Develop Bugs

My Pros & Cons Of The Galaxy Nexus And T989 And Why I Came Back

This was made on the go, just some quick thoughts and my opinion.
T989
Pros:
Camera Quality
Extended Memory
Battery Life
Double Development(Can flash skyrocket roms)
Pentaband
1.5 GHZ Processor(Can OC to 1.7/1. 8)
Quick Bootup
Mass Storage
Fast GPS Lock
ICS Coming
More Choices Of Launchers
Sound Quality
9-11 Hrs Of Battery Life
Price
Cons:
No Voodoo
Some Devs Jumped Ship
Running Gingerbread
Graining/Blobbing
$20 For Unlock Code
Plastic Feel
I9250
Pros:
Screen Resolution
Comes With ICS
Camera Capture Speed
Development
Pentaband
Fast Charge Up
Standby Time Is Awesome
Quick Boot Up
Cool Accessories
LCD Mods Play Better With Display
LED Notifications
Constant Google Updates
Download Speeds
Fast GPS Lock
Awesome Video Capture
Face Unlock
Softkey Mods
Awesome Call Quality
Android Beam
1 Click Everything
Task Manager
Will Hold Value Better Over Time
Build Quality(Better feel without case)
Cons:
Battery Life
Grainy Pics
Some Apps Aren't Compatible
Processor(Highest OC is 1.4)
16GB Storage
Have To Use Wifi Explorer To Drag/Drop Files
No Mass Storage
$50 For Battery That Should Have Launched W/Device
Sound Quality Sucks
Now this was in a recent course which was 2 weeks of use. Had one briefly during launch and traded it because of the demand. Saw development picking up so I got one back and gave it a longer try/go.
The Galaxy Nexus is awesome don't get me wrong its just that it seems like they put more into the interface looking pretty than basic elements running smoothly. It has cool features which will definitely be a upgrade to people that haven't tried it but some of your favorite apps may not work and if your someone that likes to use your device day in and day out be prepared to bring a charger with you. The only 3 things that amazed me about the phone was the face unlock,the screen resolution and the softkey mods. Battery life was lacking and those three features weren't enough to make me want to keep this device. Tried everything from rom, radio, baseband combos and it just didn't make it better. Some other people may disagree. I don't buy phones to have them sit on a desk so showing me screenshots with 75% display(meaning standby/lack of use) won't convince me otherwise.
Now when it comes to the T989 I feel like it's a overall better device. Even though we are on GB we will have a ICS rom soon whether if it's OTA or Leaked. Better battery life with rom and kernel combos that actually show improvement, great storage for pack rats, and development from both sides of the fence. Not to mention we have a new addition to the Devs I feel like the Sgs2/T989 is a strong enough device to hold me or anyone over till the Sgs3, but I'm sure I will try out the Blaze as well.
2 Galaxy Nexus owned/traded and I don't feel like I'm missing out by coming back to the Sgs2. In my eyes they both have strengths and weaknesses but it's far from a slaughter.
:-D
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA Premium App

I feel like the Skyrocket is a better device too, it's the reason why I haven't grabbed the GNexus.
And with the CPU/GPU thing, the S3 just about destroys the OMAP4460.
Adreno 220 is much faster then the SGX540, and even though the OMAP has the same tech as the Exynos, it just doesn't seem nearly as fast, and the Snapdragon feels much quicker.
Also, on the GNexus, could you still see pixels because of the PenTile display? On my friends GNexus, I have no problem noticing the pixels, but I can't see them on my Skyrocket.

Longcat14 said:
I feel like the Skyrocket is a better device too, it's the reason why I haven't grabbed the GNexus.
And with the CPU/GPU thing, the S3 just about destroys the OMAP4460.
Adreno 220 is much faster then the SGX540, and even though the OMAP has the same tech as the Exynos, it just doesn't seem nearly as fast, and the Snapdragon feels much quicker.
Also, on the GNexus, could you still see pixels because of the PenTile display? On my friends GNexus, I have no problem noticing the pixels, but I can't see them on my Skyrocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From every angle the display was crisp. Didn't notice any pixels. Watching movies on it was AMAZING.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA Premium App

charlieb620 said:
From every angle the display was crisp. Didn't notice any pixels. Watching movies on it was AMAZING.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, guess it's just my eyesight then, or it's his screen, because I could EASILY see pixels without a problem.
And I agree, I watched a movie on it, looked ****ing AMAZING.

I'm glad to have another perspective on this. All I can say is glad to have another fan back.
Message relayed from the dark side.

Good decision, the gs2 battery life is no joke. And especially now that TDJ has his hands on a device, expect greater things to come. Eugene, not sure how great he is, but other people can vouch for him, so i can't wait! But RK and TDJ is an amazing combo, they finished strong at the mt4g dev section. Made it imho the best single core device.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk

I love the Nexus. Battery life has been the biggest surprise for me....though I came from a charge....
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

mkarps said:
I love the Nexus. Battery life has been the biggest surprise for me....though I came from a charge....
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you think your battery life is good, ask us Skyrocket's and T-Mo SGS II users.
Thanks to the GSM/LTE combo in the Skyrocket, I use battery at the same rate as they do, so there's no battery drain.
I do 12-14 hours on a charge with heavy usage (I mean, constant texting, web browsing, gaming, listening to music).

I use my phone constantly. On the Nexus I was getting 4-5 hrs. I don't see how that is acceptable. In time I'm sure a kernel will give it more juice. The phone has only been on the market for 2 months.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA Premium App

charlieb620 said:
Cons:
No Voodoo
Some Devs Jumped Ship
Running Gingerbread
Graining/Blobbing
$20 For Unlock Code
Plastic Feel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm.. while i agree with some, most of them i don't, and the unlocking fee is not applicable in the equation
firstable what do you mean by Graining/Blobbing?
Voodoo is not applicable to our device
ICS is guaranteed so the GB part is only partially applicable until we get 4.0
the Plastic Feel is subjective to each person feel, to me the T989 is one of the better quality Samsung has ever build to date
the Galaxy Nexus actually feels more plasticky, i like our back cover more than the one that came with the i9250

AllGamer said:
Hmm.. while i agree with some, most of them i don't, and the unlocking fee is not applicable in the equation
firstable what do you mean by Graining/Blobbing?
Voodoo is not applicable to our device
ICS is guaranteed so the GB part is only partially applicable until we get 4.0
the Plastic Feel is subjective to each person feel, to me the T989 is one of the better quality Samsung has ever build to date
the Galaxy Nexus actually feels more plasticky, i like our back cover more than the one that came with the i9250
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I included the unlocking fee because i buy my phones for full price and i have to have them unlocked which most of the time it cost me money since none of the unlocker apps work and tmobile wont give them to me. I travel alot and being as though the nexus comes factory unlocked i figured i would list it as a con on the sgs2 side and a pro on the GN for myself.
The Graining/Blobbing is from a thread i read which most people have been experiencing which runs more in the category of lines running vertical in some screens. I experienced some but its not a big issue. That was in comparison to the 720p screen of the GN which i found no screen issues viewed from any angles.
I know Voodoo isnt functional with our device but i saw several people mention it and i was one of the people that miss it. Just from back in the Vibrant days. I think it is or was more effective than Volume+.
ICS is coming we all know that, but trying out ICS and than coming back to GB to me is a downgrade. Not just based on the OS #, but because ICS has more cooked in, and it will be great once we have it officially on the Sgs2. It was listed as a con for me because we have to wait on it for some time. May not be a biggie to other people.
The feel of the GN felt more nice is the hand to me with or without a case. The sgs2 in the color black feels nice in the hand maybe more so because of the door material , but the white model feels more cheap. I have a white on the way as im selling my black because I like the full look of the white but i know i have to add a white body glove to it to get a better feel of it.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA Premium App

very interesting regarding the white vs black model of the T989 i didn't know the back cover was different on the white
i was under the impression it was just the color.
re: unlocking fee, well in that case i do agree if you compare it as the total Cost of the phone, but that being said, the i9250 is still more expensive even with that included into the total of a T989
i'm indifferent about the Graining/Blobbing as it happens on both devices, actually all new AMOLED devices seems to be suffering from the same thing from what i've read across devices (Nokia, G Note, G Nexus, T989, i727, the new HD version of skyrocket, etc)
it'a factory production thing... not much we can do
that being said, i don't see the problem when using it normally, it only shows up when you have brightness all the way to Zero, otherwise is not noticeable
any brightness setting of 20% of more will just make it go away

AllGamer said:
very interesting regarding the white vs black model of the T989 i didn't know the back cover was different on the white
i was under the impression it was just the color.
re: unlocking fee, well in that case i do agree if you compare it as the total Cost of the phone, but that being said, the i9250 is still more expensive even with that included into the total of a T989
i'm indifferent about the Graining/Blobbing as it happens on both devices, actually all new AMOLED devices seems to be suffering from the same thing from what i've read across devices (Nokia, G Note, G Nexus, T989, i727, the new HD version of skyrocket, etc)
it'a factory production thing... not much we can do
that being said, i don't see the problem when using it normally, it only shows up when you have brightness all the way to Zero, otherwise is not noticeable
any brightness setting of 20% of more will just make it go away
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive read that as well, but i only noticed it so much on the devices i had.
The door on the black t989 is more so like a carbon feel sort of with more grip, and the white t989 is more glossy/slippery.
Also thanks for editing my OP. I was mobile at the moment of post.

i usually get the best phones available.. glad i have the s2.. the camera/sd card on the nexus is a deal breaker..
ive been using the same sd card for years and i wouldnt want it any other way.. its the easiest way to move ur music/pics/info quickly to a new phone.

magnum_touchpro said:
i usually get the best phones available.. glad i have the s2.. the camera/sd card on the nexus is a deal breaker..
ive been using the same sd card for years and i wouldnt want it any other way.. its the easiest way to move ur music/pics/info quickly to a new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup a quick swap and your done. Real convenient.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA Premium App

I wonder why all these GN vs GS2 threads are here? No need to justify your purchases. We all like and want different things. I can appreciate a new POV, but in essence its all the same. I can find thousands of people who can say the GNs pros outway the cons. To all their own I say.
Sorry, if it feels like I am targeting you, it's just these threads just seem like people trying to convince themselves more than anyone else that their phone is better than the GN...which is very subjective.
There is enough hate in the world. Why can't we all get along here ...?

I seen the gn and hated it its so ugly the missing buttons r ugly too
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

Well this thread is more reasonable than the others because at least he listed a whole list of pros and cons. While the other ops are like "gs2 ftw" or something along those lines. He's not necessarily bashing either phones. he's listing some things that will help others decide if the cons outweigh the pros for either phone. Like if you're a battery user, immediately you would want to stick with the gs2.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

I agree with your points.
I just traded my white gs2 for a galaxy nexus and I plugged it into my computer and couldn't even transfer files to the sd card -.-. After installing drivers I can do it through MTP but I feel like out of the box internal sd card support was one of the major advantages of having an android device.
I might be interested in trading back for a gs2 but.... the screen is just... AMAZING on the nexus. I can't notice any pixels like someone else stated earlier but the screen quality is great. I had a sensation and was complaining about the ppi when I moved to the gs2. It would be hard to readjust to the galaxy s 2 if I do decide to go back to it.
Another point is the camera quality on the galaxy s 2... it completely blows away the nexus. I don't think the nexus is horrendous but for a 700 dollar phone you would think they could make some improvements. I also think that a better camera app would help, the native camera app in ICS isn't that much of an improvement from AOSP gingerbread.
The last and final point that would make it difficult for me to move back to the gs2 would be the operating system. Ice cream sandwich took a bit to get used to but after playing with it, its definitely a more fluid experience than the galaxy s2. Even if the gs2 gets the update.... I find it hard to believe that the update would be as anywhere as stable as the nexus. There are major bugs in the CM7 build from a couple months ago.... I just wonder how long would it take to get a stable ICS one. Also I would assume that the ics update for the t989 would come with touchwiz. Touchwiz sort of kills the beauty of ICS for me, I tried it out on the i9100 and it wasn't very impressive--it didn't add many pros over the gingerbread build.
I think its a toss up... if camera/internal hardware/specs is important def go with the t989
If updates/support/screen quality is important then go with the nexus.

I'm back with the nexus but i want a att note now that it can get tmobile 4G.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium App

[Q] Need Buying Advice (Sprint) GNex or GS3?

I basically need to decide between these two phones, on Sprint. The pros and cons from my point of view are the following:
Pros
----
GNex: better aesthetics (imo), no physical buttons, Nexus device thus great ROMs/Community, no annoying partition scheme for the 32GB
GS3: better specs, larger screen (possibly a con, lol), sdcard slot, potential for great community due to widespread distribution and popularity, better camera, more overall space
Cons
----
GNex: no sdcard slot, slower specs
GS3: physical/capacitive buttons, and while it has excitement around it now, who knows if there will be a dev community 6-9 months from now or how long it will take to get ROM updates with new versions of Android (incl. jelly bean) with fully functioning parts, seems to split the 32GB up into 16/16 for apps/media, which I hate, I want it all for whatever I want (or say, 32GB all for apps, then put media on sdcard!)
Other thoughts
--------------
-I do not live in an LTE launch area, and honestly, likely won't for at least 9-12 months if not longer. I have awesome wifi at home/work though so Sprint's crappy 3G is bearable, most of the time.
-I have an EVO 3D now, and finally, as of like a month ago, I have a working ICS rom with camera that is AOSP, but for most of the last 12 months I've had to decide between Sense (which I hate), ICS without features (such as camera/bt), or Gingerbread. I REALLY don't want to end up in that situation again
-I much much much much prefer AOSP roms and will be rooting/flashing the moment anything is available for the GS3 or the moment I get home for the GNex
-I've had various phones (see sig), but my N1 was hands down my favorite phone
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I appreciate any thoughts and commentary!
In short, I want the best specs I can get on Sprint, but desperately want an active dev community and plenty of ROMs, and though the GS3 has better specs, it's too early to know for sure about the community months from now, and plus, I like the software buttons and the look of the GNex. I am indecisive :-/
edit: the only real concern I have about the specs is gaming or media playback (via plex)

Played with it for 2 hours and I could not deal with the touch wiz crap. Felt like I was on the GS2 all over again. I like my GNexus that I picked up yesterday.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

If you want an aosp device the gnex is the obvious option. Especially with this jelly bean port we have for the sprint nexus its amazing.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I'm not in the US but I have both the GN and SGS3 (i9300) version. Just to let you know the size of the SGS3 isn't that much bigger than the GN. It looks like you are looking for a AOSP experience so I would say you should go with the GN, I loaded JellyBean on it and it is super smooth, but don't get me wrong the SGS3 is a beautiful devices and I'm sure somebody will be porting AOKP or CM9 over to the Sprint version soon as it is already on the i9300.
I hate touchwiz as well so I loaded a custom ROM and used Nova Launcher. Good luck in deciding but you won't regret either device.

From the responses from you guys, I am definitely leaning towards the GNex. I have been browsing around the Sprint development section on here, and there's definitely a lot of activity (which doesn't surprise me). And AOSP is very much my cup of tea, I have no desire for TouchWiz. I know the GS3 will have ports and all, but the Sprint one doesn't seem to have anything in terms of JB yet, whereas the GNex JB porting seems all but completely done already.
My EVO 3D has the Qualcomm MSM8660, 2 cores at 1.2 GHz at stock speeds, and the GNex has the TI OMAP 4460, also 2 cores at 1.2 GHz at stock. I know when the GNex first came out, some people were disappointed in the processor. Have any of you found it to be insufficient? I know it can be overclocked, and I'm sure I will so long as it doesn't cause too much battery loss, but is it sufficient for higher-end games? I looked at the GPUs (Adreno 220 vs. PowerVR SGX540), too, but my knowledge of mobile GPUs is practically nonexistent...

I think the OMAP is plenty powerful, I haven't really found a want for more CPU power ESPECIALLY after Jelly Bean. Device just fly's now.
The main difference between the GS3 and the Gnex is going to be the GPU. Now I don't really game on mobile devices (hardcore gamer on PC and consoles all my life, so the "great" mobile games don't do anything for me only the crazy ones do like Edge or Osmos) but it has been brought to my attention multiple times of people having only just enough performance for high end games.
I've played a little shadowgun, mostly just to test USB OTG and a PS3 controller lol, and that game runs smooth enough. Could use a little more power here and there though.
I think the other benefits of Gnex far outweigh this though. Even more so if you buy retail since it's almost half the price for, what I think, is a much better phone and mobile experience.

I came from a gs2 and this phone is a breath of fresh air. No more waiting for OTAs either!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

And like the guy above me said, its about mobile experience not necessarily newest tech
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

It depends on your usage, if directed to games, go for GS3, in my view, any kind of use out of it, go with GN.

The GN screen is even dimmer than the SGS3. That is a serious con. Battery is much much lower also. Plus no SD and only 5Mpx camera (which produces bad video).
Still, the GN is awesome in other things, like the on screen buttons and updates. It probably will also get Android 5.0. The back cover is better to hold.
I think the next Nexus will be a LOT better. Im sure it will have an IPS display, like the Nexus 7, plus quad core with JB will be awesome. It if were here today I would have bought it over the SGS3.

For development and if its your main purpose, Nexus hands down.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

i too am in the same situation i have always love the gs series however they never realease ota's chances of you getting jb on it a high however you won't get it until 5.0 is released while the nexus will have it months and months before it but the camera is kinda a deal breaker for me i don't use the camera so that isn't a issue for me..

Trust me when I tell you, since you do a lot of hacking, Nexus will be the best choice hands down. Yes, it has slower spec and no sd card... I was complaining too, but after few days, that doesn't seem to matter for me anymore.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

Pros and Cons of this phone?

I am looking to purchase this phone currently and I'd love to know the Pros and Cons! Thank you

Pros - Everything.
Cons - Nothing.
This is my opinion and I am entitled to it, so take it or leave it.
Sent from my AOSP Android 4.1.1 Galaxy Nexus

Cons - Some people will say the Camera is a con but IMO its awesome. Others have trouble with battery life but then again I don't.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

This is the deal i am getting, I'm spending $310 for it and apparently its almost brand new only 1 month old. Do you think this is a good deal?
Samsung Galaxy Nexus with:
-Zagg Invisible Shield screen protector (lifetime warranty)
-Incipio blue hard case
-Samsung car charger
-Samsung wall charger
-Extra Samsung usb cable (for computer ext..)
-Original and extended battery (includes wall charger for second battery)
-Updated to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, fully carrier independent and unlocked.

jerfy said:
This is the deal i am getting, I'm spending $310 for it and apparently its almost brand new only 1 month old. Do you think this is a good deal?
Samsung Galaxy Nexus with:
-Zagg Invisible Shield screen protector (lifetime warranty)
-Incipio blue hard case
-Samsung car charger
-Samsung wall charger
-Extra Samsung usb cable (for computer ext..)
-Original and extended battery (includes wall charger for second battery)
-Updated to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, fully carrier independent and unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming it's in the condition they're advertising then yeah I think it's worth it.
Sent from my LTEVO

If thats the condition and for that price. Get it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Does the phone have SD storage abilities or should I sell my old junk smartphone with the SD?
Edit: Also this phone gets the latest updates right?

jerfy said:
Does the phone have SD storage abilities or should I sell my old junk smartphone with the SD?
Edit: Also this phone gets the latest updates right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No yes yes. I kept my 32gb SD card though, in case maybe we could get so lucky to have an SD slot in the next nexus.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

i m using this for like a week or so ... the only thing that bother me is not external memory means you are lock to use 16GB but if doesnt bother you then go get it ..... like now my fone has only 1.8GB free and dont know what to do .... else i m loving this ... awesome phone but with the limited memory i will now use it for development purpose and going to get S3 or One X ...

android-lover said:
i m using this for like a week or so ... the only thing that bother me is not external memory means you are lock to use 16GB but if doesnt bother you then go get it ..... like now my fone has only 1.8GB free and dont know what to do .... else i m loving this ... awesome phone but with the limited memory i will now use it for development purpose and going to get S3 or One X ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
16GB? I'm so glad he standard Sprint version is 32GB and was only $50 for the upgrade.
Sent from my AOSP Android 4.1.1 Galaxy Nexus

Zeinzu said:
16GB? I'm so glad he standard Sprint version is 32GB and was only $50 for the upgrade.
Sent from my AOSP Android 4.1.1 Galaxy Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well my country dont have locked carrier we have to buy unlocked phones for retail price and without much options and i was not able to get sprint 32gb model also not even the white version and if i calculate the price in $$ it coasted me 540$ well then if he is getting 32gb model then its awesome
Mate go for it :laugh:

Cons of hardware:
- doesnt have stero speakers, something I miss from my old Nokia
Cons of software:
- none if you are willing to spend the time to find your perfect rom and kernel combo
Everything else is amazing

Another pro in my opinion is battery life. Formerly I used Galaxy Ace and LG P970, both with stock and custom roms, none of those was nearly as good in battery life as stock JB on the Gnex!

I generally like it, however two things that have annoyed me. First, the turn by turn navigation didn't work when I tried (stuck on "Searching for GPS") so the GPS portion of it is useless. I'm told that this has something to do with Jelly Bean and the Nexus and that toggling "Google Location Services" in the settings sorts it out; I've not had chance to try that yet.
Second, the device randomly shuts down. However, I'm not sure if that has something to do with the power button being pressed when in my pocket due to the SGP Neo Hybrid EX case making the buttons more sensitive. I've removed it from my phone now (it was also sagging so I don't recommend this case at all).
Other than that, I've noticed no real issues.

Pro's: AOSP, no bloatware to be found. Updates directly from Google. ROM's that are completely bug free.
Cons: None that I can think of. Maybe just the camera..I always look ugly in the pictures I take of myself (though maybe not the camera's fault? ).
Swiftkey'ed on my CM9 Galaxy Nexus

Depends on what its compared to. The camera could be a little better, but still okay for a $350 phone. People complained about low speaker volume and screen, but my device has better screen than the S3 (yes I did say that) and is loud enough so maybe I got a good one. Build quality could be better, but certainly better than the S3. Its GPU is a bit dated and probably not future proof for heavy HD gaming. Also no microSD slot, but I have come to term Google will never allow it in their devices.
'Some' people with the CDMA version report poor signal, sometimes unbearbly bad. But GSM version don't have the issue.
Overall its the best Android phone in the market now in term of getting the latest softwares until the next Nexus phone arrive. It also have the best custom roms in term of quality.

jerfy said:
I am looking to purchase this phone currently and I'd love to know the Pros and Cons! Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CONS
- ICS/JB link ringer+notification volumes. And JB somehow broke the vibrate for notifications 'master' switch, you need to configure this per app now.
- MTP/PTP protocol instead of mass storage.
- Camera quality should have been better.
PROS
- Vanilla Android! (quick OTA updates directly from Google, no carrier crapware)
- Fastboot
- Development community/support
- AMOLED display
- It looks good
- Build quality (I bought this phone in December 2011, not scratch on it yet and I don't use a case or screen protector)
- Battery life
- In short, pretty much everything else.
Buy it, if you are a tech-enthusiast you won't be disappointed. My next phone will definitely be a new Nexus.

eksasol said:
Depends on what its compared to. The camera could be a little better, but still okay for a $350 phone. People complained about low speaker volume and screen, but my device has better screen than the S3 (yes I did say that) and is loud enough so maybe I got a good one. Build quality could be better, but certainly better than the S3. Its GPU is a bit dated and probably not future proof for heavy HD gaming. Also no microSD slot, but I have come to term Google will never allow it in their devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As much as I like the Nexus, I doubt you'll find many who would agree the screen is better on the Nexus than the S3; My girlfriend has the S3, and the screen is clearly much better, brighter, better viewing angles, sharper, everything. The screen on the Nexus for me was a little better than the S2 (higher res, but the colours aren't quite so good).
I also find the build quality to be the same.
The Nexus is a good phone, but lets be honest about its shortcomings compared with newer rivals.

tameracingdriver said:
As much as I like the Nexus, I doubt you'll find many who would agree the screen is better on the Nexus than the S3; My girlfriend has the S3, and the screen is clearly much better, brighter, better viewing angles, sharper, everything. The screen on the Nexus for me was a little better than the S2 (higher res, but the colours aren't quite so good).
I also find the build quality to be the same.
The Nexus is a good phone, but lets be honest about its shortcomings compared with newer rivals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said, it'll be a surprise. One thing I like about the S3 is ability to lower saturation. But I can see pixels with the S3 which I cant with the slightly smaller Nexus. My Nexus screen also has smoother shading than the S3. I did not think it was any brighter than the Nexus. But I have owned many Galaxy phones and I like Samsung phones, but I still think AMOLED screen quality can be hit and miss and not consistent globally.

Pros: Everything else besides 2 for me. Look below
Cons: No MiroSD, Super Amoled(Not +)

Would you recommend the Nexus?

I'm thinking of buying one, it's in the price range I'm looking at ($80-$100 on swappa), and it seems like it still has good dev support.
The Nexus is almost 3 years old, those that still have it, are you keeping it because you like it, or just because (don't want to loose your data plan for example).
Thanks
Dan

It's a decent phone and there is still some Dev support. I bought mine about a year ago and have been satisfied. Battery life sucks compared to newer phones signal isn't to great compared to my RAZR. But all in all it having an unlocked BL on Verizon makes it all worth while. I thoroughly enjoy mine and will only move if nexus 6 is unlocked on Verizon.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I can join my previous speakers. It has a very bad battery, it's lags often in apps and the screen is very worn because of this early AMOLED technologie, BUT if you have only 100€ its one of the better phones. I'm using it right now because my nexus 5 were broken and I really like it because it just works. However if you have $50 more to spend when you should buy the moto g. It has clearly more power and offical support by motorola.

no. this phone is terrible, and i'm currently looking into buying a replacement battery for my S3 since it's been sitting in my drawer and i have no idea where the battery went, plus it's broken
i can probably find some way to fix it on ADB, but if not, i'll just wait until i upgrade then i'll get the oneplus one
seriously this phone sucks, there is nothing to recommend about it

No man dont do it .. phone performance is pretty random, dont know why, sometimes it flies like an S4, sometimes it lagz and freezes like an S1..

I've been very satisfied with my phones performance. But I wouldn't recommend it if you don't like to mess around with kernels, ROMs and settings.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Maximinus I said:
I've been very satisfied with my phones performance. But I wouldn't recommend it if you don't like to mess around with kernels, ROMs and settings.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
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Thanks for all the responses. I actually do like flashing roms. Should've given more info in OP. I currently have a verizon s4 but since a warranty replacement a few months ago i no longer have an unlocked (exploitable) bootloader and am stuck with touchwiz roms and no custom kernels.
Use my phone mostly for web browsing, xda app, Pandora, Google music - no gaming, coupled that with the fact that i can use the $100-$125 difference I'll make after selling the s4, thought this phone might work.
Will have to think about it a bit more.

rrrrrrredbelly said:
Thanks for all the responses. I actually do like flashing roms. Should've given more info in OP. I currently have a verizon s4 but since a warranty replacement a few months ago i no longer have an unlocked (exploitable) bootloader and am stuck with touchwiz roms and no custom kernels.
Use my phone mostly for web browsing, xda app, Pandora, Google music - no gaming, coupled that with the fact that i can use the $100-$125 difference I'll make after selling the s4, thought this phone might work.
Will have to think about it a bit more.
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Well, web browsing has become hard since 4.4.x. To be honest, KitKat is a mess on this phone. I hope new GPU drivers and 3.4 kernel will help.
If I were you I would buy a Moto G.

I'm using Gnex for a half a year. I bought used. So not because of data plan.
For me Gnex can still give what i need for "normal" daily use - sms, browser, messenger, driving assist, news reading, some games ....
So it depends on your need
best regards

It's a beautiful device, but it's definitely not the best. I absolutely love the unobtrusive design of the front -- just plain black. The phone is the exact right size for me, and the volume and power buttons are in exactly the right place; however the bezels are quite large in comparison to newer phones. This makes the structural integrity of the phone better, but it isn't really nice to me. The back of the phone has a comfortable plastic "grippy" feeling that makes it easy to hold, especially with the curved extrusion at the bottom by the speaker grill.
The speaker is awful, as with all Samsung devices. It's a back-facing speaker that's tiny and easy to cover up. Not much of a problem if you use earphones like I do.
It easily lasts me through a school day, though it only lasts about 4 hours streaming video. Its dual core processor is definitely outdated and consumes far more powererformance than any modern phone.
The screen is on-par with the Galaxy S3 screen, which isn't a compliment. It's low-resolution in comparison to new phones (1280x720), it's hot (as in it actually feels hot) and consumes a heck of a lot of battery very quickly. The colour is amazing, vibrant and simply gorgeous... but, within a few months, you get screen burn-in which is especially noticeable in low light -- speaking of which, the screen in low light is far worse than any IPS with a slightly grainy image, though it does retain a good contrast. Its slightly curved display prevents it from scratching anything facing down and, in my opinion, makes it easier to touch things at the top of the screen.
The phone's radio is only GSM (unless you're going for Sprint or Verizon), so if you're wanting LTE, tough luck. It also doesn't have FM or AM radio if you're into that.
The camera's not the best, but it does the job. The flash is often over-bright, and lacks HDR, motion stabilisation and is only 5 Megapixels. Front camera is 720p.
So why buy this phone? If you can get it really cheap, go for it. If not, go for something newer like the Moto X, Moto G, Nexus 5 or the upcoming Nexus 6 for a similar, updated experience.
Just remember, it's truly an Android modder's dream. It's extremely mod-able with a decent sized community. In my opinion, it is still the best phone I have ever used. I find that just the pure feeling and look of the phone is enough to keep me with it. Also, with recent additions to the phone like F2FS, graphics drivers, new kernels, new ROMs etc., the phone is still very usable for just about everything -- even most gaming.

For $100 i would buy it. The moto g is comparable and faster but almost $100 more. But I think your question is already answered
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Free mobile app

bought mine for 70 dollars one month ago, definetily worth it.

I would much rather use an s4 with touchwiz than use a galaxy nexus. The gnex is the second worst android phone that I've ever owned.

You really can't compare a three year old phone to a phone that is just over a year old. Of course the s4 will be better but touchwizz yuck it would probably be just as slow as a galaxy nexus.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Appreciate everyone's response, thanks

It's a good phone when it was released but the battery life is quite short even though I don't have a lot of apps on it. When the battery life is in the red, it usually last around 5 minutes then it shuts down. I think it was better than than iPhone 4 at its time since it was one of the first phone with a larger screen.

I agree with the other posts.
Honestly, I think CM10 runs amazing on the phone and the signal is actually quite good with that version. 4.4.4 doesn't do well on it for the signal...at least for me. I have been trying many ROMs / Kernels and I have the same luck with them all. I only have mine because I bought it for like $80 on ebay and still have the unlimited plan with Verizon so I don't want to upgrade to a new phone unless I pay the big dollars.
Battery life...is crap like everyone else states. I bought three batteries for this phone for that reason and always have it plugged in, which is why I actually have burn in from my apps.

I own GNex for almost 3 years now and here are few things coming into my mind right now:
Terrible camera
Terrible speaker (Very low volume)
Slow as hell
Worn screen
Incredibly short battery life
Also, with such limited memory multitasking is pretty much not existent if you like installing many apps
Honestly, there is not a single day that I don't want to throw my unit against the wall.
Do yourself a favor and stay away from this peace of junk.
N4 would be a much better option http://swappa.com/buy/nexus-4-unlocked/us

rrrrrrredbelly said:
I'm thinking of buying one, it's in the price range I'm looking at ($80-$100 on swappa), and it seems like it still has good dev support.
The Nexus is almost 3 years old, those that still have it, are you keeping it because you like it, or just because (don't want to loose your data plan for example).
Thanks
Dan
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I'm keeping it because I don't have much money on a new phone and there isn't much on the market that really makes me want to spend anything.
The Galaxy Nexus is a really ****ty phone. If it wasn't a Nexus it would get zero respect from me.
I mean for an old and cheap phone, it's probably the best you can buy at this moment but I'd suggest saving a few more dollars and getting something better.

kobik77 said:
N4 would be a much better option http://swappa.com/buy/nexus-4-unlocked/us
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Thanks but on verizon, looks like that gsm only.

I want a Galaxy Nexus. Should I buy one?

Hello.
I am a new user of xda-developers.
I have became interested in buying a Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone. Since I had learned about the device, I very much want one. I enjoy the use of stock Android. I also incredibly love how this phone looks. The back of the phone is like my definition of high quality, and also appears to withstand the elements. I am more in love with the front panel than I want to admit. The moderately sized elipsoid bezels I find to be the perfect shape and size. I had yet to see these on any smartphone. The AMOLED display is also a nice touch.
Before making an informed decision to purchase one, I would like to know some facts before making a decision.
1. What is the best version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus I can purchase? I am curious to know. I would think the GSM versions, such as the I9250 would be the best, as I am in the USA and like the convenience and reliability of a GSM network. However, I am more interested in software support, as I plan on using this as a portable media player. On this website, there appears to have ROMs available for the I515 Verizon Galaxy Nexus, which I am very interested only if the I515 is able to be rooted and have a non squirrely ROM. I am most interested in an AOSP Kitkat ROM with root.
2. How is the audio quality of the Galaxy Nexus? I very much use the headphone jack of my current phone, the LG Volt. While I would think the device would have average sound quality and a decent amplifier, maybe it's a hidden gem. I can overlook the storage space of the device because I currently use internet radio and streaming apps.
3. How is the battery life of the device? I am curious because the dual-core doesn't look like much, but I would think this phone was very powerful and wouldn't be recommended for hours of screen on time. While I have no doubt a refurbished phone listing would have a decent battery, I have saw a 3150ma battery that would accommodate the stock housing and would give great results. However, my street knowledge about cheap batteries would tell me that battery would be off by a few mas.
4. Would it be worth buying and using for my purposes? While the phone is dated, I love the idea of tinkering with older technology that is fairly usable today for what I want. I know I can spend more money and get a device that is even more equipped and probably better for daily use.
5. Are their any devices that look like the Galaxy Nexus? I have found a phone cheaper than the Galaxy Nexus, like the Coolpad Quattro II. I'm not sure if that can be rooted, but if their are any that have this design that can be rooted and updated to Kitkat, I would like to know.
Currently I use an LG Volt for my portable media needs. I know I can tinker with that, which I have. It works great, but the digitizer is somewhat dodgy, which is weird because I replaced it with a new one. It's like the cracked one worked better sometimes.

Billy Mays Insurance said:
I have became interested in buying a Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone..
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Buy it! They're great!
Seriously, in answer to your questions:
1. Most of the ROMs for the Galaxy Nexus these days are unified builds, meaning the same ROM will work for maguro (gsm), toro (verizon), or toroplus (sprint). maguro has the most users, but in my opinion toro's hardware is slightly better (better emmc storage, better camera though that isn't saying much). toroplus doesn't have many users these days, but you can pick them up really cheap. If aosp is your style, Unlegacy-Android is the ROM you want. It's available in KitKat, Marshmallow, and Nougat.
2. Audio quality seems fine to me, but I don't know what your standards are.
3. Battery life is poor, unfortunately. Good batteries are hard to come by for the gsm variant, they're a little easier to find for toro/toroplus.
4. If you like to tinker, these phones are hard to beat. One of the most developer-friendly phones ever.
5. Don't know. I like my GNex and plan on keeping it going.

musical_chairs said:
Buy it! They're great!
Seriously, in answer to your questions:
1. Most of the ROMs for the Galaxy Nexus these days are unified builds, meaning the same ROM will work for maguro (gsm), toro (verizon), or toroplus (sprint). maguro has the most users, but in my opinion toro's hardware is slightly better (better emmc storage, better camera though that isn't saying much). toroplus doesn't have many users these days, but you can pick them up really cheap. If aosp is your style, Unlegacy-Android is the ROM you want. It's available in KitKat, Marshmallow, and Nougat.
2. Audio quality seems fine to me, but I don't know what your standards are.
3. Battery life is poor, unfortunately. Good batteries are hard to come by for the gsm variant, they're a little easier to find for toro/toroplus.
4. If you like to tinker, these phones are hard to beat. One of the most developer-friendly phones ever.
5. Don't know. I like my GNex and plan on keeping it going.
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Click to collapse
This is all great news! I like how the Verizon edition can be rooted and have a ROM on it without worrying about the bootloader. Right now my audio game is simple; I enjoy streaming services and internet radio app that are both lossy, but using ViPER4Android really enhances audio to how I want it to sound on occasion. I had feared about battery life, but I think I could get by with an aftermarket, maybe even original battery with just music. I like what the Nexus brand had to offer and how the community continues to work on these fantastic devices.
Now with your responses to my questions, I feel very much confident that I'll make a good decision if I'm ready to purchase a Galaxy Nexus. :good: