Since the start of the year, one phone stood at the top of my chart. That phone was the Pixel 3XL. I felt Google would come out this year and make good on the mistakes they made with the Pixel 2XL, a phone that was actually a solid device (minus the display). But as the year progressed, and leaks surfaced, I found myself angry with Google for a phone that was underwhelming (on paper). And I know others may have felt the same, which was what made me post some alternatives.
But after calming down, I sold the Pixel 2XL (going against my gut), and bought a Pixel 3XL. I bought the 3XL because of all of the new features shown off at the press release (ie the new camera additions and call screening), all which ended up making its way to the 2XL. This made me rethink my choice to buy the 3XL, and decided to choose the phone I had originally planned to purchase.
One Plus really did an awesome job with this phone. The display is just brighter, larger, and more of a joy to look at vs the Pixel 3XL. And they did one of the best jobs this year with the notch design. This phone has stock android (with just a twist of extras), Android P, a decent camera (photos taken with my 6T shown at the end of this article), and a little futuristic tech (in glass fingerprint scanner). These are things hardcore android fans want in their Pixel. Plus the added benefit of the price tag that is Nexus-like ($630). Might I add that for that amount you get 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.
But if you’re like me and looking to save. You can easily snag the middle option with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for under $600 ($579). Or if you really wanting to go cheap, grab the 6GB of RAM – 128GB of storage option for $549. Which is still cheaper with more RAM than the $899 64GB Pixel 3XL.
I’ll give Google credit, for the 3rd year in a row they produced the best camera in a smartphone. A feat that deserves mentioning, given Google’s reputation in the camera department from the Nexus One all the way up to the Nexus 6P. And they continue to do some awesome things in the software department, Playground (augmented reality Iron Man, Captain America, and Hulk), Night Sight, and Call Screening, to name the few. But for the every day user, many of those gimmicks are not worth the extra $200 considering what you they are giving up.
If you look at the One Plus 6T, it is not a perfect device. One could argue that the fingerprint unlocking can be slow, and it lacks a SD Card slot. But it may be the best option for many of your average customers. It have the specs that (on paper) almost match the Note 9, it have that awe factor (in the fingerprint scanner), and the ability to use dual SIM (something that would definitely appeal to those who like to travel). I already mentioned the price tag. And it come with a free case and screen protector out of the box.
What drove me to finally swap to the One Plus 6T was the Pixel 3XL memory management issues. Though I know it is a bug isolated to the 3 (that will get fixed), I regret jumping on the hype wagon, ignoring my gut, and costing myself money in the process. Had I stuck with my gut, I would have still had that awesome camera, dual speakers, and the latest android updates with the 2XL. But would have the awesomeness of the 6T to go with it.
