Should I Buy A Pixel?

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maddox

maddox

kiwifarms.net
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Sep 3, 2023
I am thinking of buying a Pixel 7a not only for the cool colors but also because I found out that they are supposed to have good software for a good price in my budget range, so should I get one or not?

Also, before you ask
I don't need the headphone jack, though I would like it. I have an adapter.
I know Google is bad, but every other company is bad, plus I might install an alternative ROM on it.
 
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The Pixels have secure boot, the most ubiquitous support for third party OSes and they have the longest support cycles of any of the larger brands (5 years from launch as opposed to 2 or 3 from most) so they're great if you want a smartphone with security. On a hardware level I've found them faulty; my 3XL's USB C connection has a known issue where the USB C port just totally died and forced me to get a wireless charger and earbuds and another person I know had their 6a totally fail to read SD cards after a while.

I'd say the versatility is worth the risks of failure just because they're so cheap. 6s are readily available under $150 if you're willing to buy refurbs (or unwilling to give Google money) and I'd bet you could find 7s below the $250 mark if you kept an eye out.
 
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If you are interested in custom ROMs, the Pixel is probably the best to get. It has one of the easiest to unlock bootloaders and an extremely robust custom ROM scene with LineageOS, CalyxOS, etc. Ironically, Google makes the easiest to degoogle phone.
 
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I use the Pixel 7 Pro. I wanted it for Graphene OS, of which the Pixels are the only officially supported models as of late. Be aware if you decide to use Graphene you make some sacrifices, such as giving up Google Pay. Aside from that they are good phones, not the highest specs out there but pretty close. I've given up on other brands like Samsung and Huawei as they are too invasive in adverts and spyware.
 
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It's great if you want a custom version of Android. Just make sure to buy it unlocked, as many providers will lock the bootloader permanently.
 
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ThinkThankThunk said:
The Pixels have secure boot, the most ubiquitous support for third party OSes and they have the longest support cycles of any of the larger brands (5 years from launch as opposed to 2 or 3 from most) so they're great if you want a smartphone with security. On a hardware level I've found them faulty; my 3XL's USB C connection has a known issue where the USB C port just totally died and forced me to get a wireless charger and earbuds and another person I know had their 6a totally fail to read SD cards after a while.

I'd say the versatility is worth the risks of failure just because they're so cheap. 6s are readily available under $150 if you're willing to buy refurbs (or unwilling to give Google money) and I'd bet you could find 7s below the $250 mark if you kept an eye out.
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I heard the Pixel 6s sucked, but Google fixed the issues with the 7. Also, the low prices are a huge seller for me; they are cheaper than my A12.
Bucka said:
I use the Pixel 7 Pro. I wanted it for Graphene OS, of which the Pixels are the only officially supported models as of late. Be aware if you decide to use Graphene you make some sacrifices, such as giving up Google Pay. Aside from that they are good phones, not the highest specs out there but pretty close. I've given up on other brands like Samsung and Huawei as they are too invasive in adverts and spyware.
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I literally never use Google Pay or any NFC nonsense. Is there anything else that matters that I can't get on another rom?
thog said:
It's great if you want a custom version of Android. Just make sure to buy it unlocked, as many providers will lock the bootloader permanently.
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Is this an option when buying from Google's website?
 
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thog said:
Yes, that's where I bought mine. Just don't get one from somewhere like Verizon.
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I plan to buy it from Google for the exclusive coral-red color. Also, dumb question, but if I put my AT&T SIM card in it, will there be no issue, or does it have an Esim?
 
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maddox said:
I plan to buy it from Google for the exclusive coral-red color. Also, dumb question, but if I put my AT&T SIM card in it, will there be no issue, or does it have an Esim?
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There's a SIM card slot, I put my old card in there.
 
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maddox said:
Oh Good Is there any downside or not?
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The biggest downsides for me have been the lack of SD card slot and 3.5mm jack (can't really expect to get those in a newer phone anyway sadly), but at least with GrapheneOS the battery life is fantastic. The camera is great too.
 
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thog said:
The biggest downsides for me have been the lack of SD card slot and 3.5mm jack (can't really expect to get those in a newer phone anyway sadly), but at least with GrapheneOS the battery life is fantastic. The camera is great too.
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Yeah the headphone jack does not matter to me and i don't use SD cards so i think i will buy it this christmas as there should be discounts also as im writing this i discovered the pixel 8 is coming out so should be pretty cheap
 
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I never experienced overheating problems with my Pixel 6 Pro but I do experience them daily with the Pixel 7. The 7 also overheats if I charge it while turned off. It can only charge without overheating if I leave it turned on so that "smart charging" can be used. It's the only phone I've ever used that's hotter when plugged in while turned off than it is during normal use. These overheating issues have plagued Pixels for years and there's no evidence Google cares or intends to do anything. That said, if you do go for a Pixel, one of the "a" models is probably better.
 
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Shoot for it. Make sure you get a bootloader and OEM unlocked one. It'll be a lot better than your Samshit, it even comes with a free screen recorder. I promise.
 
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I should have asked this here instead of making another thread, but what alternative rom should I install on it, and can you dual boot on a phone like Linux or no?
 
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maddox said:
I should have asked this here instead of making another thread, but what alternative rom should I install on it, and can you dual boot on a phone like Linux or no?
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I can recommend CalyxOS because that's what's on my 7a
No you cannot dualboot
 
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