Develop Bugs

[Q] should I buy Galaxy Nexus?

Hi everyone,
I am thinking to buy either Galaxy S2X or Galaxy Nexus,
which one would you pick? reasons?
Thanks.

Nexus. Direct support from google. Enough said.

Galaxy s 2!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

shishilok said:
Hi everyone,
I am thinking to buy either Galaxy S2X or Galaxy Nexus,
which one would you pick? reasons?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go with the Nexus, supporters of the GSII have ONLY GPU performance to back them up. But so far, my Nexus plays every game I throw at it BEAUTIFULLY. We might have the older SGX540 GPU, but it IS overclocked and is not the same one found in older phones. The SGX540 in the GNex runs at a higher frequency, and the performance boost is very noticeable. What do you need an overperforming GPU for when this one performs just as well on the user end?
Not to mention the beautiful 720p HD display on the Nexus. Do you want to be stuck on that ****ty 480x800 display of the SGSII? Not to mention, the GNex is outputting more pixels AND performs exceptionally. Our 'weak' GPU is a beast.
Lol. It's a Nexus. 'Nuff said
EDIT: Even our OMAP4460 outclasses that exynox garbage: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1378551
So, GSII, do you feel special with your useless, overzealous GPU?

SGS2 is a solid phone. Great hardware and beautiful screen. Great battery life. No software updates like Nexus line of phone. Hence the reason its officially still at GB 2.3.5
GN is a solid phone. Great hardware and mind-blowing screen. Great battery life. Software updates arrive as soon as Google releases them. Currently running ICS 4.0.1
Its ur decision which way you want to go. I have both. Handed unlocked SGS2 to my wife. I am using GN and am very happy with it. Even though my cedit card still has a big dent in it. Lol
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

but do you guys think Galaxy Nexus has a lot of drawbacks?

Will Galaxy S2X be upgraded to ICS???

Buy the Nexus and don't look back stock is where its at.

daleski75 said:
Buy the Nexus and don't look back stock is where its at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what do you mean???

I am in the same boat. I have been putting off upgrading to a new phone for quite some time now (i dont upgrade every few months due to student reasons).. lol.. but the new parade of phones is tempting me a lot!
I am still stuck on an ancient Nokia E72 with its 600mhz of glory!
I am deciding between GNex, SGS2 or the Iphone 4s. My primary usage is texting and calling, camera is not a very big deal breaker for me (i have a dslr and a small point and shoot, but all of these phones have a decent enough camera for those impromptu moments).
I decided against the iphone 4s since the design is still the same as the previous, IE, its made of glass and is very very delicate (accidents can happen).
So im left with S2 and GN. I kind of decided to go with the GN since its got a bigger and higher res screen (i do like the screen to look nice!) and the pure android does seem like a better choice.. Even ICS is only GN, S2 would be getting it soon, bt it will have the touchwiz etc on it.. id rather stay clear of the 'advancements' made by the individual companies and have pure android with me..
the only thing that is bugging me now is the battery life. i understand that its a smartphone with a ginormous screen so im not expecting 3-4 days battery (the type i get with my E72 with moderate to heavy usage), but i would like to get by the entire day with moderate usage and charge the phone at night while i sleep.. the forums have many people claiming really good battery or really bad battery (for me, really good battery is the ability to go without ur charger for the entire week, something that i have done on my fone, albeit with sending less than 20 texts and a phone call the whole day). but ya, i wouldnt mind if i have to charge the phone at the end of everyday..
What would you guys do??

shishilok said:
Will Galaxy S2X be upgraded to ICS???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung's PR announced a planned ICS upgrade for Galaxy S2. But it is yet to be seen when that will actually be ready, and when or if carriers actually allow it to be released to devices.

Stock Android is the best, that's what he means.
Sent from my HTC Desire Z

Tommebaas said:
Stock Android is the best, that's what he means.
Sent from my HTC Desire Z
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Precisely and you get updates as soon as google release them and no waiting for carriers to get their act together.

shishilok said:
Hi everyone,
I am thinking to buy either Galaxy S2X or Galaxy Nexus,
which one would you pick? reasons?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you want to do with the phone?

AllGamer said:
What do you want to do with the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
play games, whatsapp, take pictures

Galaxy nexus is better and smoother then i could imagine.
A friend of mine got a S II hand its a nice phone but The nexus is beyond that.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

shishilok said:
play games, whatsapp, take pictures
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then get the SGS2 i9100
GN will not get you what you want
here's another reason why it might not be such a great idea to get the GN http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1389430

AllGamer said:
then get the SGS2 i9100
GN will not get you what you want
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so, what purposes is GN for?

Phone, Text, Web, Some games (not all games work in GN), 720p screen (which is also a double edged blade), Development
ICS4, Google music, Face Unlock, etc, all these also available on other phones
GN only represents "guaranteed" OS upgrade by Google, which doesn't seems to be holding true anymore from what we've seen already on the latest OTA upgrade

I love Google products with all their drawbacks, currently owning a Nexus S and this is a great phone, so Galaxy Nexus would be my pick for sure.

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

Switch to Nexus or stick to SGS2?

I am currently a happy SGS2 user for almost a year. BUt ive been thinking if i should switch over to the galaxy nexus by the end of this month. Actually the only reason that is holding me back from getting a nexus is the rather average camera. And the 1080p video recording has this really annoying wobbly effect which AFAIK does not have a fix. Hardware wise ive been told its a step down from the S2 but day to day performance is on par. So do you guys think its a good idea for me to switch over or should i just stick to my S2 for now and wait for the S3?

It would be best to think for yourself...
I have them both but the gs2 is on sale, and i will never go back to a non nexus device.
Btw, this exact question comes up every single day recently........

As a guy who had his 1st GN die
Had a GSII as a loan phone for a week.
and then got his warranty replacement GN
I much prefer the GN

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep that in mind. Haven't been able to find many S2 users who migrated to GN to know about their opinions between the two..
Sent from my non-Apple device via XDA App

You should just wait for GS3. Honestly the gs2 is just a sidestep mostly. The only compelling reason that wins hands down is Google support and development. Besides if you get the nexus now, it kinda seems that you might kick yourself in da butt for not waiting a few more months.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.

I had the SGS2 and I switched from a nexus S and am now back to the Galaxy Nexus as awesome as the SGS2 and possibly the 3 are they will never be better than a Nexus device. The Nexus with the direct link to Google updates and pure android without bloat or a skin UI is always better and faster. The updates are going to be way ahead of carrier/hardware UI having phones. So in the end I wont ever buy a non Nexus Android again no matter the specs

Hi first I had galaxy s 2 i9100 then I got galaxy s 2 t989 for T-Mobile then paid 685 for galaxy nexus. I had all 3 then I sold the galaxy s 2 i9100 next galaxy nexus and I kept the T-Mobile version t989 its the fastest of them all. And it has all the bends for at&t T-Mobile 3g and 4g. Once it gets a ICS rom it will bee more faster. Cm9.
I am not here to BS I had all 3 Nexus has the software but has lots of shortcomings ( ext. SD and the processor, camera and so on) but its the best phone in hand.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

samoevn said:
Hi first I had galaxy s 2 i9100 then I got galaxy s 2 t989 for T-Mobile then paid 685 for galaxy nexus. I had all 3 then I sold the galaxy s 2 i9100 next galaxy nexus and I kept the T-Mobile version t989 its the fastest of them all. And it has all the bends for at&t T-Mobile 3g and 4g. Once it gets a ICS rom it will bee more faster. Cm9.
I am not here to BS I had all 3 Nexus has the software but has lots of shortcomings ( ext. SD and the processor, camera and so on) but its the best phone in hand.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All I can say is wow.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.

@rbiter said:
You should just wait for GS3. Honestly the gs2 is just a sidestep mostly. The only compelling reason that wins hands down is Google support and development. Besides if you get the nexus now, it kinda seems that you might kick yourself in da butt for not waiting a few more months.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touchwiz and Ice cream sandwich = yuck.
If the OP cares about development and having the latest and newest android version get the nexus. You won't disappointed. Sure the Galaxy S3 may have better specs but have you seen touchwiz on 4.0?
After all it is just a phone and galaxy nexus is already fast as it is.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Interesting comments here. My sister's contract should be up by the time the S3 arrives in my country (Hopefully by mid July) so i can always get the nexus right now and switch over to the S3 later. No loss there. The only concern is if i were to get a nexus right now i will have to bear with it until the S3 is released later this year. I dont mind the specs and form factor of the phone, i got to touch one today for the first time and i think it feels better in the hand compared to the S2.
Honestly the camera is the ONLY thing holding me back right now. I hardly take HD clips on my S2 even though its great, but i do take a lot of pictures of random sights and objects. Not really a huge loss to me but i do take camera quality into consideration.

cr0wnest said:
Interesting comments here. My sister's contract should be up by the time the S3 arrives in my country (Hopefully by mid July) so i can always get the nexus right now and switch over to the S3 later. No loss there. The only concern is if i were to get a nexus right now i will have to bear with it until the S3 is released later this year. I dont mind the specs and form factor of the phone, i got to touch one today for the first time and i think it feels better in the hand compared to the S2.
Honestly the camera is the ONLY thing holding me back right now. I hardly take HD clips on my S2 even though its great, but i do take a lot of pictures of random sights and objects. Not really a huge loss to me but i do take camera quality into consideration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the GN picture thread in General then. A lot of ppl have posted pics taken with their GN.

zephiK said:
Check the GN picture thread in General then. A lot of ppl have posted pics taken with their GN.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or Flickr.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium

I'll check them out!
Also can someone enlighten me on the 1080p recording? In most video samples the video has this awful wobbly/wave effect while panning and focusing and it really spoils the whole thing. Is it due to the phone having a poor camera sensor or software settings?
Im refering to the wobbly effect seen in this video
While it should look something like this (No wobble)
To my surprise there doesnt seem to be anyone talking about this issue so im really curious to know!

cr0wnest said:
Interesting comments here. My sister's contract should be up by the time the S3 arrives in my country (Hopefully by mid July) so i can always get the nexus right now and switch over to the S3 later. No loss there. The only concern is if i were to get a nexus right now i will have to bear with it until the S3 is released later this year. I dont mind the specs and form factor of the phone, i got to touch one today for the first time and i think it feels better in the hand compared to the S2.
Honestly the camera is the ONLY thing holding me back right now. I hardly take HD clips on my S2 even though its great, but i do take a lot of pictures of random sights and objects. Not really a huge loss to me but i do take camera quality into consideration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently switched from the SGS2 to GN. I'm almost completely happy with the S2 except:
- The necessity to depend on Samsung to publish new firmwares means it will be quickly abandoned in favour of the S3. The S2 is still the king of the hill for the time being but I have no doubt when S3 comes out the S2 will receive 1 or 2 minor upgrades at best.
- Compatibility, some apps and games do not work correctly with it (there are many examples that I don't feel listing).
- Not all games run smoothly, despite the powerful GPU due to compatibility problems (Gameloft is the prime suspect, although others such as Shadowgun is shaky as well).
Here are the pros of Nexus devices:
- Direct updates from Google, of course.
- Guaranteed compatibility for all apps
- All games should run smoothly or satisfactorily as they should be well tested with Nexus devices.
Hardware is a toss, if you are in it for benchmarks only I'd suggest waiting for the S3 (and prepare to replace it when S4 comes out). If not, go for it and be rest assured that the GN will still be good 2 years later.
If it sounds a lot like the iPhone/iPad situation, because it is. Hardware superiority means naughts if it's driving sub-standard/unsupported software.
The camera is fine, I do think it's a problem of pre-production devices. I took videos in daylight and night time and none of those exhibit the waving issue.

cr0wnest said:
I'll check them out!
Also can someone enlighten me on the 1080p recording? In most video samples the video has this awful wobbly/wave effect while panning and focusing and it really spoils the whole thing. Is it due to the phone having a poor camera sensor or software settings?
Im refering to the wobbly effect seen in this video
While it should look something like this (No wobble)
To my surprise there doesnt seem to be anyone talking about this issue so im really curious to know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wobble is likely the video stabilization. There's an app which you can turn it on and off with the GN and it does have a smoother video with it on, but some wobble as well. Some people prefer that over the jittery video that the GN produces with stabilization off (which is quite obvious in the second video link you posted).

I see, does the cam corder have a built in option for video stabilization? I think the jittery is fine, i didnt even notice until you mentioned it. For now it seems quite likely that i'll be getting a nexus. Thanks for all your help guys, much appreciated.

The only thing that bugs me is the 5MP Camera... but about the S3 or a new GN or whatnot.... this always occurs every year or two so eventually you'll switch or maybe you stay... im really loving this GN...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Unless you really want the nexus support and updates.
I would recommend waiting for the next Samsung galaxy s device whether it is called sIII or s II plus...
I believe that the next Samsung galaxy s device will be better than the galaxy nexus in hardware perspective.(camera,thinness,build quality, battery, maybe even screen).
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

My $0.02
It's all a matter of preference.
The GSII is an amazing phone; my girlfriend has that and I have the GNex. She would take her GSII over the GNex any day of the week, and vice versa. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of the screen, camera, speaker, and SD card slot; however, to me there's no replacement for basic, stock Android on a snappy phone. The radio in my GNex seems to be better than her GSII's, but that's a subjective thing.
Yes, you can root and install a ROM on the GSII. Overall, the GSII is a better piece of hardware. However, my preference is a solid phone that's supported by Google and has no bloatware or lockdown at all.

The main thing what makes Galaxy Nexus better than Galaxy S2 is faster updates and native support from Google. You will first get updated, fixes, you don't need to wait till Samsung will create their TouchWiz.
Otherwise these devices are very similar. Camera performance is equal, the screen is bigger for Galaxy Nexus and it has a bit weaker technology but you can't see with your eye so both are the same quality.
If you would have Galaxy S or some other phone then update would be must have but upgrade from SGS2 to Nexus is not worth it as both devices are with similar specs and performance.

From T989 to Galaxy Nexus

Hello, i'm thinking of selling my T989(T-mobile's GS2) and getting the galaxy nexus for $400 unlocked. I wonder if the speaker quality is that bad that it will annoy me, and is the camera good enough? Also for people who bought it from the play store, could you order a white one?

Husam2011 said:
Hello, i'm thinking of selling my T989(T-mobile's GS2) and getting the galaxy nexus for $400 unlocked. I wonder if the speaker quality is that bad that it will annoy me, and is the camera good enough? Also for people who bought it from the play store, could you order a white one?
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Click to collapse
I jumped ship from the t989 as well. Do it, it's fantastic. Speaker quality is fine, it shouldn't annoy you as nothing is wrong with it. & yes the camera is good enough. Gnex is a great device.
Idk about the play store thing tho, I bought a white one from daily steals the last time they were selling them...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

speaker: its fine
camera: go to the camera thread and find example shots and conclude yourself.
white: no

I just came from a white t989 T-Mobile.
Best choice I've made all year. Won't regret it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Husam2011 said:
Hello, i'm thinking of selling my T989(T-mobile's GS2) and getting the galaxy nexus for $400 unlocked. I wonder if the speaker quality is that bad that it will annoy me, and is the camera good enough? Also for people who bought it from the play store, could you order a white one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same situation as you, except slightly different . I bought a galaxy nexus and I still have my t989 and I'm debating whether to sell the t989 or not. My assessment is that the camera us a mixed bag, sometimes it takes shots that are almost as good as the t989, not as good, but close enough for it not to be that big an issue. But facts are facts and 8 MP images with the GS2 sensor more often than not have better detail than the 5MP shots on the nexus. Also Nexus needs optimal lighting most of the time... no surprise since it has an f2.8 sensor and the gs2 has an f2.65. Though in the end, numbers are useless since the gs2 kicked the iPhone 4s's butt most of the time (not always), and that had a f2.2 sensor? So... there's a camera comparison article on zdnet which shows nexus vs lumia vs 4s. Its worth a look.
I as always have concerns about the GPU. When running Nenamark2 it performs at less than half the frame rate of the adreno 220 in the t989. Not surprising since its the same gpu as the iPhone 3gs just over locked. Its confusing since it normally performs so well that I'm concerned whether it will be able to hold up to more demanding games.

fraz82 said:
I'm in the same situation as you, except slightly different . I bought a galaxy nexus and I still have my t989 and I'm debating whether to sell the t989 or not. My assessment is that the camera us a mixed bag, sometimes it takes shots that are almost as good as the t989, not as good, but close enough for it not to be that big an issue. But facts are facts and 8 MP images with the GS2 sensor more often than not have better detail than the 5MP shots on the nexus. Also Nexus needs optimal lighting most of the time... no surprise since it has an f2.8 sensor and the gs2 has an f2.65. Though in the end, numbers are useless since the gs2 kicked the iPhone 4s's butt most of the time (not always), and that had a f2.2 sensor? So... there's a camera comparison article on zdnet which shows nexus vs lumia vs 4s. Its worth a look.
I as always have concerns about the GPU. When running Nenamark2 it performs at less than half the frame rate of the adreno 220 in the t989. Not surprising since its the same gpu as the iPhone 3gs just over locked. Its confusing since it normally performs so well that I'm concerned whether it will be able to hold up to more demanding games.
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Have you done any testing on the radio/network stacks? I'm reading on some forums that the T989 doesn't have proper radios for ATT MVNOs nor for worldwide support.
I just bought the T989 ($300, running 4.0.4), but could still return it for a Galaxy Nexus ($350)..

Husam2011 said:
Hello, i'm thinking of selling my T989(T-mobile's GS2) and getting the galaxy nexus for $400 unlocked. I wonder if the speaker quality is that bad that it will annoy me, and is the camera good enough? Also for people who bought it from the play store, could you order a white one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from a T989 too. The nexus kicks that phone's ass in my opinion. $350 on the play store and no there is no white. The speaker quality is great. The camera is really great for 5mp. I expected it to be much worse. You will get slower "4G" though cuz I think the nexus operates on the 21mbps hspa and the T989 uses 42mbps. I still get about 10mbps download and 4mbps upload on my nexus, not bad.. Assuming you are using T-Mobile
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

SDRaver said:
I just came from a white t989 T-Mobile.
Best choice I've made all year. Won't regret it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Well said. The nexus is everything I wanted the t989 to be.
Def a solid decision
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

jordanishere said:
Well said. The nexus is everything I wanted the t989 to be.
Def a solid decision
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Nexus devices for life. Won't be switching from a Nexus to non-Nexus device ever.

jordanishere said:
Well said. The nexus is everything I wanted the t989 to be.
Def a solid decision
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you be a little more specific? Trying to change my mind about keeping the T989 w 4.0.4 preinstalled....

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
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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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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