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Comment by wakkaflokka | Hacker News Reader

This whole situation frustrates me to no end.

The Pixel 2 XL checks all of my boxes, which really aren't much: runs Android, has a large screen, is fast, has a good camera, is fast, is supported with updates for a few years, and is fast. My S7 Edge has made me truly understand the life pain and suffering that even minor lag can cause.

I implicitly assumed that any phone which would fit those criteria and be in the $700-$800 price range would also have a flawless screen. I'm not even talking about a Note8-level "holy shit that's amazing" screen - more like an S7 level of "nice screen" screen.

A speedy Android UI is so important to me though that I'm at least going to give the phone a shot when I receive it. "Maybe it's just a bad batch," I'm telling myself. And promptly RMA it or return it if there's any issues.

Part of me feels bad that I'm still willing to part with my money to try this phone out. Does that make me a sucker?

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The Android one version of Moto x4 is shaping up to be nice. I've been using moto since the first G variant (back when Google acquired the phone division of Motorola) and I am currently on X2 (by Lenovo, but still a good and very well-rounded phone). The only issue is X2 no longer receives updates, so an Android one version may be as close as you can get to the original. It's really a shame Google sold Moto only to struggle with hardware manufacturing of their "premium" phone for two generations now.

No notification LED and No fingerprint reader on the back is why I decided to delay going to the x4. I do like that it has a working FM radio and headphone jack though. :(

I thought the same (about the fingerprint reader), but in 2 days I was converted. I love it on the front. I use my thumb to unlock and it's flawless. Nice bonus: you can use a fingerprint to lock, too.

I upgraded from a 5x because I need more storage, and I've never adapted to a new phone so quick.

After my S7 Edge almost made me cry, I sold it after 12 months of usage and bought the Xiaomi Mi 6.

Best Android I've ever used and seen. The software isn't exactly Apple or Google level but it's very solid and EXTREMELY SNAPPY. The whole thing flies like there's no tomorrow.

I will buy the iPhone X and make it a secondary device but holy hell that device is much better than I expected.

Yeah Xiaomi phones are extremely good. They are not really popular in the west but not hard to get one either through Aliexpress or any other reseller.

As far as I know Xiaomi still cant function on any US cell provider; dunno about europe but its not even an option for me

There are European versions of Xiaomi working on all European frequencies now in Poland. You can grab a nice Xiaomi phone for $150 with a fingerprint sensor and 3/32 memory.

Yes, I realize that and it's a real shame. It seems Xiaomi can't pull certain strings -- it's hilarious that one has to pull strings to be able to sell phones in USA but hey. Your carriers are a pretty strong mafia. ;)

Jokes aside, again, it's a shame and you guys are missing out. Xiaomi makes the most no-bullshit phones on the planet right after the iPhones.

The lacklustre cameras and LTE band support are my main issues with those. You'll also want to reflash the phone when you get it - this may require asking Xiaomi for "permission" to unlock the phone (what happens when that server goes away?)

I agree the camera is not great. No Android so far was able to compare against my former S7 Edge (I guess S8/Plus and Note 8 are better though). And that's not okay. I have to admit though, the Mi 6 is a filler device for me until the iPhone X comes out.

The LTE band support problem is weird and I guess it comes from Xiaomi not pulling the right strings in the USA. We can only speculate though.

I bought the mi5, installed Lineage on it and holy shit! I don't want this phone to become old and obsolete. Everything has been near perfect if not perfect. Everything. The battery life, screen size, the speed!

I actually look forward to use the phone.

You could get the essential phone, which is now $500 and promises 3 years of updates.

Me too. After Google left us Nexus 6P (and 5X) users out to rot, I won't be buying into their next hobby.

To be honest, if the battery on my (already-replaced) 6P wasn't laughably bad, I'd be happy to use it for another year or two. Everything else about it is fine.

As it stands, my next phone is likely to be a Nokia 9.

> After Google left us Nexus 6P (and 5X) users out to rot, I won't be buying into their next hobby

Are there any phones that are actually supporting by Google or any Android maker that actually are suppported for several years? Seems like they all get abandoned after a year.

Nexus/Pixel phones got two years support, although the 6P/5X was soured when we got support but didn't get the new Pixel-only features (which weren't at all limited by the hardware).

I don't know of any Android manufacturer with support that lasts for more than two years, though.

Why not get the old Pixel XL? It's still a great phone.

Dat chin do'

The bezels make it unworkable for me, Donald, and the rest of the small hand contingent.

Bezels make a phone easier to use. It's incredibly awkward trying to reach the space bar with my thumb on a phone without bezels.

It will only get software updates for another year and security updates for 2 more years, it's 1/3 of the way through it's effective lifespan. The supported lifetimes are far too short when you buy in release day, let alone a year later.

You should be able to manually update it to newer android versions after the official updates end since it has treble. The kernel as of now is still stuck on 3.18. Unless the blob makers update to 4.4, that will be the limiting factor regarding security updates.

I ordered a Pixel 2.

Some of these first batch issues can be sorted by adjusting the production and I am more than willing to return a faulty device.

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