That's really interesting. From the design this smartphones looks like an iPhone.

I like that they're finally trying to take matters into their own hands with the hardware/software. However, I'm hoping that they will be continuing to improve everything and we see their Pixel devices being supported far longer than Nexus phones.

I'm not sure if the connection/call quality issues I have on my Nexus 6p were from poor hardware (Huawei) or Verizon saying "F-U for buying a phone not from us". I really loved the look/feel of the Nexus 6P, but those call/connection issues I were driving me mad. I got so fed up with this issue (and also because of the pricing rumors of $650+ for the Pixel phones) that it forced my hand a few weeks ago. It's against my opinion of Lenovorola/non-nexus phones, but I managed to snag a really good price on a used Moto Z so I'm sticking with that for right now and I'll be keeping a lookout for used prices on Pixel phones unless I just wait to see what next year's phones will bring.

Heck, I almost snagged an iPhone 6S Plus because I was so frustrated with the issues I had with the 6p.

I think you are not putting a fair evaluation between these. (only using the 5" variants of any phone)

1) Google's camera is top of the industry. Specs suggest this is true and we'll have to wait for the inevitable comparisons to come soon. All past 'blind tests' have solidly proven Galaxy line has better cameras than iPhone (and others). I think this will especially be true in low-light scenarios.

2) Display is definitely right there with Galaxy S7 and both are better than iPhones, especially true in the XL variants. (comparing ppi)

3) CPU/GPU has Pixel in the lead with pure hardware specs, but there is more here than raw power anyways. iPhone's hardware is more than efficient for its OS and runs, generally, very well. Fast and responsive. However, Samsung's Touchwiz is a bloated whale. This is a very good reason why even Nexus phones of the past ran better than their much more over-powered Galaxy cousins. Vanilla Android is more efficient and thus requires less hardware. But in the case of Pixel, you have both.

You really underplayed the benefits of Nexus and to a similar extent Motorola's OS experience has been as compared to Touchwiz. I have a Moto X (2nd edition) 2014 model phone. My wife has the Galaxy S6 2015 model phone. Her phone is significantly more powerful than mine. Yet, mine runs circles around hers as Motorola X's were redefined by the short time Google owned them. They run an nearly vanilla Android OS. Fact is, you can tout multi-window or other features all you want, but the experience and useage of the OS is predominate as that is what you do 100% of the time, use it. Galaxy S phones are more sluggish, last to be updated and have the largest storage space footprint of any OS. Buy a 32GB iPhone and you have 27GB free out the box. Pixel has 24GB (due to Android 7's duplicity for seamless updates) and Galaxy S7 has 23GB without Androud 7's new seamless update feature which uses about 2GB. Turning that feature off, if possible, would put Pixel around 26 GB free space out-the-box. Then you add a new launcher to be better than touchwhiz and you lose even more space. Seems silly to attempt to argue Samsung is doing this the right way.

4) Software updates are a huge thing. When Samsung users have to take a wait-and-see approach to getting the latest features and if noted as coming to them, then wait 6 months or longer, is a big difference. Especially if you consider security or defect fixes a big issue. This has always been the big win for iPhone and Nexus devices. Shit breaks or is demonstrated as unsecure, bam update is quickly put out. Everyone else will see it at best 3 months later or worst never.

5) Price is not $100 more for a Pixel based on how people normally buy phones. At retail the iPhone 7 and Pixel 5" (ish) 32GB models are $650 from Apple and Google respectively. The 32GB S7 is at best ($550 to $650) on Amazon (the "international version - no warranty" was the cheap-o) or more based on my looking at Verizon ($672) and AT&T ($694), which is where people buy their phones primarily... at their carrier. People rarely buy retail and at the carrier the prices are pretty much the same. Basically, the price is a not a vital part of the decision making process in this scenario.

6) Water resistance. Yes Pixel has none. It is a benefit that is missed and becoming common on the high-end devices. Not a deal breaker, but a missed benefit.

7) Wireless charging is overrated and slow. All three have fast-charging functionality which is what people actually use.

8) Connections. Pixel has USB-C which is far faster and replacing micro-usb. By next year all new phones will be USB-C. This will enable fast charging with more than the proprietary cable that came with your phone too.

9) Micro-SD card is also overrated. I haven't bought an SD card to expand any phone in over 10 years. Plus Google offers unlimited back up of anything with its services. I've actually lived with 16GB phones for quite some time now. My phone auto-backs up all of my photos/videos and the only time I've ran into issue has been apps. But very rarely... moving to 32GB will be perfect for me. Moving to 128GB is likely perfect for just about anyone.

Have you ever asked yourself why iPhones and Nexus phones haven't ever had expandable SD card slots? Because it creates latency in software and impacts user experience. It also adds a weak point to your setup as SD cards can lose data. I'd always choose to spend a little bit more on larger internal memory phone than extend with an SD card.

10) Other features... these are really nonsense. Heart monitors in your phone can't possible be that accurate. You want something for fitness, then spend $50 and buy a real monitor. Really all that is different here is the specific OS niceties each company will provide. I prefer the seamless integration of Google's services, especially Google Now (partially renamed as Assistant), over any bells and whistles Samsung has added (especially considering the tax on the hardware those come with). With Pixel only little things I'll miss is Motorola's gesture based functionality, including its touchless sensors. (which is why I am tossing the idea of getting the Moto Z instead... but the physical look/case is risk on that one)

When all is said and done, the only things this doesn't do as compared to other high-end competitors is water resistance and bloat the shit out of your experience.

No. As with any product, the market eventually comes to a nearly singular design. iPhone, Galaxy S, Pixels and others have all come to a similar design because that is what the market expects/wants. Manufacturers are less likely to go too much beyond this expectation at this point. Thing is Apple was first to pitch a good looking functional smart phone. Others tried to be 'different' and Samsung realized first to instead go with similar as that is what people wanted. Now all other manufacturers share a similar overall design with variation on colors and case design.

The key advantage is lack of bloatware, right now I am deciding between the S7 (Not the Edge) or Pixel standard, but will cost me about $199.99, but with Pixel I get I believe 2gb more data a month. 

You know what going with the Pixel and will decide in two years if I want to return to Samsung, or continue with Pixel. Samsung is the first company I switched off, that I am not abadoning forever. (I abadoned Sony/Motorola forever phone wise, because of past experiences).

Eh.. my S6 edge is better and cheaper...

At the end of the day, you are paying more for less. If software updates matter to you that much that you are willing to give up many hardware features of the Galaxy S7 and iphone 7, then go for it but, specially looking many sites, this is not only going to not make a scratch at iphone/S7 sales but many Nexus users are going to skip and hope the next one has a better value. And for a very good reason too..

And by the love of god, please do some research

bolded ... they are similar in tech/features and similar in price and I used tech specs from each phone company for my statements as well as several comparisons already out from tech sites. You used ebay and someone's opinion from reddit, yet you call me out on research. O_O

1) camera - you admitted they'll be similar but of course we'll have to wait for actual comparisons.

2) Display - you have to look at ppi do to screen size differences. 441 vs 567 or 534 vs 567 and both are same tech (super amoled). I said Pixel was right up there and both were better than iPhone (326 or 401) which is a true statement. Considering the S7 is a larger phone screen size, it requires the higher ppi which is why the similar sized pixel XL has a closer ppi. For all intents and purposes, the displays are very similar and any user is not likely to see a difference.

3) CPU/GPU - Ok, one variant of the S7 is better than pixel while the other variant... the one nearly anyone in US/CA will buy is not. I'm willing to concede that all-in-all they are similar enough that it won't matter.

However, you do admit in your column that stock Android is faster than Touchwiz. So not sure why you defend that is somehow ok or can be ignored. Its a simple difference. You want the best responsive Android experience? Get Nexus/Pixel and possibly Moto G/Z.

4) Nexus devices get updates first. Now will Pixel devices. All others at best are a few months later to a year, if at all. Your statement that S7 will always get updates is blatantly false. Samsung only pushes one major OS update (maybe two) for their phones and yes, they will do small defect/security fixes, well after nexus/pixel received same. My son's Nexus 5 from 2013 is on Marshmellow, same as S7. S7 will not get the latest OS update 3 years later. Only Pixel has the possibility of being a phone you can keep up-to-date OS post 2nd year... most not post first year.

You bring up one app, Assistant... which is so similar to Google Now + Google Search (using voice) that it really doesn't matter. Is assistant coming to Samsung? Also... what hardware features are you talking about? Heart rate monitor... who cares. That is such a niche feature, might as well call out built-in kickstands that HTC use to push.

5) Pixel is $650 directly from Google. Not sure why you are talking about Verizon, you can also buy now at Best Buy or Google's site. The unlocked versions (best buy or google site) with with any carrier in the world. In fact, the Pixel has the best set of cellular radios in any phone. It doesn't need an "international version". Go to the tech spec pages and do some research. As for pricing... people buy phones from carriers, stores, amazon or direct. People only go to ebay when they want cheap used shit. You are comfortable with Ebay but most think "new" when they shop on ebay. I provided prices from two largest carriers and the largest retailer in the world, amazon.

Point is they are priced similarly at the 32GB version. People will see them as $650 phones. For the 128GB versions, you could spend $50-$60 (amazon) on good SD cards to get 128GB or $100 for built-in zero loss 128GB. We'll talk more on storage later.

6) 1 (singular) lacking feature. Still not sure what hardware features are lacking that you keep referring to. You've only ever mentioned this and a heart rate sensor. Then here you admit the water resistance is not that important otherwise it would be a deal breaker.

7) When wireless charging is default in most cars (not even there yet on new cars) and/or comes default with all major phones (also not even there with new phones), then you can say this feature is not overrated. You also admit it is slower. It will remain slower as all phones upgrade to usb-c and by default become faster. I guess this is the 2nd hardware feature you could call out as technically missing, but this is almost as used as often as that heart rate montor by people. Poor data example, but I work at Amazon in a tech dev center. I can count on one had the number of people who use wireless charging. Hell, does iPhone have that feature? If they haven't copied it, surely its not mass market.

8) My point with proprietary cables was not related to micro-usb but to fast charge. Currently with micro-usb, you must be using the OEM cable for your fast charge phone to get that feature. As usb-c becomes standard, that feature should be interchangeable with any branded charger. Your phone has micro-usb, pixel has upgraded to usb-c... even apple uses a similar method though proprietary.

9) Let's combine storage talk to one point as it was confusing above, sorry. Two points with this. Due to the bloat Touchwiz puts on the phone you get less available default storage (as well as a slower user experience). Due to the weak point of a SD card connector and the type of SD Card you use, the data transfer (and lifespan) of internal vs SD card is noticeable. You admit this in your game example. Simple fact is, the technically superior option is to have internal memory. 

On top of the technical superiority comes the pointless need to expand as such. Google gives you free unlimited storage for music, pics and video. pics and video are both saved in HD (4k for video), so there is no loss of quality on either. If you use Google's services, which as an Android user I wouldn't understand why you would not, then you don't need 100's of Gigs of space for physical storage. You have unlimited cloud space for free!

So you can pay $50-$60 for 128GB SD Card (amazon prices for quality fast cards) with slower data transfer and possibility of losing data at some point OR you can pay $100 for 128GB Pixel and unlimited cloud where you'll have fastest response and near-zero possibility of losing anything ever. This seems like SD cards are overrated and largely unnecessary.

10) I'm not sure what your point is. Sure most up-to-date version of touchwiz improved on the older version. By the time the next one comes you'll say the same thing and call S7's negatives out as having been improved on. Fact is, touchwiz is not as good as vanilla android. Any feature you have in touchwiz I can likely get in Google Play Store as it is all software. All that is saying is that a bloated experience has improved but is still bloated.

My point is still the same. Pixel is in the same level of tech and features as any other high-end phone with the one exception of water-resistance that pretty much all others are now doing. Something you agreed was not a deal breaker. Its also in the same price-range. 

Summary pixel has (to S7) similar display, similar camera, similar cpu/gpu, better connector, better storage, better OS, better responsiveness, better carrier support, similar price, lacks two overrated hardware features (sd card/water resistance). Again, to your original post's point... Pixel is clearly not a more expensive inferior phone. It is a directly comparable high-end phone for the same price.

Cheaper, yes ... better... considering Pixel compares to S7, not sure how you come to that conclusion.

Another iPhone clone. Steve jobs is certainly laughting at this wherever he is