Ok So now that both phones are essentially out. Granted the US version of the nexus isn't but close enough. I am kind of torn one what phone to buy. The biggest thing to me was ICS and since the Razr will be getting it at some point that is a lot less of a factor.
What other Reasons would you guys have for getting one or the other? Yes i have read all the reviews on both and understand the differences between the two. Anything game changing for you guys?
Nexus, the Razr doesn't seem to be all that good and Motorola aren't exactly reliable when it comes to updates.
Keep in mind that even if Razr will get ICS eventually, you'll still have to wait for future increment updates, and then there's jellybean.
I am eagerly waiting for the Nexus for several reasons in addition to being pure Android, better developer support, and future updates. The Nexus, IMO, looks better. The Razr is quite large even though it has a smaller screen. I heard that Razr has better call quality but that's not the most important thing to me because I only use maybe 20% of my phone to make calls. GN has a slightly newer and better SoC. The screen of the Nexus clearly wins hands down. Oh and no locked bootloader.
Having had both a motorola and a samsung previously (Milestone with motorola - non US version of the original Droid and the Galaxy S with samsung) I too faced the same question.
I went with the Nexus in the end as although the milestone was nice hard-ware wise, motoblur let it down and shackled it, motorola blatantly lied about updates and then failed to deliver them, and the updates that did come came with even more bugs than they were supposed to fix. Motorola are only interested in your $$$ their after sales customer service is appaling!
Having had the nexus for a week now I've not regretted the upgrade and would thoroughly recommend. I think as well being a nexus you're pretty much guranteed speedy updates over the razr and I think it looks better too.
I had both on my hand. And definitely goes for Galaxy Nexus, the galaxy nexus screen advantage almost override all other advantages from razr~!
The RAZR will always be crushed by motorola's updates and skins. And comparing the screens, the RAZR isn't even close to the GN.
You came to the Galaxy Nexus forum,which do you expect people to pick? The Razr?
rashad1 said:
You came to the Galaxy Nexus forum,which do you expect people to pick? The Razr?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will be honest, i came here because this is what phone i had decided to wait for. But it seems that its not getting the greatest reviews, and the single biggest reason i picked it (ICS) i am a little nervous about. I mean lets be honest its never great to be the 1 to test something out.(New fighter plane or fire retardant suit comes to mind) I actually have a Razr, bought it for my wife and i like it a lot. I guess i am losing steam for holding out for the GN. And i thought this would be a great place for a discussion on what i should do.
Get the int'l razor. Supposedly bootloader can be unlocked but i havent followed up on that to see if its true. Reviews have been kind of meh to me.
Sent from my samsung gt i9250 which is in the wrong country.
Well if there was a GSM variant of the RAZR, I would actually have to think about my choice.
The RAZR's hardware is incredible, but in the end the non-bloatware Nexus and ridiculous screen quality would trump even the water-resistant and Gorilla Glass 2 feature of the RAZR.
Edit: Ack, there is a GSM RAZR. Good thing I already own the GNEX...
ericshmerick said:
Well if there was a GSM variant of the RAZR, I would actually have to think about my choice.
The RAZR's hardware is incredible, but in the end the non-bloatware Nexus and ridiculous screen quality would trump even the water-resistant and Gorilla Glass 2 feature of the RAZR.
Edit: Ack, there is a GSM RAZR. Good thing I already own the GNEX...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gnex CPU is also slightly better.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
I'd go with the N but not because you can sit back and let Google give you timely updates and fix bugs. My Nexus S shipped with the search bug making it unusable. Best and only response from G was "first we heard about that problem". The hundreds of other users got the same. No update in sight and I never saw one. I lasted a week before rooting and flashing like we always do. Now it is a great device but no thanks to google. Moto would be a lot worse. I assume that I'll treat any phone no matter how it's sold as a dev device that I'll have to flash myself. I have full confidence in my lack of confidence with the new Nexus.
Get the GN,
I just came from a Motorola Atrix! Motorola suck at software updates & love locking bootloaders (although they are slowly changing)
GN FTW!
GN.
10char
Am about to buy the monster here in Germany, will wait for the first batch to be washed out into the market to avoid the baby teething issues (volume, search, whatever else).
Atrix has been good though, once the bootloader got unlocked & the roms started pouring in it became a beauty of a phone!
+1 on the wait and see attitude. let the first batch fly out and the next (fixed) batch to arrive. Whether the inevitable issues are google or samsung isn't important, there is a history of problems with each one so far and the new one is already showing problems. Hearing that the core issue (volume) is hardware related that will be "fixed" in software makes me think I'll not buy one at all now. I'll not go with the Moto for other reasons. The Galaxy S had hardware shortcomings also semi fixed in software and that wasn't good enough. After my third warranty repair I demanded a proper pb which they did and the problem went away. The Nexus S had OS issues that took much too long to fix. The new one no doubt will have issues. I'm not excited to be the fist on the block with another turkey.
JustusIV said:
But it seems that its not getting the greatest reviews.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Official reviews looked pretty good to me, maybe I read them wrong.
Btw...I thanked you on accident, consider it an early xmas gift.
I am fond of Motorola devices, they have good voice quality, good durability, good grip (despite being squarish). But none of their devices seem to support TMobile 3G band, so I can't get it. (As for firmware updates, what updates?)
I'd go with the GN. Bug fixes pretty quick and easy bootloader unlocking make an excellent combination.
However, with Google's acquisition of Moto, maybe they will be the way forward next year?
Thought about the same choice of phones and I think I'll be going with the GN mainly because of removeable battery.
The good thing about thin phones is that you can add to them bigger capacity batteries while still keeping a normal width. I currently have a 2700 Mah battery on my Samsung Galaxy S with the corresponding width (but not weight!) of my ex-Iphone 3GS.
Just yesterday, while abroad on work, I didn't use my phone at all (ok, probably not a very valid test) with wifi, 3G on and this morning, after 1d battery usage was down 12%.
I know that the important thing is lasting a 8h day but I'm the kind of guy that hates thinking about recharging my devices (Ipad 2 is perfect in this aspect) than actually doing it.
So I'm keeping my eye on GN extended batteries, specially from Momax....
Related
SKIP TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE QUESTION
I really like the idea of the Galaxy Nexus.
I'm a former Nexus One user, I still have it in the box it came in with the Desktop dock and Car dock too. I'm holding on to it for ever!!!
I passed on the Nexus S because I didn't want a Samsung Phone. I love the way HTC makes their phones. I bought into the hype about their phones feeling "cheap" and "plasticy".
I decided to replace my N1 with a Sensation which has been a pretty big disappointment.
When the GN was announced I decided to swallow my dislike for Samsung's phones and go for it. After reading about the specs it seemed like a decent phone, Nothing groundbreaking just decent maybe even a little sub par when compared to some of the top of the line phones. The only really stand out things about it are the software, which most of the top tier phones will be getting upgraded to at some point.
NFC? It's cool but I can't see using it that much. I think I've run into one other person that was using a Nexus phone and I didn't care to swap info with them. I'd probably pay for stuff with it but I still have to carry a wallet so it's not going to replace my debit card.
Camera? 5mp that's less than 8mp seems like a pretty big step down from what every "top tier" phone out there. Hopefully the low light performance will be really good but somehow I'm expecting disappointment.
Big Screen? I love it big, but then I read about the Galaxy Note.
Pure Google? I've been there with everything up to Gingerbread and I have to say it was barren. I'm on sense now and I've tried (a few times) giving it up to use ADW to get that stock launcher experience I didn't last long. Compared to Sense 3 (I think) Gingerbread is VERY ugly and misses out on a lot of niceties that I've grown accustomed to in Sense.
At least it'll probably get updates first.
It seems like every time I turn around some company is releasing a phone that bests the GN in every way, SGSII, RAZOR and today I read freaking LG has got a phone with a killer display more pixels or something like that.
With that in mind how do you keep your excitement up about this phone?
when it comes to phones, its the software that makes the device, not the hardware......with a Nexus device you will always be on the latest and greatest, nothing is more frustrating to me than to be behind 1 or 2 software releases
Megapixels in cameras are not everything.
The support on Nexus phones is unparalleled. Samsung make good phones. I would get over the plastic hate and get the Nexus. You are on the Nexus forum so you clearly want us to talk you into it
That used to be the case. However with the announcement of ICS and the subsequent announcement from HTC, Samsung and others that ICS would be coming to their later phones it seems like the update argument may not be as valid as it used to be.
Even though I don't see that much use it NFC. Going forward, I won't consider a phone without it.
jivemaster said:
Megapixels in cameras are not everything.
The support on Nexus phones is unparalleled. Samsung make good phones. I would get over the plastic hate and get the Nexus. You are on the Nexus forum so you clearly want us to talk you into it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm totally here to be talked into it .
I will totally admit to unfairly jumping on the "Samsung makes cheap feeling phones" bandwagon. HTC phones have weight, Samsung phones are light.
Yes Megapixels aren't everything but they do count for something.
Ironzey said:
That used to be the case. However with the announcement of ICS and the subsequent announcement from HTC, Samsung and others that ICS would be coming to their later phones it seems like the update argument may not be as valid as it used to be.
Even though I don't see that much use it NFC. Going forward, I won't consider a phone without it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course they're getting updated, but they'll be updated 3+ months after the Galaxy Nexus comes out.
That Samsung build quality stigma is FUD. Is all plastic, but my nexus s is the most solid feeling phone I've had. Light and rigid. I've dropped it on tile and wood floor and keep it in my pocket with no protection except that it's by itself. It still looks mint with zero screen scratches since March.
Don't buy into the megapixel myth. The sensor quality and optics are more important. 5mp is more than any cell phone needs, and provides plenty of resolution for larger prints. most use cases are social networking which does not need even a fraction of that resolution. Wait to see camera reviews and comparisons after people get their hands on shipping product.
You do sound a little confused about what phone you want. There's plenty of good products from various manufacturers with good qualities. What you will get from the GN is vanilla Android, timely updates, a solid all-around performer from a hardware standpoint (maybe not the best at any one aspect, but a formidable complete experience), and the warm fuzzies that super geek Android fans get for nexus devices. That may not be right for you, but that's what it is.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk
My first android phone was the Droid X, I loved it as am android noob, then I rooted, then I flashed my first ROM, then CM7 came out for the DX, then I dropped it in a puddle... I was pretty disappointed when my insurance sent me an X2 as a replacement, but I've made it the most enjoyable I can by making my own ROM for it. Now I realize Moto will never stop locking their phones and hardware specs aren't everything, its about the software, which is why I'm 90% sure I'm going to be picking up the Gnex when my upgrade comes at the end of January. I've never owned a Samsung phone and am still skeptical about the build quality, hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised when I buy it
Sent from my DROID X2 using XDA App
What do people equate to build quality?
Do you know a phone that people says has the best build quality?
The iPhone 4 and 4s
Do you know what phone when drops shatters?
Thats right the iPhone 4 and 4s.
Judging build quality by feel alone is stupid. Quality means the grade of the materials used and how they are used. A plastic phone using really good plastic is a higher quality phone then a shattering glass phone.
Lil Jones said:
Do you know a phone that people says has the best build quality?
The iPhone 4 and 4s
Do you know what phone when drops shatters?
Thats right the iPhone 4 and 4s.
Judging build quality by feel alone is stupid. Quality means the grade of the materials used and how they are used. A plastic phone using really good plastic is a higher quality phone then a shattering glass phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The iPhone 4 and 4S are extremely high quality. They're just... made out of glass. Obviously they're going to break when you drop them. Just like a window will break when you throw a cinder block at it. That doesn't mean the window is low quality....
Their reinforced glass is not as good as gorilla glass, I heard.
The one aspect that people seem to be taking for granted also is that because of all these specs and the Nexus name. Galaxy Nexus is going to have a much larger developer following for rooted customization. Also, when you are looking for a new product what better way to narrow down what to get than to ask an expert...well, developers largely choose Nexus.
(Before someone attacks me with the typical response "not everyone wants to root ". No not everyone does. This was Simply offered as one more possitive to add to the Nexus checklist. )
When it comes down to it. everyone should buy what they want cause no one else cares.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
You don't buy the Nexus for the hardware. If my Nexus One would have worked on Verizon I would still be using it.
Let's be honest, if you're regularly browsing this site, chances are you're atleast toying with the idea of rooting the device (if not in the, "The thing will be rooted before I get a text" category).
The Megapixel hype is just that. It's kind of like America's fascination with horsepower -- yes your GT500 outputs crazy numbers, but it still can't turn.
-insert flaming-
Nother Sensation owner here waiting to bounce on the GN for dev support. I will run CM9 or a MiUI ICS variant more than likely. I'd prefer to have the most choice for kernels and roms over slightly better hardware. Do we really need 4 cores in a phone?
Ironzey said:
That used to be the case. However with the announcement of ICS and the subsequent announcement from HTC, Samsung and others that ICS would be coming to their later phones it seems like the update argument may not be as valid as it used to be.
Even though I don't see that much use it NFC. Going forward, I won't consider a phone without it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that still is the case. Even though a manufacture says they will release an update it will never be timely. As manufactures produce more and more models of phones their support goes down the drain. My Samsung Vibrant never got an official update that was promised. The thunderbolt finally got gingerbread.
My G1 was my favorite phone. Great support by htc, google and devs. It always had the latest version of android, even when its hardware could barely run it.
I would rather have a well supported phone than the highest spec phone. While the galaxy nexus appears to have average hardware it will have great android support and dev support.
Availability of developers.
CAN'T STAND OS delays.
Beautiful bezel.
No HD screen + RGB notification combos on Tmo.
That's if this retarded phone ever comes out for Tmo.
Inused to be HTC supporter. But after I got The old Desire, I vowed to not get any HTC anymore. I dislike Sense and replaced with LP pro.
Then I got the Nexus S, and feel really like the design and overal feeling. All blacks, with super Amoled, seems elegant and mysterious.
And it is much lighter as well.
On top of that Qualcomm is not as fast as Hummingbird, Exynos, or now TI Omap.
Nuff said, no HTC anymore.
Nexus phone all the way
Ironzey said:
SKIP TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE QUESTION
I really like the idea of the Galaxy Nexus.
I'm a former Nexus One user, I still have it in the box it came in with the Desktop dock and Car dock too. I'm holding on to it for ever!!!
I passed on the Nexus S because I didn't want a Samsung Phone. I love the way HTC makes their phones. I bought into the hype about their phones feeling "cheap" and "plasticy".
I decided to replace my N1 with a Sensation which has been a pretty big disappointment.
When the GN was announced I decided to swallow my dislike for Samsung's phones and go for it. After reading about the specs it seemed like a decent phone, Nothing groundbreaking just decent maybe even a little sub par when compared to some of the top of the line phones. The only really stand out things about it are the software, which most of the top tier phones will be getting upgraded to at some point.
NFC? It's cool but I can't see using it that much. I think I've run into one other person that was using a Nexus phone and I didn't care to swap info with them. I'd probably pay for stuff with it but I still have to carry a wallet so it's not going to replace my debit card.
Camera? 5mp that's less than 8mp seems like a pretty big step down from what every "top tier" phone out there. Hopefully the low light performance will be really good but somehow I'm expecting disappointment.
Big Screen? I love it big, but then I read about the Galaxy Note.
Pure Google? I've been there with everything up to Gingerbread and I have to say it was barren. I'm on sense now and I've tried (a few times) giving it up to use ADW to get that stock launcher experience I didn't last long. Compared to Sense 3 (I think) Gingerbread is VERY ugly and misses out on a lot of niceties that I've grown accustomed to in Sense.
At least it'll probably get updates first.
It seems like every time I turn around some company is releasing a phone that bests the GN in every way, SGSII, RAZOR and today I read freaking LG has got a phone with a killer display more pixels or something like that.
With that in mind how do you keep your excitement up about this phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to use a SGSII but couldn't live with it. Was coming from a Nexus S and before that I owned a N1. It just didn't feel right. It came shipped with 2.3 then after some time 2.3.4 hit when I sold it a month ago 2.3.5 still wasn't official available. In addition they added a strange bootloader which stopped you from flashing CM7. I don't know exactly what happened there but it was one of the points which led me to sell the phone. I'm using a Desire now until I receive my 100% free GN.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
I'll probably just keep my NS for now. All other smartphones sound lame in comparison to the NS + Voodoo Sound.
I have been a longtime iPhone and Android user and currently I am using the iPhone 4s. It's a great phone, but I tend to miss Android and all that it offers.
Here is my question.. Does anyone think $690 for the GSM Nexus is worth it? I have been going back and forth on it and I think I would really like it, however I can never seem to keep an Android phone because nothing is really new with it.
Here is an example. I had the Verizon Thunderbolt, it was a nice phone, fast and really allowed Android to shine. I then saw the T-Mobile Sensation come out and it was a dual core with nice specs. Another really nice phone. But again, noting super new with Android. Not to mention T-Moble's network blows around here.
I hoped to ATT and I love the coverage and have tried the iPhone 4, 4s (current) and Skyrocket.
So, will Android 4 on the Nexus be new and improved enough to make the switch?
I should pay attention, I see the subsidized Verizon phone still is $300. Maybe $600+ is an ok price.
Honestly I only think paying full price for the GSM Nexus is worth it if you get the $30 Walmart plan on T-Mobile.
I personally have been using my GNex for about a month now and I bought it from one of the on-line retailers (paid $750BTW) and I would do it again in a heart beat. I personally have TMoUSA and the service is good in my area, everyone's mileage will vary. I had the iPhone and have not looked back after going with android
"Worth it" is completely arbitrary based on the person.
For me, it would be worth it. I hate iOS and all it stands for. I also don't being treated like a criminal for wanting root. I also think the iOS theme is butt-ugly.
I'm running pre-alphas of CM9 and they are working flawlessly. This bodes well for the future of the device.
Depends on your budget . I don't think you'll see too much of a difference in terms of performance though... and the GPU isn't that great compared to the iPhone. If you want more input, I suggest you using the search option in this forum and search something along the lines of Galaxy Nexus vs iPhone 4s
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
The Galaxy Nexus is a really good phone, IMO the best Android out there (but then I'd never again buy a non-Google phone -- these are locked worse than the iPhone).
I love the big screen (came to it from a Nexus S) and ICS is a big improvement in terms of UI.
Having said that, the iPhone 4S still offers a smoother and more consistent user experience, IMO.
mycomputerisjunk said:
I should pay attention, I see the subsidized Verizon phone still is $300. Maybe $600+ is an ok price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get an unlocked 16gb Galaxy Nexus from negri electronics for about $625 shipped nowadays.
No one can tell you how "worth it" it is. Everyone has different qualifications. I'd be inclined to say that if you're going to be staying w/ AT&T and paying through the nose for service, its harder to swallow the ~$625 for an unlocked device.
It becomes more worth it when you go to a prepaid plan and cut your service cost in half every month.
So I would definitely recommend you walk into a Verizon store so you can play with it in person and make your assessment on whether or not you think Android 4 is good enough to justify your payment for the unlocked device. Obviously don't pay attention to the network speeds or anything as you'll be using on AT&T, but its a good idea to see it in person first.
mycomputerisjunk said:
Does anyone think $690 for the GSM Nexus is worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid $650 ($689 after tax)for a non-subsidized CDMA so I think so.
well coming from the SGS II(epic 4g touch)...........I LOVE THIS PHONE!!!....i got the CDMA(32gb) version with Verizon. Android 4.0 is a HUGE step from gingerbread, you'll love it. I would recommend going with Verizon though
Ye love it too, and the experience is definitely more changed than ever from 2.x to 4.0(eg. better than ever), so by those means, yes it's worth it.
However with an iphone 4s i would probably wait another year before upgrading.
You could watch Swappa if you're interested in trying to save a few hundred and go lightly used. There isn't much on there now, but may be more in the coming months. Beware of people maybe trying to unload their phones due to signal issues (CDMA at least). I've collected very mixed data on CDMA signal issues (I can't speak for GSM). Many people report 0 problems, and some report chronic problems even after phone swaps. I've seen some fixed after a swap, and in my case I had a tech swap my SIM card which helped a lot, and then updating to 4.03 radios *hopefully* fixed the problem.
Assuming my signal issues are fixed now and don't return, this phone is by far the best I've ever owned. A major jump forward coming from a Droid Incredible. CM9 is also amazing.
http://swappa.com/search?q=galaxy+nexus
Apples and oranges.. One is a fancy phone that runs apps, the other is a mini computer.
If you like customizing your phone past wallpapers and folders then it should be a clear and obvious answer
Sent from my Google phone
I mean...
dude i mean i got the gnex the day it came out and it was complete garbage i hated it it sucked so bad i lit it on fire..i mean i come from a rich background so i can afford to do those kinda things..
jk im not queer, but anyways i have the gnex and i love it. i hate ios and apple entirely and when i see all these kids at my school with iphones i just get heated. anyways..if you have the money to use on a gsm version by all means do so
mycomputerisjunk said:
I have been a longtime iPhone and Android user and currently I am using the iPhone 4s. It's a great phone, but I tend to miss Android and all that it offers.
Here is my question.. Does anyone think $690 for the GSM Nexus is worth it? I have been going back and forth on it and I think I would really like it, however I can never seem to keep an Android phone because nothing is really new with it.
Here is an example. I had the Verizon Thunderbolt, it was a nice phone, fast and really allowed Android to shine. I then saw the T-Mobile Sensation come out and it was a dual core with nice specs. Another really nice phone. But again, noting super new with Android. Not to mention T-Moble's network blows around here.
I hoped to ATT and I love the coverage and have tried the iPhone 4, 4s (current) and Skyrocket.
So, will Android 4 on the Nexus be new and improved enough to make the switch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...........
The trouble with asking this kind of question in a galaxy nexus forum is your going to get a very biast opinion as everyone here, well mostly everyone here owns one and android users love android and apple love apple products.
Really the best advice is go and use one in a store and make up your own mind and of course watch some youtube videos about ics and gnex vs iPhone 4s. Then you be armed with the knowledge to make the right decisiin for you and your needs.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
I'd suggest going to your local Verizon store and play around with their Galaxy Nexus demo for a bit. I waited and cried about this phone not being released then when it finally was and I picked up I found myself questioning why and what about the phone was I going so crazy for and at the moment I'm a little regretful for not playing with the phone first and just ordering it online.
It's a nice phone and I know I'm a picky person but there was imo more bad than good and the stuff I think is bad may not necessarily be bad but just not as good as it should or could have been for the price and usually when I upgrade, which is once every few years when Verizon grants me a discount, I like to get the best I can get to last me those few years and the Galaxy Nexus isn't the best for me.
To be specific on the things I personally didn't care for were the camera, the battery life which is common in 4G phones but was a little worse in this phone than other 4G phones I've used. The screen was a let down, the colors and grainy banding in low light levels just looked horrible and the whole 4.65" largest screen thing was misleading to me as you hardly ever use the full screen because of the softkeys and worst of all for me was no USB Mass Storage which I used allot in my previous phone but that last one was my fault for not researching the phone more thoroughly prior to purchase.
I've always been an android user so I can't say anything bad about iOS devices although I have and use an iPad 2 and iPod touch 4 I can't imagine them being any worse as a phone.
If you can wait until the Samsung Galaxy S3, it's a beast. IMO, the Galaxy Nexus is already an outdated phone, and it will be more apparent when new phones start rolling out ICS.
Of course, there's a slew of other phones coming out in the next few months, so you'll have lots of options. That's just my opinion.
Only if you promise not to make threads about multi tasking or battery life if you end up not liking it. Which I am very sure you will like it.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
I've never owned an iPhone so maybe I'm not qualified to give my opinion, but I have handled various iPhones through the years. My buddy who's owned a couple summed it up best. The iPhone is a beautiful phone with an environment where everything "works." It's a device with a very closed, simple OS but amazing apps, where android is a very powerful, open (if you get something from the nexus line anyway) OS with decent apps. The apps make iPhone and the OS make Android.
If you crave freedom and are a power user, this is the phone for you. I've only owned android devices but I think apple makes a good phone. The problem lies in that if you want it do something that apple hasn't envisioned for the phone, then you are out of luck. Also, the iPhone 4 and up have great screens... but having owned 4inch screen and up phones for the last 2 years, it's pretty much impossible for me personally to go down to something under 4 inches. The thing just feels utterly tiny and limited with that little screen real estate.
As an aside, where Android has caught up with the UI on ICS, they really need to step up the game with their tablets. This is an area the iPad has every Android tablet beat, not even including the horsepower under the hood... device layout! I'm talking about the 4:3 format the iPad uses. Every powerful android tablet is in 16:9, and if you aren't watching movies it's a terrible aspect ratio. It's harder to hold and you give up a lot of usable area in portrait and in landscape. It works for computers with a dedicated keyboard and mouse, but on a huge touchscreen device, it's just awkward.
Edit: Biggest reason I will never own an iPhone is iTunes. Hate the program... huge bloatware on the computer and Apple forces you to use it if you want any sync with your computer. iCloud alleviates it somewhat, but it's just another way to trap you into the Apple ecosystem.
Guys, Do you agree that Google shouldn't let Samsung to be maker of the next nexus?
I just think Samsung ****e...Especially it's marketing in Hong Kong. (It may differ in other parts of this planet)
If Samsung would get the radios straightened out the phone would be almost perfect IMO.
I'm happy with their build quality (overall), but I do wish they would use a better GPS chip (my GPS is fine, but not to the level of accuracy/polling frequency that my HTC and Motorola phones have had) and tougher glass on the screen. Those are really my only two complaints...
Most of my phones have been GG. They have almost all scratched, despite me being careful.
As for GPS, folks are quick to forget problems HTC has had in the past with GPS. The Thunderbolt had garbage GPS for a long time.
Give it a battery like the Razr MAXX and I'd be a very happy camper. That and make it better to hold...
MarcoWPY said:
Guys, Do you agree that Google shouldn't let Samsung to be maker of the next nexus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I do not agree. That said, I'm still going to buy it without regard to builder.
Samsung has proven that it can build phones with amazing hardware, take the SGS2 for example (top notch camera, GPU, screen), they only dumbed down the Nexus because they were following Google's specs. On my SGN radios work perfectly and battery life is amazing, build quality and design are great.. GPS locks almost instantly.
Samsung all the way for the next Nexus!
No, I don't agree. Samsung makes the best hardware in terms of specification and power. They even have better design than HTC, whose phones are all genuinely identical. Motorola makes very good hardware too, but their designs are hit and miss. The GPS on my Nexus has been fantastic, getting locks within literally five seconds.
When I had my Omnia HD, I always lamented the fact that I had the best piece of hardware on the market but with Samsung crippling the software support. The Samsung Nexus devices have fixed this.
Make the next Nexus a slab of 100% display with less than 0.5mm bezel (using that new earpiece technology so that there's no need for an earpiece speaker at the top) and I'll certainly be in line to buy the Nexus once again at the end of this year. Oh, and design the back of the device so it looks a bit more... premium. The Galaxy Nexus' back looks too cheap for my liking.
Of all the devices I've had lately this has been the best one so far defect wise....knocking on wood. The latest HTC devices all had major issues, as did my first razr. I'm quite happy so far.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I'd like to see Google switch out manufacturers every year(I thought that was the original plan).. But in all honesty Samsung is a great company and if the next Nexus is manufactured by them then I will still be happy. Hell, I don't even have a Galaxy Nexus (stupid AT&T) I'd kill to get one.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium
How about back to HTC since they have awesome phone designs?!
Or Motorola since Google owns it!
Sent from my GT-S5570 using XDA App
LOL @ HTC and awesome phone designs in the same sentence.
MarcoWPY said:
Guys, Do you agree that Google shouldn't let Samsung to be maker of the next nexus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MarcoWPY said:
I just think Samsung ****e...Especially it's marketing in Hong Kong. (It may differ in other parts of this planet)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it doesn't work like you think
Each manufacturer have to submit a Bit (model design + cost & price to produce)
then Google chooses the one the like the most
whom ever wins the bit, gets to make the next Nexus phone
that means both Motorola and HTC lost the challenge of the last 2 incarnations of Nexus phones
it'll be interesting to see SonyEricsson, Acer, Asus, LG & Huawei run into the competition as well
Google is buying Motorola, so who knows maybe Motorola will make the next Gnex
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
I've never liked Samsung quality overall, I rather that HTC will handle the next Nexus phone, like it used to be for the Nexus One.
big samm said:
Google is buying Motorola, so who knows maybe Motorola will make the next Gnex
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they already own Motorola Mobile division, but Google said even them have to bit for the Nexus
Motorola Mobile will still run independently off Google
I'd like to see Sony make it actually. Awesome design, great build quality overall and they seem to have patched up their software issues.
adrynalyne said:
LOL @ HTC and awesome phone designs in the same sentence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^This^
The *only* reason I'd say I wish Motorola designed it is the Radios. The CDMA version gets pretty lackluster radio performance. Standing right next to a RAZR and Rezound the other night I was fluctuating between 1 bar and no service and they both had 4 bars (all 3 on CDMA-only). Bars might not mean anything, but my signal strength, at least half the time, was completely dry. I had no data connection at all, while they both had fantastic connections.
That kind of crap is purely unacceptable for the "Flagship" phone from Google. How did this kind of thing ever make it past pre-production without someone noticing the problem and correcting it? Use a higher-quality radio.
i dont agree at all. seems like the majority of posters on here just like to complain. my nexus has been great. i am on my original one. my radios dont drop, my screen is great, happy with the battery life and my gps is the fastest i have ever seen on a phone.
hi guys, just wanted a general consensus from you guys regarding the galaxy nexus build quality and i'll explain why. I spend a lot of time travelling and do end up staying in places for months at a time. I'm currently planning on going to india for the next 6-8 months and would be travelling in between as well. Now, since samsung doesn't sell the nexus in india, it would not be covered under warranty as well.
I personally haven't used a phone warranty to the best of my memory and as is the human mind, now thats all I can think about. I've been using a blackberry for nearly 12 years and i'm used to reliability and phones that stand up to some abuse and not fail on me. If I was to buy the nexus, would I be looking at anything failing in the first year? is it known to have certain faults etc? And if it does, is it relatively fixable? I have no qualms about opening up a phone and replacing parts if need be, but i'm not going to start soldering things.
So basically, my question is, is the nexus a problem phone (is there anything I should look for when buying the piece), and if its a real pain, should I just get another android phone? and if so, which one? as much as I would like to get the s3, I can't justify spending that much money and I thought of getting the galaxy note but doesn't seem sensible considering the new update is coming out in sept/oct? Basically my requirements are: reliable phone, best user interface with quick os updates (reason for nexus phones), should have nfc, front facing cam, very good pic quality with no shutter lag, preferably already on ICS, and a phone with worldwide warranty as I do travel a lot, and I think most importantly, it should be future proof for the next year (it should run apps with no lag or difficulty, should be able to multi-task, etc) with very good battery life (more than a day).
thanks for the help guys!
Hmmm, you come to a Galaxy Nexus forum to ask whether to buy a nexus
Worldwide warranty, Nexus don't have that.
If you want the front camera to do video calls over UMTS(Not data), the Gnex can't do it, can only use skype or similar programmes.
And to add on, the Nexus have only been released for 5 Months, don't really have any major hardware issues as far as i know.
Mach3.2 said:
Hmmm, you come to a Galaxy Nexus forum to ask whether to buy a nexus
Worldwide warranty, Nexus don't have that.
If you want the front camera to do video calls over UMTS(Not data), the Gnex can't do it, can only use skype or similar programmes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said. I truly hope you didn't come to the Galaxy Nexus forum hoping to be talked out of buying this fantastic phone.
That said, it is a truly fantastic phone. You can't find a better one for the money right now, though you're not going to find a worldwide warranty.
I got mine as a early fathers day gift and I'm so happy I got it soon. Best phone I have had.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Mach3.2 said:
Hmmm, you come to a Galaxy Nexus forum to ask whether to buy a nexus
Worldwide warranty, Nexus don't have that.
If you want the front camera to do video calls over UMTS(Not data), the Gnex can't do it, can only use skype or similar programmes.
And to add on, the Nexus have only been released for 5 Months, don't really have any major hardware issues as far as i know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, any video calls I would be making would be through skype. I figured this would be the best place to see if the phone has any major hardware gripes.
I'm currently considering buying the phone from gsmnation for $440 plus an additional $50 for worldwide 1 year warranty.
I haven't had any problems at all, but get the warranty just in case, since you will be out of the US.
Sent from someone's Galaxy Nexus running AOKP + Franco
not worth it. Galaxy S3.
Wait for the GS3 to be released so you can better compare the two.
I think it really comes down to a few things:
1. Vanilla Android vs. Skinned (HTC Sense, MotoBlur, TouchWiz)
2. Hardware
3. Individual software features
For a pure Android 4.0 ICS experience, you will get that with the [GSM] version of the phone. The Verizon LTE version (the one I have) has been through a series of 'episodes' that have soured the community a bit. It isn't as powerful as the GSM version, nor do we get updated as much. In fact, Google dropped it from their developer's list a few months back. So with that said, if you're on Verizon I wouldn't bother. Is it a good fun? Its great, but it could have been better had Verizon not tampered with it.
On hardware, the phone is a few months old, but its still pretty impressive for hardware. The GS3 will have some upgrades under the hood, but not by much. My phone is fast and does what it needs to do. Could it be better? Yes, but it works.
Concerning individual software features, I think the GS3 beats the Nexus here. While I am personally not a fan of all the gimmicky features, others find them to be quite impressive. There's definitely more offered on the GS3 in that department, but if you don't care about S-Voice, S-Dial (I think that's what it is called), and some of the other stuff, then the Nexus will do you just fine.
AppsRUs said:
Wait for the GS3 to be released so you can better compare the two.
I think it really comes down to a few things:
1. Vanilla Android vs. Skinned (HTC Sense, MotoBlur, TouchWiz)
2. Hardware
3. Individual software features
For a pure Android 4.0 ICS experience, you will get that with the [GSM] version of the phone. The Verizon LTE version (the one I have) has been through a series of 'episodes' that have soured the community a bit. It isn't as powerful as the GSM version, nor do we get updated as much. In fact, Google dropped it from their developer's list a few months back. So with that said, if you're on Verizon I wouldn't bother. Is it a good fun? Its great, but it could have been better had Verizon not tampered with it.
On hardware, the phone is a few months old, but its still pretty impressive for hardware. The GS3 will have some upgrades under the hood, but not by much. My phone is fast and does what it needs to do. Could it be better? Yes, but it works.
Concerning individual software features, I think the GS3 beats the Nexus here. While I am personally not a fan of all the gimmicky features, others find them to be quite impressive. There's definitely more offered on the GS3 in that department, but if you don't care about S-Voice, S-Dial (I think that's what it is called), and some of the other stuff, then the Nexus will do you just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do not understand the circumstances regarding Google and Verizon. It isn't updated less, it is just updated slower. It isn't less powerful, they have the same specs.
"Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light."
It's a beast phone. Get it. You'll be glad you did.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
When I went to leave early from to Verizon from sprint in early december (long story not my choice) I was coming from a nexus s. So in my mind it was like no brainer, Galaxy nexus. Went into Best Buy mobile told them I wanted a Galaxy Nexus, they gave me ****. "It's not reliable, we always have returns, it's overrated, not worth the money, we'd have to backorder it, look at something else." These are people I know on a first name basis who I'm comfortable with so they wouldn't shaft me. I told them I wanted it because custom software and freedom excites me. Long story short I ended up with a RAZR M. Great phone I love it amazing build and formfactor. But it's like dating a girl who's slightly younger the more I'm with it the more little flaws I see. Virtually no dev support, no google wallet even sideloading, small internal memory ( 8 gigs). So it always leaves me wondering; I know the verizon GNEX is botched, but is it bad enough to pass on and look elsewhere? Share your opinion.
I love my nexus I've never had issues with it since i bought it last February. Just recently i had issues with the screen. Took it to best buy mobile they ordered me a new one and i got a good phone again. No issues at all. I don't know what people keep saying its a bad phone cuz its not.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Agreed, it is a good phone and I too don't understand what everyone keeps whining about. If people really hate the phone that much then just shutup and get something else. But personally the only thing I've noticed is that it doesn't get as good of a signal as my friends do who have Motorola phones. Other than that I really have no complaints.
I love mine too. Last August had to get a new a few days later due a signal issue, but after that its the best android I've had. What bugs me is the lack of info from Verizon and Samsung about software. Both are quit like clams
WyldOne91 said:
Agreed, it is a good phone and I too don't understand what everyone keeps whining about. If people really hate the phone that much then just shutup and get something else. But personally the only thing I've noticed is that it doesn't get as good of a signal as my friends do who have Motorola phones. Other than that I really have no complaints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't help but notice you have a trinogram as your picture, another Oh, Sleeper fan in xda world - other than me?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium HD app
Overall my experience with my GNex has been pleasant. I replaced the earpiece speaker.... But everything else has been OK.
Now, Verizon is always gonna be a Verizon. They are gonna do the same stuff no matter what phone you have ( slow updates, tiered plans, no customer loyalty, uninhibited greed....the usual stuff)
But this is a solid phone. The dev community is strong. No complaints here!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Like everyone says, it's an awesome phone. You'll fall in love customizing it. Only thing about the CDMA version is that the battery life is terrible. 1-1.5 screen time and roughly 10-12 hours of life. I'm a moderate user.
Idk i have never had a problem with my nexus and its one of the better phones i owned.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I love the phone too. I got rid of my ****ty DROID Charge due to lack of dev support and the outdated internals. But overall, it's been a good phone to own. Antennas suck, being a Samsung. Battery life for LTE isn't very good. And camera isn't that great. But it's got plenty of Roms to keep interesting.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I've had the galaxy nexus for about 3 months now. My previous phones were the HTC G1, the thunderbolt and the rezound. As far as the android experience goes this is the best phone I've had. As far as a "phone" goes this is the worst phone I had. Sometimes I lose signal but the phones shows full bars and reports a good signal. I can't make or receive calls or get internet. I thought the solution was to have it on 3g only but even though its more reliable as a phone it still loses signal without any warning. And that is a bit dangerous. From researching I am not the only one, and some people say they have to go thru 6 to get 1 good one. I bought mine on eBay so that's not an option for me. Now I'm trying to decide if I want to keep it or get a different phone.
BTW I have flashed multiple combination of radios, kernels, and ROMs. No dice.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I've been very happy with my VZW Gnex. In fact, I have now owned it longer than any other phone before, and that includes my OG droid.
I am unhappy with Verizon themselves tho, and will be leaving when my contract expires in a few weeks.
I made the move from Sprint to VZW in August 2012, and this is the first and only phone I've had since being on the network. Additionally, this is the first phone I've had since the old WinMo days that I haven't had an incessant itch to switch to something new. I even got my flashing addiction down to 1x/month on average!
Good phone, good network, good experience thus far.
I get lots of reception issues with this phone. It isn't about bars or anything. It often disappoints even running Speedtest,net app. My XOOM has LTE also but gets significantly faster download and upload speeds. The 4.1.2 update makes it smoother, but it's performance as a phone is pretty weak. My Droid 1 is the best experience I've had with a smartphone. The Droid 2 was OK but had too much crap on it. This is a significant interface and capability improvement over those phones but it's performance is so lackluster, I might have been better off with another LTE model.
The clean stock experience is nice but I'd rather have it perform better as a phone. My husband's Galaxy Nexus acts the same way. It's not a bad phone if you can get it cheap.
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium
Personally, I love it. I wouldn't be on Verizon if they didn't have a Nexus. Battery life on any LTE devices sucks. I took care of it with this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C8XRJY/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00
Just chiming in here.... I'm kinda new to the GNexus on Verizon... As you see my daily driver is still the razr maxx... And I'm comparing the two... Motorola bugs me so much. If it wasn't for the 24hr battery life is would easily jump ship. I just rooted the nexus, put Google wallet on it and can't wait to go to McDonalds to buy a cup of coffee lol.. But I had the incD before and loved roming.. I still do but I hate locked boot loader and low dev. Community.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda app-developers app
Its not a bad phone at all. Most people's biggest gripe is that its not a "true nexus device" because updates have to go through Verizon first and don't come directly from Google.
I've had the toro / VzW Galaxy Nexus since it was first released by Verizon -- must be about 13 or 14 months now. A bit flakey on initial release, but updates came quickly, and since I unlocked and rooted I've tried several ROMs. Overall - it's been the best phone I've used since buying my first cell phone about 21 years ago. Sure, there are a few points I'd like to see improved, but that doesn't stop this being a spectacular device overall. Since using ROMs like XenonHD, Codename Android and Nexus Evolution, the phone has been generally spectacular, with my only annoyance being battery life. For the past year I sported a 2000 mah OEM "extended" battery, but as GNex owners know, these don't go that far. I finally opted for a 3800 mah battery from Hyperion a couple of days ago, along with a couple of matching cases that I can switch between -- a one piece TPU case, and a Seidio convert combo. With a full charge, battery life is excellent now -- I've been on battery for about 10 hours today with 2 hours screen time so far, and still have 70% left -- and this should improve after I've fully cycled the battery a few times. At this point - the phone is immaculate, looks like new, works beautifully and is just about 100% customizable with a big selection of ROMs, mods and themes. All in all, this is a fantastic phone.
The phone itself is great as long as you get one without any of the hardware flaws. The battery life is sub-par, especially compared to the GSM version, but if you can keep a charger nearby it lasts well enough you don't really have too much to worry about.
Verizon is really the only problem I have with it. They really treat their customers like trash. Their prices are astronomical and they want to figure out how to charge more. Flagrant anti-consumerism with the blocking Google Wallet because it competes with ISIS. The big kicker is that their coverage isn't really much better than others these days. Blahblah I could ramble on all day about why I'm leaving VZW when my contract is up, I'll shut up now.
Sounds like a mixed bag so far. But the positives outway the negatives. I like my Razr M alot, but I do miss nexus customization a lot. I feel like if Verizon weren't so ridiculous with their policies I wouldn't be as bothered by my choice. Hardware wise I'm liking the RAZR m a bit more but the software freedom is a bit of a letdown. Having Stock is a plus though. I was set if it wasn't a nexus it would be flashable or stock.O yea, and as far as I'm concerned LTE is nullified and a big marketing ploy as long as caps are around.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
If the salemen you spoke to aren't related to you by blood, then they lied to you. Aren't you curious why you ended up with a Razr as opposed to the well supported GNex? It's not a coincidence that every corporate Verizon store has a dedicated Razr section. They are pushing for sales of Razrs, because they have better control over their software. You won't find any Verizon bloatware on a Gnex (b/c Google won't allow it), thus they lose on advertising and endorsement dollars.
Personally, I've had a pleasant experience with my Verizon GNex. Sure, I don't get phenomenal battery life, but I still have access to a charger throughout most of my day (as most people would). Reception could be improved, but I don't have high expectations when it comes to Samsung's radio hardware. The camera though... isn't something I would show off. And you can't beat the dev scene; this phone will be up to date even when the next Nexus comes out.