original pixel-still worth buying?

[gale65]

I need a new phone-my s7 doesn't work right anymore and squaretrade won't honor the warranty. I can't bring myself to pay $750 for a phone so I'm thinking about the original pixel. I know the warranty only applies at authorized retailers but I can't find a list of authorized retailers anywhere. I've seen the phone online at b&h photo and video, abes of maine, and newegg. Are these authorized retailers? Is this phone still worth buying? My main requirements are a really good camera and no blob emojis. lol. And no samsung (my son also has the s7 and his is breaking down as well).

 

[Dannydet]

https://m.gsmarena.com/google_pixel-8346.php

 

[gale65]

anyone else have any input? I've read and watched all the reviews. I want opinions from long term users.

 

[lvt]

What is your budget?

A good, unlocked phone doesn't necessarily cost more than $150 nowadays.

 

[gale65]

My budget is around $350-400. I bought a moto g5 plus and it has an excellent battery but the camera is terrible. A great camera is one of my necessities. I love the camera on my S7 so I need something that is comparable and from the reviews I've been reading, the only one that really measures up (that is not iOS) is the pixel.

 

[lvt]

My budget is around $350-400. I bought a moto g5 plus and it has an excellent battery but the camera is terrible. A great camera is one of my necessities. I love the camera on my S7 so I need something that is comparable and from the reviews I've been reading, the only one that really measures up (that is not iOS) is the pixel.

Any Sony phone or a phone with Sony made camera sensor can compete with the Pixel in term of image quality.

 

[Hadron]

That depends. Processing is more important than the sensor in many respects, and some of the older Sony's have been unimpressive in poor light (to my tastes). I'd always find samples from the particular model and decide whether they met my requirements rather than rely on a rule of thumb about a particular manufacturer.

Remember that different people have different tastes in images, so what one person likes another might hate (e.g. when a reviewer praises a phone's "punchy" images I usually see "over-saturated and unnatural", and I personally prefer some noise but keeping details over smudging details to remove noise). It's your tastes that matter, no one else's.

 

[gale65]

I haven't really seen Sony mentioned when I google best phone cameras so I haven't looked at it. I'm mostly just looking at the pixel now though, and trying to find real users with input.

I should also mention that having some issues with my hands/fingers, the loopy case has been really helpful for me when holding my phone. Pop sockets don't really work and I ordered a phone loop about a month ago and still don't have it. So another reason I'm looking at google phones is because there's a loopy case made for it. It probably seems like a minor thing to most but when your fingers cramp up into old witch claws, it's important.

 

[Hadron]

Do you mean "Sony"?

Lots of manufacturers use Sony sensors, but with phones the image processing software matters more than the sensor itself. Just looking at the hardware isn't enough.