Which of these two is better if my main concerns are camera, battery and display?
Phonescoop Comparison
Rear cameras look the same while Samsung has a much better front camera, though Pixels have a reputation for producing better images with similar or fewer megapixels. The Samsung has a slightly larger display that should scroll smoother, both of which should draw more from the similar size batteries, but that is probably offset by the more efficient CPU in the Samsung. So IMO the Pixel has a better rear camera but Samsung has the better front (aka selfie) cam, battery life should be close, and the Samsung has a smoother scrolling quarter inch larger display.
I recently watched reviews that battery of pixel 6a is better than S21 FE. Is the difference too much?
quoting u/TheDogstarLP from reddit, a redditor which used the Pixel 6a more than two weeks
So long as it's the Snapdragon version (which it probably is, because I know both US and EU S21 FE use Snapdragon... or at least, my local store has it), the 888 > Tensor any day of the week. Exynos 2100 isn't great though, and is probably on par/only a little bit better. As for the rest...
Cameras will be close enough (Pixel 6a probably a bit better in some ways), screen is better, build is better (S21 FE has Victus, for example), faster charging, wireless charging, same software support, more RAM and storage options, better fingerprint sensor.
I made the switch from the S21 FE to the Pixel 6a and prefer the Pixel.
The cam of the P6a is so much better and especially in good lightning condition I produce way better pictures. But also in low light or with moving objects the Pixel is superior. You really can feel/see the life in the images. The S21 FE (SD888 version) somehow got an extreme shutter lag and you have to stand still another 1-2 seconds after taking a picture - pretty annoys me and was the reason for the switch! Any tipps on this are welcome, I still have the phone.
For videos I would say both are equal. Samsung got more settings options, but with the right lightning and white balance settings the Pixels videos do look somehow more realistic - but unfortunately they seem to lag a little more...like frame drops or so!
Battery of the Pixel 6a -> standby forever (iPad style). SOT 6-8h - without any battery saving options. With the S21 FE I was always getting around 4-4,5 hours and not even managed to get 16-18h overall mixed usage - with Bixby routines changig to 60Hz on every app where I don't scroll btw.!
The only thing I miss from the S21 FE is the display, but not because of the 120Hz vs 60Hz...it's just a way better screen. Regarding the often discussed frame rates topic: After a day I haven't realized that I'm back to 60Hz, but if you put them side by side the Samsung display is sooooo much better! But how often you compare phones side by side a day?
So if you love taking pictures and like to have a 'smaller' phone with great battery, I'd go with the Pixel. If you like gimmicks or if you use DEX, go with the Samsung! The Dex Stand works with the P6a btw. - keyboard and mouse will be recognized after a sec. But screen mirroring doesn't work - so you have to use a chromecast or something if you want to use this function. Pretty sad that Google still deactivated screen mirroring. My Essential Phone Ph1 had this in 2017 already, not to speak of my Atrix 4g or Moto Razr and Razr HD.
Thanks for the read!
Booty_Hunterrr said:
Which of these two is better if my main concerns are camera, battery and display?
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I have both now. My experience
1. Camera: Pixel 6A is much better in terms of taking photos which look similar to what you see (people, scenery etc.)
2. Display: S21 FE looks much better but has a wider display making one-handed typing tougher compared to 6A but videos and apps look much better on S21 FE
3. Battery life: Interestingly similar but S21FE lasts longer, a couple of hours overall use. I have set Battery Saver at 40% for pixel 6A and Power Saving through Routine on S21 FE at the same percentage
Overall I would recommend 6A though because of the camera output.
Ritesh10 said:
I have both now. My experience
1. Camera: Pixel 6A is much better in terms of taking photos which look similar to what you see (people, scenery etc.)
2. Display: S21 FE looks much better but has a wider display making one-handed typing tougher compared to 6A but videos and apps look much better on S21 FE
3. Battery life: Interestingly similar but S21FE lasts longer, a couple of hours overall use. I have set Battery Saver at 40% for pixel 6A and Power Saving through Routine on S21 FE at the same percentage
Overall I would recommend 6A though because of the camera output.
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Click to collapse
Forgot to add that I use my phone at 60Hz for S21 FE
Be careful of the Samsung shutter lag especially on moving subjects. It is by far the most annoying thing of the phone's camera.
You take the photo, when you click on the image to see it for a brief second you actually see the photo and then it switches to a later frame that the camera captured. Here's an example I made this weekend.
Look closely when I took the photo and then look at the result.
capedukewuhaha said:
I made the switch from the S21 FE to the Pixel 6a and prefer the Pixel.
The cam of the P6a is so much better and especially in good lightning condition I produce way better pictures. But also in low light or with moving objects the Pixel is superior. You really can feel/see the life in the images. The S21 FE (SD888 version) somehow got an extreme shutter lag and you have to stand still another 1-2 seconds after taking a picture - pretty annoys me and was the reason for the switch! Any tipps on this are welcome, I still have the phone.
For videos I would say both are equal. Samsung got more settings options, but with the right lightning and white balance settings the Pixels videos do look somehow more realistic - but unfortunately they seem to lag a little more...like frame drops or so!
Battery of the Pixel 6a -> standby forever (iPad style). SOT 6-8h - without any battery saving options. With the S21 FE I was always getting around 4-4,5 hours and not even managed to get 16-18h overall mixed usage - with Bixby routines changig to 60Hz on every app where I don't scroll btw.!
The only thing I miss from the S21 FE is the display, but not because of the 120Hz vs 60Hz...it's just a way better screen. Regarding the often discussed frame rates topic: After a day I haven't realized that I'm back to 60Hz, but if you put them side by side the Samsung display is sooooo much better! But how often you compare phones side by side a day?
So if you love taking pictures and like to have a 'smaller' phone with great battery, I'd go with the Pixel. If you like gimmicks or if you use DEX, go with the Samsung! The Dex Stand works with the P6a btw. - keyboard and mouse will be recognized after a sec. But screen mirroring doesn't work - so you have to use a chromecast or something if you want to use this function. Pretty sad that Google still deactivated screen mirroring. My Essential Phone Ph1 had this in 2017 already, not to speak of my Atrix 4g or Moto Razr and Razr HD.
Thanks for the read!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For shutter lag, my only solution was to click and drag on the shutter to shoot in burst mode. It is somewhat inefficient because you end up with 20 photos but gets the job done if you really need to capture anything good.
Booty_Hunterrr said:
Which of these two is better if my main concerns are camera, battery and display?
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Click to collapse
I don’t know what other people are talking about re: Pixel battery being better but that is not the case. I have both phones and I charged them to 100% and left them alone. They had the same apps running and were only on wifi. I only checked in on them once a day. The Pixel 6a lasted 9 days on standby, the Galaxy S21FE was still at 9% when the Pixel died.
The battery is better and I like the size & screen better on the Samsung. I think the camera is better on the Pixel and you’ll get more software updates.
Also, for me, the Pixel fingerprint reader was completely broken when I first got it. They released an update mid-September which fixed it and it’s perfect now. The F21FE reader has been good the whole time.
They’re both good phones. They are not my primary phone so actual “phone” features aren’t a primary concern. I *really* like the size and feel of the FE with the Samsung silicone case. I like the Pixel because of the Googleness of it. As a backup, I’d go with the FE because I like the Samsung Secure Folder feature and the size. If I had to use one as my daily driver, I’d go with the Pixel for the better camera, longer shelf life (longer OS support) and because it supports eSIM with the FE does not.
Related
I own s8+, but I really like bigger screen of a70 plus better battery.
The thing I am most interested is how does camera compare with s8+ camera?
If the camera are similar quality, then I would definitely give a70 a chance ?
I would compare them myself, but stores around me don't have a70 on stock?
Thank you in advance for your help ?
Think S8+ would definitely have better cameras.
EDIT: Read these around the forums.
Marcury said:
Hello,
As Stillriza I used a S8+ (for 2 years). I now have the A70 since 1.5 months. The fingerprint unlock is good since last software update (when it is difficult I honestly have an explication such as finger is just coming out of water, long pressure on the finger...).
The 32Mp camera is good outside by day but the quality decreases when the light is decreasing (much worse than the camera of the S8+).
I haven't notice any slowdons on apps compared to S8+.
The screen has a lower resolution than the S8+ one but bigger. It is really not visible and it is very good and effective in the sun.
I will keep this "pocket computer" for a long time. I think it really worth its price.
For that price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-a70/help/a70-worth-t3952379
I confirm what I previously wrote about that camera. My wife is now using my "old" S8+, I bought for myself the A70 for the larger screen. About the camera, really forget the A70, the S8+ is infinitely better.
For the rest, the A70 is a good pocket computer (with a phone app)
An A70 loose in every aspect to an S8+ that Is an ex top and still kicking today,( even an S7 beat It in camera because it's only a 8mpx effective and mediocre sensor ) and even in updates, the only aspect where an A70 Is Better Is battery Life.
luka-san said:
I own s8+, but I really like bigger screen of a70 plus better battery.
The thing I am most interested is how does camera compare with s8+ camera?
If the camera are similar quality, then I would definitely give a70 a chance ?
I would compare them myself, but stores around me don't have a70 on stock
Thank you in advance for your help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the camera just install gcam with night side on your A70, it's definitely better than the A70 stock camera, I installed it on my A70 and it's incredible, probably even better than the S8+ stock camera
SIRKRA said:
An A70 loose in every aspect to an S8+ that Is an ex top and still kicking today,( even an S7 beat It in camera because it's only a 8mpx effective and mediocre sensor ) and even in updates, the only aspect where an A70 Is Better Is battery Life.
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Click to collapse
Nope.
A70 pros:
More ram
More storage
Bigger screen
MUCH better battery life
25w charging
S8 pros:
Slightly faster chipset
Wireless charging
HDR display
Better camera
Most of the a70 camera issues can be solved by using gcam but it's not a perfectly solution and there are drawbacks that people dont like to talk about. Ie, half the features not working in gcam, the time it takes to process HDR shots with some configs, the fact that you can't set gcam as the default camera app without rooting etc. Really, we need an optimised app from Samsung and not some bastardized old gcam app.
James.Miller said:
Nope.
A70 pros:
More ram
More storage ( slower ufs speed than S8+ )
Bigger screen ( mid tier full hd and not top tier 3k with hdr support )
MUCH better battery life
25w charging
S8 pros:
Slightly faster chipset ( slighty in CPU ok, in GPU it destroy the Adreno 612
Wireless charging
HDR display
Better camera
More narrow and Lighter
Premium materials and not cheap plastic
Gorilla Glass 5 ( vs 3 )
cat16 modem
Premium Bundle with adapters and good quality buds ( A70 doesn't even have a standard type c cable bundled, it's double type c and you need an adapter to connect to pc if you doesn't have a type c port )
Faster reliable fingerprint scanner even if in an ankward position
IP68 rating
dual PDAFOIS
real type c 3.1
lower SAR
DEX support
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
....
I will conceed the point on the fingerprint sensor and I should have included that in my list.
Having moved from an s8 to an a70 I can say with 100% sincerity that any difference in resolution can only be seen by pixel peeping both of them side by side and actually in use its easier to fit more on the a70 screen and keep it legible (for example a forum like this). So despite the lower res, it's more usable. Yes the s8 does support HDR as I mentioned myself. Wether people even notice or not? I mentioned it all the same.
In use the s8's storage and gpu specs don't translate in to much additional speed. Again, this is my experience comparing both side by side. Paper spec will suggest otherwise but I don't give a monkeys about that. I can ay all the same games just the same.
Glass back. On the s8, plastic on the a70. Don't care when they are in cases and if you don't use a case then good luck to you - my s8 got smashed to bits and the weight? Only 10g in it. Meh :/
Cat16 modem is stretching - show me something to take advantage of it its 1gbps download and I'll change my mind.
The bundled USB cable isn't much of a problem. You don't need an adaptor of your pc has USB C ports or just buy an adaptor / use a USB C to USB 3.x type A cable if it doesn't. Meh. It's a point, but a minor one and only a couple of pounds to fix at the most.
The rest.. I mena lower sar, really? If it makes no difference in use, I don't care about it. And the sar value most definitely makes no difference in use.
James.Miller said:
I will conceed the point on the fingerprint sensor and I should have included that in my list.
Having moved from an s8 to an a70 I can say with 100% sincerity that any difference in resolution can only be seen by pixel peeping both of them side by side and actually in use its easier to fit more on the a70 screen and keep it legible (for example a forum like this). So despite the lower res, it's more usable. Yes the s8 does support HDR as I mentioned myself. Wether people even notice or not? I mentioned it all the same.
In use the s8's storage and gpu specs don't translate in to much additional speed. Again, this is my experience comparing both side by side. Paper spec will suggest otherwise but I don't give a monkeys about that. I can ay all the same games just the same.
Glass back. On the s8, plastic on the a70. Don't care when they are in cases and if you don't use a case then good luck to you - my s8 got smashed to bits and the weight? Only 10g in it. Meh :/
Cat16 modem is stretching - show me something to take advantage of it its 1gbps download and I'll change my mind.
The bundled USB cable isn't much of a problem. You don't need an adaptor of your pc has USB C ports or just buy an adaptor / use a USB C to USB 3.x type A cable if it doesn't. Meh. It's a point, but a minor one and only a couple of pounds to fix at the most.
The rest.. I mena lower sar, really? If it makes no difference in use, I don't care about it. And the sar value most definitely makes no difference in use.
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Click to collapse
I am going to have to agree with this. I have both phones, and use both daily. The S8+ is a work phone and the A70 is my personal phone. With regards to display .. I can't tell a difference. The S8 screen I feel can be a bit brighter at times in direct sunlight..but with regards to resolution and HDR .. I don't see the difference. The A70 display is really nice.
With regards to performance, I have the exact same apps and games on both phones. I run the same launcher setup on both. When I watch netflix, prime or other vids that i've downloaded.. it feels exactly the same with the exception of the much larger A70 display. The games I play run the exact same on both.. neither is slower than the other. Apps load the same...and act the same.
Really, spec wise on paper, there is a diff... but perceived day to day usage ..I don't see it, aside from the insane screen on time I get from the A70. In the end, what matters the most is your day to day usage. I've used higher end phones that stutter, lag and occasionally freeze up.
One thing to consider is that the A70 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, whilemost S8s have a Samsung Exynos. This means you can install and run Gcam ports on an A70 mostly flawlessly, instead of like on the S8 where you need to wait for a specific version from iDan or Zoran, and those don't always work very well.
The Camera on the A70 after the latest update is about as good as the S8's, but has a time of flight sensor so does better bokeh effect stuff. If you really want to take good photos though you'll want to install one of Arnova's Gcam ports.
Performance wise the A70 feels faster when doing multiple tasks than my S8 did. The screens are impossible to tell apart PPI wise but the A70s larger screen is much nicer to use. And the A70 doesn't have that stupid Bixby button, which is a big win. The S8 will also not be getting Android Q, the A70 will.
Having used both for extended periods I am much happier with the A70 than the S8. I prefer the A70 more than my S9+ to be honest too.
Hey guys,
Please help me with this difficult choice for me.
I can swap my Oneplus 8 pro for a Samsung S20 ultra. One year ago I had the ultra but because of the horrible auto focus I switched to oneplus. Now a year later I heard the camera is a lot better now, but is it acceptabele or is it still horible?
I like the flat screen and oneui more than the curved screen of the oneplus and think oneui looks better than Oxygen...
But the bottleneck is the camera, so Please help me today, so I can make my desission the swap to Samsung.
RoyAndroids said:
Hey guys,
Please help me with this difficult choice for me.
I can swap my Oneplus 8 pro for a Samsung S20 ultra. One year ago I had the ultra but because of the horrible auto focus I switched to oneplus. Now a year later I heard the camera is a lot better now, but is it acceptabele or is it still horible?
I like the flat screen and oneui more than the curved screen of the oneplus and think oneui looks better than Oxygen...
But the bottleneck is the camera, so Please help me today, so I can make my desission the swap to Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Btw... It's the Exynos version
I would definitely swap, numerous updates did wonders to s20u camera, and battery life is also improved
djoxie said:
I would definitely swap, numerous updates did wonders to s20u camera, and battery life is also improved
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Click to collapse
Really?
Full Day battery with 120hz? And focus better and macro?
I get ~6 hours 100%-10% for one day use, or ~5 hours if I use it for 2 days (when busy @work).
Focus is mich more stable, and for macro phone asks you to switch to 2x and move away a bit when you get closer to the object
djoxie said:
I get ~6 hours 100%-10% for one day use, or ~5 hours if I use it for 2 days (when busy @work).
Focus is mich more stable, and for macro phone asks you to switch to 2x and move away a bit when you get closer to the object
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying. So the Camera and battery is fine now...
I use S20 Ultra with Snapdragon.
Autofocus is better then it was in July when i bought it. There are still issues, especially in middle to low light conditions, especially using 60fps video 1080p or 4K. If I use 4K 30fps, autofocus is much more stable. The same goes with 120fps 1080p in Pro Video mode - hard to focus, even at day if there is an object in front and there is some background, then it will focus on background or go back and forth between front and back. Solution - enable grid lines and try to put front object inside main square in the middle of display. Theb it will focus better.
Photos do not have the same clarity and edge, compared to Huawei P40 Pro, which I also own. There is still a little blur on portraits and macros. But for me it is ok, and IMHO for Samsung it is ok. Still photos are excellent. Night mode is the best I've seen.
And there are a lot of features, new and old, that are just unbeatable.
I would say between OP8Pro and S20Ultra I would go Ultra.
A fast SD card slot... there's no substitute.
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
I'm undecided thinking about it to move to pixel 6 pro im on s21 ultra ?
I'm undecided as to Who more camera is better at taking pictures?
Can you please give me a review
i dont think you are going to get any recomendations for an s21 in the p6pro forum,
Use what you're accustomed to. If you've had Samsung in the past, grab the Samsung. If you like Pixels, grab the Pixel.
If you don't mind experiencing a few bugs (some do, most don't) then grab the Pixel. The Samsung S21 (Qualcomm version) is an excellent phone. Can't go wrong. amazing video, hardware, audio etc. if you don't use most of the samsung services and customization, then a pixel is great.
I do notice a lot of people coming from a Samsung to a Pixel 6, are surprised that most things can't be changed, like the Lock screen etc. If that's important to you, then you know what to buy.
I think you can find many comparisons on youtube to help building your own impression. As I own both devices at the moment maybe a bit of opinion, of course very subjective and based on my usage of a smartphone camera:
+ S21U: more versatility + in some cases better image quality due to the available lenses
+ S21U: Pro mode
+ S21U: less issues with flares
- S21U: Samsung image processing, often killing small details/textures
- S21U: no real/full GCAM support (no blame to the community which is trying its best !!)
+ P6P: overall better image processing and better image quality
+ P6P : low light performance, specifically subjects like night sky / indoor shots with kids or animals...
+ P6P: full GCAM support, so better configurability of image processing
- P6P: tends to oversharpening in some szenarios (possibly related to:
- P6P: unclear, SW-based automatic switching of lenses on Zoom szenarios, leading to digital zoom
Overall I do indeed prefer the P6P camera, but its really close and very much down to preference.
Aside from the camera:
+ S21U : better hardware (Display, Fingerprint reader, build quality)
+ S21U: better 5G due to more modern modem chip
+ P6P: better software (just love the pure Android feel) + much easier rooting + much more options in terms of development
+ P6P: better battery life (significantly so for me - but only using 4G here)
Again I prefer the P6P
Sorry, got a bit lengthy and again: this is all very subjective, so different users here will possibly state different feedback and/or priorities !
Pixel of course...
Pixel 6 Pro.
oraned said:
I'm undecided thinking about it to move to pixel 6 pro im on s21 ultra ?
I'm undecided as to Who more camera is better at taking pictures?
Can you please give me a review
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel 6 Pro is not better than the S21 Ultra as the P6P has an LTPO display which is good compared to the Dynamic display of S21 Ultra. The P6P and S21 Ultra specs are almost 98% the same but S21 has Snapdragon 888 which is a little higher than the new Google tensor chip, S21 battery endurance is better but in gaming and battery life P6P is better rating as per the nano review and P6P could be better with future updates! Also, P6P has a new unique design that is more attractive to the S21 Ultra.
The Google camera is better than any phone's camera!!!
It's mainly about how the software works for me. I experienced inconsistent notifications on Samsung - I've confirmed with at least five others including my brother in another state, and my sister-in-law in yet another state - all with different generations of Samsungs, that they have the same problem - specifically for GMail and Hangouts/Chat. I use my work's GMail account as a second account on my phones, yet I wasn't getting notifications for emails or chats until sometimes as late as 45 minutes later, sometimes worse such as two hours later. Sometimes I received a notification for emails hours after I had already seen the email on the computer, and had deleted it. I never had that problem on my Pixel 1 before that, and perhaps only a few minutes delay (but usually not any) on my Pixel 6 Pro.
You want somebody to recommend you get something that has to be HACKED in order to make it work right? Avoid samdung like the plague. Had one once, and will NEVER EVER AGAIN NO MATTER WHAT.
Pixel
I had a S21 Ultra from its release up until the Pixel 6 pro came out and I couldnt wait to ge rid of the Ultra. Never liked it. I have found the speed and performance of P6Pro is comprabale to the S21 ultra (Exynos version in the UK). The notifications are better, useability is better but the only thing I miss is the macro camera (and the 100x zoom was a plus, but not esential). i am much happier with the Pixel pro
definetly s21 ultra i had s21 ultra and now i have pixel 6 pro and if exist scale from 1 to 10 and 10 is max? s21 ultra is like 9 but pixel 6 pro is like 6,5 i dont like 20:9 ratio thats why i tried 19.5:9 on pixel 6 pro and this only thing is beter on pixel all other things is whorst
roirraW edor ehT said:
It's mainly about how the software works for me. I experienced inconsistent notifications on Samsung - I've confirmed with at least five others including my brother in another state, and my sister-in-law in yet another state - all with different generations of Samsungs, that they have the same problem - specifically for GMail and Hangouts/Chat. I use my work's GMail account as a second account on my phones, yet I wasn't getting notifications for emails or chats until sometimes as late as 45 minutes later, sometimes worse such as two hours later. Sometimes I received a notification for emails hours after I had already seen the email on the computer, and had deleted it. I never had that problem on my Pixel 1 before that, and perhaps only a few minutes delay (but usually not any) on my Pixel 6 Pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the detailed answer
superman25 said:
definetly s21 ultra i had s21 ultra and now i have pixel 6 pro and if exist scale from 1 to 10 and 10 is max? s21 ultra is like 9 but pixel 6 pro is like 6,5 i dont like 20:9 ratio thats why i tried 19.5:9 on pixel 6 pro and this only thing is beter on pixel all other things is whorst
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks
s3axel said:
I think you can find many comparisons on youtube to help building your own impression. As I own both devices at the moment maybe a bit of opinion, of course very subjective and based on my usage of a smartphone camera:
+ S21U: more versatility + in some cases better image quality due to the available lenses
+ S21U: Pro mode
+ S21U: less issues with flares
- S21U: Samsung image processing, often killing small details/textures
- S21U: no real/full GCAM support (no blame to the community which is trying its best !!)
+ P6P: overall better image processing and better image quality
+ P6P : low light performance, specifically subjects like night sky / indoor shots with kids or animals...
+ P6P: full GCAM support, so better configurability of image processing
- P6P: tends to oversharpening in some szenarios (possibly related to:
- P6P: unclear, SW-based automatic switching of lenses on Zoom szenarios, leading to digital zoom
Overall I do indeed prefer the P6P camera, but its really close and very much down to preference.
Aside from the camera:
+ S21U : better hardware (Display, Fingerprint reader, build quality)
+ S21U: better 5G due to more modern modem chip
+ P6P: better software (just love the pure Android feel) + much easier rooting + much more options in terms of development
+ P6P: better battery life (significantly so for me - but only using 4G here)
Again I prefer the P6P
Sorry, got a bit lengthy and again: this is all very subjective, so different users here will possibly state different feedback and/or priorities !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the detailed answer
Nestacres76 said:
I had a S21 Ultra from its release up until the Pixel 6 pro came out and I couldnt wait to ge rid of the Ultra. Never liked it. I have found the speed and performance of P6Pro is comprabale to the S21 ultra (Exynos version in the UK). The notifications are better, useability is better but the only thing I miss is the macro camera (and the 100x zoom was a plus, but not esential). i am much happier with the Pixel pro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the detailed answer
superman25 said:
definetly s21 ultra i had s21 ultra and now i have pixel 6 pro and if exist scale from 1 to 10 and 10 is max? s21 ultra is like 9 but pixel 6 pro is like 6,5 i dont like 20:9 ratio thats why i tried 19.5:9 on pixel 6 pro and this only thing is beter on pixel all other things is whorst
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the detailed answer
randylahey786 said:
Pixel 6 Pro is not better than the S21 Ultra as the P6P has an LTPO display which is good compared to the Dynamic display of S21 Ultra. The P6P and S21 Ultra specs are almost 98% the same but S21 has Snapdragon 888 which is a little higher than the new Google tensor chip, S21 battery endurance is better but in gaming and battery life P6P is better rating as per the nano review and P6P could be better with future updates! Also, P6P has a new unique design that is more attractive to the S21 Ultra.
The Google camera is better than any phone's camera!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the detailed answer
s3axel said:
I think you can find many comparisons on youtube to help building your own impression. As I own both devices at the moment maybe a bit of opinion, of course very subjective and based on my usage of a smartphone camera:
+ S21U: more versatility + in some cases better image quality due to the available lenses
+ S21U: Pro mode
+ S21U: less issues with flares
- S21U: Samsung image processing, often killing small details/textures
- S21U: no real/full GCAM support (no blame to the community which is trying its best !!)
+ P6P: overall better image processing and better image quality
+ P6P : low light performance, specifically subjects like night sky / indoor shots with kids or animals...
+ P6P: full GCAM support, so better configurability of image processing
- P6P: tends to oversharpening in some szenarios (possibly related to:
- P6P: unclear, SW-based automatic switching of lenses on Zoom szenarios, leading to digital zoom
Overall I do indeed prefer the P6P camera, but its really close and very much down to preference.
Aside from the camera:
+ S21U : better hardware (Display, Fingerprint reader, build quality)
+ S21U: better 5G due to more modern modem chip
+ P6P: better software (just love the pure Android feel) + much easier rooting + much more options in terms of development
+ P6P: better battery life (significantly so for me - but only using 4G here)
Again I prefer the P6P
Sorry, got a bit lengthy and again: this is all very subjective, so different users here will possibly state different feedback and/or priorities !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the detailed answer
Nestacres76 said:
I had a S21 Ultra from its release up until the Pixel 6 pro came out and I couldnt wait to ge rid of the Ultra. Never liked it. I have found the speed and performance of P6Pro is comprabale to the S21 ultra (Exynos version in the UK). The notifications are better, useability is better but the only thing I miss is the macro camera (and the 100x zoom was a plus, but not esential). i am much happier with the Pixel pro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the detailed answer
Thank you very much Everyone for the detailed answer
Hi all,
Both the Pixel 6 and the S21 FE seem like great devices with pros and cons. I can get both for about the same price.
I'm leaning towards the S21 FE mostly because the Pixel has many bugs, and Android 13 seems to have made things worse. People are complaining of battery drain and the fingerprint reader not working. The S21 has a better screen and less bugs.
Having said that, a couple people have told me that the S21 FE UI can lag a bit sometimes and the camera is slow. Can anyone support these claims? I've seen some people say that the Exynos version is worse than the Snapdragon version. I can get the snapdragon version in Europe apparently.
In summary, I'm reluctant to go from Pixel to Samsung if the UI experience is choppy or it randomly drops frames. I'd like to get more advice.
Thanks all!
Consider the Note 10+ Snapdragon.
Can be had at a good price, run well, looks great, supports up to 1tb of expandable storage.
No variable refresh rate display or 5G but better SOT. Runs cool and fast; a good balance missing on the newer Sammy's.
Cams not as good but more than adequate.
A solid, reliable beast of a phone.
blackhawk said:
Consider the Note 10+ Snapdragon.
Can be had at a good price, run well, looks great, supports up to 1tb of expandable storage.
No variable refresh rate display or 5G but better SOT. Runs cool and fast; a good balance missing on the newer Sammy's.
Cams not as good but more than adequate.
A solid, reliable beast of a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, the Note 10+ is about 140 euro more expensive than the two phones I'm looking at which is out of my price range!
MrBled said:
Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, the Note 10+ is about 140 euro more expensive than the two phones I'm looking at which is out of my price range!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Used ones are getting quit low now. A lot more bang for the buck. It's a pain... I don't envy you.
Get the Pixel
Had a Pixel 6 and i would totally say it's much better than S21 FE (if you don't have connection issues although i didn't experience them). Android 13 made the phone much better. S21 FE is just a no go tbh compared to Pixel 6; battery life is worse, cameras are worse, performance is similar, Pixel 6 community is more active, and Google software support is better (imo).
I was worried a bit as well but my S21fe Snapdragon is super fast and the camera opens and takes pictures consistently quickly. The side key is set to open the camera when holding down using a 3rd party app. There were a few minor lags on the very first boot right after restoring a large backup over Smart Switch but that went away. I did do a basic debloat as well. I get ~6hrs sot with 120hz and adaptive brightness on.
I always loved the Pixel Series. So when I got the chance, I returned back my S21 FE to get a Pixel 6. Big mistake
Let me explain my experience
1-I tried several screen protectors. It's true that some work better than others. But definitely the fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 6 is under the rest of the competitors, by far
2-The biggest problem for me, the touch delay and buffering. I play a lot of rhythm games and this problem was killing me. I'm ended selling it to get again the S21 FE
Don't know if this problem is solved today (this happened to me on May)
more info:
https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/qz22lm
Since I returned to the S21, I'm extremely happy
Hope this helps