I got an original Google Pixel XL shortly lafter release and absolutely loved it. The large screen has influenced my phone decisions for years afterwards. The battery life was amazing (at the...
I got an original Google Pixel XL shortly lafter release and absolutely loved it. The large screen has influenced my phone decisions for years afterwards. The battery life was amazing (at the time) and the QoL improvements over my cheaper phones was a touch addicting.
I'll never get another flagship phone again, though. I'm sure I'm getting more frugal or price conscious as I get older but phones have been and are getting stupid expensive. The price of $650 isn't even that bad compared to something like the z-fold that costs around $1800. For a phone.
Why can’t a phone cost $1800? Really, “phone” is somewhat misleading these days - phone just means portable computer. The Z fold is a powerful portable computer with a screen that can fold. It’s...
Why can’t a phone cost $1800? Really, “phone” is somewhat misleading these days - phone just means portable computer. The Z fold is a powerful portable computer with a screen that can fold. It’s neat tech, and if I wasn’t an iPhone user I’d have bought one already now that they’ve ironed out many of the kinks.
So I don't think the previous commenters was saying they shouldn't cost that much, just that it's outside what they are willing to pay. At least that's how I feel. I'm happy there are enthusiasts...
So I don't think the previous commenters was saying they shouldn't cost that much, just that it's outside what they are willing to pay. At least that's how I feel.
I'm happy there are enthusiasts buying the cutting edge electronics, because it's financing development of the cheaper versions we'll get years later. I was one of the gawky teenagers with a Palm Pilot twenty five years ago, so I've been there.
For folks like the current version of myself, a 200 dollar phone does what I need: while I don't have a tablet, I'm not sure the extra portability is worth 1500 more than I'd be willing to pay over a budget tablet.
Again though: I feel like it's an inevitability that we'll mostly be using some kind of folding phone in the future. I can easily imagine unfolding a phone sized computer into essentially a small laptop, where the keys are another touch panel...but that won't ever happen unless folks are buying the expensive first few generations of the tech we're seeing now. So thanks to the folks spending the money now, because I can't!
It's unfair to use the z-fold as an example of a flagship though. It's not a flagship. It's a small run futuristic device targeting specifically the tech enthusiasts and the rich. The actual...
It's unfair to use the z-fold as an example of a flagship though. It's not a flagship. It's a small run futuristic device targeting specifically the tech enthusiasts and the rich.
The actual Samsung flagship is currently the Galaxy S23, which is 800 bucks. Apple's flagship (iPhone 14) is also 800, with the previous gen (iphone 13) currently being sold at $600. Prices are similar for other companies, a bit cheaper with the Chinese brands.
When you adjust for the massive amounts of inflation we've had over the past couple of years, the price of flagships hasn't changed that much. If the commenter doesn't want one because a $200 works for them, that's great. But they shouldn't be arguing that flagships have gotten expensive.
It's like saying chocolate is too expensive these days, and then showing an example of some artisanal golden-leaf chocolate that targets the rich and costs bajillion dollars. It's just not a good example.
I don't think OP did call z-fold a flagship, though: but that might just be my reading of it. They said they wouldn't buy a flagship (the $650 Pixel), but said it was a reasonable price compared...
I don't think OP did call z-fold a flagship, though: but that might just be my reading of it. They said they wouldn't buy a flagship (the $650 Pixel), but said it was a reasonable price compared to the z-fold. So I guess it's kind of ambiguous: in any case, I wasn't talking about flagships, either!
Later versions were a lot cheaper (the RAZR 3m went for 150 new in 2006), so maybe the RAZR 3 is a Z-fold equivalent? I'm not really going to trawl through the data to see how the phone pricing landscape has changed in the last couple decades, but it would be interesting to quantify if the "flagships" (however that's defined) have actually gone up appreciably over time, because I do always think back to paying $79 in 1997 for Turok on the 64....which is $151 today!
Mmm, rereading their comment again, I think they did buy the pixel xl for $650 when it launched (so 2016). And they argued that phones are getting stupid expensive now, citing the z-fold. You are...
Mmm, rereading their comment again, I think they did buy the pixel xl for $650 when it launched (so 2016). And they argued that phones are getting stupid expensive now, citing the z-fold. You are right they don't mention flagships in specific.
Still, those $650 they spent on a flagship in 2016 would be ~$818 today adjusted for inflation. Which is pretty similar to what the average flagship costs today, so I don't think they've gotten that much more expensive.
About really old stuff like 2006 - yeah, it's undeniable phones today are a lot more expensive. There was certainly rise in price with the smartphone revolution and the rapid advancement in the first few generations. I'm just pointing out prices have mostly plateaued now, particularly in the period OP was referring to (since the pixel xl) and looking at the z-fold is not representative.
Oh, they can cost whatever they want, I just won't be buying one. It has reached the point, to me, where I can't justify the cost. My $350 phone is "good enough" for everything I want to do (place...
Oh, they can cost whatever they want, I just won't be buying one. It has reached the point, to me, where I can't justify the cost. My $350 phone is "good enough" for everything I want to do (place calls, good sized screen, there isn't a game I can't play, etc).
On a more personal level I never thought I'd see the day where phones, tablets or even phone/tablets would be pricier than competant laptop or tower.
Yeah, everyone has their own price cutoffs for various products. I do think people underestimate how many people use their phones, though. For a majority of people, their phone is their one and...
Yeah, everyone has their own price cutoffs for various products. I do think people underestimate how many people use their phones, though. For a majority of people, their phone is their one and only computing device; it is their alarm clock, their calendar, their journal app, their only web browsing device, their only communication device, their primary entertainment device. They navigate to their job on it, do their taxes on it, watch youtube and netflix on it. The people, me included, that still have laptops or desktops are the weirdos, statistically.
And when you use and depend on a device so heavily (as I'm sure everyone can attest to, just walk outside and see how many people are on their phones), incremental improvements get a huge multiplier. If you pay $200 more for just a 5% improvement in experience, when you multiply that over all the hours you use it, it's fantastic bang for your buck compared to the fleeting pleasure of the donut you impulse bought on the way back from work.
On a more personal level I never thought I'd see the day where phones, tablets or even phone/tablets would be pricier than competant laptop or tower.
I mean the first mobile cell phone, the DynaTAC, cost $4k in 1984, which is $11.3k adjusted for inflation ;)
That's an interesting thought that I hadn't considered. I can see cheaper devices like tablets or phones being common for underpriviledged families so for certain demographics your point makes...
Yeah, everyone has their own price cutoffs for various products. I do think people underestimate how many people use their phones, though. For a majority of people, their phone is their one and only computing device; it is their alarm clock, their calendar, their journal app, their only web browsing device, their only communication device, their primary entertainment device. They navigate to their job on it, do their taxes on it, watch youtube and netflix on it. The people, me included, that still have laptops or desktops are the weirdos, statistically.
That's an interesting thought that I hadn't considered. I can see cheaper devices like tablets or phones being common for underpriviledged families so for certain demographics your point makes sense.
Do you honestly think that people with home PCs or laptops are the fringe? I know media consumption devices (phones, tablets) are gaining in popularity but home computers are still pretty ubiquitous, no? Between WFH, SOHO, gaming and "legacy" computers (for a generic term for "just always had a computer" houses) I guess I assumed they were a majority by far.
I also admit that since I grew up around cmputers since the Apple ][e days I'm sure I'm biased due to my life experiences..
Maybe not the fringe quite yet, but I'm definitely seeing a generational shift? Anecdotal, but, my partner is a few years younger than me, and we're just on the Gen Z/Millennial border together (I...
Do you honestly think that people with home PCs or laptops are the fringe?
Maybe not the fringe quite yet, but I'm definitely seeing a generational shift?
Anecdotal, but, my partner is a few years younger than me, and we're just on the Gen Z/Millennial border together (I consider myself a Millennial, she considers herself a Gen Z). Those years were just long enough for her to have grown up a phone-native person, while I'm still firmly in the laptop-native camp. My teens were spent lugging around one of those ultra-cheap, late-2000s plasticky laptops, but she never once owned anything of the sort, doing everything on her phone.
Our differences shocked me. I can't stand using a phone for anything substantial! Having long conversations with someone on a touchscreen keyboard feels tiring for me. Navigating text feels so much more comfortable to me with a mouse and arrow keys? There were so many times I had to tell my partner "one sec, lemme switch to my laptop before we get into this" whenever we would start a deep convo, because otherwise I'd feel just... so fatigued. Plus like... app interfaces feel SO cramped on such a small screen. I can't stand using, for example, the GitHub app... it's just so unintuitive to me coming from the desktop website. Even video watching... I much prefer the larger screen and better speakers of my laptop? Can't stand watching YouTube on my phone. :V
By comparison, for my partner, using a laptop feels like such a chore to her? She avoids it if possible, and only really brings it out when she needs to do nitpicky formatting on a word document/spreadsheet. Besides that, her phone skills are kind of incredible? She's shown me some of her graphic design work and embroidery sketches, and what she's created using just her fingers and a cell phone touchscreen amazes me. She does a lot of the typical computer-y productivity tasks (emails, document management, etc.) on her phone, too. Plus, her typing speed is so much faster when on a phone? I type like molasses on a phone by comparison.
So, I totally buy the idea that phones will be increasingly seen as true personal computers, especially as the younger generations grow up, rather than just a shoddy replacement for a Real Computer.
I'm right at that same age group and I've seen the exact same thing from person to person. It's fascinating to me how much people interact with stuff so differently. The biggest one for me is...
I'm right at that same age group and I've seen the exact same thing from person to person.
It's fascinating to me how much people interact with stuff so differently. The biggest one for me is mobile gaming - people are willing to just use a touchscreen to game? It feels so wrong, there's no feedback, there's no analogue, it's just... Nothing.
Video editing is another one that's blown my mind - I can't stand the idea of editing a video on my phone, but obviously it's not a problem for the massive community that TikTok bred.
It also honestly does kind of make me think a bit about the iPhone/Android split differently now that it's been pointed out. Most of us that find this so silly aren't necessarily the people who live and die by their phones. In fact, the only reason I still get Pixel phones is because I really love the cameras on them. But for a group of people who primarily live out of that device, it's much more important how you interact with it I suppose.
The future is strange, I don't know what it'll look like in 20 years, but I'll tell you that today doesn't look like what I thought it would 20 years ago. All we can do is try and make it as good as possible and hope for the best.
Thank you for that insight. I guess I'm enough of an old codger that the thought of people preferring a phone/tablet for production instead of consumption seems.. foreign to me. I'm totally with...
Thank you for that insight. I guess I'm enough of an old codger that the thought of people preferring a phone/tablet for production instead of consumption seems.. foreign to me.
I'm totally with you. I want a full sized keyboard and huge screen for anything other than a quick game or google search on my phone.
I also refuse to watch YT on my phone since I have the ad blocker/anti-scripting tools on my computer. I was absolutely shocked at the number of ads they put into videos the last time I tried to watch a 2 minute video on my phone.
I know exactly what you mean! I very much feel the same. The experience is unbearable... For what it's worth, Firefox for Android has an adblocking extension available for it that works for...
I also refuse to watch YT on my phone since I have the ad blocker/anti-scripting tools on my computer. I was absolutely shocked at the number of ads they put into videos the last time I tried to watch a 2 minute video on my phone.
I know exactly what you mean! I very much feel the same. The experience is unbearable...
For what it's worth, Firefox for Android has an adblocking extension available for it that works for YouTube? (uBlock Origin!) Though, given YouTube's push for anti-adblocking, who knows how long that will last for. And, people on other browsers are SOL as far as I know.
I do wonder if the generation gap where younger people are more inclined to use their phones for everything is a factor in the seeming trend of bigger and bigger phones. I'm like you - I really...
I do wonder if the generation gap where younger people are more inclined to use their phones for everything is a factor in the seeming trend of bigger and bigger phones. I'm like you - I really only use my phone for a quick google search - I don't do anything very productive on it. I much prefer a proper computer with a big screen, keyboard, and mouse. I feel trapped when trying to do something involved on a phone, but on a computer it's so easy. But, if I did do all those computer things on a phone, I know I would certainly want a bigger screen.
I had the Pixel 2 XL a while back. Great phone for the price. I’ve been going with a Samsung S21 Ultra for the past few years, but I really want to get back on the Pixel line. There’s just...
I had the Pixel 2 XL a while back. Great phone for the price. I’ve been going with a Samsung S21 Ultra for the past few years, but I really want to get back on the Pixel line. There’s just something about stock Android that is just soooo much cleaner than the other skins from different companies. Not a huge fan of Samsungs.
Only thing stopping me from switching back at this point is the fact that my current phone is still running just fine. No need to drop $650+ on a phone when I’m having no real issues with my current one. If the battery starts to go, I’m back on the Pixel train.
I went Pixel 2 XL -> Pixel 5 -> Pixel 7. I was completely content with the Pixel 5, but Verizon gave me like $400 to trade it in for a 7 which was too good of a deal to pass up.
I went Pixel 2 XL -> Pixel 5 -> Pixel 7. I was completely content with the Pixel 5, but Verizon gave me like $400 to trade it in for a 7 which was too good of a deal to pass up.
That's interesting, I have the Pixel 7 Pro and I found it whelming - I thought I would like it more but Google assistant has been pretty poor (it doesn't even recognize my primary phone, will...
That's interesting, I have the Pixel 7 Pro and I found it whelming - I thought I would like it more but Google assistant has been pretty poor (it doesn't even recognize my primary phone, will respond on a phone I don't use daily, even after making sure the 7 Pro is my primary device on the assistant app) and the back would get warm doing even relatively basic tasks. Also, and this is the biggest drawback for me, I found the phone way too heavy for my liking.
I guess I learned I prefer having a much more comprehensive feature set from Samsung
I don't like Samsung phones at all personally - I've been on the Pixel line since the original XL. That being said, Pixels have been... Weird lately. They're good phones, but they're not exciting...
I don't like Samsung phones at all personally - I've been on the Pixel line since the original XL. That being said, Pixels have been... Weird lately. They're good phones, but they're not exciting phones. Not that I think any phones really are, or that I really want them to be.
There's just little flash or spectacle to the Pixel anymore - you likely are getting it because it is just the clean, simple Android experience with decent hardware and sometimes good software.
Or maybe I'm just Stockholmed over here - but I definitely think that Pixel phones just aren't a novelty. I enjoy its simplicity, but it's not some masterpiece of elegance for it.
I'm curious, what additional comprehensive feature sets from Samsung do you miss on the Pixel? I mostly prefer Pixel for stock Android (no bloatware, no "re-designed" UI, no annoying notifications...
I'm curious, what additional comprehensive feature sets from Samsung do you miss on the Pixel?
I mostly prefer Pixel for stock Android (no bloatware, no "re-designed" UI, no annoying notifications from Samsung's pre-installed apps that keep popping up every so often even though I disable them, etc.)
In terms of raw specs, yeah Samsung takes the cake though.
Just to list them: Dex Finer level of audio control Bixby Routines (I know that Google now has their own automation app but I haven't tried it out so I can't compare) Good Lock is great Secure...
Just to list them:
Dex
Finer level of audio control
Bixby Routines (I know that Google now has their own automation app but I haven't tried it out so I can't compare)
Good Lock is great
Secure Folder (I think this exists on Pixels as well, but being able to have separate instances of apps is something that's attractive to me as well, not sure if my Pixel can do it)
I DEFINITELY miss call screening however and 'Now Playing' music showing up on the AoD. However that second feature can be sort of remedied with a Google Sound Search. I bought a Note 10+ and I'm overall happier with the experience.
I haven't gotten any notifications whatsoever from their pre-installed apps, except for the calendar app which was my fault for importing my Google Calendar.
There's also (IMO) strong diminishing returns on the price. I still have my mid-range OnePlus 7 that I bought ~440€, while my wife has a 2 years old 200€ phone. There are tangible QoL, specs, and...
phones have been and are getting stupid expensive
There's also (IMO) strong diminishing returns on the price. I still have my mid-range OnePlus 7 that I bought ~440€, while my wife has a 2 years old 200€ phone. There are tangible QoL, specs, and finish differences between those phones to make up for the 240€ difference.
When I look at the Samsung S23 Ultra that costs 1400€, I see absolutely nothing that justifies the price difference of nearly 1000€ from my current phone. Yes it's better, but it's not "1000€ better".
I agree that the price of foldable flagships is absurdly high, but it is also slightly more than just a phone. It's also a reasonably sized tablet when you want it to be. While not quite two whole...
I agree that the price of foldable flagships is absurdly high, but it is also slightly more than just a phone. It's also a reasonably sized tablet when you want it to be. While not quite two whole devices, just comparing it to a slab phone isn't quite apt.
I decided after my last flagship phone (Pixel 4 XL) that I'll be buying gently used phones going foreward. Once phones are at least a few months old, we start hearing about what issues arise with...
I decided after my last flagship phone (Pixel 4 XL) that I'll be buying gently used phones going foreward. Once phones are at least a few months old, we start hearing about what issues arise with them. In my case it was a short battery life - I used to have to charge it in the office or it wouldn't make the bus ride home. Anyway, now that I work from home I don't need both an iPad and a phone this big.
I'm still running a Pixel 2. It hasn't gotten updates for a while now, which is a concern, but as long as I have an opportunity to give the battery a quick top up once or twice a day, it's fine....
I'm still running a Pixel 2. It hasn't gotten updates for a while now, which is a concern, but as long as I have an opportunity to give the battery a quick top up once or twice a day, it's fine. Originally I was going to upgrade to the 6a, but I read some issues with it that turned me off. So, I waited for the 7a - I keep looking at it, but it just doesn't seem all that compelling - the battery is mediocre, and the charging time is way too long to make up for it. Plus I keep reading of battery drain and heating issues.
It's really a shame, because I love the Pixel experience - no bloat, no extra apps I can't remove - just simple android software. I also don't like the larger phones - the 2 is a good size - I'd go a bit bigger, but not a lot.
At this point I'll probably just wait for the 8 to see how big it is and how the battery life is. If it's no good, I might get the 7a, and hope they've worked the kinks out by then.
Now that's very interesting. Is this something that's already happened, or something they're rolling out with the 10? Do you own a Zenfone? I'd be curious to impressions with them - never really...
Now that's very interesting. Is this something that's already happened, or something they're rolling out with the 10? Do you own a Zenfone? I'd be curious to impressions with them - never really looked into it before.
Pixel 5a has been underwhelming. Apps quit while I'm using them, camera okay, keyboard is frustrating (even though it's G-board I can't stand it.) For the 500.00 I paid I should have gotten top of...
Pixel 5a has been underwhelming. Apps quit while I'm using them, camera okay, keyboard is frustrating (even though it's G-board I can't stand it.) For the 500.00 I paid I should have gotten top of the line Motorola. My kid had great luck with Pixel 3 so I was pumped to switch from the Samsung galaxy bloat ware to a phone that uses all the apps I already use any way. Lackluster. Just meh and too small.
I'm so sad that Swype went away. I wish there was a good replacement, but the last time I looked there wasn't anything better than G board. As much as I spend on my real life keyboards, I really...
I'm so sad that Swype went away. I wish there was a good replacement, but the last time I looked there wasn't anything better than G board.
As much as I spend on my real life keyboards, I really wish someone could figure out how to make an app keyboard in such a way that they could make a profit. Preferably without reading everything I type, which I presume G board does.
I really like swiftkey. Microsoft bought them a while back, but it's the very first thing I install on a new phone. It has swype typing features (which I don't use) but most importantly makes...
I really like swiftkey. Microsoft bought them a while back, but it's the very first thing I install on a new phone. It has swype typing features (which I don't use) but most importantly makes punctuation easy to access and has non-intrusive auto complete/correct.
I'll second the SwiftKey vote. I bought it before Microsoft bought them, but I've been able to download it on every phone I've owned with the same license. I do use the swipe function often just...
I'll second the SwiftKey vote. I bought it before Microsoft bought them, but I've been able to download it on every phone I've owned with the same license. I do use the swipe function often just for quick notes, but it's natural to switch from typing to swiping when I need it. It's lightyears better than the alternatives.
G board has been one of my biggest frustrations with Google for a while. I used to be able to swipe words at lightning speeds and it would always correctly take my dictation. Now it genuinely...
G board has been one of my biggest frustrations with Google for a while. I used to be able to swipe words at lightning speeds and it would always correctly take my dictation.
Now it genuinely feels like it doesn't even try to get it right. I almost never type unless it just refuses to understand my words, and that infuriates me - I hate typing on a touchscreen keyboard. I wish it was good like it used to be, but they've let me down over the last decade.
I 100% agree. I thought it was going downhill, that was really confirmed when I got an iPad and realized the built in swiping keyboard works far better. I miss T9 and a hardware number pad, I was...
I 100% agree. I thought it was going downhill, that was really confirmed when I got an iPad and realized the built in swiping keyboard works far better. I miss T9 and a hardware number pad, I was really fast with that.
I hope the trade in prices are as good as people reported when going from the 6 to 7. Some people mentioned that they ended up paying just around 150-200 for the new device after trade in. I have...
I hope the trade in prices are as good as people reported when going from the 6 to 7. Some people mentioned that they ended up paying just around 150-200 for the new device after trade in.
I have the 7 now and it's a fine device that I expected to use for many years but my biggest pet peeve is how it's artificially limited with no display out through the USB port. With modern chipsets in phones or tablets they are more than capable of functioning as basic productivity devices if connected to a monitor/keyboard/mouse, it would be great to only carry my phone and some portable peripherals to connect while I'm traveling and do some light work. I know the phone can do it, but Google decided to just leave that feature out, and some reports even show that it is artificially disabled (and could be enabled by software, potentially.)
But the 8 is rumored to have display out, so assuming everything else works fine, it could be my workhorse device for the next 5 or so years.
I think it only cost me $50 to upgrade (Plus buying a new case)... but it was basically the same phone but without access to 32-bit apps, which is still a struggle! my gf has been holding out for...
I think it only cost me $50 to upgrade (Plus buying a new case)... but it was basically the same phone but without access to 32-bit apps, which is still a struggle!
my gf has been holding out for another "small" pixel
I always assume there are a lot of us doing this, but apparently I must be wrong, seeing as I've been waiting years, and google doesn't seem intent on doing it. I guess their market research knows...
my gf has been holding out for another "small" pixel
I always assume there are a lot of us doing this, but apparently I must be wrong, seeing as I've been waiting years, and google doesn't seem intent on doing it. I guess their market research knows something I don't?
Dozens of us! I have the 5, and I want to replace the battery as everything else about the phone is ideal for me, but the support ending in October bugs me. If the 8 is reasonable or, pending some...
Dozens of us! I have the 5, and I want to replace the battery as everything else about the phone is ideal for me, but the support ending in October bugs me. If the 8 is reasonable or, pending some research now that I've seen this topic thread, if the zenphone looks nice enough, I'll probably upgrade this fall.
Grimey, do you like to be called that? The guy who started smart watches (pebble) was pushing to get a small phone resurgence but idk what happened to it.
Grimey, do you like to be called that?
The guy who started smart watches (pebble) was pushing to get a small phone resurgence but idk what happened to it.
Interesting, haven't heard about this problem yet. After some quick research this is about apps that are using native libraries that inherently are either 32 or 64 bit. So there are some popular...
without access to 32-bit apps, which is still a struggle!
Interesting, haven't heard about this problem yet. After some quick research this is about apps that are using native libraries that inherently are either 32 or 64 bit.
So there are some popular apps that are still 32 bit only?
Theres a few niche older apps i miss, but then a lot of board games that were turned into apps were only 32 bit for some reason so i'm out a big chunk of my collection. apparently i can format,...
Theres a few niche older apps i miss, but then a lot of board games that were turned into apps were only 32 bit for some reason so i'm out a big chunk of my collection.
apparently i can format, root and then push it to force allowing 32bit etc... but i keep thinking google will just allow it (more likely then these older apps pushing an update)
a lot of games on my "wishlist" are not available for my phone still, they were built once, and then forgotten about. no need for updates (they thought).
There’s no way they come close to the trade-in values of last year. It would have cost me $10 (counting a $100 credit) to trade-in my Pixel 6 for the 7.
There’s no way they come close to the trade-in values of last year. It would have cost me $10 (counting a $100 credit) to trade-in my Pixel 6 for the 7.
It was $499 (+tax) for the pixel 7 with $479 trade-in credit for a pixel 6. Including tax, it ended up being about $50 for the upgrade. I feel like the 6 and the 7 are basically the same phone,...
It was $499 (+tax) for the pixel 7 with $479 trade-in credit for a pixel 6. Including tax, it ended up being about $50 for the upgrade.
I feel like the 6 and the 7 are basically the same phone, but I did it because the pixel 7 should have better trade-in or resale value in the future next time I decide to switch phones.
Pixel 5 user here and I will likely be upgrading to Pixel 8, mainly because it will be the smallest phone in the market at the time. I've thought about getting another new Pixel 5 instead just...
Pixel 5 user here and I will likely be upgrading to Pixel 8, mainly because it will be the smallest phone in the market at the time. I've thought about getting another new Pixel 5 instead just because of the size, but I think it might be time to upgrade to something more modern.
Generally what keeps people on the Pixel line is some combination of camera, updates, and relockable bootloader (for those that run privacy ROMs like GrapheneOS). Has ASUS reliably supported their...
Generally what keeps people on the Pixel line is some combination of camera, updates, and relockable bootloader (for those that run privacy ROMs like GrapheneOS).
Has ASUS reliably supported their recent phones beyond a year or two? Are the cameras any good?
Haha, is anyone seriously going to pay that? I spent £80 on a Pixel 3a and it does all I need just fine, even gets the latest software with custom ROMs. Honestly, as soon as someone releases a...
Haha, is anyone seriously going to pay that? I spent £80 on a Pixel 3a and it does all I need just fine, even gets the latest software with custom ROMs. Honestly, as soon as someone releases a sub-5 inch phone with a 3.5mm jack for under £300, I'll never buy another phone again.
After a little learning I'm with ya. I had a lot of disposable income a few years ago and decided to get myself a galaxy s10+. Still using it and it is a nice phone, but it really doesn't feel...
After a little learning I'm with ya. I had a lot of disposable income a few years ago and decided to get myself a galaxy s10+. Still using it and it is a nice phone, but it really doesn't feel like I've gotten $1000 of value out of it. Once this thing eventually bites it I'll just be getting whatever cheap android let's me put a custom rom on it. No app requires this kind of hardware to run besides games and the mobile game market is a microtransaction cesspool on a good day. Now that I've had a flagship phone I guess my question about them is 'what's the point?'
I got a similar device as you two years ago for 250€. Can recommend buying the previous flagship model second hand; cheaper than buying similar specs new. If battery wear is a concern, have the...
I got a similar device as you two years ago for 250€. Can recommend buying the previous flagship model second hand; cheaper than buying similar specs new.
If battery wear is a concern, have the battery replaced by the manufacturer or a local store (or DIY if you're feeling adventurous). EU legislation is going to require battery swapability in a few years also to extend devices' longevity and reduce waste.
Ask around how many people got Apple devices. They're locked down, not yours to do with what you want, developers have to pay to apply to have their apps be installable on your device, they don't...
Haha, is anyone seriously going to pay that?
Ask around how many people got Apple devices. They're locked down, not yours to do with what you want, developers have to pay to apply to have their apps be installable on your device, they don't allow even mentioning alternative subscription avenues where Apple doesn't take a big cut of whatever the service price is no matter what Apple's actual cost for facilitating the sale was, and cost a limb when considering that the average person would be perfectly served with 150€ worth of hardware (double that and you're probably somewhere in the 90th percentile of how many people are well-served). I don't keep up with what they cost nowadays but I'm going to guess at least quadruple for the basic model.
I don't understand today's market. Just the other day in a Tildes thread about inflation, most respondents seemed to say they have trouble making ends meet. It was pointed out to me that something like half the people in the USA have no savings to their name. Meanwhile, phones get more computations done per dollar, per Watt, and per second, yet nearly everyone spends significantly more on a phone than they did ten years ago. There are multiple issues here but "will people pay this much for our new phone?" is not one of them...
I was going to get the pixel, but the fairphone has opened up to new markets, so that's the one I plan on upgrading to later. An IP rated repairable phone with a decent camera and removable...
I was going to get the pixel, but the fairphone has opened up to new markets, so that's the one I plan on upgrading to later. An IP rated repairable phone with a decent camera and removable battery with first-class support for running 3rd party OSes? In 2023? Yes, please!
For that kind of money I can get (and did get) a Fairphone 4. And there's soon an FP5. Sure, it's not as stellar, but the repairability is amazing and has already helped me. Replace the screen? 8...
For that kind of money I can get (and did get) a Fairphone 4. And there's soon an FP5. Sure, it's not as stellar, but the repairability is amazing and has already helped me. Replace the screen? 8 screws, done!
These Pixel phones look really nice but I'm hoping to get another year out of my OnePlus 6 before getting a new phone and I'm pretty sure I'll be going for a Fairphone when I do get a new one. I...
These Pixel phones look really nice but I'm hoping to get another year out of my OnePlus 6 before getting a new phone and I'm pretty sure I'll be going for a Fairphone when I do get a new one. I like the philosophy of Fairphone and I don't need the latest bells and whistles or a fancy camera. The only thing I'm unsure about regarding the Fairphone is if the battery is good enough for my use - I usually get a full day out of a full charge on my OP6 and would prefer something similar or better fron my next phone.
I bought a Pixel 7 Pro, which was my first flagship I've bought myself since the days where the €450 price tag of something like the HTC One M7. I've had a work phone which was the top end iPhone...
I bought a Pixel 7 Pro, which was my first flagship I've bought myself since the days where the €450 price tag of something like the HTC One M7. I've had a work phone which was the top end iPhone for a bit, but my own phones have beem One M7 -> Nexus 5X -> Pixel 4a 5G -> Pixel 7 Pro.
And honestly, for me, it wasn't worth the price increase over a Pixel a series. The screen is a little better, the camera is a little better but not by the amount to justify the price premium, especially if they raise it further. So I don't think I'll be going that end of the market again (it's not just the Pixel either, like I said, I had an iPhone 13 Pro supplied by my employer in the same period, and that also failed to make the case for me to pay that much).
So I'll enjoy it while I have it, but won't be going flagship again.
Oh and specific to the Pixel 7 Pro, it's combination of the camera ridge making it sit at an angle combined with the smooth rounded edge also gives it a tendency to jump off tables, even when placed entirely on the table and having appeared to be stable for an extended period of time.
I got an original Google Pixel XL shortly lafter release and absolutely loved it. The large screen has influenced my phone decisions for years afterwards. The battery life was amazing (at the time) and the QoL improvements over my cheaper phones was a touch addicting.
I'll never get another flagship phone again, though. I'm sure I'm getting more frugal or price conscious as I get older but phones have been and are getting stupid expensive. The price of $650 isn't even that bad compared to something like the z-fold that costs around $1800. For a phone.
Why can’t a phone cost $1800? Really, “phone” is somewhat misleading these days - phone just means portable computer. The Z fold is a powerful portable computer with a screen that can fold. It’s neat tech, and if I wasn’t an iPhone user I’d have bought one already now that they’ve ironed out many of the kinks.
So I don't think the previous commenters was saying they shouldn't cost that much, just that it's outside what they are willing to pay. At least that's how I feel.
I'm happy there are enthusiasts buying the cutting edge electronics, because it's financing development of the cheaper versions we'll get years later. I was one of the gawky teenagers with a Palm Pilot twenty five years ago, so I've been there.
For folks like the current version of myself, a 200 dollar phone does what I need: while I don't have a tablet, I'm not sure the extra portability is worth 1500 more than I'd be willing to pay over a budget tablet.
Again though: I feel like it's an inevitability that we'll mostly be using some kind of folding phone in the future. I can easily imagine unfolding a phone sized computer into essentially a small laptop, where the keys are another touch panel...but that won't ever happen unless folks are buying the expensive first few generations of the tech we're seeing now. So thanks to the folks spending the money now, because I can't!
It's unfair to use the z-fold as an example of a flagship though. It's not a flagship. It's a small run futuristic device targeting specifically the tech enthusiasts and the rich.
The actual Samsung flagship is currently the Galaxy S23, which is 800 bucks. Apple's flagship (iPhone 14) is also 800, with the previous gen (iphone 13) currently being sold at $600. Prices are similar for other companies, a bit cheaper with the Chinese brands.
When you adjust for the massive amounts of inflation we've had over the past couple of years, the price of flagships hasn't changed that much. If the commenter doesn't want one because a $200 works for them, that's great. But they shouldn't be arguing that flagships have gotten expensive.
It's like saying chocolate is too expensive these days, and then showing an example of some artisanal golden-leaf chocolate that targets the rich and costs bajillion dollars. It's just not a good example.
I don't think OP did call z-fold a flagship, though: but that might just be my reading of it. They said they wouldn't buy a flagship (the $650 Pixel), but said it was a reasonable price compared to the z-fold. So I guess it's kind of ambiguous: in any case, I wasn't talking about flagships, either!
Regardless, $500 in 2004 for the Motorola RAZR 3 is $821 now. Used the calculator here: https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
Later versions were a lot cheaper (the RAZR 3m went for 150 new in 2006), so maybe the RAZR 3 is a Z-fold equivalent? I'm not really going to trawl through the data to see how the phone pricing landscape has changed in the last couple decades, but it would be interesting to quantify if the "flagships" (however that's defined) have actually gone up appreciably over time, because I do always think back to paying $79 in 1997 for Turok on the 64....which is $151 today!
Mmm, rereading their comment again, I think they did buy the pixel xl for $650 when it launched (so 2016). And they argued that phones are getting stupid expensive now, citing the z-fold. You are right they don't mention flagships in specific.
Still, those $650 they spent on a flagship in 2016 would be ~$818 today adjusted for inflation. Which is pretty similar to what the average flagship costs today, so I don't think they've gotten that much more expensive.
About really old stuff like 2006 - yeah, it's undeniable phones today are a lot more expensive. There was certainly rise in price with the smartphone revolution and the rapid advancement in the first few generations. I'm just pointing out prices have mostly plateaued now, particularly in the period OP was referring to (since the pixel xl) and looking at the z-fold is not representative.
Oh, they can cost whatever they want, I just won't be buying one. It has reached the point, to me, where I can't justify the cost. My $350 phone is "good enough" for everything I want to do (place calls, good sized screen, there isn't a game I can't play, etc).
On a more personal level I never thought I'd see the day where phones, tablets or even phone/tablets would be pricier than competant laptop or tower.
Yeah, everyone has their own price cutoffs for various products. I do think people underestimate how many people use their phones, though. For a majority of people, their phone is their one and only computing device; it is their alarm clock, their calendar, their journal app, their only web browsing device, their only communication device, their primary entertainment device. They navigate to their job on it, do their taxes on it, watch youtube and netflix on it. The people, me included, that still have laptops or desktops are the weirdos, statistically.
And when you use and depend on a device so heavily (as I'm sure everyone can attest to, just walk outside and see how many people are on their phones), incremental improvements get a huge multiplier. If you pay $200 more for just a 5% improvement in experience, when you multiply that over all the hours you use it, it's fantastic bang for your buck compared to the fleeting pleasure of the donut you impulse bought on the way back from work.
I mean the first mobile cell phone, the DynaTAC, cost $4k in 1984, which is $11.3k adjusted for inflation ;)
Making tech smaller tends to be expensive.
That's an interesting thought that I hadn't considered. I can see cheaper devices like tablets or phones being common for underpriviledged families so for certain demographics your point makes sense.
Do you honestly think that people with home PCs or laptops are the fringe? I know media consumption devices (phones, tablets) are gaining in popularity but home computers are still pretty ubiquitous, no? Between WFH, SOHO, gaming and "legacy" computers (for a generic term for "just always had a computer" houses) I guess I assumed they were a majority by far.
I also admit that since I grew up around cmputers since the Apple ][e days I'm sure I'm biased due to my life experiences..
Maybe not the fringe quite yet, but I'm definitely seeing a generational shift?
Anecdotal, but, my partner is a few years younger than me, and we're just on the Gen Z/Millennial border together (I consider myself a Millennial, she considers herself a Gen Z). Those years were just long enough for her to have grown up a phone-native person, while I'm still firmly in the laptop-native camp. My teens were spent lugging around one of those ultra-cheap, late-2000s plasticky laptops, but she never once owned anything of the sort, doing everything on her phone.
Our differences shocked me. I can't stand using a phone for anything substantial! Having long conversations with someone on a touchscreen keyboard feels tiring for me. Navigating text feels so much more comfortable to me with a mouse and arrow keys? There were so many times I had to tell my partner "one sec, lemme switch to my laptop before we get into this" whenever we would start a deep convo, because otherwise I'd feel just... so fatigued. Plus like... app interfaces feel SO cramped on such a small screen. I can't stand using, for example, the GitHub app... it's just so unintuitive to me coming from the desktop website. Even video watching... I much prefer the larger screen and better speakers of my laptop? Can't stand watching YouTube on my phone. :V
By comparison, for my partner, using a laptop feels like such a chore to her? She avoids it if possible, and only really brings it out when she needs to do nitpicky formatting on a word document/spreadsheet. Besides that, her phone skills are kind of incredible? She's shown me some of her graphic design work and embroidery sketches, and what she's created using just her fingers and a cell phone touchscreen amazes me. She does a lot of the typical computer-y productivity tasks (emails, document management, etc.) on her phone, too. Plus, her typing speed is so much faster when on a phone? I type like molasses on a phone by comparison.
So, I totally buy the idea that phones will be increasingly seen as true personal computers, especially as the younger generations grow up, rather than just a shoddy replacement for a Real Computer.
I'm right at that same age group and I've seen the exact same thing from person to person.
It's fascinating to me how much people interact with stuff so differently. The biggest one for me is mobile gaming - people are willing to just use a touchscreen to game? It feels so wrong, there's no feedback, there's no analogue, it's just... Nothing.
Video editing is another one that's blown my mind - I can't stand the idea of editing a video on my phone, but obviously it's not a problem for the massive community that TikTok bred.
It also honestly does kind of make me think a bit about the iPhone/Android split differently now that it's been pointed out. Most of us that find this so silly aren't necessarily the people who live and die by their phones. In fact, the only reason I still get Pixel phones is because I really love the cameras on them. But for a group of people who primarily live out of that device, it's much more important how you interact with it I suppose.
The future is strange, I don't know what it'll look like in 20 years, but I'll tell you that today doesn't look like what I thought it would 20 years ago. All we can do is try and make it as good as possible and hope for the best.
Thank you for that insight. I guess I'm enough of an old codger that the thought of people preferring a phone/tablet for production instead of consumption seems.. foreign to me.
I'm totally with you. I want a full sized keyboard and huge screen for anything other than a quick game or google search on my phone.
I also refuse to watch YT on my phone since I have the ad blocker/anti-scripting tools on my computer. I was absolutely shocked at the number of ads they put into videos the last time I tried to watch a 2 minute video on my phone.
I know exactly what you mean! I very much feel the same. The experience is unbearable...
For what it's worth, Firefox for Android has an adblocking extension available for it that works for YouTube? (uBlock Origin!) Though, given YouTube's push for anti-adblocking, who knows how long that will last for. And, people on other browsers are SOL as far as I know.
I do wonder if the generation gap where younger people are more inclined to use their phones for everything is a factor in the seeming trend of bigger and bigger phones. I'm like you - I really only use my phone for a quick google search - I don't do anything very productive on it. I much prefer a proper computer with a big screen, keyboard, and mouse. I feel trapped when trying to do something involved on a phone, but on a computer it's so easy. But, if I did do all those computer things on a phone, I know I would certainly want a bigger screen.
I had the Pixel 2 XL a while back. Great phone for the price. I’ve been going with a Samsung S21 Ultra for the past few years, but I really want to get back on the Pixel line. There’s just something about stock Android that is just soooo much cleaner than the other skins from different companies. Not a huge fan of Samsungs.
Only thing stopping me from switching back at this point is the fact that my current phone is still running just fine. No need to drop $650+ on a phone when I’m having no real issues with my current one. If the battery starts to go, I’m back on the Pixel train.
I went Pixel 2 XL -> Pixel 5 -> Pixel 7. I was completely content with the Pixel 5, but Verizon gave me like $400 to trade it in for a 7 which was too good of a deal to pass up.
That's interesting, I have the Pixel 7 Pro and I found it whelming - I thought I would like it more but Google assistant has been pretty poor (it doesn't even recognize my primary phone, will respond on a phone I don't use daily, even after making sure the 7 Pro is my primary device on the assistant app) and the back would get warm doing even relatively basic tasks. Also, and this is the biggest drawback for me, I found the phone way too heavy for my liking.
I guess I learned I prefer having a much more comprehensive feature set from Samsung
I don't like Samsung phones at all personally - I've been on the Pixel line since the original XL. That being said, Pixels have been... Weird lately. They're good phones, but they're not exciting phones. Not that I think any phones really are, or that I really want them to be.
There's just little flash or spectacle to the Pixel anymore - you likely are getting it because it is just the clean, simple Android experience with decent hardware and sometimes good software.
Or maybe I'm just Stockholmed over here - but I definitely think that Pixel phones just aren't a novelty. I enjoy its simplicity, but it's not some masterpiece of elegance for it.
I guess I still prefer a bit of tinkering/excitement with my gadgets lol
I'm curious, what additional comprehensive feature sets from Samsung do you miss on the Pixel?
I mostly prefer Pixel for stock Android (no bloatware, no "re-designed" UI, no annoying notifications from Samsung's pre-installed apps that keep popping up every so often even though I disable them, etc.)
In terms of raw specs, yeah Samsung takes the cake though.
Just to list them:
I DEFINITELY miss call screening however and 'Now Playing' music showing up on the AoD. However that second feature can be sort of remedied with a Google Sound Search. I bought a Note 10+ and I'm overall happier with the experience.
I haven't gotten any notifications whatsoever from their pre-installed apps, except for the calendar app which was my fault for importing my Google Calendar.
There's also (IMO) strong diminishing returns on the price. I still have my mid-range OnePlus 7 that I bought ~440€, while my wife has a 2 years old 200€ phone. There are tangible QoL, specs, and finish differences between those phones to make up for the 240€ difference.
When I look at the Samsung S23 Ultra that costs 1400€, I see absolutely nothing that justifies the price difference of nearly 1000€ from my current phone. Yes it's better, but it's not "1000€ better".
I agree that the price of foldable flagships is absurdly high, but it is also slightly more than just a phone. It's also a reasonably sized tablet when you want it to be. While not quite two whole devices, just comparing it to a slab phone isn't quite apt.
I decided after my last flagship phone (Pixel 4 XL) that I'll be buying gently used phones going foreward. Once phones are at least a few months old, we start hearing about what issues arise with them. In my case it was a short battery life - I used to have to charge it in the office or it wouldn't make the bus ride home. Anyway, now that I work from home I don't need both an iPad and a phone this big.
I'm still running a Pixel 2. It hasn't gotten updates for a while now, which is a concern, but as long as I have an opportunity to give the battery a quick top up once or twice a day, it's fine. Originally I was going to upgrade to the 6a, but I read some issues with it that turned me off. So, I waited for the 7a - I keep looking at it, but it just doesn't seem all that compelling - the battery is mediocre, and the charging time is way too long to make up for it. Plus I keep reading of battery drain and heating issues.
It's really a shame, because I love the Pixel experience - no bloat, no extra apps I can't remove - just simple android software. I also don't like the larger phones - the 2 is a good size - I'd go a bit bigger, but not a lot.
At this point I'll probably just wait for the 8 to see how big it is and how the battery life is. If it's no good, I might get the 7a, and hope they've worked the kinks out by then.
Now that's very interesting. Is this something that's already happened, or something they're rolling out with the 10? Do you own a Zenfone? I'd be curious to impressions with them - never really looked into it before.
Pixel 5a has been underwhelming. Apps quit while I'm using them, camera okay, keyboard is frustrating (even though it's G-board I can't stand it.) For the 500.00 I paid I should have gotten top of the line Motorola. My kid had great luck with Pixel 3 so I was pumped to switch from the Samsung galaxy bloat ware to a phone that uses all the apps I already use any way. Lackluster. Just meh and too small.
I'm so sad that Swype went away. I wish there was a good replacement, but the last time I looked there wasn't anything better than G board.
As much as I spend on my real life keyboards, I really wish someone could figure out how to make an app keyboard in such a way that they could make a profit. Preferably without reading everything I type, which I presume G board does.
I really like swiftkey. Microsoft bought them a while back, but it's the very first thing I install on a new phone. It has swype typing features (which I don't use) but most importantly makes punctuation easy to access and has non-intrusive auto complete/correct.
I'll second the SwiftKey vote. I bought it before Microsoft bought them, but I've been able to download it on every phone I've owned with the same license. I do use the swipe function often just for quick notes, but it's natural to switch from typing to swiping when I need it. It's lightyears better than the alternatives.
I'll give it a try, thanks!
G board has been one of my biggest frustrations with Google for a while. I used to be able to swipe words at lightning speeds and it would always correctly take my dictation.
Now it genuinely feels like it doesn't even try to get it right. I almost never type unless it just refuses to understand my words, and that infuriates me - I hate typing on a touchscreen keyboard. I wish it was good like it used to be, but they've let me down over the last decade.
I 100% agree. I thought it was going downhill, that was really confirmed when I got an iPad and realized the built in swiping keyboard works far better. I miss T9 and a hardware number pad, I was really fast with that.
I hope the trade in prices are as good as people reported when going from the 6 to 7. Some people mentioned that they ended up paying just around 150-200 for the new device after trade in.
I have the 7 now and it's a fine device that I expected to use for many years but my biggest pet peeve is how it's artificially limited with no display out through the USB port. With modern chipsets in phones or tablets they are more than capable of functioning as basic productivity devices if connected to a monitor/keyboard/mouse, it would be great to only carry my phone and some portable peripherals to connect while I'm traveling and do some light work. I know the phone can do it, but Google decided to just leave that feature out, and some reports even show that it is artificially disabled (and could be enabled by software, potentially.)
But the 8 is rumored to have display out, so assuming everything else works fine, it could be my workhorse device for the next 5 or so years.
I think it only cost me $50 to upgrade (Plus buying a new case)... but it was basically the same phone but without access to 32-bit apps, which is still a struggle!
my gf has been holding out for another "small" pixel
I always assume there are a lot of us doing this, but apparently I must be wrong, seeing as I've been waiting years, and google doesn't seem intent on doing it. I guess their market research knows something I don't?
Dozens of us! I have the 5, and I want to replace the battery as everything else about the phone is ideal for me, but the support ending in October bugs me. If the 8 is reasonable or, pending some research now that I've seen this topic thread, if the zenphone looks nice enough, I'll probably upgrade this fall.
Same boat here - waiting for the 8, but also now eyeing the Zenphone 10 (though it looks like the camera may be the weak spot for that one).
Grimey, do you like to be called that?
The guy who started smart watches (pebble) was pushing to get a small phone resurgence but idk what happened to it.
Interesting, haven't heard about this problem yet. After some quick research this is about apps that are using native libraries that inherently are either 32 or 64 bit.
So there are some popular apps that are still 32 bit only?
Theres a few niche older apps i miss, but then a lot of board games that were turned into apps were only 32 bit for some reason so i'm out a big chunk of my collection.
apparently i can format, root and then push it to force allowing 32bit etc... but i keep thinking google will just allow it (more likely then these older apps pushing an update)
a lot of games on my "wishlist" are not available for my phone still, they were built once, and then forgotten about. no need for updates (they thought).
Damn, I would take that upgrade any day. What apps are you using that are still stuck in 32bit?
There’s no way they come close to the trade-in values of last year. It would have cost me $10 (counting a $100 credit) to trade-in my Pixel 6 for the 7.
It was $499 (+tax) for the pixel 7 with $479 trade-in credit for a pixel 6. Including tax, it ended up being about $50 for the upgrade.
I feel like the 6 and the 7 are basically the same phone, but I did it because the pixel 7 should have better trade-in or resale value in the future next time I decide to switch phones.
Hmm, must be the region. For me it was $599 for the 7 and they offered $490 + $100 credit for the 6.
Damnit, why were the trade in values so good and why can't they do it again?
Pixel 5 user here and I will likely be upgrading to Pixel 8, mainly because it will be the smallest phone in the market at the time. I've thought about getting another new Pixel 5 instead just because of the size, but I think it might be time to upgrade to something more modern.
Generally what keeps people on the Pixel line is some combination of camera, updates, and relockable bootloader (for those that run privacy ROMs like GrapheneOS).
Has ASUS reliably supported their recent phones beyond a year or two? Are the cameras any good?
Note that the latter two can also be served by Fairphone, for those who care about that sort of thing
Haha, is anyone seriously going to pay that? I spent £80 on a Pixel 3a and it does all I need just fine, even gets the latest software with custom ROMs. Honestly, as soon as someone releases a sub-5 inch phone with a 3.5mm jack for under £300, I'll never buy another phone again.
After a little learning I'm with ya. I had a lot of disposable income a few years ago and decided to get myself a galaxy s10+. Still using it and it is a nice phone, but it really doesn't feel like I've gotten $1000 of value out of it. Once this thing eventually bites it I'll just be getting whatever cheap android let's me put a custom rom on it. No app requires this kind of hardware to run besides games and the mobile game market is a microtransaction cesspool on a good day. Now that I've had a flagship phone I guess my question about them is 'what's the point?'
Man, the only mobile game I even play these days in Universal Paperclips, and that takes about as much processing power as a spreadsheet.
I got a similar device as you two years ago for 250€. Can recommend buying the previous flagship model second hand; cheaper than buying similar specs new.
If battery wear is a concern, have the battery replaced by the manufacturer or a local store (or DIY if you're feeling adventurous). EU legislation is going to require battery swapability in a few years also to extend devices' longevity and reduce waste.
Ask around how many people got Apple devices. They're locked down, not yours to do with what you want, developers have to pay to apply to have their apps be installable on your device, they don't allow even mentioning alternative subscription avenues where Apple doesn't take a big cut of whatever the service price is no matter what Apple's actual cost for facilitating the sale was, and cost a limb when considering that the average person would be perfectly served with 150€ worth of hardware (double that and you're probably somewhere in the 90th percentile of how many people are well-served). I don't keep up with what they cost nowadays but I'm going to guess at least quadruple for the basic model.
I don't understand today's market. Just the other day in a Tildes thread about inflation, most respondents seemed to say they have trouble making ends meet. It was pointed out to me that something like half the people in the USA have no savings to their name. Meanwhile, phones get more computations done per dollar, per Watt, and per second, yet nearly everyone spends significantly more on a phone than they did ten years ago. There are multiple issues here but "will people pay this much for our new phone?" is not one of them...
I was going to get the pixel, but the fairphone has opened up to new markets, so that's the one I plan on upgrading to later. An IP rated repairable phone with a decent camera and removable battery with first-class support for running 3rd party OSes? In 2023? Yes, please!
For that kind of money I can get (and did get) a Fairphone 4. And there's soon an FP5. Sure, it's not as stellar, but the repairability is amazing and has already helped me. Replace the screen? 8 screws, done!
These Pixel phones look really nice but I'm hoping to get another year out of my OnePlus 6 before getting a new phone and I'm pretty sure I'll be going for a Fairphone when I do get a new one. I like the philosophy of Fairphone and I don't need the latest bells and whistles or a fancy camera. The only thing I'm unsure about regarding the Fairphone is if the battery is good enough for my use - I usually get a full day out of a full charge on my OP6 and would prefer something similar or better fron my next phone.
I bought a Pixel 7 Pro, which was my first flagship I've bought myself since the days where the €450 price tag of something like the HTC One M7. I've had a work phone which was the top end iPhone for a bit, but my own phones have beem One M7 -> Nexus 5X -> Pixel 4a 5G -> Pixel 7 Pro.
And honestly, for me, it wasn't worth the price increase over a Pixel a series. The screen is a little better, the camera is a little better but not by the amount to justify the price premium, especially if they raise it further. So I don't think I'll be going that end of the market again (it's not just the Pixel either, like I said, I had an iPhone 13 Pro supplied by my employer in the same period, and that also failed to make the case for me to pay that much).
So I'll enjoy it while I have it, but won't be going flagship again.
Oh and specific to the Pixel 7 Pro, it's combination of the camera ridge making it sit at an angle combined with the smooth rounded edge also gives it a tendency to jump off tables, even when placed entirely on the table and having appeared to be stable for an extended period of time.
For some reason, gadgets keep gravitating towards being more expensive and being large.