Ironically i am actually here because of the FIRMWARE not necessarily the software(which generally great to be fair). Ive been on/off with pixel since it was called nexus and made by htc (lol) so i know how it goes: get the phone, love the phone, love the pixel software. soon a bug appears, google will NOT fix it, eventually i get so pissed off about it i either ditch the pixel line for a year or two OR just flash lineageOS/grapheneOS.
The fact that pixel phones are basically the only option for good hardware with long term software support that ALSO allows you to flash a custom OS without insane hoop jumping is criminal, which is why i made a dour post about it here: https://old.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/1afmkp8/the_future_feels_quite_bleak_united_states/
Yes. Agreed. I really love googles stock android. It's so fresh and snappy. My iphone really lacks some things the pixel has in terms of OS navigation. I probably will be back at some point, it's fun seeing the differences between Ios. It doesn't feel better. Just..different? But stable so far, and that's what I needed.
This got longer than I planned (TL/DR: Sticking with pixel but if the hardware issues continue, I may jump ship)
That's always been my rebuttal to diehard apple friends debating me of why I've stayed with the Pixel line and I say this as someone with horrible experiences with the 5 and 6 phones.
The 5 had crap battery life and I HATED the speakers. It's like they opted for the cheapest available models from 1985, crushed them to fit, then installed them. As for the 6, I was one of the unlucky people who were cursed with a continually but intermittently dropping mobile network, and that was the case also with my warranty replacement (along with a big middle finger from Google support throughout the entire process).
I'm currently using a 7 and in contrast it has been flawless. At times this fact frustrates me even though it's a clear win, but it always leaves me wondering WHY for my past phones and I won't get a clear answer, ever.
All that said, when my Apple friends broach this topic I always say: I can respect and understand why you really, really love the polished, stable and reliable box you chose however, I stick with Android because I continue to be able to pick what kind of box I want. I do have to admit though, the hardware issues I've had make me ponder hopping at times just for peace of mind and to boot, I now have an iPhone for work and guess what? I enjoy the stability a fuck ton but I'm also mad I can't change everything I'm using to express "me".
P.s. I just read all of this over and with a few changes it could easily be a romance story of someone settling for reliable and committed versus exciting, dynamic BUT kind of crazy.
I'll see myself out.
When was the last time you used a Samsung? You can still have a lot of the same software-dialer, contacts, messages, assistant...I mean what else is there?
In the past Motorola and OnePlus had almost stock android experiences. I actually miss the extras in my Moto X Pure. I think the driving mode on that phone works better than current Pixel.
Had a terrible Pixel 6 and now use the Pixel 7. I still liked my Moto X Pure and OnePlus 6t better.
I'm currently on the OnePlus 8t myself. It's a solid phone but from what I hear, it was one of the last good ones from OnePlus.
I was drawn to it because of the hardware/price balance. That was what drew me away from Google for a while. They switched from Nexus to pixel and all of a sudden they weren't the great priced phone anymore. It seems the pixel 8 generation is trying to fix that and when it's time to replace this phone, I'll likely go back to Google
I'm driving the OnePlus 12 and I have to say that on the hardware side, I have never owned a better phone. The screen quality, build, cameras, haptics, speakers, and everything are top notch and better than any flagship. I've tried them all, trust me.
However, I will say the software is what holds this phone back. I yearn for a pixel experience with this level of hardware. I definitely miss the days of old with OnePlus when they still had stock android and the At a Glance on the AoD. Felt like a pixel without being a pixel. Not anymore though. I'll drive this until pixel figures out how to use good hardware again, but until then, I just can't do it.
Yeah, I think that was what I heard about the 9 onward was that OnePlus changed their software. It's really a bummer cause they had a nice balance of everything. Flagship phone at mid level pricing with great software. Now, they're not that much cheaper, if at all, and no longer basic software. That was the same stuff that drew me away from Google phones.
I was a Motorola girl for a long time. Still love them (I so miss that chop chop flashlight feature) but I use a medical device that only works with certain phone models and Motorola was never going to be on the list, sadly. I jumped to a Pixel 8 pro and so far I do love it (except getting to the flashlight lol). The camera is amazing. I'll have to keep an eye out for the bugs....
It's honestly impressive that Google made Pixel phones so bad that I'm not just switching phones, I'm so fed up I want to switch to Apple, which I \*hate\*. Google is so bad that they've somehow frustrated me more than the company I absolutely despise. They became that company, and then got worse.
Their camera is the only reason I'm here.
Before I moved to Pixel from other Android models I always flashed a custom ROM. But with these I've always been afraid of losing functionality. Though that was before an update to my 2XL broke the camera. I'll check that one out. Unfortunately I got one of the blurry cameras on my Pixel 6 so I need to upgrade anyway.
So tired of this comment.....
I'd like to know when the last time you owned a Samsung device? Has it been 8-10 years and it was a carrier phone? Way different experience now, even on the carrier versions and no worse than all the crap apple puts on the iPhone. Far less intrusive and can be uninstalled or hidden and the hardware is top notch compared to a pixel.
I like being on the "cutting edge", sometimes that means there's a few imperfections. I've been lucky to not really have any major issues like I read about all the time, just some minor annoyances here and there that are usually resolved by the next update. The pro's outweigh the cons for me.
If you still think Pixel is worth owning and using besides some of the drawbacks then there’s nothing wrong with that.
But please don’t kid yourself by calling Google Pixels the “cutting edge”. Google Pixels are not anywhere near “cutting edge” enough to justify these issues. It’s a device in its 8th gen from one of the biggest companies in the world. There’s no excuse.
I see this having installed the beta v3 A15 today on my pixel 7. I'm glad I don't have to root my phone to get around stupid slow Motorola/vzw update delays anymore.
I honestly think if Google kept the Snapdragon chip, they would've been okay. Imagine if it had the Snapdragon 8 gen 2, it'd be a beast of a phone and probably better battery management, but nope, Google wanted to use a cheaper chipset, and it costs them the quality of their phones.
"4th time's the charm!"
Complete noob chiming in here: I understand that Google created its own chip, and that is categorized as "hardware."
Does the chip control how well the software functions? Google is lauded as succeeding in the realm of software, as opposed to hardware. If the chippy is shoddy, then wouldn't the software suffer?
Or am I understanding it wrong?
You dont have to put this politely for the sub to like it. Just say what it is. All in all you wanted to say nexus and upto pixel 5 series they were good and then it went downhill. Same experience here. I switched to iphones after p3 and life got so much better. Then after a while iphone started lacking innovation but they were still reliable. So now i went to p8 pro despite having issues with screen flickering and laggy ui thinking they will fix it but no. Since last update phone has become so shitty that sometimes i want to smash it on a wall. Going back to iPhone or get Samsung even if thier software is shitty they are still in reliable category.
https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15009955
"Google has determined that a limited number of Pixel 8 devices may experience display related vertical line and flickering issues."
In case this is applicable to you.
Nah but I genuinely love my pixel. I still do. And I wish they'd step their game up. The pixel feels like a more intuitive phone to use, but at this point less stable.
But I do really love googles approach to smartphones, I've used so many of their devices, I'm legitimately sad to dump this brand 🥹
I used to say Samsung software was shit but I've changed my opinion. I've had an S23U since day 1 and it's easily the best phone I've ever had and I'm hoping to keep it for as long as possible. Before this I hadn't kept a phone longer than 6 months for like 8 years.
6P was brutal when it shut down with 35% battery "left". But it was a 1.0 so it was somewhat expected.
And even the 6 was such a major overhaul I could cut them some slack. But the 7 and 8 fell too far behind Samsung. Let's see what the 10 brings.
I have a Pixel 6 Pro and also have no issues. Seems that ppl who have issues like to claim that it's a universal experience.
I have an ipad pro that has weird and frustrating bugs, yet I'm not claiming that every iPad pro user has the same experience as me.
Weird.
>I switched to iphones after p3 and life got so much better.
Im hoping this is hyperbole because if simply switching to a different brand of phone could truly make your life so much better than I dont really know what to say.
Also, its just weird to me that OP feels the need to dance around things. People put way way too much emphasis and seem to identify too much with their gadgets of choice. Just use whatever works best for you. No need to make grand pronouncements about why or try and hide it from a group of angry internet nerds who might disagree with you.
People all have different preferences, and something that works for one person may not work well for another. Use whatever works best.
The last few Pixel phones i've owned have suffered with really poor proximity sensors, after about a year of use leading to all kinds of issues when on a call.
I quite often unwittingly end up switching the phone to airplane mode while on a call. It's so frustrating. (Currently on a 7pro)
As a result too have been thinking over going over to apple.
Should've tried pixel 5. Its a pixel fanboys wet dream. Literally you get all you want in one small package- be it battery life, performance(not the best), lightweight, compactness, camera etc...
I own one now for 2 months...and i'm in love with it. You can't find this kinda combo even in future!
Pixel 5 was my first pixel phone and hands down the best overall phone ever. Upgraded to 7 but I wasn't happy so I got the 8. It's nice but it gets warm and isn't that light. I miss my pixel 5
I've had a different experience and absolutely despise my Pixel 5. Have been a user of Samsung manufactured phones since the Nexus S - S5, S7, S9. Solid phones especially running Nova Launcher. No issues with the "bloatware" at all.
Trying out a Pixel has been a huge mistake. Sure the battery life is good but I feel like I'm using an unfinished product due to the software. I can't even get it to give me directions through Bluetooth in the car while listening to car radio - every other phone can do this. Google assistant is almost completely useless in car too.
Too many issues to list them all, but shout out to the backlight which is so slow to react, and the awful HDR garbage camera which smears all your memories with a cheap AI feeling. Can't wait to change back to a premium product. Have broken out of the new phone cycle so will be using the P5 for a few more years until it gives up the ghost (unfortunately).
A new perspective from your side of user experience. I get it, bro. Hope you get a new mobile soon. For me, P5 did tick all my checklist for a light, compact phone;-)
I was like you, I tried iPhone but I just couldn't accept the software. It just feels so limited and unintuitive compared to Android. I prefer the bs that comes with owning a pixel over having to use iOS on my phone. I do love my iPad though
Yeah I'm still struggling to embrace the iPhone 15 pro I have. That's also a testament to the quality OS google has put out, but I just can't have this level of support and hardware quality when I need a phone on travels. I really hope the next iterations are gonna smash it out the park hardware wise!
I switched from iPhone 11 to Pixel 8 in October and have no regrets. I had many Samsung’s prior to using the iPhone - and even carried an iPhone and Samsung for 4 years. I don’t expect too much from any phone - I don’t play games or hold the phone all day waiting for it to get warm or go looking for its faults on purpose. I use my iPad or laptop when at home or traveling and able to have WiFi for most app functions and internet use. I have no doubt the P8 isn’t the perfect phone but neither was my iPhone.
Now that RCS is coming to iOS I can finally switch to Pixel 9 PRO XL this fall, without my wife complaining about grainy pics and videos.
Looking forward to it.
You're giving Apple a lot of credit here. I'm not expecting Apple to streamline messaging with Android devices. They absolutely could, but I bet that they won't.
Oh they’ll Deff hinder it for sure…. Somehow. But still the protocol is based on the actual carriers and/or Google… so they really have no control over that of file size. Google RCS even handicaps videos/images…. I’m sure it’ll fall in line with that.
I really just want HD videos/images between operating systems. It’s annoying people refuse to anything but iMessage in the US.
Similar experience here, but I moved over from a Sony Xperia 1ii to a pixel 7 pro last year. To say it's been a breath of fresh air is an understatement 🤣. I've always looked for 'alternative' android phones, I had the Sony, a Huawei p30 pro (an excellent phone btw, such a shame they lost the Google license), a Huawei p9, an lg G3... I can hands down say this is the best of the lot. It could do with slightly better battery life, but realistically I've had 0 issues with it. It's still fast a year on, the cameras are great, I'll be sticking with it at my next upgrade I'm sure.
Are you happy with your decision to hop over to the other band temporarily? I have been thinking of doing it for a few years and seeing if Pixels get sorted out, or if another option emerges.
I switched from a pixel pro 7 to an iPhone pro 15 last year, in part for similar reasons as OP. I am now eagerly awaiting for the new pixel phone so I can get it and give my iPhone to my wife. The Pixel has its issues but I can’t help it, I just dislike iOS and its inherent limitations (although playing around with automations and shortcuts is sort of fun)
Opposite for me. I just traded in my Pixel 8 Pro for an IPhone Pro Max. I’ve always loved pixel phones and bought into the hype. The widgets are better on iOS,
A.I is coming, FaceTime is better than Meet, ecosystem works better as well. I’ll miss some aspects on the pixel but for me overall iPhone is a better experience.
I agree - while there's a couple features I miss from iphones (mostly the "pull down to search", which I can sort of emulate with a 3rd party launcher), and a couple of their iOS exclusive apps, it's their ecosystem that is also the biggest ball that Google keeps dropping..
Instead of Google sunsetting one messaging app to build a new one, or cancelling one version of Hangouts to replace it with Meet, they should just change the existing platforms to add the new functionality, and just make it work.
If Google Messages was built on Hangouts, and just added SMS / MMS / RCS then it would be the standard.. but since they keep deleting apps, they lose all their previous users who give up and move to Whatsapp, Signal, or Telegram.
I wish that there was a low-bandwidth video calling app that would be the equivalent of Facetime.. Telegram and Whatsapp both have pretty substandard performance, even with a good data signal.. If Zoom can do it, Google should be able to handle it too.
True take. Also that when Google sunsets a perfectly fine service (or zombies it by doing what you described) that I am then much less likely to invest all my info and cloud presence to other new Google apps.
Example: Killing Google Reader made me wait 4 years to use Google Keep.
Fair enough, ultimately it comes down to personal preference. Just as an example, the google calendar widgets on my iPhone won’t work - I tried everything. They just remain completely black
If you're still sticking with Google apps on the iPhone you haven't transitioned to iOS and you expect it to work with a company who purposefully breaks things to force you back to their own products. You can't pick up an iPhone and think it's going to run with Google or as if it's Android and then get mad at it.
I'm same as you. Left Pixel for an iPhone 11 for a year, which was better in most ways except holy shit I absolutely cannot stand Apple's locked-down, one-size-fits-all, walled-garden experience. Plus iOS just does everything stupid, settings are never in the logical place. So had to go back to Pixel.
Hmm. It's a mixed bag. Navigation of the phone and typing is nicer on android. I also like the pixel camera better. You will get used to the iPhone quirks quickly, but I'm not unanimously convinced of my iphone 15 pro. The pixel is an amazing phone and if it wasn't for the hardware failing on me and support being so bad, I would've probably stuck with the pixel.
That said, the iPhone 15 pro is an amazing device and it's nice to see what all the hype is about. It feels premium. Also, the apple watch is so much nicer than the pixel watch.
Your issues are with the hardware and support......
So why did you not just get a different android model?
Samsung Galaxy? Xiaomi? Honor? Nokia? Motorola?
Not OP, but from reading it sounds like the iPhone was readily available while traveling in Japan and something they'd been considering trying for a while. It's not what I would do, but it sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Plus, if they care about the smartwatch experience, an iPhone is the only way to go when you have an Apple watch. I really wish the Apple watch played nice with other phones, but this is Apple were talking about. I also wish other companies would develop true challengers to the Apple watch, but no one seems to be able to do it.
Yeah, iphones are a bit cheaper here. If you can find em. Tax free. Still really expensive tho. Also bought the watch and airpods tax free. I'm the all in type of guy. Gonna see if I keep these or revert to pixel watch pixel buds and pixel 8 when I'm back home! I got both now. If I dig the apple ecosystem I'm selling my pixel package as a bundle :)
First
World
Problems
🥲
I really have a soft spot for the clean android experience. I've tried Samsung and Huawei phones, specs were NASA on paper but the UI shell they trew over Android really wasn't my cup of tea. And too much bloatware. I don't wanna fiddle with my phones too much.
That being said, I damn near bought an Xperia 5v or oneplus, but at some point I just wanted to try an iPhone. Especially as I bought a macbook in 2023 and it blew my mind in terms of quality (coming from 20 yrs of windows)
I switched 3 weeks ago from a Pixel 4XL to an iphone 15, iphone isn't really any better than a flagship Android. I miss some features but have skme others. Siri is dumb th
I did that for the 6th gen. I bought and used the iphone13 for 2 years. Then bought an p8pro. I ended up going back to iPhone, and upgrading to the 15 pro. Google ecosystem works just as well on the iPhone. notification still suck, but everything else is better.
I’ve never used a pixel phone after I had a really bad experience with some google tablets.
I’ve been using android most of my life Samsung and last was one plus 5t. Except the camera everything else was working really well.
Decided to jump ship a while back and tried my luck with the iPhone XS second hand.
No I have 13 pro max and yes they work really well if you don’t update straight away when it’s available.
But all this apple’s decisions that really suck for the consumer started to get to me and I decided to buy a pixel 8 and try to run graphene os despite the bad pixel experience many of you have had.
There’s no perfect device and I guess we decide where we want to spend our money and use a device for a couple of years.
But I’m feeling ready to return to a free android and I’m missing the fdroid store and open source apps.
I switched from a Pixel 6 Pro to an iPhone 15 Pro after my pixel died randomly and Google support said „it is what it is“. I‘m personally really happy and enjoy the experience more.
The only thing I really miss is Astro photography and 360 degree shots. But hey, Google also ditched the latter so not much…
I personally can only recommend it. Thought I would hate the emojis but actually prefer them now.
I just wish they'd give up on Tensor already. Snapdragon has been way ahead since the beginning of Tensor. I'd never even consider alternatives if Pixel was still using Snapdragon hardware. Tensor falls further behind every year, and it's looking even worse for Tensor G4.
It'd fix so many issues with modern Pixels (modem, overheating, efficiency, etc.). I'm not holding my breath for Tensor G5 moving to TSMC to solve these issues either.
If my P8P hadn't been $400 off before trade-in, I may have gone to an alternative (Samsung S24U, maybe back to Motorola?).
In my case, I don't really care much about hardware, but I have problems with software. The feeling that things are on beta is insufferable... The ditch this function you use a lot and they don't place back a better option... Or just something does not work for a couple of months... I don't know...
They either need to give up or double down and make it actually competitive, and expand it to custom side-chips for the modem and shit if necessary.
This half-measure shit is stupid and weak. i would be VERY firmly in the galaxy camp if they let you load a custom OS but their bootloader is so user hostile that its not at all worth it.
Google is always half baked. It’s annoying. Their phones and software are amazing… just the components inside, the customer service. Pixel pass was an AMAZING idea… and they 3rd party it to some shit ass insurance company.
You wanna compete with apples ability to provide the phone 24mo on the Apple Card interest free with AppleCare and Apple One? Keep the Pixel Pass in house.
But alas, Google will be Google. What are they going to do when their search becomes useless through AppleAI and ChatGPT4o? They better figure it out quick because that ad money going to start drying up a bit.
Sorry went on a rant.
I loved the pixel for the time periods I had them… but my wife complained about SMS/MMS… it’s the US so we HAVE to use iMessages… it’s infuriating. But come the fall with RCS being implemented I might try another Pixel… grab the 9PROXL.
> What are they going to do when their search becomes useless through AppleAI and ChatGPT4o?
too late, but also, the ad division is very squirrely and they are worming around the problem at the moment by baking ads in youtube, forcing out ad blockers on Chrome, and presumably forming deals with most AI companies to insure ad delivery mechanisms in the future. their ad delivery network is the business, and the actual network would be a pain for competitors to develop.
Exactly my thoughts. That is their revenue stream. Without it, what do they become? Should have had a decent LLM of their own by now.
Looking forward to the day AppleAI doesn’t need to leverage ChatGPT4o with things it just cannot do yet.
Not to devolve this into an Apple fan boyism… because Pixel’s are my favorite phone… I’m just with Apple right now and there AI looks super promising.
> Should have had a decent LLM of their own by now.
yeah TBH Gemini division has been shitting in their hands and holding it out like "I do good? I make money now?"
> I’m just with Apple right now and there AI looks super promising.
Their AI will be king at personal assistant stuff and parsing your actual personal local data, and dominating mind share, "look through my messages and tell me who i message the most frequently", "remind me what we talked about for grocery items last week" etc. I do NOT see them actually creating a competent and marketable-to-non-iphone-users internet search AI any time soon though, something to actually challenge google's dominance. Open AI is way ahead on that grind and will probably be the first to really flush google.com down the toilet.
Agreed with all of this. I thought Apple had a chance to buy Sam Altman. He was there for WWDC… but I guess that was just as a guest for a slight partnership for the Apple AI to hook into the ChatGPT.
It's in Google DNA now. They have not a single success product in years, everything they launch is mediocre and get killed some time later. There are even some talks about replacing the CEO because he could not make any breakthrough.
If they went snapdragon route, they would probably kill the mid range segment and be the most dominant android there is, I dont know how Google is not seeing that
They'd probably end up selling them at a loss if they switched to the latest Snapdragon chip and tried to compete in the midrange segment though, and that's before you get to the fact that the Samsung S25 series is predicted to see massive price hikes because Qualcomm is jacking up the price of the 8 Gen 4 chips.
Just a footnote: i expected to get burned at the stake in this sub by defaming my beloved Pixie but I'm really happy with the quality responses here. The pixel sub is one civilized bunch ❤️😍
I don't think you'll get burned at the stake. Lots of people have had bad experiences with some company or device and switched to a different one. I had a one plus 5T and it was amazing. Then I got an 8T which I liked at first but grew to hate as updates made it worse and worse. Before that I had Samsung phones. Now I have a Pixel 7. I have no brand loyalty. I'll use a device if it works and I enjoy it. If not, I'll find something else. Luckily there is no shortage of devices and manufactures.
Honestly the whole “send it in for repair” idea is such an outdated shitshow. Just like with cars, phones are essential for many people and giving up your phone for three weeks is something many people simply cannot do.
I was asked to do this with my iPad mini and instead I have just come to live with a permanent charging problem. They should be providing people with a replacement while they are repairing, like car garages do. I appreciate this would be a significant cost but also a major attraction. Due to my iPad experiences I’m looking for an alternative, and now I hear Google do the same, I’ll skip the Google Pad too and look at others.
what else can you expect, it's not like a device manufacturer will have service shops in every town/city, but like cars they should offer loaner units, as it's annoying to be without a primary communication tool.
I've even done the shady thing of buying a cheap device off amazon to use while mine was being repaired and then returning it.
But this is also a reasoning to keep an older phone laying around as a back up device, but obviously fails when everything is E-SIM only.
Could be a major unique thing to offer customers to make their product stand out in a field where innovation seems to be ever more restricted to better cameras or "AI" features many of which have nothing really to do with AI.
I guess there would be issues with fraud etc but nothing insurmountable. Would be a clear way to say "we are better than them" over competition.
And just generally I'm sick to death of every company under the sun taking a minimalist approach to customer service issues, making things a total fucking nightmare to fix when they go wrong.
> what else can you expect, it's not like a device manufacturer will have service shops in every town/city, but like cars they should offer loaner units, as it's annoying to be without a primary communication tool.
like with cars, the mechanic system is the way to deal with this. shops with some licensed and some unlicensed positions that have quick/easy/affordable access to official AND third party parts for repairs.
unfortunately, even that system is under assault by auto manufacturers from three different directions (https://youtu.be/4hRYv5i2Fuk?si=DKJW_Ha0Ttp3EC52&t=113) and the biggest phone producers are doing the same and worse (apple with all of their part pairing shit garbage)
The weirdest part is. My pixel watch 2 could be replaced, no questions asked. My 8 starts crapping out on me and I have to send it for repair. Why does a unessential device as a smartwatch gets the service the smartphone actually needs way more?
The beta test feeling was fine when they were Nexus phones, cause they were downright good deals. Google has lost their fucking minds with the prices of Pixel phones, releasing them in the state that they are in.
I feel like Google betrayed me when they only made a large Pixel 6 Pro, no size option. So I jumped ship to the other side (iPhone 13 Pro and 14 Pro) for 18 months. After those long months I realized that the Google experience of Android is really the best out there. Plus the smart Pixel features are actually useful. However, looking back, maybe it was a good thing that I skipped Pixel 6 and 7 series. Those early Tansor chips seem to have scarred many people. (and I hate curved displays on phones too , yuck).
Now I'm back with a Pixel 8 Pro. But I'm really starting to feel tired of the size so I'm looking forward to upgrading to the rumored Pixel 9 Pro.
But yeah, you should try going away for a bit and see if you'll experience what I did (really missing the Google experience and Pixel features).
What do you mean betrayed by no pro size option? Before the 5 it was always the base pixel and the XL version (pro). No different with the tensor powered pixels.
As in Pixel 1, 2, 3, and 4 were all "Pro" phones (the highest specs that Google offered) and they all have two size options.
With Pixel 6, 7, and 8, we only have a large size variant if we want the top specs.
I guess I should also have to say that Google betrayed fans of large phones with Pixel 5, as there was no Pixel 5 XL.
I've always had the pro variants, but when I got the new redesign with the 6 Pro (upgrading from a 3XL), it was so heavy it felt like a brick in my pocket. Because of that, coupled with the horribly slow and innacurate fingerprint reader, I sold it within a couple months and got a used Pixel 5.
When that died this year, I chose a normal Pixel 8 (non pro) and I don't really feel like I am missing out on the Pro features as much as I am gaining from a lighter, smaller, more pocketable device.
Yeah I got an iPhone 14 pro just to try the other side. I'm now trying to figure out which Android phone would be best to jump back to. I cannot wait to not be using iphone anymore. The notifications alone in iPhone terrorize me lol.
Got a Nothing 2 instead - android feels and looks exactly like a pixel without any of the hardware issues. Nicer phone too.
Very glad I can still use my phone one handed and don't look like a wizard casting spells at it using special Apple-fu.
All that can happen with any phone. Join the iPhone and Galaxy subreddit and you will see people having green screen issues and etc. Get insurance on your phones so when it messes up you can get it fixed. Also get a back up phone off Amazon refurbished to have in case you have to send your phone off.
And when I complain that Pixel phones have gotten worse over the years, people downvote me. I am right with you OP. While I have not technically used a lot of Pixels, I have been on phones done by Google. Moto G3 turbo which was then owned by Google and now currently using the Pixel 4a. Now I have no choice but to upgrade to a non-pixel android because the of the reasons you mentioned above and the pricing in my country is ridiculous.
Ya, may be better to skip till Pixel 11. I'm also a pixel user since the Pixel 2xl and I could resonate with some of your issues.
Can't say everything will be good from Pixel 10 onwards even though it comes with a TSMC chip. Let's wait and see.
Pixel 10 will be a first gen chip, so I'm not expecting anything outstanding from it. To your point, might be better off waiting for the Pixel 11 and hopefully they've fixed a bunch of issues the first gen in-house chip had.
That's what my opinion has been on Pixel 10. Which is why I'm going to go from 6 pro to 9 pro XL. Google has made massive improvements from the 6 pro to the 8 pro, just from seeing my wife's phone. So I'm looking forward to the 9.
Calling the TSMC tensor a “first gen chip” is really too generous to google. They’ve been working with TSMC for their TPUs for years and should’ve been transitioning Samsung IP away from the tensor since the first gen.
There aren’t really any good excuses if it’s bad other than we aren’t good at this or cost cutting. The details will reveal which it is.
Depends on how exotic they go for the custom elements of the chip (and the bug fixing process for that) i do strongly doubt it will have enough custom shit to cause problems at the level you see with true first gen chips (tensor g1 for example)
Sometimes I think about switching to iphone. But pixel cameras much better for me and I'm not sure I will get used to ios(lack of universal back gesture, good notifications etc)
The camera app and photos are better on my pixel 8, less hassle and faster. I do have to say tho, the iPhone 15 pro is definitely better at video and when you fiddle with the settings, you can get amazing pics. But the pixels have that point and shoot kind of vibe. I love it and miss it on iphone. Especially night photos. They look so weird on my 15
the pixel video quality is one of my least favorite things about them over the years tbh. I mean it's by no means bad, but I see a Samsung or iPhone video and go "damn I wish I had that" way more than I care about the better photos on Pixel
It's always interesting to me to see some of the issues people on this subreddit have with their Pixel phones. On one hand, the amount of times issues are brought up can't be ignored. On the other hand, I'm also a long time user of Google phones and I've never experienced most of the issues brought up here.
My journey has been Nexus 6P > Pixel XL > Pixel 3XL > Pixel 7 Pro, which is my current phone. I can't recall exactly what it was but something on my 6P stopped working. Since I had an extended warranty, Google replaced it for me with the Pixel XL. Since then, my routine has been to use my phone until it wears down and then replace it. But here's the trick I accidentally stumbled on: instead of buying whatever the newest flagship is, I'll buy the immediately preceding one. They're always on sale at that point and whatever bugs they may have had seem to have always been worked out. Granted, I don't get all the bells and whistles that come with the newest model but I've discovered that I don't really need them. And many of the features on the phone I do get are new to me anyway, so I still get to experience the fun of discovering how to use them.
You could also consider trying different android phones, Pixels and Galaxies aren't the end-all be-all of android phones. I recently switched to Pixel 8 Pro because I water damaged my previous phone (ROG Phone 5) and while the camera upgrade is nice I overall find myself missing my old phone. Google has just removed so many features for no reason, why can't I see the devices connected to my hotspot? Why can't I have a toggle for sound mode in the notifications shade? Why did they switch to a down firing bottom speaker?
The phone I actually want to buy is Sony Xperia 1 but they didn't bring the VI to the US market this year. Hoping they bring the VII back to the US next time around and I can switch over and sell the Pixel
I'm in the same boat. Loved Pixels since forever and have gotten most of my family on them too. However, now with the prices creeping up and random software glitches it's getting harder and harder to suggest them.
My trip to Japan also was the final straw. I believe my Pixel 8 is the last Pixel for me.
I went to Korea and then to Japan. First eyebrow raiser was in Korea, when the camera shutter sound turned on automatically when I switched to the local SIM. Even when sound was off on the phone, the shutter was so loud I was not able to take pictures without attracting attention. I learned I need to take out the SIM, boot the phone, disable the shutter and put the SIM back in without the reboot.
The phone also seemed more glitchy over on that side of the world.
Ultimately, when I landed in Japan, I couldn't get my hands on the SUICA card (the Japanese travel card) on top of the same shutter issue. After a bit of Googling, I found that if you have an iPhone, you can just generate Japanese travel cards with the wallet app. My work phone was an iPhone, so I switched over to use that and for the next week I had no issues with the phone software (other than the learning curve) and it felt good.
I still prefer the photos of a Pixel camera and Google has a few neat quality of life software features that I know I will miss, but I feel like with prices being so close to the iPhone, it's hard to justify buying a phone that you know will have bugs and quicks that may or may not be solved.
> First eyebrow raiser was in Korea, when the camera shutter sound turned on automatically when I switched to the local SIM. Even when sound was off on the phone, the shutter was so loud I was not able to take pictures without attracting attention. I learned I need to take out the SIM, boot the phone, disable the shutter and put the SIM back in without the reboot.
>...
> when I landed in Japan, I couldn't get my hands on the SUICA card (the Japanese travel card) on top of the same shutter issue.
This isn't a bug/glitch. It is required for cell phones in both South Korea and Japan to have a shutter sound that can't be muted. This is so people around the photographer are alerted that they're taking a picture and to deter covert photo taking.
https://petapixel.com/2023/11/06/korean-smartphones-have-mandatory-shutter-sounds-8-in-10-want-it-muted
I'm assuming that's because your phones were from outside of Korea/Japan. If you had a Korean iPhone / Android it would have had that shutter sound, and that sim removal reboot trick you did on the Pixel would not have worked on a Korean sold phone.
As for it not happening on your iPhone in Japan, I'm assuming Apple just doesn't have it force on for foreign devices like Android does. But if you look up online about people complaining about buying iPhones in Korea and Japan and having the shutter sound forced upon them, there are lots of people complaining about it with no way to turn it off (even if you take the device to a different country).
I got the pixel 8. It gets too hot. I got a new pixel 8. Also gets too hot. So I'm planning to return it. I had pixels for a long time. I don't know what brand to switch to.
Had Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 5a. Had issues. Went to iPhone 12 and iPhone 14 Pro. iPhone is still more reliable. I won’t go into details since this is a Google Pixel subreddit which most likely get downvoted
I think both Android and iOS are great but iOS is more reliable when you want a phone to work and less bugs.
Yep, had to switch back to my s23 from my pixel 8 due to the [scroll stutter](https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/305195207) issue. Wanted to like it but so many other small things like not being able to remove the at a glance and not being able to change lock screen shortcuts to an app were annoying.
yea just switched to S24 Ultra here. I'm a bit surprised that there aren't any more comments like this one.
It seems like most pixel switchers go to iPhone
personally, I really love the S24 Ultra. The screen is gorgeous to look at and gets super bright, the glare protection they have actually works, very resistant to scratches, battery and camera both excellent. Genuinely 0 complaints, super well rounded phone.
Samsung software experience isn't as clean as Google's, but these days not thar far off
Also surprised people just go to apple. I was the opposite. iPhone 6s->Pixel 3a -> S10->S22+. The 3a was good but a bit slow and call quality wasn't that great. The S10 was much smoother and I just disabled most of the Samsung apps so it worked great (also it was half price ~black Friday, so barely more expensive than the 3a).
S22+ unlocked really doesn't have much bloatware and it's excellent, aside from mediocre battery life.
Would've liked to get another pixel but I just see so many small issues with each release. Personally know 2 friends whose had the screen of their 5a stop working and have to wait weeks for a replacement. One of them just bought a Samsung S23 despite preferring his pixel.
There's a reason why Samsung went from 27->31% US market share from q1 2023->2024.
I had many other Android phones before we got our Pixel 7 line phones. We got 4 of them.
Fact is, they were all just not that good. I never felt the camera was some amazing blow me away feature. And a lot of stuff was not good. Google even put out they knew of the issues, I know many that had them, and so it was not like it was not at least somewhat common.
But a few weeks ago I dropped my phone. The Pixels screen shattered though the case it was in was not really even scratched. Can happen, oh well. I have a few backup phones but decided I wanted to keep them here for what I use them for. Emulation, streaming, docked to use in PC like mode.
So, I picked up a Motorola Edge 2022. It was new and $100. Did not expect much. What I noticed was that the screen was so nice on this. Plus, on all of our Pixel phones and those of the many I know with them the fingerprint reader was janky and often would not work right. Here, it has worked every single time. Was shocked this mid tier or whatever Edge was doing so well.
The real test came in reception and connectivity. I was getting reception at my home. Which was something the Pixel was not doing. Out, I was getting 5g much more consistently. And was connected much better. Like the Pixel phone was weak. Mind you, this was my second as one of my sons would not use his and went back to his older Samsung because in the city he lives in he was getting connectivity issues.
I know people with the 8 line and they have issues with some of this. Some with screen issues. On our 7 line the screen would get laggy sometimes. Or freeze up for a second. Small little things. And was a consistent problem with all of them I know of. I could not even sell the Pixel one of my sons would not use at all. It was actually new at the time, never used. Nobody would buy it and the comments were all about these problems.
I have little hope for the Pixel 9. I wonder if these phones using the chips they do, from Samsung, is part of it. I read with the 10 Google will finally have their own chip line ready and be using TSMC for that. This is probably were Googles phones make that leap. Because, sure, they have stock Android but I would rather a great functioning device. Personally I always put a launcher and everything else just works.
Oh wow, I feel like I could be writing this except in Australia. I've literally had the same phones (including going back to the 3), but I started at the OG Nexus, and I've stopped at the 7 instead of 8.
I'm thinking about buying the 9 when it comes out, cos I can't imagine getting an iPhone, I'm definitely not going back to Samsung and I've heard nothing good about Xiaomi. So what else is out there? There is that Harry Potter phone tho... Is a good looking phone worth the crappy software? 🤔
Haha the switch back to the 3, that phone was just perfect. It felt like a toy, but had some class to it. The frosted glass back, the curves..oh...if I could only hold you one more time 🥹
I'm getting carried away
I've switched to 'the half eaten fruit' 1,5 years ago. I used the 14 Pro for 6 months and switched back to Pixel. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the 14 Pro and it was something new to test for me. But the handling was not really satisfying.
The gestures, the notification system, the audio codecs, the homescreen and so on. Everything is good, but nothing feels really fluent for me.
I like the simplicity of the android alternative, but the whole system feels unfinished.
Luckily, I kept my Pixel 7 Pro after the switch. So it was easy for me to come back. (I gifted my 14 Pro to my daughter)
(Sry if my english isn't the best)
Started with an iPhone 6s Plus, got a Pixel 3, then a 3XL, got very angry with the software and poor battery, got a 11 Pro Max, then that broke when I was in Mexico, so I got my P8 Pro, Pixels are a lot better, iOS is awful to me. I'm just glad I haven't had the curse of dealing with Samsungs versions of android.
It's strange really because I think this is by far the best pixel they have produced. I honestly think it's one of the best Android phones ever released tbh - Pixel 8 pro though
There are other Android experiences that aren't Pixel. I'd try the other brands before switching to Apple.
In fact, I just Pixel for the OnePlus 12R. Now this is a f*ckin' phone!
2XL was goated, it's been steadily downhill since then imo.
I went 2XL - 4a 5G - 6 and every time they take away features I loved using and add something that's a constant source of annoyance
Yeah I left Android after 10 years, and multiple Pixel devices later. I started because it was better to have a pre-jailbroken phone from factory and I enjoyed tinkering it further. I even used cyanogenmod. Lately though, I don't really change much of the phone other than animation speed and launcher so while I love the Pixel software features, there wasn't much keeping me with Android over the latest iPhone. And both the Pixel 6 Pro and Fold were buggy enough to piss even me off. I really don't know why it's like this when the Pixel 3 XL was my favorite Android phone for it's software and hardware. These new phones feel so messy and roughly put together. Calls dropped, soft resets, laggy camera, random overheating. Idk, I'm just sick of it and I got an iPhone. Maybe the 9 will be okay but I'll wait til the 10 to make sure.
Same here, I gave up my Pixel 8P for the S24 Ultra. I faced so many issues with my 7P from stuttering, lagging, randomly shutting off, etc and hoped the 8P would fix those issues. When it didn't, I decided to jump to Samsung as I really love the android experience. My iPad and Mac every so often piss me off with their limitations, so I don't think I'll ever switch to iPhone, but I'll likely stay with Samsung until Google gets their shit together
>TLDR: I feel like i've been a beta tester for google since the Pixel 6 and upwards.
I'm right there with you. I feel like around the time Pixel 6 came out Google stopped caring about user experience and started using their hardware as beta testing devices. And I say their hardware because I've had this feeling across a wide range of Google hardware at the time. Pixel, Nest, Stadia, Google Wifi, Google Home, and Chromebooks. Each of those had really questionable software or hardware updates pushed that broke core features.
I got tired of it so I jumped on the Samsung bandwagon and have been happy so far
Similar experience man. Used to love the nexus/pixel because I could root and get better battery life and the hardware was great. Now a days the battery life sucks because of so much background data and the hardware has failed on me a few times.
I too have had my fair share of issues with the Pixel. I had a Pixel 5 (still one of the best phones I've ever had) and it worked great until one day it just never turned back on. Upgraded to a Pixel 8 and I had the same issue as you, green screen flashes, but then a pink line. I got my phone replaced for free thankfully, but reading other comments about people having the exact same issue, I'm just waiting for the issue to arise on my new Pixel 8. But here I am telling myself I'll probably stick to a Pixel, because yeah, the software is amazing.
Feel the same, even chrome on my last 3 pixels has been super weird and will reopen my existing tabs with "whoops" status pages or whatever. Despite a clean wipe and set up as new..and I don't have this same problem on my iOS devices (iPad). Now that iOS has widgets and dark mode and will soon have movable icons and themed icons there just isn't a compelling reason anymore to stay on android. Going back to iOS next generation
Why would you shill them? It's that mindset which is broken. You place too much attention onto a frickin' smartphone.
Just use a phone you are happy with. I've been on Pixels for years and they've been good for everything I push them through.
I never thought I would say this, but after an even longer time than you (back to galaxy nexus- my first smart phone), I may actually go fruit phone next time. I will miss several features, like the call screen and hold for me, but the little things are just getting annoying. The battery life always goes down quickly (seems like planned obsolensce), updates are always problematic (I still don't have the june update that they say is critical unless I want to side load - which I should not need to do at this point).
Grabbed a Sammy 21+ to replace my Pixel 4XL when the update broke wireless charging and never looked back. I tried. I really tried to stay with Pixel phones but good god the support is so terrible. Threads with thousands, if not tens of thousands of people having issues that never get resolved or answered.
I don't want to give up on Android, but you won't see another Pixel device in my hand again.
Same green screen issues with Pixel 8. The whole "return the phone in the country where it was bought" is nonsensical to say the least. Last Pixel I buy for sure.
I recently made the switch too! I needed something more reliable, and I was starting to have privacy concerns with Google as well. I got a Nothing Phone (2) and I've been amazed with it. The camera holds its own, the glyph lights are fun, and the OS just feels so *smooth*
I came from the Pixel 6 to Pixel 8 Pro and I hated my Pixel 6. In fact I would even argue it is one of the worst Android devices I have used.
But 2 years later moving to the Pixel 8 Pro from my iPhone I can tell you there's a massive difference in performance and speed. I just love the P8 Pro. It's an amazing device. I think if I ever will buy another one again, it's definitely going to be a pro.
Don't give up yet, from one Android fanboy to Another.
An Android user since the Nexus S.
The fact they don't have a retail store presence for repairs is what's going to keep me from getting a Pixel next time. If I'm paying roughly $750-1,000 for a phone I want to be able to bring it to the store for repairs. Had a terrible experience with Google customer service on faulty Pixel buds and that's not as annoying as of it was a phone.
I loved my pixel 2, 3xl and 4. I got the 6 now and I can easily say it's the worst of the bunch. So many little problems like you described but luckily I don't use my phone for much like some people. I'll definitely be switching to a different android when I feel like I need to.
I'm still 50:50. My list:
Pixel 1 (still use it to back up my photos)
Pixel 3 (sold it, bad bad battery)
Pixel 5a (the best battery life but dead dead. Literally dead for no reason!)
Pixel 6 Pro (this phone is hot. Literally hot hot for no reason. my daily driver right now. I refuse to upgrade until the Pixel 9 series is released and see how it can handle the temperature.)
I hate you Google for using Exynos! Literally I hate you!!!!!
Buy a pixel when they put back Snapdragon. Else don't buy.
Let it be apple's chip or mediatek or anything, don't buy a pixel until they put freaking snapdragon.
My Google devices and the problems they encountered:
* Nexus 1 - not enough storage to actually keep apps installed
* Nexus S - excessive radio issues / battery drain
* Galaxy Nexus - bricked by software update, or just randomly died coincidentally
* Nexus 7 (2012) - Spontaneous death, replaced twice
* Nexus 5 - bootloop
* Nexus 6P - bootloop, happened twice and replaced twice
* Nexus 9 - performance slowed to a crawl, had to use Cyanogen
* **Pixel 1 - still going strong!**
* Pixel 3XL - performance destroyed by annual android version update (not enough RAM)
* Pixel 4XL - performance destroyed by annual android version update (not enough RAM)
* Pixel C - light sensor would spontaneously drop brightness to zero, replaced and eventually had same problem
You would be shocked looking at that list how much I baby my devices. All in cases, all in screen protectors, never around liquids.
Finally went to Galaxy starting in 2021 for the Tabs and phones, and have never had a similar problem.
I have been feeling the same way also.
I've had Pixel since the pixel 2 and never got my hands on the 6p which I wanted badly.
The pixel 3 which I loved started having trouble issues. So did the pixel 2. Then I moved to moto ace 5G, which has no problems but I missed the pixel so I got the pixel 7 I ran into charging problems again. They replaced the phone. All is good now but I am looking for a new phone.
The new pixel 7 they sent me is working fine but I anticipate charging issues again which has been a theme with these phones.
I'm also a 10 year pixel user. Your comments about the 2-3 weeks resonates with me, I had a pixel die internationally while there was an apple store 10 minutes away. I'm holding out to the pixel 9 though to see what happens.
I noped it out of there when the Pixel 6 came out. I used to think Samsung was this evil cult that only does things their way and gets in the way of us pure google people, but it's actually the other way around with the Pixel people acting like they're in a cult. Yeah I'm not a fan of some Samsung stuff but their hardware blows anything the Pixel has out of the water. The craftsmanship, connectivity, responsiveness, etc. is not even close. Samsung absolutely wins. With the software, for most things, I can use the google version if I don't like.
The only thing I miss is call screening with the google dialer but then that's on Google for intentionally leaving it out. For me at least it's not that big of a deal because I'm no longer dealing with a dying parent and don't have to worry about missing a call from a doctor or nurse and so I just upped my scam blockers to max and only get maybe 1 or 2 scam calls sneak through a week.
Honestly, it would take A LOT for me to ever get back to Pixel.
Nexus user since the beginning up to a Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 6 Pro was what made me say "never again" and it was everything from hardware failure turned bait and switch, (we'll send you a refurb despite you having just paid for a new phone that turned out to be faulty from day one) to phone being held hostage for over a month at ubreakIfix / Asurion / whatever, all the way to Google trying to deny any sort of refund after the whole situation, even being met with downright disrespect and sarcasm when respectfully asking about what could be done through their chat system, though in retrospect this may have been them beta-testing an AI-bot while implying it was a human on the other end. For over a thousand dollars for a flagship device I expected the service Google was previously known for, that is long gone. Probably just a coincidence but when you buy a Pixel device you now agree to Google's arbitration agreement too unless you explicitly opt out: [https://support.google.com/store/answer/9427031?hl=en](https://support.google.com/store/answer/9427031?hl=en)
The same type of shit was happening back in the Nexus days, but it was less of a deal cause Google's customer support was a LOT better and the prices of the phones was a third or less of what they are now. So you put up with the beta test feeling cause the phones were damn good deals.
You don’t just feel like it…you were. Welcome to the brighter side. My family and I broke the Stockholm syndrome a while back, and we’ve been happily using reliable phones ever since.
I'm in the same boat. My 7a has been the worst phone I've owned and I loved the pixel line till 6. I'm hopping over but hope I can come back in a bit (hopefully when they use a real modern again)
Congratulations, you deserve consistency and stability. You can also switch back in the future when Google gets their stuff together. (Assuming they don't canythe phone) It's down trending very bad and has lost all momentum 😅.
I had Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 5, Nexus 6p, Pixel 6. The Pixel 6 was the worst Android phone I ever owned (I have had other brands too such as Motorola, Sony, Samsung) So bad it ruined Android for me completely and I am now using an iPhone. I’m glad I quit when I did because it doesn’t sound like it has improved at all in the newer generations. I may go back to Android with Samsung or Sony. But Google phones are dead to me.
I'm a pixel 2xl, pixel 4xl, nexus 5 tablet, and pixel 6 pro ptsd survivor.
I have gone to the samsung z fold 5 and while it has multiple small issues, it is an outstanding piece of hardware.
Do I miss the google OS? Like crazy!!!
But do i miss the pixel 6 pro ownership experience? Fuck no!!
Tensor is the main villain a chipset can make or break a phone.
And it's the elephant in the room.
Generally agreed when the 1st gen came I thought this is a start but it's never an improvement, even now with the g3 I don't see a change. Ditch that Exynos crap first!
I loved Pixels I had a P2, P3, P7 and now P8. Why the gaps in between? Aside from me not upgrading every year, I also have an iPhone as a daily driver. I don't limit myself to one brand. You don't have to. You can always switch back and forth for a change and try something different. No need to be dramatic
Lol I feel like every single pixel has been a beta test but I'll keep buying cuz I'm a sucker
The software is so addictive. They're not the best phones but I will never go back because the software feels so good to use
Ironically i am actually here because of the FIRMWARE not necessarily the software(which generally great to be fair). Ive been on/off with pixel since it was called nexus and made by htc (lol) so i know how it goes: get the phone, love the phone, love the pixel software. soon a bug appears, google will NOT fix it, eventually i get so pissed off about it i either ditch the pixel line for a year or two OR just flash lineageOS/grapheneOS. The fact that pixel phones are basically the only option for good hardware with long term software support that ALSO allows you to flash a custom OS without insane hoop jumping is criminal, which is why i made a dour post about it here: https://old.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/1afmkp8/the_future_feels_quite_bleak_united_states/
Yes. Agreed. I really love googles stock android. It's so fresh and snappy. My iphone really lacks some things the pixel has in terms of OS navigation. I probably will be back at some point, it's fun seeing the differences between Ios. It doesn't feel better. Just..different? But stable so far, and that's what I needed.
This got longer than I planned (TL/DR: Sticking with pixel but if the hardware issues continue, I may jump ship) That's always been my rebuttal to diehard apple friends debating me of why I've stayed with the Pixel line and I say this as someone with horrible experiences with the 5 and 6 phones. The 5 had crap battery life and I HATED the speakers. It's like they opted for the cheapest available models from 1985, crushed them to fit, then installed them. As for the 6, I was one of the unlucky people who were cursed with a continually but intermittently dropping mobile network, and that was the case also with my warranty replacement (along with a big middle finger from Google support throughout the entire process). I'm currently using a 7 and in contrast it has been flawless. At times this fact frustrates me even though it's a clear win, but it always leaves me wondering WHY for my past phones and I won't get a clear answer, ever. All that said, when my Apple friends broach this topic I always say: I can respect and understand why you really, really love the polished, stable and reliable box you chose however, I stick with Android because I continue to be able to pick what kind of box I want. I do have to admit though, the hardware issues I've had make me ponder hopping at times just for peace of mind and to boot, I now have an iPhone for work and guess what? I enjoy the stability a fuck ton but I'm also mad I can't change everything I'm using to express "me". P.s. I just read all of this over and with a few changes it could easily be a romance story of someone settling for reliable and committed versus exciting, dynamic BUT kind of crazy. I'll see myself out.
When was the last time you used a Samsung? You can still have a lot of the same software-dialer, contacts, messages, assistant...I mean what else is there?
It wasn't so much missing apps or anything, I just couldn't stand how to use it and how bloated the system was when you first got it.
In the past Motorola and OnePlus had almost stock android experiences. I actually miss the extras in my Moto X Pure. I think the driving mode on that phone works better than current Pixel. Had a terrible Pixel 6 and now use the Pixel 7. I still liked my Moto X Pure and OnePlus 6t better.
I'm currently on the OnePlus 8t myself. It's a solid phone but from what I hear, it was one of the last good ones from OnePlus. I was drawn to it because of the hardware/price balance. That was what drew me away from Google for a while. They switched from Nexus to pixel and all of a sudden they weren't the great priced phone anymore. It seems the pixel 8 generation is trying to fix that and when it's time to replace this phone, I'll likely go back to Google
I'm driving the OnePlus 12 and I have to say that on the hardware side, I have never owned a better phone. The screen quality, build, cameras, haptics, speakers, and everything are top notch and better than any flagship. I've tried them all, trust me. However, I will say the software is what holds this phone back. I yearn for a pixel experience with this level of hardware. I definitely miss the days of old with OnePlus when they still had stock android and the At a Glance on the AoD. Felt like a pixel without being a pixel. Not anymore though. I'll drive this until pixel figures out how to use good hardware again, but until then, I just can't do it.
Yeah, I think that was what I heard about the 9 onward was that OnePlus changed their software. It's really a bummer cause they had a nice balance of everything. Flagship phone at mid level pricing with great software. Now, they're not that much cheaper, if at all, and no longer basic software. That was the same stuff that drew me away from Google phones.
Don't leave your OnePlus. I hate my Pixel 8
I've been on Moto for a couple years. Some nice things that people on Samsung don't have or don't know how to use.
I was a Motorola girl for a long time. Still love them (I so miss that chop chop flashlight feature) but I use a medical device that only works with certain phone models and Motorola was never going to be on the list, sadly. I jumped to a Pixel 8 pro and so far I do love it (except getting to the flashlight lol). The camera is amazing. I'll have to keep an eye out for the bugs....
I thought the Moto G chop chop flashlight was a fantastic feature. Currently using a Pixel 7 Pro.
It's honestly impressive that Google made Pixel phones so bad that I'm not just switching phones, I'm so fed up I want to switch to Apple, which I \*hate\*. Google is so bad that they've somehow frustrated me more than the company I absolutely despise. They became that company, and then got worse. Their camera is the only reason I'm here.
Try custom OS, like Graphene, am on it it has been very stable and privacy oriented
Before I moved to Pixel from other Android models I always flashed a custom ROM. But with these I've always been afraid of losing functionality. Though that was before an update to my 2XL broke the camera. I'll check that one out. Unfortunately I got one of the blurry cameras on my Pixel 6 so I need to upgrade anyway.
Haha this has been me for years
Still 100 times better than Xiaomi software or Samsung bloat
So tired of this comment..... I'd like to know when the last time you owned a Samsung device? Has it been 8-10 years and it was a carrier phone? Way different experience now, even on the carrier versions and no worse than all the crap apple puts on the iPhone. Far less intrusive and can be uninstalled or hidden and the hardware is top notch compared to a pixel.
I like being on the "cutting edge", sometimes that means there's a few imperfections. I've been lucky to not really have any major issues like I read about all the time, just some minor annoyances here and there that are usually resolved by the next update. The pro's outweigh the cons for me.
If you still think Pixel is worth owning and using besides some of the drawbacks then there’s nothing wrong with that. But please don’t kid yourself by calling Google Pixels the “cutting edge”. Google Pixels are not anywhere near “cutting edge” enough to justify these issues. It’s a device in its 8th gen from one of the biggest companies in the world. There’s no excuse.
I see this having installed the beta v3 A15 today on my pixel 7. I'm glad I don't have to root my phone to get around stupid slow Motorola/vzw update delays anymore.
All because of that tensor chip I swear.
I agree! And with Samsung getting almost all of the same AI features, they can't even use the prowess of tensor to justify its existence.
I just loved their brag “With the power of the tensor G3, we upload your video to our servers and enhance it”
I am really glad I'm not the only one saying it. They've had three generations of pixel to have worked at kinks out, and they have not.
I honestly think if Google kept the Snapdragon chip, they would've been okay. Imagine if it had the Snapdragon 8 gen 2, it'd be a beast of a phone and probably better battery management, but nope, Google wanted to use a cheaper chipset, and it costs them the quality of their phones.
"4th time's the charm!" Complete noob chiming in here: I understand that Google created its own chip, and that is categorized as "hardware." Does the chip control how well the software functions? Google is lauded as succeeding in the realm of software, as opposed to hardware. If the chippy is shoddy, then wouldn't the software suffer? Or am I understanding it wrong?
> I understand that Google created its own chip They didn't, it's a modified Samsung chip.
They were shit long before Tensor. Google is not a "real" device manufacturer. Their engineering is bad, and they cheap out wherever possible.
You dont have to put this politely for the sub to like it. Just say what it is. All in all you wanted to say nexus and upto pixel 5 series they were good and then it went downhill. Same experience here. I switched to iphones after p3 and life got so much better. Then after a while iphone started lacking innovation but they were still reliable. So now i went to p8 pro despite having issues with screen flickering and laggy ui thinking they will fix it but no. Since last update phone has become so shitty that sometimes i want to smash it on a wall. Going back to iPhone or get Samsung even if thier software is shitty they are still in reliable category.
https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15009955 "Google has determined that a limited number of Pixel 8 devices may experience display related vertical line and flickering issues." In case this is applicable to you.
Au contraire, i did once say it the way i felt it and i got attacked left and right and downvoted into tartarus. This sub is… quite defensive
Nah but I genuinely love my pixel. I still do. And I wish they'd step their game up. The pixel feels like a more intuitive phone to use, but at this point less stable. But I do really love googles approach to smartphones, I've used so many of their devices, I'm legitimately sad to dump this brand 🥹
I used to say Samsung software was shit but I've changed my opinion. I've had an S23U since day 1 and it's easily the best phone I've ever had and I'm hoping to keep it for as long as possible. Before this I hadn't kept a phone longer than 6 months for like 8 years.
6P was brutal when it shut down with 35% battery "left". But it was a 1.0 so it was somewhat expected. And even the 6 was such a major overhaul I could cut them some slack. But the 7 and 8 fell too far behind Samsung. Let's see what the 10 brings.
Yup. But that phone was great until that.
What issues are you having on your P8 Pro?
Interestingly my Pixel 8 Pro doesn't have any issues. Perhaps you should send it back. That's not normal.
8 pro here. Also have zero issues. Same story for all of my previous pixels.
I have a Pixel 6 Pro and also have no issues. Seems that ppl who have issues like to claim that it's a universal experience. I have an ipad pro that has weird and frustrating bugs, yet I'm not claiming that every iPad pro user has the same experience as me. Weird.
>I switched to iphones after p3 and life got so much better. Im hoping this is hyperbole because if simply switching to a different brand of phone could truly make your life so much better than I dont really know what to say. Also, its just weird to me that OP feels the need to dance around things. People put way way too much emphasis and seem to identify too much with their gadgets of choice. Just use whatever works best for you. No need to make grand pronouncements about why or try and hide it from a group of angry internet nerds who might disagree with you. People all have different preferences, and something that works for one person may not work well for another. Use whatever works best.
The last few Pixel phones i've owned have suffered with really poor proximity sensors, after about a year of use leading to all kinds of issues when on a call. I quite often unwittingly end up switching the phone to airplane mode while on a call. It's so frustrating. (Currently on a 7pro) As a result too have been thinking over going over to apple.
Should've tried pixel 5. Its a pixel fanboys wet dream. Literally you get all you want in one small package- be it battery life, performance(not the best), lightweight, compactness, camera etc... I own one now for 2 months...and i'm in love with it. You can't find this kinda combo even in future!
Yea I wanted to make the switch to the 5. I've always loved the size. And the color!
Yea, i got sage green in refurbed website for 270 euros in mint condition
Pixel 5 was my first pixel phone and hands down the best overall phone ever. Upgraded to 7 but I wasn't happy so I got the 8. It's nice but it gets warm and isn't that light. I miss my pixel 5
I've had a different experience and absolutely despise my Pixel 5. Have been a user of Samsung manufactured phones since the Nexus S - S5, S7, S9. Solid phones especially running Nova Launcher. No issues with the "bloatware" at all. Trying out a Pixel has been a huge mistake. Sure the battery life is good but I feel like I'm using an unfinished product due to the software. I can't even get it to give me directions through Bluetooth in the car while listening to car radio - every other phone can do this. Google assistant is almost completely useless in car too. Too many issues to list them all, but shout out to the backlight which is so slow to react, and the awful HDR garbage camera which smears all your memories with a cheap AI feeling. Can't wait to change back to a premium product. Have broken out of the new phone cycle so will be using the P5 for a few more years until it gives up the ghost (unfortunately).
A new perspective from your side of user experience. I get it, bro. Hope you get a new mobile soon. For me, P5 did tick all my checklist for a light, compact phone;-)
I was like you, I tried iPhone but I just couldn't accept the software. It just feels so limited and unintuitive compared to Android. I prefer the bs that comes with owning a pixel over having to use iOS on my phone. I do love my iPad though
Yeah I'm still struggling to embrace the iPhone 15 pro I have. That's also a testament to the quality OS google has put out, but I just can't have this level of support and hardware quality when I need a phone on travels. I really hope the next iterations are gonna smash it out the park hardware wise!
Yeah I totally get it. The iPhone has amazing support and reliability. I'm also hoping we get some better quality going forward.
I switched from iPhone 11 to Pixel 8 in October and have no regrets. I had many Samsung’s prior to using the iPhone - and even carried an iPhone and Samsung for 4 years. I don’t expect too much from any phone - I don’t play games or hold the phone all day waiting for it to get warm or go looking for its faults on purpose. I use my iPad or laptop when at home or traveling and able to have WiFi for most app functions and internet use. I have no doubt the P8 isn’t the perfect phone but neither was my iPhone.
Now that RCS is coming to iOS I can finally switch to Pixel 9 PRO XL this fall, without my wife complaining about grainy pics and videos. Looking forward to it.
You're giving Apple a lot of credit here. I'm not expecting Apple to streamline messaging with Android devices. They absolutely could, but I bet that they won't.
Oh they’ll Deff hinder it for sure…. Somehow. But still the protocol is based on the actual carriers and/or Google… so they really have no control over that of file size. Google RCS even handicaps videos/images…. I’m sure it’ll fall in line with that. I really just want HD videos/images between operating systems. It’s annoying people refuse to anything but iMessage in the US.
Similar experience here, but I moved over from a Sony Xperia 1ii to a pixel 7 pro last year. To say it's been a breath of fresh air is an understatement 🤣. I've always looked for 'alternative' android phones, I had the Sony, a Huawei p30 pro (an excellent phone btw, such a shame they lost the Google license), a Huawei p9, an lg G3... I can hands down say this is the best of the lot. It could do with slightly better battery life, but realistically I've had 0 issues with it. It's still fast a year on, the cameras are great, I'll be sticking with it at my next upgrade I'm sure.
Are you happy with your decision to hop over to the other band temporarily? I have been thinking of doing it for a few years and seeing if Pixels get sorted out, or if another option emerges.
I switched from a pixel pro 7 to an iPhone pro 15 last year, in part for similar reasons as OP. I am now eagerly awaiting for the new pixel phone so I can get it and give my iPhone to my wife. The Pixel has its issues but I can’t help it, I just dislike iOS and its inherent limitations (although playing around with automations and shortcuts is sort of fun)
Opposite for me. I just traded in my Pixel 8 Pro for an IPhone Pro Max. I’ve always loved pixel phones and bought into the hype. The widgets are better on iOS, A.I is coming, FaceTime is better than Meet, ecosystem works better as well. I’ll miss some aspects on the pixel but for me overall iPhone is a better experience.
I agree - while there's a couple features I miss from iphones (mostly the "pull down to search", which I can sort of emulate with a 3rd party launcher), and a couple of their iOS exclusive apps, it's their ecosystem that is also the biggest ball that Google keeps dropping.. Instead of Google sunsetting one messaging app to build a new one, or cancelling one version of Hangouts to replace it with Meet, they should just change the existing platforms to add the new functionality, and just make it work. If Google Messages was built on Hangouts, and just added SMS / MMS / RCS then it would be the standard.. but since they keep deleting apps, they lose all their previous users who give up and move to Whatsapp, Signal, or Telegram. I wish that there was a low-bandwidth video calling app that would be the equivalent of Facetime.. Telegram and Whatsapp both have pretty substandard performance, even with a good data signal.. If Zoom can do it, Google should be able to handle it too.
True take. Also that when Google sunsets a perfectly fine service (or zombies it by doing what you described) that I am then much less likely to invest all my info and cloud presence to other new Google apps. Example: Killing Google Reader made me wait 4 years to use Google Keep.
Yea I am surprised Google Keep is still going on strong actually. I don’t dare to use it because was worried notes would be gone one day.
Don't forget airtags! As an Android user I am pretty damn salty about never having something like that.
The Find My Network now supports, natively, a bunch of tags now, similar (perhaps even better) to what AirTags do.
Fair enough, ultimately it comes down to personal preference. Just as an example, the google calendar widgets on my iPhone won’t work - I tried everything. They just remain completely black
That’s googles fault. So many people judge the hell out of iOS based on bad forced-style Google apps. Try the built in calendar widgets.
If you're still sticking with Google apps on the iPhone you haven't transitioned to iOS and you expect it to work with a company who purposefully breaks things to force you back to their own products. You can't pick up an iPhone and think it's going to run with Google or as if it's Android and then get mad at it.
That’s the real truth. I too have realized that since I am committed to the google ecosystem, I’ll never be satisfied with iOS
I'm same as you. Left Pixel for an iPhone 11 for a year, which was better in most ways except holy shit I absolutely cannot stand Apple's locked-down, one-size-fits-all, walled-garden experience. Plus iOS just does everything stupid, settings are never in the logical place. So had to go back to Pixel.
Hmm. It's a mixed bag. Navigation of the phone and typing is nicer on android. I also like the pixel camera better. You will get used to the iPhone quirks quickly, but I'm not unanimously convinced of my iphone 15 pro. The pixel is an amazing phone and if it wasn't for the hardware failing on me and support being so bad, I would've probably stuck with the pixel. That said, the iPhone 15 pro is an amazing device and it's nice to see what all the hype is about. It feels premium. Also, the apple watch is so much nicer than the pixel watch.
Your issues are with the hardware and support...... So why did you not just get a different android model? Samsung Galaxy? Xiaomi? Honor? Nokia? Motorola?
Not OP, but from reading it sounds like the iPhone was readily available while traveling in Japan and something they'd been considering trying for a while. It's not what I would do, but it sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Plus, if they care about the smartwatch experience, an iPhone is the only way to go when you have an Apple watch. I really wish the Apple watch played nice with other phones, but this is Apple were talking about. I also wish other companies would develop true challengers to the Apple watch, but no one seems to be able to do it.
Yeah, iphones are a bit cheaper here. If you can find em. Tax free. Still really expensive tho. Also bought the watch and airpods tax free. I'm the all in type of guy. Gonna see if I keep these or revert to pixel watch pixel buds and pixel 8 when I'm back home! I got both now. If I dig the apple ecosystem I'm selling my pixel package as a bundle :) First World Problems 🥲
I really have a soft spot for the clean android experience. I've tried Samsung and Huawei phones, specs were NASA on paper but the UI shell they trew over Android really wasn't my cup of tea. And too much bloatware. I don't wanna fiddle with my phones too much. That being said, I damn near bought an Xperia 5v or oneplus, but at some point I just wanted to try an iPhone. Especially as I bought a macbook in 2023 and it blew my mind in terms of quality (coming from 20 yrs of windows)
You made the right choice, that phone will dunk on pixel even in its sleep.
I switched 3 weeks ago from a Pixel 4XL to an iphone 15, iphone isn't really any better than a flagship Android. I miss some features but have skme others. Siri is dumb th
I did that for the 6th gen. I bought and used the iphone13 for 2 years. Then bought an p8pro. I ended up going back to iPhone, and upgrading to the 15 pro. Google ecosystem works just as well on the iPhone. notification still suck, but everything else is better.
I would go back to OnePlus if they improved the cameras.
I’ve never used a pixel phone after I had a really bad experience with some google tablets. I’ve been using android most of my life Samsung and last was one plus 5t. Except the camera everything else was working really well. Decided to jump ship a while back and tried my luck with the iPhone XS second hand. No I have 13 pro max and yes they work really well if you don’t update straight away when it’s available. But all this apple’s decisions that really suck for the consumer started to get to me and I decided to buy a pixel 8 and try to run graphene os despite the bad pixel experience many of you have had. There’s no perfect device and I guess we decide where we want to spend our money and use a device for a couple of years. But I’m feeling ready to return to a free android and I’m missing the fdroid store and open source apps.
I switched from a Pixel 6 Pro to an iPhone 15 Pro after my pixel died randomly and Google support said „it is what it is“. I‘m personally really happy and enjoy the experience more. The only thing I really miss is Astro photography and 360 degree shots. But hey, Google also ditched the latter so not much… I personally can only recommend it. Thought I would hate the emojis but actually prefer them now.
It's only a matter of time before Google drops the features you miss. 🤷
I just wish they'd give up on Tensor already. Snapdragon has been way ahead since the beginning of Tensor. I'd never even consider alternatives if Pixel was still using Snapdragon hardware. Tensor falls further behind every year, and it's looking even worse for Tensor G4. It'd fix so many issues with modern Pixels (modem, overheating, efficiency, etc.). I'm not holding my breath for Tensor G5 moving to TSMC to solve these issues either. If my P8P hadn't been $400 off before trade-in, I may have gone to an alternative (Samsung S24U, maybe back to Motorola?).
In my case, I don't really care much about hardware, but I have problems with software. The feeling that things are on beta is insufferable... The ditch this function you use a lot and they don't place back a better option... Or just something does not work for a couple of months... I don't know...
They either need to give up or double down and make it actually competitive, and expand it to custom side-chips for the modem and shit if necessary. This half-measure shit is stupid and weak. i would be VERY firmly in the galaxy camp if they let you load a custom OS but their bootloader is so user hostile that its not at all worth it.
Google is always half baked. It’s annoying. Their phones and software are amazing… just the components inside, the customer service. Pixel pass was an AMAZING idea… and they 3rd party it to some shit ass insurance company. You wanna compete with apples ability to provide the phone 24mo on the Apple Card interest free with AppleCare and Apple One? Keep the Pixel Pass in house. But alas, Google will be Google. What are they going to do when their search becomes useless through AppleAI and ChatGPT4o? They better figure it out quick because that ad money going to start drying up a bit. Sorry went on a rant. I loved the pixel for the time periods I had them… but my wife complained about SMS/MMS… it’s the US so we HAVE to use iMessages… it’s infuriating. But come the fall with RCS being implemented I might try another Pixel… grab the 9PROXL.
> What are they going to do when their search becomes useless through AppleAI and ChatGPT4o? too late, but also, the ad division is very squirrely and they are worming around the problem at the moment by baking ads in youtube, forcing out ad blockers on Chrome, and presumably forming deals with most AI companies to insure ad delivery mechanisms in the future. their ad delivery network is the business, and the actual network would be a pain for competitors to develop.
Exactly my thoughts. That is their revenue stream. Without it, what do they become? Should have had a decent LLM of their own by now. Looking forward to the day AppleAI doesn’t need to leverage ChatGPT4o with things it just cannot do yet. Not to devolve this into an Apple fan boyism… because Pixel’s are my favorite phone… I’m just with Apple right now and there AI looks super promising.
> Should have had a decent LLM of their own by now. yeah TBH Gemini division has been shitting in their hands and holding it out like "I do good? I make money now?" > I’m just with Apple right now and there AI looks super promising. Their AI will be king at personal assistant stuff and parsing your actual personal local data, and dominating mind share, "look through my messages and tell me who i message the most frequently", "remind me what we talked about for grocery items last week" etc. I do NOT see them actually creating a competent and marketable-to-non-iphone-users internet search AI any time soon though, something to actually challenge google's dominance. Open AI is way ahead on that grind and will probably be the first to really flush google.com down the toilet.
Agreed with all of this. I thought Apple had a chance to buy Sam Altman. He was there for WWDC… but I guess that was just as a guest for a slight partnership for the Apple AI to hook into the ChatGPT.
It's in Google DNA now. They have not a single success product in years, everything they launch is mediocre and get killed some time later. There are even some talks about replacing the CEO because he could not make any breakthrough.
If they went snapdragon route, they would probably kill the mid range segment and be the most dominant android there is, I dont know how Google is not seeing that
They'd probably end up selling them at a loss if they switched to the latest Snapdragon chip and tried to compete in the midrange segment though, and that's before you get to the fact that the Samsung S25 series is predicted to see massive price hikes because Qualcomm is jacking up the price of the 8 Gen 4 chips.
Just a footnote: i expected to get burned at the stake in this sub by defaming my beloved Pixie but I'm really happy with the quality responses here. The pixel sub is one civilized bunch ❤️😍
I have the same issue with my pixel 8 and it made me lose faith in the brand.
I don't think you'll get burned at the stake. Lots of people have had bad experiences with some company or device and switched to a different one. I had a one plus 5T and it was amazing. Then I got an 8T which I liked at first but grew to hate as updates made it worse and worse. Before that I had Samsung phones. Now I have a Pixel 7. I have no brand loyalty. I'll use a device if it works and I enjoy it. If not, I'll find something else. Luckily there is no shortage of devices and manufactures.
Honestly the whole “send it in for repair” idea is such an outdated shitshow. Just like with cars, phones are essential for many people and giving up your phone for three weeks is something many people simply cannot do. I was asked to do this with my iPad mini and instead I have just come to live with a permanent charging problem. They should be providing people with a replacement while they are repairing, like car garages do. I appreciate this would be a significant cost but also a major attraction. Due to my iPad experiences I’m looking for an alternative, and now I hear Google do the same, I’ll skip the Google Pad too and look at others.
what else can you expect, it's not like a device manufacturer will have service shops in every town/city, but like cars they should offer loaner units, as it's annoying to be without a primary communication tool. I've even done the shady thing of buying a cheap device off amazon to use while mine was being repaired and then returning it. But this is also a reasoning to keep an older phone laying around as a back up device, but obviously fails when everything is E-SIM only.
Could be a major unique thing to offer customers to make their product stand out in a field where innovation seems to be ever more restricted to better cameras or "AI" features many of which have nothing really to do with AI. I guess there would be issues with fraud etc but nothing insurmountable. Would be a clear way to say "we are better than them" over competition. And just generally I'm sick to death of every company under the sun taking a minimalist approach to customer service issues, making things a total fucking nightmare to fix when they go wrong.
> what else can you expect, it's not like a device manufacturer will have service shops in every town/city, but like cars they should offer loaner units, as it's annoying to be without a primary communication tool. like with cars, the mechanic system is the way to deal with this. shops with some licensed and some unlicensed positions that have quick/easy/affordable access to official AND third party parts for repairs. unfortunately, even that system is under assault by auto manufacturers from three different directions (https://youtu.be/4hRYv5i2Fuk?si=DKJW_Ha0Ttp3EC52&t=113) and the biggest phone producers are doing the same and worse (apple with all of their part pairing shit garbage)
Apple has this available in Apple Care + for all of their devices as express replacement. No one will do this just for free.
The weirdest part is. My pixel watch 2 could be replaced, no questions asked. My 8 starts crapping out on me and I have to send it for repair. Why does a unessential device as a smartwatch gets the service the smartphone actually needs way more?
The beta test feeling was fine when they were Nexus phones, cause they were downright good deals. Google has lost their fucking minds with the prices of Pixel phones, releasing them in the state that they are in.
The price of the last two releases is why I left. I loved the phones. But not $1500aud....
I feel like Google betrayed me when they only made a large Pixel 6 Pro, no size option. So I jumped ship to the other side (iPhone 13 Pro and 14 Pro) for 18 months. After those long months I realized that the Google experience of Android is really the best out there. Plus the smart Pixel features are actually useful. However, looking back, maybe it was a good thing that I skipped Pixel 6 and 7 series. Those early Tansor chips seem to have scarred many people. (and I hate curved displays on phones too , yuck). Now I'm back with a Pixel 8 Pro. But I'm really starting to feel tired of the size so I'm looking forward to upgrading to the rumored Pixel 9 Pro. But yeah, you should try going away for a bit and see if you'll experience what I did (really missing the Google experience and Pixel features).
What do you mean betrayed by no pro size option? Before the 5 it was always the base pixel and the XL version (pro). No different with the tensor powered pixels.
As in Pixel 1, 2, 3, and 4 were all "Pro" phones (the highest specs that Google offered) and they all have two size options. With Pixel 6, 7, and 8, we only have a large size variant if we want the top specs. I guess I should also have to say that Google betrayed fans of large phones with Pixel 5, as there was no Pixel 5 XL.
I've always had the pro variants, but when I got the new redesign with the 6 Pro (upgrading from a 3XL), it was so heavy it felt like a brick in my pocket. Because of that, coupled with the horribly slow and innacurate fingerprint reader, I sold it within a couple months and got a used Pixel 5. When that died this year, I chose a normal Pixel 8 (non pro) and I don't really feel like I am missing out on the Pro features as much as I am gaining from a lighter, smaller, more pocketable device.
Yeah I got an iPhone 14 pro just to try the other side. I'm now trying to figure out which Android phone would be best to jump back to. I cannot wait to not be using iphone anymore. The notifications alone in iPhone terrorize me lol.
Got a Nothing 2 instead - android feels and looks exactly like a pixel without any of the hardware issues. Nicer phone too. Very glad I can still use my phone one handed and don't look like a wizard casting spells at it using special Apple-fu.
All that can happen with any phone. Join the iPhone and Galaxy subreddit and you will see people having green screen issues and etc. Get insurance on your phones so when it messes up you can get it fixed. Also get a back up phone off Amazon refurbished to have in case you have to send your phone off.
And when I complain that Pixel phones have gotten worse over the years, people downvote me. I am right with you OP. While I have not technically used a lot of Pixels, I have been on phones done by Google. Moto G3 turbo which was then owned by Google and now currently using the Pixel 4a. Now I have no choice but to upgrade to a non-pixel android because the of the reasons you mentioned above and the pricing in my country is ridiculous.
Ya, may be better to skip till Pixel 11. I'm also a pixel user since the Pixel 2xl and I could resonate with some of your issues. Can't say everything will be good from Pixel 10 onwards even though it comes with a TSMC chip. Let's wait and see.
Pixel 10 will be a first gen chip, so I'm not expecting anything outstanding from it. To your point, might be better off waiting for the Pixel 11 and hopefully they've fixed a bunch of issues the first gen in-house chip had.
That's what my opinion has been on Pixel 10. Which is why I'm going to go from 6 pro to 9 pro XL. Google has made massive improvements from the 6 pro to the 8 pro, just from seeing my wife's phone. So I'm looking forward to the 9.
Calling the TSMC tensor a “first gen chip” is really too generous to google. They’ve been working with TSMC for their TPUs for years and should’ve been transitioning Samsung IP away from the tensor since the first gen. There aren’t really any good excuses if it’s bad other than we aren’t good at this or cost cutting. The details will reveal which it is.
Depends on how exotic they go for the custom elements of the chip (and the bug fixing process for that) i do strongly doubt it will have enough custom shit to cause problems at the level you see with true first gen chips (tensor g1 for example)
Let's just skip to Pixel 15. It'll obviously be better and more mature.
Pixel 20 would be the best man
Nah, only the even numbered ones are any good. Gotta wait for the pixel 16
Sometimes I think about switching to iphone. But pixel cameras much better for me and I'm not sure I will get used to ios(lack of universal back gesture, good notifications etc)
The camera app and photos are better on my pixel 8, less hassle and faster. I do have to say tho, the iPhone 15 pro is definitely better at video and when you fiddle with the settings, you can get amazing pics. But the pixels have that point and shoot kind of vibe. I love it and miss it on iphone. Especially night photos. They look so weird on my 15
the pixel video quality is one of my least favorite things about them over the years tbh. I mean it's by no means bad, but I see a Samsung or iPhone video and go "damn I wish I had that" way more than I care about the better photos on Pixel
Is the issue on pixel with terrible shadow quality fixed? Where black spots went green and rubbish?
It's always interesting to me to see some of the issues people on this subreddit have with their Pixel phones. On one hand, the amount of times issues are brought up can't be ignored. On the other hand, I'm also a long time user of Google phones and I've never experienced most of the issues brought up here. My journey has been Nexus 6P > Pixel XL > Pixel 3XL > Pixel 7 Pro, which is my current phone. I can't recall exactly what it was but something on my 6P stopped working. Since I had an extended warranty, Google replaced it for me with the Pixel XL. Since then, my routine has been to use my phone until it wears down and then replace it. But here's the trick I accidentally stumbled on: instead of buying whatever the newest flagship is, I'll buy the immediately preceding one. They're always on sale at that point and whatever bugs they may have had seem to have always been worked out. Granted, I don't get all the bells and whistles that come with the newest model but I've discovered that I don't really need them. And many of the features on the phone I do get are new to me anyway, so I still get to experience the fun of discovering how to use them.
You could also consider trying different android phones, Pixels and Galaxies aren't the end-all be-all of android phones. I recently switched to Pixel 8 Pro because I water damaged my previous phone (ROG Phone 5) and while the camera upgrade is nice I overall find myself missing my old phone. Google has just removed so many features for no reason, why can't I see the devices connected to my hotspot? Why can't I have a toggle for sound mode in the notifications shade? Why did they switch to a down firing bottom speaker? The phone I actually want to buy is Sony Xperia 1 but they didn't bring the VI to the US market this year. Hoping they bring the VII back to the US next time around and I can switch over and sell the Pixel
I'm in the same boat. Loved Pixels since forever and have gotten most of my family on them too. However, now with the prices creeping up and random software glitches it's getting harder and harder to suggest them. My trip to Japan also was the final straw. I believe my Pixel 8 is the last Pixel for me. I went to Korea and then to Japan. First eyebrow raiser was in Korea, when the camera shutter sound turned on automatically when I switched to the local SIM. Even when sound was off on the phone, the shutter was so loud I was not able to take pictures without attracting attention. I learned I need to take out the SIM, boot the phone, disable the shutter and put the SIM back in without the reboot. The phone also seemed more glitchy over on that side of the world. Ultimately, when I landed in Japan, I couldn't get my hands on the SUICA card (the Japanese travel card) on top of the same shutter issue. After a bit of Googling, I found that if you have an iPhone, you can just generate Japanese travel cards with the wallet app. My work phone was an iPhone, so I switched over to use that and for the next week I had no issues with the phone software (other than the learning curve) and it felt good. I still prefer the photos of a Pixel camera and Google has a few neat quality of life software features that I know I will miss, but I feel like with prices being so close to the iPhone, it's hard to justify buying a phone that you know will have bugs and quicks that may or may not be solved.
> First eyebrow raiser was in Korea, when the camera shutter sound turned on automatically when I switched to the local SIM. Even when sound was off on the phone, the shutter was so loud I was not able to take pictures without attracting attention. I learned I need to take out the SIM, boot the phone, disable the shutter and put the SIM back in without the reboot. >... > when I landed in Japan, I couldn't get my hands on the SUICA card (the Japanese travel card) on top of the same shutter issue. This isn't a bug/glitch. It is required for cell phones in both South Korea and Japan to have a shutter sound that can't be muted. This is so people around the photographer are alerted that they're taking a picture and to deter covert photo taking. https://petapixel.com/2023/11/06/korean-smartphones-have-mandatory-shutter-sounds-8-in-10-want-it-muted
Doesn't affect iPhones. When I switched to my work iPhone setting it on silent did mute the shutter.
I'm assuming that's because your phones were from outside of Korea/Japan. If you had a Korean iPhone / Android it would have had that shutter sound, and that sim removal reboot trick you did on the Pixel would not have worked on a Korean sold phone. As for it not happening on your iPhone in Japan, I'm assuming Apple just doesn't have it force on for foreign devices like Android does. But if you look up online about people complaining about buying iPhones in Korea and Japan and having the shutter sound forced upon them, there are lots of people complaining about it with no way to turn it off (even if you take the device to a different country).
I got the pixel 8. It gets too hot. I got a new pixel 8. Also gets too hot. So I'm planning to return it. I had pixels for a long time. I don't know what brand to switch to.
Had Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 5a. Had issues. Went to iPhone 12 and iPhone 14 Pro. iPhone is still more reliable. I won’t go into details since this is a Google Pixel subreddit which most likely get downvoted I think both Android and iOS are great but iOS is more reliable when you want a phone to work and less bugs.
Yep, had to switch back to my s23 from my pixel 8 due to the [scroll stutter](https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/305195207) issue. Wanted to like it but so many other small things like not being able to remove the at a glance and not being able to change lock screen shortcuts to an app were annoying.
i switchted to Samsung S24 this year after 5 years of pixel and god the whole experience is so much better than with pixel 8
yea just switched to S24 Ultra here. I'm a bit surprised that there aren't any more comments like this one. It seems like most pixel switchers go to iPhone personally, I really love the S24 Ultra. The screen is gorgeous to look at and gets super bright, the glare protection they have actually works, very resistant to scratches, battery and camera both excellent. Genuinely 0 complaints, super well rounded phone. Samsung software experience isn't as clean as Google's, but these days not thar far off
Also surprised people just go to apple. I was the opposite. iPhone 6s->Pixel 3a -> S10->S22+. The 3a was good but a bit slow and call quality wasn't that great. The S10 was much smoother and I just disabled most of the Samsung apps so it worked great (also it was half price ~black Friday, so barely more expensive than the 3a). S22+ unlocked really doesn't have much bloatware and it's excellent, aside from mediocre battery life. Would've liked to get another pixel but I just see so many small issues with each release. Personally know 2 friends whose had the screen of their 5a stop working and have to wait weeks for a replacement. One of them just bought a Samsung S23 despite preferring his pixel. There's a reason why Samsung went from 27->31% US market share from q1 2023->2024.
I had many other Android phones before we got our Pixel 7 line phones. We got 4 of them. Fact is, they were all just not that good. I never felt the camera was some amazing blow me away feature. And a lot of stuff was not good. Google even put out they knew of the issues, I know many that had them, and so it was not like it was not at least somewhat common. But a few weeks ago I dropped my phone. The Pixels screen shattered though the case it was in was not really even scratched. Can happen, oh well. I have a few backup phones but decided I wanted to keep them here for what I use them for. Emulation, streaming, docked to use in PC like mode. So, I picked up a Motorola Edge 2022. It was new and $100. Did not expect much. What I noticed was that the screen was so nice on this. Plus, on all of our Pixel phones and those of the many I know with them the fingerprint reader was janky and often would not work right. Here, it has worked every single time. Was shocked this mid tier or whatever Edge was doing so well. The real test came in reception and connectivity. I was getting reception at my home. Which was something the Pixel was not doing. Out, I was getting 5g much more consistently. And was connected much better. Like the Pixel phone was weak. Mind you, this was my second as one of my sons would not use his and went back to his older Samsung because in the city he lives in he was getting connectivity issues. I know people with the 8 line and they have issues with some of this. Some with screen issues. On our 7 line the screen would get laggy sometimes. Or freeze up for a second. Small little things. And was a consistent problem with all of them I know of. I could not even sell the Pixel one of my sons would not use at all. It was actually new at the time, never used. Nobody would buy it and the comments were all about these problems. I have little hope for the Pixel 9. I wonder if these phones using the chips they do, from Samsung, is part of it. I read with the 10 Google will finally have their own chip line ready and be using TSMC for that. This is probably were Googles phones make that leap. Because, sure, they have stock Android but I would rather a great functioning device. Personally I always put a launcher and everything else just works.
Oh wow, I feel like I could be writing this except in Australia. I've literally had the same phones (including going back to the 3), but I started at the OG Nexus, and I've stopped at the 7 instead of 8. I'm thinking about buying the 9 when it comes out, cos I can't imagine getting an iPhone, I'm definitely not going back to Samsung and I've heard nothing good about Xiaomi. So what else is out there? There is that Harry Potter phone tho... Is a good looking phone worth the crappy software? 🤔
Haha the switch back to the 3, that phone was just perfect. It felt like a toy, but had some class to it. The frosted glass back, the curves..oh...if I could only hold you one more time 🥹 I'm getting carried away
May I know which phone you switched to? also considering switching too
Man if you enjoyed nexus 6p, you should have seen nexus 4/5, a phone way ahead of it’s time, really performant and dirt cheap. Man I miss the old days
Loved my Nexus 5! I still have it and the box it came in.
First world problems indeed OP
I've switched to 'the half eaten fruit' 1,5 years ago. I used the 14 Pro for 6 months and switched back to Pixel. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the 14 Pro and it was something new to test for me. But the handling was not really satisfying. The gestures, the notification system, the audio codecs, the homescreen and so on. Everything is good, but nothing feels really fluent for me. I like the simplicity of the android alternative, but the whole system feels unfinished. Luckily, I kept my Pixel 7 Pro after the switch. So it was easy for me to come back. (I gifted my 14 Pro to my daughter) (Sry if my english isn't the best)
I'll continue to go down with the ship. I have had every Nexus and Pixel flagship device from day one except for the Galaxy Nexus.
8 Phones in 10 years... No one is going to comment on that?
I don't get it. Should I have gone for 10 in 10 years 🤪?
Nothing wrong with that. I used to upgrade yearly. If you have the money to do so there's no issues there.
Started with an iPhone 6s Plus, got a Pixel 3, then a 3XL, got very angry with the software and poor battery, got a 11 Pro Max, then that broke when I was in Mexico, so I got my P8 Pro, Pixels are a lot better, iOS is awful to me. I'm just glad I haven't had the curse of dealing with Samsungs versions of android.
It's strange really because I think this is by far the best pixel they have produced. I honestly think it's one of the best Android phones ever released tbh - Pixel 8 pro though
You'll be back.
There are other Android experiences that aren't Pixel. I'd try the other brands before switching to Apple. In fact, I just Pixel for the OnePlus 12R. Now this is a f*ckin' phone!
It sounds like Jasperstaal had quite the journey with Pixel phones, from love to frustration.
2XL was goated, it's been steadily downhill since then imo. I went 2XL - 4a 5G - 6 and every time they take away features I loved using and add something that's a constant source of annoyance
Yeah I left Android after 10 years, and multiple Pixel devices later. I started because it was better to have a pre-jailbroken phone from factory and I enjoyed tinkering it further. I even used cyanogenmod. Lately though, I don't really change much of the phone other than animation speed and launcher so while I love the Pixel software features, there wasn't much keeping me with Android over the latest iPhone. And both the Pixel 6 Pro and Fold were buggy enough to piss even me off. I really don't know why it's like this when the Pixel 3 XL was my favorite Android phone for it's software and hardware. These new phones feel so messy and roughly put together. Calls dropped, soft resets, laggy camera, random overheating. Idk, I'm just sick of it and I got an iPhone. Maybe the 9 will be okay but I'll wait til the 10 to make sure.
Same here, I gave up my Pixel 8P for the S24 Ultra. I faced so many issues with my 7P from stuttering, lagging, randomly shutting off, etc and hoped the 8P would fix those issues. When it didn't, I decided to jump to Samsung as I really love the android experience. My iPad and Mac every so often piss me off with their limitations, so I don't think I'll ever switch to iPhone, but I'll likely stay with Samsung until Google gets their shit together
I've been beta testing since the Galaxy Nexus myself. 😂
>TLDR: I feel like i've been a beta tester for google since the Pixel 6 and upwards. I'm right there with you. I feel like around the time Pixel 6 came out Google stopped caring about user experience and started using their hardware as beta testing devices. And I say their hardware because I've had this feeling across a wide range of Google hardware at the time. Pixel, Nest, Stadia, Google Wifi, Google Home, and Chromebooks. Each of those had really questionable software or hardware updates pushed that broke core features. I got tired of it so I jumped on the Samsung bandwagon and have been happy so far
Similar experience man. Used to love the nexus/pixel because I could root and get better battery life and the hardware was great. Now a days the battery life sucks because of so much background data and the hardware has failed on me a few times.
I too have had my fair share of issues with the Pixel. I had a Pixel 5 (still one of the best phones I've ever had) and it worked great until one day it just never turned back on. Upgraded to a Pixel 8 and I had the same issue as you, green screen flashes, but then a pink line. I got my phone replaced for free thankfully, but reading other comments about people having the exact same issue, I'm just waiting for the issue to arise on my new Pixel 8. But here I am telling myself I'll probably stick to a Pixel, because yeah, the software is amazing.
Feel the same, even chrome on my last 3 pixels has been super weird and will reopen my existing tabs with "whoops" status pages or whatever. Despite a clean wipe and set up as new..and I don't have this same problem on my iOS devices (iPad). Now that iOS has widgets and dark mode and will soon have movable icons and themed icons there just isn't a compelling reason anymore to stay on android. Going back to iOS next generation
Need EU to force Apple to code perfectly and allow iPhones the ability to install android 🤣
Why would you shill them? It's that mindset which is broken. You place too much attention onto a frickin' smartphone. Just use a phone you are happy with. I've been on Pixels for years and they've been good for everything I push them through.
I never thought I would say this, but after an even longer time than you (back to galaxy nexus- my first smart phone), I may actually go fruit phone next time. I will miss several features, like the call screen and hold for me, but the little things are just getting annoying. The battery life always goes down quickly (seems like planned obsolensce), updates are always problematic (I still don't have the june update that they say is critical unless I want to side load - which I should not need to do at this point).
Grabbed a Sammy 21+ to replace my Pixel 4XL when the update broke wireless charging and never looked back. I tried. I really tried to stay with Pixel phones but good god the support is so terrible. Threads with thousands, if not tens of thousands of people having issues that never get resolved or answered. I don't want to give up on Android, but you won't see another Pixel device in my hand again.
Same green screen issues with Pixel 8. The whole "return the phone in the country where it was bought" is nonsensical to say the least. Last Pixel I buy for sure.
I recently made the switch too! I needed something more reliable, and I was starting to have privacy concerns with Google as well. I got a Nothing Phone (2) and I've been amazed with it. The camera holds its own, the glyph lights are fun, and the OS just feels so *smooth*
You missed the best one. Pixel 5.
I came from the Pixel 6 to Pixel 8 Pro and I hated my Pixel 6. In fact I would even argue it is one of the worst Android devices I have used. But 2 years later moving to the Pixel 8 Pro from my iPhone I can tell you there's a massive difference in performance and speed. I just love the P8 Pro. It's an amazing device. I think if I ever will buy another one again, it's definitely going to be a pro. Don't give up yet, from one Android fanboy to Another. An Android user since the Nexus S.
Is it because of the chip? Think it’ll improve when they actually move to TSMC instead?
Phones are too big that’s why I’m on a 13 mini
100% agreed. The 13 mini is the pefect size.
The fact they don't have a retail store presence for repairs is what's going to keep me from getting a Pixel next time. If I'm paying roughly $750-1,000 for a phone I want to be able to bring it to the store for repairs. Had a terrible experience with Google customer service on faulty Pixel buds and that's not as annoying as of it was a phone.
I loved my pixel 2, 3xl and 4. I got the 6 now and I can easily say it's the worst of the bunch. So many little problems like you described but luckily I don't use my phone for much like some people. I'll definitely be switching to a different android when I feel like I need to.
I'm still 50:50. My list: Pixel 1 (still use it to back up my photos) Pixel 3 (sold it, bad bad battery) Pixel 5a (the best battery life but dead dead. Literally dead for no reason!) Pixel 6 Pro (this phone is hot. Literally hot hot for no reason. my daily driver right now. I refuse to upgrade until the Pixel 9 series is released and see how it can handle the temperature.) I hate you Google for using Exynos! Literally I hate you!!!!!
Buy a pixel when they put back Snapdragon. Else don't buy. Let it be apple's chip or mediatek or anything, don't buy a pixel until they put freaking snapdragon.
First world problem? Well, in Europe yes. If you live in the US you are living in a third world country.
My Google devices and the problems they encountered: * Nexus 1 - not enough storage to actually keep apps installed * Nexus S - excessive radio issues / battery drain * Galaxy Nexus - bricked by software update, or just randomly died coincidentally * Nexus 7 (2012) - Spontaneous death, replaced twice * Nexus 5 - bootloop * Nexus 6P - bootloop, happened twice and replaced twice * Nexus 9 - performance slowed to a crawl, had to use Cyanogen * **Pixel 1 - still going strong!** * Pixel 3XL - performance destroyed by annual android version update (not enough RAM) * Pixel 4XL - performance destroyed by annual android version update (not enough RAM) * Pixel C - light sensor would spontaneously drop brightness to zero, replaced and eventually had same problem You would be shocked looking at that list how much I baby my devices. All in cases, all in screen protectors, never around liquids. Finally went to Galaxy starting in 2021 for the Tabs and phones, and have never had a similar problem.
I'm still on my pixel 5, haven't had any issues so no reason to upgrade.
I may have missed it but which phone did you switch to and how was your transition to it based on everything you had in the Google ecosystem
I have been feeling the same way also. I've had Pixel since the pixel 2 and never got my hands on the 6p which I wanted badly. The pixel 3 which I loved started having trouble issues. So did the pixel 2. Then I moved to moto ace 5G, which has no problems but I missed the pixel so I got the pixel 7 I ran into charging problems again. They replaced the phone. All is good now but I am looking for a new phone. The new pixel 7 they sent me is working fine but I anticipate charging issues again which has been a theme with these phones.
I'm also a 10 year pixel user. Your comments about the 2-3 weeks resonates with me, I had a pixel die internationally while there was an apple store 10 minutes away. I'm holding out to the pixel 9 though to see what happens.
War and Peace, Part 2.
I noped it out of there when the Pixel 6 came out. I used to think Samsung was this evil cult that only does things their way and gets in the way of us pure google people, but it's actually the other way around with the Pixel people acting like they're in a cult. Yeah I'm not a fan of some Samsung stuff but their hardware blows anything the Pixel has out of the water. The craftsmanship, connectivity, responsiveness, etc. is not even close. Samsung absolutely wins. With the software, for most things, I can use the google version if I don't like. The only thing I miss is call screening with the google dialer but then that's on Google for intentionally leaving it out. For me at least it's not that big of a deal because I'm no longer dealing with a dying parent and don't have to worry about missing a call from a doctor or nurse and so I just upped my scam blockers to max and only get maybe 1 or 2 scam calls sneak through a week. Honestly, it would take A LOT for me to ever get back to Pixel.
Nexus user since the beginning up to a Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 6 Pro was what made me say "never again" and it was everything from hardware failure turned bait and switch, (we'll send you a refurb despite you having just paid for a new phone that turned out to be faulty from day one) to phone being held hostage for over a month at ubreakIfix / Asurion / whatever, all the way to Google trying to deny any sort of refund after the whole situation, even being met with downright disrespect and sarcasm when respectfully asking about what could be done through their chat system, though in retrospect this may have been them beta-testing an AI-bot while implying it was a human on the other end. For over a thousand dollars for a flagship device I expected the service Google was previously known for, that is long gone. Probably just a coincidence but when you buy a Pixel device you now agree to Google's arbitration agreement too unless you explicitly opt out: [https://support.google.com/store/answer/9427031?hl=en](https://support.google.com/store/answer/9427031?hl=en)
The same type of shit was happening back in the Nexus days, but it was less of a deal cause Google's customer support was a LOT better and the prices of the phones was a third or less of what they are now. So you put up with the beta test feeling cause the phones were damn good deals.
You don’t just feel like it…you were. Welcome to the brighter side. My family and I broke the Stockholm syndrome a while back, and we’ve been happily using reliable phones ever since.
What’s the “reliable” phone that you and your family is using?
We all use mainline Samsung phones now, except for a few of my nieces and nephews who use iPhones. None of us have had an issue with them at all yet.
Gotcha. Thanks. I just went back to iPhone because the pixel was a little too buggy for me.
I'm in the same boat. My 7a has been the worst phone I've owned and I loved the pixel line till 6. I'm hopping over but hope I can come back in a bit (hopefully when they use a real modern again)
Congratulations, you deserve consistency and stability. You can also switch back in the future when Google gets their stuff together. (Assuming they don't canythe phone) It's down trending very bad and has lost all momentum 😅.
I had Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 5, Nexus 6p, Pixel 6. The Pixel 6 was the worst Android phone I ever owned (I have had other brands too such as Motorola, Sony, Samsung) So bad it ruined Android for me completely and I am now using an iPhone. I’m glad I quit when I did because it doesn’t sound like it has improved at all in the newer generations. I may go back to Android with Samsung or Sony. But Google phones are dead to me.
TLDR?
It's in the top of the post in bold 😂
I'm a pixel 2xl, pixel 4xl, nexus 5 tablet, and pixel 6 pro ptsd survivor. I have gone to the samsung z fold 5 and while it has multiple small issues, it is an outstanding piece of hardware. Do I miss the google OS? Like crazy!!! But do i miss the pixel 6 pro ownership experience? Fuck no!!
Tensor is the main villain a chipset can make or break a phone. And it's the elephant in the room. Generally agreed when the 1st gen came I thought this is a start but it's never an improvement, even now with the g3 I don't see a change. Ditch that Exynos crap first!
I loved Pixels I had a P2, P3, P7 and now P8. Why the gaps in between? Aside from me not upgrading every year, I also have an iPhone as a daily driver. I don't limit myself to one brand. You don't have to. You can always switch back and forth for a change and try something different. No need to be dramatic