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Dean_UK

macrumors member
Jan 2, 2018
32
41
Not sure if this is the best place for this post. Time to upgrade from my iPhone 5 and I'm thinking about migrating to a different brand. My use has been pretty basic, as my present iPhone suggests. One area that will be important in future use is photography and I will be wanting the best phone for this job. Is Apple best in this arena? If not, what alternatives should I be looking at? How close are Apple competitors?
The Pixel phones from Google don't have the highest specifications but the results due to some clever software are fantastic from what I've seen.

I've been using high end Samsung phones for years and the cameras are always excellent, plus having an SD card slot is very handy if you're big into photography as space will be less of an issue.

Some people moan about Android phones being slow, laggy or having poor cameras etc. but this is only if you're buying a cheaper device for a couple of hundred quid and comparing it to a £800 to £1k iPhone and expecting the same quality and performance.
 

Tesla1856

macrumors regular
Jul 25, 2017
202
58
Texas, USA
Not sure about you, but changing Ecosystems would have more ramifications than just learning a new phone, OS, and buying new apps.

If you don't like the new iPhones (or their cost) ... I suggest an iPhone-SE (2020) 128gb. I had an iPhone-5s and the wife had an iPhone-6 Plus.

We both love our new iPhone-SE . The pics and videos seem good to us (and markedly better than our old iPhones).
 

Madtiger27

Suspended
Nov 17, 2020
757
613
The Pixel phones from Google don't have the highest specifications but the results due to some clever software are fantastic from what I've seen.

I've been using high end Samsung phones for years and the cameras are always excellent, plus having an SD card slot is very handy if you're big into photography as space will be less of an issue.

Some people moan about Android phones being slow, laggy or having poor cameras etc. but this is only if you're buying a cheaper device for a couple of hundred quid and comparing it to a £800 to £1k iPhone and expecting the same quality and performance.
FYI...Samsung latest does not have SD slot anymore.
 
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macmesser

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 13, 2012
921
198
Long Island, NY USA
The Pixel phones from Google don't have the highest specifications but the results due to some clever software are fantastic from what I've seen.

I've been using high end Samsung phones for years and the cameras are always excellent, plus having an SD card slot is very handy if you're big into photography as space will be less of an issue.

Some people moan about Android phones being slow, laggy or having poor cameras etc. but this is only if you're buying a cheaper device for a couple of hundred quid and comparing it to a £800 to £1k iPhone and expecting the same quality and performance.
A card slot is definitely an appealing feature. Will definitely keep Samsung in mind. Would be expecting to pay a high end price for a high end phone.
 

macmesser

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 13, 2012
921
198
Long Island, NY USA
Not sure about you, but changing Ecosystems would have more ramifications than just learning a new phone, OS, and buying new apps.

If you don't like the new iPhones (or their cost) ... I suggest an iPhone-SE (2020) 128gb. I had an iPhone-5s and the wife had an iPhone-6 Plus.

We both love our new iPhone-SE . The pics and videos seem good to us (and markedly better than our old iPhones).
I'll take a look at the iPhone SE. Thanks.
 
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Madtiger27

Suspended
Nov 17, 2020
757
613
Not sure if this is the best place for this post. Time to upgrade from my iPhone 5 and I'm thinking about migrating to a different brand. My use has been pretty basic, as my present iPhone suggests. One area that will be important in future use is photography and I will be wanting the best phone for this job. Is Apple best in this arena? If not, what alternatives should I be looking at? How close are Apple competitors?
The BEST camera & video phone right now is the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It is big and 100% worth it.
 

vladi

macrumors 65816
Jan 30, 2010
1,008
617
Look at this gorgeous open-pore wood table shot on Pixel 5 .. that reflects objects somehow.

3n5ih5uzqwb61.jpg


Due to aggressive post-processing Pixel not only did change the color of the table that needs to be redder but it also changed the actual material from a semi-gloss clear coated table due to wear and tear to matte no clear coat at all wood planks.
 
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Dean_UK

macrumors member
Jan 2, 2018
32
41
FYI...Samsung latest does not have SD slot anymore.
Ahh yes you're right, I know it was still there on the 20 range, didn't realise they had dropped for the 21s.

This is a mistake in my opinion and a key selling point for Samsung.

They dropped is for the S6 I believe and was brought back in the S7, we may see the same if sales of the 21 range are impacted.

In fairness Samsung say it's not required as only $50 to go from 128GB to 256GB which is pretty reasonable.
 

Madtiger27

Suspended
Nov 17, 2020
757
613
Ahh yes you're right, I know it was still there on the 20 range, didn't realise they had dropped for the 21s.

This is a mistake in my opinion and a key selling point for Samsung.

They dropped is for the S6 I believe and was brought back in the S7, we may see the same if sales of the 21 range are impacted.

In fairness Samsung say it's not required as only $50 to go from 128GB to 256GB which is pretty reasonable.
And the fact that Samsung never use “Adoptive Storage” makes it easy for Samsung to drop it since SD was mainly used for photo storage.
 
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LFC2020

macrumors P6
Apr 4, 2020
16,874
38,037
Will consider the P

Will consider the Pixels. Thanks for sharing.
Don't go near a pixel, they have gimped their phones by using mid range processors, and still charging customers a high price, pixel 5 is $999 in Australia lol.
 

jdlindsey7

macrumors 6502
Feb 4, 2010
256
193
Don't go near a pixel, they have gimped their phones by using mid range processors, and still charging customers a high price, pixel 5 is $999 in Australia lol.
The Pixel 5 is a great phone and the 4a 5G is one of the best values out there right now. I’ve used the 5 since launch and the “mid range processor” has never once been an issue. However, I don’t game on my phone so maybe that could be an issue for someone that does.
 

Tig Bitties

macrumors 603
Sep 6, 2012
5,517
5,692
Google Pixel is Android's best iPhone alternative.

Smooth and fluid
No lag
No bloatware
No duplicate apps
Monthly security updates handled directly by Google
Gets the latest Android version first

Seriously the Pixel line is the best next to the iPhone. The only knock, and it can be a big one, is Google's hardware, they build so so phones, some years better than other years, it's different every year on what Google will release, no consistency on high quality build. If they can produce a flagship phone, with top specs and great design, I think they'd be the best phone on the market, hands down. But I'm still waiting for that.

But the Pixel 5 actually is a really good phone, great battery life, super smooth and fast, no lag, no bloat, updated like clockwork every month. It's just too small for my liking.

Samsung sucks. LG blows

But back to Google and the Nexus / Pixel phones, it really does boggle my mind, after all these years Google for whatever still couldn't get the hardware right. Like WTF Google, it's not that hard guys, use the latest Snapdragon processor, give it a lot of RAM, same as like Samsung Galaxy or OnePlus does, put a big battery inside, and then go even bigger because your first thought on battery was too small, so always error to a larger size battery, not smaller. Give it a great and bright display on par with what Apple and Samsung use, I'm sick of the dim and lesser screen tech Google has been using compared to the competition.

So build a high end phone, using the same or at least somewhat similar tech as Samsung, and software they've got that nailed down already in spades A+. So just do it Google, give us that beast Pixel 6 XL :)
 
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jdlindsey7

macrumors 6502
Feb 4, 2010
256
193
Google Pixel is Android's best iPhone alternative.

Smooth and fluid
No lag
No bloatware
No duplicate apps
Monthly security updates handled directly by Google
Gets the latest Android version first

Seriously the Pixel line is the best next to the iPhone.

Samsung sucks. LG blows
I also prefer the Pixel over any other Android phone but the Samsung FE is also excellent if you like, or can live with, Samsung’s One UI. That hardware is incredible for the price but personally I prefer Google’s skin to One UI.
 

Dean_UK

macrumors member
Jan 2, 2018
32
41
Google Pixel is Android's best iPhone alternative.

Smooth and fluid
No lag
No bloatware
No duplicate apps
Monthly security updates handled directly by Google
Gets the latest Android version first

Seriously the Pixel line is the best next to the iPhone. The only knock, and it can be a big one, is Google's hardware, they build so so phones, some years better than other years, it's different every year on what Google will release, no consistency on high quality build. If they can produce a flagship phone, with top specs and great design, I think they'd be the best phone on the market, hands down. But I'm still waiting for that.

But the Pixel 5 actually is a really good phone, great battery life, super smooth and fast, no lag, no bloat, updated like clockwork every month. It's just too small for my liking.

Samsung sucks. LG blows

But back to Google and the Nexus / Pixel phones, it really does boggle my mind, after all these years Google for whatever still couldn't get the hardware right. Like WTF Google, it's not that hard guys, use the latest Snapdragon processor, give it a lot of RAM, same as like Samsung Galaxy or OnePlus does, put a big battery inside, and then go even bigger because your first thought on battery was too small, so always error to a larger size battery, not smaller. Give it a great and bright display on par with what Apple and Samsung use, I'm sick of the dim and lesser screen tech Google has been using compared to the competition.

So build a high end phone, using the same or at least somewhat similar tech as Samsung, and software they've got that nailed down already in spades A+. So just do it Google, give us that beast Pixel 6 XL :)
Some fair points but I would counter with the following from a pro-Samsung perspective. I do like the Pixel btw, but often hear talk of Samsung from people who haven't actually used their devices.

- My Note is very smooth and fluid, the new range also has high refresh rates as does the Pixel.

- What lag do you mean? Decent processors and a big chunk of RAM in Galaxy and Note phones. Some lower end phones definitely will be laggy junk but what do you expect for £200?

- Bloatware is an issue on many devices, including Apple, Samsung were worse back in the day and have improved. Personally I'd like to have the option to remove whatever I like, but it's probably safer if people can't remove their AppStore :)

- Duplicate apps, yes this could be an issue but I prefer many of the Samsung ones, the calendar app in particular is better than Google's version.
And I use the built in mail app instead of the Outlook app as it's crap.

- Security updates from Google - I get monthly ones with Samsung, not sure I could say one is better but happy they come regularly.

- Latest version of Android... No thanks, I'm not paid to be a beta tester. Google, Samsung, MS, Apple are all pretty awful with large updates, full of bugs and issues, I only recently upgraded to Big Sur due to a ton of compatibility issues.
 
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jdlindsey7

macrumors 6502
Feb 4, 2010
256
193
What bloat is that exactly?

No bloat here champ.
Not OP, but all manufacturers install bloat. By bloat, I mean apps that are not essential to operating the phone but the manufacturer puts on your Home Screen regardless.

I checked and there were 16 preinstalled iPhone apps that’s I have never once opened. (Compass, Find My Friends, Game Center, iBooks, iMovie, iTunes U, Keynote, Measure, Numbers, Pages, Passbook, Stocks, Tips, Voice Memos, Wallet, and Watch)
 

Tig Bitties

macrumors 603
Sep 6, 2012
5,517
5,692
Not OP, but all manufacturers install bloat. By bloat, I mean apps that are not essential to operating the phone but the manufacturer puts on your Home Screen regardless.

I checked and there were 16 preinstalled iPhone apps that’s I have never once opened. (Compass, Find My Friends, Game Center, iBooks, iMovie, iTunes U, Keynote, Measure, Numbers, Pages, Passbook, Stocks, Tips, Voice Memos, Wallet, and Watch)

Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe all those apps can be uninstalled completely off the iPhone?

I know on a Samsung Galaxy phone, they have a ton of bloatware, and most of it cannot be uninstalled, it's stuck permantly on the Galaxy phone. Crazy stupid apps that Samsung includes, like the DirectTV app, and so many weird useless crappy apps they have come pre-installed on their Galaxy phones, that just take up resources and run in the background.
 
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LFC2020

macrumors P6
Apr 4, 2020
16,874
38,037
I checked and there were 16 preinstalled iPhone apps that’s I have never once opened. (Compass, Find My Friends, Game Center, iBooks, iMovie, iTunes U, Keynote, Measure, Numbers, Pages, Passbook, Stocks, Tips, Voice Memos, Wallet, and Watch)
Game Center isn’t there anymore, the rest can be easily deleted, the same can’t be said about android, some apps can only be disabled.
 

LFC2020

macrumors P6
Apr 4, 2020
16,874
38,037
Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe all those apps can be uninstalled completely off the iPhone?

I know on a Samsung Galaxy phone, they have a ton of bloatware, and most of it cannot be uninstalled, it's stuck permantly on the Galaxy phone. Crazy stupid apps that Samsung includes, like the DirectTV app, and so many weird useless crappy apps they have come pre-installed on their Galaxy phones, that just take up resources and run in the background.
Exactly, this is the true definition of bloat,
 
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