From Pixel to OP - OnePlus 8 Pro Questions & Answers

Whats up guys....its been forever since Ive had to root a phone due to having Pixel 1-3XL until now.
Ive been looking at OP and now that they have a true flagship I just ordered my 8 Pro TODAY!!! IT was finally in stock.
So my question is does the OP still have the features from Pixels like screening calls, screenshots from the assistant, etc?
Ill be doing some searches tonight...just trying to get some quick answers... a little excited.
TIA

thenewak said:
Whats up guys....its been forever since Ive had to root a phone due to having Pixel 1-3XL until now.
Ive been looking at OP and now that they have a true flagship I just ordered my 8 Pro TODAY!!! IT was finally in stock.
So my question is does the OP still have the features from Pixels like screening calls, screenshots from the assistant, etc?
Ill be doing some searches tonight...just trying to get some quick answers... a little excited.
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good questions

thenewak said:
Whats up guys....its been forever since Ive had to root a phone due to having Pixel 1-3XL until now.
Ive been looking at OP and now that they have a true flagship I just ordered my 8 Pro TODAY!!! IT was finally in stock.
So my question is does the OP still have the features from Pixels like screening calls, screenshots from the assistant, etc?
Ill be doing some searches tonight...just trying to get some quick answers... a little excited.
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't have Pixel specific features like Call Screening, Recorder etc. But most, if not all, Google Assistant functionality is available on the OP8 Pro (as on many other devices)..

rajeshr said:
It doesn't have Pixel specific features like Call Screening, Recorder etc. But most, if not all, Google Assistant functionality is available on the OP8 Pro (as on many other devices)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Caller ID even?

masri1987 said:
No Caller ID even?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone dialer app on the OP8 Pro is different than the Google dialer app so you don't get the standard features that the Pixel has.

I had OnePlus 7 pro and swapped to Pixel 4 XL. In overall Pixel is much better than any OnePlus device. As long as you don't really need ultra wide angel camera or 5g is not any reason to buy OnePlus. The difference between genuine Pixel software and Oxygen OS is so huge that using both is different experience, obviously genuine Android is far better in any aspect. Oxygen OS is Chinese crap which kills background activities like all Chinese Android skin and doesn't work stable enough. Finally you will have to flash buggy Pixel Experience rom and semi working Gcam mod instead for slightly better hardware which really not make difference in daily usage as long as the ultra wide lens or 5g is not absolutely must have for you.

Grimm-reaper said:
I had OnePlus 7 pro and swapped to Pixel 4 XL. In overall Pixel is much better than any OnePlus device. As long as you don't really need ultra wide angel camera or 5g is not any reason to buy OnePlus. The difference between genuine Pixel software and Oxygen OS is so huge that using both is different experience, obviously genuine Android is far better in any aspect. Oxygen OS is Chinese crap which kills background activities like all Chinese Android skin and doesn't work stable enough. Finally you will have to flash buggy Pixel Experience rom and semi working Gcam mod instead for slightly better hardware which really not make difference in daily usage as long as the ultra wide lens or 5g is not absolutely must have for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've owned a Pixel 4 XL and would still be owning it if it wasn't for the subpar battery life and the not too bright display. I'm not sure I understand your point about the Pixel's Android OS and Oxygen OS - they are probably the closest to stock Android (and the Pixel doesn't run "stock" Android but Google's slightly modified version of it). Have you tried any other manufacturers implementation of Android (One UI, Colour OS etc.) - they are way more different than Oxygen OS
I also think that you've forgotten about the Pixel also killing background activities in the past along with a slew of bugs that Google addressed over time - similar to what OnePlus will probably do.
Look, I'm not sticking up for OnePlus here - I think they did rush out a somewhat unfinished product. But I think Google did the same with the Pixel 4 XL and slapped it with some poor hardware decisions that cannot be fixed (No Ultrawide camera, small battery, 64GB base capacity and a relatively poor display).

Pixel line had so much potential and Google killed it with subpar hardware. Yes the software it's good but they also kill processes because of the baby battery. I was a nexus/ pixel only user, but Google left me no choice, and one plus is the only thing that could even come close to take it's place, and is a way better phone

cwalker0906 said:
Pixel line had so much potential and Google killed it with subpar hardware. Yes the software it's good but they also kill processes because of the baby battery. I was a nexus/ pixel only user, but Google left me no choice, and one plus is the only thing that could even come close to take it's place, and is a way better phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the SAME exact situation... Man, the days of crackflashing my galaxy nexus were suhweeeeeet. I am really looking forward to getting my OP8 Pro today and rooting it

Oneplus use designed battery capacity in marketing. In real world they use poor quality battery and to decrease degradation batteries are limited in software. E.X. In 7 Pro designed capacity is 4000 mAh for maximum voltage 4.4V but because of software limitation you cannot charge battery beyond about 4.3V. The real capacity is about 10% lower than declared. In Pixel 4 XL I noticed that new battery had 103 - 104% designed capacity. Finally on my 7 pro real battery capacity was over 200 mAh lower than on my Pixel 4 XL. In my opinion Pixel firmware is far better than Oxygen OS and the difference is really dramatic.

I came form a p4xl too to the op8p. Would love to get call screen. That's the only thing I am missing so far

Grimm-reaper said:
I had OnePlus 7 pro and swapped to Pixel 4 XL. In overall Pixel is much better than any OnePlus device. As long as you don't really need ultra wide angel camera or 5g is not any reason to buy OnePlus. The difference between genuine Pixel software and Oxygen OS is so huge that using both is different experience, obviously genuine Android is far better in any aspect. Oxygen OS is Chinese crap which kills background activities like all Chinese Android skin and doesn't work stable enough. Finally you will have to flash buggy Pixel Experience rom and semi working Gcam mod instead for slightly better hardware which really not make difference in daily usage as long as the ultra wide lens or 5g is not absolutely must have for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dammit, don't dissuade me from soending my money, lol. I was psyched to order this on preorder day but they ran out of stock before I could click 'check out'. Same for launch day. Now the shine has worn off since I've been waiting a couple weeks. Was gonna ship tomorrow but now I'm thinking of cancelling my order. I'm happy with my Note 10 plus but want the latest and greatest.

Oneplus 8 Pro has obviously noticeable better hardware in all aspects than Pixel 4. It's not bad bad at least my 7 Pro wasn't bad phone just software on my opinion is much better on Pixel. Some people doesn't care or install custom rom but since you try genuine Pixel you will notice difference.

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

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

those who have the phone

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

One Plus 8 Pro vs Pixel 4 XL: Better OS Features/Experience

I'm town between the 2. I don't care about camera and 5G isn't a huge deal to me. I'm looking for the most capable OS. Its my understanding that timing on updates are going to be about the same with both companies/phones. Any insight appreciated. Thanks.
Legaleye3000 said:
I'm town between the 2. I don't care about camera and 5G isn't a huge deal to me. I'm looking for the most capable OS. Its my understanding that timing on updates are going to be about the same with both companies/phones. Any insight appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've owned a Pixel 4 XL, Samsung S20 Ultra and now a OnePlus 8 Pro and each of the phones have pros and cons.
IMHO, the experience on the Pixel 4 beats the Samsung and OnePlus. Things that make the experience more enjoyable like call screening, Now Playing etc. are not available on the Samsung or the OnePlus. Where the Pixel 4 lets you down (and quite significantly) is terrible battery life, the display (way too dim) and lack of a wide angle lens. I probably could do without a wide angle lens but the first two problems caused me to give up on it.
Where the OnePlus excels is its hardware. OxygenOS is pretty good too but a somewhat barebones experience as compared to the Pixel OS (no AOD; yes I now it may be coming; customization options are somewhat limited too; e.g. only two fonts to choose from).
As for the issues that people are currently having with the OP 8 Pro, the Pixel 4 had similar issues at launch and I expect OnePlus will fix them over time like Google did). I think Google will be faster to update their phones - OnePlus tends to get slower with OS updates as their phones age and as newer models come out (every six months) while Google (on a yearly release cycle) will tend to deliver the OS updates quickly and at the same time for their supported phones).
Having said that, I am now using the OnePlus 8 Pro as I think it is the least compromised phone for my needs. If Google had a bigger battery and brighter display on the Pixel 4 XL, I would still be using that phone though.

Moving from Pixel to 8P. What will I miss from the Pix platform ?

Hopefully this is the right thread to ask this question. Please move it, if I messed up!
===
My question is for former Pixel owners who jumped ships to OP. I am thinking to move from Pixel 3 to 8P but I am wondering what prominent features will I be missing? I understand that gcam mod is alive and well on OP platform, but what about tight integration with G assistant? Phone call screens, text spam protection? Is there anything else that someone could shed some light? How happy / unhappy you are with the switch?
Pixel is growing old on me. The high price for the specs are ridics; Google is having serious personality issues, hard to see the direction of where they are going with the phone. I think I am ready to move to a new phone.
thanks for helping me to make an informed decision.
I didn't miss anything and gained much more current higher spec's for my usage!
galaxys said:
I didn't miss anything and gained much more current higher spec's for my usage!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a solid statement; thank you. Do you use screencall feature? Is it working straight up on OP or do you need to mess with modules / magdisk ? How is your gcam mod ( or you don't even use it ? )
Bought Pro8 at launch, I unlocked the bootloader and rooted with Magisk but I don't need twrp. Played with some modules which there are many.... Stock OOS is excellent, on A11 and I'm more than happy with the 1+ camera & use stock phone setup. Really I've never looked back and will get the Pro 9 next year....
galaxys said:
Bought Pro8 at launch, I unlocked the bootloader and rooted with Magisk but I don't need twrp. Played with some modules which there are many.... Stock OOS is excellent, on A11 and I'm more than happy with the 1+ camera & use stock phone setup. Really I've never looked back and will get the Pro 9 next year....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For some reason I used to get 10-20 spam calls a day, but with the screencall feature / automatic spam call rejection I get 0. My biggest fear is that I may be hurdling toward that situation, if I jump ships. Other than this, I feel I can live with everything else. 8P looks amazing. Thanks for the feedback!
Tell your what you won't miss, that awful battery life
10 hours SOT on most days here.
Really good phone, I can't fault it.
As others have said root is a breeze and the community is pretty active so there's that too.
You might miss the camera for point and shoot but you can take some phenomenal pics on the 8 Pro.
I just moved to OnePlus 8 Pro recently from Pixel3XL. This phone is a treat to use daily and everything works nice and stable. Couple of misses so far:
1. Losing widevine L1 after unlocking bootloader
2. No RCS on Google Fi on OP8Pro as of now (>7 months after release).
3. ROM update with root is a bit (only slightly) more of a pain than on Pixel where I had an automated script based update coded using ADB.
For Camera, I use both the stock and GCAM port. GCAM port gives more detail in shots just like on P3XL. I am happy with the camera performance so far.
Biggest hits so far:
1. What a treat that display with 120Hz refresh! Wow!
2. Just smooth, no hiccups performance! I think 12GB RAM helps here quite a bit. 4GB of P3XL just wasn't enough
3. Battery life!
I moved from Pixel 3 XL to a Samsung Galaxy S10 for a few months, then jumped to the 8 Pro as quickly as I could (that S10 was the worst phone ever!).
I miss the Camera. The camera quality was definitely better. A lot of times i would take pictures, and i'd crop out smaller areas because they were what i was really going for, and even though that meant zooming in on an image, the fine details of the pixel images were so much better than any other phone that it looked like a picture from any other phone, its something thats terribly overlooked by almost everyone!
Battery life is better.
I do miss having a finger print reader on the back, i just like it better...
I miss the AOD, i think its better than what we have now on the OP, but its good enough. I still miss the one on the pixel though.
I think what i miss the most though is the front firing speakers! Anything else is trash, but "trash" seems to be common nowadays....
When it comes to things like phone call screening, i believe there's a way to get that on the OP, but i dont really care much for it. I've started using (and did so soon after getting the 3 XL) the app called "Should I Answer?". I set it up to reject all calls from numbers that arent in my phone. I get 20+ calls every single day, and even when i used the call screening, it just resulted in more work for me as they tried to get me on the phone. My new method allows people to leave a message. If its important, they will, and i'll call them back.
@PMad are your saying that the pixels battery is better than ? The 8 pro?
I agree on the camera though
> I miss the Camera. The camera quality was definitely better.
Compare GCAM on OnePlus 8 Pro with GCAM on P3XL. The photos get slightly more detailed on my OnePlus 8 Pro compared to my P3XL. In all aspects, they are identicle, with OP8Pro slightly better. Not sure if P5 would have given better results. But P5 is very disappointing for me.
Grab gcam for OP8Pro : https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/f/changelog1486/ version Arnova8G2, 2020-11-15)
I am very satisfied with the camera performance. Its not the best right now but neither is the Pixel.
Is NOW PLAYING functionality or any similar app available for OnePlus 8?
dladz said:
@PMad are your saying that the pixels battery is better than ? The 8 pro?
I agree on the camera though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the battery is better on the OP8Pro, but the optimization is better on the Pixel. On my Pixel's, all of them, i'd go all day and have roughly 25 to 40% battery left. I was getting slightly more then that with my OP8P until i upgraded to Android 11, now i have to charge up around 7 or 8pm because im at < 20%. Not sure what happened, i'll go into the battery options to see what used most of it, and there's only like... 10 things using at most 2% battery, so its a bit misleading, still not sure whats doing it.
PMad said:
I think the battery is better on the OP8Pro, but the optimization is better on the Pixel. On my Pixel's, all of them, i'd go all day and have roughly 25 to 40% battery left. I was getting slightly more then that with my OP8P until i upgraded to Android 11, now i have to charge up around 7 or 8pm because im at < 20%. Not sure what happened, i'll go into the battery options to see what used most of it, and there's only like... 10 things using at most 2% battery, so its a bit misleading, still not sure whats doing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you wipe after the 11 upgrade?
Always best to have a fresh start between bases.
I average about 2 days and about 8-10 hours SOT
Obviously comes with a fair bit of tweaking but yea that's my average..
Currently actually running pixel experience on 11 and battery has been lessened, idle is superb but any kind of work I give the phone burns more battery than what OOS did.
Maybe it'll improve with updates and or a different kernel.
dladz said:
Did you wipe after the 11 upgrade?
Always best to have a fresh start between bases.
I average about 2 days and about 8-10 hours SOT
Obviously comes with a fair bit of tweaking but yea that's my average..
Currently actually running pixel experience on 11 and battery has been lessened, idle is superb but any kind of work I give the phone burns more battery than what OOS did.
Maybe it'll improve with updates and or a different kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope! There's a chance that's contributing to the issue, but i have a few other things i think are causing it. I'm too lazy to dig into it though haha, i dont mind charging it in the evening.
devsk said:
I just moved to OnePlus 8 Pro recently from Pixel3XL. This phone is a treat to use daily and everything works nice and stable. Couple of misses so far:
1. Losing widevine L1 after unlocking bootloader
2. No RCS on Google Fi on OP8Pro as of now (>7 months after release).
3. ROM update with root is a bit (only slightly) more of a pain than on Pixel where I had an automated script based update coded using ADB.
For Camera, I use both the stock and GCAM port. GCAM port gives more detail in shots just like on P3XL. I am happy with the camera performance so far.
Biggest hits so far:
1. What a treat that display with 120Hz refresh! Wow!
2. Just smooth, no hiccups performance! I think 12GB RAM helps here quite a bit. 4GB of P3XL just wasn't enough
3. Battery life!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Automated script based update?
I came from the Pixel 2 XL only thing i miss is the call screen where you could have your assistant answer the phone. And its really not that big of a deal
OnePlus 8 Pro proud owner.
Let's say that you take 9 Pro in march 2021.
You will have the latest and the best hardware on the market. Maybe we will get Zeiss lens for camera.
Phone is well build and looks good.
Oxygen is awesome OS! Also, except Google OnePlus is the first to get software upgrades.
Battery is decent. But that depends on the user...
Warp charging 30w/6A, there is no need to explain... And it will go to 65w or more.
Now, from 8 Pro we got 30w wireless charging. That is Great! And it will go to 45w or more.

Categories

Resources