2016 Phone thoughts

[speedlever]

I'd long held out to see what the Pixel XL was going to offer and when the Pixels were confirmed on October 4th, I decided the price/product did not speak value to me. So I placed an order for a OnePlus 3 (which is still pending shipment).

So today I learned that the OP3 apparently has random rebooting issues when navigating... which pretty much kills my interest in the phone. So I'm back to square one.

Honestly, I think I'd jump on a Nexus 6P/128GB if I could find one at a decent price. But I'm not interested in a year old phone with the SD810 SoC for $600. And I just can't bring myself to go to iOS. I see enough of that on my iPad mini2.

My old GS4 is getting more and more erratic and I either need to replace it or do a FDR and reinstall everything. I prefer to replace it. But I'm struggling what to go with since I can't get excited about spending $1000 on a phone that won't be supported in a couple of years (Pixel XL/ Samsung or LG flagship, etc.). That's one reason the $400 phones like the OP3 were attractive to me. But not if they have reliability and random rebooting issues. Nor am I excited about the funky UIs the non-Nexus Chinese phones have.

So maybe I'll look at the Motorola Z Play when it releases this week. The Pixel XL is oos and who knows when it will be available again, even if I could stomach paying $1000 for that phone.

I'm very frustrated thinking I'd put my 2016 phone purchase to bed only to find out my choice may have an unacceptable flaw that has yet to be discovered and fixed.

Right now I'm stumped about what 5.5 inch or larger phone to buy. I'm tired of the little 5 inch display on my GS4.

I saw a 6P running Nougat the other day at BestBuy and was favorably impressed. But I just can't spend $600 on a year old device running the SD810.

Right now my avatar speaks to my upgrade phone thoughts.

 

[Aquila]

Revisit two devices. HTC 10 and Pixel XL.

 

[speedlever]

For whatever reason (cost being one, smallish screen at 5.2 inches being another), HTC does not interest me. And while the Pixel XL has some limited appeal, it is currently out of stock with no projection of when stock will be available and I have a hard time spending $1000 on a phone that will not have support past 2 years. Ergo my interest in the OP3, which I'm tempted to let come in and give it 15 days trial.

Unresolved reboots concern me to the point that I'm considering my options. But like the Note7 battery, some have issues, and yet many do not. Do I feel lucky today? Hmm.

I'd rather go Nexus 6P if it could be bought for a decent price (no more than the $400 phones).

 

[Joshua Luther2]

I would feel the same way if I was due for an upgrade right now. I'm always thinking about what phone would I get if I could upgrade right now. OP3 was at the top of my list until I heard about the random rebooting. I've also been reluctant to consider any of the sub $400 devices such as Asus, Honor or Axon 7. Hopefully the OP4 will impress me enough next year and be affordable enough because I can't justify spending $800-$1000 when a $400 phone can do almost everything.

 

[Aquila]

Moto Z Play. Affordable, great battery life, very close to stock Android.

 

[TheMysteriousOne]

I'm sure you can find Nexus 6P for around $400 on eBay...

Here's one: Huawei Google Nexus 6P H1512 32GB Factory Unlocked 5 7" Silver White Grey | eBay

 

[MDMcAtee]

I'd long held out to see what the Pixel XL was going to offer and when the Pixels were confirmed on October 4th, I decided the price/product did not speak value to me. So I placed an order for a OnePlus 3 (which is still pending shipment).

So today I learned that the OP3 apparently has random rebooting issues when navigating... which pretty much kills my interest in the phone. So I'm back to square one.

Honestly, I think I'd jump on a Nexus 6P/128GB if I could find one at a decent price. But I'm not interested in a year old phone with the SD810 SoC for $600. And I just can't bring myself to go to iOS. I see enough of that on my iPad mini2.

My old GS4 is getting more and more erratic and I either need to replace it or do a FDR and reinstall everything. I prefer to replace it. But I'm struggling what to go with since I can't get excited about spending $1000 on a phone that won't be supported in a couple of years (Pixel XL/ Samsung or LG flagship, etc.). That's one reason the $400 phones like the OP3 were attractive to me. But not if they have reliability and random rebooting issues. Nor am I excited about the funky UIs the non-Nexus Chinese phones have.

So maybe I'll look at the Motorola Z Play when it releases this week. The Pixel XL is oos and who knows when it will be available again, even if I could stomach paying $1000 for that phone.

I'm very frustrated thinking I'd put my 2016 phone purchase to bed only to find out my choice may have an unacceptable flaw that has yet to be discovered and fixed.

Right now I'm stumped about what 5.5 inch or larger phone to buy. I'm tired of the little 5 inch display on my GS4.

I saw a 6P running Nougat the other day at BestBuy and was favorably impressed. But I just can't spend $600 on a year old device running the SD810.

Right now my avatar speaks to my upgrade phone thoughts.

How about this one then...

https://www.onedigitals.com/product...cO6hopA-LbGuwlaEgwfr-QitbHVy5X5wE5RoCXZHw_wcB

I got a brand new 6p last month and love it.

The 810 in it is optimized for it and is a beast. I watch videos and movies and it is excellent for this as well as surfing the Internet, texting, talking on the phone, and taking pictures...and fast updates and the developer preview options... Not to mention that it's the best Nexus built..oh BTW I average right at 6 hours of SOT with mine.... . So don't worry about having this phone.. It'll be around longer than most other phones.

 

[speedlever]

Moto Z Play. Affordable, great battery life, very close to stock Android.

That's actually a consideration. But I'm a bit put off by Motorola's checkered past on broken OS update promises. Still, the unlocked Moto Z Play is supposed to be released on Oct. 20th, I believe. They bump the price up by $50 over the VZW price for the unlocked version.

 

[speedlever]

I'm sure you can find Nexus 6P for around $400 on eBay...

Here's one: Huawei Google Nexus 6P H1512 32GB Factory Unlocked 5 7" Silver White Grey | eBay

32GB. Too small, but thanks.

How about this one then...

https://www.onedigitals.com/product...cO6hopA-LbGuwlaEgwfr-QitbHVy5X5wE5RoCXZHw_wcB

I got a brand new 6p last month and love it.

The 810 in it is optimized for it and is a beast. I watch videos and movies and it is excellent for this as well as surfing the Internet, texting, talking on the phone, and taking pictures...and fast updates and the developer preview options... Not to mention that it's the best Nexus built..oh BTW I average right at 6 hours of SOT with mine.... . So don't worry about having this phone.. It'll be around longer than most other phones.

I really liked my brief exposure to the 6P running Nougat. I'd really prefer to buy from BestBuy where I can have some semblance of local support (even though I ordered a OnePlus 3!).

I do like the 6P... just wish the camera was improved. One of my pet peeves with my old GS4 is how long it takes the camera to come up and then how long it takes to snap a pic. And I hear the 6P slows down pretty rapidly when taking pics, especially HDR pics. True? And I really wanted that 5.7 inch screen size too.

For now, I've decided to let the OP3 order ride and give it 15 days to make it or break it with me. But yeah, I'd probably be willing to spend $500 on the 6P/128GB version... if I could buy it locally.

 

[Morty2264]

I'd long held out to see what the Pixel XL was going to offer and when the Pixels were confirmed on October 4th, I decided the price/product did not speak value to me. So I placed an order for a OnePlus 3 (which is still pending shipment).

So today I learned that the OP3 apparently has random rebooting issues when navigating... which pretty much kills my interest in the phone. So I'm back to square one.

Honestly, I think I'd jump on a Nexus 6P/128GB if I could find one at a decent price. But I'm not interested in a year old phone with the SD810 SoC for $600. And I just can't bring myself to go to iOS. I see enough of that on my iPad mini2.

My old GS4 is getting more and more erratic and I either need to replace it or do a FDR and reinstall everything. I prefer to replace it. But I'm struggling what to go with since I can't get excited about spending $1000 on a phone that won't be supported in a couple of years (Pixel XL/ Samsung or LG flagship, etc.). That's one reason the $400 phones like the OP3 were attractive to me. But not if they have reliability and random rebooting issues. Nor am I excited about the funky UIs the non-Nexus Chinese phones have.

So maybe I'll look at the Motorola Z Play when it releases this week. The Pixel XL is oos and who knows when it will be available again, even if I could stomach paying $1000 for that phone.

I'm very frustrated thinking I'd put my 2016 phone purchase to bed only to find out my choice may have an unacceptable flaw that has yet to be discovered and fixed.

Right now I'm stumped about what 5.5 inch or larger phone to buy. I'm tired of the little 5 inch display on my GS4.

I saw a 6P running Nougat the other day at BestBuy and was favorably impressed. But I just can't spend $600 on a year old device running the SD810.

Right now my avatar speaks to my upgrade phone thoughts.

OP, if you are currently using a Samsung device, have you considered the S7 Edge? I believe it's 5.5" and it's an all-around great device.

 

[speedlever]

OP, if you are currently using a Samsung device, have you considered the S7 Edge? I believe it's 5.5" and it's an all-around great device.

While I'm sure the S7E is a great device (and I've long been a Samsung fan), there are several main drawbacks to the S7E (and Samsung in general) for me:
1) I am not a fan of the edge displays
2) I have already learned that Samsung flagship phones are virtually forgotten after a year or two (mine hasn't had a security update in nearly a year, not to mention OS updates which peaked at 5.0.1 on my GS4).
3) I'm not interested in paying that kind of money (Apple-esque prices) for Android level support (max of 2 years OS/ 3 years security updates... which are really for Nexus/Pixels anyway, not Samsung or LG flagships).
4) I'm ready to get away from Touchwiz/Grace and enjoy more frequent updates and less/no bloat (which is why I'd planned to go Nexus in 2016... until Google nixed the Nexus line and came out with the iAndroids Pixel line. I was eagerly looking forward to an upgraded Nexus 6P.

 

[seventeenseconds]

I think you should hold off for the Pixel XL. You mentioned price and support, but two things on that:

1. The XL will hold good (for a phone) resale value in two years time. There's always going to be a market for one even if the next latest and greatest (or two) come out. These devices (Nexus) are coveted by the hackers and DIY people in the Android community.

2. Yeah, Google will probably only 'support' it for 2-3 years, but that's the same as every other company realistically these days. OnePlus hasn't exactly done a bang up job in that regards, but granted they are priced much, much lower. What the XL has going for it (again back to #1) is community support. I predict you'll see tons of custom and updated ROMs from now until well after Google has ended official support. It's easy to see the track record of all prior Nexus devices in that regard.

Those seem to be your big concerns? Price and support? I think if you factor in a solid two years of use and assuming you keep the device in good condition it's not going to be a problem at all in the end.

 

[cactuspete23]

Funny how with all the phones out there, it's still difficult to find one that works well, and meets all of our needs !

 

[speedlever]

I think that Pixel value down the road is pure conjecture at this point. No one knows. But, we do know that iPhones hold their value, and they are supported far longer than Androids of any flavor. This is one reason I strongly considered the iP7+/128GB. I really wanted to like the Pixel XL. But at this point, I have little to no interest in it for that iPhone price.

If the OP3 turns out to be a good phone and OP is able to support it properly, then I figure that for me, the OP product offers more value. I can buy another new OP device (OP5?) in a couple of years, get current technology, and still have change in my pocket. I simply have a hard time grasping the value in a $1000 device that needs to be replaced every 2 years to stay current on OS/security updates. I'm ready to be convinced, but haven't seen anything that swings me in that direction.

Now if the OP3 doesn't work out, then I'll have to figure out Plan B. But unless something changes, that will likely remain in the realm of the sub-$500 phones like the Moto Z Play, or maybe a Nexus 6P/128 if I can find one locally on sale.

Edit: Speaking of being on point! I just stumbled across this comparision:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvImv5xllLs

 

[speedlever]

Funny how with all the phones out there, it's still difficult to find one that works well, and meets all of our needs !

Too right! It's like being stuck in a grocery store and starving to death because you can't find anything to eat that you like.

 

[Morty2264]

While I'm sure the S7E is a great device (and I've long been a Samsung fan), there are several main drawbacks to the S7E (and Samsung in general) for me:
1) I am not a fan of the edge displays
2) I have already learned that Samsung flagship phones are virtually forgotten after a year or two (mine hasn't had a security update in nearly a year, not to mention OS updates which peaked at 5.0.1 on my GS4).
3) I'm not interested in paying that kind of money (Apple-esque prices) for Android level support (max of 2 years OS/ 3 years security updates... which are really for Nexus/Pixels anyway, not Samsung or LG flagships).
4) I'm ready to get away from Touchwiz/Grace and enjoy more frequent updates and less/no bloat (which is why I'd planned to go Nexus in 2016... until Google nixed the Nexus line and came out with the iAndroids Pixel line. I was eagerly looking forward to an upgraded Nexus 6P.

I totally get where you're coming from! Updates and support are crucial when considering purchasing of devices, for sure. Nexus is definitely a good choice to make... I feel like I may go that route, myself. Good luck!