I’m currently on the market for a new phone and I see stores selling a Pixel 8 for $500.
It’s on the higher end of what I want to pay, but I see it has extended support over the Pixel 7.
I also see the Pixel 8a is $400, which is a nicer price for me, but since my plan is to use the phone long term, I figure the mainline model has sturdier build quality. There is also the upcoming Pixel 9a for $500, if I’m willing to wait and get the cheaper model branch but with the most modern features.
Can someone with experience using these phones help me pick something? I’ve never owned a pixel and looking online it seems like they each have their own issues to contend with. But I like the custom rom support I see for these phones that would give it a far extended lifetime over most other brands out there.
EDIT (Dec24):
Thank you everyone for your opinions. I saw the support for the Pixel 7 and decided to buy one on swappa over the Pixel 8. And since support for the pixel 7 ends in less than 3 years, I’ll probably install GrapheneOS right off the bat. I also did research on Sub-6 vs mmWave as I saw both models were offered and decided on Sub-6 as the more practical technology. Looking forward to this.
I just upgraded from a 6 to an 8 and honestly I don’t really notice a difference. Some apps use a higher framerate, some videos play at full brightness even when the rest of the screen is dimmed (maybe this is their idea of HDR?), and the camera is better at close-up photography. But it’s also slightly narrower, so it’s harder for my human-sized fingers to use.
The Pixel 7 will receive updates until Oct 2027, and it’ll probably be supported by third-party forks past that date. https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705