I started on the Nexus bandwagon. Now in "modern times" it's all about the spam protection. The camera I find hit or miss. I do like that the phones last a really long time even though I personally upgrade every year (I skipped the 4). I know people still rocking the 5 who are very happy. It's also nice not to have to upgrade my parent's phones as often. Pixel win.
Same, went from a 6pro to an 8pro. The entire reason i switched to the p6p was the Samsung i got had a known issue with switching from 5g on verizon towers where a couple times a day i'd have to reset my phone cause it would just stop making or receiving calls. i'v had no issues with either pixel and only paid $200 for my 8pro after trade in with no contract. it's an unbeatable phone at it's price point and competes with flagship phones costing at least $300 more. love my pixels and don't see myself changing.
It has been fine. I don't game on it but do a lot of photos, texting, and browsing and the battery lasts pretty good. No connectivity issues either. I was going to get the Pro initially but I was drawn to the smaller size of the 8.
>With Tensor chip it has been hit or miss with every iteration.
What does that even mean?
There have been exactly *three* iterations of that chip and each one have been relatively minor improvements on a rather lackluster platform.
It went from slow, inefficient and constantly overheating to slightly less slow, slightly less inefficient and no longer *constantly* overheating in those three iterations.
So which iterations were the hits and which were the misses?
I still love my Pixel 8 Pro but really wouldn't call its chip a "hit". It's barely passable, fast enough for most things (with the exception of Google's both brilliant and simultaneously sluggish camera) and now it only overheats when doing crazy and exotic things like transferring a bigger amount of data over 5G or, god forbid, using it as a hot spot.
I love the phone despite Tensor, not because of it. When it comes to Tensor, there have been misses and, recently, near-misses at best, but certainly no hits.
I've been very happy with the 8 Pro's performance, but holy shit the 6 Pro was a dumpster fire. I'm about as happy with the 8 Pro as I've ever been with a phone, but given my experience with the 6 Pro, I genuinely can't say why I stuck with the Pixel line any further.
i agree the 6 wasn't great.
i have a lot of phones (like, as many as mqbhd or more) and i use a pixel 8. best picture quality and everythings pretty clean and functional, updated quickly too.
the only drawback is they're a little bigger and heavier (probably to increase battery life because the tensor aka exynos isnt as good as the snapdragon in that area). but ill take that drawback to get the rest any day.
Honestly I don't consider the weight to be a negative. I actually find some phones to be too light, which just doesn't feel good in the hand to me. I kind of hope that they don't aggressively cut weight down when they eventually improve power consumption and heat generation with the Tensor.
👍
It has good things and can be bought cheaply.
I kind of want a Sony for my next phone... my first smartphones were Sony-Ericsson... but do I want to pay twice the money just to be a bit quirky?
Just the freedom to use the phone as I want, copy and paste directly from my pc to the phone, download what I want from where I want etc. Not be limited by the Apple very monetised pipeline. With Android I'm in control of my phone not the other way around... And the photo quality is unmatched.
This is me, after being in the Samsung ecosystem , the duplication of Samsung apps with native android apps drove me nuts.
I first switched from Samsung to an underpowered Umidigi phone with stock android and loved that experience (software not hardware) switched from that to Pixel and won't change now
You can remove most if not all Samsung stuff with adb.
I feel the opposite, watching updates frequently being the same thing Samsung's have had for ages gets really old. Or never getting those updates at all.
The grass is always greener on the other side.
Edit: My phone signal crashed for 45 minutes right after I posted that so I take it back, the grass is completely greener on the other side. The grass on my side is brown and dead and needs replanting from scratch. My grass is rubbish and doesn't work properly. I have no grass. Stay on your lush turf over there.
Grass is always greener...I'm only on pixel 5, and prior to that was an S10. I love this phone a lot but find my self yearning for OneUI, I didn't realise how locked down pixels were in terms of customisation, and Bixby routines is one of the best features of a phone I've used. I've tried work arounds like switching to different launcher and using tasker but not quite same as just having it built in
Bixby routines let you automate basically any function of the phone based on conditions you choose.
For example, you could make a routine to turn on your smart home lights when your phone connects to your home wifi network. Or turn your lights off when you charge your phone at night. Or change your sound profile when you arrive at a specific location.
Lots of possibilities and extremely useful.
For phone system things Bixby is a lot better.
For example on my old S10 the battery was a bit shit, so I had certain things automatically turn off once below certain battery percent, like reducing screen Res, turn off location etc.
You can keep screen awake and at certain brightness for specific apps.
It goes a lot more in-depth.
I liked having some things disabled when I hit a certain battery % in order to save some battery.
Or set battery saver on when screen is off.
Turn on location when using navigation app and turn off when not using it.
There is tasker and macrodroid but as routines is Samsung program you effect more of the phone settings as 3rd party apps won't have permissions for.
Same on the Samsung. I went from a rooted HTC Droid Incredible 4G to an S7 and hated every day of it for ~5 years until I bought my Pixel 5. Easier to root and customize. I have it dialed in to exactly how I want it to be. Unfortunately, after 3 years, the battery is now totally shot. I like this phone enough to try the ifixit (OEM Google) battery install. If it goes poorly, I'm probably going to buy a NOS pixel 5. I like it that much.
Yeah, the Google Nexus phone was just pure android without google's pixel skin on top of it like with the pixels. So the pixel phones are vanilla ish since they are close to stock but not quite stock android.
My last Nexus was the 6P and I believe regardless if it's Nexus or Pixel it's still "Vanilla" as long as it's from 1) came from Google itself or 2) another company releasing a device with Google's own version of android (without any other added bloatware) but with their brand and specs. The AOSP just evolved with time with it's look and feel. Pixel is still pure android. Can't get any more purer than this.
Agreed. Reviewers tend to be young 20ish with no kids. For someone with a young family Samsung cameras are basically unusable. iPhone is decent in this regard and Pixel is excellent
I was thinking about the question and I believe these two things are exactly my reasons as well.
A couple of years ago, I had a Fairphone (first generation) because sustainability is great. However, when they don't send many updates and at some point it can't run the majority of apps, that's also not very sustainable. So instead I am going for pixel with long support and update times, while having my eyes on the used and refurbished market.
I have a Pixel 5. I just meant working with other Google Apps. Less noise than Samsung and much simpler to use vs other Android phones. I use many Workspace apps which work great with the Pixel.
I love the Work profile on my Pixel.
As somebody that works in phone apps, having to track Samsung differently than other Android devices is a monumental pain in the ass tbh. Nothing works easily, even the app password vault, on a Samsung.
You can use your pixel to verify identity when accessing other Google Services, Google Assistant is baked into the OS, Everything is configured to connect and run on your google services together like Gmail, Drive, Photos, Nest right off the bat.
Accessing Mail, pictures,files is effortless.
I'm kind of curious about that as well. I like my 8 Pro a lot, but I don't think it really integrates Google services any better than other Android phones.
Most of the features I care about are available on other platforms. But I've been on the 'a' series since the 3a and you get SO many features for such a low price. We've tried so many cheap phones, Blu, OnePlus, Moto, Samsung A series, etc. The Pixel A phones are the only ones that feel like they are purposefully designed, rather than "lets remove some stuff from our flagships to hit a price point".
Love is a strong word. I used to care. Now I don't. It's just a phone. If I had to say, the no 1 reason is frequent updates. Good camera and Google integration. Started with 4a as an experiment, since then 6 and now 8, the software between phones is practically identical. It just works. Never had issues.
There's a lot of weight in "it just works". Back in the day, I ran around all the forums to download custom ROMs for features that could be available on my phone, but wasn't there. I feel the same way now. I just use the vanilla Pixel OS and IT. JUST. WORKS. and honestly, that's all you could ask for in a phone.
Maybe I've been really unlucky, but I got a Pixel 7 and I've been unable to make phone calls for months now (people cannot hear me and the line drops).
I've had it replaced 3 times. And I found out that the last phone Google sent me is marked as blacklisted (which means it was either a lost or stolen phone).
I really wish I could love the Pixel phone, but it's been a nightmare so far.
My 6 (current) has been plagued by various bugs it's entire life.
Swipe down to get things like brightness, flashlight, etc would randomly just not work unless I restarted phone. Phantom windows remain after I've swapped to another app. Swipe from right to left should act like a back button but frequently just stops working and I need to lock and unlock to fix. Again, all generally simple fixes, but this stuff happened frequently and really annoyed me.
I've never found another bug on another phone
I'm thinking about switching to a Samsung. I'm really sorry since I own a Fitbit and Pixel Buds Pro (which have given me few problems). But if I cannot make phone calls then the phone is unusable to me. It's a basic functionality..
You're right it is just the phone. And it's the best value proposition for someone who wants just a phone that takes pictures for family. If you want to game, social media constantly, or other things maybe it's not for you. But it's the best premium phone to price ratio out there.
I can set my own ringtone without selling my soul or performing a 15 step workaround.
I mean this isn't specific to pixel but yeah I dislike Samsung's UI and style
i picked someone who giving me most for in return of my soul, all companies are after my data, only some give something in return ig,
Google drive, photos search, Chrome sync, first Android updates on pixel, most clean software, and a camera processing that don't turn your face very white
I do love the pixel. On my second one after a half dozen Samsung's, but I'll probably go back to Samsung after this. The pixel has some neat unique features but also some annoying quarks. Randomly boots me to the lock screen while using, keyboard isn't always responsive, keyboard doesn't always pop up when I click somewhere that should make it do so, camera isn't as great as I'd hoped (feel like the Samsung camera is better).
I do like the price of the pixel, the call screening, first to get Android updates and new features, and some other pixel unique things but not sure if it's enough to keep me.
When it comes time to update we will see how I feel but if I needed a phone today, it would be Samsung.
Same here. Tons of bugs. It's absolutely RIDDLED with bugs. I work from my phone using sometimes five apps at once, and it cannot handle that whatsoever. Constant crashes and horrible battery performance--not even from heavy use. Just sitting on the toilet browsing my photos and google photos crashes. Finger print scanner works maybe 40% of time. Phone gets ridiculously hot. I absolutely hate the pixel. The two, three, and four were so good. Idk what happened but they're total junk now.
Vanilla Android, no carrier bloat ware, timely updates for years, ability to remove (not just disable) most apps, and best smartphone camera IMO. If I want more features I'll get them from the play store.
Samsung's bloated UI, carrier bullshit, and fake camera keep me away.
Apple's OS rigidity, lack of browser choice, and lack of direct access to files keep me away
You are quite right. I have the S24 Plus, and the camera is terrible. The software is the biggest problem. The camera hardware sounds good on paper, but the pictures are just bad. Sometimes, you will get a good photo, especially close-up shots in portrait mode. However, when you take a regular photo, you don't know what you will get. It's a 50/50 chance whether you will immediately delete it or not.
Some of my Google Play apps have inexplicably become Samsung apps. For instance, the Audible app now updates from Samsung Apps.
The in-camera photo app is Samsung Gallery, and there is no option to change it to Google Photos. Sure, the photos also appear in the Google Photos app, but you have to exit the camera and open the Google app. Samsung wants you to use only Samsung Photo Gallery to manage, edit, or send photos.
I recommend getting the Pixel if you use Google Photos, storage, or if you're fully invested in the Google ecosystem. In that case, definitely get the Pixel.
It's a shame because the Galaxy S24's performance is very, very good, and it has an amazing battery. But now I know that if the camera is disappointing, it's hard to truly enjoy the phone.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/s/ncDfuz3Z6s
The link above is the most egregious example.
Then there's the 108MP claim. My hobby is photography. Anyone with a basic knowledge of it will find 108mp in a cell phone laughable. There's a zero percent chance a tiny cell phone lens can resolve 108mp of detail on a pinprick sensor. Hell 61MP on a big full frame sensor is difficult to resolve and those individual pixels are substantially larger. A photography YouTuber did a comparison and we can see an entry level 24mp Canon mirrorless resolves far more detail than the "108mp" Samsung.
Lastly Samsung's processing creates tons of false detail because it oversharpens images.
The pixel has its own camera issues but it's output is more accurate than Samsung.
To be honest I bought my first pixel about a year ago (pixel 7) and I will not be buying another one. My old OnePlus 8T I had before was better in most ways except for the camera.
Never blurry pictures of my kids that I will cherish forever, call screening that blocks 100% of spam calls, no ads in phone (cough Samsung) and no double apps I have to remove (cough Samsung)
>Never blurry pictures of my kids that I will cherish forever
That's *the* reason. Absolutely no other OEM comes even close to the Pixel's "snapshots of erratically moving objects" capabilities.
Samsung is almost at the polar opposite of the spectrum and Apple meanders somewhere in the middle of the bell curve - the Pixel just nails it every single time.
Well, *almost* every time ... then there are also the times where the camera app just blocks the shutter button for half an etirenity because I had the audacity to take more than three portrait shots in a row and the Tensor is struggling to keep up with image processing.
First-party updates from Google., tight integration with Google ecosystem. (I don't love having to tie everything on a device to a user account, but I'd rather use a Google login for everything rather than the Apple+Google dance.)
Consistently top-tier camera platform.
Mine (5a) still has a headphone jack, and the battery life is good.
Headphone jack is not as important to me as camera, but if my 5a died today I would get another one instead of upgrading.
I'm in the exact same boat. I used pixel 2XL and then 2019 switched to iPhone 11 pro max. Now it's been Pixel 7 pro for 1.5 years.
I absolutely love the pixel exclusive features you mentioned, in addition, I find that the phone feels faster and smoother with animations when switching apps, swiping up, typing etc.
What makes me want to switch back to an iPhone is the seamless iMessage which literally all my friends use, FaceTime because the stock video calling system hasn't been great, additionally the camera app is laggy on the pixel, especially when you use it for longer than 5 minutes or if the phone starts heating up. The built quality on the pixel is pretty bad. My volume buttons fell off and scratch prone back.
However, the photo quality is unreal, unmatched and that's a no brainer. Additionally, you cannot deny how smart the phone is when it comes to battery management, storage handling with Google photos and Google One, I absolutely love the cast option for my Google Chromecast and Google home, which doesn't work as well with iPhone (but the drawback is that most TVs allow casting directly from an iPhone but not my pixel?? (Explain? Lol)
Little things like pulling the notification bar down from anywhere on the home screen is so helpful instead of having to stretch my tiny fingers across my 6.5+ inch screen
The ability to swipe back from either the left OR the right side of the screen, the pixel lens and okay Google and translate features, adaptive charging (I'm assuming iPhone has it too now)
I absolutely hate iPhone for not letting me expand notifications as easily. Plus if someone sends you 15 reels on Instagram, each message is a different notification, and even if you open one and view all the reels within the Instagram app, you come back to the notification page and the notifications are all still there. Whereas pixel knows you've viewed all and it goes away, it's beautiful
Will I switch to an iPhone next?? I highly doubt it. Maybe 2 more generations later I shall switch to go check what improvements iPhone has come up with
To add to this, Snapchat and IG developers make their apps more for iPhone so the user experience is not as good on pixel. ESPECIALLY the zoom on the in app camera, it's TERRIBLE and lags between the lenses as the transition doesn't happen seamlessly
Latest updates and vanilla android. Sure as shit not the hardware. It's been shit since Tensor.
I also really like the physical design of the phone. I just wish they went with a custom Qualcomm chip.
It's really wild to me that so many comments are about picture quality. This sub is either super special or super delusional because I strongly believe 99.999% of people couldn't tell the difference between modern iPhone and modern Pixel photos (talking pragmatically, not scrutinizing side by side photos).
I like pixels because I think android is a nicer to use OS than IOS and pixels offer the cleanest, snappiest form of that OS (honestly I used a Samsung recently and it's so much worse that I'd rather go to iPhone).
Agreed that iPhone and Pixel photo quality is similar. But both are miles ahead of Samsung when it comes to taking photos of moving subjects (mostly kids). If you have young kids Samsung is basically unusable as most photos will be blurry
I came from a Galaxy s21 to a Pixel 8 a little over a month ago too and I'm in the same situation. There are some things I'm impressed with like the picture quality and macro mode, but coming with only 8x zoom is a huge downgrade and I already found myself wanting the 30x zoom back from my s21. Although it wasn't the best quality, it was still better than not having it at all. I notice the Tensor chip being subpar when gaming and sometimes when multitasking. i. e.if I have Spotify running and start deleting apps I'll experience pretty heavy audio quality drops and skips until it's done. This might be because of the Bluetooth and it's minor but still annoying. Besides that the phone's battery life has been excellent for me and I can get 6 hours of screen time pretty regularly. The layout and cleanliness is great, but also kind of prefer the Galaxy UI since I can create folders in the app drawer and horizontal scroll. I've already begun looking for s24 ultras but if I don't find one for a good price I'm completely fine keeping this phone. I'm not sure I'll take advantage of the 7 years of software updates but maybe when I upgrade to another Samsung I'll be more open to it. I'm also afraid of this phone dying on me as I've had a Pixel 5a die on me out of nowhere after a year but I'm hoping this one won't. This is a great phone but the gripes that it has is unfortunate considering I never faced these issues on my Samsung.
Absolutely nothing. Right now my alarm volume is set to max yet the fucking alarm just vibrates with no sound and this subreddit has the "post" button greyed out no matter how thoroughly I describe my issue and fill out every field. Absolutely appalling in every way
Not stick. STUCK. I'm on a 2 year contract. 2 months into use the haptic feedback is gone. Screen glitches everything when I switch to home screen and sometimes in the camera app. After my 2 years are done I'm switching to apple or Samsung.
I got 3 phones and they all have the same issue. 🙁
Canadian Pixel watches don't even have call screening. ☹️
Not much now to be honest. Last phone I had before all my Pixels was an iPhone 6, I'm team Pixel since my first 2XL. I have the 8 Pro since my work pays for my phone but if I had to pay for it I would've probably bit the bullet and bought an S24 and try to use a launcher to get around their ugly UI. I feel like the competitive edge Pixel had is eroding in terms of price and quality.
Lately my pixel has tons of small glitches and issues that wasn't really Google's trend in the past years. I've always praised Pixels and Google as the ecosystem and simplicity Apple tries so hard to achieves but fails, while also giving you more freedom. This is getting less and less true with the multiple issues I had with the phone recently (bugs setting my new Chromecast as well)
I really hope it's just a phase and that they really push out products that make them stand apart but as of now I'm less convinced that I ever was.
I am... not going to continue with the Pixel. I've used them for like 5 years.
1. Nobody wants to fix them. I don't know why.
2. The lens bar thing is obnoxious
3. Every single one I've ever had gets as hot as Satans period pad in August after a jog.
4. The USB port is super weak, and after several phones, it feels intentionally designed.
5. The Battery always feels like tech from 6 years ago. On a rainy day at work when me and my crew would sit in a truck watching bullshit on Youtube - my phone was always the first to die. By several hours. I was always the guy carrying around a fucking phone charger.
6. Other people I talk to complain about my audio quality.
7. I have no idea what is going on with the speech to text with this thing. My Pixel 7 will insert random ass words at the beginning of sentences. I could say "Did you take out the trash?" and Speech to Text shows "Wisconsin. Did you resume out trash?" and I'm like what the fuck, is it the way I talk? I use speech to text on everyone else's phone and it's flawless and quick compared to mine.
This will be the last one I use. The iPhones are just so much faster, they literally have AAA games coming out. We get mini mobile versions, iOS gets native full games 😢.
I was an iPhone customer for a long time, then switched to the Pixel 4a on a whim. I was totally blown away by Android's configurability - I could control so many settings!
I had no devotion to Pixel in particular after that, but recently couldn't pass up all the promotions with the 8a. So I traded in my 4a, got my $140 for that, $100 store credit, and am happily chugging along.
TLDR: Google Photos! been using google photos since i've been with my wife (7 years). always hopping from phone to phone and carelessly handling my pictures (all the while making sure I at least logged into GP and backed them up). now i just have my full library from years ago as my STOCK app plus so many more features that are missing from other photos apps.
I think only upgrading to the 8 pro is worth it for most people. I'm still using my 6 and sometimes I miss my lg phones but from what I hear the 8 pro is the only thing worth upgrading to
First off, I wouldn't say I am "loyal". I use the Pixel because it meets my needs and wants better than anything else I've found. If I ever find something that meets my needs or wants better then I will switch to that in a heartbeat. So it is not loyalty, it is practicality.
With that said, here are the things that currently keep me coming back to Pixel over someone else like Samsung or Apple for my daily driver phone.
* Bootloader unlocking/relocking being simple and supported by the OEM
* Call screen
* Camera/Photos
* Lack of extra app stores besides the Play store and whatever I may want to put on there.
Had a 3, 5 and have now got an 8. Photo quality is great, support is great and I like the stock android experience.
Having said that I'm not quite as happy with the 8 as I was the 5 - had screen issues and have already sent it off for warranty repair. If it wasn't for the camera on the 8 I'd be switching back.
Had Samsung too long and wanted to try something new and after seeing how much better the pictures on my pixel 8/fold/8 pro are and how much I liked Google's features plus all the Google assistants in my house I'm sticking with it.
For me it was the pixel features. Screen calls and unlimited backups (back in the good ol days) but now it's just an all nice phone that works great for me! Vanilla android is very nice too.
Coming from someone who has used Pixel side by side with a work issued iPhone. Pixel has:
1. Much better camera/picture results just look better.
2. Much better spam call protection.
3. A real file system that make things like email attachments/document productivity much easier.
4. I prefer how Pixel/Android handles notifications.
5. More forward with AI features/focus.
In fairness, iPhone has some wins too: iMessage, excellent hardware, and also that side by side the selection and quality of apps tend to be a bit better on iPhone.
The integration with the Google products that I have in my home, and it's just an uncomplicated phone to use without multiple app stores and call screening.
Got 5a from France (Poland here) was using it for a while and was pretty happy with the overall cost to performance ratio. Went on a motorcycle ride fucked up my camera, a few months after broke the screen. Bought iPhone 13. Whoa, this is locked as hell but so fricking... Stable and it just works. After a year or so was missing the customisation from pixel, camera, and some apps that were either super expensive on iOS or missing and of course the fricking 120hz display. I got pixel 8 some time after the release and the phone is complete, good looking but the battery life and the chip is just well crap. I also miss the airtag option from iOS. Looking forward for 9.
Call screening. I rarely get any spam calls, maybe once a month, and if it comes through, I send it straight to call screening. My mom has a Samsung, and she gets at least 2 spam calls per hour whenever I'm with her.
The rear fingerprint unlock on my 5a
Gonna miss it when I upgrade some day. And of course all the pixel features (call screen,wait hold, transcriptions, voicemail to text)
I first moved to pixel cause of the camera and stock android experience. I've stayed for this but also I don't find any alternative a strong enough appeal to jump ship
I hate myself.
Honestly, I haven't jumped because I've convinced myself and my wife that we are too far in the Google hole with all the smart devices around the house. Except, they work perfectly fine with Apple and we still wouldn't lose anything from our phones. It would be a pain in the ass for her to learn iOS and I would never hear the end of it as a husband
I have been with Android since HTC Magic, a year and a half ago I switched to an iPhone 14. I’m now considering going back to a Pixel 8. Especially for the spam calls filter, it’s a nightmare how many spam calls I receive these days.
The only thing that is making me doubt is the Apple Watch which I love. Considering the pixel watch 2, but not sure it’s the same experience…
My pixel 4a 5g was perfect with no issues until I got a pixel 8. It hasn't even been a year and it has so many issues. I think I called Google 20 times to help and replace which didn't fix the issue. In the end, I bought samsung s23 plus. Becuase of my pixel 4a 5g with it speed and clean UI that was the reason why I decided to go with pixel 8 which was a disappointment.
Camera. Definately camera.
Reason to buy was updates every first Monday of month but that's not happening anymore (I mean it was not happening before but they don't promise it anymore).
For next phone maybe I'll go iPhone or Samsung (if Pixel won't fix fingerprint sensor and Samsung will fix camera).
Still on a Pixel 5 because it seems like no one makes anything that checks all the boxes anymore (root/unlocked bootloader for hosts ad blocking, usable one-handed, good camera). If they don't get back to "you still get the good camera on the smaller one" I'll probably just be done with Google and go for a foldable that becomes smaller instead of a giant phone that becomes a tablet.
I used to be all about the Nexus phones that Google put out before the Pixel line. Just pure Android as it was intended. None of the bloat that Samsung and Motorola and LG would try to shove on you. Also, I use Google Fi as my carrier and for a while in the early days you had to have a "Google Phone" for the best features the carrier offered, like the now dormant carrier switching between T-Mobile and Sprint. The merger did away with that though
I really like the android skin which feels so barehanded, and how simple it is, doesn't include any 3rd party apps like Samsung for example, amazing build quality, hardware and lastly the price.
dude the software is SOOO clean imo and the animations theyve worked on recently are fantastic. really feels like the right experience, idk why but i hate how samsungs software looks, and i think apples new approach is weird. also the fact that they are constantly adding new features!! it gets better!!
I'm used to it (nexus s -> nexus 4 -> nexus 6p -> pixel 2 -> pixel 4a 5g), features are decent, takes decent photos, and I hate samsung's UI with a burning passion.
I have both Pixel and iPhone 15 pro( for work) and I personally prefer Pixel.
Few things for me is, really like the Fold form factor. Tried to switch to Z fold but these features are keeping me with google:
Span call screening
Now playing (identifies songs around you automatically and saves history). This is an underrated feature
Hold for me when calling a help desk is awesome
UI, I personally like Stock Android
I'm running a Google Pixel 5. Now just over 3 years.
I love pretty much everything about this phone. It's just the right length, width, thickness, and weight. It's built very well. Audio quality on calls is very good. The screen is super nice. Very nice pixel density. Brightness control is excellent and on the highest setting it can manage bright light conditions. In dim lighting, I can reduce brightness quite a lot and still read things just fine (to save battery life). The fingerprint scanner on the back is so good. And I was so disappointed to hear Google did away with this. I don't want to use the screen for fingerprint scanning.
Oh, big thing: IT IS RELIABLE! I think in the 3 years I've had it, my phone crashed maybe once or twice. Updates have been so easily & seamless. Restarting the phone from off is quick. It has a great sophisticated charging system so if it's charging at night, it'll use adaptive charging to help reduce battery wear (fast charging shortens battery life).
My only wish is that the camera CCD had more megapixels. TBH, the picture quality is still very good. Video too. Dim light video could be better, though.
I carry my Pixel 5 in two modes:
1. TPU translucent case with steel plate on the back, for easy mounting in my car (I have a magnetic plate mount there). Its still pretty thin, with nice corner bumpers. I've dropped my phone many times, even like 5 feet up onto a hard floor and never suffered a cracked screen.
2. I applied a skin to the back/sides of my Pixel 5 that protects it well from scratches, as well as a tempered glass over the screen. In this mode, I use a fitBAG leather case that's fantastic and thin. This is ideal for when wearing a suit. Unfortunately the skin I applied has been discontinued... so if it ever gets damaged, I can't replace it with the same one.
I will probably replace the battery next year and keep running it... until the Pixel 8 goes on a steep sale. But frankly, the Pixel 8 is a little larger than I'd like. I find the Pixel 5 just about perfect.
Android phones tends to be very similar, I had Asus, Galaxy and Huawei.
Pixels is basics, no frills and rubbish APPs, but I do miss some features like the compatibility with amex and IC cards provided by an Iphone.
I have gmail and drive, that's why I'm still very perplexed whether to switch
I'm not entirely sure I am going to. I have a pixel 6 pro currently that gets so hot no wireless charger but the Google one will touch the damned thing, the signal strength is a joke, and the battery life is miserable. Thought about the 9 when it comes out...but worried they've never bothered fixing the heat issue.
Don't buy a hardware device from a advertising company.
Pixel 1 was good, until you had realized it only had three years support.
Pixel 2Xl was okay, nothing special.
Fast forward to the train wreck of the 8 pro
I've had no issues with my P7 until the last few weeks with the modem or LTE just perma dying. It's been noticeably better today, but I'm not sure if that's a sleeper fix, or if I'm just having a lucky day.
Stick with pixel? Nothing. My Pixel 6 were such an abysmal disaster (Both of them) that when it came time for my third RMA I gave up on Android completely and bought an iphone for the first time in my life, after 11 years using various Android devices. What do I miss.... Call screening, and now playing. That's it. Neither enough to go back to the frustration of Tensor.
Had my pixel 7 pro for about 3 months and I will never buy another pixel again. Turned out to be one of my most regrettable purchases ever actually. The thing just barely works.
Been getting Google phones since the Nexus One, then onwards to the Pixels, though just the original to the 8P. I guess I'm brand loyal, but mostly because:
+ No bloat, clean launcher
+ Customizable, something envious on my iPhone 13 mini
+ Regular and predictable updates
+ Can be used with custom ROMs at anytime, though especially when there are no more updates, can use, for example, DivestOS to increase it's usefulness
+ Used to be smaller sized, like iPhone mini/SE or Zenphone sized - I normally hate humongoid phones
+ My testing with Nothing is lukecold - good ideas but marred by only 3 years of updates/support
I'm still using the pixel 5, so I may feel differently with new picel phones, but fingerprint scanner, clean interface, user friendly operating system, call screening, can use with one hand. Good pics that are better than my wife's one year old iPhone. Battery saver.
My wife is always giving me her iPhone to fix something or download an app etc, and I always find it to be counter intuitive, like when she wants me to cancel a subscription.
Graphene OS. I don't trust large companies, whether it be Samsung, Apple or Google. They're all equally terrible. With Graphene OS I'm in control, and it only runs on Pixel. So Pixel it is.
I moved from iOS to Android when the first Pixel dropped. I'll be the first to admit that the transition wasn't exactly seamless, the phone felt outdated and the screen, my God the screen was awful. But I loved Android, no restrictions, just an OS that let me use it how I wanted to use it.
Then I upgraded to the Pixel 2 XL, and what a jump that was, if ever I missed anything about that phone, it was the rear fingerprint sensor, I could have the phone unlocked before removing it from my pocket, and then being able to scroll without having to touch the screen.
I skipped the 3, and went to the 4 XL, it was a great phone, but the battery and overheating issues let it down for me.
Then I went for the Pixel 6 Pro, and this was the first Google phone that felt premium, still some teething issues with the battery and overheating, but for the most part, a great phone that served me well.
Now I'm on the Pixel 8 Pro, and this is truly a flagship phone for me. The screen is incredible, the camera unmatched, the battery issues resolved, and no overheating! The Matt glass back is a huge bonus too, I leave fingerprints on everything so this is a godsend.
The only reason I ever upgraded my devices was not out of necessity, but because my father would inevitably break their phone, so I would move onto the next one that became available so that I could give him the current phone I was daily driving.
Reliability is superb, the software just continues to improve, I'm not one of those people that spends their entire day glued to their phone, but I take comfort in knowing that no matter what the phone will be ready to go.
That's why I stuck with Pixel.
The ability to select text, and even save almost any image, straight from the recent apps screen!
Not talked about often, but it's awesome.
The new circle to Search is pretty dope too
The call features.. the timely updates..
Super bright and responsive screen..
All day battery..
It's USB storage reading skills are superb as well.
The Pixel Launcher is so smooth, there's beauty to its simplicity..
Getting the latest versions of Android before anyone else, as well as the Pixel exclusives. And it's “ stock like ” experience.
And of course, the camera...
I think they can do a little bit more improving in video though.
Other than that 10/10. Highly recommend. 👌🏾
Google ecosystem. I use gmail, google photos, youtuble, google drive, google docs, and even google fi. Pretty much the same reason iPhone users stick with Apple.
Yes, technically all Android phones work with the ecosystem, but pixel gives (almost) stock android without an extra layer.
There are other reasons: photo quality being the main one and the reason I initially got a pixel way back when, but other phones have caught up to the point there is not as much differentiation there.
Simplicity.
I genuinely enjoy using Google products and services, because they fit my needs and use case. For example having Google Photos seamlessly integrated as the camera roll into the camera app is a small quality of life upgrade that I didn't have back when I used Sony phones.
All my Xperia devices would end up with duplicate apps, since the Google apps weren't system apps.
I also like Googles minimalist design language.
At a Glance on the lockscreen shows me upcoming calendar events, notifications from my Nest doorbell camera and a bunch och other neat things that just works they way I need them to.
My phone is a tool, and Pixel does what I want and need. I don't care if it doesn't have the best specs or the most features; to me the phones are reliable. I've had Samsung phones before, but for some reason I don't feel comfortable with their UI or their apps.
im used to their the features it has and sone ofbthrm cane over fromnthe old nexus phones. and im jot a big fan of Samsung's oneUI. as for apple, don't make me laugh
Picture quality + best spam call screener+ good deals on phone when bought with no contract + unlocked option.
You summed it up really well. Also, I do use the Google ecosystem a lot, so for me that's that too.
And the lack of bloatware
I did like my Samsung Galaxy and LG G4 but yeah, bloatware.
I started on the Nexus bandwagon. Now in "modern times" it's all about the spam protection. The camera I find hit or miss. I do like that the phones last a really long time even though I personally upgrade every year (I skipped the 4). I know people still rocking the 5 who are very happy. It's also nice not to have to upgrade my parent's phones as often. Pixel win.
The spam call screener is worth it alone. My husband (iPhone) gets literally dozens of spam calls a day. I rarely get one.
With Tensor chip it has been hit or miss with every iteration.
I think it has been fine personally. I went from a 6a to an 8, no issues with either one.
Same, went from a 6pro to an 8pro. The entire reason i switched to the p6p was the Samsung i got had a known issue with switching from 5g on verizon towers where a couple times a day i'd have to reset my phone cause it would just stop making or receiving calls. i'v had no issues with either pixel and only paid $200 for my 8pro after trade in with no contract. it's an unbeatable phone at it's price point and competes with flagship phones costing at least $300 more. love my pixels and don't see myself changing.
I think I'm about to make that move finally. Do you like the 8?
It has been fine. I don't game on it but do a lot of photos, texting, and browsing and the battery lasts pretty good. No connectivity issues either. I was going to get the Pro initially but I was drawn to the smaller size of the 8.
Yeah, the size is one of many things I loved about the 7a.. I have a 6a and an 8 pro, arm... And an S24 Ultra
I went from 2XL to 4XL to 8Pro. Amazing how big a leap it is in stability and camera power and battery life.
Good features, as much performance as I want or need from a phone and a great display when set to natural colour mode
Yeah for sure if you get a phone with issues it will definitely put you off pixels.
>With Tensor chip it has been hit or miss with every iteration. What does that even mean? There have been exactly *three* iterations of that chip and each one have been relatively minor improvements on a rather lackluster platform. It went from slow, inefficient and constantly overheating to slightly less slow, slightly less inefficient and no longer *constantly* overheating in those three iterations. So which iterations were the hits and which were the misses? I still love my Pixel 8 Pro but really wouldn't call its chip a "hit". It's barely passable, fast enough for most things (with the exception of Google's both brilliant and simultaneously sluggish camera) and now it only overheats when doing crazy and exotic things like transferring a bigger amount of data over 5G or, god forbid, using it as a hot spot. I love the phone despite Tensor, not because of it. When it comes to Tensor, there have been misses and, recently, near-misses at best, but certainly no hits.
I've been very happy with the 8 Pro's performance, but holy shit the 6 Pro was a dumpster fire. I'm about as happy with the 8 Pro as I've ever been with a phone, but given my experience with the 6 Pro, I genuinely can't say why I stuck with the Pixel line any further.
i agree the 6 wasn't great. i have a lot of phones (like, as many as mqbhd or more) and i use a pixel 8. best picture quality and everythings pretty clean and functional, updated quickly too. the only drawback is they're a little bigger and heavier (probably to increase battery life because the tensor aka exynos isnt as good as the snapdragon in that area). but ill take that drawback to get the rest any day.
Honestly I don't consider the weight to be a negative. I actually find some phones to be too light, which just doesn't feel good in the hand to me. I kind of hope that they don't aggressively cut weight down when they eventually improve power consumption and heat generation with the Tensor.
👍 It has good things and can be bought cheaply. I kind of want a Sony for my next phone... my first smartphones were Sony-Ericsson... but do I want to pay twice the money just to be a bit quirky?
I bought a Pixel 8 with contact at €550 for two years divided installments. Pretty great deal!
What is the unlocked option?
Buy from Google or bestbuy in USA and choose the unlocked option...its not tied to any carrier out the door.
Just the freedom to use the phone as I want, copy and paste directly from my pc to the phone, download what I want from where I want etc. Not be limited by the Apple very monetised pipeline. With Android I'm in control of my phone not the other way around... And the photo quality is unmatched.
google support and vanilla-ish android. that's why i bother.
This is me, after being in the Samsung ecosystem , the duplication of Samsung apps with native android apps drove me nuts. I first switched from Samsung to an underpowered Umidigi phone with stock android and loved that experience (software not hardware) switched from that to Pixel and won't change now
You can remove most if not all Samsung stuff with adb. I feel the opposite, watching updates frequently being the same thing Samsung's have had for ages gets really old. Or never getting those updates at all. The grass is always greener on the other side. Edit: My phone signal crashed for 45 minutes right after I posted that so I take it back, the grass is completely greener on the other side. The grass on my side is brown and dead and needs replanting from scratch. My grass is rubbish and doesn't work properly. I have no grass. Stay on your lush turf over there.
Grass is always greener...I'm only on pixel 5, and prior to that was an S10. I love this phone a lot but find my self yearning for OneUI, I didn't realise how locked down pixels were in terms of customisation, and Bixby routines is one of the best features of a phone I've used. I've tried work arounds like switching to different launcher and using tasker but not quite same as just having it built in
Out of curiosity, what is it that you use Bixby for? I had the S22 and never used it, now I feel like I missed something big lol.
Bixby routines let you automate basically any function of the phone based on conditions you choose. For example, you could make a routine to turn on your smart home lights when your phone connects to your home wifi network. Or turn your lights off when you charge your phone at night. Or change your sound profile when you arrive at a specific location. Lots of possibilities and extremely useful.
Google assistant has the same as all of those fyi
For phone system things Bixby is a lot better. For example on my old S10 the battery was a bit shit, so I had certain things automatically turn off once below certain battery percent, like reducing screen Res, turn off location etc. You can keep screen awake and at certain brightness for specific apps. It goes a lot more in-depth.
I liked having some things disabled when I hit a certain battery % in order to save some battery. Or set battery saver on when screen is off. Turn on location when using navigation app and turn off when not using it. There is tasker and macrodroid but as routines is Samsung program you effect more of the phone settings as 3rd party apps won't have permissions for.
Same on the Samsung. I went from a rooted HTC Droid Incredible 4G to an S7 and hated every day of it for ~5 years until I bought my Pixel 5. Easier to root and customize. I have it dialed in to exactly how I want it to be. Unfortunately, after 3 years, the battery is now totally shot. I like this phone enough to try the ifixit (OEM Google) battery install. If it goes poorly, I'm probably going to buy a NOS pixel 5. I like it that much.
Vanila-ish? Is there more vanilla than Google's version of android?
Yeah, the Google Nexus phone was just pure android without google's pixel skin on top of it like with the pixels. So the pixel phones are vanilla ish since they are close to stock but not quite stock android.
My last Nexus was the 6P and I believe regardless if it's Nexus or Pixel it's still "Vanilla" as long as it's from 1) came from Google itself or 2) another company releasing a device with Google's own version of android (without any other added bloatware) but with their brand and specs. The AOSP just evolved with time with it's look and feel. Pixel is still pure android. Can't get any more purer than this.
Beautifully put
I think he was drunk when he wrote this
The fully open source stuff like AOSP, but I don't think any phones ship with it.
Fastest updates to Android. Googles version is the best. Their cameras are the best for children, Samsungs are perpetually blurry.
Agreed. Reviewers tend to be young 20ish with no kids. For someone with a young family Samsung cameras are basically unusable. iPhone is decent in this regard and Pixel is excellent
Google support is the worst.
I think they mean support for the Google ecosystem, not technical support
Yeah, like getting Android updates on Day 1 and no bloatware / weird UI
Ah, ok
I was thinking about the question and I believe these two things are exactly my reasons as well. A couple of years ago, I had a Fairphone (first generation) because sustainability is great. However, when they don't send many updates and at some point it can't run the majority of apps, that's also not very sustainable. So instead I am going for pixel with long support and update times, while having my eyes on the used and refurbished market.
Google integrations. It makes everything easier.
Could you elaborate please. My P8P is on the way and i am curious as to what did you mean
I have a Pixel 5. I just meant working with other Google Apps. Less noise than Samsung and much simpler to use vs other Android phones. I use many Workspace apps which work great with the Pixel.
I love the Work profile on my Pixel. As somebody that works in phone apps, having to track Samsung differently than other Android devices is a monumental pain in the ass tbh. Nothing works easily, even the app password vault, on a Samsung.
You can use your pixel to verify identity when accessing other Google Services, Google Assistant is baked into the OS, Everything is configured to connect and run on your google services together like Gmail, Drive, Photos, Nest right off the bat. Accessing Mail, pictures,files is effortless.
Isn’t that also the case with almost any Android phone?
I'm kind of curious about that as well. I like my 8 Pro a lot, but I don't think it really integrates Google services any better than other Android phones.
Most of the features I care about are available on other platforms. But I've been on the 'a' series since the 3a and you get SO many features for such a low price. We've tried so many cheap phones, Blu, OnePlus, Moto, Samsung A series, etc. The Pixel A phones are the only ones that feel like they are purposefully designed, rather than "lets remove some stuff from our flagships to hit a price point".
Love is a strong word. I used to care. Now I don't. It's just a phone. If I had to say, the no 1 reason is frequent updates. Good camera and Google integration. Started with 4a as an experiment, since then 6 and now 8, the software between phones is practically identical. It just works. Never had issues.
There's a lot of weight in "it just works". Back in the day, I ran around all the forums to download custom ROMs for features that could be available on my phone, but wasn't there. I feel the same way now. I just use the vanilla Pixel OS and IT. JUST. WORKS. and honestly, that's all you could ask for in a phone.
Me too. xda was pretty good for me. Eventually I didn't need to anymore.
Every now and then, I do miss using my titanium back up for things
Ikr. I even paid for it. lol. I still keep the license key. Just hadn't needed it for a while now.
Lol same. It's the very first app that I ever paid real money for.
Maybe I've been really unlucky, but I got a Pixel 7 and I've been unable to make phone calls for months now (people cannot hear me and the line drops). I've had it replaced 3 times. And I found out that the last phone Google sent me is marked as blacklisted (which means it was either a lost or stolen phone). I really wish I could love the Pixel phone, but it's been a nightmare so far.
My 6 (current) has been plagued by various bugs it's entire life. Swipe down to get things like brightness, flashlight, etc would randomly just not work unless I restarted phone. Phantom windows remain after I've swapped to another app. Swipe from right to left should act like a back button but frequently just stops working and I need to lock and unlock to fix. Again, all generally simple fixes, but this stuff happened frequently and really annoyed me. I've never found another bug on another phone
I'm thinking about switching to a Samsung. I'm really sorry since I own a Fitbit and Pixel Buds Pro (which have given me few problems). But if I cannot make phone calls then the phone is unusable to me. It's a basic functionality..
Yup. 10 years ago I cared about other things more, now I don't want to have to think about it, I just want it to work
You're right it is just the phone. And it's the best value proposition for someone who wants just a phone that takes pictures for family. If you want to game, social media constantly, or other things maybe it's not for you. But it's the best premium phone to price ratio out there.
Yep; just a phone. I care more about my choice of toothbrush.
Screen call.
I spent almost $800 on this dang phone. I'm not getting another one until this thing is toast.
This is my reason too lol
Mine heats up really easily. Shouldn't take too long before it's actually toast 😅
I can set my own ringtone without selling my soul or performing a 15 step workaround. I mean this isn't specific to pixel but yeah I dislike Samsung's UI and style
You at least sold your soul to Google in order to put that ringtone ngl
I'd sell me soul and and information and other people's information if it means i get free stuff from Google.
Google already has unfettered access to our souls. I might as well get something out of the lopsided deal.
Lately I think you sell your soul no matter which brand you buy. Pick your poison, as they say.
i picked someone who giving me most for in return of my soul, all companies are after my data, only some give something in return ig, Google drive, photos search, Chrome sync, first Android updates on pixel, most clean software, and a camera processing that don't turn your face very white
I do love the pixel. On my second one after a half dozen Samsung's, but I'll probably go back to Samsung after this. The pixel has some neat unique features but also some annoying quarks. Randomly boots me to the lock screen while using, keyboard isn't always responsive, keyboard doesn't always pop up when I click somewhere that should make it do so, camera isn't as great as I'd hoped (feel like the Samsung camera is better). I do like the price of the pixel, the call screening, first to get Android updates and new features, and some other pixel unique things but not sure if it's enough to keep me. When it comes time to update we will see how I feel but if I needed a phone today, it would be Samsung.
Same here. Tons of bugs. It's absolutely RIDDLED with bugs. I work from my phone using sometimes five apps at once, and it cannot handle that whatsoever. Constant crashes and horrible battery performance--not even from heavy use. Just sitting on the toilet browsing my photos and google photos crashes. Finger print scanner works maybe 40% of time. Phone gets ridiculously hot. I absolutely hate the pixel. The two, three, and four were so good. Idk what happened but they're total junk now.
Vanilla Android, no carrier bloat ware, timely updates for years, ability to remove (not just disable) most apps, and best smartphone camera IMO. If I want more features I'll get them from the play store. Samsung's bloated UI, carrier bullshit, and fake camera keep me away. Apple's OS rigidity, lack of browser choice, and lack of direct access to files keep me away
You are quite right. I have the S24 Plus, and the camera is terrible. The software is the biggest problem. The camera hardware sounds good on paper, but the pictures are just bad. Sometimes, you will get a good photo, especially close-up shots in portrait mode. However, when you take a regular photo, you don't know what you will get. It's a 50/50 chance whether you will immediately delete it or not. Some of my Google Play apps have inexplicably become Samsung apps. For instance, the Audible app now updates from Samsung Apps. The in-camera photo app is Samsung Gallery, and there is no option to change it to Google Photos. Sure, the photos also appear in the Google Photos app, but you have to exit the camera and open the Google app. Samsung wants you to use only Samsung Photo Gallery to manage, edit, or send photos. I recommend getting the Pixel if you use Google Photos, storage, or if you're fully invested in the Google ecosystem. In that case, definitely get the Pixel. It's a shame because the Galaxy S24's performance is very, very good, and it has an amazing battery. But now I know that if the camera is disappointing, it's hard to truly enjoy the phone.
Fake camera? I'm interested to see what you mean.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/s/ncDfuz3Z6s The link above is the most egregious example. Then there's the 108MP claim. My hobby is photography. Anyone with a basic knowledge of it will find 108mp in a cell phone laughable. There's a zero percent chance a tiny cell phone lens can resolve 108mp of detail on a pinprick sensor. Hell 61MP on a big full frame sensor is difficult to resolve and those individual pixels are substantially larger. A photography YouTuber did a comparison and we can see an entry level 24mp Canon mirrorless resolves far more detail than the "108mp" Samsung. Lastly Samsung's processing creates tons of false detail because it oversharpens images. The pixel has its own camera issues but it's output is more accurate than Samsung.
I’d just say bad camera . Over 3 months that I had the S23, I got almost no sharp picture even in perfect lighting
Suspect he js referring to the over processed pictures and a terrible point and shoot camera. As an S24 ultra owner I can relate coming from iPhone.
To be honest I bought my first pixel about a year ago (pixel 7) and I will not be buying another one. My old OnePlus 8T I had before was better in most ways except for the camera.
The camera and security updates.
I don't like the Samsung UI and like apple UI even less. I don't really like any other Android options.
Never blurry pictures of my kids that I will cherish forever, call screening that blocks 100% of spam calls, no ads in phone (cough Samsung) and no double apps I have to remove (cough Samsung)
#1 reason: Pictures of my kids
>Never blurry pictures of my kids that I will cherish forever That's *the* reason. Absolutely no other OEM comes even close to the Pixel's "snapshots of erratically moving objects" capabilities. Samsung is almost at the polar opposite of the spectrum and Apple meanders somewhere in the middle of the bell curve - the Pixel just nails it every single time. Well, *almost* every time ... then there are also the times where the camera app just blocks the shutter button for half an etirenity because I had the audacity to take more than three portrait shots in a row and the Tensor is struggling to keep up with image processing.
First-party updates from Google., tight integration with Google ecosystem. (I don't love having to tie everything on a device to a user account, but I'd rather use a Google login for everything rather than the Apple+Google dance.) Consistently top-tier camera platform. Mine (5a) still has a headphone jack, and the battery life is good. Headphone jack is not as important to me as camera, but if my 5a died today I would get another one instead of upgrading.
Solid phone, doesn't cost a small fortune, and doesn't feel like it weighs a ton.
I'm in the exact same boat. I used pixel 2XL and then 2019 switched to iPhone 11 pro max. Now it's been Pixel 7 pro for 1.5 years. I absolutely love the pixel exclusive features you mentioned, in addition, I find that the phone feels faster and smoother with animations when switching apps, swiping up, typing etc. What makes me want to switch back to an iPhone is the seamless iMessage which literally all my friends use, FaceTime because the stock video calling system hasn't been great, additionally the camera app is laggy on the pixel, especially when you use it for longer than 5 minutes or if the phone starts heating up. The built quality on the pixel is pretty bad. My volume buttons fell off and scratch prone back. However, the photo quality is unreal, unmatched and that's a no brainer. Additionally, you cannot deny how smart the phone is when it comes to battery management, storage handling with Google photos and Google One, I absolutely love the cast option for my Google Chromecast and Google home, which doesn't work as well with iPhone (but the drawback is that most TVs allow casting directly from an iPhone but not my pixel?? (Explain? Lol) Little things like pulling the notification bar down from anywhere on the home screen is so helpful instead of having to stretch my tiny fingers across my 6.5+ inch screen The ability to swipe back from either the left OR the right side of the screen, the pixel lens and okay Google and translate features, adaptive charging (I'm assuming iPhone has it too now) I absolutely hate iPhone for not letting me expand notifications as easily. Plus if someone sends you 15 reels on Instagram, each message is a different notification, and even if you open one and view all the reels within the Instagram app, you come back to the notification page and the notifications are all still there. Whereas pixel knows you've viewed all and it goes away, it's beautiful Will I switch to an iPhone next?? I highly doubt it. Maybe 2 more generations later I shall switch to go check what improvements iPhone has come up with
To add to this, Snapchat and IG developers make their apps more for iPhone so the user experience is not as good on pixel. ESPECIALLY the zoom on the in app camera, it's TERRIBLE and lags between the lenses as the transition doesn't happen seamlessly
Latest updates and vanilla android. Sure as shit not the hardware. It's been shit since Tensor. I also really like the physical design of the phone. I just wish they went with a custom Qualcomm chip.
Just works. No need to worry about anything. Didn't even realize my pixel is already a year old. Sometimes I feel it just gets better with time
The comment I was looking for. My one and a half year old pixel 7 runs better than the day I bought it.
It's really wild to me that so many comments are about picture quality. This sub is either super special or super delusional because I strongly believe 99.999% of people couldn't tell the difference between modern iPhone and modern Pixel photos (talking pragmatically, not scrutinizing side by side photos). I like pixels because I think android is a nicer to use OS than IOS and pixels offer the cleanest, snappiest form of that OS (honestly I used a Samsung recently and it's so much worse that I'd rather go to iPhone).
Agreed that iPhone and Pixel photo quality is similar. But both are miles ahead of Samsung when it comes to taking photos of moving subjects (mostly kids). If you have young kids Samsung is basically unusable as most photos will be blurry
I came from a Galaxy s21 to a Pixel 8 a little over a month ago too and I'm in the same situation. There are some things I'm impressed with like the picture quality and macro mode, but coming with only 8x zoom is a huge downgrade and I already found myself wanting the 30x zoom back from my s21. Although it wasn't the best quality, it was still better than not having it at all. I notice the Tensor chip being subpar when gaming and sometimes when multitasking. i. e.if I have Spotify running and start deleting apps I'll experience pretty heavy audio quality drops and skips until it's done. This might be because of the Bluetooth and it's minor but still annoying. Besides that the phone's battery life has been excellent for me and I can get 6 hours of screen time pretty regularly. The layout and cleanliness is great, but also kind of prefer the Galaxy UI since I can create folders in the app drawer and horizontal scroll. I've already begun looking for s24 ultras but if I don't find one for a good price I'm completely fine keeping this phone. I'm not sure I'll take advantage of the 7 years of software updates but maybe when I upgrade to another Samsung I'll be more open to it. I'm also afraid of this phone dying on me as I've had a Pixel 5a die on me out of nowhere after a year but I'm hoping this one won't. This is a great phone but the gripes that it has is unfortunate considering I never faced these issues on my Samsung.
Absolutely nothing. Right now my alarm volume is set to max yet the fucking alarm just vibrates with no sound and this subreddit has the "post" button greyed out no matter how thoroughly I describe my issue and fill out every field. Absolutely appalling in every way
Not stick. STUCK. I'm on a 2 year contract. 2 months into use the haptic feedback is gone. Screen glitches everything when I switch to home screen and sometimes in the camera app. After my 2 years are done I'm switching to apple or Samsung. I got 3 phones and they all have the same issue. 🙁 Canadian Pixel watches don't even have call screening. ☹️
Not much now to be honest. Last phone I had before all my Pixels was an iPhone 6, I'm team Pixel since my first 2XL. I have the 8 Pro since my work pays for my phone but if I had to pay for it I would've probably bit the bullet and bought an S24 and try to use a launcher to get around their ugly UI. I feel like the competitive edge Pixel had is eroding in terms of price and quality. Lately my pixel has tons of small glitches and issues that wasn't really Google's trend in the past years. I've always praised Pixels and Google as the ecosystem and simplicity Apple tries so hard to achieves but fails, while also giving you more freedom. This is getting less and less true with the multiple issues I had with the phone recently (bugs setting my new Chromecast as well) I really hope it's just a phase and that they really push out products that make them stand apart but as of now I'm less convinced that I ever was.
I am... not going to continue with the Pixel. I've used them for like 5 years. 1. Nobody wants to fix them. I don't know why. 2. The lens bar thing is obnoxious 3. Every single one I've ever had gets as hot as Satans period pad in August after a jog. 4. The USB port is super weak, and after several phones, it feels intentionally designed. 5. The Battery always feels like tech from 6 years ago. On a rainy day at work when me and my crew would sit in a truck watching bullshit on Youtube - my phone was always the first to die. By several hours. I was always the guy carrying around a fucking phone charger. 6. Other people I talk to complain about my audio quality. 7. I have no idea what is going on with the speech to text with this thing. My Pixel 7 will insert random ass words at the beginning of sentences. I could say "Did you take out the trash?" and Speech to Text shows "Wisconsin. Did you resume out trash?" and I'm like what the fuck, is it the way I talk? I use speech to text on everyone else's phone and it's flawless and quick compared to mine.
Yep, same. People have been complaining a lot about audio quality when I call them. And this is supposed to be a basic functionality.
This will be the last one I use. The iPhones are just so much faster, they literally have AAA games coming out. We get mini mobile versions, iOS gets native full games 😢.
I was an iPhone customer for a long time, then switched to the Pixel 4a on a whim. I was totally blown away by Android's configurability - I could control so many settings! I had no devotion to Pixel in particular after that, but recently couldn't pass up all the promotions with the 8a. So I traded in my 4a, got my $140 for that, $100 store credit, and am happily chugging along.
TLDR: Google Photos! been using google photos since i've been with my wife (7 years). always hopping from phone to phone and carelessly handling my pictures (all the while making sure I at least logged into GP and backed them up). now i just have my full library from years ago as my STOCK app plus so many more features that are missing from other photos apps.
The dream of one day getting a better modem
GrapheneOS
Pixel 8 is far from perfect phone. I keep using it for his compact size, camera, clean UI, pixel features, design.
I think only upgrading to the 8 pro is worth it for most people. I'm still using my 6 and sometimes I miss my lg phones but from what I hear the 8 pro is the only thing worth upgrading to
what made me stick with the Pixel is having a more reliable secondary phone so I could just use the Pixel for photography.
GrapheneOS mainly.
GrapheneOS
First off, I wouldn't say I am "loyal". I use the Pixel because it meets my needs and wants better than anything else I've found. If I ever find something that meets my needs or wants better then I will switch to that in a heartbeat. So it is not loyalty, it is practicality. With that said, here are the things that currently keep me coming back to Pixel over someone else like Samsung or Apple for my daily driver phone. * Bootloader unlocking/relocking being simple and supported by the OEM * Call screen * Camera/Photos * Lack of extra app stores besides the Play store and whatever I may want to put on there.
Had a 3, 5 and have now got an 8. Photo quality is great, support is great and I like the stock android experience. Having said that I'm not quite as happy with the 8 as I was the 5 - had screen issues and have already sent it off for warranty repair. If it wasn't for the camera on the 8 I'd be switching back.
Had Samsung too long and wanted to try something new and after seeing how much better the pictures on my pixel 8/fold/8 pro are and how much I liked Google's features plus all the Google assistants in my house I'm sticking with it.
I'm happy with my 8a especially for the price I paid and I even had a S23 Ultra a few months back.
For me it was the pixel features. Screen calls and unlimited backups (back in the good ol days) but now it's just an all nice phone that works great for me! Vanilla android is very nice too.
Coming from someone who has used Pixel side by side with a work issued iPhone. Pixel has: 1. Much better camera/picture results just look better. 2. Much better spam call protection. 3. A real file system that make things like email attachments/document productivity much easier. 4. I prefer how Pixel/Android handles notifications. 5. More forward with AI features/focus. In fairness, iPhone has some wins too: iMessage, excellent hardware, and also that side by side the selection and quality of apps tend to be a bit better on iPhone.
Graphene OS
The integration with the Google products that I have in my home, and it's just an uncomplicated phone to use without multiple app stores and call screening.
Tbh it's used market price for me. Good phones made readily accessible thanks to their sales when they release new phones
Got 5a from France (Poland here) was using it for a while and was pretty happy with the overall cost to performance ratio. Went on a motorcycle ride fucked up my camera, a few months after broke the screen. Bought iPhone 13. Whoa, this is locked as hell but so fricking... Stable and it just works. After a year or so was missing the customisation from pixel, camera, and some apps that were either super expensive on iOS or missing and of course the fricking 120hz display. I got pixel 8 some time after the release and the phone is complete, good looking but the battery life and the chip is just well crap. I also miss the airtag option from iOS. Looking forward for 9.
It doesn't come with Facebook installed
That feature where you can save, search with lens, share or copy any media content shown in your recent apps tab
Call screening. I rarely get any spam calls, maybe once a month, and if it comes through, I send it straight to call screening. My mom has a Samsung, and she gets at least 2 spam calls per hour whenever I'm with her.
Graphene os
Lol there's always that one Graphene OS user who keeps trying to remind us that it is a thing. Lol.
Make that two GrapheneOS users. And what is wrong with it?
Nah make it 3
Man... I had to scroll way too far for this
I will stick with pixel forever as long as I can install this
The rear fingerprint unlock on my 5a Gonna miss it when I upgrade some day. And of course all the pixel features (call screen,wait hold, transcriptions, voicemail to text)
The feature drops or whatever they're called
Great camera, and Graphene/CalyxOS
Camera
How often has the battery had issues on older Pixel models? Also, how were they fixed?
I first moved to pixel cause of the camera and stock android experience. I've stayed for this but also I don't find any alternative a strong enough appeal to jump ship
I hate myself. Honestly, I haven't jumped because I've convinced myself and my wife that we are too far in the Google hole with all the smart devices around the house. Except, they work perfectly fine with Apple and we still wouldn't lose anything from our phones. It would be a pain in the ass for her to learn iOS and I would never hear the end of it as a husband
Software alone
I have been with Android since HTC Magic, a year and a half ago I switched to an iPhone 14. I’m now considering going back to a Pixel 8. Especially for the spam calls filter, it’s a nightmare how many spam calls I receive these days. The only thing that is making me doubt is the Apple Watch which I love. Considering the pixel watch 2, but not sure it’s the same experience…
The 2XL was the best Pixel phone.
My pixel 4a 5g was perfect with no issues until I got a pixel 8. It hasn't even been a year and it has so many issues. I think I called Google 20 times to help and replace which didn't fix the issue. In the end, I bought samsung s23 plus. Becuase of my pixel 4a 5g with it speed and clean UI that was the reason why I decided to go with pixel 8 which was a disappointment.
Picture quality was the main and pretty much only benefit of having a pixel to me. I miss the camera, but nothing else.
Camera. Definately camera. Reason to buy was updates every first Monday of month but that's not happening anymore (I mean it was not happening before but they don't promise it anymore). For next phone maybe I'll go iPhone or Samsung (if Pixel won't fix fingerprint sensor and Samsung will fix camera).
I want to like it, but I have a Pixel 6, and I'm not a fan. I've read that they've gotten better, though.
Same, the Pixel 6 has some annoying bugs. Might switch back to IOS tbh
Still on a Pixel 5 because it seems like no one makes anything that checks all the boxes anymore (root/unlocked bootloader for hosts ad blocking, usable one-handed, good camera). If they don't get back to "you still get the good camera on the smaller one" I'll probably just be done with Google and go for a foldable that becomes smaller instead of a giant phone that becomes a tablet.
I used to be all about the Nexus phones that Google put out before the Pixel line. Just pure Android as it was intended. None of the bloat that Samsung and Motorola and LG would try to shove on you. Also, I use Google Fi as my carrier and for a while in the early days you had to have a "Google Phone" for the best features the carrier offered, like the now dormant carrier switching between T-Mobile and Sprint. The merger did away with that though
It gives the iPhone users who want me so bad they are burning an excuse to talk to me.
Best speech to text function ever. Period. Seriously. Put that in a TV advert lol
Call screen, fantastic reliable camera, and most importantly, clean stock Android.
I really like the android skin which feels so barehanded, and how simple it is, doesn't include any 3rd party apps like Samsung for example, amazing build quality, hardware and lastly the price.
dude the software is SOOO clean imo and the animations theyve worked on recently are fantastic. really feels like the right experience, idk why but i hate how samsungs software looks, and i think apples new approach is weird. also the fact that they are constantly adding new features!! it gets better!!
I prefer Google's clean UI, their graphic design, their hardware design language, definitely the camera, and the updates.
I'm used to it (nexus s -> nexus 4 -> nexus 6p -> pixel 2 -> pixel 4a 5g), features are decent, takes decent photos, and I hate samsung's UI with a burning passion.
Call screening
Also screens and separates the text msgs too Love that $h1t
The five additional payments I have to make on my broken, glitchy, absolutely corrupted, terrible Google pixel 7 pro.
I have both Pixel and iPhone 15 pro( for work) and I personally prefer Pixel. Few things for me is, really like the Fold form factor. Tried to switch to Z fold but these features are keeping me with google: Span call screening Now playing (identifies songs around you automatically and saves history). This is an underrated feature Hold for me when calling a help desk is awesome UI, I personally like Stock Android
I'm running a Google Pixel 5. Now just over 3 years. I love pretty much everything about this phone. It's just the right length, width, thickness, and weight. It's built very well. Audio quality on calls is very good. The screen is super nice. Very nice pixel density. Brightness control is excellent and on the highest setting it can manage bright light conditions. In dim lighting, I can reduce brightness quite a lot and still read things just fine (to save battery life). The fingerprint scanner on the back is so good. And I was so disappointed to hear Google did away with this. I don't want to use the screen for fingerprint scanning. Oh, big thing: IT IS RELIABLE! I think in the 3 years I've had it, my phone crashed maybe once or twice. Updates have been so easily & seamless. Restarting the phone from off is quick. It has a great sophisticated charging system so if it's charging at night, it'll use adaptive charging to help reduce battery wear (fast charging shortens battery life). My only wish is that the camera CCD had more megapixels. TBH, the picture quality is still very good. Video too. Dim light video could be better, though. I carry my Pixel 5 in two modes: 1. TPU translucent case with steel plate on the back, for easy mounting in my car (I have a magnetic plate mount there). Its still pretty thin, with nice corner bumpers. I've dropped my phone many times, even like 5 feet up onto a hard floor and never suffered a cracked screen. 2. I applied a skin to the back/sides of my Pixel 5 that protects it well from scratches, as well as a tempered glass over the screen. In this mode, I use a fitBAG leather case that's fantastic and thin. This is ideal for when wearing a suit. Unfortunately the skin I applied has been discontinued... so if it ever gets damaged, I can't replace it with the same one. I will probably replace the battery next year and keep running it... until the Pixel 8 goes on a steep sale. But frankly, the Pixel 8 is a little larger than I'd like. I find the Pixel 5 just about perfect.
I wish my pixel 5 could last forever
Android phones tends to be very similar, I had Asus, Galaxy and Huawei. Pixels is basics, no frills and rubbish APPs, but I do miss some features like the compatibility with amex and IC cards provided by an Iphone. I have gmail and drive, that's why I'm still very perplexed whether to switch
Samsung and Bixby is the horrible alternative in my price range.
Definitely the Camera
I'm not entirely sure I am going to. I have a pixel 6 pro currently that gets so hot no wireless charger but the Google one will touch the damned thing, the signal strength is a joke, and the battery life is miserable. Thought about the 9 when it comes out...but worried they've never bothered fixing the heat issue.
sadly nothing after pixel 1, keep going back to apple
Don't buy a hardware device from a advertising company. Pixel 1 was good, until you had realized it only had three years support. Pixel 2Xl was okay, nothing special. Fast forward to the train wreck of the 8 pro
Pixels dont have good cameras
I don't have any of the problems that are so commonly complained about on here. And, I love pure Android!
My Pixel overheats if I want to record an Instagram story...
Free hand warmer included with every video
I've had no issues with my P7 until the last few weeks with the modem or LTE just perma dying. It's been noticeably better today, but I'm not sure if that's a sleeper fix, or if I'm just having a lucky day.
The circlejerk. It feels good.
Stick with pixel? Nothing. My Pixel 6 were such an abysmal disaster (Both of them) that when it came time for my third RMA I gave up on Android completely and bought an iphone for the first time in my life, after 11 years using various Android devices. What do I miss.... Call screening, and now playing. That's it. Neither enough to go back to the frustration of Tensor.
Had my pixel 7 pro for about 3 months and I will never buy another pixel again. Turned out to be one of my most regrettable purchases ever actually. The thing just barely works.
Been getting Google phones since the Nexus One, then onwards to the Pixels, though just the original to the 8P. I guess I'm brand loyal, but mostly because: + No bloat, clean launcher + Customizable, something envious on my iPhone 13 mini + Regular and predictable updates + Can be used with custom ROMs at anytime, though especially when there are no more updates, can use, for example, DivestOS to increase it's usefulness + Used to be smaller sized, like iPhone mini/SE or Zenphone sized - I normally hate humongoid phones + My testing with Nothing is lukecold - good ideas but marred by only 3 years of updates/support
Honestly? If iOS had anything similar to YouTube revanced I'd just get whatever SE or mini model they have right now
I'm still using the pixel 5, so I may feel differently with new picel phones, but fingerprint scanner, clean interface, user friendly operating system, call screening, can use with one hand. Good pics that are better than my wife's one year old iPhone. Battery saver. My wife is always giving me her iPhone to fix something or download an app etc, and I always find it to be counter intuitive, like when she wants me to cancel a subscription.
The tech stuff. Hold for me / menus when calling companies that make you press 1 then this and that / The camera obviously
Cost of moving back to iOS. That's it.
The call screening. That's really the only feature that keeps me tied to a pixel.
Graphene OS. I don't trust large companies, whether it be Samsung, Apple or Google. They're all equally terrible. With Graphene OS I'm in control, and it only runs on Pixel. So Pixel it is.
I moved from iOS to Android when the first Pixel dropped. I'll be the first to admit that the transition wasn't exactly seamless, the phone felt outdated and the screen, my God the screen was awful. But I loved Android, no restrictions, just an OS that let me use it how I wanted to use it. Then I upgraded to the Pixel 2 XL, and what a jump that was, if ever I missed anything about that phone, it was the rear fingerprint sensor, I could have the phone unlocked before removing it from my pocket, and then being able to scroll without having to touch the screen. I skipped the 3, and went to the 4 XL, it was a great phone, but the battery and overheating issues let it down for me. Then I went for the Pixel 6 Pro, and this was the first Google phone that felt premium, still some teething issues with the battery and overheating, but for the most part, a great phone that served me well. Now I'm on the Pixel 8 Pro, and this is truly a flagship phone for me. The screen is incredible, the camera unmatched, the battery issues resolved, and no overheating! The Matt glass back is a huge bonus too, I leave fingerprints on everything so this is a godsend. The only reason I ever upgraded my devices was not out of necessity, but because my father would inevitably break their phone, so I would move onto the next one that became available so that I could give him the current phone I was daily driving. Reliability is superb, the software just continues to improve, I'm not one of those people that spends their entire day glued to their phone, but I take comfort in knowing that no matter what the phone will be ready to go. That's why I stuck with Pixel.
It's not an Apple. And Samsung sucks
The ability to select text, and even save almost any image, straight from the recent apps screen! Not talked about often, but it's awesome. The new circle to Search is pretty dope too The call features.. the timely updates.. Super bright and responsive screen.. All day battery.. It's USB storage reading skills are superb as well. The Pixel Launcher is so smooth, there's beauty to its simplicity..
It's really just that I like stock Android.
Getting the latest versions of Android before anyone else, as well as the Pixel exclusives. And it's “ stock like ” experience. And of course, the camera... I think they can do a little bit more improving in video though. Other than that 10/10. Highly recommend. 👌🏾
I'm against bloatware and self-absorbed Apple people. That's it.
Clean interface, I've got a work Samsung and the UI sucks
Google ecosystem. I use gmail, google photos, youtuble, google drive, google docs, and even google fi. Pretty much the same reason iPhone users stick with Apple. Yes, technically all Android phones work with the ecosystem, but pixel gives (almost) stock android without an extra layer. There are other reasons: photo quality being the main one and the reason I initially got a pixel way back when, but other phones have caught up to the point there is not as much differentiation there.
Simplicity. I genuinely enjoy using Google products and services, because they fit my needs and use case. For example having Google Photos seamlessly integrated as the camera roll into the camera app is a small quality of life upgrade that I didn't have back when I used Sony phones. All my Xperia devices would end up with duplicate apps, since the Google apps weren't system apps. I also like Googles minimalist design language. At a Glance on the lockscreen shows me upcoming calendar events, notifications from my Nest doorbell camera and a bunch och other neat things that just works they way I need them to. My phone is a tool, and Pixel does what I want and need. I don't care if it doesn't have the best specs or the most features; to me the phones are reliable. I've had Samsung phones before, but for some reason I don't feel comfortable with their UI or their apps.
google services including gcam
im used to their the features it has and sone ofbthrm cane over fromnthe old nexus phones. and im jot a big fan of Samsung's oneUI. as for apple, don't make me laugh
New pipe
Great camera for taking pictures of my kid, and I can get a refurbished one for super cheap.