The Sundarban
Published Apr 19, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT
Dibakar Ghosh is a tech journalist at How-To Geek, the build he specializes in Linux, Windows, and productivity tools. His goal is straightforward—wait on readers at every skill stage obtain more performed with the tech they protest daily.
He began his writing career in 2016 with WordPress tutorials, later involving into digital marketing, the build he spent years reviewing advanced tools for marketers. His work has also regarded on Authority Hacker, the build he’s shared in-depth guides on digital workflows and online productivity. That ride now shapes his journalism, blending analytical depth with intellectual, real-world suggestion.
When he’s no longer writing or testing tool, Dibakar is most frequently searching at motion photos or playing video video games. He’s a noteworthy Christopher Nolan fan and a trusty proponent of the theater ride. In gaming, he has sunk a entire bunch of hours into Insomniac’s Spider-Man series, Returnal, Prototype, Darksiders, and Closing Delusion titles.
I had a Galaxy phone that was as soon as better than my Pixel by nearly every measurable traditional. Greater chip, better exhibit, more features, more customization—the list goes on. Yet, here I am, inspire on the Pixel. And it wasn’t because Samsung did one thing deplorable, but because one app—one I had by no plot thought twice about.
Why I made a decision to switch in the first position
Believing that the grass was as soon as greener on the quite a spread of facet
Credit: Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
The Pixel 6a was as soon as my first Pixel machine; I loved it—and nonetheless attain. It did the entire lot I mandatory—neat tool, a stout digital camera, and assured updates straight from Google. On the other hand, most of my chums have Samsung Galaxy phones and so that they stored reminding me how that is the build you definitely look Android’s fleshy skill. And the reality that the majority of the find has the same opinion with them made me regret my decision to obtain the Pixel.
The argument was as soon as most frequently that Snapdragon chips originate better than Google’s Tensor, and One UI presents you a mountainous number more to play with—custom icon packs, Suitable Lock modules, and correct contrivance more customization alternate choices than stock Android. Moreover, I’m in truth the more or much less one who enjoys tinkering with my phone, making the premise of switching rather fascinating.
So, when the Galaxy S25 launched in 2025 and the S24 obtained a tight value drop, I figured that was as soon as a honest ample time to score the crawl.
Now, I did count on an adjustment period first and important, but the final friction was as soon as correct too disturbing. I slowly realized I wasn’t adjusting to a new workflow, but in truth dropping decided features that had been pivotal to how I work—features I took without any consideration on my Pixel.
Google Pixel 10
Imprint
SoC
Google Tensor G5
Taking a behold to enhance to a Pixel but no longer obvious whenever you’d just like the entire bells and whistles of the more costly units? That you just may want to no longer be upset with the frequent Pixel 10 model. Coming in striking colors, Gemini features, and 7 years of updates, you may want to’t disappear deplorable with this aquire.
The major problems I faced after making the switch
In search of the unconventional Galaxy-unfamiliar features, I lost the familiar Pixel-unfamiliar features
The major thing I noticed was as soon as that the Galaxy correct felt quite a spread of in a sort that took some getting aged to. The haptic feedback, the typography, the plot in which the UI was as soon as laid out, the settings menu—the entire lot had its possess positive personality that was as soon as rather a ways from vanilla Android. It’s nearly adore its possess thing, which I obtain is also a promoting level for a spread of oldsters, but I most in sort the simplicity of the Pixel ride.
The honest news was as soon as that because One UI is so customizable, I could perhaps in truth reshape a spread of it to gaze and for certain feel nearer to what I was as soon as aged to on the Pixel. And it worked for certain well. If truth be told, at one level my S24 was as soon as having a behold more Pixel-adore than my real Pixel.
On the other hand, the visible stuff was as soon as the easy section. The tougher situation was as soon as the core ride under all of that. You’d judge that “it’s all Android” at the cease of the day, so all Android apps ought to nonetheless work in the direction of units, but a bunch of the apps I in truth relied on day after day had been Pixel-unfamiliar. GCam, Pixel Screenshots, the Recorder app—I overlooked these essentially the most but was as soon as keen to safe choices and crawl on. With the exception of there was as soon as this one app—which you’re going to be in a position to set up on a Samsung Galaxy machine, but it presents you a nerfed version that utterly broke your entire ride for me.
Connected
I made my Samsung Galaxy gaze more adore a Pixel than my Pixel 10
The Pixel graceful doesn’t have to be unfamiliar to Pixel phones.
Gboard was as soon as the deal breaker
And I by no plot realized my workflow relied on it so vital
Good ample, so ample dancing spherical—the Pixel-unfamiliar app that made Samsung Galaxy smartphones a deal breaker is… Gboard. Yes, it’s a keyboard! And before you repeat me that Gboard is on hand on Samsung smartphones, let me repeat you that it’s a nerfed version. Gboard on Pixels is amazing!
For context, I write lots from my smartphone. Whether it be emails, social messages, or entire article drafts, I attain it all from my smartphone. On the other hand, I am the protest of stammer typing for all of this, no longer tapping on my keyboard. If truth be told, I in truth hate typing on a virtual keyboard—the minute space and the dearth of tactile feedback score it a depressed ride.
Now, the stammer typing ride with Gboard, especially on Pixel units, is totally pristine. The transcription quality is extremely honest, and I talk with an accent. It auto-punctuates as you talk, keeps the mic originate so you’re going to be in a position to correct preserve speaking, and works utterly offline.
