Google's Pixel smartphones are continuing to grow in the US, as shipments in the US grew in Q2 2023 while everyone else dropped.
Android is struggling to keep its market share in the United States, as Apple continues to take over in the market. But, despite Android as a whole losing ground, Google Pixel phones are becoming a bigger slice of the US market.
Counterpoint Research reports that, in Q2 2023, US smartphone shipments dropped by 24% year-over-year. That includes both iPhones and Android phones, and virtually every brand saw a drop in shipments. Samsung saw US shipments drop by 37% while Motorola saw a 17% drop. TCL saw the biggest decline at just shy of 70% year-over-year, and even Apple saw a 6% drop.
I feel like Google really hit their stride with the Pixel 6/7 series. The 7 series especially is just such a nice phone to use and doesn't feel as cheap as previous iterations of the Pixel. It's also great value for the money. I went with the Pro and would recommend against it honestly, because while I like the extra camera and the bigger screen it really doesn't fit great in the average persons hand and the features don't really justify the cost. If I had to do it over again I would get the 7 or 7a.
My problem with Android phones other than the Pixel line is all the bloatware they have installed that you can't get rid of. I've been a user of the more "pure" Google phones since the start, from the Nexus to the Pixel.
That camera was just 5 years ahead of everything else, fruit included.
Got a 5 after that, but the selfie cam was crap. And to some extent, it still is on current models. I wish Google did something about it, I can't be the only one noticing.
I love the size and feel of the 7a. It was an adjustment to get used to a small screen again but honestly, so happy with that element of the phone.
The battery life, on the other hand, feels worse than my 4 year old OnePlus 7 Pro's is. I am not sure if it's a me problem or a Pixel problem, but that aspect has me seriously worried about the longevity of the device. I guess you get what you pay for, but I'd expect a bit better for a mid-range phone.
It's, unfortunately, a Pixel problem. The Tensor G2 is notoriously bad with battery life, and the fact that every manufacturer thinks we want paper thin phones doesn't help.
The 7a is not a thin phone though, it's noticeably thicker than my S9+, I think the 7a has a 4385mAh battery? A phone with such a large battery capacity should be better. You can tell the inefficient SoC is to blame because it gets hot easily.
Just makes me appreciate how amazing the S9+ was for it's time that the 7a doesn't completely blow it away when it's much newer and nearly as expensive.
Respectfully disagree. I've been with Google phones since the Nexus 6p. Upgraded to the Pixel 2 which I still have and still works, then to the 5a which I hated, and now the 7pro. I didn't think it would ever get better than the 2, but the telephoto lens on the 7 pro plus pretty much everything else still amazes me now over a year later. It's perfect and I'm happy I didn't go cheaper.
Don't get me wrong, I love the telephoto lens, but I have a strong feeling I would sacrifice the extra lens for a smaller screen. Then again I do watch a lot of videos so who knows. I think the biggest problem is there isn't really a way to test the two side by side to see.
Should've mentioned to you that this app is probably low-key the most valuable one I own. It took about a week to get used to, now I wouldn't have a phone with a big screen without it.