I’ve just recently switched from a Galaxy S10 to a Pixel 7 as I wanted to see the “vanilla” experience, as well as be closer to upstream for software updates. My S10 still works great, though the battery needs replacement (at the time, it had already broken the glue on the back glass and was still expanding – didn’t realize until I took it out of the case for cleaning)…
With my S10, I had to really fight to get it to let me use Google’s apps over the Samsung ones; which whole annoying is doable. So far, the only things I really miss from Samsung (and notably the UX):
The sidebar/panel with an additional set of predefined apps
Am not really sure what you mean by “had to really fight to get it to let me use Google’s apps”? I’ve been a Samsung user for years and I have never even once ran into situation where wrong application would start. Not only that, I started using Samsung’s Email application last year because GMail stopped downloading attachments, a known issue they never fixed.
Part of the difficulty may have also been because it was my first foray into Android… at the moment I don’t have a specific example, but I seem to remember setting defaults was straight-forward; but either they were not always respected by certain interaction prompts, or some similar behavior.
As for GMail, I’m also no longer using the app and instead have opted for Spark (personal mailboxes) & Outlook (exchange, work)…
If you are able to get the the Pixel with a deal, go for it. Pixels don’t retain much resale value, like Samsungs. For example, the Pixel 6a launched at 450, now it’s in the Google Store at 250.
I have an S23 Ultra and it is a nice phone but I wouldn’t recommend Samsung to anyone because my last several Samsungs “mysteriously” got issues right before the 2 year plan ended. I won’t be getting another Samsung after this one. I really wanted the pen and it is great but I’m starting to care more about longevity.
The hardware of Samsung feels really solid. It’s definitely more customisable. The pixel though just has everything already built in. It was a joy to use. Plus the camera is just so reliable. Far better than the base s23.
The Samsung isn’t quite bad enough that I want to sell it and get another pixel when it comes out, but I’m definitely not sticking with Samsung in however many years time when I do replace it.
I went from Samsung S10+ to a pixel 5 which was a huge upgrade. Pixel 5 to pixel 7 pro was a considerably bigger downgrade. After my experience, I’m at least a few generations and a lot of reviews between my next pixel or tensor phone.
P7P:
overheats with light use
between 1/2 and 1 days battery life
persistent screen glare
worst android UI I’ve seen since maybe my galaxy s3? Genuinely so long I can’t even really be sure.
terrible build materials. Mad slippy and will break if dropped even a small distance
worst fingerprint sensor I’ve used.
most limited customization of any android in recent memory, combined with awful stock ux
I got it in-store from best buy not long after launch, seems unlikely it would be a fake, especially when all the advertised exclusive features work (call screen, magic eraser etc).
The Pixel is the far superior product as far as I am concerned: Faster, more stable, no bloatware and the best camera around.
But, and this might be a big but for some, if you need repairs or service outside of insurance you are SOL. There’s not a lot of companies doing Pixel repairs and if they do the parts are insanely expensive. I needed a screen replace and it cost almost as much as the phone itself in parts and labour. And the end result is a screen that gets dirtier and a non-functioning fingerprint sensor. Not optimal.
Ah, also as a professional photographer I can promise you the cameras are better on Samsung devices.
Thanks your your feedback, that is interesting.
The one thing pixel is better at in my expeirence is the digital zoom, I can get insane detail at 20+ zoom levels that I could never even approximate with a Samsung.
Also, battery life on the 7 series is pretty bad. My old 3a had awesome battery life, but since then Google started making their own SoC. They still use some third-party chips which they don’t control, and it’s affecting power efficiency. I’ve heard rumors that they’re expected to have better control of power consumption around the 9 series.
All that being said, I love my Pixel 7a, but I frequently have to top it off to last me a full day. I can handle that, but if you don’t have access to a charger during the day I’d consider other options.
I’ve been using Pixels for a while and have been happy with them. Tried some of the other phones and didn’t like the UX. Most of them have a ton of bloatware. I have enjoyed the stock android experience and the camera.
I think the Pixel 8 Pro has a slight price increase, so you’re starting to get up there in price. If possible, I recommend going into a store and using the phones and such.
The last time I tried a Samsung phone I returned it the same day I got it. The competing OS elements from Samsung’s ROM and the standard Android UI were really really off-putting to me. I can get an app having a unique style, but this was different OS elements looking and working differently.
If you are planning to do many photos and videos go to Samsung it’s pretty good specially in low light condition. The pen is cool, it’s more resistant and it is definitely faster. I think the design is better too but it’s my opinion only.
I have a pixel 6 personal phone and a Samsung s21fe work phone and the software on the Samsung is garbage. Bloatware you can’t uninstall, weird default settings, “features” nobody wanted that I can’t disable, and more bloatware.
Samsung fucks up their version of android, most notably killing background apps no matter what setting you change, but OneUI is by far the best UI I’ve ever used in a phone. Very confused on whether it’s open source or not, I see open source licenses and a a community driven GitHub page for it but it’s also samsung. Still the UI is awesome
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pixel for grapheneos
I’ve just recently switched from a Galaxy S10 to a Pixel 7 as I wanted to see the “vanilla” experience, as well as be closer to upstream for software updates. My S10 still works great, though the battery needs replacement (at the time, it had already broken the glue on the back glass and was still expanding – didn’t realize until I took it out of the case for cleaning)…
With my S10, I had to really fight to get it to let me use Google’s apps over the Samsung ones; which whole annoying is doable. So far, the only things I really miss from Samsung (and notably the UX):
Overall, I’m happy with the experience so far; though I dunno if the “Pro” model of anything is really worth it.
Am not really sure what you mean by “had to really fight to get it to let me use Google’s apps”? I’ve been a Samsung user for years and I have never even once ran into situation where wrong application would start. Not only that, I started using Samsung’s Email application last year because GMail stopped downloading attachments, a known issue they never fixed.
Part of the difficulty may have also been because it was my first foray into Android… at the moment I don’t have a specific example, but I seem to remember setting defaults was straight-forward; but either they were not always respected by certain interaction prompts, or some similar behavior.
As for GMail, I’m also no longer using the app and instead have opted for Spark (personal mailboxes) & Outlook (exchange, work)…
If you are able to get the the Pixel with a deal, go for it. Pixels don’t retain much resale value, like Samsungs. For example, the Pixel 6a launched at 450, now it’s in the Google Store at 250.
I have an S23 Ultra and it is a nice phone but I wouldn’t recommend Samsung to anyone because my last several Samsungs “mysteriously” got issues right before the 2 year plan ended. I won’t be getting another Samsung after this one. I really wanted the pen and it is great but I’m starting to care more about longevity.
I’m using the S10e which is 4.5 years old. Still strong. Too bad there is no small phones like it…
Maybe Asus Zenfone 10 is the way to go.
Either.
Both are programmed to harvest every single bit of information you input into it, including access other devices on your network if you use wifi.
Buy the one with the nicest camera I guess.
If you care about privacy, get a Pine phone.
Pixel with Graphene OS seems to be a good choice tbh.
Are the camera features still accessible? Or is it a downgrade on available hardware and software in exchange for privacy?
I went from pixel 5 to Samsung s23.
The hardware of Samsung feels really solid. It’s definitely more customisable. The pixel though just has everything already built in. It was a joy to use. Plus the camera is just so reliable. Far better than the base s23.
The Samsung isn’t quite bad enough that I want to sell it and get another pixel when it comes out, but I’m definitely not sticking with Samsung in however many years time when I do replace it.
I went from Samsung S10+ to a pixel 5 which was a huge upgrade. Pixel 5 to pixel 7 pro was a considerably bigger downgrade. After my experience, I’m at least a few generations and a lot of reviews between my next pixel or tensor phone.
P7P:
overheats with light use
between 1/2 and 1 days battery life
persistent screen glare
worst android UI I’ve seen since maybe my galaxy s3? Genuinely so long I can’t even really be sure.
terrible build materials. Mad slippy and will break if dropped even a small distance
worst fingerprint sensor I’ve used.
most limited customization of any android in recent memory, combined with awful stock ux
Are you sure you didn’t buy a knock off Pixel 7 Pro?
I got it in-store from best buy not long after launch, seems unlikely it would be a fake, especially when all the advertised exclusive features work (call screen, magic eraser etc).
The Pixel is the far superior product as far as I am concerned: Faster, more stable, no bloatware and the best camera around.
But, and this might be a big but for some, if you need repairs or service outside of insurance you are SOL. There’s not a lot of companies doing Pixel repairs and if they do the parts are insanely expensive. I needed a screen replace and it cost almost as much as the phone itself in parts and labour. And the end result is a screen that gets dirtier and a non-functioning fingerprint sensor. Not optimal.
Awesome phone, but pray you do not need service.
I’ve had so many problems with pixels it’s not even funny. Never had an issue with Samsung. I think Google makes poor quality devices.
Ah, also as a professional photographer I can promise you the cameras are better on Samsung devices.
Thanks your your feedback, that is interesting.
The one thing pixel is better at in my expeirence is the digital zoom, I can get insane detail at 20+ zoom levels that I could never even approximate with a Samsung.
Also, battery life on the 7 series is pretty bad. My old 3a had awesome battery life, but since then Google started making their own SoC. They still use some third-party chips which they don’t control, and it’s affecting power efficiency. I’ve heard rumors that they’re expected to have better control of power consumption around the 9 series.
All that being said, I love my Pixel 7a, but I frequently have to top it off to last me a full day. I can handle that, but if you don’t have access to a charger during the day I’d consider other options.
You probably can’t go wrong with either one.
I’ve been using Pixels for a while and have been happy with them. Tried some of the other phones and didn’t like the UX. Most of them have a ton of bloatware. I have enjoyed the stock android experience and the camera.
I think the Pixel 8 Pro has a slight price increase, so you’re starting to get up there in price. If possible, I recommend going into a store and using the phones and such.
The last time I tried a Samsung phone I returned it the same day I got it. The competing OS elements from Samsung’s ROM and the standard Android UI were really really off-putting to me. I can get an app having a unique style, but this was different OS elements looking and working differently.
If you are planning to do many photos and videos go to Samsung it’s pretty good specially in low light condition. The pen is cool, it’s more resistant and it is definitely faster. I think the design is better too but it’s my opinion only.
If you care about your privacy, and you should, get a pixel and install GrapheneOS.
Any idea how long it will take (estimated) until you can install GrapheneOS on the upcoming devices after they’re released?
Or get a pine phone and save $1000+
Idk what Pixel phone you’re buying that you’d save +1000$. You can get a pixel 6 pro for like 550$.
Pixels aren’t that expensive. And there are very good reasons why GrapheneOS only supports Pixel devices. Pixels are the only devices that have the proper hardware security features.
I have a pixel 6 personal phone and a Samsung s21fe work phone and the software on the Samsung is garbage. Bloatware you can’t uninstall, weird default settings, “features” nobody wanted that I can’t disable, and more bloatware.
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Samsung fucks up their version of android, most notably killing background apps no matter what setting you change, but OneUI is by far the best UI I’ve ever used in a phone. Very confused on whether it’s open source or not, I see open source licenses and a a community driven GitHub page for it but it’s also samsung. Still the UI is awesome
My s23u has a much shittier camera than my previous one. I got it because I wanted a better camera…