The frustration of buying a new phone and the choices - General Questions and Answers

Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll :silly:
I thought I had it down 6 weeks ago when I sold my Nexus 6 for a good price and bought the Nexus 5x
Then after about 3 weeks I fell out of love with the 5x
I was hoping for just a better version of my Nexus 5 (my all time fav android phone bar it's battery life)
And it just isn't, been getting some of the slow downs and lag other moan about and that missing extra GB ram vs the LG G4/Moto X Style can be felt.
So, started looking at the LG G4 and Moto X style, they look good and don't seem to suffer the throttling issues of the N5X
But something about them just does not click.
Not really a fan of Samsungs but had look anyway's, Note 4 is at a killer £360 on amazon UK, wow.
But it another monster, the real reason I sold the Nexus 6 was its size, not a prob for my hands, but having to remove it from my front pockets before I sat down anywhere got very old very quickly (cyclist, I have big thighs).
So, the quest continued, looked at the dark side aka the iPhone 6s/6s Plus
Fast and nice, all was going well with the demo phone, but then clicked to got to a website and it shoved me to the app store to get that sites app, erm no, tries again, same, I just want to got to website, not download the bloody app just to look at ONE thing.
Then starts looking at the OnePlus 2, wow, thats a lot of power and storage for under £300, but Oxygen OS is still very much a beta, many bugs reported.
Sits here scratching my head, and its thinking just go back to the Nexus 6 but get a 64GB version, can't stretch to a 6p unless I sell something (well I could but I don't want to.)

Lg G4 is a good phone and has a beautiful screen and the back buttons are just amazing when you get used to them so it's all about your preference.
Samsung phones have the ugly touchwiz theme and it looks awful to me,so I would avoid them.
I would go for the oneplus two cause it's stock based like nexus 6 and it's a little smaller,the bugs will be fixed so don't worry about that.

Related

[Q] If not a Nexus 5, then what?

I keep dithering back and forth between buying the Nexus 5 or "something else." My wife has the Nexus 4, and I'm looking to replace our outmoded land-line with a cellphone of my own now. We use T-Mobile and I'm quite the technology addict, so I'm always on the lookout for something "high end."
Google is currently saying 2-3 weeks for Nexus 5 orders, which unfortunately gives me plenty of time to consider other options. Are there any? Does the Galaxy S4 or HTC One even come close to the Nexus 5, technologically speaking? I've also read good things about the Galaxy Note 3. If you could pick something "not the Nexus 5," what would it be?
Any opinion is appreciated!
elias4444 said:
I keep dithering back and forth between buying the Nexus 5 or "something else." My wife has the Nexus 4, and I'm looking to replace our outmoded land-line with a cellphone of my own now. We use T-Mobile and I'm quite the technology addict, so I'm always on the lookout for something "high end."
Google is currently saying 2-3 weeks for Nexus 5 orders, which unfortunately gives me plenty of time to consider other options. Are there any? Does the Galaxy S4 or HTC One even come close to the Nexus 5, technologically speaking? I've also read good things about the Galaxy Note 3. If you could pick something "not the Nexus 5," what would it be?
Any opinion is appreciated!
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If you like the Nexus 5 32GB White, it's shipping pretty quickly (within a couple days), although it says 2-3 weeks.
LG-G2 obviously
Sent from my LG-D802 using xda app-developers app
elias4444 said:
I keep dithering back and forth between buying the Nexus 5 or "something else." My wife has the Nexus 4, and I'm looking to replace our outmoded land-line with a cellphone of my own now. We use T-Mobile and I'm quite the technology addict, so I'm always on the lookout for something "high end."
Google is currently saying 2-3 weeks for Nexus 5 orders, which unfortunately gives me plenty of time to consider other options. Are there any? Does the Galaxy S4 or HTC One even come close to the Nexus 5, technologically speaking? I've also read good things about the Galaxy Note 3. If you could pick something "not the Nexus 5," what would it be?
Any opinion is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my humble opinion, the only other phone to even consider right now besides the Nexus 5 is the Moto X. I have both phones, and still prefer the Moto X over the N5 for a variety of reasons. It really is the ultimate smartphone to me. The N5 is great and has its own merits, don't get me wrong, but the Moto X is the complete package. Motorola absolutely nailed it with that thing. I've also owned the HTC One and GS4, and neither can touch the X.
elias4444 said:
I keep dithering back and forth between buying the Nexus 5 or "something else." My wife has the Nexus 4, and I'm looking to replace our outmoded land-line with a cellphone of my own now. We use T-Mobile and I'm quite the technology addict, so I'm always on the lookout for something "high end."
Google is currently saying 2-3 weeks for Nexus 5 orders, which unfortunately gives me plenty of time to consider other options. Are there any? Does the Galaxy S4 or HTC One even come close to the Nexus 5, technologically speaking? I've also read good things about the Galaxy Note 3. If you could pick something "not the Nexus 5," what would it be?
Any opinion is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say the s4 and HTC one are as good or better than the n5. With that said I have an n5 in the mail. I didn't get the s4 or one mainly because the bootloaders are locked and you can't do much with them with out a lot of mickey mouse. If you're into messing with your phone and having fun with it the n5 is hands down the winner. I looked at the s4 for a long time and with all the crap Samsung and the carriers were doing with it I wouldn't get it for the world.
elias4444 said:
I keep dithering back and forth between buying the Nexus 5 or "something else." My wife has the Nexus 4, and I'm looking to replace our outmoded land-line with a cellphone of my own now. We use T-Mobile and I'm quite the technology addict, so I'm always on the lookout for something "high end."
Google is currently saying 2-3 weeks for Nexus 5 orders, which unfortunately gives me plenty of time to consider other options. Are there any? Does the Galaxy S4 or HTC One even come close to the Nexus 5, technologically speaking? I've also read good things about the Galaxy Note 3. If you could pick something "not the Nexus 5," what would it be?
Any opinion is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Warning: A lot of writing
Well, we're in a Nexus 5 forum and bias is to be expected. However, I've had a Gnex, Nexus S, and am currently rocking a Galaxy Note 2. A Nexus 5 is due to arrive today for me. I've somewhat been at a cross for the last couple of days. I am pretty sure it's because I keep reading about the defects, faults, and comparisons of the N5 to others.
But, because of this, I am wondering if I've made the right choice. There are two other choices that cannot leave my head and that's the LG G2 and the Moto X. The two are completely different phones and it's almost like the Nexus 5 is the perfect balance between the two. Perfect isn't what I'm looking for, more like an even balance of the two.
On one side, the G2, you have an exceptional device with many internals similar to the Nexus 5 but with specs such as higher batter capacity, higher megapixel camera, IR blaster, larger size screen, etc. However, with the G2 comes the four different variants for US carriers, LG's skin, and minimal developer support. I don't even know if it'll be updated for long. It's what drove me nuts about my Note 2 although I loved its hardware. My problem with the G2 is the unknown support lifetime and small developer community. I consider it due to its superior (especially battery) hardware aspects of it.
Then, you have the Moto X. I can't say there's much of a difference in terms of software development due to locked bootloaders, but the stock software is amazing. No one has any complaints of it. It's either you love it and can't live without it or you simply have no use for the feautures. It's not a bad phone at all. It has lower end specs, but performs CLOSE, but not as fast as a Nexus 5. It has been confirmed to be updating to KitKat. The problem with the Moto X is a much smaller, yet friendly, developer community. There also seems to be a huge lack of accessories for the two devices and that's a bit of a big deal.
It seemed like the Nexus would acquire some features of the Moto X like touchless controls and an extermely efficient battery. But, that wasn't the case. We know because it's a Nexus device that it's going to get support from its userbase for quite some times and that means a lot for me. But it seems like there is just so much wrong with the phone hardware wise that I'm stuck. I don't want a crap battery (coming from Note 2 of course) and a lower-output speaker but I'd really appreciate constant developer support and guaranteed updates.
TL;DR There is no perfect device at the moment. Each device will require you to sacrifice something that you believe is worth sacrificing. You sacrifice accessories, developer community, update lifetime, and other small things for the Moto/G2. But, with each of those devices you gain something a Nexus can't give you with a larger battery and better battery life, smaller or bigger screen size, handy software features (touchless, knock knock, etc.).
Price isn't a factor for me either and I know you can root these devices but that comes with broken features and instability. I'd be great to have a G2 with stable 4.4 and touchless controls. That's the perfect device, IMO.
I know I rambled a bit too much and a little off topic, but I needed to kind of let this out somewhere. Heh. Seriously though, it's an amazing time for us smartphone lovers. You don't lose in either choice you make. We're just picky. Good luck!
elias4444 said:
I keep dithering back and forth between buying the Nexus 5 or "something else." My wife has the Nexus 4, and I'm looking to replace our outmoded land-line with a cellphone of my own now. We use T-Mobile and I'm quite the technology addict, so I'm always on the lookout for something "high end."
Google is currently saying 2-3 weeks for Nexus 5 orders, which unfortunately gives me plenty of time to consider other options. Are there any? Does the Galaxy S4 or HTC One even come close to the Nexus 5, technologically speaking? I've also read good things about the Galaxy Note 3. If you could pick something "not the Nexus 5," what would it be?
Any opinion is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you've dithered this long, what's another 2-3w?
For the longest I decided to get the Moto X. I had seen the specs for Nexus 5 and all the leaks but I was set on the X. That was until the Nexus 5 was launched and I made my decision in less than 30 minutes of launch. I'm in love with my Nexus 5 and don't regret my decision at all. Loving the bigger screen but if I could not have gotten the Nexus 5 I definitely would've gotten the Moto X. Love the form fit. Never would have considered the S4 or HTC One. I prefer as close to vanilla android as I can get and the Moto X is pretty amazing. But then again so is the Nexus 5. I would've waited for either.
elias4444 said:
I keep dithering back and forth between buying the Nexus 5 or "something else." My wife has the Nexus 4, and I'm looking to replace our outmoded land-line with a cellphone of my own now. We use T-Mobile and I'm quite the technology addict, so I'm always on the lookout for something "high end."
Google is currently saying 2-3 weeks for Nexus 5 orders, which unfortunately gives me plenty of time to consider other options. Are there any? Does the Galaxy S4 or HTC One even come close to the Nexus 5, technologically speaking? I've also read good things about the Galaxy Note 3. If you could pick something "not the Nexus 5," what would it be?
Any opinion is appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone loves the HTC One. I think the GS4 is better. Technologically speaking, the GS4 is as good as the Nexus 5. I just prefer the Nexus 5. My girlfriend prefers her GS4 to my N5. They are both great phones. Also, as someone else mentioned, the G2 is supposed to be pretty good, but I haven't given it a try. "Technologically speaking," you will not find a better device than the Note 3. It's huge, though, so you should make sure you're comfortable with it. I would rather have the Nexus 5 for my phone and a Nexus 7 as a tablet rather than a single phablet like the Note 3. Funny thing is, the N5 + the N7 is about the same price as the Note 3.
_MetalHead_ said:
In my humble opinion, the only other phone to even consider right now besides the Nexus 5 is the Moto X. I have both phones, and still prefer the Moto X over the N5 for a variety of reasons. It really is the ultimate smartphone to me. The N5 is great and has its own merits, don't get me wrong, but the Moto X is the complete package. Motorola absolutely nailed it with that thing. I've also owned the HTC One and GS4, and neither can touch the X.
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ms0chez said:
For the longest I decided to get the Moto X. I had seen the specs for Nexus 5 and all the leaks but I was set on the X. That was until the Nexus 5 was launched and I made my decision in less than 30 minutes of launch. I'm in love with my Nexus 5 and don't regret my decision at all. Loving the bigger screen but if I could not have gotten the Nexus 5 I definitely would've gotten the Moto X. Love the form fit. Never would have considered the S4 or HTC One. I prefer as close to vanilla android as I can get and the Moto X is pretty amazing. But then again so is the Nexus 5. I would've waited for either.
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I personally hated the Moto X. I found it poorly made and laggy. It is definitely not a future-proof device. It's behind the GS4 and HTC One, both of which predate it by 4-5 months. But if you are looking for something future proof, you should either get the Nexus 5, which is guaranteed to receive the latest software updates for at least two years, or the Note 3, which has better hardware than any other phone on the market. Or, if you can wait until April, get the GS5 when it comes out.
got-killed: you make some good points for each phone. But i have to say the things that really led me to get the Nexus 5 (aside from really wanting a new phone and having no upgrades available yet through AT&T) to upgrade from my Galaxy S3 are:
1) Developer support, as you mentioned, but also updates direct from Google, without any software really being locked down and the source always available, which also means BETTER custom ROM's.
2) The screen is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
3) .... did i mention updates directly from Google?
But in all seriousness... yes, the Moto X has some nice features.... but i honestly can't imagine myself using them very often. Touchless operation.... I had enough trouble with Touchwiz waking my phone when i received a text message, and accidentally unlocking the phone through my pocket (which you'd be surprised just how well these screens work through a layer of cotton and denim). Kinda like the whole "Pocket Detect" feature the S3 has, where it'll automatically lock the phone if it seems like you've put the phone in your pocket. Nice... but yea... easier to just hit the button on the side of the phone and not worry about IF it locked.
Not sure what you mean by the Nexus 5 not having an energy efficient battery. The battery in the Nexus 5 is ever so slightly bigger than what's in the Moto X, and also has an ultra-low power bonus CPU core to greatly minimize battery usage while the phone is asleep. I can't say i use my phone heavily... but it's already doing much better than my GS3 ever really did. Can get 14 hours on a charge with nearly an hour of screen time, and still have upwards of 20% battery life left, depending what i was doing with the phone.... and that was only on it's second charge so far.
And yes... the speaker is a fair bit quieter than on that of something like my previous Galaxy S3.... but the side-by-side comparison between the two, it's no contest. I'd MUCH rather have the superior sound quality from the Nexus 5's speaker than what the S3 has. The sound is rather tinny on the S3. Watching a video of Sungha Jung playing his acoustic guitar is not only practically ear-splittingly high pitched on the S3, but the lower tones when he's drumming on the side of the guitar with his wrist while playing are for the most part non-existent from the speaker. The Nexus 5's speaker can output tones a fair bit deeper than the S3's speaker can, and the highs aren't as squeal-y. And i'm sure, either be it from the development community or from Google themselves, we'll probably see some sort of mod to make the volume louder from the N5's speaker.
Picking a phone is very personal choice. Go to the store and play with the models you can, go to an AT&T store to check out the Moto X.
Personally it comes down to this, if I were to buy a phone on a subsidized, or JUMP, plan it would be the Moto X. But being that I usually buy a phone and hold onto it for a couple of years, and I am buying in cash, the nexus made much more sense to me.
While the moto x is great, imho, it isn't future proof. How will it perform in a year or two, what about the developer community. Add to that, you couldn't get the 32 gb model on T-Mobile, and I went with the Nexus 5.
But, I will admit, it is much more comfortable in my hand and pocket than the Nexus 5.
I don't regret my decision at all.
Thank you everyone for your input and ideas! You're a GREAT community here!
After thinking about it some more, I actually cancelled my Nexus 5 order. Not because I don't want the phone anymore, but because I realized my real issue here is that I'm just not comfortable with brand new tech that barely hit the market. I've felt a little let-down with my 1st gen Nexus 7 getting slower and slower over time and it's made me a bit gun shy to run out and buy the "next big thing" the moment it hits the market (like I did with my tablet).
I'll spend some time researching all the suggestions posted here before I dive back in. Honestly, the MotoX never even crossed my radar, but it sounds like it has a solid following and deserves some consideration.
Thank you again! And please feel free to keep posting your ideas! I'll keep coming back and reading them.
As per sig i have 3 devices. .just got the nexus 5 today and its going back tomorrow and I will buy the G2...I should have went with it in the first place but I couldnt resist the white nexus.
Nice device just not for me..if you want a 5 inch device...s4 hands down..or if you want to go a bit bigger G2.
Note 3 is a beast of a device...nuff said there.
Sent from my S4,Note 3 or Nexus 5
elias4444 said:
Thank you everyone for your input and ideas! You're a GREAT community here!
After thinking about it some more, I actually cancelled my Nexus 5 order. Not because I don't want the phone anymore, but because I realized my real issue here is that I'm just not comfortable with brand new tech that barely hit the market. I've felt a little let-down with my 1st gen Nexus 7 getting slower and slower over time and it's made me a bit gun shy to run out and buy the "next big thing" the moment it hits the market (like I did with my tablet).
I'll spend some time researching all the suggestions posted here before I dive back in. Honestly, the MotoX never even crossed my radar, but it sounds like it has a solid following and deserves some consideration.
Thank you again! And please feel free to keep posting your ideas! I'll keep coming back and reading them.
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Just remember someone like you, I gather, will be stuck with what you get out of the box(OOB). The nexus/playstore editions have the least bloat and get OS updates the quickest... that is IF you decide to go with an Android device, but as I intimated before, you've dithered so long now, why hurry? Go look around some more until you're sure of what you want/need/are comfortable with.
Personally, I REALLY like nexuses for their non-bloatwareness, although when I bought my last phone the nexus 4 there was nothing but the n4 really, the the One and S4 hit the play store, but I decided to go with the n5 again. Maybe next time something different especially if mfgs. like ASUS step into the ring and also limit bloat plus update fairly regularly(I have shield(tegra 4) FYI which has already gotten one OS update so far, I also have the n7(2013 version snapdragon v. your tegra3 2012 version), also most of my desktop and home networking is also ASUS(motherboard(P9X79, I build my own), router(AC66U), monitor))...
Good luck, and I'll just re-iterate you've waited this long, so just don't jump into anything willynilly, but also I'd suggest not terminally procrastinating...
elias4444 said:
Thank you everyone for your input and ideas! You're a GREAT community here!
After thinking about it some more, I actually cancelled my Nexus 5 order. Not because I don't want the phone anymore, but because I realized my real issue here is that I'm just not comfortable with brand new tech that barely hit the market. I've felt a little let-down with my 1st gen Nexus 7 getting slower and slower over time and it's made me a bit gun shy to run out and buy the "next big thing" the moment it hits the market (like I did with my tablet).
I'll spend some time researching all the suggestions posted here before I dive back in. Honestly, the MotoX never even crossed my radar, but it sounds like it has a solid following and deserves some consideration.
Thank you again! And please feel free to keep posting your ideas! I'll keep coming back and reading them.
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I owned the first generation Nexus 7. Bought it the day it was released. It is the only device I've owned that really did slow down like you said. It is too early to speak for the Nexus 5, but this problem did not exist on the GNex, Nexus 4, Nexus 10, or second generation Nexus 7. I ran into the problem with AOSP based custom ROMs on my GS3, but not with stock TW or TW based custom ROMs. The first generation Nexus 7 just didn't have great hardware, and it showed after lots of use, especially on the 8gb version. I don't think you should have that fear going into the N5, but I think you're being smart holding off until you're sure. I jumped the gun with the Moto X and got just above half of what I paid when I resold the PoS.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
I bought a N5 for experiment and I will stick with my Z1. Better camera, quality, waterproofness, better screen even though z1 is bad for yellow tint N5 is worse. With the N5 you simply get what you pay for but I would pay a little more for the premium glass/aluminum finish phones like the One or my Z1
I have had the HTC One and I currently have the Note 3 and the Nexus 5 (My 3rd Nexus over the past few years). I really enjoyed the Note 3 but the size got to me. I have not had the N5 long enough to really form an opinion other than the battery life sucks compared to the Note 3. Also the N5 seems a little less polished than the One or Note. So far the best every day phone was the HTC One that opinion might change with more time with the N5. Just my .02.
force70 said:
As per sig i have 3 devices. .just got the nexus 5 today and its going back tomorrow and I will buy the G2...I should have went with it in the first place but I couldnt resist the white nexus.
Nice device just not for me..if you want a 5 inch device...s4 hands down..or if you want to go a bit bigger G2.
Note 3 is a beast of a device...nuff said there.
Sent from my S4,Note 3 or Nexus 5
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So wait.... you're saying if you want a 5" device, you shouldn't even consider the 4.95" Nexus 5 and instead get the 5" GS4... but if you want something a bit bigger, you should get the 5.2" LG G2? Really nitpicking over .25", aren't we?
And i'm really loving the people who insist on constantly pointing out the battery life of the Nexus 5 sucks in comparison to *insert phone here*.... especially when that phone is the Note 3. Yes, the Note 3's screen is nearly an inch larger than the Nexus 5's.... but the battery is also 39% larger. That's like somehow expecting a V6 Jeep Cherokee to perform just as well as a V8.
Don't get why everyone's saying the battery is crap, anyway. I don't think it's THAT bad... and i'm coming from a Galaxy S3.... where it seemed if you did anything more than some texting and web browsing, you would basically be lucky to make it through an 8-hour work day and still have a decent amount of battery life left. first two days with the N5, and i've gone 14 hours with similar usage as i had on my GS3, and still had 20-40% battery life remaining.

Nexus 5 or One Plus One ?

The One plus just launched 5 days back in India ( I know, its 5 months late). A friend of mine ordered the phone and it looks like an absolute peach!!
Don't get me wrong, I've turned down a swap for a new Iphone 6 with my phone, with there seems to be something about the One Plus!! I love my phone, but is the One Plus better ?
All its specs are better than the Nexus 5 on paper, but I wanna know if you guys have used them both and whats your view on it. If I sell my Nexus ( which turn 1 yr on 25 Dec), it'll get the same price as for a new One Plus, so do the economics of switching make sense?
Many Thanks
TarunN5 said:
The One plus just launched 5 days back in India ( I know, its 5 months late). A friend of mine ordered the phone and it looks like an absolute peach!!
Don't get me wrong, I've turned down a swap for a new Iphone 6 with my phone, with there seems to be something about the One Plus!! I love my phone, but is the One Plus better ?
All its specs are better than the Nexus 5 on paper, but I wanna know if you guys have used them both and whats your view on it. If I sell my Nexus ( which turn 1 yr on 25 Dec), it'll get the same price as for a new One Plus, so do the economics of switching make sense?
Many Thanks
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Hardware wise the OnePlus is the better one clearly, software wise (the relationship between OnePlus and Cyanogenmod is kinda cooling off) i think the Nexus 5 has the better firmware. Especialy if the Oppo software (color rom) may be implemented on the OPO in the future, though development may compensate that off course. Me personaly i prefer a phone that i can buy instead of hoping on a invite and i don`t know how complaints and defects are beeing handled by the chinese company. Check out the OnePlus One Forum here on XDA for more info.
Oneplus' warranty return process is a bit of a joke apparently. @Theshawty can attest to that. That said, he's had both and would probably say get the OPO. Not sure what it will be like for AOSP though.
gee2012 said:
Hardware wise the OnePlus is the better one clearly, software wise (the relationship between OnePlus and Cyanogenmod is kinda cooling off) i think the Nexus 5 has the better firmware. Especialy if the Oppo software (color rom) may be implemented on the OPO in the future, though development may compensate that off course. Me personaly i prefer a phone that i can buy instead of hoping on a invite and i don`t know how complaints and defects are beeing handled by the chinese company. Check out the OnePlus One Forum here on XDA for more info.
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I have a few friends who have invites with them, so that's not the issue. Like you pointed I am wary of how the customer service will be. Never had to use LG's service though, haven't had to send this to the shop!!
Any color on how the device is to use ? Usually the hardware specs are only 50% of the job done, phones usually pop up with small problems when using them everyday that you don't get in the instruction manual!!
Would be great to hear some guys who have used both
Stikc with da N5 bro
I own both, both are great phones but 1+ is a better phone. Stock CM11 software works like a champ. No issues. Bigger screen, great camera, very elegant big phone, 64g memory. You can also run experimental lollipop but in US/Canada everyone has a problem with VM notification, kinda works in Europe. Glitches remain. Overall - get One Plus.
Obviously between the two, the one plus one is the better buy (bang for the buck)
TarunN5 said:
The One plus just launched 5 days back in India ( I know, its 5 months late). A friend of mine ordered the phone and it looks like an absolute peach!!
Don't get me wrong, I've turned down a swap for a new Iphone 6 with my phone, with there seems to be something about the One Plus!! I love my phone, but is the One Plus better ?
All its specs are better than the Nexus 5 on paper, but I wanna know if you guys have used them both and whats your view on it. If I sell my Nexus ( which turn 1 yr on 25 Dec), it'll get the same price as for a new One Plus, so do the economics of switching make sense?
Many Thanks
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Click to collapse
Ive had the OPO and decided to go back to my N5. The best thing i found about the OPO is the battery life, its an absolute beast, but i am not a fan of the software on it. I know its cyanogen mod, but theres so many bugs and glitches that it just doesn't do it for me as a daily driver. The other reason i sold it is because of the size. OPO might only seem like a tad bigger, but i hated not being able to use it with 1 hand.
Ended up selling it, going back to the N5. Not happy about the battery life, but its stable, comes from a reputable company and warranty is great. Thats another thing, if you need to RMA the product you'll fine quite the wait.
TarunN5 said:
The One plus just launched 5 days back in India ( I know, its 5 months late). A friend of mine ordered the phone and it looks like an absolute peach!!
Don't get me wrong, I've turned down a swap for a new Iphone 6 with my phone, with there seems to be something about the One Plus!! I love my phone, but is the One Plus better ?
All its specs are better than the Nexus 5 on paper, but I wanna know if you guys have used them both and whats your view on it. If I sell my Nexus ( which turn 1 yr on 25 Dec), it'll get the same price as for a new One Plus, so do the economics of switching make sense?
Many Thanks
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Click to collapse
I had to make the same decision a few weeks back and decided to go with the N5, reasons:
(1) Phone size: The N5 feels better in my hand, OPO is too big (my hands are not small )
(2) OS: I wanted to go with stock Android, hence N5 easier choice, whereas you can flash stock Android also to OPO I assume
(3) OPO itself: OPO just launched and its their first phone, hence customer service etc. is not that great (you got XDA though for help), the phone itself is better than the N5 hardware wise
At the end I chose the N5 with the thought that I normally use any phone 2-3 years and I would estimate that the One Plus Two (or whatever name it will have) will launch some time end of next year/beginning of 2016, hence fits into this timeline.
btw: also thought about N6, but same issue with size (and price tag)
rootSU said:
Oneplus' warranty return process is a bit of a joke apparently. @Theshawty can attest to that. That said, he's had both and would probably say get the OPO. Not sure what it will be like for AOSP though.
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I'd say the OnePlus One IF (and only IF) you can get a fault free version. Their warranty return process (and the whole "support") is a joke.
It would be a side grade at best. However if you don't one hand your phone and want something bigger it might be worth the swap. More battery and more storage space (64GB version) are the advantages, the SoC is a tad faster but nothing you would notice as N5 is already as fluid as it gets.
Thanks guys, I think I'll wait for a bit and try to use my friends One Plus for a few days. But seems the general opinoin is to stick with the Nexus
I'm using OPO n it's amazing earlier used Nexus4. as many said already 5.5in may be a bit big in size but after using a day r two u'll love the display of 5.5 in.
I'm fully satisfied with OPO. Don't know guys who said OPO is too big what they say about Nexus6
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Free mobile app

New Note 5 Owner Here

Y'all are looking at the owner of a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 64 GB in the black. After spending about 4 hours with it I've come to really love this phone. I am coming from spending almost 2 years of a great experience with Windows Phones and if it wasn't for "Big Red" being the only carrier that works at my family's cabin I would probably switch to AT&T to stick with a Windows phone. Unfortunately that left me with 2 choices go to an iPhone which was alright for me in the past or go to an android phone which I have had bad experiences with in the past (note 2, Droid razr m, stratosphere ). Well I chose the Note 5 to try to change my experience with android devices and so far I'm glad I did. Even though if it wasn't for me dropping my Lumia Icon 25 feet onto the ground while hanging a treestand the other day I would still be using it instead of this brand new Note 5.
CodeGunner
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Congrats
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
CodeGunnerDevelopment said:
Y'all are looking at the owner of a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 64 GB in the black. After spending about 4 hours with it I've come to really love this phone. I am coming from spending almost 2 years of a great experience with Windows Phones and if it wasn't for "Big Red" being the only carrier that works at my family's cabin I would probably switch to AT&T to stick with a Windows phone. Unfortunately that left me with 2 choices go to an iPhone which was alright for me in the past or go to an android phone which I have had bad experiences with in the past (note 2, Droid razr m, stratosphere ). Well I chose the Note 5 to try to change my experience with android devices and so far I'm glad I did. Even though if it wasn't for me dropping my Lumia Icon 25 feet onto the ground while hanging a treestand the other day I would still be using it instead of this brand new Note 5.
CodeGunner
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Congrats! A bad experience with a Note 2 though? That was an awesome phone, it's what totally changed my perception of Samsung. It was a one smooth beast up until I got the Note 5.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 5 on Verizon Wireless USA
cmraymond said:
Congrats! A bad experience with a Note 2 though? That was an awesome phone, it's what totally changed my perception of Samsung. It was a one smooth beast up until I got the Note 5.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 5 on Verizon Wireless USA
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Click to collapse
It was more a bad experience with Verizon than it was the Note 2 and Verizon's refurbished department. I had an Android OS update download corrupted and bricked the phone. It was stock and unrooted. The refurbished phone they sent me then wouldn't connect to any WiFi network at all. The next refurbished phone they sent me would get so hot you couldn't touch it at all. The next one they sent then would not charge due to a bad USB port. Then on top of it every time I had to call them (Verizon ) it would turn into a 3 hour phone call with them repeatedly in the same conversation with the same person referring to me as a member of the opposite sex even after me politely correcting them. So inside of 3 weeks time I went through several phones and repeated abuse from Verizon which tainted my experience with the Note 2. I had a great 3 months with my original Note 2 until the bad update. I so far am extremely happy though with the Note 5
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
The Note 5 really is a splendid phone. I was really worried as this is my first Samsung phone and a lot of people complain about TouchWiz being slow and bloated. While I can see how it could be considered bloated with the amount of pre-installed apps (a fair amount which are actually useful), I have yet to see the phone perform poorly no matter what I'm doing. The camera is especially quick to load and take pictures, which is usually somewhat sluggish on most phones.
I'm more disappointed that we may never have root access than anything else, but if I had to use a phone without root it would definitely be this phone. It's the only one to really bring unique features versus just a different Android "skin" like most other Android phones. I Particularly enjoy using the S Pen for writing quick notes, and the ability to share the screen between two apps, as well as have floating apps (like the calculator) all at the same time.
I've yet to try any games, so can't comment on the GPU power, but being a flagship phone it must be fairly decent.
While there does seem to be some truth to the multitasking issue (not many apps able to run in the background) I've personally not had any issues yet. I mainly just want to be able to text/browse and listen to music like Pandora at the same time. Hopefully there is a good reason they are not keeping too many apps in the background. Maybe it is to free up space to keep the experience quick (I wouldn't be surprised if it's to allow room for things like the camera to load quickly).
Hardware wise it is a beautiful phone. My only complaint (coming from a HTC One MAX with Dual stereo speakers) is the sound is about average, worse if you're laying in bed with the bottom of the phone resting against your chest/body because it covers up the only media speaker on the phone. Personally I think the speaker would have been better suited on the top of the phone if it had to be located along the side. It feels so nice that when my case came in the mail I took it back off because it felt so horrible compared to the phone being naked. I really hate to put a case on this phone.
New note 5 owner here coming from the LG G3. Loved my G3 but loving this much more in just a few hours. Amazing device I despised samsung due to my wife's S5 but after testing and upgrading to the Note 5 my perception is far different. Glad to be here
I'm loving how many people made the jump from the Note 2 to the Note 5, like myself. It was such a great phone. I still have it sitting on my desk and considering I had unlimited data with it, I do feel a slight tinge of regret. I'm gonna miss being able to load YouTube videos or any web page or song at my heart's content. But that price hike really isn't worth it. I can deal with WiFi hunting. And man this Note 5 is a beast, I didn't think I would ever need another phone again after the Note 2, but this one is significantly better. Web browsing, general multitasking, and the pen especially. Amazing device.

[Q] Replacement for Nexus 5 (2017 edition)

Hey all, I've seen a few posts out here similar that were older. My wife has a Nexus 5. It has been alright but she runs into space issues and hasn't been super thrilled with the battery. I have a 5x that I've loved (except it does a weird thing now where the screen won't come on when its in a call, but that's a whole other matter). She's dropped the phone and it's old enough to make me not want to mess with that, so it's time to look for something else.
I was wondering currently in June 2017, what a decent replacement would be for a Nexus 5. I would imagine there are all kinds of options out there that should be decent quality and cheap. Main goals at this point are 32 gig and a good battery. Wouldn't mind SD card capability and replaceable battery but from what I understand, you can't get as many replaceable battery phones anymore.
I'm not 100% opposed to buying one used if there are some that hold up well, but obviously new would be nice. I'm not looking for latest/greatest, just something she will appreciate that will work for awhile. Before we had our Nexus phones, we had the Moto G line, which obviously are kind of bargain basement types and it showed, so I hate to make that mistake again.
Lenovo P2: SD 625, 5100mAh battery and 32/64GB storge with dual sim or single sim + sd card.
hipsterdo0fus said:
Hey all, I've seen a few posts out here similar that were older. My wife has a Nexus 5. It has been alright but she runs into space issues and hasn't been super thrilled with the battery. I have a 5x that I've loved (except it does a weird thing now where the screen won't come on when its in a call, but that's a whole other matter). She's dropped the phone and it's old enough to make me not want to mess with that, so it's time to look for something else.
I was wondering currently in June 2017, what a decent replacement would be for a Nexus 5. I would imagine there are all kinds of options out there that should be decent quality and cheap. Main goals at this point are 32 gig and a good battery. Wouldn't mind SD card capability and replaceable battery but from what I understand, you can't get as many replaceable battery phones anymore.
I'm not 100% opposed to buying one used if there are some that hold up well, but obviously new would be nice. I'm not looking for latest/greatest, just something she will appreciate that will work for awhile. Before we had our Nexus phones, we had the Moto G line, which obviously are kind of bargain basement types and it showed, so I hate to make that mistake again.
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Pragmatically and from my perspective, since I am in the same situation searching for a replacement, the short answer is no. Never. I came over from Apple due to the easier customization ability of Android at the time.
I bought the N5 I have now, second-hand, originally for a family member (but they wanted an Apple), so I got stuck with it. Already rom'd. After getting used to the Android system, I said fine, I'm ditching Apple. Not say their stuff is bad. It just wasn't for me.
A broken screen, a new battery, and constantly rebooting to get a signal and nearly 3 years later and updating through first CM and now Pure Nexus.
I run this thing like a nuclear reactor especially during semester months.
Nothing beats it's simplicity. Nothing. It's one of the best pieces of tech I have ever owned and continues to be my daily driver. I did jump ship to an M9 and while a very impressive device. I yearned for my N5 (I thought it was dead). Got it back to functionality and haven't been back. Needless to say, here's what I am mulling over.
Pixel
Nexus 6p
Htc u11
Samsung S7 (or if I hit the lotto S8)
The Moto's. Since the Pure Nexus community is giving them a lot of love right now, especially the one with the crazy battery life but the 625 processor (if it was Daydream compatible I would've gotten it already).
One plus 3t
The high end xiaomi (I forget the model name)
An HTC 10. Another nice and underrated phone.
I can wax poetic about the N5 for days. Nothing beats it's flexibility, simplicity (aforementioned), and usability. Us N5 users do not need the bells and whistles and yet that's nice but we do more with less. I, too, will lament the day my hammerhead finally goes. In the meantime​, I hope my long-winded account helps you out.
Edit: I forgot about the Axon 7.
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately most of them are quite a bit higher in price than we paid for this Nexus. We had actually used the Moto G line prior to this.
I also have to say that since this is for my wife, I may need to watch out on the screen size being overly gigantor. She may not want something that is too much bigger than the N5. That Lenovo is the best in price so far, but for some reason it doesn't have very good rating on Phone Arena. Wonder why?
I still have my nexus, but upgraded to a Huawei Nova, not the Nova Plus, mainly due to spec improvements and similar screen size. Got 4gb memory and 64gb storage, about the exact same size as the Nexus. I hate the Huawei UI, but CM is available for it now, so not really an issue. It might be a bit pricey though. The Huawei Honor, I think 6x, also has a model that is 5.5in screen.
Not trying to sell Huawei, was just checking the price in the US of the one I have and noticed the Honor was similar. I got the Nova CAZ-AL10 for the specs, price, size, and because it is compatible with the mobile networks here in China. The Nexus was not unfortunately.
I think an Asus Zenfone 3 might not be a bad option. It has great battery life and it's not too expensive
I had a nexus 5x and just came back to my nexus 5 with a custom rom and I am loving it!!!
After the lost of my N5, I got an OP 3T and not even rooted it, sweet and fast on stock.
Edit: Actually rooted it and still sweet and fast, the best; more than 8 hours SOT
What about leeco pro 3. I own one and it is for sure one of the best phones for its price if not the best (USD 199, might be even lower now) the stock ROM isn't much to chant for but put a custom ROM on it and you're golden. They were running a sale on amazon a few weeks back but I'm not sure about its current availability. Snapdragon 821 with 4 to 6gb of ram and 64gb of storage. The camera is its weakest point but it's honestly not that bad. Battery life is also great averaging 6 SOT on nougat and around 8 on stock. 100% recommend.
How about OnePlus 5? I was considering replacing my N5 with it, but I'm not convinced by their previous software support.
gr__or said:
How about OnePlus 5? I was considering replacing my N5 with it, but I'm not convinced by their previous software support.
Click to expand...
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Can it be rooted?
maybeme2 said:
Can it be rooted?
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Is there a device that can't be rooted? I think so far all of the OnePlus devices where pretty open and got root quickly. Given that the OP5 has just been announced today, there is no root yet, but I'd be surprised if there isn't a root mid-july.
I don't know. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know. I think some devices are said to be easier to root than others which is what I meant to ask. I own a couple of nexus 5s and an old nexus 7 and they are easy to root. Just don't know enough about the op5.
Sorry I dig up the subject
I think to replace my nexus 5 and I hesitate between the nexus 6p (I find one at 190 euros used) or a nexus 5x (has 100 euros used too) what would be the best choice for you?
Thank you for your answers

still worth buying Pixel 2? [June 2018]

I need a new phone. I've been on a Note 4 for a while now, and it has reached its end-of-life. Done tons of research, and even when compared against the latest-and-greatest, the Pixel 2 still reviews well. It seems to be exactly what I am looking for. Even though the announcement of the Pixel 3 is right around the corner, it will mostly likely be late Oct / early Nov before consumers can get them in hand anyway. Five months is a long time, and I'm kind of ready to make a move now.
Is the Pixel 2 still the way to go? Do I have to bite the bullet and get another Samsung and get an s9? (I'm on AT&T btw, and I'm really really sick of having a carrier locked phone and waiting on AT&T to add bloatware to all the updates).
Would I be stupid to get the Pixel 2 today? Talk me into it / talk me out of it.
You'd be stupid to go Samsung again, that's for sure.
The Note 4 was arguably Samsung's peak for the Note line, and the S7 Edge the peak for their S line. Sure the new designs are fancy, but are fragile, and Samsung are horrendous when it comes to updates.
I'd suggest looking into a OnePlus 6 especially if you're sick of being carrier locked. Cheaper and more powerful than the Pixel 2, better in every way aside from speakers and camera if they are important to you.
That being said, I miss my Pixel 2 XL for the software as it's so damn smooth, but I do not miss the abysmal screen (Note 4 screen is better). So if you go Pixel 2, definitely get the smaller one with the nicer Samsung screen.
As opposed to what ? Samsung ? Pixel 2 still had several years of guaranteed updates and a smoother software interface with less bloat. I could understand MAYBE if you said an iPhone as most businesses are starting to use iOS and Apple supports their software for several years but against a Samsung that's just a joke.
My $0.02., develop your own pros/cons list as no one knows what's more important to you, than you. Example, I absolutely hate lag in software, probably an unhealthy amount... I also enjoy a headphone jack, but that's less important than software to _me_. At the end of the day, no phone is better at software and camera than the Pixel 2 (I have non-XL, coming from a Samsung Galaxy S3) and that's what I think ultimately creates the Pixel appeal because literally every time you use your phone, in an app, to take a pic, etc, you get that top-of-the-line software experience. How much does Samsung's superior hardware matter when apps lag or freeze and frustrate the user or they're running a 6-month old security patch level?
Also got mine 50% off during Verizon's Black Friday deal last year, figured the savings was worth the locked bootloader. Then we got an unlock method anyways in December so win-win, half price + unlocked BL now. Is the P2 worth full price to you? Who knows. But good luck whatever path you choose!
istrikerx said:
You'd be stupid to go Samsung again, that's for sure.
The Note 4 was arguably Samsung's peak for the Note line, and the S7 Edge the peak for their S line. Sure the new designs are fancy, but are fragile, and Samsung are horrendous when it comes to updates.
I'd suggest looking into a OnePlus 6 especially if you're sick of being carrier locked. Cheaper and more powerful than the Pixel 2, better in every way aside from speakers and camera if they are important to you.
That being said, I miss my Pixel 2 XL for the software as it's so damn smooth, but I do not miss the abysmal screen (Note 4 screen is better). So if you go Pixel 2, definitely get the smaller one with the nicer Samsung screen.
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I love my Pixel 2, but honestly the reason I bought it was because of the camera and because I thought there would be more rom development by this point, but mostly for the camera. I came from a oneplus 3t and I loved that phone so much. The development community was large and very active, and the phone's hardware was awesome.
If it wasn't for the Pixel 2's camera, I would've much rather upgraded to a newer oneplus device or even stuck with my 3t. But seriously, imo forget samsung and there locked ass bootloaders and stupidly overpriced phones.
I ditched Samsung (S6) finally last month and got the Pixel2. I am not much of a ROM flasher but root is very important to me. I was dreading going down in resolution but haven't regretted it once.
Is there any reason NOT to get the Pixel 2? What other phone is popular enough to receive continual updates, and easy to find accessories? Gives fast performance without lag-inducing bloat-ware?
I have an AT&T brand Note 8 and i really like the phone (wish i would have bought the unlocked version). But i like to root and flash roms occasionally and I'm pretty limited on the Note 8. Lucky me my work takes me all across Texas and i just happen to be where AT&T don't have service so i bought the Pixel 2 direct from Google and I'm loving it. I'm running it on Verizon. Super easy to unlock bootloader and root. I've only had it for about a month now and have only did one update (the June update) that got a little confusing but i figured it out (i downloaded it myself from Google instead of doing the ota). Personally, i think the camera on the Note 8 is better than the Pixel 2 camera, but i have both phones so i can always take pictures with the Note and it syncs to my Google photos and i have the pic on both phones. I do feel like the Pixel runs a lot smoother than the Note though. If you buy a Pixel, I'd suggest buying straight from Google so you don't have to worry about the bootloader, although i know carriers bundling things in makes it hard to pass up.
I believe it is still going strong and worth a buy.
Personally I don't the notch design which everyone is copying from Apple now.
In fact I bought one three weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. It's already running Android P DP3. I have considered a Huawei P20, but in the end went with the Pixel 2, mainly because of the fast updates and stock Android (I came from a Nexus 5X)
No regrets!
Meh not that many accessories...
mellojoe said:
Is there any reason NOT to get the Pixel 2? What other phone is popular enough to receive continual updates, and easy to find accessories? Gives fast performance without lag-inducing bloat-ware?
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Well, gotta disagree a little with you on the bolded section. The P2 just isn't sold in large enough numbers to get the choices in accessories like the mainstream iPhones, S9, etc. Otterbox Defender series only has 2 colors for crying out loud...
Edit: a word
It could be a winner for you if that's what you want...luv mine!
Personally I would wait and buy a cheaper, last year's phone in the meanwhile.
Pixel 2 series is great, but you still have to make hard compromises. If you want the 2018 screen quality, go pixel 2; if you want a 2018 battery life and screen size, go XL. But to me these 3 things are essential to a phone (ok maybe not the screen size). Considering the price being top of the lines even compared to an iPhone, and it is a 2017 phone (sort), I would wait.
Plus I got a feel that Pixel 3 may come with wireless charging and other technologies that would make using a phone more convenient. While Pixel 2 is just, with great camera. Not an important factor to me personally.
I just got it coming from a Huawei mate 10
Honestly its a great phone . I got the small version cuz I have a U11PLUS plus as my daily big screen phone. And it's awesome they have all these goodness in such a small phone can be handled one hand
At the moment u11plus plus 128gb and 6gb ram is going for 600$ ish on eBay. If u don't care about updates I would advice u to go with it. The camera with gcam performing better than the pixel believe it or not and the battery is the best in the market. Colours of amazing silver or red are phenomenal, nothing else comes close even the copycat p20 pro
Absolutely! I would recommend the Pixel 2 to anybody who asked I haven't even had any reason to want the XL - I've just got the 5" Pixel.
The software is essentially bloat-free (if you use the Google apps) and the experience is as polished as that of the iPhone.
(I'm not a fan of the iPhone but anybody who's used an Android can't deny on most phones the platform is bloated and a little half-assed in places.)
Plus, if you're big into getting the latest Android versions - we get the Android betas first (and they're supported for 2 years.)
And, once the 2 years are up, if you haven't got a new phone by then, I'd imagine there would be a ton of custom ROMs and such for the phone.
I'm planning on developing some ROMs for the Pixel 2 but I haven't for the moment because I have no reason to; the software is the best I've experienced, so I have no reason to mod the phone. (This is probably why there isn't much in the way of development going on for the phone)
In my opinion, the camera is excellent; I don't use it that much but when I do, it's fast, the quality is fantastic and I have trouble faulting it.
Finally, the battery life is great. As a student, I don't use my phone all day but relatively speaking, I'm quite a heavy user and I get about 3 hours more screen time than most others. Plus, as the phone charges to upwards of 80% in about 45 minutes, battery isn't really an issue. (5-10 minutes at an AC outlet can usually get it up to 20%.)
TL;DR: Particularly if you buy a phone for utility (rather than as a fashion statement), this phone is brilliant. It's the best Android device I've ever owned and, I think, one of the best on the market.
If you want something that looks a bit more flashy, I'd suggest the Pixel XL, though.
The give-a-friend 15% offer is making this pracitcally a no-brainer for me. That brings a brand new direct from Google Pixel2 to $550. That's basically the same price as low end or older model phones. Looks like I'll be picking one up. Thanks for the advice.
Feel free to add any more thoughts, tho, cause I'm sure as we get closer to the launch of the 3, more people are going to be asking for opnions on the 2 as a budget-friendly option.
jerryhou85 said:
I believe it is still going strong and worth a buy.
Personally I don't the notch design which everyone is copying from Apple now.
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Let me correct you sir. Copying from Essential ph-1, not apple. Apple copying that design from Essential ph-1. Get it right.
ivanov13 said:
Let me correct you sir. Copying from Essential ph-1, not apple. Apple copying that design from Essential ph-1. Get it right.
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Click to collapse
Ahh, I see. Learned that recently, thanks.
This year Pixel 3 should be the choice if I want to change my phone again.
edwinek said:
In fact I bought one three weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. It's already running Android P DP3. I have considered a Huawei P20, but in the end went with the Pixel 2, mainly because of the fast updates and stock Android (I came from a Nexus 5X)
No regrets!
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me too, I bought my pixel 2 (128GB) using a 20% coupon, used to have a nexus 5x, huge improvement

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