PhotoFactor wrote:
I would say that the Pixel 2 hardware is not as good overall as the S9. The S9's screen is gorgeous and I believe the overall HW reliability may be better on Samsung.
However I did have an S8 briefly (very similar to the S9) and then a Pixel 2 XL.
The camera with native processing is clearly better on the Pixel. The software overall (not just camera) is fluid and smooth on the Pixel. The Pixel gets monthly security updates right on time every month and gets major OS updates as soon as they come out (probably for another year for the Pixel 2).
The Pixel 2 will get Android 10 and 11. It gets 3 years of OS and security updates. 2 years remain.
Samsung's software is full of bloat IMHO. Duplicate browsers, messaging, store, etc. And uninstallable. Bixby is inferior and the hardware button is a pain and easy to hit when you reaching for the volume controls. The fingerprint sensor is rectangular instead of round and is much more finicky to register than the Pixel.
For these reasons, for me, I prefer the Pixel. If you are more into the fancier screen and hardware then you might also prefer the S9. Also consider the warranty and support for each brand in your country.
Samsung's launcher is a bloated unusable POS as well. Samsung also bends over for carriers and preinstalls tons of garbage from them as well. Samsung devices are gorgeous hardware with bargain basement software support. An Android One S9 would be a killer phone.
I just got a Pixel 3 to replace my 2. It closes the hardware gap significantly. The tiny bezels it does have are worth it to keep front firing stereo speakers.