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Previously on Lemmy: Motorola

Maybe we should just make this a series now.

Never settle for Oneplus.

I've always felt that Oneplus is a brand that I should like on principle of having clean software with barebones but powerful hardware, but in reality, every single Oneplus phone I've seen always had some sort of big BUTs attached to them, so buying Oneplus always feels like settling.

Take the Oneplus One for example, that sandstone textured cover was THE most creative material I felt a phone could have had, and I'm honestly shocked nobody has ever done it again. But along with that of course, comes with the cringy "smash your phone" marketing campaign, the half-hearted attempt to distance themselves from their parent company Oppo, the whole software mess with CyanogenMod/OxygenOS, etc.

Had a Oneplus 3T for a while, same deal: Great phone when it works as intended, but they raised their price without making the phone better, and the inexplicable random restarts/battery drain is so irritating, never had another phone that does that.

Recently they've dropped all pretense of not being Oppo and abandoned their core audience, choosing to have the "courage" to drop the headphone jack. Mediocre Chinese phones with flagship specs are a dime a dozen, I just don't see a reason to buy them anymore.

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[-] ljdawson@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Pre ColorOS they were my goto. These days Pixel all the way.

[-] ArghZombies@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Used to be high spec and a low price. Now they're average spec and an above-average price.

Nowadays phones are all pretty similar in price and spec, so I'd rather get a slightly more expensive phone from a company with proven, accessible warranty.

[-] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I think Oneplus is a proven company, it's just that they've always proved themselves to be mediocre.

[-] demonmariner@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago

I'm using a OnePlus 6 right now. I've never had a problem, and I'll probably stick with the brand.

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[-] YoFrodo@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

What do you use now, or what would you recommend instead?

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[-] Venutianxspring@lemmy.fmhy.ml 5 points 1 year ago

I had a few Oneplus phones, but the 7 pro was my last of theirs. the 5 and 7 pro were phenomenal phones and the 7 pro is still one of my favorites phones ever. That being said, I didn't like the direction they were going and the full merge with Oppo so that oneplus phones are basically stripped down version of Oppo phones, just soured me to them completely. Then you have their non-existent customer service reputation and they've been put on my list to avoid.

I was a huge fan of Oneplus, but will not buy any of their products again

[-] Hopfgeist@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago

Most of the OnePlus series, including older models, is fully supported by LineageOS, and unlocking the bootloader is straightforward. That were the most important reasons for me to go OnePlus. For me and my family there was nothing else comparably easily supported by Lineage with a good price/performance ratio. We currently use 6T and 8T models, that we bought used. The only downside for me is the lack of a notification light.

[-] verysoft@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

They used to be great value, good specs for affordable prices, then slowly turned into premium shit when they got more popular. Same happening with Nothing now.

[-] HidingCat@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago

Exactly that, they were great until 4 or 5, I think. Then they became premium. It's kinda a version of enshittifcation for hardware makers: Pander to enthusiast community at the start, get some marketshare and mindshare, then go premium and raise prices, abandoning the original group of fans.

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[-] CosmicCat@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So short answer, I really love them but I'm keeping a cautious eye on their choices.

Full disclosure, this is coming from my OP11, so I'm a little bit biased, but this is absolutely the best phone I've ever had. And mind you, my previous phone was the OP7Pro which is an incredible device that STILL works like new after 3 years. So personally, they've been good to me.

However, I am keeping a close eye on their OS and software decisions. I was a little hesitant about this phone at first. The Android 11 OxygenOS was perfect on my OP7Pro. I upgraded to 12 (their merger with ColorOS if I'm not mistaken) and it was just a mess. For the first time since buying it, my OP7Pro had random bugs and stuttering. I immediately reverted to Android 11 and it was back to perfect. Unfortunately, the OP7Pro will no longer receive updates, so if I wanted to try the newest OxygenOS, I needed to upgrade.

OP11 starts with OxygenOS 13 and is slated to receive 5 years of updates, which is awesome for longevity. Some of the decisions they made after the terrible OxygenOS 12 (many changes to the OS, releasing the OP11 as the only flagship without a Pro later in the year, etc.) gave me hope that they recognized their mistakes and were willing to fix them. I decided to give them another shot and got the OP11 in April.

The software is still missing a few (minor) things I liked from OxygenOS 11, but Android 13 makes up for it with some interesting features. And this might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually like what they're doing with the OxygenOS 13 skin. It's hard to describe since there are a lot of small things I probably noticed unconsciously, but I haven't had any bugs and it's been a dream with this device. I do feel like they're listening to their customers again, and trying to get back on our good sides.

In the past I've been burnt by Samsung and LG, but OnePlus hasn't ever let me down (except that atrocious OxygenOS 12, but again, I skipped it). So long as they keep making the effort to listen to their customers and keep pushing the changes/additions we want to see, I'll keep buying their devices and running their OS. Of course if I see a repeat of 12 with OxygenOS 14, I honestly might bail. 12 was so bad I'm never doing that again.

I realize this is kind of rambly, so please let me know if you want me to clarify anything.

[-] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Are there any specific features of OxygenOS in particular that you like? Haven't used one in a while.

[-] CosmicCat@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

So I'm not sure if I'm the best person to be giving their opinions as I've used only OP phones for the last 3 years, so the things I like might be standard android these days. Also, rereading my comment I sound like an OP fangirl, so feel free to disregard my comments.

I love their aesthetic. I like the "bubbly" feel to the UI, the font, color choices, etc. I think they're very snazzy. I also love the customization features, specifically the launcher editing UI (it's stupid intuitive), the AOD options, they have their own creepy animoji thing that I kind of love, the transition animations are smooth, and it's cohesion in general is excellent.

It all feels like it belongs together. I have a hard time determining where "standard android" and OxygenOS begin/end. It just feels nice to use and I love leaving my phone faceup just to look at it. It's hard to identify exactly what I love because I haven't been keeping a list or anything, but just this morning I was moving some apps around and between folders and it just did exactly what I wanted in a way my old phones definitely wouldn't. Small, but really exciting in the moment.

Of course, these are all very little things that might not be enough for other folks, but the little things are usually what delight me most. I'm also not a bank, so this phone is absolutely the most expensive thing I own and I try to appreciate it when I can.

I will say, there are things that OP will need to change. For me, things like icon customization and notification dismissal direction need updated. But these are extremely low on my list, so I don't mind it as it is.

I want to add that the hardware on this device alone is worth it to me. It's a beast and the battery is fabulous.

Anyway, I'll stop gushing haha. I didn't realize how much I like it until now. I know these devices aren't for everyone so this is my own opinion. I'm also writing this on my commute so I feel like it isn't coming across as clearly as I'd like. I hope that helped a bit though.

[-] LigitalDogic@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

I had a OnePlus 3T that lasted me 4 years. It served me well and I liked the design on hardware and software, but my biggest complaint was their way too overly aggressive killing of background apps. I remember numerous times where I would be listening to music and if I switched to another app it would kill my music after a few minutes. I guess it helped on battery benchmarks but the usability really suffered.
And by the time I was ready to get a new phone, they were just as expensive as everyone else without a clear vision or distinction to set them apart. I had also heard too many support issues to feel comfortable spending that much on a phone compared to the other options, so they ended up losing me as a repeat customer.
I remember being so excited after getting my 3T to introduce people to OnePlus as a great performance/software/price combo since they still weren’t that well-known outside of enthusiast communities at the time, and I was disappointed to see the direction they’ve ended up going.

[-] I_Miss_Daniel@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

I'm having a similar experience with my Realme x3 which I believe shares a lot of software with the OnePlus.

I need Facebook messenger for my work, and no matter what I do - even using LADB to uninstall Athena etc - it still gets killed randomly.

Only solution for now is to run Messenger Lite, which is also broken in that all links sent to it come up as attachment unavailable.

A shame as it's a great phone otherwise.

[-] Dark_Blade@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

You summed up my feelings on OnePlus perfectly. There was a time I liked their phones (purely because they offered great hardware and a barebones Android experience) but then their devices progressively got worse in every single way. Now, not a single one of their overpriced phones is worth buying.

[-] HunterBidensLapDog@infosec.pub 2 points 1 year ago

I appreciate they have unlocked bootloaders. Now that I'm comfortable upgrading my old phones with the latest Android and security updates I'll never buy another phone that doesn't let me unlock the bootloader like Samsung. It's why I replaced my Note.

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[-] shortwavesurfer@monero.town 2 points 1 year ago

I had a oneplus 6 and really liked it. I am also getting a oneplus nord n200 in a few weeks to replace my dying moto. I will be flashing LineageOS which is mainly why i chose it.

[-] sneakyninjapants@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Have a Oneplus 7 Pro, first Oneplus phone I've owned and it will be the last. Absolutely love the phone itself, but Oneplus as a company, the software they package, the warranty issues, and the direction they've gone as a value pick have all fallen off a cliff since it was produced, and have turned me off to ever upgrading to one of their newer models. That's fine for me though, I have replacement parts on-hand, and a third-party actually maintained rom, so I'm OP7P until the wheels fall off this thing.

Edit: Can't comment with experience on other OP phones, but I've heard very good things about the 6s, it was my second pick when I was looking for a phone at the time.

[-] danielfgom@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I don't like them. I think they are trying to be Apple and I hate that because it means higher prices, fewer features. No headphone jack, no SD card slot, no dual SIM, high prices.

That's not meant to be the Android way. Android is all about choice and options. That's what I love about Sony, and why I have a Sony Xperia 10iii - they give you more: award winning design, sleek form factor, fantastic cameras, headphone jack, SD card slot, dual SIM, waterproofing, easily removable SIM tray, notification LED, battery care, long battery life, great OLED screen, NFC, HiRes audio on wired and wireless, MP3 upscale to improve music quality on MP3 tracks, great video recording (up to 4K on mine), support app built in, fast stock launcher will little bloat. I'm even a fan of the dedication Google Assistant button and use it all the time.

And the price was great because I got it on sale for just €350.

That's how Android should be: options, choice, value for money

Edit: I forgot to mention that Sony allows unlocking the bootloader if you want to install other ROM's like Sailfish, Lineage etc

[-] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

We'll do Sony some other time. Promise.

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[-] contingency@vlemmy.net 2 points 1 year ago

I've had the 3t for a couple of years until the 6t came out and I'm still using that to this day. I've been happy with both of them, the 6t still works well and although e.g. the camera isn't the greatest I have no intention of getting another phone until this one is completely dead.

That said, I wouldn't buy a newer models since the pricing policy and the move away from their former principles made them a mediocre phone amongst many and I would definitely get a Pixel next if I had to.

[-] tom@lemmy.fmhy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

I had a OnePlus 3t. The power button stopped working in the end, but it lasted a good five years and was fast enough, even at the end. The camera was awful from the beginning though. Like you say tough, the prices now are nothing special.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I'm still on a OnePlus 3 (literally replying on it).

I like that I can just unlock the bootloader and flash LineageOS without any artificial restrictions. It gets annoying having to look for specific models of Moto that van be unlocked or hoping the one I get from Amazon is actually not from a carrier. OnePlus is pretty much a safe bet.

Looking for a successor before this one gives up the ghost. Lol

[-] lingh0e@lemmy.film 1 points 1 year ago

Replying to your old post to ask what rom your running on your OP3. I've got an old one I'm looking to breath some new life into.

[-] solidgrue@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

My 5T has been my daily driver for years. I've replaced the battery & USB port on it once so far, and that's it. I've also run LineageOS (rooted + Magisk) since day 1, which I agree is its own set of challenges. Seriously no complaints and I'm not really shopping for anything more right now.

If the Fairphone 5 specs are solid I may take the plunge, but for my needs nothing else out there has been compelling enough to make a change.

[-] Iceblade02@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I've always been thinking about switching to a 3rd party OS, but been kindof wary due to bank apps and such. Do they work with LineageOS as well?

[-] solidgrue@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

I use my bank apps and GPay without too many issues. There's a checklist to follow for Lineage + Magisk + some modules & settings, but it works.

Some hotel apps won't work, but I don't stay at those places often enough to matter.

[-] Iceblade02@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Alright, thanks 👍

[-] thenicnet@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

I was considering them until they removed expansion storage on their phones.

[-] moon_matter@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

I am only slightly better than a "casual" user in terms of Android phones. The most I've done is flash LineageOS on my phone. I think smartphones have reached the pinnacle for users like me. Like TVs I'm really wondering where smartphones could possibly go from here. As long as all the apps work and the battery can last a full working day I don't think I'll be replacing my 8T any time soon.

If there's one thing I'd be looking for it would be Android's answer to iMessage. But that ball is in Google's court. Ideally it would be an open protocol, preferably they would just adopt something that already exists, like Matrix Chat.

[-] arcrust@lemmy.fmhy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Android has an answer. It's RCS chat and it works pretty good. Apple refuses to implement it.

[-] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Matrix does seem to be the way forward, but last time I used Element it was absurdly slow, so I don't think it's ready yet.

[-] Awwab@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

I'm typing this from a 6t. No complaints with it so far, it's far enough in that I need to replace the battery but that's to be expected. The 6gb of ram has proved to be really helpful in ensuring that things always work and the dual sim has let me combine the work and personal phones into one.

I know it's long in the tooth so if anyone has some recommendations for a replacement that has dual sim and doesn't cost an arm and a leg please reply!

[-] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Maybe wait for the Zenfone 10?

[-] Awwab@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on it.

[-] Toylerrr@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I had the one plus 8uw and absolutely hated it. Didn't work at all even tho it's was a Verizon phone. Went back to pixel and won't go back.

[-] Sergio@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I really liked my Oneplus 8T for about 90% of the time I had it. Liked the look, good size, felt well built with that glass back, but then it just completely became unusable in the span of about three months. Definitely in "good" phone territory, but am a little hesitant to get another device.

[-] chinpokomon@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

I had a 6T and really liked it. Got an 8 Pro about the day they disabled the Photochrom filter. That really disappointed me, not because it had "X-ray" capability, but because it was an IR sensor and I was excited to see a world I couldn't see with my visible light spectrum eyes. OS updates seemed to degrade things. I hope their foldable serves them well, but I'm not even considering it since I don't think they could make a good multitasking OS. We'll see when they announce it.

[-] CoderKat@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago

I currently have a 7T. It's not bad. Felt pretty impressive at the time that I got it. These days I feel like the camera is a bit lacklustre and every now and then something freezes. I'm gonna upgrade to something else soon. Probably something much higher end as I'm more comfortable spending money on a high end phone these days. But it's been a pretty solid phone, especially for its price and age.

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[-] JackbyDev@programming.dev 0 points 1 year ago

My friend recommended the brand saying he never had a problem with it and it was as fast as the day he got it. My wife got one because her Pixel 3 died (apparently a relatively common thing for that model). Then after my wife got one my friend started complaining about his phone and my wife didn't like her new phone. Then he got a pixel lol. Then I got one. It's a nice phone. The Pixel 3 was my wife's favorite before it died. So 2 years later we ditched the one plus for a new Pixel for her.

It seems like one plus used to be a good brand and maybe my friend had some loyalty still or his phone coincidentally started to slow down right after he recommended it lol

[-] ozymandias117@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

OnePlus got purchased by Oppo, and it hasn't been as special since

The founder left and made "Nothing" phones after Oppo's takeover

[-] MargotRobbie@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Again, OnePlus did not get purchase by Oppo; it was always Oppo, and Carl Pei was a mid-level executive at Oppo when he founded OnePlus.

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[-] HawkXero@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago

I just moved away from my 7T onto a Pixel 7. I love my 7T. It was definitely my favorite phone. But it seems like things have changed lately and the newer OnePlus phones aren't what they used to be. I still use my 7T as a game and media player for when I'm chilling in bed.

[-] soapyScooper@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Fully agree. I still have my 7T Pro, and I'm not looking forward to upgrading it when I have to! I loved when it was a simple upgrade on base android, but with the newer versions, it has veered away from that. I'm disappointed with the updates - I haven't done the latest update as lots of people are complaining that it's very buggy, and it doesn't look like they are going to update it again.

I don't think I'd go for a OnePlus again - I'd probably go with something more stock, with hopefully more reliable updates, like a Pixel.

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this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2023
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