When ever a new phone comes out I get excited like many. My current phone is OP 8pro and is a great phone. But my previous phone was a Pixel 2Xl and I felt it was a great phone. The Pixel still had a better camara than the 8 Pro.
So now comes the Pixel 6 & 6 Pro. They look nice but the 6 pro is slightly bigger and heavier than my 8 Pro. I've searched a lot to see if the series has facial recognition. From what I've brought up I can't find if it has it not. At this point in a "flag ship" phone they should kick a... and have everything plus be a step ahead of anything that has come out with in 6 months.
Does the 6 series beat out my 8 pro, significantly? Should I think about a 9 pro?
Or stay put for another year, maybe wait the OP 10?
Thanks for ay input!
I'm trading my OnePlus 9 Pro in for the Pixel 6 Pro. I can assure you despite what you see in reviews the camera on the 9 Pro isn't quite top notch. Also with OnePlus, they are folding into parent company Oppo completely so my tenure with them has now concluded after having the 6T/7T Pro McLaren/8T/9 Pro.
One plus are basically becoming oppo and one reason I'm changing my oppo Reno 2 for a 6 Pro is that awful updates that oppo do. I've had one actual proper update come through on the phone in 2 years. I've had to mess about using VPN connections to connect to different countries to get any security updates from them. The one Android update they did release almost broke the phone. I'd never go back to them. I had a pixel 2xl previously, which I've still got, and it was flawless even when I had to use it while trying to fix the oppo. I'm looking forward to going back to a phone with regular updates and updates that actually work.
I know too well it's difficult to decide very often. The Pro is slightly heavier than my Note 10+, too - about the same dimensions, just slightly longer and narrower, IIRC, than the Note 10+.
I haven't used facial recognition yet, but maybe I would eventually if it became available. For me, the selling points for the 6 Pro were the 512 GB of storage and the pure Android that works as Google intended it to work - without Samsung's **** software that doesn't work very well even with Google's standard apps.
If you're happy with the software on your OP 8 Pro, I'd stick with it since it has the facial recognition you prefer. That said, the two previous responses are pretty convincing to get the 6 Pro.
If you're still itching for a new phone, though, then absolutely, go for the 6 Pro unless you want to stay smaller, then go for the non-Pro 6 unless you need the 512 GB storage model of the Pro.
I currently have the OP 8 Pro and while the P6 Pro may weigh a little more, the OP is just a hair taller, and they look to be the exact same width. I never found the camera on the OP to be very good. The modded Gcam app works better, imo. So, along with what I'm assuming is going to be a stellar camera, I'm also excited about the AI integration Google wants to bring with their tensor chip. For me, it was a no brainer. I've had the OP for two years and it's starting to show. I think the 6 Pro will be quite a step up.
94b20gsr said:
I'm trading my OnePlus 9 Pro in for the Pixel 6 Pro. I can assure you despite what you see in reviews the camera on the 9 Pro isn't quite top notch. Also with OnePlus, they are folding into parent company Oppo completely so my tenure with them has now concluded after having the 6T/7T Pro McLaren/8T/9 Pro.
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Seeing the reviews, the 6p is close to the iPhone 13 pro max' camera, if not better. However, the tensor chip seems to fall behind but Google did this on purpose and that was to extend battery life despite having a slower processor than their competitors
All of the above have pro's and con's....and price points!
Flagships ftw
hello00 said:
Seeing the reviews, the 6p is close to the iPhone 13 pro max' camera, if not better. However, the tensor chip seems to fall behind but Google did this on purpose and that was to extend battery life despite having a slower processor than their competitors
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Yes, and I am in agreeance on the 6 Pro camera. I was referencing the OnePlus 9 Pro since the OP mentioned it as a possible contender. The Tensor exceeds in the GPU category vs an 888 only slightly, and is also slightly behind in the CPU space vs the 888.
Man, all great inputs thanks!! I understand what some of you've said about the updates. When I had my 2 xl , it was cool that they'd get the updates first. As far as OP, going forward, that it will not be the same OP, that's sad and it's maybe time to "go back home" to a Pixel.
Here's my two cents;
I've been on Android since the HTC H1/Dream. Flashed the heck out of it and eventually got myself a DroidX. From there, I went all into the Nexus line. After that turned into Pixel, I stayed with pixel phones. I like to test phones so over the course of time, I had the OnePlus One (loved that phone). I still have my OnePlus 2, tried several phones from HTC LG; used a Samsung s10 for a good while and I still keep some of my favorite phones, they still all work and I still love them and try to keep them updated with custom AOSP roms; my Nexus 5 is still alive and well, the OnePlus X is still fantastic to hold, the Palm phone is an amazing form factor, the Essential PH-1 is incredible to this day (minus the **** cameras), preferring smaller phones, the Xperia XZ1 Compact is awesome, I just got rid of my old OnePlus 5t and both my brother and my best friend are deep into OnePlus since the One.
But I always end up coming back to a Pixel.
Like someone already said, the cameras are fabulous, but they are definitely not "the best", however, in my experience, they ARE the most consistently close to the best. At the time, the Samsung Galaxy s10 had, arguably, a better camera than the pixel of the era (Pixel 3 or Pixel 4, depending on the date, since pixels release late in the year) but it was never as consistent (with me). With the pixel, I always knew I could double tap the power button and take a shot in just a few seconds, and the picture would come out consistently great. People can get amazing shots with a OnePlus, but it requires more effort than the consistency of the pixel.
I don't really care all that much about picture quality, despite what it may seem, but I think it is a good reflection of essentially everything else. Nothing is really THE most important part of a phone for me except for "feel", and my golden standard is the Nexus 5. Perfect size. The Pixel 3 is also a great feeling device. Sure, RAM is important, but in this day and age, for most people, I'd say 6GB or more is good enough. Less than 128GB of storage is not worth getting at this point. Fast charging is cool, just like wireless charging, but a battery that'll live throughout the day is a necessity (this is one thing Pixels have NEVER been able to excel at, for example, hopefully the 6 changes that).
Then there's the OS, and what comes with it (like, updates). Samsung has gotten MUCH better. Their Touchwiz was absolutely atrocious. But OneUI is not bad. It seems like most manufacturers are going now for a more muted skin than they used to (MotoBlur was pretty bad, HTC Sense was pretty, but heavy, TouchWiz was awful, Miui was an iOS copy) so we're far better off now, but it's easy to misrepresent how awesome it feels to receive updates in time. Google announces a new OS, and you've got it. All the new goodies (mostly). While on any other manufacturer, you MIGHT get it in 3 months, you might not get it at all.
I've been on Android 12 since beta 3 a couple of months ago, on a Pixel 3.
I skipped the 5, sold my 4 and went down to the 3, which still works great. I am hoping the 6 is not huge. Needless to say, I preordered the 6. 256gb. I personally think they did a very compelling job. Sure, it's got last years 5g hardware. Sure, there's no "small" version. Sure, the SoC is not exactly better than what Qualcomm puts out. But I think by now, I've made the point that a phone is more than the sum of its parts. And it seems, imo, that Google found a pretty good balance, with a competitive and consistently great camera, a fantastic feeling phone, at a reasonable price.
Related
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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
I'm in the process of getting a new phone in the coming days. To keep it simple here, i'm debating 3XL or S10(e). I'm not going to wait long enough for the Pixel 4 to come out. OnePlus 7 Pro is sadly not available through my carrier.
So, is the 3XL still a good deal when Price is identical to the S10(e)? I've had Samsung in the past and Nexus's before that. I now the Samsung OS and am fine with it. I live in Europe, so getting AOSP for the S10 should be an option. Camera is important but not priority one. An overall fluid/fast system is more important to me. I also don't care to much for specs. Solid Batterylife is on my list too. I'm not a poweruser, so 3-4 hours SOT should be enough for a day or two. Oh, and i don't have a Problem with either notch or holepunch.
With that, would you get the 3XL for guaranteed Android Q and faster Updates, or the S10 for better specs/Display and being overall newer?
I had the chance of one plus, Samsung S10, Huawei p30pro. Chose the pixel for the updates and camera. No regrets whatsoever. Camera stunning, updates each month, 5-6 hours screen time, great build, wireless charging and IP rating, smooth as performance and a very underrated screen. Coming from the LG G7, which I loved, this phone is a level up in everyway.
@domsch1988 Why not the 3a XL? Much better value especially if you're not a power user. Only thing it's not waterproof and has no wireless charging, slightly lower processor but a great phone.
go for the OnePlus. I've played with it (friend bought it) and its solid. I have a 3XL but if I can do it over, i'd either stick with the 2XL or upgrade to the OnePlus.
I still think the Pixel 3 XL is the Android phone to get, until the 4 XL in Oct. Best camera, smooth OS, timely updates every month, no bloatware.
What other phone is out there? Galaxy S10? LOL I'll pass. LG G8 or V50 ? No thanks. OnePlus, yeah they are are good, but, not the best camera, and some features missing
I would choose Oneplus. I'm so disappointed with the Pixel 3 XL. The fingerprint sensor sucks. I had the 1+ 5T and it was far better than this. It's my last Pixel.
I'll change my 3 XL for a 5 XL, that's how much I love it.
for me pixel 3 xl is the phone to buy because its a nice design lovely to hold timely updates. The only thing am not happy about is the ram and how its managed i would have liked to see an extra 2 gigs here.
Traded my S10 Plus for the Pixel 3 XL.
Great decision in my view. Running Android Q beta 4, no need to carry DSLR with me (S10 camera was awful).
Only downside is the RAM and it's management. Would choose it over again in a heartbeat
bobby janow said:
@domsch1988 Why not the 3a XL? Much better value especially if you're not a power user. Only thing it's not waterproof and has no wireless charging, slightly lower processor but a great phone.
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Since i'm getting it on Contract, they are equal in price (basically 1€ without any change in what the plan will cost me). The 3a will be getting guaranteed Updates for 6 Months longer. Other than that, i feel the 3XL is far better.
If i'd pay for it up front, i agree 100%. I'm currently rocking a Redmin Note 5 Pro. So i'm confident, that the Hardware in the 3aXL would be well enough. I just don't have the value benefit when both phones cost the same in my case.
To everyone else: I really appreciate the input. Seems the Pixel is still the Phone to get. Will be my first time getting a phone for the camera. But with my wife and me expecting a child, i'm sure that's a great decision
Despite what I have read of other's experiences with this phone, in my case it is the absolute best phone I have ever had. Coming from a long line of Samsung Note phones and Galaxy phones, it just can't compare. I highly recommend it. Updates are timely and without delay on the first Monday of every month. It is very responsive and the camera is the best in the industry. I have learned with this phone that specs mean nothing if the software is not optimized. Samsung phone shave great specs but software (IMO) is not optimized. I got tired of Samsung's locked bootloader, no root on phones and batteries that after 6 months did not last more than a few hours. For me, this is the ONLY phone worth the money today.
Easy. Get the 3xl or even 3aXL and save some money. Either will be fantastic.
Other than Google not being able to fix the sound (changes from clear to bassy/muffled and back randomly) this phone is awesome.
yaron316 said:
Traded my S10 Plus for the Pixel 3 XL.
Great decision in my view. Running Android Q beta 4, no need to carry DSLR with me (S10 camera was awful).
Only downside is the RAM and it's management. Would choose it over again in a heartbeat
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This. I tried the S9+ then the S10+. Couldn't wait to get back to the Pixel.
nyydynasty said:
go for the OnePlus. I've played with it (friend bought it) and its solid. I have a 3XL but if I can do it over, i'd either stick with the 2XL or upgrade to the OnePlus.
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The OnePlus is no upgrade IMO. I just spent a week testing both the OnePlus 7 Pro and the P3 XL and the bottom line is that the two phones are a perfect example of specs not telling the whole story. The OnePlus is nice but in the end it went back and I kept the P3 XL. Main issues with the OnePlus was the distortion caused by the curved edges (why did they do that? Loss of functionality for nothing in return... if i wanted a fashion statement I'd buy an iPhone.) I don't get why everyone gets hysterical over a notch that hardly ever really intrudes on the P3 XL while ignoring the distortion of the O7P that is annoying 100% of the time. Also in spite of all the reviews gushing over the 90 fps display it really was a big... meh. If you look closely it is somewhat smoother than the 60 fps flagships but these are already so good that the slight improvement is just not that big a deal and I think I'd probably have ended up just leaving the 90 fps option off to get the 10% or so battery life back. But the OP7 display was brighter than the P3 XL, I'll give it that.
The other problem on the OP7P was the camera. It's come a long way and is certainly competitive with the big boys but I found the P3's image to be superior most of the time. If you aren't picky about the camera then the P7 should be fine. Last is the general feel of the phone and the pure Google Pixel OS (and all the little nonessential but nice goodies) made the P3 just feel more comfortable and day-to-day usable to me. Also FWIW the P3 supports Verizon WiFi calling and the OP7 does not (or at least I couldn't find any setting that would make it work.) Something that won't matter for some but will for others so just mentioning it. Also if you think you may ever want to use Google Fi (for the international coverage if nothing else) then the Pixel is the better choice, also a factor that may or may not matter depending on the user.
I'm not hating on the OnePlus, it's a great phone and would probably be my phone if it weren't for the P3 XL. But an 'upgrade'? Nah.
.
At this point in the year I would honestly wait things out to see what happens with the Pixel 4. I love the Pixel 3xl and wouldn't buy anything else at this point. The first phone that I enjoy using and the camera is awesome! With the Pixel 4 it can only get better, even if the numbers are still not up with the S10 it wouldn't matter to me. Fast, no bloatware and the ability to take it anywhere and use it anywhere is what I enjoy.
S10e would be a downgrade in my opinion.
I actually ordered the Snapdragon S10e and quickly realised I miss that higher quality screen of the Pixel 3 XL. As this was the Snapdragon S10e I had gcam installed but it was very buggy and just nothing like the original.
The pixel 3 XL has a wider screen too, makes viewing content a lot better, the Samsung phones are narrow so it almost seems like you lose out on content, for me it was noticeably enough to keep this phone!
My Pixel 4 XL is suffering from a swelling battery a 2nd time. Google won't repair it and the phone is 15 months old, so it'd be out of pocket.
I have been a vanilla Google user since Nexus 4.
My wife has a Note 20 Ultra and I just find Samsung different to be different.
Going to be limping this phone until unsafe again --- have an LG V20 as a backup if this gets dangerous.
Is the 9 Pro the most vanilla flagship coming?
Great device and smooth oos. Take it for a spin...
Very close to stock android, oxygenos is by far one of my favorites.
VinitBelam said:
My Pixel 4 XL is suffering from a swelling battery a 2nd time. Google won't repair it and the phone is 15 months old, so it'd be out of pocket.
I have been a vanilla Google user since Nexus 4.
My wife has a Note 20 Ultra and I just find Samsung different to be different.
Going to be limping this phone until unsafe again --- have an LG V20 as a backup if this gets dangerous.
Is the 9 Pro the most vanilla flagship coming?
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I'd say it's the most vanilla of all the android versions. Pixels are pretty close too. If you like one you'll undoubtedly like the other. The oneplus doesn't add some features on top of android like the pixel but it does add a couple tasteful ones for customizing your phone if you're into that. If you're not it's generally out of the way enough that you're not bothered by it. I wish there wasn't a gallery app included, I like to use my own so that's redundant. Otherwise I prefer this version of android over the pixels all day. And in my experience, fewer bugs out of the box too.
I have been a Google phone user for years and the OP 9 Pro is my first non Google branded phone. I had the Motorola Milestone (Had stock Android iirc), Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 5, Nexus 6P and the Pixel 2. I always loved the stock interface, never was a fan of the UI of Samsung and the likes.
The interface is really close to stock, I love it. I actually was hesitant going for Oneplus, but I just couldn't bare the mediocre SOC of the Pixel 5. But I'm really glad I went for the OP 9 Pro, it's a great phone for People who come from a long history of Google phones.
Try going for custom ROM on Oneplus 9 PRO
short answer is YES!
Some users (including me) have had some battery drain problems on the OP9 pro. It's my first time owning a oneplus and was surprised by the low SOT on this device. The battery is its only relatively weak point. I'm on CrDroid right now and with some tweaks i'm getting a better SOT (still experimenting though).
Maybe choose the oneplus 8 over the 9 series. I don't think there's a huge difference between the two. The best is to read about issues and problems of both and decide.
Good luck.
It seems like it is probably time to retire my four year old Huawei Mate 10 Pro. It's still on Android 8 (because that is the last Android version thst can be rooted on this phone), and does still work pretty well. for me.
I've been planning to replace it with something from Oneplus for a while as I've been attracted to the pro-developer ethos they used to promote. I got the Huawei when samsung got weird but it never had much development activity to play around with.
But still... there are options. OP 9 Pro? Pixel 6 Pro? S21 Ultra? Or stay at the 6.4" sort of size and get the OP9 non-pro or Pixel 6 non-pro? I have never liked curved screens but I understand the 9 Pro curve is pretty minimal.
I get annoyed by little things not working right, so I have always had root on my phones. Not just for ad blocking but also things like disable-flag-secure so I can screenshot anything (it's my screen to shot!), freezing bloatware, etc.
Then again it seems like root is less and less popular, maybe it's not worth it any more.
Anyway, what do you guys think? Given what's available now would you still choose this phone?
anthropoidape said:
It seems like it is probably time to retire my four year old Huawei Mate 10 Pro. It's still on Android 8 (because that is the last Android version thst can be rooted on this phone), and does still work pretty well. for me.
I've been planning to replace it with something from Oneplus for a while as I've been attracted to the pro-developer ethos they used to promote. I got the Huawei when samsung got weird but it never had much development activity to play around with.
But still... there are options. OP 9 Pro? Pixel 6 Pro? S21 Ultra? Or stay at the 6.4" sort of size and get the OP9 non-pro or Pixel 6 non-pro? I have never liked curved screens but I understand the 9 Pro curve is pretty minimal.
I get annoyed by little things not working right, so I have always had root on my phones. Not just for ad blocking but also things like disable-flag-secure so I can screenshot anything (it's my screen to shot!), freezing bloatware, etc.
Then again it seems like root is less and less popular, maybe it's not worth it any more.
Anyway, what do you guys think? Given what's available now would you still choose this phone?
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I've been using OnePlus phones since OP3. They were my favourite Android makers. But their recent performance makes me say you should probably get a Pixel 6/Pro.
If the money is no issue go for Pro.
If you want to save some money go for Pixel 6 or Oneplus 9.
But the best option is to wait a little. You can get Oneplus 10/Pro or Xiaomi Mi12/Ultra, or Samsung Note 22. Or maybe Pixel will come down in price.
For adblocking use Private DNS = dns.adguard.com. You don'y need root for this.
The 9 Pro can still hold its own, but there are other devices on the horizon. Try one in a store if you can...
Thank you very much for the replies.
There's nowhere around here that I can try a OP 9 or 9 Pro, just online. I can try the Pixel anywhere though.
I think you are right, I'll wait and see what happens between now and March or so - better prices or better devices.
Thanks again.
Run away from Oneplus. This brand is dead.
Kinda agreed on some when they say OnePlus experience has changed for the worst. Them leaving Oxygen OS for Color OS is a nail in the coffin. I am also looking to the Pixel 6 Pro but I don't feel the Pixel measures up to the 9 Pro yet, for example charging time is one of them. Eventually I fear it'll be time to leave OP.
They say, either you die a hero or you live long enough to become evil.
Poloasis said:
Kinda agreed on some when they say OnePlus experience has changed for the worst. Them leaving Oxygen OS for Color OS is a nail in the coffin. I am also looking to the Pixel 6 Pro but I don't feel the Pixel measures up to the 9 Pro yet, for example charging time is one of them. Eventually I fear it'll be time to leave OP.
They say, either you die a hero or you live long enough to become evil.
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Same for me, the charging is too slow on the Pixel 6 pro.
I will definitely sell my OP9 Pro before the 10 is released to lose the minimum amount of money.
Gone are the days when the OnePlus 1 came out with Cyanogen OS. Today we no longer have the sources and the impossibility of using Gcam without restrictions.
The development of the alternative scene will slowly die off.
Oh and daring to release a "stable" release of Android 12 in the state in which they dared to release it shows the non-seriousness and the total lack of respect of the brand.
It's a shame.
What the brand represented is really dead, today it is a Chinese brand like any other. Don't buy this trash.
Buying a new [used] phone and was looking at the S20 Ultra and OP9.
Found two decent prices for here in Aus: S20U @ $570AUD versus OP9 @ $440-500AUD.
I will likely keep the phone for three to four years, so curious about durability, build-quality, hardware, software/development. I know the OP9 is newer and faster (on paper), but how does it stand the test of time compared to Samsung who has been in the game or longer.
Thanks!
I had the OnePlus 9 for the wife and I currently have the 9 Pro for myself. She really wanted the Flip3 so T-mobile offered me $400 for it so all I had to do was put $170 down for it and that was it. They're also offering me $00 for my 9 Pro, but it's fully unlocked (sim/bl) and if I end up getting the Ultra, it would be the SD version and I would be stuck with a fully locked phone so I'd want to keep my 9 Pro to tinker with. Sorry if this doesn't help you at all, didn't know if you were looking for opinions specifically of what you're asking for, or if you wanted opinions on why someone would want it over the 9/Pro.
cheers. yeah just generally curious what people think. and sorry, its the 9 pro that I am looking at.
both mine would be unlocked. I've never owned a OnePLus device, but samsung is classic reliable..
Samsung has a better update policy, but fixed promised from the S21 series. Oneplus is currently experiencing difficulties in this area. Samsung guarantees updates for at least 3 years starting with the 21 models, if not more in the meantime.
I have a Oneplus 9 pro and just treated myself to a comparison with the Samsung S22 ultra. Except for disappointing improvements in the camera, I do not see any advantages, on the contrary; with root, your warranty is gone. So I'm sticking with Oneplus. Add the buds pro if you like listening to music; the sound is perfectly tuned to the phone and sounds worlds better than on other phones. The display of the 22 Ultra is on par, the speakers are worse, and the performance feels identical (Exynos for me). Keep in mind that the 20 Ultra is a bit older.
In terms of weight and form factor, I think the Oneplus is more durable and less vulnerable to drops.
But the update policy is still up in the air (because of ColorOS), but updates will certainly come.
Thanks for replying. I am definitely leaning towards OP9 Pro.
jewnersey said:
Thanks for replying. I am definitely leaning towards OP9 Pro.
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From my nearly one year experience with the OnePlus 9 Pro and more with OnePlus itself (since the OnePlus 3, also went through the 7 Pro and the 8 Pro), the software update has gotten worse with time, especially with the OnePlus 9 Pro, which had a clearly bad first release of OxygenOS 12 (consider December 2021 was the worst month to get a OnePlus 9 Pro up to date).
As they are actively merging with OPPO (hardware and software), the first days were rough, but they are clearly improving with every updates and the C.44 is quite good so far (I even tried the full ColorOS 12 experience but came back to OxygenOS 12 because of throttling in games and a few other minor points). So if you're willing to trust OnePlus on their updates, I think you can have a quite decent phone.
On the hardware side, the charging system is clearly the best I've gone with (65W wired and 50W wireless, it's crazy fast). The screen is beautiful (it comes from Samsung factories, sooooooo... Let's say it won't be very different if you go for a recent Samsung phone). The partnership with Hasselblad is really bringing some improvements (even if it's software side) and that's the first phone that made me really enjoy taking pictures.
The supported communication bands are in line with pretty much all actual standards and had never to complain for any kind of connection (WiFi, Bluetooth, 2G/3G/4G/5G).
For me, it's a big recommendation, but if you had told me you hesitated with a S22 Ultra, I would have been a little less partial on it.
I like the design of S20 Ultra, but for some people could be bulky, big, heavy. For me design for S20 Ultra is Much Nicer than OnePlus 9 Pro. I like square phones. 9 Pro is absolutly Not.
Samsung = Bloatware. I don't know/care if you still can root it.
OnePlus 9 Pro you can root, debloat. It works very good. For me battery is great.
I have European phone & now i use ColorOS 12 stable global C.46.
If you have money, go for Samsung S22 Note, only wwith SnapDragon !
But if you don't want to throw money on a phone, OnePlus 9 Pro is great.
I hope none take this the wrong way, but I've had the 8 pro, then 9 pro coming from the pixel line, and it has been super sweet.
With Oppo taking control, I'm seriously concerned with them not releasing source code anymore in a timely manner. The reason I moved to this phone was a kernel dev moving(& me following), and now he has given up on the 9 pro , due to this issue. Thankfully currently, we have some really nice talent supporting our device.
I've always been on a custom ROM for the last seven+ years until the 8 pro and the 9 pro. With a few tweaks, OnePlus devs along with the awesome devs here on XDA had everything I used in the years past, and usually was more featured, and everything I needed.
Going forward, I suppose only custom ROMs will do the trick, but like previously mentioned, maybe the support for OnePlus 9 pro will improve from Oppo.
I'm really thankful for this community, and for their support with this device. I hope for the best going forward for OnePlus, Android, etc, but I find it hard to see me getting another OnePlus, but maybe I might change my mind, since I really like the idea of a device with the support for Gapps or microg, etc. I hope whatever you decide to do works out with no regrets, and I hope this could maybe be of use.
If root access wasn't a deciding factor for me, I would own an S20 Ultra right now instead of the 9 Pro. It ultimately came down to the fact that root on Samsung is effectively non-existent now, and root on OnePlus has always been easily achieved.
The S20 is smooth, pretty, innovative, and everything that most people would want in a high-end smartphone. It's also bloated, but I assume you can still somewhat debloat with adb. The OP9P is also a great phone, though maybe not as great as the early hype. However, I've always been happy with it, and I love that there's a great development community, even if it's a bit smaller than the 8Pro or 7 Pro. A lot are still holding out for the 10Pro.
That said, modding on OP9P on OOS12 is severely limited at present compared with OOS11 due to no sources (no custom kernels, etc.) and most of the UI being part of the theme so you can't change it via traditional methods. If this is the direction they're going long-term, this might be my last OP phone too. There are lots of great custom ROMs if you're into that, but personally I don't like having to wipe my data and start fresh to install custom ROMs, then spend weeks getting my phone back how I want it only to decide I'm not crazy about the ROM I chose (or it's not stable/a feature I need doesn't work) and have to do it all over again. I just find the whole process too tedious for a device I rely on every single day. I prefer a phone with a versatile, rootable, highly moddable stock firmware.