From Galaxy to Pixel

[bryantj3303]

According to reports, most of the Pixel 3 sales are from former Samsung customers, not Apple. It would be interesting to see actual numbers or what was the driving factor that customers went from Samsung to Google. It's also interesting that Galaxy S7 former owners drove a lot of the #s .

https://www.counterpointresearch.co...sales-driven-previous-samsung-owners-q4-2018/

As for me, I have an S8 and have been considering purchasing a Pixel, mainly to see what the hype from the tech bloggers is all about. What holds me back is that my S8 still works flawlessly, however when I upgrade I'll check out either the Pixel 4 or 5, depending when I upgrade.

For those of you who owned Samsung phones, what was it about the Pixel that appealed to you?

 

[FeinP1118]

I came from a Note 8, which I loved. but I had it set up with Google Now so really the only thing that's changed with the Pixel XL is that it's devoid of so much extra, may I say... 'crap'? . But I have to say the Note was gorgeous.

 

[sjfrazier0410]

Had alot of devices in a year that I just couldn't settle on. Went from a V20 to an S7 edge to G7 to finally the Pixel 3 xl. I'll be a Pixel customer for the foreseeable future. Camera is awesome. Which everyone knows. Google's customer service in my experience has blown the doors off of Samsung or LG. And of course the monthly updates and not having to wait up to a year for the new version of Android. Also in my experience when Samsung or LG releases a new flag ship they tend to treat last year devices like they don't exsist anymore. As an example.. Night site was available for the Pixel 3 first, but it wasn't a month or two before you could get it for the Pixel 1 and 2. It's nice to know my phone will be supported for the Long haul.

 

[Lepa79]

I was a Samsung Note user for years. Came from Note 9 to Pixel 3XL. Done so just because I had issues with my Note 9 camera module twice and had enough. 1st time ever a problem with a Note I owned (never bought a Note 7).

I love Note series. No other phone come close to it because of its unique feature, the Spen.

I'll be giving the Note 10 a very close look when it comes out. Only thing that is keeping me with 3xl is the camera. If it wasn't for that, Note 10 is a no brainier for me.

 

[Golurk]

I currently use a Samsung and thought about a Pixel 3 or 3 XL but here are a few little things that you might want to consider:

1. Old school design. The Pixel 3 may be small but those unusually large bezels mean that the screen is 5.5 inches when it could’ve been 5.8 inches. Secondly the Pixel 3 XL has a massive notch that is simply too deep down the screen (I mean seriously, it’s the size of Russia!). That combined with the large chin...

The Samsung Edge displays are kinda like Marmite (either you love it or hate it). Edge panel is useful to quickly access key apps/contacts/weather etc but the curved screen makes it somewhat susceptible to accidental touches (a case helps). The AMOLED panel on Samsung devices is slightly better than the OLED on the Pixel 3 but most users won’t notice.

2. The camera (and particularly night sight) means that the Pixel 3 series outdo most Samsung phones (apart from Note 9, S10 and S10+). However, in my humble opinion the Samsung camera app is easier to use. Recent Samsung phones also sometimes have telephoto or ultra -wide angle lenses which give added versatility. As for selfies the Pixel 3 is probably better due to the 2 cameras despite the Samsung autofocus.

3. Finally the Pixel 3 Range offers a much purer software experience (no bloatware!) and assured software updates for a longer period of time than Samsung phones.

Sorry for the long post but hope it helps

 

[neil74]

I have both, things to consider and these are just IMO.....

Design. - The 3XL fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. The 3 is better, a little bit 2017 but it’s fine and I have the normal 3 now, like it a lot.

I still like the rear FPS and do prefer it to the current in screen crop.

Using the pixel is kind of like the iPhone of Android, despite the bugs most things work and it feels a little slicker than other droids in lots of areas, helped of course by zero bloat.

Other than the P30/P30 pro it has the best camera and it is only really really low light where the P30s are better, that and of course if you need to zoom in!

The size is great, part of you will crave a larger screen another will love how easy the P3 is to use one-handed, pocket and just provide less of a burden overall vs the S9 or 10+. The standard S9 is pretty close though and is a contender for the best small (ish) phone 2019 for lefties who cannot reach the FPS on the S10e!

Storage could be better, 128gb is only just enough for me, I’d prefer more. No headphone jack also sucks but then again that ship has sailed.

Does not wow me like the P30 pro or S10+ does but right now the P30 is sitting in the draw and the S10+ is being sold next week.

 

[brosko]

Had alot of devices in a year that I just couldn't settle on. Went from a V20 to an S7 edge to G7 to finally the Pixel 3 xl. I'll be a Pixel customer for the foreseeable future. Camera is awesome. Which everyone knows. Google's customer service in my experience has blown the doors off of Samsung or LG. And of course the monthly updates and not having to wait up to a year for the new version of Android. Also in my experience when Samsung or LG releases a new flag ship they tend to treat last year devices like they don't exsist anymore. As an example.. Night site was available for the Pixel 3 first, but it wasn't a month or two before you could get it for the Pixel 1 and 2. It's nice to know my phone will be supported for the Long haul.

You hit the nail on the head! Figuratively

 

[Golurk]

As a Samsung user, I admit that future software update support for no longer new devices is much better on Google phones. However, I disagree when you say that the P30 Pro has the best camera ever. Maybe so in terms of pure zoom and in low light, but the Pixel 3 (XL) and the Samsung S10(+) will always take the more vibrant and pleasing daylight photos.

For me I think that in the current era where smartphone manufacturers are toting super-zoom and low-light capabilities some have forgotten about making daylight photos look good, ease of use and versatility.

Sure, A.I. and processing helps but only to a certain extent. The Pixel 3 XL may take slightly better night photos than let’s say an S10 but the S10 has 3 cameras (dual aperture wide angle, ultra wide angle and telephoto) which means that it is more versatile.

Also in my opinion the Samsung Camera app is probably the best out there. It’s simple, quick to launch and to use and there are no unnecessary features blocking your view of the shot (instead you swipe right to access them). There’s even a full-view mode where the entire screen is showing you what the camera is looking at.

 

[ptkelly]

I came from a Note 8, which I loved. but I had it set up with Google Now so really the only thing that's changed with the Pixel XL is that it's devoid of so much extra, may I say... 'crap'? . But I have to say the Note was gorgeous.

If I could get a Samsung phone running pure Android I'd certainly consider switching to a Samsung. I think their hardware is fantastic. Actually, I wish all Android phones would run Android and skip the bloat as a way to be "different" and rely on better technology or brighter colors on the case.

 

[Golurk]

If I could get a Samsung phone running pure Android I'd certainly consider switching to a Samsung. I think their hardware is fantastic. Actually, I wish all Android phones would run Android and skip the bloat as a way to be "different" and rely on better technology or brighter colors on the case.

Problem is that better tech/design/hardware and cool accessories isn’t enough to distinguish one brand from another. You have to remember than nearly all of last years flagships had 5.8 inch AMOLED/OLED panels, 2/3 cameras, Snapdragon 845 CPUs, had a slim and smooth metal/glass construction etc

And even if you removed the bloatware from custom UIs such as EMUI and OneUI they would both remain different from each other and pure/stock Android.

 

[bryantj3303]

Thank you all for the insights! I stopped by the Verizon store to play around with a Pixel 3 for a bit and I agree with Neil74 that the 3XL fell from the ugly tree. Also, the phone wasn't as stripped down as I thought it would be.

I just got One UI and Pie on my S8 and it's like having a brand new phone. I also liked Samsung Experience and like One UI even more. At this point, I'll wait until later in the year, or maybe even 2020, before buying something since my phone is working fine. If I had to buy something today, it would be a tossup between the Note 9, S10+ and Pixel 3XL. The only thing that keeps me from the Note 9 is that for such a powerful phone, Samsung only provides two OS updates, which is a shame.

 

[Golurk]

Samsung has a habit of only giving their phones 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of Security updates. So your S8 launched running Android Nougat, then Oreo. Now it has been updated for the second time to Pie (OneUI). While you won’t get Android Q it should be good to know that you’ll receive security updates for another year.

OneUI is pretty much the closest thing you’ll get to stock Android on a Samsung, and it comes with some differences that you might actually like. There’s little reason to hate on Samsung for
‘Bloatware’ now...they’ve come a long way from Touchwiz.

 

[neil74]

If you are happy to wait then the Pixel 4 would be a good option.

This time last year I was convinced that Google would get the hardware right with the P3 and was just so disappointed when it launched. Surely the P4 will be a step up though.

 

[chanchan05]

Samsung has a habit of only giving their phones 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of Security updates. So your S8 launched running Android Nougat, then Oreo. Now it has been updated for the second time to Pie (OneUI). While you won’t get Android Q it should be good to know that you’ll receive security updates for another year.

OneUI is pretty much the closest thing you’ll get to stock Android on a Samsung, and it comes with some differences that you might actually like. There’s little reason to hate on Samsung for
‘Bloatware’ now...they’ve come a long way from Touchwiz.

2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security updates is pretty much the max for any non-Pixel phone, AFAIK Android One included and OG Pixel. Pixels 2 and 3 are the only ones assured of more than 2 OS updates.

 

[bryantj3303]

2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security updates is pretty much the max for any non-Pixel phone, AFAIK Android One included and OG Pixel. Pixels 2 and 3 are the only ones assured of more than 2 OS updates.

In regard to support, Samsung announced that the S7 will continue to receive security updates on a quarterly basis, and this is the start of year #4 for that device.

Interestingly enough, when I used iPhones, I noticed that although Apple provides 5 years of support, after year 3, the OS update only included a couple of new features, with most only available on the newer devices (esp. the latest generation). The updates were primarily security-related and the phone slowed down significantly.

 

[Golurk]

2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security updates is pretty much the max for any non-Pixel phone, AFAIK Android One included and OG Pixel. Pixels 2 and 3 are the only ones assured of more than 2 OS updates.

This is why I don’t get all those techies hating on Samsung for ‘only’ 2 years of guaranteed OS and 3 years of security updates...nearly all companies do it. Sure, the updates might be a few weeks/a month after release but it’s not unique to Samsung...it takes time for them to optimise/combine Android with Samsung Experience and now OneUI.

And as @bryantj3303 said, there are examples of when they give you additional updates on top of what consumers were promised.

The only company that guarantees several software updates for old devices is Apple.