Note 7, S7E, V20 users switching to Pixel - Google Pixel XL Questions & Answers

For those of us like myself who had the Note 7, and now the S7 Edge or who have the V20 all these feature packed phones, would going to a Pixel XL be boring to us? I know the Pixel doesn't have the gimmicks like the Note, but do you consider the butter smooth software, and great camera a trade off?

Blues fan said:
For those of us like myself who had the Note 7, and now the S7 Edge or who have the V20 all these feature packed phones, would going to a Pixel XL be boring to us? I know the Pixel doesn't have the gimmicks like the Note, but do you consider the butter smooth software, and great camera a trade off?
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To be honest I love how buttery smooth the pixel xl is compared to my nexus 6p. I never use any of the fancy features that other phones have I mainly focus on performance. I've had the nexus 7, 10, 6 and 6p and would say if you want performance, come to the pixel xl. If you want fancy features, stick with your current phone

Yeah, the Pixel is VERY boring. Google basically went with iPhone ideology on this one. The only redeeming quality of the Pixel is Project FI, which is really economical for a low data user such as myself.
I almost cried a little when I put my beloved Note7 in a fire-proof box last night.

nabbed said:
Yeah, the Pixel is VERY boring. Google basically went with iPhone ideology on this one. The only redeeming quality of the Pixel is Project FI, which is really economical for a low data user such as myself.
I almost cried a little when I put my beloved Note7 in a fire-proof box last night.
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Um wouldn't go that far dude. It's still Google software. It's not that much different than the nexus experience. It's definitely no where as boring as iPhone. That's just crazy talk lol.

toknitup420 said:
Um wouldn't go that far dude. It's still Google software. It's not that much different than the nexus experience. It's definitely no where as boring as iPhone. That's just crazy talk lol.
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Fair point. Pixel XL is about as boring as Boston is compared to Vegas.

nabbed said:
Fair point. Pixel XL is about as boring as Boston is compared to Vegas.
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Hey I'm from Boston lol. Vegas is def more fun than here lol.

toknitup420 said:
Hey I'm from Boston lol. Vegas is def more fun than here lol.
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Note 7 was a hoot! Really! And I've seen them all- Nexus One, HTC Evo/4G/3D, Epic 4G Touch. Pixel is not one of them. And I use one! Sorry, and sorry!

I own the v20, s7e and pixel xl. While the pixel out of the box is plain that's not my main point of getting it it. I'm a nexus user and when I killed my 6p 4 months ago I felt lost. Got the Samsung and hate bloat and ui, then v20 came out and while it's got decent hardware I'm just not super impressed with it.
Got my pixel and haven't looked back, it is my daily driver while v20 is work phone and s7e goes to my 6 year old ha.

rustyjay said:
I own the v20, s7e and pixel xl. While the pixel out of the box is plain that's not my main point of getting it it. I'm a nexus user and when I killed my 6p 4 months ago I felt lost. Got the Samsung and hate bloat and ui, then v20 came out and while it's got decent hardware I'm just not super impressed with it.
Got my pixel and haven't looked back, it is my daily driver while v20 is work phone and s7e goes to my 6 year old ha.
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In your post, you mentioned current high-end phones - LG V20, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and, Google Pixel XL. (Hey, I have the Pixel XL -HIGH-FIVE!) But what you didn't mention is the excitement factor- if you spend over $900 US dollars on a phone, you want something special. You better want something special, unless you are a billionaire and the leader of the Free Wor...
Never Mind!
Hey! We are both stuck with the best phone money can buy, Pixel XL. And it sucks compared to the Note 7 (which I just returned to a cold-hearted US Cellular rep who couldn't print a simpl.... Never mind!
My point is, in 2016, we are both cucked (except I didn't say cucked.) We have been robbed, and we have been had.
Instead of enjoyment of our labors, we were given the finger and a Pixel XL.
I'm going slightly mad...

nabbed said:
In your post, you mentioned current high-end phones - LG V20, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and, Google Pixel XL. (Hey, I have the Pixel XL -HIGH-FIVE!) But what you didn't mention is the excitement factor- if you spend over $900 US dollars on a phone, you want something special. You better want something special, unless you are a billionaire and the leader of the Free Wor...
Never Mind!
Hey! We are both stuck with the best phone money can buy, Pixel XL. And it sucks compared to the Note 7 (which I just returned to a cold-hearted US Cellular rep who couldn't print a simpl.... Never mind!
My point is, in 2016, we are both cucked (except I didn't say cucked.) We have been robbed, and we have been had.
Instead of enjoyment of our labors, we were given the finger and a Pixel XL.
I'm going slightly mad...
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I'm not mad at all, I knew exactly what I was getting. Wife had the note 7 bomb and while it's a nice phone it still can't do what the unlocked pixel can. I've been building Roms for the nexus since Nexus s and all the gimmicky gadgets and bloat don't add up to the freedom this phone brings you.

I'm coming from a Galaxy S5 and I couldn't agree more! Never thought I'd say it but newer touch whiz does offer some very nice features that you don't realize until you don't have them. Kinda crazy to go from that to such a new expensive phone and not be that impressed at all. I actually think it's better to have a phone running a skinned version of Android as long as the bootloader can be unlocked. When it comes to development there are far more options then. Take the S5 for example. Most of its life we only had root. Even with just root the devs were able to do some amazing things with touch whiz. Once the bootloader got unlocked is when it got fun. We had so many options. You could install a modified TouchWiz ROM.. you could run a port from another phone.. or you could run AOSP.
I know everyone says development will pick up for this phone but you would think there would be some more action already. Even when things so start to pick up how far will it really go? We are basically limited to going back and forth between different AOSP roms which are mostly all exactly the same with minor differences throughout.
I'm on Verizon so I know my options are limited but I got this phone for only $140 and if there was another newish phone with lots of development going on I would sell it and get that.

Blues fan said:
For those of us like myself who had the Note 7, and now the S7 Edge or who have the V20 all these feature packed phones, would going to a Pixel XL be boring to us? I know the Pixel doesn't have the gimmicks like the Note, but do you consider the butter smooth software, and great camera a trade off?
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Let me put it this way.
All the "features" "gimmicks" them others gotta put in their phones because otherwise they'd be slow craptastic shooters.
I miss nothing those other phones have, none of the gimmicks. I enjoy and use my pixel xl way more than my previous phones. Thats just imho, YMMV
As for something special for $900, it's the latest greatest Google hype train, if you ain't got one or you're still waiting on your delivery, you just ain't in... you get to say you had Google's first phone, you're a pioneer, living on the edge, avant-garde, first with daydream vr, first to use assistant, even though she doesn't do much now. Basically.

rustyjay said:
I'm not mad at all, I knew exactly what I was getting. Wife had the note 7 bomb and while it's a nice phone it still can't do what the unlocked pixel can. I've been building Roms for the nexus since Nexus s and all the gimmicky gadgets and bloat don't add up to the freedom this phone brings you.
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Your "Wife" had the "note bomb," didn't she?
And that bomb couldn't do, STILL couldn't do, what my unlocked Pixel could?
Do you truly believe that?

nabbed said:
Your "Wife" had the "note bomb," didn't she?
And that bomb couldn't do, STILL couldn't do, what my unlocked Pixel could?
Do you truly believe that?
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Absolutely

rustyjay said:
Absolutely
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We have a wonderful phone, don't we?!

The xl is good but three things I'm not impressed with. It's too big compared to the g4 with the same screen. It's too slippery in the hand. If the bottom bezel was smaller at least you could teach around the screen without losing the phone. The camera is not as good as the g4, though it is pretty good.
Things I love. Developer phone! (I have the Google one) fast updates.

aholeinthewor1d said:
I'm coming from a Galaxy S5 and I couldn't agree more! Never thought I'd say it but newer touch whiz does offer some very nice features that you don't realize until you don't have them. Kinda crazy to go from that to such a new expensive phone and not be that impressed at all. I actually think it's better to have a phone running a skinned version of Android as long as the bootloader can be unlocked. When it comes to development there are far more options then. Take the S5 for example. Most of its life we only had root. Even with just root the devs were able to do some amazing things with touch whiz. Once the bootloader got unlocked is when it got fun. We had so many options. You could install a modified TouchWiz ROM.. you could run a port from another phone.. or you could run AOSP.
I know everyone says development will pick up for this phone but you would think there would be some more action already. Even when things so start to pick up how far will it really go? We are basically limited to going back and forth between different AOSP roms which are mostly all exactly the same with minor differences throughout.
I'm on Verizon so I know my options are limited but I got this phone for only $140 and if there was another newish phone with lots of development going on I would sell it and get that.
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I came from S5 as well and am definitely missing all the custom roms right now. The TouchWiz based roms were OK but there is always something that is just ugly with TouchWiz that can't be changed and that drives me nuts. I am excited to get some custom roms on the Pixel XL that actually keep the quality of the camera. That was always a trade-off with AOSP based roms on the S5.
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA Labs

I've had mutiple Samsung's, HTC and nexuses. Beside the notes s pen, which I didn't use, what can those phones do that a pixel cant? Either with stock or custom ROM. Secondly, a nexus boring? The reason I came back to a nexus is cause all those other phones are boring. If you think a nexus is boring, you need to dive a little deeper into XDA and learn about the things a nexus can do...far from boring

Had a note 7 replaced my Nexus 6 with it. Was a great phone replaced it with the pixel xl and it's not boring but I didn't use a lot of the Samsung gimmicky stuff. I missed not have bloat when I got the note 7. My wife has the v20 not my thing and the s7e is basically the note 7 with no pen. So if you are looking for a change get the pixel. BTW it is faster and smoother then any of the other phones. Like the Nexus line it will be updated to the latest version of Android first

I came from note 7 which was great. I only miss water resistant and the pen. This phone feels a lot faster, plus I like that I can do multi screen with Netflix. The battery is good enough for me. Camera is great. I don't have much to complain about. Those 3 things outweighs the missing features since it's my main 3 things I look for in a phone. Plus pure android.... I dislike apple

Related

The pixel or the v20?

What's your opinion?
Pixel for sure. AI and VR are about to hit big time and that's a big part of what the Pixel is all about.
V20? Are you serious?
Ok it will have better audio-capabilities, but apart from that, it's crap compared to Pixels.
Starting with the awful LG interface.
Tough decision. Quad DAC, removable battery, IR blaster on the V20 versus a better smaller screen on the Pixel (in my opinion) and frankly an old school 2014 design but with pure Android. I am actually conflicted on which way to go since I have the Note 7. Its a valid question that many are trying to figure out (which is why Im here). The screen on the V20 will be the deciding factor for me and I will need to see it in person.. I like things about both phones. I wish there was a device that offered the best of both but not this year.
I preordered the Pixel XL but when reviews are out for one of both and one gets better reviews I stick with that one. V20 might have a better camera but could have short battery life and I don't care about changeable batteries. The Pixel has stock Android which is pretty dull after a while. Don't care about VR or personal assistant. That won't be big until I get my next phone anyway.
The Pixel SUCKS!!!! :laugh:
Kidding... I don't know for sure, I'm just chiming in.
I'd personally choose the LG V20. I don't care about VR.
I just read what was captured from a Reddit post and the images from the Pixel look great along with the video/stabilization. The guy has cleaned all video and posts, seems like he got in trouble. He claimed he had 4 hours SOT with 53% battery left. I will need to see more reports but seems promising even with the bezels. lol, maybe you guys have already seen all that.
I watched a lot of V20 pre-release reviews on Youtube and got some hands-on time at an ATT store today. It seems like a very nice phone. For $830 (at ATT), I would rather pay the extra $39 and get a 128GB Pixel XL (I have one pre-ordered). I wouldn't take advantage of the fancy DAC on the V20. Removable battery is nice, but I never used that on my older Samsung phones even though I had an extra battery. I use to be a big removable storage fan, but with 128GB of fast memory in the pixel, removable storage seems minor. Updates will likely be much better on Pixel. Both phones appear to have a really good camera. I think the V20 would have to be about $650 or less to get me to seriously consider it.
Coming from the V10, I swapped batteries like they were going out of style, SOT wasn't great. I had never owned a non removable battery device until the Note 7 and made it work so,..There are so many "compromises" on all phones this year except the Note 7. Sad situation. I had the V10 so I am reluctant to go back to an IPS panel (personal preference) The Pixel is growing on me the more I see, not sure where I will end up at this point but know I have to take back my Note 7 so I need to figure it out.
I've had the G3, G4, V10 and my wife has the G5. Needless to say, huge LG fan. But, I have to root, go through all the trouble to ultimately make the phone more of a pure Google experience. Do not having to root to get a great UI, plus for pixel.
Next, I had the bootloop of death on my V10 two weeks ago so I got a Nexus 6p to try out while I waited for my replacement V10. That was it for me. I sat and watched all the security updates flow onto the phone! Wow, how impressive! Then got to use nougat pure and loved it. I didn't want to go back to nth V10. That's a tough thing for me to say as a huge fan of LG.
So at the end of the day, I'm going pixel. Here's my reasons.
1. Constant updates including security updates.
2. Purity. Maybe I finally won't have to root as phone!
3. Camera! Quality yes... But speed to take a picture! If it's anything at all like the nexus, I'm sold
4. I could care less about DAC. I haven't used wired phones in years.
5. 128gig, more than enough to not miss removable storage and let's face it, Google has been making consistently more annoying to even have a phone with it.
6. 2nd screen is cool but not particularly useful.
You are all right. But the nexus 6p had such a choppy expiriance.
The v20 is cheaper, same quality camera (more or less) and the IPS panel is great and close enough to amoled .
The issue is that we don't really know what to expect from the pixel.
Its a under clocked CPU with pure android and good camera. And there is a strong chance that most of us will will root it.
The v20 is cheaper with better sound qualities and also gonna be rooted to give us a pure expiriance.
Its a 5.7 screen and has an always on display.
Does the pixel really trump the v20?
mgymnop said:
I preordered the Pixel XL but when reviews are out for one of both and one gets better reviews I stick with that one. V20 might have a better camera but could have short battery life and I don't care about changeable batteries. The Pixel has stock Android which is pretty dull after a while. Don't care about VR or personal assistant. That won't be big until I get my next phone anyway.
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I see your are from Germany, where did you pre-order Pixel? Thanks
I asked the same question. Don't let fanboys sway your decision. They both have pros and cons. I have had very bad issues wirh LG as far as text lag, screen throttle, scrolling lag, etc. At the same time, the pixel offers nothing new, no wow factor.
I chose the pixel simply becwuse I'm pressed to give up this note 7 and the pixel is available to order while LG, once again shows why they're not a serious player. They failed to take advantage of this Samsung screw up in the US where we still, a month or so later, have no release date.
Sent from my SM-N930V using XDA-Developers mobile app
BuzzFuzz said:
I see your are from Germany, where did you pre-order Pixel? Thanks
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I am from Germany but live in the US. Can't answer your question regarding Europe. Gruss aus San Diego
Rippley05 said:
I asked the same question. Don't let fanboys sway your decision. They both have pros and cons. I have had very bad issues wirh LG as far as text lag, screen throttle, scrolling lag, etc. At the same time, the pixel offers nothing new, no wow factor.
I chose the pixel simply becwuse I'm pressed to give up this note 7 and the pixel is available to order while LG, once again shows why they're not a serious player. They failed to take advantage of this Samsung screw up in the US where we still, a month or so later, have no release date.
Sent from my SM-N930V using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Right, I am with you. Just returned the note 7 and I am looking for a replacement.
My wife has the LG G4 and she loves it and a good friend of mine has the V10 and he loves it.
I don't see a lag in any of them and when I compared the phones to my note 7 I was really jealous since the note has horrible lags.
You can buy the v20 unlocked at B&H and get a tablet with it for 870$, which is already almost 100 less from what I paid for the pixel. Plus you get a bigger screen with the V20, better audio, SD card slot, Dual camera (which will be pretty good and close to the pixel) and Nuget.
So at this point I am really baffled as to what I want to get.
borisb said:
Right, I am with you. Just returned the note 7 and I am looking for a replacement.
My wife has the LG G4 and she loves it and a good friend of mine has the V10 and he loves it.
I don't see a lag in any of them and when I compared the phones to my note 7 I was really jealous since the note has horrible lags.
You can buy the v20 unlocked at B&H and get a tablet with it for 870$, which is already almost 100 less from what I paid for the pixel. Plus you get a bigger screen with the V20, better audio, SD card slot, Dual camera (which will be pretty good and close to the pixel) and Nuget.
So at this point I am really baffled as to what I want to get.
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Just canceled my order of the Pixel XL. T-Mobile had a great offer for the V20. 200 bucks trade-in for my old phone, free B&O headphones and a free tablet (which I don't need but will give to my nephew). The phone altogether costs me slightly above 550 bucks. In comparison to the almost 1,000.00 for the Pixel XL that seems like a steal even if I have to compromise with certain things. The Pixel has no wow effect other than some software gimmicks. I will get a Pixel 2nd gen next year. Hopefully then with some fantastic hardware.
I played with the V20 the other day in the AT&T store, it was just "okay" in my opinion. I am much more excited to play with the Pixel XL.
Birdsfan said:
I played with the V20 the other day in the AT&T store, it was just "okay" in my opinion. I am much more excited to play with the Pixel XL.
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I played with the v20 and it was more than alright, its an amazing phone. I'm torn between the pixel and the v20 so I ordered both and will return the one that I don't want. The pixel will have my development by far!!!
TechBSwift said:
I played with the v20 and it was more than alright, its an amazing phone. I'm torn between the pixel and the v20 so I ordered both and will return the one that I don't want. The pixel will have my development by far!!!
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To each his own, if you were digging it great, just didn't wow me. Now I am still mourning the loss of my Note7 so you know nothing is really exciting me now
Birdsfan said:
To each his own, if you were digging it great, just didn't wow me. Now I am still mourning the loss of my Note7 so you know nothing is really exciting me now
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I'm with you bro, hands down the note 7 is king. Remember that stupid saying " it's better to love and lost, rather than never finding love at all"... That's some untrue bs

Moving from SG8

Anyone gone from an S8 to a 2xl? Bit bored of Samsung now and tempted to switch. Doesn't look like the S9 will be groundbreaking.
What features will I miss? Iris scanner I think is the main one, using it to log into websites etc is great.
Is there much performance difference between the two? I've heard that everything is supposed to be much smoother on the pixel.
Hello, I have a Galaxy S8+ now using a pixel 2 XL
And you are correct it is so much smoother.
Also the Sound is great. Also the Camera is nothing short of fantastic.
You must bear in mind there is no "themes" you can change it with some 3rd party.
Other than that it's Android no bloatware overlay. Hope this helps.
Great, thanks. So overall do you prefer the Pixel?
The only theme I use on my SGS8 is to make it more stock android, so I'm fine without that.
Nick676 said:
Great, thanks. So overall do you prefer the Pixel?
The only theme I use on my SGS8 is to make it more stock android, so I'm fine without that.
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Ive done that move and I almost regret it.
The Pixel 2 XL feels nowhere as premium as the S8, keep that in mind. And the screen on the S8 is gorgeous, while Pixel's is kinda crap.
I moved from the Galaxy Note8 on 22nd Dec and I haven't looked back. Don't miss anything.
Primarily did it for stock Android (I'm a former Nexus 4 and Nexus 6 owner) which I missed, prompt updates direct from Google, and better camera. The Note8 lagged, the Pixel 2 XL flies along. Also, there is no Samsung bloat (an equivalent Samsung app for everything) and, probably most importantly, there isn't a ton of Samsung background tasks constantly running.
I haven't experienced any of the reported problems with the Pixel 2 XL, with the exception of having to switch USB debugging mode in order to transfer files from a PC. Also, the blue shift is no worse than the red/pink shift on my Note8.
Between my Nexus 6 and Note8, I had a Galaxy S7 Edge for a year, which I loved, it was a great phone, but it's going to take a lot to get me away from Pixels now.
sjgore said:
I moved from the Galaxy Note8 on 22nd Dec and I haven't looked back. Don't miss anything.
Primarily did it for stock Android (I'm a former Nexus 4 and Nexus 6 owner) which I missed, prompt updates direct from Google, and better camera. The Note8 lagged, the Pixel 2 XL flies along. Also, there is no Samsung bloat (an equivalent Samsung app for everything) and, probably most importantly, there isn't a ton of Samsung background tasks constantly running.
I haven't experienced any of the reported problems with the Pixel 2 XL, with the exception of having to switch USB debugging mode in order to transfer files from a PC. Also, the blue shift is no worse than the red/pink shift on my Note8.
Between my Nexus 6 and Note8, I had a Galaxy S7 Edge for a year, which I loved, it was a great phone, but it's going to take a lot to get me away from Pixels now.
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That's all good to hear, especially as the Note is meant to be a bit faster than the S8. Think I'll go ahead and get one ordered!
I came from the S8+ to the Pixel 2XL. I don't regret it, but I definitely loved my S8+ as well. Both have their pro's and cons. In the end I prefer the Pixel 2XL tho. Everything is just so much smoother and such a nicer experience. Enjoy your Pixel! Love all the updates too!
My fiancee now has my S8+ coming from years of iPhone....she swears she'll never go back to Apple lol. I love her more now haha.
Mr Patchy Patch said:
I came from the S8+ to the Pixel 2XL. I don't regret it, but I definitely loved my S8+ as well. Both have their pro's and cons. In the end I prefer the Pixel 2XL tho. Everything is just so much smoother and such a nicer experience. Enjoy your Pixel! Love all the updates too!
My fiancee now has my S8+ coming from years of iPhone....she swears she'll never go back to Apple lol. I love her more now haha.
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They need to be freed, one person at a time
Yes I do, but then it's a new model/ experience, but on the whole it is a very smooth experience
Mr Patchy Patch said:
I came from the S8+ to the Pixel 2XL. I don't regret it, but I definitely loved my S8+ as well. Both have their pro's and cons. In the end I prefer the Pixel 2XL tho. Everything is just so much smoother and such a nicer experience. Enjoy your Pixel! Love all the updates too!
My fiancee now has my S8+ coming from years of iPhone....she swears she'll never go back to Apple lol. I love her more now haha.
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Better marry that girl! :good::good:
I moved from an S7 Edge, and I couldn't be happier. This thing BLOWS away the S7 in every aspect. No bloat, zero lag, updates as soon as they're released instead of 3 - 6 months later. The camera is amazing, even the front camera takes awesome shots. And regardless of what people on here say, the screen is great too. Maybe not quite an S8, but I put it side by side with my S7 and the Pixel screen was the winner (blue shift yes, but the s7 just went blacker). Also, you can root no problem, although I haven't yet felt the need for it. Also, you'll appreciate it several months down the road when your phone hasn't been deliberately slowed down with updates (like my S7).
Badger50 said:
Better marry that girl! :good::good:
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Every intention on it. That's why she's my fiancee lol.

S8+ to Pixel 2 XL?

Was considering the leap. I had the Moto X Pure prior to the S8+ and I miss the front facing speakers....not sure if it's worth the trouble though....
Any thoughts?
I've been able to play with the S8+ a lot, my ex-had it. In my personal opinion, I'd take the Pixel 2 XL over that phone any day. It's just my two cents.
Been there, done that! The Pixel XL 2 is the best device I've had going into 2018!
i couple of people at work work have the s8+ - and let's just say I'm glad I have my penguin
I miss flashing too. I had a ton of freedom on the Moto X Pure. Moving to the S8+ and all of it's restrictions has been tough. I think the S8+ is a beautiful phone but too locked down for this flashaholic. I'm assuming the whole "screen" issue with the Pixel 2 is negligible?
I had the S8+ before. The quality of the device was more premium but the software on the S8+ sucked. I just hated Bixby, the half baked iris scanner and the bloated software in general. I never used any of the Samsung-specific apps like calendar, health, music...For me they are just redundant apps. Glad to have a pure Android again.
While it's not the S8+, prior to owning my 2XL I had an S8 for about 4 months.
- The S8 (and S8+) screen is considerably more crisp, with better clarity and better colors.
- Wireless charging with the S8 is something I miss every single day.
- Touchwiz has become surprisingly great. Over my 4 months of usage, the phone never lagged/stuttered once.
But...
- The front facing speakers on the 2XL are fantastic.
- The fingerprint reader on the 2XL is placed in a MUCH better spot.
- The 2XL camera is notably better in every day usage.
While I do miss some things from the S8, I have no regrets about switching to the 2XL. Especially because even though Touchwiz is perfectly snappy these days, you still can't beat the smoothness and overall feel of pure Android on the 2XL.
Man, I REALLY appreciate the feedback so far. This is def making my decision easier. My S8+ is Mint condition so it shouldn't be much of an investment switching. I'm a HUGE fan of Swappa. It's been years since I've bought a "brand new" phone. I was originally leaning towards the V30 but that idea totally faded. Rumors are around that the S9 will have dual speakers, BUT...... obviously still too locked down.
My S8+ just got shipped out today to it's new owner. I couldn't be happier. I wouldn't say the Samsung has "better" colors. It's just more saturated and I'm sure we all appreciate that in Samsung devices. But this phone amazing. I said it in another thread. My S8+ was like a Ferrari with a bad tune. Make it look pretty and go fast, and put all these Bells and whistles on it. But the tune is bad your milage is going to tank and it leads to lag. This phone may not be the most aesthetically pleasing. But its got the same internals. I never used to understand why people complained about lag in Samsung phones until I tried my pixel. I'm not sure if I'll go back lol.
MacTheRipperr said:
My S8+ just got shipped out today to it's new owner. I couldn't be happier. I wouldn't say the Samsung has "better" colors. It's just more saturated and I'm sure we all appreciate that in Samsung devices. But this phone amazing. I said it in another thread. My S8+ was like a Ferrari with a bad tune. Make it look pretty and go fast, and put all these Bells and whistles on it. But the tune is bad your milage is going to tank and it leads to lag. This phone may not be the most aesthetically pleasing. But its got the same internals. I never used to understand why people complained about lag in Samsung phones until I tried my pixel. I'm not sure if I'll go back lol.
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Welcome to the Dark Side young Obiwan!??
Yeah hands down this is the best phone i've owned. The "problems" everyone is talking about I would guess 75% of the people who talk about them would have never noticed them or made a big deal if they didnt read reviews on it
djcrystals said:
I was originally leaning towards the V30 but that idea totally faded. Rumors are around that the S9 will have dual speakers, BUT...... obviously still too locked down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a V30 for 3 weeks when it was first released on T-Mobile. Sadly, thanks to LGs meddling in Android's smooth and simple user experience, the phone is garbage.
The hardware is great, it has wireless charging, and the phone has excellent 'in hand' feel. But the UI ruins the whole experience. No matter how much myself, and many others in the V30 sub forum, tried to de-bloat the phone, it still lagged and stuttered constantly in normal usage.
The amount of unnecessary, redundant background services that LG added into the OS on the V30 is mind boggling. Also, the camera is just "OK" compared to my S8 and 2 XL. And there is no unlocking/rooting the carrier locked versions of the V30. So custom AOSP ROMs are out of the question for that phone.
It's such a shame because the phone had such great potential and I'd even argue that if that V30 just had simple, untouched, pure Android it would be just as good as the 2XL, substituting wireless charging for the best in class camera and dual front facing speakers for better in hand feel.
That is sad to hear about the V30. I was super pumped reading about it prior to its release. Thanks for the info @sn0warmy. I make a habit of checking past and possibly future phones and their dedicated threads here on XDA. It is fun to see where all the action is. There are most def some dedicated people working on the Snapdragon S8+/S8 forums but you can sense some frustration when it comes to the limitations being imposed by the carriers. What REALLY sucks is you are intertwined with the international version folks whom have the ability to unlock and use custom recovery. Of course, that's the case with many of the phones nowadays. Anyhew, I am def excited to be jumping ship here and switching units. You guys have def help increased my excitement level.
I have the note 8 & pixel 2 XL. Both have pros & cons.
Pixel camera is better
Pixel Battery is better
Pixel speakers are better
Note has wireless charging
Note has spen
Note screen is better
They are close I feel but pixel is my daily driver for the time being
This threads Pixel XL 2 pro's are music to my ears!
While the S8+ was an absolute fantastic phone, I gave it to my fiancee and bought the Pixel 2XL and haven't looked back. Either phone is fantastic tho. Happier with my P2XL.
Pulled the trigger today and ordered one. Thanks again for the feedback. It made my decision to switch quite simple.
djcrystals said:
Pulled the trigger today and ordered one. Thanks again for the feedback. It made my decision to switch quite simple.
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Click to collapse
Awesome! What color did you get?? You'll have to let us know what you think when it comes in!
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
oneandroidnut said:
Awesome! What color did you get?? You'll have to let us know what you think when it comes in!
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got black. I had a really hard time trying to explain to my wife why it is I'm switching since we just bought the S8+s...... she's always been a die-hard Sammy fan though. I haven't been dedicated to any brand. I just prefer there to be some freedom when it comes to hackability. So, I'll be around, permanently, next week.
djcrystals said:
I got black. I had a really hard time trying to explain to my wife why it is I'm switching since we just bought the S8+s...... she's always been a die-hard Sammy fan though. I haven't been dedicated to any brand. I just prefer there to be some freedom when it comes to hackability. So, I'll be around, permanently, next week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah Samsung doesn't allow for that anymore! I remember the days of the developer note boy was it amazing!

Get the Pixel 2 XL or the SGS9?

So, I want to treat myself with a truly great phone this year. I have my birthday in April, so I need your help. I have a few choices:
1) Get the Pixel 2 XL - THE camera, Awesome battery life, IN-HOUSE software, though sporting a last-gen 835, not the greatest screen
2) Grab the S9 if it's any good - supposedly great camera (SPECULATION, don't be mad, this is just theory), but everything else? It is Samsung, whose last phone I had was an S3 Neo (crappy software). What do you Think? IF the SGS9 is actually better than the pixel, should I get it? Should I trade good, snappy software, for, well, Samsung experience?
3) Wait until the Pixel 3... - Yeah, I really do not want to have this as an option, but here it is. After all, my Z5 is still holding up nicely and I kinda want the iPhone of the Android world (yes, that's the Pixel)
Cheers,
Alex
Security updates, guaranteed project treble and 2 major updates are big selling for me. Plus you know you're going to have one of the best camera this year, and maybe camera keeps improving with updates.
Plus, with the release of pixel 3 and new camera technologies, you might see them ported for the Pixel 2 by some good XDA developers.
I'd only pick the S9 if you like media consumption (a.k.a good screen) or actually like samsung experience.
SpeederT12 said:
So, I want to treat myself with a truly great phone this year. I have my birthday in April, so I need your help. I have a few choices:
1) Get the Pixel 2 XL - THE camera, Awesome battery life, IN-HOUSE software, though sporting a last-gen 835, not the greatest screen
2) Grab the S9 if it's any good - supposedly great camera (SPECULATION, don't be mad, this is just theory), but everything else? It is Samsung, whose last phone I had was an S3 Neo (crappy software). What do you Think? IF the SGS9 is actually better than the pixel, should I get it? Should I trade good, snappy software, for, well, Samsung experience?
3) Wait until the Pixel 3... - Yeah, I really do not want to have this as an option, but here it is. After all, my Z5 is still holding up nicely and I kinda want the iPhone of the Android world (yes, that's the Pixel)
Cheers,
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fwiw....it's whatever your the most happy with. Wait until the S9 comes out, and go play with them side by side, and see what you like the best. I'm totally happy with my P2XL, love the ability to root and mod all I want. Having said that, my wife's 8+ is a pleasure to look at. The screen is about as good as it gets, although I'm not a fan of the edge display, and the UI, although beautiful to look at, is just not as smooth as mine. Then there's the updates. If that's important to you, then there's no comparison. I really hope this edge display thing goes away soon, I hate it!!! Not to mention, a phone drop at the right angle, and it's off to the repair shop it goes! Happy hunting ??
Badger50 said:
Fwiw....it's whatever your the most happy with. Wait until the S9 comes out, and go play with them side by side, and see what you like the best. I'm totally happy with my P2XL, love the ability to root and mod all I want. Having said that, my wife's 8+ is a pleasure to look at. The screen is about as good as it gets, although I'm not a fan of the edge display, and the UI, although beautiful to look at, is just not as smooth as mine. Then there's the updates. If that's important to you, then there's no comparison. I really hope this edge display thing goes away soon, I hate it!!! Not to mention, a phone drop at the right angle, and it's off to the repair shop it goes! Happy hunting ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, there's the problem - playing with them. I live in Bulgaria, Which means I haven't seen a Pixel 2 Irl and there's nowhere to play around with one. We shall see, the pixel 2 xl is really pulling me in, is it bad that It'll already be superseded when I buy it?
SpeederT12 said:
Yeah, there's the problem - playing with them. I live in Bulgaria, Which means I haven't seen a Pixel 2 Irl and there's nowhere to play around with one. We shall see, the pixel 2 xl is really pulling me in, is it bad that It'll already be superseded when I buy it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bulgaria huh...yeah I can see that as potentially problematic! ? Lets face it my friend, it's the tech world. The minute we buy something, it's old news 6 months latter! Good thing is, if you do get the P2XL, you'll have the latest software updates for 3 years! Decisions, decisions, what to do?? I kinda miss the day's of the flip phone being the norm. Decisions were much easier then ?
Well anything Samsung is gonna have laggier Samsung experience and very slow updates
Personal preference
Do you want stock Android or TouchWiz
Do you want fast updates or not
I like getting new features/updates quickly and for a long time and am allergic to TouchWiz from the S3Neo times. Though it might have changed now.
Imo the choice consists of deciding what's most important for you: having the latest available hardware for 12 months or having the latest available software for 2-3 years
Personally I came to the conclusion that I would be happier with a phone that is slightly slower in benchmarks (but still crazy fast in real life usage) and a phone that runs the latest available and closest to "stock Android" version possible.
I have no doubt the S9+ will be a terrific phone, but after many years using Sammy devices I got bored I felt I needed a more "pure" user experience, I never regretted doing the switch
Phones are so fast these days that I don't think there's that much benefits in upgrading every year to have the newest SoC possible. On the other hand choosing the software/user experience that is the best for you makes a big difference in the long run
Go with pixel 2. I haven't even touched my note 8. And I loved that phone
Your call,the Pixel 2 is here now, and the others have yet to be released....
This is why I always get phones within a month of release. You'll forever have "But in a few months the next [phone] will be released" in your mind. By the time the S9 is out, the Pixel 2XL will be 5-6 months "old" which will still be doing well but the S9 will have the latest and greatest hardware at the time. If vanilla vs skinned isn't a big deal for you, just wait it out for the S9 then. But if you think you're Z5 will do until the fall, then Pixel 3.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
EeZeEpEe said:
This is why I always get phones within a month of release. You'll forever have "But in a few months the next [phone] will be released" in your mind. By the time the S9 is out, the Pixel 2XL will be 5-6 months "old" which will still be doing well but the S9 will have the latest and greatest hardware at the time. If vanilla vs skinned isn't a big deal for you, just wait it out for the S9 then. But if you think you're Z5 will do until the fall, then Pixel 3.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not know, I've had some pretty bad experiences with TouchWiz before, so I want to taste Android as it was meant to be. Besides, I'll be travelling a lot this summer so I'll need a better phone. I think I might as well go with the 2XL. Next thing, where do I get it? :d With me being in Bulgaria, the only choices are asking relatives to import from the UK/Germany. Are they sold in physical shops (not hooked to network providers though)? I might not get a chance to import it from the States, so I'm stuck with the higher European prices.
SpeederT12 said:
I do not know, I've had some pretty bad experiences with TouchWiz before, so I want to taste Android as it was meant to be. Besides, I'll be travelling a lot this summer so I'll need a better phone. I think I might as well go with the 2XL. Next thing, where do I get it? :d With me being in Bulgaria, the only choices are asking relatives to import from the UK/Germany. Are they sold in physical shops (not hooked to network providers though)? I might not get a chance to import it from the States, so I'm stuck with the higher European prices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you are stuck with the European prices. Only available in store through Verizon wireless carrier. Everyone else gets it through the Google Store.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
SpeederT12 said:
So, I want to treat myself with a truly great phone this year. I have my birthday in April, so I need your help. I have a few choices:
......................
Cheers,
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bajasur said:
Personal preference
Do you want stock Android or TouchWiz
Do you want fast updates or not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What HE^^^^^^ said!
Not only that, the 2 XL is already seeing development, and is new enough, IF the S9 turns out to be something you really want, the 2 XL will still bring a good resale price to apply toward the S9.
I can't imagine anything coming out this year will blow away the 2 XL. The 2 XL is a really great device!
SpeederT12 said:
I do not know, I've had some pretty bad experiences with TouchWiz before, so I want to taste Android as it was meant to be. Besides, I'll be travelling a lot this summer so I'll need a better phone. I think I might as well go with the 2XL. Next thing, where do I get it? :d With me being in Bulgaria, the only choices are asking relatives to import from the UK/Germany. Are they sold in physical shops (not hooked to network providers though)? I might not get a chance to import it from the States, so I'm stuck with the higher European prices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine on eBay, couldnt wait, came from Ireland with stupid UK plug + adapter, but the seller is a German business
So far no problems, some blue tint that realy doesnt bother me, no burn-in nor bad speakers :good:
SpeederT12 said:
So, I want to treat myself with a truly great phone this year. I have my birthday in April, so I need your help. I have a few choices:
1) Get the Pixel 2 XL - THE camera, Awesome battery life, IN-HOUSE software, though sporting a last-gen 835, not the greatest screen
2) Grab the S9 if it's any good - supposedly great camera (SPECULATION, don't be mad, this is just theory), but everything else? It is Samsung, whose last phone I had was an S3 Neo (crappy software). What do you Think? IF the SGS9 is actually better than the pixel, should I get it? Should I trade good, snappy software, for, well, Samsung experience?
3) Wait until the Pixel 3... - Yeah, I really do not want to have this as an option, but here it is. After all, my Z5 is still holding up nicely and I kinda want the iPhone of the Android world (yes, that's the Pixel)
Cheers,
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is more important to you - the software or the hardware?
I stayed away from the Googles-devices because of the hardware: No SD card slot, no replaceable battery, the new ones don't have an analog audio output, there are phones with better screens on the market...
But my Samsung Galaxy S4 was the last phone I owned where you could install AOSP-based ROMs and enjoy all the features. the LG G5 would run only with the stock ROM if you wanted to actually use all of its features. LOS-based ROMs were full of bugs and gaps, like bluetooth not working. Also, the device has only a few developers because nowadays developers focus on OnePlus and Google devices.
So I had to flash the LG ROM, then the GApps and then remove all the LG apps.
At the end each upgrade took me an evening and I had still the LG ROM with all of its downsides, stuck at Android 7.0.
With the Pixel 2 XL, i get an update every month. I can install it easily without wasting time. The software is also top notch, for the first time in my life I have an Android phone without feeling the need to install a custom ROM. There is no bloat. The camera is fantastic.
So all in all, the Pixel 2 XL is the best phone I ever owned - for my personal needs.
But if you value e.g. an SD-card slot or an analog audio port higher than the software, go for the Samsung. It's your choice, but I would take the Pixel
I have Galaxy s8 + with Samsung experience 9.0 and I can tell you that isn't not bad at all but...
Faster updates, stock Android, really fast experience when you use it and the camera... My goodness... Google pixel 2 XL it's a beast.
And think that Android P it's arriving very soon and to Samsung maybe next year LOL
by the way I have a iPhone x too and try to know witch one it's my dayli driver ????? Yes Google pixel 2 XL

On the fence-Apple Fanboy with Pixel2 buys Note 10+

Just looking for some perspective here. I've had nearly all smartphones. I typically buy them used and sell them after I played with them. I've had every Samsung product up through Note 8 and while I like the productivity, it's just too busy to always have in your pocket and for a season in my life, too busy while in the car.
Fast forward to the Pixel 2. I really like how easy it is to use. Very much like iOS. I'm already fully invested in Google apps, love to take photos, tons of things stored in Google, drive etc.
Every time Samsung comes out with a new phone, I get all caught up in the height. I found an open box Note 10 plus at Best buy and I've used it, but it's currently in my drawer during the return period.
The Pixel 2 is just so easy to use with voice recognition and Google Assistant. Samsung for some reason still tends to be choppy when I try to use this. The camera, I can't really compare. The wide-angle lens is probably the nicest thing I've noticed. Not sure about that super stablization. Part of me just wants to have the newest phone.
Then you got the Pixel 4 coming out. This pixel 2 worked so well...I can't for the life of me figure out what feature the pixel 4 would have that would compel me to buy it.
Is there anyone else on the same fence, can you describe anything about the Note 10 that just makes it so superior?
here's the one thing that really bothers me. If I drop my pixel 2 on the concrete right now. It's probably $200 to totally replace it. Drop that note...and have mercy.
How are you running iOS on your Pixel? Sounds like you should keep using it.
This is the best screen out there. 12GB of RAM makes it unbelievably smooth and fast. I've never had a faster phone. Pictures, so far, have been outstanding. Not sure what you're looking for but this thing is a monster.
shollywood said:
How are you running iOS on your Pixel? Sounds like you should keep using it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have an iPhone currently, I had been content with my Pixel. It was most like IOs, clean in my opinion.
cfclay said:
I don't have an iPhone currently, I had been content with my Pixel. It was most like IOs, clean in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get a Samsung with more features and throw a Pixel launcher on it... Done. Best of both worlds. Looks better, has more options (but hides them a bit), and is buttery smooth.
Most of us love the large amount of control and options the Note phones allow us. You can't find a more versatile phone. If you want simplified, hold your hand, stock OS, cRapple is the best bet. The actual design of the Pixel phones does not appeal to me personally. I like that it is stock Android and all, but there are too many other reasons Pixels don't fit my needs or wants. The Note line is unique, really. There is a reason we love our Note phones over others. I got a slightly used S7 edge and then an S8+ during the 6 months or so that my Note 7 got blacklisted from being usable on any network, and both phones left me really missing the Note line. S7 Edge was actually slowish, S8+ was not that much different than the Note 8 that came out 5 months after it, yet there was enough difference that I would never personally go back to a non Note phone. Just too many things about the Note line that separate it from the rest of the pack.
If you have a note 10+ in a drawer and you're using your pixel instead, what exactly are you asking? Obviously you prefer the pixel to the note 10(can imagine why but to each his own).
Honestly people love what they are comfortable with. If you have been using apple and like it you'll never like android and vice versa. They really target different people.
PsiPhiDan said:
This is the best screen out there. 12GB of RAM makes it unbelievably smooth and fast. I've never had a faster phone. Pictures, so far, have been outstanding. Not sure what you're looking for but this thing is a monster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am a professional photographer, and I can confirm all of the above. 12Gb of RAM is nice and photos are unbelieveable for a phone.

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