I’d ditch my Pixel for this upcoming phone, but three things are holding me back

I love my Pixel, but it’s missing a few important features I mentioned in my post that was published yesterday. That got me thinking that I should perhaps switch back to a OnePlus phone, after years of using Pixels.

I don’t need the latest and greatest, and I don’t want to spend more than around $600 on a phone, so the OnePlus 15 is out of the question. But there is an upcoming phone from OnePlus that has a lot of the features I want and fits within my budget, and I’d be willing to trade my Pixel 9a for it — but there are three things holding me back.

The OnePlus 15R is expected to be a rebadged version of the OnePlus Ace 6T — coming on December 3 — and will officially be announced on December 17. While not all specs and features of the upcoming phone have been officially confirmed yet, looking at the leaks, I have a good idea of what to expect.

Let’s start with the battery and charging. It appears that we’ll see an 8,300mAh battery on the OnePlus 15R, making it the largest the company has ever put in one of its phones. For comparison, my Pixel 9a’s battery comes in at 5,100mAh, and it’s on the larger side as far as Pixels are concerned. That should translate to a much longer battery life, although we’ll know more once we review the phone.

Battery is only one of the features that gets me excited — the other one is charging. The OnePlus 15R is expected to support 100W wired charging, which should get the phone from empty to full in around 45 minutes. For reference, my Pixel supports 23W charging and needs more than 90 minutes to get the battery to 100%. Even the more expensive Pixel 10 Pro XL only supports 45W charging and needs 75 minutes to go from zero to 100%.

Then there’s the side button, a feature that I really like. I was a big fan of OnePlus’ Alert Slider, but the company switched it out for a customizable button on the OnePlus 15, and it looks like the same thing will happen with the 15R. It can be used to switch between sound profiles, turn on the flashlight, and perform other functions. It’s a great addition, although I’d ideally like to see the option of supporting double and triple presses and more customizability.

The OnePlus 15R is also expected to feature an IR blaster, just like its predecessor. Sure, it’s a minor and perhaps not important feature to some, but I like it. I keep losing my remote, so having the option to control my TV and other electronic devices in my home with my phone makes life just a little bit easier.

And I have to mention the materials as well. If there’s one thing I dislike about my Pixel 9a, it is the plastic back, which feels cheap and is also a fingerprint magnet. Like its predecessor, the OnePlus 15R is expected to sport a glass back that not only looks but feels a lot more premium. It will likely still collect fingerprints like crazy, but you can’t have everything.

These are the main features that made me think about ditching my Pixel for the upcoming OnePlus, although there are other ones that I’d really enjoy. The chipset will be better,  as the phone is confirmed to pack the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 under the hood. There are also other premium features rumored, including an IP69K rating, an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, and a great software experience.

The first is the display. It’s said to be around 6.8 inches, making the overall footprint of the device quite big. I prefer smaller phones. Phones I can easily use with one hand and carry around in my pocket. The Pixel 9a is perfect for this thanks to its 6.3-inch display. I have used larger phones in the past, and I really don’t want to go back to them.

The second is the software. While I’m comfortable using OxygenOS, especially because of the various features I miss, the software promise doesn’t match Google’s. My Pixel is promised seven years of OS upgrades, while the OnePlus 15R will likely only get four. The second difference is that I get the latest version of Android on day one, while OnePlus users have to wait a bit longer, sometimes for months on end. I remember those days, and I didn’t enjoy them.

The third thing that’s holding me back is the camera experience. I’ve never used better camera systems than the ones offered by Pixel phones. The photos are consistently great, regardless of the lighting conditions. While OnePlus and other Chinese manufacturers have narrowed the gap with Google over the last few years in this area, and we actually don’t know how good/bad the OnePlus 15R’s camera will be, I’m still a lot more comfortable with Google’s shooters since they don’t leave a lot to be desired for my personal wants and needs.

I’ve used a lot of phones over the years, and I have yet to find a perfect one, regardless of my budget. There was always a compromise I had to make. There was always a phone that offered features that I really liked and my device didn’t have, and it’s the same story with the Pixel 9a and the upcoming OnePlus 15R.

There’s a lot to gain by making the switch, but there are also a few things I’d lose. So it comes down to what I value more: a longer and better software support, superior camera experience, and a smaller footprint, or faster charging, bigger battery, a more premium design, and other features I’d get with OnePlus.

It’s a tough choice, but I’m sticking to my Pixel 9a for now. It’s still the latest device in Google’s A series, and while not perfect, the size, software, and cameras tip the scale in its favor. However, if Google doesn’t start taking more risks and bring a bigger battery and faster charging to its upcoming phones, I may have to switch to a brand like OnePlus eventually.