i want a stock android phone (no bloatware), prefer a headphone jack

[bob13bob]

looking to buy in 2018

i'm pissed pixel removed the jack. do i ahve any other options for a good non janky phone. i had galaxy s6 as well as other non pure androids, the OS was so much worse, slow and restarty.

do i have no choice but to get the pixel 3 with an adapter... boo.

 

[Rukbat]

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL are the only "no bloat" phones. And there is a "sort of" headphone jack, it just comes out of the USB port. (There are even adapters with a headphone jack and a USB port, so you can charge or connect other devices while listening to headphones.)

The Pixel 3, if you're willing to wait until the fall, is probably it (and there will probably be an XL too). Whether they'll bring the headphone jack back or not (it's one of the biggest complaints) is another thing. (But the 2 is a great phone - smooth as melted butter, good radios, and 3 years of updates for the 2 or the 3 - that's standard Google. And the updates are almost monthly [they skipped October 2017]. You can always download the full ROM or the update. There's a large community of developers. Another difference from Samsung - tech support. You talk to a person, whether the phone just came out or it's 3 years old - Samsung seems to lose interest n supporting as phone as soon as the next one comes out. [Google's tech support isn't always right, but they seem to be wrong in the user's favor - they sent me a replacement phone because my phone had "a hardware problem". I fixed the software problem before the replacement arrived. (So I sent the replacement back unopened with their consent.)])

I always had Samsungs. No more, especially since they started welding AT&T and Verizon phones shut, software-wise. I probably won't get a Pixel 3, but my next phone will probably be a Google (okay, so the 2 is an HTC and the 2 XL is an LG - but both made to Google's specs - going into the hardware business would be a huge mistake for Google).

 

[Morty2264]

If you can get your hands on one, the OnePlus 5T is also pretty close to stock Android and also comes with a headphone jack. Great specs for a good price! I'm sure you'll find sellers on Amazon and other retailer sites that are showcasing them.

Let us know what you decide!

 

[chanchan05]

The new Nokias for 2018 are Android one, meaning no bloat, and they got headphone jacks.

 

[chanchan05]

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2XL are the only "no bloat" phones. And there is a "sort of" headphone jack, it just comes out of the USB port. (There are even adapters with a headphone jack and a USB port, so you can charge or connect other devices while listening to headphones.)
).

Nokia 2018 devices are Android One, so that means they have no bloat right?

 

[Morty2264]

The new Nokias for 2018 are Android one, meaning no bloat, and they got headphone jacks.

Oh, yeah! Can't believe I forgot about Nokia!

 

[bob13bob]

i saw the nokia cirrocco new model on this website, but cant see who's selling it. not a lot of info reviews, makes me hesitant to buy it. no really a fan of the curved screen on that.

pixel 2xl is $1300 on google's site enow, wowzers. update: was wrong country. they are sold out currently on usa site. they are about $700 on ebay new, hmmm. still i think the LG OLED panel (their first panel) is way sub-standard for a premium device. also i might wait for pixel release probably in October.

one plus 6 should be coming out in the next 1-2 months, imma seriously consider that. wouldn't get the 5t right before the updated version coming out.

thanks for responses.

 

[Morty2264]

i saw the nokia cirrocco new model on this website, but cant see who's selling it. not a lot of info reviews, makes me hesitant to buy it. no really a fan of the curved screen on that.

pixel 2xl is $1300 on google's sit enow, wowzers. about $700 on ebay new, hmmm. still i think the LG OLED panel (their first panel) is way sub-standard for a premium device. also i might wait for pixel release probably in October.

one plus 6 should be coming out in the next 1-2 months, imma seriously consider that. wouldn't get the 5t right before the updated version coming out.

thanks for responses.

Waiting to see what happens with either the Pixel 3 or the OnePlus 6 is a very wise move. I think the OP 6 will be an awesome phone. Keep us posted on what you decide!

 

[David404]

Same position here, looking for phone with stock Android. Its a crazy market where manufacturers spend money developing skins/overlays that cant be deleted + Apps that cant be deleted that either duplicate (poorly) Google Apps or are just unwanted to 'differentiate' their product. Having done all this we then don't gat updated because it costs even more to test against existing hardware and re-engineer....

Currently got s**t Huawei unit that is truly loathsome.

OP have big following said to be 'almost' stock but that still leaves you waiting for OP to deliver the updates. I also have concerns buying a Chinese phone, if the Chinese Gov have/say they want a back door to collect user data...

 

[bob13bob]

well, bought a lg g6 for $270 off ebay. surprisingly, i ddin't find the phone bloaty at all. i've had zero issues with the software and just installed google launcher. however, phone has big problems compared to my 6p. if g6 even has similar screen and camera quality, it would have been perfect for me...

comments on that here.
https://forums.androidcentral.com/l...iew-compared-my-old-nexus-6p.html#post6244968

 

[bob13bob]

i guess i'll limp along on my old 6p until pixel 3 and live without hte headphone jack.. i really wanted to like other phones, but hte cameras were vastly inferior.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/h...-vs-iphone-x-review-pictures.html#post6247446

 

[Morty2264]

i guess i'll limp along on my old 6p until pixel 3 and live without hte headphone jack.. i really wanted to like other phones, but hte cameras were vastly inferior.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/h...-vs-iphone-x-review-pictures.html#post6247446

Pixel 3 may potentially come out in the fall - but that's not too long to wait, especially for the Pixel 2's successor!

 

[medic22003]

the BlackBerry androids I believe are pretty close to stock Android as well

 

[bob13bob]

this comparison confirms my findings (at least to my eyes)/ pixel 2 is getting vast majority of votes as best camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD_3wMh5kLg

 

[itic]

The Nokia 6 "2018" is a android one device. So no manufacture soft/firmwear just pure android. 8.1 out of the box an two years OS and 3 year security updates. For $270. There are plenty of device comparison and reviews around.

 

[chanchan05]

The Nokia 6 "2018" is a android one device. So no manufacture soft/firmwear just pure android. 8.1 out of the box an two years OS and 3 year security updates. For $270. There are plenty of device comparison and reviews around.

Actually that's wrong. Manufacturers are allowed to slight modifications on Android one devices due to hardware differences. For example, Xiaomi has an Android One device that has a dual camera setup. That means it's using the Xiaomi Camera app and not the standard Android camera app. Also the hardware drivers need to be written into the firmware, so the manufacturer still has a bit of tinkering to do with the update. The only difference is that it takes much shorter time to do that compared to other manufacturers.

 

[Ry]

Pixel first gen.

 

[itic]

Thats correct

But dont they all have to create something in order to operate the hardware? I guess what i was driving at was the nokia lacks a software layer like touchwiz, or MIUI. The Nokia 6 2018 has its own camera app for the Zeiss camera lenses but its kinda wonky.

 

[worldspy99]

Pixel first gen.

What he said. The original Pixel is still an awesome device and has a headphone jack and the camera is pretty decent even in 2018.

 

[Morty2264]

What he said. The original Pixel is still an awesome device and has a headphone jack and the camera is pretty decent even in 2018.

And it will be sold at a greatly reduced cost due to the Pixel 2!