4G Android phone megathread

jercra

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My 5x (purchased direct from Google) died in September and I got nowhere with support, they referred me to LG.
Did you buy from Google Store or from Fi? I dealt with both yesterday (my wife's 6P needed an insurance replacement) and Fi were the ones who agreed to send me the Pixel XL. I don't know if it makes a difference or not.
 

jercra

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First impressions of the Pixel 2 XL:
  1. It's hands down the best phone I've ever owned.
  2. It's the best camera I've ever seen in a phone.
  3. The battery life is incredible, especially compared to my 6P. I've been off charger for 8 hours with the usage you'd expect from someone with a new toy and I have 84% battery left. My 6P would have been dead hours ago.
  4. The speed and snappiness of everything is incredible.
  5. I can actually make phone calls on the very first try from my house. That was impossible with the 6P. Had to switch to airplane mode then enable WiFi to force WiFi calling.
  6. The screen:
    1. The blue tint on tilt is real and obvious with any bright background. I don't even notice it in practice since I look at the phone straight on.
    2. Graininess? Yeah, I guess a little if you look for it or if you're sensitive to it. Again, it doesn't bother me.
    3. Color saturation. I have literally no idea what everyone is bitching about. I think the colors look amazing. I'm really not a fan of the super-saturated color modes that Samsung and Apple love so maybe I'm an outlier. I much prefer things look like the things they look like.
    4. It's been sub-24 hours so I obviously have no comment on the burn issue yet.
 

JakeRae

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Jul 21, 2005
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First impressions of the Pixel 2 XL:
  1. It's hands down the best phone I've ever owned.
  2. It's the best camera I've ever seen in a phone.
  3. The battery life is incredible, especially compared to my 6P. I've been off charger for 8 hours with the usage you'd expect from someone with a new toy and I have 84% battery left. My 6P would have been dead hours ago.
  4. The speed and snappiness of everything is incredible.
  5. I can actually make phone calls on the very first try from my house. That was impossible with the 6P. Had to switch to airplane mode then enable WiFi to force WiFi calling.
  6. The screen:
    1. The blue tint on tilt is real and obvious with any bright background. I don't even notice it in practice since I look at the phone straight on.
    2. Graininess? Yeah, I guess a little if you look for it or if you're sensitive to it. Again, it doesn't bother me.
    3. Color saturation. I have literally no idea what everyone is bitching about. I think the colors look amazing. I'm really not a fan of the super-saturated color modes that Samsung and Apple love so maybe I'm an outlier. I much prefer things look like the things they look like.
    4. It's been sub-24 hours so I obviously have no comment on the burn issue yet.
I'm pretty happy with the screen. Don't notice the graininess or any blotchiness, although I haven't looked hard for the latter. I like the realistic colors. I very much do not like the off angle blue screen issue, but I don't think it is a deal breaker. I hate not having a headphone jack far more than I thought I would. Sound feels muted through the dongle in a way it didn't with my 5X. The phone is otherwise great and a joy to use.

I think the screen and headphone jack would be enough for me to return this if another flagship could solve both. Unfortunately, the V30 has the same screen and Samsung phones don't have headphone jacks anymore. I'm not willing to leave stock Android to gain just one or these features.

Google bumping the warranty to two years helps a lot too.
 

JakeRae

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Samsung phones still have the headphone jacks.
You are correct. Not sure why I was mistaken on that. I'm currently torn about returning my pixel 2 xl and getting the s8 or keeping the pixel 2 xl and expecting that they'll have ironed out some of the screen issues by the time my phone inevitably needs to be replaced under warranty (LG made it, so I assume there is little chance of it lasting 2 full years without breaking itself.)
 

jercra

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You are correct. Not sure why I was mistaken on that. I'm currently torn about returning my pixel 2 xl and getting the s8 or keeping the pixel 2 xl and expecting that they'll have ironed out some of the screen issues by the time my phone inevitably needs to be replaced under warranty (LG made it, so I assume there is little chance of it lasting 2 full years without breaking itself.)
They have already announced a software update coming to fix possible burn in and add a choice for a wider color palette. The blue tilting issue is never going to go away and obviously the headphone jack is never coming back. For me, the phone would have to do me physical harm to make me ever go back to a TouchWiz interface and year long delays on software updates. I don't think I could go away from stock Android again.
 

Boggs26

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Jul 12, 2005
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You are correct. Not sure why I was mistaken on that. I'm currently torn about returning my pixel 2 xl and getting the s8 or keeping the pixel 2 xl and expecting that they'll have ironed out some of the screen issues by the time my phone inevitably needs to be replaced under warranty (LG made it, so I assume there is little chance of it lasting 2 full years without breaking itself.)
Check out the note 8 too if it's not too big for you. I'm in love with mine. Beautiful screen, blazing fast, crazy battery life. I'm sure the S8+ is similar, but the note is an awesome phone if you're looking.
 

drbretto

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Apr 10, 2009
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Yay, I broke my screen, so now I can get a new phone.

I have two options:

I am currently running Google Fi, and if I stick with them, that means I will need the Pixel 2 XL.

If I switch to Verizon (the only carrier that works in my neck of the woods), I can get an HTC U11 off the of the HTC site, which is on sale for $50 off and comes with a key fob locator that can find my keys if I have my phone or vise-versa, and comes with a set of $200 JBL headphones. I loved my old HTC One M8 as a music player. The difference is real. And given that I stream music as I drive, Verizon would give me better uninterrupted coverage. I also don't hate the idea of having a unique looking phone that not everyone else has.

Sticking with Fi would keep things as they are, but would most likely cost significantly less than a single phone Verizon plan.

And, as much as I like the HTC, it seems a bit brittle. The whole case is glass. I don't know how my current phone made it this long before finally cracking. I'd have to either be really careful with this one, or find a case that doesn't ruin the look of the phone.

Anyway, I'd love to hear what anyone thinks about Verizon vs Fi and HTC U11 vs Pixel 2 XL if anyone has an opinions/observations.
 

Boggs26

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Jul 12, 2005
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Verizon has 50% of on a large number of phones today only. Includes the Galaxy 8 line and the pixel 2 line. Just grabbed my wife a new S8 for $15/mo
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Mar 24, 2008
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Yay, I broke my screen, so now I can get a new phone.

I have two options:

I am currently running Google Fi, and if I stick with them, that means I will need the Pixel 2 XL.

If I switch to Verizon (the only carrier that works in my neck of the woods), I can get an HTC U11 off the of the HTC site, which is on sale for $50 off and comes with a key fob locator that can find my keys if I have my phone or vise-versa, and comes with a set of $200 JBL headphones. I loved my old HTC One M8 as a music player. The difference is real. And given that I stream music as I drive, Verizon would give me better uninterrupted coverage. I also don't hate the idea of having a unique looking phone that not everyone else has.

Sticking with Fi would keep things as they are, but would most likely cost significantly less than a single phone Verizon plan.

And, as much as I like the HTC, it seems a bit brittle. The whole case is glass. I don't know how my current phone made it this long before finally cracking. I'd have to either be really careful with this one, or find a case that doesn't ruin the look of the phone.

Anyway, I'd love to hear what anyone thinks about Verizon vs Fi and HTC U11 vs Pixel 2 XL if anyone has an opinions/observations.
Why not jump to Verizon and get the Pixel 2 XL? I can't imagine not going with the carrier that provides coverage where you live.
 

drbretto

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Google Fi is like $24 a month depending on how much data I use and it works over my WiFi.

The only reason I'm considering Verizon is that I'd rather have the HTC U11. The only reason I want the Pixel 2 XL is if I'm sticking with Fi. Which, I'm most likely doing at this point.

I was really only considering it because I thought I could get an unlimited plan for $40/mo with Verizon, but that's only if you have 4 lines, and I'm not playing that bullshit. A single line looks like it'd be like $60 bucks a month for 1 gig. No thanks. I'll just take the Pixel XL with what I've got.
 

Marceline

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Google Fi is like $24 a month depending on how much data I use and it works over my WiFi.

The only reason I'm considering Verizon is that I'd rather have the HTC U11. The only reason I want the Pixel 2 XL is if I'm sticking with Fi. Which, I'm most likely doing at this point.

I was really only considering it because I thought I could get an unlimited plan for $40/mo with Verizon, but that's only if you have 4 lines, and I'm not playing that bullshit. A single line looks like it'd be like $60 bucks a month for 1 gig. No thanks. I'll just take the Pixel XL with what I've got.
You can get a Straight Talk plan on Verizon's network for $45/month for unlimited talk/text and 10 gigs data ("unlimited" data, but throttled after 10 gigs).
 

drbretto

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I was looking at that. But, is that the "real" Verizon, or is that Verizon's cheapo network? And looking at the phones on the site, I'm not sure if I can bring a normal smartphone into the deal or not. I didn't see one recognizable phone there. I have no interest in skimping on the phone itself.
 

JakeRae

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Jul 21, 2005
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I was looking at that. But, is that the "real" Verizon, or is that Verizon's cheapo network? And looking at the phones on the site, I'm not sure if I can bring a normal smartphone into the deal or not. I didn't see one recognizable phone there. I have no interest in skimping on the phone itself.
It is real Verizon. You even get functional NFL video streaming.

You can also bring any compatible phone. I'm not using it anymore as I'm paying $32/month for T-Mobile now, but I sometimes wonder if the discount is worth it.
 

drbretto

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Hmm...

That seems weird, though. If it's real Verizon, why wouldn't anyone just use straight talk instead? There's gotta be some kind of downside, right? Or is it pretty much purely the marketing?

I've had my fill for one day, though. Looking through these sites, trying to deal with customer support because they can't run a credit check and don't know why etc, and seriously about to just toss my phone and go full Amish....
 

Marceline

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What JakeRae said. It's real Verizon and any phone that you can use with Verizon you can bring to straight talk. I don't honestly know why anyone wouldn't just use straight talk instead. And you don't need a credit check or any sort of contract.

Straight Talk doesn't sell the top end phones themselves, as you've noticed, so you would just buy it elsewhere and then sign up with straight talk.
 

drbretto

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Yeah, I was gonna buy it elsewhere anyway. It just seemed like it would be too good to be true, but they have one at 35 for 2 gigs, and that's totally fine for my useage.

Unfortunately, the thing I need the creit check for is the phone, though, and google fi at least is having trouble with experian right now. I'm hoping it's just the holliday or something, because it's been an infuriating few hours just trying to get that part settled.

But, maybe that will be Fi's loss because if there's no downside to straight talk, it's kind of perfect.
 

Spelunker

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Yeah I love Fi and all, it's so much simpler and less invasive than other carriers that I've used (and I was a big T-Mobile fan). But I do run into expensive data costs even if I'm on WiFi at home/office, and not watching video in between. And it keeps me from doing certain things I'd like to do (like I wasn't watching the Celtics game on my bus commute the other day because of the cost).
 

NortheasternPJ

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Nov 16, 2004
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Has anyone made the jump to Xfinity Mobile? I know it's running on the Verizon network. Biggest things for me are no BYOD, you have to buy them and for some reason they don't support Wifi calling now.

I was just on with Comcast reducing my cable bill and they offered me a $500 Visa Gift Card to switch plus an extra $200 if I got a Samsung phone. My wife uses no data (sub 1gb a month). We could basically get her phone on there for $12 per month with unlimited voice and text and 1gb of data. My phone is through my employer (also on Verizon) so we'd be covered completely.

Seems too good to be true, anyone have any experiences with it?
 

drbretto

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I just don't understand HTC at all. They have made a bunch of really great phones, but seem to be completely allergic to success.

Take the HCT U11+, their first phablet. More powerful than the Pixel 2 XL, better features, better sound, better design. $200 cheaper. But, you can't buy it in the US.

WHY???

I'm over here have a real hard time deciding between the U11 and the Pixel 2 XL already, only to find out the clear and simple tie breaker is forever out of my reach.

Around the time the One M8 came out, I thought HTC was poised to take over the market but it's like they just don't want to.
 

JimD

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Any concerns with buying an unlocked Galaxy S8 direct from Samsung for use with an existing Sprint plan? Samsung is offering $400 off if you trade in an eligible device. We'd like to keep our current Sprint unlimited plan and just update our S6 phones. I've never bought an unlocked phone before.
 

JakeRae

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Jul 21, 2005
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Any concerns with buying an unlocked Galaxy S8 direct from Samsung for use with an existing Sprint plan? Samsung is offering $400 off if you trade in an eligible device. We'd like to keep our current Sprint unlimited plan and just update our S6 phones. I've never bought an unlocked phone before.
Why would there be?
 

drbretto

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Ended up with the Pixel 2 XL.

I've not typically gotten any cases or screen protectors for phones before because they used to be obtrusive, bulky and the screen protectors used to make the screens ugly. I don't know how much that has changed or whether or not it's worth it.

I was thinking this guy for the case:



But am I just paying for a fashion thing or is that going to actually offer some protection? It's the Incipio Esquire series for reference.

And for the screen protector, I realize I can go cheaper but along with the protection, I really want it to be *truly* invisible and unobtrusive. It looks like Incipio is the way to go here as well, with this guy:

https://www.incipio.com/accessories/screen-protectors/smartphone-screen-protectors/google-screen-protectors/google-pixel-2-xl-screen-protectors/plex-plus-shield-edge-google-pixel-2-xl-case.html?utm_source=pepperjam&utm_campaign=affiliate&publisherId=43737&clickId=2158261702

Which claims it to be 99.9% clear.

So, has anyone used either of these? Or have any better recommendations? I'm especially leery about the screen protectors. I have not had good luck with their application in the past, but those were cheaper and years ago, so I don't know if things have gotten better.

When I shattered this phone, I actually knocked something from the back side of it while it was in my pocket, so I don't know if a screen protector would have even prevented anything anyway.
 

drbretto

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Yeah, I was reading that on some customer reviews since posting that post. The promotional materials for that case are really deceiving because I thought it looked nice and slim. I absolutely don't want bulky.

I'll most likely go with the google option. I do like the idea of a fabric case. Google's option is only $5 more anyway. Probably gonna skip the screen protector. I have a designated pocket for my phone, so it's not like I have to worry about keys scratching it or anything.
 

drbretto

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Wow, I don't know how I doubted this thing. This is by far my smoothest phone experience I've seen.

I get a Google home mini with it, too. Apparently that takes a couple extra weeks. What can I say, they got me. Now I'm gonna go buy a Chromecast and Chromecast audio so I can come home and say "hey Google, hit me with a beat". I don't mind, it's neat stuff.

So far, my only complaint is that it just made a bunch of my cables obsolete. No headphone jack, and that's fine. I did have one nice set, but there's an adapter if I need it. Otherwise, I prefer Bluetooth everywhere else I use it anyway. But, apparently we're done with micro USB? I'm OK with it, but I just went from tripping over chargers everywhere I go to having exactly one charger in the entire world.
 

jercra

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Wow, I don't know how I doubted this thing. This is by far my smoothest phone experience I've seen.

I get a Google home mini with it, too. Apparently that takes a couple extra weeks. What can I say, they got me. Now I'm gonna go buy a Chromecast and Chromecast audio so I can come home and say "hey Google, hit me with a beat". I don't mind, it's neat stuff.

So far, my only complaint is that it just made a bunch of my cables obsolete. No headphone jack, and that's fine. I did have one nice set, but there's an adapter if I need it. Otherwise, I prefer Bluetooth everywhere else I use it anyway. But, apparently we're done with micro USB? I'm OK with it, but I just went from tripping over chargers everywhere I go to having exactly one charger in the entire world.
Go on Amazon and buy a bunch of USB-C cables. Make sure they are highly rated or Amazon branded. Most are A to C (old style to new style) so you can still use the adapters, you just need a new cable. Type-C is awesome and you'll be annoyed when you have to go back.
 

drbretto

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Oh, alright, good call. It came with an adapter I could have used to transfer my stuff, I think I'd rather have the adapter you mentioned, but really no biggie. I roll with the new, I just didn't expect it.

It's a nice snug fit and every micro USB cable I've ever had a hell of a time staying put. And, it appears to go in either direction! It's about time, really. I already don't miss the old way.

It's about time I think I need to take these AI assistants a little bit seriously. I've always believed in their potential, but until now I haven't really seen anything practical, at least for my purposes. I think we're hitting the tipping point. Time to really explore how much it can do for me these days. You know, useful things, like setting it up so I turn the lights on by saying "illuminate"
 

Soxy

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Has anyone made the jump to Xfinity Mobile? I know it's running on the Verizon network. Biggest things for me are no BYOD, you have to buy them and for some reason they don't support Wifi calling now.

I was just on with Comcast reducing my cable bill and they offered me a $500 Visa Gift Card to switch plus an extra $200 if I got a Samsung phone. My wife uses no data (sub 1gb a month). We could basically get her phone on there for $12 per month with unlimited voice and text and 1gb of data. My phone is through my employer (also on Verizon) so we'd be covered completely.

Seems too good to be true, anyone have any experiences with it?
I switched over from Google Fi about 3 months ago, after having an up an down experience with Fi (service was spotty and the Nexus 6P became maddeningly sluggish within the past year). You really can't beat the price, though I do worry they're going dirt cheap early just to lure people into switching before they jack up rates (looking at you, PS Vue).

I went with a Galaxy S8, which is a huge step up from the frustrating Nexus 6P. Ignoring device and focusing on the service, the biggest thing that I see is micromanaging data as Xfinity has flat rates for each gig. So once you go from 1 gig to 1.1 gigs, you're charged for 2 gigs. Fi would pro-rate the charge, so 1.1 gigs would mean that you pay for 1.1 gigs. Xfinity only charges by the gig. The vast majority of my phone use is in situations where I can get on wi-fi so I have no problem staying under 1 gig, but YMMV, broadly speaking, and that extra $12/month could make the difference between it being a savings over one's current phone plan. Sounds like a non-issue in your situation.

The one thing that unquestionably sucks is Xfinity's voicemail app, which is garbage. Definitely a step down from Google's. The visual voicemail is hilariously awful with its transcriptions. But whatever, that's pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. I mean, who leaves voicemails in 2017, amirite?? Text or email me, homey.

Overall, I'm very happy that I switched. My bill post-tax comes out to like $36/month and $22 of that is going towards paying off the phone. With Fi I was paying ~$35/month to use a phone that drove me crazy (and was fully paid off) on a less reliable network. Switching was a no-brainer (basically a free upgrade). I doubt that it will still be $12/month for 1 GB of data and unlimited calls/texts by the time this phone is paid off, but it's a pretty good deal for the next year and change.
 

Rod Becks Mullet

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Go on Amazon and buy a bunch of USB-C cables. Make sure they are highly rated or Amazon branded. Most are A to C (old style to new style) so you can still use the adapters, you just need a new cable. Type-C is awesome and you'll be annoyed when you have to go back.
So I just got the Pixel 2 and tried charging at work by connecting my new USB (with the adapter) to my computer. Didn't work. Doing the research it seems like USB C doesn't always work with standard USB power connections? I travel a lot and rely on using USB to charge in hotels, cars, etc...

Is there any way to charge via USB or do I need to use the power charger that was sent with the phone?
 

drbretto

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Apparently playing Golf Clash for pretty much 16 hours striaght doesn't count as "normal use" because that sumbitch drained my battery twice over...

Anyway, I hope those USB-c adapters work because I just bought the one Sumner posted. Now I'm almost kind of wishing I just bought a couple of extra chargers. Oh well, I'm sure it'll work on at least most things. I'll report back here if I have any issues.
 

SumnerH

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So I just got the Pixel 2 and tried charging at work by connecting my new USB (with the adapter) to my computer. Didn't work. Doing the research it seems like USB C doesn't always work with standard USB power connections? I travel a lot and rely on using USB to charge in hotels, cars, etc...
I've never found one that didn't work (as long as you have an A-to-C cable, or an adapter, obviously) with my old Nexus 5x or my new Pixel 1 XL.

You won't get high-speed charging from them (depending on the power output of the port), but it'll charge.
 

johnmd20

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I've never found one that didn't work (as long as you have an A-to-C cable, or an adapter, obviously) with my old Nexus 5x or my new Pixel 1 XL.

You won't get high-speed charging from them (depending on the power output of the port), but it'll charge.
I also haven't had any problems using those adapters. Both Pixel 1 and 2.

edit - I don't charge from the computer, though. That might be the issue.
 

B H Kim

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Burn in on my Pixel 2 XL after two months. I’m not sure how any benefits of an OLED screen are worth his sort of damage.
 

ElUno20

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Are there any unlocked phones under $500 bucks with a better camera than the Moto g4? It's not bad but for trying to capture a toddler, it's not the best. And i know my budget constrains this a lot.
 

saintnick912

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Are there any unlocked phones under $500 bucks with a better camera than the Moto g4? It's not bad but for trying to capture a toddler, it's not the best. And i know my budget constrains this a lot.
The Moto X 4 can be found for $350 I think (full list price is $399). The stock camera on it is considered pretty weak, but the Google Camera with the HDR+ processing has been ported over and runs pretty well on it I guess. Considering good camera performance is usually the first thing that goes on budget devices, that might be your best bet if you're willing to sideload.
 

jercra

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Yeah, I sold 2 brand new Pixel XLs (Gen 1) on Ebay a couple of months ago for just north of $500 each. Also, depending on your carrier, I think you can even get Pixel XL 2 in the same price range if you're eligible.

Edit:. Looks like $300 off plus a $250 Target gift card for Pixel 2 or XL 2 if you have Verizon
https://www.droid-life.com/2017/12/18/deal-target-pixel-2/
 
Last edited:

Catcher Block

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Thanks to those who recommended the Pixel 2 XL. I think the only thing I'll miss is wireless charging because of a car/work setup I had on my old Note 5, but the camera alone is making me forget about that phone. Headphone jack isn't an issue for me and wireless earbuds are something I'd enjoy using anyways.

I took advantage of the Target offer of $300 Verizon credits and a $250 Target gift card. Couldn't have been easier to upgrade in store with the dedicated Target Tech guy. In and out in about 15 min. The fabric case for it is also pretty nice.
 

ElUno20

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The Moto X 4 can be found for $350 I think (full list price is $399). The stock camera on it is considered pretty weak, but the Google Camera with the HDR+ processing has been ported over and runs pretty well on it I guess. Considering good camera performance is usually the first thing that goes on budget devices, that might be your best bet if you're willing to sideload.
I thought about it and for what I need, great camera, I'm just gonna get a Galaxy (I'm on ATT). They also offer the newest LG phone but I don't have any experience with LG phones.

Is it worth waiting for the s9 or should I just get the s8?
 

drbretto

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Thanks to those who recommended the Pixel 2 XL. I think the only thing I'll miss is wireless charging because of a car/work setup I had on my old Note 5, but the camera alone is making me forget about that phone. Headphone jack isn't an issue for me and wireless earbuds are something I'd enjoy using anyways.

I took advantage of the Target offer of $300 Verizon credits and a $250 Target gift card. Couldn't have been easier to upgrade in store with the dedicated Target Tech guy. In and out in about 15 min. The fabric case for it is also pretty nice.

You're gonna love it. Little tip, look at the Living Universe wallpapers it comes with. This may have existed on the original pixel, too, but I skipped over that one so I'm not sure. Best one, IMO, is Marvelous Marble. It's a rotating google earth like thing with real-time shadows and weather. It's the coolest background I've ever had on anything.

I ended up with the google fabric case, it's perfect. It added some weight to it, which is a personal preference, and feels like it offers some solid protection without the bulk. It's got a great feel to it, too. And so far, seems to be like dirt and sweat proof, but we'll see how that goes. I was worried about sweaty fingers from Golf Clash marathons or something, but so far so good. I recommend it.
 

4 6 3 DP

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Could someone recommend a good android music player that will easily play custom playlists, scramble the songs, etc. I have grabbed free ones and they're all a pain to use. Just want something to press play when I go for a run and not have any BS afterwards. Willing to pay.
 

Spelunker

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Jul 17, 2005
11,863
My one issue with Google Fi was that by data being pay-as-you-go it changed my usage patterns (e.g. I try hard not to use video on the road, or I'll wait for wifi to download something) and still end up using more than I like. This change very much alleviates it: they rolled out an 'unlimited' plan, not by having a separate plan or charging more, but by...just stopping charging you for data after 6GB*.

So it's pay as you go still, meaning that your bill might still be $40 or $50, but they cap your cost at $80 (while still letting you use data at normal speeds).

That's...unexpectedly excellent.

Project Fi creates its own version of an unlimited plan

Google’s Project Fi has tweaked its plans to make the service more attractive to heavy data users. The MVNO has launched a new feature called Bill Protection that will cap your $10 per GB data bill at $60 a month, while still allowing you to use as much data as you want, essentially creating its own version of an unlimited data plan.
For example, this would have saved me ~$50 over the last four months. There may be a downside here, but I haven't seen it yet.

(*they can throttle after 15GB, but I likely won't hit that. And you can just unthrottle yourself and keep paying the $10/GB if you prefer.)