Note 8 or Pixel XL 2

[naturalguy]

Updates are over ratted, sometimes they are worse than the previous software version and are often buggy

 

[aldo82]

if the phone is working well I don't mind the OS updates being slow. I would rather then be right then come out quickly and cause problems. look at iPhone updates nowadays. But I am frustrated by the slow security updates which are important and it is inexcusable for a flagship phone to be so badly supported (still on august in the UK)

 

[Joshua_Muldoon]

Thanks everyone! I would quote you all, but I don't have a lot of time atm.. I would definitely use the S-Pen for note-taking, and the size is definitely what I'm looking for.

 

[JPR45]

For me it was the SPen, I use it every day taking notes, creating "live messages" and just navigating my Note 8. I will never have another phone without a SPen.

Updates always come soon enough for me.

 

[o4liberty]

There are more deals for the note 8 which is a better device IMO. The pixel is also a nice device but the note has more features than the pixel does.

 

[jejb]

Updates are over ratted, sometimes they are worse than the previous software version and are often buggy

Yep, I lived that with my Nexus 6P. The updates, especially the OS ones, would almost always cause issues with the phone. Problem is, you're helping Google debug a lot of times. And many apps would not play well with the updates until the developers tweaked them. That often led to chasing (and deleting) battery hogging apps that were formerly well behaved under the previous release. Makes me appreciate well tested, slower to arrive updates.

 

[Guyinbox]

I went with the 2xl over the note. My brother got the note, So I had plenty of opportunities to play with it before deciding on the pixel. The note had a really good camera, but I've found the pixel to be a little better in most shots, and the portrait mode isn't even close. The note has to be held a certain distance for it to work, whereas the pixel works with both cameras at any distance.

Screen on the note is better, hands down. The xl isn't bad by any means, but the note screen is ridiculously good.

Speakers on the xl blow away the speaker on the note. I've never had dual front speakers before and now i don't know if i could go back to a single bottom firing speaker.

The xl is faster than the note, but not by some huge margin. Samsung actually did pretty well with the optimization on their ui (finally.) Where the xl really pulls ahead for me is battery life. I've found the note to be kinda mediocre in this regard. It's certainly not bad, but it seems like 4.5 hrs SOT is a pretty good estimate for the note, whereas I'm consistently getting 5.5 to 7 with the xl depending on usage. Just for the extra battery life alone I'd take the pixel.

 

[bassplayrguy]

Note 8 all day

 

[bassplayrguy]

Updates are over ratted, sometimes they are worse than the previous software version and are often buggy

I agree. I would rather get the update later after the bugs are worked out and it works properly than have to have updates to fix updates.

 

[j_hansen]

ask yourself if the pixel have something the Note 8 doesn't and the other way around.... should be a pretty easy decision after that, price wise there shouldn't be much between them if you shop around

 

[Morty2264]

I would say both phones are excellent options. If you are more used to Samsung's OS and features, perhaps stick with them and get the Note.

With regards to the Pixel 2 XL, there are quite a few users here around the forums who have very little to no issues with regards to the display. I have a friend who bought the 2 XL and while he does see a slight blue shift, it's only at a very awkward angle and he absolutely loves his phone.

Remember, Google is offering a two-year warranty on their devices in the US, so if something happens to it, you can always opt for a replacement!

Let us know what you decide!

 

[andrew_ackley]

Ok, my S8 is ruined. I posted this in the S8 forum, so I don't have to type it out twice. I am now looking for a new phone. I'm going to post this on the Note 8 forum and the Pixel XL 2 forum (I know, Pixel 2 XL, but this sounds better .) I like both phones, yet am leaning more towards the Note 8, since having the S8 was a good experience. I like the Note 8's features, design, and software. What I don't like is the amount of time it takes to get updates (on my S8 atm anyways,) and the fingerprint sensor location, all though I have gotten fairly used to it. What I like about the Pixel XL 2 is the simplicity, the update speeds, and the front facing speakers. What I don't like about the Pixel is that it doesn't have a headphone jack, not a ton of features, and the display issues are a little concerning, though not overly. Anyways, what do you think? Thanks!

You will miss the note 8 features like the theming and the pen if you go the pixel route. Trust me been there done that plus they have killer note 8 deals right now.

 

[torbach1]

The Note 8 is an awesome device. The 2 things that bother me about mine are 1. it's size, which is larger than the Note 7 and just large enough to make it difficult for my medium sized hands to handle. 2. Battery life for me has been worse than the S8+ I had before it, and the V30 I also have now. I think the latter is an issue just with mine. I don't see a lot of complaints from others about battery life.

 

[j_hansen]

try and run it in performance mode all the time for a while, you would think it would use more battery but it seems to optimise very well, I easily get 6+ SOT plus 3 or 4 hours of music at full blast over a 12/14 hour dau and still 30/40% left.
Exynos model though and location and Bluetooth off unless I need it but WiFi and mobile data always on

 

[torbach1]

try and run it in performance mode all the time for a while, you would think it would use more battery but it seems to optimise very well, I easily get 6+ SOT plus 3 or 4 hours of music at full blast over a 12/14 hour dau and still 30/40% left.
Exynos model though and location and Bluetooth off unless I need it but WiFi and mobile data always on

I'm trying that now. Snapdragon version. We'll see how it goes. Must say, the LG V30's standby time is astonishingly good comparatively. I wonder if that's just Android 7.1.2 on the V30 vs. 7.1.1 on the Note 8. Did Google improve Doze dramatically between the two?

 

[j_hansen]

I think you might need to keep it in the performance mode for a few days for usage pattern to be optimised, be interesting to see if it works well on the snapdragon too

 

[Orion78]

Pixel 2 XL all the way. Tried the Note 8 as a second device and returned it in less than a day lol. I just couldn't deal with the Samsung software. The only thing Samsung has better are the screens in my opinion. Other than that, the Pixels knock it out the water.

 

[Scottie15]

Had a pre-order for the Pxeil 2 XL, but cancelled because of the initial screen issues. Most of them have been addressed with updates, but the hardware is still subpar.

I got a Note 8 and love it. It is quick and snappy, loaded with features, great build quality, etc. Just whatever you do, DO NOT use their trade-in promo. Samsung's support is hot garbage. I've heard the same about Google's trade-in.

I would recommend seeing them in person.

 

[anon(10092459)]

OP, the two phones you're considering are so very different. Most Pixel owners are function over form types. Samsung has incredible hardware there's no doubt about that. Pixel devices are built more for UX and an incredible software experience.

IMO, I think you need to consider what's most important to you. If it's hardware, Sammy is hard to beat. Software .. Pixel is second to none!

 

[LeoRex]

If it's hardware, Sammy is hard to beat. Software .. Pixel is second to none!

Of course... Samsung is a phone manufacturer... They need to sell hardware to make money. Google is a services company. They don't have to sell a single Pixel to make gobs of cash. They make money off Pixel users, Samsung users, iPhone users, etc...

The Pixel is really a showcase for their software. From Maps, to Photos, to Google Assistant.. they want to make that experience as wonderful as they can and one in which the phone does not get in the way. I mean, YouTube loads significantly faster on the Nexus 5 than on the iPhone X... Yes, that's not a typo... The Nexus 5. No one is claiming that the 5 is faster, but it shows how much effort Google puts into optimizing their software to not muddle things.

And the 2 (both flavors) lives up to that reputation...