Any "Pixel Converts" Here in the Samsung S20 House?

[PoorInRichfield]

While I really liked my Pixel 2 for the past three years, it's battery is dying and I'm looking for something new. For me, the camera is one of the top priorities in a phone and as such, I'm disappointed that the Pixel 5 doesn't have a telephoto lens. I'm considering moving to a Samsung Galaxy S20 but wondering if it's worth abandoning the Pixel platform just to get the telephoto lens.

I currently run the Microsoft Launcher app on my Pixel. As such, once Samsung releases Android 11 for the S20 and if I install the Microsoft Launcher on an S20, would I even notice that I'm not on a Pixel?!? I like it that Pixels get Android releases immediately, which is the second reason (behind the excellent camera) that I originally chose the Pixel 2.

If you're a "Pixel Convert", let me know if it was worth the switch, you regret it, or ???

 

[SteveC]

I don't know if I can be called a convert yet. I have had the Pixel, p2, and p3. I recently went to the S20 FE, mostly just because, and I'd always found myself wishing for a telephoto lens in a camera. I was impressed with the reviews and the specs for the phone. Now the FE is a hell of a phone. I would be perfect if Google would just buy a bunch of the FE from Samsung and put the Google software and camera app in it and call it the Pixel 5XL. Samsung may be getting better with upgrades, but they are not in Google's league by a fair margin. For example A 11 won't get to the FE until February. As far as I'm concerned that is just not acceptable, but it is what it is and I can't change that. Now the FE is way better hardware than the Pixel 3, so I will live with it for a year or two until I see what shakes out. I got the US version of the unlocked 5G on sale at Amazon for $550, and I run it on Verizon. Great signal and WiFi, both significantly better than any of the Pixels I have had. No 5G around here for some time yet. The camera is more than good enough for what I do, and I do like the telephoto. I also fail to see where there is any possible objection to the "glasstic" material used in the back of the phone. I certainly do not view a super slick, double sided glass, oversized, slippery watermelon seed as being something I'd call premium, but it appears I'm in the minority.

You will have to live with a bunch of duplicate Samsung exclusive junk, but that can be gotten used to.

I personally really like Samsung's DeX, which is one of the just because reasons I decided to try the FE.

One reason I did not get the Pixel 5 is my friends has unacceptably crappy speakers. I like the size of the P5, but the FE is not overly large and I do like the bigger screen. The sound is a lot better in the FE, both in call, and from device audio.

Samsung is different from Google and that is something I'll live with, hoping Samsung can get their upgrade act in order. No, I do not regret going from the Pixel to the FE. However my personal jury is still out, Samsung has made some strides with me becoming a fan, but there is a ways to go.

 

[sulla1965]

I'm a Samsung fan, S series, A series, and note series. But I also like Pixels. But not enough to give up Samsung. I usually get a Pixel, use it for a while on and off, then sell it.

 

[PoorInRichfield]

I also fail to see where there is any possible objection to the "glasstic" material used in the back of the phone.
...
You will have to live with a bunch of duplicate Samsung exclusive junk, but that can be gotten used to.
...
I personally really like Samsung's DeX, which is one of the just because reasons I decided to try the FE.

Yeah, bloatware annoys me which is yet another reason I went with the Pixel. Then again, I don't use most of Google's services and I can't remove them from my Pixel, so I suppose there's no avoiding the bloat.

As for the phone material, I agree... I could care less what the phone is made out of. I use my phone as a tool, not jewelry. It'll get a $15 cover slapped on it no matter what, so it could be made out of recycled paper for all I care.

DeX sounds interesting... I'm not sure if I'd use that or not. I'm a Windows Phone convert and it had a feature similar to DeX in that you could use the phone as a little PC. However, I found I really never used the feature.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

I had a,2xl and 4xl. Moved to the S10+ and have zero regrets. Well the camera was worse at first but it has had many improvements and I like Samsung's version of apps over Google's. I miss having a pixel but only as a backup phone. My S10+ is much better quality.

 

[PoorInRichfield]

Well the camera was worse at first but it has had many improvements and I like Samsung's version of apps over Google's.

Hi Kizzy! Could you clarify what you mean by "the camera was worse"? I'm currently debating getting a used Pixel 4XL (because it has a telephoto lens) or an S20... I'd hate to go the S20 route and find-out the camera "isn't all-that" Are you referring to the camera app or the camera itself?

 

[Adam Frix]

Samsung may be getting better with upgrades, but they are not in Google's league by a fair margin. For example A 11 won't get to the FE until February.

well, the FE *just* came out. That's to be expected.

You will have to live with a bunch of duplicate Samsung exclusive junk, but that can be gotten used to.

It's not junk. Frankly, it's superior. Samsung makes great software.

On top of that, you get Samsung's Good Lock stuff--which is really cool.

hoping Samsung can get their upgrade act in order.

It is in order.

 

[Coop61]

I came from the Pixel 3xl. I'm using the S20+. I really liked my 3xl, miss the call screening. I'm still a little undecided as to which phone has the better camera (the S20 has a lot more settings in the camera to tweek), both are really good. On the S20+ I use Nova launcher and Google Messenger and Google phone apps. I do like the S20+. Now I just need to stop watching videos on You tube on tweeks. LOL

 

[J Dubbs]

I really like how pixels get the cutting edge new android features first, that's what really hooked me.... and Google is like clockwork with new feature drops, security patches, and os upgrades. I was running Android 10 on my ancient 2016 pixel last year before any other non-pixel current flagships, including Samsung's. It's exciting getting exclusive features, and getting them first. You feel like you're on the bleeding edge of Android development....and it puts the fun back into being a phone geek

And that's a hard thrill to pass up

 

[PoorInRichfield]

I really liked my 3xl, miss the call screening.

Is call screening an Android 11 feature? I've had it so long on my Pixel 2 that I forgot when it came out. I love the feature as my phone almost never rings... just how I like it!

 

[Adam Frix]

hoping Samsung can get their upgrade act in order.

well, on T-Mobile the December update is out.

Sammy has very seriously upped their game on updates over the last year.

 

[Adam Frix]

I really like how pixels get the cutting edge new android features first, that's what really hooked me.... and Google is like clockwork with new feature drops, security patches, and os upgrades. I was running Android 10 on my ancient 2016 pixel last year before any other non-pixel current flagships, including Samsung's. It's exciting getting exclusive features, and getting them first. You feel like you're on the bleeding edge of Android development....and it puts the fun back into being a phone geek

And that's a hard thrill to pass up

If it's "exciting getting exclusive features," then you REALLY don't know what you're missing with Samsung's new UI. I'm already on UI 3.0, soon to be on UI 3.1, and Pixels get NONE of those features.

 

[PoorInRichfield]

If it's "exciting getting exclusive features," then you REALLY don't know what you're missing with Samsung's new UI. I'm already on UI 3.0, soon to be on UI 3.1, and Pixels get NONE of those features.

What are we missing? (I'm totally ignorant of what Samsung is doing.) By UI, do you mean some kind of launcher-like app?

 

[Adam Frix]

They actually call it "Samsung UI". It's a brand name. They're currently on v3.0, soon to be v3.1.

It's more than just the launcher. It's their entire take on a UI, using Android as a core.

And for things that Samsung wants more control over, outside of the Google Play Store mechanism, they use their Good Lock system and the Galaxy Store to provide additional features to extend the UI (and to provide apps and watch faces and whatnot without involving Google Play). There's a ton of features that "stock Android" will never get, no matter what.

People stuck on "stock Android is best" would say that "anything that doesn't come on a Pixel is bloat!" Under that definition, the entire Samsung ecosphere is bloat. But at the same time, it's chock full of features that stock Android will never have.

Features aren't bloat. They're just features. Plus, who doesn't add apps to his phone? Those are bloat, too, because they're not "stock Android". My phone comes with Google Messages; it also comes with Samsung's Messages app. But I don't want either of those. I use a third party one. I'm sure plenty of people use different apps than what Google puts on a Pixel phone, for lots of reasons. Are they bloat? Is the Pixel-standard app you're not using "bloat"?

Oh--and the Galaxy S20 came out in March on Android 10/UI 2.1, and by early October had the public beta of Android 11/UI 3.0 rolling out to anyone who wanted it. And then by the end of November, they released it.

In a month, the followup phone to the S20 series--S21 series?--will be launched, with Android 11 and UI 3.1. No doubt in another six months they'll be testing Android 12.

 

[PoorInRichfield]

Oh noz... the photographer in me just learned about the Sony Xperia 5 II and I think I might be in love. :-O

 

[Adam Frix]

Oh noz... the photographer in me just learned about the Sony Xperia 5 II and I think I might be in love. :-O

For better or for worse, if you buy a Sony, expect it always to be exactly what it is when you first open the box. You will get no upgrades, no updates. You will be stuck at Android 10. And, God forbid it should need service or repair--that's it. You're done. It's a disposable phone. You won't even be able to find a battery, should yours go bad.

All of this is a shame, because Sony knows how to make great stuff. But I don't know why they continue in the phone market. They really have nothing to offer. It's like their mobile division is run part time by the TV guys, whose expertise lies in just evolving the hardware and expecting that people will treat their stuff as disposable and buy the newest latest and greatest.

If you don't mind buying $900-$1200 phones every year, that's fine.

In the meantime, Samsung has gone all the way in and is working furiously at keeping their stuff up to date and upgrading the Android version along with their UI. Also, they've embraced the local repair so as to compete with Apple.

 

[PoorInRichfield]

For better or for worse, if you buy a Sony, expect it always to be exactly what it is when you first open the box. You will get no upgrades, no updates. You will be stuck at Android 10.

A quick search seems to show that Sony is releasing Android 11 updates for the newer Xperia phones, but your point is well taken. I can't find any info regarding how many years Sony will support OS updates... if there's any promise at all. And you're right about repairs... it would be risky to own such a rare phone as no one would be willing to repair it.

That's a bummer though. In watching videos on how the camera app works on the Xperia, it's exactly what I've been looking for since I gave up my Windows Lumia phones years ago. The Sony camera app works like a true camera app which allows the user to make decisions rather than having AI do it. Most of today's phones are made for the point-and-shoot photographer, which makes sense, but some of us want the option of having some manual control.

I find it funny that Sony makes the image sensors for most major brands, yet nearly no one knows that Sony makes phones. In just a few years, Sony went from being the total underdog in the digital camera market to being the market leader, but I suppose that same experience isn't helping them in the mobile phone market as the camera part of a phone is only a small part of what a phone can do.

 

[SteveC]

well, the FE *just* came out. That's to be expected.




It's not junk. Frankly, it's superior. Samsung makes great software.

On top of that, you get Samsung's Good Lock stuff--which is really cool.





It is in order.

Adam,

Seems I got a Samsung fanboy, which is fine, no offense intended. However we are bound to disagree on a few things. Yeah Samsung has some things that are unique and won't be found on another OEM skin, or even Google vanilla android. With Googles vanilla approach, there is likely a good app from the store to fill the need. However the problem I have with Samsung is their obdurate insistence on baking it in to the system. I really don't want to have a bunch of ignored stuff I do not and likely will not ever use on the system. I can put up with it, but I don't like it. Bixby is a prime example, for me anyway...it is nowhere near Google Assistant. Some of those things will be very useful. But not all things will be either universally adored or scorned. So no matter how you choose to define it, some of it will always be junk to somebody. DeX for example is one of the things that drew me to the S 20 FE. Good Lock does look interesting, so does Samsung Pass. I have no objection to the Samsung Store either.

As to updates. So what if the FE "just" came out? Samsung announced the UI 3.0 for the Galaxy S 20 series. There was initially not even a mention of the FE, then finally we're told we have to wait until February. The S 20 FE would seem to qualify as an S 20 series phone, so what mysterious difference would keep it from being in line with the rest of the S 20 series? Same UI, same processor, same almost everything that would seem to relate to the phone systems. As I stated, I'm not on T-Mobile, so that update does not do a lot of good. This phone seems to have vaulted pretty rapidly into the Samsung top three in sales, for good reason it would seem. So why not keep the boost going and put the 3.0 UI out for the FE with the rest of the S 20 line? I don't particularly care much about Android 10 vs 11, but in this cyber criminal active world, monthly security updates should not come at the OEM whim. I will grant that Samsung has improved leaps and bounds, but it is still not Google in that regard. I got used to the security updates from Google, and I'm going to have to see how Samsung and I coexist in that regard.

I had all of this in my mind when I bought the FE, and I am prepared to let things sort out. The Samsung Galaxy S 20 FE is a hell of a good phone, better than the Pixels in many regards. My pet peeve with the Pixels was the fingerprint sensor. As long as your finger is the same condition as when you set it up it works. Get a little dirty or wet, or cold, forget it. I was skeptical of the in display of the FE, but so far it works like a champ, wet, cold, dry, or dirty.

 

[Coop61]

Is call screening an Android 11 feature? I've had it so long on my Pixel 2 that I forgot when it came out. I love the feature as my phone almost never rings... just how I like it!

It's a Pixel feature

 

[MarkMN]

I had a Pixel 2XL, before that I had an S7. I really liked the Pixel 2 XL, so when it was time for a new phone I went with the Pixel 5. That felt like a step down from the 2 XL. The call audio sucked, and the camera wouldn't focus properly for close up pictures. The screen looked so dull also. Those were my 3 main complaints and what caused me to return the phone after a week. The S20 FE feels and acts more like the Pixel 2, except faster and with a better battery. It's a keeper.

I use Nova launcher, so my phones all look pretty much the same. I never really got the "pure android experience" thing. The stock apps on a pixel are very vanilla and plain.