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The same thing that happens to every OS, features and bloat. That said, Pixel devices all the way. No gross UI reskin, no having multiple copies of the same ty

by esseph 1y ago

The same thing that happens to every OS, features and bloat. That said, Pixel devices all the way. No gross UI reskin, no having multiple copies of the same type of app (Samsung camera vs android camera, dialers, keyboards, etc.). Fast, stable, good features. If it's not a pixel device, you're probably going to have a "mid" experience.

MostlyStable 1y ago
Which is unfortunate, because one of the strengths of Android was the diversity of the hardware ecosystem (although that strength has been lessening as manufacturers have all begun to converge on a common set of hardware features). You could get a phone that had the features you in particular wanted. Needing to buy a particular phone to get a good experience is a bummer. I say that as someone who has had several Pixel phones (and Nexus before that) and been happy with them. But yeah, my most recent phone is a low-end Motorola that I picked specifically for a set of hardware features, but unfortunately, as the parent commenter describes, it has been a _terrible_ experience for a variety of reasons. I got the hardware features I wanted (mostly, no one makes the full set I want anymore, see above), and it turns out that I had to give up a halfway-decent software experience.
- chasil 1y ago
  Can you unlock the bootloader on your Motorola and install LineageOS or something else? If not, are you able to buy another Motorola phone where this is possible?
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
- Eavolution 1y ago
  I was hoping over time the hardware beginning to get more similar would make the hardware more standardised and open like it is on PC allowing easier rom development, but that seems to be a pipe dream.
cptskippy 1y ago
My last 2 phones were Motorola and my most recent is a Pixel. Meh... The Motos came with very little bloatware that was easy enough to uninstall or disable. There are just as many new Google Apps that just weren't available on Moto phones that I've been uninstalling from my Pixel: Google One, Google Tasks, Google News, Google Lens, Google Support Services, Google PDF Viewer, Google Play Books, Google Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds, Pixel Studio, Gemini, Safety, Find Hub, Google Home It's not 3rd party, but it's still bloatware.
dzonga 1y ago
pixel devices are nice when they work. but damn hardware quality is shoddy in terms of aging. my pixel 6a battery got swollen with less than 3 years. I have a first gen iphone se still in use. I also had a pixel 3a that I couldn't find a screen replacement for luckily for me -- google accepted a trade in when the 6a got released. the pixels have a overheating problem -- this you can google for. oh yeah, when automatic android updates happen a bunch of your settings are reset even something simple as UI-theme.
- thaumasiotes 1y ago
  My Pixel 6a (my current phone) has no battery swelling. On the other hand, it takes over a minute to decide that it's confirmed a GPS location. The Pixel 3a will do the same thing in more like one second. The utter failure of the GPS on the Pixel 6a (and possibly other related phones?) seems to be a known, common issue. I do have overheating problems. The phone won't work outdoors in climates that are less nice than California. Which surprises me, since that's most of the world.
- rstat1 1y ago
  >> the pixels have a overheating problem -- this you can google for. People keep saying this, but that's been every phone I've ever had. They all get hot in hot weather and under heavy use.
surgical_fire 1y ago
I had 2 OnePlus devices in the past 7 years, and I had a great experience with both. Very stable, nice UI, no hardware/batery issues, very responsive. I don't know if I trust Google to make decent hardware. I am highly suspicious of Pixel phones.
- sans_souse 1y ago
  I own a Pixel 7 and two OP7 Pro 's. The OP7Pro runs much smoother and reliably, the physical buttons + the slider switch are sturdy and I would still recommend people buy this phone today. $<200 refurb for this device was an easy buy after paying closer to MSRP for my first one.Pixel's aren't what they are made out to be. "Feature"-rich - sure. I don't call things I don't want to have "features" It's just more bloat in my mind.
TiredOfLife 1y ago
> No gross UI reskin Pixel experience is literally same thing as Samsung One UI - a gross UI reskin > no having multiple copies of the same type of app (Samsung camera vs android camera, dialers, keyboards, etc Google is the one that forces the multiple copies of same app thing
- esseph 1y ago
  Not true. Vendor blobs are used in third party phones that have different hardware. Or, in some cases, because the phone seller wants to track you or try an offer an additional "value add" with their version of the app. They don't have to do any of that.
  - TiredOfLife 1y ago
    Can you provide an example of a device that ships with official Android and Google mobile services, but doesn't include any Google apps like Chrome, Youtube or messages?

by esseph 1y ago

MostlyStable 1y ago

Which is unfortunate, because one of the strengths of Android was the diversity of the hardware ecosystem (although that strength has been lessening as manufacturers have all begun to converge on a common set of hardware features). You could get a phone that had the features you in particular wanted. Needing to buy a particular phone to get a good experience is a bummer. I say that as someone who has had several Pixel phones (and Nexus before that) and been happy with them. But yeah, my most recent phone is a low-end Motorola that I picked specifically for a set of hardware features, but unfortunately, as the parent commenter describes, it has been a _terrible_ experience for a variety of reasons. I got the hardware features I wanted (mostly, no one makes the full set I want anymore, see above), and it turns out that I had to give up a halfway-decent software experience.

chasil 1y ago
Can you unlock the bootloader on your Motorola and install LineageOS or something else? If not, are you able to buy another Motorola phone where this is possible?
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
Eavolution 1y ago
I was hoping over time the hardware beginning to get more similar would make the hardware more standardised and open like it is on PC allowing easier rom development, but that seems to be a pipe dream.

cptskippy 1y ago

My last 2 phones were Motorola and my most recent is a Pixel. Meh... The Motos came with very little bloatware that was easy enough to uninstall or disable. There are just as many new Google Apps that just weren't available on Moto phones that I've been uninstalling from my Pixel: Google One, Google Tasks, Google News, Google Lens, Google Support Services, Google PDF Viewer, Google Play Books, Google Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds, Pixel Studio, Gemini, Safety, Find Hub, Google Home It's not 3rd party, but it's still bloatware.

dzonga 1y ago

pixel devices are nice when they work. but damn hardware quality is shoddy in terms of aging. my pixel 6a battery got swollen with less than 3 years. I have a first gen iphone se still in use. I also had a pixel 3a that I couldn't find a screen replacement for luckily for me -- google accepted a trade in when the 6a got released. the pixels have a overheating problem -- this you can google for. oh yeah, when automatic android updates happen a bunch of your settings are reset even something simple as UI-theme.

thaumasiotes 1y ago
My Pixel 6a (my current phone) has no battery swelling. On the other hand, it takes over a minute to decide that it's confirmed a GPS location. The Pixel 3a will do the same thing in more like one second. The utter failure of the GPS on the Pixel 6a (and possibly other related phones?) seems to be a known, common issue. I do have overheating problems. The phone won't work outdoors in climates that are less nice than California. Which surprises me, since that's most of the world.
rstat1 1y ago
>> the pixels have a overheating problem -- this you can google for. People keep saying this, but that's been every phone I've ever had. They all get hot in hot weather and under heavy use.

surgical_fire 1y ago

I had 2 OnePlus devices in the past 7 years, and I had a great experience with both. Very stable, nice UI, no hardware/batery issues, very responsive. I don't know if I trust Google to make decent hardware. I am highly suspicious of Pixel phones.

sans_souse 1y ago
I own a Pixel 7 and two OP7 Pro 's. The OP7Pro runs much smoother and reliably, the physical buttons + the slider switch are sturdy and I would still recommend people buy this phone today. $<200 refurb for this device was an easy buy after paying closer to MSRP for my first one.Pixel's aren't what they are made out to be. "Feature"-rich - sure. I don't call things I don't want to have "features" It's just more bloat in my mind.

TiredOfLife 1y ago

> No gross UI reskin Pixel experience is literally same thing as Samsung One UI - a gross UI reskin > no having multiple copies of the same type of app (Samsung camera vs android camera, dialers, keyboards, etc Google is the one that forces the multiple copies of same app thing

esseph 1y ago
Not true. Vendor blobs are used in third party phones that have different hardware. Or, in some cases, because the phone seller wants to track you or try an offer an additional "value add" with their version of the app. They don't have to do any of that.
- TiredOfLife 1y ago
  Can you provide an example of a device that ships with official Android and Google mobile services, but doesn't include any Google apps like Chrome, Youtube or messages?