The Best Smartphones: Google nails it

[OcelotRex]

Yes I understand, I own the S7 edge too. Nougat bêta started 2 or more days ago in Angland so release should be soon. I didn't know they left moto, now I'm just not impressionnant with google phone spec which are a lot worse than a 8 month old phone, it's just going to be destroyed very quickly with the S8.

I think the issue is that specifications are not king anymore. Most mid range phones offer acceptable performance (like you stated with the Moto G suggestion) and the flagships of 2014 and 2015 are plenty powerful enough even today.

If people want the phone with the best synthetic benchmarks then Apple is king.

What the pixel offers is the customization of Android backed by the most powerful Google Software and the must current updates. As far as Android is concerned and considering they're all priced the same the only reason to go Samsung/HTC/LG at the $700+ range is that you're locked into a brand.

 

[ATLVM]

I'm a Galaxy S7 owner... great phone, great hardware, you've got all the key features in a single device including waterproofing (which I personally use often), wireless charging (again, used every day) and microSD slot. So for me the Pixel XL is no drop-in replacement. I paid full price for the Galaxy S7 Edge, so at the current price point it's just as compelling many months later.

Precisely, that's why we have a "Best from Apple" category. iPhones are great phones, and we recommend them. However if you are an Apple lover, and don't want to look beyond their yearly offerings, guess what, they have made those decisions for you. If you want the best iPhone, get the iPhone 7 Plus, but there is no choosing what features you want.

Sorry but that is a rather naive comment. Customer feedback is important to Apple and Samsung, so no choosing features?

I guess ALL the features that are in phones now are what.. random, just developer ideas? No CUSTOMERS CHOOSE those features.. you are not thinking this through at all... The next phone will be the DIRECT result of customer feedback.

 

[ATLVM]

What if I want to go Apple and also want a headphone jack? I mean, that whole Apple section is pointless since they only have one version of the phone. Hmmm, which iPhone should I get? iPhone 7 or iPhone 7?

I don't understand the angst for the headphone jack. They GIVE you NEW (lightning connector) headphones with an iPhone, they ALSO include an adapter for the existing analog head phones.

What is the PROBLEM?!?! Why do you NEED the headphone jack, its a change but it should have been done a LONG time ago, why did they introduce blue tooth huh? I haven't used wired anything since WiFi and bluetooth came out, so why do you think this is a problem, its not.. you just need to have something to complain about move on already!

 

[ATLVM]

iPhone 7 Plus couldn't have launched at a better time. It launched while Galaxy Note 7 was exploding and recalled.

The last time I saw a product launch that "lucky" was the 2011 Hyundai Sonata - which launched just as Toyota was suffering unintended acceleration recalls and Toyota dealers couldn't even show you a Camry.

These other Google Android smartphones would be completely in the shadow of the S7 and Note 7 if not for fate.

I've noticed more LG Stylos selling to people who wanted a big Android and don't realize it's inferior to the Note 7.

I think you are a bit jaded Samsung hardly makes the BEST phone in Android category why do you think Google chose HTC (hint hint) to make their phone instead of Samsung...hmmm?

Coincidence.. I think NOT.. and before you start the whole flame war about Samsung problems ALL of these decisions were made LONG before the Note 7 problems. Samsung has had flawed phones for YEARS, I know because I had 3 of them and every time I went to the forums to complain it was always the same answer "Samsung has no update for this phone have to wait for the next one....".

Yeah ok, time for a new phone which is what I did I switched to HTC and anything BUT Samsung. Samsung promises to do many things and they never come through with their intentions.

So fine YOU like Samsung but the Brand Samsung is NOT well liked by actual users.. I work in Tech industry I see and assist people with their gadgets.. Samsung is a strong player but the devices people LIKE the most do not have Samsung name on them.

 

[Bigtruckseries]

I think you are a bit jaded Samsung hardly makes the BEST phone in Android category why do you think Google chose HTC (hint hint) to make their phone instead of Samsung...hmmm?

Coincidence.. I think NOT.. and before you start the whole flame war about Samsung problems ALL of these decisions were made LONG before the Note 7 problems. Samsung has had flawed phones for YEARS, I know because I had 3 of them and every time I went to the forums to complain it was always the same answer "Samsung has no update for this phone have to wait for the next one....".

Yeah ok, time for a new phone which is what I did I switched to HTC and anything BUT Samsung. Samsung promises to do many things and they never come through with their intentions.

So fine YOU like Samsung but the Brand Samsung is NOT well liked by actual users.. I work in Tech industry I see and assist people with their gadgets.. Samsung is a strong player but the devices people LIKE the most do not have Samsung name on them.

The problem is that apple cornered the market and killed profts for the companies making "dumb phones" and forced them to offer more.

Samsung locked itself in a cycle of trying to "one up the iPhone" as did many other makers.

They try to give you a slightly bigger screen.

They claim faster internet speeds.

They claim more connectivity.

They have gimmick features and none of them add up to the sum of their parts.

Remember the first "iPhone killer?" Remember the Evo 4g? How'd that work out?

Remember Verizon's Droids?

These companies compete with each other. iPhone stands alone.

The big difference is: all the rest run Android and iOS stands alone.

Nothing yet has matched the simplicity, ease of use, updatability and coherency of the iOS system.

And that's why all iPhone's competition gets forgotten eventually.

Samsung is one of the few companies that manages to get as much (or more) market penetration globally than iPhone.

The rest are barely treading water.

 

[OcelotRex]

I don't understand the angst for the headphone jack. They GIVE you NEW (lightning connector) headphones with an iPhone, they ALSO include an adapter for the existing analog head phones.

What is the PROBLEM?!?! Why do you NEED the headphone jack, its a change but it should have been done a LONG time ago, why did they introduce blue tooth huh? I haven't used wired anything since WiFi and bluetooth came out, so why do you think this is a problem, its not.. you just need to have something to complain about move on already!

A headphone jack is very convenient due to this simple fact - only 2 device supports lightning headphones: the iPhone and the iPad (I guess 3 if the iPod does as well). Nearly every other device supports headphones with the 3.5mm jack - Laptops, PCs, MacBooks, Android Phones, Android tablets, older phones, radios, Discmen, etc. For decades it has been standard and switching to the proprietary standard of the lightning connector for the gain of better haptic feedback and a touch sensitive home button is a tradeoff most don't want to make. The #donglelife is a step backwards until other technologies catch up.

As an aside I think that the new space inside the phone will yield better hardware in the future and the tradeoff will be worth it in future phones but in the 7 and 7 Plus it was not.

Wired connections are superior to wireless in everything but convenience. The audio signal is stronger, there's less interference, and the sound quality is better on the whole. For data transfer or internet wired is faster, has lower latency, and the connection is less prone to interruption/interference. You find wireless to be more convenient and while that's your opinion wired headphones are cheaper and sound better for the money spent. They also never need to be charged and are ready to be used all the time. If they have the 3.5mm jack they're also compatible with nearly every device save the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

 

[OcelotRex]

Nothing yet has matched the simplicity, ease of use, updatability and coherency of the iOS system.

Samsung is one of the few companies that manages to get as much (or more) market penetration globally than iPhone.

The rest are barely treading water.

Except Android which has surpassed iOS in everything but "updatability" which I think you are referring to OS updates. Subjective measurements like "ease of use" are dependent on the individual.

For years Nexus and Pixel phones have been on the market if that was a concern for most consumers outside the Apple ecosystem they'd sell better than Samsung handsets. This doesn't appear to be a feature higher on the list than others like the camera.

As far as market penetration Apple is King in the USA and nowhere else. Looking alt individual markets there are vendors in China (Huawei, Oppo), India, and other markets that have more market share than Apple. Globally there's no contest - Samsung moves the most phones. Apple only comes close to catching them in quarters when they release new hardware.

 

[Nobina]

I don't understand the angst for the headphone jack. They GIVE you NEW (lightning connector) headphones with an iPhone, they ALSO include an adapter for the existing analog head phones.

What is the PROBLEM?!?! Why do you NEED the headphone jack, its a change but it should have been done a LONG time ago, why did they introduce blue tooth huh? I haven't used wired anything since WiFi and bluetooth came out, so why do you think this is a problem, its not.. you just need to have something to complain about move on already!

"I haven't used anything wired since WiFi came out so other people don't use it as well".

Great argument you got there. Did you come here just to justify your bad purchase?

 

[Bigtruckseries]

For years Nexus and Pixel phones have been on the market if that was a concern for most consumers outside the Apple ecosystem they'd sell better than Samsung handsets. This doesn't appear to be a feature higher on the list than others like the camera.

The only thing that allowed the Google Pixel and any other phone (which honestly I can't even name - which alone tells me how overlooked they all are) to rise to challenege the iPhone 7 Plus (and fail) is the fact Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was such an abysmal failure.

Otherwise, they'd have been in the GN7's shadow.

After the last Note 7 exploded, buyers decided to abandon the Note series and search for a new device elsewhere. Apple should gloat about it and tell us how many Galaxy 7 users switched to iPhone.

The thing I think that will hurt iPhone in the long run is having the "courage" (stupidity) to ditch the headphone jack just when the pressure would be on buyers to abandon the GN7 and search for another big screen superphone.

Many of them demand a headphone jack.

 

[OcelotRex]

The only thing that allowed the Google Pixel and any other phone (which honestly I can't even name - which alone tells me how overlooked they all are) to rise to challenege the iPhone 7 Plus (and fail) is the fact Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was such an abysmal failure.

I really didn't want to reply knowing your clear bias for Apple products but I had to point out the irony that you keep denigrating Android phones on a site that just awarded the Best Phone Overall to the new Google Pixel XL over the iPhone 7 Plus, meaning they consider it to be a better phone in spite of the "abysmal failure" of the Note 7.

 

[Chidoro]

I don't know why Google Pixel XL would be the best Android device to go. With Note 7 early death, Galaxy S7 edge is the top Android phone ATM for hardware, just look up the specs. And Samsung will roll out Android N update for S7 very soon now.

I think the author made it quite clear why the Pixel is best choice out there right now.

 

[theruck]

Moto g4 play does not cost 100$ but 50% more
it does not have notification LED so it can not be the best budget phone in this universe or dimension

 

[shubhankar]

Is buying moto G4 play is better is better than Lenovo K6 ?
in europe its almost same price. I m confused in these 2 devices for quality of the product, performance and user expérience. .