New owner RMA & flash questions - OnePlus 5 Questions & Answers

I'm getting my OnePlus 5 tomorrow coming from a Pixel XL. I have never owned a OnePlus phone before and have two questions :
1) If you need to RMA a OnePlus phone while it is under warranty does the company send you a new or refurbished phone?
2) If I decide i want to flash TWRP and a custom kernel do I also need to root my phone or can I leave it unrooted?

jhs39 said:
I'm getting my OnePlus 5 tomorrow coming from a Pixel XL. I have never owned a OnePlus phone before and have two questions :
1) If you need to RMA a OnePlus phone while it is under warranty does the company send you a new or refurbished phone?
2) If I decide i want to flash TWRP and a custom kernel do I also need to root my phone or can I leave it unrooted?
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1) Well, usually they should try to repair your device. If, for whatever reason, that can't be accomplished, they must replace it with a similar device.
This is my general knowledge, not something specific to OnePlus as I've never owned one before either.
2) You will need root in order to tweak the custom kernel settings to your liking. The kernel tweaker app needs root, not the kernel itself.
It's pretty redundant to flash a custom kernel and not be able to change any settings. Might as well stay stock then.

Pwnycorn said:
1) Well, usually they should try to repair your device. If, for whatever reason, that can't be accomplished, they must replace it with a similar device.
This is my general knowledge, not something specific to OnePlus as I've never owned one before either.
2) You will need root in order to tweak the custom kernel settings to your liking. The kernel tweaker app needs root, not the kernel itself.
It's pretty redundant to flash a custom kernel and not be able to change any settings. Might as well stay stock then.
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1) The reason I'm curious about what OnePlus does with phones under warranty is also the reason I'm washing my hands of Google phones. I own the two most recent Google flagship phones --the Nexus 6P and the Pixel XL. Both phones have extremely high defect and catostrophic failure rates. But the bigger problem is what Google does after you RMA your phone. Google sends its customers refurbished phones but those phones are very frequently defective. With both of those phones some customers have received one defective phone after another. People have complained that they were on their third, fourth or fifth phone after doing their initial RMA with Google. Nobody sends out that many defective phones by accident. I was wondering if customers had similar problems with OnePlus.
2) I thought you probably needed root to tweak the kernel settings. Thanks for confirming that.

jhs39 said:
1) The reason I'm curious about what OnePlus does with phones under warranty is also the reason I'm washing my hands of Google phones. I own the two most recent Google flagship phones --the Nexus 6P and the Pixel XL. Both phones have extremely high defect and catostrophic failure rates. But the bigger problem is what Google does after you RMA your phone. Google sends its customers refurbished phones but those phones are very frequently defective. With both of those phones some customers have received one defective phone after another. People have complained that they were on their third, fourth or fifth phone after doing their initial RMA with Google. Nobody sends out that many defective phones by accident. I was wondering if customers had similar problems with OnePlus.
2) I thought you probably needed root to tweak the kernel settings. Thanks for confirming that.
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Interesting... I come from a long list of Nexus and Pixel devices. Luckily I never had to RMA my Pixel. However, I RMA'd a few Nexus devices and all of my replacements were new, sealed phones in full packaging with all new accessories. None of those replacements were defective, or even previously used from what I could tell. In fact, the way Google's RMA process works is that you pay full price for a new phone, they ship you the new phone and when you return your defective unit, they refund the amount you paid for the second phone. With a setup like this, you always get a brand new phone, even when it's technically an "RMA".
I suppose it's possible things changed with RMAs when the Pixel line came out, but your comments seem very much out of the norm from my personal experience and from everything I've read over on the Pixel sub-forums.

If Google had a policy of sending people new phones in an RMA that completely changed by the time the Nexus 6P came out. If you use your phone for one day and need to RMA it they will only send you a refurbished phone. The Pixel forums on XDA are dominated by fan boys. You should read the official Google Pixel Support page if you want to get a more accurate sense of what's going on with that phone.

jhs39 said:
If Google had a policy of sending people new phones in an RMA that completely changed by the time the Nexus 6P came out. If you use your phone for one day and need to RMA it they will only send you a refurbished phone. The Pixel forums on XDA are dominated by fan boys. You should read the official Google Pixel Support page if you want to get a more accurate sense of what's going on with that phone.
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It's definitely possible that Google's RMA policy has changed in the past couple of years. I don't think I've RMA'd one since the Nexus 5.
But in the days of the Nexus 5, if you needed to exchange your phone you paid full price for a new one, they sent you the new one in full new retail packaging with all new accessories, and you sent your old phone back. Once they received your old phone they'd refund your money. In those days they absolutely did send you a brand new device.
Now I'm curious what the current RMA process is for Google's phones.
On another note, I'm in a very similar situation as you. I recently sold my Pixel XL as I've been using a Galaxy S8 as my daily driver. However, in 2 months of usage I'm already tired of Touchwiz and looking at other more "pure Android" experiences. I almost pulled the trigger on the OnePlus 5 but decided to hold off and see what the Essential Phone had to offer. Aside from the bezel-less look, early reviews of that phone aren't too positive due to the LCD screen and the sub-par camera.
So now I'm back to looking at the OnePlus 5. But with the 2nd generation Pixel/Pixel Xl due to be announced in early October, I'm finding myself in a holding pattern for the time being.

I think the Pixel XL would have been a great phone for $600 (providing you don't need to RMA it) but for the $1000+ that I spent on mine it was obscenely overpriced. I wouldn't consider buying another Google phone unless they change their RMA policy.
Now they put a hold on your credit card for the full price of a new phone but send you a refurbished one. If you don't have the money available for the hold then you have to return your old phone before they send you a replacement.
Another fun part of their current warranty policy is that the phone has to be returned in like new condition unless you purchased the extended warranty which covers physical damage. There have been reports of the Pixel screen cracking due to overheating and it's fairly easy to scratch, crack or chip the glass on the back of the phone. Before Google will accept an RMA on a defective phone with any physical damage they send you to UBreakWeFix (I think that's what their called) and you have to get any physical damage to the phone repaired out of your own pocket before Google will accept the defective phone back. People report every day that their Pixel became completely unresponsive and dead, usually without warning. Even people with a dead phone can't RMA it before paying to fix any physical damage.
The OnePlus 5 isn't as fast and smooth as a Pixel XL but it's close. My biggest complaint with the phone so far is that its's too thin to hold comfortably for an extended period of time. I wish the phone was a little thicker which would make it easier to grip.
But the OnePlus 5 is much closer to the spirit of the Nexus devices than the Pixel is. It's very easy to unlock the bootloader and flash stuff, the development community blows the one for the Pixels completely out of the water and if you want to update stock you can download zips from the official OnePlus page that can be flashed with TWRP.
I don't notice any jelly effect with my display but there is a rumor OnePlus will release a OnePlus 5T in the fall like they did with the OnePlus 3. It might be worth waiting for the new one instead.

Yeah, that RMA process is drastically different than the way it was before. And it sounds like an insanely obnoxious hassle. I think I'll be taking that into consideration when I consider the 2nd generation Pixel/Pixel XL. Granted, I always install a TG screen protector and case on my phones immediately after unboxing them.
A case will likely solve your grip issues, BTW.
Interesting that you say the OnePlus 5 isn't as fast/smooth as the Pixel. I was under the impression from reviewers that the Snapdragon 835 and 6/8GB of RAM in the OnePlus 5 made the phone feel noticeably faster than the Pixel XL. Granted, the Pixel XL never missed a beat and never stuttered, so I'm not really sure how much smoother you can really get than that.

The OnePlus 5 definitely has better specs but for some reason it still isn't as smooth as the Pixel XL. In Spotify I notice a slight lag when I scroll through my playlists. The app drawer also isn't quite as smooth.
One other area where the OnePlus is inferior to the Pixel XL is the camera app. A lot of people are actually using the Google Camera app ported over from the Pixel rather than the stock camera app on the phone.
I preordered the RhinoShield Bumper Guard case for the OnePlus but it isn't shipping until the first week in September. Meanwhile I'm on my third temporary case for the OnePlus but I haven't liked any of them. The stock case that OnePlus sells for $40 (it's their signature case) is amazingly bad. It's literally paper thin, offers no protection, fits the phone poorly, is every bit as slick as the bare phone and feels like it was made of seventy five cents worth of material at most. The Supcase Unicorn Beetle Pro is so poorly designed it interferes with the ability to type accurately because the edge of the case redirects your fingers. I'm currently using the Spigen Rugged Armor but the case is too slim and smooth to improve the grip of the phone. It's not what I expected given the name but when you're buying phone cases on Amazon it's hard to tell what you are getting until it arrives.

Now that I think about it the reason the OnePlus 5 isn't quite as fast and smooth as the Pixel XL is very likely because it's running a modified version of Android. I tried a number of custom ROMs on the Pixel XL but the phone performed best by far on pure stock Android. On even the best custom ROM the Pixel probably didn't perform as well as the OnePlus 5. The Oxygen operating system used on the OnePlus adds useful functionality not found in stock Android but it also adds bugs that affect performance in one way or another.

The Pixel also runs a slightly modified version of Android.
OnePlus is faster due to its specs. Hands down. The only reason the Pixel feels smoother is due to the software and how it was tuned.

Pwnycorn said:
The Pixel also runs a slightly modified version of Android.
OnePlus is faster due to its specs. Hands down. The only reason the Pixel feels smoother is due to the software and how it was tuned.
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Faster specs don't matter if the phone doesn't feel faster or smoother. The Pixel runs the most vanilla version of Android that you will find on any phone. But it also doesn't have the customization options or features that you find on the OnePlus or especially on a high end Samsung phone. But there's a trade-off. The Samsung phones tend to lag noticeably after months of use. The Pixel doesn't lag ever as long as you stay on stock Android. Unfortunately recent Google phones including the Pixel have very serious build problems. Google almost seems to be intentionally making phones that will be dead within a couple years of purchase .

Related

pixel xl, slower than One plus 3!?

No offense but I am still waiting for the pixel to become available to purchase mine, but according to this the pixel is slower than the one plus 3!? I already own a one plus 3 now I am bit skeptical if I should spend 600$ on a phone that is slower..
I wouldn't if you already have a Oneplus 3. Especially since a Oneplus 4 shouldn't be too far off, and it will for sure curb stomp the pixel.
That being said, I'm getting the Pixel just for the better camera and daydream. And currently I'm just using a cheap Huawei, because my note7 was recalled
you can get Google Pixel and Google assistant free. if you only want the software experience
work's with any Marshmallow device. with root and custom ROM.
video below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnjMRrRE0jY
OnePlus 3S or 3T coming out very soon with SnapDragon 821 might aswell wait
Pixel is pushing to a QHD screen.... oneplus is just 1080p;
geovass said:
Pixel is pushing to a QHD screen.... oneplus is just 1080p;
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ZTE axon 7 got QHD screen and is twice as cheap.
It may open up some games faster but its not a " faster" experience. You have to remember that these kinds of comparisons are never black and white. If this changes your mind then you're an idiot.
infamousjax said:
It may open up some games faster but its not a " faster" experience. You have to remember that these kinds of comparisons are never black and white. If this changes your mind then you're an idiot.
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Why is not a faster experience one plus runs nearly stuck android. One plus is the closes to stock that you will get aside from Google. And it almost outperformed the pixel in every test. I dont want to agree as I will. E leaving the op3 for the pixel due to the quick updates for the pixel phone but is pathetic that Google makes a phone that performs just like a 400$ phone and price it twice as high..
egren58 said:
Why is not a faster experience one plus runs nearly stuck android. One plus is the closes to stock that you will get aside from Google. And it almost outperformed the pixel in every test. I dont want to agree as I will. E leaving the op3 for the pixel due to the quick updates for the pixel phone but is pathetic that Google makes a phone that performs just like a 400$ phone and price it twice as high..
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They are running two different versions of Android, and they have both optimized their software differently. The Pixel very well could have theirs optimized for battery life rather than app performance such as the OP3.. There are too many variables.
infamousjax said:
They are running two different versions of Android, and they have both optimized their software differently. The Pixel very well could have theirs optimized for battery life rather than app performance such as the OP3.. There are too many variables.
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There is no rationalizing with folks who are caught up on the price of the Pixel......
I paid $37,000 for a Jeep Wrangler.. Thing has less options and modern amenities than a $20,000 Hyundai.... But it's a Jeep. It is what it is folks... More senseless grumbling, I guess it will subside eventually..
Sent from my Pixel XL
All I know is I've never had an android phone that was buttery smooth all the time like iOS runs on iPhone. The latest android phones i've used before the Pixel were the Nexus 6, 6P, 5X, Note 7, & S7 Edge and those phones always had hickups here and there in different apps so I've mainly been back on iPhone for the last 1-2 years. The Note 7 you could tell was snappy, but jump in the browser and start scrolling and it would 'hesitate' or 'lag' but it was never butter like the iOS browser. The Pixel is as close to iOS smooth that I have seen on an android phone and it is a very welcome feeling.
Like I've been saying: It's not about cold hard specifications. It's about how the WHOLE package comes together as a unit. The Pixel is a great example where the phone is greater than the sum of its parts. Google optimized the **** out of this device -- which is probably one of the reasons why it's so smooth. You could also argue that this optimization also greatly enhanced battery life. These two things together could take away from super-fast game loading which is why it's being beaten at this task by some older/lesser devices.
It's how you look at the TOTAL picture folks... like I said, it's not white and black.
GHII said:
All I know is I've never had an android phone that was buttery smooth all the time like iOS runs on iPhone. The latest android phones i've used before the Pixel were the Nexus 6, 6P, 5X, Note 7, & S7 Edge and those phones always had hickups here and there in different apps so I've mainly been back on iPhone for the last 1-2 years. The Note 7 you could tell was snappy, but jump in the browser and start scrolling and it would 'hesitate' or 'lag' but it was never butter like the iOS browser. The Pixel is as close to iOS smooth that I have seen on an android phone and it is a very welcome feeling.
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What would you chose a Lexus or a Mercedes-Benz?..
Believe me, the OnePlus 3 is not as great as many reports suggest - I can't wait to get rid of mine. It replaced a reliable Nexus 6P four months back and that was one of the worst phone decisions I've ever made. Why? Yes the OnePlus 3 is a very, very good phone in many ways. It's an piece of very solid hardware with a great camera and all the top specs you could want.
However, one of its key features that got my attention was the promise of a stock android experience. My mistake was I assumed that meant everything would be similar to my experience of Nexus phones (I'd had the 6P, the 6, the 5 and the 4 so far).Sure, I guessed updates would be less frequent, but overall I expected the same quality of software as a Nexus. How wrong I was. From the start, there were just so many bugs: for the first two months the on screen nav bar didn't work properly so I had to use the hardware buttons. There were problems with the mobile network connection; often settings i changed kept reverting to default after a reboot; notifications failed, ringtones were too loud; screen auto brightness levels were crazy; there were problems with SIM settings; and the battery drained very randomly. Wth every successive update that OP pushed out, only some of these bugs were fixed but even more new bugs were let loose. I think they've had to release urgent hot fixes for at least 3 monthly updates so far to address major issues. So now I can see why they are selling their phone so cheap: OP are woefully behind the bigger phone manufacturers when it comes to software development resources. For many that's worth it to save so much money, but not me
Worst still, if my own experience of OP's Community Builds programme to showcase and test new features is anything to go by, their stock android promise is about to be broken. They plan to introduce elements of their android software designed for the Chinese market. Think MIUI and you'll begin to get the picture. That's too much for any Nexus fan so guess what? My Pixel XL is ordered and arriving Wednesday and my OP3 is getting sold to my local second hand phone store right after that.
I can't wait to get back to a stable, reliable Google device again, even if the Pixel's pricing is ridiculous.
SpaceGooner said:
Believe me, the OnePlus 3 is not as great as many reports suggest - I can't wait to get rid of mine. It replaced a reliable Nexus 6P four months back and that was one of the worst phone decisions I've ever made. Why? Yes the OnePlus 3 is a very, very good phone in many ways. It's an piece of very solid hardware with a great camera and all the top specs you could want.
However, one of its key features that got my attention was the promise of a stock android experience. My mistake was I assumed that meant everything would be similar to my experience of Nexus phones (I'd had the 6P, the 6, the 5 and the 4 so far).Sure, I guessed updates would be less frequent, but overall I expected the same quality of software as a Nexus. How wrong I was. From the start, there were just so many bugs: for the first two months the on screen nav bar didn't work properly so I had to use the hardware buttons. There were problems with the mobile network connection; often settings i changed kept reverting to default after a reboot; notifications failed, ringtones were too loud; screen auto brightness levels were crazy; there were problems with SIM settings; and the battery drained very randomly. Wth every successive update that OP pushed out, only some of these bugs were fixed but even more new bugs were let loose. I think they've had to release urgent hot fixes for at least 3 monthly updates so far to address major issues. So now I can see why they are selling their phone so cheap: OP are woefully behind the bigger phone manufacturers when it comes to software development resources. For many that's worth it to save so much money, but not me
Worst still, if my own experience of OP's Community Builds programme to showcase and test new features is anything to go by, their stock android promise is about to be broken. They plan to introduce elements of their android software designed for the Chinese market. Think MIUI and you'll begin to get the picture. That's too much for any Nexus fan so guess what? My Pixel XL is ordered and arriving Wednesday and my OP3 is getting sold to my local second hand phone right after that.
I can't wait to get back to a stable, reliable Google device again, even if the Pixel's pricing is ridiculous.
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Valid point, I do agree that they are not very good in the software department.. I am myself getting a pixel I just don't think the pixel is priced right
egren58 said:
Valid point, I do agree that they are not very good in the software department.. I am myself getting a pixel I just don't think the pixel is priced right
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Its the same exact price as the iPhone designed to directly compete with the iPhone. Nexus phones were never meant to be a huge money maker for Google -- the Pixel is, and as such is priced and marketed as such.
infamousjax said:
Its the same exact price as the iPhone designed to directly compete with the iPhone. Nexus phones were never meant to be a huge money maker for Google -- the Pixel is, and as such is priced and marketed as such.
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I think the pixel should of been a nexus 6p with a 5.5 inch display and updated specs keep everything else the same including the front facing speakers. Now that I would thrown my money at Google for.
egren58 said:
I think the pixel should of been a nexus 6p with a 5.5 inch display and updated specs keep everything else the same including the front facing speakers. Now that I would thrown my money at Google for.
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The Nexus 6P had a premium feel to it, but was made poorly. Watch what happens on YouTube when you try to bend one. I like the Pixel design much better... no visor/camera hump, much more study, two-tone unique back design, etc.
infamousjax said:
The Nexus 6P had a premium feel to it, but was made poorly. Watch what happens on YouTube when you try to bend one. I like the Pixel design much better... no visor/camera hump, much more study, two-tone unique back design, etc.
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So your one of those idiot who actually attempts to bend a phone. Or wait let me guess your one of those who performs 50 ft drop test?!. ????????
Who the heck runs around attempting to bend a phone those reviews are stupid and my opinion. So stupid that prior to iPhone bend gate it dint even exist.
And the two tone is ugly af once mine arrives I will be putting a skin over the phone.
egren58 said:
So your one of those idiot who actually attempts to bend a phone. Or wait let me guess your one of those who performs 50 ft drop test?!. ????????
Who the heck runs around attempting to bend a phone those reviews are stupid and my opinion. So stupid that prior to iPhone bend gate it dint even exist.
And the two tone is ugly af once mine arrives I will be putting a skin over the phone.
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Watch how easy it bends ... He says "my 6 year old daughter could easily bend this phone in half".
You're the idiot for buying a phone that you think is ugly AF lpl

Need To Move On

Battery on my Release Day N6 is dying. Only charges on the Turbo Charge and drains way to fast.
I can move on and the Pixel XL looks like my best option, (I'm not in love wit the Pixel) because the Moto Z Force will never have root and that's a great phone.
OR
My buddy does phone repair and has the heat gun, tools etc and I can swap batteries with another N6 I have that the screen is shattered on. But It'd be a week before I can get to his house :/
Truth is, I'm ready for a new phone. What do YOU guys think, is there one I'm missing that I can love as much as the N6, or just fix mine and hope VZW gets the Zenfone AR if it ever gets released?
I just got oneplus 3t just for the time being. Honestly, it is one of the best phone for the price. Had honor 8 briefly, but I'm not a fan of EMUI 5.0. plus honor U.S.A is pretty slow rolling out the software update.
Oneplus is pretty fast on updating their software. I mean at the end of the day, Its kinda ridiculous to spend $650 and up for a smartphone nowadays.
Oh and I still have my nexus 6 as my back up, the phone is still getting the job done for my usage.
fnudaniel83 said:
I just got oneplus 3t just for the time being. Honestly, it is one of the best phone for the price. Had honor 8 briefly, but I'm not a fan of EMUI 5.0. plus honor U.S.A is pretty slow rolling out the software update.
Oneplus is pretty fast on updating their software. I mean at the end of the day, Its kinda ridiculous to spend $650 and up for a smartphone nowadays.
Oh and I still have my nexus 6 as my back up, the phone is still getting the job done for my usage.
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OnePlus is not an option on Verizon
Nexus 6 batteries are between $12 & $20 on Amazon. That's pretty cheap. I think it's worth the trouble. There's some YouTube videos on changing that battery and it doesn't look too difficult. Plus you have an extra Nexus 6 to practice on if I'm reading the OP correctly.
bigbaluka said:
Nexus 6 batteries are between $12 & $20 on Amazon. That's pretty cheap. I think it's worth the trouble. There's some YouTube videos on changing that battery and it doesn't look too difficult. Plus you have an extra Nexus 6 to practice on if I'm reading the OP correctly.
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That's the way I'm gonna go. I really don't want a Pixel, unless someone finds root for the Droid Z Force or that Asus comes to Verizon
Nexus 6p or buy another Nexus 6
HipKat said:
That's the way I'm gonna go. I really don't want a Pixel, unless someone finds root for the Droid Z Force or that Asus comes to Verizon
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I still love my shamu 64GB I plan on changing my battery whenever it stops holding a charge. All rechargeable batteries have a finite number of times they can be charged before they start acting the way yours is now. Once your battery is replaced with a quality replacement you'll likely be good for a couple of years and shamu is still an awesome device in my opinion. I'm a little apprehensive about changing my own Nexus 6 battery but when the time comes I'm gonna give it a try. Let us know how it goes.
@HipKat don't go for Nexus 5x or 6p as both suffers from some hardware related bootloop issue. Just go to their respective forums and anyone can have a look at the Q&A section. Not worth the trouble as the phone is bound to randomly die at some point.
If those are your only option and you won't change carrier to get a OnePlus 3T, then I would go for one of the Pixels as they at least has good custom ROM support. If you don't care about custom ROM support then it's up to your preference.
Arju said:
@HipKat don't go for Nexus 5x or 6p as both suffers from some hardware related bootloop issue. Just go to their respective forums and anyone can have a look at the Q&A section. Not worth the trouble as the phone is bound to randomly die at some point.
If those are your only option and you won't change carrier to get a OnePlus 3T, then I would go for one of the Pixels as they at least has good custom ROM support. If you don't care about custom ROM support then it's up to your preference.
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Believe me, custom development is a HUGE factor and I wouldn't go for an old phone.
@bigbaluka I watched a few vids and it seems decent. Like I posted, my buddy has all the tools. We work for Dish Network and he's one of the guys that does screen repair and battery replacement for iPhone and Samsung devices. (Don'tr ask me WHY Dish is doing this....)
HipKat said:
Believe me, custom development is a HUGE factor and I wouldn't go for an old phone.
@bigbaluka I watched a few vids and it seems decent. Like I posted, my buddy has all the tools. We work for Dish Network and he's one of the guys that does screen repair and battery replacement for iPhone and Samsung devices. (Don'tr ask me WHY Dish is doing this....)
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I'm not sure I'd replace the 6 for a 6p or a 5X. I got a 5X and it was more for the size, but I can't say it overperforms the 6 plus there are the potential bootloop issues. The Pixel is OK, but you'll be paying up big time and esp if you are not really keen about it, it's a decent chunk of money to drop down. Sounds like you like your 6, I'd just try and replace the battery since it sounds like that's the only issue. It were different if it was a broken screen or something else, but battery I'd just do that.
mikeprius said:
I'm not sure I'd replace the 6 for a 6p or a 5X. I got a 5X and it was more for the size, but I can't say it overperforms the 6 plus there are the potential bootloop issues. The Pixel is OK, but you'll be paying up big time and esp if you are not really keen about it, it's a decent chunk of money to drop down. Sounds like you like your 6, I'd just try and replace the battery since it sounds like that's the only issue. It were different if it was a broken screen or something else, but battery I'd just do that.
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Yeah, agreed. I did 2 things, found a different USB cable, which looks like it solved the charging problem and switched to Dark Rom which seems to have amazing battery life. I think it'll still drain faster until I get the battery switched, so I must have had a few problems going on; bad cable, deteriorating ROM and battery that doesn't hold a charge like It used to
While my N6 isn't quick as old as yours, I have definitely noticed a lag of late. Taking pictures especially.
And while it might be nowhere near the same class as the N6, I think the Moto G5 Plus might be a good replacement. Sure, the screen size is considerably smaller, it lacks dual front-facing speakers, NFC, etc. but that price! I like the design, and as the kernel source code has already been released, my hope is that the dev community will build some nice roms for this little guy.
We'll see what Motorola does with the true Moto X replacement (not the "Is it a Moto X or is it a Moto E" we are seeing). But that Moto G5 Plus price is hard to ignore.
I just think the Pixel is too expensive. They might solve all of the issues with the release of the Pixel 2, but who wants to spend $1k on a phone?
@Fvolfrine and others:
Lag when starting the camera is a feature of Android from around KitKat or so. The ram that the camera needs is made available for other use, and then the camera has to wait for it to be released.
It makes other apps faster, but the start of the camera significantly shower. You may agree or disagree with that trade-off, but as far as I know, it's the same on all recent phones. Though of course, it matters less if the phone has a lot of ram.
From what I read, the Moto G5 plus has hardware that is approximately as powerful as the N6. So the only way it can have less lag is if its rom is better optimized - and while that may be the case for the stock roms, the N6 has a large community of devs that provide greatly optimized roms.
@runekock - my lag isn't so much when starting the camera as it is when taking a picture. Even with HDR+ turned off, it takes 4-5 seconds for the picture to take. I've had this same experience on stock, and now on PureNexus, which I flashed about five days ago.
Fvolfrine said:
@runekock - my lag isn't so much when starting the camera as it is when taking a picture. Even with HDR+ turned off, it takes 4-5 seconds for the picture to take. I've had this same experience on stock, and now on PureNexus, which I flashed about five days ago.
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There is no lag when using a custom kernel. Try using a kernel different from stock.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Few weeks ago I wasn't able to turn on wifi any more. After factory reset and cache wipe I got it to turn on few times then it died again. I'm suspecting a hw problem. Now that Dark Rom is available for our phone, I might try my luck with that, but I'm not very optimistic.
I really liked this phone a lot. Now I have the option of getting new motherboard for 50€ or new phone (looking at iPhone 6s Plus or 7 Plus cause of that mega battery and brightness, but that price tho.. Was also looking at Pixel but I read it has too many problems + warranty outside my country).
Is Nexus 6 worth fixing (for 50€ + risk of messing something up during repair)?
For 50€ i would take the risk.
Used Nexus 6s still went for over US$100 last time I looked at ebay. If fixing one is $20, that seems a decent investment to me. My battery is about worn out so I will be doing just that soon.
If there are ever charging issues or USB cords falling out, check for lint in the USB port. My first N6 had that issue.
I started having charging issues with my 2 year old shamu a few months ago, getting a new oem charger fixed the problem for me and it's still going strong. I've got a 5x as well, but it doesn't get used much, shamu is a better device.
gonna add my own experience to the mix hoping it would be helpful to some, My N6's battery also started showing signs of a problem few month back after maybe more than a year of usage and it got worse over time. the problem is i cannot get my hand on a new battery anytime soon and i cannot use my N6 as a daily driver as it just dies randomly so i thought i go for the Galaxy S7 since the price was dropped prior to S8 launch and i did, but oh my, going from a heavily developed phone like N6 to S7 is really boring and no fun, might have just got an iphone and it would be just as dull.
so, if you gonna give up your N6 i suggest replace it with another nexus/pixel phone. but if you gonna keep it as a second phone (for whatever reason) then its up to you and your desires and needs, and ofc you cannot forget about the price tag.

Essential Phone vs Oneplus 5

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to get an idea of what you all though about the essential phone vs the oneplus 5. Why you bought/or thinking of buying one over the other...
LOL, don't waste your time... OnePlus 5!
I have a OnePlus 5 (8/128) and i don't want this ugly Essential Phone
Pho3nX said:
LOL, don't waste your time... OnePlus 5!
I have a OnePlus 5 (8/128) and i don't want this ugly Essential Phone
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The essential is beautiful
If there is a decent amount of development for it, I'll most likely consider getting one
For me, oneplus 5 is the most essential phone so far!
The biggest selling point for me would be custom software development. OnePlus was always well supported. OnePlus 5 had working recoveries and root within a week from its launch.
Essential is pretty new to the game, so let's see what it can do.
Being created by Andy Rubin I assume it should be pretty developer-friendly.
What really makes the Essential phone better than the OnePlus 5? I really don't see anything outside of a bezel-less screen
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
Essential has no headphone jack. A pointless device that just blindly follows the latest trends. And the kernel sources aren't released for it yet, that should give you an idea how dev friendly it is.
Caitlin550 said:
That's your opinion really. In a few years OnePlus will make a move to Meizu style, so watch your words. OnePlus 5 and older OnePlus devices are open for vulnerablities.
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Any sources to vulnerablities present in 1+ phones?
Caitlin550 said:
Headphone jack will soon be removed on other phones after 2018 or 2019
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Well I'll just be removed from the list of their potential customers.
Caitlin550 said:
Do your research and then you will find out.
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No way. You are the one who brought it up so it's up to you to defend your position. Both the OnePlus 5 and Essential run Android, and there's nothing about one device being cheaper that means it's more open to vulnerabilities.
If you're referring to the ability for App Locker to be bypassed, that's going to be resolved with a system update, and any device could have had a similar flaw
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
Removing the headphone jack is kinda stupid in my opinion. Other than saving space and making it possible for the phone to be even thinner, there's no real benefit to removing it.
What's next to be removed? The charging port and force us to use wireless charging? If the phone has to sit on a stupid pad, it's not truly wireless. Unless I can walk around the house with it, while it's charging, it's not truly "wireless". Wireless means no wires, but it also implies mobility/freedom.
That has nothing to do with the OnePlus being a "cheaper" device. It's part of the compromises made for a very developer-friendly phone. I'm sure if the Essential's bootloader is easily unlocked, people will find some vulnerabilities with it as well.
Samsung and BlackBerry have focused on security for their phones, which often means locked bootloaders and limited access to modding abilities (not that it isn't possible, but once you do, you completely break their security layer (Samsung Knox, for instance).
There is absolutely nothing to suggest Essential has a security barrier like Knox, so your point is pretty much meaningless in a thread comparing OnePlus to Essential.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
I'm on the fence between the OnePlus 5 and the Essential phone, myself.
After owning a long line of Nexus devices, a OnePlus 3, then a Google Pixel XL, I made the switch to the Galaxy S8. Overall, the S8 has actually been great. But it does come with its annoyances, namely Samsung CONSTANTLY trying to push their proprietary apps through random weekly notifications and the Bixby interface. I've disabled a lot of the Samsung bloatware apps but the phone still lags/hangs more often than my OnePlus 3 or Pixel XL ever did, which is just sad. So I'm ready to get back into the more "pure Android" experience.
I was initially planning on holding out until the Pixel 2/Pixel XL 2 were announced but reputable rumors are consistently showing that the regular pixel will just have a 5" screen with huge bezels again and the XL 2 will be a monster of a phone with a 6" screen that matches the size of the S8+ but with even larger bezels. It will be pushing 6.4" tall, which is simply too big for me. So I've decided to look at other options. The reviews of the OnePlus 5 have been excellent and I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on one until news of the Essential phone really started to break recently.
These days I don't really root/mod my phones so that isn't much of a concern. And after experiencing the bezel-less life of the S8, it would be tough for me to go back to something with 2015/2016 size bezels. This is why the Essential phone really has my attention, at the moment. Plus the design of the Essential phone is very original and I love just about everything about it. However, I will admit that at least OnePlus makes good use of the large bottom bezel with the capacitive keys and finger print scanner. Not to mention that it costs over $150 less than the Essential Phone.
Personally, I'm having a really tough time deciding between the two. At least I've ruled out all other options, at this point.
sn0warmy said:
I'm on the fence between the OnePlus 5 and the Essential phone, myself.
After owning a long line of Nexus devices, a OnePlus 3, then a Google Pixel XL, I made the switch to the Galaxy S8. Overall, the S8 has actually been great. But it does come with its annoyances, namely Samsung CONSTANTLY trying to push their proprietary apps through random weekly notifications and the Bixby interface. I've disabled a lot of the Samsung bloatware apps but the phone still lags/hangs more often than my OnePlus 3 or Pixel XL ever did, which is just sad. So I'm ready to get back into the more "pure Android" experience.
I was initially planning on holding out until the Pixel 2/Pixel XL 2 were announced but reputable rumors are consistently showing that the regular pixel will just have a 5" screen with huge bezels again and the XL 2 will be a monster of a phone with a 6" screen that matches the size of the S8+ but with even larger bezels. It will be pushing 6.4" tall, which is simply to big for me. So I've decided to look at other options. The reviews of the OnePlus 5 have been excellent and I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on one until news of the Essential phone really started to break recently.
These days I don't really root/mod my phones so that isn't much of a concern. And after experiencing the bezel-less life of the S8, it would be tough for me to go back to something with 2015/2016 size bezels. This is why the Essential phone really has my attention, at the moment. However, I will admit that at least OnePlus makes good use of the large bottom bezel with the capacitive keys and finger print scanner. Not to mention that it costs over $150 less than the Essential Phone.
Personally, I'm having a really tough time deciding between the two. At east I've ruled out all other options, at this point.
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The 8ngig of ram is nice. I have oneplus 5 8 gig ram version. I am looking g at the essential phone BC it looks so great.
GCbard said:
The 8ngig of ram is nice. I have oneplus 5 8 gig ram version. I am looking g at the essential phone BC it looks so great.
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While I'm not usually one to harp solely on specs, the Essential phone coming out with just 4GB of RAM is a head scratcher. Apps and OS features are taking up more and more resources these days and we are hitting a point where 4GB RAM just isn't cutting it anymore. Which is why I'm also surprised that the 2nd generation of Pixel phones are rumored to only have 4GB of RAM, as well.
I should say that the use of an LCD display on the Essential Phone is a bit baffling, also. It's 2017, OLED screens are the new standard. I'd understand if they stuck with LCD to cut costs and make the phone cheaper. But it still starts at $700, so that logic doesn't seem to hold. And to top off the negatives on the Essential Phone, all the current video reviews are very "meh" about the camera performance. All of this has me realizing that I'd only be getting the Essential Phone for the bezel-less design. Hm....
sn0warmy said:
While I'm not usually one to harp solely on specs, the Essential phone coming out with just 4GB of RAM is a head scratcher. Apps and OS features are taking up more and more resources these days and we are hitting a point where 4GB RAM just isn't cutting it anymore. Which is why I'm also surprised that the 2nd generation of Pixel phones are rumored to only have 4GB of RAM, as well.
I should say that the use of an LCD display on the Essential Phone is a bit baffling, also. It's 2017, OLED screens are the new standard. I'd understand if they stuck with LCD to cut costs and make the phone cheaper. But it still starts at $700, so that logic doesn't seem to hold. And to top off the negatives on the Essential Phone, all the current video reviews are very "meh" about the camera performance. All of this has me realizing that I'd only be getting the Essential Phone for the bezel-less design. Hm....
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I would honestly wait until the Essential is released for general public. Those "reviews" are more like previews at the moment. So, if you're not in a hurry, wait a lil bit longer.
I heard the new Nokia 8 also runs stock android and it starts at 600€ so it may also be an option.
I am honestly satisfied with the OnePlus 5. But this is very subjective since I'm coming from a Galaxy S4 and the OnePlus 5 is a huge update.
Difference is $460 phone vs $700 phone. End of discussion.
Too many gimmicks on that device. Its a 300 dollar phone at a 900 dollar price tag. I dont see the point in accepting this newcomer. Gotta figure Rubin "left" for a reason. I doubt this thing will catch on. If Huawei cant in the us i doubt this thing can worldwide
If Essential provide sources and keep it quick it could be the phone to go for regardless of the price, After owning a OP3 for a year the software and sources have been hit and miss.. closest we'll get to a Nexus atm but Essential could be the new nexus since they provide the same support as Google on the software side, OP however it could be abandoned any time.. Let's hope Essential hit it right

Pixel XL 128G (2016 version) Vs OnePlus 5

I got rid of my Google Pixel XL and replaced it with the OnePlus 5. In case anyone is considering doing the same I wanted to post my personal impressions/comparisons of the two phones. I'm not going to recommend one phone over the other because different people have different needs and expectations.
Display:
Both phones have the same size displays but the Pixel XL screen is higher resolution--1440 x 2560 pixels (~534 ppi pixel density) for the Pixel XL compared to 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density) for the OnePlus 5. While the OnePlus 5 display looks fine to me there's still no getting around the fact that OnePlus used a less powerful screen to keep the price of their phone down. Winner: Pixel XL
Speed and Responsiveness: On paper, the OnePlus 5 wins this hands down since it has a more powerful processor and twice as much ram. However, the Pixel XL was optimized for stock Android in a way that no other phone has been able to match so far. If you are running pure stock on each phone the Pixel XL feels smoother and more responsive than the OnePlus 5 but not by much. Also, if you are running stock on the OnePlus 5 and install OTA's automatically people have complained about problems like battery drain or hits to the phone's responsiveness that can usually be fixed by wiping the system cache. On stock, the Pixel XL stays fast, smooth and responsive even after months and months of OTA updates. Winner: Pixel XL
Camera: This is another area where the OnePlus 5 wins big on paper. The OnePlus 5 has much more powerful and fancier camera hardware than the Pixel XL but the Pixel XL has a far superior camera app to such an extent that a lot of OnePlus 5 owners actually use a ported Pixel camera app rather than the stock one. The OnePlus 5 can take very good pictures under the right conditions--but there has to be a lot of available light and you need to be able to hold the phone steady. Shots with the OnePlus 5 can blur easily and using the stock camera app the OnePlus 5 has almost no ability to take low light pictures.--although the quality of low light pictures improves immensely if you use the Pixel camera app instead of the official one. If photography is an important element in your use of a smartphone then the fact that you get free original quality photo storage with the Pixel also has to be a plus. Winner: Pixel XL
Development: If you were a Nexus owner it's likely that you will be much happier with a OnePlus 5 than the Pixel XL. The OnePlus 5 is extremely easy to flash on and root. Official Oxygen OTA's automatically come in zip form that can be flashed within TWRP. Official Magisk and its modules work on the OnePlus 5. Even though it has only been out for a couple months the development community for the OnePlus 5 blows away the one for the Pixel XL. There are simply more custom ROMs, kernels, and mods for the OnePlus 5 than there are for the Pixel XL. If you flash a custom kernel there are also a lot more options to customized performance and features than there are on Pixel XL custom kernels. Winner: OnePlus 5
External Build Quality: When it came out the Pixel XL felt like a $600 phone with an inflated $1000 price tag. The external build quality didn't even come close to approaching what you would find on high-end phones from Apple, Samsung or Sony and anyone who says otherwise either never owned a high-end phone before or is deluding themselves. Even at the current Google Store price of $749, the Pixel XL feels overpriced. A OnePlus 5 with 128G of storage and 8G of ram sells for $539 at the OnePlus Store and feels like a more solid and premium built device. Winner: OnePlus 5
Internal Build Quality: The Pixel has build problems but you won't read anything about that on XDA, Android Authority, Android Central, Android Police or Cnet. How do I know the Pixel XL has build problems? If you do a search for Google Pixel Support and look through the official support thread well over 80% of the issues reported involve significant hardware problems with the phone. Issues commonly reported include the phone becoming completely unresponsive/dying either without warning or immediately after an update; faulty displays; problems with the microphone, speaker or both; battery and charging issues; overheating and general phone instability (random reboots, freezing or crashing). These are all hardware issues because customers do a factory reset which doesn't resolve the issue and then are told to RMA their phone. The problem of Pixel phones dying without warning was treated as a known issue on the Google support site from the end of November 2016 through the beginning of August 2017 then the thread dedicated to the issue was taken down and support suddenly pretended it wasn't a known issue even though multiple Pixel owners report it happening to them daily.
While this could certainly change since the phone has only been out for a couple months on the official OnePlus 5 Support thread less than 5% of the issues reported involve hardware problems. The closest thing to a commonly reported hardware problem would be faulty displays but I've only seen a handful of people report that. I'm not counting the controversial "jelly effect" which seems to drive a small number of people crazy while others like myself don't notice it at all. Even if you throw in the jelly effect as a hardware problem more than 90% of the issues reported on the OnePlus 5 support site are still software related. Winner: OnePlus 5
EAS (Energy Aware Scheduling): This is supposed to improve battery life by making the CPU act in a smarter and more efficient manner. The Pixel XL has it and the OnePlus 5 does not. If you buy the hype surrounding EAS or are one of those people who must have the latest and greatest innovations then you probably want EAS. The OnePlus 5 without EAS has a smaller battery than the Pixel XL with EAS but I get better battery life with the OnePlus 5 running the exact same apps. Actually, that's not entirely true--I always turned the location settings to battery saving on the Pixel XL unless I was using the GPS but leave location settings on high accuracy on the OnePlus 5--and I get better battery life on the OnePlus 5. Also, the OnePlus 5 without EAS has a more powerful processor than the Pixel XL with EAS but the OnePlus 5 easily runs 20F cooler than the Pixel XL. Winner: ? (This one really depends on your personal priorities).
Some final observations:
--Dash charging on the OnePlus 5 is faster than the Fast Charging on the Pixel XL.
--The thicker Pixel XL is more comfortable to hold than the slimmer OnePlus 5.
--The Pixel XL fingerprint scanner is probably more secure than the OnePlus 5 fingerprint scanner which reads a much smaller sample of the fingerprint.
--The OnePlus 5 won't officially be updated to Android Oreo until the end of the year at the earliest.
--The OnePlus 5 will probably only receive one more official Android version update after Oreo. The Pixel XL is guaranteed at least one more official Android version update after Oreo but Google is far more likely to support their phone beyond that than OnePlus is.
--There are a much better variety of cases available for the Pixel XL than the OnePlus 5. I'm currently stuck using a holster I purchased for the Pixel XL with my OnePlus 5 even though it isn't a perfect fit because the OnePlus phone is slimmer. Other people have reported using a holster made for the Note 4 which provides a similar fit based on the pictures I've seen.
Hopefully, someone will find this post useful.
jhs39 said:
I got rid of my Google Pixel XL and replaced it with the OnePlus 5. In case anyone is considering doing the same I wanted to post my personal impressions/comparisons of the two phones. I'm not going to recommend one phone over the other because different people have different needs and expectations.
Display:
Both phones have the same size displays but the Pixel XL screen is higher resolution--1440 x 2560 pixels (~534 ppi pixel density) for the Pixel XL compared to 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density) for the OnePlus 5. While the OnePlus 5 display looks fine to me there's still no getting around the fact that OnePlus used a less powerful screen to keep the price of their phone down. Winner: Pixel XL
Speed and Responsiveness: On paper, the OnePlus 5 wins this hands down since it has a more powerful processor and twice as much ram. However, the Pixel XL was optimized for stock Android in a way that no other phone has been able to match so far. If you are running pure stock on each phone the Pixel XL feels smoother and more responsive than the OnePlus 5 but not by much. Also, if you are running stock on the OnePlus 5 and install OTA's automatically people have complained about problems like battery drain or hits to the phone's responsiveness that can usually be fixed by wiping the system cache. On stock, the Pixel XL stays fast, smooth and responsive even after months and months of OTA updates. Winner: Pixel XL
Camera: This is another area where the OnePlus 5 wins big on paper. The OnePlus 5 has much more powerful and fancier camera hardware than the Pixel XL but the Pixel XL has a far superior camera app to such an extent that a lot of OnePlus 5 owners actually use a ported Pixel camera app rather than the stock one. The OnePlus 5 can take very good pictures under the right conditions--but there has to be a lot of available light and you need to be able to hold the phone steady. Shots with the OnePlus 5 can blur easily and using the stock camera app the OnePlus 5 has almost no ability to take low light pictures.--although the quality of low light pictures improves immensely if you use the Pixel camera app instead of the official one. If photography is an important element in your use of a smartphone then the fact that you get free original quality photo storage with the Pixel also has to be a plus. Winner: Pixel XL
Development: If you were a Nexus owner it's likely that you will be much happier with a OnePlus 5 than the Pixel XL. The OnePlus 5 is extremely easy to flash on and root. Official Oxygen OTA's automatically come in zip form that can be flashed within TWRP. Official Magisk and its modules work on the OnePlus 5. Even though it has only been out for a couple months the development community for the OnePlus 5 blows away the one for the Pixel XL. There are simply more custom ROMs, kernels, and mods for the OnePlus 5 than there are for the Pixel XL. If you flash a custom kernel there are also a lot more options to customized performance and features than there are on Pixel XL custom kernels. Winner: OnePlus 5
External Build Quality: When it came out the Pixel XL felt like a $600 phone with an inflated $1000 price tag. The external build quality didn't even come close to approaching what you would find on high-end phones from Apple, Samsung or Sony and anyone who says otherwise either never owned a high-end phone before or is deluding themselves. Even at the current Google Store price of $749, the Pixel XL feels overpriced. A OnePlus 5 with 128G of storage and 8G of ram sells for $539 at the OnePlus Store and feels like a more solid and premium built device. Winner: OnePlus 5
Internal Build Quality: The Pixel has build problems but you won't read anything about that on XDA, Android Authority, Android Central, Android Police or Cnet. How do I know the Pixel XL has build problems? If you do a search for Google Pixel Support and look through the official support thread well over 80% of the issues reported involve significant hardware problems with the phone. Issues commonly reported include the phone becoming completely unresponsive/dying either without warning or immediately after an update; faulty displays; problems with the microphone, speaker or both; battery and charging issues; overheating and general phone instability (random reboots, freezing or crashing). These are all hardware issues because customers do a factory reset which doesn't resolve the issue and then are told to RMA their phone. The problem of Pixel phones dying without warning was treated as a known issue on the Google support site from the end of November 2016 through the beginning of August 2017 then the thread dedicated to the issue was taken down and support suddenly pretended it wasn't a known issue even though multiple Pixel owners report it happening to them daily.
While this could certainly change since the phone has only been out for a couple months on the official OnePlus 5 Support thread less than 5% of the issues reported involve hardware problems. The closest thing to a commonly reported hardware problem would be faulty displays but I've only seen a handful of people report that. I'm not counting the controversial "jelly effect" which seems to drive a small number of people crazy while others like myself don't notice it at all. Even if you throw in the jelly effect as a hardware problem more than 90% of the issues reported on the OnePlus 5 support site are still software related. Winner: OnePlus 5
EAS (Energy Aware Scheduling): This is supposed to improve battery life by making the CPU act in a smarter and more efficient manner. The Pixel XL has it and the OnePlus 5 does not. If you buy the hype surrounding EAS or are one of those people who must have the latest and greatest innovations then you probably want EAS. The OnePlus 5 without EAS has a smaller battery than the Pixel XL with EAS but I get better battery life with the OnePlus 5 running the exact same apps. Actually, that's not entirely true--I always turned the location settings to battery saving on the Pixel XL unless I was using the GPS but leave location settings on high accuracy on the OnePlus 5--and I get better battery life on the OnePlus 5. Also, the OnePlus 5 without EAS has a more powerful processor than the Pixel XL with EAS but the OnePlus 5 easily runs 20F cooler than the Pixel XL. Winner: ? (This one really depends on your personal priorities).
Some final observations:
--Dash charging on the OnePlus 5 is faster than the Fast Charging on the Pixel XL.
--The thicker Pixel XL is more comfortable to hold than the slimmer OnePlus 5.
--The Pixel XL fingerprint scanner is probably more secure than the OnePlus 5 fingerprint scanner which reads a much smaller sample of the fingerprint.
--The OnePlus 5 won't officially be updated to Android Oreo until the end of the year at the earliest.
--The OnePlus 5 will probably only receive one more official Android version update after Oreo. The Pixel XL is guaranteed at least one more official Android version update after Oreo but Google is far more likely to support their phone beyond that than OnePlus is.
--There are a much better variety of cases available for the Pixel XL than the OnePlus 5. I'm currently stuck using a holster I purchased for the Pixel XL with my OnePlus 5 even though it isn't a perfect fit because the OnePlus phone is slimmer. Other people have reported using a holster made for the Note 4 which provides a similar fit based on the pictures I've seen.
Hopefully, someone will find this post useful.
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Thanx this was very helpful from someone with personal hands on. I was thinking about the upgrade (or downgrade) but just the screen and software ui fluidity win me over to keep my pixel
I sold my 8gb/128gb OnePlus 5 and kept my Pixel XL
Camera is way better with the Pixel.
Things I love about the OnePlus 5 is it lasts longer compared to my Marlin, Charger faster of course, has more custom development with it and it's really thin.
While with the PixelXL. It's more comfortable with the hands, better design (in my opinion), and of course had faster updates. Oh and the pixel gets warmer than the OP5.
The reason I sold my OP5 is everyone I know thinks it's an iPhone 7Plus. Lol and low light camera really sucks with the OnePlus 5.
Abaddon said:
I sold my 8gb/128gb OnePlus 5 and kept my Pixel XL
Camera is way better with the Pixel.
Things I love about the OnePlus 5 is it lasts longer compared to my Marlin, Charger faster of course, has more custom development with it and it's really thin.
While with the PixelXL. It's more comfortable with the hands, better design (in my opinion), and of course had faster updates. Oh and the pixel gets warmer than the OP5.
The reason I sold my OP5 is everyone I know thinks it's an iPhone 7Plus. Lol and low light camera really sucks with the OnePlus 5.
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I've read that it does look a lot like the iPhone 7 but if you used a case wouldn't that cover up some of the design similarities? As for the camera there's nothing wrong with the camera hardware on the OnePlus 5--its 100% a software issue. The phone takes much better low light pictures with the modded Pixel Camera apk. But that isn't really a perfect solution either because there is no version that is completely bug free and the Pixel app doesn't take advantage of the dual camera setup on the OnePlus 5. The Pixel is definitely a much better choice if photography is your thing. Currently the best choice for OnePlus 5 owners is to use the stock app in bright light and the Pixel app in low light.
I should probably also add that Oxygen is a bit more buggy than the stock Roms you normally find on Android phones. In some ways the quality is more like a good custom Rom than a rock solid stock one.
Reportedly when the OnePlus 5 was first launched Oxygen had a lot of major bugs that were slowly eliminated through software updates. OnePlus 3 owners said that when their phones were updated to Nougat on December 31st last year the exact same thing happened --lots of bugs initially that were eliminated in successive software updates.
OnePlus seems to put more focus on hardware design than software stability and performance --which is pretty much the exact opposite of Google. That's something else that should be taken into account when choosing between the phones.
As an owner of OnePlus 3 I am never gonna buy all these new popping up Chinese stuffs. They are just never a complete product. The phone has an awful vibration motor, the call quality is **** and stuffs like that are never mentioned in any review but affect your daily usage.
There is no comparison here with a Pixel, OR if comparisons have to be made then other phones in much lower price segment like a Motorola G5 Plus or sorts should be involved too.
In the end, meaningless topic that's all I wanted to say.
ithehappy said:
As an owner of OnePlus 3 I am never gonna buy all these new popping up Chinese stuffs. They are just never a complete product. The phone has an awful vibration motor, the call quality is **** and stuffs like that are never mentioned in any review but affect your daily usage.
There is no comparison here with a Pixel, OR if comparisons have to be made then other phones in much lower price segment like a Motorola G5 Plus or sorts should be involved too.
In the end, meaningless topic that's all I wanted to say.
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I used to own a oneplus 3 and yes the vibrating motor is freaking bad compare to the pixel. But the pixel vibrating motor is freaking bad compare to a galaxy s8. Hopefully this will be fix with the XL2 which i read the the LG v30 has one of the best vibrating motor around. lG v30 is most likely a XL2 internally.
ithehappy said:
As an owner of OnePlus 3 I am never gonna buy all these new popping up Chinese stuffs. They are just never a complete product. The phone has an awful vibration motor, the call quality is **** and stuffs like that are never mentioned in any review but affect your daily usage.
There is no comparison here with a Pixel, OR if comparisons have to be made then other phones in much lower price segment like a Motorola G5 Plus or sorts should be involved too.
In the end, meaningless topic that's all I wanted to say.
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I really can't agree with you. I got both better call quality and better reception on my Nexus 6P than on my significantly more expensive Pixel XL. I'm also noticing no drop off in call quality whatsoever on the OnePlus 5. The OnePlus 5 has a newer, more powerful processor and more Ram than the Pixel XL. The only possible basis you could use to say the OnePlus 5 shouldn't be compared with the Pixel XL is price. Having owned both phones I prefer the OnePlus 5. I certainly liked the performance of the Pixel XL but I think the phone runs way too hot. The Pixel XL is the only phone I have ever owned that overheated and shut down without warning on hot days if I was using Maps, Spotify and the Google Store car charger at the same time. And according to Google even though it did that my Pixel XL was not defective. Google considers that normal behavior for the phone.
And before you try to put Google Phones in the same quality category as Apple or Samsung you might want to consider the fact that Google's previous two flagship phones (Nexus 5X & Nexus 6P) had such serious build problems that owners were lucky to get two years of use out of them.
Nexus 5X was made by LG, who are infamous for hardware problems, and no comments on 6P because it was mady by Huwaei. Pixel is HTC made, I have not yet seen any HTC made phone going into any well known hardware problem, time will tell, Pixel is almost a year old now anyway, so yeah.
8 GB RAM, this or that SoC, those don't matter for day to day experience, otherwise people would only buy them new Chinese stuffs like OP or Ximir or whatever.
Like I said, Pixel or any phone from a reputed brand is not even remotely comparable with these new OEMs like OP who claim value for money and whatnot. Unfinished product remains unfinished. Perfect lies in small details.
But one thing is true, Pixel is still no iPhone, can conclude that, I mean on the entire basis of hardware finish that is, but still as an owner of almost all the Galaxy Notes and S phones of past, I am so done with Samsung, they are not worth anything on the basis of software alone. I don't know how there could be more important things on a mobile phone that stable, fast, smooth software experience and a rock solid camera, Pixel has them, and then a lot more.
500 bucks is half of what I paid for Pixel, but its still no small money, LoL. If I were to pay that much then why would I accept a phone which has below average camera, questionable software, almost non existent or painful after sales and stuffs like that! I would pay even less any get something like a Moto G5S or whatever!
I have a serious issue with what basis you are using to claim that Google is a reputable phone brand. Based on what exactly --wishful thinking?
Let's examine recent Google Phone history, shall we? The Nexus 5X had a serious build issue that caused the phone to eventually go into a permanent boot loop. Google never recalled the phone, made any attempt to fix the phone and did nothing for owners of their defective product after the warranty expired.
Their next flagship phone was the Nexus 6P which was made by a different company than the 5X. The 6P also had a serious build problem that caused the phone to permanently boot loop but this time Google was aware of the issue just a month after the phone came out because it was happening to a lot of phones. Google again didn't recall the phone, make any attempt to fix the phone and didn't do anything for people who bought the defective device after the warranty expired. The Nexus 6P was so seriously defective that for many owners the $600 phone only worked for a little over a year before becoming a paperweight.
Google is such a wonderful, reputable company that they continued to sell both of those defective phones to unsuspecting customers on the Project Fi website as recently as 3 months ago.
If you need to RMA a phone with Google while it is under warranty they will not fix your phone or send you a new phone as a replacement. They will only send you a refurbished phone. With the Nexus 6P and currently with the Pixel there are persistent complaints that people receive refurbished phones from Google that are defective. And when they return that phone they receive another defective refurbished phone from Google. And when they return that phone they receive yet another defective device. It's not uncommon for people to complain that they are on their third, fourth or fifth device after doing their initial RMA with Google. And while Google sends you defective device after defective device the warranty clock continues to tick--Google doesn't extend the original warranty while all this is happening.
You can go to the Google Pixel Support site yourself and see how many people report hardware problems with their phones every day. Once the Pixel actually passes its second birthday if most of them are still working that will actually be an accomplishment compared with the last two Nexus flagships but I wouldn't count on that happening. I think Google is trying to burn out the Pixel so their customers will be forced to buy a new phone every couple years. There's no other reason for the Pixel
to run as hot as it does. High temperatures and electronics have never been a good combination and Google obviously knows that since heat triggered the problems with both Nexus devices. And both of those Nexus phones ran significantly cooler than the Pixel.
My guess is that my OnePlus 5 will still be working long after your Pixel is a paperweight. Only time will tell which of us is actually right but I have history on my side.
PIxel VS ONeplus5T
Thank you . I have read all these comments and your opinion. I want to buy oneplus5T but the price is an important issue for me. My question is that if I can get pixel 32 Gb in cheap price (now they are cheaper ) will it be better to buy pixel or wait for oneplus 5T to become cheaper and buy that. ? Thanks
shyshoki said:
Thank you . I have read all these comments and your opinion. I want to buy oneplus5T but the price is an important issue for me. My question is that if I can get pixel 32 Gb in cheap price (now they are cheaper ) will it be better to buy pixel or wait for oneplus 5T to become cheaper and buy that. ? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends if you value development? 5T will have a ton of support since sources are unified with OP5. I had a OnePlus 3 vs the Pixel XL for me Pixel XL did camera better and display that's it (£309 OP3) VS (£719 Pixel XL)
Really hard to compare phones at face value really need to try both and see which is better than you for the lowest price
Thank you, I also heard a lot that camera of pixel is better while screen is also better while other features are better in oneplus. There is a friend who was selling his 32 Gb Pixel XL around 200 US dollars, therefore, I was thinking about it.
shyshoki said:
Thank you, I also heard a lot that camera of pixel is better while screen is also better while other features are better in oneplus. There is a friend who was selling his 32 Gb Pixel XL around 200 US dollars, therefore, I was thinking about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel XL at $200 is a steal also remember Pixel XL is 1 year into it's life cycle and you're missing out on the better CPU faster RAM and UFS storage from the OnePlus 5
liam_davenport said:
Pixel XL at $200 is a steal also remember Pixel XL is 1 year into it's life cycle and you're missing out on the better CPU faster RAM and UFS storage from the OnePlus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks dear. I'll consider your points. Mobile world is a world of temptations
I was able to grab a new Pixel XL for $450 even though I'm using the OnePlus 5 now. I'm going to goof with both phones over the next week or so and decide which one to keep. At $800-1000 the Pixel (1 or version 2) is a rip-off IMHO. For half that price - that's another story. What do you think at that price point?
You forgot one thing... Op5 doesn't work on cdma. Pixel is more flexible because it's made by a US company

Worth Picking Up OnePlus 5 Now a Days or Should I Be Looking at Something Newer

Title says it all. I'm looking to pick up a new phone as my current HTC M9 is finally showing its age.
This is what I'm looking for in a phone:
I am BIG on de-bloating and ad blocking so at minimum root is REQUIRED.
Not required but might as well be, 3.5mm jack
6" screen or smaller, would prefer to stay below 5.6"
must support US AT&T bands
some what new specs
would like to have a LED display
not a requirement but defiantly looked at is battery life/size
I use to be VERY big into installing custom ROMS and Kernels. I've slowly backed off a bit but still love to do it from time to time. My HTC is just running a de-bloated version of the stock developer ROM. My Shield Table on the other hand is running lineage OS as the stock ROM is garbage. Having custom ROM options for this reason makes me feel secure in my purchase which is another reason I'm looking at a OnePlus in general.
From the digging I've done there really isn't much that meets my requirements. The OnePlus 5 seems to be my best option that I can find. The one plus 6 goes outside of my size limits. From the reading I've done it seems like the spec upgrades to the 6 vs the 5 just aren't worth the size changes.
I've also looked at the Asus ZenFone 4 Pro and ZTE nubia Red Magic Mars. The Asus modding community is basically dead other wise it seems to be a great fit. As for the ZTE it just barley meets my size limitations and is a bit of a gamble being that I have no experience with this manufacture before. Other then that my only gripe with the device itself is the LCD display but I currently have a LCD on my HTC so its not to big a deal.
So would you recommend that I pickup a OnePlus 5 or should I be looking at something newer due to the 5 approaching 2 years old now?
If this changes anything I would be picking up the phone from Amazon due to OnePlus only selling their most recent device on their website. I.E. - No warranty / international version https://www.amazon.com/OnePlus-A500...0955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&s=mobile&sr=1-2
I would suggest looking for a Oneplus 6 that has proper camera implementation and other little issues resolved. Or a Google Pixel 2XL if you want something that will last you longer in terms of updates ( eBay is having many auctions lately). In general, I would not recommend buying a Oneplus 5.
BrownEye02 said:
Title says it all. I'm looking to pick up a new phone as my current HTC M9 is finally showing its age.
This is what I'm looking for in a phone:
I am BIG on de-bloating and ad blocking so at minimum root is REQUIRED.
Not required but might as well be, 3.5mm jack
6" screen or smaller, would prefer to stay below 5.6"
must support US AT&T bands
some what new specs
would like to have a LED display
not a requirement but defiantly looked at is battery life/size
I use to be VERY big into installing custom ROMS and Kernels. I've slowly backed off a bit but still love to do it from time to time. My HTC is just running a de-bloated version of the stock developer ROM. My Shield Table on the other hand is running lineage OS as the stock ROM is garbage. Having custom ROM options for this reason makes me feel secure in my purchase which is another reason I'm looking at a OnePlus in general.
From the digging I've done there really isn't much that meets my requirements. The OnePlus 5 seems to be my best option that I can find. The one plus 6 goes outside of my size limits. From the reading I've done it seems like the spec upgrades to the 6 vs the 5 just aren't worth the size changes.
I've also looked at the Asus ZenFone 4 Pro and ZTE nubia Red Magic Mars. The Asus modding community is basically dead other wise it seems to be a great fit. As for the ZTE it just barley meets my size limitations and is a bit of a gamble being that I have no experience with this manufacture before. Other then that my only gripe with the device itself is the LCD display but I currently have a LCD on my HTC so its not to big a deal.
So would you recommend that I pickup a OnePlus 5 or should I be looking at something newer due to the 5 approaching 2 years old now?
If this changes anything I would be picking up the phone from Amazon due to OnePlus only selling their most recent device on their website. I.E. - No warranty / international version https://www.amazon.com/OnePlus-A500...0955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&s=mobile&sr=1-2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Existing thread for such discussions is this https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Here is my opinion about your question.
I recently purchased a op5 about 10 days back. I could have picked up the 6T but until the onscreen fingerprint is a few generation old I dont want to go that way. 6 was out of question due to the notch. 5t has a great screen and my friend is using it but I NEED my fingerprint on the front.(It is my use case could be different for u)
+ the metal body and 3.5 mm jack.
Also, the camera is good enough for daytime shots and the 835 with 6GB is very zippy and I am sure it will remain so for a couple of years. And it does have a great dev scene so later when my device is a year or so old i can just unlock the bootloader and go custom. I love custom rom and used to do that the 1st thing once i got my phone but nowadays i just dont have the time.
Overall i love the phone and feels very premium. I cant give my feedback about the other models u have listed above but personally for me OP5 checks all the boxes.
Go for 5 since it meets almost all on your checklist and besides, there's not much difference from the OP5 to 6/6T in terms of performance. Been using my OP5(6/64(Latest Beta)) for more than a year now but I hadn't have any hiccups or slow performance issues in all the applications. Plus, up till now; The Rom / Kernel development for OP5 is still alive and kicking.
Only issue that I had with my OP5 is the "Device temperature too low" which is already a hardware issue(Motherboard) as per the local tech and honestly speaking, I believe it was my fault as well. Maximing the usage of my OP5 and kept on using it even if it's charging then while I'm sleeping, accidentally covered the phone with my pillow(while AFK on Ragnarok Mobile) thus causing the phone to heat up to the maximum temp(Too hot to even hold the phone with it's case on). As of writing, I'm still waiting for my phone to be fixed by the tech.
Thanks everyone for the input!!
With the research I did today I ended up going with the Galaxy S9 (EXYNOS). Covers all my bullets, its a newer device then the OnePlus 5 with very close to the latest specs and was able to find the 128GB for $560. With it being the EXYNOS processor I should have no issues rooting and debloating it. And if I cant stand the stock rom it looks like they have good lineage OS development for it so I can just jump to that.
I just bought me a Oneplus 5 to replace my old Nexus 6. I bought the 8/128 variant in great shape for $260. I had the seller leave the bootloader unlocked for me so that I can easily root and flash ROMs when I'm ready. I haven't read into how any of that works on the OP5 or what I would need to do. I'd presume that I'd probably just boot into TWRP and flash magisk but I haven't checked any of that out.
So far, I absolutely love the phone. I knew my Nexus 6 was getting slow and was going to literally blow up at some inopportune time but I guess that I didn't realize how awful it was til buying the OP5. I haven't tried anything too taxing on it yet but this has been so smooth that it's hard to imagine anything else.
OP5 still a beast and will run all playstore apps for years to come. (6/8gb ram is insane for 99% of users)
-Also, less pixel (16:9 1080p) makes it faster and gives better battery performance.
-I love the out-of-display buttons, imo is the android signature.
- sound chip is awesome, big sell point for me on my ath-m50s.
I choose this phone especially to reduce my overcompensation (no, money isn't the problem). micro-technology is just killing the planet, so not changing my phone every year (hello apple fan boi) was a huge sell point for me.
Actually ram killed my previous phone, even with swap partition it was too slow ( HTC Desire Z from 2010). So I decided to get the best phone ram wise, xda support wise and chipset wise.
The only issue I have, is Oneplus refuse to sell batteries, this is just stupid, I mean yeah I get they want you to change phone model, or send them back your op for repairs, but still, how many people want to change the battery??? not much! so I dont get why they are so picky on that !
wife's OP3 still a very fast phone even in 2019, snapdragon 820, 6gb ram, but battery doesnt hold the charge. ebay batteries are ****, tired once, and got 1900 mha, phone shutdown @ 20% charge.
I love the op5, and if I dont loose/break it, I should be good for an other 4 years I believe ! :good:
I came from a Pixel XL, the OP5 looked great because of 8GB of RAM (which seems impressive for a phone), a better SoC, and a slightly lower resolution (better 3D performance). Along with all those things being true in-person, the speaker is also a bit better. It also has good LineageOS support.
My main reason for switching was for ease-of changing the battery if I needed to; the Pixel XL needed some adhesive heating and careful lifting of the screen; I wanted no part of that. The OP5 just pries open on clips which I find very nice, and the battery access is from the back.
I got a slightly damaged one (minor drop damage; insides and screen looks ok) for $200; the 8GB/128GB model.

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