There have been multiple accounts created with the sole purpose of posting advertisement posts or replies containing unsolicited advertising.

Accounts which solely post advertisements, or persistently post them may be terminated.

Lucidlethargy ,

Samsung hardware is a lot higher quality, but the Pixel is cheaper. I’ve had to return a pixel to Google 5 times before so I don’t buy those any longer for myself.

Flipflap ,

Pixel 8 pro ! You will have stock Android, providing a better experience. Moreover it’s less expensive! I love Pixel phones. I recently got the Pixel tablet.

G020B ,

Pixel 7 works perfectly for me. I like nearly all aspects of it. The camera is extremely good (I’ve recently made a comparison with iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone was far worse) and reliable. The battery life and performance is good. The phone feels smooth, without a lot of bugs. I don’t have a recent experience with Samsung, but I will stick with Pixel going forward.

MargotRobbie ,
@MargotRobbie@lemmy.world avatar

Oh, almost forgot, for those interested in giving buying advice, please check out our very own buying guide that we are making in the sticky post and contribute your input. Thanks.

MeanEYE ,
@MeanEYE@lemmy.world avatar

Pen to me means a lot. Signing documents, annotating screen shots, remote control of the device, etc. Another thing that Samsung is superior at is servicing your device after warranty is out. I still have a pair of S7 Edge phones looking and working like new. At some point (5-6 years of use) screen developed a purple line. It cost me 160€ to replace screen and Samsung authorized center replaced metal body, battery, buttons as well, all for free. So I got a new phone basically. My parents are still using my now 7 year old phone. And Samsung still offers spare parts for them although they have to be ordered now so there’s a slight delay. Bloatware is not a problem for me as most can be uninstalled and the rest can be disabled. Sure it’s not pristine but it works and there’s no garbage I don’t want. Samsung also makes it very easy to move to another Samsung device. Literally all of your settings, wallpapers, files and applications are moved to another device. This is a no brainer for me. Maybe Pixel devices have this as well, but I haven’t used it. I do know in my country Google doesn’t have authorized service centers so finding parts might get difficult.

So all in all, you have to be frank with your about what is it what you really want. If you want closer to stock, Pixel is probably better in that. Samsung on the other hand has a lot of features I’ve grown to like that Google doesn’t offer, pen being the huge part of it.

Someology ,
@Someology@lemmy.world avatar

If you like lots of customization options out of the box, then Samsung. If you like using a pen to write (or convert handwriting to text) or draw, then Samsung. If you want barebones Google and don’t want extra features or customizations, then Pixel. It depends what you like.

You should try both in person before deciding.

0x2d ,

Pixel will have longer term support because of wide varieties of custom roms

Someology ,
@Someology@lemmy.world avatar

This is a good point, as long as people make sure to buy versions with unlocked bootloaders.

0x2d ,

Mine has an unlocked bootloader. I got it at Best buy unlocked

elbarto777 ,

You’re mostly right, but I’m told that Pixels have features that no other Android phones have. So, in a way, Pixels also have “extra features.”

Plus for some people, “barebones” here is actually a good thing.

stewie410 ,

I’ve just recently switched from a Galaxy S10 to a Pixel 7 as I wanted to see the “vanilla” experience, as well as be closer to upstream for software updates. My S10 still works great, though the battery needs replacement (at the time, it had already broken the glue on the back glass and was still expanding – didn’t realize until I took it out of the case for cleaning)…

With my S10, I had to really fight to get it to let me use Google’s apps over the Samsung ones; which whole annoying is doable. So far, the only things I really miss from Samsung (and notably the UX):

  • The sidebar/panel with an additional set of predefined apps
  • The volume/silent switch in the notification shade
  • The Bixby button (for custom actions)
  • Physically smaller phone, but that’s not a huge deal

Overall, I’m happy with the experience so far; though I dunno if the “Pro” model of anything is really worth it.

MeanEYE ,
@MeanEYE@lemmy.world avatar

Am not really sure what you mean by “had to really fight to get it to let me use Google’s apps”? I’ve been a Samsung user for years and I have never even once ran into situation where wrong application would start. Not only that, I started using Samsung’s Email application last year because GMail stopped downloading attachments, a known issue they never fixed.

stewie410 ,

Part of the difficulty may have also been because it was my first foray into Android… at the moment I don’t have a specific example, but I seem to remember setting defaults was straight-forward; but either they were not always respected by certain interaction prompts, or some similar behavior.

As for GMail, I’m also no longer using the app and instead have opted for Spark (personal mailboxes) & Outlook (exchange, work)…

jaam01 ,
@jaam01@lemmings.world avatar

If you are able to get the the Pixel with a deal, go for it. Pixels don’t retain much resale value, like Samsungs. For example, the Pixel 6a launched at 450, now it’s in the Google Store at 250.

archiotterpup ,

I love my pixel. It consistently has the best camera in the US smartphone market.

dangblingus ,

Either.

Both are programmed to harvest every single bit of information you input into it, including access other devices on your network if you use wifi.

Buy the one with the nicest camera I guess.

If you care about privacy, get a Pine phone.

Samuql ,

Pixel with Graphene OS seems to be a good choice tbh.

hitmyspot ,

Are the camera features still accessible? Or is it a downgrade on available hardware and software in exchange for privacy?

Alicecisnt ,

I have an S23 Ultra and it is a nice phone but I wouldn’t recommend Samsung to anyone because my last several Samsungs “mysteriously” got issues right before the 2 year plan ended. I won’t be getting another Samsung after this one. I really wanted the pen and it is great but I’m starting to care more about longevity.

Tanya ,

I’m using the S10e which is 4.5 years old. Still strong. Too bad there is no small phones like it…

provisional ,

Maybe Asus Zenfone 10 is the way to go.

JdW ,

The Pixel is the far superior product as far as I am concerned: Faster, more stable, no bloatware and the best camera around.

But, and this might be a big but for some, if you need repairs or service outside of insurance you are SOL. There’s not a lot of companies doing Pixel repairs and if they do the parts are insanely expensive. I needed a screen replace and it cost almost as much as the phone itself in parts and labour. And the end result is a screen that gets dirtier and a non-functioning fingerprint sensor. Not optimal.

Awesome phone, but pray you do not need service.

bus_factor , (edited )

Also, battery life on the 7 series is pretty bad. My old 3a had awesome battery life, but since then Google started making their own SoC. They still use some third-party chips which they don’t control, and it’s affecting power efficiency. I’ve heard rumors that they’re expected to have better control of power consumption around the 9 series.

All that being said, I love my Pixel 7a, but I frequently have to top it off to last me a full day. I can handle that, but if you don’t have access to a charger during the day I’d consider other options.

Lucidlethargy ,

I’ve had so many problems with pixels it’s not even funny. Never had an issue with Samsung. I think Google makes poor quality devices.

Ah, also as a professional photographer I can promise you the cameras are better on Samsung devices.

JdW , (edited )

Ah, also as a professional photographer I can promise you the cameras are better on Samsung devices.

Thanks your your feedback, that is interesting.

The one thing pixel is better at in my expeirence is the digital zoom, I can get insane detail at 20+ zoom levels that I could never even approximate with a Samsung.

gnygnygny ,

If you are planning to do many photos and videos go to Samsung it’s pretty good specially in low light condition. The pen is cool, it’s more resistant and it is definitely faster. I think the design is better too but it’s my opinion only.

pss395 ,

I switch from a Pixel 3 to a S23 and it’s really nice. The new Snapdragon 8 gen 2 is solid, with great battery life and doesn’t heat up even when doing intensive task. I also change almost all the stock app to Google’s so it’s basically just like using a Pixel now, abet with some restriction (no google recorder app because that’s pixel exclusive lol).

I was worried about “Samsung bloat” too but I have to say the new OneUI is rather nice.

dangblingus ,

What intensive tasks are you performing on your phone?

viking ,
@viking@infosec.pub avatar

Never buy Samsung, full of proprietary trash bloat, and they crack down on people trying to get root access. Absolute no-go.

vox ,
@vox@sopuli.xyz avatar

they don’t have much bloatware except preinstalled spotify, netflix and tiktok…

brayd ,
@brayd@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

And adds literally built into basic system components…

vox ,
@vox@sopuli.xyz avatar

i don’t see any ads on my phone?! (a52s)
(galaxy store is a notable exception (has a bit more ads than google play), but who cares about fucking galaxy store?!)

brayd ,
@brayd@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

I answered on another comment regarding ads in this thread to clarify what I define as an ad with that comment.

dustyData ,

I’ve never seen an ad on a Samsung phone in any place that’s not a store. What are you on about?

brayd ,
@brayd@discuss.tchncs.de avatar

The files app has built in ads to push OneDrive to the users. And yes it can be declared as advertising because you can’t remove that ad and because MS pays Samsung for it (or gives Samsung benefits for it inside Windows on Samsungs computers).

Besides that there are the same kind of ads in the settings app.

And there’s also many components of the OS that push the user into paying money like for fonts or for Always on Displays or lockscreens or whatever else. Those are not direct ads but you could declare them as auch because of the fact that a user gets pushed into micro payments for basic customization of their phone which for me personally is a no go, especially if you pay money for a flagship phone.

vox ,
@vox@sopuli.xyz avatar

i won’t consider a tiny cloud icon in the corner an ad but whatever…

poopsmith ,
@poopsmith@lemmy.world avatar

Is Bixby still a thing on new Samsung phones?

vox ,
@vox@sopuli.xyz avatar

yes but it can be turned off. completely. go into settings and then deactivate.
won’t bother you. ever.

if you have a phone with a bixby key there are numerous ways to remap it.

AWittyUsername ,

Too much at Spotify

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • [email protected]
  • random
  • lifeLocal
  • goranko
  • All magazines
    •