Database Develop

OP3T or S7E

Hey guys, I'm just here for some recommendations. I'm a power user. I'm the type of guy to be playing a heavy game and to switch to snapchat or any other social media app and switch back into the game and continue where I was. I'm the type of guy to root and install xPosed modules on every single android phone I own since I love having limitless customization. While I love customization and multitasking and all, I still would greatly appreciate a great camera (front and back) and a premium looking and feeling phone. Which phone would you recommend for me? Also on a side note, How is snapchat on the OP3T? (since I'm a heavy snapper)

Camera is awful. Everything else is great. Don't waste your time or you will be extremely disappointed in this camera in every possible way. I got lucky I don't care about the camera.
https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/camera-disappointing.481515/

954wrecker said:
Camera is awful. Everything else is great. Don't waste your time or you will be extremely disappointed in this camera in every possible way. I got lucky I don't care about the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it really that bad??

If your into camera/pics then s7edge and its really not worth the discussion.
Everything else, the 3T is the better option, especially software, battery life, speed/fluidity.
The s7edge screen is a tad better impression though.

Akesi said:
Is it really that bad??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, but it is much worse than on S7 Edge or iP7+

If you can live with 1080p screen less vibrant screen, pretty standard below par camera and limited storage then OnePlus 3t otherwise it's S7E.
I've got both and I prefer S7E.

Apart from the cam, it's very easy for "you kind"...
If you unlock and root any sammy device your warranty is void. Oneplus has quite an other warranty policy:
https://oneplus.net/support/answer/will-rooting-or-unlocking-the-bootloader-void-my-warranty
If you want to develop/build roms the deccission becomes even easier: oneplus and qcom do support the open source community much better then samsung does. The latter even try to sabotate open source development, by puplishing broken and not working code.
For me (and "guys like me" ) these are the two main reasons to go for oneplus and never ever buy a samsung device again - but along with your personal usecase your milage may vary.

If u can afford S7 edge then BUY IT!!!! Seriously, OP3T is good but S7E is much much better. I know a lot of people will say it lacks performance but in every other factor its the king(other than pixel and iPhone 7/plus).

i returned S7E and got OP3T and it is far better, even in handling in 1 hand for me. Camera is awful on OP3T for sure, and much worse than s7e unfortunatelly, but i do not care much about this

My 2 cents - My choice for new phone (after my N6P died) was OP3T, SGS7 or Pixel.
A little reading showed Dev after Dev stating that Samsung fails to support the community by withholding what should be quick release of open source files.
Oneplus is the opposite so far. They are very supportive of aftermarket modification and I can say my initial impression of build quality is very good.
I'm not a good person to judge the cameras as I only use my cell phones for quick snapshots.
The only deficit I saw was the absence of a memory card slot on the OP3T. However, they only charged about $40 Canadian more for the 128 GB model.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

If camera is the most important thing to you, then go for Samsung. If root, speed/power, and multitasking is more important to you, then go for the OP3T. I take many pictures on my 3T and I'm impressed with the quality. It's very good, but it can't compare at all to the S7E. It's really good, but not nearly as good as Samsung's cameras. Everything else on the 3T is better than the S7E to me. The screen isn't as high of quality, but that also allows for longer battery life and better performance. I think the build quality is fairly comparable on both devices. They're just different. The OP3T is probably a little more durable than the S7E simply because it has less glass in its build. So in short, whatever is not as good on the OP3T is still rather good... Just not AS good as the S7E.

I don't have an S7 edge, but I do have an S7 and honestly I'm quite disappointed with it myself. Based on my experience with my S7 and from what I have read from other users here is what I can conclude.
S7 - Pro's
Camera
physical size is a little smaller so it's easier to hold
Display resolution might b a little better
OnePlus 3T - Pros
Performance - speed
multitasking
opening apps
bootloader can easily be unlocked
this phone is user friendly in terms of modding/customizing it (especially in comparison to the S7)
It's VERY reasonable in price compared to many other phones. Especially for the hardware it has packed in it.
Conclusion...
You have to ask yourself if you use your phone more for pictures and video versus anything else.
For me personally, I enjoy taking pics, but the S7 is sooo laggy! Touchwiz is HORRIBLE compared to OxygenOS.
Also a HUGE turn off on the S7 for me was all the bloatware that's installed on the phone. I have about 330 apps on there, and you can disable them but you will need to be rooted to uninstall them.
OnePlus 3t from what I'm reading doesn't come with many unwanted apps, and if you want you can easily disable uninstall them.
Side note, I have heard users say that the older version of OxygenOS was a little laggy as well, but this has been fixed in the newest update 4.0+
When it comes down to it, for regular use of a phone, I would go with the OnePlus 3t. I am currently considering in getting one for myself because I have run into so many issues with the S7.
---------- Post added at 05:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:16 PM ----------
I just noticed that the OnePlus 3t also comes with a pre-applied screen protector. That's pretty cool too! Usually this is a additional accessory on phones. Can anyone that already owns the phone tell if the screen protector is good? How does it compare to invisi-shield or similar?

m0d hipp¥ said:
---------- Post added at 05:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:16 PM ----------
[/COLOR]I just noticed that the OnePlus 3t also comes with a pre-applied screen protector. That's pretty cool too! Usually this is a additional accessory on phones. Can anyone that already owns the phone tell if the screen protector is good? How does it compare to invisi-shield or similar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, mine was delivered without additional screen protector. But what comes to my mind: when I got my opo 2 1/2 years ago, it was delivered without sp, too. But when a friend of mine ordered a one just a few days after two was announced, it comes with pre-appliwd sp. Back then we thought it was a refurbished device, since the production of one was stoped, when the two was introduced. After reading your post, I doubt the assumption we made back then - but I wonder, why some oneplus devices are sp equiped, while others are not...!?!? Really strange.
BTW: my model is A3003.

jbw716 said:
If camera is the most important thing to you, then go for Samsung. If root, speed/power, and multitasking is more important to you, then go for the OP3T. I take many pictures on my 3T and I'm impressed with the quality. It's very good, but it can't compare at all to the S7E. It's really good, but not nearly as good as Samsung's cameras. Everything else on the 3T is better than the S7E to me. The screen isn't as high of quality, but that also allows for longer battery life and better performance. I think the build quality is fairly comparable on both devices. They're just different. The OP3T is probably a little more durable than the S7E simply because it has less glass in its build. So in short, whatever is not as good on the OP3T is still rather good... Just not AS good as the S7E.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I've made up my mind. I'm not that big on the camera, I just want a good quality that doesn't lag and takes good pics on Snapchat esp. Can you tell how the Snapchat quality is?

nvertigo67 said:
Hmm, mine was delivered without additional screen protector. But what comes to my mind: when I got my opo 2 1/2 years ago, it was delivered without sp, too. But when a friend of mine ordered a one just a few days after two was announced, it comes with pre-appliwd sp. Back then we thought it was a refurbished device, since the production of one was stoped, when the two was introduced. After reading your post, I doubt the assumption we made back then - but I wonder, why some oneplus devices are sp equiped, while others are not...!?!? Really strange.
BTW: my model is A3003.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just noticed it on their site:
https://oneplus.net/3t/specs
If you scroll down to the "In the Box" section.
In The Box
1x OnePlus 3T
1x Screen Protector (pre-applied)
1x Dash Type-C Cable
1x Dash Power Adapter
1x SIM Tray Ejector
1x Quick Start Guide
1x Safety Information
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Akesi said:
Thank you! I've made up my mind. I'm not that big on the camera, I just want a good quality that doesn't lag and takes good pics on Snapchat esp. Can you tell how the Snapchat quality is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't really speak for Snapchat quality specifically, as I don't use that app, but to me, the front facing camera quality is very good!

m0d hipp¥ said:
I just noticed it on their site:
https://oneplus.net/3t/specs
If you scroll down to the "In the Box" section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right. And I was overmotivated: Mine was delivered with(!) screen protector, but it was really loose around the home-button/fp-sensor, that I thought it was just the normal transport protection and removed it... *lol* Just tried to reapply it, but it has no hold in the lower area, in deed the two small parts at each side of the home button are flapping loosly (like it was at the beginning making me think it's only for transport). Anyway - I don't care about pre-applied screen protection, and your and my finding gave me a good laugh!

That's funny!
I'll be sure I don't make the same mistake when I get my phone.

My choise was S7e, more confident in samsung devices, but this is only my opinion

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.

No innovation from one plus 5

The expectation from one plus 5 was high, when it was being released. It seems that one plus is not putting any innovative ideas in their UI or overall system experience. They should at least put some new ideas to their user experience. Please vote and let them know...

think you're being a little harsh mate, there are a lot of qualities which add up to an experience that you don't get from any other device.
Speed: The fastest phone there is, bar none.
Audio: Loudest phone i've ever had, couple that with viper audio and it's even louder
Battery: Best battery i've ever had on any phone including the note 4 which was supposed to be superb.
Screen: Jelly effect aside (i don't get this problem) 1+ going for a 1080p screen is the way it should be, a 2k screen on a 5 inch device? What is the point.
Build: Strong casing covering the phone and a non bendy screen
Software: For the first time ever, I've actually contemplated not rooting my device (it's rooted now btw ) Reason being is you can theme and change things which you can't on other devices.
Camera: Ok this one is a bit of a sore subject, I actually rate the camera, i've took some superb shots with it.
Charging: phenomenally quick charging, bested by none. (Thanks @3DSammy )
Overall when you put this together you get a package which very few can compete with

coolom1983 said:
The expectation from one plus 5 was high, when it was being released. It seems that one plus is not putting any innovative ideas in their UI or overall system experience. They should at least put some new ideas to their user experience. Please vote and let them know...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not everyone agrees with you. When you speak of user experience, do you mean something like TouchWiz? No thanks. As close to stock as possible is what people in this forum prefer.

dladz said:
think you're being a little harsh mate, there are a lot of qualities which add up to an experience that you don't get from any other device.
Speed: The fastest phone there is, bar none.
Audio: Loudest phone i've ever had, couple that with viper audio and it's even louder
Battery: Best battery i've ever had on any phone including the note 4 which was supposed to be superb.
Screen: Jelly effect aside (i don't get this problem) 1+ going for a 1080p screen is the way it should be, a 2k screen on a 5 inch device? What is the point.
Build: Strong casing covering the phone and a non bendy screen
Software: For the first time ever, I've actually contemplated not rooting my device (it's rooted now btw ) Reason being is you can theme and change things which you can't on other devices.
Camera: Ok this one is a bit of a sore subject, I actually rate the camera, i've took some superb shots with it.
Overall when you put this together you get a package which very few can compete with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only thing I'd add to your list is the phenomenal Dash charging. Just today or yesterday XDA posted a comparison of various brand's charging technologies and the OnePlus Dash charging came out on top. When I bought the OP5 and first charged it that was the very first thing that WOWed me. I definitely agree with the rest of your list. Maybe add the OnePlus companies cooperative attitude to developers with a TWRP recovery available by the end of the very first weekend after release. Its my Nexus series replacement. As times gone by (I ordered the OP5 two hours after the streamed announcement), OOS with multiple OTA releases and its general almost stock experience has reinforced my confidence in this purchase.

OP5 to me is the Nexus that I've missed.... It's speedy and utilitarian... The pixel didn't appeal to me and I think maybe alot of the og Nexus fans too....
If you don't like Nexus, I'm guessing you won't like OP....

Couldn't disagree more with the OP. This is the best phone I've ever owned. And the UI is basically vanilla android but with see very useful additions. The kind of additions I used to flash custom ROMs to get.

I was a successful customer of one plus 3 and 3T... I loved these 2 very much as these were best of their time.... Except dual camera setup which is still not as stable as it should be and Dash charger, I do not see big differences in from previous ones...

Undoubtedly it is good phone but not the best of his time... So many bugs still present in software.... No beta update for one plus 5.... No latest security patches... Even my op3 has latest security patch as compared to my one plus 5..

You do realize it is a small company and they kinda have to update 3 phones now. This takes a bit o time. Besides, they probably invest most of their resources on the Oreo update now.
Do you really think Samsung offers better updates?
As for the differences between last year's model and this year's model - there never is a big differences between those. Generally speaking. They are more like incremental upgrades.
Let's take the S7 and S8. The biggest difference is the screen and that's pretty much it.
In my opinion, one should always skip one phone generation to get the best results. If you had the 3T, there was no reason to get the 5 now. It's better to wait for the 6 as that may be a better upgrade. Same applies to Samsung, LG, HTC and everything else.

coolom1983 said:
The expectation from one plus 5 was high, when it was being released. It seems that one plus is not putting any innovative ideas in their UI or overall system experience. They should at least put some new ideas to their user experience. Please vote and let them know...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You expect OnePlus to innovate? They've barely been around for five years.
Quit dreaming and buy an iPhone or a Samsung.

3DSammy said:
The only thing I'd add to your list is the phenomenal Dash charging. Just today or yesterday XDA posted a comparison of various brand's charging technologies and the OnePlus Dash charging came out on top. When I bought the OP5 and first charged it that was the very first thing that WOWed me. I definitely agree with the rest of your list. Maybe add the OnePlus companies cooperative attitude to developers with a TWRP recovery available by the end of the very first weekend after release. Its my Nexus series replacement. As times gone by (I ordered the OP5 two hours after the streamed announcement), OOS with multiple OTA releases and its general almost stock experience has reinforced my confidence in this purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely agree with the charging it's not of this earth.
Added
---------- Post added at 09:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 AM ----------
coolom1983 said:
Undoubtedly it is good phone but not the best of his time... So many bugs still present in software.... No beta update for one plus 5.... No latest security patches... Even my op3 has latest security patch as compared to my one plus 5..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please compare this to another phone and put the the other ahead!! What phone out ever has no problems? The fact that your 3 is still getting updates in a timely manner is a good thing.

The reason why we got a OnePlus is partly because we prefer as close as possible AOSP experience with a few value added enhancements
If you're into UI and stuff, you're definitely looking the wrong phone and should consider what Samsung or Xiaomi has to offer instead

Download a launcher.

This thread so dumb I thought I am browsing the OnePlus forums
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs

MSF Jarvis said:
This thread so dumb I thought I am browsing the OnePlus forums
Sent from my OnePlus3T using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahah , yeah.
Damn people, they want stupid gadget but dont want to pay for it.
For many people, the op5 is perfect because it's simple, still have capacitive button ( which make the android signature imo), simple = the parts will be cheap on ebay, and we dont pay for stupid random gadget.
NO! REMOVING 3.5mm jack is NOT innovation.
Why spend $$$ to get a fcking edge screen that will cost 500$ to replace ?
IP67 , when 95% of people wont get close to water with their phone, and 99% of them never drop their phone in water anyway.
op5 is innovative in a way that they give you high spec with minimal parts. Imho, this make a durable phone (5-6 years easy), and as we can notice, the earth need a break of overconsuming rightnow.

Coming from a Pixel XL, the design of this phone is much better; feels much nicer in the hand and isn't as heavy.
There is tons more development available for this device compared to the XL, and for a company that is so young, they are doing an amazing job.
Yeah, the camera didn't live up to the hype, but it's not a horrible camera by any means.
I am getting the same user experience as my Pixel XL, and even better than the XL in some areas as well - all for significantly less than what I paid for the XL.
That being said, I definitely don't think it's reasonable to say there is no innovation, despite the 5 looking similar to an iPhone. The iPhone's design isn't bad at all in my opinion, so that carries over to the 5.
All in all, I'm really loving this phone and I do not regret selling my XL to get this I am open minded and will see how the Pixel 2 is though, but just in terms of development, I don't know if I'd switch back.

MSF Jarvis said:
This thread so dumb I thought I am browsing the OnePlus forums
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just people having their say. Sometimes the worst questions or ideas for a thread become extremely popular.
Otherwise why are people posting here
---------- Post added at 09:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:01 PM ----------
rickysidhu_ said:
Coming from a Pixel XL, the design of this phone is much better; feels much nicer in the hand and isn't as heavy.
All in all, I'm really loving this phone and I do not regret selling my XL to get this I am open minded and will see how the Pixel 2 is though, but just in terms of development, I don't know if I'd switch back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly can't see the pixel 2 having anything ground breaking that would make me want to move over.
The camera will be great but OS and performance, stamina and build will be very similar.
Tbh I can see the 1+5 beating it in terms of speed.
Guess we'll see.
Plus if the pixel goes for a 2k screen then you'll see how much of a benefit a 1080p screen gives you in regards to performance and battery longevity.

coolom1983 said:
The expectation from one plus 5 was high, when it was being released. It seems that one plus is not putting any innovative ideas in their UI or overall system experience. They should at least put some new ideas to their user experience. Please vote and let them know...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmmmmm - I vote that that you would be better off trading in op5 and get this
Sent from my OnePlus5 using XDA Labs

i always viewed oneplus devices as extremely minimal. I know, you know and oneplus knows that if you want an innovative UI you can download it from the play store. Think of the thing as a modular phone on the software side. I like the thing because it works really well and charges nice and fast doesnt slow down and remembers every app right where i was unless the app itself has a background refresh built in. Its a good phone and should be treated as such.

sure, it's innovative! you get to choose between Wifi AND cellular data. the screen protectors lay perfectly flat on the screen, which is also flat. this phone is small! it fits perfectly in all kinds of pockets. the screen lights up in the dark so you can see it at night. you can install multiple applications without removing the old ones. on top of all that - wireless discharging!
seriously, you are living in the era of the Jetsons (assuming you're old enough to remember that show). splitting hairs about a company's R&D standards is so moot when you have a super [email protected]$$ computer in your pocket. just don't buy it! or return it! move along!

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 Upgrade, yes no?

Good evening,
I have been using the Google Pixel 6 for more than a year and am basically satisfied with it. However, I think that an upgrade is necessary. Would the Pixel 7(a) be recommendable here? The only thing that has bothered me about Pixel 6 is dark scenes in videos. Black pixels are lit up in a funny way and yet you can't see much in the videos. Otherwise, I am also open to other brands with good price-performance ratio.
I am grateful for any advice and opinion!

Welcome to XDA.
In general the improvements from year to year aren't that much; not much bang for the buck unless you get a really good trade-in deal.
I'm still using my Note 10+ and in many ways it's superior to the newest Samsung's and not much slower in actual normal usage. Nitpicking over a couple pixels for a cam upgrade isn't worth all that trouble. Pro cam shooters rarely upgrade their cam every year or two...
Bottom line; depends how deep your pockets are.
If you don't upgrade expect to replace the battery soon, routine maintenance, no big deal.

blackhawk said:
Welcome to XDA.
In general the improvements from year to year aren't that much; not much bang for the buck unless you get a really good trade-in deal.
I'm still using my Note 10+ and in many ways it's superior to the newest Samsung's and not much slower in actual normal usage. Nitpicking over a couple pixels for a cam upgrade isn't worth all that trouble. Pro cam shooters rarely upgrade their cam every year or two...
Bottom line; depends how deep your pockets are.
If you don't upgrade expect to replace the battery soon, routine maintenance, no big deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your opinion!
In the Google Telegram channel I got recommended that I wait until October for the Pixel 8. Let's see what that brings, except for the unnecessary built-in fever thermometer.

I replaced my P6 with a P7 after it was accidentally damaged beyond repair. I can barely tell the differance. The phones seem to drop in price quite a bit about 3 or 4 months after their release, so if you can wait til the end of January most of the early bugs will have been worked out and the price will have dropped by at least $100.

poit said:
I replaced my P6 with a P7 after it was accidentally damaged beyond repair. I can barely tell the differance. The phones seem to drop in price quite a bit about 3 or 4 months after their release, so if you can wait til the end of January most of the early bugs will have been worked out and the price will have dropped by at least $100.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You benefit by waiting not only in a reduced price but by seeing if any unsolvable hardware bugs are present. I would give it 6 months. Use independent reviews here, on utube and Reddit to better guage the actual performance and any issues that crop up with the device.
Look at the mess some of the S23U owners are having with the banana shaped optical blurring with their main cam. It's not just Samsung, both Android hardware and firmware are more shake & bake then ever. When people are in a big bad hurry... mistakes happen. Sit back, observe then pick the device that will best fullfill your mission if you have that luxury. A good flagship should last you many years.

Just upgraded to the Pixel 7 from the 4xl. Only real improvements I see is less bezel, updates install faster, and slightly better camera. May return the 7 and stick with the 4xl a bit longer.

PuffinNugz said:
Just upgraded to the Pixel 7 from the 4xl. Only real improvements I see is less bezel, updates install faster, and slightly better camera. May return the 7 and stick with the 4xl a bit longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do the Google phone vs phone vid search. A 2019 flagship can hold up well to the newer phones. Replace battery as needed and keep rollin.

PuffinNugz said:
Just upgraded to the Pixel 7 from the 4xl. Only real improvements I see is less bezel, updates install faster, and slightly better camera. May return the 7 and stick with the 4xl a bit longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never used the 4xl but I like its lens spec. With newer Pixels I'd rather not resort to digital zoom for avoiding distortion. 7 Pro answers that but only if prices drop enough.

SmilingPeace said:
Good evening,
I have been using the Google Pixel 6 for more than a year and am basically satisfied with it. However, I think that an upgrade is necessary. Would the Pixel 7(a) be recommendable here? The only thing that has bothered me about Pixel 6 is dark scenes in videos. Black pixels are lit up in a funny way and yet you can't see much in the videos. Otherwise, I am also open to other brands with good price-performance ratio.
I am grateful for any advice and opinion!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a Pixel 6 since they were announced and was very happy with it except for the fingerprint reader. I work with wood a lot and it seems to screw up my fingerprint mightily. I basically abandoned the fingerprint reader and just used a PIN. When the Pixel 7 arrived, I traded-in my Pixel 6 and got a Pixel 7. I am very happy with face unlock and that I don't have to deal with the fingerprint reader anymore. I can't say anything about the 7A, but the Pixel 7 screen is very much like the Pixel 6. In fact, I think of my Pixel 7 as a "Pixel 6, refined." There might not be enough difference in the screen to make it worth it. Same with the cameras. Again, this relates only to the Pixel 7, not the Pixel 7A.

I went from the 6 to 7. It was a lateral but very needed upgrade. Much more stable.

I plan to get a 7 real soon as I found a nice deal on it. Leomgrass color

LLStarks said:
I went from the 6 to 7. It was a lateral but very needed upgrade. Much more stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to wait I guess if I found a good deal yea? I mean wait till later this year for the new one