Overall love - Google Pixel 3 XL Real Life Review

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 3 XL, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Google Pixel 3 XL is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

Well it is a Google Pixel so of course there is gonna be some love ?
Sent from my HUAWEI STF-L09 using XDA Labs

I've owned the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 6P, both of which were great devices. What's so special about the 3XL? There's nothing in it that isn't found in phones that are way cheaper. For those of you shouting about vanilla android, there is no vanilla android any more. Even Google now includes features that aren't found in any other version of android. But the thing that annoys me the most about pixel phones is Google's price policy. Why oh why are these phones 30% more expensive in Europe?

i just watched unbox therapy's video of the pixel 3 xl. to be honest i like it. yes the notch is bigger than others but it doesnt seem to bother me. maybe i'm too used to it from my iphone x. i wish the area on the sides of the notch would hold more information, but that is where xda comes in. i'm sure some developers can put more info there with their roms. the camera looks amazing. the screen quality finally looks up to par with samsung even though it's still an LG screen. you can tell they have matured their oled screens fast. the build quality looks really good. that soft gorilla glass on the back that doesnt attract finger prints looks like a nice touch. i'm going to objectively give this device a try instead of blindly following the masses of haters. but based of the videos i've watched already i think this device will end up being a great one.

Why do people keep asking why we pay more for phones in Europe? In Europe we pay VAT which adds about 20% to the cost of just about everything. It may not account for all the price difference but it accounts for the majority of it.

Overall Phones are good with price range. Nothing to hate about it. Phone has lot more than other phones with that price range. I had good experience with Pixel 2 XL. Phones are worthy to buy.
People hate about notch trend but I say its only way to cover screen on front. About some trends you will used to it. its not making problem in functionality.
I have Pixel 2 XL why I should by Pixel 3 XL ?
Plus about this phones is Snapdragon 845 , Titan M security module and Wireless Charging in Hardware. + ( Notch some people not like it )
about notch google will provide option to disable notch like one plus 6.
Pixel Cameras are always awesome then others with that price.
I believe Pixel users are 95% genuine users who uses almost every feature that company provide.
Not like iPhone users wasting lots of parent's money to show off just a logo.
Apple call their eco system it is like handcuffs to buy their won stuff and 30% features not work if you don't have other apple products.
[ Pixels = You will get maximum benefit of Artificial Intelligence. This is what I mean. ]

Got my 3 XL yesterday. I'm coming from a 2 XL so I expected a slight upgrade, but I'm finding a lot of things I love that I didn't expect.
- Tap to wake is WAY faster than on the 2. Having both side by side, the 3 wakes up a full second before the 2.
- The screen on the 3 looks sooo good. Crisper even. I never had any complaints about my 2 XL's screen, but I can tell the 3 XL is definitely better
- Speakers are noticeably better. Not sure about how loud they get, but the sound is richer on the 3 than the 2. The 2 is tinnier.
- Wide Angle Selfie camera is pretty cool
- Low light photos are noticeably better. This I didn't expect to notice as much, but a side by side comparison of the same photo with the two phones shows a noticeable improvement. The 2's photo looks duller than the 3. They might look the same after some post processing, but the 3's photo looks great without any touchups.
- Not phone related, but the Google Fabric case covers more of the bottom of the phone than the 2's did.
The only thing I have NOT liked is that with the notch, the number of notification icons in the status bar has been reduced to three, meaning 2 and a dot if you have more. If I reduce the display size to the lowest one, I can get three and a dot. The 2 XL has 4 and a dot. Hopefully we can figure out a way to turn off the clock. I never use it and I'd gladly give it up in exchange for more icons.

After I got the phone I realize it is so much better than expected. And the software polish and hard ware polish is next level

Very nice but some complaints
Just got my Pixel 3 XL last night and was impressed with the look and feel. I'm coming from the original Pixel XL. No notch complaints here. I was happy with everything until I got in my car. I have a Jeep JL with Android Auto. I was expecting the two to come together as expected but nothing happened. Spent time changing usb cables. I see power on the Pixel but no love from Android Auto. I'm hoping I just need to go to the dealership for a firmware upgrade or something but its disappointing that it just didn't work.
The only other thing I don't like is the double swipe up to get to the app drawer. Not sure how I feel about it.
With that said my complaints are minor. SOOOO many cool features that like.

mikeofny said:
Just got my Pixel 3 XL last night and was impressed with the look and feel. I'm coming from the original Pixel XL. No notch complaints here. I was happy with everything until I got in my car. I have a Jeep JL with Android Auto. I was expecting the two to come together as expected but nothing happened. Spent time changing usb cables. I see power on the Pixel but no love from Android Auto. I'm hoping I just need to go to the dealership for a firmware upgrade or something but its disappointing that it just didn't work.
The only other thing I don't like is the double swipe up to get to the app drawer. Not sure how I feel about it.
With that said my complaints are minor. SOOOO many cool features that like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My 2017 CRV also had trouble the first time I tried to use Android Auto. No map showed up, it gave me an ETA and the first turn arrow, but the only thing that updated was the ETA which was WAY off. When I got to my destination, I restarted the phone and the car, and on my way home, it worked as it normally does.

Happy out here. Got my 3xl 128gb on Verizon pre paid yesterday. Using on SIM in Ireland. Love pretty much everything about the phone. Kinda wish it had face unlocking but otherwise very happy. Everything just works and no bloat.

OK, so this may be biased, but I'm 100% in love with this phone. This is my first pixel phone, and I'm coming from a mid/budget phone, so that may make all the difference, but from the looks, the feels, the screen, the new gestures, the smoothness, the speakers, the call quality, the battery life, to whatever else this phone is, and can do, I love it. I've never had such a great experience from day one on any other phone, and I've been on Android since I got a Nexus One on day one. To me this phone is perfect. There is not one thing I can think of to complain about (OK I do have one. Have the phone either a bit thicker, or find another way to make the camera bump on the back flush).

Coming from a Oneplus 3T here. I am going through an RMA right now for the speaker issue, just to put that out there. With that aside, I love the phone otherwise. My only concern going in was the battery to be honest. The battery was larger than my 3T but still smaller than last year. It is a great phone. A great improvement over my 3T, which was still one of the best phones I've had.

Love the phone. Totally seamless Google experience

Overall impression so far.
Got the phone on Friday, October 19, 2018.
1. Good build quality (better than 2 XL); feels rigid & premium in hand. The frosted glass back is really smooth & good to touch. Better that my ex's skin.
2. Battery life is pretty good too. Same or better than 2 XL. First cycle (WiFi only): from 96%; SOT: 5 hr 10 min in 1 day 10 hrs with 16% to go. It will ofc get better with more cycles & as it learns more. Also, the battery is smaller than that of 2 XL & powers a bigger & better screen & louder speakers.
3. Cameras. Need not say anything.
4. Screen: it is a Samsung panel on the 3 XL, performs like one. Really good. No black clipping for me except maybe on mobile data when speeds are low. That is more like a buffering and pixel issue but no black clipping. Could happen on any phone.
5. I really like the included USB-C Pixel buds; took me 10 minutes to get the right fit & learn to use them (fit them); follow the animations in the first time setup. They are really good. Good bass too.
6. Charging time using charger included in box: from 16% to 100%: around 1 hour 40 minutes. WiFi on. AOD on.
7. Notch: got used to it already & not noticeable anymore. I don't play games on the phone at all.
8. The speakers: a minor issue of imbalanced audio(bottom grill is louder) but no buzzing for me & no muffled sound either. Fixable via software update.
9. RAM management: it is bad rn; fixable by software update as the cause has already looks to be the kernel `lowmemoryKiller` as per some sources when you google.
I see 0 hardware based issues with the phone (apart from notch which is bad design & not an issue for me at least). Other issues will be addressed via an update. I see better performance in the future already. Even the pixel 2 xl got better with updates (at least for me).
Buying the Pixel stand soon.
TL;DR: Love it. Keeping it.

Like the phone...my only issues are with the display brightness and sometimes ram management. My conspiracy is that google dimmed the screen in order to avoid a crappy battery. 100% on this is like 65% on my iphone. Other than that, I love the speakers! Not sure if it's worth the $900

Love it but highly intrigued by the 6T coming next week

I remember when in the Nexus days, everyone said that all vanilla Android needed was a great camera and it'd be perfect. Google listened and produced pixel line with best camera, 3 generations in a row now. Now all anyone can do is nitpick the hardware. I think Google has achieved what most enthusiasts were after.

overall i like it, price should drop $300+ - Pixel 3 XL crosshatch 128 black G013C
What: Google Pixel 3 XL crosshatch 128 black G013C
good/great:
camera
camera software
free storage of pictures and video
nice to have included earbuds
screen is decent and not overwarm like apple's off white warm screen tones. proper whitebalance, maybe slightly blue, but a very good screen.
fast - fast booting, fast behavior
not so good / annoying:
4 gb ram @ $1000 price point?
128 vs 256/512 ssd at $1000 price point?
no sd card slot - give it a rest google.
included earbuds done noise cancel. why in the world would they do that?
i cant see where 300-400 dollars went for a phone that costs $1000 + $129 in preferred care
insultingly overpriced wireless earbuds
insultingly overpriced wireless dock
insultingly overpriced accessories in general by screwgle.
drm on Qi / fake Qi charging - 10 watts in the drm mode isnt even enough let alone be enough in the drm-allowed mode. 5W is just pathetic.
included wired charger isnt as good as previous pixel chargers. should include the big dual port charger from the pixel c
ifixit score is terrible (4 of 10). right to repair legislation is going to be needed - an industry wide problem - sad to see in a $1000 phone
audio jack missing - why do this?
faceunlock - i do have an iphone X from work (they gave it for free) - i do enjoy that feature.
bad:
- notch is just stupid. its stupid on the X, XS and on 3XL. stop the god damned notches. i just shut the notch off in developer options so its just a waste of pixels but its just poor design.
- pie having that idiotic gesture system and its forced (no developer or hidden option to go back). just copy the iphone's gesture system and be done with this moronic one
overall im happy because $1000 for me isnt breaking the bank but there are plenty of people where $1000 is a bit on the high side and this phone just doesnt deliver that value. its a nice phone and im happy with it - best android has to offer and camera is the most important feature - but google is a jerk, sundar pichai is a greedy jerk and a bad CEO. when i think of sundar pichai i think of a jerk who is also a spineless milquetoast. when i think of Steve Jobs i think of a jerk who was obsessed with aesthetics, beauty, ease of use, wanting to be best of breed, form and function, etc. google needs a better CEO. sundar pichai is a greedy jerk who needs to work at this harder than he does or let someone good take his place

mikeofny said:
Just got my Pixel 3 XL last night and was impressed with the look and feel. I'm coming from the original Pixel XL. No notch complaints here. I was happy with everything until I got in my car. I have a Jeep JL with Android Auto. I was expecting the two to come together as expected but nothing happened. Spent time changing usb cables. I see power on the Pixel but no love from Android Auto. I'm hoping I just need to go to the dealership for a firmware upgrade or something but its disappointing that it just didn't work.
The only other thing I don't like is the double swipe up to get to the app drawer. Not sure how I feel about it.
With that said my complaints are minor. SOOOO many cool features that like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Im coming from the OG pixel xl as well. I currently have the 6t but don't actually find it much of an upgrade from my pixel. Ive got 15 days to return it so Im looking to buy the 3xl instead. Would you say that the upgrade from the OG xl to the 3xl is worth it?? Thanks!

Related

Long term Pixel opinion?

What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.
It was a much needed update from my aging Nexus 6.
Was briefly contemplating iPhone, but stuck with the Pixel.
Overall, I love the camera, the battery is a champ, and so far I feel no need or want to modify the device.
I think google did well with this one.
Let's hope LG doesn't botch the next one.
LoopLoopLoopLoop
CZ Eddie said:
What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the cherry ? bomb. Like all my Google phones.
Unprecedented battery life.
Fast as Lightning (Especially w/sdcardfs)
No cracks or damage.
Best reception I have ever had.
Extremely challenging to hack. Very easy once you have the slots and Google stops playing games. Lol
Speaker sucks. But I can live with it.
Never have and never will buy anything but a Google phone.
I can go on and on.....
BTW Moto Rocks!
I came from an S5 so anything would have been an upgrade for me. So this thing is screaming fast to me
I bought the phone after I had to send my Note 7 back. I liked it, but didn't keep it long. I've been through a few different phones in the meantime, but finally came back. It's faster than any phone I've used, and still feels really solid, and good in the hand
I came from a N6 as well. I miss the stereo speakers and the bigger screen size of the N6.
The positives of Pixel are the speed, battery life and the general smoothness of the phone.
The cons are pathetic speakers (What was google thinking?), huge bezels (which I find hard to digest coming from a lesser bezel N6) and the lack of development. On my N6 I had flashed almost 10 custom ROMs at different times.
There is hardly much choice for Pixel XL other than a handful ROMs. Perhaps the high price of the phone and the slot rigmarole turns off developers here.
I'm happy with the Pixel , but it was close to $900 and I just feel that I did not get my money's worth. That said, I can't deal with non-Google phones. Was thinking about a One Plus 5, but that's about it. Hopefully Google does something nicer with Pixel XL2.
I love stock Android and EAS is the best thing to happen to Android but..
Just can't justify the price for what you get. I'm a big Audio guy and the speaker is worst I've heard along with 3.5mm jack just sounds awful..
have to run an External DAC to make up for the poor quality
Video recording seems a bit meh blury/grainy no matter what I can't take a clear video unless it's in direct sunlight and then have to deal with the *Lense Flare* another pain in the ass
Rest of the phone is good
Development it's pretty much none existent seems like if you want roms/kernel's either stick with a 6P or OnePlus/Other China device
But I feel like it should of been priced at same as the 6P $440 we only got minor improvements nothing "WOW" to make up for the $300 extra..
I guess we paid for that "Made By Google" bs marketing. Also was never in stock anywhere + the hardware issues drove people away lets hope HTC isn't making again so we can have a great launch and hopefully bring people back :good:
liam_davenport said:
I love stock Android and EAS is the best thing to happen to Android but..
Just can't justify the price for what you get. I'm a big Audio guy and the speaker is worst I've heard along with 3.5mm jack just sounds awful..
have to run an External DAC to make up for the poor quality
Video recording seems a bit meh blury/grainy no matter what I can't take a clear video unless it's in direct sunlight and then have to deal with the *Lense Flare* another pain in the ass
Rest of the phone is good
Development it's pretty much none existent seems like if you want roms/kernel's either stick with a 6P or OnePlus/Other China device
But I feel like it should of been priced at same as the 6P $440 we only got minor improvements nothing "WOW" to make up for the $300 extra..
I guess we paid for that "Made By Google" bs marketing. Also was never in stock anywhere + the hardware issues drove people away lets hope HTC isn't making again so we can have a great launch and hopefully bring people back :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do miss the value days of the Nexus program. Minus Shamu of course. That was expensive. When I bought those Nexus, I felt like I was getting an incredible value for a smartphone.
Here is something I truly value and want everyone to think about.
How much is it worth to us for,
Monthly security updates
Major OS upgrades for two years
Bugfixes along the way
I'll tell you by saying what I've chosen as my daily driver and where my SIM card is and what's in my pocket right now. I've had marlin since Nov '16 and iPhone 7 plus since Jan '17. The marlin is in my pocket right now. The iPhone 7 plus is a great device (iMessages, waterproof) but the reason I love android is the ability to modify (stock or ROM-root-kernel) and access to that SD Card. Otherwise the 2 are pretty much equal as to camera, battery, speed, smoothness, response to touches, etc. at least in my perception. So, obviously I'm very pleased with marlin since I prefer it to a very popular alternative. Had a Samsung Galaxy S7 in early 2016 but sold it after 2 months, Pixel much better device to me.
iamjimmy said:
I came from a N6 as well. I miss the stereo speakers and the bigger screen size of the N6.
The positives of Pixel are the speed, battery life and the general smoothness of the phone.
The cons are pathetic speakers (What was google thinking?), huge bezels (which I find hard to digest coming from a lesser bezel N6) and the lack of development. On my N6 I had flashed almost 10 custom ROMs at different times.
There is hardly much choice for Pixel XL other than a handful ROMs. Perhaps the high price of the phone and the slot rigmarole turns off developers here.
I'm happy with the Pixel , but it was close to $900 and I just feel that I did not get my money's worth. That said, I can't deal with non-Google phones. Was thinking about a One Plus 5, but that's about it. Hopefully Google does something nicer with Pixel XL2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed 100%. Thats why i skipped this one looking forward to the next one. For the price it must have stereo speaker, better audio, water resist, better design and quality. Oh and wireless charging. Then i will jump right in.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Six month user here. And my main complaint for the Pixel remains exactly same as it was back when I bought it. The sudden freezing problem. Just out of nowhere the screen freezes for a second or two, if I am playing a game, then its done, simply over, have to restart, and I can't express how much I hate that. Of course its most noticeable/affecting while gaming, but it happens basically everywhere too, but just less frustrating in other places.
I was advised to format the phone, not root it and blah blah but exact same happened there too, without installing any apps at all! Ridiculous problem and IMHO the most annoying issue Pixels have.
Other than this, I don't know, sometimes the low light photos come with a really weird greenish cast, completely off coloured and way too much noise (yeah with HDR+ On, that's the only one I use anyway) etc.
But other than these two, I have no complaints. Tremendous call quality, more than acceptable display (though still no Apple!), excellent GPS (though Google Maps says to calibrate compass every now and then), buttery smooth interface all around most times, at max volume the loudspeaker is excellent (though at half volume it can't be heard and equally ****e!), really low SAR value etc., I am contemplating the U11 now, just for the sound and camera, but if I don't go that route I am gonna keep this phone for at least two years, and the maximum I have ever used a mobile phone was for 15 months, the Galaxy S2 back in the days, should suffice what I think about this phone.
I also have the OnePlus 3 in office, and I know some people compare it and I can say its basically Guava vs Apples comparison.
PS: Sorry didn't comment about development, but I honestly don't care much about it at all. I bought the Pixel so that I won't be needing the optimise it, let Google optimise it for me, and they did a fairly decent job, but after using Franco kernel I can say Google could have done a much better job. So that's all I need, a custom kernel.
coming from Samsung and LG devices, this phone has been a breath of fresh air even with this new partition scheme. Phone does well, battery life holds up for two days. I just have an issue with bluetooth not consistently sending music info to my radio. Some days it works, other days it's like what music info...
It's great and definitely a worthy upgrade from my Nexus 6. The only thing I miss is the front facing speakers but I didn't use them much anyways, well that and I guess it's way more slippery than my Nexus 6 because I don't use cases at all.
Couldn't be happier. Presently have a 7 Plus and the XL that I swap my sim between. IPhone is great in many ways but I just keep coming back to the Pixel XL....something about the experience I get using it that I really enjoy.
As for the other characteristics of the device others have already commented. I purchased mine at launch and received it later October.
I currently have the Nexus 6P. Damn that is a nice phone! I'm seriously doubting anything will "crush" this phones performance. But I decided I wanted to move up to the Pixel XL. I'm a decent Android gamer, so the updated GPU was nice. Plus, the camera is supposedly just that much better. Among other things, like 4GB RAM instead of the 6P's 3GB.
I don't receive the Pixel XL until Monday, so I'm wearing a path through my foyer, pacing back and forth, waiting for it to arrive.
I've spent at LEAST 30 hours this week doing research on the Pixel, its partition layout, how to get root to work, TWRP limitations, etc. This is certainly more complicated than the 6P.
Part of the reason I decided to plop down for the Pixel, was because I didn't see a lot of development going for it, as there is for the 6P. And since people seem to like my ROMs, I figured I'd toss something out there that I made, and see what kind of life it can breathe into the Pixel.
I think I'll like it. Tried it out in-hand at BestBuy yesterday. Solid device, great screen, color accuracy is actually better than the 6P, and for the first time, I kind of like the phone WITHOUT a case! Never though I'd say that.
I've used iPhones since the 3GS up until the 6S Plus (all jailbroken). I decided to try out the Nexus 6P (first ever Android phone) and fell in love with it! Custom ROMs, kernels, tweaks, Xposed, etc. were all new to me and I loved every bit of it!
However, for some reason, I decided to sell it and pick up an iPhone 7 Plus when it released. As iOS matured, security got tighter, and jailbreaking became more difficult. I got tired of waiting for a jailbreak to release and realized how locked down the OS is (when not jailbroken) compared to Android.
I sold my 7 Plus and bought this Pixel XL. I wasn't a huge fan at first, just because of the confusion with the slots and the lack of development​ compared to the 6P.
Now that there is more development and that I understand the slots better, I'm really enjoying this phone!
Overall, if I had the choice, I would still probably pick the 6P over this; that thing was just a beauty in basically every aspect, and it was the phone that first introduced me into the Android world.
Not a huge fan of the single downfiring speaker or the bottom chin, but otherwise it's a great phone, especially the camera!
I'm going to see what the OnePlus 5 has to offer, and may switch to that - but I'll definitely keep this XL around until the 2nd gen Pixels release. I'll be purchasing the second gen Pixels only if Google allows them to be development friendly like how the Nexus line was. If not, I may make a permanent switch over to the OnePlus line.
CZ Eddie said:
What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I had the LG G6, S8+, and I sent the G6 back and sold the S8+. The pixel was snappier than both, better camera than both which is a great feature having and outstanding camera, and more reliable than both. I like stock Android, clean, fast, stable. I like being able to unlock and do what I want with my phone when I want and still have the same snappiness, camera quality, and reliability on custom ROMs. Most times you sacrifice things to go custom. Not with Google devices, Nexus, Pixel, etc. I still have it since released and can't see getting rid of it any time soon. Ya, maybe people thinking of OnePlus 5, but I also had the 3 and 3T and one thing I hated about that is when using anything custom, the camera was horrible, BT for me had issues, and other little nags. All in all, this is definitely my go to device and I've had many.
I give it a C+
After having the Pixel XL since I returned the Note 7 (Best phone I've ever owned IMO), There are issues with it that really bug me.
- For one, Youtube stutters and desyncs the audio from the video almost every video I watch, and I watch a lot of YT.
- Second, the bluetooth does not sync right in my Audi, and every 15 minutes it sounds like a modem for like 20 seconds and reconnects. It also doesn't know what to do on voice calls and frequently bounce back and forth between car speakers, and phone speaker mode, so I just turn it off for voice or Hangouts/Meet calls in the car.
- Third, the battery life has been dwindling over time, so I charge twice a day now. Yes, I'm a power user and need at least 6-8 hours of screen on time per day. That being said the phone charging speed is ridiculously fast. I can charge at least 50% in 30 minutes.
- The speakers are crap, and the audio jack doesn't give me enough volume. The setting between say 60-65% volume is way too loud, so the volume curve is not good.
-As a pro, the Camera is excellent, even in low light if you know what you're doing. The video, if you use the auto stability is crap so just don't use it.
The phone does stutter, and take a while sometimes. I am using the stock ROM, and have made no modifications to the file system or home screen at all. As is, this phone is average, so for the price, not worth it. I do have the Verizon version, and not sure if that makes a difference. Can't wait for the Note 8 to come out.
I've had mine since November and still love it. I came from the G7 edge which I was quite fond of as well. The following are the good things that keep me on the Pixel.
- Camera, for stills easily the best available. Wish the EIS didn't cause the jello effect when panning while video recording, but nonetheless I've been quite pleased with the camcorder as well.
- Software, clean, simple, fluid and robust. I am on stock unrooted. I reboot my phone once a month for updates and the phone never lags, gets janky or develops issues requiring a reboot. Additionally, the speed of updates means I'm always up to date with the most secure version​ of Android available.
I've had my Pixel XL 128gb since launch. I came from a Note 7, so was very challenging to get used to having a very lean software base which didn't offer many features in comparison to the Samsung series. I missed many software features from the Note 7.
The thing that gets me the most, is that I was already bored of the device 6 months in. I usually hold onto a phone for 12-24 months. The Note 4 I held onto for the longest time (24months). I enjoyed it as there were both android OS updates, and touchwiz updates, so it constantly got a new lease to life looking fresh or having new features. 8 months on and the Pixel looks exactly the same, with no updates.
I also feel that the design looked dated when I bought it, but it now is really showing it's age with the HUGE bezels. I have also struggled to find any good screen protectors (I've tried them all) as they don't sit properly. The phone is huge with a smaller screen than most phones this price/size.
It's got the worst bluetooth of any phone I have every owned, partly down to Android but also to the Pixel.
Had a lot more ROM options for Samsung, being that you can go Note 4 roms, Note 5 roms, Note 7 roms, AOSP builds, CM, MIUI. I feel like the Pixel has AOSP, stock. That's it really. They are all the same with very minor changes.
Otherwise it's mostly buttery smooth - although i'm constantly keeping my eye out for a new phone, so could be the shortest period I have owned a phone for.

Anyone else thinking of selling their Oneplus 5 and buying the Pixel 2 (XL)

I am happy with the OP5, but let's be honest the Pixel kinda blows it out of the water in some pretty key areas. (and i know the pixel 2 is more expensive, but for the pixel 2 it's only $100 or so more)...
Photos/videos
Unlimited Full size photos/videos Cloud Storage for FREE
Waterproof/Dustproof
3 years promised support for updates
Google Customer Service
1st Phone to receive updates (no waiting for months/months/etc....)
So what about you guys/gals, any thoughts to purchasing one and reselling the OP5?
Why or why not?
I had the Pixel XL 2 pre ordered with a ship date of next week but canceled.
I am still paying off the Oneplus 5 and won't get nearly what I paid for it. Look at eBay its saturated with this phone.
In raw specs it would be a downgrade in ram even though its overkill. Going from 8gb to 4gb
The Oneplus 5 camera and display are not as good as the Pixel 2, but not terrible either.
-Has a headphone jack
- The battery life is superb and the dash charging is bonus
- Tons of development for this phone
- Oneplus is pretty decent with their updates compared to other OEMS
I use my OnePlus 5 (6GB RAM) as my daily driver for two weeks now. Until now I mostly used Sony Smartphones (Xperia Z, Z2, Z5) and I made the change because of the increase of price for the new Sony phones. I am very happy with it and love the big development community! I've seen the Google live stream a few days ago when the Pixel2 was presented and these are the following advantages and disadvantages in my opinion:
+ Pixel 2
IP67 certified (waterproof)
probably better for smaller hands
true stereo speakers
camera (quality and OIS+EIS for video)
- Pixel 2
5 inch is quite small nowadays (for me 5,2 inch is perfect)
no headphone jack (headphone through usb c)
fingerprint scanner on back (not necassery for a 5 inch phone)
smaller battery
pricey
+ OnePlus 5
Dash Charge (probably the best feature)
headphone jack
price (you can save a lot!)
ram (probably a thing in the future)
battery life (much better than my old Xperia Z5)
design (in my opinion the pixel 2 is kinda ugly)
fingerprint sensor (very quick and I like the position)
I have ordered one. A little worried about the screen issues with the V30 so it'll be interesting to see what the reviewers say regarding the screen.
If it's not an issue I'll probably keep the OP5 and get a Pixel 2 XL as well.
Used to own a 6P and it's nice to always get the latest updates and the camera seems incredibly impressive.
No, I won't, besides the unlimited photos is only for two years. In my opinion, Google shot themselves in the foot, bringing up the price, might as well get a iPhone X. I mean look at those bezels. Oneplus is half the price, I can accept the bezels. Just my two cents.
Too pricey for me. I feel like once the 5T/6 is released next year (maybe even this year), I'll just upgrade to that, as it'll probably still be cheaper than the Pixel and probably contain next gen hardware.
I sold my OP5 for what I paid on Swappa. People are snatching them up for fear of stock never coming back officially.
I have ordered the Pixel 2 XL, mainly for the camera experience. Constant software updates and support are a bonus. I paid using Google Store Financing, which I'm not too worried about since Pixel phones retain value well.
I think most people find the Pixel 2 appealing because of it's camera quality and pure stock Android experience (constant updates, newest versions, etc.). Other than that, the design also matters. I wouldn't call either the 2 or the 2 XL a good looking phone by any stretch. The 2's screen to body ratio is underwhelming and, really, it looks like something out of 2014. Now that's not to say the OP5 is anything different, but the curved corners and the smaller chins make it look pretty good overall. Spec-wise, the OP5 is way superior with that overloaded 6 and 8GB RAM. Both have the SD835 so no difference on that front. The OP5 also has a near-stock experience, and that by itself is good enough for me. Overall as well as for the value, the OP5 is better, and I'd choose it over the Pixel 2 any day.
First things first, the lack of a proper headphone jack is a no-no for me. Type-C headphones are nowhere to find (to actually buy some) and I don't want to think all the time are my BT headphones charged up.
Second, since the OP5 came out, it receives at least one (sometimes even more) updates per month. Its not as a Pixel but still enough is going on.
Third, you lose dash charging which is superb compared to other tech, and the Pixel isn't as developer friendly as the Nexuses were. Count the price on top of that, basically paying more for less features.
I think I will swap over to Pixel 2 XL from OP5. Pixel is now available on vodafone and from my contract I can receive a new phone, so I will switch in december I think.
OP5 is nice, but Pixel feels way more modern!
Well, the reason you see the phone so cheap is because no one in their right would ever but a phone off eBay, just a dumb idea. To buy a used phone you go to swappa.com
Much safer to buy there and the listings descriptions are usually exactly what you get. Because of that you usually get better pricing there
Will surely be sifting to Pixel XL 2 when it arrives in November in India...
Happy with my OP5 but Pixel 2 Camera and OS updates are main reason I am switching...
Yes I will be swapping to the Pixel 2 XL, already pre-ordered it - After I had my first encounter with OP customer service when I got my OP5, I've loss all faith in the Company. I'll be moving on.
I like my OP5, but it has some annoying quirks. The latest is my phone doesn't ring for incoming calls. Everything is set right, just no rings. I only find out about a call now when I get a voicemail notification. Tried all the normal fixes, even full factory resets, but no resolution. OP's customer service is pretty uimpressive, too. I ordered a 128GB 2 XL and will give it try for a couple weeks. If I like it, my OP5 is headed for Swappa.
google is copying apple's business model on so many levels these days, except they are not offering anything exceptional (i think apple products are great, for what they are). the main difference is, apple does what THEY do very, very well. hardware and software engineers back to back means their devices always run cleanly and efficiently. google is using the same parts as every other flagship android manufacturer, and tends to stay just behind the curve. they slap a decent (that's right, DECENT) camera on the back, put the google logo on it and sell it for flagship prices. i'm sure their support is better than OP (impossible to beat OPs level of crappiness here), but it doesn't make up for their lack of innovation and foresight.
basically, if you are on XDA, WE are your support team. developers here will likely keep you on the latest OS with latest security definitions. this is one thing google usually does correctly, but it's not necessary to pay that kind of money for a service that is usually provided for free.
plus, the pixel line is UGLY. OP5 is definitely a "2 year ago" design, and it's still light years ahead of the pixel.
if you take a lot of pictures, pixel would be better. otherwise, i'd say stick with OP5.
Giving my OnePlus to my father. Getting the pixel 2 for camera (oneplus camera is a letdown for me), fast updates, and to a lesser extent, being able to call on google assistant just by squeezing the phone (hopefully works as advertised)
Maybe in US it's only 100$ more than OnePlus 5,ie 640$ for 64 GB variant. But here in India the same variant costs 940$ !! So I'm gonna stick with my OnePlus 5 and I'm fully satisfied with it.
There is no difference, if you are trying to choose similar OS phones, hardware specs may differ though.
I would prefer buyin iOS device over OP5.
Nope. The cost plus no real upgrade other then screen and camera. Plus I don't think i'd ever go with a small 5 inch screen again. 5.5 is the absolute smallest i'd go (5-5.2" screens are for midget hands). I'm used to 5.7" screens. That being said the Pixel 2 XL would be the comparison and that isn't even an option at around $1000 for the 128gb. That's silly to give up on far far superior battery life, dash charging, never gets hot and overall performance.
The OP said 3 years of updates... nope 18 months and another 18 months for security patches not updates. Also, you do know that every other SD 835 is clocked slower then the OP5, 2.35ghz compared to 2.45ghz in the OP5 and runs cooler.
i like the pixel, but i hate the finger print in the back..if oneplus 6 changes the finger print, i'll not buy it either...

those who have the phone

So you will have all had the phone for a month or so now .
Still waiting here for the UK release ,but is it worth waiting for ,love the design of it
What's all your views on it .
my choices are
Wait for essential in the UK
Pixel 2 XL
HTC U11 + if it comes es to the UK
LG V30
I've grown to love this phone. Out of the phones you mention, the only one I would consider would be the P2XL. However, since Essential is starting to release source files, I'll be perfectly happy to stick with the PH-1 if we start seeing some development.
If I had the choice now, I'd probably go for the Pixel 2 XL. Having owned the PH-1 for a month now, I realize that it is still pretty much unfinished product. The hardware is no doubt, beautiful but the software still feels incomplete. Although Essential has sent out a few updates and the software had improved markedly, it is still not up to par with other phones in the market (e.g. phone lags when scrolling, it freezes every now and then and the camera software is still not that great).
Although we haven't seen how the Pixel 2 XL really works, I'd assume it's in better shape than the Essential software. In short, I'd ask whether you'd want to be a beta tester for Essential or go with a more established player like Google. In my case, I am getting the Pixel 2 XL and will sell the PH-1 (or may keep it as a backup) when it arrives.
I was waiting for the Pixel 2, not XL (850+ dlls for me is too much), but then the full desing leaked and the Pixel 2 ended up horrible. For me it was 650 + taxes for the pixel 2, with 64 gb and outdated design. On the other hand Essential is 700 for 128gb an much better looking, also I had the oportunity to saw one at a local best buy and it was amazing on the hand, great build quality.
If you have no problem with spending 850+ dlls for a phone and you really need the fastest Android updates then go for the Pixel XL 2, but I think the essential is at a reallly good point right know and it looks like things are going to be better
combat goofwing said:
So you will have all had the phone for a month or so now .
Still waiting here for the UK release ,but is it worth waiting for ,love the design of it
What's all your views on it .
my choices are
Wait for essential in the UK
Pixel 2 XL
HTC U11 + if it comes es to the UK
LG V30
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I currently own both the HTC U11 and Essential with the pixel 2 XL on order, so if you are familiar with the U11, i can give you a fairly good idea of what you'l be getting with the essential. Between the two I have, they are very different and you get different value for your money. With the essential you get 128GB, great build and materials. I love the look and design. The edge to edge display is really something you have to see in person to appreciate. Having had the s8+, the Essentials bezel less design is better in my opinion. Battery size is ok at 3040mAh. It's also getting update pretty frequently so there's hope all bugs will be ironed out soon. So far nothing I can't live with.
I think you can get the U11 for $550 and $650 for the 64gb and 128GB respectively. I'm guessing the U11+ will be similar to the U11 in terms of specs, but with hopefully a larger, less bezel. So with the U11 as reference you get a more traditional, possibly outdated design. You either love it or hate it for it's "classic" look. Aside from that you get a solidly built phone as well. It feels good in the hand, it runs great with probably one of the only android skins I actually like. It has a really good camera, once having had the highest DxO score for a bit until it was overtaken by the iphone and now pixels. Still a great camera none the less, miles ahead better than the essential, so I expect the U11+ to have the same if not slightly better. Still nothing wrong if it's the same camera in my opinion. The U11 has a 3000mAh battery, so I expect the U11+ to have at least that much, hopefully more. The edge sense is actually pretty cool and useful too once you setup custom actions per app.
Then's there' s cost. The essential is $700 US dollars for 128GB. If the U11 is $750 normally for 128GB, I can only assume the U11+ will be more if a 128 option exists. The U11+ will most likely have sd card support. That's still cheaper than the pixel 2xl that starts at $850 for 64gb and $950 for 128gb with the exact same internals, with a much better camera. but pixel does have bigger screen but s8 like bezels on top and bottom. At least there's speakers there but if you want edge to edge, the essential is a nicer looking option.
I actually prefer the Essential over my U11. The camera isn't that important to me on a smart phone. It works, takes decent pictures if needed. I'm no professional and I don't pretend to be. But the look, feels and size is what makes the essential my daily driver now. I am totally happy with my essential, and I'll be critical with the pixel 2 given all the good the essential has. I don't regret my purchase and even got one for the wife
Personally I love the essential phone. My favorite this is the size of the phone. It's pretty much identical to size of the Galaxy S5 and it's all screen. As far as software, I don't really have any issues at all anymore, the occasional things creeps up from time to time. Every phone has those random little on offs. There isn't a software on Earth that hasn't frozen hasn't lagged hasn't bugged out at one time or another. Essential has done a really great job of keeping consistent updates coming. Through both the monthly security updates and via essential services and resources app on the play store.
I could honestly careless about the camera, it has never been a selling point for me on a phone ever. That being said, I don't have any issues taking pictures and they turn just fine for me. If you want to shoot a movie on your phone(like all the reviewers expect a phone camera to clearly do) maybe look towards the pixel. I have no interest in pixel xl 2 because it's to dam big for my hands and those size phones are hard for me to use. After using this phone, I have no interest in using a phone that has bezels as big as the regular pixel 2.
You can't go wrong with either phone, and unless you pre-order the pixel 2 xl it's going to be a wait for that device as well.
swagglepuff said:
Personally I love the essential phone. My favorite this is the size of the phone. It's pretty much identical to size of the Galaxy S5 and it's all screen. As far as software, I don't really have any issues at all anymore, the occasional things creeps up from time to time. Every phone has those random little on offs. There isn't a software on Earth that hasn't frozen hasn't lagged hasn't bugged out at one time or another. Essential has done a really great job of keeping consistent updates coming. Through both the monthly security updates and via essential services and resources app on the play store.
I could honestly careless about the camera, it has never been a selling point for me on a phone ever. That being said, I don't have any issues taking pictures and they turn just fine for me. If you want to shoot a movie on your phone(like all the reviewers expect a phone camera to clearly do) maybe look towards the pixel. I have no interest in pixel xl 2 because it's to dam big for my hands and those size phones are hard for me to use. After using this phone, I have no interest in using a phone that has bezels as big as the regular pixel 2.
You can't go wrong with either phone, and unless you pre-order the pixel 2 xl it's going to be a wait for that device as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that I have used for a while, the reviews were really hard. Saying that this phone is bad and telling people not to buy it only because the camare is not good makes me wonder what kind of "reviews" and "tech journalism" we have today
TheDethEgineer said:
Now that I have used for a while, the reviews were really hard. Saying that this phone is bad and telling people not to buy it only because the camare is not good makes me wonder what kind of "reviews" and "tech journalism" we have today
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, I have been waging a war on Android central recently and their over bias bull**** reviews. Sites like those only care about flagship devices, infact the only phones they don't say bad things about are Samsung. That same attitude has rolled over to the forums, just a bunch of people who have never even seen one in person saying it's a horrible device. Yet I come to the good ol' XDA it's full of people actually trying to help other users.
That's why I don't buy phones based on reviews, if I listened to Android central, I would have never owned the HTC 10, the Honor 8 or the axon 7. All of which are fantastic devices, but because they don't do things like Samsung they all got ****ty reviews and recommendations.
---------- Post added at 11:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:04 PM ----------
QD2DC said:
I currently own both the HTC U11 and Essential with the pixel 2 XL on order, so if you are familiar with the U11, i can give you a fairly good idea of what you'l be getting with the essential. Between the two I have, they are very different and you get different value for your money. With the essential you get 128GB, great build and materials. I love the look and design. The edge to edge display is really something you have to see in person to appreciate. Having had the s8+, the Essentials bezel less design is better in my opinion. Battery size is ok at 3040mAh. It's also getting update pretty frequently so there's hope all bugs will be ironed out soon. So far nothing I can't live with.
I think you can get the U11 for $550 and $650 for the 64gb and 128GB respectively. I'm guessing the U11+ will be similar to the U11 in terms of specs, but with hopefully a larger, less bezel. So with the U11 as reference you get a more traditional, possibly outdated design. You either love it or hate it for it's "classic" look. Aside from that you get a solidly built phone as well. It feels good in the hand, it runs great with probably one of the only android skins I actually like. It has a really good camera, once having had the highest DxO score for a bit until it was overtaken by the iphone and now pixels. Still a great camera none the less, miles ahead better than the essential, so I expect the U11+ to have the same if not slightly better. Still nothing wrong if it's the same camera in my opinion. The U11 has a 3000mAh battery, so I expect the U11+ to have at least that much, hopefully more. The edge sense is actually pretty cool and useful too once you setup custom actions per app.
Then's there' s cost. The essential is $700 US dollars for 128GB. If the U11 is $750 normally for 128GB, I can only assume the U11+ will be more if a 128 option exists. The U11+ will most likely have sd card support. That's still cheaper than the pixel 2xl that starts at $850 for 64gb and $950 for 128gb with the exact same internals, with a much better camera. but pixel does have bigger screen but s8 like bezels on top and bottom. At least there's speakers there but if you want edge to edge, the essential is a nicer looking option.
I actually prefer the Essential over my U11. The camera isn't that important to me on a smart phone. It works, takes decent pictures if needed. I'm no professional and I don't pretend to be. But the look, feels and size is what makes the essential my daily driver now. I am totally happy with my essential, and I'll be critical with the pixel 2 given all the good the essential has. I don't regret my purchase and even got one for the wife
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't go saying better camera just yet. The HTC U11 and the first pixel are tied at a dxo mark of 90. While google unofficially claims a score of 98 for the new pixels we will see. I am sure HTC has plans to continue it's stellar camera software.
UK owner
I bought mine from a seller in the US as I was willing to take a chance that the early reviews were off the mark.
I've had the phone for almost 4 weeks now, and it's a great phone as far as I'm concerned.
Battery life is excellent, I get a minimum of 5 hours + SOT regularly for my usage, which I have never managed with previous phones., Even managed almost 7 hours a couple of times with lighter usage.
Latest updates from Essential have made real progress in stability.
Yes, the camera is average, but not as bad as many have said.
It takes decent photographs as far as I'm concerned, and I use it occasionally for work purposes with no problems in quality.
It does feel very nice in the hand, and the screen coverage looks great.
Hope this helps.
Something I need to mention that I initially forgot. The screen brightness when outside in sunlight. I think some of the early reviews said it was little under lit, but I think they may have adaptive brightness on, because I've used it often when out and about. I've noticed if you toggle off adaptive and adjust it manually if it's sunny, it's fine.
I would pick the PH-1 over any of those devices, the design is different in a good way, the lack of accessories (cases mainly) makes it more like a acquired taste. hey all use the same Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM so it's based on your style. The Essential has been great to me and it turns heads. If you decide on the others - I would say Pixel 2 XL so you are ensured support
swagglepuff said:
Exactly, I have been waging a war on Android central recently and their over bias bull**** reviews. Sites like those only care about flagship devices, infact the only phones they don't say bad things about are Samsung. That same attitude has rolled over to the forums, just a bunch of people who have never even seen one in person saying it's a horrible device. Yet I come to the good ol' XDA it's full of people actually trying to help other users.
That's why I don't buy phones based on reviews, if I listened to Android central, I would have never owned the HTC 10, the Honor 8 or the axon 7. All of which are fantastic devices, but because they don't do things like Samsung they all got ****ty reviews and recommendations.
---------- Post added at 11:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:04 PM ----------
Don't go saying better camera just yet. The HTC U11 and the first pixel are tied at a dxo mark of 90. While google unofficially claims a score of 98 for the new pixels we will see. I am sure HTC has plans to continue it's stellar camera software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yes and no. The score is official. But what that number equates to in real world performance is relative. To say the u11 isn't "as good" as the pixel 2 does not mean the u11 camera isn't great, although the phrase does imply that. I think a score in the 90s will result in excellent camera performance to some degree. I have no reason to believe HTC won't improve on what they've built so far. Regardless as an android user we have some quality and exciting phones to choose from.
QD2DC said:
Well yes and no. The score is official. But what that number equates to in real world performance is relative. To say the u11 isn't "as good" as the pixel 2 does not mean the u11 camera isn't great, although the phrase does imply that. I think a score in the 90s will result in excellent camera performance to some degree. I have no reason to believe HTC won't improve on what they've built so far. Regardless as an android user we have some quality and exciting phones to choose from.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not know they made it official, well in that case. Let's see what HTC brings with the U11+. I have always loved HTC and their simple user interface. If the rumors are correct it will be a thin bezel design as well, which makes me excited. I honestly wouldn't have given the U11 back had it had a higher screen to body ratio. It was a little too big for my liking.
I loved the look and feel of the phone, substantial in the hand, good button feel and I liked where the buttons were.
NIce looking screen too.
Software and camera were OK,
I *hatehatehate* stock android ! First thing I have always done is root and Rom .
I returned it, very late actually like just last week as I was holding out hope of kernel and Factory image release but not soon enough. I resurrected my 6P and am still using that because I **really* love the 6P.
I would absolutely buy the PH-1 again when my 6P dies and Essential gets some ROMs.
The PH-1 is a fabulous device. Now that Xposed is live for Nougat, using Xposed on the PH-1 would greatly enhance the experience, for me. Where else are you going to get that kind of hardware and 128GB storage for under 700? I did keep the camera JIC lol
Zo0
swagglepuff said:
I did not know they made it official, well in that case. Let's see what HTC brings with the U11+. I have always loved HTC and their simple user interface. If the rumors are correct it will be a thin bezel design as well, which makes me excited. I honestly wouldn't have given the U11 back had it had a higher screen to body ratio. It was a little too big for my liking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know how you feel. Been an HTC fan since the windows mobile days and loved HTC manilla/rosie/sense and whatever else it was called in between lol. I miss developing for the those older phones. Sense is the only android skin I truly love. Hopefully I'll be apart of the user trials for the u11+ as well. But the essential will be a hard phone to beat design wise.
Still like my PH1. Not sure I want the Pixel 2 xl. I've got a 6p to trade on it also but it's not really a great looking device in my opinion. Haven't ruled it out though as a backup device. Honestly I really want to see if I can get the Xperia XZ1 to run on Verizon as it has all the lte bands. Plus it's got aptx for my home Bluetooth setup. Sony hates the US so it's been an impossible task so far.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Thanks guys ,some great responses and information,still using my trusty N6P ,if I could gather a UK release date on the PH-1 it would help ,but essential seem reluctant to commit to one so far .Had the early shut down issues in the N6P ,but I changed the battery for lots more life in it just yet .
combat goofwing said:
Thanks guys ,some great responses and information,still using my trusty N6P ,if I could gather a UK release date on the PH-1 it would help ,but essential seem reluctant to commit to one so far .Had the early shut down issues in the N6P ,but I changed the battery for lots more life in it just yet .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if www.swappa.com is an option for you but they have some on sale, from used to mint. I buy and sell and on there all the time. Extremely reliable, PayPal verified and secure. One in mint condition at $620 isn't bad.

hesitate to return Pixel 2 XL and move back to Nexus 6

I preorder a pixel 2 XL during October 4th event, have been using 2 XL for 2 days now.
Really good battery life : at least 24h battery life with about 8h Screen on time.
Blazing fast: On the latest Oreo, everything is smooth and fast. No stutter whatsoever.
Stupidly great camera: everything photo looks like shot by professional camera.
Squeeze is fun: l start to love to squeeze the phone to launch Google assistant.
I really want to say I love the 2XL, but I really can't. I'm hesitating to whether to return 2 XL and move back to Nexus 6 based on the following reasons.
Hardware issue
1. Screen is a deal breaker:. The color are extremely dull, red looks brown and white looks green. And I had noticeable Burn-In on the bottom of screen for less than 15 screen on times within 2 days.
2. Charing is slow: I experienced 2 cycle of charge that took 2h 30m from 0 to 100%, this result has been confirmed by at least four independent sources, including PhoneArena and Youtuber Jerome Ortega.
Personal opinion
1. Screen on 2 XL is smaller than Nexus 6: On paper, both phones have 6 inches screen, but 2XL is 18:9 ratio versus 16:9 on N6. So you have a narrow a screen with smaller viewing area than N6.
2. Speakers are slightly louder than 2 XL
What's your thought? Should I return the 2 XL?
The Pixel 2 XL was moderately bad at the bend test:
I like my Nexus 6, but I guess it all comes down to your personal priorities.
Edit: Google says that they are considering a software option for brighter colors.
runekock said:
The Pixel 2 XL was moderately bad at the bend test:
I like my Nexus 6, but I guess it all comes down to your personal priorities.
Edit: Google says that they are considering a software option for brighter colors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The video you are showing is Pixel 2 made by HTC, not Pixel 2 XL made by LG. They have a very different internal structure.
In my opinion, switch to the pixel 2 or just get a samsung if you are bored with nexus 6.
Even though somebody might say otherwise or hate mw for this, do not ever trust LG made stuff.
It is no surprise to mw that the screen is bad and ita made by LG. Their QC is bad and its that for for years.
Might be confirmation bias fallacy though on my part
Well Nexus 6 is a great device the AMOLED panel with the stereo speakers , not to mention has also wireless charging. Am currently using it as my DD.
But obviously pixel 2 xl has all the latest specs . Personally I will pass on this year's pixel 2 as it's not a compelling phone features wise. I am running Oreo six rom atm. It's fun flashing and using it but yeah at times Shamu can lag or feel slow due apps now being more demanding.
tjxddt said:
The video you are showing is Pixel 2 made by HTC, not Pixel 2 XL made by LG. They have a very different internal structure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops, sorry about that.
As to burn-in, this comment indicates that it isn't permanent:
https://disqus.com/by/xda-c75a8b67d7bb88f3595e8738de86ae2b/?
Nexus 6 is good, but only bad is the camera with 30FPS.... No 720p at 60fps ,1080p at 60FPS, no mods ,nothing!
dgm_mixtoon said:
Nexus 6 is good, but only bad is the camera with 30FPS.... No 720p at 60fps ,1080p at 60FPS, no mods ,nothing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine does 4K video on back camera...pretty good for an old Motorola.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
shadowcore said:
In my opinion, switch to the pixel 2 or just get a samsung if you are bored with nexus 6.
Even though somebody might say otherwise or hate mw for this, do not ever trust LG made stuff.
It is no surprise to mw that the screen is bad and ita made by LG. Their QC is bad and its that for for years.
Might be confirmation bias fallacy though on my part
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you do realize, that LG is one of the largest IPS Panel manufacturers and pretty much every ips panel on any phone is made by LG?
Also pretty much every high end ips monitor (ah-ips at the moment) also has a panel produced by LG.
So i am pretty sure many many people here are using LG Panels without knowing it is from LG and without any problems
DDQW said:
you do realize, that LG is one of the largest IPS Panel manufacturers and pretty much every ips panel on any phone is made by LG?
Also pretty much every high end ips monitor (ah-ips at the moment) also has a panel produced by LG.
So i am pretty sure many many people here are using LG Panels without knowing it is from LG and without any problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/77m8uv/pixel_2_display_megathread_poll/donkcbx/
shadowcore said:
https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/77m8uv/pixel_2_display_megathread_poll/donkcbx/
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Click to collapse
You completely missed what they were talking about. He's saying that a lot of the things we use these days use LG panels, and we don't have any issues. By you saying to never trust LG, means you aren't going to be using a lot of tech.
IDK man, i read a lot comments the past few weeks that most of us wants the N6 just with newer specs back, and i think the N6 is the greatest and best looking phone on the planet. Heck if i had the budget i would found a company that builds just the N6 in different sizes (5" , 5.5" and the classic 6") with the newest specs and whatnot, just for the sake of it lel.
tjxddt said:
I preorder a pixel 2 XL during October 4th event, have been using 2 XL for 2 days now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky you. I preordered the minute that they brought it up on their website, and mine's still more than 2 weeks away!
Must be because I'm in Canada.
Really good battery life : at least 24h battery life with about 8h Screen on time.
Blazing fast: On the latest Oreo, everything is smooth and fast. No stutter whatsoever.
Stupidly great camera: everything photo looks like shot by professional camera.
Squeeze is fun: l start to love to squeeze the phone to launch Google assistant.
I really want to say I love the 2XL, but I really can't. I'm hesitating to whether to return 2 XL and move back to Nexus 6 based on the following reasons.
Hardware issue
1. Screen is a deal breaker:. The color are extremely dull, red looks brown and white looks green. And I had noticeable Burn-In on the bottom of screen for less than 15 screen on times within 2 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its my understanding that the "dull" colors are a design choice made by google in order to achieve a much greater accuracy. Think back a few years about all the complaints about samdung amoled displays being "oversaturated". Well, now people have become USED TO oversaturated displays, and finding accuracy unappealing.
Its also worth mentioning that Google has added an option for a 10% saturation increase. Its not clear if this software change has been pushed out to production units yet. They've also indicated that they are monitoring complaints and will add more options if needed.
As far as the "burn in" thing goes, something about POLED displays is that they are supposed to be a lot more resistant to *permanent* burn in, than amoled. At least, that's what I read somewhere.
But frankly, I saw lots of complaints from people about the N6 display burning in, and I haven't seen anything on the screen that ever caught my attention.
2. Charing is slow: I experienced 2 cycle of charge that took 2h 30m from 0 to 100%, this result has been confirmed by at least four independent sources, including PhoneArena and Youtuber Jerome Ortega.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the problem? Above you say "at least 24h battery life with about 8h Screen on time."
Don't you sleep?
Plug it in when you go to bed. Wake up and its fully charged and will last you well beyond next time you go to sleep.
Fast charging is also bad for your battery. It creates more heat, and heat is the enemy of batteries.
I NEVER charged my Nexus 6 with more than a 500 mA 5V power supply. No bulging at all (back cover still sits perfectly flat without the flaring up around the buttons that some people have observed), and now even 3 years later, with very light use, it will still run well into the 3rd day between charges. I will reiterate though... very light use for the 3 days. Obviously with lots of screen on time or tethering, it will drop, but its rare that I've put it on the charger at the end of the day with less than 50%.
Personal opinion
1. Screen on 2 XL is smaller than Nexus 6: On paper, both phones have 6 inches screen, but 2XL is 18:9 ratio versus 16:9 on N6. So you have a narrow a screen with smaller viewing area than N6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On paper it is actually a smaller screen than Nexus 6.
xl2: 2.68x5.37 = 14.28 sqin.
n6: 2.94x5.23 = 15.37 sqin.
So the n6 is still bigger by 1.09 square inches.
That is on paper.
And that difference concerns me as well. Not so much the absolute difference in screen size, but the difference in width. I've always found on-screen keyboards to be challenging -- my thumbs just don't get along with it, so the N6 was a dream come true in a world without physical keyboards.
But the width of the xl2 is a whole quarter of an inch (8.8%) smaller. I hope that I can adapt to that difference, because there is not a whole lot I can do about it, there are simply not any phones coming from anywhere with a screen as BIG as N6.
And at this point, its time to update. The N6 is a great phone, but without software support, you end up stuck doing it yourself, or hoping that people on the internet can get it right. Well, I'm trying to run Android 8 on it, but the bluetooth is hopelessly broken, and I haven't the time right now to take it on myself. I just can't deal with that, I need the thing to work, so xl2 it is.
2. Speakers are slightly louder than 2 XL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are usually ways to convince the software to crank it up a bit higher.
What's your thought? Should I return the 2 XL?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I don't see any options. The N6 is off support now, which makes it a liability, and NO other manufacturers make a device that is even remotely usable. I mean you can try a V30, but at the end of the day, its the same phone as the xl2, so all you're doing is losing software support with that one. Samsung? Normally, I would give a manufacturer a second chance, but Samsung is SO bad, that... no. Not ever.
luciusfox said:
Lucky you. I preordered the minute that they brought it up on their website, and mine's still more than 2 weeks away!
Must be because I'm in Canada.
Its my understanding that the "dull" colors are a design choice made by google in order to achieve a much greater accuracy. Think back a few years about all the complaints about samdung amoled displays being "oversaturated". Well, now people have become USED TO oversaturated displays, and finding accuracy unappealing.
Its also worth mentioning that Google has added an option for a 10% saturation increase. Its not clear if this software change has been pushed out to production units yet. They've also indicated that they are monitoring complaints and will add more options if needed.
As far as the "burn in" thing goes, something about POLED displays is that they are supposed to be a lot more resistant to *permanent* burn in, than amoled. At least, that's what I read somewhere.
But frankly, I saw lots of complaints from people about the N6 display burning in, and I haven't seen anything on the screen that ever caught my attention.
What's the problem? Above you say "at least 24h battery life with about 8h Screen on time."
Don't you sleep?
Plug it in when you go to bed. Wake up and its fully charged and will last you well beyond next time you go to sleep.
Fast charging is also bad for your battery. It creates more heat, and heat is the enemy of batteries.
I NEVER charged my Nexus 6 with more than a 500 mA 5V power supply. No bulging at all (back cover still sits perfectly flat without the flaring up around the buttons that some people have observed), and now even 3 years later, with very light use, it will still run well into the 3rd day between charges. I will reiterate though... very light use for the 3 days. Obviously with lots of screen on time or tethering, it will drop, but its rare that I've put it on the charger at the end of the day with less than 50%.
On paper it is actually a smaller screen than Nexus 6.
xl2: 2.68x5.37 = 14.28 sqin.
n6: 2.94x5.23 = 15.37 sqin.
So the n6 is still bigger by 1.09 square inches.
That is on paper.
And that difference concerns me as well. Not so much the absolute difference in screen size, but the difference in width. I've always found on-screen keyboards to be challenging -- my thumbs just don't get along with it, so the N6 was a dream come true in a world without physical keyboards.
But the width of the xl2 is a whole quarter of an inch (8.8%) smaller. I hope that I can adapt to that difference, because there is not a whole lot I can do about it, there are simply not any phones coming from anywhere with a screen as BIG as N6.
And at this point, its time to update. The N6 is a great phone, but without software support, you end up stuck doing it yourself, or hoping that people on the internet can get it right. Well, I'm trying to run Android 8 on it, but the bluetooth is hopelessly broken, and I haven't the time right now to take it on myself. I just can't deal with that, I need the thing to work, so xl2 it is.
There are usually ways to convince the software to crank it up a bit higher.
Personally, I don't see any options. The N6 is off support now, which makes it a liability, and NO other manufacturers make a device that is even remotely usable. I mean you can try a V30, but at the end of the day, its the same phone as the xl2, so all you're doing is losing software support with that one. Samsung? Normally, I would give a manufacturer a second chance, but Samsung is SO bad, that... no. Not ever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your detailed reply.
Due to the burn in/ image retention, google has offer me to replace my 2 xl. So I move back on the old N6. To be honest, the moment I move back, I starts to remember why I switched at the first place.
I agree that 2 XL despite the obvious screen problem, is THE best phone you can get this year.
I'll keep this thread posted once I get my hands on the 2nd 2 XL unit.
Buyers remorse is just something we'll all need to make at some point. I've had my N6 for more than two years, which is longer than any phone I've owned. Thought about replacing it at some point but the N6 has never failed me. No problems at all.
Unless you need something that faster, better camera, better battery then yes, the N6 has these flaws but the build quality still lives up to 2017. I believe the next phones that are in line would be the rumored OnePlus 5T or the Galaxy S9 which is rumored to come out earlier to combat the iPhone X. So if you can hold on until next year you can decide between the S9 while the Pixel 2 may have its quality control fixed by then.
Gysper said:
Buyers remorse is just something we'll all need to make at some point. I've had my N6 for more than two years, which is longer than any phone I've owned. Thought about replacing it at some point but the N6 has never failed me. No problems at all.
Unless you need something that faster, better camera, better battery then yes, the N6 has these flaws but the build quality still lives up to 2017. I believe the next phones that are in line would be the rumored OnePlus 5T or the Galaxy S9 which is rumored to come out earlier to combat the iPhone X. So if you can hold on until next year you can decide between the S9 while the Pixel 2 may have its quality control fixed by then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So zero quality chinese "oneplus", or a worse than zero quality (intentionally crippled) samdung? You aren't exactly proposing any compelling alternatives.
tjxddt said:
Thank you for your detailed reply.
Due to the burn in/ image retention, google has offer me to replace my 2 xl. So I move back on the old N6. To be honest, the moment I move back, I starts to remember why I switched at the first place.
I agree that 2 XL despite the obvious screen problem, is THE best phone you can get this year.
I'll keep this thread posted once I get my hands on the 2nd 2 XL unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL the screen burn in on the N6 is way worse than the XL2, so that's a very flawed reason for keeping that whale. I agree it's a fantastic device, but it's amazing you even care about screen burn in after using the N6 for that long
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
luciusfox said:
So zero quality chinese "oneplus", or a worse than zero quality (intentionally crippled) samdung? You aren't exactly proposing any compelling alternatives.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I never said they were better, but every single Pixel device has its share of problems. At least Samsung showed its promise with its quality control video after the Note 7 fiasco. Haven't heard any issues with the S8 or the Note 8.
Gysper said:
every single Pixel device has its share of problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a pretty bold and unsubstantiated claim. Sounds like you're just trying to convince yourself against one.
At least Samsung showed its promise with its quality control video after the Note 7 fiasco. Haven't heard any issues with the S8 or the Note 8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, because if its in a video, it must be true.
You probably didn't hear about any problems because they're paying people off like they did at the start of the Timb Bomb 7 problem.
luciusfox said:
That's a pretty bold and unsubstantiated claim. Sounds like you're just trying to convince yourself against one.
Yeah, because if its in a video, it must be true.
You probably didn't hear about any problems because they're paying people off like they did at the start of the Timb Bomb 7 problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not going to argue here because were going a bit off topic here, but the point was that the OP should consider other devices if they weren't satisfied.
Now unlike some companies that make mistakes, at least they acknowledge improving their products. Seems to be the opposite for Google, we all enjoy the N6 and the Pixel 2 stuff convinced us that quality control is a step back.
EDIT: Google must of listened but they issued this statement about the issues
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/phone-by-google/FRyoLZZjXvo

Upgrade P2XL to P5....Pointless?

Just saw the specs of P5....Poor resolution upgrade!
I guess it's pointless and waste of money....what are your thoughts?
Since our security updates will end this month, I plan to upgrade for those and take advantage of the strong T-Mobile 5G signal in my area.
amandeepparmar said:
Just saw the specs of P5....Poor resolution upgrade!
I guess it's pointless and waste of money....what are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts?
If you only now just saw the specs you haven't been following the news. You likely also do not understand why Google didn't go with the 865/865+ in the two devices.
For me, it boils down to which features I consider more important. Right now I'm leaning towards the P5 simply because of the aluminum body, but the 4A 5G and its headphone jack is compelling. I think in the end, it's going to boil down to "do I want to pay the extra $200 or not?"
Accidently deleted while attempting to quote.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
Coming from the 2XL... The 5 is an upgrade. As far as the ppi... https://www.androidauthority.com/chasing-pixels-810926/ this article from AA is very good and I'm sure I won't notice it much. But I am going to wait for reviews and actually see it side by side
In case you missed topjohnwu's tweets:
https://twitter.com/topjohnwu/status/1311370798267990016
Ive never been one of the sheeple, the people who buy into aspirational technology (people who aspire to own somehting because its new and everyone else has one), so its not even a decision for me. Im a fucntional user, if a device performs the functions i need it to, im happy. The only reason i ever upgrade devices is when one is dead, or very much close to being....
I do not get the "new device every 6 months" buyers...i just dont, i think thats insanity
Personally i look at the lines of sheeple at Apple Stores on every release and weep for humanity, and the planet which gets raped to bring people ovepriced (thanks to Apple - they are the root of all evil, not least because they overprice their products, thereby forcing everyone in the market to follow suit, because to do anythign less is to be seen as inferior, so blame Apple, i do, asshat comapny) devices they dont really need
Pretty much the forumula is: new phone = new camera that takes pictures of an even more distant galaxy, hmm very useful in every day life
Some people in some countries have way too much spare money if theyre buying new phones all the time
Im sticking with what works for me, not a corporations bottom line, thanks
Also this:
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-pixel-4a-5g-pixel-5-great-value-in-us/
I loved the Pixel 5. I think Google made a small decision to stick with full hd resolution simply because you don't notice as such if the panel is good. It's easy on the battery. It will be easy on the chipset and provide consistent performance.
Pixel 5 does not lack anything as such. The only thing i was a bit disappointed was ufs 2.1 storage. Other than that I'm loving the Pixel 5. I'll get it maybe this Christmas or so!
The more I think about it, the more the 4a5g is looking like the better deal. Only differences between it and the five are two less gigabytes of RAM, no 90hz refresh, and a smaller battery, but the battery is still bigger than the 2xl, so battery life should still be an improvement. I've not yet owned a phone that had a 90hz refresh rate, so that's not really a huge deal to me yet.
The big draw toward the 4a5g for me personally is that the screen is bigger, which would make it feel like more of an upgrade compared to the 2XL.
The materials used are also different, but I've never really been a huge fan of glass backs. Plastic was always all right with me, so the 4a5g won't bother me in that regard. It supposedly feels pretty good in the hand even though its materials are "lesser than” the materials used for the 5 back.
Forgot about wireless charging too, but personally I've never owned a phone that had wireless charging, so again, not a big deal for me yet.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
sharkie405 said:
The more I think about it, the more the 4a5g is looking like the better deal. Only differences between it and the five are two less gigabytes of RAM, no 90hz refresh, and a smaller battery, but the battery is still bigger than the 2xl, so battery life should still be an improvement. I've not yet owned a phone that had a 90hz refresh rate, so that's not really a huge deal to me yet.
The big draw toward the 4a5g for me personally is that the screen is bigger, which would make it feel like more of an upgrade compared to the 2XL.
The materials used are also different, but I've never really been a huge fan of glass backs. Plastic was always all right with me, so the 4a5g won't bother me in that regard. It supposedly feels pretty good in the hand even though its materials are "lesser than” the materials used for the 5 back.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second your thoughts here. 4a5 is certainly a better handset and not much hard hitting on the pocket too!
So far with lack of reviews and having seen a few of the random videos we can get. The OnePlus 8 Pro is looking better to me. Really need to see some full reviews
ZombieUsr said:
So far with lack of reviews and having seen a few of the random videos we can get. The OnePlus 8 Pro is looking better to me. Really need to see some full reviews
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I kind of agree with you here, except that I am seriously looking at going the OnePlus 8T route.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
ZombieUsr said:
So far with lack of reviews and having seen a few of the random videos we can get. The OnePlus 8 Pro is looking better to me. Really need to see some full reviews
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sharkie405 said:
I kind of agree with you here, except that I am seriously looking at going the OnePlus 8T route.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am changing my mind to OnePlus 8 Pro too, I can go to swappa.com and get for less price than P5 with taxes. I am seriously considering going back to iPhone. Google has been using the same camera sensor hardware since the Pixel 2 came out. That means if Google ported the sofware algorithms to the Pixel 2 it would take pictures the same if not damn close to being the same.
after being a 4 year pixel 2 xl owner... the pixel 5 feels like a natural successor. Jut my opinion though
i currently use a pixel 3 because i prefer the size but im pretty much done with the pixel series. the cost is far too high and the features are less and less. the 4 had no fingerprint reader..... so i was thinking of getting a Zenfone 7. great size, great amount of ram........ EXPANDABLE STORAGE!!! but after seeing the OnePlus Nord N10, i might change my mind. ill have to see after the first reviews but it has what i want/need in a phone. google is just too obsessed with trying to either win the apple crowd, or become like apple.
maybe if they ever add features like expandable storage ill buy another pixel but the odds of that happening are not good. knowing google, theyll probably give up on the pixel line after the pixel 7 so i plan on holding on to my Panda Pixel indefinitely.
Okay i changed my decision probably.
I don't think i'll be getting Pixel 5 solely because of outdated hardware. Only if they had upgraded the camera sensors i'd have gone for it. The current sensor is at the end of its life.
I can't decide if I want to get a OP8T, OP8 Pro, or Pixel 5.
I prefer the flat screen of the 5 and 8t, the rear fingerprint sensor on the 5, and the telephoto on the 8 pro.
Get rid of P2-XL?
amandeepparmar said:
Just saw the specs of P5....Poor resolution upgrade!
I guess it's pointless and waste of money....what are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on your battery. After October, no more OTA's from Google.
If your battery is good, between updates from Google Play Store and LineageOS, I think the phone
would be plenty secure. I plan to keep using mine for awhile. running LineageOS
YoshiFan501 said:
I can't decide if I want to get a OP8T, OP8 Pro, or Pixel 5.
I prefer the flat screen of the 5 and 8t, the rear fingerprint sensor on the 5, and the telephoto on the 8 pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol Flat screen is such a bliss. My next phone will be a flat screen. I am tired of this curved look and miss touches due to the curve
I went from. The p2xl to the 5, it's definitely an upgrade for me. I love how smooth it feels with the extra ram and 90hs screen, the SD765g has no trouble giving me a great experience on the couple games I do play, (pubg and genshin impact) the battery life for me is about double what the 2xl was and I'm happy to know I'll be getting monthly security updates for the next three years. There are still a couple things I don't like. The top behind the screen speaker is just so-so, far inferior to the 2xl's stereo front firing speakers. However I don't watch or listen to much without headphones or a bt speaker anyways and it does fine for calls. they removed a feature I did actually like.. active edge, I miss sweezing to activate assistant rather than saying hey Google or swiping the corner but still not really a deal breaker for me just so thing to get used to.
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

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