Pixel 2 or something else?

[Dirigent82]

I'm currently using a 950 and have been using a Windows phone since the 1020. I'm begrudgingly looking to move to Android in the somewhat near future and have been researching/window shopping. I don't know how other people feel, but I find it very frustrating and cumbersome! So many phones with different specs, versions of Android, various manufacturer skins, and phones full of bloatware.

Anyway, I'm starting to lean towards the Pixel 2. I don't need the size of the XL and have read the XL has more issues anyway. I like the idea of a straight Android phone and more frequent updates, though I really abhor the lack of a headphone jack. I've also read that the Huawei Mate 10 will be coming to AT&T (and possibly Verizon) which seems to garner very positive reviews internationally, but it is heavily skinned and will have plenty of bloatware. I don't particularly care for the Samsung Galaxy phones.

I plan on using numerous Microsoft services on the phone, probably using the app Nine to continue using Outlook contacts/email/calendar/etc, and probably installing some sort of launcher (Microsoft, Launcher 10, Squarehome, etc.) So, are there other big differences between the Android phones to consider? Are the UI skins a big issue? Is the Pixel 2 a smart move? I'm not looking to buy one immediately, so I'll see what happens with the Huawei Mate 10.

 

[libra89]

The Pixel 2 is a great phone. I personally use it with Nine and everything works perfectly. The one thing I don't like is that only Google Calendar events show in the At-A-Glance widget in the default launcher. You can't go wrong with the Pixel 2 at all. It's a little taller than the 950 but way narrower which feels nice. This is a very fast phone that just runs on the basics and does it well, imo.

As for the Mate 10 Pro, I would say why not wait for reviews on the American side to come out, since you aren't in a rush? In my experience of having a Huawei phone made for the US, I only had 3 preinstalled apps to uninstall and their calendar app, along with some other ones so there were some double apps, like gallery and google photos.

 

[bulls96]

I actually like the kinda blue color it reminds me of the color of my Surface.

 

[kaktus1389]

I personally didn't have any flagship Huawei devices, I did have a budget device for a few weeks though. I simply wasn't able to use the default Huawei launcher effectively, not to mention their (in my opinion) horrendous Android skin EMUI, which tries to imitate iOS but it's not doing a good job at it. I personally wouldn't buy another Huawei device, even if it was their flagship. In my opinion, Pixel, OnePlus 5/5t or Nokia 8 are the only Android phones I would consider using since they all have vanilla/almost vanilla Android and in that case, it's a lot easier to use those phones.

Another downside of non-vanilla (stock) Android is that it's likely there are going to be bugs if you change launcher or lock screen app from the default one - I had issues with that as well on the Huawei. What you probably should check out is also support the OEMs are providing, since some Chinese manufacturers don't have the best representation in the world outside of China.

 

[Old_Mil]

Take a look at the LG G6...

 

[Timbre70]

Nokia 8.

 

[SteggyDad]

Happy with my Essentialphone

 

[camaroz1985]

The Pixel devices are great. I don't think you could go wrong with switching to them, and I very much appreciated the most "pure" Android experience you could get, and the quick updates. I would most likely get another Pixel if I were to switch to Android again.

 

[blackfire]

Pixel are agreat devices. I went with the Galaxy S8, but I do prefer a less altered version of Android, so I will probably choose Pixel when my next upgrade is due. Enjoy!

 

[Jakoh]

The best android phone right now, arguably, is the Samsung S8 plus.
Great battery life and big screen in a small format.
Believe me Sammy also did the software right.

 

[Maaz Mansori]

For an FYI, the deal with Huawei Mate and AT&T fell through, though it appears the phone will still be sold unlocked in the U.S. I have the original Google Pixel and I think it's a good phone. The biggest reasons I chose it are they are first to get Android updates and they do not have bloatware that is difficult to uninstall. The only downfall is that AT&T doesn't allow HD voice or WiFi calling on it. You can switch to a different carrier if those are important to you. The Lumia 950 didn't allow WiFi calling either but it did have HD voice. Also the Pixel 2 isn't much better spec-wise, but unless you can get a significant discount on an original Pixel or absolutely need a headphone jack, I would go with the Pixel 2 because you will get 3 years of updates. Install Microsoft Launcher and all the Microsoft apps and you'll enjoy the best of both the Google and Microsoft world and always be up to date.

 

[MBytes]

I'm currently using a 950 and have been using a Windows phone since the 1020. I'm begrudgingly looking to move to Android in the somewhat near future and have been researching/window shopping. I don't know how other people feel, but I find it very frustrating and cumbersome! So many phones with different specs, versions of Android, various manufacturer skins, and phones full of bloatware.

Anyway, I'm starting to lean towards the Pixel 2. I don't need the size of the XL and have read the XL has more issues anyway. I like the idea of a straight Android phone and more frequent updates, though I really abhor the lack of a headphone jack. I've also read that the Huawei Mate 10 will be coming to AT&T (and possibly Verizon) which seems to garner very positive reviews internationally, but it is heavily skinned and will have plenty of bloatware. I don't particularly care for the Samsung Galaxy phones.

I plan on using numerous Microsoft services on the phone, probably using the app Nine to continue using Outlook contacts/email/calendar/etc, and probably installing some sort of launcher (Microsoft, Launcher 10, Squarehome, etc.) So, are there other big differences between the Android phones to consider? Are the UI skins a big issue? Is the Pixel 2 a smart move? I'm not looking to buy one immediately, so I'll see what happens with the Huawei Mate 10.

I would wait for the Pixel 3. The Pixel 2 is riddled with problems software and production wise. The list is very long. Google really screwed up the device. Hopefully the Pixel 3 will have everything fixed by learning from their experiences in producing the Pixel 2.

If you enjoy the Lumia 950 for its camera. The Pixel 3 (and Samsung Galaxy S9) should start having a camera that better with a more visible margin that might make the upgrade worth it. Right now the cameras are similar.

Also keep in mind that the Pixel 2 does NOT have a headphone plug.

 

[jeffgeno]

I've been messing around with one for the last couple of weeks. It's the cheapest phone Verizon sells on the government contract these days and they come unlocked, so you can use it on any carrier.

The camera is very good, white balance is way better than the Lumia, but shots still aren't as detailed as my 950 when they both focus correctly. The Pixel seems to focus better, but it's still not 100%. You'll probably get better results on a day to day basis with the Pixel, but when everything is perfect, the Lumia still takes better pictures. It's like the difference between a 1020 and a 950.

The other thing to know when setting one up is that the built-in Outlook.com sync does not support two factor identification. If you want your contacts to sync with the built-in contacts app (which you really want to do if that's where all your phone numbers are), you'll have to set up an app password on the Microsoft Account site. Then follow the link in the email they send to you that says you're going to use the built-in apps rather than the Outlook app to sync. You can still also use the Outlook app, but that doesn't sync your contacts to the dialer/SMS app.

You can set up something similar to live tiles with the widgets, although it can be messy. Some apps simply don't support them. Some widgets scroll, so you can't scroll your homescreen vertically because your touch will get caught by the widgets. I guess that's why they have vertical scroll turned off by default.

Sync.Me does a great job of syncing Facebook contact photos to your contacts. You just have to be in the "All Contacts" view to see it and not just looking at your Outlook.com contacts.

The biggest drawbacks: The notification center isn't as well designed or controllable as Windows Mobile. There's no wireless charging, no expandable memory, no headphone jack, and no combined view of your local and OneDrive photo albums. Until Microsoft releases a Photos app for Android, you're almost forced to use Google Photos.

 

[Freddie Johson]

There is so much malware in the google store..i am not sure if i can get behind any android and Google can't be really trusted all things considering they love to hoard data about you and just recently it was released they were still tracking and storing peoples locations even after they disabled location services...i am not sure Google is reputable when it comes to consumer privacy.

 

[agmsr]

I've had a Kinda Blue Pixel 2 for a couple of months and it's been a great phone. The camera is excellent. I rarely have to use filters on pictures to improve them. The Microsoft apps look nice on the stock Android, although I haven't used them a lot. I am aware that some people have reported issues with the Pixel 2 XL version (e.g., screen burn-in), but personally I have seen no hardware or software issues in heavy daily use. Even the bezels don't bother me, and the color is great. Completely satisfied with the phone. (I do like the HW of the Galaxy, Essential, and Razer phones too, but Pixel SW and camera have them beat.)

 

[MBytes]

I've had a Kinda Blue Pixel 2 for a couple of months and it's been a great phone. The camera is excellent. I rarely have to use filters on pictures to improve them. The Microsoft apps look nice on the stock Android, although I haven't used them a lot. I am aware that some people have reported issues with the Pixel 2 XL version (e.g., screen burn-in), but personally I have seen no hardware or software issues in heavy daily use. Even the bezels don't bother me, and the color is great. Completely satisfied with the phone. (I do like the HW of the Galaxy, Essential, and Razer phones too, but Pixel SW and camera have them beat.)

Like on Windows PC, you have to stick to trusted popular apps (which basically shrinks your apps level significantly... reaching Windows 10 Mobile levels). Basically, apps like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat (disable the GPS tracking), and so on. And even then, you need to be careful.

Read this:
https://arstechnica.com/information...-covertly-listen-for-inaudible-sounds-in-ads/

 

[MBytes]

I've had a Kinda Blue Pixel 2 for a couple of months and it's been a great phone. The camera is excellent. I rarely have to use filters on pictures to improve them. The Microsoft apps look nice on the stock Android, although I haven't used them a lot. I am aware that some people have reported issues with the Pixel 2 XL version (e.g., screen burn-in), but personally I have seen no hardware or software issues in heavy daily use. Even the bezels don't bother me, and the color is great. Completely satisfied with the phone. (I do like the HW of the Galaxy, Essential, and Razer phones too, but Pixel SW and camera have them beat.)

All OLED displays faces burn-in. Basically, as each sub pixel is used, the subpixel wears ou, and color shifts. It is a big downside of OLED display. So if you have a black bar at the bottom of the screen, you'll notice after a year or so, that, when you display a full color, say gray. You'll have a nice gray everywhere, but a nicer gray where you had the black bar as those pixels where never used.

The problem that the Pixel 2 had is that the OLED panel was the sub pixel were wearing super quickly, a phone barely 1 year, looked likes an OLED panel that been used for 4-5 years, if not more.

 

[Bskill]

I went from a 950xl (grieving) to a HTC U11, and quickly grew to like it a lot (once I was able to set aside the disapointment Android's UI is for an ex Windows Phone user). The camera is great, the screen is superb, as well as the build quality, and it runs well on Microsoft Launcher. Also, the sound is very good in the included ear plugs (with built-in noise cancelling).

 

[BriggzCountry]

I'm currently using a 950 and have been using a Windows phone since the 1020. I'm begrudgingly looking to move to Android in the somewhat near future and have been researching/window shopping. I don't know how other people feel, but I find it very frustrating and cumbersome! So many phones with different specs, versions of Android, various manufacturer skins, and phones full of bloatware.

Anyway, I'm starting to lean towards the Pixel 2. I don't need the size of the XL and have read the XL has more issues anyway. I like the idea of a straight Android phone and more frequent updates, though I really abhor the lack of a headphone jack. I've also read that the Huawei Mate 10 will be coming to AT&T (and possibly Verizon) which seems to garner very positive reviews internationally, but it is heavily skinned and will have plenty of bloatware. I don't particularly care for the Samsung Galaxy phones.

I plan on using numerous Microsoft services on the phone, probably using the app Nine to continue using Outlook contacts/email/calendar/etc, and probably installing some sort of launcher (Microsoft, Launcher 10, Squarehome, etc.) So, are there other big differences between the Android phones to consider? Are the UI skins a big issue? Is the Pixel 2 a smart move? I'm not looking to buy one immediately, so I'll see what happens with the Huawei Mate 10.

 

[BriggzCountry]

I have been using the OnePlus 5T for about 6 weeks now (previously on the Lumia 950XL and Nexus 6P) and I absolutely love it. Clean Android, fast, tons of storage and you just can't beat the price! Camera is a little lacking, but I don't take a ton of pics. I decided to sit out the Pixel XL 2 because of all the problems and IMO the screen is a weird shape and just looks weird! With my OnePlus 5T I have discovered new things each week and like the phone more with each passing day of use! Good luck, Android is nothing like W10M and I miss it dearly, but you gotta do what you gotta do and this has made the transition less painful.

PS: OnePlus 5T has a headphone jack!