Pixel 5 or Galaxy S20 FE or OnePlus 8T?
  • Posted byby Kellen

Pixel 5 or Galaxy S20 FE or OnePlus 8T?

This has got to be the question of the year. So many of you want to know which phone in this new $700 category you should buy – should you go with the Pixel 5 or the Galaxy S20 FE or the OnePlus 8T?

It’s not an easy question to answer, but there is most definitely a phone most of you will find to be the best value of the bunch, yet all three phones should probably be considered for their own reasons. What I’m trying to tell you, even though the comment section will disagree, is that there isn’t a clear winner here depending on your needs.

Let’s decide which of the three non-flagship flagships you should buy to finish out 2020.

Buy the Galaxy S20 FE if…

…you want the very best value in smartphones, with regular discounts that make it even tougher to beat.

There is no denying that Samsung’s Galaxy S20 FE is likely the phone of the year because of the set of specs it offers at an absolutely incredible price. Originally priced at $699, with several discounts that keep dropping it to $599, this is a hell of a buy for those not wanting to sacrifice on experience and also not have to spend $1,000 on their next phone.

The specs sheet tells a lot of this story by showing a Snapdragon 865 processor, 6.5″ FHD AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage (with SD slot), triple rear camera (main+wide+telephoto), 4500mAh battery with fast wired and wireless charging, both NFC and MST for payments, stereo speakers, in-display fingerprint reader, and an IP68 water and dust resistance rating.

Samsung will push out several years of updates, you get to choose from a bunch of fun colors (six!) when you buy one, and the phone will give you the premium feel of a more expensive phone while knowing you didn’t pay for one.

If there are downsides, it’s only going to be for those of you who don’t think 6GB RAM can keep up with your daily usage or if Samsung’s One UI skin isn’t your cup of tea. Otherwise, I’m just telling you now that (at least on paper and in price) the next two phones don’t quite stand-up to the Galaxy S20 FE.

OnePlus 8T vs Pixel 5

Buy the Pixel 5 if…

…you really love Google’s Pixel software experience and only trust their cameras.

The Google Pixel 5 is a fine phone, it’s just that Samsung and OnePlus released phones with much better specs at prices very similar. The list of reasons one would have to buy a Pixel 5 over the S20 FE or 8T won’t be long and mostly boils down to software and the still camera. You may also like the size and the non-glass backside.

When I look at these three phones, I can say that I like the Pixel 5 because it’ll fit nicely in everyone’s hands as a smallish phone, the clean software experience and quickest updates in the game are important, and I love the way Google’s cameras process still photos. Holding a phone that isn’t made of fragile glass (5’s backside is metal covered in plastic) is kind of refreshing too.

But look, the Pixel 5 has an inferior processor (765G vs. 865), a 90Hz display while the other two have 120Hz panels, and lacks a telephoto camera. In my review, I talked about how the Pixel 5 is still a solid phone, it’s just that in this situation you would have to heavily value Google’s software approach and camera over all else in order to buy it.

Buy the OnePlus 8T if…

…OnePlus’ hardware and software are really your thing and Samsung isn’t.

I really like the OnePlus 8T and think it is their best phone. The flat display at 120Hz, super speedy performance, and size are all right where I like them. In addition to those goods, you get 12GB RAM and 256GB UFS3.1 storage, both of which are tops in the category against the Pixel 5 and S20 FE. You get excellent battery life, absurdly fast charging (65W), mostly clean software, and solid camera performance.

The problem for the OnePlus 8T is the price. At $749, it really needs a permanent discount back to $699 to match the S20 FE and Pixel 5 or people are simply going to overlook it. With no IP rating, a camera that is a step behind Google’s, and knowing the S20 FE’s attraction to discounts, I’m worried about the 8T’s chances of success.

However, I still don’t think you should overlook the 8T if you don’t like Samsung’s One UI, are into gaming, and keep your phones long enough that 256GB of super fast storage is necessary, you can’t go wrong here.

OnePlus 8T vs Pixel 5

Written by

Kellen

It’s not often that you get to merge personal passions into a professional life, but that’s what Kellen did when he launched Droid Life in 2009. After working years of unsatisfying jobs in the medical and property management fields, he took a risk to try and create an online community while playing with the coolest gadgets on the planet each day, a risk that has turned out to be incredibly rewarding. Outside of Droid Life, Kellen is your typical Portlander who drinks way too much good beer, complains often about the Trail Blazers, and can be found out on the streets for a run, rain or shine.

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96 Comments

  • 8T hands down! Had the S20 FE…sent it back…proximity sensor DID NOT WORK…period. Every time I pulled it out of my pocket the screen was ON with numerous rogue taps being registered all over the place! JUNK! Not to mention all the screen defects…Google it! Pixel…come on, their hardware is always defective…Google it! 8T is the winner by a long shot! WORKS GREAT!

  • I don’t understand why google went with a mid range soc. They clearly did zero research on their fanbase. People that buy pixels would be willing to spend 770 on this phone instead of 700 if google threw in the higher end 865. Google could make the same amount of profit per phone and sell way more units if they threw in the 865. The other differences are minor.

  • I just started using a “new” Essential ph1 a month ago and I thought this thing is snappy on Android 10. It only has 4gb of ram. Can only only imagine what 6gb or 12gb feels like lol. I was coming from a 6p

  • Not here to troll – long time (since OG Droid Razr) Android fan and developer who supported many different ROMs on XDA for years. This is probably the end of the road for me. Android/Google has made it so I can no longer use credit cards using NFC due to unlocked bootloader, and burned bridges with 2 years of updates. I am planning on buying an iPhone 12 Pro Max on release day. It’s honestly a bit sad, but I’ve been trying what to upgrade from my current Mix 3 daily driver and have sold off the Pixel 3 and 4 I had previously. I will still be checking news here and this community is awesome.

    • I really do miss goofing around with an unlocked and rooted phone. These days, security measures have all but killed the modding community, if you still want all the stock features on your phone to function as they should.

  • I went with the Oneplus 8T+ on T-Mobile after deciding between these 3 (was mainly looking at Pixel 5 and OP8T since if I’m going with Samsung I’m going whole hog and getting the Note 20 Ultra). I also took the S20 FE out of contention because if i’m giving up the Pixel photos, i’m going with best specs and double the ram, double the storage and faster storage is more important to me than wireless charging.

    I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised with the pictures i’m getting of my kids. It is DEFINITELY not as good as the Pixel 4 was. The faces have a “smoothed out, beautified” look to them instead of the “hyper realistic exactly as they look in real life” faces I got on my Pixel 4 BUT they don’t look bad and I’m not getting near the blur I used to on the Note 8 and Note 9 cameras. I would say i’m 90-95% as happy on my kids photos as i was on the pixel and so I’m keeping it.

    The ways that the OP8T beats my pixel 4 are numerous: louder speakers, better speakers, bigger screen, brighter screen, app switching is instantaneous and nothing reloads it seems with 12gb ram, picture clicks are instant (when i had pixel 4 after i took 3 photos in a row it would grey out the capture button while it caught up on processing) I actually read about this on Qualcomm’s website. The SD865 has a hugely upgraded ISP that can process photos extremely fast. The SD765G does not have that ISP, it’s still using an old one. So i’m sure the pixel 5 processing slows down similar to the 4 after a couple photos.

    I love having 256gb storage instead of 64. I had filled up my pixel even storing all my photos and video in the cloud and that’s just hella annoying. It’s 2020. I’m glad the pixel 5 has at least 128gb.

    More things that are better on the OP8T: the mute/vibrate/ring switch is amazing. It’s amazing on the iphone. It’s amazing having it on android and not having to unlock the screen to change that. WHY do other manufacturers not copy it? The screen is brighter than the pixel 5 and s20 FE so it is easy to see in the sunlight. I am a fan of OnePlus’s take on recent apps where you have the cards of the apps but you also have tiny squares at the bottom to scroll through even faster. Everything is instantaneous: app switching, taking pictures, going back home. Sure it’s only a matter of fractions of a second but if i CAN have that on a phone i want it. I don’t want it to be slower lol.

    So, i’ll def miss having the absolute best pictures of my kids this year and i REALLY HOPE Google pulls out some amazing custom CPU in the Pixel 6 AND throws in all the specs with a monster phone. Even do a midrange for 700 and then an XL for like 1200 with everything. Then i will happily go back to pixel and not consider anything else. The pictures are that good. And in 25 years will i be telling my friends and family about the sweet ass specs of my phone? NOPE. But I will be showing everyone (to the point of annoyance) the amazing shots I got of my family every day 🙂 Peace!

    • This is great info. More than any year yet, this seems like the best time to buy a phone. While I’m sure I’d be happy with the Pixel 5, that extra $50 seems like it goes a LONG way with the 8T hardware. I think the 8T is in my future, and I plan on sideloading the Google Camera app on it to see how close it gets to the Pixel photos. Sounds like the stock camera is good enough to keep me happy if nothing else.

  • Been thinking of 8T or the 4a 5G when it finally comes to tmobile, but i switch every 6 months or so regardless. Might jump back to the oneplus world.

  • I finally made the choice. It was not easy this year, but I went with the S20 FE 5g. Snagged a brand new one off Swappa for 550… Couldn’t resist it. Cloud White. Farewell, OnePlus 7Pro. You’ve been trusty, old friend.

  • Got the 8T and am very happy. Tried Samsung for awhile earlier this yeah and it wasn’t for me. Coming from a Pixel 4XL which is fine, but it charges slow and the battery life is just ok. Didn’t see the Pixel 5 as worth the upgrade from the 4XL. 8T camera is pretty solid and I love Oxygen OS, the speed, fast charging and battery life.

  • – “it’s just that in this situation you would have to heavily value Google’s software approach and camera over all else in order to buy it.”

    I’d also add the Pixels superior support with fast updates that actually stay fast, and in a strange twist we even see more RAM on the Pixel 5 than the Samsung FE. Never thought I’d see that happen, lol.

  • If I had to choose one, I would go with Google, purely on screen size alone. 6.3” is as large as I will go, after that it just becomes unwieldy on my hand. In that respect Google literally has no competition at this price & specs (not without jumping ship to Apple). It’s also a perfectly decent phone.

  • The rumor mill says the Pixel 5 will get a $50 discount on Black Friday. No discount on the 4A 5G. Samsung S20 FE is already $100 off (again) from most retailers, so probably no additional discounts this year on the unlocked model.

  • Can anyone tell me if the OnePlus 8T will work on Verizon? Not a huge fan of Samsung phones and without the XL version not so interested in the Pixel 5. May end up sticking with the Pixel 3XL another year.

  • As I read these comments, it seems like the 2XL is what a lot of us stuck with (myself included). Seems like Google was really close with that one…I’ll probably end up with the 5 after they do their first price drop which I’m sure will happen sooner than later

    • Yup, 2XL here, and this is the longest I’ve ever kept one phone. Other than a dwindling battery and a few screen chips, it’s still going strong. The 5 looks nice, but the 8T has SO.MANY.SPECS.

      • Got a Pixel 2 XL also after years with Motorola phones. P2XL had been the best phone I’ve ever had. Another feature I have loved is getting the quarterly Feature Drops. It’s awesome when some of the features in the new phones trickle back to the older phones. I can honestly say that this phone in October 2020 is better than it was in January 2018, well, maybe except for battery.

  • Most importantly to me, is the fingerprint readers, which leaves the P5 as the only choice. I need a real Fingerprint reader, not on screen, not face unlock. An FPR that works 1st time every time. I do security work across multiple domains, FPR is needed.

  • OK, so I love Android and have been a Pixel and Nexus owner for years but a pro argument has always been the Google’s Pixel software experience. This is great but its pure android, you can get this experience on the Pixel 2 – 5 right now. Now that being said I do wish Google would adopt some of the other features into pure android, more camera options since they are really focused on camera. The Samsung camera features blows the doors off of the google camera app. sure the pixel does takes pretty amazing photos but where are the features. Google really doesn’t change up the hardware on the phones like the other vendors either. The pixel 5 has the same camera sensors as the 3. I am fine with Google creating a budget phone but it really like to see they have a pro model with more specs. Id also like to see pure android adopt more features. I still rock my Pixel 3xl but the past couple release have not really been an upgrade and everything the 5g offers the 3xl has. Anyone else feel this way?

  • I am really considering the 5 or FE. I currently have a Pixel 2xl. I had an s6 edge before that. I absolutely hated the Samsung interface by the time I got rid of that phone. I’d say the last year of me having the s6 the software was slow and felt out of date. Updates were so SLOW to be released. Can anyone tell me if these two things are better from Samsung now?

    • They’re better for Samsung, but with an asterisk. You’ll get updates timely at first, until you’re in a window where they’re releasing a new flagship. Then you get the back burner because they want you to upgrade.

      There’s been reporting that the S21 is dropping in January. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t expect to see Android 11 on the FE anytime soon.

    • The software and update schedule is what has me excluding Samsung from my options. The phones are always great for the first year, but when I plan on keeping a phone for 2-3 years, I know a Pixel will stay speedy. No experience with OnePlus yet, but they seem like they’re pretty good overall. We’ll see how the departure of Carl Pei affects that in the coming years…

      • This is exactly what happened to my s6, after a year the software just became outdated and I hated the phone from that point on. When it finally got an Android update it felt like the phone crawled. This hasn’t happened with my pixel 2xl, it’s still a good phone but with software updates coming to an end it’s time to upgrade. I was really hoping for a somewhat better pixel 5, I may try to wait on the 5a to see what they’ll do with it.

        • As much as I like my 2XL, I’m seeing some chips & scratches in the screen, and performance is a little slow with some of the games I play on it. While it was the most I’ve ever spent on a phone, I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of it. The Pixel 5 looks like a very good phone, but with the 8T specs literally outpacing it in every category, I have a hard time considering it – especially when the 4a 5G has the same CPU (with less RAM) for only $500…

  • Objectively speaking the S20 FE is the most well rounded and balanced smartphone out of the three. But then subjectively speaking one may consider the pixel 5 or the 8T based on just preference. I say this because the S20 FE just offers more, most future proof because of minimum 3 years of support+great processor, and is the most versatile out of the three. I would only pick pixel 5 as my second phone if I could because the lack of WiFi 6, telephoto, lower processor than the rest(good for now but don’t know how it will hold up in three years), pro mode, only 128GB with no SD card would put it at the bottom of the list if it goes at the same price against the other two because at the end of the day they all have great software, all trade blows in pics and videos. But I like the size of the pixel 5 the most out of the three. I still have my pixel 4XL but not a fan of android 11 because of all the annoying bugs.

    • Samsung’s track record for supporting phones is terrible. Yes, they’ve gotten better but you still can’t count on upgrades to the OS in a timely fashion… just look at the phones on Android 10, including the new FE. Samsung will not be paying attention to this phone in a year or two. They may provide security patches for three years, but you won’t be getting the latest and greatest from Android. It’s just not going to happen.

      • I disagree with that. Just this week we saw Samsung issue an update to the Galaxy S7 a phone released in 2016. I don’t think any other manufacturer except Apple has accomplished that feat. And for their defense generally their software already has all the features of next android version except for some subtle designs that come with new upgrades. Nowadays there isn’t any “must haves” the new updates will have as everything is subtle now. They take longer but they update and I noticed that their updates have far fewer bugs than Google’s for example in most cases(owned original pixel, 3XL and 4XL). It’s always a love-hate relationship when it comes to the pixel devices I’ve owned. Security patches are more important IMO today than it was years ago, plus the promise of 3 OS upgrades is great with the flagship processor that the FE has. I am not getting the FE cause I have a Note 20 Ultra and Pixel 4XL already but had I known about the FE I would have considered it.

  • The biggest mistake, in my option, that Google did with the Pixel 5 is the lack of the Pixel Neural Core! If your selling your phone as a Mid-range with a Fantastic Camera, at least KEEP THE DAMN Camera processor.

    • That’s my one big worry. Aside from immediately checking for screen gap as soon as I take it out of the box

    • Pixel Neural Core is the reason why the previous phone was limited to 4k30 video recording.

      Apparently, someone at google got promoted or something and never bothered in updating it.

    • completely agree, this is really sadly the only thing making me from justifying the purchase… why would I “upgrade” when the camera is my main draw and my Pixel 3 (with the same main sensor) will process images faster than this phone. tragic.

    • don’t need it. Google “pixel 5 has no neural core” and you will find articles (from sites not allowed to mention here apparently) that show with the 765G the neural core isn’t useful anymore. Google has transferred that workload to software and also there have been upgrades in Qualcomm’s chips. The neural core would have been redundant. You aren’t missing anything.

  • Pixel 5 for the size, “Pixel experience”, wireless charging, and regular FPR (not in screen). Plus, I tried the s20 FE and had a ton of issues with the screen (which are now regularly being reported on, but weren’t at the time) and the vibration motor really sucked…other than those issues it was a solid phone for the price.

    As soon as OP decides to have a flat screen and wireless charging on the same phone I’ll be interested.

    • The Pixel 5 Vibration Motor also took a hit. It not as “Clean” as the Pixel 4. Mention in a few reviews.

    • I don’t find the S20 FE vibration to be bad at all. It’s basically the same as Pixel devices (having used them for the past 4 years): it is really good for haptics, but could be stronger. That being said, it’s strong enough that I don’t miss things in my pocket.

    • Got 2 software updates that fixed the screen issues completely for me. Vibration motor isn’t the best in the world but its not bad by any means. The screen issue worried me at first but they were on top of it and fixed it.

  • Honestly, Google could have released one Pixel 5 phone with the S20FE’s EXACT specs (except with a rear FPR) and charged $749-$849 that’d probably sell decently even if people complained about 6GB of RAM.

  • I got the Galaxy S20 FE and I won’t look back. Best Buy had it for $250 off with activation and monthly payments, so I went that route, and then I logged into my Verizon account and paid it off. Silly for me to do anything else. BTW the Verizon version is $50 more because mmWave “tax”, so even though it was $250 off, I paid $500. OnePlus has gotten better at cameras, but not good enough, and IMO, $700 is too much for the performance of the Pixel 5.

    • I’m interested in getting the S20 FE as well. Quick question for you on the payments and then immediately paying it off…I have a line on a family plan and want to just buy it outright since I’m not the account manager and just pay my brother for my line each month. So are you saying I could get the phone for $500 over the course of 2 years but immediately pay it off then?

      Been going back and forth over the FE and simply buying the cheaper Pixel 4a. I’m on the Essential PH-1 now and the battery is really bad now. Might hold out to Black Friday but the FE on sale now it’s intriguing.

      • I came from the Pixel 3XL which was the best pixel ever imo. The S20 FE is truly a great phone. Performance is amazing and it set it up exactly how my settings were on my pixel.

        Only things I miss are now playing and some of the extra pixel “features”. There is a lot of extra customizations that makes up for that however. Camera and battery are about the same as my old pixel, but the screen on this thing was the most notable difference. SO SMOOTH

      • Yeah when I got it at Best Buy, my Verizon account showed the phone cost $750 but already had $250 paid off. I only had 2/3 of the payment to go, so it didn’t cost extra. It’s not a bill credit, it’s up front.

  • More RAM and more storage for $50 more than the FE…I really don’t see why they need to lower the cost. If it is that big a deal; wait for the Black Friday sale. 🙂

    • No IP rating or wireless charging in the 8T and it still costs $50 extra. I used V40 with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for almost 2 years and never felt it lacked memory.

      • I in no way meant to imply the 8T was the device for everyone. Obviously, everyone has their own tastes, needs, and priorities. I merely meant to show that the author’s implication that the FE and the 8T should cost the same was an arguable one at best.

    • exactly this. plus most people that buy the 8T will get the Tmobile version which has IP rating. So i’m trading wireless charging for way faster charging, double the ram, double the storage and faster storage (3.1 vs 3.0). Yeah, i’ll pay $50 for that.

    • This. If I plan on keeping a phone for 2-3 years, I suspect the extra RAM and storage will be put to use by 2022.

  • I feel like the most important consideration for the Pixel 5 was not really highlighted…the fact that’s it a reasonably-sized device. I mean the article photo of the One Plus and Pixel 5 says it all….if you want a smaller phone, the Pixel lineup is your only choice.

    • This This This. I am waiting for Black Friday, but this is the primary reason I’m going with the P5 over the rest. Relatedly, the 2013 Moto X is still my favorite phone I’ve ever had. Pack modern specs into that shell and I will pay whatever you ask.

    • I’m hoping the iPhone 12 mini does well and gets other manufacturers to make smaller devices.

    • Glad someone finally agrees with me. The last few years i keep mentioning that the phones are too large and that if they made a smaller one, I’d get it. And all I get is negative feedback or dislikes. Funny. I had to wait 5 years to get a phone thats pretty much the exact same size as my Galaxy S7.

  • If google only made a pixel 5xl, if be all over it like flies in shit. I seriously love the flat screen, and new body.

    • 4A/5G is basically the 5XL in economy mode- Smaller than the 2XL but with a larger screen and loses the giant bezels and unmatched screen corners/nonsense.

  • FE looks like a great phone, but I still like to root and rom. Samsung doesn’t make anything compatible with that unless you either pay a shady company to unlock the bootloader, or are willing to give up some US LTE bands with a foreign version.

    Pixel 5 doesn’t interest me as they went cheap on the processor, plus I’m somewhat leery of Google’s frequent hardware problems.

    That leaves me with the 8T. Now what I’d like to know is the 4a 5G worth saving $250?

  • My Pixel 2 XL doesn’t perform as well since the Android 11 update. I was considering the FE, but the Pixel 4a deal from Fi for only $216 has caught my eye. This is less than 1/4 of what I paid for the 2XL!

    I just wanted opinions. Do you guys think the 4a would be much of an upgrade? After I sell or trade in the 2XL, it’s cost is about $60.

    • It depends on your needs/priorities. P2XL (SD835) has a slightly larger and higher res display, IP67 water resistance, 11% faster CPU speed, 42% faster GPU speed, 114% higher memory bandwidth. P4a (SD730) has better battery life, 3.5 mm audio port, 50% more RAM, and will get 3 more years of software updates. If you are not a gamer, don’t care about water resistance, and/or plan to keep using it another 2-3 years, then $60 out-of-pocket is worth it.

    • After playing with both the 5 & 4A/5G, I noticed instantly how terrible the 2XL screen corners and massive bezels are and look forward to the 4A/5G that is coming-

  • Got the FE myself. traded in an S7 to TMo.. got $23 instant credit and then $477 off via 24 monthly credits. So I am paying $9/mo for the FE. Not bad.

  • Went s20 FE since T-Mobile gave me $500 for my Pixel 3a to switch. And they don’t have the Pixel 5.

    • Same. They gave me $500 credit for a note 8 along with an insider hookup code for an additional $200. Phone was nearly free. For anyone curious he insider hookup codes have since expired.

  • Will wait for the P5 to drop to $599. At that point, I personally think the vanilla Android software experience + immediate updates makes up for the lack of 120hz display or 865 processor. I don’t game on my phone so, at the end of the day, my P2XL still performs well enough for me not to notice any glaring performance issues. I don’t think there’s a single Samsung phone people could say that about 3+ years after its release date.

      • $350 is contingent on your P2xl Trade in. So how is that a fair comparison? Tradable P2XL + $350 ~ $599 =-/

    • I really like my pixel 3xl. No issues whatsoever…but geez, cant pixel have the a series for intro, regular for mid range…and an xl or pro line with a better processor. Google hardware suffers from a lack of brand direction. Pick a lane and get ready to invest. They give it a year or two and its like “welp we did the bare minimum and didnt become the market leader, must not be worth it.” Remember 20ish years ago? Samsung was not what they are now…most people i knew with cell phones had, nokia, lg, or motorola, occassionally someone had a samsung. They stayed, they invested, they have a top end massive phone (note) a flagship (S), and then versions for other price points……they spend on marketing. LG had a moment with the G2….and then decided…lets zag the next year. Meanwhile Samsung went Galaxy S, S2, S3 and on. Refining, and on. When the note battaries started exploding….no other OEM stepped into to capitalize. Samsung has been very smart in how they deal with the OEM market, they also have been insanely lucky to have incompetent competition, and, in the US market virtually no competition from the Chinese OEMs. Remember HTC making good phones? Or phones.

  • I have posted on other articles but Ill make my reason for buying the S20 FE even though I have had and still do every Nexus/Pixel phone up until the Pixel 2/XL.
    I love the Google Camera and Software experience. I used to do Rooting/Roms/Flashing to get what I wanted but with Android Maturing I havent had the need to do that anymore. I feel with the P3/4/5 there have been areas that I have to compromise and I feel that Samsung has closed the gap so much it seems an even race. Samsung has gotten better with updates and their new One UI refresh has been a breathe of fresh air. I really wanted to get the P5 but not having the Telephoto and Wide angle camera, larger screen or XL model, and screen clarity of Samsung made me switch and try Samsung. I bought one for my wife on launch and it takes darn good pictures even with kids running and zooming in on fires in the hill sides. it checks the boxes that I wanted Google to. I would have been ok with a premium model at $799 – $899 but the current P5 shouldnt be more than $599. Maybe I am burned out of Pixel and want to try others a bit but we will see.

    • I have the 2xl and mostly love this phone but it is time to replace. I had an S6 edge and hated the software plus updates took sooo long. From your comment it sounds like the ui had improved drastically, is that a fair assessment?

      • Yes in my mind it has taken big leaps forward in the last 2 years with One UI. I do still use the Google phone and message app along with a theme called pixelize and Nova launcher. It’s as close to Pixel as you can get.

    • I did what you did after the 3XL and got the One Plus 7T instead of the 4XL. I said what you said “Maybe I’m burned out and want to try something different.” It’s a great phone and performs great.

      I have a Pixel 5 coming Friday because I missed the Pixel experience. It’s just better.

      • I almost got the 1+ 8 Pro but I’m not sold on their camera software. I’m hoping Google will return strong with the P6. Rumors about them making their own hardware would be nice. Worst case I can sell the S20 FE and get good resale. I sold an old S9+ on Swapa for $300 and bought an S20 FE for $480. So really $280 is a great price.

        • Indeed. And I think the 5 is a stop gap device for Google. All reports point to them working on their own SOC because they’re tired of Qualcomm, so I’m hoping they really go all out next year.

      • Same boat here. Love the size of the Pixel 3 but also got a 7T (had a 6T as well) for the better display and I like the size for media watching at night in bed. But the size and lack of IP rating/wireless charging make the 7T just not quite there….and then you get to the cameras. I have both GCam apps (one for standard lens, and then the other for the triple camera) and they just – don’t – take – pics – as -good – as – my – Pixel. And this is a full stop for me, with 2 kids and a need for a high quality camera. The Pixel 5 is like the perfect phone for my needs, and its out for delivery to me today.

        • I keep seeing this about kids moving and blurry pictures. I am not sure why but I dont get those issues at all? Even night sight on the FE seems better but I like the saturation but im comparing to my 2XL.

        • Awesome! And yeah, I didn’t think the camera quality would be a big deal, but it is. I contemplated trying GCam a few times, but I was like “I’m not doing that. I shouldn’t have to”.

          Really looking forward to the size as well.

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