Finally upgrading from P3 - Should we get the P6?

[pdarrah]

My father and I always have the same phone (so I can easily help him) and we currently have Pixel 3 phones. We have both loved these phones, but the battery is definitely getting worse which isn't really a surprise after nearly 4 years.

My first instinct was to just get Pixel 6. I'm not thrilled that it is larger, but we can survive that. My concern is that I keep seeing articles about all sorts of problems (finger print reader, connectivity, dead pixels, etc.). Are these widespread problems that we are likely to encounter? Would it make more sense to get Pixel 5 phones instead?

We tend to keep our phones for 3 or 4 years, so I'm concerned that starting with a phone that is already older like the Pixel 5 could be a problem. We never buy our phones the second they are released as we tend to be pretty price/bargain conscious, so waiting for the Pixel 7 doesn't seem a great plan since we would have to keep the Pixel 3 phones going until probably early next year.

Anyone have any advice? I have really been happy with the pixels we have (my son still has a Pixel 2 and loves it so much he still doesn't want to upgrade it!) I like plain android and would prefer not to have to deal with some new flavor with Samsung/LG/etc. Is the P6 as bad as these news stories make it seem or is this just exaggeration for clicks? If the P6 is that bad, does getting the P5 still make sense if we are going to keep it for 3 years?

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Well, everyone's experience is different ... which tells me Google has quality control problems.

Some members love it (there are even people who will defend it as if it were their sick child). Other people like myself, would tell you it's trash and to avoid it like the plague.

Are you american? you might consider the Pixel 5a (or the 6a, though that is unproven and could be just as crap as the 6). the 5a is a little more recent than the 5, should be a little cheaper and is mostly the same phone.

 

[TraderGary]

I love my Pixel 6 Pro, but there are certainly those with bad experiences like fuzzylumpkin above. If your Pixel 3's are still serviceable, my advice would be to wait out the next few months until the Pixel 7's are released.

 

[mustang7757]

Some have trouble with pixel 6 series , been great for me , if your going wait until early next year hopefully they still around to purchase new as Google going want to stop then once the 7 are out and 6a already available.

 

[drvier8]

Are you power users? The 6a is just around the corner (pre-orders Friday). Early leaks say it fixes the fingerprint sensor (some have trouble with it on the 6 and 6P). The 6a is a mid-tier phone, but you still get the same Tensor chip. Older camera (same as in your P3), but with current software processing. No wireless charging. But same life-span of updates as the 6/6P.

Depending on your needs, the 6a maybe a good choice.

 

[sulla1965]

At $599, even cheaper on swappa. The Pixel 6 just makes more sense IMO. Unless you like the smaller footprint of the 6a that is.

 

[J Dubbs]

My father and I always have the same phone (so I can easily help him) and we currently have Pixel 3 phones. We have both loved these phones, but the battery is definitely getting worse which isn't really a surprise after nearly 4 years.

My first instinct was to just get Pixel 6. I'm not thrilled that it is larger, but we can survive that. My concern is that I keep seeing articles about all sorts of problems (finger print reader, connectivity, dead pixels, etc.). Are these widespread problems that we are likely to encounter? Would it make more sense to get Pixel 5 phones instead?

We tend to keep our phones for 3 or 4 years, so I'm concerned that starting with a phone that is already older like the Pixel 5 could be a problem. We never buy our phones the second they are released as we tend to be pretty price/bargain conscious, so waiting for the Pixel 7 doesn't seem a great plan since we would have to keep the Pixel 3 phones going until probably early next year.

Anyone have any advice? I have really been happy with the pixels we have (my son still has a Pixel 2 and loves it so much he still doesn't want to upgrade it!) I like plain android and would prefer not to have to deal with some new flavor with Samsung/LG/etc. Is the P6 as bad as these news stories make it seem or is this just exaggeration for clicks? If the P6 is that bad, does getting the P5 still make sense if we are going to keep it for 3 years?

I understand your not wanting to give up the pixel experience.. I have a 3XL that I'm still using even though I have it's Samsung replacement waiting in the box. I would have no problem picking up a pixel 6, I'm not a power user or perfectionist, so I would have no issues with most of the problems folks have mentioned about the 6 line. As long as it did it's job with typical pixel simplicity I would be happy.

My previous pixels had their issues, but nothing that bothered me enough to worry about. Every phone I've ever had has had issues of some type, but none of them we're deal breakers for me, because overall they did their job, which was the most important thing to me

I think every phone will have it's quirks, it just depends what your expectations are, and if you're okay with a phone doing it's job without being Android perfection... and as we all know, the software can quite often be a bigger problem than the hardware

I'd go for a pixel 6, especially if you can pick them up on sale.... you have a return period to see how you like them, and they come with 3 year's of os updates, and 5 year's of security updates for the long haul.

 

[patruns]

I went from the Pixel 3 to the Pixel 6 Pro. Got my wife a Pixel 6 to replace her Pixel 3 XL. She is quite happy and so am I. Got both through Google for 0% financing for 24 months. Happy with the decision. 3 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates are great for someone that holds on to their phones for 3-5 years. Most of the bugs have been worked out by now and I have no need for a fingerprint reader. I'd say go for it.

 

[kenorian]

Got the 6, no issues at all, couldn't be more pleased.

 

[pdarrah]

Thank you everyone for the replies! It's good to hear that a number of you have been happy with the 6. I thought about the 6a, but we love the wireless charging and don't want to lose that. I really don't know if we can hold out for the 7 - my father travels a lot and is now having to carry a battery pack around all the time since his P3 loses charge so quickly. We also don't want to be paying top dollar and it usually takes a while for the price to drop on a new flagship. We got our P3 phones with a black Friday special, but there is no knowing if the p7 would have a deep discount that soon.

The 5 years of security updates for the P6 are a good point. If we went with the P5 we would probably end up in a situation like now where our P3 phones aren't getting updated anymore.

 

[mggm100]

My Pixel 6 has been great. I've had none of the issues you've read about. From what I've read I have the impression the P6 Pro models have more issues than the P6 models. But like the P6, it seems that most P6Ps have been trouble free.

 

[Beachboy63]

My experience with the Pixel 6 Pro has been very good. I've had only minor issues on occasion but no more so than with other phones I've owned, including my Samsung S22 Plus. The Samsung is an excellent phone as well but I prefer the Pixel.

 

[J Dubbs]

Thank you everyone for the replies! It's good to hear that a number of you have been happy with the 6. I thought about the 6a, but we love the wireless charging and don't want to lose that. I really don't know if we can hold out for the 7 - my father travels a lot and is now having to carry a battery pack around all the time since his P3 loses charge so quickly. We also don't want to be paying top dollar and it usually takes a while for the price to drop on a new flagship. We got our P3 phones with a black Friday special, but there is no knowing if the p7 would have a deep discount that soon.

The 5 years of security updates for the P6 are a good point. If we went with the P5 we would probably end up in a situation like now where our P3 phones aren't getting updated anymore.

The pixel 6 (and 6 pro) are regularly on sale for $200 off. Just check Amazon and the Google store regularly and you'll catch a deal. They just had a sale about a week ago.... if I get an email about any sales I'll post up the info