The Pixel 6. To Google or not to Google?
I am one of those rare and crazy people that owned the one and only Essential phone. And I loved it. It was just the right size for me, devoid of excessive branding, almost pure Android, and a conversation starter as most people wondered what it was. But I am an unashamed nerd and didn’t like having a phone that was no longer supported, and despite my best efforts, I couldn’t get LineageOS to work. I bought a OnePlus Nord and donated the Essential phone to my partner, who gets most of my technical hand-me-downs.
I owned a OnePlus One, and while it was a little big for me, I liked it, but not enough to buy another for this long, and I can’t even remember what I bought after it. My favourite phone before the Essential phone (like many other long-term Android fans) was the Nexus 5. It was the perfect size (I like a phone that fits in my pocket), free of manufacturer crud, responsive, and well-made. When the Nexus line switched to the Pixel line, I always found them a little too expensive, generally feeling slightly paranoid about being seen with anything worth more than $/€500 in public.
Then came the Pixel 6, and like many others, it was the right device and price to start the Pixel journey. OK, it’s €649 (in Germany), so above my usual bracket, but everything else was so right, it was hard to resist.
