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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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Click to collapse
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)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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..

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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.

Pixel 3 worth it, Are any of the known issues a deal breaker.

First off i'm trying to decide on the Pixel 3 or S9 and I know asking here is kinda dumb but I wanna know if some of these issues are as big of a deal as the media plays them out to be? The issues i'm hearing about that bug me most are the speaker issues, will the low volume be fixed or is it a hardware thing? Also the back supposedly can be scratch quite easily, I went to best buy and tried to scratch it with my nail and it left a mark but it rubbed away. or is this more of a thing that coins will scratch it if put in a pocket with them? I had a Pixel 2 and the back never got scratched well I had it. Like I said I went to bestbuy and handled both the Pixel 3 and S9 and its a hard decision to choose. I like the make and build quality of the S9 but I hate it only comes in grey or purple here in Canada. It also has a beautiful screen. But the Pixel reminds me of my Pixel 2 plus it has the better camera. not that the s9 is bad just I don't like that it over exposes. Do you have a Pixel 3 do you recommend it and how's the battery life?

I've owned about 5 other phones before the Pixel 3. It's got the best speakers of any phone I've had. For me the volume is more than loud enough. I use a thin case so can't comment on the back being scratch prone. I haven't tried scratching it. Worst case you could get a skin for the back if you don't use a case and find it shows marks from your use. The screen is very good. If you're very picky about the display quality at low brightness you may not like it, but that's easy to test at a store before you buy it. The camera is excellent, so no worries there. For me the battery is as good or better than any other phone I've owned. After light use I have about 60% left at the end of the day. Of course, your past experience, expectations, preferences, needs and usage will determine whether it's a good phone for you. It what you've listed are your biggest concerns you'll likely be happy.

My general experience with the S9 was good apart from the battery life, the exynos processor version was shocking (i think this is the one you get in Canada too). Not sure if recent updates fixed this but it seemed like a huge complaint at the time, i couldn't get a day with moderate to heavy use.
With regards to the Pixel3 back texture, i have it naked and it's been rattling in my pockets (albeit i never put any phone in a pocket with coins or keys), it's perfectly fine and i would take this textured back over the slippy S9 any day. I have the Pixel2 also and it's a little scruffy on the back but unless you inspect it very closely it's perfectly fine.
Camera on the Pixel is way better in my opinion, you get a usable picture almost every time whereas the S9 i sometimes had to take several shots to get what i wanted.
I've had the Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS this year also and the Pixel3 trumps all in my opinion.
I do have an outstanding issue open with Google however where the Pixel3's gyroscope sensor isn't calibrated correctly and so it's out by about 2-3 degrees. This means that when taking photos or using apps that use the gyroscope i have to hold the phone slightly off angle to make it think it's level. All that said i still consider it the best !

Is it worth upgrading from Pixel 2 (bought a new one for 350) to Pixel 3 (Pixel 3 would cost me 300€ extra)? I especially want to know, whether the super res zoom and the wide angle selfie camera is worth it - these are the two most outstanding differences between Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 in my opinion. If you know some other differences which are worth the additional 300€ please tell me.

Marcel Eff said:
Is it worth upgrading from Pixel 2 (bought a new one for 350) to Pixel 3 (Pixel 3 would cost me 300€ extra)? I especially want to know, whether the super res zoom and the wide angle selfie camera is worth it - these are the two most outstanding differences between Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 in my opinion. If you know some other differences which are worth the additional 300€ please tell me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wide angle is nicer than I thought although I hate taking selfies ROFL. Super res was a meh compared to dual cam phones but better than nothing.
I'm in the process of upgrading to P3 from P2 (crappy displays, locked bootloaders, RMAs, etc.) and side by side P3 looks so much more modern and if you like modern then it looks so much nicer.
I would be careful with your decision though since this year P3 won the honor to enjoy all the display issues P2XL went through last year, so getting a satisfactory display should be your first priority in my opinion. That said, a good display on P3 seems to be better than the "good" display of P2XL last year, as suggested by others over at P3XL forum and I agree (I ordered both P2 and XL last year and had a brief experience with XL). Anyway, once you get a good display hold on to it!
Other than that, I can't think of buying anything else at this moment mainly because I value stock experience, easiness of modding, and Dev support. Ironically we have the locked bootloader issue right now on both P3 and XL. The dev support was also far behind compared to old Nexus days. If One Plus offered a smaller version of 6T I might have jumped the ship.
P.s. camera is nice as always but being a home guy I use the display 1000x more than the camera so a good camera only means "this" little to me.

cswithxda said:
Ironically we have the locked bootloader issue right now on both P3 and XL. The dev support was also far behind compared to old Nexus days. If One Plus offered a smaller version of 6T I might have jumped the ship.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What issue are you having with the bootloader?

georgs_town said:
What issue are you having with the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check out the thread in this Pixel 3 QA and Pixel 3 XL QA section. Newer devices *may* come in with bootloader "un-unlockable" :cyclops: Some people received this *feature* on their new devices and some enjoyed it on the new, RMA devices.

orbital247 said:
My general experience with the S9 was good apart from the battery life, the exynos processor version was shocking (i think this is the one you get in Canada too). Not sure if recent updates fixed this but it seemed like a huge complaint at the time, i couldn't get a day with moderate to heavy use.
With regards to the Pixel3 back texture, i have it naked and it's been rattling in my pockets (albeit i never put any phone in a pocket with coins or keys), it's perfectly fine and i would take this textured back over the slippy S9 any day. I have the Pixel2 also and it's a little scruffy on the back but unless you inspect it very closely it's perfectly fine.
Camera on the Pixel is way better in my opinion, you get a usable picture almost every time whereas the S9 i sometimes had to take several shots to get what i wanted.
I've had the Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS this year also and the Pixel3 trumps all in my opinion.
I do have an outstanding issue open with Google however where the Pixel3's gyroscope sensor isn't calibrated correctly and so it's out by about 2-3 degrees. This means that when taking photos or using apps that use the gyroscope i have to hold the phone slightly off angle to make it think it's level. All that said i still consider it the best !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have the Snap Drangon one here in Canada, I believe Snap Dragon is sold in North America and Exynos is the rest of the world

What's your next phone purchase?

I like this device but it's a little slow for me at some points. It's not a shot at this device which I consider a decent value but I'm retty sure I'm going to move into something else, possibly this fall. That something being the Pixel 4, I like everything about it so far except I would have preferred a symmetrical bottom/top bezel. If I don't bolt this fall the spring is a near certainty but I've got no guess what might be the more interesting devices at that point. What about you folks, happy enough to have not considered it? Thinking about moving to the next thing? If so, what?

I might get the Pixel 4. It depends on what they do with ram and the cameras. I would like a telephoto lens on the back but so far I've been reading the second sensor may be a wide angle one.
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

Google confirmed 3, wide angle, telephoto, and infrared. The last seems to be a bit of a mystery as to what it's going to be doing, some think it's for improving night shots but no one seems to know exactly what all it might do.

The 4a XL on a free trade, but might have to wait a bit...

ill get whatever phone is notchless and has a headphone jack
i got the pixel 3a xl for that exact reason, im sick of seeing bullet holes and notches on phones

I just read an updated article about the Goog leak and I need to make a correction, it's a spectral sensor, not infrared. My apologies for the misinformation. I'm still probably in, I've no idea what spectral is but it sounds like something I want.

Google self released preliminary images of the Pixel 4, and I got to say the square bump-out that holds two back cameras and a flash LED does not look great, either from Apple or Google. There was previous renderings of a slick smooth back with a flat oval that contained the cameras that that looked much more impressive. Consensus was that was a cool clean design. The feedback on what was recently released, not so much.
Copying Apple designs by itself does not guarantee success. The previous design looked original, however what they put out now just looks like another Apple clone...

duh1 said:
Google self released preliminary images of the Pixel 4, and I got to say the square bump-out that holds two back cameras and a flash LED does not look great, either from Apple or Google. There was previous renderings of a slick smooth back with a flat oval that contained the cameras that that looked much more impressive. Consensus was that was a cool clean design. The feedback on what was recently released, not so much.
Copying Apple designs by itself does not guarantee success. The previous design looked original, however what they put out now just looks like another Apple clone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ah who cares what the back looks like. put a case on it.
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

Looks like the base stats are starting to get out there and the Pixel 4 is more and more shaping up to become my next phone. If Samsung hadn't made it such a pain to root I might consider the Note 10 but after suffering through the 8 I'm pretty much done with them unless a very unlikely turn around comes in their policies. These are really the only two that have been pinging on my radar, seems like their should be more but there is always some catch with phones nowadays...

I'm just hoping the hideous notched display and useless curved edge display era is over across the next generation of phones. It definitely limited my choices this go around because I'm not into gimmicks over practicality; but hey - that's just me.
The pixel 4 looks nice so far, and more OEMs are starting to ditch the display notches as well, so at least we'll have better options coming around in the future.

Yeah, no question, I didn't make friends with notches and at this point I'm sure I never will. Only had one as it turned out, the 6T, which didn't kill me but I never stopped noticing it as some people say they do.

Possibly the Pixel 4 but if ASUS gets the Zenfone 6 out soon in Canada I may get it.

Can you root those?

Devhux said:
Possibly the Pixel 4 but if ASUS gets the Zenfone 6 out soon in Canada I may get it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stick with Google. Got the 3a XL on Friday after dropping my 2 XL on hard concrete :crying:
The software is the best I have ever seen on phones, I just root the phone and call it a day. Easy updates every month. No hassle.
This is worth more to me than screen-to-body-ratio or industrial design or whatnot. Crappy or outdated software ruins everything anyways.
But YMMW, just an opinion

I wouldn't mind the faster Snapdragon 855 over our 670, but I do admit my 3a XL is mostly good enough speed wise.

So... Air gestures and face ID confirmed on the Pix 4 today. I'm so in...

Ill get the pixel 4a xl. Basically the lighter version of pixel 4xl with some minor upgrades battery and screen size,for example i dont need the face recognition ,a finger print scanner is fine,and i dont need 4 cameras one 16 back and 16 front is fine with me ,mind you im a mobile photographer.And a simple plastic white back no glass cause i really dont use wireless charging and the lastic does not feel far from the glass back of the pixel 3.Tbh the android 10 almost is the perfect os for me so no extra stuff there.What i really want to have is bokah on video and real time captions and translation ,but im sure google has that on lock

I wouldn't want to guess how Goog will gimp the A versions to make them "mid range" devices. I sure didn't see them leaving the cool live wallpaper out on the 3A's as an example.

luigi90210 said:
ill get whatever phone is notchless and has a headphone jack
i got the pixel 3a xl for that exact reason, im sick of seeing bullet holes and notches on phones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here here to that ?

I've decided to get a OnePlus 7 Pro. I just can't see paying $1,000+ for a Pixel 4 XL. I like my 3A XL, but it is slow, honestly, and just not up to the performance I want out of a smartphone.
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

General Just got my pixel 7 pro. Here are my first impressions

Hey guys, received my pixel today and thought I'd share some first impressions for those interested or who haven't received theirs yet.
I use a 21ultra as my daily and run a 14 pro max for work so I have a broad spectrum to judge the new pixel against. I'll try and break my impressions into bullet points.
1. New pixels design is nice, feels good in the hand, I went for obsidian, looks good, the rear is a total fingerprint magnet.
2. The haptics are very good, different to the iPhone but not better or worse, which is impressive because iPhone haptics are usually the benchmark of good vibration for me.
3. One thing I don't love is the weight, both the iPhone and the s21 are quite a bit heavier at 229 and 240 and it makes the pixel feel less premium somehow. When you tap the screen on the pixel to type it almost feels and sounds hollow whereas the Samsung for example is much more firm. Its a personal preference but of the three phones the pixel feels the cheapest in the hand.
4. The camera are very good, coming from the exynos s21 where I always hated the video, pixel 7s new video is really impressive. Looking forward to getting to use it a bit more.
5. The speaker is good and loud but it's a little on the tinny side on comparison to the Samsung and the 14 pro. It crackles a little higher up the volume.
6. Looking forward to trying out some of the pixel features that are sprinkled throughout the ui, like the call screening, text to speech etc
Will report back once I use these for a prolonged period.
7. The pixel 7 pros sound and haptic integration is top notch and can be adjusted to your liking on the settings. Each activity that includes a vibration now let's you chose the intensity as well.
8. The screen is less curved which I love as I much prefer flat screens and this feels like a step in the right direction. The edges of the phone and indeed the screen are much less rounded too and makes the Samsung look a bit silly with its super rounded corners.
9. Fingerprint scanner being an optical one is another little disappointment for me, having found the ultrasonic in the Samsung to be unbelievably fast and reliable. Something about the white light under your thumb each time you try to unlock feels cheap and a bit silly when ultrasonic is an option.
10. Which brings me to the last feature I like, face unlock. While not quite as reliable as the iPhone it works well and is much faster than previous android phones I've used. Theres a nice little vibration and animation when it unlocks as well, which makes it feel well thought out and well executed. Hopefully it stays as reliable as its been so far.
Overall I'm pretty impressed. I'm a little disappointed at the over all feel, it's not bad, for me the iPhone still feels like a much more premium phone, and at about 350 quid more it ought to be I suppose. Software wise it looks promising and it has some of the best cameras and haptics of any phone. If anyone who hasn't gotten one yet would like to ask anything about it please feel free.
Bar

Nice review details! Kudos

Thanks for sharing, I find myself in a somewhat similar situation. I have an S21U for personal use and an iPhone XR for work that I traded in for the Pixel 7 Pro.
I can definitely relate to the weight difference. I didn't like it at much first but now I've noticed it's a bit easier to hold laying in bed on my back. I'm always dropping the S21U on my face
I've never used an optical fingerprint scanner before so right now the light is oddly amusing /fun for me, but it will probably get old after a while.
So did you keep your iPhone or did you trade it in?

early days here and teething problems I think will be worked out. screen is definitely an improvement over the 6. my main concern tho is the tele lens. so far i'm finding it not as good as the 6p tele lens, which I absolutely love.

Love your review thank you first one I read

does it do usb-c to hdmi output?

Bxperiaz3 said:
Hey guys, received my pixel today and thought I'd share some first impressions for those interested or who haven't received theirs yet.
I use a 21ultra as my daily and run a 14 pro max for work so I have a broad spectrum to judge the new pixel against. I'll try and break my impressions into bullet points.
1. New pixels design is nice, feels good in the hand, I went for obsidian, looks good, the rear is a total fingerprint magnet.
2. The haptics are very good, different to the iPhone but not better or worse, which is impressive because iPhone haptics are usually the benchmark of good vibration for me.
3. One thing I don't love is the weight, both the iPhone and the s21 are quite a bit heavier at 229 and 240 and it makes the pixel feel less premium somehow. When you tap the screen on the pixel to type it almost feels and sounds hollow whereas the Samsung for example is much more firm. Its a personal preference but of the three phones the pixel feels the cheapest in the hand.
4. The camera are very good, coming from the exynos s21 where I always hated the video, pixel 7s new video is really impressive. Looking forward to getting to use it a bit more.
5. The speaker is good and loud but it's a little on the tinny side on comparison to the Samsung and the 14 pro. It crackles a little higher up the volume.
6. Looking forward to trying out some of the pixel features that are sprinkled throughout the ui, like the call screening, text to speech etc
Will report back once I use these for a prolonged period.
7. The pixel 7 pros sound and haptic integration is top notch and can be adjusted to your liking on the settings. Each activity that includes a vibration now let's you chose the intensity as well.
8. The screen is less curved which I love as I much prefer flat screens and this feels like a step in the right direction. The edges of the phone and indeed the screen are much less rounded too and makes the Samsung look a bit silly with its super rounded corners.
9. Fingerprint scanner being an optical one is another little disappointment for me, having found the ultrasonic in the Samsung to be unbelievably fast and reliable. Something about the white light under your thumb each time you try to unlock feels cheap and a bit silly when ultrasonic is an option.
10. Which brings me to the last feature I like, face unlock. While not quite as reliable as the iPhone it works well and is much faster than previous android phones I've used. Theres a nice little vibration and animation when it unlocks as well, which makes it feel well thought out and well executed. Hopefully it stays as reliable as its been so far.
Overall I'm pretty impressed. I'm a little disappointed at the over all feel, it's not bad, for me the iPhone still feels like a much more premium phone, and at about 350 quid more it ought to be I suppose. Software wise it looks promising and it has some of the best cameras and haptics of any phone. If anyone who hasn't gotten one yet would like to ask anything about it please feel free.
Bar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good info, shared. Thanks.
Could you crank up the brightness to the max, use the phone for some 15 mins like that and share the battery drain experience? Various reports like THIS ONE suggest that under direct sunlight the battery drains abnormally.

Bxperiaz3 said:
Hey guys, received my pixel today and thought I'd share some first impressions for those interested or who haven't received theirs yet.
I use a 21ultra as my daily and run a 14 pro max for work so I have a broad spectrum to judge the new pixel against. I'll try and break my impressions into bullet points.
1. New pixels design is nice, feels good in the hand, I went for obsidian, looks good, the rear is a total fingerprint magnet.
2. The haptics are very good, different to the iPhone but not better or worse, which is impressive because iPhone haptics are usually the benchmark of good vibration for me.
3. One thing I don't love is the weight, both the iPhone and the s21 are quite a bit heavier at 229 and 240 and it makes the pixel feel less premium somehow. When you tap the screen on the pixel to type it almost feels and sounds hollow whereas the Samsung for example is much more firm. Its a personal preference but of the three phones the pixel feels the cheapest in the hand.
4. The camera are very good, coming from the exynos s21 where I always hated the video, pixel 7s new video is really impressive. Looking forward to getting to use it a bit more.
5. The speaker is good and loud but it's a little on the tinny side on comparison to the Samsung and the 14 pro. It crackles a little higher up the volume.
6. Looking forward to trying out some of the pixel features that are sprinkled throughout the ui, like the call screening, text to speech etc
Will report back once I use these for a prolonged period.
7. The pixel 7 pros sound and haptic integration is top notch and can be adjusted to your liking on the settings. Each activity that includes a vibration now let's you chose the intensity as well.
8. The screen is less curved which I love as I much prefer flat screens and this feels like a step in the right direction. The edges of the phone and indeed the screen are much less rounded too and makes the Samsung look a bit silly with its super rounded corners.
9. Fingerprint scanner being an optical one is another little disappointment for me, having found the ultrasonic in the Samsung to be unbelievably fast and reliable. Something about the white light under your thumb each time you try to unlock feels cheap and a bit silly when ultrasonic is an option.
10. Which brings me to the last feature I like, face unlock. While not quite as reliable as the iPhone it works well and is much faster than previous android phones I've used. Theres a nice little vibration and animation when it unlocks as well, which makes it feel well thought out and well executed. Hopefully it stays as reliable as its been so far.
Overall I'm pretty impressed. I'm a little disappointed at the over all feel, it's not bad, for me the iPhone still feels like a much more premium phone, and at about 350 quid more it ought to be I suppose. Software wise it looks promising and it has some of the best cameras and haptics of any phone. If anyone who hasn't gotten one yet would like to ask anything about it please feel free.
Bar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there. Nice review. I totally agree with you on two points. I managed to fiddle with a 7 pro at a local target store (a day before launch if you can believe that they had the demo station set up).
The hollow feel while typing on it's screen is something I'd never felt before. It made me send back the 6pro last year and keep my OnePlus 8 pro as it felt like a more solid device. The 7 pro felt the same. I wonder why the hollow feel? Is it possible that it's a feature? Maybe the screen has more give so that it's less susceptible to cracking if dropped? Who knows...
Also agree about the speakers. I blared some YouTube music on the demo phone in the store like a weirdo (Motown) and wasn't exactly impressed. Especially when compared to the 14pro (wife's phone).
I want to love the new 7 pro but am shying away. OnePlus isn't exactly wonderful right now and my 8 pro is aging but I feel like I need more to make the jump

For me it was simply time to make a change from my Note 10 Plus. It's a 3 year old phone and it shows, particularly the camera which wasn't the best when the phone was released and is well behind the times now. I fully expect the feel of the 7 Pro to be less premium (one aspect in which the Note 10 Plus shines and still does) but it looks to me like this is the best Android device out there right now, especially for this price. And I hate iPhones.

Bxperiaz3 said:
Hey guys, received my pixel today and thought I'd share some first impressions for those interested or who haven't received theirs yet.
I use a 21ultra as my daily and run a 14 pro max for work so I have a broad spectrum to judge the new pixel against. I'll try and break my impressions into bullet points.
1. New pixels design is nice, feels good in the hand, I went for obsidian, looks good, the rear is a total fingerprint magnet.
2. The haptics are very good, different to the iPhone but not better or worse, which is impressive because iPhone haptics are usually the benchmark of good vibration for me.
3. One thing I don't love is the weight, both the iPhone and the s21 are quite a bit heavier at 229 and 240 and it makes the pixel feel less premium somehow. When you tap the screen on the pixel to type it almost feels and sounds hollow whereas the Samsung for example is much more firm. Its a personal preference but of the three phones the pixel feels the cheapest in the hand.
4. The camera are very good, coming from the exynos s21 where I always hated the video, pixel 7s new video is really impressive. Looking forward to getting to use it a bit more.
5. The speaker is good and loud but it's a little on the tinny side on comparison to the Samsung and the 14 pro. It crackles a little higher up the volume.
6. Looking forward to trying out some of the pixel features that are sprinkled throughout the ui, like the call screening, text to speech etc
Will report back once I use these for a prolonged period.
7. The pixel 7 pros sound and haptic integration is top notch and can be adjusted to your liking on the settings. Each activity that includes a vibration now let's you chose the intensity as well.
8. The screen is less curved which I love as I much prefer flat screens and this feels like a step in the right direction. The edges of the phone and indeed the screen are much less rounded too and makes the Samsung look a bit silly with its super rounded corners.
9. Fingerprint scanner being an optical one is another little disappointment for me, having found the ultrasonic in the Samsung to be unbelievably fast and reliable. Something about the white light under your thumb each time you try to unlock feels cheap and a bit silly when ultrasonic is an option.
10. Which brings me to the last feature I like, face unlock. While not quite as reliable as the iPhone it works well and is much faster than previous android phones I've used. Theres a nice little vibration and animation when it unlocks as well, which makes it feel well thought out and well executed. Hopefully it stays as reliable as its been so far.
Overall I'm pretty impressed. I'm a little disappointed at the over all feel, it's not bad, for me the iPhone still feels like a much more premium phone, and at about 350 quid more it ought to be I suppose. Software wise it looks promising and it has some of the best cameras and haptics of any phone. If anyone who hasn't gotten one yet would like to ask anything about it please feel free.
Bar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.3 I've noticed the same thing. When tapping the screen it makes this hollow sound as if you were tapping a plastic cup (thw white one to be precise). The screen on Galaxy Tab S8 makes the same sound but Galaxy S20 doesn't. Maybe the screen panels on Pixel & Tab S8 are of lower quality?!
No. 9 Fingerprint is really fast and more reliable than on S20 (I always had to try multiple times before it finally worked).
No. 10 Face unlock is very fast, even in dim light.
Here are other things I've noticed:
1. Status bar is extremely thick 0.6 mm and therefore unnecessarily wastes too much space when screen resolution is lowered.
2. When in standby screen often doesn't react to taps or the power button being pressed. Screen just doesn't wake up and you have to try 2-3 more times for it to lit up.
3. Sometimes the screen suddenly gets so dim that you can barely see anything but the position of the brightness slider doesn't change at all when it happens. No idea what's causing it.

innit said:
2. When in standby screen often doesn't react to taps or the power button being pressed. Screen just doesn't wake up and you have to try 2-3 more times for it to lit up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Pixel 6 Pro did that all the time, its annoying.
One thing i have noticed it my P7P runs much cooler than my P6P did.

galaxys said:
Nice review details! Kudos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
grangermoch said:
Thanks for sharing, I find myself in a somewhat similar situation. I have an S21U for personal use and an iPhone XR for work that I traded in for the Pixel 7 Pro.
I can definitely relate to the weight difference. I didn't like it at much first but now I've noticed it's a bit easier to hold laying in bed on my back. I'm always dropping the S21U on my face
I've never used an optical fingerprint scanner before so right now the light is oddly amusing /fun for me, but it will probably get old after a while.
So did you keep your iPhone or did you trade it in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to have it on my one plus 7 pro and I loved that but after the speed of the s21 s sensor I'm a bit disenchanted with optical sensors for now. My iPhone is for work so that's staying but the main question is will I be upgrading from my s21 ultra or returning this new pixel. So far I'm not fully sure..
whatsisnametake2 said:
early days here and teething problems I think will be worked out. screen is definitely an improvement over the 6. my main concern tho is the tele lens. so far i'm finding it not as good as the 6p tele lens, which I absolutely love.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must check that out and see what it's like. What are the differences? Was the 6p wider?
liggerz87 said:
Love your review thank you first one I read
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appreciate that thank you
apoklyps3 said:
does it do usb-c to hdmi output?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me check it out and get back to you
Virgo_Guy said:
Good info, shared. Thanks.
Could you crank up the brightness to the max, use the phone for some 15 mins like that and share the battery drain experience? Various reports like THIS ONE suggest that under direct sunlight the battery drains abnormally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah sure. I'll do that this morning
bacon612 said:
Hey there. Nice review. I totally agree with you on two points. I managed to fiddle with a 7 pro at a local target store (a day before launch if you can believe that they had the demo station set up).
The hollow feel while typing on it's screen is something I'd never felt before. It made me send back the 6pro last year and keep my OnePlus 8 pro as it felt like a more solid device. The 7 pro felt the same. I wonder why the hollow feel? Is it possible that it's a feature? Maybe the screen has more give so that it's less susceptible to cracking if dropped? Who knows...
Also agree about the speakers. I blared some YouTube music on the demo phone in the store like a weirdo (Motown) and wasn't exactly impressed. Especially when compared to the 14pro (wife's phone).
I want to love the new 7 pro but am shying away. OnePlus isn't exactly wonderful right now and my 8 pro is aging but I feel like I need more to make the jump
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you that's a good question, oddly it's something I noticed on the iPhone too, it's like theres an air gap between the sreeen and the actual panel or something so maybe the more give thing is a good call. Either way it's a very small gripe but it's one that's honestly making me consider returning. That along with the weight does not make this feel like a 1k phone to be perfectly honest.
I too want to love it.. But I just don't so far and I don't see any good alternatives left if I send it back
Beefheart said:
For me it was simply time to make a change from my Note 10 Plus. It's a 3 year old phone and it shows, particularly the camera which wasn't the best when the phone was released and is well behind the times now. I fully expect the feel of the 7 Pro to be less premium (one aspect in which the Note 10 Plus shines and still does) but it looks to me like this is the best Android device out there right now, especially for this price. And I hate iPhones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'm fully with you on that. Part of me wishes I didn't have the s21 ultra to compare as I'd probably be less disappointed. I absolutely hate Samsungs android software, but their phones are better build for sure.
innit said:
No.3 I've noticed the same thing. When tapping the screen it makes this hollow sound as if you were tapping a plastic cup (thw white one to be precise). The screen on Galaxy Tab S8 makes the same sound but Galaxy S20 doesn't. Maybe the screen panels on Pixel & Tab S8 are of lower quality?!
No. 9 Fingerprint is really fast and more reliable than on S20 (I always had to try multiple times before it finally worked).
No. 10 Face unlock is very fast, even in dim light.
Here are other things I've noticed:
1. Status bar is extremely thick 0.6 mm and therefore unnecessarily wastes too much space when screen resolution is lowered.
2. When in standby screen often doesn't react to taps or the power button being pressed. Screen just doesn't wake up and you have to try 2-3 more times for it to lit up.
3. Sometimes the screen suddenly gets so dim that you can barely see anything but the position of the brightness slider doesn't change at all when it happens. No idea what's causing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good points! I'll be honest the status bar is also driving me mental. I'm used to full immersive everything on the Samsung so this status bar and tbh the ui in general really vexes me. The little black bar for the pill also does my head in. Why don't we have status bars that have a gradient so we know it's there but it's not a literal banner plastered across the top of the phone. Another point that I'm trying to decide if I can live with. Must check out points 2 and 3 and report back.
MrBelter said:
My Pixel 6 Pro did that all the time, its annoying.
One thing i have noticed it my P7P runs much cooler than my P6P did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a positive at least. I never had a P6P so I appreciate peoples input that ran them last year.
Apologies if it seems like I have a negative bias towards the phone having only had it a day. But the cost of smartphones Is so high these days that I don't expect perfection but there are certain things for me that are absolute deal breakers and unfortunately the pixel ticks quite and amount of those for me. Gonna run it for a few more days and see can I live with the aspects I don't like or is it time to return it and struggle on with the s21

Bxperiaz3 said:
Yeah I'm fully with you on that. Part of me wishes I didn't have the s21 ultra to compare as I'd probably be less disappointed. I absolutely hate Samsungs android software, but their phones are better build for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an S21 Ultra but, ironically given the subject at hand, it stopped working after a fairly innocuous drop and Samsung refused to fix it because I'd previously rooted it (despite removing the root and it being back to a factory image). As a result I swore I would never buy another Samsung and I'm sticking to that, the only reason I have the Note 10 Plus is that a friend upgraded to a iPhone 13 late last year just after my S21 broke and he let me have it on a deal that was too good to refuse (£200), especially given that Samsung had just replaced the screen and battery for him so it was effectively brand new. My son is now getting it to replace his crappy old Poco M3 but I'm done with Samsung and their hateful Knox e-fuse.
I've just gotten a notification from the Royal Mail that my 7 Pro is due for delivery today rather than Monday which is a bonus.

innit said:
No.3 I've noticed the same thing. When tapping the screen it makes this hollow sound as if you were tapping a plastic cup (thw white one to be precise). The screen on Galaxy Tab S8 makes the same sound but Galaxy S20 doesn't. Maybe the screen panels on Pixel & Tab S8 are of lower quality?!
No. 9 Fingerprint is really fast and more reliable than on S20 (I always had to try multiple times before it finally worked).
No. 10 Face unlock is very fast, even in dim light.
Here are other things I've noticed:
1. Status bar is extremely thick 0.6 mm and therefore unnecessarily wastes too much space when screen resolution is lowered.
2. When in standby screen often doesn't react to taps or the power button being pressed. Screen just doesn't wake up and you have to try 2-3 more times for it to lit up.
3. Sometimes the screen suddenly gets so dim that you can barely see anything but the position of the brightness slider doesn't change at all when it happens. No idea what's causing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The display on the 6Pro and 7Pro is edge bonded meaning it's attached to the frame underneath around the edge. This makes it easier to replace but it gives it that "hollow" feel. Most phones today, Samsung etc are mid frame bonded,they're bonded to the frame half way up the display as well as around the edge also, so they don't have that air gap underneath and feel more "solid". The edge bonded display despite being easier to replace have the disadvantage of trapping heat in the phone because of the air gap.

I too am coming from a S21U and noticed the give on the screen. At first I thought I left the keyboard clicks on when I was typing and heard the way the screen sounded.
The other thing I have noticed is when I am driving there are areas where the S21 had signal yet the P7P has no signal with the same sim card.
I too am debating keeping the device or not as these are pretty minor complaints but I'm not sure if it is a truly worthy upgrade for the money.

JamesR913 said:
I too am coming from a S21U and noticed the give on the screen. At first I thought I left the keyboard clicks on when I was typing and heard the way the screen sounded.
The other thing I have noticed is when I am driving there are areas where the S21 had signal yet the P7P has no signal with the same sim card.
I too am debating keeping the device or not as these are pretty minor complaints but I'm not sure if it is a truly worthy upgrade for the money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say the Pixel 7 Pro is an upgrade on the S21 Ultra, but not a particularly big one. A better camera (minus the 30x zoom), a little bit faster in terms of SOC speed but overall no spectacular improvements. In short, I'm not sure I'd spend money on a 7 Pro if I had a working S21 Ultra. But for me it's an easier choice, as my S21 Ultra is long gone and the 7 Pro is a massive upgrade on the Note 10 Plus I'm currently using.
Where it wins big is in comparison to the competition here and now. £850 for a phone that easily competes for everyday use with an iPhone 14 Pro Max which starts at £1200 and a Samsung S22 Ultra that starts at £1150. It loses out on a couple of things with both (battery life for the iPhone, S-Pen with the Samsung, and raw benchmarking horse power with both), but it also has advantages in comparison to both. In short it's a bargain for what you get, and the Pixel 7 even more.
I don't understand what appears to have become an acceptance that flagship phones have to cost north of £1000. It's an absolute nonsense deliberately brought into existence by Apple and Samsung for their own ends. It's good to see Google thumb their nose at it.

Beefheart said:
I'd say the Pixel 7 Pro is an upgrade on the S21 Ultra, but not a particularly big one. A better camera (minus the 30x zoom), a little bit faster in terms of SOC speed but overall no spectacular improvements. In short, I'm not sure I'd spend money on a 7 Pro if I had a working S21 Ultra. But for me it's an easier choice, as my S21 Ultra is long gone and the 7 Pro is a massive upgrade on the Note 10 Plus I'm currently using.
Where it wins big is in comparison to the competition here and now. £850 for a phone that easily competes for everyday use with an iPhone 14 Pro Max which starts at £1200 and a Samsung S22 Ultra that starts at £1150. It loses out on a couple of things with both (battery life for the iPhone, S-Pen with the Samsung, and raw benchmarking horse power with both), but it also has advantages in comparison to both. In short it's a bargain for what you get, and the Pixel 7 even more.
I don't understand what appears to have become an acceptance that flagship phones have to cost north of £1000. It's an absolute nonsense deliberately brought into existence by Apple and Samsung for their own ends. It's good to see Google thumb their nose at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're not getting truly top hardware with the Pixel though, it's only an LTPO 1.0 display for eg so there's a trade off for price.

Beefheart said:
I had an S21 Ultra but, ironically given the subject at hand, it stopped working after a fairly innocuous drop and Samsung refused to fix it because I'd previously rooted it (despite removing the root and it being back to a factory image). As a result I swore I would never buy another Samsung and I'm sticking to that, the only reason I have the Note 10 Plus is that a friend upgraded to a iPhone 13 late last year just after my S21 broke and he let me have it on a deal that was too good to refuse (£200), especially given that Samsung had just replaced the screen and battery for him so it was effectively brand new. My son is now getting it to replace his crappy old Poco M3 but I'm done with Samsung and their hateful Knox e-fuse.
I've just gotten a notification from the Royal Mail that my 7 Pro is due for delivery today rather than Monday which is a bonus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah even with the better build most new phones can't handle any sort of a drop. Nice, let us know how you find it.
Batfink33 said:
The display on the 6Pro and 7Pro is edge bonded meaning it's attached to the frame underneath around the edge. This makes it easier to replace but it gives it that "hollow" feel. Most phones today, Samsung etc are mid frame bonded,they're bonded to the frame half way up the display as well as around the edge also, so they don't have that air gap underneath and feel more "solid". The edge bonded display despite being easier to replace have the disadvantage of trapping heat in the phone because of the air gap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes perfect sense, Thanks for clearing that up. Makes me like the pixel even less now that that's been confirmed
JamesR913 said:
I too am coming from a S21U and noticed the give on the screen. At first I thought I left the keyboard clicks on when I was typing and heard the way the screen sounded.
The other thing I have noticed is when I am driving there are areas where the S21 had signal yet the P7P has no signal with the same sim card.
I too am debating keeping the device or not as these are pretty minor complaints but I'm not sure if it is a truly worthy upgrade for the money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a sim in mine yet but that would be another deal breaker. Similar to you I only have small complaints so far. But I have more than I was expecting..
Beefheart said:
I'd say the Pixel 7 Pro is an upgrade on the S21 Ultra, but not a particularly big one. A better camera (minus the 30x zoom), a little bit faster in terms of SOC speed but overall no spectacular improvements. In short, I'm not sure I'd spend money on a 7 Pro if I had a working S21 Ultra. But for me it's an easier choice, as my S21 Ultra is long gone and the 7 Pro is a massive upgrade on the Note 10 Plus I'm currently using.
Where it wins big is in comparison to the competition here and now. £850 for a phone that easily competes for everyday use with an iPhone 14 Pro Max which starts at £1200 and a Samsung S22 Ultra that starts at £1150. It loses out on a couple of things with both (battery life for the iPhone, S-Pen with the Samsung, and raw benchmarking horse power with both), but it also has advantages in comparison to both. In short it's a bargain for what you get, and the Pixel 7 even more.
I don't understand what appears to have become an acceptance that flagship phones have to cost north of £1000. It's an absolute nonsense deliberately brought into existence by Apple and Samsung for their own ends. It's good to see Google thumb their nose at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah in a way I agree, phones absolutely shouldn't cost that much. What's a shame though is the phone feels physically cheaper and that's a bit of a deal breaker considering it was still over 1000 euros.. My s21s camera system is so poor it still makes sense to upgrade, plus a few quid back when I sell the old phone and the pixel watch but I have to say I'm still a bit let down. I absolutely despise apple software but there's no denying when I unboxed the 14 pro I was far more impressed with the quality
Batfink33 said:
You're not getting truly top hardware with the Pixel though, it's only an LTPO 1.0 display for eg so there's a trade off for price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah and it sort of shows tbh. If I could have the s21 ultra with the software advantages of the pixel 7p right now that would be the ideal hybrid.

Bxperiaz3 said:
Yeah even with the better build most new phones can't handle any sort of a drop. Nice, let us know how you find it.
That makes perfect sense, Thanks for clearing that up. Makes me like the pixel even less now that that's been confirmed
I don't have a sim in mine yet but that would be another deal breaker. Similar to you I only have small complaints so far. But I have more than I was expecting..
Yeah in a way I agree, phones absolutely shouldn't cost that much. What's a shame though is the phone feels physically cheaper and that's a bit of a deal breaker considering it was still over 1000 euros.. My s21s camera system is so poor it still makes sense to upgrade, plus a few quid back when I sell the old phone and the pixel watch but I have to say I'm still a bit let down. I absolutely despise apple software but there's no denying when I unboxed the 14 pro I was far more impressed with the quality
Yeah and it sort of shows tbh. If I could have the s21 ultra with the software advantages of the pixel 7p right now that would be the ideal hybrid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd pay the extra for a truly flagship pixel with all the latest hardware. Yes phones are way overpriced but it would be nice to have Pixel software on a phone with the quality build of an iPhone or Samsung. An Sd8+ Gen 1 (or gen 2) Pixel would be amazing.

It's arrived, and it doesn't feel less premium at all. Maybe that's me and, being an engineer, I know weight doesn't equate to more premium. I love the feel of it, solid.
In terms of opinion, I've not got much else at the moment, still setting it up.