What would be worth an upgrade?

[johnnyshinta]

I am someone that tries every flagship phone every year. I got the pixel XL and decided to stick with it for a while. I was going to really try to keep it for a year or so but the pixel 2 is coming out soon and I'm sure it's gonna be awesome. How many of you are going to stick with the first gen and who's upgrading?

 

[bmhillegass87]

Hi @johnnyshinta

I'm in the same boat as you, a flagship junkie. For the vast majority of people, the Pixel will more than hold its own for a 2 year commitment. However, for those of us enthusiasts that want the latest and greatest, and upgrade is looming for that Pixel 2.

 

[mmcclure0453]

I still believe my Pixel is the best phone I've had to date. And that includes iPhones. But.....Pixel 2 sounds even more promising. I'll probably get one as soon as they come out. The first one was great. How much better will the second one be? I'll tell you how much better it is after I buy one....

 

[johnnyshinta]

Is it really going to be such an improvement that it's worth dropping the money? Trust me I'm not judging. Like I said I buy every new flagship it I'm stepping back and thinking about the cost to use these phones and it's pretty astronomical. I'm trying to talk myself into using my pixel till it's dead and getting whatever the newest one is at that time. Pixel 2 or 3. My wife hates that I get a new phone ever couple of months and I honestly can't blame her. There really isn't a good reason for it beside spec chasing and an infatuation with gadgets.

 

[mmcclure0453]

Is it really going to be such an improvement that it's worth dropping the money? Trust me I'm not judging. Like I said I buy every new flagship it I'm stepping back and thinking about the cost to use these phones and it's pretty astronomical. I'm trying to talk myself into using my pixel till it's dead and getting whatever the newest one is at that time. Pixel 2 or 3. My wife hates that I get a new phone ever couple of months and I honestly can't blame her. There really isn't a good reason for it beside spec chasing and an infatuation with gadgets.

As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. My wife feels the same way with me changing phones. Is it possible.....?could she be right also.....?

I'm pretty sure my current Pixel will last a long time, especially since I baby it. Maybe the wisest choice is to keep the Pixel and make the wife happy. But, if I damage this one beyond repair about the same time the Pixel 2 comes out.....well, I'll have to replace it, right???

 

[vzwuser76]

Is it really going to be such an improvement that it's worth dropping the money? Trust me I'm not judging. Like I said I buy every new flagship it I'm stepping back and thinking about the cost to use these phones and it's pretty astronomical. I'm trying to talk myself into using my pixel till it's dead and getting whatever the newest one is at that time. Pixel 2 or 3. My wife hates that I get a new phone ever couple of months and I honestly can't blame her. There really isn't a good reason for it beside spec chasing and an infatuation with gadgets.

I'm not quite as bad as you guys, I get a new flagship every year. While I agree with a lot of what you said, if your statement was true, you're going from around 4-6 phones in one year to trying to get by with one phone for 2-3 years. Maybe just go to a once a year upgrade instead. If you're buying multiple phones each year, how much of a difference are you going to see? Processor wise, there's usually maybe three major ones to choose from at most, more like 2 most years (one in the first half of the year and one in the second). Maybe the reason you're not seeing much of a difference between phones is because you're oversaturating on devices. At one device per year, you'll see more of a difference.

 

[johnnyshinta]

That is true. But if you think about a Galaxy S7 to s8 or iPhone 6s to 7. It's not like 1 can send texts and the other can't. They all do the same thing just to varying degrees. I'm trying to think of it as a cost of ownership and the longer I keep a phone the less it costs per month to operate

 

[davidnc]

I am thinking of "maybe getting" the Pixel 2, even tho I have the OG Pixel(sailfish).It will be interesting to see what the differences will be between the two phones, but not just reading the rumors
I am starting to limit myself to just one new phone a year, if that.

I know the OG Pixel will still be a great phone for the next 2-3 years ,nothings definite for me at this point in time.

 

[vzwuser76]

That is true. But if you think about a Galaxy S7 to s8 or iPhone 6s to 7. It's not like 1 can send texts and the other can't. They all do the same thing just to varying degrees. I'm trying to think of it as a cost of ownership and the longer I keep a phone the less it costs per month to operate

While I agree, we are at the point where any essential services can be done by even phones 7 years old. For example, in the last 7 years, what phone didn't have texting capability? Some would say something like VoLTE is essential, but I'd argue it's a convenience more than anything (that of course will change once carriers drop their 1x and 3G networks). You can still make calls without VoLTE, they may not be as clear but you can still communicate. Maybe fingerprint scanner, but like VoLTE that's more of a convenience than essential. Most all of the features released in the last 3-4 years aren't essential, but a convenience. Even RSC is a convenience.

What I was referring to wasn't a hardline like having or not having texting capability, but seeing a perceptible difference between devices. If you're buying new devices every couple months, of course you're not going to see a difference. But going from year to year, the difference is noticable, either in terms of operational speed, camera quality, or battery life. What you won't see is the difference OEMs and hardware partners claim. The difference is noticable, but not twice the speed or battery life. As with anything the improvements are gradual, but it's not to say that they aren't there.

My final point is my suggestion for people buying multiple devices a year who are considering switching to one device for multiple​ years. While I understand that many don't keep every device and sell of their old ones, you're still going to have the initial cost of a device plus the amount lost each time you sell an older one. Buying a new one every couple months, the cumulative losses you incur selling old devices plus the cost of the device you currently have would probably be equal to 2 phones, if not more. By just picking one device per year, you would've already halved the money spent of devices. Now obviously keeping a device for multiple years drops that even more, I was simply suggesting that instead of making such a radical change from one extreme to the other, split the difference and take a more moderate approach. And so no one mistakes what I'm saying, I'm not telling anyone what they HAVE to do, just making a suggestion. It's your money after all.

 

[vzwuser76]

I am thinking of "maybe getting" the Pixel 2, even tho I have the OG Pixel(sailfish).It will be interesting to see what the differences will be between the two phones, but not just reading the rumors
I am starting to limit myself to just one new phone a year, if that.

I know the OG Pixel will still be a great phone for the next 2-3 years ,nothings definite for me at this point in time.

I'm in the same boat. I can honestly say this is the best performing device I've owned, especially at this point in my ownership. By now most phones I've had have started to slow down, some features no longer work, etc. And I baby my devices, they look like new when I stop using them, so if features aren't working it's through no fault of mine. Anyways, while I'm considering a newer Pixel, it's by no means a lock either. If they improve the things I personally didn't like about the OG Pixel (better speakers and headphone audio output mainly, with waterproofing and smaller bezels being beneficial but not deal breakers) then I'll consider it. But if not, this is one of the first phones I can see going another year. I thought I had that with the 6p, but either the usual slowdown in performance or updates that end up decreasing the performance made that less likely. I'm also curious to see what Google's device would look like had they not been rushed (if the story about why they didn't have waterproofing is true).

 

[johnnyshinta]

While I agree, we are at the point where any essential services can be done by even phones 7 years old. For example, in the last 7 years, what phone didn't have texting capability? Some would say something like VoLTE is essential, but I'd argue it's a convenience more than anything (that of course will change once carriers drop their 1x and 3G networks). You can still make calls without VoLTE, they may not be as clear but you can still communicate. Maybe fingerprint scanner, but like VoLTE that's more of a convenience than essential. Most all of the features released in the last 3-4 years aren't essential, but a convenience. Even RSC is a convenience.

What I was referring to wasn't a hardline like having or not having texting capability, but seeing a perceptible difference between devices. If you're buying new devices every couple months, of course you're not going to see a difference. But going from year to year, the difference is noticable, either in terms of operational speed, camera quality, or battery life. What you won't see is the difference OEMs and hardware partners claim. The difference is noticable, but not twice the speed or battery life. As with anything the improvements are gradual, but it's not to say that they aren't there.

My final point is my suggestion for people buying multiple devices a year who are considering switching to one device for multiple​ years. While I understand that many don't keep every device and sell of their old ones, you're still going to have the initial cost of a device plus the amount lost each time you sell an older one. Buying a new one every couple months, the cumulative losses you incur selling old devices plus the cost of the device you currently have would probably be equal to 2 phones, if not more. By just picking one device per year, you would've already halved the money spent of devices. Now obviously keeping a device for multiple years drops that even more, I was simply suggesting that instead of making such a radical change from one extreme to the other, split the difference and take a more moderate approach. And so no one mistakes what I'm saying, I'm not telling anyone what they HAVE to do, just making a suggestion. It's your money after all.

I took it as your opinion and not a suggestion. No worries. And you also have valid points

 

[johnnyshinta]

Of those that keep their phone for a year or more do you put it in a case and try to keep it as close to pristine as possible? Or do you not worry about cosmetic damage and just try to keep the screen in one piece? Since I've decided to try and get the most out of this phone's lifetime I put a case on it...I hate cases. Already took it off. The back glass has scratches that I don't really care about. I was trying to avoid a calamity by using a case but I guess that's what insurance is for.

 

[matty032]

Of those that keep their phone for a year or more do you put it in a case and try to keep it as close to pristine as possible? Or do you not worry about cosmetic damage and just try to keep the screen in one piece? Since I've decided to try and get the most out of this phone's lifetime I put a case on it...I hate cases. Already took it off. The back glass has scratches that I don't really care about. I was trying to avoid a calamity by using a case but I guess that's what insurance is for.

I use the Peel, or Calicase cases. They pretty much just keep it from getting scratched. Not gonna help a whole lot in a fall. But, so minimal, that you hardly can tell it's on there.

 

[johnnyshinta]

I use the Peel, or Calicase cases. They pretty much just keep it from getting scratched. Not gonna help a whole lot in a fall. But, so minimal, that you hardly can tell it's on there.

Those look nice but I'm not worried about scratches. Really just want to avoid a cracked screen

 

[vzwuser76]

Of those that keep their phone for a year or more do you put it in a case and try to keep it as close to pristine as possible? Or do you not worry about cosmetic damage and just try to keep the screen in one piece? Since I've decided to try and get the most out of this phone's lifetime I put a case on it...I hate cases. Already took it off. The back glass has scratches that I don't really care about. I was trying to avoid a calamity by using a case but I guess that's what insurance is for.

I always use cases on my phones regardless of how long I'm going to keep them. If/when I sell them, they still look like the day I bought them. May I ask, what case are you using? I'm using a tpu Diztronic case and have no scratches on the rear glass. I also use a tempered glass screen protector (used to use the plastic ones but the glass are stronger and feel better).

 

[mmcclure0453]

Of those that keep their phone for a year or more do you put it in a case and try to keep it as close to pristine as possible? Or do you not worry about cosmetic damage and just try to keep the screen in one piece? Since I've decided to try and get the most out of this phone's lifetime I put a case on it...I hate cases. Already took it off. The back glass has scratches that I don't really care about. I was trying to avoid a calamity by using a case but I guess that's what insurance is for.

Mine go in a protective case and have a tempered glass screen protector slapped on them the day I receive it. I do construction work and can get in some unfriendly situations for cell phones.

If I buy the phone new or in mint condition, it still looks new or mint when I resell it. I very rarely loose much money when I resell. New or mint phones bring top dollar on most sites. I do have to pay a little for the time I used it but the loss is never very much and some times I break even. Depends on how long I keep it.

My case of choice is usually the OtterBox Defender with holster. Doesn't allow much to happen to your phone. Yes, it's a little bulky but does the job well.

 

[anon(10092459)]

Well I am definitely getting the Pixel 2. Even though this phone has been the best I've ever owned and I could be content until Pixel 3, I am looking forward to the fall. The Pixel has been perfect for me and really impressive.

I think this next offering from Google will want to build on what they offered in 2016 in a significant way.

 

[johnnyshinta]

The back has scratches because I don't use a case. I put a speck grip case on and took it off after a few hours. Hate cases. I don't resell phones anymore. I used to but now I just trade them into the carrier.

 

[vzwuser76]

The back has scratches because I don't use a case. I put a speck grip case on and took it off after a few hours. Hate cases. I don't resell phones anymore. I used to but now I just trade them into the carrier.

Ok, I thought you meant the scratches came from the case.

 

[johnnyshinta]

Ah no but I see how that could be what you thought. The scratches are there because I don't like using cases. Every time I try one it comes off in a day at most. Usually a few hours. And then I'm back to using the phone with no protection.