I moved from HTC to Nexus, and stuck with Nexus until it died, then picked up a pixel and never looked back. Pixel is what I buy/use, and it's not been an issue for me, which is why I keep going back.

From Nexus: I owned the Nexus 4, 5, 6 (I still have this one), 7 LTE tablet, and 5X. On the pixel line, the pixel "1", 4, and now 7. Haven't owned a pixel "a" series. I skipped the pixel 5, since the processor was significantly less powerful than the 4, despite being a newer chip, and I skipped the 6, because it was the first gen tensor, and I wanted it to prove itself. Early pixel days didn't see a lot of improvement IMO between pixel 1/2/3, so I stuck with the 1, mainly because of the RAM: pixel 4 was the first pixel to have more than 4GB RAM.... (It had 6). I would have jumped from the P4 about a year after getting it, simply due to it not having a fingerprint reader, and the pandemic (specifically masks) making it impossible to use the face id or whatever they called it, but I didn't want to lose performance with the lower powered chip in the 5, and my 4 was good enough to not wager on whether the first tensor had any major hardware defects... So I'm on the 7 now, and I'm pretty happy.

I miss the fingerprint reader being on the back. I've found ways around the headphone jack problem: I have two devices for this.... A combo headphone jack/changing cable dongle, and a fiio BTR 5 (though other BTR units from fiio will work similarly), which allows me to use wired headphones over bt, while charging my phone and Bluetooth device (fiio), allowing for a near infinite amount of time where I can use my phone with headphones if I choose.

I'm not big on the optical fingerprint reader, but it's better than the face id stuff on the 4, so I guess I'm happier overall.

My key factors for using and keeping with pixel are pretty basic: prior to me going Nexus/pixel, to remove the bs added to my phone (like it shipping with FB apps), I would need to load custom ROMs which was a massive pita. I enjoyed the custom ROMs, mainly the AOSP versions. I wanted clean, no frills android with Google services (which I use extensively). Everything else I could obtain from the Android app store, aka the play store. For the most part, the Nexus/pixel was the only device I could get that kind of thing going right out of the box, pretty much everything else would require a custom ROM. That's the root of why I switched and what keeps me on pixel. I know others have stepped up in this regard, but not many. I've already had success with pixel and to me, the historical experience with pixel keeps me coming back because so far, they've had what I want and nothing that I don't want. If that changes, I'll probably start considering other options.

As long as Google is using the pixel as a dev platform, bringing new features to pixel first, and eventually allowing third parties to use those features, I'm ok with what they're doing. Some get abandoned long before they get that far, and I understand that, but there's now a short list of features that the pixel has that other phones may never get where those features seem to be pixel exclusive, which is where my support of Google on this, starts to waiver.

Tensor had proven itself to be a decent platform, and the features of tensor, which are above and beyond the base RISC instructions, should be made available in some way to other manufacturing partners. Like having a tensor specific processing core that can be paired with a different ARM CPU to provide similar functionality to the full tensor CPU.... Like a coprocessor. The AI benefits to the Google camera, et al, being made available to third parties.

Instead of going with the Microsoft model, offering first party devices, but continuing to support all features on all devices, they're trending more towards the Apple model, where you use our hardware, or get fucked. Which, I'm not a fan of.... Many industries are taking that page from Apple and honestly IMO, it's anti-consumer activity. John Deere comes to mind....

I don't think Google is too far gone in this respect, not yet, they can choose to open things up for third parties as time goes on.

Build quality, at least on the devices I've owned has been good. Not excellent but good. Few, if any issues, and support is generally good. I'm happy for the most part. I don't subscribe to the brand wars, and I'll happily jump ship if that changes. For now, I don't have significant cause for concern.

I'll continue with pixel for a while and see how it goes. I'm constantly evaluating my stance to see if there's sufficient reason to consider other options. I almost got to that point over the headphone jack, but everyone else seemingly followed suit, and once I found a workable solution, I didn't really care anymore. Bluntly, with the headphone issue, unless a device can charge, and allow the phone to charge, while you're actively using it, it's not a solution; having to stop listening/enjoying content while waiting for your pixel buds (or airpods, or whatever) to charge in their case.... that's not a replacement for a headphone jack, since you can enjoy content with a headphone jack indefinitely while charging your phone. So unless it can satisfy the original use case, it's not a good solution. I have the wired charge/listen dongle for any situation where bt isn't viable (like a high RF noise environment, or any time bt needs to be off, like a plane, though many allow bt to be on now), and the fiio for everything else. If I have to choose either headphones or charging, I'm going to find another way.

I have bt headphones that won't play and charge, but I almost always have either the fiio or dongle with a set of IEMs as a backup. I use my phone for entertainment often enough that this can be a deal breaker for me.

That's just me POV. I like the line, for now, and if things change, that may change. I don't have any negative feelings towards new features being pixel only while they're still being tested and proven, as long as they eventually end up in everyone's hands in whatever form that takes.

Great idea, meh execution

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.

The camera in the 7 Pro was unmatched but the battery life is just shit in my opinion. Everything else worked fine, not the most powerful device though, didn't run games very well.

I absolutely loved the Nexus line, but I'm on my third Pixel and they've been mostly excellent aside from a couple of nitpicks. I had the 2XL, 4a5g & 6 Pro so far. I will likely get the Pixel 8 Pro after that's released. Aside from the name (why!?!?!!?), the 4a5g was just about perfect.

My 6 Pro has been mostly great, but a little sensitive to overheating in direct sunlight and it chews through battery on 5g. Hopefully the 8 improves on those two things. And has a flat screen, as is rumored.

I had Nexus and Pixel phones.and absolutely adored them through my Pixel 4a. Then one day, I was using my 4a, the screen turned off and never turned on again, ever. It just stopped working on its own suddenly, for no reason. Reached out to Google Support and had zero recourse because I had had it for a bit over a year. Now I'm never trusting Google devices again.

I have a P7P. I really like it, my only issue is the SoC being a little slow! But for most usage you don't really notice.

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.

Current Device: Pixel 7 Pro Previous: Galaxy S4, LGG4, S8, S10e.
Got the Pixel because there was a sale plus a really good trade value on the s10e

It's fine.
Im not a heavy phone user. Im not doing a whole lot of gaming or videos or developing or whatever power users do, and it suits my needs. There are a few things I miss from Samsung, but overall the UI is fine and the battery is normally loads better than anything Ive had in a couple of years.

They are awesome because you can get graphene or calyx on them!

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

I have a pixel 6 and generally like it. Googles stock rom is where my issues with the pixel come up. Generally its not spookier than any other googled android phone. The rom looks good when the device is knew but from what I've seen online it tends to get slower after 2 years. This is nor an issue for me however since I moved over the graphineOS.

I like the timely updates and I very much like the UI. Not just the Material You color scheme (which I initially thought was a useless gimmick but have come to really like) but the look in general. Everything is just so pleasantly designed. I know that people around here hate too much padding but I think that's what makes the Pixel UI look so good. On other phones I always have the feeling that the padding isn't right; for example, on many phones (especially Samsung) the text in the status bar isn't center-aligned vertically and it drives me nuts. Or the text is squeezed into the corners.

On top of that there are useful features like Call Screening or Live Transcribe. And the voice typing is phenomenal.

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've had the original Pixel, the Pixel 4a 5G, and the Pixel 7a.

The only reason I ditched my 4a 5G was because my cell service seemed to be degrading (which was odd, because it was 5g).

Now that I have the 7a, I can honestly say I'm disappointed in its battery life. My 4a 5G could last 36 hours on a charge, even 3 years into ownership. My 7a seems to get down to 15% consistently by the time I get to bed each day.

Made the switch from a series of galaxies to the 6 pro. And boy do I regret it. It's given me nothing but problems. Most recently the backlight partially failed and low light settings cause it to flash or be completely unreadable at night. I'll be going back to Galaxy asap

I pre-ordered the first Pixel and loved it. I then had the Pixel 2xl and 3xl and absolutely loved them. I didn't like what I saw with the 4 and 5 and went to Samsung. I tried the 6a and 7xl as both had terrible battery life and call reception issues. Staying with Samsung and I am done it looks like with Pixel . I love my Samsung S23 Ultra.

Went from iPhone 11 to Pixel 6a. The only thing I miss is faceID, The fingerprint sensor works for the most part but it's not perfect, face id was always accurate and worked every time. Performance is great, the os is smooth, I had a moto g power before the iPhone and it was garbage, the pixel 6a is night and day compared to that phone. I was a bit hesitant to move back to Android, I was pretty accustomed to iOS, but Android 13 is amazing and I'm hoping 14 is even better. I just wish I had waited a little bit longer and the 7a would've been available. The best part so far has been using it with Google Fi and pixel pass, I get guaranteed upgrades every 2 years to the latest phone, and it includes YouTube music and premium as well as play pass. Honestly the perks of the pixel and pixel pass have paid for themselves.

When I finally had to leave my dying old phone (LG V20 from 2016) the Pixel 7 phones were about to be released, so I preordered a P7Pro. It's been really good to me so far.
Reception is at least as good as my last phone, fingerprint reader works nearly every time on the first try, battery life is... Ok (but I work it really hard) root was easy (one of my primary criteria for phone shopping), etc.

There are certainly things I lost in the move, but most of them I'd lose with any modern flagship phone: Removable battery, headphone jack, IR port, 100% usable screen area. And one loss that is specific to the P7 phones for now, but will eventually be all of them: 32-bit apps.

Android 13 does have some annoying restrictions that Android 8 did not, but it also has a lot of improvements (including general stability) and of course 12 GB of RAM can do much more than 4 could, so that's a nice upgrade.

I had the original Pixel & just recently it started failing so I got the pixel 5. I like them, they are basic and good quality and small enough to hold easily. Compared to my previous Samsung phone and husband's current Galaxy phone I find it feels cleaner and faster, not as many pre-installed apps. Yes it has all the Google services installed, but I use those and it has not all the Samsung/T-mo stuff on top of that like the Galaxy does.

In general it does everything I want and nothing I don't want but agree the default text app not being SMS is stupid. RCS should be opt-in, sometimes texts to the husband don't get delivered even though both phones support the protocol.

I've been using Android phones for a decade now. My Pixel 6 is the best experience I've had with Android in those 10 years. I've had an OG Moto X, a Galaxy S9, a Pixel 3a, and now this 6. (I also had a brief stint with an iPhone in 2016)

The 6 and 3a have been the only ones that I've had without a manufacturer skin or carrier bloatware and it's been pretty great. The Pixel 6 is the only phone I've had matches that iPhone I had in terms of polish and reliability.

Recently upgraded to a Pixel Fold from Microsoft Surface Duo 2. There is no way I am ever going back to a single screen phone

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!

The only Android phone I'll buy tbh.

I tried HTC and Samsung in the past and hated them. I started with the Nexus 5 and never looked back. I've had a few cheap Android phones through work and they have all been crap.

Not to say Pixles don't have flaws. They often have annoying bugs that Google seems to take their time fixing.

Love them!! I'm still on pixel 4a and been a fan since the nexus era and I have decided to make it my main flagship forever. unless something changed. the only company piquing my eye right now is the "nothing" company but not switching

Bootloader unlocked, while persevering access to hardware security features by 3rd party operating systems like GrapheneOS.

They also provide 5 years of security updates for new devices.

Nothing else competes.

Curious what device are you using right now op?

My OP3 was dying and I needed a new poo phone, I can't afford buying things whenever I want so that's extra incentive to hold on to my devices, so after 5 years of use (the OP3 was second hand) I finally got the opportunity to switch phones and I got the pixel 6a (second hand as well)

Honestly I love it, it's basically the same size and almost the same dimensions as my previous phone but with a bigger screen, the OS has some very cool and intuitive options here and there, the camera is better back and front, the battery is great for my use case, I appreciate having a new phone again that will still have decent software support.

And all of this for around 200€, the same price I got my OP3 5 years ago, I'm really glad I could find such a good phone for this price.

I used to mod a lot back in the day, installing custom roms, custom kernels, all kinds of apps, but that changed and I just use a DNS and ublock on Firefox, I'm not even planning to unlock the bootloader and root this one, I'm happy with stock, it has everything I need at this point in life.