Pixel 2 XL vs. Samsung Note 8

I'm on the fence about where to go. Any advice would be quite welcome.

I currently use a Samsung Note 5, and I love this thing. Problem is, I broke the camera when accidentally nailing it against a turnstile in a Tokyo subway. Fixing it did not go as well as planned, and upgrading is an inevitability, but I'm torn.

Pros of the Note 8:

• I sometimes use the S Pen, which is clearly the best part of the Note series. Though, I really only ever break it out when I need to write something more prolific than the thumb-tapping speed can afford me.
• Comes on the AT&T Next plan, which means I can chuck it when I get bored with it, essentially "leasing" a phone.
• Has a headphone jack.

Cons of the Note 8:

• It's a slightly larger phone than the Note 5, and the screen is even less durable due to the folded bezel along the edge. I'm a little gun shy about durability thanks to destroying the camera on the Note 5 as casually as I did.
• Bixby is insidious.

Pros of the Pixel 2 XL:

• Squeeze to activate Google Assistant is awesome.
• More integrated with Google

Cons of the Pixel 2 XL:

• No headphone jack. So... so very stupid.
• No S Pen.

The choice is killing me. Anyone had to make a similar choice recently and happy or sad with which way they went?
-JP

 

S pen is good..but in all honesty, you will only use it a hand full of times then just go meh. The pixel 2 camera is the gear. The size of the pixel 2 xl is very nice too...not to big...but a damn beautiful phone. I am not a fan of touchwiz, so My answer is pixel...Also look at the essential...that has been made into an awesome phone too since a few software updates fixed alot of said issues.

 

I can't see myself buying a phone that's called the "Essential", though it does look decent.
Though, as an aside, I *do* like the wireless charging of the Samsung devices. The biggest thing standing in my way is that when I need that S Pen, I really *REALLY* need it. I'd say the Note 8 is prettier slightly than the Pixel 2 XL, but pretty also translates into fragility. I feel like one small drop would annihilate that thing, and I don't want to have to hermetically seal it to keep it safe.

Pixel 2 XL would be a clear winner if it weren't for the idiocy of removing the headphone jack.

 

Another reason I like the essential. It’s built like a tank. Titanium and ceramic are much more durable than aluminum and glass. The screen on it is sooooo nice, and the pure android is great.

 

I'll look into the Essential. I'm just worried about limited adoption, since I came to the Samsung Note 5 by way of Nokia Lumia series. They were Nokia, and built like tanks, but Microsoft kiiiiiinda let the Windows Phone ecosystem die a slow death.

 

Pixel 2 and 2xl sale at google store right now.

$50 off pixel 2
$75 off pixel 2xl

Pixel 2xl 64gb - $775
Pixel 2xl 128gb - $875

https://www.androidauthority.com/deal-pixel-2-pixel-2-xl-get-75-discount-823947/

Spoiler: TLDR;

get the pixel 2xl !

 

The software experience of the Pixel 2 is amazing, and the camera is also very good. I thought I was living the good life on LineageOS with Pixel Launcher, but the additional animations and optimisations make Android livelier and snappier. I also find it to be very manageable for a 6-incher due to the grippy nature of the coating, and the dual-front firing speakers make dialogue clear and audible, never to be muffled. I find the contrasty B&W colour to make it look a bit more exotic than most slabs out there, but that's also down to personal preference and how I may never see another person wielding this phone in my country. I've only seen one OG Pixel XL in the wild. That said, the Note 8 certainly has plenty of appeal too, and I believe Samsung has better QC than LG's mobile division. There are people who have had to RMA their Pixel 2 XL multiple times , and I may be next in line as I still haven't gotten Active Edge to register a single squeeze for no apparent reason. The removal of the headphone jack is also idiotic and may actually hurt sales more than Google had anticipated.

Do you have any chance of trying both phones for at least 2 days before you commit to a purchase? I don't think a quick in-store handling would do either phone justice.

EDIT: That's freaky. First time unlocking my phone after posting this, and I was greeted by an Active Edge setup screen, and my phone responded to squeezes instantly. I'm glad my phone's not defective, but who's watching me?

 

Wait no cons of TouchWiz? My friend's 6 month old Galaxy S8 is already giving her alot of software issues (lag, freezing) to where she's back to her iPhone 6S.

While yes the no headphone jack is probably the worst feature of the Pixel 2, that's about it. Unless you use the S-pen 24/7, I think an exclusion of a integrated stylus is more of a lesser "con". I barely use the stylus now on my Galaxy Note tablet.

 

Me too. Had Lumias and moved to iPhone. The windows phone thing won’t happen to essential. I can guarantee you. It’s run by Andy Rubin the godfather of android. The phone is awesome. Pure android, the awesome display, the cool 360 dog camera, the build quality. The everything.

 

Dog camera?

 

Yeah...never heard of that? ha ha...apple's autocorrect...It is supposed to be deg.