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This post reads a little like
C O N S U M E O N S U M E
The one thing the pixels really have going for themselves is that the user can degoogle them and slap grapheneos on it. Literally the only reason I bought a pixel, everything else about it is very much average.
What do you recommend other than a pixel?
I'd still recommend a pixel if you care about your security and privacy, but the phone definitely isnt somehow extraordinary. Good quality (at least mine is), the expected specs for a modern phone, no complaints.
Just that it is, well, a normal smartphone otherwise. Unless you want to put a custom OS on it you won't find it very different from any other smartphone.
I actually need a separate phone just for business purposes, like messaging, emails, calls. A few productivity apps.
I like the long support window of pixels as I wonβt have to replace the phone as frequently.
I really love the idea of the dex mode of the galaxy phones. I wish I could dock the pixel and use it as my main work device. Itβs the only reason Iβm not 100% sold on a pixel as my next device.
I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass.
Here's a list of phones I used; Anyway, go buy the new Pixel 9.
I have an old Nexus 6P, spiritually the Pixel 0.
Replaced the battery at some point, and it's now entered service as the toddler's entertainment on airplanes.
It's old and slow, but the screen still looks really good.
I had a 2XL that I absolutely loved. It eventually got screen burn in so bad I could barely use it.
But I held on to it till the 6 came out, and I'm still rocking a fantastic 6 pro. Love it. Have zero interest in paying twice as much for the 9 though.
I'm still perfectly happy with my p6pro, except I wish it had the rear fingerprint scanner of my p2. As long as this gets software updates I'll keep using it.
That is for ambassador influencers like YouTubers and Instagramers and not the press.
The Pixels are probably the best high-end phone, but today the selection available is all bad enough that your choice comes down to "what features can I lose?"
Even the likes of OnePlus have been shit for years. A company that literally entered the market on releasing an affordable flagship with near-stock software. Their last great phone was the OnePlus 6, before they decided to start ditching features.
I had assumed that more companies would enter the market and take over, but that hasn't happened. You still end up with no choice, whether it's a poor screen, an awful camera, no storage, removed ports/jacks, no NFC support, or stupid little features that no one would actually give a shit about.
The strength of early Android was that you had flagship phones that had the best new features, and experimental releases that tried new things on a budget like barcode scanners, slide-out keyboards, a desktop OS, remote features, etc. This still exists, but you're paying even more for the pleasure of testing something in the wild.
IMO, the world could use a new mobile OS, and one grounded in reality.
The Pixels are probably the best high-end phone
I think it depends on what you are looking for in a high-end phone, as Google's Tensor chips are not equivalent performers to the chips found in other smartphones at that price range. Consumers are being asked to pay a high-end price for the performance of a high-end phone from several years ago or an upper mid-range phone today.
I just can't get rid of the headphone jack. Had a phone without with some good Bluetooth earbuds then went back to jack with entry level earphones and they still sounded better
If the pixel is considered the best high end phone, we have a very low bar set.
I've had a few different pixels over the years because there is no phone that interests me anymore. All phones are garbage.
A new mobile OS will inevitably end up in a similar place if it's developed in the same shareholder value maximizing manner. This is why we don't need a new OS. We need new firms developing Android things using a different economic model.
OnePlus is like, the only mainstream phone manufacturer worth it anymore. Half the price of other flagships, high frequency pwm dimming to reduce eyestrain, and still great camera. People say OxygenOS is bloated but that's because stock Android is so stripped down and has had so many features removed over the years. But OxygenOS kept things that make sense, like a usable swipe down menu, floating windows, per application refresh rate, etc. and still has the IR blaster. And no AI gimmicks.
I really don't see anything competitive with the OnePlus 12 or 12R in the US market at that price. The high frequency pwm is the biggest selling point for me though. I literally can't use a Pixel because of the low pwm.
I have a pixel 7. I hate the fucking thing.
Why?
If you are gonna comment something like that (you know the opposite of a what everyone else seems to think) it's a completely useless comment unless you actually say why.
It is slow. Constantly bogs down. Won't open apps at will. The keyboard sticks open often and comes up when isn't requested. Maps often won't search. Lots of reasons it sucks big fat balls.
Sounds defective.
Have you tried factory resetting?
I am typing this comment on a Pixel 7. I have had it for nearly two years and I have never experienced these symptoms.
The only app I can think of that doesn't load in under a second is Asphalt Legends - and that's because the app takes a week to load on anything.
I am very satisfied with this device, and doubt I'll be upgrading to Pixel 9. I have no reason to upgrade.
If you don't mind Googles extreamly bad AI and also their subscription plans to suck you dry... Sure.
And then the ugly camera bump on these phones... Ouch.
For me, it's the oneplus phones that are the saving grace in a mess of bad phones.
Best looking design is probably the Honor 6 but the Chinese software design is awful and very convoluted.
I absolutely agree that the camera bump is ugly as fuck but a case probably hides it very well like it does on my 6A
Exactly, who cares if a phone is "ugly" when most people stick a case on anyway? At least this weird camera bar means the phone sits flat rather than wobbling when you try to use it on a desk!
Thick cases hide it, silicone cases don't
Is it that much bigger? Damn.
I have a fairly (IMO) slim case on my 6A and it is still well above the camera bump and the screen.
But the camera bump on the 6A is only 1 mm thick.