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Why so much hate for the 3 XL ?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Review] Oppo Ace2 and Red Magic 5G Initial Impressions

Thought I'd share my initial impressions on the Oppo Ace2 since it has not gotten much coverage. I also owned the Red Magic 5G for a week before selling it.
I'm coming from a Oneplus 6 and have owned a lot of other Android devices, off the top of my head these include the Nexus 4, OnePlus One, Asus Nexus 7, Samsung Tab Pro 8.4, Galaxy S7 Edge, Huawei Nexus 6P, LG v20, Lenovo ZUK Z2, Mediapad T5, Red Magic 5g etc.
Let's start with the Red Magic 5G. I ordered this a few months ago off tradingshenzhen, it got to me fast enough and the price was fair, but their customer support was not very good (I will not be ordering from them again cause of this https://i.imgur.com/2qd4zPM.jpg). They'll get your phone to you and offer one year warranty but don't expect them to be nice or helpful in the event you dont like your phone or have any issues.
Either way, here my notes on the phone:
Software
I got the Chinese version of the phone. I found the software experience to actually be very good despite this, ignoring the fact that there were some chinese apps that I didnt understand. I'm sure if I removed these few apps I would have had a very good software experience. The software felt very smooth and stable. There were some pretty cool features, but not a ton. Experience felt close to stock android, but lightly skinned with the right theme after some setting up. It didnt come with play store, I just had to install the playstore from apk, chrome and google keyboard then I had an experience not all that different from my OnePlus 6. My red magic 5g got a lot of updates in the time I had it, with big change logs, I'm not sure if global rom users will get that same experience since these types of phones seem to get better support in China.
Display and Body
This is where my mind was blown. That 144hz screen is beautiful and smooth. This was definitely what I loved about the phone most. However, I had my gripes with this screen. For one the, bezels were huge, and the corners were too rounded (meaning less screen). They were so rounded that it was distracting to me, almost as much as having a notch.. This might be a gross exaggeration but I hope it gets my point across. As for the large bezels, it feels like they used the "gaming phone" identity as an excuse to cut corners here with bezel size. It bothered me that there's so much potential screen space being wasted with those large unused bezels. Now the body has very nice comfortable shape, so I don't have anything against that, but it is kind of big, and it is pretty heavy. It felt very premium and nice in hand, but at the same time, it was not comfortable to one hand for long periods of time, it's size and heft also made it a little unwieldy for one handing. This is the main reason I ended up selling this phone. I would often find myself going back to my oneplus 6 instead of using my new phone cause it was just way more comfortable to use with one hand.
Battery and Misc
Microphone was good according to those that I called, speakers sounded fine to me, werent bad at all. They were stereo speakers, one bottom firing and one in the ear piece, which was nice. Battery was meh. For a 4500mah battery phone, it died very fast. Battery felt about the same as my much older oneplus 6 in it's current state.. Around 6-7 hours of screen on time with regular use (not gaming). With gaming I got around a little more than half that. It charged at a decent speed, not slow but not astonishingly fast. My Red magic 5g benchmarked around 595k on Antutu, so it was very fast. The fan was barely audible in it's intelligent mode or whatever it's called. Personally I think the fan is pointless, and that good thermal design makes a much bigger difference. I loved having the shoulder triggers for gaming. playing games like codm, pubg, etc were great experiences. I sunk hours into these games even though I dont tend to really do any smartphone gaming. I don't really like that manufacturers are trying so hard to make phones into "gaming phones" cause they are still just phones at the end of the day. If anything I would like to have a good value flagship (or flagship killer) with shoulder triggers, it doesn't need to be a "gaming phone". For instance, I think the oneplus 8 (or pro) but with a flat screen + shoulder triggers would be the perfect and ideal phone for me.
I also ordered the Realme X2 Pro but the seller (realme's aliexpress store) cancelled this order due to shipping issues. Then I ordered the Poco F2 Pro but GearBest hadn't shipped it out even after 3 weeks so I cancelled the order. Finally I ordered the Ace2 off Giztop and this was a much better experience. Order placed Friday, shipped out Monday, then received next week Monday (today). The Ace2 was discounted to $589.99 and I got a further 4% discount with the GTRE4 code. Shipping was $30 (DHL) and duties/brokerage was $37, so I paid a grand total of around (roughly) $632. Not bad. The shipping, handling, duties and fees all together were still less than Canadian tax (13%). Canadian retailers sell phones like the Poco F2 pro for around $580 (USD), after taxes that's $655, not even including shipping costs. Much better to wait a little for longer shipping and buy from outside of Canada it seems. So let's talk about this phone.
First and foremost, I'd like to note I do get buyer's remorse (like I did with my red magic 5g), but I've never had any issues post-purchase rationalization. If I don't like something, I don't try to justify it, especially where phones are concerned and having owned so many different devices, both good and bad. For example, the LG V20 was my most expensive purchase and easily the phone I hated most out of all the devices I've owned. I had already paid for it, so I stuck with it even though I hated it for at least a year, before finally getting my current oneplus 6. The LG V20 was so bad that I thought my much older nexus 6p was wayyy better, I wanted to go back to it so bad but I had already handed it down to my mom. While I liked the red magic 5g, I didn't like it enough to keep it and ended up selling it at a loss. My point here is, that these are just my opinions, but I do try to be as unbiased as I can be. I bought the Ace2 knowing that I would sell or return it if I didnt like it, like I did with my Red Magic 5g, so I didnt have my hopes high or any plans to keep it if I wasnt happy with it.
Setup
The unboxing experience was very basic, like any other Chinese smartphone so I will skip this part, but it does come with a pre-applied screen protector and a surprisingly nice clear case. I thought it would be a cheap clear case that looked nasty on the phone.
First thing I did was update the phone's firmware, then do a full factory reset. I set it up fresh, uninstalled what chinese bloat I could (there was a lot), installed playstore with the first apk I found, then using that I installed chrome + google keyboard. After turning on the app drawer, and dark mode I felt I had a very usable experience similar to what I had on my oneplus 6. I hate migrating phones, but the experience here wasnt too bad, I downloaded and used oppo's phone clone app from my oneplus 6, it connected the two phones with direct wifi and copied 30 gigs of data over in around 15min. I did not get much control in what gets copied over but it was still a very simple and hassle free process that I could appreciate.
Software
I'm going to start with this phone's biggest weakness. So the software is.. a mixed bag. Say what you will about the design, but ColorOS and oppo launcher are really well optimized. ColorOS has really come a long way from what it used to be. I tested a bunch of different launchers on this phone but I ended up going back to the oppo launcher cause it was just wayyy smoother and responsive. I wish that's all I had to say about the software but there's a lot more to say.. like how bloated this phone comes. Just random chinese apps everywhere. Most of them can be uninstalled off the bat, but the rest need a little more work to get rid of, including ADB and a little research. I actually think I would have liked coloros a bit more than oxygenos had this been a global version and came with less bloat. It's just a big hassle that I'm sure nobody wants to deal with after getting a new phone. The software experience here is great- if you're chinese. If you're not, you have a whole lot of work to do to get it somewhere good. On the other hand, I thought coming from oxygenos I thought this would be a complete downgrade, but much to my surprise there are a lot of things it actually does better. There are way more features, yes I mean useful ones, it feels smoother and more responsive for some reason (the animations are way quicker and smoother). I think ColorOS isn't actually that bloated once you get rid of the apps you don't need (using ADB where you need to). OxygenOS is great and used to be way ahead of it's time, but I feel the other choices available have caught up while OxygenOS hasn't really gone anywhere. My OnePlus 6 barely gets updates and is slow to get them when it ever even gets any. I've noticed that's a common occurrence with OnePlus devices, you get a lot of quick updates when your device is still a new release, but then it gets put on the backburner as new devices come out.
Display
This display is amazing, it's breathtaking. Side by side with my oneplus 6 it looks and feels like an upgrade in every way. The colors are better, and the smoothness is so satisfying, every bit as much as the 144hz display I had on my red magic 5g, which further leads me to believe anything above 90hz isn't really worth the price premium and battery cost. The punch hole was a little distracting at first since I wasnt used to it, but I quickly got used to it and dont even notice anymore. It's a very small punchole and is a nice upgrade from the big notch my oneplus 6 had. I would rather have this punch hole then the huge top bezel (and lost screen space) the red magic 5g had any day. I didn't realize this until I had the red magic 5g in my hand and wish I realized this sooner. The whole point of notches and punch hole I think is to give us more screen where we used to have bezel, and this is something I appreciate a lot more now. One of the biggest things for me here is that the screen is flat. I'm soo glad that I didn't have to compromise with curved edges. After owned an s7 edge, I never want to deal with that again. I know they aren't as bad as they used to be, but I still think it's silly to have to compromise with how the light reflects off of curved edges, the accidental touches or touch rejection, finding screen protectors that work, etc. If flat screens are cheaper I dont see why more manufacturers dont choose to go this route on their budget flagships at least (looking at you mi 10 non pro and oneplus 8 non pro).
Body
This phone is very solid and quality feeling. It doesn't have any super outstanding premium feeling that a higher end flagship might give you, but it does not feel cheap at all. The body is your typical metal frame, gorilla glass 5 sandwhich build. I have to say though, I love this two tone color on the back. It's like a black/navy type color that looks really elegant and sexy in my opinion. I hate oreo shaped camera modules but this is the one phone that I think it actually looks good on because of it's simple minimalist design. My favorite part of this phone is the weight and size. It's almost the same as my oneplus 6, in both weight and size, but has a larger screen. To me, that's amazing, because looking at all the new SD865 phones released this year it felt like I was going to have to give up the light weight and compact size of the oneplus 6 to upgrade to a "better" phone. It's one of the smallest and lightest Snapdragon 865 phones available and it IS the smallest and lightest one available with a flat screen, which exactly what I wanted. It just feels soooo comfortable in hand compared to anything else I've recently used. They really nailed the comfort aspect with this phone. I had no idea this was going to matter so much to me until I used the red magic 5g for a week (which isnt even that big or heavy for a gaming phone, there are worse offenders out there like the black shark 3). I can see why some people really want smaller phones now. For me, I like having a big screen, so it's not smaller phones that I want, but phones that have better screen to body and weight ratios.
Sound
Now here's where I found a nice surprise. Good stereo speakers. Never thought I would ever care about having this. I'm a headphone guy, and phone speakers always suck anyways so why would I care (so I thought). These are by far the best phone speakers I've ever heard, and they somehow blew me away even though I've never cared about how good the speakers on a phone were. They get very loud, and they sound very full. Even at the loudest volume setting where I expected the fidelity to deteriorate, it still had nice clear, smooth, full sounding stereo audio. I saw someone on reddit asking for a phone recommendation with good stereo speakers, apparently it was a must for him, and I didn't get why until now. I no longer feel the need to grab my headphones when I want to watch a youtube video, the stereo experience on this is just much better. There is still a con to be talked about however, no headphone jack. Having a headphone jack would have been nice, and even cooler if the phone came with a nice DAC (pretty much the only thing LG does right in their phones). Not a huge deal for me, I would be using bluetooth or a USB DAC anyways if it didnt come with a good internal DAC but it does make things less convenient in a pinch.
Battery and Performance
Well, it has a snapdragon 865, haven't had a single hiccup yet. Phone is blazing fast as expected. Coloros is well optimized too. Battery is good too, I will report screen on times soon. Much better than my red magic 5g so far from what I can tell. The main star of this show though is that 40w wireless charging and 65w wired charging. Charging cable that it came with is kind of short but the phone charges so fast I don't think it matters. 4000mah might seem small compared to alternatives, but coloros is surprisingly very efficient with it, even with 90hz on and all the chinese bloat it came with. Im surprised they managed to fit a battery this size and a 40w wireless charging coil in such a compact and light phone (relative to similar spec phones).
Closing thoughts
I think this is what the OnePlus 8 should have been, and I hope for others that this is what the Realme X3 pro is going to be if not better. There are a lot of things more expensive oneplus 8 is missing out on here, like the 65w charging, wireless charging, flat screen, etc. The only thing I think it has going for it is that it seems like a nicer build/quality phone with better software. I think the Poco F2 pro on the other hand is a solid contender because it actually comes with global software, has a huge battery + great screen on time, has a decent camera and will have a big developer community. I ultimately ended up passing up on this phone because it doesnt have 90hz, wireless charging, 65w charging, doesnt support very many frequencies, has a slower face unlock and cause its a pretty heavy phone (so not as comfortable), but this phone will make sense as a better choice for many others that have different priorities. Pick what suits you and your needs best. All in all, this is a very underrated phone that doesn't get talked enough about outside of Asia. I think if you're interested in the Ace2, feel it fits what you want well at a price that you think is good that you shouldn't be afraid to buy it. It's a great phone and it's worth it. Just note that you may need to do some extra work to make the software experience good for you because of the chinese bloat (as you would need to with any chinese rom phone anyways). Not to say that the software is bad, it's very good software that's just marred by all the extra chinese stuff it comes with that most of us probably dont want or need.
If there's anything more you guys would like to know about any of the phones that I own or have owned please let me know. I'll try to answer them the best I can. Would love to see some form of an Ace2 community grow but I won't be surprised if it's just me even months later.

Inspiring
I think that based on your detailed review (That I read before on reddit) I’m convinced to purchase this phone, the only android experience I’ve had was an old samsung s7 edge so I’m convinced that the ace 2 will be smooth, so one question: can you guide me on how to debloat the phone once I get it?

Returning Home? Back to Sammy?

Haven't had a Note since I sold my note 5 to get a Nexus 6p.. I always loved that phone, the specs, and then pen, but really coveted a vanilla Android experience for a while there. After being torn between nexus, pixel, and OnePlus phones for the last three or four years I've been really considering the 20 ultra..
Verizon is offering me 550 for trade in on the pixel 4 XL and some other incentives if I agree to a 2-year $22 a month payment type thing period sounds like an incredible deal especially including the trade-in value for that 4xl, knowing that even the unlocked 128 gig version and mint condition is probably not going to go much more than 450 if that....
They are requiring me to sign up my family for unlimited, I think I can live with that. Does this seem like a good deal or are there other avenues? I figured out the payments and it was a little under $500 plus the value of my pixel 4 XL..
Definitely have missed the note series something fierce over the years. Any tips? Anybody going caseless? I'm a pretty minimal phone guy, tend to enjoy the spigen thin case for the d brand grip.. definitely enjoy minimalist things but definitely want to increase the grip.. am I dumb for considering this switch or is it a no-brainer?

kickenwing13 said:
Haven't had a Note since I sold my note 5 to get a Nexus 6p.. I always loved that phone, the specs, and then pen, but really coveted a vanilla Android experience for a while there. After being torn between nexus, pixel, and OnePlus phones for the last three or four years I've been really considering the 20 ultra..
Verizon is offering me 550 for trade in on the pixel 4 XL and some other incentives if I agree to a 2-year $22 a month payment type thing period sounds like an incredible deal especially including the trade-in value for that 4xl, knowing that even the unlocked 128 gig version and mint condition is probably not going to go much more than 450 if that....
They are requiring me to sign up my family for unlimited, I think I can live with that. Does this seem like a good deal or are there other avenues? I figured out the payments and it was a little under $500 plus the value of my pixel 4 XL..
Definitely have missed the note series something fierce over the years. Any tips? Anybody going caseless? I'm a pretty minimal phone guy, tend to enjoy the spigen thin case for the d brand grip.. definitely enjoy minimalist things but definitely want to increase the grip.. am I dumb for considering this switch or is it a no-brainer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correction, today's random Verizon chat guy is telling me that doesn't qualify for me even though we just spent two hours going over the unlimited plan based on what last night's rep told me.

The 10+ is still a powerful Note if you can get a good deal and don't mind the fixed refresh rate and slightly slower processor/memory. Go with the 512 gb version and 5G if you need it. I would leave it running on Pie as it's a stable, fast platform with no scoop storage to waste cpu cycles and battery.
Both Notes lack the latest bt chipset and can never support AptX-HD. The most advanced HQ codecs they will ever support is LDAC and SSC. A major Samsung audio upgrade fail. Using the bottom mounted C port for HQ audio is cumbersome at best.
I've been considering upgrading to the 20U. However the price tag, issues with protecting its huge square cam hump,the same bt lackluster audio as the 10+, display complaints and the fact it's running on Q dampen my enthusiasm. My 10+ still is a fast, fun machine that's now fully optimized... so Sammy is that all you got?
Do Not use either without a good case; the only thing they love to do more than corner hit is faceplant. With an almost nonexistent bezel these heavy phones can be easily damaged by a drop onto a hard surface. I recommend the Bolt case. Easy to hold, use and takes a beating like Ali.
A screen protector is highly recommended after the factory installed one (if present) wears out. It saved my screen more than once from marring.
The curved screen on both phones makes finding a screen protector/case much more difficult.
However I make good use of the curved portions with the app One Handed Operation plus... so I've come to really like it.
Both are fun, big, capable machines with drop dead gorgeous displays that are positively addictive to use.
As for deal breaking, tell that reject wannabe used car salesman to go pound sand... AT&T is the next best bet as far as coverage in the US in rural areas.

blackhawk said:
The 10+ is still a powerful Note if you can get a good deal and don't mind the fixed refresh rate and slightly slower processor/memory. Go with the 512 gb version and 5G if you need it. I would leave it running on Pie as it's a stable, fast platform with no scoop storage to waste cpu cycles and battery.
Both Notes lack the latest bt chipset and can never support AptX-HD. The most advanced HQ codecs they will ever support is LDAC and SSC. A major Samsung audio upgrade fail. Using the bottom mounted C port for HQ audio is cumbersome at best.
I've been considering upgrading to the 20U. However the price tag, issues with protecting its huge square cam hump,the same bt lackluster audio as the 10+, display complaints and the fact it's running on Q dampen my enthusiasm. My 10+ still is a fast, fun machine that's now fully optimized... so Sammy is that all you got?
Do Not use either without a good case; the only thing they love to do more than corner hit is faceplant. With an almost nonexistent bezel these heavy phones can be easily damaged by a drop onto a hard surface. I recommend the Bolt case. Easy to hold, use and takes a beating like Ali.
A screen protector is highly recommended after the factory installed one (if present) wears out. It saved my screen more than once from marring.
The curved screen on both phones makes finding a screen protector/case much more difficult.
However I make good use of the curved portions with the app One Handed Operation plus... so I've come to really like it.
Both are fun, big, capable machines with drop dead gorgeous displays that are positively addictive to use.
As for deal breaking, tell that reject wannabe used car salesman to go pound sand... AT&T is the next best bet as far as coverage in the US in rural areas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately I live in one of those counties where AT&t literally doesn't work in my hometown, a small village on a main highway. Family has just been on Verizon so long. Good deal, it would be nice if there was enough competition too go back and forth always taking the best deal like people started doing with TV providers. Thank you for the in-depth breakdown, that certainly slowed down my upgrade train. Been sitting there going back and forth in and out of Samsung website considering ordering since I left the Verizon store.
Currently on the pixel 4 xl. Love it. Just getting frustrated with the face unlock. Being that at work I'm always in a mask. Considered waiting for a Black Friday OnePlus 8 pro deal, still miss my seven pro sometimes just because it ran like a dream and the 12 GB variant

kickenwing13 said:
Unfortunately I live in one of those counties where AT&t literally doesn't work in my hometown, a small village on a main highway. Family has just been on Verizon so long. Good deal, it would be nice if there was enough competition too go back and forth always taking the best deal like people started doing with TV providers. Thank you for the in-depth breakdown, that certainly slowed down my upgrade train. Been sitting there going back and forth in and out of Samsung website considering ordering since I left the Verizon store.
Currently on the pixel 4 xl. Love it. Just getting frustrated with the face unlock. Being that at work I'm always in a mask. Considered waiting for a Black Friday OnePlus 8 pro deal, still miss my seven pro sometimes just because it ran like a dream and the 12 GB variant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just can't imagine going to a Hertz refresh rate screen after being on 90 Hertz for the last year and a half or so

kickenwing13 said:
Unfortunately I live in one of those counties where AT&t literally doesn't work in my hometown, a small village on a main highway. Family has just been on Verizon so long. Good deal, it would be nice if there was enough competition too go back and forth always taking the best deal like people started doing with TV providers. Thank you for the in-depth breakdown, that certainly slowed down my upgrade train. Been sitting there going back and forth in and out of Samsung website considering ordering since I left the Verizon store.
Currently on the pixel 4 xl. Love it. Just getting frustrated with the face unlock. Being that at work I'm always in a mask. Considered waiting for a Black Friday OnePlus 8 pro deal, still miss my seven pro sometimes just because it ran like a dream and the 12 GB variant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T is a pain too.... as they are partnered with Samsung in ways which seldom serves the customer well. In the US they are Verizon's leading competitor with almost as good coverage.
If you can wait, I would for the next generation or even longer.
If not go with the 10+ or 20U whichever you like more. The 10+ will come loaded with Pie hopefully, if so stay on it. I still don't consider Q an upgrade. Pie has been stable and secure for me for over a year.
If you have an account with Verizon talk to their retention dept or whatever they call it. They can offer deals that sales can't many times. Keep beating at them... as long and as many calls as it takes. Time is on your side if you use it.
One of Samsung's greatest charms is customization and no other Android matches it. It's a very desirable smartphone especially if you want to make look it and act like you want it to.
No 3rd party launchers or rooting needed.
Do get PD MDM package blocker to kill the bloatware, block updates you don't want and more.
The way I get around the unlock trash is by not using it; 2 taps the 10+ is on, 2 taps it's off.
Saves resources, time and frustration.

Can we confirm the unlocked version works fine on verizon? I was hoping to get Wi-Fi calling but I do have a network extender so I'm sure there are workarounds like Google voice to do some Wi-Fi calling if I really needed it. Everything I read says it has the technical capabilities but Verizon is making it hard. Can anyone confirm?

blackhawk said:
AT&T is a pain too.... as they are partnered with Samsung in ways which seldom serves the customer well. In the US they are Verizon's leading competitor with almost as good coverage.
If you can wait, I would for the next generation or even longer.
If not go with the 10+ or 20U whichever you like more. The 10+ will come loaded with Pie hopefully, if so stay on it. I still don't consider Q an upgrade. Pie has been stable and secure for me for over a year.
If you have an account with Verizon talk to their retention dept or whatever they call it. They can offer deals that sales can't many times. Keep beating at them... as long and as many calls as it takes. Time is on your side if you use it.
One of Samsung's greatest charms is customization and no other Android matches it. It's a very desirable smartphone especially if you want to make look it and act like you want it to.
No 3rd party launchers or rooting needed.
Do get PD MDM package blocker to kill the bloatware, block updates you don't want and more.
The way I get around the unlock trash is by not using it; 2 taps the 10+ is on, 2 taps it's off.
Saves resources, time and frustration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considered the note 10 plus .. going to start seeing a lot more of them but I guess I'm just worried about that screen. I really have enjoyed 90 hertz. Just having a hard time convincing myself that going back to 60 hertz for anything would be an upgrade no matter how much I would enjoy the pen and Samsung pay and some of the other things that I haven't had a chance to play around with

kickenwing13 said:
Unfortunately I live in one of those counties where AT&t literally doesn't work in my hometown, a small village on a main highway. Family has just been on Verizon so long. Good deal, it would be nice if there was enough competition too go back and forth always taking the best deal like people started doing with TV providers. Thank you for the in-depth breakdown, that certainly slowed down my upgrade train. Been sitting there going back and forth in and out of Samsung website considering ordering since I left the Verizon store.
Currently on the pixel 4 xl. Love it. Just getting frustrated with the face unlock. Being that at work I'm always in a mask. Considered waiting for a Black Friday OnePlus 8 pro deal, still miss my seven pro sometimes just because it ran like a dream and the 12 GB variant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kickenwing13 said:
Considered the note 10 plus .. going to start seeing a lot more of them but I guess I'm just worried about that screen. I really have enjoyed 90 hertz. Just having a hard time convincing myself that going back to 60 hertz for anything would be an upgrade no matter how much I would enjoy the pen and Samsung pay and some of the other things that I haven't had a chance to play around with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't say myself as I never had a refresh rate faster than 60hz. Smoother scrolling be nice...
The 10+ has zero display issues though and may be brighter than the 20U. The fact that the 10+ 512 gb is holding its price well is telling.
Since I have the 10+ running on Pie, the OS is a prime consideration for myself. I have it optimized now, it's a fast, stable, efficient platform as are the apks I'm using. Add to that there's more online support for 10+ (including older Notes) and Pie. Frequently that's what I use to help solve many issues. The cost and learning curve to go to the 20U simply aren't worth it.
Samsung didn't provide enough incentive.
Will you have 5G in the foreseeable future? The 5G variants add more sauce to the goose for trouble.
Q definitely does mean trouble especially after Playstore requires scope storage for all apps. My office app which is free would fail and no equalilant alternatives exist. Some of my favorite apks that use overlays be killed as well.
Google made another mess... I don't have to play in it.
Keep researching the different lines.
No rush though as it will be a buyer's market for quit some time
Do what serves you best and pick which features you want the most.
Either model will be fun or simply wait for a better one to come out.
Here are some current screen shots making use of Good Lock apps, stock Samsung launcher/theme/icon packs with Color Wallpaper apk providing the wallpaper.

blackhawk said:
Can't say myself as I never had a refresh rate faster than 60hz. Smoother scrolling be nice...
The 10+ has zero display issues though and may be brighter than the 20U. The fact that the 10+ 512 gb is holding its price well is telling.
Since I have the 10+ running on Pie, the OS is a prime consideration for myself. I have it optimized now, it's a fast, stable, efficient platform as are the apks I'm using. Add to that there's more online support for 10+ (including older Notes) and Pie. Frequently that's what I use to help solve many issues. The cost and learning curve to go to the 20U simply aren't worth it.
Samsung didn't provide enough incentive.
Will you have 5G in the foreseeable future? The 5G variants add more sauce to the goose for trouble.
Q definitely does mean trouble especially after Playstore requires scope storage for all apps. My office app which is free would fail and no equalilant alternatives exist. Some of my favorite apks that use overlays be killed as well.
Google made another mess... I don't have to play in it.
Keep researching the different lines.
No rush though as it will be a buyer's market for quit some time
Do what serves you best and pick which features you want the most.
Either model will be fun or simply wait for a better one to come out.
Here are some current screen shots making use of Good Lock apps, stock Samsung launcher/theme/icon packs with Color Wallpaper apk providing the wallpaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks dude period pretty sold right now but at least talked into waiting till Black Friday and seeing if they sweeten the pot a little.. if not I may just make a sideways move and go with the pixel five, get the rear fingerprint sensor back which I think is my most missed feature

You are welcome kickwing13.
Major weakness with the P5 is storage.
Even 250 gb isn't enough for me. Currently I have roughly 1 tb of storage, 220 gb alone are used for .wav files.
The P5's blue tooth supports AptX-HD but not LDAC?
That may not matter but it limits your bt audio options.
Samsung on the other hand has their propiatory SSC and LDAC as well but sadly no AptX-HD (or higher) hardware support. The weak bt chipsets in the new Sammy's really ticked me off.
Good wishes making the choice that best suits your needs.
Even with these new big bad phones it you still need to make compromises

blackhawk said:
Can't say myself as I never had a refresh rate faster than 60hz. Smoother scrolling be nice...
The 10+ has zero display issues though and may be brighter than the 20U. The fact that the 10+ 512 gb is holding its price well is telling.
Since I have the 10+ running on Pie, the OS is a prime consideration for myself. I have it optimized now, it's a fast, stable, efficient platform as are the apks I'm using. Add to that there's more online support for 10+ (including older Notes) and Pie. Frequently that's what I use to help solve many issues. The cost and learning curve to go to the 20U simply aren't worth it.
Samsung didn't provide enough incentive.
Will you have 5G in the foreseeable future? The 5G variants add more sauce to the goose for trouble.
Q definitely does mean trouble especially after Playstore requires scope storage for all apps. My office app which is free would fail and no equalilant alternatives exist. Some of my favorite apks that use overlays be killed as well.
Google made another mess... I don't have to play in it.
Keep researching the different lines.
No rush though as it will be a buyer's market for quit some time
Do what serves you best and pick which features you want the most.
Either model will be fun or simply wait for a better one to come out.
Here are some current screen shots making use of Good Lock apps, stock Samsung launcher/theme/icon packs with Color Wallpaper apk providing the wallpaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How's the under the screen ear piece speaker working out?

Limeybastard said:
How's the under the screen ear piece speaker working out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works fine on calls. Ok for vids but if you want anything the sounds good you need put the Buds in.
For music it's dreadful... not really a surprise*.
Any improvement on the 20U?
*this is on the 10+

blackhawk said:
Works fine on calls. Ok for vids but if you want anything the sounds good you need put the Buds in.
For music it's dreadful... not really a surprise*.
Any improvement on the 20U?
*this is on the 10+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never owned a note 10 plus to compare with to be honest. I'm wondering if it didn't work out well hence the n20u didn't implement this type of ear piece. The note 10 plus has the pen on the correct side though? ?

Limeybastard said:
I never owned a note 10 plus to compare with to be honest. I'm wondering if it didn't work out well hence the n20u didn't implement this type of ear piece. The note 10 plus has the pen on the correct side though?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first Note, it's on the right side.
Lol, the power button isn't though and they forgot the 3 5 mm jack they use to raze Apple for removing. Maybe the next Note will have the spen going through the middle of the screen... for convenience.

blackhawk said:
My first Note, it's on the right side.
Lol, the power button isn't though and they forgot the 3 5 mm jack they use to raze Apple for removing. Maybe the next Note will have the spen going through the middle of the screen... for convenience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd hazard a guess they'll put it back to the right side.

Limeybastard said:
I'd hazard a guess they'll put it back to the right side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You never know what that box of rabid gerbils will brain storm next... maybe all the buttons will be on the right side.
The button thing doesn't really bother me but the 3.5 mm jack does.
No jack makes audio diagnostics harder too. Lol, that cost Samsung an open box special from me... suck it up Sammy.

Took advantage of 300 of through Best Buy. Probably could have held off until Thanksgiving but was happy with 300 off

kickenwing13 said:
Took advantage of 300 of through Best Buy. Probably could have held off until Thanksgiving but was happy with 300 off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best buy has the unlocked with no activation available currently for 1099 plus tax. According to their black friday flier they'll have 450 off with activation later for black friday probably off the original msrp of 1299.. But by the time you pay for a months of service and stop service etc get unlocked blah blah that savings figure will shrink.
In any case I personally wouldn't even consider a single sim device, especially at this price point.

Limeybastard said:
Best buy has the unlocked with no activation available currently for 1099 plus tax. According to their black friday flier they'll have 450 off with activation later for black friday probably off the original msrp of 1299.. But by the time you pay for a months of service and stop service etc get unlocked blah blah that savings figure will shrink.
In any case I personally wouldn't even consider a single sim device, especially at this price point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understandable for sure. I'm sure something better will pop up closer to Thanksgiving and I'll kick myself a little bit. But still excited, this is as future proof as any device I could get in 2020 for my needs and it keeps me from having to use my 2012 Galaxy note 10.1 anytime I want to mess around with an s pen.

Thinking Of Coming From a OP 8 Pro

Has anyone come from the OnePlus 8 Pro? Or any larger sized devices (in terms of display size)?
I'm thinking of getting the Pixel because I miss stock Android, plus OP has moved from their "lightweight" version to a more heavy skinned OS with A11.
The biggest thing holding me back is the smaller display. I'm so used to big screens and I do a lot of typing on my phone, which leaves me curious about the typing experience on a smaller screen as well.
The only other concern is the top speaker as many YouTube reviews mention it's horrible, even for call quality. Call quality is another reason I want to come back to Pixel. My carrier doesn't support OnePlus devices, so VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling don't work properly. There are ways to try to get this to work but I'm not bothered and would rather just have a device that has those things working out of the box.
Any insights would be appreciated! Hoping there is a Boxing Day sale for the device here in Canada as the current price of $800 is quite heavy. Thanks in advance!

I came from a OnePlus 6T, the smaller screen hasn't bothered me one bit. I'm 6 foot with bigger than average hands and I'm more than happy typing on the screen.

I came from the OP7Pro so pretty similar to what you were working with.
I didn't notice it was a little smaller when I first got the P5 but not felt it's too small and very quickly got used to it. I find it to be a much more comfortable phone to hold compared to my OP7Pro and have no regrets moving in this direction!

I came from the OnePlus 6t, much the same as stringy, I'm 6'4 with larger hands and turn 50 this year yet I have no problem with the smaller phone, can see everything just fine and I'll say I actually prefer it. Typing is a little smaller all around but manageable and after a few days I've adjusted well. I can reach top to bottom on the screen with my thumb where my 6t it was a stretch. I actually ordered this and an s20 fe at the same time, the s20 was for my wife and I had to use it to set it all up for her and can say comparing the two, the pixel gets my vote. The s20, even with the 'better specs' was sluggish and after using the pixel for a day before hers arrived I had already adjusted to the pixel and an happy with my choice.

Thanks for the replies!
Seems like the majority of users actually enjoy the smaller form factor even coming from larger devices. It's really the biggest thing stopping me but it seems I should keep an open mind and give it a try.
How about call quality? Is that under-screen earpiece satisfactory?

Came from and went back to oneplus 6t. But mostly for the dual (physical) SIM that I really need and also because after 2 weeks on the pixel I couldn't notice a huge reason to stay with it. It's a great phone with a much better battery than the 6t but after the novelty wore off I could have gone both ways. Photos were important but MJL gcam is a beast so that was another factor. Pixel camera is still better though.
I also missed some of the oneplus software details like brightness slider coming down to thumbs reach as opposed to staying at the way top in the pixel and long pressing an app to uninstall. This was minimal though.
The screen and sound on the pixel I think we're great. Pixel is also noticeably lighter.
While I could still sell the pixel for a reasonable price I thought I would stay with the oneplus for another year.

rickysidhu_ said:
How about call quality? Is that under-screen earpiece satisfactory?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I thought I referenced call quality in my initial response, but indeed I did not. I can't say it's good, or bad really but rather just different. I have not had an issue with not being able to hear anyone, nor them me. Speaker phone, playing games, videos etc do not sound bad but at full volume I do not care for the sound. It's like I said, just different. Would I prefer a traditional speaker at the top? Yes. But I also appreciate the full display and no cutout for the speaker or a forehead so...ehhh..I guess sound to a degree is a bit of personal preference and with that said, it's not a deal breaker for me.

I came from the OP7 Pro and it was the best move compared to others in the past for me.
I like the weight, the size, the OS and most important: you'll get OS-updates on time every singe month.
So, do it! ✌

ulxerker said:
I came from the OP7 Pro and it was the best move compared to others in the past for me.
I like the weight, the size, the OS and most important: you'll get OS-updates on time every singe month.
So, do it! ✌
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. That's one of the things that bothered me with OnePlus. I had the OnePlus 1, 3t, 6 and 6t. The more phones they come out with, the less the older phones get updated. The 6t I came from was great for 6 months in regards to updates then it started to fall down the list with the 7, 7 pro, 7t, 7t pro, 8, 8 pro, nord and the 8t all piled on in less than 2 years, the 6t has all but been forgotten. Sure, a security patch here and there but really, that's it. I was running lineage when I finally said I'm done. No fault of lineage tho, ran great but the phone started to have gps issues and call drops. I had the original Nexus, Nexus 6P and decided on the pixel 5. At least I know what to expect going forward with updates.

I'm going to head into a Best Buy today to check the device out in person, will give me a better idea of the screen size.
Really appreciate everyone's input!

rickysidhu_ said:
I'm going to head into a Best Buy today to check the device out in person, will give me a better idea of the screen size.
Really appreciate everyone's input!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really the best thing you could do. I did not check it out in person because I don't often do things like that, you know... logical lol. I'm more spur of the moment but I feel I got it right this time, thankfully. I will say hardware wise the phone should have cost $599. Not saying it's not worth $699 but there's several phones at this price that on paper out spec the pixel. The OnePlus 8t, galaxy s20 fe are two examples where you get more hardware for the cost but the pixel offers a great experience to the end user with less hardware. Would you rather pay for the hardware or the software? I guess it just shows how much better Google's stock version of Android actually is when you have software that's been designed for the hardware vs muscling the software by the hardware. Your call. Be interested in hearing what you decide.

rickysidhu_ said:
Has anyone come from the OnePlus 8 Pro? Or any larger sized devices (in terms of display size)?
I'm thinking of getting the Pixel because I miss stock Android, plus OP has moved from their "lightweight" version to a more heavy skinned OS with A11.
The biggest thing holding me back is the smaller display. I'm so used to big screens and I do a lot of typing on my phone, which leaves me curious about the typing experience on a smaller screen as well.
The only other concern is the top speaker as many YouTube reviews mention it's horrible, even for call quality. Call quality is another reason I want to come back to Pixel. My carrier doesn't support OnePlus devices, so VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling don't work properly. There are ways to try to get this to work but I'm not bothered and would rather just have a device that has those things working out of the box.
Any insights would be appreciated! Hoping there is a Boxing Day sale for the device here in Canada as the current price of $800 is quite heavy. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
I actually moved from an OP 8T to an OP 8 Pro and now i'm owning an Pixel 5
The main reason for that is the size and weight of the phone, its very nice to have such a "small" phone in my hands...
Before switching i was thinking about a few points. 90/120 Hz Display is a musthave now - so everything is fine. Fingerprint on the back is a bit "oldschool", but works great and i cann afford with it!
The only thing i was missing first time was the customizable OS like Oxygen, but now i didnt miss any option...
So i'm happy about my change, but always rember - its not such a big flagship like OP 8 Pro. Thats fact, even if you will not recognice much difference!

Thanks for the added input. I really appreciate and value everyone's opinions, as it is helping me decide significantly!
So I went into Best Buy yesterday and got some hands on time with the Pixel 5. That screen size is definitely noticeably smaller than my 8 Pro. Had them both side by side and the difference is quite grand. However, I tested typing on the Pixel and it's not so small where my thumbs are hitting one another or something, haha, so I think the screen size is not as big of an issue as I originally thought it would be.
Also tested that earpiece speaker and although it's not very loud, it didn't seem deal-breaker level bad. And that's me saying this while testing in a very loud store.
Didn't have the chance to test call quality but just hearing the speaker by playing a YouTube video, I don't think I'll have any issue.
Performance seemed off, though. They had two Pixel 5s side by side. One took a solid few seconds to open the calculator app whereas the other took just a second or so. Maybe the Pixels being demo models had something to do with performance inconsistency, but it was something noteworthy.
On the contrary, Google Maps opened faster than my 8 Pro which was very surprising, given Maps is a much heavier application vs the calculator app. And it was surprising also because my animation speed is set to .04x on my 8 Pro whereas the Pixel in-store probably had the default 1.0x.
My cousin has the Pixel 4 and I think it also shares the same processor as the P5, and seeing his apps open looked a bit slow, but maybe the software optimization is a bit different on the 5, or maybe other factors were in play, such as number of apps installed, background apps, background services running, and so on.
All these things aside, the most significant thing is Canadian pricing. It's $799 here, a bit steep. The Best Buy rep suggested I wait until Dec 26 (Boxing Day) or simply call my carrier to see if they have any deals or promos they can give me. I think this pricing is going to end up becoming the ultimate deciding factor for me, as opposed to performance and speaker/call quality.
I will keep this thread updated with what ends up happening, and any additional input from anyone is always welcome! Thanks again everyone for taking the time out to share your experiences, it really is a big help!

I came from the Pixel 4 XL, only because I just always like the latest so the phone size/screen size definitely felt smaller especially cuz I'm tall with kinda big hands, the stereo speakers were a little low and not as good but not the worst but I actually made them better installing Viper mod lol other than that battery is great better than previous Pixels and after 2 months I'm actually use to the screen size now and punch hole so not really any complaints but I do still wish they made an XL version and I would have gotten that instead. So I'll say go for it you won't be disappointed and at least you get the latest updates from Google first.

Pulled the trigger and ordered one! Just black, should arrive 25-28. Although I doubt it will come on the 25th lol.
Pretty excited now! Will keep you guys updated on my initial thoughts once I receive it and have some time to play around.
Thank you all for helping me make a decision! It was tough figuring out how I can go from a "flagship" to a "mid-ranger". But your input helped me a lot!

The screen on the P5 is rather washed out in comparison to the 8 pro, while running both at full brightness. The processor speed is noticeably in favor of the 8 pro. Scrolling on the 8 pro is far better experience , even at 60hz, versus the P5 at 90hz, since it skips and snags with fast scrolling at 90hz. The P5 has the FAR better size, hand feel and the flatter screen is a godsend. The P5 battery life is excellent. I also find the P5 signal has better signal in my area over the 8 pro. The P5 should have been released at $500. I think it cuts too many corners for $700. Get a used OnePlus 8 (non pro) for $400 used and that may be a better option.

rickysidhu_ said:
Pulled the trigger and ordered one! Just black, should arrive 25-28. Although I doubt it will come on the 25th lol.
Pretty excited now! Will keep you guys updated on my initial thoughts once I receive it and have some time to play around.
Thank you all for helping me make a decision! It was tough figuring out how I can go from a "flagship" to a "mid-ranger". But your input helped me a lot!
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You're welcome ... you won't regret it if you give yourself some time to get used to it and give the phone some time to settle in.

I just switched from the 8T yesterday, I was on vacation last week and was thoroughly fed up with the terrible camera so I sprung for the 5. It's definitely a lot smaller, I don't think I'll be able to get used to it as others here did, but it's also a pretty great device. I also haven't noticed a difference in the 865 vs 765 in my workload, though others will vary. I'll probably be keeping the P5 until an XL version comes out.

JedixJarf said:
I just switched from the 8T yesterday, I was on vacation last week and was thoroughly fed up with the terrible camera so I sprung for the 5. It's definitely a lot smaller, I don't think I'll be able to get used to it as others here did, but it's also a pretty great device. I also haven't noticed a difference in the 865 vs 765 in my workload, though others will vary. I'll probably be keeping the P5 until an XL version comes out.
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I thought the same in regards to it's size but honestly, it grew on me

0

Should I buy one now

Hi All,
I was wondering what you guys think of the phone now 8 months down the line. I am getting this at a good price around £650 for a good condition used phone on ebay. I was wondering if you guys think most of its problems have been fixed by now.
Just to give you a background, I currently have a note 9 and frankly I am very happy with this phone but it is old now and I am itching to upgrade to something newer, primarily for the cameras and 120hz refresh rate. I did buy the S21 ultra on pre-order but was really disappointed with the camera performance as I found the images my exynos variant produced to be very soft and noisy and not as sharp/clear as my note 9 and overall the phone felt like a big compromise (no s-pen, no sd card, no headphone jack) after paying £1300, so I sent it back. The camera and screen are the primary reasons for me to upgrade and I expect at least decent battery life (maybe 6-7 hours SOT with youtube abd browsing). I do use the S-Pen every now and then and think it would be a good to have. I know the note 20 ultra doesnt support WQHD+ and 120hz at the same time but at the price im getting it at i think this is a compromise i am willing to make since i mostly use my phone at FHD+ anyway and I can barely tell the difference.
I know there was talk about the exynos variant being bad when compared to the SD 865+ version but frankly I am not a gamer and dont need my phone to be ultra powerful. But what i would like to know from you guys is whether the software updates over the past 8 months have fixed most of the issues with battery life and camera performance. Those of you coming from the s10 range or the note 10+ / Note 9 etc. How would you say the camera is on the Note 20 U? Do you guys think its a good buy now? Or should I just give it a miss and hang on to the note 9 till they stop the security patches? Any advise is appreciated.

I have a mate who upgraded from the Note 9 to the Note 20 Ultra. He was VERY impressed with the differences...
He has the Exynos variant but when there is no other phones to compare but what you already have he's happy...
It all comes down to you, go to a store, play with a demo version and make up your mind.

I've upgraded from S10e Exynos with 4,5 screen on time maximum and terrible idle battery drain to Note 20 Ultra Snapdragon. First week was thinking to give it back because it was too big for me and those rounded edges always made me typos. Then I've get used to it, set the keyboard paddings from edges and finally bought nice case (I never used any cases before) and now I'm totally happy with it. I as far as I've read it's almost impossible to get 7-8 screen on time on Exynos variant. I got around 7 on my Snapdragon version but never tested it with gaming so I can not tell yet how good the battery is. I can tell that Qualcomm modem is much better in sense of keeping good connection and speed and very good keeping battery in idle state. Considering the camera - it's much better that in my old S10e ofcourse but I don't use it often so can't say I care about it much. What I love about my new Note 20 ultra Snapdragon is I've rooted it to tweak some small things here and there and now totally feel it's mine. I've rooted my past phones around 5 years ago last time.
Not sure if anything I said will help you but if you have any questions I would be glad to answer.

Thanks guys really useful. As mentioned I don't really need a new phone as my current phone does pretty much what I need it to. But I am itching to upgrade and I don't want to end up being stuck with something that I feel is not as good as my current phone. I currently average 4-5 hours screen on time on my 2 year old note 9 which I think is good for an old phone so hoping to get more. The S21U was good battery wise I got 7 hours SOT with 10% remaining. But the cameras were a let down for the price. I might just wait a couple of months and pick one used if they fix the camera with software updates as the price difference doesn't seem that much like a barely used S21U is going for around 850 on ebay so might be worth the extra 200 vs the note 20 ultra. Especially because I heard a lot of bad things about the n20u battery in particular.

Hi, @eldrid
I upgraded (downgraded considering the cost/storage, lol) from the Note9 (512GB) to the Note20 Ultra (128GB) with Android 11/One UI 3.1.
Have you considered replacing the battery in your Note9? Maybe have the battery replaced and purchase the N20U?
I don't use the camera much, but hopefully one of the forum members will give you some feedback on the N9 vs N20U cameras.
I can hear the Note20 Ultra camera *rattle* but I think this is normal??
If you purchase the N20, you may not want to update the phone to Android 11 (scoped storage, bugs galore, etc...).
I enjoy using the N9 more than the N20U because of the OS and the apps function without issue.
I detest Android 11, ahem, and think it contributes to my attitude of the N20U. N9 is the Beast!

I haven't had note 9 earlier but for me the note 20 ultra is perfect.
We get 1080p with 120hz (sure only 1080p but battery friendly and do you even notice higher res on regular basis?)
Sdcard slot, perfect for pictures, movies, big files and so on, also very easy to swap. (cloud exist but what about vacation or if u got limited data)
Very good cameras, still one of the best out there.
Very good performance with snapdragon 865+, even the exynos one is good. Recent updates have made it better than release version.
S-pen in a slot, no ugly weird case and all functions works perfectly.
The design is also very modern and future proof, I mean the front is almost all display.
People even speculate that this could be the last note ever, so if I were u, I would really consider note 20u if u liked your note 9 and want something better.

I've had my Note 20 Ultra Exynos version since launch, and it's a lot better now than it was when it first came out in both battery life & performance, I also don't game on phone's so it's been more than fine for me.
The camera has also been on point for me as well I've not been disappointed with any pictures or videos I've taken with it.
For 650 quid i think it's well worth it for what you get.

Thanks a ton guys for the honest advice. I finally picked an almost new one for £650 on ebay. They offer a 30 day return so fingers crossed i hope it works out. I won't be selling my note 9 just yet so I will have some time to compare side by side and see what it's like. I am sure it's an upgrade in many regards. But the three key things for me are 1)screen and I'm sure that's great I don't use wqhd and will be perfectly happy with the adaptive 1080 120hz. 2)The cameras... This is one area I am not sure how it will be... This is a very subjective area but I like my images to be sharp and I noticed on the S21U the images were soft and fuzzy not crisp like on the note 9. And 3) is battery life... I still get around 5 hours from the note 9 which is great so I hope to get at least that much. Will keep you guys posted on how it goes over the next few days. I feel like @650 there won't be much to complain about. I was really upset with the s21 ultra as I had paid full price for it and it (£1300) and it felt like a downgrade. Seems like the more modern Samsung phones while powerful are compromising on the basics and are not what they used to be 2 years ago.

Finally got the note20u and frankly I am quite happy with it. I am getting pretty good SOT and plus i used Bluetooth headphones for at least an hour. Considering that I think the battery life is good. Also the camera software seems to be ironed out and the image sharpness is much better than the current image quality on the S21U 1st pic is from note 20u and 2nd from s21u. Overall I think it was a good buy. I would never recommend anyone buying a Samsung phone at launch as the software is very unpolished and you pay a huge amount for an unfinished product. Comparing the experience i have with this nearly new note 20u for 650 is great compared to the ****ty experience the s21u offers for £1200 plus no sd card support or charger in the box. Very good value overall at £650

I upgraded from my still pristine Note 9 and found it a very worthy successor. From the enhanced Dex and S-pen features to the improved cameras, the Note 20 Ultra has provided me with a great user experience. Given Samsung's quest for becoming more -like and shedding features left and right, the Note 20 Ultra is the closest to what the Note line once was: the no holds barred, everything but the kitchen sink, no compromises, Note. I don't know if there is a Note 21 Ultra in the works and if there is it will probably include less features than the Note 20 Ultra offers.

Medevac1 said:
I upgraded from my still pristine Note 9 and found it a very worthy successor. From the enhanced Dex and S-pen features to the improved cameras, the Note 20 Ultra has provided me with a great user experience. Given Samsung's quest for becoming more -like and shedding features left and right, the Note 20 Ultra is the closest to what the Note line once was: the no holds barred, everything but the kitchen sink, no compromises, Note. I don't know if there is a Note 21 Ultra in the works and if there is it will probably include less features than the Note 20 Ultra offers.
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Absolutely agree. Probably why i was finding it hard to part with my note 9 as well. What a great 0 compromise device. I really hate how Samsung were originally the anti apple and a premium alternative for those that didn't want to chain themselves to apple. But now they're becoming more like apple taking away our choice.
Rumours are that there will be a watered down fan edition only this year and that the s-pen toting phone is going to be the fold from now on. If its true its a poor farewell to the note. I say they should bring back the headphone jack, sd card and pack the box with goodies. Make the whole experience of buying a premium flagship feel premium again.

eldrid said:
Absolutely agree. Probably why i was finding it hard to part with my note 9 as well. What a great 0 compromise device. I really hate how Samsung were originally the anti apple and a premium alternative for those that didn't want to chain themselves to apple. But now they're becoming more like apple taking away our choice.
Rumours are that there will be a watered down fan edition only this year and that the s-pen toting phone is going to be the fold from now on. If its true its a poor farewell to the note. I say they should bring back the headphone jack, sd card and pack the box with goodies. Make the whole experience of buying a premium flagship premium again.
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The 10+ was the last Note before Q. After Q things started going south and 11 is even worse.
Between Android and Samsung's "improvements" it's been a dismal year.
Everything's coming up psuedo Apples... and I mean that in the most derogatory way.
As for the Fold series it has been a self made disaster for Samsung. Overpriced and unreliable.
Samsung, you do know the definition of insanity don't you? Apparently not.

Late to the party here but I'm happy with my N20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon soc I imported from Hong Kong.
I wouldn't of been keen to buy a used phone from ebay due to the amount that get imei locked a few weeks / months after receiving it.

BandOfBrothers1 said:
I wouldn't of been keen to buy a used phone from ebay due to the amount that get imei locked a few weeks / months after receiving it.
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How can you avoid that from happening 100%?
Is it that common?

blackhawk said:
How can you avoid that from happening 100%?
Is it that common?
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It's something I've come across way too often throughout the years on forums.
A person sells a phone on ebay and then fraudulently claims it lost or stolen.
Auction Sites need to tighten up and introduce even more protection for the buyer as well as the seller.

BandOfBrothers1 said:
It's something I've come across way too often throughout the years on forums.
A person sells a phone on ebay and then fraudulently claims it lost or stolen.
Auction Sites need to tighten up and introduce even more protection for the buyer as well as the seller.
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Doing that in the USA be incurring multiple federal felonies.

BandOfBrothers1 said:
Late to the party here but I'm happy with my N20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon soc I imported from Hong Kong.
I wouldn't of been keen to buy a used phone from ebay due to the amount that get imei locked a few weeks / months after receiving it.
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Damn didn't know that happens. I got mine from a business seller with 100% ratings so looks like hes been at it for a while with no issues. He claims the phones are customer returns from the official Samsung store and would barely have any usage if at all. And everything looked the part it seemed brand spanking new, scratchless and even no signs wear or dust in the usb c port. Also he had a whole batch of 7-8 to sell so everything sounded legit. Let's hope everything works out well.
On a separate note. I thought id use the phone without a screen protector for a few days while the tempered glass one I ordered arrives and so removed the factory one. After a day or so i have already noticed a couple of micro scratches on the screen visible at certain angles. This is with careful use at home. I feel like this whole gorilla glass thing is just market hype.

blackhawk said:
Doing that in the USA be incurring multiple federal felonies.
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I wouldn't worry about it too much. The only reason someone would do that is to be malicious and most people are not. I doubt the seller has a personal vendetta against you. He got his money and will move on.
I have had the N20U since release and have no issues and at this point is a good as it gets functionally.