Is the Pixel 3 the 2018 Phone of the year?

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

I think he might be referring to the S10

S10 .. 5 years... no.

 

[Kalvin Kerns]

Uh... I'm going to agree the XS Max is up there for sure, but the OnePlus line? Not just no, but hell no. Like I wouldn't be surprised to see the gods rip out their eyes after seeing OnePlus put up in the category of flagship phones. That's not even remotely true. There are as close to 0.0% of consumers who are considering a top end flagship, who are then looking at OnePlus and saying, "no, that's a better phone". They might see a better value, but value is not the definition of "best". Best can be defined without any concept of price being involved because it's a measure of quality. Quality vs Price is a value argument and they do not influence each other in ranking.

I don't believe we can say any one phone is the best device out there for everyone, so I tend to make a top 5 list and suggest that anyone choosing from the top 5 is probably going to be happy with whatever they got.

Top 5 list
New iPHones
New Pixels
Samsung Note or S 9 series
iPhone X
LG V40 or Pixel 2 XL, marking these two as a tie.

OnePlus has never been on that list and, unless they change a lot about their business, they never will be.

The One Plus line consistently gets great marks from reviewers. Just out of curiosity, why are you panning it so bad?

It arguably offers more than the Pixel line (features), not saying it's better than the Pixel as I have no experience with One Plus other than reading/watching reviews.

 

[mustang7757]

S10 .. 5 years... no.

That's what I'm thinking he meant IDK

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

The One Plus line consistently gets great marks from reviewers. Just out of curiosity, why are you panning it so bad?

3 main reasons, and all are solely my reasons for why I don't want their devices and cannot consider them to be a flagship device.

1) in the US market, over half of consumers cannot use the phone at all unless they switch carriers. This is not true of any flagship device since 2014.
2) OnePlus does not protect its consumers data or privacy at anywhere near an acceptable level. Google and Apple both work their tails off to protect consumer data. If that changes I'll snub them too.
3) As a person who likes Google's approach to Android, OnePlus adds very little of value (I do like some of the customization options), but subtracts or is late to bring many features that are critical to my experience, including security features and usability features. The Pixels have much better cameras, much better security and overall just a much better experience for what I want from my phones.

People like to say that OnePlus is "stock" or "near stock". IMO, it isn't. It's nothing like it, it's basically a fork of CM that leaned back towards the trunk, but never actually reconnected.

There is no reasonable distinction in my opinion between OnePlus and Oppo and Vivo. Carl Pei lied about OnePlus's involvement and we later found out that OnePlus is a subsidiary of Oppo (obviously), which is just another one of BBK Electronics' tools for trying to break into markets that they've previously been excluded from, while failing to give up the business practices that are the reason they have traditionally been excluded from those markets.

I can't support an OEM that I can't trust, and there is no way I can trust OnePlus. Even if I liked their devices, which in this case I don't, (I think their devices are objectively inferior to the real flagships, not just for my needs) I would never be able to ethically use or promote their products because of the inability to establish trust.

All that said, the idea that this OEM is in the same league as Apple, in terms of quality of goods and services, is absolutely laughable. Are they a better value? That's up to you. But I would suggest that your data and your trust are currencies, just like your dollars or euros or whatever.

 

[Kalvin Kerns]

3 main reasons, and all are solely my reasons for why I don't want their devices and cannot consider them to be a flagship device.

1) in the US market, over half of consumers cannot use the phone at all unless they switch carriers. This is not true of any flagship device since 2014.
2) OnePlus does not protect its consumers data or privacy at anywhere near an acceptable level. Google and Apple both work their tails off to protect consumer data. If that changes I'll snub them too.
3) As a person who likes Google's approach to Android, OnePlus adds very little of value (I do like some of the customization options), but subtracts or is late to bring many features that are critical to my experience, including security features and usability features. The Pixels have much better cameras, much better security and overall just a much better experience for what I want from my phones.

People like to say that OnePlus is "stock" or "near stock". IMO, it isn't. It's nothing like it, it's basically a fork of CM that leaned back towards the trunk, but never actually reconnected.

There is no reasonable distinction in my opinion between OnePlus and Oppo and Vivo. Carl Pei lied about OnePlus's involvement and we later found out that OnePlus is a subsidiary of Oppo (obviously), which is just another one of BBK Electronics' tools for trying to break into markets that they've previously been excluded from, while failing to give up the business practices that are the reason they have traditionally been excluded from those markets.

I can't support an OEM that I can't trust, and there is no way I can trust OnePlus. Even if I liked their devices, which in this case I don't, (I think their devices are objectively inferior to the real flagships, not just for my needs) I would never be able to ethically use or promote their products because of the inability to establish trust.

All that said, the idea that this OEM is in the same league as Apple, in terms of quality of goods and services, is absolutely laughable. Are they a better value? That's up to you. But I would suggest that your data and your trust are currencies, just like your dollars or euros or whatever.

Fair points sir .

On another note, I really like your well thought out posts. I always feel like I'm learning something when I read them lol.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

I always feel like I'm learning something when I read them lol.

Gross, I'm sorry. lol

 

[movielover76]

I’m not trying to tell everyone how wrong they are I’m just annoyed at the lack of objectivity towards the Pixel’s pitfalls whereas the iPhone gets lambasted for the same things.

The arstechnica review was the honest review that nobody wants to acknowledge. Google doesn’t know how to do hardware period. They have the software down pretty solid but the design choices they made are not in line with the rest of the phones from 2018.

It was also a very subjective review. Many people love dual front facing speakers, all glass phones scratch - put a case on it. The pixel 3 xl is far from perfect but the ars technica review was overly negative and subjective.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

In the words of @Mike Dee ... I came here to drink, not to think.

 

[Mike Dee]

In the words of @Mike Dee ... I came here to drink, not to think.

I think I must have been drinking when I said that....I don't recall saying that.

 

[anon(10092459)]

It was also a very subjective review. Many people love dual front facing speakers, all glass phones scratch - put a case on it. The pixel 3 xl is far from perfect but the ars technica review was overly negative and subjective.

Ron's review could've been so much better and more useful for a considering consumer. He had a couple of legitimate critiques, but man his message gets diluted with his delivery in that review. Like somebody took his juice box away or something and I'm saying this as someone who generally likes his work.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

I say yes OR close 2nd. I think the regular Pixel 3 for sure, but closer for the 3XL. Camera and software dig out the win for the top spot, I say.

Outside of the Note, which to me is in a category by itself, what else comes close? XS..? maybe.. 9/9+ nah ...

Personally the Note 9 is the phone of 2018 for me. Pixel is the phone for stock Android, or even more mainstream/casual users that don't care about some of Samsungs features.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Ron's review could've been so much better and more useful for a considering consumer. He had a couple of legitimate critiques, but man his message gets diluted with his delivery in that review. Like somebody took his juice box away or something and I'm saying this as someone who generally likes his work.

I have a hard time with how much he gets wrong. He makes false statements about the notch, the recent apps menu, build materials and design, sketchy statements about some software options and wildly speculations without a sensible reason do so regarding the RAM. That said, I agree with him on quite a few points that are made and I agree with you and others here, that his tone was somewhat ridiculous. But he's also been very against the Pixel line all season, and was somewhat this way with the Pixel 2 as well. He started off with a review that said the Pixel 2 was the best phone money can buy, then he was also the primary catalyst of the overblown nonsense about the displays, etc. That said, I feel he's generally more credible in his analysis than many of the people who get traction for phone news and reviews.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Personally the Note 9 is the phone of 2018 for me.

Approximately 9 or 10 people are going to agree with you for every person who thinks it's the Pixel 3.

 

[anon(1733)]

There is no phone of the year really. Only phone of the year for each person based on their own needs. Whether it's the pixel, note, lg, or whatever. Everyone likes something different and thus it will change with each person.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

There is no phone of the year really. Only phone of the year for each person based on their own needs. Whether it's the pixel, note, lg, or whatever. Everyone likes something different and thus it will change with each person.

Exactly. If we wanted to attempt to make any objective ranking, then it's probably going to be changing the concept of "best" to "most popular", in which case we're talking sales. If that's the case, then it's going to be 3 models of new iphones, then the s9, and then the note 9, etc.

 

[anon(1733)]

Exactly. If we wanted to attempt to make any objective ranking, then it's probably going to be changing the concept of "best" to "most popular", in which case we're talking sales. If that's the case, then it's going to be 3 models of new iphones, then the s9, and then the note 9, etc.

True

 

[maher shtat]

Note 9.is the hero with no doubt

 

[mustang7757]

my list
note 9
pixel 3xl/3
iPhone X max
s9+/s9
1+6

 

[Mike Dee]

my list
note 9
pixel 3xl/3
iPhone X max
s9+/s9
1+6

One of those phones stands out like a sore thumb and it has nothing to do with the notch

 

[mustang7757]

One of those phones stands out like a sore thumb and it has nothing to do with the notch

My list