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talk me into/out of buying this

I currently have a Nexus 6p and have been a fan of everything. Growing tired of the size and considering the pixel, not the XL. Currently I have 64gb but only use 24gb currently. I have VZW UDP so I pretty much stream everything. I'm in love with the pixel. Especially the camera. With the bootloader being unlocked by firewall devs, I'm ok with buying a Verizon version. Couldn't pull the trigger in the store today though. Gonna be another month minimum before a 128 is shipped (but don't feel I need 128gb) but 32 makes me nervous. Even if the VZW version never gets full unlock, I only need tethering, and signal reset is a good enough work around for my needs.
So, I need opinions on whether I should or should pull the trigger and get the 32gb, or just keep my N6 for another year. (still in mint condition)

I came from a Nexus 6 (not 6p) to the Pixel. It feels small at first but I'm liking the one handed use.
It's better across the board; faster, better screen (brightness / color), battery life etc.
The only thing I notice is that the fingerprint sensor gestures would be more usable on the XL. On the 5 inch, it's not as useful since I can reach the whole screen more easily.

why..do what you want..who cares what others think
Sent from my marlin using XDA Labs

318sugarhill said:
I currently have a Nexus 6p and have been a fan of everything. Growing tired of the size
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I have absolutely no complaints about my 6P except the clumsy size. I ordered a Pixel as I usually get a new phone every year.
I am on Project Fi, and usually get good reception in the fringe area I live, except the Golf Course I play. I was expecting the Pixel to be better in this regard but it wasn't. Side by side I was seeing between 3 and 5 dBm less signal... strike one.
I don't listen to movies or music on the phone's speakers, but occasionally podcasts. The speaker on the Pixels is not as loud as my original Moto X's rear firing speakers. In a pocket, in a noisy environment, I would miss notification sounds... strike two.
Finally, it doesn't work on Android Auto with my Pioneer AVH4100NEX... strike three.
Strike three was the deal breaker and if not for that I might have kept it. The screen is noticeably brighter, and the phone is definitely faster (but the 6P is just fine in that regard as well), and I liked the size (although it is still very slippery like the 6P).
If I see that they fix the Android Auto issue with Pioneer, I may order another one... but by then who knows, the Pixel 2 may be on the horizon. I get the feeling Google rushed this phone. The Ron Amadeo articles on Ars Technica are definitely food for thought. Who knows what Pixel 2 will be like given they'll have over a year to get it right.
Just my 2¢... YMMV.

johnandbodhi said:
why..do what you want..who cares what others think
Sent from my marlin using XDA Labs
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This^
Not to be rude, really, but... you're an adult. Lol. Research the phone and if you like it, buy it, if you don't, than, buy yourself a steak.

The 6P is great, if you were going for the Pixel XL (instead of the Pixel); I'd stay this year with the 6P and next year do the switch to 2017 Pixel. (Unless you really care about the Compass in Google Maps. which sux in the 5X/6P, and is one of my 2 issues with the 5X at the moment, the RAM and the compass accuracy).
I'm honestly very fine with the 5X, I'll only switch to the Pixel mainly because of the RAM and to try the new compass (I'm tired of this bosch BMM150 it's a mess, tried it in 3 nexus). I also like the 5" and the smaller width distance. But since this Pixel is made of metal, It will be more slippery than the black 5X, so i'll probably will be using a grip case, and that case will make the pixel bigger, similar to the 5X..
In your case..your only issue is the one-handed usage with the 6P. If you really want to go back to a one handed phone, I'll try the Pixel. But IMO, nothing better than the original/old 2013 Moto X for one handed usage. (This depends on your hand shape and size) Of course it's old, but what I meant is, it'd be nice to have a 3rd smaller 4.7" pixel 720p variant.... (size is not the main factor for one handed usage... For instance, I tried a Z5 Compact 4.6" and had to put a case because it was slippery, I'm much more comfortable with a naked black 5X than a naked Z5 Compact).

thesebastian said:
The 6P is great, if you are going for the Pixel; I'd stay this year with the 6P and next year do the switch to 2017 Pixel. (Unless you really care about the Compass in Google Maps. which sux in the 5X/6P, and is one of my 2 issues with the 5X at the moment, the RAM and the compass accuracy).
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Very true. The compass always needs recalibration on my 6p. I really want to upgrade, so the basic question is, is 32gb worth it? I dont come close to using the 64 I got now, and by the time the 128gb start shipping, depixel8 will probably be patched by VZW. I usually keep the bootloader locked, but it's nice to have that ability if needed...

318sugarhill said:
Very true. The compass always needs recalibration on my 6p. I really want to upgrade, so the basic question is, is 32gb worth it? I dont come close to using the 64 I got now, and by the time the 128gb start shipping, depixel8 will probably be patched by VZW. I usually keep the bootloader locked, but it's nice to have that ability if needed...
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I only know that the compass is different, they still use Bosch sensors, but not anymore for the compass, it was changed for some Japanese brand's e-compass. I don't really know if the Pixel still has compass random issues like the 5X/6P, so be careful of this. I'll get the Pixel as soon as they sell it in Spain, I wan't to buy it in my country of residence in case I need to return it.
32GB are ok to me in the 5X..because I only have google apps + some small apps + Hearthstone. And every time I reach 8GB of photos/videos it move all to my PC. (In the Pixel you'll have the Photos unlimited upload promotion so this would be a more easy task if you end using this feature). For my usage, 16GB is not enough. 32GB is much more than enough.

thesebastian said:
I only know that the compass is different, they still use Bosch sensors, but not anymore for the compass, it was changed for some Japanese brand's e-compass. I don't really know if the Pixel still has compass random issues like the 5X/6P, so be careful of this. I'll get the Pixel as soon as they sell it in Spain, I wan't to buy it in my country of residence in case I need to return it.
32GB are ok to me in the 5X..because I only have google apps + some small apps + Hearthstone. And every time I reach 8GB of photos/videos it move all to my PC. (In the Pixel you'll have the Photos unlimited upload promotion so this would be a more easy task if you end using this feature). For my usage, 16GB is not enough. 32GB is much more than enough.
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Thanks. Very helpful for me. So was the poster about the radio. I've been rather unimpressed with the 6p radio for phone calls and if the pixel is worse it could be a deal breaker. Was hopeful with HTC that the radio would be better. In my house I've gotten the best reception in the past with HTC, and the worst with Samsung until Huawei

Yeah. I was in the same boat as you. I realised I gained a few things and lost a few things in getting the Pixel.
My main praise is that the Pixel is the only viable small flagship in Android land. The smaller factor is a major requirement for me even though I have large hands. So the Pixel really ticks this box. I wish it were smaller even.
The Pixel feels much better in the hand in terms of materials, weight, balance and sheer confidence in its build quality/durability. As compared to my 6P.
The software feels more natural in one handed usage. The Pixel feels faster and more responsive. More coherent and finished.
I found the battery life a little bit more reliable too. But early days.
Now... The camera is the same as that in the 6P in my experience. Just has EIS, which the 6P should be given anyway as it's just software AFAIK.
SO... Ugly design compared to the 6P and the iPhone or the Galaxy line.
Weaker speakers. Less storage. Higher price. Poorer design.
Therefore, the size compelled me. It's therefore a different phone, not a better phone.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

subhani said:
Now... The camera is the same as that in the 6P in my experience. Just has EIS, which the 6P should be given anyway as it's just software AFAIK
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Actually, the 6P has EIS, it just uses a different, less effective method. I have read a lot of conjecture that the 6P might not have the horsepower to keep up with the gyro based EIS employed in the Pixel.
With that said, the Pixel's stabilization is so solid, it makes it impossible to do a slow pan... with the image jumping in huge steps as you pan the camera. If your steady, you can get nice slow pans from the 6P with EIS turned on.

Biting the bullet on a black XL at best buy. After having both in my the XL is far more one handed friendly than the 6P. I'm not sure my 40 year old eyes can go back to the smaller screen of the regular pixel. I had the LG G3 prior to the nexus so I've grown accustomed to the large screen. As much as my pocket likes the smaller device, they don't have it black either. Thanks for the help and opinions.

Well you can always increase the DPI and/or the Text Size if you wanted to use a smaller phone and still be able to see clearly everything from a far distance
Sent from my Nexus 5X

thesebastian said:
Well you can always increase the DPI and/or the Text Size if you wanted to use a smaller phone and still be able to see clearly everything from a far distance
Sent from my Nexus 5X
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Indeed! In fact, this is what I'm doing right now...
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app

318sugarhill said:
I currently have a Nexus 6p and have been a fan of everything. Growing tired of the size and considering the pixel, not the XL. Currently I have 64gb but only use 24gb currently. I have VZW UDP so I pretty much stream everything. I'm in love with the pixel. Especially the camera. With the bootloader being unlocked by firewall devs, I'm ok with buying a Verizon version. Couldn't pull the trigger in the store today though. Gonna be another month minimum before a 128 is shipped (but don't feel I need 128gb) but 32 makes me nervous. Even if the VZW version never gets full unlock, I only need tethering, and signal reset is a good enough work around for my needs.
So, I need opinions on whether I should or should pull the trigger and get the 32gb, or just keep my N6 for another year. (still in mint condition)
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Honestly if you like the phone you currently have and this applies to anybody not just Nexus 6p and really don't have thousand dollars to waste on another phone. I'd suggest against buying the pixel and stick to your phone for as long as you can. New devices will come out in another couple months. The pixels camera isn't all that big of a deal, the phone has its features, it's fast, the camera loads fast, the camera is good, the display is fantastic, the size is awesome, nugget 7.1 fantastic, assistant works well. But all in all, not much more than current models like the Nexus 6p and others realeased in this last year.
That's just my opinion. I've been wanting to replace my LG V10 so the pixel XL was a good option, just an expensive one. Mainly for Google support, user base of support, accessories Galore, fantastically beautiful screen comparable to wow any iphone samsumg user, Quick Camera loading, usb c PD Charging and other stuff.. Lol
I like the hype train the bandwagon and the recognition of having a pixel XL. Especially in Smurfy Blue!
---------- Post added at 09:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 AM ----------
318sugarhill said:
Biting the bullet on a black XL at best buy. After having both in my the XL is far more one handed friendly than the 6P. I'm not sure my 40 year old eyes can go back to the smaller screen of the regular pixel. I had the LG G3 prior to the nexus so I've grown accustomed to the large screen. As much as my pocket likes the smaller device, they don't have it black either. Thanks for the help and opinions.
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I too felt the text size a tad bit small, being a 40+ yo, compared to my v10. But theres a setting in display, its default to small, which you can adjust. Then pixel xl screen is just so crisp and clear even with tiny letters and im coming from ips screen.

clockcycle said:
Honestly if you like the phone you currently have and this applies to anybody not just Nexus 6p and really don't have thousand dollars to waste on another phone. I'd suggest against buying the pixel and stick to your phone for as long as you can. New devices will come out in another couple months. The pixels camera isn't all that big of a deal, the phone has its features, it's fast, the camera loads fast, the camera is good, the display is fantastic, the size is awesome, nugget 7.1 fantastic, assistant works well. But all in all, not much more than current models like the Nexus 6p and others realeased in this last year.
That's just my opinion. I've been wanting to replace my LG V10 so the pixel XL was a good option, just an expensive one. Mainly for Google support, user base of support, accessories Galore, fantastically beautiful screen comparable to wow any iphone samsumg user, Quick Camera loading, usb c PD Charging and other stuff.. Lol
I like the hype train the bandwagon and the recognition of having a pixel XL. Especially in Smurfy Blue!
---------- Post added at 09:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:45 AM ----------
I too felt the text size a tad bit small, being a 40+ yo, compared to my v10. But theres a setting in display, its default to small, which you can adjust. Then pixel xl screen is just so crisp and clear even with tiny letters and im coming from ips screen.
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Yeah I really didn't need to spend more money, but once depixel8 was released, putting it on my vzw bill was a no brainier. I got a $400 offer for my Nexus, I got $100 best buy gift card, and a Chromecast from best buy....I'm really spending a little over 200 more for this device and I get to spread out the payments. I like it better than the Nexus. For sure I'm not getting another phone for 2 years.

318sugarhill said:
Yeah I really didn't need to spend more money, but once depixel8 was released, putting it on my vzw bill was a no brainier. I got a $400 offer for my Nexus, I got $100 best buy gift card, and a Chromecast from best buy....I'm really spending a little over 200 more for this device and I get to spread out the payments. I like it better than the Nexus. For sure I'm not getting another phone for 2 years.
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Bleep yea, if you put it that way, id buy two. No brainer if its costing you almost nothing.

Forgot to mention one important very fundamental reason behind owning a pixel, and that is the XDA community. Autoprime chainfire jcase all the top names own one, just about every green named member has one..
I was the only person to own an lg v10... It was a lonely place..

Pixel vs HTC10

Anyone have any experience coming from an HTC 10 to a Pixel? I've got both on order and am looking for opinion.
My htc will never run sense and I'll always run whatever stable AOSP ROMs that are available out there.
I feel that I will miss external sd on the pixel and I have a hard time justifying the extra $400 that the pixel will end up costing me.
Not trying to start a flame war here, I'm a lover. Just looking for opinions....
Sent from my HTC One M9 using XDA-Developers mobile app

bacon612 said:
Anyone have any experience coming from an HTC 10 to a Pixel? I've got both on order and am looking for opinion.
My htc will never run sense and I'll always run whatever stable AOSP ROMs that are available out there.
I feel that I will miss external sd on the pixel and I have a hard time justifying the extra $400 that the pixel will end up costing me.
Not trying to start a flame war here, I'm a lover. Just looking for opinions....
Sent from my HTC One M9 using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Hi
Did you get both phones yet to compare?

bsbuggs said:
Hi
Did you get both phones yet to compare?
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Click to collapse
For what it's worth, I have both phones.
TL;DR:
I bought my wife and I the unlocked HTC 10 at the $500 price to use on Verizon. The next day I became aware of Best Buy's Pixel 32 GB deal for straight $9.99 a month (or $240 buyout like I and others did), and I ordered two. My main reason was because I was coming from a VS985 LG G3 with a Micro SIM and I didn't want to step into a Verizon store to talk them into giving me Nano SIMs to use with my unofficial configuration of using an unlocked HTC 10 on Verizon's network, plus to have to have said Nano SIMs activated via phone since in that case I wouldn't have had an actual Verizon device that was capable of activating the SIMs.
I activated the SIMs in the Pixels and then put them in the HTC 10 and purchased the SunShine license for both phones and jumped through the firmware/ROM hoops I need to in order to have it work right.
First, I'm not on an unlimited data account so to me, using the Pixel with only 32 GB is relatively unrealistic to me. In it's favor, Google Photos only on the Pixel provides free unlimited full resolution not-further-compressed picture and video backups, and also has the feature to automatically clear space on the storage when it's needed by removing backed up photos. This is an amazing feature and would use it even if I had a 128 GB Pixel.
Second, my wife just went without a working smartphone for more than a month, so I sold one of the Pixels and kept the other to play with and to keep as a backup in case one of our HTCs has an unexpected problem anytime over the next couple of years. So far I have only a) unlocked the bootloader with Depixel8 (which might not work now if a Pixel has received the December update before using it) and b) I put the complete 7.1.1 stock ROM image on there.
I likely will not root the phone so that I can take OTAs painlessly. If I were using the Pixel as my daily phone I wouldn't be able to stand it without root and modifications. I'm assuming that most modifications I would want don't even exist yet, and I know that others I currently use don't exist for Nougat yet, like Xposed.
Although I prefer not to have to jump through ANY hoops to use the 10 on Verizon, the fact that there are still little nit-picky preference things that cause me to want to use a stock-based custom ROM over completely stock makes the point moot since I still won't receive OTAs except as provided by the particular ROM(s) I use.
The phone is still a lot easier to deal with than the LG G3 regarding hoops needing to jump through when new OTAs come out, and mix/match firmware caveats/bricks/etc. I could handle the Pixel's 5" screen if I was using it daily but I prefer larger. I really wouldn't want to go smaller than the 10's 5.2" screen.
Both phones feel very well built, the 10 even more so than the Pixel. The Pixel is very...compact. I mean, it's heavy for it's size, but not overly so, and it is solid.
I don't think you'll go wrong overall with either, depending on what your usage will be, what your Verizon plan is like and what your expectations are. I have pretty high requirements as far as convenience so that puts the Pixel out in several ways, but it'll make a great backup phone for my wife and I.

thanks for the insight.. helps alot

I had the HTC 10 briefly before trading for a note 7 which I sent back to Samsung and now I own the pixel.
I really enjoyed my time with the HTC 10 especially the extra screen real estate and the capacitive buttons. The development is pretty solid if your into custom roms, kernels, etc. The max screen brightness is something lacking but the LCD is not a bad looking panel and it's QHD. I'm a huge fan of the capacitive buttons and dedicated home button on front. I use a car mount every day and if I want to wake up my phone without having to remove it to access the fingerprint scanner or reach for power button and put in a pin. Same applies to when phone is on my nightstand and I just want to open a notification/ check time it's convenient on the front plus you get to use all of your screen with capacitive buttons vs on screen. I'm don't take a lot of pictures but the camera seemed sufficient. Also the speakers sounded pretty good for YouTube and the little bit of music I listened to on it. Only con I really had with the 10 was the screen brightness.
I've only owed the pixel for about 5 days so I'll just say what I like and don't like as of now. The stock Android and frequent updates already make me wonder how I ever survived using AT&T Samsung phones for so long. I've got 2 updates since I've purchased the phone and the development is sure to be good into the future. The fingerprint scanner is the fastest I've ever used as well as all the software. I'm still struggling getting used to the 5in display coming from a long line of Samsung products. I still wish I would've held out for the Xl but the small display doesn't disappoint. The AMOLED is still my favorite type of panel and even at 1080p lookes better than the HTC imo.
Overall I'm happy and excited about owning the pixel and would pick it over the HTC again of money wasn't an object. I was lucky enough that Samsung paid me full retail for my Note 7 that I traded an HTC 10 for during the 2nd recall scare, so I had a little to burn. My 128gb quite black came in at $856 at Verizon with tax. You can pick up the 10 with 32gb and grab an SD card for around $550 or less I'm sure. I wouldn't mind going back to my 10 at all.
Things to consider is how long to you plan on owning, if your going to keep the phone for 2+ yrs I would lean twords the Pixel. That's why I went with it at least, I've been getting a new phone annually or sooner for past 3-4yrs and it needs to stop lol. I plan on keeping the pixel at least 18-24 months and I'm garenteed software updates for that long plus some.
Any questions about either ask and I'll try to answer.

AndroiderM said:
I had the HTC 10 briefly before trading for a note 7 which I sent back to Samsung and now I own the pixel.
I really enjoyed my time with the HTC 10 especially the extra screen real estate and the capacitive buttons. The development is pretty solid if your into custom roms, kernels, etc. The max screen brightness is something lacking but the LCD is not a bad looking panel and it's QHD. I'm a huge fan of the capacitive buttons and dedicated home button on front. I use a car mount every day and if I want to wake up my phone without having to remove it to access the fingerprint scanner or reach for power button and put in a pin. Same applies to when phone is on my nightstand and I just want to open a notification/ check time it's convenient on the front plus you get to use all of your screen with capacitive buttons vs on screen. I'm don't take a lot of pictures but the camera seemed sufficient. Also the speakers sounded pretty good for YouTube and the little bit of music I listened to on it. Only con I really had with the 10 was the screen brightness.
I've only owed the pixel for about 5 days so I'll just say what I like and don't like as of now. The stock Android and frequent updates already make me wonder how I ever survived using AT&T Samsung phones for so long. I've got 2 updates since I've purchased the phone and the development is sure to be good into the future. The fingerprint scanner is the fastest I've ever used as well as all the software. I'm still struggling getting used to the 5in display coming from a long line of Samsung products. I still wish I would've held out for the Xl but the small display doesn't disappoint. The AMOLED is still my favorite type of panel and even at 1080p lookes better than the HTC imo.
Overall I'm happy and excited about owning the pixel and would pick it over the HTC again of money wasn't an object. I was lucky enough that Samsung paid me full retail for my Note 7 that I traded an HTC 10 for during the 2nd recall scare, so I had a little to burn. My 128gb quite black came in at $856 at Verizon with tax. You can pick up the 10 with 32gb and grab an SD card for around $550 or less I'm sure. I wouldn't mind going back to my 10 at all.
Things to consider is how long to plan on owning if your going to keep the phone for 2+ yrs I would lean twords the Pixel. That's why I went with it at least, I've been getting a new phone annually or sooner for past 3-4yrs and it needs to stop lol. I plan on keeping the pixel at least 18-24 months and I'm garenteed software updates for that long plus some.
Any questions about either ask and I'll try to answer.
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Appreciate the comparison.. that really my dilemma.. I can GET a good deal on swappa for an HTC 10 for like 350...OR i see a guy locally selling his verizon Pixel for 450... so there is my struggle...

bsbuggs said:
Appreciate the comparison.. that really my dilemma.. I can GET a good deal on swappa for an HTC 10 for like 350...OR i see a guy locally selling his verizon Pixel for 450... so there is my struggle...
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For a $100 difference I'd take the Pixel only of 128gb if not I'd go with HTC. That's just me, even though I do stream alot of media I also have around 30gb of music I have collected over the years. I also use my phone for torrents and then otg to an external drive that plugs Into tv. The extra storage is more important to me than a SD821 and amoled.

bsbuggs said:
Hi
Did you get both phones yet to compare?
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Hey there. I agree with pretty much what everyone else that has had both phones says. I'm sending my Pixel back tomorrow. Here are my personal pros and cons on the pixel. I got my HTC 10 from HTC direct for $550 tax and 2 day shipping included. Pixel was about $950 for the 128 model plus Pixel care or whatever its called.
Pros
I think the screen is marginally nicer even though its only 1080p
Using the same spigen cases, it felt better in my hands.
The camera is much faster and takes better pictures with no fuss
It felt faster but i think much of it has to do with Nougat and not 820 vs. 821 (My HTC 10 runs cm13 now. Looking like we are really close to cm14.1 now though)
Cons
No external SD. This crushes me. My biggest fear is that if your phone gets damaged, you loose everything thats not backed up rather than just removing the microsd card and moving on. (Nandroids, Pictures etc...)
Its too early for development to be great. There's only one rom so far. I feel that the price of the pixel is keeping developers away too. I couldn't get the pixel to do what I wanted it to in a few ways due to lack of roms + xposed etc... The thing is, this phone will likely have excellent rom support in the future, it will just take time. Might as well wait until it gets cheaper and supports the customization you want.
While my Pros outweigh my cons, there is no way I can justify spending another $400 for any two missing pros. This is how I arrived at my decision to return the Pixel. I might mention that I wouldn't keep either phone more than a year or so as I like to try and upgrade annually. Ordering from HTC direct gets you one year of replacement protection free stateside. Google charges $100 for two years. There was also value in the HTC over the Pixel for this reason. Something to consider as well.
Hope this helps. Having to decide between the two over the last few weeks offset a fair amount of anxiety. (First world problems, i know). I feel pretty good about my decision and am looking past the pixel to see what Snapdragon 835 devices have to offer. Its right around the corner.

I have both the HTC 10 and the Pixel.
Aesthetically, I prefer the HTC 10. I've had more people ask me about what phone I was using when I was using the 10 as my daily driver than any other phone I've ever owned. The chamfered edges have a way of catching light that just draws people's eyes to it. That's not to say that I don't like the Pixel, but the HTC 10 just seems like it's in a world of its own in terms of build design. The only person who commented on my Pixel said to me, "That's the weirdest looking phone I've ever seen. It looks like a weird iPhone."
I also preferred the sound coming out of the headphone jack and dual (top and bottom) firing speakers on the HTC 10 over the Pixel's setup. Blocking the sound coming out of the Pixel's single bottom firing speaker is just insanely easy, and I find myself contorting my hands awkwardly in order not to block it when I'm watching media or playing games.
I also liked the HTC 10's fingerprint scanner location and the off screen buttons better than the Pixel's setup. That's just a personal preference though.
If you're worried about receiving timely updates on either phone, it's a non-issue. The amount of OTA updates on the HTC 10 has also been seriously fantastic. I've never had any phone that has consistently gotten as many updates as the HTC 10. It honestly makes most brands look like a joke, and I'm still waiting for my first update for my 10 while my HTC 10 just received Nougat.
With that said, there are a few things that are far superior on the Pixel.
I prefer the AMOLED screen on the Pixel for outdoor viewing. The higher contrast ratio seems to make viewing and reading a lot easier, and it also feels a bit brighter than HTC's LCD screen, which could be extremely difficult to read in direct bright California sunlight. The Pixel is not the brightest screen I've ever used, but it's certainly a lot brighter than the HTC 10. This always bothered me about the HTC 10 since I spend a few hours a day walking to work or in direct sunlight.
The camera on the Pixel is just amazingly consistent for the most part. The HTC 10 has this weird lense flare issue where if the camera lens is even slightly smudged, it creates the most insane lens flares I've seen, and whatever material is used on lens of the HTC 10 is just absurdly prone to fingerprint smudges. It's also really difficult to wipe it off entirely. I'm not sure if this issue has been remedied with the Nougat update, but there are some posts floating around on the HTC 10 forum indicating that the lens flare has been significantly improved. The Pixel, even without taking into consideration of the HTC 10's lens flare issue, just seems to be an overall better camera.
It's also significantly faster at snapping shots than the HTC 10.
I also generally find my wireless connection better on the Pixel. Battery life on the Pixel also seems slightly better to me.
I bought the 128GB Pixel so storage has been a non issue with me, but thinking back at it, the only time storage might've become an issue on my 32GB HTC 10 would've been when I went to Europe and loaded my phone with media for that 11 hour flight. Otherwise, 32GB with non-expandable storage would still probably be fine for me. I only bought the 128GB since 64GB wasn't available for the Pixel.

I had HTC 10 and actually 2 of them (Unlocked and T-Mobile variant). HTC 10 is a pretty good phone especially at the lower price. My unlocked unit received Android 7 on Nov 25th , so there were no complaints and software was faster than any Samsung phone I had. The build quality was also good, as was the audio experience. Unfortunately I had to return the devices because this phone had/has an issue with mic not working in some situations during normal phone calls. I did many test and found out something interesting. The transition from Band 4 to Band 12 where the signal of Band 12 drops to -101 dBm or more, then people on the other side couldn't hear me. I would be completely satisfied with HTC 10 and wouldn't buy a Pixel(didn't receive it yet, but should get it next week). I am personally kind of concerned about the issue I have described here because Pixel was made by HTC. Does anyone know if there are mic issues(or experienced this) that I have outlined here?

I sold my HTC 10 after using the 5" Pixel for two - weeks hands down smoother and better device. Camera rocks and the wight is hands down a seller. I actually bought a back up Pixel as well.

thanks for the thought.. im still deciding, and swappa has lime 55 of them fopr sale.. just trying to get someone to drop a little more.

I like the screen on the pixel better, and it seems faster (more responsive ui). However the 10's speaker was way better.

Switch from Pixel 2 XL

Hey guys I'm thinking of switching from the Pixel 2 XL to the OnePlus 6.
Some of the reasons I'm thinking of switching is that I miss having the headphone jack. It's gotten quite annoying not having it. I don't take many pictures, so I'm not too concerned with the camera downgrade. Price is definitely a big deal. I can sell my Pixel on Swappa and essentially break even. If I wait til the Pixel 3 and trade mine in, I still have to come up with 300-400 to upgrade. If I switch the the OnePlus 6, I'm getting the latest specs, extra RAM at pretty much no cost.
What do you guys think? Wanna help me decide?

kingmikel said:
Hey guys I'm thinking of switching from the Pixel 2 XL to the OnePlus 6.
Some of the reasons I'm thinking of switching is that I miss having the headphone jack. It's gotten quite annoying not having it. I don't take many pictures, so I'm not too concerned with the camera downgrade. Price is definitely a big deal. I can sell my Pixel on Swappa and essentially break even. If I wait til the Pixel 3 and trade mine in, I still have to come up with 300-400 to upgrade. If I switch the the OnePlus 6, I'm getting the latest specs, extra RAM at pretty much no cost.
What do you guys think? Wanna help me decide?
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I came from the HTC U Ultra, and for me atleast the One Plus turned out to be a really good investment. I also switched in part to the Headphone jack, and extra RAM. I do like he the phone so far, and found the camera to be on par with my HTC phone if not a bit better. The only complaint I have is I find the speaker , and vibration quite weak as compared to my HTC. In the end, the specs are quite good for the price

I've been a 2XL owner since January and I just bought the 6.
The 6 has a much worse vibration motor than the 2XL; to me at least, it is a huge difference and I really dislike the feel of the motor on the 6.
Colours/screen however, looks better to me on the 6, despite having a lower resolution - colours are more vibrant and no screen issues that many users report on the 2XL.
Performance is better on the 6 and that is a bit obvious I know, but I was shocked at the difference - it's actually noticable! Apps launch insanely fast while the 2XL is still stuck on that same app's splash screen.
The camera is not great at all in my opinion (on the 6). I could even go as far as saying it's slightly below average. Maybe it's because the Pixel's camera has spoiled me. You mentioned this isn't an important thing to you so you should be fine in this department.
I have all Bluetooth accessories, including headphones, so a headphone jack isn't necessary for me, but for your needs, it seems like another plus! (No pun intended lol).
Not sure if custom development (ROMs, kernels, etc.) are important, but OnePlus should have a lot more of that than the Pixels.
And finally, the biggest "feature" is the price - OnePlus is the clear winner here as well (especially for what you get in return).
I hope this helps make your decision a bit more clear

I'm using pixel 2 XL as my primary phone and this device as my secondary phone.
I'll never keep one plus 6 as my primary device cos I'm into photography. The only reason I have this for dash charging and dual SIM. Also I'm a digital nomad and I carry multiple devices. I retired my LG G4 which was an excellent shooter and was my back up device, now that's been replaced with one plus 6.
The extra specs and Ram doesn't really scream performance when you pit it against pixel 2 XL. One plus reduces all the animations to make the device faster but it doesn't have a very noticeable performance than my pixel.
I'm not bothered with the notch.
If you have the budget do both and you'll be happy. Else get this device and play around with both and sell what you think doesn't work for you.
My pixel is very dear to me so I would never think of replacing it with any other device. Also with one plus you lose the water proof thinge!!

manasgirdhar said:
I came from the HTC U Ultra, and for me atleast the One Plus turned out to be a really good investment. I also switched in part to the Headphone jack, and extra RAM. I do like he the phone so far, and found the camera to be on par with my HTC phone if not a bit better. The only complaint I have is I find the speaker , and vibration quite weak as compared to my HTC. In the end, the specs are quite good for the price
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I can see how the speaker and vibration could be bothersome. I love my Pixel 2 XL speakers, but I don't get to use them much because I'm at work or out a lot, and headphones would definitely come in handy. I have some Bluetooth headphones, but I have a lot more regular headphones that I have in my backpack, laying around at work, etc. It definitely seems worth the price!
rickysidhu_ said:
I've been a 2XL owner since January and I just bought the 6.
The 6 has a much worse vibration motor than the 2XL; to me at least, it is a huge difference and I really dislike the feel of the motor on the 6.
Colours/screen however, looks better to me on the 6, despite having a lower resolution - colours are more vibrant and no screen issues that many users report on the 2XL.
Performance is better on the 6 and that is a bit obvious I know, but I was shocked at the difference - it's actually noticable! Apps launch insanely fast while the 2XL is still stuck on that same app's splash screen.
The camera is not great at all in my opinion (on the 6). I could even go as far as saying it's slightly below average. Maybe it's because the Pixel's camera has spoiled me. You mentioned this isn't an important thing to you so you should be fine in this department.
I have all Bluetooth accessories, including headphones, so a headphone jack isn't necessary for me, but for your needs, it seems like another plus! (No pun intended lol).
Not sure if custom development (ROMs, kernels, etc.) are important, but OnePlus should have a lot more of that than the Pixels.
And finally, the biggest "feature" is the price - OnePlus is the clear winner here as well (especially for what you get in return).
I hope this helps make your decision a bit more clear
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It definitely helps! I've seen plenty of reviews where the reviewers say that the Pixel is faster. I'm not saying mine is slow, but it definitely hangs on some apps and I just have a hard time believing that the newest processor plus more ram isn't going to be faster than last years with less ram.
You've made great points, I hadn't thought about the screen. I definitely could see how the OnePlus 6 has a better screen! Thanks for your input, it's definitely been helpful
venkig said:
I'm using pixel 2 XL as my primary phone and this device as my secondary phone.
I'll never keep one plus 6 as my primary device cos I'm into photography. The only reason I have this for dash charging and dual SIM. Also I'm a digital nomad and I carry multiple devices. I retired my LG G4 which was an excellent shooter and was my back up device, now that's been replaced with one plus 6.
The extra specs and Ram doesn't really scream performance when you pit it against pixel 2 XL. One plus reduces all the animations to make the device faster but it doesn't have a very noticeable performance than my pixel.
I'm not bothered with the notch.
If you have the budget do both and you'll be happy. Else get this device and play around with both and sell what you think doesn't work for you.
My pixel is very dear to me so I would never think of replacing it with any other device. Also with one plus you lose the water proof thinge!!
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I love my Pixel, and I think I'll want the Pixel 3 when it comes out. But price wise for now, it's either sticking with the Pixel 2 XL or going to the OnePlus 6 for a wash. But I hadn't thought using both to see which I like better. I guess I could always return it within the 15 days if I don't like it right?

I sold my 2 XL a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of the OnePlus 6. I loved my 2 XL but personally found it just slightly too tall and I just couldn't get used to the screen. Even with "Boosted" and "Saturated" color calibrations the 2 XL screen paled in comparison with my wife's Galaxy S9 and my iPhone X (for work).
As for the camera, the 2 XL notably outshines the iPhone X in almost all conditions. Surprisingly, the pictures from my OnePlus 6 really are not that far off from my 2 XL. The OP6 still outperforms the iPhone X camera with much more clear and color accurate photos.
I loved my 2 XL, overall. But the iPhone X really showed me what a well designed bezel-less phone should be. The OP6 is Android's best alternative to that, IMO. The notch never bothered me on my iPhone and it doesn't bother me on my OP6. I'd make the same switch again in a heartbeat. And the best part is that I sold my 2 XL on Swappa for $710. This allowed me to pickup the OP6 (8GB / 128GB), the Nylon Bumper Case + screen protector and still pocket nearly $100.

venkig said:
I'm using pixel 2 XL as my primary phone and this device as my secondary phone.
I'll never keep one plus 6 as my primary device cos I'm into photography. The only reason I have this for dash charging and dual SIM. Also I'm a digital nomad and I carry multiple devices. I retired my LG G4 which was an excellent shooter and was my back up device, now that's been replaced with one plus 6.
The extra specs and Ram doesn't really scream performance when you pit it against pixel 2 XL. One plus reduces all the animations to make the device faster but it doesn't have a very noticeable performance than my pixel.
I'm not bothered with the notch.
If you have the budget do both and you'll be happy. Else get this device and play around with both and sell what you think doesn't work for you.
My pixel is very dear to me so I would never think of replacing it with any other device. Also with one plus you lose the water proof thinge!!
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I have both and agree with everything you've said. My biggest disappointment with the OnePlus 6 is the speaker. It's awful. I don't know if I'm going to keep the OnePlus 6. It is substantially faster than the Pixel.

Switch. I had the 2 XL, S9+, 5T before this. Camera is good but nowhere near the Pixel (neither are the S9+ or 5T), but if that's not your primary focus you'll be happy with the 6 until the Pixel 3 comes out. You'll probably have better resell value than your 2 XL too.

I am so torn. I have both phones and have about another week to decide if I'm keeping the OnePlus 6. Even though I have cases on both I just saw this guy who did a drop test and completely shattered the OP6.
Sound on Pixel 2 much better. Speed on OnePlus better.
So difficult to choose. Any ideas?

People are down playing how bad the camera is. It's 2x worst vs most of phones listed above. Software hopefully will help it.
Speaker is not great for occasional usage. Few things missing in software.
Luckily OnePlus holds there value. especially next few weeks plus 15 return window to try out.
Phone is very fast and ultimately stock Android. Haven't had any issues with day to day usage. Think it's a decent upgrade till the pixel 3 comes out.

Sold my 2xl an hour's to the money back I paid for this op6 and I already miss it ?

mackentosh said:
Sold my 2xl an hour's to the money back I paid for this op6 and I already miss it ?
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What about it do you miss?

Don't choose the OP6 over the 2XL. It's a big downgrade, from the camera to the screen resolution to the terrible speaker to the vibration motor.

Goronok said:
What about it do you miss?
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The design, the camera, and the fact that it's pure Android ?
---------- Post added at 01:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:34 AM ----------
Only thing I haters about both phones is that there is no wireless charging ? but the OnePlus gestures are terrific

Much prefer my OP6 over my pixel 2 xl.

mastibeta said:
Much prefer my OP6 over my pixel 2 xl.
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Why? I'm still waffling.

I love the screen, the speed is unmatched, and the form factor is more pleasant to hold. Also a big fan of the nav system in Oxygen OS.

intruda119 said:
People are down playing how bad the camera is. It's 2x worst vs most of phones listed above. Software hopefully will help it.
Speaker is not great for occasional usage. Few things missing in software.
Luckily OnePlus holds there value. especially next few weeks plus 15 return window to try out.
Phone is very fast and ultimately stock Android. Haven't had any issues with day to day usage. Think it's a decent upgrade till the pixel 3 comes out.
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I disagree that it's 2x worst most phones. It's not even 2x worse than most flagships. I've seen several pics where it outshines the iPhone x or s9. The problem, in my eyes, is consistency. I'll take 4 pics and get 4 different results. 3 of them will be over-sharpened so much there is noticeable halos if you zoom in, etc. But it *can* take good pics, which leads me to believe with software (or Gcam!!!), we'll be money.
Also, the video is above average for sure. Once they get the focus hunting dealt with that is.

mastibeta said:
I love the screen, the speed is unmatched, and the form factor is more pleasant to hold. Also a big fan of the nav system in Oxygen OS.
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I completely agree with you about the speed and form factor. My biggest hesitation is the speaker and volume.
I've heard conflicting things about whether it can be improved with a software patch or if we're stuck with a hardware problem.

I don't use the phone as a loud speaker, I have Google home devices as well as Bluetooth speakers. That said it's plenty loud enough for me to play games or watch videos.

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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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

Why so much hate for the 3 XL ?

Wow the Pixel 3 XL is getting bagged and dogged on left and right as if it's the worst smartphone ever made. Yes it could have been designed better for sure. Try to go the more minimal notch like Essential or something, and no bottom chin, do the stereo speakers like the HTC 10, or and the iPhone XS, and Note 9's, do, etc... to allow a more full screen design. Yes give us 6GB RAM.
Mainly in tech forums I keep reading so much hate for the Pixel 3 XL;
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/pixel-3-pixel-3-xl.2106788/page-68#post-26666374
And YouTube channels dogging on the phone big time
But I still wouldn't go iPhone, just not an iOS fan whatsoever. And Samsung Touchwiz not my thing either. So if I hate the iPhone, don't like Galaxy phones and the Pixel 3 is sub par, what's the other options? I wish we had a third option, a Windows Surface phone or something.
Oh well, I still have my White Pixel 3 XL on order, and not changing. Yes the notch is ugly, and more RAM would have been nice, but I still value stock Android, updated directly and quickly from Google, and the smooth fluid vanilla UI, and the amazing camera, and A+ rated display, and IP68 rating, and wireless charging. Maybe I'm a sucker, but that's my choice.

Honestly, I didn't even notice the notch when I was checking out the display phone at Verizon. I love the feel of the phone, very well balanced and light compared to my old Nexus 6. Can't wait to get my phone call on Thursday (I hope) to come and pick up my phone.

I think manly they are charging Flagship prices but not delivering on flagship hardware /specs compared to whats already on the market and instead are betting on software to carry them. Now i love pure android how its meant to be not a fan of all tweaks each manufacture adds to the phone, If Samsung offered a note 9 /S9 pure (ie stock android no mods) i think the pixel would be left in its dust. The Pixel's have always seemed to be a generation behind. I love my pixel 2 xl i know i just wanted something more to go with the great feel of stock android and what not. maybe next year, i have my 3 XL ordered and will use it for a week or two to see if its worth the upgrade over my 2 XL

How would I have like to see Google design the Pixel 3 XL? Well on a realistic manner not some unrealistic futuristic design but a realistic version could have been a cross between like the LG V30 shape and size with the minimal bezels but give it the Essential notch and stretch the screen out on the top and bottom. And then do the stereo speakers like on the Note 9 or iPhone so they don't have to be front-facing, and allow for full display with almost no bezels at like 6.2" or so. And give it 6GB RAM. And a bigger 4,000MaH battery.

At the end of the day, for October 2018, I still think FOR ME, the Pixel 3 XL is the best phone out.
- Stock vanilla Android is my bread and butter OS. I go back to owning the Nexus-One when it was new, then waiting in line for the Nexus-S at launch. I just have a thing for stock Android, all other versions of Android just irritate me, or frustrate me.
- Updates first and quickly
- A+ rated display
- Best camera
- Wireless charging now
- IP68 rating is nice
- Phone can easily be rooted, mainly for the best ad blocking and Substratum themes
No other phone right now interests me. The Note 9 or S9+ ? Not at all, no way, Lagwiz still exists no matter what people say. The LG V40, yeah that's cool, but not a fan of the LG skin, and they suck at updates. iPhone XS Max looks super cool, a very beautifully built device, really liked it a lot, but man I hate iOS, and on the XS Max the OS looks out of place, dated like something from a decade ago. OnePlus 6T, yeah will be a great phone, but they always skimp somehow.
Is the Pixel 3 XL the best phone of 2018 ? NO, not at all. But for me a stock Android nerd, it's really the only option.

Yeah if the Iphone XS Max ran android it would be a dream phone lol IMO ... That said i do think the Note 9 Running stock android with all the software options of the pixel 3 would be a great option as well .

PSA:
Don't read Mac/Apple websites for reviews on Android devices. They are quite happy being locked into their apple ecosystem and will never appreciate the open source model of a pixel device.

No hate here, just wish the display was LARGER......Note9/V40 temp me with their larger displays......but I can't get away from pure google... C'mon google, 6.5 next year!!!

Why the hate? Did you notice that big black malignancy at the top of the screen? What about specs that are less than impressive? My guess is the answer is right there between those two things. Flagship means flagship, you want to charge this kinda money you need some wow factor and the ability to say you're second to none and have that hold water.
These devices don't give me that vibe. Too me they're like the second toughest guy on the block saying "Look, I can juggle!" As to the former enough has been said about it. I personally found my Best Buy experience to fall between what some said. At points when I was busy manipulating the GUI I forgot about it completely. Any time I stepped back from specific tasks the thing jumped out at me, it was like getting mugged with an ugly stick every timei looked at the phone as an object.
Yeah, I'm stupid so I'm still thinking about buying even though I'm not convinced I won't be sorry.

razor237 said:
I think manly they are charging Flagship prices but not delivering on flagship hardware /specs compared to whats already on the market and instead are betting on software to carry them. Now i love pure android how its meant to be not a fan of all tweaks each manufacture adds to the phone, If Samsung offered a note 9 /S9 pure (ie stock android no mods) i think the pixel would be left in its dust. The Pixel's have always seemed to be a generation behind. I love my pixel 2 xl i know i just wanted something more to go with the great feel of stock android and what not. maybe next year, i have my 3 XL ordered and will use it for a week or two to see if its worth the upgrade over my 2 XL
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I don't agree with this at all. The pixel 3 xl has a Samsung screen which looks amazing (and I bet is par or at least close to what you see on a Samsung phone), it has the latest Quallcom processor, the best cameras and software, same day updates, wireless charging, front facing speakers, I mean, what else does it need to be 'flagship specs' to you? What, because it only has 4 GB of RAM? That's literally the ONLY thing I can come up with, and that's only because many OEM's have stuffed more RAM in their phones this year. And honestly, it's not really necessary, at least not for 90% of people who use smartphones. Sheet, iPhones only have 4 GB or RAM. They only had ONE GB or RAM for a looonnnggg time. No one complained about that.
To me, this is a premium flagship, no question. The hate is mostly the RAM and notch. It's superficial. Last year it was the blue shift. Which, I think that plus the terrible quality control was actually warranted. This year, it's not much to hate on. Either you like it, or don't get it. And you can hide the notch. Either way, I'm excited about it coming today. I LOVE 2 xl, but I'm definitely ready for this upgrade, even though I was very on the fence before I checked one out in the store. My point here is, people are going to hate on something every time. Every time. If you don't like something, don't get it. It's really that simple.
My $0.02

gettinwicked said:
I don't agree with this at all. The pixel 3 xl has a Samsung screen which looks amazing (and I bet is par or at least close to what you see on a Samsung phone), it has the latest Quallcom processor, the best cameras and software, same day updates, wireless charging, front facing speakers, I mean, what else does it need to be 'flagship specs' to you? What, because it only has 4 GB of RAM? That's literally the ONLY thing I can come up with, and that's only because many OEM's have stuffed more RAM in their phones this year. And honestly, it's not really necessary, at least not for 90% of people who use smartphones. Sheet, iPhones only have 4 GB or RAM. They only had ONE GB or RAM for a looonnnggg time. No one complained about that.
To me, this is a premium flagship, no question. The hate is mostly the RAM and notch. It's superficial. Last year it was the blue shift. Which, I think that plus the terrible quality control was actually warranted. This year, it's not much to hate on. Either you like it, or don't get it. And you can hide the notch. Either way, I'm excited about it coming today. I LOVE 2 xl, but I'm definitely ready for this upgrade, even though I was very on the fence before I checked one out in the store. My point here is, people are going to hate on something every time. Every time. If you don't like something, don't get it. It's really that simple.
My $0.02
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I was simply stating why i think so many people hate the new pixel 3 xl from reading it sure does seem like a lot don't like it.
I agree the screen looks great but it should since they woke up and used a Samsung panel this time yay , my issue with it is its basically the same size as the 2 xl when you look at the usable part of the display and that is kinda disappointing to me i wanted a screen the size of the note 9 / XS max on the pixel 3 xl instead they went with a huge notch that takes away from the phone in stead of adding to it i honestly think they would have been better with out it at all, in person the notch isn't bad at all its big but once you play with it for a bit i didn't notice it as much and i don't mind the bottom chin as people call it since i love front firing speakers always hated cupping the end of the phone to direct the sound lol . They added an extra front camera and notch but no type of face id another missing feature that would have been a great addition to the pixel but we got wireless charging back so i guess its a trade off.
I said nothing about the ram because i think that's a mute point for most for the exact reason you said, apple has had little ram for a long time there is a difference between the two since apple designs the cpu they can help optimize it for the amount of ram they are using but mostly they iOS optimized for how it can handle the ram. google does the same with the pixel, most of the other phones need the extra ram because all the bs they add uses so much of it. for me as of now my daily usage on my 2 XL is 2.4-3.2 or so, 4gb is enough for me in 6 months that may not be the case but i doubt it
everyone has different ideas of what makes a phone flag ship quality or not, so this is just my opinion and you can agree or not for me i feel they could have done better and they came up a bit short compared to other phones only time will tell though and i still cant wait to get mine and use it to see if its worth the upgrade from the 2xl or not for me.

Nah, I don't buy it. Flagship is flagship. Almost flagship if it weren't for one big weakness is not flagship, it's second rate. I'm one of those people that can take advantage of more than 4 gigs of ram, I'm currently using 3.2 at home which is about average for me but usually hit in the upper 4s, lower 5s at work. Go ahead and name the one phone which is claiming flagship status and charging flagship prices but does not have me covered? See where I'm going?
Flagships is flagship, not second best with software optimization that every rooted oneplus will have installed not too far down the road on a phone that costs little more than half the price. Yeah, I'm talking about the camera. Still perhaps best in class overall but more than one reviewer has noted that telephoto shots lag behind other flagships including the fruit devices. They need to up their game here, flagships don't polish turds, they deliver the best hardware and polish that.
One that doesn't bother me in the slightest that I noted is the phones perceived build quality is a step behind Samsung and Apple. I cant point to one particular thing, either of those two just felt a little more expensive. As I said, I don't care because the phone will go into a case and I wont see it again until I give it to one of my kids or grand-kids in the spring.
So yeah, to me it feels like it's not quite up to flagship par except in price. It's all those things combined that give me that impression. And yeah, I'm still thinking about buying it, last night I got as far as putting it in my cart. Pixel has always been more the whole than the sum of its part, they are satisfying to own even if some things about them are underwhelming. The doubletake on the notch has me spooked though, when I was moving around the GUI it faded out of existence but when I just looked at the phone I kept doing this "whoa, what the hell were they thinking" thing. Cant figure out if that's ever going to go away or if it's going to be like a sore tooth. Still, buy in or not I'll never really consider it flagship hardware and every redraw I get will remind me of it should I start to forget.

The flagship price, the poor software utilization of the notch, the smaller battery and 4 GB RAM were the deal breakers.
The Note 9 is every bit as fast as the Pixel 3 XL, has a much better screen, better battery and SPen for the same price. The Pixel 3 XL may very well be a great phone but when priced with the Note 9, it needed SOMETHING to justify the price. Also, one can easily get a great condition LG V35 ThinQ or S9+ with better specs for hundreds less. Once the price drops, then it might be a better competitor.

For me a premium device needs to last me 2 years and be a useful companion for the duration.
The phone needs to be well built to last, have a good screen and the hardware features need to be ergonomic.
In addition to this the phone must have quick, well thought out software that ties in nicely to my favourite services.
For me, my best option is the Pixel 3 XL. I was considering the new Mate 20 pro as it is very similar in price here in the UK but there is now way I'll be putting up with their software and clutterware for two years. I'm also put off by their storage media and awful to uae, curved screen.
The pixel is getting stick for having underwhelming specs but this is a very short-sighted view unless your sole purpose for the device is to run benchmarks. People needs to evaluate what they use their phones for and what they need to achieve that.
I'm running the original Pixel XL 32Gb and it is still fantastic for all of my everyday uses. My wife is in fact selling her Samsung s9 and will be having my Pixel now that I've upgraded to the 3 XL.
Just as a side note, iPhones are brilliant for many as they offer a great experience across their devices and therefore are useful for their duration. This is more important than having a 40MP camera and 8Gb of RAM for the vast majority.

A lot of that was subjective: I find the Apple experience awful, spread it out across more devices and I call that cancer. I have to say however that your concept in general is on the mark in that the experience is what matters rather than the numbers. It's a fair summation.

for the peeps that hate on the notch and the ram .. just go buy the OnePlus 6T and be done with it

It's all just opinion as we have stayed here. The easy to pick on parts of any product is the visual appearance and listed specs. The new pixel XL appears to be poor in this area for a lot of people. Usabilit of the entire package is impossible to judge from online reviews.
If it is anything like the original Pixel, the phone will be great. If it's like my old Samsung phones or my iPhone 7, no thank you.

The phone is what it is. If you don't like it for the way it looks or a feature that it has or doesn't have, don't buy it. If all you have to say is you hate the notch, spare us. There are a lot of phones I don't like. I don't buy them and I don't seek out their communities and complain about them. This forum is here for the people that have the phone, not for those that hate it.

dmb219 said:
The phone is what it is. If you don't like it for the way it looks or a feature that it has or doesn't have, don't buy it. If all you have to say is you hate the notch, spare us. There are a lot of phones I don't like. I don't buy them and I don't seek out their communities and complain about them. This forum is here for the people that have the phone, not for those that hate it.
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This! Sooo much this! Last year with the pixel 2 xl, there were so many trolls who had zero intention of ever buying the phone who came onto the forum just to talk sheet. One thread went hundreds of pages. It was ridiculous and stupid. If people like that really have that much time on their hands that they have to go troll things that have nothing to do with them, get a hobby or a life. Seriously. I'm surprised there isn't more yet on here. But, people have only begun to start getting their phones, so, I'm not holding my breath that it won't start.

It still looks like a toy next to any Samsung phones.
My note 9 looks like a monster next to my xl3.
I hate the notch. I'm not those people that will get over it.
I never will.
Anyway, display on xl3 looks great to me.
Camera is amazing.
Anything else