General I hope it doesn't have a curved screen - Google Pixel 7 Pro

I really want to go back to a Pixel but I can't do the curved screens. I'm one of those people who actually puts his phones in a case and they don't work well with curved screens.
EDIT 10/6: Pre-ordered 7 Pro. The trade in for my 12 Pro Max with Best Buy was just too good to pass up, essentially makes the phone free once I find something to use the gift card for.

EtherealRemnant said:
I really want to go back to a Pixel but I can't do the curved screens. I'm one of those people who actually puts his phones in a case and they don't work well with curved screens.
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I use the Zizo Bolt with my Samsung N10+'s and it works very well. Occasionally causes cut/paste problems but going to landscape fixes that. Prevents accidental touches and keeps the phone undamaged. The curved screens absolutely need cases with -slightly- higher than display right/left edge guards or they will likely get destroyed.
Do Pixel's have any curve nested apps like Samsung ie One Handed Operation plus? Otherwise empty curves are sort of wasted space. I use both sides as app launchers and to control various switches.
At first I wasn't sure about the curve display but after a couple months I started to prefer curved over flat. Much easier to keep clean and great for vids. I don't even think about them now after over 2 years. Visually it took some adjustment for me... the visual cortex adapts and integrates.

It has a curved screen. The sneak peak during I/O made that clear.

I'd go back to a Pixel if it didn't suck. P6 was a f&[email protected]( disaster, and still is.

If you don't want a curved screen you can go for Pixel 7 instead of Pro. It has a flat screen!

hemstheworthy said:
If you don't want a curved screen you can go for Pixel 7 instead of Pro. It has a flat screen!
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It's rumored to have a 6.2" screen which is too small.
I guess Google doesn't want my business so I'll stick with OnePlus.

EtherealRemnant said:
It's rumored to have a 6.2" screen which is too small.
I guess Google doesn't want my business so I'll stick with OnePlus.
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One Plus seems to be putting out some good models. Google is more screwed up than Samsung and Sammy's pretty screwed up nowadays.

blackhawk said:
One Plus seems to be putting out some good models. Google is more screwed up than Samsung and Sammy's pretty screwed up nowadays.
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Yeah but OnePlus keeps screwing up the software and there isn't even an MSM Tool for the 10 Pro so if you brick it, which seems to be way too easy to do on OnePlus devices (I have done it multiple times on my 9 despite doing everything right when trying to flash a custom ROM and would have been in a situation if the MSM Tool wasn't available), you are screwed.
Additionally, they have been throttling CPU performance. My Geekbench single core score on the latest OOS 12 is around 800 which makes my 888 slower than the 865. They changed the way they do the throttle as well, it can no longer be disabled with a Magisk tweak. OnePlus' answer to all of us who are complaining about how unresponsive the browser and other operations can be? Toggle high performance mode to force the phone to use high clocks all the time, even when idle, at the cost of much higher power consumption and heat than if they just left the processor alone to begin with. They haven't released OOS12 kernel source that's usable either so no custom kernel around to fix it unless you flash to a custom ROM.
So yeah, I feel like I'm being forced to go back to iOS. At least Apple listens to feedback and fixes bugs, OnePlus doesn't even seem to care about that anymore, and Apple doesn't throttle their SoCs, has prompt updates (OnePlus has been giving India updates first and has been leaving EU and global a month behind and we were already multiple months behind China), and has incredible battery life without having to disable basically every premium feature in the phone.
And yeah, Samsung is a no go for me since the Note 5. Swore that would be my last Samsung and as long as they encrypt the bootloader on Snapdragon variants, I will stick to that.
I guess I better start saving for that 14 Pro Max......

EtherealRemnant said:
Yeah but OnePlus keeps screwing up the software and there isn't even an MSM Tool for the 10 Pro so if you brick it, which seems to be way too easy to do on OnePlus devices (I have done it multiple times on my 9 despite doing everything right when trying to flash a custom ROM and would have been in a situation if the MSM Tool wasn't available), you are screwed.
Additionally, they have been throttling CPU performance. My Geekbench single core score on the latest OOS 12 is around 800 which makes my 888 slower than the 865. They changed the way they do the throttle as well, it can no longer be disabled with a Magisk tweak. OnePlus' answer to all of us who are complaining about how unresponsive the browser and other operations can be? Toggle high performance mode to force the phone to use high clocks all the time, even when idle, at the cost of much higher power consumption and heat than if they just left the processor alone to begin with. They haven't released OOS12 kernel source that's usable either so no custom kernel around to fix it unless you flash to a custom ROM.
So yeah, I feel like I'm being forced to go back to iOS. At least Apple listens to feedback and fixes bugs, OnePlus doesn't even seem to care about that anymore, and Apple doesn't throttle their SoCs, has prompt updates (OnePlus has been giving India updates first and has been leaving EU and global a month behind and we were already multiple months behind China), and has incredible battery life without having to disable basically every premium feature in the phone.
And yeah, Samsung is a no go for me since the Note 5. Swore that would be my last Samsung and as long as they encrypt the bootloader on Snapdragon variants, I will stick to that.
I guess I better start saving for that 14 Pro Max......
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A sad state of ball dropping screwups when an Apple starts looking like a viable alternative.
The only flagship Samsung I would recommend is the Note 10+ N975U1. The Beast is a sublime work horse that just keeps running. New can be had loaded with Android 10, but forget trying to root this variant. It runs well stock though.
After that Samsung started going downhill, more hype than meat. If Samsung had a good new flagship it be in my hand.
Between Google Android 11/12, Samsung's no SD card and other insanities, I went with my second new N10+; twins. The one in my hand will be 3 yo this September, current load is 2 yo.
No detectable display degradation of any kind in spite of thousands of hours of use. It looks and runs like new. The only repair has been a replacement battery, due for another soon as it's heavily used. It's a dual drive 1.5tb machine that doesn't run out of ram.
It's a snappy fast phone that's still fun and fulfills its mission. I'm good for another 2-3+ years. Whatever... I'm not buying the hype or the junk.

blackhawk said:
A sad state of ball dropping screwups when an Apple starts looking like a viable alternative.
The only flagship Samsung I would recommend is the Note 10+ N975U1. The Beast is a sublime work horse that just keeps running. New can be had loaded with Android 10, but forget trying to root this variant. It runs well stock though.
After that Samsung started going downhill, more hype than meat. If Samsung had a good new flagship it be in my hand.
Between Google Android 11/12, Samsung's no SD card and other insanities, I went with my second new N10+; twins. The one in my hand will be 3 yo this September, current load is 2 yo.
No detectable display degradation of any kind in spite of thousands of hours of use. It looks and runs like new. The only repair has been a replacement battery, due for another soon as it's heavily used. It's a dual drive 1.5tb machine that doesn't run out of ram.
It's a snappy fast phone that's still fun and fulfills its mission. I'm good for another 2-3+ years. Whatever... I'm not buying the hype or the junk.
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I was on iOS from 2017 until 2021. Had the 8 Plus, XS Max, and still have my 12 Pro Max lying here. The lack of customization for notifications bugs me and the annoyance of having to manually sign apps to sideload them was obnoxious but I can live without customization and sideloading if I have a device that just performs well. Apple's hardware is solid too, I didn't have a single hardware issue with any of them.
I can't bring myself to buy anything but new flagships. I would just feel like I threw money away if I went to an older device, even if it's stable. This is obviously a psychological issue, I have many of those lol, but it is what it is. The OnePlus works fine on OOS11 for the most part but again, I can't bring myself to be okay with not running Android 12. I am actually pretty annoyed with some issues with the Indian ROM I flashed on here though so I may just decide to stick with OOS11, root it, and disable the performance throttling either with a custom kernel or by the Magisk module I mentioned because I would probably be able to accept that tradeoff but I always get FOMO whenever a new update comes out.
It's good that you found something you are happy with though. I haven't been totally happy with a phone since the HTC U11 although I will say the 12 Pro Max was close and if it wasn't for the fact that my cheap MVNO doesn't have a carrier bundle on iOS which cost me 5G access, I probably would have just stuck with it. Since I held onto it though and paid in full for my 9, I have a $650 trade in value which will probably drop to $450-$500 when the 14 models drop in the fall which makes the price tag much easier to swallow.
I have some hope OnePlus may get it right with Android 13 so I'm going to see how that goes but if not, and no other viable options (has to have compatibility with all US carriers, has to have an unlockable bootloader, has to have at least a 6.4" screen that's not curved, and has to have at least 8GB of RAM), it's back to Apple.

EtherealRemnant said:
I was on iOS from 2017 until 2021. Had the 8 Plus, XS Max, and still have my 12 Pro Max lying here. The lack of customization for notifications bugs me and the annoyance of having to manually sign apps to sideload them was obnoxious but I can live without customization and sideloading if I have a device that just performs well. Apple's hardware is solid too, I didn't have a single hardware issue with any of them.
I can't bring myself to buy anything but new flagships. I would just feel like I threw money away if I went to an older device, even if it's stable. This is obviously a psychological issue, I have many of those lol, but it is what it is. The OnePlus works fine on OOS11 for the most part but again, I can't bring myself to be okay with not running Android 12. I am actually pretty annoyed with some issues with the Indian ROM I flashed on here though so I may just decide to stick with OOS11, root it, and disable the performance throttling either with a custom kernel or by the Magisk module I mentioned because I would probably be able to accept that tradeoff but I always get FOMO whenever a new update comes out.
It's good that you found something you are happy with though. I haven't been totally happy with a phone since the HTC U11 although I will say the 12 Pro Max was close and if it wasn't for the fact that my cheap MVNO doesn't have a carrier bundle on iOS which cost me 5G access, I probably would have just stuck with it. Since I held onto it though and paid in full for my 9, I have a $650 trade in value which will probably drop to $450-$500 when the 14 models drop in the fall which makes the price tag much easier to swallow.
I have some hope OnePlus may get it right with Android 13 so I'm going to see how that goes but if not, and no other viable options (has to have compatibility with all US carriers, has to have an unlockable bootloader, has to have at least a 6.4" screen that's not curved, and has to have at least 8GB of RAM), it's back to Apple.
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Android 9 may be the best. Haven't played much with the Android 10 N10+ but noticed Karma Firewall lost it's valuable logging feature due to it.
My old free copy of WPS Office works in both version as do most of my trusted overlay apps.
Android 9 and above are all reasonably secure unless you do something stupid. No malware on this 2 yo Pie load yet.
I use Poweramp as my player, just my music files alone are over 225gb.
An SD card is mandatory. I can do a full reload with no internet connection; the SD card is the data drive which is backed up redundantly. Even has all my apps as installable copies, no Playstore needed. So a factory reset isn't that big of a deal if I have to... anytime, anywhere.
Only the DCIM folder (backed up regularly to the data drive), the download folder and the installed apps go on the internal memory. No cloud anything needed or wanted other than Gmail.
So the hardware and firmware aren't my prime consideration, why should they be? It was a step learning curve to optimize these devices. Them fulfilling their mission is my primary consideration. I'm an Android pragmatist, I got out of the Samsung/ Android hype loop over 6 years ago. If not proven good, I'm not using it.
Got lucky with the N10+... always wanted a Note.
Firmware upgrades and updates (apps as well) can and do break things. No need to constantly be chasing the loose ends they create, so I don't.
Pretty much solid play time... that's the plan

Pro version will have a curve screen ... that is a problem with most manufacturer now
i am not a fan of curve screen too.. i went to get p6 and it is ok at first then it has bugs soon after .. another pain is for countries which is not officially sold, it wont be able to use VoLTE and VoWiFi. Need to root and modify the xml ... ah well cant say much about that since it is not official sold.
Seems like OP also is not so great now since they are under OPPO now and Sammy is just too expensive now with more or less not so exiting tech.
Other china phones? that is another story

blackhawk said:
Android 9 may be the best. Haven't played much with the Android 10 N10+ but noticed Karma Firewall lost it's valuable logging feature due to it.
My old free copy of WPS Office works in both version as do most of my trusted overlay apps.
Android 9 and above are all reasonably secure unless you do something stupid. No malware on this 2 yo Pie load yet.
I use Poweramp as my player, just my music files alone are over 225gb.
An SD card is mandatory. I can do a full reload with no internet connection; the SD card is the data drive which is backed up redundantly. Even has all my apps as installable copies, no Playstore needed. So a factory reset isn't that big of a deal if I have to... anytime, anywhere.
Only the DCIM folder (backed up regularly to the data drive), the download folder and the installed apps go on the internal memory. No cloud anything needed or wanted other than Gmail.
So the hardware and firmware aren't my prime consideration, why should they be? It was a step learning curve to optimize these devices. Them fulfilling their mission is my primary consideration. I'm an Android pragmatist, I got out of the Samsung/ Android hype loop over 6 years ago. If not proven good, I'm not using it.
Got lucky with the N10+... always wanted a Note.
Firmware upgrades and updates (apps as well) can and do break things. No need to constantly be chasing the loose ends they create, so I don't.
Pretty much solid play time... that's the plan
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Yeah I went back to OOS11 last night and I'm going to stick with it for a bit. It seems to work pretty well although I'm annoyed at the discovery that the module that was posted to alter the CPU throttling doesn't actually seem to work fully even on OOS 11.2.10.10. I don't want to go any older than that though so I guess it is what it is at this point. Games definitely are smoother at least. Still not as smooth a iOS though...
I wouldn't mind having an SD card again. I have gotten used to not having one but it does get annoying having to back up my OnePlus backups to the PC when I have to factory reset and then move them back. In the time it took to copy from the PC back to the phone last night, I was able to floss and brush my teeth. When I got back to the computer, the bar was at the very end.
This phone will work for now on OOS11. I really hope that OnePlus listens with OOS13 because I really don't want to buy another phone but being stuck on Android 11 isn't going to be enough for me.
cruzzmz said:
Pro version will have a curve screen ... that is a problem with most manufacturer now
i am not a fan of curve screen too.. i went to get p6 and it is ok at first then it has bugs soon after .. another pain is for countries which is not officially sold, it wont be able to use VoLTE and VoWiFi. Need to root and modify the xml ... ah well cant say much about that since it is not official sold.
Seems like OP also is not so great now since they are under OPPO now and Sammy is just too expensive now with more or less not so exiting tech.
Other china phones? that is another story
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Yeah it's not a great situation for the Android ecosystem as a whole right now really. I may just suck it up and get a 7 Pro. I really don't want to go back to iOS. I have an iPad, that's enough iOS for me.

EtherealRemnant said:
Yeah I went back to OOS11 last night and I'm going to stick with it for a bit. It seems to work pretty well although I'm annoyed at the discovery that the module that was posted to alter the CPU throttling doesn't actually seem to work fully even on OOS 11.2.10.10. I don't want to go any older than that though so I guess it is what it is at this point. Games definitely are smoother at least. Still not as smooth a iOS though...
I wouldn't mind having an SD card again. I have gotten used to not having one but it does get annoying having to back up my OnePlus backups to the PC when I have to factory reset and then move them back. In the time it took to copy from the PC back to the phone last night, I was able to floss and brush my teeth. When I got back to the computer, the bar was at the very end.
This phone will work for now on OOS11. I really hope that OnePlus listens with OOS13 because I really don't want to buy another phone but being stuck on Android 11 isn't going to be enough for me.
Yeah it's not a great situation for the Android ecosystem as a whole right now really. I may just suck it up and get a 7 Pro. I really don't want to go back to iOS. I have an iPad, that's enough iOS for me.
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This is why I committed to using the N10+'s for likely another 2-3+ years by buying a second new running on Android 10. Both will likely never be upgraded beyond 10.
Not for everyone but I absolutely wuv this Note. At this point it's optimized very well and is just a gorgeous beast of a work horse. Using a SD card as the data drive adds a layer of protection and redundantly to the device. With a mobo failure or a system crash the data drive will likely be untouched.
So now the processors are too fast to be practical so they throttle them?
Even though the N10+ doesn't have the thinner cpu chipset form factor or the fastest memory it runs almost as fast as the S22U in normal usage.
With the N9 the lag vs N10+/N20U/N22U is quite noticeable. The S22U has a huge battery and less SOT than the N10+. Weights a full display cracking ounce more too.
For what?
If you listen to all the hype the latest Androids sound wonderful... until you think it through and realize what is important for your device to fulfill its mission. That's why a well designed/built 3 yo model running on 2.5 yo firmware can still effectively compete with the newest phones.

blackhawk said:
This is why I committed to using the N10+'s for likely another 2-3+ years by buying a second new running on Android 10. Both will likely never be upgraded beyond 10.
Not for everyone but I absolutely wuv this Note. At this point it's optimized very well and is just a gorgeous beast of a work horse. Using a SD card as the data drive adds a layer of protection and redundantly to the device. With a mobo failure or a system crash the data drive will likely be untouched.
So now the processors are too fast to be practical so they throttle them?
Even though the N10+ doesn't have the thinner cpu chipset form factor or the fastest memory it runs almost as fast as the S22U in normal usage.
With the N9 the lag vs N10+/N20U/N22U is quite noticeable. The S22U has a huge battery and less SOT than the N10+. Weights a full display cracking ounce more too.
For what?
If you listen to all the hype the latest Androids sound wonderful... until you think it through and realize what is important for your device to fulfill its mission. That's why a well designed/built 3 yo model running on 2.5 yo firmware can still effectively compete with the newest phones.
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The annoying thing about the throttling is that it's not necessary. I have used a custom ROM on here and they don't have any of the throttling and it's no problem. Sure, the device gets a bit warmer under load, but it's not dangerously hot, we are talking like 42-48C, well within all normal tolerances. People ***** about their devices being warm and everyone suffers for it. Unfortunately every custom ROM I have tried has issues ranging from a stuttering UI to broken NFC and the fingerprint reader being off center so after the last attempt flashing a custom ROM resulted in a brick, I just went back to OOS and stayed there. Maybe it is time to try again though, I will run OOS11 for a few days and see if I can get used to it.
Honestly I really like my Pixel 3 XL, it's just too slow and lacking in RAM for me to make it my daily driver. The memory is more the issue than the Snapdragon 845 honestly.

P3XL was a great phone, i used it until it went dead last year. Then i went for p6 in hope for a better support and features as promised but then again ...
anyway p6 suffers from bugs since first update and i think still until now it has not been sort out yet. The thing i like about pixel is you can still flash it via fastboot and the image it officially available in the support page.
Just that if the country is not an official country that sell pixel then you will be stuck with no VoLTE and VoWiFi and that is a hassle

EtherealRemnant said:
It's rumored to have a 6.2" screen which is too small.
I guess Google doesn't want my business so I'll stick with OnePlus.
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After Carl Pei left Oneplus started going down and now they are one of the worst companies under Oppo and the phone OS, design, and specs are not that good!

hemstheworthy said:
After Carl Pei left Oneplus started going down and now they are one of the worst companies under Oppo and the phone OS, design, and specs are not that good!
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My OnePlus 9 has better specs across the board than the Pixel 6 besides the cameras. OOS12 is terrible but I don't mind OOS11 so if OnePlus goes back to their roots with OOS13 like they are promising, I may stick around, and besides, the custom ROMs for this device are pretty good so I can just as easily just stick to those.
Qualcomm > Samsung and I don't see that changing with the 7 series.

EtherealRemnant said:
I really want to go back to a Pixel but I can't do the curved screens. I'm one of those people who actually puts his phones in a case and they don't work well with curved screens.
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I think the non-pro Pixels are a better value anyways, seeming as this launch won't be too different to the Pixel 6s apart from minor upgrades like a new SoC with moderate performance increase.

razercortex said:
I think the non-pro Pixels are a better value anyways, seeming as this launch won't be too different to the Pixel 6s apart from minor upgrades like a new SoC with moderate performance increase.
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I can't go from a 6.55" screen to a 6.2" screen though. Honestly I would rather have a 6.7"-6.10" screen. I could go from 6.55 to 6.4 but with them shrinking the screen size on the 7, it's a nonstarter.

Related

view 20 in late 2020?

I have had this device since launch in January 2019. I just wanted to see how everyone is finding it long term really.
Personally I have no complaints. It is so good. In pretty much every aspect. Almost the perfect device I would say. Battery life is still a champ almost 2 years later. Performance is top notch. No slowdowns at all. Ram management and multitasking is very good (as long as you turn off the auto app launch management that is). Screen is awesome. Best LCD I have used as far as I can recall.
Android 10 updated. Design is fantastic. It was the OG pinch hole all screen display I remember, which was the reason I picked it up initially at launch.
I am so surprised how well it has held up. I have tried multiple devices since. Huawei mate 20x and pixel 4A, my old iPhone 7 and galaxy s8. All have only reinforced how good the V20 is. I always go back to it.
I just got the pixel 4A this week and using that back and forth with the v20 now. If I had to get rid of one it would be the pixel. But fortunately I don't have to, so will keep both.
Just wanted to give my thoughts on very long term use really. I have used the v20 every single day bar a week or two over the last 22 months. It is so good.
Such a shame this Huawei / Honor trade ban and how it is affecting Google services on their newer devices. Huawei make some incredible devices. Thankfully the v20 is not affected.
Hey man,
I've got the view20 in march/April of 2019 and it has been amazing. I really enjoy the camera and night mode, which has prevented my from buying any new phone. Also the new features that came with magic UI 3 (swipe bottom left to right for app switching) has made it more current. Agreed the punch hole means the phone still looks on top of trend. Unfortunately I don't enjoy the size and weight of the phone as I prefer smaller phones and the 12 mini is tempting but I genuinely picked the view 20 for the long lasting LCD screen.
All around great phone!
Yep it is fantastic device. Cannot overstate in anyway how good it is.
I agree about the size, though it does not bother me as much. It is a big as I would probably go for big phones I've realised.
I'm also leaning more towards smaller devices nowadays. Funny you mention the 12 mini. I've also been looking at it but not too sure on the battery life. Seems a small cell which is the norm for apple. Besides I am enjoying the Pixel 4A quite a bit at the moment. It is a lot of fun using both a small and big phone. You really see the differences and appreciate both for different reasons. Especially when both perform extremely well in almost all areas.
It's the end of an era.... Well maybe not quite as dramatic! I've made the very hard decision to let my V20 go. Decided to go full on with the smaller form factor going forward. iPhone 12 mini and pixel 4a! I can only hope they stand the test of time somewhere close to the v20. They both have a tough act to follow for sure. This had been easily the best all around smartphone I've ever used. Cannot fault it at all. It's just my compulsive need to change smartphones which has lead me to move on. If anyone is considering a v20 going forward, take it from someone who has used the life out of this thing for almost two years, it is a champ! In every department. Stands the test of time unlike any other phone I've used before. Battery and performance still incredible now.
Bought April 2019, in the Middle East. And used in the UK and globally (in the old days when we had flying machines)
To date, I cannot fault the hardware. The 8 GB Ram and 256 storage are more than enough for my needs. Battery lasts for up to 2+day, or 36 hours when I've done an all night shift. Continues to perform well well and fantastic feature set like app twinning and privatr6area. No performance issues and updates are timely
I have reviewed several alternatives primarily keeping an eye on the Samsung Note line. I cannot see any reason to justify the cost of the moving to £1000+ phone ant see any difference.
The critical factor will be suport for Google Apps. If/ when that is lost, then time to move on compatability is critical.
There are rumours Huawei will spin of Honer, which would be great, but not sure the timescales will be favorable to the survival of my phone.
Annoying, as the primary reason for.th Huawei sanctions are commercial, (give US companies a lead. In 5g). But. The knock oon might be a 3rd global player in the mobile OS space. That won't be good for Google, security or quality of apps available to all parties.
Just to let you know, Android 11 support has been added with Magic UI 4.0
So late 2020 seems to be a good year!
Did you get the update already?
modelno1 said:
Did you get the update already?
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No but I can see it in firmware finder, depends on what region you are in for me it's still not approved
Good to see you guys still enjoying this fantastic device. I'm back again with another Huawei...lol. got the P30. Very similar to the v20 I think. Main difference is just the display is oled. I do really like Huawei / Honor devices. I heard Honor is being sold off. Don't know if that's a good thing or not yet. But for sure the V20 is the business.
Hey what happened with the 12 mini? I've been thinking of getting bit but worried about battery life. The honor is just too big for me but does everything right, so reluctant to change
Fonesrgood said:
Hey what happened with the 12 mini? I've been thinking of getting bit but worried about battery life. The honor is just too big for me but does everything right, so reluctant to change
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Click to collapse
I still have the 12 mini. It is my main device. Battery for me is very very good. No exaggeration. I don't play any graphically intense games though so bear that in mind.
I easily make it through the day and then some. Over 4 hours screen on time comfortably. I don't know how they are doing it with a 2200 cell really. I also turn off 5G. So only 4G in use. I don't know again how much of a difference that makes. But as long as you are not a big gamer into graphically intense games, I think you will be very happy and pleasantly surprised with the mini's battery.
I also been using the mate 30 as secondary device. Again, very very nice.
Do I miss the V20? In all honesty sometimes yes. It is such a great phone. Just about the only thing I would have added would have been an IP rating perhaps. And that's just nitpicking... Everything else fantastic. But wanted a smaller one handed device for now.

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.

General Pixel 6 v OP9

What do you guys think of the new Pixel 6 that was (sort of) announced? Anyone planning to switch over when it gets released this fall?
Personally, I've constantly being going back and forth between Pixel and OnePlus devices.
I was thinking of sticking with OnePlus this time around but I've been dealing with poor RAM management on this device as well as feeling like the camera partnership with Hasselblad didn't live up to its hype. Tweaking just the colour science isn't enough for me, and it's unfortunate there's no OIS on the standard OnePlus 9 either.
The enhancements to the camera, particularly video recording on the Pixel 6 seems promising, so I'm pretty excited and I'm most likely going to switch!
I mean, even if the base model has OIS it'll be a vast improvement over the OP9. Hell, even EIS will destroy the OP9.
and it's unfortunate there's no OIS on the standard OnePlus 9 either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im still so amazed how my OP6 has OIS and my "hasslebrand" advert focused 9 does not. it baffles me that call was made.
Ive tried every ROM and many camera apps on each of them, all of them have such terrible camera issues with auto-focus times and whitebalance bleeding. Its hardly noticeable in videos and pictures but try to scan QR codes with it off another screen, if that QR code is a succession of them (say, for secure crypto wallet confirmations on a hardware wallet) it makes it IMPOSSIBLE to do without optimal lighting and YOU moving the phone around until its focus/lighting can play along. its so bad, Ive kept my OP6 instead of selling it.
I have other issues but Id like to end on a positive for OP. My 9 has had 2 issues and both were caused by me flashing ROMs. both times left the phone unable to use MSMToolkit and both times ive sent my phone in, free of charge, and got it back in complete working condition, free of charge. One was even a complete phone replacement. Not the easiest support system to utilize but as a non-warranty user, the 2nd time really shocked me i didnt have to pay a dime. I flashed the phone with MSM right when i got to to assure it worked and sure enough, it does. (and i didnt learn a damn thing because im running crDroid and loving it.) I'm almost certain both times were caused by the unofficial TWRP port for 9/9Pro, so I would avoid that at all costs.
Simply put, I will be making the switch.
Switching. Definitely switching.
I don't really care about phone cameras that much, so for me I'd rather keep the OP9 than go to a phone with a brand new SoC from a company known for very crappy first iterations, bad documentation, and bad support of their own products. These phones are going to be way too expensive for what they are (ugly as hell), when you can get a OP9 for probably half the price of the new Pixel phones.
I'd rather have an iPhone or overspend on a Samsung with a snapdragon than buy the pixel 6
orangekid said:
I don't really care about phone cameras that much, so for me I'd rather keep the OP9 than go to a phone with a brand new SoC from a company known for very crappy first iterations, bad documentation, and bad support of their own products. These phones are going to be way too expensive for what they are (ugly as hell), when you can get a OP9 for probably half the price of the new Pixel phones.
I'd rather have an iPhone or overspend on a Samsung with a snapdragon than buy the pixel 6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand that but personally I tried iphone recently for about 2 months and I had to switch back to android. The 12 pro max was just too heavy and had too many things that annoyed me because android did it better lol. I haven't owned Samsung since the note 5 and I'll probably never own another Samsung phone. Their skin and their bloat apps are just not for me. Been with OnePlus a while but the OnePlus 9 really disappointed me. My phone overheats just browsing the internet or using WhatsApp. It's annoying and the battery life is crap especially compared to the 12 pro max I had.
toyanucci said:
I can understand that but personally I tried iphone recently for about 2 months and I had to switch back to android. The 12 pro max was just too heavy and had too many things that annoyed me because android did it better lol. I haven't owned Samsung since the note 5 and I'll probably never own another Samsung phone. Their skin and their bloat apps are just not for me. Been with OnePlus a while but the OnePlus 9 really disappointed me. My phone overheats just browsing the internet or using WhatsApp. It's annoying and the battery life is crap especially compared to the 12 pro max I had.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya my iPhone/Samsung comment was really more joking. My point is that if your OP9 overheats then that's a specific unit problem, like I would just get a different one, or a Oneplus 8 Pro, or even a xiaomi 11 Ultra. I feel like the new Google device is going to have major issues like new google stuff always does. If you think your phone has issues now wait until you play wiht a brand new SoC from the one company notorious for putting out half baked, half finished products that usually get canned.
orangekid said:
I don't really care about phone cameras that much, so for me I'd rather keep the OP9 than go to a phone with a brand new SoC from a company known for very crappy first iterations, bad documentation, and bad support of their own products. These phones are going to be way too expensive for what they are (ugly as hell), when you can get a OP9 for probably half the price of the new Pixel phones.
I'd rather have an iPhone or overspend on a Samsung with a snapdragon than buy the pixel 6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s21 overheats to bad I sold mind and got OnePlus 9 I don't think I will be going back to Samsung anytime soon I ain't sure if it's just the chip or just the phone but I did notice that OnePlus phone don't get hot like Samsung does
I'm keeping a watch on the Pixel 6 Pro as a possible next device....
Google Pixel 6 Pro
The Google Pixel 6 Pro is a 6.71" phone with a 1440x3120 120Hz display. The Google Tensor chipset is paired with 12GB of RAM and 128/256/512GB of storage. The main camera is 50+48+12MP and the selfie camera is 11.1MP. The battery has a 5003mAh capacity.
forum.xda-developers.com
P6 100% The ride has been good but will be coming to an end.
I love my Oneplus 9 honestly. No bugs or issues, no overheating. Battery life is good. no curved screen (I cannot STAND curved screens). I mean for me it just works. That 120hz screen is awesome. there's not too much bloat and it's easily rooted.
Plus you can get it for a really good price right now. The warp charge it comes with is cool basically a full charge from nothing in 25 minutes or so. And wireless charging. No other frills needed, camera is good enough for me.
I will see what hte Pixel 6 has in store for me, but honestly I think it's going to be overpriced and not much or any better than the current snapdragon 888 offerings. I like competition, and I hope the new tensor SoC will make Qualcomm worry and start pushing their chip designs (like what AMD is doing to Intel).
But for me, I really feel like I am going to ride or die with the OP9 until OP11 or Xiaomi Mi Mix 5/6 or something that is actually really cool. Samsung has a horrible UI, is overpriced, and is a bit boring for me. Pixel phones have been outdated when they are released with older chip hardware and small screens while having a high price tag.
Let's keep a close eye on the Pixel 6, I could always jump ship too if I it blows me away..
orangekid said:
I love my Oneplus 9 honestly. No bugs or issues, no overheating. Battery life is good. no curved screen (I cannot STAND curved screens). I mean for me it just works. That 120hz screen is awesome. there's not too much bloat and it's easily rooted.
Plus you can get it for a really good price right now. The warp charge it comes with is cool basically a full charge from nothing in 25 minutes or so. And wireless charging. No other frills needed, camera is good enough for me.
I will see what hte Pixel 6 has in store for me, but honestly I think it's going to be overpriced and not much or any better than the current snapdragon 888 offerings. I like competition, and I hope the new tensor SoC will make Qualcomm worry and start pushing their chip designs (like what AMD is doing to Intel).
But for me, I really feel like I am going to ride or die with the OP9 until OP11 or Xiaomi Mi Mix 5/6 or something that is actually really cool. Samsung has a horrible UI, is overpriced, and is a bit boring for me. Pixel phones have been outdated when they are released with older chip hardware and small screens while having a high price tag.
Let's keep a close eye on the Pixel 6, I could always jump ship too if I it blows me away..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm skeptical yet excited at the same time. Really hoping Google blows us all away with a beast of a device!
rickysidhu_ said:
I'm skeptical yet excited at the same time. Really hoping Google blows us all away with a beast of a device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I loved the Nexus One, which might still be my favorite new phone release to this day, so I guess it's not impossible.
still on cdDroid. love the built in buds control. other roms are reporting bluetooth playback issues, mine isnt.
My pixel dialer features broke for a day but the latest module fixed it https://github.com/Magisk-Modules-Repo/GoogleDialerFramework (just know, i run beta releases of messages, phone and carrier services alone with having the originals disabled.
if you want pixel 6 AI voicscreening, install the modual then clear cache of google play, google services and reboot!
we do not deserve the generosity of /u/audalics
Well Google proved once again they think it's OK to provide old hardware with flagship pricing again, because camera gimmicks.
The Pixel fanboys are hard at work forgiving Google for providing inferior CPU, modem, display, battery charging, fingerprint, aesthetic design, and more for the privilege of being Google's buggy software beta testers.
Android in weird place with OnePlus now settling on everything they once bragged or made fun of others for doing.
I don't think there will be much improvement I switching from OP9 to Pixel, just going from one set of annoyances to another. All I can say for certain is the display modem and CPU are superior on OP9. Will see if A12 improves OP9 experience.
zymphad said:
Well Google proved once again they think it's OK to provide old hardware with flagship pricing again, because camera gimmicks.
The Pixel fanboys are hard at work forgiving Google for providing inferior CPU, modem, display, battery charging, fingerprint, aesthetic design, and more for the privilege of being Google's buggy software beta testers.
Android in weird place with OnePlus now settling on everything they once bragged or made fun of others for doing.
I don't think there will be much improvement I switching from OP9 to Pixel, just going from one set of annoyances to another. All I can say for certain is the display modem and CPU are superior on OP9. Will see if A12 improves OP9 experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel 6 screen is a blotchy OLED mess, sent my first one back and ordered a second. If the second one is terrible I'm rooting the op9 and getting Google dialer features. The screen is the single most important part of a smartphone.
redeyss said:
Pixel 6 screen is a blotchy OLED mess, sent my first one back and ordered a second. If the second one is terrible I'm rooting the op9 and getting Google dialer features. The screen is the single most important part of a smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man that is crazy.
Waiting to see how your second ones comes in because I was eyeing this phone and ya can't handle a bogus screen.
orangekid said:
Man that is crazy.
Waiting to see how your second ones comes in because I was eyeing this phone and ya can't handle a bogus screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a pixel fanboy for sure but after returning the pixel 6 I tried two pixel 5a phones and both had horrible OLED displays, both returned. I bought a pre owned OnePlus 9 from Amazon and this screen is freaking amazing, uniform and even lighting and smooth as butter. If the second p6 screen isn't great I'll keep the op9 or go back to my pixel 4xl.
My big gripe on the 9 is the reception is terrible and I have BT issues all the time in my Hondas. Works ok with wireless Buds Z.
I was hoping the Pixel 6 would be better. I guess I can always go back to my 7 Pro.

replace screen and frame

has anyone replaced both the screen and frame? Any tips?
Can't find a video for both, only screen.
That's a lot of damage. Do you know if the mobo is still good? Don't go throwing much money at it otherwise especially if it hit on the mobo side.
I recommend observing ESD protocols when working on it. Out circuit the mobo and display are suspectable to ESD damage. A earth grounded ESD mat and wrist strap are best. At least raise the humidity of the room to 50% and wear cotton clothing.
it's a phone I've been using since I dropped it, but the touchscreen is intermittently intermittent.
I need to change the USB charge port and batt. I have a back phone, jic.
I have a wrist strap but no mat.
metropical said:
it's a phone I've been using since I dropped it, but the touchscreen is intermittently intermittent.
I need to change the USB charge port and batt. I have a back phone, jic.
I have a wrist strap but no mat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like major surgery doctor.
Good, earth ground the strape and use a bare wood surface.
Get some...
it'll either suck or work. Time will tell.
metropical said:
it'll either suck or work. Time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it doesn't break the bank, go for it.
At the worst you'll have a parts queen, which is fine if your intentions are to keep using this model.
The smartphone releases this year have been nothing but disappointment. Android 11 and 12 are DOA. Next year looks bad for both as well.
I can see why you want to stick with a model/OS version you like. I'm doing the same myself.
I'll buy a Pixel 4a if the patient doesn't survive. HTC, unfortunately, has bit the dust for phones .
In US Android, there seems to be only Samsmug and Pixel left. At least the Pixel have some lineage to HTC.
One plus has not been around long enough to trust.
But I'm not buying another glass backed phone.
metropical said:
I'll buy a Pixel 4a if the patient doesn't survive. HTC, unfortunately, has bit the dust for phones .
In US Android, there seems to be only Samsmug and Pixel left. At least the Pixel have some lineage to HTC.
One plus has not been around long enough to trust.
But I'm not buying another glass backed phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the Note 10+'s Snapdragon variant. However no 3.5 mm jack which you likely hate not having. I use the Buds+ which sound pretty good using the proprietary SSC bt codec.
The 10+ was the last great flagship release from Samsung. Fast, stable, a drop dead gorgeous display, reliable, a solid workhorse if running on Android 9 or 10... 11 not so much so.
My oldest 10+ is 2 years old, one battery replacement, it looks and runs like new after heavy usage. The glass back has been no issue and is cheap to replace. Use care though when replacing the battery removing the rear panel.
The other nice thing is the Samsung UI and its customization. Its fast, friendly and extremely customizable with hundreds of free themes, icon packs and UI apps like the Good Lock family from the Galaxy store. It doesn't look or act like a Pixel... thank god.
Always use a good case. I use the Zizo Bolt case. Without it my 10+ be a wreck. Over half a dozen 2-4 foot drops onto concrete, zero damage. However after a couplre hard corner hits I replace the case out of concerns of material fatigue. The only visible case damage is a shiny appearance at the hit corner indicating fatigue.
No headphone jack doesn't bother me. Have a Shure BT w/535. Sounds quite good.
Funny thing, never dropped a phone til the 1st month I had this. Bummer. Case too late.
But it's 3 yrs on now. Which is why I'm willing to chance the repair or replace.
What do you not like about the Pixel? To me Android is Android. The UI doesn't change much that I've seen, except for the awful LG interface that I had for a couple years before I gave up on it. This is my 3rd HTC in 10 years. They've all been good, but HTC had missed the boat a long while back when they released the 10. Many issues. The U11 has been very good even through the damaging drop.
Prior to the N10 I'd never have even thought about the Sam
I'm watching Pixel and not impressed.
No SD card slot. Android 11 and 12 are dogs.
Scoped storage isn't needed and makes it a pain to use.
Samsung has always been hit or miss. But when they're hot, they're hot. So far in my estimation the 10+/Snapdragon is their best Note overall.
I rejected the N20U because of display, 5G, battery and Android 11 issues. The 10+ isn't the best stat wise now, but it's a solid dependable workhorse that's a snappy fast, stable platform. It does everything well. A 1.25 to 1.5tb dual drive handheld PC is no joke.
At this point it be hard to give up the Samsung IU. It's nothing like a "pure" Android such as Pixel, thank god. Samsung has dozens of little system apks to take the edge off of Android 10 and make it more usable. You can mold the IU to fit your needs rather than the other way around.
My Q version Note can be made to look and behave like my Pie version. Even retaining the screen button navigation rather than being force to swipe navigate. I already use swipe control anyway with One Handed Operation + as well as Samsung Edge.
The native spen's Smart Select and bt remote shutter release are great when you need them.
My stock 10+'s are heavily optimized though. I use a package disabler and Karma Firewall. That was a steep learning curve and one of the reasons they run so well. The tools are available for anyone who wants to use them to modify the device without rooting.
It's just a fun device to use and play with... after 2 years it's still fun.
For $800 you can still get a new one and much less for a used one however as with all internet vendors you need to be careful. A lot of scamming going on right now.
I bought this U11 used off Swappa. Been very good. Don't think I'd go anywhere else. I think they have their rules in place.
After all the crappy mSD cards I've had from both Samsung and SanDisk, I think I'd rather just built in storage next time.
I just use it for music. If I seldom want to watch something, I stream from my Emby at home.
Not a gamer. Almost entirely email, text, calls, and some interwebbing.
This one is rooted as have the last couple. But the OS has become efficient enough that I don't think I'd bother.
The ads are more annoying than any other issue.
Never heard of package disabler or Karma. I'll have to look into that. Toying is fun now and then.
Package Disabler is more a Samsung targeted thing but there's a version for other devices. No clue if/how that variant works.
Karma Firewall is a freeware VPN based one with logging features if running on Pie or under. Very low battery consumption.
No issues with my latest Lexar .5tb card. It's important to format it in the phone and best to leave it there. I have over 200gb of wav and hdcd files alone so... yeah I use it.
One of the benefits of using a SD card is for backups. All critical data goes here, only the loaded apps, DCIM and download folders go on internal memory. I keep installable copies of all my apps. I can do a complete reload from the data drive. I redundantly backup the SD card to hdds as well. A may lose a little data but never all. Every PC I set up is as a dual drive even laptops. It saves pain and suffering
I already have protonVPN, not free, but available to me on all my electronic contraptions.
Package disable would be redundant .
metropical said:
I already have protonVPN, not free, but available to me on all my electronic contraptions.
Package disable would be redundant .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're already rooted, it be a downgrade from what's available for a rooted phone.
If you wanted to run a stock Samsung though, it applies.
When buying a SD card review its full specs.
Some are rated to work at -13F others only 32F, wtf? Likewise view rated storage temps.
I'll probably go with a Sandisk Extreme even though it's $25 more. It has wider temperature operating parameters indicating better design and production standards.
Get a V30 rated card as well. Always stick to major name brands and avoid buying on ebay, etc.
If it doesn't format in the phone, return it as it will likely never perform properly even if you zero fill it and get it to format. I use Lexar and Sandisk flash memory, zero failures thus far in over 15 years of using them in different form factors.
I around a dozen or so.
just bought a Pixel 5 off Swappa and will retire the U11 as a back up.
So far, very nice phone.
Though the difference from AOS 9 to 13 are lots.

Question Is it worth buying the OP9 for $499 US?

I've been running a rooted OP6 for 3.5 years or more. Currently on stock OOS 11 with some root specific extras. It still behaves OK, but I'm thinking of getting something newer because of occasional issues that may be age related. OP is selling the OP9 for $499 today in the US. For those of you who are familiar with the device, do you think it's worth buying at that price this deep into its existence?
For 499$? Hell no!
I bought almost new one for 399$ and still pissed. Camera is horrible even with Gcam. Chipset gets hot while playing videos sometimes let alone gaming.
Also depend what you are looking for. OP 9rt has everything OP9 has and have better camera and thermal. I'd say go for 9rt than base OP9 if it's available in the price range.
Thanks. I didn't buy it before the sale ended. I figured I'd have other opportunities with some decent phone or another. Seems like a few years ago, more people were happy with their new phones. Now, it seems like a lot of people have problems with the more recent models.
The phone is fine (cameras aren't the best but everything else is great). The software is the problem. If you want it so you can flash a custom ROM on it, it's great. If you want to just use it stock, it's harder to recommend.
That said, I would take a 9 over a Pixel 6 (in fact my initial purchase decision was between these two since the sale on the OP9 at the time was the same price as the 6) or pretty much anything else because of the community support. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are only just now starting to get decent custom ROMs, Tensor is a mediocre SoC with a weak modem, the display is better on the OnePlus, and the OnePlus has way better battery.
When it comes to devices where I live in the US, the only options for those of us who want root and custom ROMs while maintaining full compatibility with all carriers are OnePlus and Pixel. It's too bad Samsung locks their devices down so much.
I'd have thought the Pixel 6 would have been my best bet until I started reading the myriad complaints about it from users. The glowing commercial site reviews tout the features, but don't mention that those features don't always work as would be expected. The same seems to be the case for the current generation of Samsung phones.
What's the issue with OOS on the OP9? I'm probably running something similar on my OP6, though via root, I've eliminated a lot of the bloat. I'd intended to flash custom ROMs, but I never have on this phone as I've had it set up to my liking most of the time. I'm running Android 11. Maybe that's the issue? 12 has more problems?
People don't like the Oppo-ification that has happened. ColorOS and OxygenOS are on the same codebase now and they're extremely similar. It doesn't help that OnePlus is lagging on updates a lot too. They just started dropping the C.60 update which comes with OOS 12.1 today and ColorOS has been on C.62 since April.
Honestly I got tired of waiting for 12.1 and switched my global LE2115 to ColorOS yesterday and I like it. The bloat is there but it's only an issue if you actually run it. And honestly it cracks me up seeing the Chinese in the universal search lol. *shrug*
One thing I really appreciate about this device is that the MSM Tool is available. This is the low level firmware flash that is meant for manufacturers to use to rapidly restore devices back to working order. Since we have it, it's fairly easy to recover from common bricking scenarios, and I don't know that I would want to go back to a device that doesn't have it (like the Pixel). OnePlus also seems to have excellent warranty service, they don't even void the warranty if you brick the thing, unlike Google who claims they can't even re-flash the firmware and you have to pay for a new motherboard if you brick it.
There are some annoying issues with notifications (which strangely seem to naturally resolve themselves as you use the device) and aggressive battery management in A12 that you have to learn how to work around. It's not perfect but I like OOS12 and COS12 more than I like Pixel-clone ROMs or OneUI.
I wouldn't. Truth be told, if I still had my 6, I'd still be using it. Unfortunately, I left it on top of my car getting gas once, and drove off. Never found it or its pieces.
I ended up with the 7 Pro. It was OK, but I hated the curved screen.
I sent the 8T back as OP screwed early adopters with a water bottle while a few hours later offering a pop up box that was a much better deal for the same price.
Now I have the 9. I'm not crazy about it. It's ok, but I regret paying full price for it. It'd be a hard sale at $499 for me.
Maybe an 8T would be a decent option if you could get a good price on it.
You can get the dual sim version on Amazon it's Chinese version but when I updated it to Android 12 from le2110 it turn into le2115 which is covered by at&t, so far so good, used to have the Pixel 6, I liked it until I got bored with it, I am not a gamer but all this phones depends on who is using it, I don't have any problem with OOS 12, it's stable for me, but I like the customization of the CUSTOM ROMS..
EtherealRemnant said:
People don't like the Oppo-ification that has happened.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen complaints about that. I haven't seen it with my OP6 because they stopped updating the OS before they merged the codebases.
EtherealRemnant said:
One thing I really appreciate about this device is that the MSM Tool is available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. I've never had to use the MSM tool on my OP6, though I've come close a couple of times. The TWRP discrepancies between OOS versions has played havoc with me here and there. But I was always able to solve it before having to use MSM. Certainly its availability is comforting and valuable.
Superguy said:
Now I have the 9. I'm not crazy about it. It's ok, but I regret paying full price for it. It'd be a hard sale at $499 for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is it that you find disappointing?
imna357 said:
... used to have the Pixel 6, I liked it until I got bored with it, I am not a gamer but all this phones depends on who is using it, I don't have any problem with OOS 12, it's stable for me, but I like the customization of the CUSTOM ROMS..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not a gamer, either. I'd possibly use a custom ROM depending on things. I use other than the stock launcher, anyway, so at least if I don't like the look of OOS 12, I'd sidestep that much of it.
Superguy said:
I wouldn't. Truth be told, if I still had my 6, I'd still be using it. Unfortunately, I left it on top of my car getting gas once, and drove off. Never found it or its pieces.
I ended up with the 7 Pro. It was OK, but I hated the curved screen.
I sent the 8T back as OP screwed early adopters with a water bottle while a few hours later offering a pop up box that was a much better deal for the same price.
Now I have the 9. I'm not crazy about it. It's ok, but I regret paying full price for it. It'd be a hard sale at $499 for me.
Maybe an 8T would be a decent option if you could get a good price on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you pick the 8T over the 9? The only real advantage I see is 12GB vs 8GB (hasn't been an issue for me and I'm a heavy user). The disadvantages: hugely inferior 5G modem (that's external instead of integrated into the SoC like the 888 so even worse battery consumption), slower SoC, slower storage (much slower on random writes), closer to the end of the official software support period, etc...
For $499 you can do a lot worse than the OnePlus 9 but also can't really do better.
maigre said:
I've seen complaints about that. I haven't seen it with my OP6 because they stopped updating the OS before they merged the codebases.
Good point. I've never had to use the MSM tool on my OP6, though I've come close a couple of times. The TWRP discrepancies between OOS versions has played havoc with me here and there. But I was always able to solve it before having to use MSM. Certainly its availability is comforting and valuable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly this is my first OnePlus and I *prefer* ColorOS to OOS. The depth of customization is insane and it doesn't seem to be as buggy (but that could be due to the fact that C.62 is simply newer and that OOS will get there when C.62 finally releases for it in a month or so too, it's hard to say).
I had to use the MSM Tool... Multiple times... If I had to complain about one thing with this device, it's extremely easy to soft brick it. I have been into rooting and customizing my Android phones since 2009 and of the entire list of phones in my signature, I've only ever gotten the OnePlus 9 to the point of no return. When trying to flash to the B slot, sometimes everything that can possibly go wrong does and you end up with an unbootable system. The A/B system was the worst thing Google ever did to those of us who like to customize our devices. That said, the MSM Tool gets you back up and running with no fuss when you do need it, provided that you have a good USB cable and the technique to get the device into EDL. The lack of working TWRP has led to the need to flash a new recovery with every custom ROM and that's even more chances for something to go wrong.
EtherealRemnant said:
Why would you pick the 8T over the 9? The only real advantage I see is 12GB vs 8GB (hasn't been an issue for me and I'm a heavy user). The disadvantages: hugely inferior 5G modem (that's external instead of integrated into the SoC like the 888 so even worse battery consumption), slower SoC, slower storage (much slower on random writes), closer to the end of the official software support period, etc...
For $499 you can do a lot worse than the OnePlus 9 but also can't really do better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get 5G on AT&T and I can't say I was terribly impressed with it on T-Mo either. Certainly not enough that it wowed me over LTE.
I've had big problems with BT on the 9 as well, especially in my Hondas. Seems to do ok in the Ford. I didn't have those problems in the same cars on either the 6 or the 7 Pro.
For what I do, I can't say I've noticed huge differences in performance. The 9 does transfer to my PC faster than the other 2, but I don't sync it that often. Performance has always been good enough for me.
The games I play I haven't noticed much difference in.
If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't pay $499 for a 9. Let alone the $750 I paid for it new.
Depends on what you value and for you use your phone.
YMMV.
imna357 said:
You can get the dual sim version on Amazon it's Chinese version but when I updated it to Android 12 from le2110 it turn into le2115 which is covered by at&t, so far so good, used to have the Pixel 6, I liked it until I got bored with it, I am not a gamer but all this phones depends on who is using it, I don't have any problem with OOS 12, it's stable for me, but I like the customization of the CUSTOM ROMS..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chinese version's missing a lot of US bands, unless there's a way to enable them.
Superguy said:
Chinese version's missing a lot of US bands, unless there's a way to enable them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the only thing, I don't get no 5G with At&t even setting up the APN, but I get decent speed, even compared to my Pixel 5G which is a back up.
imna357 said:
That's the only thing, I don't get no 5G with At&t even setting up the APN, but I get decent speed, even compared to my Pixel 5G which is a back up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You gotta watch out with AT&T's VoLTE whitelist... They will eventually kick the phone off since it goes by the IMEI and that doesn't change when the software does. The LE2115 is the only one that's approved for AT&T.
https://www.att.com/idpassets/images/support/pdf/Devices-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf
EtherealRemnant said:
You gotta watch out with AT&T's VoLTE whitelist... They will eventually kick the phone off since it goes by the IMEI and that doesn't change when the software does. The LE2115 is the only one that's approved for AT&T.
https://www.att.com/idpassets/images/support/pdf/Devices-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, I know, when I'm in OOS 12 Version change to LE2115, not sure if it matters, so far haven't gotten any text from att
Superguy said:
I don't get 5G on AT&T and I can't say I was terribly impressed with it on T-Mo either. Certainly not enough that it wowed me over LTE.
I've had big problems with BT on the 9 as well, especially in my Hondas. Seems to do ok in the Ford. I didn't have those problems in the same cars on either the 6 or the 7 Pro.
For what I do, I can't say I've noticed huge differences in performance. The 9 does transfer to my PC faster than the other 2, but I don't sync it that often. Performance has always been good enough for me.
The games I play I haven't noticed much difference in.
If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't pay $499 for a 9. Let alone the $750 I paid for it new.
Depends on what you value and for you use your phone.
YMMV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are definitely fair points.
When it's working right, 5G is ridiculous on T-Mobile. I have seen over 300Mbps in the middle of the day and over 500Mbps overnight and that's with my cheap little MVNO that's deprioritized too. My point about the modem applies to LTE as well though, not just 5G. An external modem will always use more power doing the same thing than an internal modem would.
I haven't noticed any issues with BT but I don't use it a lot.
The 865 is no slouch, it's just no 888 either.
I go back and forth on whether I think the $600 I paid for this phone is worth it. I have had some definite frustrations with it (notification issues on OOS *AND* COS are maddening!) but I still feel like I would have been miserable if I took the S21 FE or Pixel 6 for the same price...
imna357 said:
Yup, I know, when I'm in OOS 12 Version change to LE2115, not sure if it matters, so far haven't gotten any text from att
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have heard this from other people but the OnePlus subreddit is full of people complaining about getting the boot so I would say it's coming, it's just a matter of when they get around to it.
I'm not really sure, my hardware version always changes to 2115 which is approved by at&t, when I do MSM it goes back to 2110 which is Chinese version but upon updating to OOS 12 it converts to 2115 on my hardware version. But if I put on custom ROM it goes back to 2110
i got a 9 i would sell and take trade with the 6. pm me

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