Leaving Pixel considered....

[Pixel 3 guy]

I had a Pixel 2 last year and liked it very much. I got a Pixel 3 on a sweetheart Valentine's Day promo at Best Buy ($349 if you do 24 monthly payments). I was looking forward to the Pixel 4 until I found out it won't have dual front firing stereo speakers, (which for some reason is a big deal to me). The form factor is blah too and I believe Google is only bumping it to 6 GB of RAM as to not be the embarrassment of the smartphone community. There's some rumors going around that it's going to be significantly more expensive as well. I don't believe it will have the SD 855+ processor (thanks Google) but the regular 855 instead. It seems, to me, that Google has gotten quite stingy with the specs of late, not specking them out any more than they have to. I prefer the smaller form factor, but if the Pixel 4 is going to be north of $1000 with only 6 GB of RAM and a 2800 maH battery, I'll probably get and Asus ROG Phone 2, which has the front firing speakers, a 1080p screen (I'm fine with that), 12GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, (Google is sticking with 64GB or 128GB and no SD Card), a higher refresh rate, the 855+ processor, a 6000 maH battery that lasts a couple of solid days if you aren't gaming, and a 30W fast charger vs a 18W fast charger for the Pixel 4's, all for about $750. The camera may not be a as good as the Pixel 4, but tests decently from the reviews I've read. Sure I'd love Night Sight and the Pixel 4's camera sensor but not for 70% more than this phone costs and the Pixel 4 has sh*tty specs compared to this beast. Google is pricing themselves out of the smartphone game with lousy specs (compared to other flagship smartphones) to boot.

 

[Mike Dee]

I've had only Google phones since the Nexus 4, other than one foray into the Moto X. The Google phones all have a handful of minor annoyances, but nothing that compares to the 3rd party phones and their spins on Android. I can't stand bloatware and sharing ownership of my phone. I can't stand delayed updates, and Google fixes that for me (if I'm worried about a major version, I'll just wait to download for a week or two and check the forums -- nothing forced on me).

As it is now, my Pixel 3XL has an amazing battery life, a camera that really delivers, NightSight that transformed phone photography forever (and left Apple in the dust for a full year), regular updates, amazing and fast customer service through the phone, and an overall wonderful experience.

I honestly cannot see any anyone puts up with Samsung's BS. It completely confounds me. It must be the carrier relationships carried over from the old "subsidy model." Just makes no sense how anyone who likes Android can use Samsung's disk boot virus of an operating system.

Too be fair, what was the last Samsung you owned?

 

[Guyinbox]

I packaged up my iPhone 11 and my Apple watch today for return and went back to my 3xl Galaxy watch combo. The Apple watch was almost good enough to keep me using the iPhone, but the watch battery life compared to the Galaxy watch and my many annoyances with iOS wasn't worth it to me. Also, i much preferred the camera on my 3xl to the 11. Bring on the Pixel 4!

 

[ptkelly]

I've enjoyed this thread and some have influenced me a bit. My position this moment is to wait for a Pixel 4a.

A bit more information about me and my use. I do not play games on my phone. Not a one. I do not social media on my phone. No Facebook, no Twitter, no Snapchat, no Whatsup, no Instagram. You will never seen me walking through traffic looking at my phone. According to the Android System info I have a total of 81 apps on my phone. I also make perhaps one phone call a week when I'm home, calling the U.S. from Mexico, and using Bluetooth earphones. I'm very hard of hearing and hate phone calls anyway.

I use Google Calendar, Google Keep, GMail, Messages, and Google Maps frequently during the day but my driving interest in a phone is the camera. I've been taking photos since 1962 and that was before automatic anything, before zoom lens, before ASA over 200, and before I had the money to buy much anyway. But, I love taking photos.


I live in Mexico, and have for 21 years, and many of the spifffy Google phone software features never get turned on. Most don't interest me anyway.

Years ago a gallery person was selecting some photos for a charity auction. I had a few on the table for him to review. But, as he came in he saw some of my rejects on another table. When he had selected four photos for the auction he went over to the table of rejects and said, "I want this one."

I started pointing out what was wrong with it and he listened and said, "I don't care. No one would care but anothe photographer." The picture sold well at auction.

I have been happy with the Pixel cameras but I've looked at camera comparisons with Samsung, Hauwei, Xiaomi, and Pixels. Usually, nothing about the cameras is unacceptable. I'm fortunate enough to have experience photography when equipment was far, far more limiting and I adapt to my equipment. I get a thrill every time I take a photo in a dark cathedral or on the street at night. It's truly amazing.

Oh, I don't consider Apple. Never will. Not Apple anything.

Generally speaking I'm impressed with Samsung hardware and underwhelmed with Pixel hardware especially since they've decided to compete with Apple for price.

That's it. My plan is to stick with my Pixel 3 and see what a Pixel 4a has to offer. If I have to, and live long enough, I might be bac pondering the Pixel 5. I do wish more hardware would come out with screen around 5.5. I don't want a 6.6 or 7+ to carry.

Thanks for all of you who gave opinions on the issue.

 

[ezdoit]

@ptkelly - great post.

 

[ptkelly]

@ptkelly - great post.

Thanks.

 

[Golurk]

I honestly cannot see any anyone puts up with Samsung's BS. It completely confounds me. It must be the carrier relationships carried over from the old "subsidy model." Just makes no sense how anyone who likes Android can use Samsung's disk boot virus of an operating system.

Firstly, Samsung’s UI/OS ever since Android Oreo has been very good in my opinion. Sure, there are Samsung and Microsoft apps pre-installed but I would hardly call that extremely bloated. They can easily be disabled or deleted. OneUI in particular is a very good OS and has received quite a bit of praise.

Samsung’s OS and overall experience is a long way off from ‘BS’...if their devices and OS were bad (which itself is opinion and relative) they wouldn’t have sold over 62 times as many smartphones in 2018 than Google.

I’m not saying that Pixel phones are bad, but the argument of ‘Samsung’s UI and design is trash, bloatware etc’ is laughable. Ever since Oreo bloat has been minimal, Bixby is semi-competent and the curved display is liked by a lot of people.

‘Samsung is trash”?...in your dreams, because the reality is very different. There is a reason they sold 62 times as many phones as Google in 2018.

 

[mrssnipe]

Well I'm not wealthy but I have bought a used car for $1500 off craigslist. sooooo yeah car prices.

 

[EMGSM]

Considered for a while now and did, bought Note 10. Will see what Pixel 4 is all about, but I doubt it's anything exciting

Camera can possibly make me buy Pixel 4 but it's not just about the quality, with P4 you simply can't takes pictures that Note can take with ease thanks to wide angle cam and remote shutter button

There certainly is a lot to consider in terms of trade offs.

 

[Mike Dee]

Well I'm not wealthy but I have bought a used car for $1500 off craigslist. sooooo yeah car prices.

Well if you're going to use that used car as a comparison that's better compared to used device for 100 dollars

 

[kolyan2k]

Though I have the Note 10+, most of the shots I take remotely I do so with a mini gorilla pod. It came with a small Bluetooth remote that stores itself on the pod.

That's not for me, tripods and selfies sticks etc. I just want a phone in my pocket that can do everything that I need quickly.

 

[Mike Dee]

That's not for me, tripods and selfies sticks etc. I just want a phone in my pocket that can do everything that I need quickly.

Well when you talk about remote shots that's what works best. It's not for every day situations but a small pod fits in your pocket quiet easily and it's sometimes difficult to take a remote shot without one

 

[kolyan2k]

Well when you talk about remote shots that's what works best. It's not for every day situations but a small pod fits in your pocket quiet easily and it's sometimes difficult to take a remote shot without one

When I am out and I need to take "selfie" with my son or family, I just place phone somewhere or use a wood stick to hold it.

 

[Mike Dee]

When I am out and I need to take "selfie" with my son or family, I just place phone somewhere or use a wood stick to hold it.

Go with whatever works for you... There are alternatives.

 

[ptkelly]

UPdate. After seeing what Pixel 4 is bringing to the table and at what price I decided to hold on to my Pixel 3. To me, that's a no brainer. Now, my wild side--at 78--decided that after years of pure Android to try something different and if it's going to be different it might as well be the black sheep of the flock.

I ordered a Huawei p30 Pro. What could possibly be farther from pure Android then EMUI? I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes and checking out the cameras.

 

[Golurk]

UPdate. After seeing what Pixel 4 is bringing to the table and at what price I decided to hold on to my Pixel 3. To me, that's a no brainer. Now, my wild side--at 78--decided that after years of pure Android to try something different and if it's going to be different it might as well be the black sheep of the flock.

I ordered a Huawei p30 Pro. What could possibly be farther from pure Android then EMUI? I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes and checking out the cameras.

ColorOS and MIUI spring to mind. Compared to EMUI they’re even further from stock Android. EMUI isn’t as bad as it used to be...like Samsung with OneUI, Huawei has recently cleaned up EMUI quite a bit. It’s not the best skin but it’s decent.

 

[ptkelly]

ColorOS and MIUI spring to mind. Compared to EMUI they’re even further from stock Android. EMUI isn’t as bad as it used to be...like Samsung with OneUI, Huawei has recently cleaned up EMUI quite a bit. It’s not the best skin but it’s decent.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to playing with the OS and the camera sounds very interesting.

 

[jaybotinc]

UPdate. After seeing what Pixel 4 is bringing to the table and at what price I decided to hold on to my Pixel 3. To me, that's a no brainer. Now, my wild side--at 78--decided that after years of pure Android to try something different and if it's going to be different it might as well be the black sheep of the flock.

I ordered a Huawei p30 Pro. What could possibly be farther from pure Android then EMUI? I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes and checking out the cameras.

Plot twist!!! Let us know what you think!

 

[ptkelly]

Plot twist!!! Let us know what you think!

After six years with stock Android, starting with 4.4, it was a shock. Navigating is awkward and some of the features are awkward. For example, it has system-wide dark mode, a plus, but it uses a font, black letter on white on the black screen, that I can't read. I'm old and just had surgery for cataracts.

And, there is a lot of bloat. Of course, having 256Gb eases the pain of bloat but still irritates my OCD side.

My main interest is the camera. So, I'm learning that. Consider, the Pixel 3, and now 4, cameras are great because of great software. Right now they take, hands down, the best point and shoot photos. Anyone can crank out good photos for Facebook or Instagram. I started shooting pictures in 1962 and am quite comfortable with the concept of equipment limitations. I started when zoom lens didn't exist and I couldn't afford more than the lens that came with the camera.

As I played with the camera. and the software, on the Huawei I appreciate the zoom lens and the wide-angle lens. The RYYB may actually be better than the RGGB sensor. I miss the HDR+ but might find something that makes up for it.

I've watched a lot of YouTube videos on the p30 camera, some in English, and I feel like they are putting the photographer above the AI and are providing to tools for me to do what I can do.

So, at this point, I'm keeping my Pixel 3 and will pick up a SIM for it today but I'm enjoying the Huawei p30 Pro. Oh, and I use a holster case and I've found only one for the p30 pro. It sucks.

Edit. I almost forgot. The battery is friggin' awesome. Since I don't play games and don't do Facebook or other social media I might have four days on the battery.

 

[jaybotinc]

After six years with stock Android, starting with 4.4, it was a shock. Navigating is awkward and some of the features are awkward. For example, it has system-wide dark mode, a plus, but it uses a font, black letter on white on the black screen, that I can't read. I'm old and just had surgery for cataracts.

And, there is a lot of bloat. Of course, having 256Gb eases the pain of bloat but still irritates my OCD side.

My main interest is the camera. So, I'm learning that. Consider, the Pixel 3, and now 4, cameras are great because of great software. Right now they take, hands down, the best point and shoot photos. Anyone can crank out good photos for Facebook or Instagram. I started shooting pictures in 1962 and am quite comfortable with the concept of equipment limitations. I started when zoom lens didn't exist and I couldn't afford more than the lens that came with the camera.

As I played with the camera. and the software, on the Huawei I appreciate the zoom lens and the wide-angle lens. The RYYB may actually be better than the RGGB sensor. I miss the HDR+ but might find something that makes up for it.

I've watched a lot of YouTube videos on the p30 camera, some in English, and I feel like they are putting the photographer above the AI and are providing to tools for me to do what I can do.

So, at this point, I'm keeping my Pixel 3 and will pick up a SIM for it today but I'm enjoying the Huawei p30 Pro. Oh, and I use a holster case and I've found only one for the p30 pro. It sucks.

Edit. I almost forgot. The battery is friggin' awesome. Since I don't play games and don't do Facebook or other social media I might have four days on the battery.

That was interesting to read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

My understanding is that the OnePlus is extremely customizable... Is the Huawei not too customizable? (Re the font, etc...)