I have a few concerns with blindly pulling the trigger on a phone I have never held in my hand. That said, that is exactly what I did with my Nexus One and I am extremely happy with the device, as it has been my favorite phone yet. I am a bit concerned with a few features/defects of the Galaxy Nexus and I would appreciate the input from owners. I have been lurking throughout the threads here and have not found a quick, consolidated list of the questions I would like answers to:
1) Weight - Is it cheap feeling? How does it compare to the N1?
2) No external storage - Is this a limiting factor for some of you? Has this been a showstopping (lack of a) feature for some of you?
3) Samsung vs HTC - I'd appreciate input from someone who has owned both devices, as I have only owned HTC phones. I have bashed Samsung in the past for being cheap and I would like a neutral standpoint from others.
4) Lack of future support for the N1 - Is ICS worth the purchase?
5) Defects - I've read about a lot of the defects that have been posted in the threads and I would like to know if there are any stop-get defects that would prevent one from purchasing this device or any that have caused a person to return for a refund.
6) Internal RAM - I find myself constantly killing processes and fighting for memory to keep some stuff running. Are any GN users dealing with something like this?
7) Purchasing - From personal preference, would it be easier or less of a hassle purchasing from one retailer than another? Handtec vs eXpansys?
8) Speed - Does the GN operate fully functional on T-Mo's 42mbps network?
I know a lot of these are going to be user preference and potentially biased responses, but I would appreciate whatever you all have to share.
Thanks.
I'll answer what I can:
bennettm89 said:
1) Weight - Is it cheap feeling? How does it compare to the N1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It certainly feels less dense than the N1 felt, but I think it feels just as solid (no creaking, give, or apparent fragility). It is plastic and you can tell it, but it does not feel gimmicky.
bennettm89 said:
2) No external storage - Is this a limiting factor for some of you? Has this been a showstopping (lack of a) feature for some of you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other than my original 8GB card in my G1, I don't think I have ever maxed out a card; including the internal storage 16GB in my Atrix. I thought it would/will be a big deal, but honestly right now I can't see it being a problem. But then again I don't keep my entire music/video library on my phone either. If that is truly important to you than you may want to reconsider.
bennettm89 said:
3) Samsung vs HTC - I'd appreciate input from someone who has owned both devices, as I have only owned HTC phones. I have bashed Samsung in the past for being cheap and I would like a neutral standpoint from others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had both the N1 and this GN, and as I have stated elsewhere in my experience thus far this is an exceptionally solid device. The screen is great, the weight is well-balanced (lightweight and fairly evenly distributed so I don't feel like it will fall out of my hand), I really can't fault the quality. The battery cover is pretty flimsy though- but I don't really see it as a problem, as its sole function is to be a panel that protects the battery/SIM and is not structural.
bennettm89 said:
4) Lack of future support for the N1 - Is ICS worth the purchase?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I worried about this too, but ICS really is quite a step up. Only you can decide if it is worth it, but for me it was.
bennettm89 said:
5) Defects - I've read about a lot of the defects that have been posted in the threads and I would like to know if there are any stop-get defects that would prevent one from purchasing this device or any that have caused a person to return for a refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not notice any screen defects, and I don't think any of the other defects that do not hinder everyday performance would really bother me. My camera lens is slightly off center, but it does not seem to affect my photos, so until there is a problem, I guess I don't have one.
bennettm89 said:
6) Internal RAM - I find myself constantly killing processes and fighting for memory to keep some stuff running. Are any GN users dealing with something like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope (not yet at least, but last night I did open the app switcher and was amazed at how much was in memory and how it did not affect performance at all)
bennettm89 said:
7) Purchasing - From personal preference, would it be easier or less of a hassle purchasing from one retailer than another? Handtec vs eXpansys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used eXpansys-usa because they have an office here, but I would imagine both are equally good.
bennettm89 said:
8) Speed - Does the GN operate fully functional on T-Mo's 42mbps network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On AT&T's HSPA+ I get the same speeds as my Atrix (HSPA+ device) got before. I think I had read somewhere that the radio in it has a theoretical max of 21 MBPS, but that might not be right...
I hope at least some of that helps
GN is outstanding in every way compared to N1. I don't know why people are so against Samsung for their plastics, they are able to make the most powerful and thinnest smart phones on the planet.
The galaxy nexus is fantastic. the resolution is superb and ice cream sandwich is really special.
Plus, the battery life has been really amazing.
Also my data speeds have been comparable to my iphone 4S, which is to say I am getting around 8 megabytes down in certain areas. I am on at&t in new york
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
s.m.knipe said:
I'll answer what I can:
It certainly feels less dense than the N1 felt, but I think it feels just as solid (no creaking, give, or apparent fragility). It is plastic and you can tell it, but it does not feel gimmicky.
Other than my original 8GB card in my G1, I don't think I have ever maxed out a card; including the internal storage 16GB in my Atrix. I thought it would/will be a big deal, but honestly right now I can't see it being a problem. But then again I don't keep my entire music/video library on my phone either. If that is truly important to you than you may want to reconsider.
I have had both the N1 and this GN, and as I have stated elsewhere in my experience thus far this is an exceptionally solid device. The screen is great, the weight is well-balanced (lightweight and fairly evenly distributed so I don't feel like it will fall out of my hand), I really can't fault the quality. The battery cover is pretty flimsy though- but I don't really see it as a problem, as its sole function is to be a panel that protects the battery/SIM and is not structural.
I worried about this too, but ICS really is quite a step up. Only you can decide if it is worth it, but for me it was.
I do not notice any screen defects, and I don't think any of the other defects that do not hinder everyday performance would really bother me. My camera lens is slightly off center, but it does not seem to affect my photos, so until there is a problem, I guess I don't have one.
Nope (not yet at least, but last night I did open the app switcher and was amazed at how much was in memory and how it did not affect performance at all)
I used eXpansys-usa because they have an office here, but I would imagine both are equally good.
On AT&T's HSPA+ I get the same speeds as my Atrix (HSPA+ device) got before. I think I had read somewhere that the radio in it has a theoretical max of 21 MBPS, but that might not be right...
I hope at least some of that helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your thorough, in-depth response. I have pulled the trigger and also ordered from eXpansys. I'm glad to see that you are happy with your upgrade from an N1, as I am starting to have some screen/power/memory issues that are just becoming bothersome.
bennettm89 said:
I appreciate your thorough, in-depth response. I have pulled the trigger and also ordered from eXpansys. I'm glad to see that you are happy with your upgrade from an N1, as I am starting to have some screen/power/memory issues that are just becoming bothersome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure!
First I ran into coverage issues with T-mo (moved back to my hometown after school), so I switched to AT&T, then I hit the memory issue, battled that for a while until the Craptivate came out, then became a phone whore for the past year, but I can see myself settling down with the GN for a long while.
s.m.knipe said:
Sure!
First I ran into coverage issues with T-mo (moved back to my hometown after school), so I switched to AT&T, then I hit the memory issue, battled that for a while until the Craptivate came out, then became a phone whore for the past year, but I can see myself settling down with the GN for a long while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I went from a nokia to the G1 to the N1. I don't float around as much as I could. I like sticking with Nexus-line devices. I am most concerned about the integrity of the build, as I have always been a huge fan of the build quality of HTC devices (The n1, specifically). I've had many friends drop their Samsung devices once and completely shatter the screen. I've dropped my N1 face first on my tiled bathroom floor from four feet and it survived. That is stupid luck, remarkable build quality, or a combination of both.
I also like buying the unlocked, off-contract version in the event that AT&T either acquires t-mo or t-mo flat-out dies. Either way, I'm sure I'll be an AT&T customer sometime in the next three years. I do like t-mo though
Bumping for more user input.
i went from nexus one to nexus s to nexus prime. i was never fully on board with the nexus s, but i learned to like it. the nexus prime really does feel like a true successor to the nexus one. like someone mentioned before, it doesn't feel as "dense" as the nexus one, but that's to be expected. performance wise, you'll be positively giddy when you fly around ice cream sandwich on the prime. the nexus s really was a big performance step up from the nexus one and the nexus prime is about as big a step up. i felt the same way using this thing for the first time as i did when i got my nexus one. didn't get that with the nexus s.
that being said, this phone is no nexus one in terms of "panache". stupid, yes, but everyone's reactions to the nexus one when i handed it to them was "whoa". people were indifferent to the nexus s, and the only reaction i've gotten to the nexus prime is "holy ****, thing thing's immense" LOL. anyway, that's been my experience thus far. i do love this new nexus!
eric b
e-dub said:
i went from nexus one to nexus s to nexus prime. i was never fully on board with the nexus s, but i learned to like it. the nexus prime really does feel like a true successor to the nexus one. like someone mentioned before, it doesn't feel as "dense" as the nexus one, but that's to be expected. performance wise, you'll be positively giddy when you fly around ice cream sandwich on the prime. the nexus s really was a big performance step up from the nexus one and the nexus prime is about as big a step up. i felt the same way using this thing for the first time as i did when i got my nexus one. didn't get that with the nexus s.
that being said, this phone is no nexus one in terms of "panache". stupid, yes, but everyone's reactions to the nexus one when i handed it to them was "whoa". people were indifferent to the nexus s, and the only reaction i've gotten to the nexus prime is "holy ****, thing thing's immense" LOL. anyway, that's been my experience thus far. i do love this new nexus!
eric b
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate it. I think that is to be expected. When people saw my N1, the reaction was awesome. I think Android is so common now that the GN will not cause such a reaction.
dunno that i'd go that far. when they SEE the phone, they can only talk about how big it is. when they use it, they're quite into it. that's secondary, as the primary user, i think you'd like the prime quite a bit ;D
eric b
bennettm89 said:
I have a few concerns with blindly pulling the trigger on a phone I have never held in my hand. That said, that is exactly what I did with my Nexus One and I am extremely happy with the device, as it has been my favorite phone yet. I am a bit concerned with a few features/defects of the Galaxy Nexus and I would appreciate the input from owners. I have been lurking throughout the threads here and have not found a quick, consolidated list of the questions I would like answers to:
1) Weight - Is it cheap feeling? How does it compare to the N1?
2) No external storage - Is this a limiting factor for some of you? Has this been a showstopping (lack of a) feature for some of you?
3) Samsung vs HTC - I'd appreciate input from someone who has owned both devices, as I have only owned HTC phones. I have bashed Samsung in the past for being cheap and I would like a neutral standpoint from others.
4) Lack of future support for the N1 - Is ICS worth the purchase?
5) Defects - I've read about a lot of the defects that have been posted in the threads and I would like to know if there are any stop-get defects that would prevent one from purchasing this device or any that have caused a person to return for a refund.
6) Internal RAM - I find myself constantly killing processes and fighting for memory to keep some stuff running. Are any GN users dealing with something like this?
7) Purchasing - From personal preference, would it be easier or less of a hassle purchasing from one retailer than another? Handtec vs eXpansys?
8) Speed - Does the GN operate fully functional on T-Mo's 42mbps network?
I know a lot of these are going to be user preference and potentially biased responses, but I would appreciate whatever you all have to share.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the end, it really depends on your budget, how much you are willing to spend and how badly you want this phone in place of your nexus one. I bought the motorola milestone about 20 months ago and I can't bare using it any longer. There was no updates past 2.2 (froyo) but there were custom roms (port of CM7) to be used on that phone (had a 550mhz processor, 256mb ram, other horrible specs) but it could barely be considered usable. Now, it is 99% confirmed that there will be no more updates regarding ICS for my device (and even if there were, i doubt it would work well considering Gingerbread only barely works). For you, on the other hand, there will still be a developer update for Nexus One to ICS (or at least I presume so) so you might be okay another few months or until faster dual core or quad core phones come out. BUT, if you love the nexus line, access to the fastest updates and having one of the biggest developer bases of any phone, and first-hand access to a completely working version of ICS, it might be worth it for you. Again, it all depends on the user, what their needs are and what they want in their phone.
Personally I Love the GN more than I loved my N1 (& That was a LOT)
You won't be disappointed!
Had mine for 24 hours now. Here's my early take: (my answers follow the >>>>>> s)
bennettm89 said:
I have a few concerns with blindly pulling the trigger on a phone I have never held in my hand. That said, that is exactly what I did with my Nexus One and I am extremely happy with the device, as it has been my favorite phone yet. I am a bit concerned with a few features/defects of the Galaxy Nexus and I would appreciate the input from owners. I have been lurking throughout the threads here and have not found a quick, consolidated list of the questions I would like answers to:
1) Weight - Is it cheap feeling? How does it compare to the N1?
It certainly is lighter, and I do feel that I am more likely to drop it. Dunno if that counts as cheap-feeling. The textured back certainly helps. Moving from the Nokia N97 to the Nexus 1 two years ago I also felt that I was more likely to drop it. Perhaps the feeling of dropping it is becuase we are not use to the lighter phone.
2) No external storage - Is this a limiting factor for some of you? Has this been a showstopping (lack of a) feature for some of you?
>>>>>>> I thought long and hard about this (and complained about it a lot) Then I looked carefully at my actual usage and found that I played 8g of my music pretty often and the rest almost never. Thus, the combining the 16g on the GN with Google Music, Amazon Music Cloud and Audiogalaxy serving off my home computer will certainly cover me. I do not watch movies on my phones.
3) Samsung vs HTC - I'd appreciate input from someone who has owned both devices, as I have only owned HTC phones. I have bashed Samsung in the past for being cheap and I would like a neutral standpoint from others.
>>>>>>> I have had both. The Nexus 1 always felt more solid. The only thing more solid was the Nokia N9 8gb with the slightly rubberized feeling coating. My last Samsung was about 10 years ago so it was not a smartphone. It was rugged, though.
4) Lack of future support for the N1 - Is ICS worth the purchase?
>>>>>>>> In a word, yes. After a bit of a learning curve (eg. the new way of getting apps and widgets onto the home screens) you'll soon find your way. Fast camera too!
5) Defects - I've read about a lot of the defects that have been posted in the threads and I would like to know if there are any stop-get defects that would prevent one from purchasing this device or any that have caused a person to return for a refund.
>>>>>>> Too early to tell. But I've not been concerned yet.
6) Internal RAM - I find myself constantly killing processes and fighting for memory to keep some stuff running. Are any GN users dealing with something like this?
>>>>>>> This is the main reason I went to the GN. I have not had to use any task killer yet. I was so tired of having to wipe application caches to get rid of the low on memory messages. This is the one upside of the lack of SD card. There is *lots* of room for apps.
7) Purchasing - From personal preference, would it be easier or less of a hassle purchasing from one retailer than another? Handtec vs eXpansys?
>>>>>> I pre ordered with eXpansys on Nov 14th. When they had stock on 11/22 or 11/23 they asked permission to charge and confirmed how to send it. I chose free ground shipping and it arrived 11/26
8) Speed - Does the GN operate fully functional on T-Mo's 42mbps network?
>>>>>> Dunno yet. I haven't been one of those areas.
I know a lot of these are going to be user preference and potentially biased responses, but I would appreciate whatever you all have to share.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As s.m.knipe made an excellent detailed report, I'll keep mine simple.
I recently upgraded my Nexus One to the Galaxy Nexus (there just wasn't anything better since the Nexus One), and I'm loving my device.
I was also worried about the cheapy plastic-feel of Samsung phones. But this one really feels nice. Feels lighter than the N1 but still has a good feel. Although as already stated, the battery cover is pretty flimsy :S but not really much of an issue in everyday use.
While I can understand the value of an SD Card, unless you're planning on carrying your music collection around, I prefer the onboard memory. It's plenty and faster
As for defects.. did you forget the long list of defects of the N1 when it came out? Most aren't so serious, the others, either a patch is coming or they just need to exchange it. As for mine, I haven't run into any issues.
And finally, on the european/canada model, the theoretical max is 21mbps (HSPA+). The Tmobile limit you're talkin about is the crazy dual band HSPA+. This phone doesn't have that.
bennettm89 said:
I have a few concerns with blindly pulling the trigger on a phone I have never held in my hand. That said, that is exactly what I did with my Nexus One and I am extremely happy with the device, as it has been my favorite phone yet. I am a bit concerned with a few features/defects of the Galaxy Nexus and I would appreciate the input from owners. I have been lurking throughout the threads here and have not found a quick, consolidated list of the questions I would like answers to:
7) Purchasing - From personal preference, would it be easier or less of a hassle purchasing from one retailer than another? Handtec vs eXpansys?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not purchase from Handtec. Very unprofessional and dishonest company. You'll come out better ordering from anywhere else but them. Now if you enjoy being lied to and not communicated with about your order then by all means order from them..
While I would totally recommend buying the GN and have one pre-ordered myself, I have to say that in my experience it isn't the best idea to ask in a specific device's forum because no matter what device, the majority will always recommend it
I made this experience the hard way with my xperia x10 which then took over a year of official updates and (most of all) custom roms to become quite good.
That said, I can't tell where else to ask and the reviews here seem quite objective. Maybe i just got a little cautious
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
qwer23 said:
While I would totally recommend buying the GN and have one pre-ordered myself, I have to say that in my experience it isn't the best idea to ask in a specific device's forum because no matter what device, the majority will always recommend it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol so true. But as long as your concerns are answered and after hearing the opinion and it still doesn't bother you, then by all means buy the phone!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
these are my 2 pennies.
the star of the show is definite the ICS. as to be fair, the hardware are similar to any existing phones out there. RZAR, SGS2, etc etc.
the few points that are worth talk about are.
-build, it don't look like cheep plastic build, but they are in fact plastic build. that is my only complaint. they have a brilliant screen. a nice back plate (battery cover), but the bezel, if you look closely, is just made from plastic and if you examine even details, you can even see the different layer paint job done to it. so, those are the areas that is prone to scratch.
-no sd slot.
if you read somewhere some review from the designer, i actually vouch for what they have done. i would much prefer the 32gb version (because people are always greedy). the main star of this is, you nolonger need to move app to SD, as all storage lives under the hood as 1. all you apps get access to all 16gb at all time. hence they have to change the USB mount to MTP/PTP, where it provides storage access while the drives are mounted.
-task manager. this could not have been easier. if you looked at the GN launch presentation, the multi task button is also the task killer. its so easy to use. you just need to swipe to kill the apps. having say so, i have not really need to kill app to keep the phone running, at the moment, i kill the app hoping that it uses less battery (no prove to it. just doing it for the sake of it).
- speed, can't comment much on this, as i stay at areas with poor reception.
one last thing is.
this is one of the reason i recommend the Galaxy Nexus. is because of the screen design. the on screen virtual buttons.
google has set a new standard where android 3.0 and above will use virtual buttons. and so far, that is the only devices that uses it. another words, this phone will be more future prove than the others where there is always hard button on other devices. i believe in any future upgrades of android, it will always be this way onwards.
fade1d said:
GN is outstanding in every way compared to N1. I don't know why people are so against Samsung for their plastics, they are able to make the most powerful and thinnest smart phones on the planet.
The galaxy nexus is fantastic. the resolution is superb and ice cream sandwich is really special.
Plus, the battery life has been really amazing.
Also my data speeds have been comparable to my iphone 4S, which is to say I am getting around 8 megabytes down in certain areas. I am on at&t in new york
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to be an ass or anything, just thought i'd point out that 8Mb is not 8MegaBytes/s wich is really really fast! But rather 8Megabits/s wich is about 1MegaBytes/s
Sent from my X10i using xda premium
I have been using the N1 for about a year and was looking for a replacement. While I must agree that the build quality doesn't seem to be on par with HTC I don't see it as a flimsy phone.
I have had the GN since Friday and must say that so far I have been impressed. ICS is different but so far great operating system.
I worried about the lack of external card but 16 gigs is alot of memory. I really don't think that I need the SD card.
If you liked your N1 I think you will like the GN
Related
Hi guys, i've posted before, I used to have a Droid X but sold it for a reason, how do you guys like the Dinc? Any of you guys had a phone with a bigger screen before? Have you gotten used to typing on it? How is the overall experience with the Dinc?
Well I love my Dinc. I'm coming from an Eris previously though so to me it does seem 'bigger'. It for sure has the speed and power with whatever I need it to do. So no issue there. IDK, I guess its the difference between what you want and what you need it to do. It is an older device with scimpy support of course from VZW and HTC. But then again we have some awesome devs on here that are still putting in a lot of work for the device. But if you want the latest tech you should deferentially hold of for something like the Vigor(inc hd?) or drop some cash right now for the Inc2 or dare I even say Thunderbolt? lol. Time moves on and tech keeps getting better.
cvbcbcmv said:
do not get the thunderbolt. It is such a bad decision. Do not even consider it. I love this phone though, if you can wait, definitely wait for the vigor. I have a strong feeling that's what's gonna be in my pocket on December 14th (my upgrade day)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I couldn't possibly disagree with you more. The Thunderbolt is without a doubt the single best device Verizon has. Nothing else does as much so well. HTC attempted to do something NO OTHER PHONE has ever done, and succeeded; simultaneous voice and EVDO/LTE data. The Charge doesn't do it, and neither does the LG. Of course waiting is an option, but a stupid one in my estimation because it's an argument that could be made at any point in time about any device. Assuming you're going to wait and get it at or near launch, you're virtually stuck with whatever HTC and Verizon deem worthy for it to run. Root is another question altogether. I've argued with several people about the merits of the Tbolt, usually with people that have hardly touched one. Bottom line is that I've yet to hand my phone to someone who didn't find it just stupid-fast and a pure pleasure to use. The stock battery pounds both the EVO 4G and dInc right into the ground by a solid margin of 30% while running 1.5GHz.
To directly answer the question of whether I'd recommend the dInc today, no, I certainly wouldn't. If I had to recommend a phone, it would be the Tbolt first, the dInc2 second for those who've got little hope of seeing LTE in the near future. I wouldn't recommend waiting to get a Vigor or whatever it shall be called for 2 reasons. First, nobody knows what's really inside that phone. Second, nobody know how it's actually going to perform. There was all this orgasmic hype around the Tbolt. When it launched, it had some issues that were't exactly clear, but have since been resolved to the tune of solid 1 day battery lives and practically flawless operation and reliability. But still, I see posts like this, clearly uninformed, bashing on a truly excellent device, one which seems to have some of the most unique and exciting development of any device I'm aware of. I can't speak for phones that don't exist, but today, as this is written, the Tbolt is the BEST device Verizon has ever sold, supported by the fastest network, providing feature NO other device offers.
Thanks for the replies guys, but I will not be going to Verizon. Not everyone can afford to have the latest and greatest, that's not what i'm aiming for. If I get the Dinc and activate it, it won't be used on Verizon.
Juanito216 said:
Thanks for the replies guys, but I will not be going to Verizon. Not everyone can afford to have the latest and greatest, that's not what i'm aiming for. If I get the Dinc and activate it, it won't be used on Verizon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's a great phone and I would definitely recommend it to anyone, not just people on a budget or saving an upgrade. I have three lines with upgrades available and won't use them on anything out now, waiting on the next batch of phones.
we have a thunderbolt in the house and I don't think it is worth the upgrade (even with our one year plan), it is not the tremendous upgrade that some people here will say and you're not on verizon so lte doesn't matter.
Definitely get an incredible if you find a good deal, you shouldn't be disappointed.
I would get a thunderbolt only because ihtfp is working his magic on it. Skyraider Zeus looks incredible!
That said, I would still recommend the incredible to someone who likes small form phones. Its the last of its kind and runs like a champ with a vast selection of custom roms. However I am not sure how many of these roms will play nice with the carrier you plan on going to.
Sent from my Droid Incredible using the XDA app.
Gotta say I love the dinc (like previous poster said, it's size — I can slip it in my back pocket); I intend to keep buying dincs (ebay) until droids stop trending into tablet-sized paperweights.
But one issue with the dinc is the infuriatingly small amount of phone memory; I haven't hit on the issue myself (I clean app caches regularly, don't install every app on the market), but it's a bit douchey that internal memory is 8G, but only about 700MB is 'phone memory'. If there was one thing I could change about the stock phone, it would be the phone memory partition.
Otherwise, development for dInc is [no pun] incredible. If you don't mind the size, tb or dinc2 would be good options, too.
(And if you're not going with vzw and don't care about size, hold out for the freaking samsung galaxy 2!)
br125 said:
it's a great phone and I would definitely recommend it to anyone, not just people on a budget or saving an upgrade. I have three lines with upgrades available and won't use them on anything out now, waiting on the next batch of phones.
we have a thunderbolt in the house and I don't think it is worth the upgrade (even with our one year plan), it is not the tremendous upgrade that some people here will say and you're not on verizon so lte doesn't matter.
Definitely get an incredible if you find a good deal, you shouldn't be disappointed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought one today for 110 dollars, the guy said it was mint and had a clean esn, the phone did look fresh looking, and my sister checked the esn, it is clean, does have some scratches on the side, I had a Droid X, but, I like the Dinc, problem though, the screen has burn in. How about replacing this screen and or digitizer or whatever.
Juanito216 said:
I bought one today for 110 dollars, the guy said it was mint and had a clean esn, the phone did look fresh looking, and my sister checked the esn, it is clean, does have some scratches on the side, I had a Droid X, but, I like the Dinc, problem though, the screen has burn in. How about replacing this screen and or digitizer or whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not that hard. I have a friend who does that stuff. The AMOLED is a little harder to find than the SLCD and they aren't compatible. All the digitizers are the same. Use the tape to mount it, not glue. I've heard stories of it bleeding over into the screen area.
I think it would depend on price and availability.
If you can get it cheap, and options like the Thunderbolt or Incredible 2 aren't available for whatever reason, it's still a good phone.
I would certainly recommend and do recommend the Incredible, maybe not for bleeding-edge people, but for anyone I want to introduce to the wonders of Android, I always tell them to go for the Incredible, and everyone that has have all been as blown away as I first was. The most solid phone I've ever owned by a massive margin.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Dinc has been really worth it b/c of ease of use and rooting. I would recommend this phone for anyone wanting to get into this sorta stuff.
So I am sure I am not the only person who has (or had) a Vibrant. I am sure the development that is being done on the SGS2 is quality, but there isn't much in the way of quantity (which doesn't always mean much). Am I justified at all in worrying about all this? Does everyone feel satisfied with the amount of development going on for what is still a relatively new phone?
I was considering the Galaxy Nexus, just for the faster updates and solidarity (as opposed to having a different CPU than other similar phones), however the SGS2 hardware is tempting.
I am trying to tell myself that with ICS I can hang onto my Vibrant a bit longer to wait for more options and such, but I want a new phone so bad, and right now the only obvious phone I can pick up easily is the GS2. I am just hesitant after the fiasco with the Vibrant. It's also been so long that it seems like I could wait it out just a tiny bit longer and get the next gen stuff.
(I know the argument about how you can always wait longer, but it has been months since the GS2 landed in the US and it will probably be a month before I am ready to buy a new phone with the holiday season upon us)
Unless you are willing to buy a Euro version of the Nexus outright, you'll be waiting atleast several months for it to be released by tmo. Not to mention if it comes spec'd the same as the vzw version, you won't have expandable memory. Cyanogen is actively devving for this phone and once we get ICS, I think it will be very competitive with the GN.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
What about the low resolution of the phone? Can that be addressed by a new ROM or ICS?
No it can't be changed. You can mess with the density to make it look HD but I don't notice anything "low" about our resolution as it is. I love this phone.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
It is by no means low resolution.
Sent from my telegraph on steroids
rbenz said:
What about the low resolution of the phone? Can that be addressed by a new ROM or ICS?
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Click to collapse
all the HD games tittle you see advertized are for our current resolution 480x800
480x800 has been considered HD for the longest time, for the past 3 years. it is a standard that all game developer codes for
if you read over the Galaxy Nexus forum the 720 resolution is causing havok on a lot of apps and games...
so go figure
on a side note, here some food for thoughts
DVD quality = 480x800
Blueray 1.0 quality = 720x1280
Blueray 2.0 quality = 1280x1080
degeneration said:
I was considering the Galaxy Nexus, just for the faster updates and solidarity (as opposed to having a different CPU than other similar phones), however the SGS2 hardware is tempting.
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Click to collapse
read this while you are still considering it http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1362556
also there's an existing topic about SGN vs SGS2 T989 right here in the forum http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1372420
Galaxy nexus will be released in 3 days. I'm also tempted in using buyers remorse for the nexus. The sgs2 hardware is better IMHO. We'll be getting ics. Early 2012 we just gotta wait for a driver leak.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
well in Canada the GN is going to be released tomorrow http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=19918706
but i'm not crazy enough to go line up for the first day of launch
specially when i'm not even in the mood to get that bug ridden phone, perhaps when they add microSD and a Quad core SOC to it, i'll probably go for it
To me it came down to cost. I had been waiting to upgrade my vibrant to the nexus prime forever. But word is that the nexus prime will cost $299 with full discount which means not only will I have to pay more per month to switch to verizon (currently paying $50 a month for unlimited with no contract), I would also have to pay more out of pocket for the initial device purchase (Ended up getting my GS2 for $380 new in box still no contract from craigslist)
That finally pushed me to go ahead and get a GS2.
I am still very concerned about ICS support. I also felt like the vibrant got screwed on gingerbread (GPS, bluetooth, and camera still suck on GB roms) so I am extremely worried about how ICS will end up. But I am fairly confident that ICS will eventually be released for the device officially (it will be later than they claim)
Something people overlook is that the Galaxy S2 is THE best selling Android phone of all time. That means that it's going to be the de facto for Android development for some time to come. Developers will want to make apps that run well specifically on this phone. Remember, just because faster, more powerful phones are on the horizon doesn't mean that the GS2 will be obsolete any time soon.
I have no doubt that it will also be an overall better phone than the Nexus once it gets ICS. Yes the 720p display on the Nexus is nice, but unnecessary. It's a 4.65 inch screen, for Pete's sake. If you doubt the GS2 screen, just go to your local t-mobile shop and pick one up. Your doubts will be put to rest.
OriginalMemnock said:
Something people overlook is that the Galaxy S2 is THE best selling Android phone of all time. That means that it's going to be the de facto for Android development for some time to come. Developers will want to make apps that run well specifically on this phone. Remember, just because faster, more powerful phones are on the horizon doesn't mean that the GS2 will be obsolete any time soon.
I have no doubt that it will also be an overall better phone than the Nexus once it gets ICS. Yes the 720p display on the Nexus is nice, but unnecessary. It's a 4.65 inch screen, for Pete's sake. If you doubt the GS2 screen, just go to your local t-mobile shop and pick one up. Your doubts will be put to rest.
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I think you mean "THE Galaxy S2", on Tmobile we find ourselves with a significantly different phone yet again. At least this time there is only one on Tmobile. However with different processors on our phones it won't be as simple to translate development over (however being that its a Qualcomm it seems likely that it will be pretty simple all the same, but I have no idea).
My point was it doesn't matter what carrier you are on or what country you are in if I get a GSM GN (possibly excluding VZW).
I know that people here are going to probably defend the SGS2 because that's what they have, but no one has really answered my question and instead commented on my thoughts.
There doesn't seem to be a LOT of development (I have the assumption based on the opinions that what is there is high quality though).
Furthermore, I am not on contract, so I get no discounts on phones, making the GN only about 100 bucks more than the SGS2.
Pointing out the GN flaws is a good call, I haven't been keeping up with that and mostly watching this forum as, like I mentioned, the appeal that I can walk on down to the store and get one makes it a possible buy.
The SD card is something I would prefer, but I don't need. I was prepared to go down to 16gb but hoping for a 32gb.
The major appeal is how many people are still happy with their Nexus S. The Nexus phones just have a longer life span because they come out about once a year and Google supports them.
Some other phones get a similar treatment, but it seems to be a higher risk. Samsung has already mentioned they are working on the SGS3, meaning SGS3 updates will come even slower (I presume though that there is probably still AT LEAST most of a year before we start to see them). I just like the idea of carrying around a little Google baby.
And I am not saying anything bad about the SGS2, I am just skeptical after the whole Vibrant thing (or the SGS in general since as far as I heard GB isn't on most devices, and those that got it got it way late). The hardware looks amazing, and honestly I like the idea of the captive buttons vs only virtual buttons (I like my menu button tyvm). If CM9 is out and I haven't upgraded I will probably go for the SGS2 and put CM9 on it right away, but otherwise I will be worried about the software. Seems like it took a little hollering to get CM support (I could be misunderstanding that thread), so what happens with CM10+? I suppose there will be developers who will porting stuff over, probably.
So that's that. I figure most of this post is futile any way as it seems people get a little defensive about their choices and get upset when you make counter points. I suppose that is somewhat helpful though as it does still compare things, just one sided.
I will end up probably reading one thing online somewhere that will randomly cause me to make up my mind and then just be blissfully ignorant of what I am missing. So oh wells. Thanks for the input so far guys.
degeneration said:
I think you mean "THE Galaxy S2", on Tmobile we find ourselves with a significantly different phone yet again. At least this time there is only one on Tmobile. However with different processors on our phones it won't be as simple to translate development over (however being that its a Qualcomm it seems likely that it will be pretty simple all the same, but I have no idea).
My point was it doesn't matter what carrier you are on or what country you are in if I get a GSM GN (possibly excluding VZW).
I know that people here are going to probably defend the SGS2 because that's what they have, but no one has really answered my question and instead commented on my thoughts.
There doesn't seem to be a LOT of development (I have the assumption based on the opinions that what is there is high quality though).
Furthermore, I am not on contract, so I get no discounts on phones, making the GN only about 100 bucks more than the SGS2.
Pointing out the GN flaws is a good call, I haven't been keeping up with that and mostly watching this forum as, like I mentioned, the appeal that I can walk on down to the store and get one makes it a possible buy.
The SD card is something I would prefer, but I don't need. I was prepared to go down to 16gb but hoping for a 32gb.
The major appeal is how many people are still happy with their Nexus S. The Nexus phones just have a longer life span because they come out about once a year and Google supports them.
Some other phones get a similar treatment, but it seems to be a higher risk. Samsung has already mentioned they are working on the SGS3, meaning SGS3 updates will come even slower (I presume though that there is probably still AT LEAST most of a year before we start to see them). I just like the idea of carrying around a little Google baby.
And I am not saying anything bad about the SGS2, I am just skeptical after the whole Vibrant thing (or the SGS in general since as far as I heard GB isn't on most devices, and those that got it got it way late). The hardware looks amazing, and honestly I like the idea of the captive buttons vs only virtual buttons (I like my menu button tyvm). If CM9 is out and I haven't upgraded I will probably go for the SGS2 and put CM9 on it right away, but otherwise I will be worried about the software. Seems like it took a little hollering to get CM support (I could be misunderstanding that thread), so what happens with CM10+? I suppose there will be developers who will porting stuff over, probably.
So that's that. I figure most of this post is futile any way as it seems people get a little defensive about their choices and get upset when you make counter points. I suppose that is somewhat helpful though as it does still compare things, just one sided.
I will end up probably reading one thing online somewhere that will randomly cause me to make up my mind and then just be blissfully ignorant of what I am missing. So oh wells. Thanks for the input so far guys.
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I realize the hardware is different among the different carrier GS2's. What I was referring to is the overall specifications (dual core processor ~ 1.2-1.5 ghz, 1gig of ram, etc.) when I mentioned the developer support.
In regards to your concern about the screen, I can only tell you that I did a lot of shopping around, testing out different phones and the GS2 screen does not disappoint. IMO, it is overall better than the ones found in the Razr and Rezound, which both offer higher resolutions, so keep in mind that resolution isn't everything.
At this point just wait a couple days until the Nexus is out and give it a hands on. Until you have the device in your hand, you can't really tell how it's going to taste to you. I was infatuated with the Motorola Razr until I actually held one in my hand and hated just about everything about it. The super-thin profile felt terrible in my hands, the noticeable pixels on the screen were distracting, it got way too hot to hold up to my ear, other than the speakers and software (I actually like Moto-blur), it was a complete failure to me. So you never know until you try it.
OriginalMemnock said:
I realize the hardware is different among the different carrier GS2's. What I was referring to is the overall specifications (dual core processor ~ 1.2-1.5 ghz, 1gig of ram, etc.) when I mentioned the developer support.
In regards to your concern about the screen, I can only tell you that I did a lot of shopping around, testing out different phones and the GS2 screen does not disappoint. IMO, it is overall better than the ones found in the Razr and Rezound, which both offer higher resolutions, so keep in mind that resolution isn't everything.
At this point just wait a couple days until the Nexus is out and give it a hands on. Until you have the device in your hand, you can't really tell how it's going to taste to you. I was infatuated with the Motorola Razr until I actually held one in my hand and hated just about everything about it. The super-thin profile felt terrible in my hands, the noticeable pixels on the screen were distracting, it got way too hot to hold up to my ear, other than the speakers and software (I actually like Moto-blur), it was a complete failure to me. So you never know until you try it.
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Thanks, but someone else mentioned the screen, not me. I am not worried about the screen, it would have the same resolution as my current phone so I wouldn't know the difference.
Any way, you may have understood this but it was ambiguous: Yes I know the hardware specs are nice (I believe I stated that they were potentially better) but more people would have the exact same GN as opposed to people with the exact same SGS2. It might not matter though, I have no developing experience (I considered it, but I barely passed my Java course 6 years ago) so I might be wrong in thinking that it will be hard to work with stuff for the international one and put it on the tmobile version. I mean it might be simple if it's just drivers since qualcomm drivers would not be hard to find.
Furthermore, I am already being spoiled with ICS and just want it now.
The thing is, the reason I ask here instead of in the GN forum is that I really want to want the SGS2 (well, and people here have looked as the GN where as people there might have never looked at -specifically- the tmobile sgs2). I am actually likely to walk into a tmobile store and walk out with a phone over the winter break, and I don't think I would be able to help myself if there was a stable ICS rom by then.
BUT the fact that Nexuses last so long makes me wonder if I will be whimpering about how I could have got one and didn't, then again the next nexus will be starting to solidify by then.
Regarding the CM10 bit...
The good news is that once a Device is officially in a previous generation of CM, for example all devices on CM6 are automatically included in CM7 and when CM9 is out, all the CM7 devices will get CM9
so in a way, it's a better guaranteed than stock ICS from Google which only goes as far back as 1 year of support, even the Nexus ONE got removed from Google's support list, in the end the Dev had to make their own PORT / build of ICS for Nexus One, as the regular ICS is not hardware compatible according to Google.
so if our device gets supported officially in CM7 and CM9, it will automatically be included in CM10
AllGamer said:
Regarding the CM10 bit...
The good news is that once a Device is officially in a previous generation of CM, for example all devices on CM6 are automatically included in CM7 and when CM9 is out, all the CM7 devices will get CM9
so in a way, it's a better guaranteed than stock ICS from Google which only goes as far back as 1 year of support, even the Nexus ONE got removed from Google's support list, in the end the Dev had to make their own PORT / build of ICS for Nexus One, as the regular ICS is not hardware compatible according to Google.
so if our device gets supported officially in CM7 and CM9, it will automatically be included in CM10
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Then how come my G1 is only unofficially supported in cm7? They can stop supporting something, they might not, but they can. And if they just stop using a device, they aren't going to be able to continue working on it. For instance I heard rumor that the Vibrant will no longer be officially supported, and it only got 7/7.1...
What they say is as long as they support it they will continue to do what they can, but they do drop support on phones as they have to over time.
additional info for rbenz
https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/2FXDCz8x93s
As device screen resolution goes up, achieving a 60fps UI is closely related to GPU speed and especially the GPU’s memory bus bandwidth. In fact, if you want to get an idea of the performance of a piece of hardware, always pay close attention to the memory bus bandwidth. There are plenty of times where the CPU (especially with those wonderful NEON instructions) can go a lot faster than the memory bus.
in that scenario i see more benefit to have 800x480 than the newer higher resolutions
i can understand your feeling completely
It would seem like everybody is either dodging or are too wrapped around the Euro-GS2 to answer your question...i myself have been wondering if there is going to be more custom roms, kernels & etc...i've heard that team whiskey & CM should be cooking roms real soon for the t-mobile galaxy s2. I do believe all this waiting is related to the qualcomm chip in the phone versus the exynos processor in all the other gs2 variants...I just hope this isn't gonna be like theyre doing just bc they don't wanna leave the t-mobile one out of development...but if you do test out the galaxy nexus and like it then go with it, one thing is true about those nexus phones, they are always the first to get those updates...it really comes down to what you want to do, wait a little bit for more roms or etc.
degeneration said:
Then how come my G1 is only unofficially supported in cm7? They can stop supporting something, they might not, but they can. And if they just stop using a device, they aren't going to be able to continue working on it. For instance I heard rumor that the Vibrant will no longer be officially supported, and it only got 7/7.1...
What they say is as long as they support it they will continue to do what they can, but they do drop support on phones as they have to over time.
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You have reservations strong enough that I would say dont get the SGSII, you wont be fully happy. Based on what you said, you should buy the unlocked galaxy nexus they are selling now ($800), or wait for the verizon version. You may regret not getting the SGSII, but I would hardly think that the Nexus would be significantly worse. If anything you would just regret paying more for a similar phone.
agree re: getting SGN instead of SGS2
specially when the OP did mention the lack of SD card is not a biggie
for me the lack of SD card was a major deal breaker, so the T989 was my only choice of good phone for AWS 1700+2100 networks
Hi -- I have a Droid Charge and while I like it, I admit I'm jealous of the GNex, or at least of what the Gnex is supposed to be. I don't have an upgrade coming until 2013, but may be able to add a "ghost line" to my account and pick up a Gnex for $300 at a Verizon store, then sell my Charge. But I've heard there are major battery/speakerphone/radio-connectivity/other issues with the Gnex. So my question is... is everyone here in love with theirs? Any regrets? Anyone who was jonesing to get one but is now disappointed? Any opinions out there that can help me make my choice, I'd be so grateful. Thanks!!!
I'm going to try to post this as politely as I can without sounding like an @$$hole because I am not trying to be rude, but you could likely gather a vast pool of information by reviewing the several hundred threads within the Galaxy Nexus category to see what the common complaint is.
To not be completely useless in posting here, I personally enjoy the Galaxy Nexus a lot. You'll find people complain about all the same things as every other phone, including but not limited to:
Battery life
Screen durability
Screen brightness
Software incompatibilities
Camera function, performance, and/or capability
etc....
I've looked at a lot of threads, but I wanted to try and get an overview that wasn't necessarily based on squeaky wheels. A thousand people may love it and have no problem, but the ten who do post and negative connotations are born. I did do a search for an opinion thread like mine, and didn't find anything. For anyone who feels like the above poster, I apologize. For any others who don't mind giving me their opinion, I'd appreciate it.
Was in a similar position like you... I could get mine for a few bucks less, but I wasn't sure at all. But then I thought I'll give it a go and if I don't like it I'd just sell it.
After two weeks all I can say is I just love that phone and it was the the best buy since a long time.
Imo the screen is absolutely amazing, the image is razor-sharp due to the hd resolution and the colors are pretty "natural". What I'm trying to say with "natural" is, that when I compare the screen with the Galaxy S2 from a mate, the Nexus is more vibrant. The S2 is brighter, but looks kinda artificial. You could say the Nex looks more like a printed page and the S2 like a computer screen. The black on the Nex screen is truly black!
Battery life is ok, pretty good in idle is you ask me. But when you actually use your phone, the big screen takes its toll... but I have no problem to get over an entire day, even with heavy use. A lot of messaging, facebook, listening to music for an hour, at least an hour of playing games, playing around with my screen setup and voice calls (30 mins) today and I came home with 25% left.
And yes, there are some occasional software issues. But nothing big that would make the device unusable. Small glitches, you could say. After all it's a developer phone.
The phone itself looks very nice with the all-glass front and the overall feel is high-quality.
To sum it up: yes, there are some small issues, like with every other device. And yes, I would say, there is a big chance that you might like the GNex or even love it, like me
If you got any questions, feel free to ask!
I got an upgrade coming up on the 23rd so thanks to the OP for asking this question.
Sent from my Samsung Stratosphere using the XDA App
Flx -grafix, thanks for such a thourough response! I see you're outside of the US, are you on a 4G network? Just want to gauge your battery life. Also, a lot of people have complained about the speaker, is it loud enough in your opinion?
billku said:
I've looked at a lot of threads, but I wanted to try and get an overview that wasn't necessarily based on squeaky wheels. A thousand people may love it and have no problem, but the ten who do post and negative connotations are born. I did do a search for an opinion thread like mine, and didn't find anything. For anyone who feels like the above poster, I apologize. For any others who don't mind giving me their opinion, I'd appreciate it.
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Click to collapse
i absolutely LOVE mine, but it is the GSM version not the verizon one. it seems the verizon version with LTE has bad battery problems where it loses 20% overnight with no usage. the GSM version loses 4% over an 8 hour period. so i dont know how i would feel about that.
Yeah, Roger, that does concern me a lot. As the guy who chided me posted, battery issues on 4g phones are fairly common, but I'm hearing that the LTE version of the GNex's issues are pretty egregious.
billku said:
Flx -grafix, thanks for such a thourough response! I see you're outside of the US, are you on a 4G network? Just want to gauge your battery life. Also, a lot of people have complained about the speaker, is it loud enough in your opinion?
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No, I'm not on a 4G network, so I can't tell you about the battery life. I'm on a HSDPA net here. Compared to my HTC Desire S (Saga), the only noticable difference is that the GN drains more battery while the screen is on. But that is just plain logic, since the screen is much bigger and the resolution is higher. I'm also still on 4.0.1, the battery life on 4.0.2 and 4.0.3 is supposed to be even better.
The speaker volume is pretty low, that is right. But this is also something that's fixed with the update afaik and there is also an app in the market which lets you boost the speaker volume. This is definitely no reason for not buying the phone!
Any more questions? Just ask! And if helped you, pressing the thanks button is highly appreciated
Over all .... I am very happy with the Nexus and have no buyers remorse
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
I am (slowly) moving an entire family plan to Verizon... largely because of the GN, but mostly because they have coverage everywhere I need it.
I live in the DFW area, so 4G has been steady and available all over my daily living/working spaces (except work, where the building kills the LTE but I can use it outside.)
Anyway, I know there are a lot of people with issues but I have to say, I have loved this phone every second so far. My battery life has been fine, could be better, because I don't use it every second of the day. I use a BlackBerry for work, so that helps, I guess.
I say go for it... if you don't like it you have like 14 days to return it and only be out the prorated service costs, I believe. (That's how Sprint was, anyway. Surely VZW does the same.)
For what its worth, I tweaked my phone's speaker with dspmanager. It is plenty loud and has more detail and bass with less of a high treble tin sound. Better speaker IMO vs the rezound and charge.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
for those who's got Gnex already: dont regret!! it was a great choice.
for those who hasnot got: Gnex is no much better than gs2, except for ICS (sg2 is getting ICS anyway).
however, giving the fact i have both devices. i have to say, Gnex is compatible with way more games (especially gameloft and ea games) on the google market, whie gs2 is not.
Thanks everyone for all these replies! I have worried about the reception/radio issues, though I'm in a strong 4G area, Los Angeles, so I'm hoping if I get the GNex I'll have similar results as Is_907.
Again, really appreciate all this, it's making me lean towards taking the plunge...
Don't let people with razr/rezound tell you otherwise, this is the best phone by far all around - however it has some deal breakers that are subjective (like the storage).
Now the real question is, is it worth the upgrade from a Droid Charge? I would honestly say no.
My dad and sister both have them, while nexus is definitely a step up - droid charge is pretty much the best of the last gen phones, I would wait for the next big thing - like galaxy s3, which will also likely have samoled+ hd and sd card.
Just put cm7 and load ics theme for now. (I did that on my moto triumph and fell in love with it again)
billku said:
Thanks everyone for all these replies! I have worried about the reception/radio issues, though I'm in a strong 4G area, Los Angeles, so I'm hoping if I get the GNex I'll have similar results as Is_907.
Again, really appreciate all this, it's making me lean towards taking the plunge...
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Verizon 4G coverage is pretty good and I have a signal everywhere I go (and speeds are INCREDIBLE). I haven't seen any reception issues.
Interesting, wonshikee. You've got me thinking...
I hear keeping 4G off when not needed helps a lot with the battery. I only live in a 3G area so I'm not 100% certain. Just use 4G when needed, 3g if OK for normal operation.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
It also charges freakishly fast. It charges so fast that I thought it was fake at first.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I had a DC. I'm not looking back. That should speak for itself.
Sent from my GummyNex Beast
I can't believe I'm starting such a blasphemous thread in a Nexus forum, but here it goes. Here's my short Android history to get a feel for where I'm at. I started with the HTC Sensation 4G last summer and was amazed how customizable Android was. Totally fell in love with the OS compared to iOS. Although I liked the custom roms and such, they were all the same (think sense), those that were different (AOSP/CM) all had broken stuff (bt/camera/etc). So to fix that I moved from the Sensation to the Galaxy Nexus to help quench my dev support envy. I digged the 720p display, larger screen, and no bloatware! It was hard for me to get over the 16gb internal storage though as I often keep HD movies on my phone and with all my apps that limits it to about 1 movie lol. For the past 6 months I've been struggling with storage space. I can make a CWM backup for a ROM, flash another, but before I back that up, I gotta delete the first one... You get the drift.
Then the SGS3 specs come out and it's a step up a lot of departments from the GN. Bigger screen real estate (yes, only .15" but more like .3" if you count the on screen buttons), much faster processor in the S4 chip, double the RAM (nice), better camera, bigger battery, and finally 32GB with the coveted SD card slot. So I got a 64gb card waiting to go in for a whopping 96gb's. Between both locations, I should be able to put most all of my music on my smartphone for once (I've been dying to do that since 2007) and have plenty of left over space for photos, movies, backups, etc... Oh, and the device will be HSPA+42 and in my area will be screaming fast. I get 7-9mbps down on the GN in my neighborhood and expect a ballpark of 15-25mbps down with the GSIII.
My only nagging thought is ROM support. At first, I'll just want to root and de-bloat with Titanium Backup so I can get my saved app data files transferred over from my GN. I'm sure Root will come fast, but what about REAL dev support? Do you guys think the Tmo version will essentially be the same as all other GSM S4 chipped SGSIII's? That's what I'm hoping for. Honestly, with all the bells and whistles of the SGSIII built into Touchwiz will there ever be a point where CM9 will include all that?
What I mean is this. I realized after some time with the Sensation that if you want all the manufacturer bells and whistles you gotta run a stock rom (or at least a modded Sense rom). The great thing about the Nexus is AOSP is stock. There aren't many bells and whistles. We get the added functionality from CM (or AOKP/etc...).
So, anyone think I'm making a bad move here abandoning the Nexus for Sammy's new flagship?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1642801
[Q]'s belong in Q&A
Thread moved
Sent from my PantechP4100 using xda premium
Ultimately it comes down to what you want and what you need in your phone.
If the latest GalaxyS fills that need, then that's all that matters. You will be the one using it daily.
I'm sure that what I like in my phone, and what my needs are, may be very different than the next persons. I prefer a very bare bones phone, without a lot of extra stuff added in. I like the variety of roms and kernels that are available to use with the Gnex. So, for me, the Gnex fits my needs and uses for what I want in a phone.
Being this is the Gnex forum, I'm sure there will be plenty of answers swayed to the Gnex side. (mine included)
The Galaxy SIII is a very nice phone, and one I'm sure you will be happy with.
Enjoy the new phone
Thanks. I'll have to check it out first on the store display on the 21st but I swear if it doesn't feel smooth like my CM9/Trinity combo that'll be a deal breaker!!! It has a better CPU/GPU than our GN so hopefully that's not a problem but... not all software is created equal!
It's your choice not ours. 16GB is enough for me but one man's meat is another man's poison.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Wow, so these are the types of people that pay a "life coach" money.
good day.
chopper the dog said:
Wow, so these are the types of people that pay a "life coach" money.
good day.
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Click to collapse
No trolling please (but I did hit your thanks button based on your signature). I'm just looking for others opinions. Bored at work
Like others said.. you seem to have it in your mind where the SIII will do exactly what you want/need, so go for it. I won't be making the switch unless it has wifi-calling.
joshnichols189 said:
Like others said.. you seem to have it in your mind where the SIII will do exactly what you want/need, so go for it. I won't be making the switch unless it has wifi-calling.
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Click to collapse
What top tier devices have Tmo released lately without it? I'm assuming it has it.
farfromovin said:
What top tier devices have Tmo released lately without it? I'm assuming it has it.
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Click to collapse
The only phones they have that do have it are the SII, and One S as far as top tier android phones.. I don't see any mention in it in press releases, but I did for the One S so can't be too sure.
joshnichols189 said:
The only phones they have that do have it are the SII, and One S as far as top tier android phones.. I don't see any mention in it in press releases, but I did for the One S so can't be too sure.
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Click to collapse
They put it on (pretty much) everything. Go to their phones page (http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/) and sort the selection by "Wi-Fi Calling" in the side bar. There are dozens of options. Basically all it does is kick out the WP7 devices.
I'd bet a large sum of money that the SGSIII will have WiFi calling on T-Mobile.
martonikaj said:
They put it on (pretty much) everything. Go to their phones page (http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/) and sort the selection by "Wi-Fi Calling" in the side bar. There are dozens of options. Basically all it does is kick out the WP7 devices.
I'd bet a large sum of money that the SGSIII will have WiFi calling on T-Mobile.
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Click to collapse
Don't say that, I'm in love with my white nexus.
You just want to get rid of me don't you??
farfromovin said:
No trolling please (but I did hit your thanks button based on your signature). I'm just looking for others opinions. Bored at work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well played sir. The weaker would have taken the bait. But I'll leave my opinion. You have more of a technical insight/demand/wishes for what you expect out of a device. And as others have said it sounds like you've sold yourself already. I don't even pay attention to what processor, gfx chip or ram amount is in any given device. For me, the galaxy nexus form factor and true aosp is what I couldn't give up for a side grade considering that there is nothing more that I need/want/expect out of the galaxy nexus at this point. The sgsIII lost me with the color choices and buttons. Call me simple, but love mah navbar and what some java geeks have done with it on the galaxy nexus. The next device I look into will really have to knock my **** in the dirt and NOT have buttons on the front. May you find happiness.
good day.
Here is my issue. When it comes to smartphones, I am a IOS guy from the start. I upgrade every 2 years, selling the old on craigslist which pays for the latest iPhone upgrade.
What I like is that there is active (i won't call it development but rather tweaking) in the jailbreak community for that 2 year period mainly due to the fact that all the apple devices run the same code. We all know that...
Well... frankly the iPhone5 bores me, and I think I may go android. However, some things bother me.
One is the plastic/cheap feel of the S3. Apple seems to have build quality way above and beyond the S3 here. No worries, an aluminum bumper and battery cover solves that issue for me.
More concerning is the development path for any particular android device. It seems like manufacturers stop development and release of new OS's in about a year of release which means 3rd party devs need to take the slack. I have a Asus Transformer tablet and this is exactly what happened... however I have found that dev roms are usually not full featured and buggy, especially when you want a new android build. (like going from ICS to JB for instance)
I do however tend to tweak my phones for about the first 6 months and leave them... my iPhone is still on IOS 5.0.
I'm just concerned about getting the latest code on the android since some newer apps don't work on old android. Just dont know what to do.
Any thoughts?
-J
The S3 is the best selling device Android has ever had. You have nothing to worry about. Since you've come to xda you don't have to be concerned about official updates to the firmware. The development community will be putting stuff out for this device for years to come.
The only device on Android with Apple style update support is a Nexus device. If official firmware updates are your main concern get one of those. But the current nexus is getting old. New one is expected by the end of this year.
An attempt at a fully honest reply to your concerns...
Compared to Apply devices, the S3 _is_ made with a cheaper shell and does "feel" cheaper. Not only is the shell and battery cover made of plastic, its made of super thin and flimsy plastic. If that bothers you now, the concern will only fester over time and you might be better off looking for another phone. HTC phones have a higher shell build quality. While I personally don't like the device overall (and wouldn't seriously suggest it), the take a look at the overall "outside quality" of the HTC OneX.. it just feels like it's built better (but at the expense of other things.)
What's INSIDE the phone is usually of a better quality. Having the removable battery and microSD can be a really big deal. The only two current concerns I have with the North American version of the SGS3 is that Samsung seems to be providing the wrong driver for the LED and the battery life isn't as good as the international version (when comparing the two phones on non-LTE networks.) The former should be correctable with a proper LED lib (or perhaps re-worked kernel functionality) and the latter with more tweaking.
As for updates, the North American phone is likely to be a mixed bag. Samsung usually will support their "flagship" phones (such as the original SGS3) for 2 years. However, it appears they drop support for the variants of those phones earlier. For example, the international SGS2 is better supported than the US t-mobile variant of the same. (The AT&T SGS2 is an oddity as it shares the same processor as the international version, so people port the international firmwares to the AT&T one with ease.) The North American version of the SGS3 (qualcomm S4) is a variant of the actual flagship S3 device. Will they continue to support it? It's hard to say - and adding in the fact that carriers (AT&T, etc) seem to control updates, it's possible that a carrier branded SGS3 will lose support before 2 years elapses.
All that being said, Samsung seems to be better (at least lately) with updating their devices than HTC. Motorola is an unknown right now as they used to really suck, but might get much better with Google now owning them. (It didn't help moto's rep that nearly all their phones in the US were Verizon phones and Verizon is infamous for blocking updates.)
On other point on the updates is that ALL the US variants of the SGS3 are pretty much the same, making any effort to update them more worthwhile.
Finally, you have a final concern about apps not working on older phones. I actually disagree with that statement. Every single app on my current phones will work fine under Gingerbread which is a few years old already. I'd be confident saying that if you buy a phone today that's sure to get jelly bean, you'll be good for apps for at least 3 years.
Take care and good luck
Gary
I don't think you have to worry about apps being incompatible in the next 2 years for the s3. Majority of apps are compatible all the way back to donut. My s2 on gingerbread hasn't ran into this issue either.
I think you will be fine for the next 2 years because of the development with the first galaxy s series alone. But if you want the latest and greatest you might be tempted to get something else next year.
I love my SGS3 but I agreed with the plastic cover being thin and feeling cheap. Samsung just announced that a S4 will be released early next year so I guess a lot of development will go for the newer phone. The micro SD and 4.8" screen did it for me.
build quality
garyd9 said:
An attempt at a fully honest reply to your concerns...
Compared to Apply devices, the S3 _is_ made with a cheaper shell and does "feel" cheaper. Not only is the shell and battery cover made of plastic, its made of super thin and flimsy plastic. If that bothers you now, the concern will only fester over time and you might be better off looking for another phone. HTC phones have a higher shell build quality. While I personally don't like the device overall (and wouldn't seriously suggest it), the take a look at the overall "outside quality" of the HTC OneX.. it just feels like it's built better (but at the expense of other things.)
I think the whole build quality flimsy plastic thing is way over blown. The same discussion takes place in camera forums regarding magnesium bodies vs composite bodies.
for phones the truth is (at least as I see it) that build quality for higher end phones is all smoke and mirrors everyone puts a case on it anyway and they all have the potential to break if you drop them so plastic or aluminum doesnt matter.
If your worried about durability you put a otterbox on and you cant tell what its make of anyway if you are worried about fasion you put some fancy case on and it still breaks if you drop it.
The S3 plastic back is less likely to scratch than the iphone one and if it does it is replaceable the iphone isnt.
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Click to collapse
optimus43 said:
everyone puts a case on it anyway and they all have the potential to break if you drop them so plastic or aluminum doesnt matter.
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Click to collapse
No, everyone doesn't. I haven't used any type of case on a phone since I was using an ipaq. Some people prefer using them "naked" and might carry them in some kind of belt clip holster. (I used a thin strip of rubber tape to deal with the iphone4 antenna issue.) Some use a case - some don't.
optimus43 said:
The S3 plastic back is less likely to scratch than the iphone one and if it does it is replaceable the iphone isnt.
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Click to collapse
I can't speak for the iphone 5 or "3s", but in regards to the original iphone, the 4 and 4S, this statement isn't true. The coating on the back of the S3 is so sensitive that if you sneeze near it you'll have a new scratch.
This is actual experience with the international SGS3 (blue), AT&T SGS3 (blue) and AT&T SGS3 (red) as well as the above mentioned iphone's. (I can also compare to a range of nexus devices, a couple of HTC devices and at least 2 moto android-based devices.)
On the other hand, it IS easy to replace the back cover (assuming you can get a replacement - AT&T doesn't sell them and the various ebay sellers don't seem to have OEM red ones yet. OEM blue ones ship from China the last I checked. I don't have a white phone so can't comment on that.)
I don't want to get into a pissing contest between this phone and that phone. The OP asked I gave a frank and honest response. My own (personal) device that I use most commonly is the international SGS3, but I do own all the mentioned devices (and more.) Is the sgs3 the best device currently? Well, I think it is today (but I don't mind a few scuffs on the back plate of my phone, insist on a replacable battery, don't like being locked into apple, etc.)
I was with the iphone for a long time But then finally jumped over a while ago. Even after looking at the new iphone..there is nothing..nothing at all Apple has done or offered to make me even think about going back.
Perhaps 'everyone' uses a cover is an overstatement but I would say that nearly everyone uses a case is not to far off base.
so far I have had no scratches on my sg3 (although I do have a case on it) I would also suspect that the aluminum will be less scratch resistant than the iphone glass was. Of course we dont know yet but... drag your keys acros the top of a mac book it will definitly scratch.
The Captivate (AT&T Galaxy S1 variant) still has active cyanogenmod development. I think that it's very likely that this will too.
What amazes me is that people actually put the s3 into their pockets without a case... One drop and the screen is toast. Please buy an Otterbox commuter case.... My 18 month old chucks it and not one issue so far. S3 will have a ton of development. Let's hope the S4 does not use a larger screen, except if they get rid of all the buttons and go full screen without any bezel gaps. Going to sell this puppy on amazon and get the S4 when the time arrives.
Sorry please delete me
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium
cheetablaze said:
What amazes me is that people actually put the s3 into their pockets without a case... One drop and the screen is toast. Please buy an Otterbox commuter case.... My 18 month old chucks it and not one issue so far. S3 will have a ton of development. Let's hope the S4 does not use a larger screen, except if they get rid of all the buttons and go full screen without any bezel gaps. Going to sell this puppy on amazon and get the S4 when the time arrives.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's mostly teenagers who think they don't need a case, since at that arrogant age they tend to think that both they and their tech are invincible.
And On-Topic: The S3 is on track to sell 30 million devices, so it'll be seeing support for at least 2 years. My less popular 2.25 year-old Captivate got CM7, CM9, and CM10 updates afterall.
zmore said:
It's mostly teenagers who think they don't need a case, since at that arrogant age they tend to think that both they and their tech are invincible.
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Click to collapse
30, no case. Haven't had one for any phone and haven't needed one. Have dropped a gs2 from 5 feet onto asphalt without a scratch. Cases are for people who are not careful with their devices, or have a mission critical need for their phone. Although really, cases are for people that get suckered in by the salesman who has to meet his accessory quota. Or any other ridiculous generalization you want to make.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
zmore said:
It's mostly teenagers who think they don't need a case, since at that arrogant age they tend to think that both they and their tech are invincible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I was a teenager again. At 41, and prefer not to take a thin phone and make it thick with a case. I do use a belt holster, however, to carry it around. (I have too much other stuff in my pockets to put my phone in there.)
Oh, and I'm still arrogant... that has nothing to do with age.
garyd9 said:
I wish I was a teenager again. At 41, and prefer not to take a thin phone and make it thick with a case. I do use a belt holster, however, to carry it around. (I have too much other stuff in my pockets to put my phone in there.)
Oh, and I'm still arrogant... that has nothing to do with age.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah. You guys are outliers! And the kids are still in school right now.
abhaxus said:
30, no case. Haven't had one for any phone and haven't needed one. Have dropped a gs2 from 5 feet onto asphalt without a scratch. Cases are for people who are not careful with their devices, or have a mission critical need for their phone. Although really, cases are for people that get suckered in by the salesman who has to meet his accessory quota. Or any other ridiculous generalization you want to make.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I couldn't agree with you more. Although every phone I have owned I've spent the money and had a Zaag screen protector. No matter how careful you are with the phone, one small item in your pocket and the glass is scratched.
I have 3 cases for my S3, all of which I used for up to an hour and took it off. Especially the OtterBox. I couldn't stand it.
And to the father's who hand their phones out to their young children. Your nuts. I have enough old phones they can play with but there not touching my S3 haha
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
miatawnt2b said:
More concerning is the development path for any particular android device. It seems like manufacturers stop development and release of new OS's in about a year of release which means 3rd party devs need to take the slack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A further reply on this comment - and concerning the references to apple/iOS. As you said, Apple tends to keep OS updates going for at least a couple years.
However, you didn't mention what level of updates they actually get. A year after I got an iphone4, iOS 5 had a new feature called "siri." For some reason, apple didn't give that to the iphone 4 users. (The jailbreaking community proved that the older phone could easily handle running it.) This year, iOS6 is being pushed to my iphone4. There are SEVERAL "new" features of the OS that aren't appearing on my iphone4 including several related to the maps, navigation, siri, etc, etc.
Essentially, while apple does send out OS updates to a phone for two (or even more) years, they aren't complete updates and really are no better (and in many cases quite a bit worse) than the updates you'll see with an android device. At least Samsung doesn't send out an update called "jellybean" that has jellybean features stripped out of it.
Example? The SGS2 (over a year old now) is getting google's voice search(similar to siri) with the JB update (even if Samsung doesn't push it, there are already CM10 ports available for it), already has the map features that the iphone4 will never get, etc.
g2tegg said:
I couldn't agree with you more. Although every phone I have owned I've spent the money and had a Zaag screen protector. No matter how careful you are with the phone, one small item in your pocket and the glass is scratched.
I have 3 cases for my S3, all of which I used for up to an hour and took it off. Especially the OtterBox. I couldn't stand it.
And to the father's who hand their phones out to their young children. Your nuts. I have enough old phones they can play with but there not touching my S3 haha
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Rock 'quicksand' cases are the only ones I can tolerate. Add a good screen protector and you have a slim but protected s3.
miatawnt2b said:
Here is my issue. When it comes to smartphones, I am a IOS guy from the start. I upgrade every 2 years, selling the old on craigslist which pays for the latest iPhone upgrade.
What I like is that there is active (i won't call it development but rather tweaking) in the jailbreak community for that 2 year period mainly due to the fact that all the apple devices run the same code. We all know that...
Well... frankly the iPhone5 bores me, and I think I may go android. However, some things bother me.
One is the plastic/cheap feel of the S3. Apple seems to have build quality way above and beyond the S3 here. No worries, an aluminum bumper and battery cover solves that issue for me.
More concerning is the development path for any particular android device. It seems like manufacturers stop development and release of new OS's in about a year of release which means 3rd party devs need to take the slack. I have a Asus Transformer tablet and this is exactly what happened... however I have found that dev roms are usually not full featured and buggy, especially when you want a new android build. (like going from ICS to JB for instance)
I do however tend to tweak my phones for about the first 6 months and leave them... my iPhone is still on IOS 5.0.
I'm just concerned about getting the latest code on the android since some newer apps don't work on old android. Just dont know what to do.
Any thoughts?
-J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For a quick answer to your question go check out the threads for the sgs1 (I9000). Pawitp is an awesome dev and that device has a great cm10 ROM.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2