold3. The battery life isn't great, but try turning off your 5G. That should help out quite a bit. Plus you won't be able to tell the difference with the speeds unless you're using ultra wideband.
S21U to F3...
Cameras ... Nasi e downgrade
Everything else ... Z Fold 3 is *THE* device to own in 2021
S21U to ZF3. I've gotten settled into the Fold 3 after a few days - I had to swap out my email app of choice (Nine) for Outlook to help with the battery (Nine has always been a bit of a hog, but it tips the scales to "not a full day" whereas Outlook plays nicer). I'm now getting a full business day (12hrs) but not much more.
I've got a little stand and BT keyboard taking its place as an iPad Mini Pro as welll...
I will miss the S21U cameras (I still have it...not giving it up so quickly!) so it's def form vs. function.
My biggest gripe with the Fold isn't the phone itself. To have a good solid case on it that lays flat means having big edges around the front screen. It's a bit awkward, but I'm sure I'll cope with time.
As for battery life, I do a lot of reading. I used to use a tablet + S21. With their mixed usage, either device would last a couple days without any real issue. Now, I have to top off during the day. I knew at some level this would be the case, but didn't QUITE expect it to be as heavy as it is. I have a charger at my work desk, home desk, and nightstand so it isn't a problem in my day to day life. Reading is also something I can avoid doing, and usually would anyway, if I'm going to be out and about all day.
xenx said:
My biggest gripe with the Fold isn't the phone itself. To have a good solid case on it that lays flat means having big edges around the front screen. It's a bit awkward, but I'm sure I'll cope with time.
As for battery life, I do a lot of reading. I used to use a tablet + S21. With their mixed usage, either device would last a couple days without any real issue. Now, I have to top off during the day. I knew at some level this would be the case, but didn't QUITE expect it to be as heavy as it is. I have a charger at my work desk, home desk, and nightstand so it isn't a problem in my day to day life. Reading is also something I can avoid doing, and usually would anyway, if I'm going to be out and about all day.
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Yep. You were in essence carrying two batteries, one in the S21 and one in the Tablet. You can't get away with just having 1 battery and expecting it to last as long as 2. The answer is to have an external battery along for the ride (which I always have in my bag anyway!)
mickliq said:
Yep. You were in essence carrying two batteries, one in the S21 and one in the Tablet. You can't get away with just having 1 battery and expecting it to last as long as 2. The answer is to have an external battery along for the ride (which I always have in my bag anyway!)
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Well, didn't usually carry the tablet with me as much as use it around the house. That said, yes. Not only is the tablet a second battery, it's a larger second battery. I expected higher usage, I just didn't expect as much as I should have. I do have the ability to bring a battery if needed, I just don't need to in most cases.
Totally get it. It's just helpful to think about the loss of the large 2nd battery
dezborders said:
S21U to F3...
Cameras ... Nasi e downgrade
Everything else ... Z Fold 3 is *THE* device to own in 2021
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rockky said:
Don't tell people to "stop the bull****". It's not your role to police who says what. All opinions are good to go.
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I took the ZF3 and S21U out together today and did camera tests on my own and was amazed how well the ZF3 matched the S21U. (cept for zoom and macro)
Honestly if you have a SGS21 Ultra. There is no point in upgrading to the Z Fold 3 as the performance is the exact same as they are running on the same hardware.
iceepyon said:
Honestly if you have a SGS21 Ultra. There is no point in upgrading to the Z Fold 3 as the performance is the exact same as they are running on the same hardware.
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S21u outside of USA and SK has the "inferior" Exynos chip which has different performance and heat management (and also different ISP for processing images taken with cameras)
It's a difficult question ... Upgrade from S21u to F3?
Personally I'd say if you want to try foldable phones the F3 is the one to go for
If camera is most important to you stick with the S21U
bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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My 'problem' with the F3 cameras is that for £1599 ($1799) the absolure flagship product from Samsung I expect the S21 Ultra camera module to be included. However, Samsung reduced F3 price by £200 over last years F2 so we cant have everything (but we still want it!)
The Fold3 camera sensors are the same as those in the Fold2, which were same as Fold1, which were same as the S10+ cameras.
If we wanted 3 year old camera sensors in our smartphones we would buy an Apple iPhone. lol
dezborders said:
My 'problem' with the F3 cameras is that for £1599 ($1799) the absolure flagship product from Samsung I expect the S21 Ultra camera module to be included. However, Samsung reduced F3 price by £200 over last years F2 so we cant have everything (but we still want it!)
The Fold3 camera sensors are the same as those in the Fold2, which were same as Fold1, which were same as the S10+ cameras.
If we wanted 3 year old camera sensors in our smartphones we would buy an Apple iPhone. lol
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So, did you end up buying an IPhone?
If not, and you bought the F3, you'll know that the pictures it takes are very good, to the extent that some YouTube comparisons show that it holds up to, and sometimes beats the IPhone in terms of picture quality.
If you didn't buy the F3, you're just trolling, for how would you know how good or bad the camera is in reality. LOL
kxdaorbit said:
So, did you end up buying an IPhone?
If not, and you bought the F3, you'll know that the pictures it takes are very good, to the extent that some YouTube comparisons show that it holds up to, and sometimes beats the IPhone in terms of picture quality.
If you didn't buy the F3, you're just trolling, for how would you know how good or bad the camera is in reality. LOL
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As a phone enthusiast (read addict), I have owned in the last 12 months.... Note 20 Ultra, iPhone 12 Pro Max, Xiaomi Mi 11 5g, S21 ultra and now the Z Fold3.
The Fold 3 is 1000s times more advanced and exciting to use than any of the other devices mentioned above... however the Z range cameras are stuck at 12mp from 2019 S10 era.
I agree pictures taken with a Z Fold3 are good or even excellent in most cases....
however, if you claim 2.0 optical zoom in F3 is technically as good as 10x optical zoom in S21U , or thar 108MP with Laser autofocus on S21u is not "better" than basic 12mp main lens on the Z Fold, you are mistaken my friend
(and lets not even begin to discuss the 4 FOUR! megapixel under-screen-camera lol )
To clarify .... I ABSOLUTELTY LOVE my Z Fold3!
I just think Samsung has missed the opportunity to release the ULTIMATE "UNBEATABLE" smartphone by not including 2021 spec camera module from the S21 Ultra. (The Note range always matched or exceeded the cameras in the S range from 6 months previous so why not do the same with the Z range?).
Hi all I'm thinking of switching from my s21 ultra (exynos variant) but been hearing some bad reviews etc of bad battery life and not so good cameras etc on the pixel does any one who ownes a pixel 6 pro know if most of these have been fixed? And would people consider the pixel 6 pro over the s21 ultra or am I best waiting till the s22 thanks
brockyneo said:
Hi all I'm thinking of switching from my s21 ultra (exynos variant) but been hearing some bad reviews etc of bad battery life and not so good cameras etc on the pixel does any one who ownes a pixel 6 pro know if most of these have been fixed? And would people consider the pixel 6 pro over the s21 ultra or am I best waiting till the s22 thanks
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hi, i have switched from s21u(exy) and battery on p6 pro is amazing comparing to samsung(9h+ p6 pro / 6h s21u - same usage)(p6pro 42h/one charge / s21u/28h) . not only battery, i like the mini rounded corners of p6 pro, software is good enough(its new), will be better after fex fixes.
Thanks so would you say it's a good choice over the s21 ultra
brockyneo said:
Thanks so would you say it's a good choice over the s21 ultra
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yeah, right now best choice, i am selling my s21u
Thanks might get it ordered today and pass down the s21 ultra to the lad
After the Pixel 1 stopped getting updates two years ago, my wife and I finally upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 512 GB model, because for the first couple of years after the Pixel 1, I was waiting to buy another Pixel until they came out with a 256 GB model, and then by the time they did, I needed a 512 GB model so I still waited.
The Note 10+ hardware is great. I hate the software. I use my personal phone for my work too, my work uses Google for everything, and apparently, it's common with Samsung devices that they have sporadic syncing of GMail and Chat/Hangouts. When I told my brother about the problem I was having (and I did try deep-diving settings about not optimizing for battery usage, and not killing in the background, and even factory reset), my brother, who had only just bought his family their first smartphones maybe 4 years ago and go the Galaxy S9+, said that he assumed that's just the way Android is. It's not. I never encountered such bad GMail and chat syncing and notification behavior on any other phone.
For chat-type notifications, it was hit and miss whether I would receive timely ones. I could never narrow down what made the difference. For GMail, sometimes I wouldn't get a notification of an email until 45 minutes to even 2 hours later. Multi-tasking on the work computer, sometimes I wouldn't look at my GMail browser tab for long periods of time, and my boss likes to use chat quite often too. Half the time, I did happen to see the email in the browser tab, read it, and even deleted it (for non-critical things), and then later on my Samsung would let me know I have that "new" email. I already saw it and deleted it! Crazy.
There were other things Samsung gimped compared to other phones (Do Not Disturb...), and it also managed to duplicate all my contacts in a way that they're not recognized as duplicates so they can't be automatically de-duped.
Thankfully, back on the P6P 512 GB bandwagon, I no longer have those issues, and we quickly sold our Note 10+'s. So my answer is I'd trade any Samsung for a Pixel. Loved the Samsung hardware, but the software just doesn't cut it for me. The only thing I miss from the Note is the stylus from time to time, which would be handy for Pixel's magic eraser when you have to really fine-tune some erasing.
Oh yeah - I haven't had any issues with my battery life in the month I've had the phone. For the last five years, I never quick charge any phone, I only charge once the phone gets down to 25%, and I take the phone off the charger at 75%. I never charge overnight. The Pixel 6/Pro have Adaptive Charge to help battery life, but my 25-75% battery range lasts me 24 hours normally anyway. I don't own any quick chargers except my original Pixel 1 charger, and I don't use it.
brockyneo said:
Hi all I'm thinking of switching from my s21 ultra (exynos variant) but been hearing some bad reviews etc of bad battery life and not so good cameras etc on the pixel does any one who ownes a pixel 6 pro know if most of these have been fixed? And would people consider the pixel 6 pro over the s21 ultra or am I best waiting till the s22 thanks
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If multiple days of battery life is a bad thing, or the camera is too good for you.... you might want to stick with the samdung.
brockyneo said:
Hi all I'm thinking of switching from my s21 ultra (exynos variant) but been hearing some bad reviews etc of bad battery life and not so good cameras etc on the pixel does any one who ownes a pixel 6 pro know if most of these have been fixed? And would people consider the pixel 6 pro over the s21 ultra or am I best waiting till the s22 thanks
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Click to collapse
I did the same thing, and battery is good after about a week or two. You have to give the adaptive battery time to learn your habits. Not sure where you heard the camera is bad. That's the best part of the phone.
roirraW edor ehT said:
The only thing I miss from the Note is the stylus from time to time, which would be handy for Pixel's magic eraser when you have to really fine-tune some erasing.
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There are 10 billion options for capacitive screen pokey things on Amazon. I can't tell you which ones I have, because I can't read the font they used to identify themselves, but works pretty good.
Owning currently both devices here I can maybe share a few thoughts, subjective of course as many of those base on what I like/dislike:
Pro S21 Ultra:
+ build quality
+ display quality
+ overall maturity of the software
+ better standby drain
Pro Pixel 6 Pro:
+ genuine, clean Android with less bloat
+ snappier UI
+ active battery life
+ Camera: much lower noise and much better dynamic range in low light
+ Camera: less heavy-handed noise-reduction/resharpening
+ (slightly) less weight
+ much more development friendly (no hassle bootloader unlock without lost warranty, no Knox.....)
All in all I like both phones, what makes me moving back to the S21 Ultra (or maybe again Mi 11U) is memory - sadly Google only sells the P6P with max 256GB in Germany which I find a bit too small for my purpose.....
And a few more words on the camera: Samsung has its own way in image processing and in many cases this leads to loss of details in grass/leaves/.... which I dislike. The Pixel 6 Pro gives much better results here, as with many indoor shots specifically of pets/kids.... So overall I much prefer the Pixel camera, this doesn't mean the Samsung camera is bad, though - it isn't !
The only thing I like about my s21 ultra is the display screen. Other than that, 6 pro tops it off. (The 6 pro is on par with the iPhone 13 max's camera btw) With the exception of the video quality of course. The iPhone is still the king for shooting high quality videos.
I have both. These are the most notable differences that I have noticed in using both extensively over a few weeks.
Everything else not-mentioned seems the same/equivalent between the two devices.
Battery; The Samsung has better battery life out of the box, hands down. I regularly saw 7hour screen time and easily made it 24 hours or more on a single charge. The P6P gets about 4-5hours screen time and only about 20-22hours on a charge.
Can only hope the P6P gets better with updates. I returned my first P6P because I thought something was wrong with it. Unfortunately, the second one is the same. It's bad (for some people, but apparently not everyone).
Temperature; You have to try really hard to make the Samsung work up a sweat. The P6P seems to get warm at random times without much going on (browsing forums, for example). Then other times when you would expect it to get warm (watching videos), it runs perfectly cool. Very strange.
Camera; There's nothing better or easier than the P6P when trying to produce consistent great quality pictures. Despite superior hardware in the Samsung S21 Ultra, overall picture results are handicapped due to inferior software/processing, especially in portrait mode. It has gotten better with updates, but still gets beat handily by P6P.
Size and Weight; The P6P is more hand/pocket friendly. It is noticeably thinner and lighter than the S21 Ultra, making it more comfortable in the pockets that I carry it in (back pocket or front shirt pocket). The S21 Ultra feels like a small cinder block in the pocket compare to the P6P.
Charging; Despite better technical sheet specs for the P6P, it charges inconsistently and slower than the S21 Ultra. It's not by a small margin either, P6P takes about 2x longer.
It also tends to get warm to the point of thorttling during charging. The S21 Ultra is consistent, and charges very fast and doesnt get very warm (certainly never throttles).
Software; I suppose this could be preference. If you like the Samsung software look and feel, then it's perfectly fine. It really runs almost flawlessly compared to older TouchWiz crap from Samsung. I prefer the look and feel of pure android from Google.
Napa7m said:
I have both. These are the most notable differences that I have noticed in using both extensively over a few weeks.
Everything else not-mentioned seems the same/equivalent between the two devices.
Battery; The Samsung has better battery life out of the box, hands down. I regularly saw 7hour screen time and easily made it 24 hours or more on a single charge. The P6P gets about 4-5hours screen time and only about 20-22hours on a charge.
Can only hope the P6P gets better with updates. I returned my first P6P because I thought something was wrong with it. Unfortunately, the second one is the same. It's bad (for some people, but apparently not everyone).
Temperature; You have to try really hard to make the Samsung work up a sweat. The P6P seems to get warm at random times without much going on (browsing forums, for example). Then other times when you would expect it to get warm (watching videos), it runs perfectly cool. Very strange.
Camera; There's nothing better or easier than the P6P when trying to produce consistent great quality pictures. Despite superior hardware in the Samsung S21 Ultra, overall picture results are handicapped due to inferior software/processing, especially in portrait mode. It has gotten better with updates, but still gets beat handily by P6P.
Size and Weight; The P6P is more hand/pocket friendly. It is noticeably thinner and lighter than the S21 Ultra, making it more comfortable in the pockets that I carry it in (back pocket or front shirt pocket). The S21 Ultra feels like a small cinder block in the pocket compare to the P6P.
Charging; Despite better technical sheet specs for the P6P, it charges inconsistently and slower than the S21 Ultra. It's not by a small margin either, P6P takes about 2x longer.
It also tends to get warm to the point of thorttling during charging. The S21 Ultra is consistent, and charges very fast and doesnt get very warm (certainly never throttles).
Software; I suppose this could be preference. If you like the Samsung software look and feel, then it's perfectly fine. It really runs almost flawlessly compared to older TouchWiz crap from Samsung. I prefer the look and feel of pure android from Google.
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I think a lot of what you're putting down as negatives against P6P comes down to gservices and broken "pixel features". I'm running pure (google free) AOSP on mine. I pulled it off the charger this morning at 5:30 (7.5 hours ago). Currently have 1.5 hr screen on time and the battery is at 92%, and so far the battery gauge appears to be pretty linear. I've also NOT noticed ANY substantial heating up. It runs pretty cool consistently -- note that heat comes from the battery, so it makes sense.
Also, there is no magic battery BS in AOSP.
I upgraded from a Note 20 Ultra 512Gb and the battery on my P6P is phenomenal compared to the Note 20. There have been issues for some on the P6P but I've been using my 512Gb unlocked variant with no issue at all. Just make sure you set your P6P from scratch and don't transfer data from your S21 Ultra. Also the standby drain is the best I've ever had, took it off the charger at 9PM at 100% and at 8:30 the next morning was at 99%. Not everyone is having the same results that I have.
I had both for a while. S21 ultra for the last 9 months. Tested them side by side . I don't think the pixel is better than the s21 in any single way, they are actually so similar. I prefer the maturer Samsung email and calendar software but that's subjective. The biggest difference, which matters for me was that the pixel has more global 5g and LTE bands than the s21. I used Nova and mimicked the s21 completely. Really couldn't tell the difference except screen better on s21 IMHO.
if I didn't already own the s21 I would have bought the pixel but because they are so similar and it isn't an upgrade but more a move to the side, the change didn't make sense.
Display, build quality, signal quality and probably smoothness are all better on the s21U. However I prefer the camera on the P6P and also Pixel Android to OneUI. The S21U is a solid, well built device and I don't think the P6P is an upgrade, if anything it's a slight downgrade.
Thanks for all the replys I'm still on the fence at the minute lol,can I root the pixel 6 pro and have no problems like knox,drm keys etc like other devices have? And if ibdecude to want to unroot can it be returned back to totally factory as if it was never rooted? I haven't rooted for years and miss been able to uninstall apps etc and is viper4android still going strong or is there another app in its place thanks
Stick with the S21 Ultra. I went from a Note 20 Ultra to the Pixel 6 Pro. I love the camera, the better speakers, cleaner software experience, but overall it doesn't feel like an upgrade. The 5G reception is slightly worse, Android 12 has lots of quirks, charging speeds are much slower, and customization is currently very limited. It's possible that it will improve with updates and custom ROMs but its current state is underwhelming. To be honest, I'm already looking forward to the S22 Ultra.
brockyneo said:
Thanks for all the replys I'm still on the fence at the minute lol,can I root the pixel 6 pro and have no problems like knox,drm keys etc like other devices have? And if ibdecude to want to unroot can it be returned back to totally factory as if it was never rooted? I haven't rooted for years and miss been able to uninstall apps etc and is viper4android still going strong or is there another app in its place thanks
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Yep, no bad sides to rooting or later unrooting at all, just jump through some well established hoops as far as banking apps are concerned. It didn't bother me and it was the first time I ever did what I needed for safety net and banking apps to not know I'm rooted. No one can tell you ever had it rooted if you re-lock the bootloader after restoring to 100% stock and then factory reset, which will re-disable the OEM unlock option on Developer Options.
You just never can automatically update to each months OTA, have to follow the proper manual procedure to update and stay rooted. I did it every month for over three years that I had the Pixel 1.
If you value the camera, root and stock Android then get the Pixel. If you don't value those then stick with the S21U. I came from the S21U so I can honestly tell you that the S21U is definitely a better all around device but the fact that I can root really made my decision easier to go with the Pixel. No, the Pixel isn't any smoother than the S21U as I've had both; they are pretty much the same in the smoothness department. Anyone who disagrees is lying to themselves.