Pixel 7 works perfectly for me. I like nearly all aspects of it. The camera is extremely good (I've recently made a comparison with iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone was far worse) and reliable. The battery life and performance is good. The phone feels smooth, without a lot of bugs. I don't have a recent experience with Samsung, but I will stick with Pixel going forward.

I just made this exact comment on another thread: My first smartphone was a Samsung, it was also my last Samsung device. I hate the bloatware, just want as close to stock android as possible. After the Samsung I had a couple of Nexus device by Motorola (pre-pixel I guess? Google designed built by Motorola IIRC) then went to OnePlus

The last time I tried a Samsung phone I returned it the same day I got it. The competing OS elements from Samsung's ROM and the standard Android UI were really really off-putting to me. I can get an app having a unique style, but this was different OS elements looking and working differently.

If you are able to get the the Pixel with a deal, go for it. Pixels don't retain much resale value, like Samsungs. For example, the Pixel 6a launched at 450, now it's in the Google Store at 250.

I have used Samsung since the first Galaxy S I think and didn't understand the bloat everyone is talking about until I remembered I've used the Nova launcher for nearly all of them. You can also remove the Samsung apps if you want.

Samsung hardware is a lot higher quality, but the Pixel is cheaper. I've had to return a pixel to Google 5 times before so I don't buy those any longer for myself.

Pen to me means a lot. Signing documents, annotating screen shots, remote control of the device, etc. Another thing that Samsung is superior at is servicing your device after warranty is out. I still have a pair of S7 Edge phones looking and working like new. At some point (5-6 years of use) screen developed a purple line. It cost me 160€ to replace screen and Samsung authorized center replaced metal body, battery, buttons as well, all for free. So I got a new phone basically. My parents are still using my now 7 year old phone. And Samsung still offers spare parts for them although they have to be ordered now so there's a slight delay. Bloatware is not a problem for me as most can be uninstalled and the rest can be disabled. Sure it's not pristine but it works and there's no garbage I don't want. Samsung also makes it very easy to move to another Samsung device. Literally all of your settings, wallpapers, files and applications are moved to another device. This is a no brainer for me. Maybe Pixel devices have this as well, but I haven't used it. I do know in my country Google doesn't have authorized service centers so finding parts might get difficult.

So all in all, you have to be frank with your about what is it what you really want. If you want closer to stock, Pixel is probably better in that. Samsung on the other hand has a lot of features I've grown to like that Google doesn't offer, pen being the huge part of it.

Lots of hate for Samsung in here... I actually just switched from Pixel (and before that Nexus phones) to Samsung for the first time ever, because the Z Flip 5 is everything I've ever wanted in a phone form factor.

No regrets so far, had it 2 weeks now!

Pixel 8 pro ! You will have stock Android, providing a better experience. Moreover it's less expensive! I love Pixel phones. I recently got the Pixel tablet.