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.
I use the OneUI and it's not bloated at all. It let's you customize, install and uninstall components at your heart's content. I use FLOSS alternatives for most of the Google and Samsung defaults and it let's me uninstall them without issue.
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.
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.
I went from Samsung S10+ to a pixel 5 which was a huge upgrade. Pixel 5 to pixel 7 pro was a considerably bigger downgrade. After my experience, I'm at least a few generations and a lot of reviews between my next pixel or tensor phone.
P7P:
overheats with light use
between 1/2 and 1 days battery life
persistent screen glare
worst android UI I've seen since maybe my galaxy s3? Genuinely so long I can't even really be sure.
terrible build materials. Mad slippy and will break if dropped even a small distance
worst fingerprint sensor I've used.
most limited customization of any android in recent memory, combined with awful stock ux
My s23u has a much shittier camera than my previous one. I got it because I wanted a better camera...
Either.
Both are programmed to harvest every single bit of information you input into it, including access other devices on your network if you use wifi.
Buy the one with the nicest camera I guess.
If you care about privacy, get a Pine phone.
I love my pixel. It consistently has the best camera in the US smartphone market.
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.
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