Nexus-N/Pixel XL ( 2016 )

[bgro]

Got my Pixel XL yesterday and surprisingly my first impression after playing around with it for a day were "meh". Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great device, the battery life seems like it will be excellent (based on my limited time with it), the camera is on par with my 7+ and better in some instances (and worse in others but some of that is subjective) but I don't know I just can't shake the "meh" feeling

I think most of it comes down to two prior Android experiences, one with the Nexus 6p and the other with the Note 7. I think those of us who (briefly) had the Note 7 agreed that it was a flagship device in every way (albeit with some software issues here and there no different than any other phone). When I had the Note 7 I was dead set on keeping it and I felt that from a value perspective the Note delivered.

My experience with the 6p was similar. It didn't have as many cool features as the Note but at the price point (think I paid $450 for the 64gb), I was blown away at the performance compared to my $850 6S+ 64GB. At that point I really couldn't justify the iPhones price.

While I still think $900 is a ridiculous price to pay for a phone, for some reason I feel that the 7+ offers a better feature set OVERALL than the $900 Pixel. This includes everything that goes into using an Apple device (continuity as I use a Mac and an iPad, and everyone's favorite discussion point iMessage/FaceTime). I'm in the US so no one I know really uses anything other than iMessage.

I was able to shake the Apple ecosystem thing with the Nexus 6p because of the value to price and again with the Note 7 because it was just such a better overall experience than the iPhone. I LOVED the Note and all it's features and the Spen really changed how I used a phone. It was because of that (and some other features) that I was "done" with the Apple ecosystem.

I just don't have the same feeling with the Pixel. It pretty much offers me the same experience as using the iPhone. Notifications are (as always with Android) MUCH better than iOS and I love the customization but at the end of the day I just don't see a real benefit in using the Pixel as opposed to the 7+.

Granted I've only been using the phone for 1 day but here are just my first impressions. By Day 2 with the Note I knew I wanted to keep it, by about 2 weeks in some of the Android cons (vs Apple ecosystem) were bothering me a little bit but I still knew I wanted to keep it. After 1 day with the Pixel I know it's most likely going to go back.

Now I do like the direction Google is going with the Pixel. Hardware feels premium, camera is excellent (for a phone), software is snappy, and of course the baked in Google services are so much better to use on Android than iOS imo. I think Google REALLY needs to focus on their messaging strategy. It's just absolutely terrible right now and there's no direction. I'm not saying iMessage for android needs to happen but at a minimum Google needs to pick a messeaging app and commit to it and build it out in a way that attracts users to its system similar to how iMessage does for Apple. A hard thing to accomplish in the US at this point with Apples current dominance in this area but u have to start somewhere. Maybe RCS will be the answer but even that doesn't have full carrier support.

Didn't mean this to turn into an Android v iOS post.

TLDR - the Pixel seems like an excellent device but imo doesn't offer the value to price that the Note 7 or iPhone 7+ does.

Edit:

Wanted to add one more thought. I currently have a 2014 MacBook and a 2015 iPad Pro. I'm pretty sure that my next laptop and tablet will not be Apple products as with those products I don't feel the value to price warrants a purchase for my use case. I can easily do all my personal "work" on a chromebook or cheap windows laptop. That said, if I had no iPad or MacBook I still think at this point I would give the nod to the 7+ because for the same price as a Pixel the iPhone offers a better overall experience for my use case. However, the decision wouldn't be as easy as again the Pixel seems like an EXCELLENT device. I can see it completely catching up with a few additional hardware tweaks and a unified messaging platform.

 

[mjschabow]

Got my Pixel XL yesterday and surprisingly my first impression after playing around with it for a day were "meh". Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great device, the battery life seems like it will be excellent (based on my limited time with it), the camera is on par with my 7+ and better in some instances (and worse in others but some of that is subjective) but I don't know I just can't shake the "meh" feeling

I think most of it comes down to two prior Android experiences, one with the Nexus 6p and the other with the Note 7. I think those of us who (briefly) had the Note 7 agreed that it was a flagship device in every way (albeit with some software issues here and there no different than any other phone). When I had the Note 7 I was dead set on keeping it and I felt that from a value perspective the Note delivered.

My experience with the 6p was similar. It didn't have as many cool features as the Note but at the price point (think I paid $450 for the 64gb), I was blown away at the performance compared to my $850 6S+ 64GB. At that point I really couldn't justify the iPhones price.

While I still think $900 is a ridiculous price to pay for a phone, for some reason I feel that the 7+ offers a better feature set OVERALL than the $900 Pixel. This includes everything that goes into using an Apple device (continuity as I use a Mac and an iPad, and everyone's favorite discussion point iMessage/FaceTime). I'm in the US so no one I know really uses anything other than iMessage.

I was able to shake the Apple ecosystem thing with the Nexus 6p because of the value to price and again with the Note 7 because it was just such a better overall experience than the iPhone. I LOVED the Note and all it's features and the Spen really changed how I used a phone. It was because of that (and some other features) that I was "done" with the Apple ecosystem.

I just don't have the same feeling with the Pixel. It pretty much offers me the same experience as using the iPhone. Notifications are (as always with Android) MUCH better than iOS and I love the customization but at the end of the day I just don't see a real benefit in using the Pixel as opposed to the 7+.

Granted I've only been using the phone for 1 day but here are just my first impressions. By Day 2 with the Note I knew I wanted to keep it, by about 2 weeks in some of the Android cons (vs Apple ecosystem) were bothering me a little bit but I still knew I wanted to keep it. After 1 day with the Pixel I know it's most likely going to go back.

Now I do like the direction Google is going with the Pixel. Hardware feels premium, camera is excellent (for a phone), software is snappy, and of course the baked in Google services are so much better to use on Android than iOS imo. I think Google REALLY needs to focus on their messaging strategy. It's just absolutely terrible right now and there's no direction. I'm not saying iMessage for android needs to happen but at a minimum Google needs to pick a messeaging app and commit to it and build it out in a way that attracts users to its system similar to how iMessage does for Apple. A hard thing to accomplish in the US at this point with Apples current dominance in this area but u have to start somewhere. Maybe RCS will be the answer but even that doesn't have full carrier support.

Didn't mean this to turn into an Android v iOS post.

TLDR - the Pixel seems like an excellent device but imo doesn't offer the value to price that the Note 7 or iPhone 7+ does.

Edit:

Wanted to add one more thought. I currently have a 2014 MacBook and a 2015 iPad Pro. I'm pretty sure that my next laptop and tablet will not be Apple products as with those products I don't feel the value to price warrants a purchase for my use case. I can easily do all my personal "work" on a chromebook or cheap windows laptop. That said, if I had no iPad or MacBook I still think at this point I would give the nod to the 7+ because for the same price as a Pixel the iPhone offers a better overall experience for my use case. However, the decision wouldn't be as easy as again the Pixel seems like an EXCELLENT device. I can see it completely catching up with a few additional hardware tweaks and a unified messaging platform.

Interesting post. I've decided to go back to android and I'm starting to think the S7 Edge is the right phone for me. You're right. The Pixel is basically Android's version of the iPhone.

 

[widgeteer]

Got my Pixel XL yesterday and surprisingly my first impression after playing around with it for a day were "meh". Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great device, the battery life seems like it will be excellent (based on my limited time with it), the camera is on par with my 7+ and better in some instances (and worse in others but some of that is subjective) but I don't know I just can't shake the "meh" feeling

I think most of it comes down to two prior Android experiences, one with the Nexus 6p and the other with the Note 7. I think those of us who (briefly) had the Note 7 agreed that it was a flagship device in every way (albeit with some software issues here and there no different than any other phone). When I had the Note 7 I was dead set on keeping it and I felt that from a value perspective the Note delivered.

My experience with the 6p was similar. It didn't have as many cool features as the Note but at the price point (think I paid $450 for the 64gb), I was blown away at the performance compared to my $850 6S+ 64GB. At that point I really couldn't justify the iPhones price.

While I still think $900 is a ridiculous price to pay for a phone, for some reason I feel that the 7+ offers a better feature set OVERALL than the $900 Pixel. This includes everything that goes into using an Apple device (continuity as I use a Mac and an iPad, and everyone's favorite discussion point iMessage/FaceTime). I'm in the US so no one I know really uses anything other than iMessage.

I was able to shake the Apple ecosystem thing with the Nexus 6p because of the value to price and again with the Note 7 because it was just such a better overall experience than the iPhone. I LOVED the Note and all it's features and the Spen really changed how I used a phone. It was because of that (and some other features) that I was "done" with the Apple ecosystem.

I just don't have the same feeling with the Pixel. It pretty much offers me the same experience as using the iPhone. Notifications are (as always with Android) MUCH better than iOS and I love the customization but at the end of the day I just don't see a real benefit in using the Pixel as opposed to the 7+.

Granted I've only been using the phone for 1 day but here are just my first impressions. By Day 2 with the Note I knew I wanted to keep it, by about 2 weeks in some of the Android cons (vs Apple ecosystem) were bothering me a little bit but I still knew I wanted to keep it. After 1 day with the Pixel I know it's most likely going to go back.

Now I do like the direction Google is going with the Pixel. Hardware feels premium, camera is excellent (for a phone), software is snappy, and of course the baked in Google services are so much better to use on Android than iOS imo. I think Google REALLY needs to focus on their messaging strategy. It's just absolutely terrible right now and there's no direction. I'm not saying iMessage for android needs to happen but at a minimum Google needs to pick a messeaging app and commit to it and build it out in a way that attracts users to its system similar to how iMessage does for Apple. A hard thing to accomplish in the US at this point with Apples current dominance in this area but u have to start somewhere. Maybe RCS will be the answer but even that doesn't have full carrier support.

Didn't mean this to turn into an Android v iOS post.

TLDR - the Pixel seems like an excellent device but imo doesn't offer the value to price that the Note 7 or iPhone 7+ does.

Edit:

Wanted to add one more thought. I currently have a 2014 MacBook and a 2015 iPad Pro. I'm pretty sure that my next laptop and tablet will not be Apple products as with those products I don't feel the value to price warrants a purchase for my use case. I can easily do all my personal "work" on a chromebook or cheap windows laptop. That said, if I had no iPad or MacBook I still think at this point I would give the nod to the 7+ because for the same price as a Pixel the iPhone offers a better overall experience for my use case. However, the decision wouldn't be as easy as again the Pixel seems like an EXCELLENT device. I can see it completely catching up with a few additional hardware tweaks and a unified messaging platform.

I find the experience of using the phone better than "meh" but its not flashy or that interesting. It's a very refined version of a Nexus phone. If Chrome didn't suck I might prefer it as my daily driver over iPhone 7+.

 

[bgro]

I find the experience of using the phone better than "meh" but its not flashy or that interesting. It's a very refined version of a Nexus phone. If Chrome didn't suck I might prefer it as my daily driver over iPhone 7+.

Good way to put it. The "meh" feeling was more in comparison to using my 7+ and the Note 7 rather than using the Pixel in a vacuum.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Got my Pixel XL yesterday and surprisingly my first impression after playing around with it for a day were "meh". Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great device, the battery life seems like it will be excellent (based on my limited time with it), the camera is on par with my 7+ and better in some instances (and worse in others but some of that is subjective) but I don't know I just can't shake the "meh" feeling

I think most of it comes down to two prior Android experiences, one with the Nexus 6p and the other with the Note 7. I think those of us who (briefly) had the Note 7 agreed that it was a flagship device in every way (albeit with some software issues here and there no different than any other phone). When I had the Note 7 I was dead set on keeping it and I felt that from a value perspective the Note delivered.

My experience with the 6p was similar. It didn't have as many cool features as the Note but at the price point (think I paid $450 for the 64gb), I was blown away at the performance compared to my $850 6S+ 64GB. At that point I really couldn't justify the iPhones price.

While I still think $900 is a ridiculous price to pay for a phone, for some reason I feel that the 7+ offers a better feature set OVERALL than the $900 Pixel. This includes everything that goes into using an Apple device (continuity as I use a Mac and an iPad, and everyone's favorite discussion point iMessage/FaceTime). I'm in the US so no one I know really uses anything other than iMessage.

I was able to shake the Apple ecosystem thing with the Nexus 6p because of the value to price and again with the Note 7 because it was just such a better overall experience than the iPhone. I LOVED the Note and all it's features and the Spen really changed how I used a phone. It was because of that (and some other features) that I was "done" with the Apple ecosystem.

I just don't have the same feeling with the Pixel. It pretty much offers me the same experience as using the iPhone. Notifications are (as always with Android) MUCH better than iOS and I love the customization but at the end of the day I just don't see a real benefit in using the Pixel as opposed to the 7+.

Granted I've only been using the phone for 1 day but here are just my first impressions. By Day 2 with the Note I knew I wanted to keep it, by about 2 weeks in some of the Android cons (vs Apple ecosystem) were bothering me a little bit but I still knew I wanted to keep it. After 1 day with the Pixel I know it's most likely going to go back.

Now I do like the direction Google is going with the Pixel. Hardware feels premium, camera is excellent (for a phone), software is snappy, and of course the baked in Google services are so much better to use on Android than iOS imo. I think Google REALLY needs to focus on their messaging strategy. It's just absolutely terrible right now and there's no direction. I'm not saying iMessage for android needs to happen but at a minimum Google needs to pick a messeaging app and commit to it and build it out in a way that attracts users to its system similar to how iMessage does for Apple. A hard thing to accomplish in the US at this point with Apples current dominance in this area but u have to start somewhere. Maybe RCS will be the answer but even that doesn't have full carrier support.

Didn't mean this to turn into an Android v iOS post.

TLDR - the Pixel seems like an excellent device but imo doesn't offer the value to price that the Note 7 or iPhone 7+ does.

Edit:

Wanted to add one more thought. I currently have a 2014 MacBook and a 2015 iPad Pro. I'm pretty sure that my next laptop and tablet will not be Apple products as with those products I don't feel the value to price warrants a purchase for my use case. I can easily do all my personal "work" on a chromebook or cheap windows laptop. That said, if I had no iPad or MacBook I still think at this point I would give the nod to the 7+ because for the same price as a Pixel the iPhone offers a better overall experience for my use case. However, the decision wouldn't be as easy as again the Pixel seems like an EXCELLENT device. I can see it completely catching up with a few additional hardware tweaks and a unified messaging platform.

Excellent post and I agree. The Pixel XL is the best Android phone of 2016.

But...the $800+ is outrageous IMO. My Nexus 6P running the latest PureNexus ROM, my 6P absolutely flies, warp speed fast, buttery smooth, and great battery life. And with custom ROM's I get all the Pixel stuff too.

There's ZERO reason to blow $800 to upgrade away from my 6P, at the end of the day they both run the same apps and newest stock Android, and the XL doesn't have big upgrade features over the 6P, such as wireless charging, waterproofing, stereo speakers, smaller footprint without huge bezels, etc...

Yeah is the Pixel XL a better phone than the Nexus 6P, yes of course it is, with a better camera, and nicer display.

But if Huawei made a 7P at similar pricing as the 6P for $449, it would also get the typical hardware upgrades such as SD820 + 4GB RAM, and an upgraded camera, etc...Sure a possible 7P might not be 100% as high end as the XL, but I highly doubt it would have been a major downgrade. And again a 7P would have been in that $499/starting price point, and for who the **** knows why, the Pixel XL is $800+, I just can't accept that.

Oh well, I still think once the dust settles, early next year, the Pixel line will not be a big seller at current pricing. It will fade away from the public, come springtime and the release of next gen Android phones

And back to pricing; iPhone's have always been priced high at $700-$850, nothing new or shocking there. And Samsung Galaxy phones always in that $650 range. But before Pixel, the most popular and most sold Nexus phones were in that $350-$500 range, so it is a shock to all of a sudden see it shoot up in price to $800. And again not have those high end features the iPhone 7 and Galaxy 7 line have. I still do not see a double the price worth, for the Pixel XL vs. Nexus 6P, it is NOT a 100% better phone, yes it is a nicer phone no doubt, but double the price upgrade, NO WAY

 

[widgeteer]

Good way to put it. The "meh" feeling was more in comparison to using my 7+ and the Note 7 rather than using the Pixel in a vacuum.

Totally get it. It's like an iPhone with Android notifications...which should in theory be perfect but something is missing.

 

[spriter]

I find the experience of using the phone better than "meh" but its not flashy or that interesting. It's a very refined version of a Nexus phone. If Chrome didn't suck I might prefer it as my daily driver over iPhone 7+.

I like that it's not flashy with bells, whistles, and the kitchen sink all jammed in for the sake of it. I used to wonder about how it can't be dunked in water. That it doesn't charge wirelessly. That it only has 2.5D edges instead of the full arc. And I certainly can't unlock it with my eyes.

Then I came to and realised: I don't need waterproofing and would avoid submerging any phone regardless of IP67; prefer quick charge 3 with USB-C over slow charge through glass (or no fast charge at all Mr Cook); my S6 Edge tells me one minor drop wrecks those fancy edges; and really don't give two s@#?!s that I can 'only' unlock with my print, a pattern, or code.

Sure, I'm exaggerating a bit. But I think not being too blingy allows the Pixel to nail the fundamentals.

I had the 6P and it was good but certainly not great. Average to good battery, the iffy 810, and taking a photo of anything that moves with that shutter lag is a fuzzfest. I'm glad Google targeted the battery, camera, and fluidity first. The non-essential bells and whistles can wait til next year.

 

[jamezr]

Excellent post and I agree. The Pixel XL is the best Android phone of 2016.

But...the $800+ is outrageous IMO. My Nexus 6P running the latest PureNexus ROM, my 6P absolutely flies, warp speed fast, buttery smooth, and great battery life. And with custom ROM's I get all the Pixel stuff too.

There's ZERO reason to blow $800 to upgrade away from my 6P, at the end of the day they both run the same apps and newest stock Android, and the XL doesn't have big upgrade features over the 6P, such as wireless charging, waterproofing, stereo speakers, smaller footprint without huge bezels, etc...

Yeah is the Pixel XL a better phone than the Nexus 6P, yes of course it is, with a better camera, and nicer display.

But if Huawei made a 7P at similar pricing as the 6P for $449, it would also get the typical hardware upgrades such as SD820 + 4GB RAM, and an upgraded camera, etc...Sure a possible 7P might not be 100% as high end as the XL, but I highly doubt it would have been a major downgrade. And again a 7P would have been in that $499/starting price point, and for who the **** knows why, the Pixel XL is $800+, I just can't accept that.

Oh well, I still think once the dust settles, early next year, the Pixel line will not be a big seller at current pricing. It will fade away from the public, come springtime and the release of next gen Android phones

And back to pricing; iPhone's have always been priced high at $700-$850, nothing new or shocking there. And Samsung Galaxy phones always in that $650 range. But before Pixel, the most popular and most sold Nexus phones were in that $350-$500 range, so it is a shock to all of a sudden see it shoot up in price to $800. And again not have those high end features the iPhone 7 and Galaxy 7 line have. I still do not see a double the price worth, for the Pixel XL vs. Nexus 6P, it is NOT a 100% better phone, yes it is a nicer phone no doubt, but double the price upgrade, NO WAY

I agree with you to a point. Some of the Nexus phones offered a great value for the money. But the Nexus line is gone now. There are some great offerings for stock Android that more than make up for the Nexus line like the OnePlus 3t and others. Won't get the updates straight from Google...but there is a Nougat rom available for the OPO3 now.
I think Google wants to move away from people unlocking the bootloader and flashing roms to be honest. I could see then locking these things down.

The Pixel is Google's first attempt of getting into the high end smartphone market. It is not perfect by any stretch. But IMHO they really nailed the user experience with the Pixel XL.
What the Pixel Xl does have for me....

1 Best camera on a smartphone
2 All day battery and then some. Usually get 6 plus hours SOT out of the box. Nothing disabled....no rooting no tweaking it with a rom. great users experience right out of the box....nothing for me to tweak to get it this way....it just is...

Best of all is the user experience.... Google has nailed it with their first attempt. They have a great blend of hardware and software in the Pixel XL ( it's the one i have so i can only speak to the Pixel XL but pretty sure this translates to the Pixel as well)
The Pixel XL is greater than the sum of its parts. I can pick it and no matter what i want to do it is buttery smooth and extremely easy to use. It is the best Android user experience I have had on a phone yet.
I rank it right up there with my iphone 7 Plus in that category. Best user experience and perfect blend of software and hardware are usually words i apply to my iphones.

I wish it had better water proofing and wireless charging to be honest. But when I use the Pixel XL i don't feel as though I am missing out on anything. For me it is worth the asking price.

I have the V20 with Nougat as well and I am very impressed with Nougat. Looking forward to next year and all the new phones coming out with Nougat

 

[Wildo6882]

Any of you Pixel people have Bluetooth or signal dropping issues? I've seen a lot of those on other threads and that worries me a bit. I do really want one, but I'm still waiting for Google to actually get some in stock.

 

[jamezr]

Any of you Pixel people have Bluetooth or signal dropping issues? I've seen a lot of those on other threads and that worries me a bit. I do really want one, but I'm still waiting for Google to actually get some in stock.

I haven't had a BT connection drop yet. But it does act like weird at times. I use LG Tone ultras at the gym. Sometimes when I do overhead stuff on shoulder days they cut for nano second. This only happens with the Pixel...not with the V20 or IP7 + or OPO3 or N7 when I had it.

 

[widgeteer]

Any of you Pixel people have Bluetooth or signal dropping issues? I've seen a lot of those on other threads and that worries me a bit. I do really want one, but I'm still waiting for Google to actually get some in stock.

Nuttin. Signal and Bluetooth work flawlessly.

 

[Wildo6882]

I haven't had a BT connection drop yet. But it does act like weird at times. I use LG Tone ultras at the gym. Sometimes when I do overhead stuff on shoulder days they cut for nano second. This only happens with the Pixel...not with the V20 or IP7 + or OPO3 or N7 when I had it.

Thanks! I'm fighting between the XL, OP3T, or 7 Plus. There can be only one. But at least on Android Central I see a litany of issues on the Pixel devices that worry me a bit.

 

[jamezr]

Thanks! I'm fighting between the XL, OP3T, or 7 Plus. There can be only one. But at least on Android Central I see a litany of issues on the Pixel devices that worry me a bit.

Smart move on your part to balance out the reviews and get include more sources.
The OPO3t with a bigger battery and faster processor sounds nice.

 

[Wildo6882]

Smart move on your part to balance out the reviews and get include more sources.
The OPO3t with a bigger battery and faster processor sounds nice.

Since I can't actually order the 128gb XL I'll probably try for the OP3T when it gets released Monday/Tuesday. Then make up my mind with my own reviews!

Thanks for your input!

 

[mjschabow]

Anyone who's gone from the iPhone 7+ to the Pixel XL? Just wondering what your impressions are?

 

[mackie8]

Anybody coming from s7 ... is this worth the upgrade? I mean the higher price...

 

[MRU]

Anybody coming from s7 ... is this worth the upgrade? I mean the higher price...

Important !!!!!

It's not an upgrade.

It's just a different android experience. I can't emphasise this enough.

What your getting with the pixel is the feeling of android being the smoothest it's ever been. You are getting assured updates and no bloat.

It's the 'pure' experience. The feeling of your android device free of the shackles that have always dogged android devices regardless of the hardware's specs.

It's hard to quantify.

But the S7 has a better display, it's audio headphones jack has a better equaliser setup with Samsung's smart audio, it has great battery (well the exynos variant does), it's waterproof and has a great camera.

If you are happy with touchwiz, then there really is no need at all to get the pixel. Indeed doing so may leave you underwhelmed.

For me, since getting the pixel I've barely touched my S7 or my HTC 10 or Honor 8. Indeed i am now considering selling those all off and just sticking with the pixel. For me it's the software with the great hardware that makes it my number 1 android experience. Yet with that said approaching the pixel as an upgrade over a 2016 flagship, it isn't really. It's just Google's 2016 flagship, it's still another 2016 flagship so going from any of them to the pixel is a side grade and dependent on where you personally hold value in your device will either represent a good or bad side-grade.

 

[lowendlinux]

Any of you Pixel people have Bluetooth or signal dropping issues? I've seen a lot of those on other threads and that worries me a bit. I do really want one, but I'm still waiting for Google to actually get some in stock.

Mine stays connected to my watch even when it ought not to.

 

[mjschabow]

Important !!!!!

It's not an upgrade.

It's just a different android experience. I can't emphasise this enough.

What your getting with the pixel is the feeling of android being the smoothest it's ever been. You are getting assured updates and no bloat.

It's the 'pure' experience. The feeling of your android device free of the shackles that have always dogged android devices regardless of the hardware's specs.

It's hard to quantify.

But the S7 has a better display, it's audio headphones jack has a better equaliser setup with Samsung's smart audio, it has great battery (well the exynos variant does), it's waterproof and has a great camera.

If you are happy with touchwiz, then there really is no need at all to get the pixel. Indeed doing so may leave you underwhelmed.

For me, since getting the pixel I've barely touched my S7 or my HTC 10 or Honor 8. Indeed i am now considering selling those all off and just sticking with the pixel. For me it's the software with the great hardware that makes it my number 1 android experience. Yet with that said approaching the pixel as an upgrade over a 2016 flagship, it isn't really. It's just Google's 2016 flagship, it's still another 2016 flagship so going from any of them to the pixel is a side grade and dependent on where you personally hold value in your device will either represent a good or bad side-grade.

That was going to be my next question. Do you have any remorse for not having the customization options that the S7 edge has?

 

[MRU]

That was going to be my next question. Do you have any remorse for not having the customization options that the S7 edge has?

It's android. If you want to add customisation you can usually with an app or third party launcher. However I have always tended to keep things simple and don't use widgets other than weather or clock. So TBH, no. I have absolutely no remorse personally in that regard.

 

[mjschabow]

It's android. If you want to add customisation you can usually with an app or third party launcher. However I have always tended to keep things simple and don't use widgets other than weather or clock. So TBH, no. I have absolutely no remorse personally in that regard.

Thanks! Yeah my only concern is that I'd get bored with the Pixel. Then again I currently have an iPhone.

 

[JackieInCo]

Here it is approaching the end of November and we still have to go on a waiting list to buy the XL from Google. This is why I ended up losing interest in last years phone and why it will likely happen this year again.

 

[kkh786]

Guessing this is a Black Friday deal.. for the UK crowd!

Carphone Warehouse currently have reductions on the 32GB Pixel (£529.99) and 32GB Pixel XL (£649.99).

That is £70 off each RRP - available online and in store!

I am semi tempted.. but need to get rid of my 32GB Nexus 5X first! Argh!

KKH

 

[JaySoul]

Good way to put it. The "meh" feeling was more in comparison to using my 7+ and the Note 7 rather than using the Pixel in a vacuum.

Well, I don't think you're supposed to use the Pixel in a vacuum

That whole experience would suck.
[doublepost=1479729378][/doublepost]

Guessing this is a Black Friday deal.. for the UK crowd!

Carphone Warehouse currently have reductions on the 32GB Pixel (£529.99) and 32GB Pixel XL (£649.99).

That is £70 off each RRP - available online and in store!

I am semi tempted.. but need to get rid of my 32GB Nexus 5X first! Argh!

KKH

I genuinely hate you for telling me this information!!!!

Damn. I'm tempted.

 

[Roadstar]

I am semi tempted.. but need to get rid of my 32GB Nexus 5X first! Argh!

Have you considered just keeping it as a backup you can actually use if e.g. the Pixel is getting repaired? I don't think the 5X has that huge a resale value anyway so I've kept mine.