Pixel 2 XL or LG V30 - Google Pixel 2 XL Questions & Answers

I know there is a thread on the V30 forums that are more biased towards the V30, I am curious to see what the Pixel guys have to say. I am torn between the two right now. I'm on Verizon so I got the unlocked Pixel XL 2 Unlocked on preorder but the V30 is the Verizon version which is locked. I dont know if i plan on ever putting custom roms on it but i like the option to if I want to.

As awesome as the v30 looks and on paper, I cannot live with lgs skin, it's hideous ?

To me it depends on how important an up to date pure Android experience is to you. The v20, for example, is still running 7.0, so the LG updates are a bit slow. I prefer the quad dac and headphone jack on the v30, but the software ranks higher on my wish list.
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stroths said:
To me it depends on how important an to date pure Android experience is to you. The v20, for example, is still running 7.0, so the LG updates are a bit slow. I prefer the quad dac and headphone jack on the v30, but the software ranks higher on my wish list.
Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk
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Yeah, I've never owned a LG phone until I picked up the V30 last week to try it out. Loving the feel and experience with it so far. Never have I gotten this good of battery life on a phone either. 4 hours of SOT and still at 35%. I use Messenger/FB/Snapchat which are all hogs and this thing is handling it no problem. I have to go into a verizon store and see what the pixel feels like in hand. I love the idea of stock android with updates when they come out because I know I wont ever be able to root and toss on roms on my V30 cause its Verizon.

I posted in the V30 vs Pixel 2XL thread over on the V30 forum. But since I'm typically one to sway towards Nexus/Pixel devices, I'll give my opinion here.
As you can see from my signature, it's not like me to venture away from the pure Android experience. And I was very excited to see what the 2nd generation of Pixel phones had to offer. However, I must admit that I am disappointed with what Google put out this year. I've decided to go with the V30 and it arrives Monday.
To start, my recent test switch from the Pixel XL to the Galaxy S8 (about 4 months ago now) has been surprisingly great. Sure, TouchWiz is no "Pure Android", but I've found the S8 to be extremely fast and hasn't missed a beat for me. So I've learned first hand that you can still have excellent performance on a non-Pixel/Nexus phone.
I've also gotten hooked on wireless charging. I have a Qi wireless charger on my night stand and one in my office. My relatives have all seemingly adopted the most current Samsung and LG phones and all have multiple QI chargers in their homes, as well. So I've been able to fully adopt wireless charging in my daily life. In fact, my OEM USB C charger is still sitting in the original packaging, unused.
Now that I've experienced how convenient wireless charging is, I honestly could not imagine going back. So the lack of wireless charging in the Pixel 2 XL was a serious Downer for me.
This week I was able to compare the V30 and 2 XL side by side in my local Verizon store. This really helped solidify the V30 for me. Side by side the 2 XL's top, bottom and side bezels look enormous compared to the V30 (and the S8 for that matter). The 2 XL's bezels make the screen appear smaller than it does on the V30 while also making the phone feel notably larger in the hand than the V30. Which is annoying because the V30 is already a relatively large phone.
In addition, the user interface on the V30 is very fluid and smooth. Easily as fast as the 2XL, from my quick 5 minute comparison. I actually like LGs take on Android with their latest skin. And if I get sick of it, I can quickly install a Pixel theme with Nova and mirror the Pixel user interface exactly.
In fact, after using pure Android phones for so long, I'd even go as far as to say that the user interface on the 2 XL is boring. Oreo feels the same as Nougat, which feels the same as Marshmallow. Sure it's fast but it's almost too simple and feels the same as it has the past 2+ years.
I know many will disagree but at this point I feel that the pure Android experience has grown tired, stale and featureless. The little tweaks and features that LG and Samsung have added with they're skins are actually quite great and have progressed Android much further than stock Android has over the past couple of years.
However, with all that said, both are great phones and I don't think you can truly go wrong either way. It just depends on what you are looking for. If you are one to root and flash kernels/ROMs, the decision for you is easy. But for me, my days of rooting are behind me and the 2 XL is slightly too large and is missing a few too many little features to justify the price point over the V30.

Yeah, I had my sights on the V30, still do, to be honest. However, at the end of the day, quick updates from Google is where it's at and the P2 phones are getting three years of them (although I am honestly likely to upgrade in a year or two).
Having said that, when the V30 drops in price, I will definitely consider picking one up as a backup. I love the idea of a HiFi DAC and the second wide angle camera. I just can't stay away from pure Android for my main driver.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I guess the V30 is like a Pixel 2xl with LG skin, Bloat, Expandable Memory, Ear Bud Jack, 2 year warranty promo, slippery back, ( I handled on @att) different audio and camera hardware.

georgiapi said:
I guess the V30 is like a Pixel 2xl with LG skin, Bloat, Expandable Memory, Ear Bud Jack, 2 year warranty promo, slippery back, ( I handled on @att) different audio and camera hardware.
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Yea, they aren't that much alike from what I see. Similar maybe, but that's about it. Pretty much a coincidence that the P2 XL and V30 were released at the same time. That's not a bad thing and nothing implied about either. Both awesome phones. I can't give up that update on the 1st Monday of the month.

sn0warmy said:
To start, my recent test switch from the Pixel XL to the Galaxy S8 (about 4 months ago now) has been surprisingly great. Sure, TouchWiz is no "Pure Android", but I've found the S8 to be extremely fast and hasn't missed a beat for me. So I've learned first hand that you can still have excellent performance on a non-Pixel/Nexus phone.
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Yea I had the Pixel XL, sold it and went back to an iPhone just for battery life because my Pixel XL wasnt getting more than 3 hours of SOT, and then traded the iPhone for an s8 + $200 on Craigslist. So i've been rocking the s8 for a couple months now and I can agree that its gotten a lot better than it use to be. Its my first Samsung that i've actually given a try since my Note 4 that I had and hated. Needless to say I hate that they dont get the updates but as you have said in your post, is the updates worth the look/features of another phone right now. I watch quite a bit of content on my phone without headphones so the stereo speakers would be nice but after having the s8 and no bezels (I know its not a huge thing but I like a sexy looking phone) it will be hard to go back to ones with a lot of bezel. The V30 is just perfect, I'm not a fan of the s8 curved edges as sometimes you wanna touch something along the edge and just cant get it. Only gripe on the v30 has been the camera which Verizon is sending me out another unit because they think its faulty. Last night I had 4 hours of SOT and still 35% left which is the best i've ever had on an Android phone. I use messenger/facebook/snapchat etc so I kill batteries fast and this thing just handles it like its nothing. I've never owned an LG phone but this thing might have sealed the deal for me. I still have my 2XL on order and when I receive my replacement V30 I should receive the 2XL before my 14 day return period is up so I can use both side by side not in a store having someone breath down my back for a sale.

Shuthefrontdoor said:
As awesome as the v30 looks and on paper, I cannot live with lgs skin, it's hideous
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You can just put another skin on top. Afaik the hardware is nearly the same on both phones (except camera) so maybe there will be also a smooth bugfree aosp rom for the v30 too.
Tbh I also looking forward to the Mate 10 presentation tomorrow, because Huawei is making the best UI from all skin androids regarding performance.
So maybe I just get a Mate10 and put pixel / nova launcher on it, instead going with the pixel 2 xl.
I preordered Pixel 2 xl (release in germany in 15.11.17) but if the mate 10 has more advantages i would go with huawei this year.

Is the LGV30 rootable? The latest update thing from pixel phones can be solved if the phone is rootable...

After leaving the gym this morning, I decided to poke my head back into the Verizon store next door to spend some more time doing a hands on side-by-side comparison.
In playing with both phones, I started taking some observations made by others into account, as well. One thing that I must admit is very cool, is the ability to squeeze the 2 XL to open Google Assistant. One of my concerns with this was whether squeezing the phone would lift a full coverage tempered glass screen protector. I am concerned that the addition of a TPU case, paired with a full coverage screen protector, would be an issue with this because the front edges of the TPU case would likely push into the screen protector whenever you activated the assistant. This could potentially lift the screen protector around the edges, which would get annoying. But the reality of this concern is yet to be seen.
The other thing others mentioned was just how ugly the built in LG dialer and messages apps are. I spent time trying to make a call in the LG dialer and the built in messages and have to agree that both those apps provide a very ugly experience. And since LG/Samsun make it next to impossible to fully replace the dialer/messages apps, it's something you'd have to live with in one way or another. Going back to the built in dialer and messages apps on the 2 XL were a breath of fresh air.
In addition, this time around I decided to test the speakers on each phone. I've gotta say, the front facing stereo speakers on the 2 XL are pretty spectacular. Especially when directly compared to the V30 and my S8. The bottom speaker on the V30 and S8 sound very "raspy" and hollow, in comparison. Plus, those bottom facing speakers don't get nearly as loud and are easy to accidentally cover with your finger. For my testing I used the Youtube app to test Marquees Brownlee's Pixel 2 XL YouTube review video and then the "Imagine Dragons - Believer" video, to give me an idea of how music and normal web content would sound. The front facing speakers on the 2 XL truly put the S8 and V30 to shame. At just 50% volume the 2 XL speakers were as loud as the V30 and S8 speakers were at full volume. And the overall sound from the 2 XL was much more "full". I suppose that's to be expected but I was surprised by just how big the difference is.
Admittedly, the front facing speakers truly have me back to considering the 2 XL, since I do spend a good amount of time consuming video/audio content on my phone, through the built-in speaker(s). However, I hate that I'd have to give up wireless charging and I still think the bezels on the 2 XL are ugly compared to the V30. Plus, in trying to picture 3 months down the road, when the initial "new toy" excitement wears off, I'm now considering whether or not I'd prefer to have the 2 XL's inevitably great dev community to fall back on to mess around with. Needless to say, the decision has grown more difficult for me....

DAmn this is why I posted a thread on this. I didn’t see this one. The screen and overall feel of the V30 plus the dual camera makes me want the V30. The updates and speakers plus google goodies makes me want the pixel. I want a really beautiful screen and don’t want so feel like I have a tiny screen because of the pixel speakers. Man this is harder than I thought

AndreaCristiano said:
DAmn this is why I posted a thread on this. I didn’t see this one. The screen and overall feel of the V30 plus the dual camera makes me want the V30. The updates and speakers plus google goodies makes me want the pixel. I want a really beautiful screen and don’t want so feel like I have a tiny screen because of the pixel speakers. Man this is harder than I thought
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I've made an interesting decision, for now. I went ahead and pre-ordered the 2 XL. In addition, I have JUMP! On-Demand with T-Mobile. I'm going to use that to trade my S8 in for the V30 when the local store near me gets their V30 stock this week (hopefully tomorrow). So I'll get up to 14 days to play with the V30 as a daily driver. This will either lead me to canceling my 2 XL order before it ships or turning the V30 in for one of their super cheap phones to have as a backup to the 2 XL.
....or maybe I'll just keep both and let this indecision linger for months to come. :laugh:

sn0warmy said:
I've made an interesting decision, for now. I went ahead and pre-ordered the 2 XL. In addition, I have JUMP! On-Demand with T-Mobile. I'm going to use that to trade my S8 in for the V30 when the local store near me gets their V30 stock this week (hopefully tomorrow). So I'll get a couple of weeks to play with the V30 as a daily driver. This will either lead me to canceling my 2 XL order before it ships or turning he V30 in for one of their super cheap phones to have as a backup to the 2 XL.
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Awesome let us know! My pixel 2XL is due here between the 27-31st now if it ships earlier that’s different. I do know I have a return policy with Google I can’t recall if it’s the carrier 15 day remorse or he 30 day ?!
---------- Post added at 07:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:43 PM ----------
Oh and another plus for the V30 it’s 600mhrz compatible

sn0warmy said:
I've made an interesting decision, for now. I went ahead and pre-ordered the 2 XL. In addition, I have JUMP! On-Demand with T-Mobile. I'm going to use that to trade my S8 in for the V30 when the local store near me gets their V30 stock this week (hopefully tomorrow). So I'll get up to 14 days to play with the V30 as a daily driver. This will either lead me to canceling my 2 XL order before it ships or turning the V30 in for one of their super cheap phones to have as a backup to the 2 XL.
....or maybe I'll just keep both and let this indecision linger for months to come. :laugh:
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Yeah thats what I'm doing right now, got the v30 and love it besides the camera like i said, somethings wrong with it. Sending me a replacement and i get the new 15 days added on so it'll line me up to give them both a try for like 3-4 days together until the v30 would need to go back. The 27th cant come fast enough. Gonna go to the other 2 verizon stores in town tomorrow and see if I can get to play around with them since the one i went to today was "broke"

I made a list of advantages of both phones over on the V30 forum, which has been updated an added to, since . Here goes:
Pro V30
Headphone jack and DAC (not sure I'll be able to appreciate the latter with $100-headphones and spotify, though)
Sleeker design (but it'll live in a case anyways)
Smaller bezels
Smaller and lighter
Probably a tad cheaper
AOD seems to be more useful, incl. controls
Qi wireless charging
Higher IP 68 rating (even WITH 3.5mm headphone jack)
dual cameras -- one with f/1.6 and one with a wide angle lens
Pro P2XL
Better overall camera (esp. if you don't use manual mode)
Better low light/high dynamic range pics
Pure Android, no bloatware
Faster updates, esp. monthly security updates
Purportedly better support than LG
No breakable, smudgy glass back
RGB led
front-facing stereo speakers (the one thing the LG V30 doesn't have)
I am leaning towards the P2XL. One reason is that I’m not a big content creator (definitely not going to dive into manual photo/video modes), the other is that while the V30 may be the overall better package today, the P2XL will get better for a long time, especially once Android P drops, which will probably take LG at least six months to implement.

saxelfur said:
I made a list of advantages of both phones over on the V30 forum, which has been updated an added to, since . Here goes:
Pro V30
Headphone jack and DAC (not sure I'll be able to appreciate the latter with $100-headphones and spotify, though)
Sleeker design (but it'll live in a case anyways)
Smaller bezels
Smaller and lighter
Probably a tad cheaper
AOD seems to be more useful, incl. controls
Qi wireless charging
Higher IP 68 rating (even WITH 3.5mm headphone jack)
dual cameras -- one with f/1.6 and one with a wide angle lens
Pro P2XL
Better overall camera (esp. if you don't use manual mode)
Better low light/high dynamic range pics
Pure Android, no bloatware
Faster updates, esp. monthly security updates
Purportedly better support than LG
No breakable, smudgy glass back
RGB led
front-facing stereo speakers (the one thing the LG V30 doesn't have)
I am leaning towards the P2XL. One reason is that I’m not a big content creator (definitely not going to dive into manual photo/video modes), the other is that while the V30 may be the overall better package today, the P2XL will get better for a long time, especially once Android P drops, which will probably take LG at least six months to implement.
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I’m in the same boat. I have decided to just wait on my Pixel2XL it’s def the better phone and def better for me

After a full 24 hours with my V30, I've already decided that when my 2 XL arrives, I'll be returning the V30 to T-Mobile.
The main draws for me toward the V30 were wireless charging and the smaller form factor/bezels. In addition, while I understand the headphone jack is becoming an outdated "feature", I do still prefer it for the sole purpose of quickly plugging some headphones in when a client calls me. This happens multiple times each day so I do find it convenient. Powering on and pairing a set of bluetooth headphones would likely lead to me missing calls from clients.
I truly wanted to love this V30, but so far it's been nothing but disappointment.
1) I'm already experiencing notable lag (as others in the V30 forum have pointed out) when opening the app drawer in Nova Launcher and scrolling through various apps like Instagram, Facebook, Chrome and even LG's own LG SmartWorld theme app. I've performed all the steps others recommended to fix it (i.e. enabling GPU rendering, and turning animation scaling to .5x). However, the lag/stuttering remains. Rebooting solves it for a couple of hours but then it comes right back.
2) Wifi connection with the V30 is considerably worse than it was on my Galaxy S8 and my previous Pixel XL. My office is in the very front of the house and the router is near the back of the house. Nonetheless, my S8 and Pixel XL were both able to acquire 3-4 signal bars and get 50mbps+ download speeds in the office. The V30 hovers between 0 and 2 bars and never achieves anything more than 5mbps. It's so bad that I'd be better off not using Wifi with the V30 in the front office.
3) 4G signal strength seems to have similar issues. At my gym my S8 and Pixel XL always had full 4G bars and great download speeds. My V30 hovers around 1-2 bars and Spotify songs are always pausing to buffer. This was never an issue with my previous two phones.
4) I've already found myself accidentally covering the bottom facing speaker while watching videos. Admittedly, this was an issue for me with the S8 and original Pixel XL, as well. This has me completely re-thinking those front facing speakers on the 2 XL. When I did my side by side comparison of the 2 XL and V30 in the Verizon store, the front facing speakers on the 2 XL blew me away with their performance, compared to the V30 and S8.
I'll have to live with the larger bezels and lack of wireless charging with the 2 XL. And I'll have to figure out a bluetooth headphone solution while in my office. But my immediate experience with the V30 has been bad enough that it's only made me more excited to get my hands on the 2 XL in the next couple of weeks.
EDIT: Add Feedly to the list of apps with obnoxious stuttering issues. Oh and the Google keyboard K
started randomly failing to recognize finger swipe gestures, forcing me to resort to tap-to-type.
There is something seriously wrong with this LG software. It's making me miss my S8, at this point. ?

sn0warmy said:
After a full 24 hours with my V30, I've already decided that when my 2 XL arrives, I'll be returning the V30 to T-Mobile.
The main draws for me toward the V30 were wireless charging and the smaller form factor/bezels. In addition, while I understand the headphone jack is becoming an outdated "feature", I do still prefer it for the sole purpose of quickly plugging some headphones in when a client calls me. This happens multiple times each day so I do find it convenient. Powering on and pairing a set of bluetooth headphones would likely lead to me missing calls from clients.
I truly wanted to love this V30, but so far it's been nothing but disappointment.
1) I'm already experiencing notable lag (as others in the V30 forum have pointed out) when opening the app drawer in Nova Launcher and scrolling through various apps like Instagram, Facebook, Chrome and even LG's own LG SmartWorld theme app. I've performed all the steps others recommended to fix it (i.e. enabling GPU rendering, and turning animation scaling to .5x). However, the lag/stuttering remains. Rebooting solves it for a couple of hours but then it comes right back.
2) Wifi connection with the V30 is considerably worse than it was on my Galaxy S8 and my previous Pixel XL. My office is in the very front of the house and the router is near the back of the house. Nonetheless, my S8 and Pixel XL were both able to acquire 3-4 signal bars and get 50mbps+ download speeds in the office. The V30 hovers between 0 and 2 bars and never achieves anything more than 5mbps. It's so bad that I'd be better off not using Wifi with the V30 in the front office.
3) 4G signal strength seems to have similar issues. At my gym my S8 and Pixel XL always had full 4G bars and great download speeds. My V30 hovers around 1-2 bars and Spotify songs are always pausing to buffer. This was never an issue with my previous two phones.
4) I've already found myself accidentally covering the bottom facing speaker while watching videos. Admittedly, this was an issue for me with the S8 and original Pixel XL, as well. This has me completely re-thinking those front facing speakers on the 2 XL. When I did my side by side comparison of the 2 XL and V30 in the Verizon store, the front facing speakers on the 2 XL blew me away with their performance, compared to the V30 and S8.
I'll have to live with the larger bezels and lack of wireless charging with the 2 XL. And I'll have to figure out a bluetooth headphone solution while in my office. But my immediate experience with the V30 has been bad enough that it's only made me more excited to get my hands on the 2 XL in the next couple of weeks.
EDIT: Add Feedly to the list of apps with obnoxious stuttering issues. Oh and the Google keyboard K
started randomly failing to recognize finger swipe gestures, forcing me to resort to tap-to-type.
There is something seriously wrong with this LG software. It's making me miss my S8, at this point.
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Click to collapse
Ouch, sorry you had that bad of an experience with it... Only "downside" i've had with the v30 in the week i've been using it is my wifi disconnects all the time randomly and I have an Orbi Mesh wifi system at home so i'm never more than 15-20 ft from a router/satellite, and the Camera is meh on the backside. Its been buttery smooth for me for the week but I've been in the boat where people say the same thing I am saying and mine lagged like whoa. I am excited for the Pixel 2 XL though, I wish I had patience to hold out for the Panda one but I think i'll just order up a white bottom dbrand skin and toss that on and go reverse

Related

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Google Pixel, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Google Pixel is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Only had the phone 3 days, but it has the most cohesive feel of all the Android devices I've owned, not as featureless as my Nexus 7, not over the top like my older HTC/Samsung devices. Switched to Nova Launcher, then switched back to Pixel launcher because it felt a better fit.
I love it. But I'm having some buyer's remorse. I still give it an 8 out of 10. A 10 would have been better than my previous in most categories, even if marginally.
The Pixel is more expensive than my 6P. It's subjectively uglier than my gold finish all metal 6P. It has no front firing dual speakers. It's speakers aren't as good as the 6P's. It has no 64gb option as my 6P did. And I know people may slate me for this, the 6P had a better camera. By a big margin.
So why the high rating? Well, the Pixel feels better in the hand. This is primarily due to the size. The build seems more solid and more dense. The software feels more natural, although this is hard to quantify. The Pixel doesn't exhibit any throttling that my 6P did, which is a huge improvement. It just seems a more polished finish.
It has excellent EIS and I think the 6P should have been given this as it's just software magic, AFAIK. But it is what it is.
No nightmares in the battery department. Quite stable in fact. My 6P was starting to drain quicker than I liked.
Did I say it's the only viable smaller handset with top end hardware? I find it so liberating to be using a smaller powerhouse again.
Most of all, it's just very reliable and dependable.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
I actually very much love this phone, I was expecting a lot to be hype, yet battery is good, cameras awesome see attached pics, and overall it's probably the best phone I owned in awhile, I was using an iPhone 5s, missed mu Android,. Operating system is fast and responsive and split screen multitasking is great especially with YouTube and chrome open
subhani said:
I love it. But I'm having some buyer's remorse. I still give it an 8 out of 10. A 10 would have been better than my previous in most categories, even if marginally.
The Pixel is more expensive than my 6P. It's subjectively uglier than my gold finish all metal 6P. It has no front firing dual speakers. It's speakers aren't as good as the 6P's. It has no 64gb option as my 6P did. And I know people may slate me for this, the 6P had a better camera. By a big margin.
So why the high rating? Well, the Pixel feels better in the hand. This is primarily due to the size. The build seems more solid and more dense. The software feels more natural, although this is hard to quantify. The Pixel doesn't exhibit any throttling that my 6P did, which is a huge improvement. It just seems a more polished finish.
It has excellent EIS and I think the 6P should have been given this as it's just software magic, AFAIK. But it is what it is.
No nightmares in the battery department. Quite stable in fact. My 6P was starting to drain quicker than I liked.
Did I say it's the only viable smaller handset with top end hardware? I find it so liberating to be using a smaller powerhouse again.
Most of all, it's just very reliable and dependable.
Sent from my Pixel using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Im sorry but the 6P does not have a better camera. Coming from a 6P as well i agree with some of your viewpoints but the camera isn't a valid arguement. While the 6P camera is good its not at the level of the pixel.
I've used android phones, I've used iPhones. If this is what Google has to offer with its first Pixel phone I'm excited for Pixel 2 already. The camera rocks, love the quality of photos, the UI is intuitive and fast. Opening apps feels instant for me at least no delay. Have yet to see the device slow down. Almost elliminates the need to shy away from stock one can be hopeful that Verizon doesn't end up blocking depixel8 otherwise I may end up unlocking the bootloader if I see they do.
I use an Android and iPhone handset concurrently for work-related reasons. The Pixel is great, and compares very favorably with the iPhone.
Battery: I used to run all intensive apps like Waze and streaming audio through the iPhone, now I don't fear running them on the Android.
App switching: You know when you're chatting with someone and you look something up to further your discussion along? The Overview button double-tap for switching back and forth is so great.
Fingerprint reader: Is faster than the iPhone 6.
You can probably get a nearly identical experience with a Xiaomi or Oneplus phone without spending $650+. I remember even seeing one of the new Xiaomi flagships featuring the same camera sensor. But I hoped that the Pixel being was it is, it'll be a more bug-free experience.
I bought this phone expecting to not like it and sell it in a few weeks. It doesn't have an sd card slot or a removable battery. That's a pretty big deal to me. But I got the 128gb and started allowing Google to back up my pics. I can go 16 hours on the battery with 4 hours SOT. That's exponentially better than my MXP or pretty much any other phone I've used. I have grandfathered unlimited on Verizon so my choices are slim if I want root. Everything about this phone works very well. It's super quick and feels good in the hand. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with it.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
I adore this phone. By far my favorite phone I've owned (S3, EVO 4G, EVO 4G LTE, HTC M8, Galaxy Note 5, Samsung Fireball, LG V20, LG V10). The experience has been unparalleled for me.
It's a great phone, but not worth the price tag that comes with it.
I would consider this to be the "photographer's phone." It has a great camera and amazing EIS. As well as unlimited original photo hosting on Google Photos.
Did I mention it has UNLIMITED, ORIGINAL photo hosting on Google Photos?
Don't get me wrong, there could be better cameras out there, but you just can't beat that perk of having a Pixel.
As a long time samsung owner, this device is a breath of fresh air. If it were more water resistant, and had wireless charging, it'd be a perfect 10.
what overall love for Power Users?
i searched little bit and it seems ok but i want to ask from real life power users?
ease of rooting and number of custom roms & mods
So I got my Pixel right before Christmas and switched from VZW to Project Fi at the same time. Mostly love the phone (and the service) and my minor complaints are all due to me being so used to my old Moto X '14. I really liked some of the Moto "tweaks" such as the twist camera and flashlight "chop". The camera on the Pixel is great but I really miss being able to take a picture by just touching the screen. Like I said, most of my complaints are really minor and consist of small missing software features. My only major complaint would be the sound of the speakers, they are too quiet which I really don't understand because when you strap the Pixel into a Daydream headset the sound is suddenly great. Battery life is fantastic. As for rooting/romming I'm still in the honeymoon phase where I haven't felt the need for either.
Geeks Empire said:
what overall love for Power Users?
i searched little bit and it seems ok but i want to ask from real life power users?
ease of rooting and number of custom roms & mods
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Power user here. Previously owned a Galaxy Note 5 and 7. I got the 128GB because I like to store lots of high-quality music files and 4K film. The auto backup photo/video feature is tremendous.
If you're on a normal Pixel (non-Verizon), rooting is a joke. Very simple. Custom ROMs are awesome - PureNexus is amazing and so are OctOS and RR. Not a ton of options but they've got everything you need. Dirty Unicorns is available too (no Slim ROM, sadly).
JoeHockey said:
So I got my Pixel right before Christmas and switched from VZW to Project Fi at the same time. Mostly love the phone (and the service) and my minor complaints are all due to me being so used to my old Moto X '14. I really liked some of the Moto "tweaks" such as the twist camera and flashlight "chop". The camera on the Pixel is great but I really miss being able to take a picture by just touching the screen. Like I said, most of my complaints are really minor and consist of small missing software features. My only major complaint would be the sound of the speakers, they are too quiet which I really don't understand because when you strap the Pixel into a Daydream headset the sound is suddenly great. Battery life is fantastic. As for rooting/romming I'm still in the honeymoon phase where I haven't felt the need for either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root your phone and you can get those things you desire.
Actually, with Tasker, you could probably make the twist camera thing fairly easily. Probably don't need root for that, either.
Thanks for the tip, I'll have to look into Tasker.
PsiPhiDan said:
Power user here. Previously owned a Galaxy Note 5 and 7. I got the 128GB because I like to store lots of high-quality music files and 4K film. The auto backup photo/video feature is tremendous.
If you're on a normal Pixel (non-Verizon), rooting is a joke. Very simple. Custom ROMs are awesome - PureNexus is amazing and so are OctOS and RR. Not a ton of options but they've got everything you need. Dirty Unicorns is available too (no Slim ROM, sadly).
Root your phone and you can get those things you desire.
Actually, with Tasker, you could probably make the twist camera thing fairly easily. Probably don't need root for that, either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Upgraded to a 128gb unit in December from a HTC ONE M8 and love almost everything about it.
Seriously, the difference in cameras is just amazing. I've got a big family and we all use different phones, and going from one of the worst cameras to the best camera is absolutely incredible. It runs fast, I can play PSP games on it. The rapid charge? 15% to full in an hour?! seriously, just amazed.
I have 2 complaints, the speaker is just terrible in comparison to the M8 (best sounding phone I've ever used) and how I hold my phone in my right hand with my pinky on the bottom to keep it from slipping it just mutes it. Second complaint is location services just kill my battery. When my M8 was new, I once got 3 days on a full charge, with the Pixel I'm resembling those iPhone wallhuggers everyone likes to joke about.
JoeHockey said:
So I got my Pixel right before Christmas and switched from VZW to Project Fi at the same time. Mostly love the phone (and the service) and my minor complaints are all due to me being so used to my old Moto X '14. I really liked some of the Moto "tweaks" such as the twist camera and flashlight "chop". The camera on the Pixel is great but I really miss being able to take a picture by just touching the screen. Like I said, most of my complaints are really minor and consist of small missing software features. My only major complaint would be the sound of the speakers, they are too quiet which I really don't understand because when you strap the Pixel into a Daydream headset the sound is suddenly great. Battery life is fantastic. As for rooting/romming I'm still in the honeymoon phase where I haven't felt the need for either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an app for the twist camera. Made by the same guy who made ForceDoze.
tobalaz said:
Upgraded to a 128gb unit in December from a HTC ONE M8 and love almost everything about it.
Seriously, the difference in cameras is just amazing. I've got a big family and we all use different phones, and going from one of the worst cameras to the best camera is absolutely incredible. It runs fast, I can play PSP games on it. The rapid charge? 15% to full in an hour?! seriously, just amazed.
I have 2 complaints, the speaker is just terrible in comparison to the M8 (best sounding phone I've ever used) and how I hold my phone in my right hand with my pinky on the bottom to keep it from slipping it just mutes it. Second complaint is location services just kill my battery. When my M8 was new, I once got 3 days on a full charge, with the Pixel I'm resembling those iPhone wallhuggers everyone likes to joke about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is much better than comparable Androids devices. I've never had such great battery life, honestly. Interestingly, I had an M8 for a year and did NOT get close to 3 days (not even 2). Coming from an LG V20, V10, Note 5 and Note 7 (and watching my wife's S7), this battery life is tremendous. I literally don't ever pay attention to battery anymore. I go to bed with 30-50% usually. I just charge overnight (why not?) to be safe.
But yes, the sound of M8 was unparalleled. Why they quit on that feature I'll never understand.
Overall I am pretty happy with the Pixel. I don't like large phones so i am glad Google offered a smaller version. I used to have the Nexus 5x (still do) but the Pixel has been lag free. Anyone who has been using Google's devices long enough knows the thing starts to lag and the only thing to get rid of it is to totally format every so often. This has been running great so far so I am happy.
One thing I hope Google does not do is eventually become like Samsung or Apple where they totally lock down the device. The price point was already bad enough, but if the attempt to become mainstream to the point where the phone cannot be customized I will be very unhappy.
If they want to sell their product as "Pure Android", that should include customization outside of their OWN OS. Locking things down is no better than Apple or Samsung.

I'd possibly go to a Pixel 2 XL

I've been a Samsung user for years. My current , Note 5, is paid and was thinking about a Pixel 2 XL. First off, I'm not a big picture taker because I'm into performance over everything. Plus, like many, are sick of the Samsung bloatware. But The S8+ is a great phone and it has maintained a feature I like.
The feature is pressing a button to answer the phone. The menu button on my 5 does that now. Does the Pixel 2 have such a choice? I hate to swipe to answer. Call me spoiled but it's so much safer while drive to hit a button instead of a swipe. The S8 series has moved the feature to the volume up.
So if there are any Samsung converts out there I'd be happy to hear what you like or even dislike about the Pixel 2 series.
I've done the side sides on my Note 5 vs. s8+ and Pixel 2 xl but I want to hear from real users.
Thanks
pbman1953 said:
I've been a Samsung user for years. My current , Note 5, is paid and was thinking about a Pixel 2 XL. First off, I'm not a big picture taker because I'm into performance over everything. Plus, like many, are sick of the Samsung bloatware. But The S8+ is a great phone and it has maintained a feature I like.
The feature is pressing a button to answer the phone. The menu button on my 5 does that now. Does the Pixel 2 have such a choice? I hate to swipe to answer. Call me spoiled but it's so much safer while drive to hit a button instead of a swipe. The S8 series has moved the feature to the volume up.
So if there are any Samsung converts out there I'd be happy to hear what you like or even dislike about the Pixel 2 series.
I've done the side sides on my Note 5 vs. s8+ and Pixel 2 xl but I want to hear from real users.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive been using Samsung for years. Started with the s3 then note3 then note5 and now pixel2xl.
So far pixel2xl has been great. The colors were a bit dull before the update giving us saturated colors, which fixed it for me. But other than that performance wise its a dream. My personal experience i have yet to experience studder or lag. Performance is the best ive ever experienced with any previous phone and the battery life is second to none. I average 8hr sot with watching YouTube, games, calls, internet.
The note3 and note5 were bought through Verizon so i haven't been able to flash roms or anything since my s3 and currently enjoying trying different mods and whatnot.
Overall this phone is amazing. Im not sure about the button to answer, as of right how it's swipe but could be a way to change that. If you get a chance to get this phone you won't be disappointed.
I have Pixel 2 XL and performance is great but I'm leaning towards Oneplus 5t since I can buy 2 of it and performance is par to Pixel.
The pixel 2 XL was good enough to replace my note 8. And that's says a LOT! ?
Sent from my Google Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
daviddem said:
I have Pixel 2 XL and performance is great but I'm leaning towards Oneplus 5t since I can buy 2 of it and performance is par to Pixel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not actually true. The pixel is actually smoother. I've had both. The pixel does have a smoother feel. Might be because of Oreo. And where I am the OnePlus is £499. And the pixel 2 XL is £699 with a free speaker. Do you couldn't even get 1 and a half OnePlus for the same price...saying you can get 2 for the same price is far fetched. I also wouldn't recommend switching. The OnePlus is a good phone for the price but it is a down grade and you will notice a few areas are not as good
Love my Pixel XL 2 better than my S8+
Reuben_skelz92 said:
That's not actually true. The pixel is actually smoother. I've had both. The pixel does have a smoother feel. Might be because of Oreo. And where I am the OnePlus is £499. And the pixel 2 XL is £699 with a free speaker. Do you couldn't even get 1 and a half OnePlus for the same price...saying you can get 2 for the same price is far fetched. I also wouldn't recommend switching. The OnePlus is a good phone for the price but it is a down grade and you will notice a few areas are not as good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats not true for USA. The pixel 2 XL 128GB cost $1000+ with tax and Oneplus 5t 128GB $550. At the moment I have both side by side and performance there is no difference.
I've been a Samsung fanboy since my Samsung Galaxy vibrant with T-Mobile. I've had every Samsung Galaxy S phone up to the Galaxy s8+. I don't miss it one bit. I was on the fence for several weeks. I ordered it, cancelled multiple times because of all the bad press. I eventually pulled the trigger and bought the 64gb in black, but I forgot to get the premium coverage. So I returned it and got a 128gb. I don't regret purchasing this phone outright at all. To be honest. I don't think I'll go back. Not until Samsung comes out with something unbelievable. The way that I look at it. Samsung is like a Lamborghini or Ferrari of Android. But they can throw all the best parts, displays, whatever bells and whistles they want. But what good is a Lamborghini or Ferrari with a bad tune? Although the pixel 2 XL may not be the best looking device. It's tuned specifically for this phone and you can tell. Also, I sort of prefer the "natural" colors of this display. If you're going to look for issues, your going to find them in any device. But as for the phone calls. When somebody calls and your display is off. It will pop up a a screen with a circle. You can swipe up to answer the call, or down to ignore it. If your screen is on. A small box will pop up with the contact calling and you can take answer or ignore. I'll try to send some screen shots.
Some reason I couldn't update my previous post. But the attachments are what the call screen looks like from both perspectives.
Ive had my Pixel 2 XL for a week now and I have never had any lag/stutter even when syncing in the background. Battery is superb, 5-6hrs screen on time is easily achieved. Speakers are loud and clean. What can I say more about the camera? Camera is beast!
I used Samsung from S2 to S6 and there is always this delay/lag when opening apps. I guess its just the animation. I find Samsung chargers easy to have problems (slow charge). I am not sure with the S8 now. AMOLED is nice, but hurts my eyes. These are the reasons I went away from AMOLED to IPS LCD (pre-Pixel2XL). I was hesitant at first getting the Pixel 2 XL with all these display issues around it. But personally, the Boosted display settings is just right. I do not like the Saturated settings because it reminds me of Samsung. Too vivid for my liking. The Boosted colors are not washed out, people are just used to/spoiled seeing punchy AMOLED displays, looked unnatural.
As for your concern, a little adjustment when taking the call would be the best move.
So, if youre looking for a phone with the best performance, updates, camera, go get the Pixel 2 XL.
Display is subjective. For the missing headphone jack, im ok with it, they provide a c-3.5mm converter. Thats about it! Hopefully I have contributed something to your decision.
daviddem said:
Thats not true for USA. The pixel 2 XL 128GB cost $1000+ with tax and Oneplus 5t 128GB $550. At the moment I have both side by side and performance there is no difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't seem to be true based on many reviews of OP5t performance vs the Pixel 2, even the very thorough review of the OP5t here at xda. Long story short: P2 offers a much more fluid experience than the OP5t and may even be a little snappier. The OP5t utilizes animation tricks to make the phone seem and feel snappier than it is and it's smoothness is nowhere near the level of the Pixel 2. Throw in the sub par camera, poor support and outdated firmware and it's no wonder they sell em for so cheap. Plus, it's $874 vs $550, hardly double.
I've had a LOT of phones over the years, usually switching every 6 months selling off whatever I had to get the absolute latest, but slowed down once I got my OnePlus 3T... It's an AMAZING phone for the price. I was done with Samsung after the 6 series. That said, I went to the Google Pixel 2 XL instead of the 5T because of the dual front facing speakers as well as a few other Pixel only features and I do not regret it at all. The blue-shift isn't too bad once you adjust the colors a bit on the screen (I'm rooted and using EX Kernel / KCal).
My girlfriend has the Samsung S7 Edge and a few friends have the S8s and all want the Pixel 2 XL now after checking it out. It's hard to match the software experience you get on a Pixel device, that's for sure. You can't beat having dual-speakers on a phone, makes for daily use, hearing calls, music, watching videos all the better. I do recommend the 5T for those not worried about camera or dual-speakers as it's got a nicer out-of-the-box looking screen and is much less expensive to purchase, it's no slouch overall. In the end, the Pixel 2 XL was worth every extra penny for my use... make a list of things you need from a phone and see which works best for you as you're all that matters with your phone purchase. Our opinions aren't here to sway you away from what's best for you.
Is is worth rooting since it comes so clean without bloatware compared to Samsung?
pbman1953 said:
Is is worth rooting since it comes so clean without bloatware compared to Samsung?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on what you want. For me 100% it is. Adaway, themes, terminal em, titanium backup, root browser.
Besides the themes, can you explain what the others are for
I've used Titanium when I had the note 4. I don't know how a root browser would be different
mlin said:
That doesn't seem to be true based on many reviews of OP5t performance vs the Pixel 2, even the very thorough review of the OP5t here at xda. Long story short: P2 offers a much more fluid experience than the OP5t and may even be a little snappier. The OP5t utilizes animation tricks to make the phone seem and feel snappier than it is and it's smoothness is nowhere near the level of the Pixel 2. Throw in the sub par camera, poor support and outdated firmware and it's no wonder they sell em for so cheap. Plus, it's $874 vs $550, hardly double.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Saying it's double the price is an exaggerated. And I was surprised. When I was using the oneplus 5t my wife's pixel 2 did seem even more fluid and smooth
All the little things for me have been working better on the pixel 2 as well. I get better mobile signal...and sometimes the oneplus would refuse to turn on my mobile data so I had to restart it
The vibration motor is much nicer on the pixel
Screen is on par if not better in some areas on the pixel
Dual speakers. Amazing camera
Don't get me wrong the oneplus 5t is a great phone for the price but when you switch to the pixel you do feel the price difference in pretty much every area
..even in the small things
At this point I can't imagine going back to a non-Google phone. My first smartphone was a Nexus One and I loved it. I then went to a Galaxy S2 which was a piece of ****. Since then I have yet to see much improvement from Samsung software and the software from other phone makers isn't much better. I'm pretty much on an every other year cycle of whatever Google puts out because even if it isn't perfect it's still better than the alternative.
pbman1953 said:
I've been a Samsung user for years. My current , Note 5, is paid and was thinking about a Pixel 2 XL. First off, I'm not a big picture taker because I'm into performance over everything. Plus, like many, are sick of the Samsung bloatware. But The S8+ is a great phone and it has maintained a feature I like.
The feature is pressing a button to answer the phone. The menu button on my 5 does that now. Does the Pixel 2 have such a choice? I hate to swipe to answer. Call me spoiled but it's so much safer while drive to hit a button instead of a swipe. The S8 series has moved the feature to the volume up.
So if there are any Samsung converts out there I'd be happy to hear what you like or even dislike about the Pixel 2 series.
I've done the side sides on my Note 5 vs. s8+ and Pixel 2 xl but I want to hear from real users.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I add that the ambient display with time and date is soooo fine?
When notifications arrive, they're below the always on time and date.
Plus there's "what's playing now", showing artist and song name for whatever
you're listening to. These capabilities make this phone perfect for me.
Battery life does not seem to take a hit for this luxury.
The active Edge (squeezing it) allows me to turn on the torch with screen off, which is awesome. Like when getting my keys out at night. The phone is spectacular and I've had an s8+. It's my fav. You prob could map the squeeze to answer phone. But I know you could answer with push of a button. Just remap the fourth hidden nav button maybe.

Pixel 2 XL to OnePlus 5T

I was wondering if anyone made that move ?
I am considering doing so, however I'd like feedbacks from people that might have done that move.
Cheers !
Paradoxxx said:
I was wondering if anyone made that move ?
I am considering doing so, however I'd like feedbacks from people that might have done that move.
Cheers !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what i'm thinking of doing too. Might be worth buying one to test for yourself and send it back if you don't like the 5T? It'll be interesting to read others users thoughts on this.
Sorry, I moved from galaxy s8+. Other than the camera, I am loving it!
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Hey I love the 5T...the Pixel XL is junk, well, at least the screen is. It has issues no doubt. 5T screen is better IMO. Camera, obviously not as good. Neither has an external SD Card?!?!?! Why!!!!!
Anyway, for the money, 5T is hard to beat honestly. Dev support is descent, but not like HTC or Pixel/Google phones.
I had an S8+ for 1 day. Of course, since you can't root without breaking everything like Android pay and Safety Net...no thanks. The S8+ is a near perfect phone, but their abillity to allow you to unlock the bootloader and customize...is nonexistent. Got rid of it. I'm in the US, so the exynos won't work in this country which does allow bootloader unlocking...ridiculous.
I've been an HTC fan for 8yrs now. Just sold my HTC 10. The camera on this OnePlus 5 is better than anything HTC has produced ever. The camera isn't that bad. The OnePlus takes photos as good as my daughter's iPhone 7 Plus. And that camera is no slouch. In fact, head to head, my photos are often better with the 5T.
Anyway...I can imagine the 6 and 6T are going to be a pretty nice. Snapdragon 845 already confirmed for the 6 in a few months they claim it will be released.
Otherwise, I'm not personally dropping $800+ on a new phone no matter who makes it. Which rules Pixel, Huawei, Samsung whatever, and Def iPhone garbage out of the picture. I never spent more than $500-600 on any phone the last 8yrs. HTC resell is pretty good, plus I would wait about 4-6 months after their premier release version to buy it and it is discounted.
Also, my HTC 10 charge port started smelling like burning plaster and wouldn't charge. I had to send it back, and it could take 4 months for them to "evaluate" the burning in Taiwan, then send it back to Seattle, where they say they might not even replace it. They just want to examine it. It is under their uh-oh warranty...so don't know WTF they even care what has happened to it, they will give almost anybody a replacement phone.
Oh well...saw further below that you got the 5T and are keeping it. Version 6 will be out by end of March...so, take it from there. So far, really like the OnePlus...just wish it had a slightly better camera and an SDCard slot.
I was using a Pixel XL for a year and pre-ordered the Pixel 2 XL on launch day.
I got my Pixel 2 XL on October 18th and used it for 2 weeks and there were a lot of good things about it that I liked. It only had a few issues that I could not overlook:
The screen was of poor quality. I'm not talking about unsaturated looking, either. It had harsh blue shift that was impossible not to see in normal day-to-day usage. It also had very poor picture quality when used in a dark room at low brightness. Like everything was too dark yet bright parts of pictures were very bright. Like the contrast of the screen was junk. This was also apparent when viewing pictures at full brightness, but only if I held up my Pixel XL next to it and compared the two. Again, very apparent at low brightness, not as much at normal brightness. Since I like to use my phone at night in the dark, this was a huge pain point. I had no burn-in or noticeable grain in the screen. I was worried moving from a Pixel XL with a quality Samsung panel to a Pixel 2 XL with a questionable LG panel would be a problem, and I was 100% correct.
The battery charging speed. This was something that the Pixel XL wasn't very good at, and I couldn't even get 1% per minute. The Pixel 2 XL was in the same boat, slow charging. Even slower than my old S7 Edge with a larger battery!
These two things were just too much to accept with a $950 device. I returned it to Google for a full refund. Bought the 5T 128GB model on launch day and received it on Black Friday. The 5T has a good screen (like the Pixel XL) and the fastest possible charging option. I also saved like $400 buying the 5T so I got a PS 4 Pro with the extra cash. It's been the best decision I've made since buying the original Pixel XL which was a great phone.
vtwalk said:
Sorry, I moved from galaxy s8+. Other than the camera, I am loving it!
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have some camera samples from your S8+ that you could replicate with the 5T and share them with us ?
vtwalk said:
Sorry, I moved from galaxy s8+. Other than the camera, I am loving it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here !
At first I got OnePlus 5T.. in this phone everything was great, except for camera. Camera is a complete disaster - I do not know how people can be taking decent pictures without optical image stabilization. In my case when you look carefully at edges - there was a blur. Tried many camera softwares - the phone simply can't take good pics without OIS. Based on rumors, OnePlus 6 doesn't intend to include OIS in the camera either. Which is sad, as camera modules are about $15 a piece.. likely OIS would be a few dollars more. So, in summary:
OnePlus 5T:
Pros:
- Everything about the phone, screen, performance, development community
Annoyances (not a deal breaker)
- Separate switch on the side of Do not Disturb, Silent, Loud mode. Why on earth this can't be done via volume keys (Mute -> Vibrate -> Loud) and perhaps few other modes?
- Fingerprint reader., especially in the middle of the screen. Mobile device makers are attempting to convince us that bio-metrics are safe, while even US government wasn't able to prevent breach of biometric data of its own employees..
- Mobile camera in the corner, not in the middle of the back panel - in place of a fingerprint. Sometimes camera is obstructed by fingers, perhaps it is just a matter of habit.
Deal breaker:
- Crappy camera with lack of optical image stabilization. No matter what software does via EIS - it is not the same
Outcome: OnePlus 5T returned.
Then - decided to get Pixel 2 XL, hoping that it would get better shots. What a disaster of a phone it is.. around 1,100 Canadian - that is on sale.
Pros:
- Perhaps camera, but in two days took some photos, they didn't look nice either
Deal breaker/disasters:
- Screen - non bright, cheap looking
- I also didn't like the curvy screen. No benefits, as the image is displayed on front of the screen, not on the curves. Only adds to ridiculous and unnecessary cost of the device.
- Screen edges - round. Maybe this is Google's "Style", but falls into a complete disaster category in my book. Even worse - initial version of the software had these roundish corners on top, and at the bottom had three white software keys on black background. Of course when the menu was on, lower corners were squared. When you look at combination of round above, and squared below - you feel like you are not seeing right, and time to visit a nuthouse.
- Even better - with the update to fix burn in issue - menu became lighter / grey color, with transparency - with white buttons. When you are hitting the soft buttons - your mind registers as if you are hitting background.
- Support.. Google won't admit that they include screen burn in issue as part of their warranty. But they do - it took > 10 minutes in chat with Google Support to squeeze out of them the simple confirmation that burn in is covered by the 2 year warranty. So if you are unfortunate to end up with Pixel XL 2 and can't squeeze the confirmation from Google - IM me, and I will gladly share the conversation transcript
- Even better.. when you tap on the phone while it is off (and on too) - it is making hollow sound in the middle, hollow surface is approximately 2./3 of the width of the phone (in the middle) and 3/4 of the phone vertically (in the middle). This gives a feeling of a very cheap and uneven device which doesn't feel solid.
Outcome: Pixel 2 XL returned..
But the phone is still needed.. I looked on Ebay - there are many brand new Nexus 5 and 5X for couple of hundred bucks.. Also, yesterdays hardware is dirt cheap brand new. E.g. Lg G4 is $120. Yes, G4s randomly die, not all of them can be rooted, but still.
Nexues run Camera NX.. Also, just realized, that before Pixels, Google used to publish their camera software without limitations to their own hardware. APK sites should have old versions of the software. When you are looking for older hardware, remember that Camera NX needs 64 bit CPU.
If you are still on the fence, good luck with the choice! And remember that if you do not need latest and greatest - you can get solid performers (models from a year or few ago) for 1/5th of their initial price.
You may consider the camera.
Went from Pixel 2xl to 5t.
I miss the dual front speakers
I miss the camera
5t charging speed is insane
5t battery is amazing
Do I regret it, hell no.
5t is the tits
martinez5241 said:
Went from Pixel 2xl to 5t.
I miss the dual front speakers
I miss the camera
5t charging speed is insane
5t battery is amazing
Do I regret it, hell no.
5t is the tits
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you elaborate a bit more ?
How's the feel in hands ?
Is the screen that much a difference ?
Paradoxxx said:
Can you elaborate a bit more ?
How's the feel in hands ?
Is the screen that much a difference ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In hand the 5t feels slick and lighter than the 2xl. The 2xl I had it without a case and was able to grab the phone a lot better than I could with the 5t without a case. That being said yes both phone have fallen from my hands or from my lap when I get out of the car. The 5t is able to take a hit better than the 2xl. The 2xl casing cracked, the 5t casing only has scratches. Also, ive actually dropped the 5t in the bathtub of running water as I watched better call Saul while showering. I did Grab it quick but it was fully submerged. Phone still works. Sweet.
Didn't notice much screen size difference.
One other thing the lowest screen setting isn't low enough when laying in bed at night time, you'll need to download an app to make it lower. My wife has the pixelxl, her screen goes much lower than mine.
I grew up Google fan from original Nexus to Nexus 6p, pixel XL, pixel 2 xl. In an attempt to sell my slightly damaged p2xl someone offered me this new 5t in box with $300 cash in addition. I figured why not... I'm glad I did.
I stopped flashing ROMs due to always coming back to original stock with magisk.
martinez5241 said:
In hand the 5t feels slick and lighter than the 2xl. The 2xl I had it without a case and was able to grab the phone a lot better than I could with the 5t without a case. That being said yes both phone have fallen from my hands or from my lap when I get out of the car. The 5t is able to take a hit better than the 2xl. The 2xl casing cracked, the 5t casing only has scratches. Also, ive actually dropped the 5t in the bathtub of running water as I watched better call Saul while showering. I did Grab it quick but it was fully submerged. Phone still works. Sweet.
Didn't notice much screen size difference.
One other thing the lowest screen setting isn't low enough when laying in bed at night time, you'll need to download an app to make it lower. My wife has the pixelxl, her screen goes much lower than mine.
I grew up Google fan from original Nexus to Nexus 6p, pixel XL, pixel 2 xl. In an attempt to sell my slightly damaged p2xl someone offered me this new 5t in box with $300 cash in addition. I figured why not... I'm glad I did.
I stopped flashing ROMs due to always coming back to original stock with magisk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, and regarding the screen quality / colors / contrast & black crush ?
I went from 5T to first gen. Pixel XL. Simply put, 5T camera is crap. I got a feeling that the problems with the camera wont never be fixed properly. If good quality photos are needed, I cant recommend the 5T.
Otherwise 5T is a great device and I liked it.
I'm switching from the 5T to a Pixel 2 XL (ordered with a good deal) just for the pure Android/fast updates and better camera. 5T is an awesome device specially for money.
5T is amazing. The biggest and pretty much only downfall is the camera between this and pixel XL 2, and I personally am talking from coming from the original pixel XL, which camera was also better there. If you can get past the camera, 5T is the way to go.
Paradoxxx said:
Great, and regarding the screen quality / colors / contrast & black crush ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also came from the 2 XL and I'm not one to try every flagship on the market before deciding which one to keep.
I had exchanged the 2 XL for defects twice. From touchscreen issues to dead pixel clusters. I eventually decided the display wasn't worth the price of the phone.
The blue shift is way over blown. Two of the devices I received had it and one didn't. It's not something that bugged me or noticed in daily use.
What did bug me was horrible brightness uniformity and graininess. And between receiving 3 different devices there were massive variations in display quality (color temperature, graininess, digitizer response). So it seems like buying one is like playing the lotto.
I miss the camera and the front facing speakers (no where near HTC m7,m8, m9 quality but better than the 5t).
It's a nice phone but it's not worth $1k.
yung40oz84 said:
5T is amazing. The biggest and pretty much only downfall is the camera between this and pixel XL 2, and I personally am talking from coming from the original pixel XL, which camera was also better there. If you can get past the camera, 5T is the way to go.
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I came from an original pixel to the 5T, yes the pixel camera was better but imo some pictures look more natural looking with the 5T camera. I guess it's down to personal taste. Low light photos the 5T isn't as great as the pixel but it's still a good camera on the 5T.
I came from the 2nd gen Pixel and would not hesitate to recommend the 5t. The screen on the 5T has better color saturation and higher max brightness. Scrolling/smoothness isn't quite as good on the 5T, but it flies just as fast. Dash charge is insanely fast. The camera on the 5T can perform just as well as the Pixel under the right conditions but I wouldn't count on it for every point and shoot situation like you can with the Pixel. I snapped the attached pic a couple of week ago and thought it turned out great with absolutely no editing. The Google cases were cool, but the OnePlus Ebony wood bumper is the best I've had on a phone and now that there's a sandstone white variant, it looks just as good without a case. The biggest reason for me to switch to the 5T was the developer community. Since you're on XDA I would assume you're in to ROMs and customization which has already exploded for the 5T only a month or so in and for the Pixel is pretty well nonexistent. Phones are pretty much expensive toys for me and the Pixel was way more expensive, offered a great experience, but was ultimately way less fun.
chesstopher said:
I came from the 2nd gen Pixel and would not hesitate to recommend the 5t. The screen on the 5T has better color saturation and higher max brightness. Scrolling/smoothness isn't quite as good on the 5T, but it flies just as fast. Dash charge is insanely fast. The camera on the 5T can perform just as well as the Pixel under the right conditions but I wouldn't count on it for every point and shoot situation like you can with the Pixel. I snapped the attached pic a couple of week ago and thought it turned out great with absolutely no editing. The Google cases were cool, but the OnePlus Ebony wood bumper is the best I've had on a phone and now that there's a sandstone white variant, it looks just as good without a case. The biggest reason for me to switch to the 5T was the developer community. Since you're on XDA I would assume you're in to ROMs and customization which has already exploded for the 5T only a month or so in and for the Pixel is pretty well nonexistent. Phones are pretty much expensive toys for me and the Pixel was way more expensive, offered a great experience, but was ultimately way less fun.
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That's an awesome shot indeed, and a lovely looking dog
I think I've got a pretty rough idea of what I want in a phone, and sadly as of now, there is no such thing.
I'll probably be taking a 5T and see how I like it. I know the camera isn't gonna to be as good, but I've seen like every YouTube videos that exists on the subject in the past few days and I think the only way I can decide is to try by myself.
I will keep this thread updated when I'll be receiving mine if I indeed do take one, so that the people that are in such situation, having a supposed superb flagship and that are disappointed can find a bit of information switching to a supposed "worse" phone.

Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL?

I'm planning to get either one but user reviews of the XL on online retailers are really scaring me. Especially since Google doesn't RMA devices so easily in India(according to the user reviews). I might get a defective unit and be stuck with it. The regular pixel 2 doesn't seem to have any sort of issues with it's screen or speakers. I've read reports of the XL speakers getting distorted, microphone stops working, certain areas of the screen stop responding to touch, etc.
Just wanted to check if you guys have seen such problems and if it is widespread before I make my decision tomorrow.
Had my 2xl Since November. Love it. Slight blue tint when viewed at an angle. I don't even notice it in everyday use. None of the other problems at all. I thought the Pixel 2 was too small for me.
I get about 7hr sot and with same usage my friend gets max 4hr sot on his pixel 2
That's more than anything for me to buy xl lol
Cheers ?
Sent from my Google Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
My 2 XL has very slight blue tint (a non-issue for me)
There is also very slight colour temperature changes and it's visible when you're on a white/light background. However, again, it's so slight it's a non-isssue for me
The bottom speaker rattles slightly when at max or near max volume, but tweaking the phone speaker with V4A hes helped with that enough where again, it has become a non-issue
Other than that, I always prefer the bigger version of phones, as it's easier for me to type on and consuming media is also going to be better on a bigger display
Even if I was a small phone guy, the big bezels on the smaller Pixel makes the design look a bit outdated
However, if you're saying it's hard to get an RMA done in India, it's up to you on whether or not you're willing to essentially gamble on a good unit, but I think you'll be fine as long as you're not the type to nitpick!
Well if anything i will advise you to get the pixel XL 2 if you are torn between the two. However new phones are being revealed in a weeks time and will be released in a months time. I'd say wait before you purchase a pixel. New devices will have new soc in it making it faster and mrore efficient. Don't rush my friend unless you clearly want a goolge device
I went ahead and ordered the smaller Pixel 2.
Even in the XDA Indian users thread, people were complaining about the terrible RMA process.
I don't mind the blue tint, but the distorted speaker problem will be too awful. I don't want to use V4A. And its way more expensive to take such a gamble.
I definitely want a Google phone. I miss my nexuses and their quick updates. If I wait for the S9, it would probably get updates upto P and Q, but the Pixel 2 should reach R! Samsungs are not smooth. I used an S8 plus for a while and there was noticeable delay compared to a One Plus 5.
Got a couple of discounts on the Pixel 2, and I bought it

Anyone returning 3XL to get a OnePlus 6T?

Just curious if anyone is thinking of RMA to pick up for OnePlus 6T, and if so why.
I have a few days left before I can return my pixel 3 XL. To be fine it works perfectly fine without the issues other folks have mentioned other than it aggressively closes Pandora.
Notch doesn't bother me but I admit I like the overall 6t screen to body ratio and smaller notch.
blcklab said:
Just curious if anyone is thinking of RMA to pick up for OnePlus 6T, and if so why.
I have a few days left before I can return my pixel 3 XL. To be fine it works perfectly fine without the issues other folks have mentioned other than it aggressively closes Pandora.
Notch doesn't bother me but I admit I like the overall 6t screen to body ratio and smaller notch.
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Nope. Honestly, I am very happy with the Pixel 3 XL. Whatever issues people have or I have seen being reported are all software issues which will get fixed with OTAs. As for the OP 6t, no IP rating, software updates are slow no matter how close to stock they try to keep it, camera comparisons are out on a lot of sites and YT videos: Pixel 3 XL still better without any doubt, no wireless charging..right? ( I am not sure)..
Also, I traded in my 2 XL, so got $325 there, plus customers who pre ordered are getting $50 Store credit soon. So, that is around $622 for the 3 XL. I really wouldn't just consider price as a deciding factor as to which phone to buy.
The ram issue is a software issue, I personally don't have it even when I tried to replicate the issue. The only thing I would say thats better on the 6T is the extra features you get with oxygen OS, otherwise you will be losing a lot with things like the camera, stereo speakers, IP68, wireless charging and fast updates.
TBH the only feature the OP6T has that I would want is the under display fingerprint reader. Even still, the fingerprint reader on the back of the Pixel 3 is super fast and I don't seem to have to be as precise with my finger placement as I did on my Note 8 (I would commonly get the "make sure you finger covers the entire sensor" error on the N8 but the Pixel 3 doesn't seem to care). I also really missed having wireless charging with my P20 Pro and I love my Pixel stand.
At that point, the main thing the OP6T seems to have is a cheaper price (several hundred dollars, could easily be attractive to many people) and more RAM (6GB or 8GB) but I'm not having any RAM issues with my 3 XL. Also, I already sold my previous phone to a coworker, so I would be without a phone if I tried to return the Pixel 3 XL and order a OP6T instead. So, overall, I'm just gonna stick with the 3 XL, though I admit the OP6T seems like a very solid device at a great price.
Nope but I'm buying the 6t. I want both of em. Lol
OnePlus 6T looks like a really good phone, especially for the price. But honestly, I am very satisfied with my Pixel 3 XL, it's a very nice phone, yeah the notch sucks, but other than that, I really like the 3 XL;
- Display is great, and a major step from my 2 XL's screen
- Stock Android runs fluid SMOOTH
- Dual speakers sound loud and clear
- Wireless charging which I really don't care about, is actually nice to have now
westside80 said:
Nope but I'm buying the 6t. I want both of em. Lol
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I'm in the same boat as you. Not returning my Pixel but I am ordering the 6t tomorrow morning at 9:00am directly from OnePlus.
In addition I'm also using my jump on demand to get rid of my LG v30 and getting a 6t through T-Mobile as well.
I'm likely going to order the 6t tomorrow as well, so I can compare both devices side by side. That is IF I ever get my Pixel, lol. Then I'll just return which ever one I don't want
No way. The price is amazing for a phone with flagship CPU and RAM. BUT, I need a great screen, a great camera (have kids), release day updates, and I really like the wireless charging and pixel stand, and the dual front facing speakers. Having said that, I may go into a store and check one out, for the sake of seeing what one is all about, but I won't be getting one. I lerve my pixel 3 xl.
Nope, gonna have both to switch back and forth. Ordering tomorrow as well.
No, already have a OP6 as a backup, not much radical differences between the two. might even be selling my OP6 8gb RAM\256gb soon if P3XL serves the spot
I actually perceive it as being the better phone, not just in terms of value, better outright. So why didn't I buy that? I used to get a new phone every spring and fall, sometimes more than one during the spring or fall releases. Phones have gotten so good now that I actually kept my 5T for a full year, just couldn't' see anything to buy that felt like a real upgrade. First time since cell phones were a thing and being an old man I go all the back to the beginning when I say that. Anyhow the only reason I got rid of the 5T was because I had become bored with it. I in no way was buying added capability because this phone works no better than the phone it replaced and I knew that going in. The same would would be true of the 6T, it wouldn't have done anything to improve my life day to day. All this means the reason I decided on the Pixel was simply it was out sooner and I was bored with the 5T. If the 6T had been released before this one I would have bought it. Either way I wouldn't have lost sleep, I'd have a great phone that is a pleasure to use and completely capable of handling everything I do with ease.
All that said the bottom line is moving over to the 6T would mean I'd have to hassle with returning this one and getting that one and I don't see it making any difference in my level of satisfaction even if I do think this isn't quite the best phone money can buy for my use case. Come spring though lol, well, you guys know how it goes...
I have the pixel 3 and I wouldn't rma my phone for nothing especially not the 6T
No way. I was planning on getting either note 9, P3 or 6t in the beginning of the year. After passing on N9 and seeing leaks of P3 xl I was sure I'd end up with 6t. Now, not even a thought of canceling xl order. Can't wait for my pixel
It looks like a great phone and has a good price but I'm very happy with my Pixel 3xl and wouldn't sell it to purchase a 6t. The 6t doesn't have features that are super important to me such as an amazing camera and fast software updates. Also while the under screen finger print scanner is VERY cool it seems like a solution in search of a problem to me. In my opinion there is no better spot for a fingerprint scanner then the back of the phone. I wouldn't trade the back scanner for an under screen scanner but would gladly take a phone with both. That way you could also easily unlock your phone when it is placed on a flat surface.
Just the opposite, I dislike the back scanner which I find no easier to use in any scenario but cant be used at all from the desk. I'm thinking they wont be easy to find in a few years now that the under screen tech is starting to get sorted out. We know Apple is still working toward it based on recent patent activity and this side of the industry is already appearing to be headed that way without the added push. Once apple goes to fingerprint for unlock and face for two factor authentication everyone left making an android phone will jump in on under screen scanning if they haven't already. The handwriting is on the wall. And no, I'm not mistaking my opinion or guesses about where this is all headed for fact, I recognize some have made friends with back scanners and are thinking/hopeful I'm full of crap. They may be right, we'll see.
the 1+6T looks like a pretty cool phone. T-Mobile is offering 300 off if you trade in some galaxies and iphones. that means the 6T would come out to 280.
I may trade in an old iphone 6 to check this phone out. I heard the fingerprint sensor is faster than the vivo nex s which I just sold.
i've ordered the 3xl after debating whether to get the 6T but Google keep messing about with the delivery dates, so not sure when going to get as now delayed to 15-16 Nov even though if go to there website it says new orders dispatched on Monday 5th November.
I like the 6T but it's mainly the updates I want on a regular basis so reason why I've gone for the Pixel 3XL but if Google keep delaying I may end up cancelling until they sort their deliveries out
The OnePlus 6T already has TWRP and 4 Kernels
Well, now that got the ONEPLUS 6T and I thought my screen brightness on my 3XL is lower compared to my LG V40, then you'll be disappointed coz my 1+6T is much dimmer esp under the sun, you need to disable the adaptive brightness then krank up the brightness to high. Glad didn't return my 3XL yet, gonna test this 6T first. Good thing I think is the multitasking on this one got 8GB RAM, snappiness is par with PIXEL just the RAM management and maybe price. And I can noticed the clarity on my 3XL is way better than 6T, and 3XL is I think wider, correct me if I'm wrong.

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