Here's what I look for in a phone, in this order.
- Good photo and video quality.
- Good software.
- Good display (decent ppi, decent colors, preferably flat)
Here's what I dislike about my current S8.
- Slow. Stutters constantly if at max resolution. Can't run Samsung Experience on any resolution without severe hitching. I had to install Nova over the top just to get it to run properly.
- Software. Lots of bloatware, and Bixby on the homescreen is honestly obnoxious, especially since they decided to stop updating Bixby on the S8 after what was essentially Bixby 1.0. Had to install Nova over the top just to get Google Feed instead of Bixby.
- Battery. Phone currently dies after about 8 hours of screen off time. I used Accubattery for the month of June to try and diagnose the problem. It says my battery probably has roughly 2,800 out of 3,500 left. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.
- No Android 10/OneUI 2.0.
- VERY curved screen.
These are the phones I'm considering, with theirs pros and cons.
Pixel 3aXL
Pros:
- Good operating system, less/no bloatware.
- Amazing camera, less oversaturation.
- Very cheap. 380 on Amazon.
- Longest update support.
- Integrates with my Google smart devices.
- Flat screen.
- Google Feed on homescreen.
- Headphone jack.
Cons:
- Display isn't as nice, and it's smaller than what I'm looking for.
- Slightly more restrictive software (can't change how AOD looks, no app drawer folders).
- No ultrawide.
OnePlus 8
Pros:
- From what I've heard, best software experience. Close to stock, but with a few more useful features.
- Less curved than my S8.
- Good update support.
- 90hz display.
- Medium price (700).
- Ultrawide.
- Google Feed on homescreen.
Cons:
- Medium price (700).
- Not as widely used (less community support).
- Hole punch. Especially an offset one.
- Poor low light performance.
- Video seems to be...questionable? Seems like the stabilization in many videos is pretty bad.
- No headphone jack.
- Curved display.
Note 9
Pros:
- I'm familiar with Samsung.
- Nice display.
- Good price (400).
Cons:
- I'd have to install Nova to get rid of Bixby.
- Curved screen.
- Refurbished only.
- Bad update support.
Assuming anybody made it to the end of this lol, there are a few others I'm still thinking about, but each has something specific holding me back. The OnePlus 7T seemed to be a great phone, but it's older at this point, and harder to find. The Note 10 and Note 10+ look awesome, but they have a hole punch display and they're extraordinarily expensive for something I could potentially lose. The OnePlus Nord and Pixel 4a also interest me, but their screen size may be a little small. There are too many unknowns still.
Thank you for putting up with my attention to detail. I know posts this big can be overwhelming, but I really like to make well informed and well researched decisions.
- Good photo and video quality.
- Good software.
- Good display (decent ppi, decent colors, preferably flat)
Here's what I dislike about my current S8.
- Slow. Stutters constantly if at max resolution. Can't run Samsung Experience on any resolution without severe hitching. I had to install Nova over the top just to get it to run properly.
- Software. Lots of bloatware, and Bixby on the homescreen is honestly obnoxious, especially since they decided to stop updating Bixby on the S8 after what was essentially Bixby 1.0. Had to install Nova over the top just to get Google Feed instead of Bixby.
- Battery. Phone currently dies after about 8 hours of screen off time. I used Accubattery for the month of June to try and diagnose the problem. It says my battery probably has roughly 2,800 out of 3,500 left. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.
- No Android 10/OneUI 2.0.
- VERY curved screen.
These are the phones I'm considering, with theirs pros and cons.
Pixel 3aXL
Pros:
- Good operating system, less/no bloatware.
- Amazing camera, less oversaturation.
- Very cheap. 380 on Amazon.
- Longest update support.
- Integrates with my Google smart devices.
- Flat screen.
- Google Feed on homescreen.
- Headphone jack.
Cons:
- Display isn't as nice, and it's smaller than what I'm looking for.
- Slightly more restrictive software (can't change how AOD looks, no app drawer folders).
- No ultrawide.
OnePlus 8
Pros:
- From what I've heard, best software experience. Close to stock, but with a few more useful features.
- Less curved than my S8.
- Good update support.
- 90hz display.
- Medium price (700).
- Ultrawide.
- Google Feed on homescreen.
Cons:
- Medium price (700).
- Not as widely used (less community support).
- Hole punch. Especially an offset one.
- Poor low light performance.
- Video seems to be...questionable? Seems like the stabilization in many videos is pretty bad.
- No headphone jack.
- Curved display.
Note 9
Pros:
- I'm familiar with Samsung.
- Nice display.
- Good price (400).
Cons:
- I'd have to install Nova to get rid of Bixby.
- Curved screen.
- Refurbished only.
- Bad update support.
Assuming anybody made it to the end of this lol, there are a few others I'm still thinking about, but each has something specific holding me back. The OnePlus 7T seemed to be a great phone, but it's older at this point, and harder to find. The Note 10 and Note 10+ look awesome, but they have a hole punch display and they're extraordinarily expensive for something I could potentially lose. The OnePlus Nord and Pixel 4a also interest me, but their screen size may be a little small. There are too many unknowns still.
Thank you for putting up with my attention to detail. I know posts this big can be overwhelming, but I really like to make well informed and well researched decisions.
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