Would you still choose S9 or go with OnePlus 6T ? - Samsung Galaxy S9 Questions & Answers

Please bear with me because this is a genuine question as I'm going to get a new device on November and am very undecided between these two devices.
In my humble opinion both devices have strenghts and weaknesses.
S9 has excellent display and camera, good audio, feature rich firmware, wide ecosystem.
I'm close following the development of upcoming Pie release, too, and it looks very promising with the arrival of night mode (dark UI) and gestures.
Samsung also has good theming features and some extra bonus like Good Lock applications.
The main point that makes me doubtful is performance: living in Europe I would get an Exyons version and I know I will not root because many vendors here states that by rooting we lose warranty.
So without root one have to stick with the default Samsung firmware, and as far as I can tell (from on-line resources) that's not the most optimized experience performance wise; I'm interested in animation and UI smoothness most of all; I don't care much if an application takes a couple of seconds to start, but when I drop down the notification shade or I scroll around I desire the animations to be smooth as butter, without dropped frames.
On the other hand, OnePlus has always be bragging about the speed of their devices and 6T claims are no different; nonetheless it will probably have an inferior hardware in all other departments (and it will also have a notch, thing that I don't appreciate much), and no theming features.
So, what's your advice as real users?
Please be constructive as I don't want to turn this thread in a flame war between brands, just discuss about pros and cons of different approaches.
Thanks!

Giocarro said:
Please bear with me because this is a genuine question as I'm going to get a new device on November and am very undecided between these two devices.
In my humble opinion both devices have strenghts and weaknesses.
S9 has excellent display and camera, good audio, feature rich firmware, wide ecosystem.
I'm close following the development of upcoming Pie release, too, and it looks very promising with the arrival of night mode (dark UI) and gestures.
Samsung also has good theming features and some extra bonus like Good Lock applications.
The main point that makes me doubtful is performance: living in Europe I would get an Exyons version and I know I will not root because many vendors here states that by rooting we lose warranty.
So without root one have to stick with the default Samsung firmware, and as far as I can tell (from on-line resources) that's not the most optimized experience performance wise; I'm interested in animation and UI smoothness most of all; I don't care much if an application takes a couple of seconds to start, but when I drop down the notification shade or I scroll around I desire the animations to be smooth as butter, without dropped frames.
On the other hand, OnePlus has always be bragging about the speed of their devices and 6T claims are no different; nonetheless it will probably have an inferior hardware in all other departments (and it will also have a notch, thing that I don't appreciate much), and no theming features.
So, what's your advice as real users?
Please be constructive as I don't want to turn this thread in a flame war between brands, just discuss about pros and cons of different approaches.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both S9 and OP6. I would suggest OP6 anytime over S9. Looking at 6T leaks, it will be much better thn S9.

Giocarro said:
Please bear with me because this is a genuine question as I'm going to get a new device on November and am very undecided between these two devices.
In my humble opinion both devices have strenghts and weaknesses.
S9 has excellent display and camera, good audio, feature rich firmware, wide ecosystem.
I'm close following the development of upcoming Pie release, too, and it looks very promising with the arrival of night mode (dark UI) and gestures.
Samsung also has good theming features and some extra bonus like Good Lock applications.
The main point that makes me doubtful is performance: living in Europe I would get an Exyons version and I know I will not root because many vendors here states that by rooting we lose warranty.
So without root one have to stick with the default Samsung firmware, and as far as I can tell (from on-line resources) that's not the most optimized experience performance wise; I'm interested in animation and UI smoothness most of all; I don't care much if an application takes a couple of seconds to start, but when I drop down the notification shade or I scroll around I desire the animations to be smooth as butter, without dropped frames.
On the other hand, OnePlus has always be bragging about the speed of their devices and 6T claims are no different; nonetheless it will probably have an inferior hardware in all other departments (and it will also have a notch, thing that I don't appreciate much), and no theming features.
So, what's your advice as real users?
Please be constructive as I don't want to turn this thread in a flame war between brands, just discuss about pros and cons of different approaches.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using the Exynos 128GB galaxy s9.
Well, I think both phones are great, If you care about very smooth and fast animations when opening apps then go for the OP6. But the galaxy S9 is very fast and it doesn't lag, it feels smooth except when you go to bixby home from the homescreen, the transition is laggy there. But you can disable bixby home if you wanted to. Personally, I like the animations of the S9 since the animations of the OP6 are very fast and identical to stock android, so I think that i'm experiencing something special with the S9. And I love infinity wallpapers !
Also, the S9 has more premium look like the curved front and back and the reflective back glass.
Anyways, design and animations are related to personal preference.
Speakers are excellent on the galaxy S9 and the dolby atmos made me feel that I'm right in the action.
Cameras are awesome but the front facing camera needs some improvements, I heard that there's an update rolling out in this month for S9 & S9+, and it has many fixes for performance, security and camera.
Talking about security, the S9 is much more secure than the OP6, and despite the very fast face unlock of the OP6, the S9 is still more convenient and more secure, especially that intelligent scan can detect your face/eyes at low light, and can't be fooled by a photo.
Battery is good, not the best out there, it can last you a full day, but I think the OP6 has a better battery than the S9, i don't know if it's better than the plus.
And with the galaxy you also have the ability to expand your storage, so you don't have to worry if you take a lot of pictures or install a lot of apps, and it has everything a smartphone can have in 2018, so if you care about this much of features, I'll definitely recommend the S9 over the OP6.
Finally, you won't go wrong with any of these devices, both are awesome, the OP6 has a good price, and I don't think the S9 is overpriced because you pay for what you get. I think there's many deals for the S9, you can check them.

I wouldn't get a OnePlus 6t because it doesn't have a micro SD card slot nor a headphone jack, I use these features a lot. I also still prefer the on the back fingerprint reader and the S9's overall design and camera.

No 3.5mm jack. No wireless charging. No sd card slot. No stereo. No waterproofing. Incomplete display. U kidding?

You can not lose warranty by rooting in any eu country by law.

If you are a device modder then the OnePlus 6T is the device for you. If you want a device that works well straight out the box then either will be great. However I prefer the SGS9 as it has a microSD Card slot and a headphone jack.

After OnePlus 6T launch I took the plunge and ordered a Samsung S9.
The key points for the decisiion are dimensions (OP6T is too big) and software experience (Samsung gives better customization features with themes and Good Lock).
Display without notch, wireless charging, waterproof protection and stereo speakers are obviously welcome, while a little less performance is not an issue for me (I'm not a benchmark addict nor a gamer).
So, all in all, for 500 Euros I think I could not make better purchase than S9!

In all honesty I'm very happy with my S9+, I found no lag what so ever and animations are smooth , personally I cannot complain .
The only drawback so far is the updates (specially major versions) take their sweet time, like Samsung always did , however you always have treble if you want an AOSP experience , it's smooth as well, all features working except proprietary Samsung hardware.
And yeah, wonderful display, good sound, headphone jack, microsd, are all pros, get a case though because if it falls it's not forgiving as some devices are, the beauty of the screen and back makes it prone to brittle.

Used OP3, trial OP5T & now own S9 exynos
S9 is better. EU law state you can't lose warranty by rooting, but check with provider or something.
I will only compare software side here since I don't have OP6. Anyway, if you will flash stuff a lot, then the sd slot is very helpful. When you go custom, stuff WILL go wrong and you may have no choice but to complete wipe including internal storage, which if you like me have over 60gb of organised media, the sd card helps if you save your stuff there.
And when you do restart with new rom, samsung cloud is better than OP google cloud when restoring app, settings, ect.
There ain't really much of a performance difference unless you're that kind of guy but then you won't be looking here. The issue with S9 tho is apps don't hold well in memory due to ram size. It's not catastrophic like music app close or any force close, just apps refresh a lot. Also oxygen os is close to vanilla if you like that, but samsung is more colorful to me.
Battery wise, OP is way better. even with OP3 3000mah battery I never worry about what's left, even more so with 5T. Dash Charge was really great too-1hour and it's done. With S9, I'm always fidgety about charging it cause it charge so damn slow(2hour+) and drain fast, sometimes I have to change my daily schedule just to finish charging the damn thing!
In terms of support, obviously OP is the best, even now OP3 is still receiving updates. However the BIG problem is hardware. By now OP6 has stopped production, if you break anything there's no replacement. No production also means no new developer. You can look in OP3 forum where developers drop roms because their device break & OP just sent them newest device, which is nice but suck for us. You could easily get accessory to S9 due to popularity & samsung center are all over the place.
Well overall, I'll still get S9 because of sd slot, stereo speaker, wireless charging. There wasn't any lag or performance difference in daily use, just that ram issue(should've get S9+).

S9 or S9+
My completely honest reply is the S9 is such a stronger phone that you should chose it and simply fix what you think will be issues.
1. Use "Package Disabler Pro +" to kill any bloatware, no root needed. I'm telling you though, most things can be removed if not disabled.
2. Run Nova Launcher Prime
3. Use bxActions to remap bixby button and add to volume buttons if you do the ADB tweak.
all no root, full control, and it's a way better phone!

Related

[Q] From G3 to Galaxy S6?

Hi guys, i have a friend who bought G3 not long ago, and he want to replace it with Galaxy S6. let's assume if he would, outside of lower battery, does it really hold any substantial benefit over G3?
Derpling said:
Hi guys, i have a friend who bought G3 not long ago, and he want to replace it with Galaxy S6. let's assume if he would, outside of lower battery, does it really hold any substantial benefit over G3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
S6:
Better processor
Better RAM
Better Software
Better Camera
Better build quality
I heard the s6 is fragile compared to g3
t-shock said:
Yes
S6:
Better processor
Better RAM
Better Software
Better Camera
Better build quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Derping asked: "Does it really hold any substantial benefit over G3?"
I would say no.
What t-shock wrote is mostly true if we compare technical specifications, but hardware benefits are not noticeable in everyday use, and software quality is matter of individual taste..
Sent from my LG-D855
draskome said:
Derping asked: "Does it really hold any substantial benefit over G3?"
I would say no.
What t-shock wrote is mostly true if we compare technical specifications, but hardware benefits are not noticeable in everyday use, and software quality is matter of individual taste..
Sent from my LG-D855
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own both devices and I will say that s6 feels a bit better that the g3
Screen and camera is the main differences
PS You're absolutely right
My cousin came from the states a few days ago and he has the s6 edge i have the s5 and g3. To be honest i didnt saw that much difference. Well the screen on edge rocks and the camera ummm. Took a pic with my s5 and ne with the edge the same position 4 seconds of difference and i cant say theres a difference. Yeah its new but for me its just that.
Enviado desde mi LG-D855 mediante Tapatalk
Derpling said:
Hi guys, i have a friend who bought G3 not long ago, and he want to replace it with Galaxy S6. let's assume if he would, outside of lower battery, does it really hold any substantial benefit over G3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm looking at going backwards actually. From S6 to G3 (or even G4).
"Stupid!" Some would say....
"Ahh, I see what you're doing there..." others would suggest...
I've never had an iPhone (outside of work) and never will. Absolutely hate them. If I want to blend in with the mainstream 'zombie' public, I'd buy one...and so, I pledged allegiance to the Samsung Galaxy flagship on the release of the S1. I Loved the SGS1; thought the S2 (and S2 in 4G) was brilliant in every way and the best in the series. I didn't like the bubble-like screen on S3 (you cant use a screen protector properly) and the S4, S5 and S6 were getting bigger, heavier, more powerful (killing batteries quicker) and lacking in key features that I considered "important" as a user.
My complaints:
1. S6 build. It's advantageously a disadvantage...
The best thing about Samsung for me, was it wasn't Apple. It was on the andrio0d platform and the phone internally and externally was customizable to how the user saw fit. Now, you can argue the battery-encased in the shell, lack of SD card expandability and "all metal/glass" surroundings is great (you are probably an Apple fan), but to me it works against the S6....customization lacked big time. Let's not forget the S5 was dust/water resistant for a plastic back/removable battery and all ports on phone weren't covered! Also, keep these stupid nano sims for the iPhones, please...We have micro now #smallenough
2. Power/Battery:
I don't "multi-task overload" and usually only have a few apps running at the same time. Not really a big gamer outside of the occasional Angry Birds, yet I was STAGGERED learning how much my battery dropped from LIMITED use. 10 minutes looking at my phones messages and emails and 5% was gone in the blink of an eye. I can't get a full day out of it and I'm the furtherest thing from what would be considered a phone-a-holic. So again, such advantages of this phone in it's ability to cope with the most demanding apps, and graphics in high end mobile games, is biting it in the ass as its OVERLY using too much of the available battery.
3. FM radio
If you're like me, this makes you laugh the S4 and S5 had FM radio chips installed, but Samsung de-activated them. Why?! Who the f*ck knows. They present you with a ferrari and remove the engine...kinda makes it a moot point. I want to listen to live sports on radio...I can't do that unless I can tap into specific 3rd party apps and in some cases, certain times/streams aren't even available....use a LIVE FM RDS radio and it is. The S4-6+ missing this makes zero sense.
I could go on, but I won't. I will admit that in the hand, the phone feels fantastic. As did the S5. The processor of CPU/GPU are far superior, the camera is better and ultra-responsive, the UI might be new to you if you're not familiar, but easy to use. 4G speeds are SUPER fast, WIFI connectivity a breeze, but the more Samsung liken their phones to Apples and cut out common features and shorten battery lifespans, the quicker they will lose customers like me. If you add in the extra horsepower, compensate with either a bigger battery, or more efficient battery sucking less power.
For me, the G3 or G4's camera of 13 or 16MP will suffice...I'm a photographer with a great DSLR, a phone will never replace it and the RAW shooting option on the G4 (possibly G3) is a great option. The phone is a little BIG for my liking, but again, that's LG trying to copy the latest Iphone sizes for you...the GB RAM and storage are on par with market leaders at the moment and the option to use your own battery, manually reset the phone, add a SDHC card for photos/video (particular for RAW images) are just more reasons why I'll go for the option that gives you greater flexibility.
RoOSTA
Really interesting views and thoughts in this thread, gonna jump in....
Ive owned all the Samsung Devices (except the S6), IMO, samsung are pulling an Apple and the prices are starting to creep up, S6 or IPhone 6, Iphone 6+ or S6 Edge, yes its starting to happen.. Samsung are pulling their way back after the S5 flop and boy, are they letting everyone know about it.. oh and charging for it as well
Now that we have 5.0 L, I personnaly think the G3 is awesome. Its had it problems.. the OS being laggy, which Removing Smart Notice cures, the camera taking time to mature and lack of basic manual controls (EV, ISO, WB, Manual focus, Bracketing, Shutter speed etc) and LG still havent fixed the headphones hiss / distortion even after 2 massive updates (4.4 & 5.0), although there are workarounds, but I still love the G3.. why...
Beautiful Big Screen, Great Camera with one of the best OIS systems around (even better than Nokia at times), beautiful audio, great button placement, lovely sturdy robust build (even though its plastic), nice Themes and OS cutomisation, and now under Lollipop (20h), a great OS experience... lets just say I ditched my HTC One M9 for the G3.
Until they release a Tizen powered device, Ill never buy Samsung again.. because no matter how much they slim it down and dress it up.. Touchwiz is still Touchwiz and its like a kids cartoon. The camera looks impressive however, and now theyve added OIS, it seems impressive..
IMO if I was you, Ide get the G4, which is released on the 28th, which is much cheaper than an S6.

Should I upgrade?

Hey, I currently have a LG V30 and I’m thinking about upgrading to a OnePlus 7t. I’m on the fence tho cuz I really don’t need a new phone. My V30 is lagging when switching from a website to an app and visa versa. It sometimes takes a number of seconds to open an app if I was doing something else. I know any new phone would be quicker but is the 7t really a lot better than the v30? Some YouTube videos made it seem like they were very similar performance wise. I don’t want to throw $500 out the window unless this would be an absolute step up despite the lags on my V30. Otherwise I was thinking about waiting for the supposed galaxy s10 note lite that I heard would be coming out for about the same price. Any help would be appreciated!
I would look to fix the problem(s) with the v30. Maybe clear system cache or factory restore? Have you considered switching launchers etc?
I don't see it as an "upgrade" more a side step
If you want a new phone maybe wait for the 8th series by oneplus. There is talk about a "lite" version which sounds interesting.
I came from a V30 and I'll say it definitely felt like an upgrade to me. I put the 7T and the V30 side by side and it was night and day with performance. More RAM, higher refresh rate, running Android 10 (which the V30 will probably never get), I'd say it's an upgrade. I didn't feel like I really NEEDED a new phone either when I was looking at the 7T but I'm glad I got it. The only thing I'm missing is wireless charging and an SD card slot. Both of which I have adjusted to.
Re: Should I upgrade/buy new?
I have cleared the cache and cleaned the system, powered off and restarted and deleted apps I wasn't using. I always have this problem with my phones...after a couple of years they start bogging down. I also wonder about just getting a great performing $200-$300 phone and replacing it every other year so I'm not having to deal with the lagging. I know Motorola's budget phones are good and I have had them before but at least when they start lagging they start dying too...
I have an inexpensive ipad and I really like it....never had an iphone...do they lag after a couple of years too?
Any advice would be helpfull.
jsgraphicart said:
I came from a V30 and I'll say it definitely felt like an upgrade to me. I put the 7T and the V30 side by side and it was night and day with performance. More RAM, higher refresh rate, running Android 10 (which the V30 will probably never get), I'd say it's an upgrade. I didn't feel like I really NEEDED a new phone either when I was looking at the 7T but I'm glad I got it. The only thing I'm missing is wireless charging and an SD card slot. Both of which I have adjusted to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! This really helps. I guess I really need to go look at it. Since you had the v30...one feature I LOVE about LG is the Quick Note capture ...I think I would really miss that...does the OnePlus have something similar?
Deetles98 said:
Thanks! This really helps. I guess I really need to go look at it. Since you had the v30...one feature I LOVE about LG is the Quick Note capture ...I think I would really miss that...does the OnePlus have something similar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're talking about the double tap volume up to take a note right? Sadly, no. Not exactly in that way anyway. The 7T does have a feature where you can put your thumb on the in screen fingerprint sensor to unlock and hold it and you have a little customizable "wheel" of sorts of apps and shortcuts. One of which can be a shortcut to take a note. It taps in to all the shortcuts of other apps too so you can actually use Google Keep if you want. It doesn't have the other Capture+ features either though which I do miss. Being able to screenshot only a section of the screen (which I did find an app for) or gif capture. It does have extended screenshot though if you need that.
Not sure if there is a big enough performance difference
Not sure if there is a big enough performance difference? Also, can I alternate my SIM card between the V30 and OnePlus 7t? I have work apps on the v30 I need to be able to use....
as a previous owner of V30:
(+) regarding speed, yes 1+ will be far faster and it is far faster even compared to most recent flagships if not all
(+) back fingerprint reader was the only flaw of v30, 1+ fingerprint is better than most recent flagships if not all and better placed
(-) comfort is gone, 1+ is too heavy and thicker (brick)
(-) the popular features are gone: SD, jack, wireless charging, radio and notification light
(-) no more MIL-STD-810G, IP68 certificates, QC certificate, Dolby Vision certificate, B&O certificate feat. audiofile DAC -- 1+ #NeverSettle certificate payments to ramp up their margins
(+-) battery will be the same i guess
1+ is not yet the same league as V30, for example only now they implemented USB3, something the old LG had centuries ago. Just like this LG model had HDR when people didn't even know what it is. Incredible for year 2017. Keep your gem and wait for 1+ 9T Lite without notch and lightweight I sold my used V30 for higher price than market price, that's how people appreciate its coolness. And i had lot of flagships after, none of them are better.

General Disappointment the Pixel 6

Well after being excited to get the Pixel 6 Pro with all the hype of best pixel phone in years, i have returned the phone after finding it disappointing. Probably the phone i have been most disappointed with ever, So i have gone back to my Huawei P30 Pro
main issues are battery life, after finding the phone struggling to get through a day on a charge, after googling and finding turning off the 5g and 120hz display improves battery life. WHAT the main features of the phone drain the battery too much, battery life on P30 is 2 days for me constantly (i know peoples usage will vary), but after Lumia phones and Huawei it was like going back to Iphone 3 days barely getting 24hrs on a charge.
also the UI is terrible, how is this an improvement the notification area with the huge tiles take up so much room that you have to scroll to the right to see most of the shortcuts etc. P30 is much more intuitive and fewer steps to do the same action
The Google search bar/ assistant and clock can't be moved or resized so much for customising android, none of these restrictions on P30
Colour theming what a joke to the point of being pointless couldn't pick the colour i wanted and the choice of 4 colour LOL, P30 has a huge colour theming section and is easy pick what colour you want and away to go
You will need a case for the phone it will literally slide off everything, i know a lot pf people fit cases but you wont have any choice with the Pixel 6 or it'll end up in broke
I would go as far to say EMUI 4 was better than android 12 on the Pixel 6, only good point was the camera
Only thing I'd agree with is that Huawei makes some of the best phones and I wish they were sold for US carriers. As for this phone, it's getting better every day for me. Of course there are some annoyances here and there but battery life isn't bad for me. I still have mine on 5g and 120hz and getting 8ish hour SOT with full day use. Mostly Twitter, Reddit and cryptocurrency apps and some YouTube music. The UI I feel takes some learning and adjusting to get used to.
nighthawk626 said:
Only thing I'd agree with is that Huawei makes some of the best phones and I wish they were sold for US carriers. As for this phone, it's getting better every day for me. Of course there are some annoyances here and there but battery life isn't bad for me. I still have mine on 5g and 120hz and getting 8ish hour SOT with full day use. Mostly Twitter, Reddit and cryptocurrency apps and some YouTube music. The UI I feel takes some learning and adjusting to get used to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kinda hard to trust a device made literally by the espionage wing of a hostile foreign country...
96carboard said:
Kinda hard to trust a device made literally by the espionage wing of a hostile foreign country...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying I don't get that. I just really miss Huawei phones.
Podster16 said:
Well after being excited to get the Pixel 6 Pro with all the hype of best pixel phone in years, i have returned the phone after finding it disappointing. Probably the phone i have been most disappointed with ever, So i have gone back to my Huawei P30 Pro
main issues are battery life, after finding the phone struggling to get through a day on a charge, after googling and finding turning off the 5g and 120hz display improves battery life. WHAT the main features of the phone drain the battery too much, battery life on P30 is 2 days for me constantly (i know peoples usage will vary), but after Lumia phones and Huawei it was like going back to Iphone 3 days barely getting 24hrs on a charge.
also the UI is terrible, how is this an improvement the notification area with the huge tiles take up so much room that you have to scroll to the right to see most of the shortcuts etc. P30 is much more intuitive and fewer steps to do the same action
The Google search bar/ assistant and clock can't be moved or resized so much for customising android, none of these restrictions on P30
Colour theming what a joke to the point of being pointless couldn't pick the colour i wanted and the choice of 4 colour LOL, P30 has a huge colour theming section and is easy pick what colour you want and away to go
You will need a case for the phone it will literally slide off everything, i know a lot pf people fit cases but you wont have any choice with the Pixel 6 or it'll end up in broke
I would go as far to say EMUI 4 was better than android 12 on the Pixel 6, only good point was the camera
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You really should have waited a bit to try a pure aosp build. I found the google [bloat|spy]ware to be bad enough that I couldn't put my sim card in it because it was completely unusable. Running pure aosp built from source and its like a dream.
Under very heavy use since about 7am this morning (its now after 3), I'm still over 70% battery, including leaving 120hz enabled. Not 5g though, my carrier only has LTE for now.
Some of your complaints don't really matter. The quick settings pane for example is a feature of android 12, not the google build, so no matter who sells you the phone, you'll have that eventually anyway.
96carboard said:
Kinda hard to trust a device made literally by the espionage wing of a hostile foreign country...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hostile wing of USA or China take your pick
nighthawk626 said:
Only thing I'd agree with is that Huawei makes some of the best phones and I wish they were sold for US carriers. As for this phone, it's getting better every day for me. Of course there are some annoyances here and there but battery life isn't bad for me. I still have mine on 5g and 120hz and getting 8ish hour SOT with full day use. Mostly Twitter, Reddit and cryptocurrency apps and some YouTube music. The UI I feel takes some learning and adjusting to get used to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i had no where near that battery time, fully charged at 9:00am out on the mtb for 6 hrs with pics on the way normal use after that by 8:00 pm 15%
The UI is just not as intuitive, take restricting apps working in the background pixel you have to go to each app individually, P30 the settings for all apps are on one page, just simpler
2021 has been a mediocre year at best for smartphones. Android 11 and 12 forced cpu cycle eating scooped storage sucks.
After the N20U Samsung released nothing I like and their last really great flagship is the N10+ running on Q.
2021, issues with variable rate displays, 5G and scoped storage galore. The usual Samsung Fold display delamination issues. For flagship SD card support you either got to use older Samsung flagships or go Chinese.
The Pixel Pro seems to numerous rude surprises. OK, maybe it's not horrible but not a flagship level device either... it's ok at best. It's user interface is subpar as usual with no substantial speed advantage to show for it. Why not just get an Apple rather than a Pixel at this rate?
I doubt even Samsung can modify Android 11/12 enough to make it user friendly; Pixel barely tried to fix their nightmare OS.
Small wonder Pixel as such a dismal market share... they earned it.
blackhawk said:
2021 has been a mediocre year at best for smartphones. Android 11 and 12 forced cpu cycle eating scooped storage sucks.
After the N20U Samsung released nothing I like and their last really great flagship is the N10+ running on Q.
2021, issues with variable rate displays, 5G and scoped storage galore. The usual Samsung Fold display delamination issues. For flagship SD card support you either got to use older Samsung flagships or go Chinese.
The Pixel Pro seems to numerous rude surprises. OK, maybe it's not horrible but not a flagship level device either... it's ok at best. It's user interface is subpar as usual with no substantial speed advantage to show for it. Why not just get an Apple rather than a Pixel at this rate?
I doubt even Samsung can modify Android 11/12 enough to make it user friendly; Pixel barely tried to fix their nightmare OS.
Small wonder Pixel as such a dismal market share... they earned it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 9 owner
Everyone knows the 10 lineup was literally a downgrade in all the ways literally a minor cpu bump and a 3rd camera.
You lost iris scanner, spo2 ,heart rate , headphone jack and sd card slot on certain models.
It was also the mark of samsung making like 4 3/4 different models of phone which had worse hard ware than previous versions unless you get the top top end.
For example the fact screens on the note10 itself are worse than 9.
It literally started the mark of samsung killing off the note line with the making it a glorified Samsung Galaxy with a pen in which case then note 20ultra is worse that the galaxy 20 ultra in a lot of ways.
It's not even ahead of software updates since the note 10 lite uses the same chipset as the s9/n9 so it's easily ported to them.
So yeah the fact you said that means you literally have no clue on the state of it.
Also you think Samsung will simplify it gl they literally need to make a new ui every year because they can't do it right it's improving but still , if you don't like stock android get different launcher.
At least we know we going to get software support for a long time and direct also support
Phone is Awesome! Best purchase ever!
blackhawk said:
2021 has been a mediocre year at best for smartphones. Android 11 and 12 forced cpu cycle eating scooped storage sucks.
After the N20U Samsung released nothing I like and their last really great flagship is the N10+ running on Q.
2021, issues with variable rate displays, 5G and scoped storage galore. The usual Samsung Fold display delamination issues. For flagship SD card support you either got to use older Samsung flagships or go Chinese.
The Pixel Pro seems to numerous rude surprises. OK, maybe it's not horrible but not a flagship level device either... it's ok at best. It's user interface is subpar as usual with no substantial speed advantage to show for it. Why not just get an Apple rather than a Pixel at this rate?
I doubt even Samsung can modify Android 11/12 enough to make it user friendly; Pixel barely tried to fix their nightmare OS.
Small wonder Pixel as such a dismal market share... they earned it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you stated in so many posts you have 2 Note 10's so I can only assume that your opinion is pure speculation! Did a clean install and don't have any issues at all. When the Note 20 Ultra first came a lot of members were having issues with it to because of importing data and apps from an old phone, once they did a FDR all the problems magically disappeared! Just saying...........................
ggrant3876 said:
As you stated in so many posts you have 2 Note 10's so I can only assume that your opinion is pure speculation! Did a clean install and don't have any issues at all. When the Note 20 Ultra first came a lot of members were having issues with it to because of importing data and apps from an old phone, once they did a FDR all the problems magically disappeared! Just saying...........................
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read a lot. The Pixel UI... well each to his own is the best I can say.
The N20U has display issues caused by the variable frequency, the N10+ color rendering exceeds the N20U, S21U and likely the P6pro.
I have extremely good color perception, top 1% so I find color aberrations annoying with displays. The 10+ is near spot on even after two years of heavy usage. I'll do a color test between the new and old one to see how tight the calibration is just for kicks sometime.
The N20U is running on R, enough said.
Some of both have 5G, not worth the increased battery usage. This problem persists in most of the newest devices. Variable rate displays, 5G and especially scooped storage are not mature technologies and continue to underperform.
Stats with pics... or it never happened.
Here's what a stock N10+ Snapdragon/P variant did just today with a 4300mAh battery. About one hour is watching utube vids, the rest browsing. The N10+ isn't even breaking a sweat...
The entire pre-order mess has soured my excitement for the phone. Google showed early November delivery, now shows mid January. It seems to cut costs, Google went with outdated and inferior parts and made some strange sacrifices. Samsung always gives it's competitors last year's display tech. Android 12 feels largely incomplete, much like hipster aesthetics were put before functional changes. I have been excited to get a flagship that has a clean base, can be rooted and built upon, but if the hardware is subpar, it may not be worth it.
With Samsung phones, I've debloated and modded almost every element to my liking without even needing root. Custom themes, custom fonts, custom clock styles and placement, always on display scheduling, ability to hide the navigation bar, and endless GoodLock modules to fine tune the UI are all things stock Android 12 can't do. That said, it's always bugged me that Samsung phones have roughly 300 preloaded system apps, where stock Android has about 100. I'm debating whether to cancel the P6P preorder and wait for the S22 Ultra.
Guyinlaca said:
The entire pre-order mess has soured my excitement for the phone. Google showed early November delivery, now shows mid January. It seems to cut costs, Google went with outdated and inferior parts, and made sacrifices to keep costs down. Samsung always gives it's competitors last year's display tech. Android 12 feels largely incomplete, much like hipster aesthetics were put before functional changes. I have been excited to get a flagship that has a clean base, can be rooted and built upon, but if the hardware is subpar, it may not be worth it.
With Samsung phones, I've debloated and modded almost every element to my liking without even needing root. Custom themes, custom fonts, custom clock styles and placement, always on display scheduling, ability to hide the navigation bar, and endless GoodLock modules to fine tune the UI are all things stock Android 12 can't do. That said, it's always bugged me that Samsung phones have roughly 300 preloaded system apps, where stock Android has about 100. I'm debating whether to cancel the P6P preorder and wait for the S22 Ultra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was comparing my 2 N10+'s, one running on 9, the other 10. The 10 variant has dozens of small apks that show on the package disabler, but they're not bloatware. Samsung deliberately moded Android 10 to make it more user friendly and functional. It runs very well.
The S21 isn't anything I want but it shreds the P6pro.
However both are having display issues. I would at least wait for the dust to settle...
Hold out until Samsung gets their act together again if you can... it may take a year or two. Latter 2022 or perhaps 2023. I wouldn't hold my breath... it may take until 2024 to arise from the ashes of mediocre and lack of features.
Guyinlaca said:
I'm debating whether to cancel the P6P preorder and wait for the S22 Ultra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind you can't unlock the bootloader on recent Samsung phones without breaking the camera completely. I had nothing against them until now but this is major BS on their part.
Ghisy said:
Keep in mind you can't unlock the bootloader on recent Samsung phones without breaking the camera completely. I had nothing against them until now but this is major BS on their part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair, on a Samsung, one doesn't really need root. So much debloating can be done using ADB. Many developers have found ways to utilize Samsung's theme engine and font engine to customize the phone however one prefers. I installed an AOSP theme using Hex Installer that made the UI look 95% stock.
Guyinlaca said:
To be fair, on a Samsung, one doesn't really need root. So much debloating can be done using ADB. Many developers have found ways to utilize Samsung's theme engine and font engine to customize the phone however one prefers. I installed an AOSP theme using Hex Installer that made the UI look 95% stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running 2 stock N10+'s using Samsung Galaxy mods, a package disabler, a firewall and heavily optimizing them.
That's all you need... they run great and look/function exactly how I want them too.
No plain Janes here... some assembly required.
Samsung phones are pus*y phones, pardon my language. If you can't unlock the bootloader have any kind of development opportunities, you're just a sheep. Last Samsung phones I had were the Galaxy Nexus and the Note 2. Seems like a lot of Samsung Fanboys here. I get it because we're here to talk about phones, but this is an XDA Development site - Development. It's all about development. So move forth and go forward with your beautiful Sammy phones and enjoy those locked bootloaders!
darbylonia said:
Samsung phones are pus*y phones, pardon my language. If you can't unlock the bootloader have any kind of development opportunities, you're just a sheep. Last Samsung phones I had were the Galaxy Nexus and the Note 2. Seems like a lot of Samsung Fanboys here. I get it because we're here to talk about phones, but this is an XDA Development site - Development. It's all about development. So move forth and go forward with your beautiful Sammy phones and enjoy those locked bootloaders!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
darbylonia said:
Samsung phones are pus*y phones, pardon my language. If you can't unlock the bootloader have any kind of development opportunities, you're just a sheep. Last Samsung phones I had were the Galaxy Nexus and the Note 2. Seems like a lot of Samsung Fanboys here. I get it because we're here to talk about phones, but this is an XDA Development site - Development. It's all about development. So move forth and go forward with your beautiful Sammy phones and enjoy those locked bootloaders!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I had two glasses of wine.
darbylonia said:
Sorry, I had two glasses of wine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good thing it wasn't WT 101
Stability, functionality, speed and good battery life are all that matters. This "pu$$y" phone in my hand right now has all four, it's current load is over 1.5 years old with minimum maintenance/zero updates.
Yeah, I really hate it...

Question Replace a Galaxy S21 Ultra with a Pixel 6 Pro?

Hey everybody!
Quick question: would you replace your Galaxy S21 Ultra with a Pixel 6 Pro?
I'm asking it because I'm a S21 owner but I've never been completely in love with the Samsung design (those squircle icons...) nor all the Samsung apps I don't use and can't remove. I'm into Google apps and services and I'm attracted by the simple and minimal design of the Pixel 6. On the other hand, I like Samsung for the plethora of options and features they add to the Android system, most of which are not in the Pixel.
I've been reading around a lot and it seems that in terms of performance and battery the two phones are basically the same - and the S21 is one year old almost. The S21 could have a slightly better camera, whereas the Pixel can count on the Tensor chip and specific features.
So, what's your thought?
_JuSteR_ said:
Hey everybody!
Quick question: would you replace your Galaxy S21 Ultra with a Pixel 6 Pro?
I'm asking it because I'm a S21 owner but I've never been completely in love with the Samsung design (those squircle icons...) nor all the Samsung apps I don't use and can't remove. I'm into Google apps and services and I'm attracted by the simple and minimal design of the Pixel 6. On the other hand, I like Samsung for the plethora of options and features they add to the Android system, most of which are not in the Pixel.
I've been reading around a lot and it seems that in terms of performance and battery the two phones are basically the same - and the S21 is one year old almost. The S21 could have a slightly better camera, whereas the Pixel can count on the Tensor chip and specific features.
So, what's your thought?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're probably not going to be happy with a Pixel. The UX is polar opposite of Sammy's and a few cool features aren't probably going to be enough for you to unlike what you liked about Sammys in the first place.
Icons? There are hundreds of free icon packs, themes and more at the Samsung Galaxy store.
You can use a package disabler to block apps you don't want.
Personally I rejected the S21U because of no SD card slot or spen.
The Pixel is a bare bones UI, just the opposite of Samsung. I've seen the homepage screen shots for the Pixels and they're damn weak.
You can really trick out stock Samsung's... Good
Lock family of apps, etc.
My two N10+'s look and behave like I want them to...
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I personally just made the exact switch you're thinking of doing. It doesn't have all of the "custom" additions that the S21U does but I feel like because of that the Pixel feels better.
The biggest reason I switched was for the performance. The S21U felt laggy and slow even compared to my previous phone (OnePlus 8 Pro). The Pixel feels way smoother of an experience.
Camera is subjective but I've always been a fan of the "Google" processing so I've installed a GCam mod on every phone I can, S21 included.
I'm much happier now on the Pixel 6 pro than the S21U so if you're okay with a more minimalistic phone without all of the Samsung goodies, then this might be worth the switch.
Yes, I would replace any Samsung with the P6P. My wife and I were happy with the first Pixel, which we used until they stopped updating it almost two years ago. I was waiting for Google to come out with a 512 GB model, and since they hadn't yet we got the Samsung Note 10+ 512 GB.
When the P6P 512 GB model was revealed, I knew it was time to buy, and sell our Samsungs, which I did on Swappa without wasting much time. The only thing we slightly miss is the included stylus.
I could go on and reiterate a list of things I didn't like about Samsung's version of Android (the hardware was great). One major thing I couldn't stand about the software was the erratic, unreliable notifications of my GMail, Hangouts, and Google Chat.
I don't have a work phone because I don't want to use iOS, and I count on prompt notifications when I'm busy multitasking on my work PC. Sometimes I wouldn't get notifications for two hours after the email was sent. My work uses Google for everything. Sometimes I would get a notification of an email hours after I had already seen it on the PC and had deleted it.
I tried everything I could to try to fix it with no luck. My brother's family has their very first smartphone in the last several years when they bought the Samsung Galaxy S9+. When I told him about my notification issue, he said he assumed that's just the way Android is (no, it's not).
As I said, I could detail a long list but I've been over it before so it gets tiring.
Good luck, whatever you choose.
blackhawk said:
Icons? There are hundreds of free icon packs, themes and more at the Samsung Galaxy store.
You can use a package disabler to block apps you don't want.
Personally I rejected the S21U because of no SD card slot or spen.
The Pixel is a bare bones UI, just the opposite of Samsung. I've seen the homepage screen shots for the Pixels and they're damn weak.
You can really trick out stock Samsung's... Good
Lock family of apps, etc.
My two N10+'s look and behave like I want them to...
View attachment 5469201
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can trick out any android phone. Not hard to put a different launcher and icons on it. The homescreen you attached there looks no better than any of the other homescreens on any other phone.
i have both devices, ehm three(s21, s21u, p6pro) and i will say, P6pro is better, same performance, a lot better battery, comparing camera(what i miss so much is better zoom with S21U). p6pro is battery friendly, same usage and you get 10h SOT, with S21U only 5-7(but with profiles - data, bt off, in night Flicght mode...)
Same here. I still have my s21u and currently using the p6p. As of now, I'm content with the 6 pro. Battery can be better. This phone is fairly new and there will be lots of updates.
I'd stick with the S21 Ultra. If you want a better UI, download Nova Launcher and a Pixel icon pack. Also #Hex Installer allows you to completely redesign the UI with Pixel style icons and less rounded elements throughout. I'm not sure if it's working with Android 12 yet though. If you hate the bloat, there are ways to disable the majority of it using ADB.
I like the Pixel 6 Pro a lot, but I'm not gonna lie, there are A LOT of things that Samsung phones do better. Samsung has GoodLock for endless customization, Always on Display Customization, the 5G modem works better, and charging seems to be faster and more reliable.
I'm already using Nova and tried so many times with #Hex but I've never achieved a complete and consistent customisation - unfortunately I have a thing for design done well.
What's really holding me is that:
- the P6P modem is actually worse than the S21U
- charging time is the same if not worse than S21U, in contrast to what Google initially promised
- battery life is basically the same
- the P6P display is less brighter (least worst)
And I also consider that the S21U is one year older than the P6P. So I'm wondering if it's worth the hassle. On the other hand I know the P6P is new, so it's expected to receive fixes and updates - but improving the modem or battery sounds like a miracle
skimminstones said:
you can trick out any android phone. Not hard to put a different launcher and icons on it. The homescreen you attached there looks no better than any of the other homescreens on any other phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't get it. No 3rd party launcher needed as the icons packs, theme etc plug directly in. One UI is fast and uses far less resources and battery than Nova.
My homescreen is purposely devoid of display degrading, lame top bar icons and battery eating crap. I could junk it to the max if so inclined
Smooth completely user controlled pull down notifications, none of the Pixel snap stuff. Animations can be completely disabled (yes they are disabled) without unwanted side effects unlike Pixel.
Pull down notifications... any colors or shade my evil heart desires.
Nope
blackhawk said:
You don't get it. No 3rd party launcher needed as the icons packs, theme etc plug directly in. One UI is fast and uses far less resources and battery than Nova.
My homescreen is purposely devoid of display degrading, lame top bar icons and battery eating crap. I could junk it to the max if so inclined
Smooth completely user controlled pull down notifications, none of the Pixel snap stuff. Animations can be completely disabled (yes they are disabled) without unwanted side effects unlike Pixel.
Pull down notifications... any colors or shade my evil heart desires.
View attachment 5469237
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but youre missing the point yourself. Samsung is just another launcher on top of android letting you customise it. No different to buying any phone and choosing which launcher you want to put on.
skimminstones said:
but youre missing the point yourself. Samsung is just another launcher on top of android letting you customise it. No different to buying any phone and choosing which launcher you want to put on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Big difference.
One UI is integrated into the device. It's extremely stable, fast, and efficient. Currently it's using 83mb of ram. Current total ram usage 5.1 of the 12gb with 2 browsers open.
Many of the customizations are built into the base load of the N10+. Keep what you like, disable the rest.
blackhawk said:
Big difference.
One UI is integrated into the device. It's extremely stable, fast, and efficient. Currently it's using 83mb of ram. Current total ram usage 5.1 of the 12gb with 2 browsers open.
Many of the customizations are built into the base load of the N10+. Keep what you like, disable the rest.
View attachment 5469245
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For fairness’s sake, every UI has its quirks and bugs. Neither Googles Launcher, nor Samsung are perfect.
Samsung users claimed a heckload of bugs when the One UI versions came, for anecdotal purposes
One UI 2
Samsung One UI 2 problems we know so far
It’s been a couple of months since Google’s grand Android 10 unveiling. Apart from Google’s Pixel lineup, a few other companies, such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, Essential Phone, and Noki…
nerdschalk.com
One UI 3
Many (!!!) bugs in OneUI 3.0 full release
I installed OneUI 3.0 when it released for my S10 (Germany, no SIM-lock) a couple of days ago (no beta!). So far, I found several bugs, at least one is a CRITICAL SECURITY FLAW, missing features and removals of options for no good reason. These problems must get fixed immediately! When someone...
eu.community.samsung.com
One UI 4
Samsung One UI 4 Beta review: Phenomenal cosmic bugs, itty bitty feature set
The stable release of Android 12 hasn't happened yet, but Samsung has decided to go ahead and give us our first taste of its new One UI 4 update. In some ways, this beta is even better ...
www.androidcentral.com
Et cetera. And we all know Googles bugs, even though it's sometimes hard to differentiate between general Android version bugs and specific Google Launcher bugs.
In the end, it's a question of personal taste.
Most people in a Google Pixel forum will tell you "Go Google Pixel".
Most people in a Samsung Galaxy forum will tell you "Go Samsung Galaxy".
Why? Because people freakin paid money for a product they want to like. Nobody wants to buy sh*t. Nobody wants to get ripped off. Nobody wants to feel like the id*ot that bought a broken product.
It's normal for people to say "my product is awesome, buy it!!!" - it's not always a rational decision, or a good one, but it's a human one.
(You have to mind the trolls though, meaning people that never owned a device, but trying to tell people what to think about it. Or people trying to go on a personal level because they lack arguments, often or not found here at XDA).
In the end, what matters is that manufacturers fix their stuff, and both Google and Samsung tend to do that, so I'd give both a recommendation. The S21 Ultra has the better screen and battery life and a slightly better processor, Google has the better camera, connectivity (in terms of notifications that are not delayed, not modem) and unique software features (now playing, live translate, automatic call screening, whatever - since all Samsung features can be easily ported over to a (rooted) Pixel, but not vice versa - and no, Shazam cannot replace now playing, it's not nearly as convenient and efficient). So it's up to you to decide whats more important.
Even though there were certain Samsung that tended to explode in your pants, you know the whole recall with specialized explosion safe packaging story, that was a bummer of the magnitude 8.
Personally, I can't Samsung. But not because their products are ****. No, Samsung just behaves like an a**. They want to forcefeed you huge mountainsized ADS on your 9000 Dollars expensive television and that's just unacceptable on the magnitude 10. They will not get a single dime from me in the future. That kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated. If I pay thousands of dollars for a product, I have earned the right to never again have to bother with ads - if that company disagrees, f*ck them.
Morgrain said:
For fairness’s sake, every UI has its quirks and bugs. Neither Googles Launcher, nor Samsung are perfect.
Samsung users claimed a heckload of bugs when the One UI versions came, for anecdotal purposes
One UI 2
Samsung One UI 2 problems we know so far
It’s been a couple of months since Google’s grand Android 10 unveiling. Apart from Google’s Pixel lineup, a few other companies, such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, Essential Phone, and Noki…
nerdschalk.com
One UI 3
Many (!!!) bugs in OneUI 3.0 full release
I installed OneUI 3.0 when it released for my S10 (Germany, no SIM-lock) a couple of days ago (no beta!). So far, I found several bugs, at least one is a CRITICAL SECURITY FLAW, missing features and removals of options for no good reason. These problems must get fixed immediately! When someone...
eu.community.samsung.com
One UI 4
Samsung One UI 4 Beta review: Phenomenal cosmic bugs, itty bitty feature set
The stable release of Android 12 hasn't happened yet, but Samsung has decided to go ahead and give us our first taste of its new One UI 4 update. In some ways, this beta is even better ...
www.androidcentral.com
Et cetera. And we all know Googles bugs, even though it's sometimes hard to differentiate between general Android version bugs and specific Google Launcher bugs.
In the end, it's a question of personal taste.
Most people in a Google Pixel forum will tell you "Go Google Pixel".
Most people in a Samsung Galaxy forum will tell you "Go Samsung Galaxy".
Why? Because people freakin paid money for a product they want to like. Nobody wants to buy sh*t. Nobody wants to get ripped off. Nobody wants to feel like the id*ot that bought a broken product.
It's normal for people to say "my product is awesome, buy it!!!" - it's not always a rational decision, or a good one, but it's a human one.
(You have to mind the trolls though, meaning people that never owned a device, but trying to tell people what to think about it. Or people trying to go on a personal level because they lack arguments, often or not found here at XDA).
In the end, what matters is that manufacturers fix their stuff, and both Google and Samsung tend to do that, so I'd give both a recommendation. The S21 Ultra has the better screen and battery life and a slightly better processor, Google has the better camera and unique software features (now playing, live translate, automatic call screening, whatever - since all Samsung features can be easily ported over to a (rooted) Pixel, but not vice versa). So it's up to you to decide whats more important.
Even though there were certain Samsung that tended to explode in your pants, you know the whole recall with specialized explosion safe packaging story, that was a bummer of the magnitude 8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think both of those devices suck; hardware and firmware. I wouldn't touch either... to be fair.
blackhawk said:
I think both of those devices suck; hardware and firmware. I wouldn't touch either... to be fair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you want a good camera and don't want a chinese spy phone, there is not much to go around a Pixel. It's the old dilemma. If Apple had made jailbreaking and updating easier, plus had the decency to actually pay for codec licences (the **** do they not support aptx/ldac?! Music from Iphones (if you are used to custom tailored v4a with custom ddcs/convolvers) sound like sh*t - I would have probably made the switch, but iPhone is still a joke in terms of customization.
Besides, I don't think that neither Samsungs or Pixels suck, they both serve specific needs and make some compromises, as does Apple. Sadly, there is no perfect phone. In theory, it should be easy to achieve, but as of now, no manufacturer ever tried hard enough.
For my personal need, the pixel 6 pro comes in as almost perfect. There are a couple minor things (why not all camera modi in 60fps Mode? Improve battery life, improve VRR, fix Android 12, give us modern camera sensors, improve post processing, more efficient panel, more efficient processor...) and some major ones (Modem, heat, I want Faceunlock AND ultrasonic, plus give me back improved Soli and edge sense and make battery replacement easy) that bother me. Once that's fixed/such a kind of device gets released, I'm going to keep that device until it breaks down and probably buy a spare phone to replace my own, since I know that manufacturers will f*ck it up again.
I have the had the s21 ultra since it came out. Nothing wrong with it but I travel and there's no s21 ultra model that has all the 5G bands in all locations... But the pixel (and iphone!) does. So I gave it a try and it's incredibly similar to the ultra especially in a leather case. In fact, using Nova I mimicked it almost completely!
Pixel charges slower, and I felt battery was slightly worse (but it needs time to settle in) but sound is good. Camera is good on both. Each has its benefits. Screen is slightly dimmer and less saturated and I felt that immediately, sort of like an LG device, felt a year or two behind the Samsung, but not a deal killer. They are about as fast as each other.
The difference is in the software. Whereas Samsung is well rounded, with years of maturity, Pixel is stock. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, just different. The only issue for me is lack of a decent email (and calendar to a lesser extent) on the pixel. I don't like Gmail and I have yet to find a comfortable 3rd party email package that meets my needs. The Samsung on the other hand has fantastic email and calendar software. That's a deal breaker for me.
One thing I would note is that, aside from radio bands, there's no area that I felt the pixel was actually better than the ultra (which is incredible considering that the ultra is nearly a year old). As good as, in most cases, but never a step up. And therefore I didn't think it made sense to switch as the software experience ultimately is more important to me than I originally realized.
Hope that helps.
As a side note, when I compared the pixel 6P on T-Mobile's 5G UC Network to an iPhone 13 pro at the same time, the iPhone 13 pro was nearly twice as fast (400mbs v 230). No idea why that was. I tested it many times in different places and it was almost always slower than the iphone on 5G. Not sure what to make of that!
Morgrain said:
Well, if you want a good camera and don't want a chinese spy phone, there is not much to go around a Pixel. It's the old dilemma. If Apple had made jailbreaking and updating easier, plus had the decency to actually pay for codec licences (the **** do they not support aptx/ldac?! Music from Iphones (if you are used to custom tailored v4a with custom ddcs/convolvers) sound like sh*t - I would have probably made the switch, but iPhone is still a joke in terms of customization.
Besides, I don't think that neither Samsungs or Pixels suck, they both serve specific needs and make some compromises, as does Apple. Sadly, there is no perfect phone. In theory, it should be easy to achieve, but as of now, no manufacturer ever tried hard enough.
For my personal need, the pixel 6 pro comes in as almost perfect. There are a couple minor things (why not all camera modi in 60fps Mode? Improve battery life, improve VRR, fix Android 12, give us modern camera sensors, improve post processing, more efficient panel, more efficient processor...) and some major ones (Modem, heat, I want Faceunlock AND ultrasonic, plus give me back improved Soli and edge sense and make battery replacement easy) that bother me. Once that's fixed/such a kind of device gets released, I'm going to keep that device until it breaks down and probably buy a spare phone to replace my own, since I know that manufacturers will f*ck it up again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I mean is both hardware and firmware wise across the board 2021 has been a bust year for Android. Android 11 and 12 are a mess.
At least 2 years until scope storage is straighten out.
Issues with displays are common and 5G is still not mature. Slight improvements in cams but that technology was fairly mature 2 years ago so no big surprises there.
Any hardware improvements are being offset by cpu hogging scoped storage and forced encryption. Even the heavily modified Samsung UI can't clean up that mess.
You might think that Apple must be bribing Google to belly flop... but no, Google is really is this inept. No end in sight, Android is in a full self induced high G flat spin... maybe full afterburner will help
vlubosh said:
i have both devices, ehm three(s21, s21u, p6pro) and i will say, P6pro is better, same performance, a lot better battery, comparing camera(what i miss so much is better zoom with S21U). p6pro is battery friendly, same usage and you get 10h SOT, with S21U only 5-7(but with profiles - data, bt off, in night Flicght mode...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What p6 pro are you using lol?

General OnePlus 11 General Discussion

Hey everyone,
iPhone 14 Pro Max user here,
What's everybody's thoughts about this phone? Why would an iPhone user who gets top dollar for selling their phone right before/after announcement of the next want to buy this? I ordered the OP 11 for a crazy price of $500 after taxes from an open box deal and was wondering if this phone would be worth keeping.
I used to visit this site to find the latest tweaks and cool tricks you could do with your Android phone and there seems to be pretty much nothing that you couldn't do with a stock OnePlus 11. I am the type to try to not be reliant on expensive subscriptions such as cloud storage, hardware that is just overpriced, and being wrapped up deep into a single brand's ecosystem. I figured I already use Snapdrop instead of AirDrop, AirParrot instead on my Windows laptop instead of AirPlay on an Apple device, my home NAS instead of iCloud, and Windows PC's over expensive comparable Macs. However, I still use a few Apple devices in my daily life.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Apple nor do I feel any reason to HAVE to leave them, but I am always open to other options and I've always had a soft spot for OnePlus ever since the original 1. iPhones are becoming well-polished phones but I feel like iOS is bland sometimes.
In my opinion, OnePlus peaked with the 7 Pro. (It almost got me to switch back to Android) That phone did really everything right to me besides having pretty lackluster cameras. I really was only interested in checking this phone out because I noticed it was one of the only devices that supports Wi-Fi 7, it has incredibly fast charging, and it has USB-C! My iPhone has hardly any weaknesses, so I would really have to be won over big time by an Android phone to make me want to switch.
Do we see a future where, within the next few months to a year, this phone becomes perfectly compatible with a GCAM mod that will improve camera quality a lot and/or we receive some really neat custom ROM options / mods that really enhance the experience this hardware has to offer?
Something about these OnePlus phones and their bleeding-edge performance in certain key areas still have me wanting one every year. I just have a hard time justifying how I could force myself to use an Android phone living in the United States where all my business/family contacts use iOS for their mobile operating system. I feel like once iPhones use USB-C, they no longer have a camera cutout on their screens, and they can support faster charging speeds, Android will be dead in the US. It's a rough future ahead. For me, I used to love Android for the customization, the fun stuff that iOS would never allow, and that there were just so many choices to decide between depending on what device suited your needs most. Just my thoughts and opinions. Feel free to reply with what you think about this phone or how you navigate having to use an Android in an iOS-dominant country. I could easily switch, but I just don't see any major reason to do so anymore. And seeing the OP 11 forums kind of quiet compared to the old days of Google Nexus devices doesn't lead me to believe that people overall like this phone / are working on anything unofficially to try to improve the phone.
The forums have been relatively quiet for multiple reasons:
1. OnePlus has become developer community unfriendly, almost hostile: it's way too hard/too much work to create/install a different ROM than the official. In addition to that OnePlus has totally disabled full access to its cameras, "this phone becomes perfectly compatible with a GCAM mod that will improve camera quality" - no, very unlikely to happen.
2. OnePlus once was a flagship killer but in terms of price/features they have been lacking recently. OnePlus 11 is a breath of fresh air in terms of pricing but there are much much more affordable options such as the ZTE Nubia Z50 at $400 or something, which is almost twice as cheap as the OnePlus 11.
3. OxygenOS 13 is not the OxygenOS you may remember, it's a ColorOS facelift. OxygenOS 12 was extremely buggy and incomplete. "OxygenOS" 13 is lacking literally dozens of features present in OxygenOS 9-10-11.
4. Developers in general tinker with their Android phones a lot less nowadays than in the past. The whole development scene has been in decline.
5. Weird update policy doesn't help. I've heard (cannot confirm) that certain older OnePlus devices haven't got updates in the past 8 months.
That's my thoughts which may not necessarily represent the status quo.
To be honest I see no reason to switch from Apple to OnePlus unless you need advanced Android features such as normal file management, downloading any files from the Internet, being able to send files via BlueTooth, modding, various home screens, third party phone/SMS applications, etc. etc. etc.
You just listed pretty much most of the features Apple users don't have anyway so LoL
Unfortunately I have to use iPhone in my work so 3/4 of the day I spend on iOS. Compared to stock Oxygen OS13 (even if hated by die hard Oneplus fans) it is still much better IMO and more configurable than iOS. Apps eco system is different, iOS have generally more stylish apps but most of them if not pretty much every single one that is actually worth consideration is always paid version only.
From birdie's list, only the update policy on Android phones are worse compared to Apple.
birdie said:
The forums have been relatively quiet for multiple reasons:
1. OnePlus has become developer community unfriendly, almost hostile: it's way too hard/too much work to create/install a different ROM than the official. In addition to that OnePlus has totally disabled full access to its cameras, "this phone becomes perfectly compatible with a GCAM mod that will improve camera quality" - no, very unlikely to happen.
2. OnePlus once was a flagship killer but in terms of price/features they have been lacking recently. OnePlus 11 is a breath of fresh air in terms of pricing but there are much much more affordable options such as the ZTE Nubia Z50 at $400 or something, which is almost twice as cheap as the OnePlus 11.
3. OxygenOS 13 is not the OxygenOS you may remember, it's a ColorOS facelift. OxygenOS 12 was extremely buggy and incomplete. "OxygenOS" 13 is lacking literally dozens of features present in OxygenOS 9-10-11.
4. Developers in general tinker with their Android phones a lot less nowadays than in the past. The whole development scene has been in decline.
5. Weird update policy doesn't help. I've heard (cannot confirm) that certain older OnePlus devices haven't got updates in the past 8 months.
That's my thoughts which may not necessarily represent the status quo.
To be honest I see no reason to switch from Apple to OnePlus unless you need advanced Android features such as normal file management, downloading any files from the Internet, being able to send files via BlueTooth, modding, various home screens, third party phone/SMS applications, etc. etc. etc.
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Click to collapse
It's sad to see! My shipment got delayed and I'm already thinking of not keeping the phone. I feel like OnePlus needs a really strong camera setup before they can finally compete. I use my cameras too much to not have the best out there. The more reviews I watch, the more people say how the S23 Ultra is pretty much a better phone in almost every area besides charging and not having Wi-Fi 7. Not only that, but it seems that the phone also have custom ROM support. Just not trying to spend iPhone money on an Android unless I was for sure going to switch over. The Samsung has me slightly more intrigued...
rmx36 said:
It's sad to see! My shipment got delayed and I'm already thinking of not keeping the phone. I feel like OnePlus needs a really strong camera setup before they can finally compete. I use my cameras too much to not have the best out there. The more reviews I watch, the more people say how the S23 Ultra is pretty much a better phone in almost every area besides charging and not having Wi-Fi 7. Not only that, but it seems that the phone also have custom ROM support. Just not trying to spend iPhone money on an Android unless I was for sure going to switch over. The Samsung has me slightly more intrigued...
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Click to collapse
SGS23 Ultra currently has the absolute best camera setup of any smartphone on Earth. I've seen its 50MP shots, they are outstanding. OnePlus 11 pales in comparison.
I'd have bought SGS23 Ultra but it's at the very least $400 more expensive which is too much for me.
It's not the best phone out there, but it isn't the worst either. People bash a lot about the color os version of oxygen os. I'm using it and kind of got used to it. It gets the work done. Cameras are very good according to the price. Front camera is mediocre. But the rear is very strong. You can see the reviews. Also it gets better through updates. Lastly and fortunately, a developer got the phone through crowdfunding as far as I know. So development might just happen for op11. Fingers crossed.
OP if you are able why not just use both? I have both OnePlus 11 and iPhone 14 pro max that I use everyday along with my pixel 7 pro. the iPhone 14 pro max has my primary sim in it which I use paired with an apple watch. and I recently made the move to an IPhone in early 2022 full time before that I was android all the way. I still want to use android because as everyone knows it still does things IPhones cant do. so anyways i use my oneplus 11 to mainly listen to podcasts, watch sports and tv. the speakers on this thing are great. maybe the iPhone beats it but not by alot imo. the screen i feel is better than the Iphone 14 pro max. and it acutally has a damn sim card slot which is something I hate that apple got rid of and sadly i see most companies doing in the future. the camera on the oneplus isn't as good but for me i dont care about that.
the only reason besides the apple watch that keeps me on an iphone as my daily is because of a very niche app otherwise i would be on android full time and i would just use the iphone to keep in the know.
cavist said:
... Apps eco system is different, iOS have generally more stylish apps but most of them if not pretty much every single one that is actually worth consideration is always paid version only.
From birdie's list, only the update policy on Android phones are worse compared to Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why android users are generally categorized as being cheap people. I don't care what platform I'm using iOS, android or whatever if an app is worth it to me then I will pay for it. IMO this is why apple apps perform better than their android counterparts because developers know that people will pay for them so its worth their time.

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