"Major YouTubers" are also the same people who professional marketers generally place in the "influencers" category. These folks accept payment ("sponsorship") in exchange for publishing videos that are in line with the sponsoring entity's priorities.

As usual, one must exercise care when consuming Internet content. Most of it is, quite unfortunately, "fake news" or "sponsored content".

I'm sorry but what the heck does this have to do with YouTubers reporting issues with their favorite daily driver phones? They aren't being paid by Samsung to say the Pixel is shit. I'm talking about MKBHD and his slowdowns specifically.

Also I wanted to ask you about a previous comment you left. What really upset me was you saying Samsung Software is somehow not a feature because it's made by an OEM. Do you think Samsung should not be making features because it fragments the market? Because to me they've really done a good faith effort to be apple in quality of features and ecosystem of products. I really enjoy the care they have put into the user's quality of life. I could not see myself using anything but a Samsung Galaxy.

I for one just don't like the Samsung overlay interface. And my Pixel 2 - not XL, hasn't slowed down a bit since I got it.

I do understand the appeal for the note though.

For me I've started a whole YouTube channel editing and filming videos all on my note 8. I've given up my MacBook pro to my brother and have exclusively used it for a year. Nothing compares to the suite of features Samsung has and I really love the design of their latest UI. It's really Microsoft esque but if done right.

I use Samsung's DeX destop environment with a cheap USB c dongle that makes my note 8 a giant 24" Chromebook PC when I'm at my desk. It's really a desktop killer for me.

Funny that you mention the camera. The Pixel 2 has the same sensor (Sony IMX 362) as a bunch of Motorola phones, like the G5+ and the X4. There is the custom Pixel Visual Core, sure, but that's used only by third-party applications that call the Camera API. Google's Camera app does all the processing on the CPU, presumably with highly tuned Halide code.

There is more to photos than CPU and sensor. There are also lenses and their layout as well as per-device and per-model tuning. This is why even if you side-load google camera app and all the libs it needs unto another phone, even with IMX362 sensor, the photos do not come out as good.