Thanks to all for the great feedback and suggestions. I’ve made my choice: The Google Pixel 6, Stormy Black, 128GB, Unlocked. It is backordered and expected just before Christmas.
It came down to value and longevity. I’ve used the Galaxy S7 for nearly 6 years and it’s behavior using many apps has become unstable/unreliable. Additionally, it is going on 2 years without a security update.
I paid $600 for an unlocked phone from Google. I’m not on a contract and do not wish to be. All the “deals” involve stepping up to more expensive plans. I’ll explain…
Right now I have 999.0GB of data spread across 2 lines for $82.50 a month (plan is no longer available to add). These “deals” say you must agree to an unlimited data plan that starts at $70 per month (baseline), per line. Real access to 5G starts at $80 per month.
Let’s compare plans:
Current plan vs. unlimited plan
Data: 999.0GB vs. unlimited
Cost: $82.50 vs $140 (2×70)
Network: “5G Nationwide” for both.
So, you see it pays to do your homework.
Right now I’m at a loss as to why I need 5G in my life and I certainly don’t need the amount of data offered on either plan.
As for hardware, there are are many reviews of the Pixel 6 so I’ll skip all that and share my pre-purchase thoughts.
– I’ve never gamed on a phone and never will. The horsepower is nice but…
– I do not understand the fascination with megapixels. Trust me, you don’t want to see me that up close.
– The Pixel 6 has 5 years of official support. “Guaranteed security updates until at least: October 2026”
– The security features of the phone are impressive.
– I use a lot of Google services; several Gmail accounts, Maps/Waze, Google Drive…
– I 100% expect this phone to last at least 5 years.
Notes
– I could have purchased this phone from Best Buy for $499 but that would have involved a mandatory signup of an unlimited plan which you can see above isn’t a financially sound decision for me.
– Trade-in wasn’t an option as apparently my Galaxy S7 is worthless.
Verizon’s Current “Unlimited” Data Plan Pricing
Ah, the Google spy phone.
Great pick 🙂. I wish you the best with your new phone. 5g tbh is still very buggy and I do not understand why it’s being pushed so hard. Also If I recall correctly I think your phone also supports wifi 6, so that’s something neat.
My wife and I both got identical Samsung S21 5G……ok camera, but for serious photos I use my Nikon digital. 5G is finicky and spotty up here on our hill, but great in town. They would not take any of my several old cell phones for trade-in!
The really good news is your phone can be “de-Googled”. See Rob Braxman’s Odysee or YouTube channel. Also, see Naomi Brockwell’s channel on YouTube, specifically on installing Graphene OS on the Pixel. Her videos are informative, and easy on the eyes. It’s all about privacy as we move into an uncertain future. Thank you for your hard work, especially your Windows tweak guides.
I will take a look at those, thanks. I was looking at ProtonASOP. Gonna run it stock for a while first.
5G has better time sharing ability, alike wifi 6
when you are in a crowded area the 4G leaves little bandwidth for each consumer within the same cell …
will become necessary when we get more self driving vehicles that download map data constantly
Good. I would love to hear your thoughts after a while use
Still on my iPhone 5S. Pretty sure it’s almost 10 years old now. Get the odd crash of apps but it’s still going, 3 batteries later, still getting iOS security updates multi-times a year, even if it is stuck on iOS 12 forever. I’ll be back in 10 years to see if your Pixel 6 managed something similar 🙂