Develop Bugs

Nexus.... expecting too much?

Maybe, I was expecting too much... with the galaxy nexus, coming from a Galaxy S2.
At times i feel that the S2 is much quicker and just as smooth..
Is it me or have other users noticed this as well?
Don't get me wrong it is fast and all, maybe for someone coming from a slower device..
But coming from the S2 which is still a great great phone, it doesn't seem faster but a times slower loading apps

habs101 said:
Maybe, I was expecting too much... with the galaxy nexus, coming from a Galaxy S2.
At times i feel that the S2 is much quicker and just as smooth..
Is it me or have other users noticed this as well?
Don't get me wrong it is fast and all, maybe for someone coming from a slower device..
But coming from the S2 which is still a great great phone, it doesn't seem faster but a times slower loading apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the galaxy nexus was never intended to be an upgrade from the Galaxy S2. It was supposed to be the upgrade for those that had a Nexus S.
The product upgrade cycle goes
Nexus S -> Galaxy Nexus-> next nexus
Galaxy S -> Galaxy S2 -> Galaxy S3

So habs I'm kinda stuck here and maybe you can tell me I can return my s2 and exchange it for the nexus. I want to know do you miss your s2 or are you happier with the nexus, and is the screen on the nexus worth the upgrade ?
Sent from my GT-I9100M using Tapatalk

I only played with one for about 10 minutes, but it felt about the same. I've used the GS2 for the past few months and love it, but the Nexus feels the same, just with improvements because of ICS and less running in the background (TouchWiz and Samsung apps...yuck).
All the apps I opened and played with acted just about the same.

I concur, the Gnex definitely feels like it has a laggy UI in comparison to the SGS2 and even the SGS1!
The twitter app shows this easily. Putting certain live wallpapers on also shows this.
I hope it's resolved via software soon because other than the SGS2 having a noticeable performance advantage, everything about ICS is awesome.

IMO, the only pro of getting Nexus is the LED notification and a guaranteed swift OS update

mvpeterson said:
I concur, the Gnex definitely feels like it has a laggy UI in comparison to the SGS2 and even the SGS1!
The twitter app shows this easily. Putting certain live wallpapers on also shows this.
I hope it's resolved via software soon because other than the SGS2 having a noticeable performance advantage, everything about ICS is awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take this for what you will. But with ICS on nexus s people said the twitter app kicked ass after they forced hardware acceleration on. But unfortunately that can mess up other apps.
So maybe if twitter app was ICS ready w/ hardware acceleration it wouldn't lag.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

The SGS 2 to the Galaxy Nexus is more of a sidegrade..
The Nexus has a better screen, is more comfortable in the hand (imo), has no carrier or manufacturer crap on it and will get Android upgrades before anything else will.
I've had both but I prefer the Nexus overall, even though the GPU in the SGS 2 is a beast.

Gs2 is another great device. Plain and simple. Can't go wrong with either one. With that said, I don't think ICS will run as smooth as it does on the GN...on any other device. Official or developer made.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

The laggy Twitter app is due to the Twitter dev team. Use another Twitter app. (TweetDeck, Twicca are my favorites.)

nxdu said:
IMO, the only pro of getting Nexus is the LED notification and a guaranteed swift OS update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The LED is big, ugly and rarely works correctly.

habs101 said:
Maybe, I was expecting too much... with the galaxy nexus, coming from a Galaxy S2.
At times i feel that the S2 is much quicker and just as smooth..
Is it me or have other users noticed this as well?
Don't get me wrong it is fast and all, maybe for someone coming from a slower device..
But coming from the S2 which is still a great great phone, it doesn't seem faster but a times slower loading apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Were you expecting too much? Definitely. The GS2 is already blazing fast, so how much faster did you think the GN could possibly be considering it's specs and HD screen??? Think about it logically.

Luxferro said:
Take this for what you will. But with ICS on nexus s people said the twitter app kicked ass after they forced hardware acceleration on. But unfortunately that can mess up other apps.
So maybe if twitter app was ICS ready w/ hardware acceleration it wouldn't lag.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true. The question is, why does it run smoothly on the SG II without hardware acceleration? :S

Isn't the web browser and TW launcher (on the SGS2) hardware accelerated (something Samsung implemented themselves)?

randypurcz said:
The LED is big, ugly and rarely works correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love that it's big. That way you can actually see the notification (hint hint HTC Sensation). Ugly I guess is a matter of preference, but it terms of working correctly, just get lightflow. It works perfectly with the GN and you can customize it however you want.

ICS Scrolling ??!!

hello
i tried Galaxy S2 and it's so fast and doesn't lose fps in any scrolling in any app but my sensation lose alot of fps .. Galaxy S2 have enabled HWA and GN with ICS have it too..but both of them have smooth scrolling or just SGS2??
can anyone confirm this ??
sorry for my bad english

Gnex is very fast.
Android - making grown men pee sitting down since 2.0

Goat_For_Sale said:
Gnex is very fast.
Android - making grown men pee sitting down since 2.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still think Galaxy S 2 is the smoothest Android phone out there and it's running Gingerbread. Wait until it gets ICS.
I'm kinda disappointed by Galaxy Nexus.

Scrolling with the S2 feels weird though. The scrolling animation is smooth, ill hand it that, but its as if its slightly behind the movement of my finger. Dont have that problem with the GN, which is also very smooth in every native app. Apps not yet optimized for ICS seem to be laggy from time to time, but its app depended imo.
Overall I prefer the GN.

retskrad said:
I still think Galaxy S 2 is the smoothest Android phone out there and it's running Gingerbread. Wait until it gets ICS.
I'm kinda disappointed by Galaxy Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, I feel the Galaxy Nexus is smoother.
And ICS smoothness is overrated, it doesn't magically make the phone smoother at all, at best you won't notice any difference, but I imagine the phone being bogged down by a Touchwiz/ICS combo.

Enable force GPU to make apps smoother.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Isn't 4.0.3 meant to increase performance and fix the scrolling issues?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

kangxi said:
Enable force GPU to make apps smoother.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not necessarily.
https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/2FXDCz8x93s

Simmo3D said:
Isn't 4.0.3 meant to increase performance and fix the scrolling issues?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't see any scrolling issues in 4.0.1 or 4.0.2.

if anyone have WhatsApp and have alot of messages in one chat..can he record a video and uploaded to i see how scrolling smooth is GN+ICS
sorry for my bad english

There is definite lag. I can't use live wallpapers on the Nexus because of the slowdown. Quite annoying, but oh well.

Or maybe the app isn't optimized for ICS yet as the OS / device is relatively new?
Google can't control what app devs do.

ericc191 said:
There is definite lag. I can't use live wallpapers on the Nexus because of the slowdown. Quite annoying, but oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Live walls at 720p....
Same problem on Rezound as well. By the way, aosp walls work a hell of a lot better than the retail ones. Lag is pretty much gone if the live wall does not scroll with launcher screen.

(Let me preface this with a pre-emptive statment that I love Android (had a GTab, currently have a TF. And I am not a "this phone rules, that phone sucks" kind of guy, these are simply my DISPASSIONATE--albeit subjective--observations.)
Call it minor or whatever, but I have to admit, the lag is one of the big reasons keeping me from getting the phone. I've tried them out in stores, all running 4.02, closed all programs, used static wallpaper, etc., and the screens lag. And almost every online video I've seen seems the same way.
Obviously it's not like the 1st generation Android phones (which truly had horrible lag), but still, I think it's kind of unacceptable in this day and age and on a $300 phone. The GS2 is noticeably smoother -- instantaneous, really. Smoother than any phone I've ever used, iPhone included.
I want to love this phone so much -- great screen, ergonomics, and, obviously immediate updates and dev support, but I'm having a hard time getting over the somewhat laggy response.
I had a GTab which, if you're familiar with them, positively sucked out of the box, but the ROMs were awesome and made it super smooth... Maybe the ROMs and/or updates will do the same for the GN.
Anyway, please re-read my first statement before you say, "well, then just get the GS2," or somesuch. Like I said, I'm not dissing the phone in any major way -- but I need to love this phone if I'm dropping $300...

I've gotten it very smooth with Cyanogenmod and Franco's kernel (smoothest by far). But I too feel the S2 is smoother. Wish they used the Exynos lol well when the S3 comes out I'll just sell this and buy that retail. Hopefully it comes to Verizon.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

Omap can hold its own vs. Exynos. What you meant was the mali gpu.

Today I went into Verizon (got T-Mobile) but wanted to play with one and compare it to my ns, and the demo I played with was a bit stuttery ,I even wiped the phone in the store ,and was still stuttery/laggy my ns runs way smoother compared to the one I played with,I'm really hoping it was just that particular phone,cause if T-Mobile ever offers it subsidized I plan on getting it,but not if it runs like the demo I messed with today...bottom line I left Verizon today a bit disappointed...
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Raver27 said:
Today I went into Verizon (got T-Mobile) but wanted to play with one and compare it to my ns, and the demo I played with was a bit stuttery ,I even wiped the phone in the store ,and was still stuttery/laggy my ns runs way smoother compared to the one I played with,I'm really hoping it was just that particular phone,cause if T-Mobile ever offers it subsidized I plan on getting it,but not if it runs like the demo I messed with today...bottom line I left Verizon today a bit disappointed...
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Demo units aren't really a true representation of what the phone will feel like when you actually unbox it. It was being used by a bunch of other people who could of even installed apps of it. I have a NS and I can say the GN is just so much faster on ICS.

adrynalyne said:
Not necessarily.
https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/2FXDCz8x93s
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That has nothing to do with what I said. I have noticed that most apps run a lot smoother when I have force GPU acceleration on. Including Facebook, Groupon, Twitter, Netflix, etc.
This is what the OP was talking about and I offered a solution.
Also, 4.0.3 is a lot smoother than 4.0.2.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

I reset it in the store,but I hope ur right cause I really want one...
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Did Google make a BIG MISTAKE by putting a weak GPU in a phone with 720p Display?

Did Google make a BIG MISTAKE by putting a weak GPU in a phone with 720p Display?
I love this live wallpaper, but it makes the UI lag horribly!
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.tokyopop.wallpaper.panda.free
However, it's smooth on the Nexus S.
It's not a complex live wallpaper, it barely moves at all, yet the GN can't handle it?
When I first read that Google decided to use a 2-3yr old GPU in the Nexus, I thought, okay, it might be alright if the OS is optimized to use it, but now it seems like Google made a HUGE MISTAKE and should've gone with the most powerful and current GPU available.
Why do companies do this??!
Even Google employees admit, in their G+ blogs that the GN has A LOT OF PIXELS to push! So, knowing that, what did they use a weak ass GPU??
I love my phone but I wished Google would stop f'ckng up like this.

I suspect you are jumping to conclusions when you blame the hardware for this issue.

I just downloaded it for the hell of it and it ran just fine on mine. I am using NOVA launcher but I don't seem to have any problems with it. Try NOVA launcher and see if you get the same lag.

Not all the Live Wallpapers are enabled for hardware acceleration so become laggy - it's not Google's fault, it's the dev of the wallpaper for not enabling it

There are only two GPUs better, Mali-400 (SGS2) and 543 (iPhone 4S) so I think you should read more tech stuff before call it weak.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Read this:
https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/2FXDCz8x93s
Some have raised points along the lines of Samsung Galaxy S2 phones already having a smoother UI and indicating that they are doing something different vs. the Galaxy Nexus. When comparing individual devices though you really need to look at all of the factors. For example, the S2's screen is 480x800 vs. the Galaxy Nexus at 720x1280. If the Nexus S could already do 60fps for simple UIs on its 480x800, the CPU in the S2's is even better off.
The real important difference between these two screens is just that the Galaxy Nexus has 2.4x as many pixels that need to be drawn as the S2. This means that to achieve the same efficiency at drawing the screen, you need a CPU that can run a single core at 2.4x the speed (and rendering a UI for a single app is essentially not parallelizable, so multiple cores isn't going to save you).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Don't really think its the gpu. I run games that are very 3d heavy with little to no lag at all. I think I read somewhere that some live wall papers are not optimized for ics just yet. Hence why the ones that come with the gnex (phase beam) have no lag.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Neo3D said:
Read this:
https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/2FXDCz8x93s
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it makes sense. Those of us with slow computers/gpu can always get some extra FPS in games by lowering the resolution. Fewer pixels = less work.
From what someone else said above, it appears the developer of this particular wallpaper may not have enabled hardware acceleration. If that's the case, the specifics of the GPU are not even related to this problem.

joelteixeira said:
There are only two GPUs better, Mali-400 (SGS2) and 543 (iPhone 4S) so I think you should read more tech stuff before call it weak.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, and just a side note. It's not the "same" from three years ago. The chipset used before was 4430 and now 4460, working on 384Mhz.
I strongly suggest you to read this:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4413/ti-announces-omap-4470-and-specs-powervr-sgx544-18-ghz-dual-core-cortexa9

holmes6 said:
Of course it makes sense. Those of us with slow computers/gpu can always get some extra FPS in games by lowering the resolution. Fewer pixels = less work.
From what someone else said above, it appears the developer of this particular wallpaper may not have enabled hardware acceleration. If that's the case, the specifics of the GPU are not even related to this problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But, it makes you wonder, if Google KNEW that it takes a more powerful CPU/GPU to push 2.4x more pixels, why did not use the latest CPU/GPU's available to them?

Neo3D said:
Read this:
https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/2FXDCz8x93s
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Title of thread says gpu. However now you are talking about cpu (with what you quoted).
Make up your mind on whats weak?

Neo3D said:
But, it makes you wonder, if Google KNEW that it takes a more powerful CPU/GPU to push 2.4x more pixels, why did not use the latest CPU/GPU's available to them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung might have a winner with Exynos, but for whatever reason, they do not work with high speed radios. This includes Tmobile's high speed network (The 42mbps one) and Verizon's LTE.
So, who do you blame? Google? Nah.

Could Samsung have equipped the GSM Galaxy Nexus with Exynos 4210? YES.
Would the Exynos support LTE? NO.
Will Verizon be the #1 customer of the Galaxy Nexus? YES.
Therefore, was it cheaper to use one base hardware configuration that can accept both HSPA+ and LTE-enabled radios? YES.
Now you know why the SGN uses OMAP4.

Neo3D said:
Did Google make a BIG MISTAKE by putting a weak GPU in a phone with 720p Display?
love this live wallpaper, but it makes the UI lag horribly!
it seems like Google made a HUGE MISTAKE and should've gone with the most powerful and current GPU available.
I love my phone but I wished Google would stop f'ckng up like this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPU is good
just think of it like car names, same name different model year
new improvements, knowledge, manufacturing process, and material technology
That said, everything perfectly smooth with Panda Wallpaper on 4.0.3 w/ 384mhz GPU.
You'll either have to wait for the official 4.0.3 (or better) release or flash custom rom or.... different phone

I think with the Galaxy Nexus, Google decided to showcase how better optimized the new OS version is. Manufacturers, like many mainly Android OEMs seem to be guilty of overpowered, not so optimized phones and using this as a justification for a premium price tag.
The Galaxy Nexus with it's "modest" specs in my opinion runs pretty smoothly, Android really has come a long way in terms of optimization and better process handling. That being said it isn't perfect yet, but then again it is the first release of this OS version, even other ecosystems are not exempt of such hiccups.

I think the question in this thread goes the opposite direction. Why did google choose this gpu? Because they purposely knew it was more than capable even with the higher res screen.
What i dont believe is that google shipped these live wallpapers that arent running correctly on this version. Thats a bone head move on them. The gpu can easily handle them as you can see by running certain ones. But its just not coded properly for the new nwxus.
And yes the nexus s may run them fine. But different hardware means strange issues arise that can be fixed hopefully quickly. I just dont believe that this gpu is a bad piece at all.

I am not sure if the blame goes to Google or more on Samsung who actually builds the phone.
Bottom line is, the "Nexus" phones are low sellers, don't make much money at all for Samsung or Google, compared to the more popular devices.
Yes us nerds complain about the hardware choice in the Galaxy-Nexus, but we are but a small .01% of the Android purchasers.
Samsung is kicking ass with the Galaxy SII, and the SIII is due out in Spring, their big money maker. The Nexus is but a blip on the radar in the big market picture.
This is a beta phone to test Android 4.0 ICS
Sent from my GalaxyNexus using xda premium

stere0xide said:
I think with the Galaxy Nexus, Google decided to showcase how better optimized the new OS version is. Manufacturers, like many mainly Android OEMs seem to be guilty of overpowered, not so optimized phones and using this as a justification for a premium price tag.
The Galaxy Nexus with it's "modest" specs in my opinion runs pretty smoothly, Android really has come a long way in terms of optimization and better process handling. That being said it isn't perfect yet, but then again it is the first release of this OS version, even other ecosystems are not exempt of such hiccups.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That isn't the case at all. Google wanted to put a piece of technology that was stable in this phone to showcase ICS. It has a higher clock speed than this "old" gpu you're talking about anyways.
Thracks nailed it.

You're complaining about the GNex having SGX 540 with a 1280x720 display, but you forget than most tablets use WEAKER GPUs to push 1280x800 (Tegra 2 is tied only on a few workloads).
The SGX 540 is more than adequate. Besides it's a really bad idea to try hot new hardware with hot new software, that's just asking for a disaster; Google decided to use a true and tested chipset, which is a better idea for a REFERENCE PHONE. It sets the bare minimum for a good ICS experience. If you want a powerful device, grab the Galaxy S III when it comes out.

Neo3D said:
Did Google make a BIG MISTAKE by putting a weak GPU in a phone with 720p Display?
I love this live wallpaper, but it makes the UI lag horribly!
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.tokyopop.wallpaper.panda.free
However, it's smooth on the Nexus S.
It's not a complex live wallpaper, it barely moves at all, yet the GN can't handle it?
When I first read that Google decided to use a 2-3yr old GPU in the Nexus, I thought, okay, it might be alright if the OS is optimized to use it, but now it seems like Google made a HUGE MISTAKE and should've gone with the most powerful and current GPU available.
Why do companies do this??!
Even Google employees admit, in their G+ blogs that the GN has A LOT OF PIXELS to push! So, knowing that, what did they use a weak ass GPU??
I love my phone but I wished Google would stop f'ckng up like this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just about to put you on blast for this panda wallpaper but I just noticed your a chick lol.
As someone suggested before try nova launcher. Runs smooth on mine... Adwex had choppy apw widgets so I switched to nova and chop no more. Guess it goes for live wallpapers too
sent from my googletron

[Q] I just want to browse: should I get a Nexus or a S2?

Hi guys i want a smartphone just for browsing the web. i'll make an intensive use of the browser capabilities of my new smartphone. Camera? Video recording? I don't care! I just want very good browsing capabilities i.e. smooth navigation, pain free browsing...
In theory, the Nexus is the best choice due to its bigger screen however after reading some reviews it is clear to me that the S2 performs better and is more quick when it comes to page loading times and general navigation in websites is better on the S2. also reviewers said that pages with adobe flash elements will load very slow on the Nexus due to ICS issues with adobe flash but they say that there will be an update soon to fix this problem.
is this all true? or the browsing experience with the Nexus could beat the S2 with a proper ROM?
again, i just want very good browser capabilities, not really interested in GPS,camera, radio and stuff like that.
i might also wait for the s3 but maybe it doesn't worth waiting because the s3 is probably going to have a screen size very close to the nexus.
thanks.

I went from a s2 to the GNex and didn't really notice much difference between the two when browsing

Kinda so sounds like you may either want to get a tablet or a galaxy note
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Galaxy Note: too big... I'll look like a nerd holding it on my ear to make a call.
Tablets: even the upcoming GTab 7.7 is too big for me.
Guys please this thread is all about S2 vs GNex for browsing. thanks

GNEX FTW! The browser is amazing, and the higher res screen will make the text clearer.

Correct me if i am wrong, but doesn't higher resolution mean you can fit more on your screen without constantly scrolling and using zoom feature?

not in android. there its only mean u have a better quality and cant see single pixel in gnex. the rest is scaled to same size to view.
the tests i read said that the gnex is faster in browsing but bit worse in grafics.
so for me gnex is best 4 browsing

Only thing I have noticed coming to the Gnex from the S2 is that with the S2 EVERY webpage worked flawlessly (eg BBC iPlayer) with the Gnex quite a few don't work or are laggy... BUT when one does load properly, the screen is gorgeous and the browser is awesome
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

I have found the GNEX to be very fast in browsing, but a lot will depend on your connectivity, background apps running, etc.

I own both phones and I find the Nexus better in/for everything...

The Nexus in my opinion is better in all regards. The S3 will probably be close to the specs that the Nexus has (screen wise).
The main thing to realize is that your smart phone use might change. If you want a phone that will be upgraded, is completely changeable, and can do anything you are willing to do to it, then get a Nexus. Think about it- Android will change to the point where hard buttons are not needed- you will already have a phone capable of accepting those changes that will most likely be present in the next overhaul of android.

If you scroll in the S2 browser, the screen movement has a delay compared to your finger movement. Imo its really noticeable and frustrating. GN doesnt have this problem. Paired with the fact that the screen has a higher resolution, Galaxy Nexus is a clear winner in this aspect.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

sadikhov77 said:
Correct me if i am wrong, but doesn't higher resolution mean you can fit more on your screen without constantly scrolling and using zoom feature?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes,
Craiq said:
not in android. there its only mean u have a better quality and cant see single pixel in gnex. the rest is scaled to same size to view.
the tests i read said that the gnex is faster in browsing but bit worse in grafics.
so for me gnex is best 4 browsing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I'd have to disagree with you on this one. Read a review cum comparison of S2 with GNex (side-by-side) on a famous Android blog, and actually compared the two for myself (colleague has S2 and I have GNex)...
If you keep the text size visually the same (i.e. say a 24pt font on one screen and same 24pt font on other screen) then yes, the extra resolution definitely means you can fit more text on the GNex. I mean, even from a layman's mindset - you're fitting in more pixels on the GNex right... so why wouldn't there be more text?

I have a stock Gnex, my partner has a rooted but stock S2.
The Gnex has a bigger screen at a much higher resolution without moving into "phablet" territory (IMO- see thread about the Gnex being "too big" for other opinions).
If you are a big fan of having multiple tabs open while browsing, you definitely will prefer the stock browser on ICS (which is currently only on the Gnex but will be on the S2 soon). The stock browser on Gingerbread only has "windows", limits the number that you can have open, and forgets what is open if you close the browser. ICS has a much improved tabbed browsing system.
IMO a stock Gnex is also faster in general than the S2 because of the lack of TouchWiz bloatware...but that's a personal preference, my partner loves TouchWiz.
But for the improved resolution alone I think the Gnex wins out as best for web browsing.

Anyone had gs2 and gnex?

Guys,i need opinions about this...someone who knows,and is experienced,please write in this thread,i really need to choose between this two phones,and im unshure about it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I had both. Granted it was an sgh-i777 but it essentially the same phone as the i9100. The s2 out performs the gnex on hardware hands down to me. (Only comparing 3d gaming) but cm can be a little buggy at times with wake locks when I had it. Gnex has a better screen and software support but both are great phones. Do you want last years king of the phones or bleeding edge software updates?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Both good phones
I had the gt-9100i and are currently using the Gnex.
And like the post above me i did like my SGS2, but not having the newest version of android really was a dealbreaker for me

Well that is a dealbreaker for me too.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

nyamoV2 said:
I had both. Granted it was an sgh-i777 but it essentially the same phone as the i9100. The s2 out performs the gnex on hardware hands down to me. (Only comparing 3d gaming) but cm can be a little buggy at times with wake locks when I had it. Gnex has a better screen and software support but both are great phones. Do you want last years king of the phones or bleeding edge software updates?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm what has been written above. I sold my international S2 i9100, which I really loved!
Exynos with Mali 400 outperforms TI-OMAP 4460 with its PowerVR SGX540 I guess in every single test. (for example in case of Nenamark2 the difference is 48-52:28-32!) S2 has gorilla glass and better camera (8 mpix + 2 mpix), sd-slot, even hard home button can be considered as an advantage.
On the other hand. Nexus has much better screen, NFC, and great support! It depend what your priorities are but...If you're into aosp/cm world Nexus is far better solution.
Official updates. Even though I think samsung is the fastest update-provider among all manufacturers still S2 got recently...its second 4.0.4 update while GNex has 4.1.2! Samsung confirmed S2 to be scheduled to JB-update in november, but I highly doubt it'll be given more than this. In case of Nexus....I'm certain it'll be supported at least 12 more months.
Moreover...exynos is closed hardware, (while omap is dev's beloved device) which makes it extremely hard for devs to get fully functioning aosp rom. You can see the difference if you compare CM10 on both handsets.
- S2 - no jb-hwcomposer and thus no v-sync, no butter - jittery and yes laggy, problems with audio.
- GNex - almost perfectly smooth! I know that lot of people here complain over smoothness but seriously there's nothing to complain. IT's one of the smoothest android experience today even if you compare it to hardware monsters like international variant of S3.
Smoothness of stock roms cannot be even discussed here. Nexus wins fair and square. So...who cares what benchmarks say? The device is as good as the software running on it.

I wish this had gorilla glass while reinforced also its not as strong it scratches easily compared to my S1 it has small nicks on it and has been though worst then my nexus an nexus has a good 5 big scratches and also cracked display
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

I had both for a while, i really think the gnex outperforms the gs2 in every single way, sure gs2 have a better camera and it was pretty fast with gingerbread but it failed to delivery the same experience with ICS...and it took sooo much time to samsung release ics and with crappy touchwizz wich was the same skin as in gingerbread.
The gs2 has very low resolution and ppi screen so the gpu as an easy time. The iphonish home button really sucked balls. Basically gs2 is already outdated and doesnt deliver the same user experience as the gnex. IMHO.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I still have my i9100, purchased it before the nexus. there are things I prefer on it over the nexus, but not deal breakers.
The s2 has much better standard screen colors than the nexus, I had to tweak using a kernel that support color tweaking to get the same colors that pleased me on the s2.. However, after spending time on the higher resolution nexus screen, the s2 looks real bad.. But prior to purchasing the nexus I thought the s2 screen resolution was fine, but I did not have anything to compare it to.
Call quality I find to be much better on the nexus, much clearer voices.
Cameras.. I don't use them much so I don't have an opinion on it. as long as the phone takes pictures, I'm happy.
Wifi is much better on the s2.. I have fought with constant disconnects on the nexus hardware, while the s2 always had rock steady Wifi.
Speed... This depends on what you use the phone for. I do not play alot of games. I do not doubt the s2 has faster hardware to run games better, however I find the nexus offers a much more fluid experience when doing everything else. Simple things as such as dialing a phone number, typing, scrolling, and the nexus much more responsive and fluid. there are no annoying pauses or lags. the s2 no matter what rom I was using always had some sort of lag.
Ever thing just works on the nexus, while alot of things on the s2 were compromises. you get one feature but another was broken, especially when using custom roms.
I'm going to hang onto my s2 until the official jb release and see if jb can make it run as well as the nexus... If not, I'll be selling it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

dumbdroid said:
.... it was pretty fast with gingerbread but it failed to delivery the same experience with ICS...and it took sooo much time to samsung release ics and with crappy touchwizz wich was the same skin as in gingerbread.
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That's right and Touchwizz is extremely ugly but ...ICS on Galaxy Nexus was laggy as hell to be honest, sometimes even worse than in case of S2. For example if you applied live wallpapers. I have never noticed any single scroll-lag on S2 (stock ICS rom), on GNex it was unfortunately pretty common.

Just switched from an i777 to the gal nex and I would never go back...the screen alone is enough...not to mention instant shutter speed on the camera, first to update, I've had much better battery life...plus when you go to a custom ROM, compared to the s2, everything just WORKS...and for $350 you won't regret it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

s2 was my first android, gave it to my dad and now using gnex.
fundamentally the gnex has a higher screen resolution, but no hardware keys on the front so nav buttons are a must on it.. s2 has buttons, and side by side, the displays are actually a bit identical. the gnex looks somewhat better because of the higher ppi, but pentile is visible on text when you see it very closely..
performance wise, both have almost the same cpu specs, but gnex is slightly slower. its because of the higher resolution. and i can tell you this without any benchmark numbers. i tried fpse on both, there's a slight lag on the gnex. the sgs2 runs it smoothly..
jellybean on gnex is stable (of course) and awesome. on the s2, not so much...
all games/apps work on both, with slight differences in things like emulation as i said above..
battery life on both is more or less the same, both are battery hogs. but after using them both for well over two months each, i can say that gnex sucks from 100 to 0 slightly faster.. an extended battery wouldn't be such a bad idea, i personally bought myself an anker 5600mah portable charger, and it does the job for me battery life wise. easily get through the day with super heavy use (navigation,browsing hsdpa, etc)
if you're gonna buy one of these TODAY, it makes no sense to get a s2. nexus is cheaper, and you are guaranteed Key lime pie immediately, and even possible L-- version.. yes the camera is a bit bad compared to the s2, but it's a small trade off for the price difference and software update frequency.

m.kochan10 said:
That's right and Touchwizz is extremely ugly but ...ICS on Galaxy Nexus was laggy as hell to be honest, sometimes even worse than in case of S2. For example if you applied live wallpapers. I have never noticed any single scroll-lag on S2 (stock ICS rom), on GNex it was unfortunately pretty common.
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Click to collapse
I've heard about it but never experienced it myself because I've rooted and installed a custom rom+kernel in the second day i had it. I think that was with android 4.0.2 witch i never run on my phone. The only "stock" firmware i had was the jelly bean leak and it was great.
---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------
crazyguns said:
i tried fpse on both, there's a slight lag on the gnex. the sgs2 runs it smoothly..
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yeah but my xperia play beats both and have crappy hardware...why?
Same goes for some gameloft games like gangster in Rio or something like that runs beautifully on my xperia play and it is unplayable on the gnex.

D3HuM4NiZ3D said:
Guys,i need opinions about this...someone who knows,and is experienced,please write in this thread,i really need to choose between this two phones,and im unshure about it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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I just recently got a gnex and gave my wife my gs2. I would never even think of going back. Might not ever own another non nexus phone. definitely the better phone imo.

qbanlinxx said:
I just recently got a gnex and gave my wife my gs2. I would never even think of going back. Might not ever own another non nexus phone. definitely the better phone imo.
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That's exactly what I think I sold my S2, bought nexus....and today I bought my father a brand new S2 as a birthday gift. While i was configuring everything....I was like "Oh my how sluggish it is compared to Nexus". No more non-nexus androids!

can't ever go back to touchwiz... I used sgs2 i9100...love nexus software
Sent from Nexus Prime

Can't beat the nexus experience. I still have my i777, rooted weeks after I got it, and have loved tinkering, and tweaking the hell out of it ever since. Both phones are more than capable of remaining relevant for some time, but as I said, it's the Google flagship experience that really seals it. I love my s2, aokp with siyah is amazing, but I've had my nexus for just shy of 2 months now, and I honestly haven't found a reason to root it, official jb is just that good for me. Google wallet is about the only thing I've found that one phone has over the other, though Nfc is fully functional on the s2, aside from the secure hardware element needed for wallet. Not sure what the going rate is on the s2 anymore, but at best its just as good a deal as the gsm nexus right now. Long story short(kind of rambling, I apologize) love both phones, wouldn't ever discourage anyone from the s2, but of this comparison, I'd advise the gnex to anyone.
Pink pony Gs2 i777
Pure Google Gnex i9250
Pink stallion Gs3 i747
Stock tweaked Asus tf201

S2 is fast, like other people said, it out performs Gnexus a lot imo. Even on TW GB/ICS or AOSP, its still faster. Exynos are really good. But then, you wont get a proper OTA if you want JB or latest update in the future. I love the brick look of SGS2 though. when the screen is off, it looks so sexy. but gnex are sexy in both screen on and off.
For me, having the latest software in any hardware are important for me.So I am sticking with Gnex. I gave my S2 to my mum, and bought myself a One X. But then I still use Gnexus most of the time for pretty much everything. Cuz it has official Jellybean and all custom roms are stable enough since it is already an AOSP to begin with. One X still have some trouble with ICS/JB AOSP, so only choice to stick with Sense ICS for stability.
my friend always ask me if its worth to get a Gnex since it is 1 year old already. My answer for them are simple, if you care about updates every time they are announced, Gnex is the answer. and also, if you intent to use it to the fullest(3/4 years duration), its Gnex. Otherwise, buy anything you like. I always change phones, but Nexus is the one i wont replace until a next nexus(if they tempt me enough).

I got 2 phone. but i prefer GNX than GS2. GS2 outperform GNX but overall GNX better than GS2

Depends which s2 as well. I had the s2 skyrocket with the s3 processor and its a laggy pos next to the nexus. Lte was awesome and the camera pwns the gnex but that's it. I've had every nexus and every time I've strayed to get another phone I end up having nexus envy.

So the nexus is really that much better than the s2 skyrocket
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2