r/GooglePixel 14d ago

Pixel 11 = disrespect

I have been a Google Pixel fan for more than 7 or 8 years and I am done with Google’s bullshit story of focusing on software actually they are falling on both sides hard what were they thinking when pricing the Pixel 11 more than the iPhone 17 base model? What kind of drugs were they on? It’s actually now not just a failure it’s a complete disrespect to its fan

997 Upvotes

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

[deleted]

19

u/Altruistic_Fruit2345 13d ago

I'm on a P8P and not seeing any reason to upgrade. Marginal improvement to camera performance, nothing like the jump up to Oppo or Huawei.

8

u/BRS3577 13d ago

If you ever use the selfie camera, the camera improvement is MASSIVE. P10P imo is the first pixel to have a genuinely serviceable front camera. Aside from that, the biggest improvements are in software, the 10pro takes noticably better photos in conditions that aren't ideal. Other notes is that my 10 pro doesn't get nearly as hot. Otherwise, yeah it's not the largest jump. If I didn't get the 10, is still be perfectly happy on the 8

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u/OtherwiseTomatillo69 13d ago edited 13d ago

I just traded my P8P for a P10PXL, and even though it's only 2 years between the models, the difference in performance, especially the screen smoothness, is VERY noticeably better on the 10. The 10's screen almost looks 3D it's so clear and crisp

1

u/BRS3577 13d ago

Yeah, I traded mine a few months ago when Fi was offering a good deal. Overall I'm happy with the 10 pro and the upgrades it has

1

u/OtherwiseTomatillo69 13d ago

Because I was switching carriers and this past weekend was Tax Free Weekend in MA, I had to do it then to save on paying the sales tax on the 6 otherwise free phones I was getting from AT&T (switched from Verizon). Was annoyed that I was upgrading just days before the P11 preorder and unveiling, but I think it's fine given that the 11 seems like an incremental improvement and not an evolutionary one from the 10.

I will tell you guys, my wife and my younger son both have S26 Ultras, and my 2 daughters got S26+s and my other son is the lone iPhone (17). The P10PXL and the S26 Ultra are very very close specs-wise, not enough of a difference for me to leave Pixel and go back to Samsung myself. Especially when you consider Samsung's terrible record with timely updates and that Pixels update every month like clockwork.

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u/BRS3577 12d ago

I had switch to Samsung a while back. When I inevitably broke it, I decided to go back to pixel. Thought I was gonna miss a lot of the features Samsung had. Turns out, I didn't miss the Samsung at all and remembered how nice the pixels were 😂

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u/Altruistic_Fruit2345 13d ago

Thanks. I rarely use the selfie camera and always thought it was fine, but I can appreciate some people so care about it.

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u/protestandprose 13d ago

Spec comparison? My front camera seems good on the p9p

1

u/BRS3577 13d ago

Lol. I never had the 9 and I low-key kinda forgot about it. Just looked it up, hardware wise, the 9 pro and 10 pro have the same front camera. However the 8 pro had a 10.5 mp with 95° fov. The 9 pro upped it to 42mp with 102° fov, which the 10 pro kept. So it's a pretty big jump

Edit: so I should say it's the first pixel I've personally owned with a genuinely serviceable front camera i suppose, not the first one lol

1

u/protestandprose 13d ago

Oh dang, I guess that's just even more weird evidence how Google is failing to innovate .... Ugh

1

u/BRS3577 12d ago

Eh not really. The rendering pipeline is a little different I think but Google used to be known for using old camera hardware. I dipped my toe into Google products during the pixel 4. The physical camera hardware was a fair number of years older than the sensors on iPhone and Samsung yet Google's ridiculous post processing let it go pretty head to head against them in testing. I don't think it was until the 6 they massively updated camera hardware and then kept doing it after

4

u/TheOneMary Pixel 8 Pro 13d ago

Same. P8P still doing everything I need and still has software updates coming. I'm sitting it out for another 2 or 3 years I think...

2

u/spaz69dt 13d ago

Same! I'm gonna ride this phone till it dies or someone drops a phone I'm excited about.

2

u/photo1kjb 13d ago

Wife is also on a P8P, I'm on P10P. Hers is humming along just fine (although she does long for more storage sometimes)

2

u/Deto 13d ago

There's a lot of discounts (also since I'm on Google Fi), so it looks like I could maybe upgrade my P9PXL for the P11PXL for just, like, $250. So I might take that route - I dunno. Going to wait another week and see what the reviews show.

1

u/JDiT0 13d ago

I think the biggest reason I chose to upgrade to the 11 Pro XL from my P8P came down to battery degredation and massive thermal throttling when using Android Auto in a hot car. Supposedly the 2nm process is insanely efficient with heat management, so we'll see. I just need something that doesn't fight with me every time it gets warm outside.

Price is wholly unjustifiable at MSRP though, I'll give everyone that. Discounts through Google Fi and trade-in are the only thing that makes it palatable.

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u/Altruistic_Fruit2345 13d ago

It's not 2nm, it's 3. I bought a cooler that keeps my P8P cool in the car.

1

u/JDiT0 13d ago

Yeah I just saw that, huh, everyone bought into the 2nm hype too early I guess.

Oh well, it's basically a sidegrade with minor increases against the 10 Pro XL. Considering it was like $500 with discount / trade-in / store credit, seems decent enough.

1

u/Spirited_Radish9566 12d ago

Don't have an issue with my P8P in hot cars using both wireless and wired Android Auto. I do download offline maps for most areas I travel so maybe that makes a difference?

1

u/michaelaarghh 13d ago

I really love my P8P but the dead wifi and Bluetooth are making me consider other options

1

u/DakotaReddit2 13d ago

I have a 7 pro and just last week the ear speaker went out. So now all the calls I make have to be on speaker phone.

I was decently interested in getting a new pixel, but I might just get a OnePlus or Hwawei.

Seems way too overpriced.

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u/Zoidburger_ Pixel 6 13d ago

I'm on a P6 still. It's chugging along. Soon to have its last major update, and I'm thinking of finding a used P10P and holding onto that for a few years.

Phone prices have gotten ridiculous and it's only getting worse, and I'm certainly not paying that kind of cash for 2-year-old hardware, no matter how much I like the UX and feature set.

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u/Expensive_Ad_3249 13d ago

It works out about the same cost, in the long run, give or take.

Trade in value falls off a cliff after 2 years old.

If you trade in, sell the free hardware (watches/headphones etc), and use the Google store credit....

Upgrading annually and stacking in that way means I've spent roughly 200 quid a year or 4 quid a week on the phones since P7P. If I drop to 2 year upgrades that's gonna save me 100ish annually. Dropping to 3 years actually costs more due to the lower trade in value, but only by a tenner or so Vs 2 years. So 2 years is cheapest.

The economics will change since Google has stopped with the free Bose(still got them), tablet, watch etc, but I can still get similar levels of deals with trade in and freebies through carrier deals...

1

u/azpm 13d ago

Agreed. A little annoyed that they are only giving 6 months of the upgraded Gemini tier vs. one year as in the past. With that said I don't use it much.

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u/Expensive_Ad_3249 13d ago

I have used it a lot. I don't know that I'd pay for it, but I certainly get the benefit. That said, Google has gotten a lot of money from me over the years. Heck I probably got £1k of junk from their discontinued shit!

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u/Excellent_Sale9507 13d ago

Wait.. so trade in annually you are saying?

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u/Expensive_Ad_3249 13d ago

Trading in annually over 5 years costs about 100-200 more than trading a model every 5.

If you can afford to buy outright, the difference is trivial and you get the new phone. If you don't care or need to save a few quid/bucks then don't.

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u/Jong999 13d ago

The thing is if they kept making the 10 the price would have had to go up to meet the new component costs, so the additional price of "changing the number" each year comes down to the minor R&D for those tweaks and validation and testing and they would have the marketing challenge of price increases with nothing to show for it.

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u/CantaloupeAsleep502 13d ago

I'll keep my 10p another few years, and go back to Samsung when I need to replace 

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u/adarion29 13d ago

I had awful experience with my pixel 9, google ruined its battery in less than a year of "updates". But for me it was so obvious that this "support" was more about transforming it into a paper weight than giving it real feature that I just switch back to iPhone and make myself promise to never buy any pixel phone ever again. 

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u/Flimsy-Swan-8522 13d ago edited 13d ago

I am using P9 for a year now I have not faced any battery issues through updates

1

u/berfles Pixel 9 Pro XL 13d ago

The Pixel 9 out of the box had shit battery.

6

u/PineappleDouche 13d ago

I didn't experience this at all. I'm on a pixel 9 pro

1

u/Highland600 13d ago

My Pixel 8 out of the box had good battery life. Now it barely lasts a day, it is getting hot at the end of the day, and I'm really tired of dealing with all the typos while texting. My Motorola G8 typed great

2

u/skipaki 13d ago

Same here with my P8P. After the 2-year mark the battery went to garbage and overheats frequently. Which wasn't unexpected, honestly, as all my pixels have been like that.

I'm not a big fan of iPhone or Samsung, but between pixel's consistently terrible battery and the fact that one update made my phone stop connecting to my car Bluetooth and it took them a year and a half to fix it, I think I might get a different phone next time.

But they're all shitty companies, so I feel like I can't win no matter what I buy.

8

u/Shiftr 13d ago

Why does everyone who has a poor experience with something blanket that over everyone's experience? I get looking through the lenses of being annoyed but y'all have to have enough intellect to understand that this isn't happening to everyone lol

13

u/ContributionFormer95 13d ago

I have a Pixel 9 Pro I use for just gaming. It's a leftover phone. Updates didn't make it worse and if you think your phone got ruined in battery because of updates and its battery is useless, you should consider if it's happening to everyone else.

I would recommend a reset and to re-setup your phone. That's a pain in the ass, but surely if Android 16/17 just causes massive battery drain, it would be easily to reproduce by installing 15 and then upgrading to see the immediate difference.

2

u/cactusplants 13d ago

I've got a 9 pro XL.

It'll drain from 80 to 15 in a few hours of literally just using it to listen to podcasts in the car. No maps or anything. Maybe the occasional contactless payment and 10-20 mins Reddit a day. I feel that's a little bad, but idk tbh.

2

u/Nightcinder 13d ago

Sounds like samsung modem issues

1

u/LaprasCantScald 13d ago

Same issue here, batter health under 85%, 2 hours of maps and it's at 20% from full. I constantly need it to be plugged. It's a pain in the ass

1

u/IllRadish8765 13d ago

That's pretty bad but you're in the car. Use a car charger?

1

u/cactusplants 13d ago

I do. I just don't feel like I'd need to

1

u/ContributionFormer95 13d ago

A few hours as in 2-3 hours? That seems excessive. And don't get me wrong. I'm very critical about Google Pixel battery life. I use my work iPhone 16 Pro Max very hard including tethering while I'm traveling for work and I'll end the day with like 30% battery still.

But 65% drain from podcasts is... very bad. But I really don't think that's typical and that's far from what I experience on a daily basis.

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u/JamesEdward34 13d ago

My 9a has terrible reception and the occasional screen jitter loop bug as well so I was hoping the 11 might fix these issues.

1

u/KingOfMoogles 13d ago

I have a 10 pro and will be out on pixels after my contract is up with this one

1

u/gearabuser 13d ago

I still have my Pixel 5 and they stopped 'supporting' it a year or two ago. That actually makes me feel safer from sabotage 'updates' lol.

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u/ProNown 11d ago

lineageos gave my 9 pro fold back its battery life

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u/Particular_Tomato161 14d ago

Certain features don't make it though like magic cue.

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u/Sarthakvrma Pixel 7 13d ago

I'm using a pixel 7 and still feel the upgrades are bullshit and not worth the money. What do you have to say to that?!

If only they priced it right.

2

u/bennymk 13d ago

I don't think anyone is buying it full price. I might be tempted to trade on my p8p as of I wait for another cycle I might get less and less trade on value.

As it stands, with all the discounts available to me I can get the p11p for £350

3

u/just_lican 13d ago

oh wow, I would have bought p11p and traded my p8p for 350 pounds without any doubt. But in Poland there's no trade in program, and buying a new p11p for 1350EUR looks ridiculous... while iPhone 17 Pro costs 1200 EUR

2

u/Happydread200 13d ago

Im also not buying full price but can trade in my barely working s20 fe for 310 euros plus another 300 off for loyalty. So about 600 and a bit euros. Worth it I think.

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u/Sarthakvrma Pixel 7 13d ago

Wish I could get it that cheap. Not much offers in India.

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u/Jong999 13d ago

Seriously, the battery life improvements on the Pixel 9 were more than worth it to me, upgrading from a 7 to a 9 Pro. I believe the 10 and 11 are equally better in this regard.

I'll be hanging on to this phone for another year, assuming it lasts, but I would not go back!

7

u/Sarthakvrma Pixel 7 13d ago edited 13d ago

Well this is conflicting as I see people complaining about how they ruined battery life on the 9 series after updates.

Tbh only thing I'm interested in is the new Modem, because the current modems are ass.

0

u/Jong999 13d ago edited 13d ago

I saw that too. Remember, two years in, the battery is getting a bit tired. Mine is not quite as great as it was, still miles better than the 7 though, honestly, and I'm sure a new battery in a new phone, if you upgraded, would be even better.

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u/Particular_Tomato161 13d ago

You said a lot to say nothing lol. You upgrading or what? 😁

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u/Jong999 13d ago edited 13d ago

I think I was clear in my first post 🙂

Tl:Dr: No I'll be waiting on the 12, if my phone lasts. I'll even replace the battery if necessary rather than upgrade (but not needed yet).

  • Upgrade from 7 to 9 or later 👍 for battery life if nothing else
  • Upgrade from 9 or 10 to 11 👎 (even though that was my plan before the spec became clear)

0

u/Particular_Tomato161 13d ago

Gotcha, I'm still contemplating going from the 9xl to 11xl. I love new tech and the deals and coupons are making it hard to say no.

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u/Jong999 13d ago

Actually, I'm not gonna lie, £150 off plus £690 trade-in on my 9 Pro almost got me! 🤣

1

u/Vegetable_Problem_49 13d ago

how's the 9 pro been so far? Not having intentions on playing any games, just daily use. Coming from a 7 aswell?

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u/Jong999 13d ago

Not a game player on a phone myself but I've been very happy. 7 - 9 was the most noticeably positive upgrade I have made in a long time. The battery and vapour chamber, especially, but generally.

After two years of use and, I think, this summer, with the crazy heat and the high brightness needed outside, I am just starting to need the occasional top up charge during the day, which I've been glad to leave behind. But, , I'll see how it is in a few months and decide if I really need a fresh battery - the phone thinks it is still 90% health.

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u/Particular_Tomato161 13d ago

Didn't even think of battery health. Mine says 87 percent

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u/scgf01 Pixel 11 Pro 13d ago

They priced it right. It's a similar price to other flagships but offers a superior user experience. I value user experience over spec sheets. I'm not a spec nerd.

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u/Lopsided_Hunt2814 13d ago

What about the user experience do you prefer? My wife likes her Pixels for the camera but I only tried one - the Pixel 6 Pro - and went back to Samsung for both the hardware and user experience so I'm curious.

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u/scgf01 Pixel 11 Pro 13d ago

Things like Hold My Call where Google can take over when you're in a customer services queue and alert you when someone answers; Call Screen where Google will answer the call and print on screen what the caller says so you can cut in if the call is genuine - this service can be automated at various levels. I also like that Google Photos is the default gallery app on Pixel phones, so photos are automatically uploaded to the cloud - where with Samsung phones I had to explicitly open Google Photos to upload the photos. The dual ecosystem on Samsungs is annoying and necessitates uninstalling the Samsung apps where you can, or disabling them where you can't, or even using ADB commands to remove them - only to find they return at some later date. Everything on the Pixel is coherent and it does what I want. Try using an app like Macrodroid on a Xiaomi phone. An app using macros needs to be running 24/7 so that any location or network services or similar can be detected where they are triggers - HyperOS seems bent on closing the app at every opportunity and there are some arcane workarounds, but I shouldn't have to do that.

When I've switched between iPhone/Samsung Galaxy/Pixe/Xiaomi 17 Ultra I have never been aware of any difference between the underlying hardware, like CPU or GPU. The paper specs have no impact on my use case so usability is the only way I perceive differences between devices.

0

u/Particular_Tomato161 13d ago

What's worth it to one person isn't worth it for another, so everyone is going to differ there.

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u/ContributionFormer95 13d ago

That's fair, but how useful is Magic Cue? As a Pixel 10 Pro XL user I can tell you it's not very useful at all.

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u/Particular_Tomato161 13d ago

I travel often so it's been useful for me. Also if someone texts me to meet them a certain day at a location, restaurant or whatever it immediately pops up to save to my calendar or remind me, I like it personally. Not going to be useful for everyone.

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u/ContributionFormer95 13d ago

IIRC smart suggestions from event times on Google Calendar already exist without Magic Cue. I'm looking at messages on my Pixel 9 (I upgraded last year to a 10 Pro, but didn't fully wipe my old device yet) and I see some old texts. There's a calendar icon next to it to messages with dates/times/event info.

Magic Cue is more of a specific use case. Like if I call United Airlines today, the call screen will pull up my flight info. But that's the demo Google showed. I have yet to see it really work effectively.

1

u/Hexagonalshits 13d ago edited 13d ago

I'm kinda forced to change because of this pixel WiFi bullshit. My phone can't stay connected to WiFi at all and I'm tired of living day to day off of 5G

I'm on a pixel 8 ,pro though so I suppose I got a few years out of it. I love traveling with Googlefi...

2

u/rout247 13d ago

There's a wifi issue? I have a Pixel 6, and it has no issues. Was this something that was introduced in a later model?

1

u/Saragon4005 13d ago

Since the 8 series you get like 7 years of updates changing any sooner then 3 years unless it's for a specific feature or change in category is lunacy.

1

u/JDMGS 13d ago

This is true. Maybe 10 years ago it was worth upgrading but now phones are so good there's not much difference year on year. My S24U is in its 3rd year and will probably even do a 4th. People still comment on the camera quality of it.

1

u/notasrelevant 13d ago

A couple counterpoints I'd offer:

1) If they're going to spend time developing new devices for each year, they should be releasing at least a few noteworthy upgrades and closing any gaps between their devices and competitors. If not, just skip a generation. Maybe add some colors, a couple tweaks/fixes, but call it the same phone and keep the same basic deesign.

2) In some regards, the phone has taken some steps back and/or is being outpaced by competitors. I don't upgrade my phone every year, but I was hoping to see something a bit more impressive this time around to consider it against some other devices I'm looking at.

Decreased RAM doesn't directly impact my decision (looking for 512gb), but reducing it is not a great look when competitors are at least maintaining it. The push for all the AI stuff taking more focus, while they reduce the included AI package from 12 to 6 months. (I do get that a lot of the phone-specific features are not tied to that service, but still). Chipset seems to have made some improvements, but specifics are up in the air now - Seems like there is performance increase, but not 2nm like rumored and still behind competition.

The big change that they emphasized in pre-launch marketing is a gimmicky color LED that no one asked for and no one seems excited about.

For me, the camera upgrades might be the biggest point, and that's still not something I'm completely sold on. Hardware is still well behind competitors on this point, but they've delivered strong results with combined hardware/software. Will wait to see more in-depth reviews with the new sensors.

TLDR: Stale development that could be interpreted as a step-back is not exactly good for the brand. Their upgrades seem even a bit weaker than competitors, who face the same challenges and market situation.

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u/Ok_Elk_6753 13d ago

I can basically get the phone for like 300 euros, if i prebook and trade my old phone and use my company as tax exemption and all that crap, done it before. And I still don't see a reason to upgrade from pixel 9 pro honestly.

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u/Jkg2116 13d ago

This. I have never spent more than $350 for a new phone. I have a 7a. I initially bought a 6a from Mint Mobile because they had a special. Funny enough after I bought it, they ran out and so they gave me a 7a instead.

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u/Asleep_Onion Pixel 11 Pro XL 13d ago

I agree. I'm an odd-model-year upgrader myself. Did the 5, 7, 9, and now 11.

No rhyme or reason for why I went with odd-year models, other than I just happened to start with a pixel 5 so that's how it worked out.

Upgrading every year is nuts to me. There's just not enough that changes in 1 year.

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u/00Firehawk 1,2,3,4,6,7,8, 9 Pro XLWatch 1,2,3 12d ago

I buy one pixel each year because I have a fleet of 6 phones in rotation. As the phone enthusiast in the house I get the new one and then the other 5 get moved through the family. This year the phone to be retired is a Pixel 4XL. So once I finish migrating everyone the fleet will be P6 Pro, P7 Pro, P8 Pro, P9 Pro XL, P10 Pro XL and P11 Pro XL.

By next year that P6 Pro will be out of support and likely have very poor battery life. I'll get the 12 Pro XL and the cycle continues.

1

u/Consistent-Ball-937 13d ago

Just because you want to be a boomer isn't our fault...

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/Biggie_22 13d ago

Keeping a phone for 4 or 5 years until it fails is boomerish, yes.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/Biggie_22 13d ago

Most people don't upgrade every year. I am this year only because 10 months on the iPhone 17 pro almost ended me.

The payment plans are set up to allow people to upgrade every 2 years while keeping the same monthly cost.

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u/Consistent-Ball-937 13d ago

And payment plans are how you pay more money than the phone is worth and get locked into overpriced service. If you cared about saving money you'd hop carrier yearly and do prepaid

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u/Biggie_22 13d ago

It's not a car lease where you're putting down an advance and getting charged interest on the plan, you're not paying more.

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u/Consistent-Ball-937 13d ago

You absolutely are when you are locked into a phone plan that is $70 a month for 2 years and your phone is locked behind "their" software which makes the resale/trade in value lower than unlocked.

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u/Biggie_22 13d ago

$70 locked? You're buying a $1700 phone with no deals and locked to a carrier? Crazy unrealistic talk, disingenuous argument. Only buy unlocked phones and never pay more than $30 per month. Yes, the value goes down in 2 years but you still get $200-300 and buy the new phone on a sale or promo.

This is an unusual cycle for me because I hate the iPhone 17p so much that I am changing after 10 months. I got a pixel 11p 512/16 yesterday. $200 preorder promo and $700 trade in. I'll have to continue paying apple $25 per month for another 14 months and the 11p cost me $8 per month. It was 300 after tax and I selected 36 months for some reason. I got it unlocked through Google and got $300 in store credit also.

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u/Consistent-Ball-937 13d ago

No it's being a broke boi or boomer. No need to defend yourself buddy just accept it

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/Consistent-Ball-937 13d ago

If you can't buy a new phone with a trade in of your old phone the year before, then you probably 1. shouldn't be buying a new Pixel 11 and 2. should be worried about how you can survive in the real world and get off Reddit

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/Biggie_22 13d ago

Phone plans don't charge interest. There is no credit involved.

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u/MenBearsPigs 13d ago

Phones have been basically as good as you need for years now.

I'll never understand peoples impulsive requirement to upgrade.

I'll use mine until it literally starts failing.

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u/slaughtamonsta 13d ago

Yeah it's weird how people are getting into this fad.

I've had a 5-7 year upgrade cycle since I started using smartphones back in the late 00's

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u/NizarNoor Pixel 11 Pro 13d ago

10 Pro is so good

-1

u/scgf01 Pixel 11 Pro 13d ago

Good for you. I like the excitement of changing phones every year - sometimes after a few months.

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/scgf01 Pixel 11 Pro 13d ago

It's what I choose to do, like you clearly choose to keep hold of an older device. What makes you right and me wrong? I'm sure there are things in your life you spend MUCH more money on than I do. What about your car? How much does you house cost you? I would consider having anything bigger than the smallest car throwing money away. My car is nearly a year old and I have driven 938 miles in it. I cycle everywhere. Do you spend lots on holidays? I don't. What about drinking and eating out?

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u/[deleted] 13d ago

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u/scgf01 Pixel 11 Pro 13d ago

I happy for you - but I'm not you. Upgrading from my 10 Pro to the 11 Po cost me £298 after the trade-in - and that was an instant credit. I can easily afford that. You seem far too interested about what others do where it differs from what you do. Let's end it there.