S9/S9+ or Pixel 2 XL?

[TripleOne]

Hello Android Central,

I’m an Apple fanboy and have been using an iPhone since the iPhone 4. I’m mostly on iMore and a lot of members tend to own an Android alongside their iPhone.

I have had two Android phones in the past: Note 3 & Note 5. Both phones were beautiful but TouchWiz bothered me after 1-2 months. It slowed down the phones tremendously and made me go back to Apple.

I am now considering giving Android another try. The two phones that’s on my mind are the S9/S9+ and the Pixel 2 XL. I love the design of the S9/S9+, but I’m a bit worried about the long term performance of it due to TouchWiz being TouchWiz. I have always wanted to try stock Android too.

I’m not really sure what I’ll be using the phone for.. I’m just curious.. and who knows, it might be my daily driver.

Thank you in advance!

 

[cwbcpa]

I've been a user if both iOS and Android for years. I've had many Samsung phones and while TouchWiz wasn't my favorite, I never really had issues. That being said, I've had the Note 8 since October and it has yet to show any signs of slow down. I also have have the iPhone X and 8 Plus in my household. The Note 8 has performed better than the iPhones running iOS 11.

That being said, lol, if you are at all concerned then go with the Pixel. It's smooth as can be and will get timely updates. It's the phone I recommend to any iPhone user considering a switch. Good luck!

 

[Wbutchart]

Touch Wiz has improved massively in recent years. I have the s8 and there are no issues or lag even after 15 months.

Personally I would go Samsung, pixel has faster updates but Samsung has immense screens, the lg ones for pixel have not always been brilliant.

 

[LeoRex]

Love my 2xl... Thing does everything great without fuss. And if you plan to keep the phone for an extended amount of time, the Pixel will be vastly better supported... The Pixel 2 will be supported until late 2020. Not just an occasional security patch.. monthly updates that include security fixes, bug fixes and new features. Smooth, stable performance, an incredible camera and it'll run as well a year or two then the road as it did when you took it out of the box.

I had foolishly bounced around putting my wife in a who's who of LG and Samsung flagships for a few years until I wised up and got her a first gen XL. Miraculously, the constant complaints she had vanished overnight and she's been a happy user for almost a year now. No complaints about the phone running horrible (I would reboot them every day or two and do a full FDR every month to try to reduce the problems). And she loves loves loves that camera... I haven't heard 'can you share the pics you took? Mine came out like crap' .. not once.

 

[Morty2264]

I too would recommend the Pixel 2 XL. I have a Pixel 2 and do not regret my purchase at all. If you are looking for pure Android, this is your best bet. The S9 is awesome but there is some bloatware on it and Google is doing a great job with the "long term support" warranty and updates guarantees. Both phones are spectacular, so I think it truly boils down to the type of experience you are looking for: stock/Google or Samsung. A difficult choice, to be sure.

Keep us posted on what you decide!

 

[Wbutchart]

Just to clarify as there is a slight distortion in some what what is being said here regarding updates. Samsung also supports a device for 3 years, it also gives two version updates. The difference is speed, with pixel security updates happen within days of release (I believe the same is true with version updates through these can be buggy). Samsung also do three years but security updates can be a month late or missed at times, version updates take months as well.

Both will keep a device up to date, the question is whether instant updates are a big deal. My Samsung is running may security updates, not ideal, however it is also not going to be the target of hackers when android v5 is still around on so many devices and not updated at all.

 

[cwbcpa]

Just to clarify as there is a slight distortion in some what what is being said here regarding updates. Samsung also supports a device for 3 years, it also gives two version updates. The difference is speed, with pixel security updates happen within days of release (I believe the same is true with version updates through these can be buggy). Samsung also do three years but security updates can be a month late or missed at times, version updates take months as well.

Both will keep a device up to date, the question is whether instant updates are a big deal. My Samsung is running may security updates, not ideal, however it is also not going to be the target of hackers when android v5 is still around on so many devices and not updated at all.

True. My Note 8 gets security updates around the 25th of the month where as the pixel gets them around the 5th from what I understand. So I have to wait about 20 days.

Version updates are a completely different story. You are looking at about 6 month difference at a minimum. The older the device the more that gap grows. I don't worry too much about version updates. Samsung offers features that stock Android doesn't have as it is. Plus I upgrade at least once a year anyway.

 

[anon(10092459)]

@TripleOne good to see ya! Thanks for your insights when I visit our friends over on iMore.

IMO, Samsung makes some incredible devices and if you're looking for great hardware build and a feature rich experience, definitely go that way.

I think Pixel phones are more function over form and great for users looking for an android experience (freedom of choice), but still a more familiar UX style closer to iOS.

 

[TripleOne]

Thank you everyone!
I just ordered the Pixel 2 XL and it should be arriving in an hour or two. I'm super excited to try stock Android for the very first time!

I still have a few questions in mind, since I keep everything on iCloud Drive and iCloud Photo Library, what's the best way to transfer everything over to Google services?

 

[Wbutchart]

Thank you everyone!
I just ordered the Pixel 2 XL and it should be arriving in an hour or two. I'm super excited to try stock Android for the very first time!

I still have a few questions in mind, since I keep everything on iCloud Drive and iCloud Photo Library, what's the best way to transfer everything over to Google services?

Photos should be easy, download Google photos on your iOS device and select the upload photos option. It should upload all your photos to Google (unlimited storage for pixel users too on high resolution photos).

You could do it through lap top too, accessing Google photos on your browser and uploading them there.

Same with contacts, you can import them to your Google contacts fairly easily. You can add iCloud to your Android as well and access them through iCloud I think, through I've never done that.

Enjoy your new phone, the pixel is an excellent phone.

 

[TripleOne]

Photos should be easy, download Google photos on your iOS device and select the upload photos option. It should upload all your photos to Google (unlimited storage for pixel users too on high resolution photos).

You could do it through lap top too, accessing Google photos on your browser and uploading them there.

Same with contacts, you can import them to your Google contacts fairly easily. You can add iCloud to your Android as well and access them through iCloud I think, through I've never done that.

Enjoy your new phone, the pixel is an excellent phone.

Thank you so much!
I'm setting it up right now, and should I update to Android 8.1? Is it stable?

 

[Morty2264]

Thank you so much!
I'm setting it up right now, and should I update to Android 8.1? Is it stable?

Welcome to the world of Pixel! I'm so excited for you! What colour did you get?!

Yup, you can download 8.1. It's stable. My phone is currently running 8.1.0 with no issues.

How are you liking your new Pixel 2 XL thus far?!

 

[TripleOne]

Welcome to the world of Pixel! I'm so excited for you! What colour did you get?!

Yup, you can download 8.1. It's stable. My phone is currently running 8.1.0 with no issues.

How are you liking your new Pixel 2 XL thus far?!

Thank you! I went with the 'Just Black' Pixel 2 XL 128 GB. I love it very much!! Very comfortable in the hand, not too heavy, and stock Android is butter. It really is nice to have an Android alongside an iPhone, it truly is the best of both worlds.

I'm looking forward to learning more about Android and the Pixel from you guys!

 

[Morty2264]

Thank you! I went with the 'Just Black' Pixel 2 XL 128 GB. I love it very much!! Very comfortable in the hand, not too heavy, and stock Android is butter. It really is nice to have an Android alongside an iPhone, it truly is the best of both worlds.

I'm looking forward to learning more about Android and the Pixel from you guys!

The "Just Black" is a very majestic black! So glad you are enjoying it and stock Android! And using it alongside an iPhone will really give you a well-rounded experience - that's awesome! What kind of iPhone are you using?

Absolutely! The Pixel (both the original and 2 lines) forums here are very active; so I'm sure you'll find a plethora of discussion at your fingertips! There's also a "Pixel 2 Accessories" sub-forum; which is awesome but I will caution you: it will make you want to buy things!

Enjoy!

 

[TripleOne]

The "Just Black" is a very majestic black! So glad you are enjoying it and stock Android! And using it alongside an iPhone will really give you a well-rounded experience - that's awesome! What kind of iPhone are you using?

Absolutely! The Pixel (both the original and 2 lines) forums here are very active; so I'm sure you'll find a plethora of discussion at your fingertips! There's also a "Pixel 2 Accessories" sub-forum; which is awesome but I will caution you: it will make you want to buy things!

Enjoy!

It's a very nice black
I've been using the iPhone X since launch day. I still love Apple, and I'm heavily invested in the Apple Ecosystem. It's just nice to have something different

That's great to hear! I think I'll use the Pixel 2 XL naked though

 

[Morty2264]

It's a very nice black
I've been using the iPhone X since launch day. I still love Apple, and I'm heavily invested in the Apple Ecosystem. It's just nice to have something different

That's great to hear! I think I'll use the Pixel 2 XL naked though

That's a great combo - the Pixel 2 XL and an iPhone X! Having something different is always fun! And going case-less is a good choice! Are you going to get a screen protector?

 

[TripleOne]

That's a great combo - the Pixel 2 XL and an iPhone X! Having something different is always fun! And going case-less is a good choice! Are you going to get a screen protector?

It really is a great combo. I truly appreciate both OS. I used to get a few cases and a screen protector whenever I get a new device, but I'll end up taking everything off after a month or so. Since getting the iPhone X, I've decided to just enjoy my devices and use it the way it's meant to be.

What's your Pixel 2 XL setup like?

 

[Morty2264]

It really is a great combo. I truly appreciate both OS. I used to get a few cases and a screen protector whenever I get a new device, but I'll end up taking everything off after a month or so. Since getting the iPhone X, I've decided to just enjoy my devices and use it the way it's meant to be.

What's your Pixel 2 XL setup like?

There's nothing quite like using a phone the way it was made - sans cases or protectors!

I have a hard but thin Pixel 2 case with a glass-ish (or faux glass) screen protector. I am very partial to tempered glass screen protectors (I got the screen protector I'm using currently from a friend); so I plan on buying a tempered glass one soon.

 

[Inders99]

So you're going to carry two phones around? :-X

 

[TripleOne]

So you're going to carry two phones around? :-X

Yep!
I've left my X at home for the past couple of days though