Develop Bugs

Jump from S8 to Google Pixel - worth it?

I've never used a Google Nexus/Pixel before, because there are no samples in my region that I can have a run.
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years) and is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
The only reason I've not jumped over to the Apple camp is because of the drag and drop functionality that Apple lacks.
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out? Should I hold my breath for it? More interested in camera improvements.

dylansmith said:
I've never used a Google Nexus/Pixel before, because there are no samples in my region that I can have a run.
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years) and is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
The only reason I've not jumped over to the Apple camp is because of the drag and drop functionality that Apple lacks.
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out? Should I hold my breath for it? More interested in camera improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - even after its EOL it will remain smooth, since we'll still have some dev working on it.
2 - mods other than visual customization are not needed on the Pixel XL. At least not to save battery.
3 - Hopefully the Pixel XL (although looking a little bit similar to the iPhone) will never be comparable with an iPhone.
4 - I don't own a S8 as I don't like Samsung devices, so i can't answer, sorry...
5 - Pixel XL 2 will most likely be released this autumn. Camera is already very nice in my opinion. If you have some money, go ahead. Otherwise wait six more months. It's up to you...
Cheers...

As someone who mainly used Samsung phones in past, I will not even consider S8 as anything. Why? Because of two reasons. First one is a personal requirement. I simply need a phone with smoothly working and consistent UI, which will lag the least, which will be reliable and not throw plenty FC and stuffs. And second one is a FACT. You wanna use an Android phone for real? Then use an android phone for real. Pixel IS Android. Samsung phones are Android in name. If you compare features of the two then Pixel will feel really dull, lacking in features.
Out of Pixel vs S8, I don't even see any point why in God's name would one choose the S8 over Pixel. Only one thing better is less bezels causing a huge and better display. Otherwise that glossy back panel, that fingerprint sensor positioning, a hardware second voice assistant button, jeez! And I am not even saying anything about their new Grace UI.
Pixel 2 will come out same time like Pixel 1 came out, around October.
After using Pixel for three months I have to say the phone simply rocked in most parts, incredible software experience, though still no iOS, that's why I sold it, incredible camera, that I can't forget from my mind, tremendous call quality, clean loud speaker etc., if someone really wanna buy an Android then there is no better phone, or nothing comes even close at this point.

I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?

dylansmith said:
I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
Can't speak for the camera as for advanced sbot I'd use a DSLR. :good:
My GPS works well, no issue...
Your right, my SII gps.conf had to be tweaked to work properly.
Cheers...

dylansmith said:
I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No manual controls. Only you can increase or decrease exposure that's it. Lowest shutter speed will be 1/4 with HDR+ I think, no less than that. And no, third party camera apps don't do **** here, all are basically meaningless.
But HDR+ as a whole is leagues ahead than other phones. I have never seen any phone capturing this much details in low light. The camera is brilliant in any way you at it. Just there are two problems, sometimes in low light it keeps focusing on the subject, and there is a blown out effect around light sources in a photo, which looks pretty bad when zoomed in.
GPS accuracy of the phone was awesome. Can't speak for iPhone but most accurate Android, fastest too, I have ever used.

I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?

loeffler23 said:
I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
All models directly bought from Google can be unlocked.
Verizon, EE, maybe others, not sure. You can find more infos by reading this forum, it's here if you search... Those can be unlocked if the Android version is 7.1 with an exploit called dePixel8: http://theroot.ninja/depixel8.html
On newer version, the exploit has been patched. If i was you, I'd rather look for a Google version if you want an unlockable bootloader...
Cheers...

loeffler23 said:
I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from S7 to Pixel XL and love it, but I'll go ahead and warn you; if you want the unlockable bootloader, don't buy it from Verizon, order it from the Google Store. The Verizon model (includes getting it at Best Buy) has an permanently locked (can't be unlocked) bootloader on current firmware, but the Google Store source Pixel should always be unlockable no matter what firmware it's updated to. Hope that's accurate, I think it is, unless someone comes up with an exploit to allow unlocking the Verizon bootloader.

Although the device works well in some aspects such as the camera and speed, it is the worst I've had in terms of a "phone". The amount of dropped and missed calls is just not acceptable. Do a search on google's pixel support forum and you'll see I'm not the only one. There's also other connectivity problems like bt and wifi that just shouldn't be. Also Google is shoving more and more ads and money makers for them into everything they do. Example: maps now has a Pacman game built in. They're also making it harder and harder on developers to modify their tracking devices. So, after being an Android fanboy for the last 6 yrs, I'll be looking elsewhere when this one dies the normal death (battery already not lasting through the day like when I bought it).

Droid1019 said:
Although the device works well in some aspects such as the camera and speed, it is the worst I've had in terms of a "phone". The amount of dropped and missed calls is just not acceptable. Do a search on google's pixel support forum and you'll see I'm not the only one. There's also other connectivity problems like bt and wifi that just shouldn't be. Also Google is shoving more and more ads and money makers for them into everything they do. Example: maps now has a Pacman game built in. They're also making it harder and harder on developers to modify their tracking devices. So, after being an Android fanboy for the last 6 yrs, I'll be looking elsewhere when this one dies the normal death (battery already not lasting through the day like when I bought it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello... If you experience one or more of the issues you describe, why not simply RMA your device? :good:
Cheers...

5.1 said:
Hello... If you experience one or more of the issues you describe, why not simply RMA your device? :good:
Cheers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I got it from Verizon while I could still unlock the bootloader. If I get another from them I won't be able to. Also if you read some of the support forums on VZW or Google you'll see getting another phone is not the answer as some have been through 3-5. The problem lies in the way the new technology in the chip interacts with the towers. So it depends more on where where you are and if the towers have been updated which will be a long time coming in the rural areas that I work in.

Droid1019 said:
Because I got it from Verizon while I could still unlock the bootloader. If I get another from them I won't be able to. Also if you read some of the support forums on VZW or Google you'll see getting another phone is not the answer as some have been through 3-5. The problem lies in the way the new technology in the chip interacts with the towers. So it depends more on where where you are and if the towers have been updated which will be a long time coming in the rural areas that I work in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
Ah... I understand you. Yeah the Verizon policy is really annoying for those wanting an unlockable bootloader.
Also, what makes other manufacturers better as they should pack the same technology in their new chips as well, no?
Cheers...

Hell-to-the-nah-naaaah

Without Xposed, I won't even consider an S8.
Actually, I wouldn't even if they got LOS or AOSP ROM's.
Even back when Galaxy phones did get that type of ROM support, they were always buggy A.F.
Wasn't till I got a Motorola X Pure and Google phone till I found out what a "stable" custom ROM was.
I was rooting & ROM'ing Galaxy Skyrocket, S3, S4, Note 3, Note 4... never had such stability as since the Pure and Pixel.
Sucks too, because I want those new slim bezels, 1000 nit screen, extra water resistance and glove mode if they still have it.

dylansmith said:
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is not true. Pixel XL uses Snapdragon 821 cpu, which is already obsolete today. The most current and fastest cpu in USA is Snapdragon 835, which is about 30% faster than 821 used in Pixel. In 3 years, this phone will be a complete hog, giving you maybe less that 15 frames per second... If Google keeps updating the OS. If it doesn't, it will stay the same speed. Ironic...
dylansmith said:
Is it true that it is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is not true. Pixel XL is one of the worst battery draining flagship phones on the market today. Its use of Google Assistant constantly in the background is the major source of battery drain, unless you disable it. But when you disable it, you lose a lot of functionality like the weather widget on main screen, or any other functionality associated with it. Even Galaxy S7/8, with always on display technology, drains less battery than Pixel XL. It's a battery hog. On the other hand, it's active usage battery drain is compatible with other flagship phones. But when you turn off the screen, prepare for a beating.
dylansmith said:
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not true. You don't actually need to do mods to keep a 1-2 year old Samsung flagship phone running fast, smooth, and low-battery sucking. Perhaps your problems are with Google Services settings and Google's inability to fix bugs in their software. Avoid that software, use Samsung's instead.
dylansmith said:
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that is true. Google Pixel XL will be a very basic phone with limited capabilities.
dylansmith said:
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is true. You will lose quite a bit. Here's a list in no particular order:
1) Infinity Display / Curved edges / sense of style / 84% screen to body ratio.
2) Best brightness and best brightness in sunlight ratings.
3) HDR screen certification.
4) IP68 water and dust proofing.
5) Gorilla Glass 5 durability.
6) Wireless charging and Fast Wireless Charging.
7) Micro SD card expansion.
8) Best in class low light camera performance. Best in class camera sharpness performance. Best in class selfie camera.
9) Bluetooth 5.0
10) Always On Display.
11) LTE-4CA, twice faster LTE.
12) Samsung Pay, which works everywhere, even without NFC terminals. Works with magnetic stripe readers, which is unique, because no other pay systems can do that.
13) Iris scanner security.
14) SpO2 meter, heart rate sensor.
15) Desktop dock option with optimized desktop OS.
16) Bixby - **** Bixby. Minus 10 points here.
So, you see? You would be losing A LOT!

nabbed said:
No, it is not true. Pixel XL uses Snapdragon 821 cpu, which is already obsolete today. The most current and fastest cpu in USA is Snapdragon 835, which is about 30% faster than 821 used in Pixel. In 3 years, this phone will be a complete hog, giving you maybe less that 15 frames per second... If Google keeps updating the OS. If it doesn't, it will stay the same speed. Ironic...
No, it is not true. Pixel XL is one of the worst battery draining flagship phones on the market today. Its use of Google Assistant constantly in the background is the major source of battery drain, unless you disable it. But when you disable it, you lose a lot of functionality like the weather widget on main screen, or any other functionality associated with it. Even Galaxy S7/8, with always on display technology, drains less battery than Pixel XL. It's a battery hog. On the other hand, it's active usage battery drain is compatible with other flagship phones. But when you turn off the screen, prepare for a beating.
...
So, you see? You would be losing A LOT!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 things
1 - The Pixel XL gives me 7 to 8 hours SOT, location and assistant all on normally. On standby, drain is less than 1%. I call that impressive.
2 - 821 may be the "not the best" but it is still the second best. I have both the iPhone 6 (not S), and the OnePlus One (running a Snapdragon 801) and they're both still rocking it and are smooth as butter. They are both 3 years old. Nothing gets slowed down or becomes heavy and stuttering unless you're installing a crapload of useless things on it. Pixel being a Pixel will get Android O and even Android P, which will surely optimize it even further.

dylansmith said:
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get little pauses at times when some of my Tasker routines run, so realistically I doubt if I would describe the phone that way after three years.
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an iPhone 7 before getting the regular Pixel. The iPhone clearly had better battery life for my usage patterns out of the box. I've made a bunch of changes to the Pixel so that it's comparable to the iPhone and my previous phone, but out of the box I would tend to expect Apple to have the edge.
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will probably release during the same time of the year as the last two phones. The wiki has the announcement and first availability dates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_(smartphone)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_6P

alluringreality said:
I get little pauses at times when some of my Tasker routines run, so realistically I doubt if I would describe the phone that way after three years.
I had an iPhone 7 before getting the regular Pixel. The iPhone clearly had better battery life for my usage patterns out of the box. I've made a bunch of changes to the Pixel so that it's comparable to the iPhone and my previous phone, but out of the box I would tend to expect Apple to have the edge.
It will probably release during the same time of the year as the last two phones. The wiki has the announcement and first availability dates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_(smartphone)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_6P
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious, what changes have you made?
Rooting aside - as for the first time I do not feel a need to root a device.

A lot of my setup relies on Tasker to automatically make setting changes, so it requires root or something like AutoTools Secure Settings on an unrooted phone. My impression was that typically turning off adaptive brightness when indoors may be one of the bigger battery savers from the list. I also had issues with my phone burning through lots of battery when I left wifi on, so automatically shutting off wifi when not in use was another big battery saver, although I hadn't tried changing "Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep" before installing Tasker. I doubt if the average person would benefit much by things like turning off Google Assistant, but I was trying to get the best standby battery life that I could for the times when I just use the Pixel as nothing more than a phone for talking and texting.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71146945&postcount=301

OnePlus 6?

Anyone here going for the OnePlus 6?

If it supported Verizon...I would no doubt. But, no such luck this time around either.

No! Going to keep my badboy Pixel XL 2!!

Hell no! I've got enough data mining in my life already! ?

Battery 3300 is very bad for a 6.28 inch screen.
Knowing the release of op 6, I bought pixel 2 xl very recently (slightly higher price paid than avengers edition of op6). OP camera software often so bad that we end up waiting and using gcam mods.
Camera, Battery life and display are better in pixel 2 xl.
Oneplus forum is a war zone no courtesy shown by many. Ofcourse we could use xda for it though.

srikanth.k39 said:
Battery 3300 is very bad for a 6.28 inch screen.
Knowing the release of op 6, I bought pixel 2 xl very recently (slightly higher price paid than avengers edition of op6). OP camera software often so bad that we end up waiting and using gcam mods.
Camera, Battery life and display are better in pixel 2 xl.
Oneplus forum is a war zone no courtesy shown by many. Ofcourse we could use xda for it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3300 is fine and will actually yield great battery life because
1. The screen is still 1080p
2. SD 845 will be more efficient
I'm most likely getting one, but definitely keeping my 2 XL. The camera, as well as my current setup (Stock+Root+Flash Kernel+Xposed w/ GravityBox) is absolutely perfect for me.
Not to mention the amazing camera on the 2 XL! I'm sure the 6's camera will be great, but I doubt it will beat the 2 XL.
So all-in-all, I'll have both! If the camera performs at least close to the 2 XL, and when development picks up, then I'd probably consider selling my 2 XL down the road and using the 6 as my daily driver - at least until the Pixel 3 comes out lol

NO!

No. OnePlus is an awful company.

No, im not going back to oneplus .

From my personal experience: anyone coming from a OP to a Pixel will not buy another OP.
Yes, it has great specs, but try to profile the GPU and trace the dropped frames on every single screen and then compare to a Pixel. Having the latest SOC and a 20MP+16MP camera. 8GB of Ram... all that means little when their software is an absolute mess and has basically 0 polish.
This might be an odd sentence but here's the bottom line:
You're paying 550€ for a phone that has the specs of a 850€ phone but getting the performance of a 550€ phone. That's why it doesn't cost 850€: you're not getting the same experience you get on a Pixel and it's not even remotely close.

Question is why would i?
Sent from my Google Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs

rickysidhu_ said:
3300 is fine and will actually yield great battery life because
1. The screen is still 1080p
2. SD 845 will be more efficient
I'm most likely getting one, but definitely keeping my 2 XL. The camera, as well as my current setup (Stock+Root+Flash Kernel+Xposed w/ GravityBox) is absolutely perfect for me.
Not to mention the amazing camera on the 2 XL! I'm sure the 6's camera will be great, but I doubt it will beat the 2 XL.
So all-in-all, I'll have both! If the camera performs at least close to the 2 XL, and when development picks up, then I'd probably consider selling my 2 XL down the road and using the 6 as my daily driver - at least until the Pixel 3 comes out lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice.
I was the owner of OP 5T before as daily driver.
I was very less options left at that time coming from iphone to android. I have more restrictions, I needed phone with work profile (so rooting has to be given up). I badly needed a dual aim for daily driver. S8+ fingerprint placement I hated. So chose OP5T. Camera software was very bad the default one. Tired of exploring multiple gcam modes etc... The famous oil painting effect on pics has not been resolved for months on 5T when I owned.
My current set up is S9+ as daily driver (work phone) just because of dual sim support. Keeping pixel 2 XL as secondary one (most of my personal use occasional work email check) Neither Pixel nor iphone can become my primary until dual sim versions released though with my restrictions.

srikanth.k39 said:
Nice.
I was the owner of OP 5T before as daily driver.
I was very less options left at that time coming from iphone to android. I have more restrictions, I needed phone with work profile (so rooting has to be given up). I badly needed a dual aim for daily driver. S8+ fingerprint placement I hated. So chose OP5T. Camera software was very bad the default one. Tired of exploring multiple gcam modes etc... The famous oil painting effect on pics has not been resolved for months on 5T when I owned.
My current set up is S9+ as daily driver (work phone) just because of dual sim support. Keeping pixel 2 XL as secondary one (most of my personal use occasional work email check) Neither Pixel nor iphone can become my primary until dual sim versions released though with my restrictions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I didn't like my 5T when I had it. Sold it very quickly. My 5 on the other hand was strangely better, even though it came before the 5T.
I also was not happy about the camera issues like you mentioned + the vibration motor felt very cheap.
I like how much custom development is available for those devices, which is a big reason why I'm most likely going to buy it and just switch between my 2 XL and that whenever I feel like it.
I've never had Samsungs though but if it's treating you well, why not continue using it

FrankBullitt said:
Yes, it has great specs, but try to profile the GPU and trace the dropped frames on every single screen and then compare to a Pixel. Having the latest SOC and a 20MP+16MP camera. 8GB of Ram... all that means little when their software is an absolute mess and has basically 0 polish.
You're paying 550€ for a phone that has the specs of a 850€ phone but getting the performance of a 550€ phone. That's why it doesn't cost 850€: you're not getting the same experience you get on a Pixel and it's not even remotely close.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I said this on a portal discussion regarding the release of the 5T, and it bears repeating here. For a company with "Never Settle" as its slogan, OnePlus does an awful lot of "settling", i.e. compromising, on the most important part [the display] of a smartphone. The display was why the OP5T never factored into my buying choices. The OP6 isn't any better, as it's still not quad HD like on flagship devices. So for yet another year OnePlus will simply be a pretender to the throne.
If OnePlus really wants to play with the big boys, they need to stop compromising and go all out. Make a product that will truly knock people's socks off.

rickysidhu_ said:
Yeah I didn't like my 5T when I had it. Sold it very quickly. My 5 on the other hand was strangely better, even though it came before the 5T.
I also was not happy about the camera issues like you mentioned + the vibration motor felt very cheap.
I like how much custom development is available for those devices, which is a big reason why I'm most likely going to buy it and just switch between my 2 XL and that whenever I feel like it.
I've never had Samsungs though but if it's treating you well, why not continue using it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Due to no dual sim support, I had to live with samsung. S9+ has better camera, beauty and display though battery life is worse compare to pixel 2 xl even with full hd+ we all know it is due to bloatware services/apps.
Heard rumours that Apple is also considering dual sim versions for next iPhone, hope google do consider dual sim versions.
By the way I did try huawei honor v10 and 20 pro. Unfortunately work profile issues and bad support made me avoid them completely.

tekkitan said:
No. OnePlus is an awful company.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and liars. I got OP5 and returned, because camera was terrible, but they talked about "clearer photos". They lied in performance test.....for me they bad reputation company

FrankBullitt said:
From my personal experience: anyone coming from a OP to a Pixel will not buy another OP.
Yes, it has great specs, but try to profile the GPU and trace the dropped frames on every single screen and then compare to a Pixel. Having the latest SOC and a 20MP+16MP camera. 8GB of Ram... all that means little when their software is an absolute mess and has basically 0 polish.
This might be an odd sentence but here's the bottom line:
You're paying 550€ for a phone that has the specs of a 850€ phone but getting the performance of a 550€ phone. That's why it doesn't cost 850€: you're not getting the same experience you get on a Pixel and it's not even remotely close.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I said this on a portal discussion regarding the release of the 5T, and it bears repeating here. For a company with "Never Settle" as its slogan, OnePlus does an awful lot of "settling", i.e. compromising, on the most important part [the display] of a smartphone. The display was why the OP5T never factored into my buying choices. The OP6 isn't any better, as it's still not quad HD like on flagship devices. So for yet another year OnePlus will simply be a pretender to the throne.
If OnePlus really wants to play with the big boys, they need to stop compromising and go all out. Make a product that will truly knock people's socks off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Frank: The OnePlus 5T was the fastest phone on the market until the S9+ came out and gave it a run for its money. Then the 6 came out and it is now the fastest/best performing device on the market. And OxygenOS is amazing, clean, and adds useful features (like face unlock that's actually good). Plus OnePlus added in over 200 optimizations to make it even better. Look it up. There are tons of videos to prove it's faster and smoother. Your comment has no grounds.
Strephon: How can you say anything about the display of a phone when defending the Pixel 2 XL? It literally had a huge scandal, and still isn't fixed. The normal resolution gives it an edge in battery life, and overall performance. The 27" monitor I'm typing this on is 1080p and at 2 feet away is no issue. You're telling me a 6 inch phone with that resolution is a problem? Plus the Amoled OnePlus uses is much better quality compared to the Pixel's lackluster LG panel. I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from the Pixel forum, but come on, lose the blinders, people.

Had 3 devices from OP so far (OPO, OP5 and OP5T) and still use them but not going to get another one anymore. Why? Because Pixel devices is what suits me the best... top hardware with top software.

Bliznade said:
Strephon: How can you say anything about the display of a phone when defending the Pixel 2 XL? It literally had a huge scandal, and still isn't fixed. The normal resolution gives it an edge in battery life, and overall performance. The 27" monitor I'm typing this on is 1080p and at 2 feet away is no issue. You're telling me a 6 inch phone with that resolution is a problem? Plus the Amoled OnePlus uses is much better quality compared to the Pixel's lackluster LG panel. I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from the Pixel forum, but come on, lose the blinders, people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The quoted post above is sponsored by OnePlus, where "Never Settle" is an oxymoron.
You mentioned us P2XL owners having blinders on when nothing could be further from the truth. While we may have unwanted press over non-issues such as blue shifting and color profiles, at least our devices were assembled with the screens pointed in the right direction, unlike the OP5T.
Ignoring the fact that people rarely view their devices at the extreme angles required for the blue shift to be noticeable, the phenomenon is inherent in ALL AMOLED displays. My Galaxy S4 has it. My Nexus 6 has it. My P2XL has it. Of the three the S4, having an early AMOLED screen, has blue shift to a greater degree than either my Nexus 6 or my P2XL.
The only reason blue shift and the color profile were even mentioned is to drive page views. As for the color profile non-issue, I use the original color profile and not the boosted or saturated modes. No problems here, and in fact I enjoy the color accuracy.
OnePlus having a FHD screen is not a problem if you're not used to anything else. But a flagship device has a QHD display, period. What OnePlus has done here is what they have always done: compromise. When they stop, perhaps then we'll take notice.

Bliznade said:
Frank: The OnePlus 5T was the fastest phone on the market until the S9+ came out and gave it a run for its money. Then the 6 came out and it is now the fastest/best performing device on the market. And OxygenOS is amazing, clean, and adds useful features (like face unlock that's actually good). Plus OnePlus added in over 200 optimizations to make it even better. Look it up. There are tons of videos to prove it's faster and smoother. Your comment has no grounds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, my comments have no ground.
https://www.reddit.com/r/oneplus/co...soon_discontinuing_development_i_wont/dyi9wh0
It's not just the camera; everything on the Pixel 2 is way, way more polished than anything that OnePlus (and I on my own) could ever make.
As much as I hate to admit it, my custom ROMs can't touch the stock ROM on the Pixel 2 in terms of polish and performance. Lately I've been doing more scientific performance assessments on Android (for the sake of research with a professor at my university), instead of just using the phone and thinking, "Seems good to me!," and the results I pulled off the Pixel 2 absolutely crush the results I pulled from stock LineageOS 15.1 on the 3T. It is very difficult to get frame drops while playing with the Pixel 2, whereas I instantly recorded frame drops galore on the 3T. This has been a bit of a wakeup call to me in that I need to reevaluate my ideology and follow a more scientific strategy in optimizing Android on a phone (i.e., using the dozens of test suites Google has built for Android). The bugs that bother users the most are the ones that tend to happen a small percentage of the time (like random reboots), and the Pixel 2 has clearly been optimized to the point where most of those rare bugs are nonexistent (e.g., frames are rarely dropped).
When I ran one of Google's UI performance test apps on the Pixel 2 against my LineageOS 14.1 ROM on the 3T, my ROM dropped frames nonstop (according to this tool) while the Pixel 2 dropped zero frames...
Deep down, I'm a kernel developer and that's where I excel. I'd rather stick to what I know (and enjoy) with kernel hacking and leave the pain of polishing userspace to Google's army of engineers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You were saying something about oneplus, weren't you?
I owned oneplus phones, I owned Nexus, I own a Pixel2XL. Tell me about daily performance again, please.

Is this device problem free?

Hello fellas,
I have a query to you all who are using this device for more than six months up to a year, the Nokia 6.1 or Nokia 6 2018 edition, is this a problem free device? I am looking to purchase this this specific model is currently undergoing a sale in India and would like to pick it up for my mother, who is a senior citizen, so a few basic things I need to know.
I don't need much from a cheap phone. I just need to know the following things, is the earpiece volume of the device in-call loud enough? Is the loudspeaker itself loud enough? How much SoT are you getting on Pie? Is there any known problem occurring in long term? Because the reviews are not good of the device and that makes me wonder whether there is any real problem with the device or not.
I will really appreciate your useful inputs on this.

ithehappy said:
is the earpiece volume of the device in-call loud enough? Is the loudspeaker itself loud enough?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem for me with call volumes.
ithehappy said:
How much SoT are you getting on Pie?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like anything, depends on what you're doing. I don't often run mine dead, but I'd say average 5 - 6 hours SoT mostly light web browsing extrapolating to if I did run it dead. It's standby battery drain isn't the greatest, but not terrible either. I often only charge it every other day, but I'm not a super heavy user.
ithehappy said:
Is there any known problem occurring in long term?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have lots of little complaints about the software. While I'm able to workaround or ignore them, I don't highly recommend this device. It's lots of little things. Double tap to wake is terribly unreliable. I've never got USB MTP file transfer to work at all and ADB is unreliable. I workaround that using SMB, but I doubt the average senior citizen has a file server set up if transfers to/from phone are needed. The camera is not very good; Google camera port makes it somewhat better. The RAM management is terrible; Nokia actually bundled a fscking third party "battery protection" task killer in the system. I could go on, but most of these land in the annoying category. They might well be stuff your mother would never notice.
On the upside, it's running Android Pie. Mine is currently installing the May 2019 security patch as I type this, and I only paid US $150 for it new, so it's got all that going for it.
I like to call it the most adequate phone ever. Lots of little aggravating problems, but nothing so bad as to make me buy something else (I bought it under duress - my primary phone had died, and backup had funky buttons). The hardware is pretty nice for the price point. If old Motorola (Google's Moto devs, not Levnovo!) had built the ROM for it, I bet it would be a killer low end mid-ranger. As it is, it is a little mediocre.

jason2678 said:
No problem for me with call volumes.
Like anything, depends on what you're doing. I don't often run mine dead, but I'd say average 5 - 6 hours SoT mostly light web browsing extrapolating to if I did run it dead. It's standby battery drain isn't the greatest, but not terrible either. I often only charge it every other day, but I'm not a super heavy user.
I have lots of little complaints about the software. While I'm able to workaround or ignore them, I don't highly recommend this device. It's lots of little things. Double tap to wake is terribly unreliable. I've never got USB MTP file transfer to work at all and ADB is unreliable. I workaround that using SMB, but I doubt the average senior citizen has a file server set up if transfers to/from phone are needed. The camera is not very good; Google camera port makes it somewhat better. The RAM management is terrible; Nokia actually bundled a fscking third party "battery protection" task killer in the system. I could go on, but most of these land in the annoying category. They might well be stuff your mother would never notice.
On the upside, it's running Android Pie. Mine is currently installing the May 2019 security patch as I type this, and I only paid US $150 for it new, so it's got all that going for it.
I like to call it the most adequate phone ever. Lots of little aggravating problems, but nothing so bad as to make me buy something else (I bought it under duress - my primary phone had died, and backup had funky buttons). The hardware is pretty nice for the price point. If old Motorola (Google's Moto devs, not Levnovo!) had built the ROM for it, I bet it would be a killer low end mid-ranger. As it is, it is a little mediocre.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a ton for a really excellent well put feedback can't appreciate it more. Wish more people talked as clear as you.
Anyway, the camera part is a bit scary, I mean I don't understand to what extent it's 'not very good', I thought for the price its supposed to have a decent enough camera. My camera expectations from it is none whatsoever, but when you say not good, I wish I knew exactly against what I can relate it to.
That automatic task killing thing is terrible too.
Funny thing, I actually just bought my mother a Asus Zenfone Max M1 (not the PRO variant), and while the phone is good and all, I can't stand its ZenUI, and ironically it also has some RAM clearing stuff built-in, which for the life of me I can't disable. Other than that I hate the blue channel of the display, which is absurdly high, and no option to decrease it anywhere and the new 18:9 ratio is plain nonsense to my eyes. So I am returning it and thought as the Nokia 6.1 came in offer it would be a great buy, especially the price has gone down to 6999 INR (100 USD) under this sale.
Hmm, I am bit confused now. Not a very good camera, software inconsistencies and poor choice like that of the task killer etc., dunno what to do. Sale ends tomorrow anyway LoL.
In any case, thanks once again for your input.

ithehappy said:
Hmm, I am bit confused now. Not a very good camera, software inconsistencies and poor choice like that of the task killer etc., dunno what to do. Sale ends tomorrow anyway LoL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera sensor is probably fine. I think it is the software side image processing that is lacking. There is a Google camera port that works almost flawlessly (I've had a few FCs) that improves the image quality quite a bit. For what it's worth, my perspective is probably skewed by the fact that my wife is using a Pixel 3XL, and it is hard to say enough good things about it for a phone camera.
However, I think my Moto X (2015) took better pictures than the Nokia 6.1 (2018) does. Without the Google camera port, I think my ancient Galaxy S3 took better pictures than the stock Nokia camera. Software matters on phone cameras, a lot, and I don't see it as HMD Global's strong suit.
Nokia didn't design the camera on this phone. They partnered with a company called Evenwell to handle the camera and some other utilities; that's where the "battery protection" task killer came from. So it's an Android One phone, but it still comes loaded up with some third party telemetry and crapware.

Question Few questions about the S22

Hi,
I'm thinking of getting an S22, but I would appreciate your help with answering a few questions first: (if you don't want or can't answer these questions, please skip to the end of the post)
1. I understand that the Snapdragon version is much better. Is it also more supported community/ROM wise?
2. How is the battery life, if the phone is usually on idle, with a few phone talks over the day, some music, and lets say about 1 hour of screen time (continuously)? If that is the usage for a day, will it last for two days? (approximately, based on your experience)
3. This One UI, is it good, comfortable to use? Can it be replaced by replacing a launcher, or do you have to flash a new ROM?
4. Speaking of ROMs, I assume flashing ROMs/kernels is still pretty easy? The last Galaxy phone I had is the S1 and a lot of time has passed, but I remember not struggling much, and coursing through ROMs was a breeze.
5. I know you'll probably be biased towards the S22, but I'm debating over it VS the Pixel 7. Considering the fact that I can't use the unique features of the Pixel 7 (Google assistant screening spam calls, making appointments, etc.) since I don't live in the US or a country where these features are supported, and that I prefer smaller screens, which one should I choose?
In general, what do you think of the phone? Are you happy with it? Can you provide examples of pros and cons?
Thank you!

Limited max of 256gb internal storage, max of 8gb of ram, no expandable storage, and a small 3700 mAh for a power hungry Snapdragon.
Rounded display corners and a lousy ~87.4% screen-to-body ratio. blah.
Snapdragon's are notoriously hard or impossible to root. The stock launcher is superior to any 3rd party launcher.
If 5G and a variable refresh rate display (which are known to have multiple issues including less color/gamma accuracy) aren't important to you a N10+ in good condition or new is a better choice and cheaper. It's a solid performer.
Otherwise OP phones seem to have a better track record than the last 2 generations of Samsung's.

Thanks for your answer. Actually I'm perfectly fine with 128GB of storage, the amount of RAM is incredible (I'm not a heavy gamer, not even a gamer on mobile) and the screen size, ratio is fine for me I guess.
I am worried about the Snapdragon version being impossible to root, because the Snapdragon version phone is much faster from what I understand. Also it's very strange, I've had no problems rooting previous phones with Snapdragon.
It will sound funny but I do want a high refresh rate, for me it's important the the phone feels smooth. I'm already hearing about the Pixel 7 having scrolling issues and that concerns me because like I said, I'm also thinking about buying it, if not the S22.

TheeWolf said:
Thanks for your answer. Actually I'm perfectly fine with 128GB of storage, the amount of RAM is incredible (I'm not a heavy gamer, not even a gamer on mobile) and the screen size, ratio is fine for me I guess.
I am worried about the Snapdragon version being impossible to root, because the Snapdragon version phone is much faster from what I understand. Also it's very strange, I've had no problems rooting previous phones with Snapdragon.
It will sound funny but I do want a high refresh rate, for me it's important the the phone feels smooth. I'm already hearing about the Pixel 7 having scrolling issues and that concerns me because like I said, I'm also thinking about buying it, if not the S22.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You lose nothing by waiting. I don't buy a new phone every year or two in part because it's always a crap shoot. Waiting reduces the odds of getting stuck with a dud. 128gb isn't much storage; my minimum is 256 and that's with a 1tb SD card used as a data drive. Basically it's my PC, all my PC's are dual drive, even laptops.
I keep seeing good things about OP, they seem to have less display issues. For a gamer that might be a good choice. My requirements are different from yours, I have one game which runs well
I really like Samsung's UI and the Good Lock family of apps that modify it. The almost endless free icon packs and themes on the Galaxy store. Pixels homescreen's look gaudy and barren by comparison. Not many stock mods either. Samsung's can run very well stock once optimized. They need to be optimized... and that will take time until you're up to speed.
Warning, learning curve ahead. That's another big reason I don't upgrade firmware or devices often if the device is fulfilling its mission. I'm a conservative pragmatist and will use whatever comes in handy. Think it through and get what best suits your requirements and fullfills the mission with minimal maintenance. That's all the counts
Media server in progress; 240gb in mostly .wav files, over 150gb, many are hd movies. All stream seamlessly from the V30 rated card. When watching them from storage my SOT is as low as 6%@hr vs browser streaming at 12%@hr. Writes at about [email protected] from internal storage.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Because color accuracy and calibration directly impact gamma accuracy/calibration the fixed rate refresh rate display of the superb N10+ display is uniquely qualified for this role. My decision wasn't rushed or arbitrary when I went with a second N10+ as a backup. It was purely mission and fun oriented. For my purposes no other device even today is better suited or qualified... which is sort of sad.

TheeWolf said:
Thanks for your answer. Actually I'm perfectly fine with 128GB of storage, the amount of RAM is incredible (I'm not a heavy gamer, not even a gamer on mobile) and the screen size, ratio is fine for me I guess.
I am worried about the Snapdragon version being impossible to root, because the Snapdragon version phone is much faster from what I understand. Also it's very strange, I've had no problems rooting previous phones with Snapdragon.
It will sound funny but I do want a high refresh rate, for me it's important the the phone feels smooth. I'm already hearing about the Pixel 7 having scrolling issues and that concerns me because like I said, I'm also thinking about buying it, if not the S22.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The P7's screen can "only" reach 90Hz while all S22 variants can go up to 120Hz, so it's not comparable.
Rooting Snapdragon models is a problem mostly for carrier devices. The Snapdragon S90xE models are easily rooted and also have twrp if you need it.
My S901E (regular S22) just got updated to android 13 which I obviously rooted too and it's running great.
Pixel 6 and 7 series are only older samsung exynos (oops tensor) devices with vanilla google os ...
If you're worried about S22's battery, just don't compare it with bigger phones, or at least just do some maths to convert its most relative known SOT to correspond to the target compared device's capacity. You'll end up saying "it's great for a 3700mAh battery, really great ..."

DaReDeViL said:
The P7's screen can "only" reach 90Hz while all S22 variants can go up to 120Hz, so it's not comparable.
Rooting Snapdragon models is a problem mostly for carrier devices. The Snapdragon S90xE models are easily rooted and also have twrp if you need it.
My S901E (regular S22) just got updated to android 13 which I obviously rooted too and it's running great.
Pixel 6 and 7 series are only older samsung exynos (oops tensor) devices with vanilla google os ...
If you're worried about S22's battery, just don't compare it with bigger phones, or at least just do some maths to convert its most relative known SOT to correspond to the target compared device's capacity. You'll end up saying "it's great for a 3700mAh battery, really great ..."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of SOT are you seeing now on an optimized S22? What's SOT with 5G disabled or if locked to 60hz?

DaReDeViL said:
Rooting Snapdragon models is a problem mostly for carrier devices. The Snapdragon S90xE models are easily rooted and also have twrp if you need it.
My S901E (regular S22) just got updated to android 13 which I obviously rooted too and it's running great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good! The model I can buy locally is SM-S901E/DS, and I don't live in the US, so according to what you're saying, I can root it, right?

blackhawk said:
What kind of SOT are you seeing now on an optimized S22? What's SOT with 5G disabled or if locked to 60hz?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was getting easy 5 to 7 hours SOT a day with no special optimization. 120Hz, no gaming, no social networks, just calls, surfing, taking pics, whatsapp messaging, youtube (revanced), ... and some fews other boring apps.
I can even get more if I switch from 4G to 3G and creating a 4G manual routine when needed (because why keep power hungry 4G during the day while I only need its speed occasionally)

TheeWolf said:
Good! The model I can buy locally is SM-S901E/DS, and I don't live in the US, so according to what you're saying, I can root it, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yes, you can!

Battery aside rest phone is awesome and compact. In n era of TV sized phones this phone is a beast

DaReDeViL said:
I was getting easy 5 to 7 hours SOT a day with no special optimization. 120Hz, no gaming, no social networks, just calls, surfing, taking pics, whatsapp messaging, youtube (revanced), ... and some fews other boring apps.
I can even get more if I switch from 4G to 3G and creating a 4G manual routine when needed (because why keep power hungry 4G during the day while I only need its speed occasionally)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, what's 3G? No such thing here anymore.
I run 4G with wifi always disabled. Google play Services, and Gmail are at most times disabled and all cloud apps never run. Playstore is rarely enabled. About 80 packages are blocked.
WhatsApp is likely killing more than it's fair share.
My stock N975U1 is getting a lot better SOT even with a derated battery (3400-3700 mAh).
My question is what's eating so much power, is it the display, 5G, the Android version (scooped storage)?
These newer phones have more efficient ram and the SOC should be more efficient as well.
Even now streaming vids I get 12-14%@hr. The battery is near replacement level (20% degraded)... when I get around to it.

blackhawk said:
Lol, what's 3G? No such thing here anymore.
I run 4G with wifi always disabled. Google play Services, and Gmail are at most times disabled and all cloud apps never run. Playstore is rarely enabled. About 80 packages are blocked.
WhatsApp is likely killing more than it's fair share.
My stock N975U1 is getting a lot better SOT even with a derated battery (3400-3700 mAh).
My question is what's eating so much power, is it the display, 5G, the Android version (scooped storage)?
These newer phones have more efficient ram and the SOC should be more efficient as well.
Even now streaming vids I get 12-14%@hr. The battery is near replacement level (20% degraded)... when I get around to it.
View attachment 5742873
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol HSPA+ and even GPRS are still available in my country. Switching to 3G allows me to have slightly more SOT.
Regarding optimization, I learned the hard way that too much tinkering can give inverse results and even kill the "smart" part of the smartphone.

DaReDeViL said:
Lol HSPA+ and even GPRS are still available in my country. Switching to 3G allows me to have slightly more SOT.
Regarding optimization, I learned the hard way that too much tinkering can give inverse results and even kill the "smart" part of the smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No 3G here killed my oldest phone.
Yeah if you go too nuts optimizing it will end up biting you. Beginning with Android 10 Samsung added dozens of small systems apks that mostly to modify the UI. Most shouldn't be touched.
My list of blocked packages is almost the same for the Q loaded N975U1 as used on the Pie loaded N975U though. Took quit a while to work it out the first time... dependencies are a witch.

For me the phone is fine in most regards.
Exynos is plenty fast for daily use and battery life is supposedly better than snap.
I am new to Samsung as well and am not impressed by modding options.
To me it is clear that Samsung is the most Apple like android.
Rooting is no issue, but you will lose DRM verification, so lower quality YouTube Netflix and such.
A PC is always needed to flash an update, which for some of us has been impossible without full wiping by the way.
I can get 2 days with light use similar to what you described.
I do have 5g disabled as 4g is crazy fast already where I live/work.
A bit of debloating, mostly as i am annoyed by all these apps being there.
Oneui is actually quite good, but some mods with good lock and running nova.

bamn said:
For me the phone is fine in most regards.
Exynos is plenty fast for daily use and battery life is supposedly better than snap.
I am new to Samsung as well and am not impressed by modding options.
To me it is clear that Samsung is the most Apple like android.
Rooting is no issue, but you will lose DRM verification, so lower quality YouTube Netflix and such.
A PC is always needed to flash an update, which for some of us has been impossible without full wiping by the way.
I can get 2 days with light use similar to what you described.
I do have 5g disabled as 4g is crazy fast already where I live/work.
A bit of debloating, mostly as i am annoyed by all these apps being there.
Oneui is actually quite good, but some mods with good lock and running nova.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
A bummer with DRM, I thought this was exclusive to Sony (I currently own Xperia XZ2 compact), didn't think I'd encounter the dilemma whether to root or not because of this DRM again.
A question (for everyone here), how is call quality? Can you hear the other person clearly, can they hear you clearly? Is the speaker loud enough when on speaker?
I know it's a basic question but it's something I thought about because Google started rolling out "Clear calling" in the Pixel 7 and although I'm very much leaning to the S22, this seems like an important advantage of the Pixel (unless somehow the feature will reach Samsung or people with other phones).

Yeah DRM sucks a bit, especially since the screen is worth the quality content.
I found out after rooting only, but I can definitely live with it.
To me rooting is still worth it in the end.
Not much to say regarding call quality, i don't call a lot.
I have never been bothered with the quality or speaker volume so I suppose it's not very bad.

TheeWolf said:
Thanks!
A bummer with DRM, I thought this was exclusive to Sony (I currently own Xperia XZ2 compact), didn't think I'd encounter the dilemma whether to root or not because of this DRM again.
A question (for everyone here), how is call quality? Can you hear the other person clearly, can they hear you clearly? Is the speaker loud enough when on speaker?
I know it's a basic question but it's something I thought about because Google started rolling out "Clear calling" in the Pixel 7 and although I'm very much leaning to the S22, this seems like an important advantage of the Pixel (unless somehow the feature will reach Samsung or people with other phones).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DRM can be fixed by magisk modules.
Call quality is great even on loudspeaker.

TheeWolf said:
Hi,
I'm thinking of getting an S22, but I would appreciate your help with answering a few questions first: (if you don't want or can't answer these questions, please skip to the end of the post)
1. I understand that the Snapdragon version is much better. Is it also more supported community/ROM wise?
2. How is the battery life, if the phone is usually on idle, with a few phone talks over the day, some music, and lets say about 1 hour of screen time (continuously)? If that is the usage for a day, will it last for two days? (approximately, based on your experience)
3. This One UI, is it good, comfortable to use? Can it be replaced by replacing a launcher, or do you have to flash a new ROM?
4. Speaking of ROMs, I assume flashing ROMs/kernels is still pretty easy? The last Galaxy phone I had is the S1 and a lot of time has passed, but I remember not struggling much, and coursing through ROMs was a breeze.
5. I know you'll probably be biased towards the S22, but I'm debating over it VS the Pixel 7. Considering the fact that I can't use the unique features of the Pixel 7 (Google assistant screening spam calls, making appointments, etc.) since I don't live in the US or a country where these features are supported, and that I prefer smaller screens, which one should I choose?
In general, what do you think of the phone? Are you happy with it? Can you provide examples of pros and cons?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I have SD version. I used to flash Custom ROMs on all my previous phone after those stop receiving updated OS. Also for not missing out new features. Right now, with 4 years of OS guarantee by Samsung, I don't see myself going for custom ROMs on my S22. I use Magisk and a few other modules.
2. Battery life is very subjective and personal. For me, it lasts 24 hours on a single charge with 30% left before I charge it again. I don't play heavy games. I have Sudoko, Alto's Adventure, and Flappy Bird (hahaha).. Just to pass the time when I am waiting for someone or something. That's it. I save the heavy/real gaming for bigger screens and PC (for better experience)
I too had less than ideal battery endurance during the first two weeks. It's been the case for the past Samsung devices I have used. So, I knew it would improve after settling in. I resetted the phone before I manually configured the apps and transferred my old data to S22. (Painfully long process) Usually do with Titanium Backup Pro but I wanted it to be a fresh start.
On a regular day.. Connected on WIFI always. 2 SIM cards (1st 2G/3G/4G and 2nd only 2G). I use Slack with 3 different workspaces. 5 Emails on Gmail ( 3 syncing regularly), 1 Samsung account syncing, 2 more work emails syncing on Samsung Email app. Some Chrome use. FlipBoard, Pocket, and Medium reading at the end of the day. Whatsapp, Whatsapp Business, and Telegram usage. Google Drive and Sheet. A few pics here and there.
10 mins of Social media if neeeded. Sometimes music. No watching videos on a regular day. Some 30-60 mins of calls. Buds Pro and Amazfit T Rex Pro connected always.
I get 4 to 5 hours of Screen on Time with 22 to 24 hours overall usage, still with 30% battery remaining. I don't spend time outdoor during day time, so the screen doesn't have to be fully lit. Auto Brightness manages it. Biggest draw on battery for me is the video call, some 18-20% an hour. Next is the outdoor navigation for 10 mins, lost like 3-4%.
I have removed FB app, MS apps and a few Google apps. Also a few Samsung apps which I found no use for. Though I have Root, I found ADB is much easier than Root for removing/disabling these apps. 120 Hz Adaptive refresh rate on. Adaptive Battery. Add some apps to Deep Sleep. That's it. Greenify didn't seem to make a difference in my usage. So stopped.
Accubattery Stats are like.. Discharge 1% an hour on Standby and 10% an hour on screen usage (Wifi and indoors). (I have installed around 100 third party apps on this phone)
I was waiting on the sidelines for the first few months. Was waiting for Samsung to release some updates and improve the battery endurance (as usual). Online reviews were mostly negative due to their usage patterns. My usage is different from theirs. I am still little upset at Samsung for being a jerk by reducing the battery capacity instead of increasing it, just like any other greedy company. So the negative reviews are necessary to call out their wicked move. Hey, if your usage is something like mine, you can go ahead. It's not bad at all. Better battery than my S8 when it was new and 20% less efficient than my S20 FE 5G or A52.
3. I am on One UI 5.0 Stable/Rooted. So far, So good. Minor but good improvements from One UI 4.1. I am using Nova Launcher Prime.. been like this for the last 5 years. I just don't like the homescreen and app drawer arrangements on One UI. That's all. Everything else is so good. I personally love One UI for its functionality. It has evolved a lot. People complain about bloatware either have not used One UI 3 or later versions on flagship devices. Bloatwares are there in mid and low end devices, that too getting less nowadays (comparing with M12).
4. I too was tempted to try custom Kernel during the first week. But I wanted to wait and see what this device had to offer in terms of battery life. I am happy without custom kernel. Flashing Custom ROMs and kernels are just like any other Samsung phones. But I find it much easier than Moto or Xiaomi phones.
5. I replaced my S8 with S20 FE 5G and I didn't like the size. I replaced it with S22. Compactness, easy to use. Better cameras than S20 FE 5G. Average battery life. Good build. One UI is good. If I had the chance to decide again, I would still choose S22 over Pixel 7 or 7 Pro. Overall experience matters than a few extra features.
I hope this helps!
Edit: One UI 5.0 has come with a feature, Bixby Text Call - similar to Pixel's Call Screening feature. I have no use for it. I haven't tried it. Currently, the translation/transcription only supports Korean language.
Call Quality with and without Wifi Calling/VOLTE enabled, is super clear for both parties. Better than any phone I have used, even their own S8, A52, and S20 FE 5G. Even on loud speaker, I would sit a few feet away from my phone and still it would be clear to both parties without any issues. We also have inbuilt sound quality settings to tweak to our needs. I found this for the first time on One UI 4.0

@Vorion Thank you so much for this very detailed answer!
By the way, about the Bixby text call, from what I understand it's not like the Pixel's call screening feature, it's actually designed to make you communicate with someone in a "text call" - you type messages, the other side hears your messages in a Bixby's automated voice. What the other side says you will read as it will be converted to text.

TheeWolf said:
Hi,
I'm thinking of getting an S22, but I would appreciate your help with answering a few questions first: (if you don't want or can't answer these questions, please skip to the end of the post)
1. I understand that the Snapdragon version is much better. Is it also more supported community/ROM wise?
2. How is the battery life, if the phone is usually on idle, with a few phone talks over the day, some music, and lets say about 1 hour of screen time (continuously)? If that is the usage for a day, will it last for two days? (approximately, based on your experience)
3. This One UI, is it good, comfortable to use? Can it be replaced by replacing a launcher, or do you have to flash a new ROM?
4. Speaking of ROMs, I assume flashing ROMs/kernels is still pretty easy? The last Galaxy phone I had is the S1 and a lot of time has passed, but I remember not struggling much, and coursing through ROMs was a breeze.
5. I know you'll probably be biased towards the S22, but I'm debating over it VS the Pixel 7. Considering the fact that I can't use the unique features of the Pixel 7 (Google assistant screening spam calls, making appointments, etc.) since I don't live in the US or a country where these features are supported, and that I prefer smaller screens, which one should I choose?
In general, what do you think of the phone? Are you happy with it? Can you provide examples of pros and cons?
Thank you!
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Click to collapse
I have had my S22 for approximately 2 months and am not happy with it. It is more to do with Samsung than the device because I had a S9+ before and traded it for the S22. The Samsung advertising leaves a lot to be desired. It said I could get a S22 Ultra with my tradein for only a couple hundred. As it turned out the S22 was almost full price. They said the offer was for a S22+ traded in for S22 Ultra would only be a couple hundred. So I settled for the S22. I just should have had my S9+ fixed (The front and back separated from the frame). The S22 doesn't have a micro card slot so you can't add memory(storage). The side buttons are different fromt he S9+ and positioned differently so I continually hit the wrong buttons. I don't know the Pixel 7 so I can't compare that one. I just know I'm not happy with the S22.

Question Anyone upgrade from 8T, is it worth it?

Hi, all.
Had my 8T since Dec 2020 (longest ever for a device), and just can't find a device worth upgrading to. Anyone here jumped to 11 and thinks it was worth it?
Thanks!

I made the jump from the 8T to the 11 and I like it (mostly). The phone is super-fast and the software is pretty darn good. I'm starting to get antsy for some custom ROM's though (eg: paranoid android, pixel extended, etc).
The only thing I didn't really like (at the beginning) was the waterfall display on the edges. I don't really notice it any more but (personally) I prefer flat displays.

brisseau said:
I made the jump from the 8T to the 11 and I like it (mostly). The phone is super-fast and the software is pretty darn good. I'm starting to get antsy for some custom ROM's though (eg: paranoid android, pixel extended, etc).
The only thing I didn't really like (at the beginning) was the waterfall display on the edges. I don't really notice it any more but (personally) I prefer flat displays.
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Click to collapse
Good deal. I just feel like 8T is still plenty fast until they discontinue the update support here in a year or so. How's the camera on 11?

1. This is not OxygenOS. I wouldn't say it's complete crap but it's leaves a lot to be desired.
2. Battery life is poor.
3. Camera is barely any better than for my even older than yours OnePlus.
4. Yeah, it's fast, too bad it's overheating even when using light apps like Google Maps.
I've no idea what to upgrade to but I'm not a fan of OnePlus 11 by a long shot. I've heard some Lenovo/Motorola and Asus phones feature a ROM which is close to stock Android.
Oh, and the Pixel 7 Pro is certainly an option as well, though stock Google Android is missing a ton of features from OxygenOS, even simple ones such as double tap to wake (it can be single tapped to wake but that leads to an extreme number of unnecessary wake up's).

I can't recommend it.
I have 8T and with the update to A13 it went way down in terms of sw quality :/
That worse sw quality + unreliable USB-C connecter made me looking for other devices.
After watching some reviews I got an incorrect impression that the OS/SW is better on OnePlus11...
But it's not...
- constantly fighting with android auto, when you connect the phone to your car, usually 1st attempt works, 2nd and any following doesn't and you need to do some dance like usb debug enable/disable or reboot to make it working...
- now with latest update, it has broken pressed state so most of apps don't have it visible
- whole UI is weirdly bloated, I prefer more dense content, I was already using the custom DPI value to override it, now the number must be even higher, but this value doesn't survive reboot... what a pain, if I have to reboot every other day...
- Notifications UX is somehow weird comparing to pixel 7 with A13, I have hard time to just dismiss it by swiping it out, very annoying.
- I don't like much the oneplus photos app, so I just disable it to get rid of it. What a surprise to see that the camera app has the oneplus photos app hardwired, so it it doesn't open any photos app, so I had to reenable it back again just to be able to see a history of photos directly from camera app...

Thanks, guys. My wife has a pixel 7 (non-pro) and I don't like it at all lol I hear youtubers raging about xiaomi and other Chinese phones (hell, OP is one also), but I'm on the fence on those due to security and update support.
Is Samsung any better than when it had that weird UI back in the day?

RussianBear said:
Thanks, guys. My wife has a pixel 7 (non-pro) and I don't like it at all lol I hear youtubers raging about xiaomi and other Chinese phones (hell, OP is one also), but I'm on the fence on those due to security and update support.
Is Samsung any better than when it had that weird UI back in the day?
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Click to collapse
joe.scurab said:
I can't recommend it.
I have 8T and with the update to A13 it went way down in terms of sw quality :/
That worse sw quality + unreliable USB-C connecter made me looking for other devices.
After watching some reviews I got an incorrect impression that the OS/SW is better on OnePlus11...
But it's not...
- constantly fighting with android auto, when you connect the phone to your car, usually 1st attempt works, 2nd and any following doesn't and you need to do some dance like usb debug enable/disable or reboot to make it working...
- now with latest update, it has broken pressed state so most of apps don't have it visible
- whole UI is weirdly bloated, I prefer more dense content, I was already using the custom DPI value to override it, now the number must be even higher, but this value doesn't survive reboot... what a pain, if I have to reboot every other day...
- Notifications UX is somehow weird comparing to pixel 7 with A13, I have hard time to just dismiss it by swiping it out, very annoying.
- I don't like much the oneplus photos app, so I just disable it to get rid of it. What a surprise to see that the camera app has the oneplus photos app hardwired, so it it doesn't open any photos app, so I had to reenable it back again just to be able to see a history of photos directly from camera app...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must be one of the lucky ones because I haven't had any issues with the USB charger, battery life (I can get almost 2 full days if I really stretch it out), Android Auto, the notifications or the photo app. I agree that it's not the Oxygen OS we've grown accustomed to but it's not the worst thing in the world (in my opinion).
But to each his own. Everyone has to make their own decision on what they can live with and what they can't.
I'd love to have a Pixel for the streamlined OS but the charging speed to stupid slow compared to the OnePlus 11 (hell, even the OnePlus 8t is way faster at charging). The camera on the OnePlus 11 is (for me) fine for the daily quick photo but I have a Canon DSLR that I use if I really want a good photo.
RussianBear, my suggestion is the try the OnePlus 11. If you like it, great. If not, send it back.

I just can't seem to justify paying full retail for this thing. It'd have to be that much better than 8T for me to drop near 1k (looking for max specs) on a new phone. Their 100 day gimmick is cool, tho lol

birdie said:
1. This is not OxygenOS. I wouldn't say it's complete crap but it's leaves a lot to be desired.
2. Battery life is poor.
3. Camera is barely any better than for my even older than yours OnePlus.
4. Yeah, it's fast, too bad it's overheating even when using light apps like Google Maps.
I've no idea what to upgrade to but I'm not a fan of OnePlus 11 by a long shot. I've heard some Lenovo/Motorola and Asus phones feature a ROM which is close to stock Android.
Oh, and the Pixel 7 Pro is certainly an option as well, though stock Google Android is missing a ton of features from OxygenOS, even simple ones such as double tap to wake (it can be single tapped to wake but that leads to an extreme number of unnecessary wake up's).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 10-9hrs average screen on time while traveling.
Nothing overheats while having gps navigation active during my trips.
SOT are great, especially when I switched from OP7Pro.

I enjoy using my OnePlus 11, it's my first day to day device back with Android since I left behind the 6T and went to the iPhone lol The camera has improved to the point where it can be in the conversation with the Pixel and Galaxy phones, OxygenOS isn't as clunky as I thought it would be, and 80W charging is amazing.

GoldChildTX said:
I enjoy using my OnePlus 11, it's my first day to day device back with Android since I left behind the 6T and went to the iPhone lol The camera has improved to the point where it can be in the conversation with the Pixel and Galaxy phones, OxygenOS isn't as clunky as I thought it would be, and 80W charging is amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I jumped from 6T to 8T

Camera is snappier, fast charging, more battery, faster device.

I moved from OP8T to OP11, and the first big thing is the vastly superior battery life of the 11.
Wiht my OP8T I had grown used to the idea that i would need to take a powerbank with me if i was going to be out all day, and that it would need to be left on charge overnight to ensure it was full in the morning - before going out for day , my new OP11 - at the moment easily lasts all day - and no longer needs an overnight charge
So OP11 has
better battery life
much nicer screen
its faster/ more responsive
havent had enough time to use the camera yet - but first impressions are its an improvement over the 8T

I have the 11 and 8T and much prefer my 8T. I'm actually actively trying to sell my 11. I probably would have a different opinion if OnePlus didn't take away a person's rights to fix their phones themselves with MSM, but that's mostly an Oppo issue. I tinker with my 8T because I know if I botch something, MSM will save my ass.

RussianBear said:
I just can't seem to justify paying full retail for this thing. It'd have to be that much better than 8T for me to drop near 1k (looking for max specs) on a new phone. Their 100 day gimmick is cool, tho lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you can wait a bit for a lower price and I think the 100 day offer ended on April 30th. I've upgraded from both OP6 and 9 and I think it was worth it. Some people have hardware issues as it happens with any brand, while some just need a factory reset to straight up things. Everything is running perfectly here. Everything launches faster, haven't had heat issues, not even with Maps and the five year updates gives the thing longevity. Battery life is also lasting much more than OP9 despite using OOS. The only thing I wish is to once more have tools like MSM publicly available and of course, custom development which might come one day.