The Pixels are probably the best high-end phone, but today the selection available is all bad enough that your choice comes down to “what features can I lose?”
Even the likes of OnePlus have been shit for years. A company that literally entered the market on releasing an affordable flagship with near-stock software. Their last great phone was the OnePlus 6, before they decided to start ditching features.
I had assumed that more companies would enter the market and take over, but that hasn’t happened. You still end up with no choice, whether it’s a poor screen, an awful camera, no storage, removed ports/jacks, no NFC support, or stupid little features that no one would actually give a shit about.
The strength of early Android was that you had flagship phones that had the best new features, and experimental releases that tried new things on a budget like barcode scanners, slide-out keyboards, a desktop OS, remote features, etc. This still exists, but you’re paying even more for the pleasure of testing something in the wild.
IMO, the world could use a new mobile OS, and one grounded in reality.
I think it depends on what you are looking for in a high-end phone, as Google’s Tensor chips are not equivalent performers to the chips found in other smartphones at that price range. Consumers are being asked to pay a high-end price for the performance of a high-end phone from several years ago or an upper mid-range phone today.
I just can’t get rid of the headphone jack. Had a phone without with some good Bluetooth earbuds then went back to jack with entry level earphones and they still sounded better
A new mobile OS will inevitably end up in a similar place if it’s developed in the same shareholder value maximizing manner. This is why we don’t need a new OS. We need new firms developing Android things using a different economic model.
OnePlus is like, the only mainstream phone manufacturer worth it anymore. Half the price of other flagships, high frequency pwm dimming to reduce eyestrain, and still great camera. People say OxygenOS is bloated but that’s because stock Android is so stripped down and has had so many features removed over the years. But OxygenOS kept things that make sense, like a usable swipe down menu, floating windows, per application refresh rate, etc. and still has the IR blaster. And no AI gimmicks.
I really don’t see anything competitive with the OnePlus 12 or 12R in the US market at that price. The high frequency pwm is the biggest selling point for me though. I literally can’t use a Pixel because of the low pwm.
The Pixels are probably the best high-end phone, but today the selection available is all bad enough that your choice comes down to “what features can I lose?”
Even the likes of OnePlus have been shit for years. A company that literally entered the market on releasing an affordable flagship with near-stock software. Their last great phone was the OnePlus 6, before they decided to start ditching features.
I had assumed that more companies would enter the market and take over, but that hasn’t happened. You still end up with no choice, whether it’s a poor screen, an awful camera, no storage, removed ports/jacks, no NFC support, or stupid little features that no one would actually give a shit about.
The strength of early Android was that you had flagship phones that had the best new features, and experimental releases that tried new things on a budget like barcode scanners, slide-out keyboards, a desktop OS, remote features, etc. This still exists, but you’re paying even more for the pleasure of testing something in the wild.
IMO, the world could use a new mobile OS, and one grounded in reality.
I think it depends on what you are looking for in a high-end phone, as Google’s Tensor chips are not equivalent performers to the chips found in other smartphones at that price range. Consumers are being asked to pay a high-end price for the performance of a high-end phone from several years ago or an upper mid-range phone today.
Which ironically was what the Nexus line was good at. Good hardware, mid-range prices.
When they started charging iPhone prices and called it Pixel, I bailed.
I just can’t get rid of the headphone jack. Had a phone without with some good Bluetooth earbuds then went back to jack with entry level earphones and they still sounded better
If the pixel is considered the best high end phone, we have a very low bar set.
I’ve had a few different pixels over the years because there is no phone that interests me anymore. All phones are garbage.
A new mobile OS will inevitably end up in a similar place if it’s developed in the same shareholder value maximizing manner. This is why we don’t need a new OS. We need new firms developing Android things using a different economic model.
OnePlus is like, the only mainstream phone manufacturer worth it anymore. Half the price of other flagships, high frequency pwm dimming to reduce eyestrain, and still great camera. People say OxygenOS is bloated but that’s because stock Android is so stripped down and has had so many features removed over the years. But OxygenOS kept things that make sense, like a usable swipe down menu, floating windows, per application refresh rate, etc. and still has the IR blaster. And no AI gimmicks.
I really don’t see anything competitive with the OnePlus 12 or 12R in the US market at that price. The high frequency pwm is the biggest selling point for me though. I literally can’t use a Pixel because of the low pwm.