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The LG V20 will be the first phone with a 32 bit Quad DAC

yep looks like the V20 is my next phone. Decision has been made easy.
http://www.androidcentral.com/lg-v20-will-be-first-phone-quad-dac
The LG V20 not only will be the first phone to run Android 7.0, but news from Seoul tells us it will also be the first smartphone to feature a Quad DAC.
While the actual model isn't yet revealed, we do know LG is once again partnering with ESS to bring premium audio to the V20. ESS also provided the excellent 32bit DAC in the V10, which received pretty rave reviews for its audio performance.
Higher quality audio is simply the natural evolution of the smartphone, as the industry moves toward a more holistic multimedia consumption experience. — Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company.​ LG says that they know users are now looking for more than a fast processor and a big display when they buy a high-end phone, and they aim to provide it with the V20. We'll know more — and hopefully get to put our hands on a V20 — on September 6 when LG unveils the whole package in San Francisco. In the meantime, we can read the press releases. This one is below.
LG V20, WORLD'S FIRST SMARTPHONE WITH QUAD DAC FOR BEST IN CLASS AUDIO
LG and ESS Technology Collaborate to Deliver One-of-a-Kind Audio Experience
SEOUL, Aug. 11, 2016 ― LG Electronics (LG) announced that its forthcoming flagship smartphone, LG V20, will be the first smartphone in the industry to feature 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC (digital to analog converter) capabilities, bringing a superior audio experience to mobile for the very first time.
A Quad DAC delivers a crisp and clear sound that comes closest to a live performance when using compatible wired headphones. The sound is superior to that produced by a traditional DAC as it can reduce up to 50 percent of ambient noise levels. Videos taken with the V20 are accompanied by a soundtrack that can capture the roaring sound of waves crashing on a beach or conversations among two individuals at a noisy party.
LG worked closely with ESS Technology, a leader in high-performance analog and audio devices, to ensure that the Quad DAC, delivered the best audio experience for owners of the LG V20. The Quad DAC is the lynchpin of the many cutting-edge multimedia features included in the LG V20. ESS Technology previously provided its 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC in the V10, LG V20's predecessor.
"As smartphones mature, we're seeing more and more customers looking beyond just fast processors and big displays in their devices," said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company. "Higher quality audio is simply the natural evolution of the smartphone, as the industry moves toward a more holistic multimedia consumption experience. We're pleased to continue this long-term partnership with ESS and bring best in class audio to LG V20 users."
"We are extremely excited that our Quad DAC technology will be featured in the V20, LG's latest flagship smartphone for consumers who demand the best media experience," said Robert Blair, president and chief executive officer of ESS Technology. "As a technology more typically available in high-end audio equipment, Quad DAC on the V20 will make users feel as if they are carrying around a professional home-audio system on their smartphone."

Sound should be phenomenal!

Amd4life said:
yep looks like the V20 is my next phone. Decision has been made easy.
http://www.androidcentral.com/lg-v20-will-be-first-phone-quad-dac
The LG V20 not only will be the first phone to run Android 7.0, but news from Seoul tells us it will also be the first smartphone to feature a Quad DAC.
While the actual model isn't yet revealed, we do know LG is once again partnering with ESS to bring premium audio to the V20. ESS also provided the excellent 32bit DAC in the V10, which received pretty rave reviews for its audio performance.
Higher quality audio is simply the natural evolution of the smartphone, as the industry moves toward a more holistic multimedia consumption experience. â?? Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company.
LG says that they know users are now looking for more than a fast processor and a big display when they buy a high-end phone, and they aim to provide it with the V20. We'll know more â?? and hopefully get to put our hands on a V20 â?? on September 6 when LG unveils the whole package in San Francisco. In the meantime, we can read the press releases. This one is below.
LG V20, WORLD'S FIRST SMARTPHONE WITH QUAD DAC FOR BEST IN CLASS AUDIO
LG and ESS Technology Collaborate to Deliver One-of-a-Kind Audio Experience
SEOUL, Aug. 11, 2016 ― LG Electronics (LG) announced that its forthcoming flagship smartphone, LG V20, will be the first smartphone in the industry to feature 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC (digital to analog converter) capabilities, bringing a superior audio experience to mobile for the very first time.
A Quad DAC delivers a crisp and clear sound that comes closest to a live performance when using compatible wired headphones. The sound is superior to that produced by a traditional DAC as it can reduce up to 50 percent of ambient noise levels. Videos taken with the V20 are accompanied by a soundtrack that can capture the roaring sound of waves crashing on a beach or conversations among two individuals at a noisy party.
LG worked closely with ESS Technology, a leader in high-performance analog and audio devices, to ensure that the Quad DAC, delivered the best audio experience for owners of the LG V20. The Quad DAC is the lynchpin of the many cutting-edge multimedia features included in the LG V20. ESS Technology previously provided its 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC in the V10, LG V20's predecessor.
"As smartphones mature, we're seeing more and more customers looking beyond just fast processors and big displays in their devices," said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics and Mobile Communications Company. "Higher quality audio is simply the natural evolution of the smartphone, as the industry moves toward a more holistic multimedia consumption experience. We're pleased to continue this long-term partnership with ESS and bring best in class audio to LG V20 users."
"We are extremely excited that our Quad DAC technology will be featured in the V20, LG's latest flagship smartphone for consumers who demand the best media experience," said Robert Blair, president and chief executive officer of ESS Technology. "As a technology more typically available in high-end audio equipment, Quad DAC on the V20 will make users feel as if they are carrying around a professional home-audio system on their smartphone."
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Will it come with a locked bootloader??

what concerns me slightly is that i have the HiFi DAC module on the G5 and it actually uses a better Sabre DAC chip (their flagship ES9028) over the 9018 in the V20. True there's 4 of the lower end chips in the V20.
correct me if im wrong

mikey_sk said:
what concerns me slightly is that i have the HiFi DAC module on the G5 and it actually uses a better Sabre DAC chip (their flagship ES9028) over the 9018 in the V20. True there's 4 of the lower end chips in the V20.
correct me if im wrong
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I doubt there's any noticeable difference. Either setup is going to be plenty better than the 820 audio setup.

The DAC in the V20 is tempting me tremendously.....BUT, as I approach the purchase of a new headunit in my Z, I plan to use bluetooth streaming of music from my phone to the headunit.....so, if im not mistaken, the DAC is useless for bluetooth users..... someone please correct me if I'm mistaken.

igotroot said:
The DAC in the V20 is tempting me tremendously.....BUT, as I approach the purchase of a new headunit in my Z, I plan to use bluetooth streaming of music from my phone to the headunit.....so, if im not mistaken, the DAC is useless for bluetooth users..... someone please correct me if I'm mistaken.
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That is true. But I highly recommend you make sure that headunit and your phone supports apt-X codec for the best BT sound possible.

Nitemare3219 said:
That is true. But I highly recommend you make sure that headunit and your phone supports apt-X codec for the best BT sound possible.
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and of course bluetooth wont match the pure 32/192 steam of an analogue headphone when playing higher res files.

mikey_sk said:
and of course bluetooth wont match the pure 32/192 steam of an analogue headphone when playing higher res files.
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Yeah...... maybe in the future a high res transmission for bluetooth, etc may exist

The audio DAC is also tempting for me. I have a Note 4 Development Edition, and a Nissan Altima. The car has XM (which I used for years until the price got too high), a 6 CD changer, and a 3.5mm AUX input. When I use the Note 4 connected to headphones or to the car, I can hear a constant hiss in the background, and if the phone is charging at the same time, I hear electrical interference from that.
Hopefully the V20 doesn't have these issues (not sure if Samsung fixed it on the Note 7).

FAUguy said:
The audio DAC is also tempting for me. I have a Note 4 Development Edition, and a Nissan Altima. The car has XM (which I used for years until the price got too high), a 6 CD changer, and a 3.5mm AUX input. When I use the Note 4 connected to headphones or to the car, I can hear a constant hiss in the background, and if the phone is charging at the same time, I hear electrical interference from that.
Hopefully the V20 doesn't have these issues (not sure if Samsung fixed it on the Note 7).
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Problem is that your putting a headphone impedance output into a line level input
Im guessing you need to turn the volume way up too ? Correct

noone606 said:
Problem is that your putting a headphone impedance output into a line level input
Im guessing you need to turn the volume way up too ? Correct
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If this is the case, it may be worth trying a USB OTG cable connected to a USB DAC.
I ran this on my Note 3 and connected it to a headphone amp. I think I only paid about £20 for the DAC and under a fiver for the OTG.

DannyY said:
If this is the case, it may be worth trying a USB OTG cable connected to a USB DAC.
I ran this on my Note 3 and connected it to a headphone amp. I think I only paid about £20 for the DAC and under a fiver for the OTG.
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I'm not sure what the impedance difference is between the 3.5 mm headphone out on the Note 4, and the 3.5mm AUX Audio input on my 2009 Altima Bose stereo.
But as far as using a USB On The Go cable, I can see connecting it to the phone, but then to a headphone DAC Amp and then to the 3.5mm radio input?
If this is the case, how do you get the music to stream from the phone, via USB, to the DAC?

noone606 said:
Problem is that your putting a headphone impedance output into a line level input
Im guessing you need to turn the volume way up too ? Correct
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FAUguy said:
I'm not sure what the impedance difference is between the 3.5 mm headphone out on the Note 4, and the 3.5mm AUX Audio input on my 2009 Altima Bose stereo.
But as far as using a USB On The Go cable, I can see connecting it to the phone, but then to a headphone DAC Amp and then to the 3.5mm radio input?
If this is the case, how do you get the music to stream from the phone, via USB, to the DAC?
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The phone recognises that there is a USB DAC and sends the audio there. I don't do anything in particular to switch between USB or the 3.5mm jack.
Viper and Poweramp both have USB settings.
The DAC I have is the Stoner Acoustics UD100. I bought it in 2013. I have an old Fiio E5 headphone amp to go with it too.

DannyY said:
The phone recognises that there is a USB DAC and sends the audio there. I don't do anything in particular to switch between USB or the 3.5mm jack.
Viper and Poweramp both have USB settings.
The DAC I have is the Stoner Acoustics UD100. I bought it in 2013. I have an old Fiio E5 headphone amp to go with it too.
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I think that I would try the V20 by itself first with audio out to the car, before buying external components.
And as far as using it with my Note 4, there would be no way to keep the phobe charge plugged in, if the USB is being used with a DAC.

FAUguy said:
I think that I would try the V20 by itself first with audio out to the car, before buying external components.
And as far as using it with my Note 4, there would be no way to keep the phobe charge plugged in, if the USB is being used with a DAC.
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Yes, of course. If the on-board DAC is adequate and there are no more problems with the hissing, which is why I suggested the external DAC initially.
As for charging, I have seen these but not tried them personally:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00V9XS4V4/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_147_1/251-1648480-3081019

DannyY said:
Yes, of course. If the on-board DAC is adequate and there are no more problems with the hissing, which is why I suggested the external DAC initially.
As for charging, I have seen these but not tried them personally:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00V9XS4V4/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_147_1/251-1648480-3081019
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Well I tried the Note 4 with my car's AUX input again.
As it turns out, if you plug in the audio cable from the phone to the car first, play a song, then plug in the charger, you don't hear any hiss. But if you stop and exit the music player, while the phone is charging, you can hear an electric sound, and even static when touching the screen.

Curiosity ,,...LG G6 to have better audio than V20 thanks to upgraded Quad DAC ...,

http://www.androidauthority.com/lg-g6-quad-dac-audio-749258/
So I'm curious about this.

I'm overly excited for the LG G6 as my next device upgrading from the beloved LG G4! The rumours of the G6 excites me where as the overrated Galaxy S8 doesn't excite me. I'll always remain an LG customer and ignore Samsung! Even though Samsung's fault of anti competitive measure on delaying the production of Snapdragon 835, I have no problem LG G6 will stick to the already very good SD 821. LG G6 has good chance to have better sales since the Galaxy S8 will launch a month later all because of SD 835 Why the Google Pixel & OnePlus 3T is very powerful with the SD 821! LG G6 will definitely be a snappy beast just as LG G5 was.

G6 will be great, we've hit a stagnation in processor performance so there's no need to even go from a 821 to a 835. Hence why I'll probably hold onto my V20 for a bit.

Like the V20 was better than the G5 which was better than the V10 and the V30 will be better etc...
But this is a V20 owners forum so I'm not sure why you are telling that to people that already got the great V20.

It seems that LG might be taking some of the features that make the V series attractive and incorporating them into the G series. (Features like the 5.7 inch disply and quad DAC)
It seemed to me that the V series had become LG's true flagship (for a very targeted audience) over the last couple of years but that might change again with the launch of the G6.
I'm interested to see the final product that will be the G6 and how that compares to the V20. It seems that the V20 will offer very little value/advantage over the G6 aside from the removable battery and extra display, while the G6 will likely have water resistance, wireless charging and a new Quad DAC.
I'll be a little dispointed that my V20 is no longer the best phone that LG has to offer but I am an LG supporter and I do want them to succeed, so that said, I think it will be good for the G6 to have a new Quad DAC, a large near-bezeless display, water resistance, wirelss charging as well as various other attractive features. I think the decision to move away from a removable battery for design and water resistance is a good decision because the general user just isnt looking for a removable battery anymore, instead they want a solid, reliable phone that looks really good, something that Samsung has proven over the last couple of years.
For the rest of us power users (or at least those of us that are looking for something different and unique) there will be the V30 to look forward to towards the end of the year. That phone will likely be running the SD835 with something new that differentiates it from the G6.

I don't really care the DAC in the v20 is plenty for a majority of users and I doubt there would be a difference big enough to notice for the headphones I use.
The lack of removable battery is something I've strayed away from l not only because factory batteries suck but I prefer a larger frame because this "thinner is better" crap is out of control.
G6 seems like a sell out phone in my opinion, the features that make LG unique are traded to be like every other phone.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

I heard its only for the Korean Variant

LG G6 , Quad Dac only for Asian market ...

Off: LG G6
,,...The device also features wireless charging and a Hi-Fi audio DAC, but unfortunately, these features are going to be region specific. So, while wireless charging will be available only in the US, the audio DAC will be limited to select markets in Asia. LG says that this is an informed decision based on consumer wants and needs in each particular region. For example, the demand for wireless charging is quite high in the US, while it isn’t as important in other regions, such as South Korea...,,
..money is money.. HiFi Quad DAC in Asian .
The rest of the Snapdragon 821 plays music. Or the private import ..

Any thoughts on how to import? I am interested in the Hi-Res DAC Version as a replacement for my Pixel XL. Are there any downsides of using the Asian version in Europe like missing bands?

chortya said:
Any thoughts on how to import? I am interested in the Hi-Res DAC Version as a replacement for my Pixel XL. Are there any downsides of using the Asian version in Europe like missing bands?
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Who do you know that? But if you go out from the LG V20-, the Asian version of me in the middle of Europe is working well.

It might be ship-able from middle east like Dubai. Korean and Chinese manufacturers always launch them there earlier than the rest of Asian market (after their homeland launch of course).

If someone wants the dac in the US they should just go for the v20, I think the g6 looks nice but as far as features and functions go the v20 is superior. The 821 processor has very little performance difference from the 820 in the v20.
It's LG's sell out phone in my opinion it looks like LG is just going to follow other developers.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

Quick update from my side. I have recieved my LG G6 from Korea and I love the audio quality. Sounds slightly better then my DragonFly black.
Compared to the Pioneer XDP100R DAP I have also owned DAC applies to all sound not only native player.
Gesendet von meinem LGM-G600L mit Tapatalk

Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for a DAC that may downsample and not work correctly. LG still hasn't fixed the V20 DAC firmware, so I wouldn't put a lot of stock in this device either, especially if you only want it for the DAC. I would simply get a cheaper phone you can buy domestically and buy a small portable DAC that will actually work properly.

Galaxy S10E or the Mi 9

Straight to the point, I'm looking to purchase one of the phones but I'm not sure which to get. I'm mostly looking into the selfie camera and XDA support so yeah not sure which one

Supracer said:
Straight to the point, I'm looking to purchase one of the phones but I'm not sure which to get. I'm mostly looking into the selfie camera and XDA support so yeah not sure which one
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I will go for Xiaomi mi 9. Wide angle camera, Dual SIM, Amoled, My mother toung, Call recorder and great price. Only missing 3.5 aux but I will survive. BB Oneplus....

My list:
Mi9: Most likely better AOSP support, cheaper
S10E: better screen, 3,5 jack, smaller size

I'm also thinking about buying either the Mi9 or S10E. At the moment, I'm slightly leaning towards the Mi9 because of the price and also because I don't really like Samsung's software.
That being said, Samsung has improved radically over the past years and Xiaomi is not exactly delivering mint Android either.
As for the size: Would love to buy the Mi9 SE but it looks like it's not going to be available in Europe and that it will also lack the necessary 4G bands to make it work properly.

ljo13 said:
I'm also thinking about buying either the Mi9 or S10E. At the moment, I'm slightly leaning towards the Mi9 because of the price and also because I don't really like Samsung's software.
That being said, Samsung has improved radically over the past years and Xiaomi is not exactly delivering mint Android either.
As for the size: Would love to buy the Mi9 SE but it looks like it's not going to be available in Europe and that it will also lack the necessary 4G bands to make it work properly.
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Would definitely go for the Mi9. Depending on region Samsung has decided to use their Exynos variant in comparison to Snapdragon 855.
We all know the Exynos is faster than the Snapdragon 855 but with regards to power efficiency, we are still unsure. Last years Galaxy S9 Exynos variant suffered from severe battery issues which ultimately resulted in me returning my S9 within the cooling off period.
The Mi 9 is very attractive with its Snapdragon 855 and scores well on gsmarena battery test even beating the p20 pro (4000mah) which I currently own and would not sell apart from sh** selfie camera being worst ever. Ultimately Samsungs decision to only ship Exynos variant phones within the UK is a shocking one.
We should be given the choice

Mi9 I've just received mine.
I was going to get the S10+ but when I seen this and the price tag my mind was made.
Screen is great,cameras front and back are brilliant, it's so fast and smooth it's unreal. Fingerprint scanner is very good it's so quick and accurate nothing like OnePlus 6t that was dreadful for me.
Only think this device doesn't have for me is dual speakers, IP rating, SD slot.

Buy Mi9 Only if you dont mind the lack of OIS....camera at night is a joke.i sell mine for that after just 24 hours!!!

Z953RR said:
Buy Mi9 Only if you dont mind the lack of OIS....camera at night is a joke.i sell mine for that after just 24 hours!!!
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Agreed, camera so far one of the aspects I'm slightly less pleased with, especially coming from the Pixel 2 xl. However, a Mi 8 gcam port works already and so does night sight, which even though its not meant for this device works pretty well. So I'm definitely gonna be patient and follow its development as great things await us I believe! Would be great if we can use the telephoto and wide angle cameras with the gcam port!

I have installed gcam in mi9 with night mode... quality better BUT NOT with low light.you need a tripod ..theres not optical image stabilization (hardware)

mulkman said:
Would definitely go for the Mi9. Depending on region Samsung has decided to use their Exynos variant in comparison to Snapdragon 855.
We all know the Exynos is faster than the Snapdragon 855 but with regards to power efficiency, we are still unsure. Last years Galaxy S9 Exynos variant suffered from severe battery issues which ultimately resulted in me returning my S9 within the cooling off period.
The Mi 9 is very attractive with its Snapdragon 855 and scores well on gsmarena battery test even beating the p20 pro (4000mah) which I currently own and would not sell apart from sh** selfie camera being worst ever. Ultimately Samsungs decision to only ship Exynos variant phones within the UK is a shocking one.
We should be given the choice
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I'm not so sure about "Exynos" is faster than 855, of course maybe Samsung phones with Exynos feel faster than Snapdragon?

ted presley said:
I'm not so sure about "Exynos" is faster than 855, of course maybe Samsung phones with Exynos feel faster than Snapdragon?
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This years exynos has also failed in terms of battery life.
The snapdragon 855 is way more efficient than the exynos

mulkman said:
This years exynos has also failed in terms of battery life.
The snapdragon 855 is way more efficient than the exynos
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Exynos is only better in singlecore (multicore is faster in 855) but exynos does that at the expense of a lot of heat and battery. Also the GPU in 855 is like 2 generations better than exynos.
yes, my s9+ exynos still does beat the mi9 in single core. but the s9+ gets beaten in gpu tests even by my older mix 2 NON S (snapdragon 835!!.. not 845!!) 855 gpu is a beast. Exynos s10 gpu is just slighty better than s9 exynos because they did improve the power per core.. but removed like 40% of the cores... (g72mp18 vs g76mp12)
and that single core perf. is irrelevant.. My mix2 with a good rom is AT LEAST as fast as the s9+ in app opening, web surfing etc.. believe I tested.

Anyone coming from an LG G6? Is it worth the upgrade?

I've come close to buying a Pixel 3 a few times now but just not sure it it's worth the upgrade.
My 2 main issues are LG's version of Android + lack of updates and overall speed/snappiness.
$500 for 4GB of ram in 2019 seems like a bad decision. Plus no sd card slot or headphone jack, and last year's 845 Snapdragon.
Is there really that much of a noticeable difference in speed and camera quality?

cory733 said:
I've come close to buying a Pixel 3 a few times now but just not sure it it's worth the upgrade.
My 2 main issues are LG's version of Android + lack of updates and overall speed/snappiness.
$500 for 4GB of ram in 2019 seems like a bad decision. Plus no sd card slot or headphone jack, and last year's 845 Snapdragon.
Is there really that much of a noticeable difference in speed and camera quality?
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I'm just about to buy a Pixel 3 to go sidewards from a Nokia 8 Sirocco (went with this inititally due to cheaper Android One experience in a small form factor with an OLED screen).
I guess I get a Snapdragon 845 instead of 835, but the Sirocco has 6GB of ram compared to the Pixel on 4GB.
It's definitely an issue Google only went with 4GB of RAM, but I guess the question always is
"Do you actually notice a real world difference, or could someone tell you that you have 6GB and you wouldn't know any different?". It's a phone operating system, not Windows.
What are you using the phone for? Heavy gaming? Maybe consider it. If it's just like me and its commutting whilst listening to music/posting on social media and if there is ever any gaming its things like Peggle, I doubt we'll notice 4GB.
Google's camera lenses might not be the best in the industry, but their software is and while there are lots of Gcam ports, being on the Pixel means one of the best camera experiences overall. No gimmicks, just great photos.
The only other thing I could suggest to you right now is with the Pixel 4 dropping this year, might be worth waiting for cheaper deals.
As for the headphone jack, I've been team headphone jack since forever, but I reluctantly gave it up with the Sirocco and I guess I've just got used to it. With USB C headphones that is. **** ever going wireless and having to charge headphones.

I had a G6, and the Pixel 3 is a better phone (purely imo, obviously) but as you say, the specs and cost might not be the best deal you can get in 2019.

I came from an LG V10 and I do not think it was worth the money overall.