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So,
My boss recently told me that I was required to use a company phone. This was back in July when the best possible Android phone, among the options I had, was the Galaxy S6.
I thought about an iPhone for some time, but couldn't find a reason to switch to the Apple environment as I dont have a Macintosh and I find iOS "too simple" and had no alternative to Tasker, which I use on a daily basis.
This left me with the Galaxy S6, which I'm a little disappointed with.
The private phone that I was forced to leave behind was the Moto X 2014 equipped with CyanogenMod. Even with the stock rom, the Moto X 2014 performed WAY better than the Samsung GS6 in almost every aspect (in my opinion).
I've talked to the MDM admin about using a Motorola Nexus 6 at home to receive emails off my regular schedule along with using a private phone off the MDM system again and he's OK with that.
The reasons why I dislike the GS6:
1) The GS6 is laggy in many occasions. It seems as if the CPU throttles from time to time especially when I try to cast something from Chrome to my 1st generation Chromecast.
2) The physical front buttons... come on. And why does Samsung insist on reversing the button order compared to the rest of the Android phones?
3) The GPS is rarely accurate. It tends to jump between locations, especially when I'm in a rush.
4) TouchWiz and all of its included, "non-disable-able" apps, is trash.
5) Why the blue and no black color?
6) I hate it when manufacturers oversaturate their displays. Even when I've toned the display down, the GS6 is slightly oversaturated.
7) When on MDM and using Knox, the mail client eats up my battery even when it's set to sync once ever 12h.
8) The fingerprint reader is sometimes slow and when Smart Unlock is enabled, I'm forced to swipe instead of using the fingerprint (I know this is a silly reason).
The only reasons why I'm hesitating:
1) I'm used to the size of the Moto X 2014, GS6, etc. The iPhone 6S Plus dimensions are OK in my opinion. Will the Nexus 6p be too large for my taste?
2) I like the option of having an IR blaster in my phone, even though I rarely use it.
3) Is the build quality equal or almost equal to the GS6?
4) The camera should be almost equally as good as the GS6, am I right?
5) I have no idea if Snapdragon 810 v2.1 is overheating. I've heard no opinions on the Nexus 6p.
6) Paying approx €500 ($530) for a new phone which specs are similar to the GS6 is expensive. Is it reasonable in this occasion?
Thanks for reading my wall of text. Now, please let me know what your opinions are. Should I buy hte Nexus 6p and why is it better than the GS6 in your opinion?
To be honest the GS6 is a pretty good phone and the only thing I can complain about it is bloatware, iffy finger print sensor, touchwiz, and no front facing speakers. I've had my GS6 for about 4 months. I'm getting the Nexus 6P because it hit everything on my feature wish list for an overall badass device. Yes there are gripes about it as well but not nearly as much as the GS6. I am getting my Nexus 6P delivered today so I'm really anxious to get off work and set it up. I will have to get used to the size because I never had a phablet but I'm pretty sure I'll manage. I'd say based off all of the reviews, it's well worth the purchase!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
I've never owned a Samsung device myself, but I can tell you about the Nexus 6P side, responding to your hesitation list in order:
1) The size is quite large, but coming from a device (DROID MAXX) smaller than the GS6, I've had no problems.
2) Never had an IR blaster, but I don't even watch much on a TV.
3) The build quality is superb and the defect complaints seen on the forums are pretty rare.
4) The camera quality is pretty much the same, but debatable. GS6 has OIS so videos will always be better than the Nexus in terms of shakiness.
5) I've experienced zero heat problems with the Nexus 6P and that's the general consensus I've seen.
6) If you can recoup some losses by selling an old device, I would probably switch. Otherwise, I would probably wait, there's lots of cool exciting tech on the horizon that you might wish you waited for and if you pay for a new device out of pocket right now you won't have the cash to buy it!
A couple more notes:
- This phone is snappy and I've not seen a single performance hiccup thus far.
- The Nexus 6P also has a very saturated display, but you can desaturate it some in the developer settings with sRGB mode. AMOLED displays tend to be more saturated, for better or worse, but I like it!
- You may also need to consider that the Nexus 6P doesn't support wireless or Qualcomm Quick Charge, and uses USB Type-C, so you'll likely need to purchase all new cables and chargers.
This phone arena side by side may help compare all the details!
I think that you should do it, as you are really displeased with the performance of the GS6. Also, taking into consideration that you can't root the GS6 (work phone, right?) and no viable/good roms for it, I will say the N6P is the way to go. I moved from the OnePlus One with the works (root, CM12.1 and other mods) and I couldn't be happier. The N6P is really responsive and I am only missing a couple of mods, mostly out of habit, meaning I just have to do a couple of more taps to get some things done. I don't think the size of the phone will be much of a problem, especially with the finger print reader on the back, which you'll be used to within an hour.
The Nexus 6P is VERY big. But it is future proofed. USB type C port, updates directly from Google. More stable, lighter and cleaner UI. Excellent finger scanner. Top end camera on par with Note 5 and iP6s+. Superb speakers on my unit. Very bright display, not as bright as my Z3 but as bright as my iP6+ or a hair darker. Battery life ranges unpredictably from average to VERY good. Design... Very unique is a good place to start and marrying that with attractive materials and aesthetics makes it a winner in my book.
Do you need a company phone or a root phone. Nexus is never good idea for company phone.
anglerstock said:
Do you need a company phone or a root phone. Nexus is never good idea for company phone.
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Click to collapse
This phone is supposed to be used WITH my company number but not managed by our MDM admin. I can do whatever I want to it.
cgjjaf said:
I think that you should do it, as you are really displeased with the performance of the GS6. Also, taking into consideration that you can't root the GS6 (work phone, right?) and no viable/good roms for it, I will say the N6P is the way to go. I moved from the OnePlus One with the works (root, CM12.1 and other mods) and I couldn't be happier. The N6P is really responsive and I am only missing a couple of mods, mostly out of habit, meaning I just have to do a couple of more taps to get some things done. I don't think the size of the phone will be much of a problem, especially with the finger print reader on the back, which you'll be used to within an hour.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fingerprint reader will be the least of my problems. I really dont understand why it has to be placed as a physical home button on the GS6.
You picked the Nexus 6p over the OnePlus Two?
uknowme4me said:
To be honest the GS6 is a pretty good phone and the only thing I can complain about it is bloatware, iffy finger print sensor, touchwiz, and no front facing speakers. I've had my GS6 for about 4 months. I'm getting the Nexus 6P because it hit everything on my feature wish list for an overall badass device. Yes there are gripes about it as well but not nearly as much as the GS6. I am getting my Nexus 6P delivered today so I'm really anxious to get off work and set it up. I will have to get used to the size because I never had a phablet but I'm pretty sure I'll manage. I'd say based off all of the reviews, it's well worth the purchase!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm thinking the same thing. I dislike everything but the metal frame and daylight photo quality about the GS6. I will most likely swap. (I placed the order three weeks ago for a discount price, but am thinking about cancelling or at least postponing the purchase)
BillyTheRatKing said:
I've never owned a Samsung device myself, but I can tell you about the Nexus 6P side, responding to your hesitation list in order:
1) The size is quite large, but coming from a device (DROID MAXX) smaller than the GS6, I've had no problems.
2) Never had an IR blaster, but I don't even watch much on a TV.
3) The build quality is superb and the defect complaints seen on the forums are pretty rare.
4) The camera quality is pretty much the same, but debatable. GS6 has OIS so videos will always be better than the Nexus in terms of shakiness.
5) I've experienced zero heat problems with the Nexus 6P and that's the general consensus I've seen.
6) If you can recoup some losses by selling an old device, I would probably switch. Otherwise, I would probably wait, there's lots of cool exciting tech on the horizon that you might wish you waited for and if you pay for a new device out of pocket right now you won't have the cash to buy it!
A couple more notes:
- This phone is snappy and I've not seen a single performance hiccup thus far.
- The Nexus 6P also has a very saturated display, but you can desaturate it some in the developer settings with sRGB mode. AMOLED displays tend to be more saturated, for better or worse, but I like it!
- You may also need to consider that the Nexus 6P doesn't support wireless or Qualcomm Quick Charge, and uses USB Type-C, so you'll likely need to purchase all new cables and chargers.
This phone arena side by side may help compare all the details!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure why they skipped out on OIS. I just noticed my GS6's OIS in action yesterday. It's a great feature but I guess I can live without it. Can you double press the power button from sleep to open camera?
subhani said:
The Nexus 6P is VERY big. But it is future proofed. USB type C port, updates directly from Google. More stable, lighter and cleaner UI. Excellent finger scanner. Top end camera on par with Note 5 and iP6s+. Superb speakers on my unit. Very bright display, not as bright as my Z3 but as bright as my iP6+ or a hair darker. Battery life ranges unpredictably from average to VERY good. Design... Very unique is a good place to start and marrying that with attractive materials and aesthetics makes it a winner in my book.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Future proof with USB type C, but it still uses USB 2.0. I understand this in a way, as people rarely transfer stuff via cable, but still. I really like all the features though. Especially being stock android and updated more frequently.
The damn MDM admin just let me know that he pre-purchased a 128GB Nexus 6p for himself to try out Android for Work. I wasn't allowed one but was instead offered by my boss that they would take half the cost of a 32GB Nexus 6p without taking ownership of the phone.
Baaah, I can't decide. Wait for the MDM admin to become tired of his new toy or buy my own. I want a new phone to play with!
Fitur said:
Not sure why they skipped out on OIS. I just noticed my GS6's OIS in action yesterday. It's a great feature but I guess I can live without it. Can you double press the power button from sleep to open camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it has ability to double tap power button at any time to open the camera.
BillyTheRatKing said:
Yes, it has ability to double tap power button at any time to open the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are there any other features, like ambient display or something that is specific to the Nexus 6p?
i didnt find any root for my htc desire 310.
any help???
Fitur said:
Are there any other features, like ambient display or something that is specific to the Nexus 6p?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A few stand-out features it has:
- Ambient display (although not as sensitive as the Moto version)
- A notification LED (optional in settings)
- Front facing stereo speakers (loud and good quality)
- 120 or 240 FPS slow motion video capture
- Laser autofocus for quick photo focusing
- Super quick finger print scanner
- 8MP selfie camera that is higher resolution than most right now
- Always listening OK Google support (not sure if it's the hardware or Marshmallow, but it doesn't eat much battery)
- And of course, Android 6.0 Marshmallow with monthly security updates, and the latest versions in the future
That's all I can think of off the top of my head!
I love the 6p but I'd say don't get it. Not for any of the reasons you mentioned but because phones with the snapdragon 820 are coming in a couple months and if half the hype is true it's worth the wait.
My old Nexus 5 took a digger. If it hadn't I'd have waited.
untruestory said:
I love the 6p but I'd say don't get it. Not for any of the reasons you mentioned but because phones with the snapdragon 820 are coming in a couple months and if half the hype is true it's worth the wait.
My old Nexus 5 took a digger. If it hadn't I'd have waited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's always something new and "better" coming in a couple months
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Free mobile app
akellar said:
There's always something new and "better" coming in a couple months
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true. Ask things considered it's been an insignificant year for phones. The 810 that's in the 6p has been out a bit and even then it's based on old tech and isn't a big upgrade from what came before it. The 820 is. The 6p is without a doubt one of the best phones out and I bought it because I think it's THE best available despite it's low price. However, there's really nothing new or extraordinary about it.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Fitur said:
Are there any other features, like ambient display or something that is specific to the Nexus 6p?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Fastest and most reliable/natural fingerprint scanner with native support from Google.
2. Those stereo speakers are sublime. Better than iP6+, Z3, Note 3 and 4. Besides... their front firing.
3. Probably the BEST front facing camera available! That's if you're into that sort of thing. Tell the ladies.
4. Most smooth and most responsive UI in the Android world.
5. The earliest/fastest software updates and support from Google.
6. USB Type C with fast charging capable of drawing 3A from the stock charger. 10% - 100% in 90 minutes precisely. Also, high speed data transfer rates.
Ambient display is terrible/buggy/unreliable.
Thermal throttling is a bit aggressive.
Display isn't as bright or white as my Z3 or iP6+.
subhani said:
1. Fastest and most reliable/natural fingerprint scanner with native support from Google.
2. Those stereo speakers are sublime. Better than iP6+, Z3, Note 3 and 4. Besides... their front firing.
3. Probably the BEST front facing camera available! That's if you're into that sort of thing. Tell the ladies.
4. Most smooth and most responsive UI in the Android world.
5. The earliest/fastest software updates and support from Google.
6. USB Type C with fast charging capable of drawing 3A from the stock charger. 10% - 100% in 90 minutes precisely. Also, high speed data transfer rates.
Ambient display is terrible/buggy/unreliable.
Thermal throttling is a bit aggressive.
Display isn't as bright or white as my Z3 or iP6+.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In what way is the ambient display unreliable? Do you have an example?
How often do you actually notice the throttling compared to non-vanilla phones?
untruestory said:
Very true. Ask things considered it's been an insignificant year for phones. The 810 that's in the 6p has been out a bit and even then it's based on old tech and isn't a big upgrade from what came before it. The 820 is. The 6p is without a doubt one of the best phones out and I bought it because I think it's THE best available despite it's low price. However, there's really nothing new or extraordinary about it.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is always a reason to wait. Especially when I have a phone in the same spec segment, however, I'm really concerned if I have the patience to stick with the SGS6 after being terrible in almost every way.
BillyTheRatKing said:
A few stand-out features it has:
- Ambient display (although not as sensitive as the Moto version)
- A notification LED (optional in settings)
- Front facing stereo speakers (loud and good quality)
- 120 or 240 FPS slow motion video capture
- Laser autofocus for quick photo focusing
- Super quick finger print scanner
- 8MP selfie camera that is higher resolution than most right now
- Always listening OK Google support (not sure if it's the hardware or Marshmallow, but it doesn't eat much battery)
- And of course, Android 6.0 Marshmallow with monthly security updates, and the latest versions in the future
That's all I can think of off the top of my head!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Thanks for all the replies!
I decided for the 64GB graphite Nexus 6P, which I will receive December 7th.
I can barely wait!
Hello.
I currently own a s6 edge plus. I liked its design and overall performance but after the nexus 5 and the oneplus one. Community stuff is waaay low and slow for the edge plus. And tinkering is very limited. Am hating touchwiz and my battery life (2h sot) plus the stupid fingerprint sensor that needs the screen on first to work is paethtic (i used to own a mate 7).
I'd always wanyed a nexus 6p but the whole SD810 fiasco turned me off. But then again am not a mobile gamer... far from it.
So from specs and reveiws i am excepting a :
- similar screen size. Tech and quality
- similar camera although a lower res and no ois
- heavier
- much better fingerprint sensor
- 64gb vs my current 32gb
- updates and community stuff
- stereo speakers
- similar battery performance (better idle usage maybe)
And what am losing is propably the edge screen,thickness and weight.
So do you think its a wise move? Price wise i could simply trade my used s6 edge plus for a brand new 6p.
And am not waiting for sailfish and merlin crap.
cryptonx said:
Hello.
I currently own a s6 edge plus. I liked its design and overall performance but after the nexus 5 and the oneplus one. Community stuff is waaay low and slow for the edge plus. And tinkering is very limited. Am hating touchwiz and my battery life (2h sot) plus the stupid fingerprint sensor that needs the screen on first to work is paethtic (i used to own a mate 7).
I'd always wanyed a nexus 6p but the whole SD810 fiasco turned me off. But then again am not a mobile gamer... far from it.
So from specs and reveiws i am excepting a :
- similar screen size. Tech and quality
- similar camera although a lower res and no ois
- heavier
- much better fingerprint sensor
- 64gb vs my current 32gb
- updates and community stuff
- stereo speakers
- similar battery performance (better idle usage maybe)
And what am losing is propably the edge screen,thickness and weight.
So do you think its a wise move? Price wise i could simply trade my used s6 edge plus for a brand new 6p.
And am not waiting for sailfish and merlin crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With extensive app limiting using battery saving apps - Greenify, Amplify, etc - I get 3-4 (rarely 5 SOT) I have my brightness on half. And also, something to note. The screen in bright light on the 6P preforms pretty bad in my opinion.
-Tech and quality, not sure what you mean by this
-Quality? I give it a 10/10
-Lower res really won't be noticed if you just use high res videos and don't have the phone right up to your face counting pixels.
-Weight? The phone feels very light in my opinion and fits very well with my hand
-In my opinion, the iphone sensor is faster. But the Nexus 6P has never failed picking up my fingerprint - unless I had water on my finger etc
-Storage size, I have a 128gb and I sit at 50-70gb bouncing back and fourth. 64 would probably be good for the average user. - I used to have 409 apps.
-The updates are flawless - besides the lack of Nougat Stock image at the moment , ROM support is amazing and the 6P will be supported for years to come by 3rd party means.
-Stereo speakers are really good, only complaint I have is the open speakers - stuff can get in them but you can easily just blow them out with your breath
-Battery performance on android N I could get through the day and I'm a very heavy phone user.
Just trying to be helpful with your choice!
Oh, and as for the edge screen. I dont think you would miss that for long with such a great phone.
PS: You really dont have to worry about hard bricks if you dont flash the wrong kernel, that's always a plus
TnT_ said:
And also, something to note. The screen in bright light on the 6P preforms pretty bad in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this but it is is fixable. Some do it with a custom kernel plus Tasker. I do it with ElementalX kernel plus High Brightness Mode Widget. Works great. , I now have no problem seeing my phone in direct sunlight.
There's a bunch of comparison video's on YouTube that are good and answer most if not all your concerns..
Honestly your best bet is to watch those and choose as they cover everything between the two device's..
I have my opinion but I honestly don't want to be bias..
But I'm very happy with my 6P and don't regret buying it one bit ?
Good luck
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Thanks alot fellas. I am on my way to get my silver 6p.
cryptonx said:
Thanks alot fellas. I am on my way to get my silver 6p.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope you enjoy!
Got the gold 6p of a guy for 200 yesterday. Had the s6 edge plus and loving both phones
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
It is time for a new phone, my Moto X Style (Pure) on T-Mobile is getting a bit long in the tooth.
1) storage is only 16GB so even with the few apps I use, I have to clear cache to update apps (photos, videos, etc all goto the SD Card)
2) signal is crap at times and call quality suffers
3) Lenorola is starting to slack on Android update time frames, they use to be quick with the last two Moto X and now they are getting behind (even with security updates)
I am on T-Mobile and I mainly do alot of audio (BT), some pictures and video, and the rest is just FB, Email, Text, Web Browsing
My choices are to go with the V20 and root it to get a few apps that I need
or wait and order a Pixel XL (128GB) and ride the google update train again.
I was faced with the same decision.. 16GB is just a non-starter for me, and I couldn't wait for the 128GB version to become available. Also Google's hardware didn't completely impress me.. I picked up the V20 coming from the Note 7.. honestly my plan is to run with it until the Note 8 comes out more than likely. I think the Google phone will have a longer lifespan and obviously quicker updates.. but I needed a phone and couldn't wait for the 128GB version to come out. Also the price difference was pretty significant compared the Verizon's price on the V20.. so that was a factor as well.
Overall the V20 didn't 'wow' me like the Note 7 did.. but its still a very good phone and for the $650 or so I got it for I am happy.. I don't think the Pixel XL would have wowed me either to be honest after having the Note 7 though.
The last LG phone I had was the G4 and that was a bit of a let down.
Since I am on T-Mobile coming from a Moto X Pure (3rd Gen) I won't get any trade in value at all (keeping it as a backup)
It is $30 a month for the V20 on T-Mobile, or I buy the Pixel XL and get $325 in credit over 24 months which will take away some of the hit over time for the Pixel XL
I am leaning to the V20 right now, especially because of how on top of updates LG has appeared to become. I just hate the bloat, hopefully there are good fixes for that or someone later releasing a cleaned up stock rom
I was faced with the same problem
Pick the Pixel for:
- better camera (especially video stabilization)
- fast updates and longer lifespan
- better one-handed usage
- fluid software experience
- looks (subjective I know, but I kinda like it and it has no camera hump)
Lg v20 for:
- removable battery
- better sound experience
- military grade drop protection
- manual camera mode if that's your thing
- expandable storage
- second screen is useful sometimes
I obviously went with the v20. Unlocked bootloader on T-Mobile and root on it fixes some software problems. Although I wouldn't complain if I had went with the Pixel either
I'm currently facing the EXACT dilemma.
After reading your comments, I think I might pick up the T-mobile version of the V20 instead.
Since we still do not have an official V20 root for the Canadian model.
Looks like I am leaning to the V20 as well. Mainly for the camera, screen, audio.
Even if we get a stock cleaned up ROM later then it would be perfectly fine.
Not sure about your options in your part of the world, but here in New Zealand the pixel XL is $1400 while i bought the V20 for $900. So yea, no explanation needed
Pixel is a ugly ass phone.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers mobile app
---------- Post added at 01:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:42 AM ----------
I loved my Nexus 6
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I came from the nexus 6P which I loved to this phone and to honest I love the battery life and everything it has to offer so far. Up in Canada they are offering the B&O H3 headphones plus 200 off which was 799 for the whole package which is a wicked deal
I have the Tmo V20 and I didn't feel like there was much bloat...well compared to AT&T's devices. Coming from the N7 my only gripe is the low light pictures come out gainier than the N7. I hated the edge screen on the N7 but I really dig the second screen on the V20. The screen isn't as saturated as an AMOLED screen, but in everyday use I don't notice it. Done call the V20 ugly, but I honestly love the looks. Of course most people throw a case on their device, so does that even matter?
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
If you listen to BT audio a lot stop hesitating and go get the LGv20 and grab a pair of BT headphones with Aptx support (lgv20 one of only a couple phones that support it.) I have these and they are awesome.
https://www.amazon.com/Monster-SuperSlim-Bluetooth-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B015EGRK9S
Honestly paying that much for a mere 128 gb is outrageous. For $400-500 like the old Nexus phones... sure I might be convinced to give up the extensive list of V20 features some of which were not even present in the Note 7. I see the Pixel XL like the Android version of the IPhone 7's business model: add a camera that's nice but doesn't blow the others out of the water anymore, give it a short shelf life with limited storage and non-removable battery (so that you MUST upgrade after 12 months), put a lot of emphasis on zippy when the competition are pretty zippy already. Overall a pretty meh exterior design like the V20 and Iphone7. The Note is prettier but that finger print magnet back is a chore and I had enough of TouchWiz lagging down the experience compares to the V20.
I have a YouTube Red account. With a 250 GB Samsung micro SD ($70 eBay) and 64 GB on board I have so much content I don't know what do with.
I picked up two new TVs on black Friday. I use the V20 IR blaster with both. Same for the Kinivo HDMI splitter, no more fumbling with that little easy to lose clicker.
The V20 has Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, which the others don't have, is like one of the best V20 features. I use a 3.0 Anker PowerCore+ 10k mAh power bank ($40 Amazon) with an iOrange-E type C cable and the V20 absolutely flies from 40%-80%.
The second screen is probably the most useful feature I can switch to different songs on Amazon music app, use it as the zoom wheel in video recording, allows for more fluid app switching than interrupting the main screen just to use the multitasking soft button. And the quad DAC actually drives my V-Moda M100s. I wanted to test this against the Note 7 but the Fire Department said no can do homey. And rumor is no more headphone jack on new Samsungs. You'll have to spend $300 on Bluetooth Bose headphones with as good a sound as upper mid tier wired cans.
Honestly...even if V20, Note 7, iphone 7 and Pixel XL were all priced the same it would be a no brainer for me as far as useful features I rely on every day.
For me, it was a price per gb difference, and a looks thing. I came off an S6 Edge, and for me, the Pixel looks like an iPhone minus the home button. Yeah, it's on 7.1, and will get updates sooner (but I'm on Verizon so it's bound to be slower no matter which one). The smaller capacity model would never work for me, I download too many movies and stuff for that. My Edge was 64 and that was a decent balance between saving until I downloaded it off to the computer. Plus I get the expansion slot for more just because you never know. Could care less about the removable battery, but to some it's a plus. The camera seems to be subjective on video reviews, between people that prefer one over the other. I use a DSLR for anything important, so it's not a deal-breaker for me, and it takes pictures just fine for my eyes anyway. I didn't buy it as a camera, I bought it as a phone. And I know the LG G2 I had was rooted pretty quickly if memory serves, and just browsing seems like we've got a good group tackling that now (missed that on my S6). So in the end, the cost savings, and the aesthetics won me over between the two, with everything else basically being a wash either way. Plus, coming from the other phone, every time a gal looks at it, they always seem to say "Wow that's big". Simple pleasures, but it never gets old
By the way, NetFlix now has downloads. As does Amazon video and YouTube Red. I see no win with a phone that kills micro SD.
I bought V20. And I love myself for that decision.
Mahendra Dhaker said:
I bought V20. And I love myself for that decision.
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Click to collapse
Believe it or not I returned the S8 and got mine. I'm freakin stoked by what LG has to offer. This my 1st non samsung phone and its rooted.
I ended up selling my V20 it was glitch fest everywhere even after several factory resets and the batter drain was bad.....I do miss the extra camera and the DAC but outside of that I love the S8+. This is my first Samsung phone since the note 3.
dakunclear said:
I ended up selling my V20 it was glitch fest everywhere even after several factory resets and the batter drain was bad.....I do miss the extra camera and the DAC but outside of that I love the S8+. This is my first Samsung phone since the note 3.
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Click to collapse
I am kind of on the same page. I jumped on the v20 from a note 4. My note 4 had less bugs, better battery life, and a better screen. "Auto" picture quality was much better on the note.
Things i will miss about the V20/Pros
~ Full manual camera controls and the wide angle lens
~ DAC
~ Second display
~ Build Quality
~ Removable Battery
***Biggest complaint by far is Battery life.. From my Pokemon Go experience specifically, my Girlfriend has a iPhone 6s. My note 4 battery life was better than hers. My V20 is literally half that of hers now. Same apps installed across both phones. Phone gets HOT.
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 Moto Z2 Force, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Moto Z2 Force is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
The best Android phone I've owned to date.
I love the phone enough to buy it multiple times, searching for the combination of carrier compatibility, unlockable bootloader and color.
I also love the phone enough to overlook its main shortcomings (no headphone jack, not truly waterproof, small battery) I love the hardware enough to use an unrooted phone. *gasp* literally every Android device I've ever owned has been rooted within a week, my first was a Nexus one.
This is a bit of a monumental device for me. It's my first ”phablet." My last daily driver was a Sony Z3 compact and a Z1 compact before that. I dropped my Sony trying to put it in my pocket while juggling keys, a backpack and my water bottle. The back glass shattered and the front has a hairline fracture.
Initially I was going to get the Z5 compact but I decided maybe I'd try something a little bigger, so I ordered an Xperia XZ from Amazon. It was a nice phone, but I hated the purplish color of the "black" model and I found myself constantly worrying about it after my last drop, so back it went in about a week.
The thing is, I hate using cases. What's the point in buying a phone you like the look and feel of just to cover it up? Enter the Z2 force. When I first saw promos talking about the shatter proof screen I was intrigued. I was never miffed by the easily scratched screen because an $8 screen protector is all you need to solve that problem.
Between the piece of mind of an unbreakable screen, stupid fast experience, solid aluminum body and gorgeous OLED display this phone is a keeper.
It's one of those phones that got shoved under the rug the second everyone saw the battery specs on paper, myself included. My previous long term daily driver was a Nexus 6 for the most part and that was the last high end, highly customizable Android phone I've used before briefly dailying a Nextbit Robin and then switching to Essential PH-1 for a few months. Both of those have great custom ROM support, but the battery life on both and signal strength on the PH-1 with T-Mobile were barely tolerable, so the only other sub $500 flagship/high end device with an up to date hardware feel was the Z2F from T-Mobile ($375 new), and glad I took the plunge despite the smallish battery capacity. From my experience, Motorola (at least as of their 2013 and newer models) have had a great track record for keeping close to stock Android experience, superb cellular signal, and great battery life and efficiency (despite often using smaller batteries, ie Moto X2, Moto G2, Moto E2). Somehow their devices always had awesome standby to screen on time efficiency. Essential didn't do this for me as much as I wanted to like it (although those on Verizon had a completely different perspective of that device).
This device gets some seriously great battery life (I've managed 8+ hrs sot with 20+ hrs total discharge from 100% charge capacity), excellent signal strength (probably why the battery doesn't suffer too much), solid screen (for those that do lots of accidental drops), front facing flash (with forward facing torch option in Moto camera flash settings), useful Moto gestures to enable main torch and camera with simple chop and twist gestures even when screen is off, solid and super thin build (Jerryrigeverything on YouTube approved it in his infamous bend test, it passed!), and because it's so thin, a simple tpu case gives this phone a perfect grip and thickness. There's a lot to like about this phone, it certainly checks all the right boxes. Most of all, it's the Android device with a Nexus/pixel-like experience; unlockable bootloader, easy to root, custom ROM availability (although from what I gather it currently works best in it's Motorola stock factory firmware form, custom ROMs are currently suffering from weaker cellular signal, failing safetynet due to the current state of selinux being set to permissive, and no sound in default video recording, also on some ROMs WiFi calling and Moto mods have issues), and to be quite frank, this device is very livable with stock firmware, just add root via Magisk and customize from there. Nexus 6 was by far my favorite device, but it is starting to feel a bit dated at this point, it had (and continues to have) some of the best third party dev support, and everything almost always works as good or better than what Google offered in it's stock Android form, that device was truly ahead of it's time and just like this device, was criticized and thrown under the bus numerous times, but low and behold a year or so after it's release, it was one of the best, if not the best device to mod. Of course with this device it's a bit finicky to mod or convert to another carrier firmware (if at all possible), but when it comes to working in it's native firmware for the carrier they were configured to run on, it truly doesn't miss a beat. You get a lot for the asking price, and until another developer device like Nexus 6 comes along, this will serve as a perfect successor for the time being. Yeah I'd love to have the dual front facing stereo speakers, and I'd love to have tons of custom features found in Resurrection Remix ROMs, but not at the cost of battery, cell signal, and failing safetynet check. Many of the custom ROM features can be manually added on stock firmware with root access enabled. Custom firmware just makes it easier to do so and also implements its own features, but often takes away features that are only available on stock firmware, for this reason, Nexus 6 was superior on every front in its time, everything was open source and easy to carry over to a custom firmware. Essential phone is like that, but unfortunately it doesn't play well with all carriers, despite being compatible with every carrier like the Nexus 6.
Some other cool and useful features include:
-Ability to remove navigation bar and allow fingerprint sensor gestures to navigate in the essence of Android P (swipe left for back, right for recents, short tap for home)
-fingerprint scanner also doubles up as a power button (normal tap for turning on to bypass screen lock, and normal press for screen off)
-voice assistant via long press on fingerprint scanner
-Moto voice for useful info on the fly, even with screen off
-Moto display, which unlike ambient display, doesn't waste much battery and is very precise when hovering your hand over and lifting vs keeping face down or in pocket (to keep screen from accidentally lighting up))
-dual rear facing camera with a dedicated rear facing black and white (monochrome) camera as one of the lenses
-twist gestures can double up as front/rear camera swapping
-lift to silence ringtone
-flip device onto screen to mute calls
-built in phone video calling
-power button to end call
-double chop for flashlight
-double twist for camera
-front facing torch through stock selfie camera
-night display (adjusts screen tint based on time if day)
-announce calls while driving
-and last but not least, water repellant nano coating, which is something I can't thank Motorola enough, my Nexus 6, Moto G2, Moto X2, Moto E2 all have this coating and I can confirm it works because the G2 owned by my grandma and my friend's Nexus 6 both fell into a tub and sink full of water, both devices worked without issue after removing them from water. Sure they're not water proof per say, but water proofing requires seals/gaskets and adhesives, both of which are compromised over time due to excessive heat from the internal hardware components and when screens or back glass (where applicable) break. So in essence a repellant nano coating may not be as water resistant as gaskets and adhesives, it does it's job most of the time when accidents happen and can surely withstand rain and shower splashes (just don't go plugging headphones or power cables before drying the ports and device as that may cause a short) and best of all, it doesn't get compromised because your screen broke or because of excessive heat and wear and tear.
The only cons I see are the few carrier and Motorola bloat apps most of which can be disabled (or frozen if rooted).
I enjoyed this device so much that I got one for a friend who had issues with her Nexus 6 charging port. Truly an underrated device that will hopefully get more attention from third party devs sooner than later. Personally, I will go as far as to say that this device should be looked at as a benchmark to beat. I've yet to see a device as well optimized, efficient, and as easy to manage right out of the box for such an awesome price.
Syndrome666 said:
snip
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All the developers for the Nash have been working on getting things fixed. You know good things are coming when LOS might be official soon™
Uzephi said:
All the developers for the Nash have been working on getting things fixed. You know good things are coming when LOS might be official soon™
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I definitely do, this phone's technically a successor to what used to be the Moto X series before the Z line took its place, and those had awesome third party dev support. I'm sure I'll get flashing on the Z2F once I get some free time to mod this thing. Any clue if RR is in the works for this phone?
Syndrome666 said:
I definitely do, this phone's technically a successor to what used to be the Moto X series before the Z line took its place, and those had awesome third party dev support. I'm sure I'll get flashing on the Z2F once I get some free time to mod this thing. Any clue if RR is in the works for this phone?
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No clue about RR but @npjohnson pretty much stated how everything is for LOS, unless something "goes sideways" Lineage will be official VERY shortly. @erfanoabdi also stated fingerprint nav now works with selinux enforcing so very few bugs left now. Pretty sure just a few gerrit reviews and everything before LOS ships official. (Red tape and all)
Uzephi said:
No clue about RR but @npjohnson pretty much stated how everything is for LOS, unless something "goes sideways" Lineage will be official VERY shortly. @erfanoabdi also stated fingerprint nav now works with selinux enforcing so very few bugs left now. Pretty sure just a few gerrit reviews and everything before LOS ships official. (Red tape and all)
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Nice, sounds tempting. I'll have to give it a shot
I like my Z2F a lot! So much I bought a second one, a Sprint version. I enjoyed flashing ROM’s and stuff since the Motorola Droid days before 4G. I’ve had Safe strapped RAZR’s and then the RAZR M with the bootloader unlocked, that was fun till I bought a Moto Z Droid. Fast phone but being on Verizon, no root and no playing with ROMs.
I think the Z2F is a great phone, lots of ram so the bloat apps don’t matter much but I miss flashing ROMs. So I purchased a Sprint Z2F and as soon as the UPS guys delvers it, I’m going to activate it on Sprint, Unlock the boot loader, root it and tryout some ROM’s. And after a month or so I want to unlock it and add it to my Verizon account. Should be fun.
Still Loving the performance of this device 5 months later. I think my next device will be the z3 force.
A nicely packed set of features, still a mixed bag
Just got this device couple weeks ago, because: seemed a nicely packed set of features, I needed a new one after 3 years, and it was on sale locally for ~240€, about a third of the 2017 MSRP of 799€. So am happy with seeing and getting that bargain!
However, with the previous device being a Moto X Pure, which had just gotten tediously slower and slower over the last year or so, I find the differences in specs add to it not feeling like the real thing. Like that nightly purchase impulse this posting is severly subjective. I'll mark the so-sos with o and plusses and minusses (where it compares favourably or less than to my previous Moto experiences) in the list below.
o Moto X Pure has stereo speakers, the Z2 Force has 1 mono speaker. Watching the occasional video it certainly feels ok, but definitely "lopsided", thinner, inferior to front-facing stereo speakers. Yes, why, Captain Obvious told me, how did you know?
+ For telephone calls both call quality and, in quiet environments, the speakerphone functionality is just about right. People understand me well and I can hear everyone clearly.
+ Bluetooth connections work well and are quicker to establish. It seems as if the bluetooth range has also increased slightly.
o As of yet, the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack hasn't actually bothered me. Since I'm on the traditionalist side I would have liked one, and sorta expect a hi-def moto mod for this some day.
- The main camera is meh when used with the vanilla Moto app. Really sorry to say that, but I am disappointed. 12MP does not mean much on paper, but the artificial sharpening puts me off. Probably I compare too much with the X Pure's 21MP and subjectively much better image quality, but in low light and less-than-ideal light conditions and when seeing strong contrasts I am unhappy with the Moto camera app. Maybe I have just gotten used to the X's quirks, but still. Disclaimer: need to take more pictures; I might set up a public album for this.
+ Using OpenCamera though I am getting different and better results. So overally I tend to use this now. Suggestions? Should I try FV-5 or Ektacam?
+ Using the Vignette camera app (as I did on all previously used devices) I can get proper results, even though I suspect it does not use the 2nd camera.
+ The snapdragon 835 is superfast, and the Z2 force with these recent price drops in Europe possibly one of the cheapest devices having it
+ the 6GB memory means I can multitask as hell and there indeed is very little reloading an app
+ I got used to having a fingerprint sensor quickly, position on front is fine
+ GPS works much better than on the old Moto, even indoors I typically get a fix both a) faster and b) at all
+ Display, having that crisp 2560x1440p resolution. Colours in saturated mode are strong, bright and I'm impressed.
+ Display colour settings can be set to "standard", which means colours come across as subdued, thinner, and erm less artificial. I use this mode.
+ Touch interactions have that very immediate feel to it, like zero lag and precise positioning. Like!
o the plastic shatterproof feature, well, it comes with a plastic layer on the screen that seems to have a blueish, almost milky tint to it, and that makes it look like plastic very much. Visually speaking it looks plastic when viewed from the side.
+ Connectivity in 4G was good.
o Using two LTE sim cards at the same time though it seems as if only the first one inserted makes use of 4G, the second one can't. Disclaimer: did only test this first evening and unsystematically.
+ Wifi is fast, holds both connections properly on 2.4 and 5 even when in offices or places with more than 40 available networks.
o Using it on commute though it seems as if, even when arrived on destination, it takes those very long extra seconds to connect to a known network. Need to fiddle with a scan interval setting I guess.
+ Built-in battery capacity is smaller, but as of now it lasts me almost two full days, and won't ever go below 20% really. The X Pure's battery is far from dead, but using it heavily means recharging it three times a day.
Overall love after these couple of weeks: an "acceptable meh" Yes, everything works, but I really needed something new and had hoped for something to give me that sensational thrill, but now feel unsatisfied. Had I bought it last year that would have been a serious disappointment.
With all this I think I am in sort of in line with many reviewers who see the oh so revolutionary mods concept as meaning well and ending up mediocre. While I intend to get that Incipio battery mod some day, that might well be the only mod I'll be getting.
mookiexl said:
Still Loving the performance of this device 5 months later. I think my next device will be the z3 force.
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the z2 is the last force edition they will make.
jasperbastianrain said:
the z2 is the last force edition they will make.
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I saw that and it made me cringe. I guess moto figured they couldn't put the price in the range of the Samsung and other more popular manufactures and compete. I still hope they release a device with the SD845 or one with OIS.
Love this phone at all. Just the backside has scratches from the first day on. Never complained, but was there out of the box. More important for me is that the screen has no scratches, even after months. No monday device, absolutly perfect, love this plastic screen. Very sad to know that we don't get any newer model of this force stuff. Battery is very good, too. That's very good at all. But additional screen protector isn't needed, at least at my model the screen isn't scratching. Maybe I have to do it with harder stuff? Don't know how the people get scratches in the screen
I'm absolutely in love with this phone. Obviously everything comes down to value, and for the original $700 or whatever asking price, there were better options. For $260 though (with the projector mod included), it's a downright steal. The phone is blazing fast and the only complaints are no headphone jack and a relatively weak camera. The very un-2017 screen ratio is also a negative, but considering the price you can find the phone for these days it's nothing to me.
ROM support is straight up bad unfortunately (huge thanks to the devs that do support it), but the phone works very well stock. I've always ran my phones with ROMs, but I don't really feel like I even need one.
Yeah I have this phone as well. I don't have any real issues beside poor signal but that's from where I live. Even with the booster T-Mobile sent me from Cel-Fi it can pickup 3 bars and 6 on the booster box I get 4G LTE and 5 bars. I can hear all my friends now. GF she has the same cell as well her's has issues like with most women when it come to cells. Data Mode drops can't do anything except remove the sim but not only that the screen is peeling off. So T-mobile is doing a warranty exchange with a brand new one. Not factory nonsense excuse for a cell. Brand new. Mine is like new!
01/2019 Real user review Great phone, super fast, great size, look outdated due to its form factor (big chin, no notch) Great battery life, super fast charging. Overall great phone, a little slow on updates
Update 01/17/2020. I've had my black, unlocked Sprint version since my last post in 2017. I've been using it flawlessly on Mint mobile for a couple years. It is positively Boba Fetted out with scratches all over the aluminum body. I am on my 3rd IQ shield screen protector. My wife has the white Verizon z2 force and we have almost all the mods.
A few months ago I noticed my battery life take a nose dive. Even after a complete wipe and clean install I struggle to make it through a day with moderate use. I've never had a phone long enough to experience battery degradation.
I went to Best Buy to check out the current crop of new phones. I handled the z3 and z4 and while nice they just seemed kinda..."meh" I didn't notice any speed difference or screen clarity between either of those phones and my 3 year old z2 and I'd be giving up shattershield. I thought about trying something new and was seriously tempted by the S10+ but a case would be a must. It is crazy
My daughter has a pixel 3 so I checked out the 4 and was a little underwhelmed. I ended up leaving with the phone I came with. I got home and started shopping online. I stumbled upon a nib unlocked gray T-Mobile Z2 for $150. Considering the Samsung cost almost 5x as much and would need to be babied I pulled the trigger on the Motorola.
So in summary I love this phone enough to buy it again despite it being old as dirt in the tech world. I plan on riding the gray one until the wheels fall off or until some new hotness comes out that I see and just have to have.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Owner of one of the first Z2 Force XT1789-06 dual sim with Nougat, since of reduced battery life and screen a bit "impressed" I decided to buy a new phone.
I decided for a "brand new" Xt1789-06 dual sim that I set up with Pie. Need I to add something?
enetec said:
Owner of one of the first Z2 Force XT1789-06 dual sim with Nougat, since of reduced battery life and screen a bit "impressed" I decided to buy a new phone.
I decided for a "brand new" Xt1789-06 dual sim that I set up with Pie. Need I to add something?
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Yeah, there is no better phone on the market with unbreakable screen. I would buy it again, too. Costs 399€ (very much, but high end for many years) at the moment. More than 2018 here in europe.
Set Up should be Lineage OS 16 and then it's perfect.
Hi all! I currently have a nexus 6p as my daily driver and came from a nexus 6. I am running into some issues with the 6p and got to looking at other phones. My criteria is:
32gb storage minimum
usb-c charging or qi if micro-usb
good battery life
nfc
good camera (photos and videos)
no/minimal bloat ware (stock launcher also, no TouchWiz)
can be bought around $250 (used is ok)
fingerprint scanner is a plus
It looks like the ph1 meets all my requirements. I have found one slightly used for under $250. I really like the 128gb storage as I do YouTube videos using my phone sometimes and the extra space comes in handy. So my question is this: should the ph1 be a good device for me? I have been using nexus phones since the galaxy nexus and own them all except the 5x. I'm on AT&T. If there is a better phone that meets the requirements I'm all game to look at it. If I can't find a replacement phone soon I'm going back to my n6. This n6p is driving me crazy with the crap battery life, missed notifications, and phonecall black screen bug.
Thanks in advance for the input.
*edit* just found a pixel 128gb model certified refurb for same price. Which one would you get?
I've had my ph1 for only a couple of weeks now but I am loving this device. I rooted it but still running the stock operating system. I use Nova launcher just because I like the options in it but the stock launcher is pretty smooth as well. The camera takes great pictures especially compared to my htc 10 I came from. I go back and forth between the stock camera app and a modded Google camera app. Both seem to work great. Battery life is amazing for me. Easy lasts all day with 3-4 hours of screen on time. I had to charge my 10 a minimum of twice a day. I don't put this on charge until the very end of my day after I've been running the hotspot for a couple of hours. I'm not sure how it would compared to the pixel though. Security and software updates come pretty frequently. I've been getting the May security patch update for a few days now but since I'm rooted I can't except the OTA. Not sure if this will help your decision but that is my take on the ph1 so far.
I won't be a lot of help as I only picked up my PH-1 last night and have been playing with it at the office this morning. That said, I owned a 32GB Pixel XL prior to my current S8 and loved that thing. The main thing I felt it lacked was the always on display, which the PH-1 also lacks. When I got my S8 I decided to give wireless charging a try, don't know how I lived without it. The PH-1 doesn't have that either, although neither does the Pixel line.
The 32GB became an issue as I think only about 23GB was actually usable on my XL. Local carriers ran a deal last Nov and I picked up the S8. It's a solid phone, but I miss stock Android so I started looking at 128GB XL's. A deal came up on a PH-1, I was curious, so I pulled the trigger. It seems nice so far but if I'm being honest, I'd take a 128GB XL over it for the same price. The camera on it was amazing, better than the PH-1 stock camera for sure. I haven't sideloaded the Google camera app, so can't comment on that.
Hope this was a little helpful.
kameleon25 said:
Hi all! I currently have a nexus 6p as my daily driver and came from a nexus 6. I am running into some issues with the 6p and got to looking at other phones. My criteria is:
32gb storage minimum
usb-c charging or qi if micro-usb
good battery life
nfc
good camera (photos and videos)
no/minimal bloat ware (stock launcher also, no TouchWiz)
can be bought around $250 (used is ok)
fingerprint scanner is a plus
It looks like the ph1 meets all my requirements. I have found one slightly used for under $250. I really like the 128gb storage as I do YouTube videos using my phone sometimes and the extra space comes in handy. So my question is this: should the ph1 be a good device for me? I have been using nexus phones since the galaxy nexus and own them all except the 5x. I'm on AT&T. If there is a better phone that meets the requirements I'm all game to look at it. If I can't find a replacement phone soon I'm going back to my n6. This n6p is driving me crazy with the crap battery life, missed notifications, and phonecall black screen bug.
Thanks in advance for the input.
*edit* just found a pixel 128gb model certified refurb for same price. Which one would you get?
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Click to collapse
PH-1
kameleon25 said:
Hi all! I currently have a nexus 6p as my daily driver and came from a nexus 6. I am running into some issues with the 6p and got to looking at other phones. My criteria is:
32gb storage minimum
usb-c charging or qi if micro-usb
good battery life
nfc
good camera (photos and videos)
no/minimal bloat ware (stock launcher also, no TouchWiz)
can be bought around $250 (used is ok)
fingerprint scanner is a plus
It looks like the ph1 meets all my requirements. I have found one slightly used for under $250. I really like the 128gb storage as I do YouTube videos using my phone sometimes and the extra space comes in handy. So my question is this: should the ph1 be a good device for me? I have been using nexus phones since the galaxy nexus and own them all except the 5x. I'm on AT&T. If there is a better phone that meets the requirements I'm all game to look at it. If I can't find a replacement phone soon I'm going back to my n6. This n6p is driving me crazy with the crap battery life, missed notifications, and phonecall black screen bug.
Thanks in advance for the input.
*edit* just found a pixel 128gb model certified refurb for same price. Which one would you get?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're talking about the first gen of Pixel phones, then definitely get the Essential PH-1, it's more up to date in terms of processing power, feels rock solid (doesn't bend), uses ceramic back, which holds up well (according to various YouTube drop tests) as opposed to glass found on the Pixel, uses titanium rather than aluminum, so doesn't dent or scratch as easily.
Probably one of the best Android devices to own if you want consistent monthly security patch and os updates, definitely up there with the Pixel quality of os update support (I'm also hearing Razer phone is good for that as well). With Essential you also get a very elegant design, no ugly chins or huge bezels. Excellent cameras, just get a Google camera app if you find the stock essential one a bit lacking. Battery life is very good, can't say how it compares to a pixel, but I'd imagine it's not too different. I've installed Resurrection remix on the PH-1, and use it as a daily driver, this ROM really unlocks this device's full potential. Third party development is definitely there and growing. I'll say this much, if you enjoyed your Nexus devices, which I'm sure you did, you will love the Essential PH-1, it's not a generic copycat phone, but rather one of those devices that excite. With a pixel, well you get a very iPhonesque design and pretty much the same stuff as Essential plus more Google stuff I'm sure, don't know, never got one. My last two phones were the Nexus 6 and Nextbit Robin, both were and still are excellent phones to this day, but after checking out the Essential in person, I just couldn't not buy it. It definitely has that Nexus vibe to it
I just made the jump from a Nexus 6P to a PH1 a few weeks ago when bestbuy and amazon had them on sale for $400 and am on AT&T.
Overall the phone is solid though you can tell that it's not popular as your options for accessories such as screen protectors and cases are very limited.
Battery life is great, all day at work connected to my watch via bluetooth and I drain maybe 15-20%, my 6P would have drained 70% in that same time frame with the same usage. It's not an AMOLED screen which I do miss but it is a very bright LCD and seems to be fine in the car so overall I don't mind.
Haven't had any issues with AT&T other than a certain deadspot near the mall which was also an issue on the 6P so that's more AT&T's problem.
Bootloader unlock was smooth and rooting with Magisk was easy too so if you are coming from a Nexus device and want something simple to deal with this should fit the bill.
This phone has gotten so much better in the time I've owned it, the support is incredible. It is my favorite phone all around I've ever owned I think. My only issue is the camera, and with gcam it is half decent. Overall a great phone!