[Nexus 6P General] zymphad:
Hello. This is for those who are still on N6P but are ready to move on, and contemplating either OnePlus 6T or Pixel 3 XL, for obvious reasons, both phones are similar size, with impressive dev activity w/ freedom to root/unlock and develop without hassle from OEM.

- I had great fun porting roms to 6P and customizing popular kernels just to make them unique, LeanKernel w/ EX features for example.

I bought the 6T midnight w/ 8gb of ram and 128 GB direct from OnePlus. A co-worker got a Pixel 3 XL from Verizon. I've played with both.

My sentiment with Pixel 3 XL

- After playing with the Pixel 3 XL, I've come to the conclusion and agreement with some others. Pixel 3 XL was not meant for us. Pixel 3 XL was not made for Nexus 6P fans. It was not made for Nexus fans. Pixel 3 XL feels more like Apple iPhone than ANY Android phone I've ever used or touched. Pixel 3 XL for me is an odd experience, because as I used it, I became aware and realized what Google tried to do with the Pixel 3 XL and why they partnered with Verizon. Verizon partnership clearly gives Pixel 3 XL the greatest opportunity and chance to convert Apple fans to Google Pixel 3 XL. I think many of your Nexus 6P owners after playing with Pixel 3 XL would come to the same conclusion. Pixel 3 XL oddly felt very simple, and LIMITED, just like an iPhone. While Pixel 3 XL fans will be able to customize to their heart's content with custom roms, mods and addons, but this stock experience left a bad taste in my mouth realizing who this phone was meant for. It was meant for the simple iPhone user who wastes their life on instagram posting selfies.

Value

- That's what the 6P was about. We all knew we would get cutting edge hardware with some sacrifices on the 6P, SD810, decent battery size, impressive EIS on the camera, latest updates, the first phone that exemplified how great fingerprint reader can be. Sacrifices to the camera and headphone output for example. But it was worth it to have an affordable, reasonably priced phone with the freedom to do with as we liked. We owned this phone, in it's entirety.

- 6T embodies that same philosophy as 6P. Cutting edge hardware with SD 845 and 8GB of ram, and blazing fast face unlock and decent on-screen fingerprint.

- The camera. 6T camera, not a debate, huge improvement over 6P. No question. Coming from 6P to 6T, you're gonna LOVE the camera. Yes it's not as good as Samsung Note 9, Huawei Mate 20, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, Pixel 3 XL cameras, but compared to 6P, 6T camera is excellent improvement. On top of that, Pixel 3 Camera software works on 6P, takes great night pictures.

- Consider the value of the 6P and the freedom OnePlus allows, I believe the average current 6P owners will be like me, it's worth sacrificing the camera for those other gains. Als

- Pixel 3 XL has gone a different road. It's expensive. It's gimped on hardware that matters, battery, ram, no face recognition, and just an awful design, the worst designed flagship phone of 2018.

- Pixel 3 XL is NOT worth $900. It's not. You can get a Galaxy S9 Plus for less and it's a superior phone, in nearly every way. Pixel 3 XL does not deserve to be in the $900-1000 budget with Samsung, Huawei and Apple, it's just doesn't deserve to be there. Pixel 3 XL is the opposite of what Nexus was about. It's on the opposite spectrum of value.

Feel, 6T wins.

- Both 6T and Pixel 3 XL improved on feel over the 6P. They both hold in your well more comfortably than 6P. But the frosted glass on the 6T I prefer it. And it's narrower than Pixel 3 XL, it's more comfortable in my hands. Will admit the Pixel 3 XL rear is more grippy, but it's still slippery.

Hardware. 6T easily wins.

- 8GB of ram vs 4GB. Using the Pixel 3 XL, can clearly tell 4GB is not enough, even with the software updates. Baffled how Google can charge $900 for a phone w/ 4gb, baffling.

- The design. Wow, that notch, is horrifying, and so is the massive chin. Google definitely could have provided stereo speakers with almost no bezel design. Pixel 3 XL is 2018 design fail of the year. Comparing Pixel 3 XL's notch to iPhone, and other competitors, it's horrifying how bad it is. The 6T has a drop notch, and it's unwanted as well. But the 6T gets rid of the notch thanks to the OLED display, but still uses that empty space for status bar. The Pixel 3 XL does not. It's just really bad, Google clearly didn't care at launch or still.

- Pixel 3 XL microphone. Wow... The microphone on Pixel 3 XL is garbage. I don't know if it's the hardware or digital processing, either way, it is garbage. Especially recording, it's garbage.

- 6T stereo microphone recording, great. The opposite of Pixel 3 XL's garbage.

- IP68 rating. Well done some research. The OnePlus 6T undergoes gruesome QA/QI testing, including a 100 hour rain test, temperature ranging from -40 to 90 C. Watching tear down videos provide clear evidence OnePlus design includes ALL necessary details and components to achieve IP68 rating. This should be a non-issue. Also consider, none of the OEM guarantee water resistance or honor warranty for liquid damage. Samsung, HTC, Apple, Google all use liquid damage sensors in their phones.

Anyone who risks liquid damage and trusts the IP68 rating is an idiot

.

- The caseback. Yeah, that's a no contest. The frosted black on 6T looks better than Pixel 3 XL IMO, and it doesn't scratch like the Pixel 3 XL. And that oddity around the camera on Pixel 3 XL looks terrible, it really does.

- Pixel 3 XL does have wireless charging. But... The 6T Dash Charge charges faster than Pixel 3 XL, and... the 3700 mah battery is AWESOME. I've never run out of juice, including hours of gaming, youtube, browsing, reading etc. I never worry about the display brightness etc. For reasons I can't think of, if wireless charging is more important than Dash fast charge and 3700 mah battery, well we clearly have different needs. Battery life vs wireless charging? Really? Is that even worth discussing or debating?

- Pixel 3 XL has quad display. Yes, but it also has a blue haze, it's VERY evident. The color profiles also suck, with idiotic names like warm, what is warm and natural? Is this phone for iPhone simpletons or tech nerds? 6T display does not shift color or blue haze, and it has understandable color profiles like sRGB, DCI-3P, makes sense, call it what it is. The Pixel 3 display honestly is better than Pixel 3 XL, pay more for worse screen, what a joke.

- DisplayMate awarding top award to Pixel 3 XL is a farce. What a joke. The blue haze shift still exists on the Pixel 3 XL LG display, how that can win any award is a joke.

- Pixel 3 XL has better stereo speakers. Stock 6T has mono single speaker. I'm rocking the 6T stereo speaker mod w/ EX's kernel that allows me to adjust volume of either speaker to have level even sound from both, with true stereo sound. Still not as good as Pixel 3 XL, but is it better than 6P? I think it is, I think it has fuller sound than 6P with this mod.

- Neither phones have headphone jack. But... But... With the USB-C dongle, BOTH phones on my headphones sound much better than 6P's headphone jack output. So... consider that, both 6T and Pixel 3 XL sound is better than 6Ps.

- Pixel 3 XL without doubt has the better camera. It does. I'm not a camera fanatic. But the porting of Gcam to 6T is going well. I'm using a port that works with all features, except it shoots 4mp for front camera, and oddly is still better than stock camera's front camera, weird. I had a lot of fun taking some impressive night pics with Pixel Cam on 6T enjoying the holiday festivities.

- Pixel 3 XL front camera CRUSHES the 6T. How often do I do a selfie? NEVER. Zero f***s from me.

- 6T has hardware options to toggle alarm settings, ring, vibrate, and silent. It is as amazing as everyone says, I use it daily. Pixel 3 XL does not, nope.

Software, 6T easily wins

OxygenOS... Yes, after using OxygenOS and then using Pixel 3 XL, well Pixel 3 XL felt the way I feel when I use Apple, angry. Why are you limiting me? Why can't I do this? Why can't I do that? Pixel 3 XL experience made me angry to use, after using OxygenOS and custom roms on 6P.

- OxygenOS has 3 navigation options. ALL three I prefer to Pixel 3 XL's. Amazing right? The one navigation option on Pixel 3 XL is inferior to any of the three provided on OxygenOS.

- I always change the batter to circle w/ %, yup, OxygenOS has that covered.

- Double tape to wake with face recognition? Hell yeah, faster and more convenient to use than fingerprint on 6P.

- No LED notifications on 6T and since I don't like ambient display, oh well.

- Gaming mode, reading mode, sort of gimicky, but I do use them, a lot. They are useful. Pixel 3 XL does not.

- Unsurprising, any app features on Pixel 3 XL I use on 6T. Had no issues replacing stock apps with Google apps. There are ZERO software features from Pixel 3 XL that I desire not on 6T. None, there are absolute no reason for me to desire a Pixel 3 XL over 6T in any way.

- Do I believe OxygenOS will be preferred by any 6P user who used custom roms? Most definitely. I would even go as far as, I believe majority of 6P owners using custom roms will be satisfied with OxygenOS and not use a custom rom.

- The 6T is a smoother experience and enjoyable experience than Pixel 3 XL. I really don't think that's up for debate. 8gb ram is overkill, but you can feel the difference compared to Pixel 3 XL 4gb.

Longevity

- I'm not interested in getting a new phone every year. 6T wins for this reason alone. The 8gb of ram with the 3700 mah batter future proofs this phone more than Pixel 3 XL. And you don't have to suffer the the worst designed phone of 2018 with the 6T. A year from now, I have little doubt, that massive notch and chin will be even more annoying and aggravating as 2019 and 2020 introduces completely bezel free phones that still have stereo speakers with superior cameras and sensors. Overall I 6T is the better option for long term use. Any software advancement on Pixel 3 XL will be available on the 6T and will perform better on the 6T.

I honestly believe Google failed miserably with the Pixel 3 XL. There are so many better phones than Pixel 3 XL this year. Oppo Find X, Samsung Note 9/Galaxy S9 Plus, Huawei Mate 20, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, and OnePlus 6T to me are all preferable to what Google offered Apple fans with Pixel 3 XL.

If camera is the reason to pay an extra $300? I think you're insane. Much better off paying for a $300 camera and a OnePlus 6T.