I have an S23 Ultra and it is a nice phone but I wouldn't recommend Samsung to anyone because my last several Samsungs "mysteriously" got issues right before the 2 year plan ended. I won't be getting another Samsung after this one. I really wanted the pen and it is great but I'm starting to care more about longevity.

I switch from a Pixel 3 to a S23 and it's really nice. The new Snapdragon 8 gen 2 is solid, with great battery life and doesn't heat up even when doing intensive task. I also change almost all the stock app to Google's so it's basically just like using a Pixel now, abet with some restriction (no google recorder app because that's pixel exclusive lol).

I was worried about "Samsung bloat" too but I have to say the new OneUI is rather nice.

Pixel.

The only advantage that i could think of in a Samsung phone is gaming performance.

And that's it, everything else is sh*te.

I wouldn't buy a Samsung in my right mind

Those using Samsung, how do you get around the bloatware and redundant apps? I agree that Samsung typically has better hardware. Before they locked their bootloader I used them exclusively with custom roms to get a clean android experience. The Pixel line tends to only include the Google apps with no extra third party apps. Getting access to the latest Android versions on releases is also a big plus for me.

Oh, almost forgot, for those interested in giving buying advice, please check out our very own buying guide that we are making in the sticky post and contribute your input. Thanks.

https://flash.android.com/welcome

Nothing like is available for other OEMs.

There should be an inherent time frame people think about, phones from 8 or 9 years ago are not relevant in any aspect to todays talking points for both sides of the aisle.

FWIW, I'm still using a pixel 3A and don't have plans to change anytime soon. They really do last for a long time.

Things like (old) fast charging and not having to charge it every day are what still blow my mind and feel like modern innovations to me. It's still pretty responsive and fast enough for what I use it for. Sometimes my texts take a little to load anymore but I don't really mind.

YMMV depending on what you want out of a phone I guess. I try not to look at my phone unless I have to for a text or call or email abymore. But I've been on this train since the Nexus 6P. If you want a solid, stable phone that lasts a long time and very little fluff or bloat, go pixel. The flexibility for custom ROMs and rooting and things is unmatched as well. I'll continue to use this thing until I drop it down the street one day or it gets aggravating to use somehow

I've been on one plus phones for years and then switched to pixel 4a 5g, then pixel 6a.

I just switched to a samsung galaxy s23 ultra and I am loving this device.

I uninstalled a bunch of the Google and samsung bloatware.

The Pixel experience being stock Android without any bloatware appeals to me.

I've also always rooted all of my Android devices, and the Pixel has been one of the easiest to do so, though this advantage would only be relevant to a small minority of users.

Can't speak on the Pixel (I've heard great things), but I have an S23+ and it works pretty great for me. I don't play a lot of games or anything if that's what you're looking for though

I've just recently switched from a Galaxy S10 to a Pixel 7 as I wanted to see the "vanilla" experience, as well as be closer to upstream for software updates. My S10 still works great, though the battery needs replacement (at the time, it had already broken the glue on the back glass and was still expanding -- didn't realize until I took it out of the case for cleaning)...

With my S10, I had to really fight to get it to let me use Google's apps over the Samsung ones; which whole annoying is doable. So far, the only things I really miss from Samsung (and notably the UX):

• The sidebar/panel with an additional set of predefined apps
  • Replaced with Panels
• The volume/silent switch in the notification shade
• The Bixby button (for custom actions)
• Physically smaller phone, but that's not a huge deal

Overall, I'm happy with the experience so far; though I dunno if the "Pro" model of anything is really worth it.

Samsung is using by far the worst OEM Rom, Pixel has by far the best. Go for the Pixel

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

Haven't had a samsung phone since the note 3, but I remember having issues with unlocking the bootloader, I think you had to use some 3rd party tool because samsung provided no guide in their manual. With nexus and pixel phones it's really easy so them I can definately recommend.

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.