Database Develop

Anybody Grab One of These After a Pixel XL?

So I made an expensive mistake, thinking that I could live with a locked down device and grabbed a Pixel XL through VZW and I've reached a point where my inner flashaholic is screaming for his fix. I am considering other devices and am curious if there is anybody here with a 3T that had previously had one of the Pixels, and their personal opinions on how each device stacked up against each other.

I haven't got a Pixel, but I've used it extensively through work (I'm a web developer, so we used various devices for testing websites with).
The camera is much better on the Pixel, but otherwise the OP3T is just simply better. More RAM, same CPU, more storage (at least, cheaper) which is as-fast, same GPU. Overall better performance (as seen in benchmarks). And, it's unlockable and customisable. It's also brick proof (software brick, not house brick!). So is the PIxel, but your VZW is locked down as you know.

I just traded my pixel XL for a 3t a few hours ago. Time will tell. Will come back to update possibly. Camera is absolutely​ noticable.

Returned my Pixel for a 3T, too. IMO, the blazingly fast 3T is superior in every way except camera. All I want in a phone camera is for it to take good still shots. Couldn't care less for all the advanced crap. 3T's camera is good enough for me. A 1440p screen would be nice, but 1080p works. I also use an iPhone 7+, so am used to the screen size/pixel density.

MattBooth said:
I haven't got a Pixel, but I've used it extensively through work (I'm a web developer, so we used various devices for testing websites with).
The camera is much better on the Pixel, but otherwise the OP3T is just simply better. More RAM, same CPU, more storage (at least, cheaper) which is as-fast, same GPU. Overall better performance (as seen in benchmarks). And, it's unlockable and customisable. It's also brick proof (software brick, not house brick!). So is the PIxel, but your VZW is locked down as you know.
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It makes me wish the camera had the same tech as the flagships because i wouldn't upgrade my phone for anything. I have a feeling oneplus will start making flagships not flagship killers though because lets face it the 3t is like 90% there already. The should release a 5T and 5B (budget), T for people like me who want the best available but don't want to go to samsung, and the B for people who just love the drastically cheaper price and quality phone which is also me .

See it's funny as I was looking to go the other way. Get a Pixel as I tend to change my phone every six months or so. I loved having the pure Android phones with the latest OS.
Are the Pixels difficult to unlock and root? I assumed they'd be as easy as OP3T. I think sometimes I forget how decent the OP3T is! Ian already thinking of getting the Xiaomi mi6 plus until the OP4/5 is released.

The 1080 pentile display on the 3T kills me, I hate it. Apart from that and the poor camera it's better than the Pixel.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

The display on the 3T is fine and pentile isn't an issue at all. Also 1080p is just fine and looks sharp. High res screens on phones look silly and are barely noticeable. They also consume more resources to run.

white43 said:
See it's funny as I was looking to go the other way. Get a Pixel as I tend to change my phone every six months or so. I loved having the pure Android phones with the latest OS.
Are the Pixels difficult to unlock and root? I assumed they'd be as easy as OP3T. I think sometimes I forget how decent the OP3T is! Ian already thinking of getting the Xiaomi mi6 plus until the OP4/5 is released.
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Honestly, it's a pain. TWRP is not reliable. There are a few versions but none can do backups or restore. Basically when something happens you need to plug it in and ADB and/or fastboot. Both SU and magisk (unofficial only) can also get aggravating.
OT while the 3T is fast and is great in many ways. I decided to list mine this week. The camera can get rough as I have a nearly full blurry album from the other night.
Thinking about waiting a month or 2 or diving straight to the Mate 9, still undecided.

ikenvape said:
Honestly, it's a pain. TWRP is not reliable. There are a few versions but none can do backups or restore. Basically when something happens you need to plug it in and ADB and/or fastboot. Both SU and magisk (unofficial only) can also get aggravating.
OT while the 3T is fast and is great in many ways. I decided to list mine this week. The camera can get rough as I have a nearly full blurry album from the other night.
Thinking about waiting a month or 2 or diving straight to the Mate 9, still undecided.
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My OP3T is now on EBay. I was gonna hop to Xiaomi Mi6, but there doesn't look like a plus version now - and I don't want 5.15", so maybe not. Perhaps the OP5?
I would like to try something else. Huawei seems kinda expensive for what it is.

white43 said:
My OP3T is now on EBay. I was gonna hop to Xiaomi Mi6, but there doesn't look like a plus version now - and I don't want 5.15", so maybe not. Perhaps the OP5?
I would like to try something else. Huawei seems kinda expensive for what it is.
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Oh the Plus is coming http://www.phonearena.com/news/Xiao...apdragon-835-powered-phablet-incoming_id93266
Perhaps the OP5, I feel the design is going to be great.
Eh, Mate 9 on swappa. I have seen as low as 450ish. I see it as a potential trade for the 3t is around the same rate.

ikenvape said:
Oh the Plus is coming http://www.phonearena.com/news/Xiao...apdragon-835-powered-phablet-incoming_id93266
Perhaps the OP5, I feel the design is going to be great.
Eh, Mate 9 on swappa. I have seen as low as 450ish. I see it as a potential trade for the 3t is around the same rate.
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I wouldn't hold my breath for OP5. My bet is that OP5 shipments will be a nightmare. Way worse than previous shipment issues of OnePlus devices. Leaks are saying that OP5 will come with Snapdragon 835. Samsung already reserved the first batches of 835 making even traditional OEMs to have hard times to get their hands on new SoC.

vladimir_carlan said:
I wouldn't hold my breath for OP5. My bet is that OP5 shipments will be a nightmare. Way worse than previous shipment issues of OnePlus devices. Leaks are saying that OP5 will come with Snapdragon 835. Samsung already reserved the first batches of 835 making even traditional OEMs to have hard times to get their hands on new SoC.
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Eh who knows. 835 supply should be fine during the summer. You have so many flagships waiting. You have to keep in mind the demand could only be for so long.

ikenvape said:
Oh the Plus is coming http://www.phonearena.com/news/Xiao...apdragon-835-powered-phablet-incoming_id93266
Perhaps the OP5, I feel the design is going to be great.
Eh, Mate 9 on swappa. I have seen as low as 450ish. I see it as a potential trade for the 3t is around the same rate.
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I'll take it back - the Huawei phones for what you get is a lot more powerful than what is out there. The Huawei Mate 9 Pro is particularly good value stacked against the Pixel/Samsung S8 or iPhone 7 Plus.
However, bang for your buck the Honor 8 Pro/V9 seems to be very good value for money.

Is the OnePlus 3T still a great phone one year later?

Hello again! I've been looking at the OnePlus 3T for a while now, but I didn't want to jump the gun yet.
It was a steady $500 CAD here in Canada for a 64GB and I found a 128GB OnePlus 3T that comes with 2 cases,
for $480 CAD, now, the phone has been out for almost exactly one year now and it's only now $120 off, so this
leads me to my questions, should I go ahead and purchase it? Is it still a great choice, one year later?

As long as you don't need the fake bokeh effect that a dual camera setup gives, you won't regret buying this phone.

I've had mine since April and still love it. Even though that new Pixel XL 2 is tempting, I essentially will do the same thing on both phone and can't justify the money when my 3t is still running excellent

FadedAssassiin said:
.... Is it still a great choice, one year later?
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Yes it is. I bought mine in December and it is one of the best purchases that I have made.
To elaborate, I have been mostly stock except for magisk root, and never faced any issues with this device. I use it for work and play, and it never disappoints. I would not change this phone except maybe for the iPhone X (but a $1000+ phone? screw that)

I came in late to the OP3/3T game and got mine in June of this year and haven't looked back since. Sure I 'want' a Pixel 2 XL but damn that price... The 3T has been amazing to me. I've got mine unlocked, using FreedomOS CE with Magisk, AdAway, Substratum (Ozone & Swift Dark), Nova Launcher with Prime & Google Companion, Google Pixel Dialer/Contacts, Google Pixel 2 Live Wallpaper and a slew of other minor things here and there. OnePlus gives you serious freedom and the devs are already pushing hard on custom O ROMs. If you're here on XDA you most likely enjoy tinkering and this phone will let you go above and beyond simply because of the great folks in the various forums and communities let alone the ease to do so because of OnePlus keeping it open.
Side note: You can get the fake bokeh effect easily by using Google Camera with a Magisk Module to fix the crash bug. Neat stuff but I just use the included OnePlus Camera myself.

How much more is the 5? I love my 3t and couldn't be happier with it.

CJ-Wylde said:
I came in late to the OP3/3T game and got mine in June of this year and haven't looked back since. Sure I 'want' a Pixel 2 XL but damn that price... The 3T has been amazing to me. I've got mine unlocked, using FreedomOS CE with Magisk, AdAway, Substratum (Ozone & Swift Dark), Nova Launcher with Prime & Google Companion, Google Pixel Dialer/Contacts, Google Pixel 2 Live Wallpaper and a slew of other minor things here and there. OnePlus gives you serious freedom and the devs are already pushing hard on custom O ROMs. If you're here on XDA you most likely enjoy tinkering and this phone will let you go above and beyond simply because of the great folks in the various forums and communities let alone the ease to do so because of OnePlus keeping it open.
Side note: You can get the fake bokeh effect easily by using Google Camera with a Magisk Module to fix the crash bug. Neat stuff but I just use the included OnePlus Camera myself.
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How do we get fake bokeh with Google camera? I use it and I'm not able to get it!!

srharshajava said:
How do we get fake bokeh with Google camera? I use it and I'm not able to get it!!
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It's called Lens Blur

CJ-Wylde said:
It's called Lens Blur
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Lena blur is not potrait mode!!

3T is still a great phone whose specs are being duplicated by major manufacturers.

srharshajava said:
Lena blur is not potrait mode!!
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No it's not, it's a fake bokeh effect. It's not all that great, but it's all we have if using Google Camera.

FadedAssassiin said:
Hello again! I've been looking at the OnePlus 3T for a while now, but I didn't want to jump the gun yet.
It was a steady $500 CAD here in Canada for a 64GB and I found a 128GB OnePlus 3T that comes with 2 cases,
for $480 CAD, now, the phone has been out for almost exactly one year now and it's only now $120 off, so this
leads me to my questions, should I go ahead and purchase it? Is it still a great choice, one year later?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're probably going to get a lot of us fan-boy-ing about it. Do you have any questions about it in particular? As far as I'm concerned, it's the best phone I've ever had & may betray my normal cycle of purchasing phones (every 2-2.5 years) and just hold onto it.
You're super free with the software. People say it's "unbrickable" (though I just had the scariest experience of my entire custom-flashing-life of the last 7ish years, but it was resolved either way). No removable battery & expandable storage sucks dongers but that's the trend regardless. The specs are far beyond what's needed for a telephone if you ask me. The price for what you get in hardware + software freedom is craziness (in a good way).
The ONLY THING is if you really need amazing camera HARDWARE, then you should be looking at Samsung, Apple, or the new Pixels. That being said, there are many camera mods enabling you to use (on custom ROMs) the OnePlus camera, the Pixel camera with HDR+, the Snapdragon camera, and if you aren't already aware, learning how to use Manual mode can do wonders...

purplepenguin said:
You're probably going to get a lot of us fan-boy-ing about it. Do you have any questions about it in particular? As far as I'm concerned, it's the best phone I've ever had & may betray my normal cycle of purchasing phones (every 2-2.5 years) and just hold onto it.
You're super free with the software. People say it's "unbrickable" (though I just had the scariest experience of my entire custom-flashing-life of the last 7ish years, but it was resolved either way). No removable battery & expandable storage sucks dongers but that's the trend regardless. The specs are far beyond what's needed for a telephone if you ask me. The price for what you get in hardware + software freedom is craziness (in a good way).
The ONLY THING is if you really need amazing camera HARDWARE, then you should be looking at Samsung, Apple, or the new Pixels. That being said, there are many camera mods enabling you to use (on custom ROMs) the OnePlus camera, the Pixel camera with HDR+, the Snapdragon camera, and if you aren't already aware, learning how to use Manual mode can do wonders...
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I am just looking for a speedier phone than I have right now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which I am sure is a definite night and day difference in performance, the OnePlus 3T caught my eye back in February, and the price seemed quite good for such a stunning phone. I do have a few questions, how do you rate the fingerprint sensor? Is it fast or super fast, compared to maybe a iPhone 6S or 7, but that might be stretching it. How does the camera do at night? In a poorly lit room? Thanks for the reply!

SourPower said:
How much more is the 5? I love my 3t and couldn't be happier with it.
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Sorry for the late reply! The OnePlus 5 is going for $720 Canadian Dollars for the 64GB, whilst the used OnePlus 3T 128GB is going for $480 Canadian Dollars.

FadedAssassiin said:
I am just looking for a speedier phone than I have right now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which I am sure is a definite night and day difference in performance, the OnePlus 3T caught my eye back in February, and the price seemed quite good for such a stunning phone. I do have a few questions, how do you rate the fingerprint sensor? Is it fast or super fast, compared to maybe a iPhone 6S or 7, but that might be stretching it. How does the camera do at night? In a poorly lit room? Thanks for the reply!
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I'm the wrong dude for both of those questions probably. I only messed with fingerprint a littttttle bit on my s5. Compared to that, OP3T is blazing fast.
For the camera, have barely used it honestly! lol Good luck!

FadedAssassiin said:
I am just looking for a speedier phone than I have right now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which I am sure is a definite night and day difference in performance, the OnePlus 3T caught my eye back in February, and the price seemed quite good for such a stunning phone. I do have a few questions, how do you rate the fingerprint sensor? Is it fast or super fast, compared to maybe a iPhone 6S or 7, but that might be stretching it. How does the camera do at night? In a poorly lit room? Thanks for the reply!
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I am using stock OOS and the fingerprint is blazing fast.
Regarding the night camera, installing the Google modded apk is the way to go. It offers fantastic night shots.
Unleashed by ONEPLUS 3T rooted

Absolutely! I love it like a child. It's my baby.
I have often said to OnePlus that their customer's service should favorably compare to the phones they produce. Their customers service, in a word, is awful. It is somewhat heartening that it is getting better.
They produce a wonderful product. Their support leaves a little more time, I hope. I have never come across a situation quite like this. The quality of their products far exceeds their support. I think. in time that situation will change. They will improve or fail and that would be a shame.
XDA could learn a lesson from what I said about OnePlus. Their product is truth. Their support also leaves something to be considered.

CJ-Wylde said:
No it's not, it's a fake bokeh effect. It's not all that great, but it's all we have if using Google Camera.
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Portrait mode (with dual camera) is fake bokeh also. Just not as fake. It's true, the Google lens blur often results in "fuzzy" edges on the subject, or obviously fake/cheesy looking Photo-chopped effect.

redpoint73 said:
Portrait mode (with dual camera) is fake bokeh also. Just not as fake. It's true, the Google lens blur often results in "fuzzy" edges on the subject, or obviously fake/cheesy looking Photo-chopped effect.
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Yeah, it's as good as we can get with the single-lens and OP / OP3T setup. I don't use it even though it's neat for up-close 'macro' like shots, but the fakeness of it does show through most of the time. I'm saving now to get another DSLR and do love my OP3T for quick on-the-go snaps. It is good for that, the picture quality is leaps above most phones out there, and for it's price point, not really anything to compare to it.

srharshajava said:
Lena blur is not potrait mode!!
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Not literally, no. But "portrait mode" is just an Apple baloney marketing name for "fake bokeh effect". Now every phone manufacturer feels like they need dual camera and "portrait mode" (which I'm sure Apple is suing them for using that name). Even dual camera is just software trickery (in conjunction with dual camera) to fake a bokeh effect that will never be possible with the focal length of a smartphone camera.
Obviously, you won't get the exact same effect as a phone that has dual camera (OP5, iPhone plus, etc.).
---------- Post added at 12:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:12 PM ----------
FadedAssassiin said:
Is it still a great choice, one year later?
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Back to the original question: I would say YES it's still a great phone.
I was unimpressed with the OP5, with its mostly incremental improvements, and the "jelly effect". We've actually seen a number of folks on this forum, looking to get a new phone, and opting for the 3T instead of the 5.
Of course there are other, impressive options (Pixel 2, Galaxy S8) with their own pros and cons. But of course they are quite expensive, and don't measure up to the shear value of the 3T; with its combination of build quality, value, and dev community here on XDA.
I don't find myself yearning for the "latest and greatest" phone yet. Maybe next year. The 3T is holding it's own quite well, and still a very solid and capable device.

What went wrong with Nokia 8?

It's a great phone and most impressive is SD 835 in it but today I found a deal on my local used market for 250$. He'll, I want to buy it but I don't know why it's so cheap. I am getting he'll of a deal here but is it any good?
I read comments on Amazon and many said it's having a heating problem. I want to buy a good phone for gaming as my Moto Z Play couldn't able to handle pubg very well.
One more thing is that the xda community had igoned Nokia 8, it doesn't have a single official custom ROM or recovery. Phone is good but all this things keeping me from not buying it. I want to know is it any good to buy a used one for 250$?

XDA community hasn't ignored it so much as Nokia/HMD haven't allowed the bootloader to be unlocked
The phone's principal other flaw is that the camera isn't great. Both the stock camera software (post processing, features) and the sensor aren't up to the quality you would expect of a 2017 flagship or even (for the most part) the Galaxy S6 I upgraded from. Until now running modded Google cam has allievated the software side, and there's an update rolling out from Friday that will add camera functionality and hopefully improve the processing and the use of the monochrome sensor. I wouldn't expect miracles though.
Other than those points this is a solid phone. The screen is a nice IPS that does good blacks, accurate colours and is capable of very high brightness. There is no heating problem and in fact this is the coolest phone I've ever used, it's a challenge to make this thing heat up. Software is as close to stock you'll get on a non-Google device. SnapDragon 835 blasts through anything you might want to do. Headphone jack seems to supply a lot of power and music sounds clean and clear. Nokia has been good with updates thus far, releasing OS and security updates better than any non-Google phone afaik.

I also found a great deal for a Nokia 8 6gb ram 128gb internal for 250$. Still thinking if i should give up my Moto Z Play for this Nokia

if quality(which can be improved with a new app) of photos is not your top priority, then you should definitely buy this one.

Manish355 said:
It's a great phone and most impressive is SD 835 in it but today I found a deal on my local used market for 250$. He'll, I want to buy it but I don't know why it's so cheap. I am getting he'll of a deal here but is it any good?
I read comments on Amazon and many said it's having a heating problem. I want to buy a good phone for gaming as my Moto Z Play couldn't able to handle pubg very well.
One more thing is that the xda community had igoned Nokia 8, it doesn't have a single official custom ROM or recovery. Phone is good but all this things keeping me from not buying it. I want to know is it any good to buy a used one for 250$?
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Nothing went wrong, it was a loss leader to get the Nokia brand up and running and noticed again.
Best phone i have owned apart from the camera in low light but the new camera app may help with that.

It's a great phone for gaming...I play pubg mobile on the maximum settings with extreme FPS settings and it's silky smooth... It does warm up a little but less then any other phone I've had while gaming, the one and only issue I have with this phone is that the power button has a little bit of rattle/play and that drives my OCD crazy.

razorsbk said:
I also found a great deal for a Nokia 8 6gb ram 128gb internal for 250$. Still thinking if i should give up my Moto Z Play for this Nokia
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I couldn't decide too, but i think i need to give up my Moto Z Play for PUBG. And SD835 is future proof too. I don't use camera that much so it's not an issue for me, i think it should be a good deal.

ngagephone said:
It's a great phone for gaming...I play pubg mobile on the maximum settings with extreme FPS settings and it's silky smooth... It does warm up a little but less then any other phone I've had while gaming, the one and only issue I have with this phone is that the power button has a little bit of rattle/play and that drives my OCD crazy.
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Thanks bro, i wanted to know how PUBG runs on Nokia 8, i am gonna buy it. Only thing thats i'm scared of is Custom ROMs. I like to flash different ROMs. Man, i need to choose between Customization and Gaming.

Almajo88 said:
XDA community hasn't ignored it so much as Nokia/HMD haven't allowed the bootloader to be unlocked
The phone's principal other flaw is that the camera isn't great. Both the stock camera software (post processing, features) and the sensor aren't up to the quality you would expect of a 2017 flagship or even (for the most part) the Galaxy S6 I upgraded from. Until now running modded Google cam has allievated the software side, and there's an update rolling out from Friday that will add camera functionality and hopefully improve the processing and the use of the monochrome sensor. I wouldn't expect miracles though.
Other than those points this is a solid phone. The screen is a nice IPS that does good blacks, accurate colours and is capable of very high brightness. There is no heating problem and in fact this is the coolest phone I've ever used, it's a challenge to make this thing heat up. Software is as close to stock you'll get on a non-Google device. SnapDragon 835 blasts through anything you might want to do. Headphone jack seems to supply a lot of power and music sounds clean and clear. Nokia has been good with updates thus far, releasing OS and security updates better than any non-Google phone afaik.
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Wow, even bootloader is not possible to unlock on the phone. I am scared that I'd be bored after some time of using it. But, i think the most important thing for me would be gaming than flashing custom ROMs. I'd be buying it soon.

Not sure if I should get Xiaomi or Nokia

I am considering either getting A2 or Nokia 7 Plus.
The A2 has the same hardware platform but is considerably cheaper but there are a few things/questions that I am considering:
1. the updates on A1, if I read comments or on the A1 forum seem to be late and buggy. This is one of the major drawbacks for me as I want a stable device and I am afraid the same thing will happen with A2
2. on Nokia there seem a way to enable gcam without doing root on the device, on A2 I saw that root is needed... this would be a drawback as gcam seems to improve picture taking on many devices
3. How does the device feel in hand? Is it slippery? Is the camera bump annoying?
4. Any software/hardware issues reported so far? I read something about proximity sensor but other than that not much.
The reviews for the device aren't stellar. Most complain about nfc, jack and sd card. None of this are important to me, I care about updates and camera.
So, should I get the Nokia (better build, bigger battery, stable and fast updates, probably a bit better camera, gcam working, better screen, no PWM for brightness)
I'd like to hear your advices. Thank you for your time.

It'll be better if you buy the Nokia 7 plus Android One version! You'll get most the things needed in a flagship phone (not all) and it's better than Mi A2 in most of the time except the camera!

You should also bear in mind that Nokia phones have no official way of unlocking bootloader for now, so there won't be lot of custom development for their devices until HMD decide to provide way to unlock bootloader. And according to HMDs head twitter, they won't do it because of security (proof: https://twitter.com/sarvikas/status/910421837661790208)

There certainly are a ** lot ** of things to consider when buying a phone now-a-days.
One of the very first things I look at is appearance, and weight. So right off the bat, 2 knocks on the 7plus; it's gaudy looking with the faux gold trim, and it's 183 grams (and I thought 165 gram phones were heavy!).
I'm shocked you would say an issue with the Mi A2 would be build quality? I don't have mine yet, but the unibody construction of these devices, like the Huawei Mate SE, are as good as it gets. Could not feel more solid. There's a marked difference to how a device with a unibody and 2.5D raised glass feels compared to how a device (like the 7plus) that has a 'flat' band all around it, holding the top and the bottom panels together.
I much much prefer the rounded unibody, way more comfortable in the hand, less likely to slip. And the metal body of them isn't slippery.
Yes, the A1 has had some issues with updates / bugs. But the A2 already has the ota security patch / bug fixes for August available. Someone mentioned they seem to be doing better with the A2 and it may well be because it's Project Treble.
As someone else mentioned; Is the bootloader unlockable? That's right near the top of the list for me, if not the top. If the Nok is locked down (as said), it's off my list. At some point, and you might keep the phone that long, updates will stop. If you can't unlock it, then the phone is basically done.
As far as reviews go, actually the ones i've read, are stellar. Yes, the lack of nfc, expansion, no jack, are mentioned. They all mention it. I guess they have to or it won't be considered a decent review. But to me, I can live without them, not that much of a big. What is a big, and it's mentioned a lot in the reviews I've read, are the cameras. The f1.75 cams on the back will let in a ** lot ** of light. All reviews indicate they do well in low light (as you would expect), some even say the great cameras make up for the loss of the other items.
So what's important to you? I"m going with Android One is big, good cameras is really big, unlockable bootloader is huge, not too heavy helps to keep me from constantly pulling my pants up, available in black... I like black (not gaudy pls).
We all have our criteria don't we...

Build quality of the A2 is amazing. Feels like a flagship device. I was afraid how it would compare to my light Nexus 5x but man was I wrong. I loved it from the start
Custom roms were my main deciding factor compared to Nokia or bq even if there is no NFC or RGB notification LED. So I am ready to use the hardware until it breaks.
Headphone jack I don't care too much, get a fiio btr Bluetooth headphone amp and you are smartphone independent and can use your cable headphones which I won't change to anything purely bluetooth based unless Sennheiser comes out with some usb-c based ie80s.
SD card? You really need more than 64GB or 128Gb even? I am happy with the 64GB but depends a lot on what you are planning to do.
Oh I forgot the amazing camera. You can find some of my pics in the gcam thread. Guess I will upload a little camera showcase soon.

Thank you all for your thoughts.
@AsItLies I did not say there's an issue with build quality on A2. As you say, I am kind of convinced that it will fell better in hand as it is rounded, and that matters on big phones a lot. What I have noticed is that the camera bump is really big and that could make it wobble on the table.
So to set the list of pros and cons
A2
+ good feel in hand
- no way to use gcam without root and bootloader unlock which is something I don't want to do.
- no double tap to wake
+/- the software remains to be seen... A1 wasn't really great in that department
7Plus
+ double tape to wake
+ better screen quality
+ stable software with quick updates
+ google camera works without root
- like 25% more expensive
- not sure the looks in live preview with the copper accent.
- finger print scanner seems a bit too high, but A2 kind of looks at the same spot
- no notification led and glance uses battery since it has LCD
- bulkier and heavier
To be honest, I don't care for rooting the device. In 2 years, after no more updates, I am sure there will be other cheap alternatives to get.

Looks like you're not power user, doesn't need rooted device or custom ROM, etc. Based on this I recommend the 7 Plus, I think it's better than A2 for general usage. A2 to me strong in the community support and development since it has better value for budget phone.
7 Plus wins in many aspects, but A2 is slightly better at camera department based on some reviews I read. 7 Plus prices is very high compared to other mid range devices, I think if you have the money and can add few bucks more, you can buy flagship phone with Snapdragon 8XX instead of 7 Plus.

I care about:
1. updates - I have my concerns on updates given the previous history with A1.
2. camera - some say nokia is better, some say a2 is better. Probably nokia with gcam is better
3.handling- a2 seems to be more rounded, slimmer but has that huge camera bump what probably makes it wobble on table. Together with no double touch to wake makes it no so ergonomic.
Nokia kind of ticks most of the boxes really, however, a2 is 25% cheaper and may have life after 2 years with the community. At the price of 7plus, I could get a used pixel 2 for instance and that has better camera and updates.
Tough choice to make.

alinescoo said:
I care about:
1. updates - I have my concerns on updates given the previous history with A1.
2. camera - some say nokia is better, some say a2 is better. Probably nokia with gcam is better
3.handling- a2 seems to be more rounded, slimmer but has that huge camera bump what probably makes it wobble on table. Together with no double touch to wake makes it no so ergonomic.
Nokia kind of ticks most of the boxes really, however, a2 is 25% cheaper and may have life after 2 years with the community. At the price of 7plus, I could get a used pixel 2 for instance and that has better camera and updates.
Tough choice to make.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well hopefully you won't mind my version of your concerns, but always remember, these things are evolving and changing, due to experience. It's only natural with complicated things like this.
1. updates - While the A1 did run into a few issues, I'd say remember, this is a new thing for them. They'll probably get it right soon, evidenced by the August patch available now... and it's August! That's almost unheard of in itself.
2. Camera - I certainly like the Zeiss optics on the Nok, but Sony is no slouch either. Keep in mind the aperture of the 2 rear cameras on the A2 are f1.75. The Nok are f1.8 and f2.6 (for the optical zoom one). I don't know exactly, but the diff between the 1.75 and 2.6 is a Full Stop, if not more. That means, if u don't know, that the 1.75 will let in TWICE the amount of light. That's a huge difference, resulting in much better pictures.
The other thing re the GCam. I have a port on my LG G6 now. It's very good. Except it doesn't have all the features the OEM app has. For instance; taking a selfie in portrait mode, there is no timer. Also note the GCam ports won't use both lenses, as the pixel phones only have one lens. Some OEM apps use info from both lenses to create bokeh effects etc.
3. Handling - it is an individual thing for sure. My take on the camera bump is - I'd prefer it didn't have it, but I just don't set the phone down on the back (unless it's in a case). If I set it down I'll set it on the front. It's usually just in my pocket.
All cameras (except the G6!) have a bump, the A2 is just a bit bigger. Oh well. As far as double tap, for me... I've never used it, even once. Just use the finger print scanner.
Again! not knocking your concerns, they are valid for you, that's all that matters. Just giving a different perspective on them. Tomorrow, I may think differently! Haha, phones, they've become so complicated it's more and more time consuming to evaluate them. I've bought and sold so many lately, I never thought I would do that! I think I have a new addiction

About the handling, if you don't use a case with Mi A2, it is a bit slippery for me. The device is actually round but it is also thin. The metal at the back is very smooth and could be slippery for some.
And I think the cameras between two are not so different, depends on your taste. But the sensor with Nokia 7 Plus is larger so it should produce better images in low light.

@AsItLies thank you for your detailed info. I am very glad to receive info from an owner.
@Marciano09 thank you. To be honest, my comfort zone ends around the sizes of pixel 2, but the trend now is to have phones bigger and bigger so I guess I need to get used to it. So, bigger and slippery is not something that sounds comfortable. Nokia seems to have some ceramic back cover which probably improves handling but has rougher edges.
I saw some comparison videos on camera samples, sometimes I liked A2 ones, sometimes the Nokia ones. Nokia with gcam has some really nice photos where on xiaomi I depend on the OEM camera.
Really tough choice to make.

alinescoo said:
I care about:
1. updates - I have my concerns on updates given the previous history with A1.
2. camera - some say nokia is better, some say a2 is better. Probably nokia with gcam is better
3.handling- a2 seems to be more rounded, slimmer but has that huge camera bump what probably makes it wobble on table. Together with no double touch to wake makes it no so ergonomic.
Nokia kind of ticks most of the boxes really, however, a2 is 25% cheaper and may have life after 2 years with the community. At the price of 7plus, I could get a used pixel 2 for instance and that has better camera and updates.
Tough choice to make.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. they're both android one devices, sure, the nokia may not have as much dev support but it will get the same 2y official treatment because of android one.
2. both good cameras yep, the a2 will probably take some better nighttime pics, the nokia might be better at portrait mode.
3. forget about the double tap to wake... it's so much nicer to use the fingerprint to wake up instead! and yes, the a2 isn't stable on a flat table. even with the tpu case it still wobbles. the case helps, but it's still not standing nicely.
if you care about the price difference, go for the a2. but be aware that the a2 will drop in price over the next few months. this is the most expensive it will ever be. the nokia may have started to drop in price already.
the features that may point you to the nokia:
- nfc
- bigger battery
- 3.5 jack
- sd card support
- sturdier
a2:
- slimmer, lighter
- maybe better dev support (on the long long run however it's probably irrelevant since both phones are android one supported) - see LE
- maybe better night shots (it's still a phone however, and anything but the highest end flagships pale in comparison to real cameras - if you ask me never pick a phone based on cameras)
- cheaper (however expect the price to drop over the next months! this is the launch price)
did you consider/looked at the redmi note 5 pro (whyred)?
- already has some good custom roms (lineage)
- better battery
- 636 is a 660 running at a lower clock speed (even better use of battery)
- way cheaper
L.E.
- yes, the proximity sensor on the a2 seems a bit wonky, but not as bad as some reviews describe it
- updates are always a bit weird at first, android one is the fix for that (on both phones), only difference is the nokia had the time it needed to fix some already
- without a case yes, the a2 is slippery. use the included case from the moment you unbox it.
- yes, i own an A2, i love it and dont regret getting one, i recommend it to anyone looking to buy one.
- dev support...
*yes, it's very possible the a2 will get better unofficial support. however, and i don't know how i'm gonna say this without getting the full wrath of the forum thrown at me... that's irrelevant.
*you get a android one so you don't have to worry about the official support! you get one of these to be able to stay on the stock rom.
*either way you look at it, and in all honesty i really appreciate the work all the devs pull of unofficially for devices, thank you all and keep up the good work!
*however you cannot expect a handful of devs to be able to compete with google or big oem's. - again, this may seem like i am ungrateful, that's not the case. (only exception is when those oem-s choose to drop support). with android one they cannot do that even if they wanted to.
*both phones will get security patches and android updates for a minimum of 2 years. by then, regardless which one you buy you'll want a newer one that supports 6g or vr over lte or 5 cameras or a bendable screen. or whatever else gimmick they pull out of the hat by then. (if anything, i would be sorry for having to dump the nokia more)

I personally was debating between this or the 6.1 plus. I don't recall off hand what the deciding factor for me was. But I went with the a2 and it will be here Tuesday.

Nickdroid86 said:
I personally was debating between this or the 6.1 plus. I don't recall off hand what the deciding factor for me was. But I went with the a2 and it will be here Tuesday.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
now that's a better comparison!
picked the a2 for the large screen and better cameras?
enjoy the new a2! and piece of advice... dont switch away from the standard android one for as long as you can. unlike the other xiaomi-s with miui, it's actually not a bad idea to stick to stock.
if you find the time share your opinions about it after a few days

Doing a little research and found on gsmarena u can not only compare phones, but also photo comparisons;
There are 3 categories it compares them in: Lowest ISO, Good Light, Low Light. There's some explanation of how they got their results, but they seem a bit vague (but at least they have SOME control they're doing).
An issue that comes up when comparing Cameras is some think it has to be an apples to apples comparison; Same ISO, Same Aperture, Same exposure time. They think that's the only way to have a true comparison.
But here's the thing; A comparison really should be 'take the best picture possible' for ea camera under the exact conditions and exact subject matter. That way, if one camera has pixel binning, it can use that. Or another camera has a wider aperture it can use that, etc.
But this does give 'some' idea of how the 2 phone cameras compare, it's pretty cool to fool around with, click in the design on the left to change what's focused on. Also note, the pictures do seem to indicate when a lense has a wider angle than another, noted by what's captured in the 'viewing box'.
https://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=5&idPhone1=9140&idPhone2=9058

I think the build quality of A2 is very good but the metal back is really slippery. I have to use the TPU cover provided. After using the cover, the camera bump is not a big issue. The bump becomes much smaller.
I also considered Nokia 7 Plus but I think it's too bulky and heavy for me. As I don't need NFC and SD card because it's not my main phone, I can live with it.
The screen is vibrant and crisp. I really didn't expect that in such a low price phone.

Thank you all for your valuable informations. The price of Nokia 7 plus is around the same as a Pixel 2 (the smaller one) and I think I'll keep an eye on the market for a good deal. Pixel is more compact, has great camera and another 2 years of software updates.
Thank all again you for your time.

laviniu_c said:
now that's a better comparison!
picked the a2 for the large screen and better cameras?
enjoy the new a2! and piece of advice... dont switch away from the standard android one for as long as you can. unlike the other xiaomi-s with miui, it's actually not a bad idea to stick to stock.
if you find the time share your opinions about it after a few days
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will for sure. I love Android One software. I had it with my regular Nokia 6.1

Comparing 7 plus and a2 is like comparing apples to oranges (both are phones). In terms of price there is a stellar difference, if you can afford the 7 plus, better go for a pixel 1 (you said you wanted updates and camera), i personally bought a2 because it's cheap as hell and even if i'd be the richest person on the planet i would not pay more than 300 dollars for a phone.
Android is made for SD8XX, nomatter what these cheapsters hide under the lid (SD6XX) they will always hang, lag, overheat and die fast.
Component wise the a2 feels like a joke (sorry, copying the iphone x in this manner it's way beyond shame) and a toy for kids with the ir blaster (come on it's 2018) and the lack of nfc (if you're european you'll understand).
If you have the money buy the pixel 1, if you're a cheapster like the a2, go for it. I don't se the reason to buy the 7 plus.

strapabiro said:
Comparing 7 plus and a2 is like comparing apples to oranges (both are phones). In terms of price there is a stellar difference, if you can afford the 7 plus, better go for a pixel 1 (you said you wanted updates and camera), i personally bought a2 because it's cheap as hell and even if i'd be the richest person on the planet i would not pay more than 300 dollars for a phone.
Android is made for SD8XX, nomatter what these cheapsters hide under the lid (SD6XX) they will always hang, lag, overheat and die fast.
Component wise the a2 feels like a joke (sorry, copying the iphone x in this manner it's way beyond shame) and a toy for kids with the ir blaster (come on it's 2018) and the lack of nfc (if you're european you'll understand).
If you have the money buy the pixel 1, if you're a cheapster like the a2, go for it. I don't se the reason to buy the 7 plus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is made for SD8XX? Each phone is optimized for it's precessor, among other hardware. Some better than others. The sd660 in my mi a2 is hanging in there up against my sd845 in my s9+ and the sd835 in my pixel 2 xl..

is it still worth to buy in Sept./Oct. 2020?

I am looking for new phone from past 4 days and I am not able to find better option than this K20 Pro, due to sd855 present in it. For the price it's available right now I couldn't find another. My main priorities are:-
1) it should handle game fluently
2)good rear cameras (not for printing photos but uploading on instagram)
3)have a good community for custom rom development (this phone have that)
4)have decent battery backup as i am not going to game whole day but yeah approx. 2hrs game session
5)last but very important for me a HEADPHONE jack is a must thing.
I wanna ask is that, is it worth to buy this phone even when its 1year old. Also, I wanna know if there is an alternative to this phone or should I go with it without having any thought.
Earlier I considered realme x3 pro(due to sd855+ but there was no headphone jack, no custom roms) and ONeplus nord( i think it's overpriced and without headphone jack).
I am gonna use new phone for atleast 2yrs, so what are your thought about this phone? is it worth to buy or to wait to for another flagship killer(which is very hard to see in near future)?

prakharayush31 said:
I am looking for new phone from past 4 days and I am not able to find better option than this K20 Pro, due to sd855 present in it. For the price it's available right now I couldn't find another. My main priorities are:-
1) it should handle game fluently
2)good rear cameras (not for printing photos but uploading on instagram)
3)have a good community for custom rom development (this phone have that)
4)have decent battery backup as i am not going to game whole day but yeah approx. 2hrs game session
5)last but very important for me a HEADPHONE jack is a must thing.
I wanna ask is that, is it worth to buy this phone even when its 1year old. Also, I wanna know if there is an alternative to this phone or should I go with it without having any thought.
Earlier I considered realme x3 pro(due to sd855+ but there was no headphone jack, no custom roms) and ONeplus nord( i think it's overpriced and without headphone jack).
I am gonna use new phone for atleast 2yrs, so what are your thought about this phone? is it worth to buy or to wait to for another flagship killer(which is very hard to see in near future)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think too much now, go for it. I had similar questions before buy it, but for me they were: no notch, fm radio, jack, custom roms, a fair battery (4000 is the minimum). I didn't care too much about the cpu but this one is a beast. The cameras are just fine since I'm not a photographer. The only con for me is not having an external sd card. The biggest pro for me is not having to look at a f#cking hole or notch. We already have an aosp 11 rom if you need it & we'll probably have some more android os versions. This phone is worth to buy & if you ask, I would bought it again without think twice.

I kind of regret it. There's noting really wrong with the phone, it just leaves a lot to be desired.
-The screen is very small and narrow & the bezel is quite large for a modern phone.
-Battery life is pretty good, but not great.
-The screen quality/resolution is not good. I find it quite distracting, although you get used to it somewhat.
-The back camera is not good compared to other devices.
-There might be no more support for Xiaomi. Meaning we may never get Android 11 for the device. As we've technically had our 2 updates. Which is pretty bs.
The screen size of the Pocofone F2 or the Mi 10 Ultra is where I'd probably put my money.

Turbine1991 said:
I kind of regret it. There's noting really wrong with the phone, it just leaves a lot to be desired.
-The screen is very small and narrow & the bezel is quite large for a modern phone.
-Battery life is pretty good, but not great.
-The screen quality/resolution is not good. I find it quite distracting, although you get used to it somewhat.
-The back camera is not good compared to other devices.
-There might be no more support for Xiaomi. Meaning we may never get Android 11 for the device. As we've technically had our 2 updates. Which is pretty bs.
The screen size of the Pocofone F2 or the Mi 10 Ultra is where I'd probably put my money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First time I've heard of a 6.4" screen described as too small???
The aspect ratio is identical to almost all current phones, so it's certainly not narrow compared to anything else. The resolution of FHD+ is absolutely fine. The human eye cannot distinguish higher resolutions, at typical reading distances. This is why going to QHD is pointless and a waste of money.
Currently almost all phones with the SD865 and SD865+ have jumped in price by quite a margin over the previous SD855 phones. So this phone still represents very good value for money. It's certainly better value than the current SD7xx midrange phones, that are similar in price.
However the K30 Pro/POCO F2 Pro came with only a reasonably small increase in price, so is not much more expensive and is probably the best value SD865 phone currently available. This would be my choice if I was buying a 'budget flagship' today. If this is stretching the budget too much, then this (K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro) phone is definitely still worth buying.

Turbine1991 said:
I kind of regret it. There's noting really wrong with the phone, it just leaves a lot to be desired.
-The screen is very small and narrow & the bezel is quite large for a modern phone.
-Battery life is pretty good, but not great.
-The screen quality/resolution is not good. I find it quite distracting, although you get used to it somewhat.
-The back camera is not good compared to other devices.
-There might be no more support for Xiaomi. Meaning we may never get Android 11 for the device. As we've technically had our 2 updates. Which is pretty bs.
The screen size of the Pocofone F2 or the Mi 10 Ultra is where I'd probably put my money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to sound rude, but what the f*** are you talking about?? small screen??? quality not good??? Bro its 6.4" 1080p Super AMOLED panel! And android 11 is confirmed for this phone and we got 1 update to android 10 not 2. Do you even know what you are talking about??
I would absolutely recommend buying this phone.

bilal.fanatic said:
Sorry to sound rude, but what the f*** are you talking about?? small screen??? quality not good??? Bro its 6.4" 1080p Super AMOLED panel! And android 11 is confirmed for this phone and we got 1 update to android 10 not 2. Do you even know what you are talking about??
I would absolutely recommend buying this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
++

Robbo.5000 said:
First time I've heard of a 6.4" screen described as too small???
The aspect ratio is identical to almost all current phones, so it's certainly not narrow compared to anything else. The resolution of FHD+ is absolutely fine. The human eye cannot distinguish higher resolutions, at typical reading distances. This is why going to QHD is pointless and a waste of money.
Currently almost all phones with the SD865 and SD865+ have jumped in price by quite a margin over the previous SD855 phones. So this phone still represents very good value for money. It's certainly better value than the current SD7xx midrange phones, that are similar in price.
However the K30 Pro/POCO F2 Pro came with only a reasonably small increase in price, so is not much more expensive and is probably the best value SD865 phone currently available. This would be my choice if I was buying a 'budget flagship' today. If this is stretching the budget too much, then this (K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro) phone is definitely still worth buying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes dude I agree with you K30 Pro came with reasonably small price increase, but it's not available in India. If it was launched here I would definitely go for K30 Pro, that is why I was considering this K20 Pro. Well thanks for the help bro I got my answer. Going to get this phone on upcoming sales with exchange and bank offers.

bilal.fanatic said:
Sorry to sound rude, but what the f*** are you talking about?? small screen??? quality not good??? Bro its 6.4" 1080p Super AMOLED panel! And android 11 is confirmed for this phone and we got 1 update to android 10 not 2. Do you even know what you are talking about??
I would absolutely recommend buying this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah 6.4 is sufficient for me, and now I have decided, I am gonna buy this phone in exchange of my very old Moto G turbo. Thanks a lot bro for giving advice about this device

Turbine1991 said:
I kind of regret it. There's noting really wrong with the phone, it just leaves a lot to be desired.
-The screen is very small and narrow & the bezel is quite large for a modern phone.
-Battery life is pretty good, but not great.
-The screen quality/resolution is not good. I find it quite distracting, although you get used to it somewhat.
-The back camera is not good compared to other devices.
-There might be no more support for Xiaomi. Meaning we may never get Android 11 for the device. As we've technically had our 2 updates. Which is pretty bs.
The screen size of the Pocofone F2 or the Mi 10 Ultra is where I'd probably put my money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
worth considering you points bro that you told, but I think it's gonna a huge upgrade for me as I will be switching from my Samsung Galaxy S7. May be screen quality will not be that good compared to samsung, but I currently I use my device on 720p to reduce battery drain.:good:
bro can you tell how are the pictures captured with google camera mod is? (compared to stock camera)

mauam said:
Don't think too much now, go for it. I had similar questions before buy it, but for me they were: no notch, fm radio, jack, custom roms, a fair battery (4000 is the minimum). I didn't care too much about the cpu but this one is a beast. The cameras are just fine since I'm not a photographer. The only con for me is not having an external sd card. The biggest pro for me is not having to look at a f#cking hole or notch. We already have an aosp 11 rom if you need it & we'll probably have some more android os versions. This phone is worth to buy & if you ask, I would bought it again without think twice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the help bro.

Turbine1991 said:
I kind of regret it. There's noting really wrong with the phone, it just leaves a lot to be desired.
-The screen is very small and narrow & the bezel is quite large for a modern phone.
-Battery life is pretty good, but not great.
-The screen quality/resolution is not good. I find it quite distracting, although you get used to it somewhat.
-The back camera is not good compared to other devices.
-There might be no more support for Xiaomi. Meaning we may never get Android 11 for the device. As we've technically had our 2 updates. Which is pretty bs.
The screen size of the Pocofone F2 or the Mi 10 Ultra is where I'd probably put my money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you are talking about are phones from 2025. The K20P/Mi 9T Pro is an amazing phone. The screen is actually quite large, but not oversized (the phone's dimensions are about as equal to the OnePlus 3). The bezels are thin enough to not be annoying, but not too thin for you to accidentally press the screen while holding it (looking at you, Samsung phones with edge display. Even though there's a rejection algorithm in place to solve this).
The battery life is decent with 4Ah, but we already see that the next-gen phones have a capacity of 4.5Ah to 5Ah. 4Ah is still enough to last a day, the problem I face with MIUI is that idle drain is a lot.
The 1080x2340 screen is pretty good, especially in terms of PPI (I mean, you shouldn't complain if you compare this to your desktop monitor, laptop, or television). Color space is also pretty good with D3 color space when you use the "warm" preset.
The main rear camera is superior (IMX586) and gcam modders are busy with unlocking the full potential of the sensor by modifying the driver.
The only thing you are correct about is the support from Xiaomi (or should I say, Xiaomeme), with not only lack of updates, but lack of security updates. The latest MIUI 12 EEA v12.0.2.0 rom came with a 1-month outdated security patch. It's a shame to see that they simply don't care about their flagship phones, or they have too many devices and rom variants to maintain, so they rather focus on the China beta roms and push completed changes over to stable Global, EEA, CN, RU and IN.
If you have no issues with MIUI (MIUI 12 is actually pretty good, I prefer it over stock android, because of the split notifications), I'd suggest staying on it till Xiaomi decides to end the support and then switch to a custom rom.

Go for it, good phone overall no notch and cheap.