Choices, choices

Picking out a new phone is always an ordeal for me. My perspective changes based on how I’m using my current phone and how it’s responding to its current use.

Currently I’m using my Google Pixel 2. It’s a great phone. Most of the time it’s snappy (still) and it handles most of what I throw at it.

But it’s getting bogged down with downloads (thank you, podcasts I never get around to listening to) and photos and extraneous apps I don’t really need. So sometimes it malfunctions when I try to do too much with it.

And often when I’m casting audio to speakers at home while playing YouTube videos everything just freezes. Completely. It takes some work to get this puppy to recognize I’m actually trying to interact with it.

Then there’s the map freezing when I’m in my car navigating somewhere. I don’t know why this happens, but it only happens when it’s connected to Bluetooth audio.

So it seems I’m maxing out some of my phone’s capabilities, even as I try to erase podcasts and uninstall apps I have no use for to make more space and to (hopefully) lighten the processing load.

Then there’s the way the Pixel looks. This one looks a bit clunky with a pretty big forehead and chin. I really don’t mind much until I see someone else’s sleeker, fancier gadget and start to drool.

The best thing about the Pixel is that there’s no third-party software. Just one calendar, email, etc app. No silly sports app that I will never open but can’t uninstall that takes up extra space. No obnoxious Bixby or Cortana to figure out how to disable. It’s a great unified software experience. I said I’d never go back. Yet…

I started looking at options when the Pixel 4 came out. It looks nice. The forehead and chin problem has been significantly improved. But I glanced at the phones as I walked by in an electronics store and one popped out to me as being oh so sexy. It was the Samsung Galaxy S10. I knew that the next version would launch in March and I wondered how nice that one would look.

Before I just got myself a new Pixel, I checked out the S10’s specs and they were impressive. Knowing that the next release was on its way, I decided to wait and see what was coming next.

The Galaxy S20 is oh so pretty. And the S20+ has a much higher memory capacity (up to 512gb) and the option to add an SD card. These are huge pluses. The camera looks good. All the cameras look good nowadays, so I honestly don’t worry about that like I used to. And if I want really good pictures, I’m taking them with my DSLR anyway.

I’m not looking forward to having to disable the crapware added by Verizon and Samsung. That’s really the huge drawback I see.

Other benefits? Fingerprint id – the Pixel has moved to facial recognition instead, I believe. Huge-ass battery. A telephoto lens (what? This is interesting). IP68 water and dust resistant (though the Pixel 4 has the same rating). 5G ready (does that really even matter? We will find out I guess).

So I’m in. I’m on board the Galaxy train again. I can’t wait to get it and do all the switch over things and see if the tradeoffs are worth it.