I've had Pixels 2, 3, 4, 5a, and 7. I really like them and haven't had a serious problem. Sure do hate Google but goodness sakes can they make a phone, and I run custom ROMs anyway.

I really liked the Nexus Line of Google phones and from what I've seen the Pixels are great phones, but the price puts them outside of what I want to pay.

The 3a, and the 6a might be the only ones I considered, but the rest are just "Flagship priced phones" and yeah they may have the hardware to back them up, but paying 600+ dollars for a phone is ridiculous. With them reaching for a thousand dollars is a hard no.

You basically hit on it. They're trying to make them into iPhones... people are on Android specifically because they don't want Apple prices, or that type of enviroment.

I like it because it's quick and doesn't have any bloatware.

Quite happy user of Pixel 6a. The only few annoying things are:

• Under-the-screen fingerprint sensor works less than half of the time. At night and in bed, it blinds me.
• Battery, despite adaptive battery, still feels surprisingly draining fast from time to time. The battery merely just hold for the day whereas I don't even have that much screen time or background running apps.

The only phones that ever made me warm and fuzzy inside were Google made phones (Nexus 5 was brilliant) and it's unlikely I'll try a different phone anytime soon.

iPhones stress me out due to the height of the walled garden and other android phones are usually a cluttered mess.

Anyway, I recommend pixel phones and most of my family have pixel phones these days.

After a decade of Samsung and other third party phones, I'm super keen on the Pixel 7 pro. Even with Samsung boosting huge MP counts for their phones, they always come across either blurry or low quality to me (especially selfies where it feels like they've cheaped out)

In comparison the software processing on the Pixel is amazing, things seems to always be in focus and correctly lit.

I've got a 4a (bought on release) and it has been my favorite phone. Not a huge power user so it's a good small device that has the features I want (fingerprint, 3.5 Jack). My biggest gripe is something I think Google changed sometime before the 4a, and that's their is no HDMI over USB possible with Pixel devices. From what I can tell the only reason they did this was to sell Chromecasts. The main issue is I watch horror movies on a projector with some friends while camping(no Wi-Fi or data so Chromecast doesn't work). The software on the projector has poor support for different codecs so ideally I'd use VLC on my phone and have no issue, but I cant. Pretty niche scenario there but I think it's a sign of how modern phones have slowly been taking away useful features for seemingly no reason. Makes me not want to get a Google phone again.

7 pro is my favorite phone ove ever owned, finally unseating the v30 which was criminally underrated at the time. I wish there was something better that wasn't made by Google, but I have always been disappointed with my Samsung devices (Galaxy Note OG, Galaxy s7edge, S9). I felt trapped by them and they always had SO MUCH BLOAT. The s7 was the best of the bunch. I've had about as many pixels (2pro, 3pro, 6, 7 pro). They've all gotten better with each iteration, but I saw no reason to even consider a pixel 4 or 5. 6 was a huge step up but had some build quality issues. Overall I liked the design choices. I would still have my six but I was having a battery issue that couldn't be fixed so they let me trade it in and shaved $100 off the 7pro for me in lieu of doing an RMA that late into the life cycle. 7 pro is excellent. I won't be getting a new phone until this one is dead.

I use a 5a with GrapheneOS and I'm very happy with it

Google Pixels are the absolute best phones for custom roms and ones I feel best about when it comes to software support outlasting the hardware because of that. All the other phones might have better internals, but it's the growing animosity towards unlocking bootloaders and rise in prices of phones hitting laptop prices without the long term software support to match that makes it seem less appealing than pixels to me.

Been using Pixel phones since the Pixel 2XL.

It simply comes down to simplicity and updates.

It always seems like with other manufacturers (especially Samsung) they try to throw everything they can at you to see what people might use. Whether that be 3 different apps for taking notes or 19 camera modes depending on what kind of food I'm taking a picture of.

When it comes to updates, I know manufacturers have definitely stepped up their game, but I'm still burned out on updates from before I had a Pixel. I used Moto phones before then and would often wait a year after a major version release to get the update.

Getting day 1 updates and being able to participate in betas is a big plus for me

In the process of deGoogling, but the phone is something that I'm saving for another year or three. My 6 Pro is doing just fine.

Get the a series. Almost half the price for not many features missing. Same camera.

Still on a pixel 2, it's really starting to show it's age. It's been a solid phone. I think I will upgrade to the Pixel 8 this fall... But I will miss the rear finger print scanner.

I'm writing this on a Pixel 7 Pro

So my android journey started with the moto G4 plus when I decided I was tired of giving my iphones to my mom every time she broke hers.

I loved that device because it was really simple and bear bones. Stock android if you will, with just a few extra features that were really nice Quality of Life features. That's what set me on the path towards a pixel after a handful of different brands.

Pixel 4 XL was my first pixel. The big draw for me was the face unlock and the stock experience. At the time, the new spam blocking features from Google assistant were important to me as well. I switched to that after the essential phone brand was officially dead.

Absolutely loved it, so much so that I got my dad a 4a when it released. It was dead simple for him to learn at 60 coming from an iPhone 5. So much that when COVID happened and we switched to masks, I was petty enough to pick up the pixel 5 for the fingerprint scanner (which my dad now has).

I strayed for about a year. I picked up the Galaxy Fold 3 at launch and it was mostly nice. I had so many bad experiences with Samsung, but this was pleasant if not a bit bloated. But I missed the simplicity, I missed the themeing, I missed the Google features.

So around the 10 month mark, my fold inner screen popped off and after having it replaced I put it for sale and bought a Pixel 6 pro second hand. I was skeptical at first because of the bad reviews, but it was a fantastic device in the end. I gifted that to my girlfriend and switched her from iPhone and picked up the Pixel 7 pro.

I always come back to the simpler android, but the pixel flavor is just something special. I've never witnessed any of the issues that people suggest that they have in their reviews. It just flows so well in my experience. I'll be looking forward to trying out a pixel fold when they get to a 3rd generation or so.

I love the simplicity, I love the extra features that Google assistant packs in, most of them are now bundled into the apps as opposed to just being locked to a pixel phone. My favorite part is that they're affordable (Comparatively). I'm glad to see that in Android 14 the best of the Samsung features are being implemented.

I got a Pixel 6 Pro second hand from the US recently for GrapheneOS.

Here's what I like:

• Fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable
• Phone is buttery smooth, no weird slowdowns, I've been very satisfied
• Excellent hardware: beautiful, premium, unqiue. It feels heavy but in a well - balanced, premium way .The curved back, screen and sides makes it so comfortable to hold. And I love the camera bar because the phone doesn't rock back and forth on the table.
• No parallel for customization, well maintained custom ROMs (I came from a Xiaomi, I swear Google Pixels are way better in this regard.), and GrapheneOS is awesome.
• Good photo quality, can't comment on video
• Actually reliable raise to wake, tap to wake and Always On Display.

What I don't like:

• Phone gets hot on cellular when outside, probably an inefficient Exynos modem + the brutal sun here
• Battery is just okay. Charging is not an issue, takes about an hour to reach 80%, which is what I usually keep my phone at anyway for better battery health.
• Screen not quite bright enough on brutal summer days.

So yeah overall I'm a happy camper. This was honestly a steal at 330 USD renewed from Amazon. When this one loses support for GrapheneOS, I'll be upgrading to another second - hand Pixel.

After a long line of Samsung phones, I decided to try a pixel at my last change, so got the 6. I've been really happy with it. Performance is good, camera and camera software are great, features are nice. The Samsungs were getting pretty bloated in comparison.

I've had a Pixel 5a and currently have a Pixel 7. Have enjoyed them greatly. The 5a was a bit mediocre overall, camera performance wasn't that great & it got a bit slow over time. That being said, the clean OS experience and integration was always nice and it was perfectly suitable for my needs at a good price.

Now that I'm using my Pixel 7 as a daily, the Pixel 5a is holding up pretty well with GrapheneOS as a backup phone / media player.

Pixel 7 has been really nice to me. Interface is smooth, camera is nice, everything just works essentially. And getting the latest Android pretty quickly is a nice feeling. My only gripe is that Google's SoC is still a bit lacking and battery life isn't the best, but I hear the current Android beta has some promising battery life improvements.

Overall I've been having a good time with them. Still kinda miss my Nexus 5x tho, that thing was sweet...

I have one with grapheneos for privacy, and it's good.

I have a pixel 7 running CalyxOS, which has been great. Custom ROMs have come so far since I was first getting interested in them in 2017. Installing Calyx on the pixel 7 was totally seamless, compared to multiple days of frustration installing LineageOS back in the day

Loved my Pixel 5, but they've gotten too big from there.

I used the 2 and currently use the 4a (coming up to 3 years this Oct) but I think that's the end of the line for me on pixels cause they're just getting too big for someone with really small hands.

My three wants (in order or priority) for phones are: 1) reasonably small enough (pixel 4a just about fits into this criteria); 2) fingerprint scanner; 3) headphone jack

I've got a tiny jelly star from unihertz coming and if that doesn't work out I'll probably have to go zenphone cause they're just about the size of the 4a.

Pity as I do like the pixel line

I sold my Pixel 6 pro to get a Samsung S23. Unfortunately the main issues I had with the pixel were hardware-related and recurring, and while samsung isn't ideal, most of their issues could be solved with a one-time fix.

Main issues I had with the Pixel:

• Fingerprint sensor doesn't work with privacy screens. Period. It's not a question of buying cheap privacy screens, the Pixel fingerprint reader is optical and is just not compatible with privacy screens. Samsung uses an ultrasonic reader which is compatible with privacy screens.
• The 6 Pro was unwieldy and ridiculously large, the smaller 6 doesn't have the triple camera setup. Samsung is one of the few that doesn't sacrifice phototaking ability in a smaller form factor.
• That godawful new quick toggles UI is horrible. The quick toggles are ridiculously large, and who decided it would be a good idea to merge the wifi and internet toggles?! I managed to use adb commands to split the toggles in 12, but that broke with 13.

Issues I had with the Samsung:

• Bloat - this was mainly in the form of some preinstalled software, but unlike in the early days of Samsung, I could uninstall most of the bloat easily without resorting to root, adb, etc. No bloat (pixel) is still better than bloat that can be uninstalled (samsung), but this problem was permanently solved after about 10 minutes.
• Some Samsung native apps have horrible permission settings - eg Samsung Pay requires access to your contacts, and if you deny it any one permission, the app just force closes. I got around this by uninstalling the offending apps and using alternatives (e.g. google pay) - again, a one-time issue. fuck the intrusive permissions.

I recently bought a pixel 6 pro (went from an LG G7). Its a nice upgrade. I'm slowly replacing (and deactivating) the google apps with open source ones. I may install a custom ROM at some point.

After staying loyal to Samsung for about a decade, always with flagship models, I had a terrible experience with the Fold3. It was so bad that, when I finally pushed hard enough for Samsung Support to admit I'd been sold a lemon, I was ready to give up.

I sold the replacement Fold4 they sent me and got a Pixel 7. Honestlty, I now wish I hadn't waited this long to make the jump.

Things I like the most:

• The speed with which updates are released, directly: I'm accustomed to having to wait for my provider to release Samsung updates
• The way the updates are applied: no more 30 minute reboots waiting for the Samsung firmware to install
• The lack of bloatware: 'nuff said
• The speed of the device itself: see above point

I guess the thing that nags at me the most is I still dislike Google as a company.

I haven't explored custom ROMs yet - still unsure where that leaves me with access to my company's resources (we have very stringent security policies, actively enforced), plus I need to do a heap of research to understand what (if any) features of the stock Pixel I'd lose. There may or may not be some deal breakers in that list.

I'm on my 3rd Pixel (2,3A XL, 6). They're good phones. Updates are pretty regular and support is fairly long lived. The cameras are fantastic. The software and interface is barebones. No bloat.

The only downside I would put out there is that they sometimes run hot. Like hotter than any other phone I've ever had. Suddenly and uncomfortably hot in your pocket.

I have zero interest in a foldable screen and it's going to be years before I'd ever trust one.

Since LG left making phones, I'm buying Pixels since I really don't like what Samsung is doing and I don't trust my Google account to the different Chinese companies.

I've got a Pixel 7 Pro and it is ok, but battery issues are worse than other phones and I've had issues with overheating that I've never had with other phones.

I have a 6a and have been emulating games with it and playing remote play with my backbone. Super enjoying it

I'm on my first non Google phone, starting with the Nexus 5. I currently have the Z Fold 3, bought used for about half MSRP. It has so many good things that Google failed to do, while also missing a lot of things I loved about the Google phones. The Pixel folder may bring me back if it gets cheap enough.

Good but overhyped.

They used to be fantastic, but for various reasons Google have been reducing the quality of their products for some time.

The android 12 update really hurt the UI/UX by limiting customization, adding big obnoxious qs tiles that obstruct notifications for no reason (that I am constantly activating by accident), removing the wifi toggle and wasting home screen real estate with an 'at a glance' widget that isn't useful (it's like a wish.com version of Google now), you need a custom default program manager to let it open search results in browser without pushing shit apps (like reddit official). Also wasn't the point of pure android to avoid bloatware? Why am I carrying google TV, YouTube, wallet, Google money, fit, Google one, gpay, ~~spy~~ assistant, lens, meet etc?

As bad as the recent software direction is, the hardware is worse. My pixel 7 pro new has worse battery life than my pixel 5 had after 2 years of constant use, it overheats and throttles doing basic tasks (like maps), the glass back is among the most slippery things I've ever touched, the curved screen has an infuriating glare persistent no matter how you hold it, the fingerprint sensor is unreliable and in an awkward place, there's no capacitive gesture to drop notifications shade and "double tap" gesture meant to replace it flat out doesn't work. The charging is super slow, the curved screen follows the curved screen trend of breaking easily, all phones in the current line up are too large to use comfortably with one hand, they deleted the headphone jack to sell shit earbuds (yes that was ages ago but it's still stupid).

All in, I'd trade my pixel 7 pro in for a gen 5 model or earlier in a heartbeat. Been a long time Google/nexus user but however good the old phones were, my next phone won't have a tensor!

I've had a Pixel 4a and now have a Pixel 7. I also had a Nexus 5 a long time ago, and a OnePlus 5T for a while after the Nexus 5's camera broke.

Pixel 4a was great aside from the lack of waterproofing. I loved the size of it, it was fast enough, the camera was good enough, and I didn't think I'd need another phone until I went hiking in the rain with it and couldn't be bothered to go 100m back to the car to get a ziplock bag at the start of the hike :/

Pixel 7 is good, but I preferred the smaller size of the 4a, and some of the 7's features just feel unnecessary to me, such as the higher refresh screen, as I don't care about gaming on it. The in-screen fingerprint reader is definitely waaaaay worse than the one on the 4a (and especially the OnePlus 5T), and I have to enter my code a lot, but it's not as bad as when I first got the phone. The insanely bright glow of the fingerprint reader when you use it at night is a bit annoying, as others have mentioned.

It also seems to get very hot sometimes, the official case isn't quite as nice as that of the 4a, despite being more expensive, and the battery life is meh. Lack of a headphone jack is also less than ideal, but I guess I should just buy some bluetooth earphones. Actually, I got it at launch and used the Google Store points to buy Google Buds Pro and the case, but then I sold the buds to effectively get a nice discount instead.

The camera on both phones has been great, with the 7 being quite a bit better than the 4a, though honestly the 4a was good already and I didn't really care about any camera upgrades aside from the wide angle lens, which is awesome.

Software wise, I like stock Android, but I miss the long screenshot function of OnePlus' Oxygen OS. Other than that, it's nice. Google apps are mostly awesome, though I think you can get the same features such such as voice assistant, navigation etc. on other Android phones just by installing the Google apps.

Had a Pixel 3 where the screen died exactly two days after the warranty ends.

Loved the picture it took (even compared to my S23 now) and the fluidity.

Hate the Google quality control. Seeing pixel 6 modem issues and pixel 7 camera glasses, it never improves.

I've got the 6 Pro. I cracked the screen which sucked, but for the price they should probably come with a cover.

The fingerprint scanner on the screen works less than half the time. The only thing I've really been impressed with is the camera, other than that I'd go any other phone.

I used to have a Xiaomi Rednote 9 Pro and loved it. Not sure how secure Xiaomi stuff is but was very happy with it, plus the fingerprint scanner was on the side and worked much better.

I've been using a Pixel 3 for about 5 years and I love it. I actually got a pixel 7 for work earlier this year and honestly prefer the pixel 3 lol. I've had some charging issues because lint gets stuck in the charge port, but I've been able to mostly solve those by cleaning out the port with a toothpick.

I spent quite a while in the Nexus/Pixel line, mostly on the "a" series once they started with those, and I was always very happy with them. I didn't encounter any significant issues over the years, so I can't speak to any of the troubles others have had; if I hadn't decided to try a foldable when the Galaxy Fold 4 came out, I'd probably still be on the Pixel train.

Still using the 3A and it's still OK. I'm a fan of Pixel phones (used Nexus phones before that), and I usually use them until they stop working, then I buy the latest model. I think I still have a year with this one.

I've had my 4a 5g for 2 years now and have no issues with it. Uninstalled some of the G stuff I don't need, and with Greenify it lasts two full days with moderate usage. Would probably be even better with a custom ROM, but I go the other way and keep it stock android 11 with updates turned off. Rock stable with no frustrating unexpected changes, I went like 180 days without needing a reboot

Has a headphone jack and a decent camera, which are must-haves for me. I'm probably going to be keeping it for another 2-4 years like I did my last phone (LG G5) until it starts falling apart or becoming unreliable

• Stock Android missing so many apps because Google killed them for no reason

• Google gets to shove gapps directly into your throat making you forget what android used to be

• Partially responsible for ruining the android market and causing companies like HTC to drop out

• Partially responsible for getting rid of android version names

• Early models kinda sucked

Pretty much summed up all of my core issues already in your post lol.

Modern android sucks because of google