Budget Above 40k Switching from iPhone 13 to Pixel 7

[mayank4823]

I have been using iPhone from past 8-9 months and recently went to a short trek and a concert. On both occasions I found the camera to be pretty underwhelming. Night photography is non existent on iPhone and zooming in while taking pics absolutely shatters the quality and makes the pics look like an oil painting. Keyboard is crap and I use to use voice typing quite often and it was flawless.

My question is : What will I miss when I switch from iPhone 13 to Pixel 7 ? iPhone has amazing battery, no lag at all. It just works flawlessly. Since I travel a lot, I think I am missing out on great camera.

 

[vaibhavyagnik]

If great pictures are your only requirement, I suggest you go with a Mirrorless camera from sony or canon. Sony a6400 with kit lens will be compact enough to fit in your pocket and will hands down beat any iPhone, Pixel in all lighting conditions. You get quiet bit of zoom with the kit lens and you can always buy more lenses or rent them for special ocassions.

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

The iPhone 13 is almost at the top of smartphone photography, moving to Pixel 7 won't see a night & day difference for photos. If you are disappointed by iPhone 13's cam, Pixel 7 won't be much better honestly. My S20FE 5G gets very close to top smartphone cameras & only when you pixel peep, you can say that newer phones like S22+, S22 U or iPhone 14 Pro are better.

For software, I will say android is far ahead in flexibility over iOS any day. Don't like default Gboard or whatever, change the KB to something else like Swiftkey. For me personally, I can't use the restrictive apple OSes after using android & Win10. So take your call on what to do.

 

[mayank4823]

If great pictures are your only requirement, I suggest you go with a Mirrorless camera from sony or canon. Sony a6400 with kit lens will be compact enough to fit in your pocket and will hands down beat any iPhone, Pixel in all lighting conditions. You get quiet bit of zoom with the kit lens and you can always buy more lenses or rent them for special ocassions.

Majority of my traveling involves trekking so carrying a Camera doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I like to shoot instant videos/pics and carry on with walking.

The iPhone 13 is almost at the top of smartphone photography, moving to Pixel 7 won't see a night & day difference for photos. If you are disappointed by iPhone 13's cam, Pixel 7 won't be much better honestly. My S20FE 5G gets very close to top smartphone cameras & only when you pixel peep, you can say that newer phones like S22+, S22 U or iPhone 14 Pro are better.

For software, I will say android is far ahead in flexibility over iOS any day. Don't like default Gboard or whatever, change the KB to something else like Swiftkey. For me personally, I can't use the restrictive apple OSes after using android & Win10. So take your call on what to do.

I checked the Battery reviews of both phones and it seems that Pixels battery is worse. The phone drains from 15 to 0 in no time whereas iPhone is consistent. That was also a reason for me to switch from Pixel 4a to iPhone 13. Sticking with iPhone for now.

Thanks everyone for their inputs.

 

[sauravghosh]

Your query has the answers itself. Moving to Pixel 7 from iPhone 13 will give you -- a) inferior and inconsistent battery backup, b) juddery software, it won't be anywhere near as polished.

On the plus side-- a much better camera. Check YouTube for iPhone 14 vs pixel 7 comparison. Latter has significantly better HDR, resulting in balanced photos (no blown out area and containing much more details) and brighter ones in night time. But its white balance will be off from time to time. Oh, and video quality won't be anywhere near as good as iPhones. I'm not sure about your expectations from a mobile camera though. If the unreal advice of carrying a separate camera works for you, then go that route. As far as mobile photography goes, Pixel stands the supreme along with the S series of Samsung. iPhones try to be thereabouts but fall short, that inferior HDR again. But that's the ONLY thing going for the Pixels, their cameras, unless you count that Android will offer you more flexibility over typical iOS rigidity. For everything else, you will miss the iPhone.

 

[axmac]

I have used the iPhone 13 cameras for a bit, and it is quite underwhelming, and overrated. I had excellent experience with iPhone cameras from 2015-16, but recently - they've tried hard to incorporate some fake HDR which makes human skin looks weird in less than ideal lighting. But everyday pictures of food and landscape are generally great.

But yeah - Pixel 7 would be even worse for travelling because of the poor battery life and thermals. You will never get the 10h SOT of the iPhone as well as a flagship android experience, so I'd say stick with the iPhone and try third party camera apps on the iPhone to see if you like the processing better.

Also, do wait for more Snappdragon Gen 2 phones - this generation is very power efficient, so 4700mah+ monsters like S23 Ultra will get close to iPhone level battery.

 

[kalph09]

Sorry to hijack this thread. Am in the same boat as OP with IP12. Initially planned pixel 7 as a replacement. Battery life and lens breaking up had me take a step back.

Any thoughts on one plus 11. I understand they no longer stand for what they are (budget-flagship-enthuiast). The 11 seem to be a good come back.

The camera samples seem to hold their own along side with pixel and iphone albeit warmer. But, how's the device for everyday use? Bloatware? Is color OS good or buggy?

 

[Yashas08]

one more thing to note is how deep into the Apple ecosystem you are. If you use a lot of Apple services and products, then please do keep in mind that moving to Pixel will break your ecosystem flow and though most of apple services are available on android, it just won’t be the same experience. I would keep that on top of mind bm when deciding to shift.

 

[AINDRASIS_GUPTA]

Check out the regular S23. Lots of offers going on right now, and you should be able to get it at close to Pixel's price.

Battery life with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Custom has been phenomenal. Just yesterday Ranjit dropped his first impressions and on WiFi that thing lasts close to 1-1.5 days with around 8 hours SOT.

The camera is also much more versatile than Pixel's and you will be much happier with its camera than the iPhone 13's.

 

[desiibond]

Imagine has very good exchange offers going right now. See if you can get very good exchange offers for iPhone 14 pro or pro max.

Pixels are good but if you really like ios, why not get phone with best camera setup in Apple land.

 

[OMEGA44-XT]

Sorry to hijack this thread. Am in the same boat as OP with IP12. Initially planned pixel 7 as a replacement. Battery life and lens breaking up had me take a step back.

Any thoughts on one plus 11. I understand they no longer stand for what they are (budget-flagship-enthuiast). The 11 seem to be a good come back.

The camera samples seem to hold their own along side with pixel and iphone albeit warmer. But, how's the device for everyday use? Bloatware? Is color OS good or buggy?

What's your budget?

OP11 is surely good for the price, but IMO they should have used a 1080p panel to reduce cost a bit & improve battery life further. After 2 years of poor flagship SoCs for android, finally SD gen 2 seems like a good comeback.

Check Samsung S23 as well, 256GB is 67k.

 

[Soyab0007]

Check out the regular S23. Lots of offers going on right now, and you should be able to get it at close to Pixel's price.

Battery life with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Custom has been phenomenal. Just yesterday Ranjit dropped his first impressions and on WiFi that thing lasts close to 1-1.5 days with around 8 hours SOT.

The camera is also much more versatile than Pixel's and you will be much happier with its camera than the iPhone 13's.

Never buy samsung phones at launch, within 3-5 months, there will be 30-40% price dropped

 

[desiibond]

Never buy samsung phones at launch, within 3-5 months, there will be 30-40% price dropped

Better take s22 for 58k. There is nothing of value that s23 offers over s22.

 

[AINDRASIS_GUPTA]

Never buy samsung phones at launch, within 3-5 months, there will be 30-40% price dropped

That's a myth.

Here's a Keepa screenshot for the the S22 which launched at 73K

The first drastic price drop for the S22 was at 52,999 INR in September, which was like 7 months away from launch and if we put that into percentage, that's roughly 27%. If the OP can wait that long, then by all means, do so.

Better take s22 for 58k. There is nothing of value that s23 offers over s22.

That's pure misinformation.

For starters, the S23 brings much better battery life, especially for a compact phone of this size. And much better thermals, since the S22 came with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 made by Samsung Foundry, which was well-reputed for being a lousy SoC.

These above-mentioned two factors are alone make it worthwhile to spend on the S23, especially if you are planning to use it long term.

 

[axmac]

That's a myth.

Here's a Keepa screenshot for the the S22 which launched at 73K

View attachment 160845
The first drastic price drop for the S22 was at 52,999 INR in September, which was like 7 months away from launch and if we put that into percentage, that's roughly 27%. If the OP can wait that long, then by all means, do so.

That's pure misinformation.

For starters, the S23 brings much better battery life, especially for a compact phone of this size. And much better thermals, since the S22 came with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 made by Samsung Foundry, which was well-reputed for being a lousy SoC.

These above-mentioned two factors are alone make it worthwhile to spend on the S23, especially if you are planning to use it long term.

Yep, the battery and thermal benefits are huge. I'd definitely spend the 10k extra for it if I were to choose.

 

[desiibond]

Yep, the battery and thermal benefits are huge. I'd definitely spend the 10k extra for it if I were to choose.

Would you spend 20k extra for some extra battery life? How bad is the battery life of S22? Does it last till end of day atleast? There are many reporting that Android 13 update improved battery life. I do not want to search for YT videos on this. Are you using a S22 and have personal experience of battery life, especially on Android 13. Also, S22 plus has lot of offers where it costs around 61k-67k. How is the battery life of S22 Plus on Android 13, when compared to S23. I believe this phone has a bigger display as well.
Both the Pixel 7 (53k) and Pixel 7 Pro (73k) cost less than the S23.
Heck, even the Oneplus 11 costs way way less but I hate that ColorOS on that phone and I cannot use a phone without wireless charging.
Sorry to say this. The S23 is a very bad deal at its current price. Unless there is a price drop on S23, it is not worth buying at current price of 79k.
Coming back to S23 battery life, I see that many mention that it has improved. But how does the phone perform when connected to 5G network throghout the day. I have an iPhone 13 and day before yesterday, I used it as a hotspot, sharing 5G network to my laptop while working. The battery drain in such cases is severe. But then, I used external charger and the phone got gently warm. I was thinking that the phone would get bloody hot. The iPhone 13 has lower battery life compared to the Pro model. Yet, thanks to wireless charger that sits on my desk, it never ever bothered me. The convenience of wireless charging easily overrides concerns over battery life. This is why I would rather find the sweet spot to buy a phone instead of blindly buying a phone that costs a lot more, just because it offers better battery life.

Sorry to hijack this thread. Am in the same boat as OP with IP12. Initially planned pixel 7 as a replacement. Battery life and lens breaking up had me take a step back.

Any thoughts on one plus 11. I understand they no longer stand for what they are (budget-flagship-enthuiast). The 11 seem to be a good come back.

The camera samples seem to hold their own along side with pixel and iphone albeit warmer. But, how's the device for everyday use? Bloatware? Is color OS good or buggy?

1. Clean OS and fast updates, great camera, AI functions like photo unblur, background cleanup etc: Pixel 7/Pro.
2. Solid overall phone, VFM, insanely fast charging speed, great battery life, powerful chip : Oneplus 11 (downside being ColorOS).
3. Solid and stable phone, regular updates, Samsung ecosystem, great battery life: S22 plus.
4. Just want the latest flagship phone that has fixed the battery life issue of past iteration, offers nothing more over predecessor : S23.

The best bet for you would be the Oneplus 11, if you are okay with Oppo's ColorOS. You are saving 20k+ rupees here. I have the OnePlus 8 with ColorOS 13. There are no bugs right now. Oppo's changes to notification center is irritating. Other than this, there is nothing that you cannot get around with. I used Nova launcher on the phone. As you are saving about 20k rupees, you can even think of buying a solid Wear OS watch like the Galaxy Watch 5 or save and wait for Galaxy Watch 6.

 

[axmac]

Would you spend 20k extra for some extra battery life? How bad is the battery life of S22? Does it last till end of day atleast? There are many reporting that Android 13 update improved battery life. I do not want to search for YT videos on this. Are you using a S22 and have personal experience of battery life, especially on Android 13. Also, S22 plus has lot of offers where it costs around 61k-67k. How is the battery life of S22 Plus on Android 13, when compared to S23. I believe this phone has a bigger display as well.
Both the Pixel 7 (53k) and Pixel 7 Pro (73k) cost less than the S23.
Heck, even the Oneplus 11 costs way way less but I hate that ColorOS on that phone and I cannot use a phone without wireless charging.
Sorry to say this. The S23 is a very bad deal at its current price. Unless there is a price drop on S23, it is not worth buying at current price of 79k.
Coming back to S23 battery life, I see that many mention that it has improved. But how does the phone perform when connected to 5G network throghout the day. I have an iPhone 13 and day before yesterday, I used it as a hotspot, sharing 5G network to my laptop while working. The battery drain in such cases is severe. But then, I used external charger and the phone got gently warm. I was thinking that the phone would get bloody hot. The iPhone 13 has lower battery life compared to the Pro model. Yet, thanks to wireless charger that sits on my desk, it never ever bothered me. The convenience of wireless charging easily overrides concerns over battery life. This is why I would rather find the sweet spot to buy a phone instead of blindly buying a phone that costs a lot more, just because it offers better battery life.

1. Clean OS and fast updates, great camera, AI functions like photo unblur, background cleanup etc: Pixel 7/Pro.
2. Solid overall phone, VFM, insanely fast charging speed, great battery life, powerful chip : Oneplus 11 (downside being ColorOS).
3. Solid and stable phone, regular updates, Samsung ecosystem, great battery life: S22 plus.
4. Just want the latest flagship phone that has fixed the battery life issue of past iteration, offers nothing more over predecessor : S23.

The best bet for you would be the Oneplus 11, if you are okay with Oppo's ColorOS. You are saving 20k+ rupees here. I have the OnePlus 8 with ColorOS 13. There are no bugs right now. Oppo's changes to notification center is irritating. Other than this, there is nothing that you cannot get around with. I used Nova launcher on the phone. As you are saving about 20k rupees, you can even think of buying a solid Wear OS watch like the Galaxy Watch 5 or save and wait for Galaxy Watch 6.

What's this rant, my man. Tough read.
And who is saying the price is 79k? It is 67-72k depending on the discounts you use. 79k is just the base price to make it look more premium. It is NEVER sold at that price (if you read the fine print - it will always have an 8k bank offer or an extra 8k off on discount). Samsung does it all the time.

68k for the S23 vs 58k for the S22 is a different story.
Anyhow, even if you disagree, I said "I would pay the extra 10k." Your mileage may vary and that is fine.

 

[desiibond]

What's this rant, my man. Tough read.
And who is saying the price is 79k? It is 67-72k depending on the discounts you use. 79k is just the base price to make it look more premium. It is NEVER sold at that price (if you read the fine print - it will always have an 8k bank offer or an extra 8k off on discount). Samsung does it all the time.

What's this rant, my man. Tough read.

And who is saying the price is 79k? It is 67-72k depending on the discounts you use. 79k is just the base price to make it look more premium. It is NEVER sold at that price (if you read the fine print - it will always have an 8k bank offer or an extra 8k off on discount). Samsung does it all the time.

68k for the S23 vs 58k for the S22 is a different story.
Anyhow, even if you disagree, I said "I would pay the extra 10k." Your mileage may vary and that is fine.

Not a rant. Questions. Genuine questions. Do you own s22 and know how the battery life is after android 13 upgrade. If not, you are only assuming based on first week reviews on the web. I have seen many reporting getting an hour extra sot and OS being more responsive for s22 ultra after Android 13 update.

Launch offers are over for S23. It is back to actual price now. 79990. Only offer is on Amazon with HDFC, 8k discount. On Samsung site, the same discounts are on HDFC and SBI. Good luck getting it for 67k though. If I add 10% discount for select cards on s22 as well, the gap is atleast 15k. Even if I remove s22 from comparison, s22 plus, Pixels cost less. Not even bringing iPhone 13 that costs 61k into conversation here.

So yes, S23 is a bad phone for its price and there are options that cost less and compete with the s23.

 

[axmac]

Not a rant. Questions. Genuine questions. Do you own s22 and know how the battery life is after android 13 upgrade. If not, you are only assuming based on first week reviews on the web. I have seen many reporting getting an hour extra sot and OS being more responsive for s22 ultra after Android 13 update.

Launch offers are over for S23. It is back to actual price now. 79990. Only offer is on Amazon with HDFC, 8k discount. On Samsung site, the same discounts are on HDFC and SBI. Good luck getting it for 67k though. If I add 10% discount for select cards on s22 as well, the gap is atleast 15k. Even if I remove s22 from comparison, s22 plus, Pixels cost less. Not even bringing iPhone 13 that costs 61k into conversation here.

So yes, S23 is a bad phone for its price and there are options that cost less and compete with the s23.

They don't sound like genuine questions if they are like 50 together, I define it as a rant.
It isn't back to 80k. Yes, bank discounts on amazon and if you cared to check Samsung.com - they give you an extra 8k off on exchange. I know because my S20 FE with terrible exchange value (Not more than 12k in any website) gets 21k on Samsung.com.
Good luck trying to prove the point again through walls of text, my man!

 

[desiibond]

Lol. Exchange offers. We all know how well exchange works. Also, They reject most phones showing smallest of scratches. And you have to have specific phone to get most out of it. Stop trying to prove that s23 is good value. It just isn’t. Good luck trying to find more desperate ways to show value for s23 in your next post.

As I said, launch offers are over for s23 and it is the worst priced S series phone in years. Plain and simple. Wait a bit and price will fall, that’s when it becomes a good phone. Not right now.