What are the chances of Pixel 6a and Nothing phone (1) being good

[venomtail]

21 minutes ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

So was there anything wrong with this recommendation OP?

I fear it's not coming where I live.

I can't find any sources saying that the Ace 3 is coming to the European market, let alone the British one. There's a prices comparison site where all the Britis retailers in the list are just empty. Broken list.

The only reason I say that is because I saw some thread on gsmarena where users are complaining as to why only the Japanese market gets all the best phones. Didn't read into it too much. Maybe Japan is just first release and worldwide 1-24 months later?

 

I can look into maybe some sites who sell items from Japan to Europe, if costs aren't too much. But then I have to look at other annoying things like if the Japan model is compatible with EU networks and other shit basically. Remember years ago that was something you had to take into account. No idea how that works and if it's even a thing.

[saintlouisbagels]

5 minutes ago, venomtail said:

I fear it's not coming where I live.

I can't find any sources saying that the Ace 3 is coming to the European market, let alone the British one. There's a prices comparison site where all retailers in the list are just empty. Broken list.

The only reason I say that is because I saw some thread on gsmarena where users are complaining as to why only the Japanese market gets all the best phones. Didn't read into it too much. Maybe Japan is just first release and worldwide 1-24 months later?

 

I can look into maybe some sites who sell items from Japan to Europe, if costs aren't too much. But then I have to look at other annoying things like if the Japan model is compatible with EU networks and other shit basically. Remember years ago that was something you had to take into account. No idea how that works and if it's even a thing.

It appears you are very selectively blind to the word S10.

Edit: just gonna say LOL so that I sound slightly less rude. You didn't acknowledge the original post I quoted, and you didn't acknowledge the quote in my reply.

[venomtail]

22 hours ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

It appears you are very selectively blind to the word S10.

Edit: just gonna say LOL so that I sound slightly less rude. You didn't acknowledge the original post I quoted, and you didn't acknowledge the quote in my reply.

mb, I missed the quote below the text, thought you were only talking about the Ace 3.

I'll look into it but at a glance seems like the phone I already have. Not sure if it's worth for me buying a used phone just so I have a slightly faster processor and can do dual sim... on the plus side maybe the battery isn't dead like one mine

[venomtail]

59 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

I suggested it because it has everything you said you wanted. Sure, its not far off from your V30. Maybe because what you said you wanted is basically describing your V30.

 

At least the S10 is not stuck with Android 9 and a miserable amount of RAM.

It's an upgrade but I don't think it's worth it. I'm spending money just so I can use 2 sim basically. When it comes to OS, not really compelling to buy a phone that's already outdated. 

 

1 hour ago, huilun02 said:

Also might want to do a sanity check on the Xperia Ace III that you so desire. It is meant to replace the Ace II, and once you look at the specs you might find yourself scrambling back to the V30

I think the Ace isn't going to happen. I need to be realistic. No one's selling the Aces anywhere and in the Ebay history there's been just one used Ace 2 sold in the last year or two. There's no reason for Ace 3 to come either then.

 

Still on the fence about the 6a and Nothing. 6a is the smarter choice but I could really use the wireless and double sim capabilities.

[venomtail]

So the Pixel 6a reviews have come out and it's pretty iffy, if not disappointing.

 

Seems like Google has missed the mark by straying from their near perfected 5a design. They've gone all in on the Tensor chip which apparently is a dud because the phone is constantly thermal throttling so you're missing out on the main reason you bought the phone. If don't want to constantly have a heater in your hand you've gotta turn off 5g, falling back on 4g. Any longer use of the phone or multitasking makes it heat up thus it throttles. Of course I'd like to know how much it heats up to. Maybe people are overreacting if it heats up to only 50°C because I'm already used to having to handle my V30 as it's nice and toasty at 70°C in my hand.

 

Sad in a way as it was my nr.1 choice of new phones. I'll might have to consider other options. The only alternative was the Ace 3 which seems to only be releasing in Japan, no luck again. Now it's a waiting game to see how well the Nothing phone is in reality, just still frustrated about it's size. I am extremely stubborn for wanting what I want and don't want to give into the industry but I might have to concede and buy these modern day phablets.

 

Could also just get a Pixel 5a, which in a funny way people seem to be buying all the sudden now that the 6a is out.

[venomtail]

Some reviews or the Nothing phone have appeared and they're pretty solid. An average phone for an better than average price. Will want to look more at battery though, one reviewer marked battery on the nothing phone as above and beyond where as a different one shat on it saying it will barely get you through the day using it sparingly. Polar opposites. Wonder which one of the is the outlier and why. Don't really care that much about camera but the one site where there are direct comparison between my V30 and Nothing phone, theirs had a broken camera that didn't take photos properly. If that is not the case then damn, my V30 apparently should take better photos...

 

Read that O2 might be a carrier that has the nothing phones displaying in stores. I'll wait till one appears locally to see if the size wont be bothering me too much. Usually my gripe is large phones not fitting into pockets and trays etc rather than many who can't reach things.

[Commodus]

1 hour ago, venomtail said:

Some reviews or the Nothing phone have appeared and they're pretty solid. An average phone for an better than average price. Will want to look more at battery though, one reviewer marked battery on the nothing phone as above and beyond where as a different one shat on it saying it will barely get you through the day using it sparingly. Polar opposites. Wonder which one of the is the outlier and why. Don't really care that much about camera but the one site where there are direct comparison between my V30 and Nothing phone, theirs had a broken camera that didn't take photos properly. If that is not the case then damn, my V30 apparently should take better photos...

 

Read that O2 might be a carrier that has the nothing phones displaying in stores. I'll wait till one appears locally to see if the size wont be bothering me too much. Usually my gripe is large phones not fitting into pockets and trays etc rather than many who can't reach things.

It's honestly one of the few mid-range Android phones I'd consider... if I lived in a country where Nothing devices were available, anyway.

 

Lighting tricks aside, I get the impression that it's simply a well-rounded phone. Pleasing design, solid performance for the money, decent cameras, lightly customized Android. It's not so much bigger than your V30 that I'd rule it out. Still a young brand, so its track record for OS updates and support is still an unknown, but Nothing clearly wants to be in this for the long haul.

[venomtail]

23 hours ago, Commodus said:

It's honestly one of the few mid-range Android phones I'd consider... if I lived in a country where Nothing devices were available, anyway.

 

Lighting tricks aside, I get the impression that it's simply a well-rounded phone. Pleasing design, solid performance for the money, decent cameras, lightly customized Android. It's not so much bigger than your V30 that I'd rule it out. Still a young brand, so its track record for OS updates and support is still an unknown, but Nothing clearly wants to be in this for the long haul.

I'll keep an eye out for the Nothing phone. Seems like a winner for your normal priced phone market. Wouldn't be the first time I go with a new kid on the block so I've already been there, done that. Didn't work out one time but I've kind of learned my lesson. 

 

The whole Pixel 6 line seems to be surrounded with nothing but issues especially with regards to heat, that people are commenting that they often have the weakest data out of everyone and that the phone gives in when the moments really matter, like recording a moment or other tasks. Really getting cold feet about committing £400 for a test.

 

Speaking on small phones, zenfone 9 just leaked. Seems like just what I was looking for. Small, has NFC, hopefully dual sim and wireless charging. The only downside right now is the leaked eyewatering price of $810~. £600 is definitely a lot but not far from what I paid for my V30. Possible to save up a bit more from the £450 the nothing phone goes for.

[Commodus]

44 minutes ago, venomtail said:

I'll keep an eye out for the Nothing phone. Seems like a winner for your normal priced phone market. Wouldn't be the first time I go with a new kid on the block so I've already been there, done that. Didn't work out one time but I've kind of learned my lesson. 

 

The whole Pixel 6 line seems to be surrounded with nothing but issues especially with regards to heat, that people are commenting that they often have the weakest data out of everyone and that the phone gives in when the moments really matter, like recording a moment or other tasks. Really getting cold feet about committing £400 for a test.

 

Speaking on small phones, zenfone 9 just leaked. Seems like just what I was looking for. Small, has NFC, hopefully dual sim and wireless charging. The only downside right now is the leaked eyewatering price of $810~. £600 is definitely a lot but not far from what I paid for my V30. Possible to save up a bit more from the £450 the nothing phone goes for.

I've had a good experience with my Pixel 6 apart from the fussy fingerprint reader, but it's also my "sidearm" phone (I'm definitely not your typical user) where an iPhone 13 Pro is my daily driver. If I didn't have it and I wanted to buy a Google phone, I'd hold out for the Pixel 7 at this stage.

 

And $810 isn't eye-watering if those specs are accurate... relative to the Zenfone line, maybe.  Particularly when the Norwegian pricing likely includes tax and may be higher than in other regions. The simple reality is that phone prices have crept upward since 2017. You can still get a very solid phone for $400, but the days when that money got you a truly powerful phone are long, long gone.

[venomtail]

On 7/26/2022 at 5:07 PM, Commodus said:

I've had a good experience with my Pixel 6 apart from the fussy fingerprint reader, but it's also my "sidearm" phone (I'm definitely not your typical user) where an iPhone 13 Pro is my daily driver. If I didn't have it and I wanted to buy a Google phone, I'd hold out for the Pixel 7 at this stage.

 

And $810 isn't eye-watering if those specs are accurate... relative to the Zenfone line, maybe.  Particularly when the Norwegian pricing likely includes tax and may be higher than in other regions. The simple reality is that phone prices have crept upward since 2017. You can still get a very solid phone for $400, but the days when that money got you a truly powerful phone are long, long gone.

Zenfone 9 just got announced at it is pricy at $799.

Saying that though it seems just about perfect, doesn't have wireless charging so it's like a 99/100 for me. Seems like battery will be good as well. Even better, for some reason I got the impression that this phone is coming out q4 of this year but no you can apparently get it on the 31th of August. That's real soon.

Of course I'll see what the pricing is like cause one site says starts at £599 and a different one says £699. Flucutates quite big, and ASUS site doesn't have pricing.

 

Shame it's not as pretty as Nothing phone or Pixel 5a. Not a fan of these Tron graffiti.

[Commodus]

15 hours ago, venomtail said:

Zenfone 9 just got announced at it is pricy at $799.

Saying that though it seems just about perfect, doesn't have wireless charging so it's like a 99/100 for me. Seems like battery will be good as well. Even better, for some reason I got the impression that this phone is coming out q4 of this year but no you can apparently get it on the 31th of August. That's real soon.

Of course I'll see what the pricing is like cause one site says starts at £599 and a different one says £699. Flucutates quite big, and ASUS site doesn't have pricing.

 

Shame it's not as pretty as Nothing phone or Pixel 5a. Not a fan of these Tron graffiti.

It does look like good value, although for $799 I'd have liked wireless charging. You do get a fast charger in the box. As for the looks, you're right. But at least it's a bit polarizing. Some past Zenfones have committed the ultimate crime: being merely inoffensive.

[dizmo]

Most phones look the same because of what they are. A screen. There isn't a lot of innovation to do on that front. They don't really need to do a ton the rest of the phone since most people just throw a case on it. Kind of a lost cause.

 

120hz displays are wonderful. I'll never go back. If you haven't experienced one, then that might be why you don't see the point. Everything is just so much smoother. Though I get the feeling you don't use your phone much.

 

You probably won't notice the resolution of the 6a, especially if you don't use your phone much. I have a 6.5" phone with a 1080p screen, and while I was a little skeptical before I got it, it's perfectly fine.

 

Carl was one of the better people behind OnePlus, so I imagine that the phone will get decent support. Though we won't know. There's nothing to base any answer on, as it's a new company. They claim 3 years of updates and 4 years of security. Their earphones weren't great. So. Something to think about.

On 7/1/2022 at 1:57 AM, jaslion said:

I'd just get a galaxy a52 5g. It's basically the sweet spot phone rn. Solid, has all the features your lg has and is only 8mm taller than your lg v30. Sounds like the phone you'd want. I mean it's boring and doesn't do anything different but it's just good at being a modern smartphone

 

The nothing phone looks like a all bling no depth phone to me right now. I am honestly expecting maybe one os update and that is the end. Seems their os is not super modified.

 

But in all honesty I wouldn't get either. The pixel 6 bugs are still there. Some have been fixed but a lot are just there and there seems no way out yet.

 

About the resolution part. It's fine really. You do not need a higher res it's just wasted on such small screens.

The Nothing phone actually has superb battery life. Better than what I was expecting to see. There are definitely some features that aren't that useful though, like that lighting effect on the back. Sure, neat. Some might use it. But I think the masses will just ignore it.

On 7/1/2022 at 2:35 AM, venomtail said:

Forgot to mention that I don't want to put down a mortgage for a new phone. Doesn't this Sony cost like £1400? I can't justify spending that much. Theorised £400~ for Nothing phone or Pixel is just about my upper limit. No phone is worth more than that.

 

Very. Stubborn and frugal. Not the best combination out there  I was thinking of getting the Pixel 5a but that was the first phone Google axed. Maybe because it actually was just so good value for money. Pretty sure Google is still making the 4a but the one everyone wants, the 5a. Nope, can't get it. Even used local market is either empty of 5a's or used 5a's selling for more than is released...

 

1440p on mobile is a surprising must if you want to do productivity related stuff. The amount of times I've had to write documents on my phone with a Bluetooth keyboard really makes me glad I had a 1440p screen. A buddy of mine had a much bigger 1080p phabled and I'm pretty sure he had even less readable text on the screen than me.

My favorite phone still do this day was the Xperia Z1 compact. 4.3" is ideal, imagine how good it would be with a 92%~ screen ratio. Would be the best seller but "market research" says otherwise and no brand wants to risk it.

 

The Samsung is very uninspired. Specs is one thing but is it actually optimized well? I doubt its massive 64MP camera will get better pictures than the 4a. Samsung now do more than 2 years of software support? I though only Google mainly did that. £300 is very appealing but only when I need a phone when this one breaks then I might consider the a52. This or one of the latest Nokia's. They're surprisingly good now. I'll wait till then otherwise.

They didn't axe the phone because it's too good of a value, they axed it because of chip shortages. If it was because it was too good of a value, they'd have skipped the 6a all together. They're certainly not still making the 4a.

 

A phone that small wouldn't sell well. There might be a niche, but it's not worth investing in. There's a reason Apple is likely killing the Mini.

 

There's lots of companies that offer more than 2 years of support. Samsung is actually in the lead in that regard, followed by a lot of 3 year OS/4 to 5 year security companies. It's made easier with the background work Google has been putting in.

On 7/2/2022 at 12:32 AM, Imbadatnames said:

My issue is USB is a confusing standard and you’re locking it so there’s no innovation in the space. Imagine if they did this with micro, plus if they keep changing it then what’s the point in the law? Plus USBC is fragile AF 

It's been pretty good for me. No issues at all, and it's far better than what we had before (microUSB). Those ports were much more fragile.

On 7/4/2022 at 8:14 AM, huilun02 said:

Assuming they cost about the same, or the 6a does not cost too much more, then it would be the better long term investment. The combination of battery capacity, good chipset, and small 60Hz screen means it will logically have outstanding battery endurance.

 

Of course that is if you can live with the limited storage and RAM.

 

By the way if you feel your V30 is sluggish it would be because most of its storage is filled. Flash storage slows down dramatically as it runs out of unused space.

Sadly, like most Google phones, it gets pretty average battery life. The Nothing phone gets significantly better battery life.

Really wish Google would do a better job at optimizing their phones.

On 7/5/2022 at 2:54 AM, venomtail said:

That's just the way I've filtered the market. My list of priorities are in order of most important to least important:

 

Size: Too many new phones have become unwieldy. Even my V30 sometimes is too big and doesn't fit in some pockets. Seeing how just about every phone is even bigger now after 5 years, I'll have to settle on phone being no bigger than my current phone, about 152mm in height.

Price: Everything is becoming more expensive I understand but no phone should cost more than £400, give or take. If there is a perfect phone I could maybe justify the cost to some £600~

Specs: I don't care about the speed of the hardware, more about the amount of things hardware allows me to do and it working 100/100 times. I need NFC, and ideally a phone should have dual sim as well as wireless charging. I travel a lot so it would be really useful if I didn't need 2 phones with me when I go abroad and wireless charging is really convenient in car and bike mounts. 

brand: I'm not a brand loyalist but I have been burned by Chinese phones, especially their OS and software so I don't want to go through that again. Maybe after 7 years Chinese brands are far better than their first introduction to the market here.

Out of all of these needs, with compromises I've come to the Pixel 6a. Still not sure so I wanted to ask on the forums. That same day I saw the Nothing phone and peaked my interest. Though maybe someone knows more about Nothing phone and their approach to software because hardware wise it has everything I need, even for an acceptable price of some £410~. I'll think about its huge size.

 

Any other suggestions go ahead, Sony Ace 3 is really good, just I have doubt it will come to my market as it might just be a Japan release 

Sounds like the ZenFone 9 is one of the few that'll fit your needs.

[dizmo]

On 7/28/2022 at 1:47 PM, venomtail said:

Zenfone 9 just got announced at it is pricy at $799.

Saying that though it seems just about perfect, doesn't have wireless charging so it's like a 99/100 for me. Seems like battery will be good as well. Even better, for some reason I got the impression that this phone is coming out q4 of this year but no you can apparently get it on the 31th of August. That's real soon.

Of course I'll see what the pricing is like cause one site says starts at £599 and a different one says £699. Flucutates quite big, and ASUS site doesn't have pricing.

 

Shame it's not as pretty as Nothing phone or Pixel 5a. Not a fan of these Tron graffiti.

Something to keep in mind, it has the worst support of any of the phones out. 2 years. Pretty abysmal.

Other than that it's a stellar device. Superb battery life. Wish they'd put a 700 series SoC in it with a lower price tag though.

[Imbadatnames]

32 minutes ago, dizmo said:

It's been pretty good for me. No issues at all, and it's far better than what we had before (microUSB). Those ports were much more fragile.

It’s still inferior to lightning which the design draws heavy inspiration from and it’s designed to break ok the device side vs the cable side 

[venomtail]

14 hours ago, dizmo said:

Something to keep in mind, it has the worst support of any of the phones out. 2 years. Pretty abysmal.

Other than that it's a stellar device. Superb battery life. Wish they'd put a 700 series SoC in it with a lower price tag though.

2 years of updates will be just fine. Still rocking Android 8.0 so anything newer's just as good.

I agree with the CPU. Wish they'd have gone with the Nothing model and went with a lower chip. Sure on paper it's not the flagship but in comparison even when not being the flagship it still beats similar competition like the Pixel 6a and A53. ASUS Could have significantly dropped the cost with a lesser chip, would need to spend way less on accompanying designs like cooling etc. that raise the cost in tandem. Oh well, guess I'll be enjoying Android Auto at 120fps...

[jaslion]

38 minutes ago, venomtail said:

2 years of updates will be just fine. Still rocking Android 8.0 so anything newer's just as good.

I agree with the CPU. Wish they'd have gone with the Nothing model and went with a lower chip. Sure on paper it's not the flagship but in comparison even when not being the flagship it still beats similar competition like the Pixel 6a and A53. ASUS Could have significantly dropped the cost with a lesser chip, would need to spend way less on accompanying designs like cooling etc. that raise the cost in tandem. Oh well, guess I'll be enjoying Android Auto at 120fps...

I will agree if they get to android 13 on this as then google will handle much of the security side instead of relying on manufacturers.

 

Old android works just fine but ita more vulnerable than it was. Not an issue for most people but also not great that its allowed to be that way.

 

I agree with the price. The zenphone and their now dead transformer android tab lineup was know for delivering a lot for a good price and lasting long. Nowadays its getting waaay too expensive for what you are getting and a lower specced phone would have been plenty good.

 

The market for upper end devices has been slowling down more and more and the more volatile market is the budget market. So I hope we can see a reused chassis version of this one later but with cheaper hardware and a much lower price

[venomtail]

Turns out S22 was a pleasant surprise. Maybe the go to choice over the rest, even Zenfone 9?

 

Went to some carrier stores to show the new flip 4 to my parents so they get the idea of these folding phones and whilst they were dealing with other things, I noticed that the S22 is smaller than my current V30. Really caught my eye.

It has everything I am looking, just about except for an audio jack. Also a bit worried about the potential Samsung bloatware that the phones always come with but lets hope I can remove said apps, disable them at worst.

Was also informed that in the UK, we get a lesser chip compared to the rest of the world, and Exynoes instead of a Snapdragon (because of course we get the short end of the stick again) and it's had a lot of complaints about it, so looking online it only lacked in gaming/rendering performance which is sort of irrelevant for me. Seems like it has no impact on battery life. 

 

Would love to know if the Samsung also comes with QOL features like the Zenfone 9, like scheduled charging and that soft of software support. Both also rather closely priced, S22 at £700~ and the Zenfone 9 at £750~. Seen the 128GB model go on sale for £550 so I might have to look at the S22 256GB model if it goes on sale for around £600~ then the deal might be irresistible. 

 

There aren't any things I am oblivious to that are making me walk into a trap with the S22 right...?

[venomtail]

Kept an eye on forums for what people say on both Zenfone 9 and S22. So far Zenfone 9 seems to be the one winning with flying colours. Here I have to choose the downgraded Exynos chip (which so far doesn't seem to impact battery life directly) and even without it, a lot of people have been constantly complaining about the battery life. Many other minor compaints like camera speed and so on. Maybe more complains cause more people own the phone, so because it's a numbers game there's more likelyhood of people running into issues?

Where as that the Zenfone 9 seems to have raving reviews everywhere, especially regarding how well its battery life lasts. Seen multiple screenshots where people get 2 days out of the phone and still have 30% left where as others who power through a heavy day, 8hr screen on time and still have like 15% left is kinda insane actually. Here I am with my phone I have to scavenge if I want more than two hours of screen on time. Shame it's a phone from a smaller company. There'll be less cases and compatible accessories for it unlike the Samsung, but at the same time I can't find anyone anymore who makes alcantara cases for the Samsung. Seems like premium case industry has died since I last looked at it 6 years ago and iPhones are the only ones lucky enough to have some offerings. 

Samsung S23 is theorized it'll have the latest Snapdragon 8 gen 2 chips that will get it better battery life due to efficiency but is it still gonna compete to a phone that's 6 months older? I have very little hope. Not sure it's worth the weight. 

 

Pretty sure I'll pull the trigger on the Zenfone 9 16GB model. It'll take me a solid 6 weeks of 100% cheque saving to afford the phone but I'll keep an eye out if anything better gets released/announced from now till October.

[Cyber Raven]

On 8/1/2022 at 9:28 AM, jaslion said:

I will agree if they get to android 13 on this as then google will handle much of the security side instead of relying on manufacturers.

 

Old android works just fine but ita more vulnerable than it was. Not an issue for most people but also not great that its allowed to be that way.

 

I agree with the price. The zenphone and their now dead transformer android tab lineup was know for delivering a lot for a good price and lasting long. Nowadays its getting waaay too expensive for what you are getting and a lower specced phone would have been plenty good.

 

The market for upper end devices has been slowling down more and more and the more volatile market is the budget market. So I hope we can see a reused chassis version of this one later but with cheaper hardware and a much lower price

As someone who hasn't recently been keeping up with android versions (also still on 8), what do you mean by Google will handle most of the security side?

[venomtail]

45 minutes ago, Cyber Raven said:

As someone who hasn't recently been keeping up with android versions (also still on 8), what do you mean by Google will handle most of the security side?

To my knowledge, on older Androids security updates came with OS updates 99% of the time. Got an update for Android from 8.0 to 8.1? You also get a security update with it. Your manufacturer hasn't provided you an 8.1 to 9.0 update? Too bad, no security update. 

 

What I think what Google wants to do is in a way open up a 2nd lane. One for OS updates that they or your manufacturer takes care of and another one purely for security updates, regardless if the first lane has been halted because your manufacturer can't be bothered to update your device after 2 years. Same how apps have updates that have to be downloaded and updated individually through the play store and how at the same time by merely using them, they might have UI changes without you actually ever updating the files.