Returned Pixel 5, still like my Pixel 4 XL - Google Pixel 4 XL Questions & Answers

Am I crazy that I still really like the Pixel 4 XL a year plus later?
I bought the Pixel 5 right away, wanting better battery life and bright screen, plus more one handed friendly phone.
Yes the Pixel 5 has insane battery life. That's it. It feels like a cheap toy phone, and the speakers suck do bad, mainly the earpiece for phone calls, sound tinny and like a mile away.
The Pixel 4 XL feels way more premium, higher end build quality, sharper looking display, better feel in hand, I know it's large for a 6.3" phone, but I find it easier to type on and just feels solid in hand.
Actually if you didn't tell anyone when these two phones were released, I bet most non tech people would think the Pixel 4 XL is a new 2020 phone, and the Pixel 5 an older phone from few years ago.
Anyways, hoping Google goes more flagship next year.
I looked at other phones, and nothing really interests me out there right now. Yeah the OnePlus 8 Pro looks great, but at this point the 9 Pro is due in March.
iPhone 12 Pro Max looks stunning, super high end build, and a beautiful huge screen, with a FLAT display But iOS ugh .

I don't buy phones every year. If the Pixel 5 had been released next year, I would have kept my Pixel 4 XL for 3-4 years, if possible. I don't want a small phone. I'm not interested in plastic rim phones(4a). I find hole-punches more offensive than top bezels... I would rather have real tech using the space. But I'm not sore about using lesser SoCs... Qualcomm is ruining flagship potentials with their 5G design choices in upper-end SoCs.

Just wait for a 2021 phone. It's not worth getting a new phone only a year later anymore.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

I agree that it's not worth getting a new phone after a year now. Also agree with OP in spirit although I haven't actually tried a pixel 5. I find the 4xl screen excellent size & resolution, I find face unlock brilliant. Somehow rear fingerprint scanner seems like years ago now. Personally, I use telephoto more than I would a wide angle camera and also, in my opinion, any amount of bezel or "forehead" is better than a hole in the screen. Ye, 2021 at least for me too.

Yeah I've had my pixel 4 XL since last November. I downgraded by selling my note 10 plus and using this as my daily driver. It is served its purpose for the most part but a year later there are things about it that are annoying me apart from an absolute ****ty selfie camera, there are more noticeable bugs and issues that I'm having now than I ever did when I got to device initially.
But it is what it is I've enjoyed it for the most part and I'm excited to receive my Sony Xperia 5 Mark II in a few days. That device is game changing compared to this and the pixel 5.

thepersona said:
Yeah I've had my pixel 4 XL since last November. I downgraded by selling my note 10 plus and using this as my daily driver. It is served its purpose for the most part but a year later there are things about it that are annoying me apart from an absolute ****ty selfie camera, there are more noticeable bugs and issues that I'm having now than I ever did when I got to device initially.
But it is what it is I've enjoyed it for the most part and I'm excited to receive my Sony Xperia 5 Mark II in a few days. That device is game changing compared to this and the pixel 5.
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It's only game changing on paper, in real world use not so much.

Mackay53 said:
It's only game changing on paper, in real world use not so much.
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Click to collapse
While I respect your opinion, I disagree,
the battery life alone is something that demolishes the pixel 4 XL.
Then you have an identical stock Android. the stock Android that pixels have that everybody glorifies an overhypes the saying is super smooth is no different than what is found on the Xperia.
and 120hz refresh rate.
Personally I found pixel devices to be completely overhyped for the prices that they're charging and with formidable issues such as poor build quality (seen regularly with all pixel devices since their inception) I just haven't had my money's worth of an experience with the pixel devices.
I genuinely believe the software and the apps that Google develops is great. They should stick with software development and just present their full-fledged featured apps with no compromises to all Android phones. 90% of their apps are available on other devices and can definitely be ported over specifically the recorder app and even on some phones gcam. Which in all honesty I've seen ports of gcam that function better than the stock camera on the pixel 4 XL.
But yeah that's just been my experience everybody's differs they might have had an entirely pleasant experience and that's good on them but I'm excited to be back on the Xperia line again.

thepersona said:
While I respect your opinion, I disagree,
the battery life alone is something that demolishes the pixel 4 XL.
Then you have an identical stock Android. the stock Android that pixels have that everybody glorifies an overhypes the saying is super smooth is no different than what is found on the Xperia.
and 120hz refresh rate.
Personally I found pixel devices to be completely overhyped for the prices that they're charging and with formidable issues such as poor build quality (seen regularly with all pixel devices since their inception) I just haven't had my money's worth of an experience with the pixel devices.
I genuinely believe the software and the apps that Google develops is great. They should stick with software development and just present their full-fledged featured apps with no compromises to all Android phones. 90% of their apps are available on other devices and can definitely be ported over specifically the recorder app and even on some phones gcam. Which in all honesty I've seen ports of gcam that function better than the stock camera on the pixel 4 XL.
But yeah that's just been my experience everybody's differs they might have had an entirely pleasant experience and that's good on them but I'm excited to be back on the Xperia line again.
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Yeah software is good on the Sony ones. Only thing that was annoying when I had the 1 mk ii was the disappointing camera and slow UI in the app.
21:9 is comfy to hold so I miss that. Id be very surprised if a 4000mah battery at 120hz would be much different to the 4XLs.
Hopefully a better experience for you on the 5ii than I had on the 1ii.

I upgraded to Pixel 5 from the 4XL. My primary motivation is I hate the face unlock. I sorely missed the old fingerprint reader along the back. The only reason I upgraded from a 3XL to 4XL was the 3XL had hardware probs.
At first, I wasnt sure I was gonna be able to do it as the smaller phone felt odd and wasnt sure if I'd be able to type vertically with my thumbs (I still can once I got the case on it). It took some getting used to but then I quickily realized how absurdly big and heavy the 4XL is. The only other obstacle was no Active Edge. I never used it for the Assistant, but I use it daily to use my flashlight from the lock screen. This one was a must. I then discovered the Torchie app , that I can activate using the volume buttons.
Its much faster and the battery life is crazy good. Im very happy now having my fingerprint unlock back and more room in my pockets.

Tried the pixel 5 out and couldn't justify upgrading from my 4xl.
I'm returning it to Best buy tomorrow

JJT211 said:
I upgraded to Pixel 5 from the 4XL. My primary motivation is I hate the face unlock. I sorely missed the old fingerprint reader along the back. The only reason I upgraded from a 3XL to 4XL was the 3XL had hardware probs.
At first, I wasnt sure I was gonna be able to do it as the smaller phone felt odd and wasnt sure if I'd be able to type vertically with my thumbs (I still can once I got the case on it). It took some getting used to but then I quickily realized how absurdly big and heavy the 4XL is. The only other obstacle was no Active Edge. I never used it for the Assistant, but I use it daily to use my flashlight from the lock screen. This one was a must. I then discovered the Torchie app , that I can activate using the volume buttons.
Its much faster and the battery life is crazy good. Im very happy now having my fingerprint unlock back and more room in my pockets.
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Click to collapse
These days, with masks on all the time, face unlock has been rendered useless and annoying

HipKat said:
These days, with masks on all the time, face unlock has been rendered useless and annoying
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Click to collapse
I hear this all the time, but I haven't experienced it much. To begin with, I don't think face unlock even looks at the bottom part of your face. Maybe it's a male-specific beard precaution. With a face contouring mask, moving the mask down half an inch is all it takes for my phone to recognize me. I can manage that just by opening my mouth wide which pulls down the mask slightly.

jljtgr said:
I hear this all the time, but I haven't experienced it much. To begin with, I don't think face unlock even looks at the bottom part of your face. Maybe it's a male-specific beard precaution. With a face contouring mask, moving the mask down half an inch is all it takes for my phone to recognize me. I can manage that just by opening my mouth wide which pulls down the mask slightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I work on the medical field, wear a mask all shift, and it has never recognized me with a mask on. I don't have a beard but interestingly it does unlock when I have shaving cream on my face probably because it can actually get the contours of my cheeks. Either way, I usually use Smart Lock with my watch while at work.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

jljtgr said:
I hear this all the time, but I haven't experienced it much. To begin with, I don't think face unlock even looks at the bottom part of your face. Maybe it's a male-specific beard precaution. With a face contouring mask, moving the mask down half an inch is all it takes for my phone to recognize me. I can manage that just by opening my mouth wide which pulls down the mask slightly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TBH, since Android 11, Face unlock has been sketchy. It never used to lag unlocking when it's in the phone holder in my vehicle. Now it does often. In the dark, fuhgeddaboudit....

Related

Tempted?

Anyone Tempted by the new Pixel 2 XL?
It's a nice device & expensive.
I like the ATPX HD & front firing speakers.
What you guys & girls think?
Ugly - Looks like an iPhone 5, huge bezels, screen not good enough, no dual camera, no headphone jack, no wireless charging.
It'll be extremely fast, no doubt, but for me, Google need to go back to the drawing board with that one. Step back IMO.
The Note 8 (my first Samsung) has converted me from an Android purist. Luckily I seem to have jumped on board just as Samsung fixed the UI lag too.
As good as the Pixel hardware is likely to be, I will not go back to vanilla Android easily now. All phones going forward are also going to need a pen!
Not me, I had a Nexus 1, Nexus 4 and a Nexus 6 but Google has priced me out of their market.
They need to bring back Dev Editions of these Samsung flagships. Best of two worlds. Awesome hardware from Samsung, snappy software from Google. Those were the days.
Even if Pixel 2 XL is nice, they wont be available in my country, and getting them from other country is too much of a hassle. Saw MKBHD video this morning, few samples and they rly looked dope. But so does the Note 8, will be waiting for some camera comparison. Anyway looks rly shady when DxOMark test the phone that is not even released. Note 8 still looks more like a full package to me.
No, not for me.
When I was pre-ordering the Note 8 I did consider waiting for the Pixel 2 Xl. I'm quite glad I didn't now.
The Pixel isn't waterproof, has no wireless charging, the screen isn't as nice. No headphone jack. Single camera (photo results would be interesting to see though). No s-pen.
I mean, the only benefits I can truly see is stereo speakers and "early access" to Oreo.
Those benefits just aren't worth the drawbacks, imho.
That, and I do love my Note 8.
No the Note 8 looks so much better.
Nope, the pixel is playing catch up to the iphone,which is playing catch up to the Note 8. Hehehe
Seriously tho, being a Samsung fan aside, the Note has too many feature I want that the pixel doesn't. Mainly pen and ip68 and the headphone jack also.
Sent from my Galaxy Note8 using XDA Labs
SquidgyB said:
No, not for me.
When I was pre-ordering the Note 8 I did consider waiting for the Pixel 2 Xl. I'm quite glad I didn't now.
The Pixel isn't waterproof, has no wireless charging, the screen isn't as nice. No headphone jack. Single camera (photo results would be interesting to see though). No s-pen.
I mean, the only benefits I can truly see is stereo speakers and "early access" to Oreo.
Those benefits just aren't worth the drawbacks, imho.
That, and I do love my Note 8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel is waterproof - you are right about wireless charging though and the others - it will be interesting to see how the Camera Works - bought the XL 2 for my wife. We'll see if I end up hijacking it.
I have the original pixel. It works very well, software updates are a huge plus, and I love the camera. The XL 2 is very tempting, but I can get 95% of the camera performance from the gcam apk available on this forum, which I'm hoping will get updates with the new software tricks from the new pixels. And even though I got used to Oreos little enhancements, it'll come to the Note 8 eventually. I knew what I was giving up getting the Note 8 this close to the Pixel launch and even though it'll be blistering fast, it lacks the second camera, headphones Jack, which I just used last night when my Bluetooth headphones battery died, and wireless charging. I really like keeping a charging pad on my desk at work, keeps my phone charged and at a convenient angle for easy viewing and access. And most importantly no s-pen. I did unlock my bootloader on the pixel and play with ROMs and software mods and root was nice, but I don't consider them completely necessary.
Now the pixelbook on the other hand....
Geekser said:
Pixel is waterproof - you are right about wireless charging though and the others - it will be interesting to see how the Camera Works - bought the XL 2 for my wife. We'll see if I end up hijacking it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, my bad. IP67 on the pixel vs IP68 on the Note - I stand corrected.
I'm tempted but I'll stay with the Note8. I have the Pixel XL as a spare phone and only really use it when I'm out of the country (Project Fi). It takes amazing pictures and I'm sure that will be the only reason why I would really consider owning the 2 XL but never really use it. I think I'll just stick to the Note8 and iPhone combo, the iPhone X is on the horizon anyway.
Not at all.. love my note 8
They effectively double if not trippled their prices during the last two or three incarnations of their devices. Not worth it for me.
Samsung could effectively eff them up if they also released a developer Note 8 version.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Heck no, had the first Pixel for a hot minute when I had to leave my Note7 and that phone was simply BORING. I want all the bells and whistles and the Pixel was so Plain Jane boring I was bored within 48 hours and had to give it back, not to mention no SD card slot to hold my free 256gb card from the Note7 pre-order. #NOTE8POTY
I'm slightly jealous. It'll be smoother than this phone, have a superior camera, have dual speakers, instant upgrades, a thriving community with ROMs galore...
But then I remember that I have a bigger, better screen, more RAM, a headphone jack, a very good camera, very fast UI, Miracast, better water resistance, a better looking device, an SD-card slot, AND AN INIMITABLE, IRREPLACEABLE S-PEN!!
PsiPhiDan said:
I'm slightly jealous. It'll be smoother than this phone, have a superior camera, have dual speakers, instant upgrades, a thriving community with ROMs galore...
But then I remember that I have a bigger, better screen, more RAM, a headphone jack, a very good camera, very fast UI, Miracast, better water resistance, a better looking device, an SD-card slot, AND AN INIMITABLE, IRREPLACEABLE S-PEN!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah but the Huawei is also "smoother" dont mean I will use them.:laugh:
As a hardcore Google purest, I saw that Pixel and now Pixel 2 coming. Was using the XL and loved it, still have it but it's now sitting in its box on my kitchen table waiting to be sold.
Sadly Google has let me down with their poor choices over the recent years. I'll still with the Note 8. Never letting my SPen go ever again unless Samsung does something stupid.
Limeybastard said:
yeah but the Huawei is also "smoother" dont mean I will use them.:laugh:
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Haha yeah but they don't have all the other upsides. Sincerely, the Pixel XL 2 would EASILY by my #2 phone (if for some reason reason I couldn't have this one). Great device. Loved the original and used to be my favorite phone ever until the Note 8 stole my heart!

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Google Pixel 2, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Google Pixel 2 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Now that I have one in hand I do truly love it it's an amazing phone it does what I want when I want. The screen is amazing it get so bright! The feed back for the keyboard is just right and the endless little things it does the software is so refined now and only going to get better. This is were Android is at.
I am so disappointed in this phone.
I'm in love with the Pixel 2. It's the 2017 version of the Nexus 5. I was missing too much a powerful Google phone with small size.
It's still expensive compared to the Nexus 5/5X but at least it has minimum 3 years of updates guaranteed (unlike the Pixel 1).
4 or 5 years would be optimal but I think Google is getting there.
Sent from my Pixel 2
I'm really happy with it. It looks like a shrunk Nexus 6P from the front.
Coming from the Nexus 6p general thoughts:
- The 6p from 2015 has a better screen, higher resolution aside it's significantly brighter @ maximum brightness
- In general use(I dont play games with it) it seems slightly faster but not alot.
- Its weird going back to a smaller phone, the 6p feels massive/unwieldy when I hold it now.
- I know the XL is popular but given the return to the 6p dual speaker Google should have used Huawei to make the XL, the y would have hit it out of the park (and I'd probably be an XL owner).
i'm very happy with this phone. way better than my pixel 1. battery life is unreal compared to what I used to get on my pixel wiht the same usage. I have no issues getting well over 1 day + with 3-4 hours SOT.
super snappy and responsive and love that I was able to unlock the bootloader and root in case I want to try out future developments.
I started using Android on the OG Motorola Droid then Droid X until Nexus phones hit the market & have owned nothing but Google phones since. When I was heavy into ROM & Play Store app development I often bought other popular phones for testing & as a writer for various Android sites was able to test several phones including Flagship devices from all the big name producers & have to say that the Pixel 2 is by far in my opinion the best iteration of an Android phone thus far. Performance, features, battery life, etc is top notch. I don't mind a bezel & if I were able to change something about the device it would be a removable battery & for Google to stand up to carriers like Verizon & say "Hey - if you want to be the exclusive carrier for this phone we will not lock bootloaders". Google is touted as pure Android and Android was built around the idea of freedom & community development. I hope to see Google add more functionality to the fingerprint sensor in the form of scrolling, camera shutter button, etc - all already developed by independent developers.
To close on a positive note, I am Glad to see Google taking steps towards rectifying the fragmentation problems with projects like Android One (Sprout) and Project Treble.
Trying hard to Love it
I love google andoid devices since my Nexus 5 (Which ended up very badly after 2 years though)
So I baught Pixel 2 again,
Battery 4 hours of SOT (with video call, LTE and Youtube usage
Heating issue when playing game or when on video call
No Headphone in box
No USB cable to connect to computer in box
If somehow I can ignore all this in coming days I wont return it.
Delivers on what I expected. Good value as I got a 40% discount.
Just got this phone late last week.
As a previous iPhone 6s user, the switch felt seamless as hardware wise I it didn't feel different to hold in the hand. Finger print reader location moved but felt more convenient and responsiveness and layout of the phone just felt right.
I got mine through Verizon with the $300 off promo which isn't a bad deal seeing as I sold my iPhone and was funding for a Gen 1 Pixel.
#teampixel
Definitely not worth the full retail price. Other OEM's have surpassed Google in hardware and design, and on top of that, the clean android experience is completely over-rated. The phone feels great in the hand, runs great, and the camera is top notch. But all of those features are commonplace among flagships in 2017. The only real advantage the pixel line has is the updates and the camera software (which will get ported to other devices again like last year).
Don't get me wrong, in a vacuum, the phone is spectacular. But it's also pretty mundane compared to everything else. My 2016 Honor 8 does more and costs less than the Pixel 2. Stock software is really holding this device back. A few more bells and whistles would have gone a long way.
ashokabs said:
Delivers on what I expected. Good value as I got a 40% discount.
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Click to collapse
I've been looking for deals on this phone, where did you find the 40% discount?
LostMyMarbles said:
I've been looking for deals on this phone, where did you find the 40% discount?
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Click to collapse
You won't find any deals like that for just the phone. Most deals are linked to a cellular service provider adding a line to your account
everything is perfect except for slow & easy to stuck...
zerowong said:
everything is perfect except for slow & easy to stuck...
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Auto-correct typos?
LostMyMarbles said:
I've been looking for deals on this phone, where did you find the 40% discount?
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Click to collapse
Sorry for not replying earlier. In India it is available at Flipkart an online store for Rs 39999 against a list price of Rs 61000 which is a little more than 32%.
PuffDaddy_d said:
Auto-correct typos?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Find out the reason, it's some barely used apps always running in the background, after block them, everything is going well now.
But my NFC still not working......
Please google. Open your eyes.
vrda08 said:
Please google. Open your eyes.
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I would love a Pixel 3 smaller and lighter than the Pixel 2 without loosing screen size.
Still...I used to throttle a lot the Nexus 5, also de 5X and the 6P just browsing...etc.
Pixel 2 is the first one that I can't throttle so I never suffer performance hits.
Sent from my Pixel 2
thesebastian said:
I'm in love with the Pixel 2. It's the 2017 version of the Nexus 5. I was missing too much a powerful Google phone with small size.
It's still expensive compared to the Nexus 5/5X but at least it has minimum 3 years of updates guaranteed (unlike the Pixel 1).
4 or 5 years would be optimal but I think Google is getting there.
Sent from my Pixel 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I really loved (and still do) my Nexus 5 and the Pixel 2 is an awesome upgrade especially the power and camera, form factor.

Pixel 3/3 XL vs 6T, from people who actually owned both

It seems quite a few people in this 6T group also own the Pixel 3 or 3XL. Other than the lower price of the 6T and the better camera of the Pixel. Which one do you all think is the better phone all around and why?
The reason I ask is that BestBuy will be offering $200 off the Pixel 3/3 XL during Black Friday which would put the Pixel price in line (close enough) with the 6T. With that being said, which phone would you buy for around the same price?
mjnoles1 said:
It seems quite a few people in this 6T group also own the Pixel 3 or 3XL. Other than the lower price of the 6T and the better camera of the Pixel. Which one do you all think is the better phone all around and why?
The reason I ask is that BestBuy will be offering $200 off the Pixel 3/3 XL during Black Friday which would put the Pixel price in line (close enough) with the 6T. With that being said, which phone would you buy for around the same price?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own both and it's a tough toss up. Each one of them have their strengths and weaknesses. Right now the Pixel 3 XL has a horrible RAM management problem (hopefully Google will fix that with an update) and the OnePlus 6T has 8 gigs of RAM.
The camera on the Pixel 3 XL is just so much better than the OnePlus 6T, not that the OnePlus camera is bad. When I know I'm going to be taking a lot of pictures I'm taking my Pixel 3 XL with me.
The notch on the Pixel 3 XL basically goes away with Nacho Notch while the notch on the OnePlus 6T is actually ok.
Performance on both of them is basically the same. The haptic feedback on the Pixel 3XL is one of the best on any smartphone.
I guess if I could only buy one it would probably be the Pixel 3XL, and I'm saying that as I'm using my OnePlus as my daily.
bp328i said:
I own both and it's a tough toss up. Each one of them have their strengths and weaknesses. Right now the Pixel 3 XL has a horrible RAM management problem (hopefully Google will fix that with an update) and the OnePlus 6T has 8 gigs of RAM.
The camera on the Pixel 3 XL is just so much better than the OnePlus 6T, not that the OnePlus camera is bad. When I know I'm going to be taking a lot of pictures I'm taking my Pixel 3 XL with me.
The notch on the Pixel 3 XL basically goes away with Nacho Notch while the notch on the OnePlus 6T is actually ok.
Performance on both of them is basically the same. The haptic feedback on the Pixel 3XL is one of the best on any smartphone.
I guess if I could only buy one it would probably be the Pixel 3XL, and I'm saying that as I'm using my OnePlus as my daily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about battery life between the two, that is worrying me about the 3 or 3XL. The 6T seems to have respectable battery life, while the Pixel seems to struggle in that category.
Also, you stated performance on both of them is basically the same. That is another worry for me in regard to the Pixel, as it seems the 6T blows out the Pixel in raw numbers when the review sites do tests, does that translate to day-to-day usage?
Do you find the 4GB in the Pixel lags behind the 8GB in the 6T?
Are you using both phones on the same carrier? If so, how is the reception/signal strength between the two?
If you would pick the Pixel as you wrote, then why are you using your OnePlus as your daily?
bp328i said:
I own both and it's a tough toss up. Each one of them have their strengths and weaknesses. Right now the Pixel 3 XL has a horrible RAM management problem (hopefully Google will fix that with an update) and the OnePlus 6T has 8 gigs of RAM.
Agreed and don't think 4gb will be an issue for normal users. I do believe OP will always hold more in memory.
The camera on the Pixel 3 XL is just so much better than the OnePlus 6T, not that the OnePlus camera is bad. When I know I'm going to be taking a lot of pictures I'm taking my Pixel 3 XL with me.
Again agree it's a world of difference but having a ported camera from Pixel helps and for me solves the issue.
The notch on the Pixel 3 XL basically goes away with Nacho Notch while the notch on the OnePlus 6T is actually ok.
I don't hate the notch on the pixel unless I watch full screen YouTube or something. 6t is not intrusive ever for me. That said I prefer the notch there then having Nacho.
Performance on both of them is basically the same. The haptic feedback on the Pixel 3XL is one of the best on any smartphone.
Disagree slightly overall because of the memory issue the pixel feels and acts faster when switching apps etc. I had to trlurn off adaptive battery so that pixel runs smooth at all otherwise it would refresh screen all the time. Haptic feedback is really nice in pixel.
I guess if I could only buy one it would probably be the Pixel 3XL, and I'm saying that as I'm using my OnePlus as my daily.
I returned the pixel and kept OP.
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Click to collapse
Battery on OP WAY better then xl too. Screen better on pixel...feel and build I prefer the pixel too. Not that there is anything wrong with OP just the pixel is nice. I hate not having wireless charging and proprietary charging but the charging is soooo fast. Day to day speed is or will be the same on both imo once Google fixes ram issue. Whatever frustrations I have with OP5t that made me go to pixel 2 xl are now gone on the 6t and the software changes op made are very nice that and their guesture makes it feel like true full screen phone just looks like next gen.
mjnoles1 said:
What about battery life between the two, that is worrying me about the 3 or 3XL. The 6T seems to have respectable battery life, while the Pixel seems to struggle in that category.
Also, you stated performance on both of them is basically the same. That is another worry for me in regard to the Pixel, as it seems the 6T blows out the Pixel in raw numbers when the review sites do tests, does that translate to day-to-day usage?
Do you find the 4GB in the Pixel lags behind the 8GB in the 6T?
I have Verizon, which carrier do you have? If Verizon, how is the reception/signal strength between the two?
If you would pick the Pixel as you wrote, then why are you using your OnePlus as your daily?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get all day battery life on both phones, I would have to say the OnePlus is a little bit better on battery life but I've never had to look for a plug while using my Pixel.
The reason why review sites are showing that the OnePlus numbers are beating the Pixel is because Google underclocked the Snapdragon 845, a custom kernel will fix that. It really does not translate in day-to-day use. The Pixel is as smooth of a phone as you are going to find.
I personally don't think the 4 gigs of RAM are going to make that much of a difference once Google fixes the RAM management problem.
T-Mobile here.
I said if I could only buy one. I will switch between phones weekly because I get bored. I used my Pixel for about 2 weeks and now I'm using my OnePlus.
---------- Post added at 09:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------
thisguy159 said:
Battery on OP WAY better then xl too. Screen better on pixel...feel and build I prefer the pixel too. Not that there is anything wrong with OP just the pixel is nice. I hate not having wireless charging and proprietary charging but the charging is soooo fast. Day to day speed is or will be the same on both imo once Google fixes ram issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly
bp328i said:
I get all day battery life on both phones, I would have to say the OnePlus is a little bit better on battery life but I've never had to look for a plug while using my Pixel.
The reason why review sites are showing that the OnePlus numbers are beating the Pixel is because Google underclocked the Snapdragon 845, a custom kernel will fix that. It really does not translate in day-to-day use. The Pixel is as smooth of a phone as you are going to find.
I personally don't think the 4 gigs of RAM are going to make that much of a difference once Google fixes the RAM management problem.
T-Mobile here.
I said if I could only buy one. I will switch between phones weekly because I get bored. I used my Pixel for about 2 weeks and now I'm using my OnePlus.
---------- Post added at 09:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------
Exactly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you use both on T-Mobile? Can you let me know how the signal strength/reception is on both phones?
The two big cons...
You get used to the notch they say, and I did. What I didn't get used to was the incredible waste of space to either side of it. They could have stacked two full rows of notifications in there and it would fit, not sort of fit, fit. As it is that space is wasted and I kept seeing that and in turn that would make me "see" or notice the notch. I'd seriously fire whoever made the choices on the notification area because it doesn't end there. unlike here and elsewhere if you decide to hide the notch it pushes the notifications down into the screen below the notch giving you a huge empty forehead and the screen that remains is actually less than the 5T, seriously, I had them side by side and actual usable screen is less with the notch hidden. Go back visible notch and you get to see all that wasted space again, for me there was no win. Also if you watch a video the 6T notch is like a pimple on your own nose and soon forgotten, do it on the Pixel and it's a huge pimple on your bosses nose that you have to actively try and pretend isn't there. Will you be the same? Some say yes, some say no, for me it was a definite no.
Then you have the ram management or lack of ram, I'm not going to argue over which it is and don't care. Going into recents pretty much meant waiting for the app to reopen which is so 2014; it's another thing that drove me crazy. I already knew I was running in the upper 5s of used ram with my 5T so while I do expect it would have got better both with a Goog fix and in the roms I'm pretty sure it will never be as good as it is here, which is to say flawless. Apps pretty much just pop open every time, not sure if I can recall a single app redraw so far.
Then you've got the recents/app drawer cludge which combines with the worst gestures I've ever encountered. I'm sure you've seen it in videos so I'm not going to try and paint a picture, I will say it's worse in use than it appears in a review. This one is easily fixed by installing a third party launcher and then getting rid of Googs idiotic gestures for one of the options off the market. To sum it up, the whole purpose of nav gestures is to get rid of the nav bar which gives you useable space on screen. Think about it, no gesture can ever really be easier than hitting an icon, the best they can do is equal that ease so failing to give you the screen space means you made someones life harder and gave them nothing. Total fail. Someone should be fired fail. If I were in charge of the person who sigined off on this nav/recents/gesture cludge I would fire him. No notice, excorted out of the building right now firing. The escort would be two thugs who hit his head on every hard point between his office and the curb where he was tossed. They're that bad.
So now you're thinking I hated the phone, not true, lets get into the pros...
The screen is beautiful everywhere it isn't being wasted or cut into by a cancerous tumer. I had mine up against a 6T in the store and there is no question where the better screen quality lies, it's all Pixel in that department. Wasn't just me saying that, all the store guys where over because the store was empty and they hadn't seen a Pixel in the flesh. All of us were in agreement.
You've also got the sofware experience. it's all slick and refined in a way that is unmatched in the Android ecosystem. The dialer with it's screening, spam block, and so on, the music id on the lock, etc. The phone may seem feature poor but in use it is a very pleasant device to own.
The camera is top tier. I think Goog is running out of picture refinement in software though because you can see areas like telephoto where phones with dedicated glass are getting better results now. They have added some useful features on the other hand, for example being able to pick a different picture besides the one you clicked actually works. Those who have kids will recall how getting a good photo can be a trail, they're in focus but you missed the moment, you caught the moment but it couldn't quite focus on a target that was moving fast, etc. I was able to get a few pictures of my grandkids that would have been junk but were salvaged by the feature. What I like about the camera is something it shares with the latest from Samsung and Apple, you can just point it at something and have a good expectation of a decent shot. I'm not talking art, I'm saying you got what was there and it's in focus with reasonably accurate color. It's a camera you can use without skills and a camera you can trust.
All in all I really liked the Pixel in use but the hardware is behind the curve and no matter how shiny you make it the hardware turd still lies below the polish. I went into a Tmo store to scope the 6T and when I went home I immediately called Fi and returned the phone and ordered a 6T as soon as I got done with that call. If I had my choice I'd get a 6T that had the Goog rom on it and with the higher quality screen from the Pixel but I didn't, I had to choose one before I ran out of the return window. I really couldn't get past that notch or more particularly the wasted space beside it. Seeing it next to the 6T and 5T really put it into perspective for me, what an utter fail when a year old mid range phone has more useable space than a brand new 1000 dollar flagship. I'll be a potential customer for the Pixel 4 assuming they get their hardware up to snuff with other flagships, the software experience was IMO best in class.
mjnoles1 said:
Do you use both on T-Mobile? Can you let me know how the signal strength/reception is on both phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes T-Mobile on both, I have two lines with them. First screenshot is the OnePlus, second is the Pixel.
The Pixel was faster on two but not by much.
bp328i said:
Yes T-Mobile on both, I have two lines with them. First screenshot is the OnePlus, second is the Pixel.
The Pixel was faster on two but not by much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I should of been more clear in my question. I was referring to the actual signal strength for phone calls, etc. Do you notice if one phone or the other holds signals stronger than the other? Do you notice one phone may not have a signal while the other phone still has a signal?
mjnoles1 said:
Sorry, I should of been more clear in my question. I was referring to the actual signal strength for phone calls, etc. Do you notice if one phone or the other holds signals stronger than the other? Do you notice one phone may not have a signal while the other phone still has a signal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that will be a little tougher to answer because I don't take both phones with me normally but I will carry them both for the next couple of days just to look that stuff over.
I haven't had an issue on either one with signal.
Hard to say, but the fact that I have double the Ram, a bigger battery, arguably better notch design, 4x the storage for about $300 less (depends on tax rate where you live.)
Pixel 3 XL has dual speakers, but they don't sound good at all. Wireless charging is a plus, but not a deal breaker. Higher resolution screen, but it isn't a huge difference (and I care about that a lot.) Active edges is pointless when you have OK Google and holding the home button does the same thing. Camera is AMAZING (but where tf is 60fps???), even at night without Night Shot, but the wide angle setup on the front reminds me of the LG V20 Wide angle back lens, very fishy. Battery lasts all day so that's cool, but no chance of 2 day battery life without being strict on usage. Stock and prioritized software updates are awesome, but OxygenOS is always going to have the same, if not more feature (Always on display is helpful maybe 70% of my experiences.) Again, the speaker setup is such a disappointment.
OnePlus 6T has a single speaker setup, but it sounds clearer and possibly even louder. But it is downward firing rather than forward. Hard to say if the camera is better because I haven't been about to directly compare it, but low light images are amazing, even without the night mode on. Telephoto would have been nice, but neither phone has it. The OnePlus 6T can do 4k60fps and 1080p60fps video, while the Pixel 3 XL can only do 1080p60fps, BUT YOU CAN'T SET IT TO PERMANENTLY FILM 60FPS (look it up, it's sad). Front camera works, but the Pixel 3 XL's focuses, so the Pixel 3 XL can capture more quality, regardless of the MP count. Battery is larger and should get better battery life, and so far has proven to be the case. The chin on the bottom is almost non existent, and you rarely notice it when using the phone. Fingerprint scanner under the screen is perfect for checking your phone on the desk, but isn't as accurate as the Pixel 3 XL (though the speed is pretty much the same when it is working, which for me is ~75% of the time.) Design is all opinion based, but the OP6T seems to be easier to hold in the hands and less slippery, also seems lighter, even though it is almost the same weight. Again, the notch is nicer looking on here when compared to the Pixel 3 XL.
Clearly the winner for the money is the OnePlus 6T, but the Pixel 3 XL holds up if you don't care about the price. If the OnePlus 6T has dual speakers I would say it's the winner regardless of price.
Pixel 3 XL for the CAMERA, SCREEN, WIRELESS CHARGING
OnePlus 6T for the STORAGE/MEMORY, SOFTWARE, DESIGN, FINGERPRINT SCANNER, BATTERY, 60FPS RECORDING (lol)
Something else, which is why I returned my pixel3xl - the microphone quality is aweful. Look on youtube for vids, but it's the same ****ty quality as the pixel2. Combined with a notch the size of kentucky, no facial unlock, meh battery life, disastrous memory management, and camera that saves photos only sometimes, it is a very Beta device and in my opinion worse than the 6t even at the same price. Using the Gcam on the 6t gives me nearly same photo quality so this is a tossup.
caslca said:
Something else, which is why I returned my pixel3xl - the microphone quality is aweful. Look on youtube for vids, but it's the same ****ty quality as the pixel2. Combined with a notch the size of kentucky, no facial unlock, meh battery life, disastrous memory management, and camera that saves photos only sometimes, it is a very Beta device and in my opinion worse than the 6t even at the same price. Using the Gcam on the 6t gives me nearly same photo quality so this is a tossup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But gcam on 6T is not up to Pixel 3 level yet, we can only hope it will reach there
I'm actually thinking of picking up the 3xl myself I was going to sell my iPhone X which I finally upgraded from that abomination of a "phone" to the 6T and just have it laying around. Then was going to choose which I wanted to keep the 3xl or 6T or both. I personally think the camera is pretty bad. I mean it catches details but the focus is horrendous. The other day I was trying to take a video of the monitor to show the specs etc of a computer I was selling, this damn thing wouldn't focus for it's life just kept refocusing every couple of seconds, same thing with close up photos. It's also very much laggy, especially in video compared to my iPhone X. Largely noticeable in snap chat, you can't quickly move the phone otherwise it'll be all blur. Not sure if this is something everyone is experiencing or just my device. This is where the 3xl come in, amazing camera, pure Google, notch? As iPhone X owner I couldn't care less, build quality (6T feels premium-ishh). But from what you guys are saying apparently it's awful phone so now I'm confused as if I should or shouldn't get it.
mac208x said:
I'm actually thinking of picking up the 3xl myself I was going to sell my iPhone X which I finally upgraded from that abomination of a "phone" to the 6T and just have it laying around. Then was going to choose which I wanted to keep the 3xl or 6T or both. I personally think the camera is pretty bad. I mean it catches details but the focus is horrendous. The other day I was trying to take a video of the monitor to show the specs etc of a computer I was selling, this damn thing wouldn't focus for it's life just kept refocusing every couple of seconds, same thing with close up photos. It's also very much laggy, especially in video compared to my iPhone X. Largely noticeable in snap chat, you can't quickly move the phone otherwise it'll be all blur. Not sure if this is something everyone is experiencing or just my device. This is where the 3xl come in, amazing camera, pure Google, notch? As iPhone X owner I couldn't care less, build quality (6T feels premium-ishh). But from what you guys are saying apparently it's awful phone so now I'm confused as if I should or shouldn't get it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel 3 XL is not awful by any means.. if you are not bothered about notch, you will be fine... I was in same dilemma whether to get 3 XL or 6T and got 6T.. I will be returning 6T and getting 3 XL... Sole reason is that I am not getting notifications from certain apps on 6T even after disabling all possible settings...but man this OP 6T is amazing in every other aspect.. I can live with 6T with gcam but missing notifications for my critical apps is a no-go for me
Pixel 3 XL is way better. Screen, Speakers, Camera, Update. You cant compare both phone. Easy if you dont care about money go for Pixel and if you do go for oneplus. Google software is well optimized. Battery consumtion is less. The idle drain is less. Pixel 3 XL is the overall packaged. I dont know but i cant see myself using oneplus as my daily driver. Number on the paper is not important.
bp328i said:
Yes T-Mobile on both, I have two lines with them. First screenshot is the OnePlus, second is the Pixel.
The Pixel was faster on two but not by much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow how crappy LTE do you have in the US? See screenshot.
Norway - OnePlus 6T
olejonbj said:
Wow how crappy LTE do you have in the US? See screenshot.
Norway - OnePlus 6T
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Click to collapse
Yeah I don't get real high speeds at my house. I live like 2 minutes from the beach. When I go further inland I'm usually up above 100 Mbps.
But yeah I don't think I've ever seen the speed you posted.
keaheng said:
Pixel 3 XL is way better. Screen, Speakers, Camera, Update. You cant compare both phone. Easy if you dont care about money go for Pixel and if you do go for oneplus. Google software is well optimized. Battery consumtion is less. The idle drain is less. Pixel 3 XL is the overall packaged. I dont know but i cant see myself using oneplus as my daily driver. Number on the paper is not important.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That notch though.. I had everything going for Pixel 3 XL.. but not sure if I can tolerate that notch.. am using OnePlus 6T now and it definitely feels so futuristic...
keaheng said:
Pixel 3 XL is way better. Screen, Speakers, Camera, Update. You cant compare both phone. Easy if you dont care about money go for Pixel and if you do go for oneplus. Google software is well optimized. Battery consumtion is less. The idle drain is less. Pixel 3 XL is the overall packaged. I dont know but i cant see myself using oneplus as my daily driver. Number on the paper is not important.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally like oxygen OS better. It's stock with the perfect tweaks to it. And the ram management is far better. My pixels would close my messaging app when that was the ONLY app in my background. So damn annoying.
Performance and battery life is most essential to me. 6t takes both

Help me convince myself to keep my Pixel 4XL

Hi everyone,
Like many people out there, I'm the proud owner of a Pixel 2 XL which I love. I pre ordered and received a Pixel 4XL last week, but I haven't opened it yet out of... doubt.
I have always liked Google's phone (have had one of them for the last couple years, since the Nexus era), and I was really looking forward to get the Pixel 4XL this year, however, as many of you know... we are missing:
A fingerprint scanner: I could just use the Mod to use Face unlock on all apps, so fine, I can live without it.
Photo/video backup: I don't mind paying, but backing up videos is not going to be a $2 a month deal...
A wide-angle lens: My Pixel 2 doesn't have it either... so ok?
A real 90hz screen support without killing battery by forcing it
I'm getting tired of trying to convince myself that I should keep it, specially after I started comparing it to the OnePlus 7 Pro... which has a similar price point.
Should I just give up? Help me find reason to keep it, I have always cared more about the experience more than the hardware specs but this time it's getting tough.
Kennyeni said:
Hi everyone,
Like many people out there, I'm the proud owner of a Pixel 2 XL which I love. I pre ordered and received a Pixel 4XL last week, but I haven't opened it yet out of... doubt.
I have always liked Google's phone (have had one of them for the last couple years, since the Nexus era), and I was really looking forward to get the Pixel 4XL this year, however, as many of you know... we are missing:
A fingerprint scanner: I could just use the Mod to use Face unlock on all apps, so fine, I can live without it.
Photo/video backup: I don't mind paying, but backing up videos is not going to be a $2 a month deal...
A wide-angle lens: My Pixel 2 doesn't have it either... so ok?
A real 90hz screen support
I'm getting tired of trying to convince myself that I should keep it, specially after I started comparing it to the OnePlus 7 Pro... which has a similar price point.
Should I just give up? Help me find reason to keep it, I have always cared more about the experience more than the hardware specs but this time it's getting tough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love mine, not concerned with reviews. It's fast, fluid and Android 10 runs as intended. Face Unlock is awesome. Soli gestures are cool and promising for the future I think. Camera is crazy good. 90hz works well, not sure why you'd say not real 90hz. You can force it on and it's sweet. New Assistant is awesome. It's the first phone I've ever enjoyed running stock. Everyone is different, but this is my favorite phone since Nexus 6 so far.
Can't convince you, sorry. I sent mine back. Honestly though I'm waiting till a price drop and by then maybe they will clean up the 90 hz and other minor issues ie apps not supporting face unlock.
As far as battery life goes, it lasted long enough for me. So not really concerned about that.
I would have opened that puppy, and run it through the ringer for a week. You have 2 weeks to return it...well maybe just a week now, but really, how else are you gonna know? I don't pay much attention to reviews, I buy what I like. I love my P2XL as well, but the experience for me is so much nicer than the 2, except for the FP sensor. But oh well, that's likely going to be the norm from here on out. As the saying goes.....fortis Fortuna adiuvat
:good:
Yeah you wasted a week with it just sitting in the box. Open and use it. How can you decide without giving it a try especially if you already have it right there.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
With Pixel it's not about the specs, it's about how it works every day. Some people forget that, we use phones to get stuff done, not to attain the biggest number in stat columns. As said above, give it a try, send it back if your not feeling the love. Unless of course you know you could put the ching to better use and purchased only because you lusted your way into clicking the buy button after getting a few pints in your belly.
krabman said:
With Pixel it's not about the specs, it's about how it works every day. Some people forget that, we use phones to get stuff done, not to attain the biggest number in stat columns. As said above, give it a try, send it back if your not feeling the love. Unless of course you know you could put the ching to better use and purchased only because you lusted your way into clicking the buy button after getting a few pints in your belly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely agree here, what are some of the features that are Pixel-specific? I can only think of Soli support, better google assistant (but I feel like this will be brought to all devices later?) and better photos. But I'm assuming that there are ROMs out there that port most of the Pixel features?
Like I said, I have been using Google devices only, so I don't have a reference of what I would be missing, that's mainly the reason I posted this
I had the 3 XL and I'm not looking back. Sure I miss the fingerprint sensor at times but everything else is sweeter.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
I had the 2xl and loved it but haven't doubted the switch to the 4xl at all. It's a far superior experience.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
Kennyeni said:
Hi everyone,
Like many people out there, I'm the proud owner of a Pixel 2 XL which I love. I pre ordered and received a Pixel 4XL last week, but I haven't opened it yet out of... doubt.
I have always liked Google's phone (have had one of them for the last couple years, since the Nexus era), and I was really looking forward to get the Pixel 4XL this year, however, as many of you know... we are missing:
A fingerprint scanner: I could just use the Mod to use Face unlock on all apps, so fine, I can live without it.
Photo/video backup: I don't mind paying, but backing up videos is not going to be a $2 a month deal...
A wide-angle lens: My Pixel 2 doesn't have it either... so ok?
A real 90hz screen support without killing battery by forcing it
I'm getting tired of trying to convince myself that I should keep it, specially after I started comparing it to the OnePlus 7 Pro... which has a similar price point.
Should I just give up? Help me find reason to keep it, I have always cared more about the experience more than the hardware specs but this time it's getting tough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went with the 4xl over the OnePlus 7 pro, I honestly couldnt be happier. I am coming from the pixel 3a as well.
Photo and video back up is still free, its just not in original quality from what I understand.
Why is everyone blaming google for app developers not incorporating face unlock into their apps. Google literally has no control over who adds face unlock.
I agree about the camera, this is also my least looked at feature.
I have the 90hz forced and I have zero issue with battery life on my xl. Battery life is subjective to the user and all reviews have zero real world use of battery life after a single week.
This is an amazing device and I really wish people would stop paying attention to these youtube reviewers who make money based off of how many clicks they get. We all know bad press and harsh titles get the most clicks. People also need to understand that a reviewer who is paid to never put down the phone is not real world use, nor does it reflect actually battery life based on ones usage.
I guess if you want the internet to tell you how to spend your money, I would just send it back. Seems like youtube has already made up your mind for you, seeing as how its been in a box for a week. When you could have opened it and made the choice yourself already.
Kennyeni said:
Completely agree here, what are some of the features that are Pixel-specific? I can only think of Soli support, better google assistant (but I feel like this will be brought to all devices later?) and better photos. But I'm assuming that there are ROMs out there that port most of the Pixel features?
Like I said, I have been using Google devices only, so I don't have a reference of what I would be missing, that's mainly the reason I posted this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lets see; the easiest way might be to point out a few Pixel moments during my day today. This morning I needed to send a picture of a document as a PDF. I pulled out my trusty Pixel and took a picture of it with lens which will recognize a document and offer the option to create a pdf and send as such and I was done. Later I was getting driving directions from my daughter to a local cafe which had just opened and wasn't showing on Maps. She just moved into the place but hasn't got the road names down yet so I used the recorder to get verbal directions of the "turn right at the big yellow house" kind and referenced the recording on the way. I didn't help cook dinner which made me the dishwasher when the much maligned Soli stepped in to show that it does have a use case. I've recently discovered Electronica, mostly trance, some of it I love and some of it, well, I hate. While washing dishes I swiped away several songs of the uh uh variety without having to do the quick dry off of hands. Very convenient. A general thing; I used the assistant many times trying to keep up with the Seahawk game along with a few random tasks. I find the quicker response of assistant to be a big improvement which for me was unexpected, I never felt bothered by the delay before but I find I'm liking not having it now. I also took some shots of my fast moving grandkids and the motion shot did fetch me a couple shots that were better than what I would have got without it. I also didn't get a single spam phone call today which is just like yesterday and probably tomorrow, Goog is getting really good at blocking which is much appreciated. So that's what my Pixel did for me today.
Some of those features have trickled down to previous Pixel devices or were already there and some of them have been ported over to OnePlus. I own one of those so I keep up with that side. Take the camera, they already have a port but it doesn't work as well there. It didn't with the 7, didn't with the 6T, the 6, etc. There are always missing features or bugs or something, it never just works. Same with grabbing the dialer. You get some things to work, sometimes you get all of them to work but they never all work all the time. You really do get some of the goods to work properly but you wont be recreating a Pixel experience on the OP device of the day, it's been this way all along from the first Pixel till now. This isn't to say the OP isn't a good device or that you shouldn't buy it but you shouldn't buy it thinking you're going to grab all the Pixel stuff in the ROMs, that isn't going to happen. Some of it you'll get and it works, some you get and it's buggy and/or partially works, and some you wont get at all.
Going back to the start, it's about the experience with Pixel. It's nothing revolutionary or exciting, just the little things like hearing a song you don't like and swiping it away in the middles of dishes. Seeing your grandchild blink right as you press the button but you got the picture anyways. These Pixely things don't make great bullet points but they make for a satisfying device to own.
You'd be surprised. But there was a test out there with the OnePlus 7t with the Snapdragon 855+ vs the pixel 4 with the Snapdragon 855... processing video. And the pixel 4 killed the OnePlus somhow with a slower processor and less ram. It really isn't all about the specs. This pixel 4 feels very well optimized. And let's be honest, 1+ cameras aren't as good as the pixels... Plus I'm sorry but certain things on the OnePlus when I had it, completely sucked and made it feel cheap, like the microphones, the vibration motor.
Just open up your pixel 4 and enjoy it. If you had the 2, you will love it. Plus all these silly reviews about the phone having bad battery life is ridiculous, I have force 90 on and I'm getting a full day very easily, as are many others on here.
I have had the 4XL for just over a week now and I am conflicted myself. In the UK we do not get no questions asked returns (did not buy direct from Google) so I'd have to sell it on if I decide not to keep it, I am on the fence though TBH and I think there are 3 main things that are bugging me:
- The build, some seem to like the industrial design but every time I pick it up it just feels underwhelming. Honestly I think it feels a little cheap, maybe it is those plastic look edges.
- No ultra-wide
- Storage needs managing. I have the 128gb, it is just about enough but I have to think about what I put on there. With larger storage or an SD card I can have all of my music plus some local FLAC files, Netflix or Amazon for my commute and not even think about it. 256gb rather than 128gb solves this
The thing is that there still isn't a droid that ticks all of my boxes so for me at least it is pick your compromise, I also have a Mate 20 pro (resale so low I have kept it) and I really really like it even if the OS is a little rough around the edges and the camera slightly behind the Pixel and new iPhones now. Having had both of the Note 10s and the S10 I am leaning towards thinking that Samsung maybe still offer the best overall droid package. OnePlus are so so close now though!
Google have IMO had an open goal for the last 2 years, and just do not seem able to finish the job
Lets see; the easiest way might be to point out a few Pixel moments during my day today. This morning I needed to send a picture of a document as a PDF. I pulled out my trusty Pixel and took a picture of it with lens which will recognize a document and offer the option to create a pdf and send as such and I was done. Later I was getting driving directions from my daughter to a local cafe which had just opened and wasn't showing on Maps. She just moved into the place but hasn't got the road names down yet so I used the recorder to get verbal directions of the "turn right at the big yellow house" kind and referenced the recording on the way. I didn't help cook dinner which made me the dishwasher when the much maligned Soli stepped in to show that it does have a use case. I've recently discovered Electronica, mostly trance, some of it I love and some of it, well, I hate. While washing dishes I swiped away several songs of the uh uh variety without having to do the quick dry off of hands. Very convenient. A general thing; I used the assistant many times trying to keep up with the Seahawk game along with a few random tasks. I find the quicker response of assistant to be a big improvement which for me was unexpected, I never felt bothered by the delay before but I find I'm liking not having it now. I also took some shots of my fast moving grandkids and the motion shot did fetch me a couple shots that were better than what I would have got without it. I also didn't get a single spam phone call today which is just like yesterday and probably tomorrow, Goog is getting really good at blocking which is much appreciated. So that's what my Pixel did for me today.
Some of those features have trickled down to previous Pixel devices or were already there and some of them have been ported over to OnePlus. I own one of those so I keep up with that side. Take the camera, they already have a port but it doesn't work as well there. It didn't with the 7, didn't with the 6T, the 6, etc. There are always missing features or bugs or something, it never just works. Same with grabbing the dialer. You get some things to work, sometimes you get all of them to work but they never all work all the time. You really do get some of the goods to work properly but you wont be recreating a Pixel experience on the OP device of the day, it's been this way all along from the first Pixel till now. This isn't to say the OP isn't a good device or that you shouldn't buy it but you shouldn't buy it thinking you're going to grab all the Pixel stuff in the ROMs, that isn't going to happen. Some of it you'll get and it works, some you get and it's buggy and/or partially works, and some you wont get at all.
Going back to the start, it's about the experience with Pixel. It's nothing revolutionary or exciting, just the little things like hearing a song you don't like and swiping it away in the middles of dishes. Seeing your grandchild blink right as you press the button but you got the picture anyways. These Pixely things don't make great bullet points but they make for a satisfying device to own
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice explanations
Demolition49 said:
You'd be surprised. But there was a test out there with the OnePlus 7t with the Snapdragon 855+ vs the pixel 4 with the Snapdragon 855... processing video. And the pixel 4 killed the OnePlus somhow with a slower processor and less ram. It really isn't all about the specs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://youtu.be/PkVW5eSXKfw
Here's the video of anyone's curious.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
arsenal74 said:
- The build, some seem to like the industrial design but every time I pick it up it just feels underwhelming. Honestly I think it feels a little cheap, maybe it is those plastic look edges.
- No ultra-wide
- Storage needs managing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. The build has been complimented alot this year for feeling more premium. Also do you slap a case on your phone? If so then that point is kind of out the window anyway. But I understand it is a subjective thing. There may even be way a way to strip that anodizing off the borders if you are the creative type.
2. Honestly even if it had an ultra wide, you cannot use it in anything but the best lighting conditions because of the aperture. Just look at the iPhone photos in anything but perfect lighting. You are much better off if you want wide angle shots using a moment lens on your main snapper to get a proper shot... Which is exactly what I have and do. This would apply to all phones with those different lenses. I do find the tele useful though because I can actually take tele on tele shots with my zoom lens and get about 4x optical zoom, which is absolutely fantastic.
3. Storage I agree you can get in to a dead end if you like large apps and music stored on your phone locally... But if you stream and use the cloud for photos it is very doable.
I'm not going to try and convince you, but I am happy with both the 2XL and the 4XL. Each for their own reasons. There's gains and losses no matter which one you pick. With that said, I'm content with my 4XL, and I made reasons to justify the 4.
My reasons for keeping the 4; my son gets my 2XL, and I get new hardware.
I went from 2XL to 4XL and won't look back at all. The Camera has gotten me several great shots already and it just feels smoother and faster.
I'm new to the pixel family. I was with Samsung Galaxy when I had my first major brand-name phone then went to lg. Now a happy owner of the p4xl to me this phone is great great camera but lg cam 8s better hardware wise but software wise p4xl has it. I think with all the complaints I keep hearing and reading about the cam, I feel Google focus on so and software more then anything and they did a great job. Plus you get updates faster then any brand out there.. I hear people complaining also about how cheap the phone feels but this phone feel heavier then I'm use too. I feel the ones who are really complaining are not appreciative of where Google's trying to go to in the future where just thinking about hardware and how each phone out me to another phone or another competitor but I feel good doing this right sore for it was hardware wise and it's just going to get better I think but that's for a first time Google pixel 4 user experience
If you need convincing I would say you don't want it. Just my opinion but I usually know when I want to keep or return something.

Question A bit underwhelmed

Had the pixel 7 for 4 days now and not that impressed with it
Actually thinking about going back to my OnePlus 7 Pro
The charging is poor on it and generally scrolling on webpages menu etc its no better than my oneplus
Dont know maybe I will persevere with it and it will get better
Got the pixel 7 on a killer deal with 5g coming from 4g with EE - I literally got the phone for free but not feeling it
Anyone else not buying into the hype?
So I've had the phone for the better part of a month and my takeaway from owning the device is that whilst is not the best or does it have any killer features that stand out above any other phone I've used. It does everything that it does really very well
The auto brightness is basically perfect.
The camera is reliable, it's not the best. The video is a bit lacking, but everything else about it is very good.
Is probably not the fastest at navigating between apps and multitasking but when I use the device it's reliably smooth in operation.
The battery isn't as good as my previous device, Poco F3, however, it gets me through the day and it's reliable in battery drain.
Notifications work unlike MIUI
Signal is much better compared to my 7T Pro
I can use speaker phone in my car and the other side can hear me clearly, couldn't do this on the 7T or F3
The screen is accurate and well balanced
I could go on
The phone doesn't have anything amazing that will make you want to go out and buy it or talk about how amazing it is, but once you just use it day in day out as the tool phones are now, it becomes the best phone I've used as a package.
roughavoc said:
So I've had the phone for the better part of a month and my takeaway from owning the device is that whilst is not the best or does it have any killer features that stand out above any other phone I've used. It does everything that it does really very well
The auto brightness is basically perfect.
The camera is reliable, it's not the best. The video is a bit lacking, but everything else about it is very good.
Is probably not the fastest at navigating between apps and multitasking but when I use the device it's reliably smooth in operation.
The battery isn't as good as my previous device, Poco F3, however, it gets me through the day and it's reliable in battery drain.
Notifications work unlike MIUI
Signal is much better compared to my 7T Pro
I can use speaker phone in my car and the other side can hear me clearly, couldn't do this on the 7T or F3
The screen is accurate and well balanced
I could go on
The phone doesn't have anything amazing that will make you want to go out and buy it or talk about how amazing it is, but once you just use it day in day out as the tool phones are now, it becomes the best phone I've used as a package.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing is my oneplus is a better phone than the pixel
I am not trying to downplay the pixel its just for a new phone/upgrade its not what I thought it would be
If it works for you great and I genuinely mean that
Going to give it a few more days but I can honestly see myself switching back I miss the fluidity and charging speed of my oneplus
I only got the P7 because the carrier I'm with would only give me a better deal if I got a new phone. It's been nearly 3 months and still haven't used it other than to take pictures and see how it runs lol. It's a quirky thing.
I do have plans for it down the road, once it's rooted with a custom ROM, but won't be using it as a primary device. 128 GB without an SD card slot was what killed it for me. I know most phones don't have the slot these days, but with specs similar enough to my S10 with 512 GB and the card slot, I've just stuck with using that. I know the P7 has a better battery and charges faster, but the extra storage is more important for what I need. Not bad as a back-up device though.
I have a pixel 7 after almost 3 years with the OnePlus 7pro and I was the same... OxigenOS have a lot more stuff than pixel except for the exclusive stuff. I was missing my OnePlus a lot and hold this P7 for a month or more... After that I went back to the OnePlus and noticed the quality of the phone. OnePlus felt so cheap in my hand and idk, it was not the same. So yes I understand your feeling about OP7pro it was a hell of a phone but , I think pixel 7 is just more premium feeling and a "mature OS" nut fun but mature.
Oneplus have a great deal on the 11 at the moment I can get £180.00 trade in on the 7 pro plus - free buds plus if I link my device and a 5% student beans I have got the price down £400 very tempting
I went from the OnePlus 6t to the pixel 6 and I kinda felt the same way. I knew it was a better phone in theory with higher specs and all, but the 6t had a better screen to me and seemed faster in charging and smoothness at first. However, the camera on the pixel was waaaay better and I was happy with that trade off. Fast forward a year and I got a good trade in deal from the pixel 6 to the 7 and it is a way better screen than my 6. Not much else other than slightly lighter in the hand with better weight distribution (6 was top heavy). It is a much better overall experience though and I love a couple of features I've only found on pixels like the ability to copy text from your recent apps slider, amazing speech to text, and I will say the scrolling speed/smoothness has gotten way better with time. I think the software needs a bit of time to smooth out.
I came from the OP8. I did like the phone, but got really tired of the hit or mostly miss camera. I know there are better camera phones than the P7, but I'm not buying a phone I can't root plus I really like the smaller size. The OP11, IDK, like another said, my P7 does everything I want and does it really well. Also there's the whole Chinese and Spyware thing.
I get what everyone is saying!! I came from a Pixel 3XL. The 7 didn't blow me away, but works very efficiently. At least I can unlock my bootloader now.
roughavoc said:
or does it have any killer features that stand out above any other phone I've used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends on if you use your phone as a phone, once you get used to not receiving spam calls and having call screening there is no going back.
Also the speech recognition is faster and more accurate than any device on the market.
Thing is phone's have been fast enough for years and you won't notice a huge difference between modern devices.
gap30 said:
Had the pixel 7 for 4 days now and not that impressed with it
Actually thinking about going back to my OnePlus 7 Pro
The charging is poor on it and generally scrolling on webpages menu etc its no better than my oneplus
Dont know maybe I will persevere with it and it will get better
Got the pixel 7 on a killer deal with 5g coming from 4g with EE - I literally got the phone for free but not feeling it
Anyone else not buying into the hype?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same situation, upgraded from my oneplus 7 pro. I agree that the screen was better on the oneplus and looking at a spec sheet it is obvious that it is the better screen. Other than that and charging speed everything is better on the pixel 7. The NFC is more reliable, better sound quality, better networking, camera and so on. I think it is worth the upgrade if you do not mind the screen. I rarely ever used the dash charge and mostly stuck to slower charging for over night so I do not have issues with the charging and the battery lasts me the whole day anywaay.
gap30 said:
Had the pixel 7 for 4 days now and not that impressed with it
Actually thinking about going back to my OnePlus 7 Pro
The charging is poor on it and generally scrolling on webpages menu etc its no better than my oneplus
Dont know maybe I will persevere with it and it will get better
Got the pixel 7 on a killer deal with 5g coming from 4g with EE - I literally got the phone for free but not feeling it
Anyone else not buying into the hype?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my pixel 7 since late November, and I'll never buy another. I regret trading in my Galaxy S20fe for this turd of a phone. Google has locked down so much of the stock OS it's ridiculous. Very Apple -like. If I want that garbage I'll just buy an iphone.
But by far the most miserable part is the awful--and I mean TRULY, epically horrifically bad--fingerprint sensor. It's hands down the worst I have ever seen on any phone.
jasongw said:
I've had my pixel 7 since late November, and I'll never buy another. I regret trading in my Galaxy S20fe for this turd of a phone. Google has locked down so much of the stock OS it's ridiculous. Very Apple -like. If I want that garbage I'll just buy an iphone.
But by far the most miserable part is the awful--and I mean TRULY, epically horrifically bad--fingerprint sensor. It's hands down the worst I have ever seen on any phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't comment on the OS because I just got the phone and rooted it right out of the box, but Samsung phones are fairly limited themselves IMO not to mention with tons of bloat. I went from an Honor View 10 to an S10(because ATT blocked my V10 from service last year) and the s10 is crap in comparison and has very restrictive OS.
Do you have a screen protector? Did you rescan your fingerprints after? Lots of issues have been reported for those who haven't rescanned after a screen protector install, even changing brands I would recommend it.
GL
I bought this in December after accidentally destroying the screen of my OnePlus 7 Pro. It's everything I loved about that phone, with the bonus of NOT having a curved screen. Best phone ever? Nah. But a damn good and reliable phone? Absolutely.
You need to give Pixels some time, as the software is supposed to be intuitive and adapt to your usage. Also, I think some people coming from a different OEM don't realize Pixels are pure android with no frills, so they don't always "wow" you right out of the box. Pixels aren't for everybody, but those of us who love our Pixels tend to be happy with them and enjoy special features that others may not get due to carrier software manipulation, etc.
At the end of the day, all devices are subjective and it just depends on what you're looking for. Don't like the Pixel? Cool. There are thousands of other options out there. Go find your happy place.
Pixels can run grapheOS, others phones can't. That's me reason to keep pixel phones.
I regret trading in my P3 for this phone
The OS is cleaner and it has some nice functionality, but even my Xiaomi mi 10 that I traded from feels like a better phone. And the battery life, which was the only reason I gave up the mi 10 (which had dropped to 60% battery), is **** on the pixel 7.
cannot talk about the OS, i immediately switched to LineageOS as i'm used to that.
i tend to agree to the general feeling, underwhelming it's a good summary for this device.
in my overall experience, it's a barely good device which could've been great if they wanted to.
Screen: 5/10
mediocre screen... it only looks good on darker colors, lighter ones look terrible with visible rainbow effects at very little movement.
minor, almost imperceptible, flickering on static images.
i completely fail to understand why pixel 7 has so many positive reviews about the screen.
thankfully xda and other reviewers made interesting insights about this issue, sadly we as the customers got a indecent panel.
Battery life: 8/10
usually allows me to do 5h of screen usage with ~50%, which is more than enough for me, just in time to put in charge for the next day.
Camera: 7/10
i expected more, considering the reviews.
i've tried it a few days on stock and gcam but i really don't see why all the praises.
anyway it delivers more than i actually need and care.
front camera is actual ****, really bad for video calls.
About the rest:
fingerprint sensors, odd enough, works ok for me: it always recognize my fingerprint. it's just a tad slow which isn't great.
stereo audio balance is weird.
i'll always complain about 3.5" mm audio jack lack.
57op said:
i'll always complain about 3.5" mm audio jack lack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It also doesn't have digital to analog conversion, soost USB-C to 3.5mm converters won't work.

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