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Good honest review from my coworker between the two phones, Verizon Galaxy-Nexus and Sprint Galaxy SII
My coworker just bought the Verizon Galaxy-Nexus, coming from an old HTC Incredible, that was damaged. He is not a [H]ard geek, but likes new tech. He was comparing to my Sprint Galaxy SII, that is rooted, with custom ROM, and ICS theme. He actually likes my phone better he said after a day with his new Nexus.
Some of his complaints on the Nexus;
- Speaker is very low, even at max hard to hear GPS navigation
- Screen is not that bright, looks good he says, but not what he expected after all the hype.
- Battery life totally blows he said, on his second day, and battery gets low quickly after a full charge. Lasts half a day.
- Phone is fast, but not butter smooth, there is slight lag here and there sometimes.
- Android 4.0 ICS is hard for him to get used to, feels almost alien to him after having an HTC Sense device running Froyo. He said needs awhile to still figuring everything out.
Now he compared it to my Galaxy SII with same points;
- Speaker is very loud and clear on my phone, loudest he's heard on a phone.
- GS2 is not high res, but still looks very clear, and extremely colorful.
- Battery life on my SII lasts a full day easily.
- Pretty much zero lag on my device he says, where the Nexus does have a little.
- I am on Android 2.3.6 with custom ROM + Theme, hard to really compare, I prefer full 4.0 ICS myself, but he's on the fence he said, almost prefers my tweaked Touchwiz 4.0 better.
My opinion, would be a full stable ICS ROM running on our Sprint GS2, might be a tad faster/smoother than the Galaxy-Nexus. But Verizon has us on the network speeds, not even talking about LTE vs WiMax, but their 3G is almost as fast as our 4G. Sprint's network just blows lately in Chicago_land, 3G is a ****ing joke.
Nice write up. My take is its more about the data network than the hardware. Sure some people will prefer pure ICS, but we'll have it on this phone at some point.
I do wish i had better data speeds sometimes but I can live with it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
I'm still on the fence. I could go and trade my E4GT in right now for it and walk out with $50 best buy credit...but I love my unlimited data. I go hog-effing-wild on data. Though that has gotten pretty difficult on Sprint these days. Verizon 3G is much faster in my area and LTE is just...wow. As for the phone itself, well, I like the zero-shutter-lag on the camera. The panel has the same amount of sub-pixels as ours, so, I'm really curious to see the difference between the two screens up close both set to 160 DPI....I'm willing to bet it's probably going to be close to a draw for most things. We also have a superior CPU and GPU. Vastly superior? Not really...but enough to measure reliably.
But to have a Nexus device...guaranteed first-in-line updates are nice. "Just unlocking it" 'cuz you are allowed to...that's nice, though a moot point given how easy this phone was to get into. Not to mention pretty much guaranteed CM support, MIUI as well...and Nexus devices seem to just be smoother than any device built off the same platform. Nexus One and Evo4G were on the identical platform, save for a few minor differences (CDMA, FFC, HDMI, FPS cap lol) and an N1 smoked an Evo in day to day performance, even on the same ROM....same for the GalaxyS vs the NexusS...even though they were on the identical platform. Though I'm not so sure there will ever be another OMAP Samsung phone, I could be wrong. I never thought there would be a Snapdragon GalaxyS2 either.
...and I have gadgetitis, it's been exactly 3 months since I got a new phone, lol. That's pretty much exactly when I usually get a new one.
I want to see one in person, then I'll make my mind.
I was just gonna reply to your thread over on Hard Forum. I have a friend who's got one as well. My personal opinion is that I like the GS2 better. It is faster, smoother, has a better screen (imo), has a better camera and a louder speaker.
I appreciate Google's idea behind the Nexus phones. However, even with the last Nexus S, there were some shortcomings the phone had in comparison to other hardware that was already out on the market.
I'm pretty content with my GS2 after using the GNexus for a bit.
Deleted by me
Keep lying to yourselves.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
awesomeindeed said:
I was just gonna reply to your thread over on Hard Forum. I have a friend who's got one as well. My personal opinion is that I like the GS2 better. It is faster, smoother, has a better screen (imo), has a better camera and a louder speaker.
I appreciate Google's idea behind the Nexus phones. However, even with the last Nexus S, there were some shortcomings the phone had in comparison to other hardware that was already out on the market.
I'm pretty content with my GS2 after using the GNexus for a bit.
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Hola [H]ard buddy
Yeah after seeing the magical Nexus in my owns hands, I was not as wow'd and impressed like I thought I would be. This is supposed to be the second coming, and god of all phones, and compared to my rooted GS2, I just don't see a night and day difference. Yes the Nexus is a better device, but barely, and put ICS on both phones, and the difference really goes away.
The Nexus screen seems dark, and just not as colorful as my GS2. The loud speaker is a major bummer on the Nexus, can barely hear the thing. And there is an ever so slightly lag once in a while, that I don't get on my GS2.
But it has ICS which is cool, and the Verizon network is light years ahead of Sprint's, just the 3G comparison is is like an NHL team playing a little league club. Totally destroys it.
The nexus phones are always over hyped, especially the prime had some crazy rumors.
I'm sure people are disappointed it wasn't everything it could have been
The pros of the nexus are the screen, nfc, and the Google support/development. Everything else is comparable or worse than the GS2, like the gpu, cameras, battery.
Also I like the att variant more than all the others mostly because its the right size and has NFC (I think)
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Rem3Dy said:
Keep lying to yourselves.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
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Given how neck-and-neck these devices are with each other on most fronts and there is an extreme case of one-is-better-here and other-is-better-there...umm...what I'm saying is I have no idea which position is supposed to be the obvious one that some of us are in denial of.
SGS2 is faster. The GNex is 720p. The Gnex has ICS. The SGS2 will have ICS. Gnex camera is faster, SGS2 camera is more detailed. The screen size is effectively the same. The sub-pixel count is completely 100% identical. GNex gets more pixels. SGS2 gets more sub-pixels per pixel.
The fact that the Gnex has LTE is irrelevant...of course it does, it's a flagship device on Verizon. We get unlimited data...of course we do, we're on Sprint.
Which device is obviously better, to you? I'm seriously considering buying one, tonight...right now, actually, and I would love a compelling case for the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon, but, try as hard as I may I can't come up with one myself.
Well the GSII on sprint is an awesome phone. The thing holding it back is Sprint. I just switched to Verizon yesterday at 9 AM to get the Galaxy Nexus and man, I'm glad I did. The hardware is amazing, but the data speeds increase is night and day. I've been researching carriers in my area for about a month and a half now and Verizon had consistently more coverage and faster data speeds.
I had the GSII and I actually like the design of that phone better. But overall I like the Galaxy Nexus a lot better.
Not to mention I get 20 percent off my data part of my plan and then 19 percent off my entire bill, 25 percent off accessories and I was able to snag an extra battery with external charging kit bundled with the phone. Gotta love employer discounts. I'll end up paying less with Verizon than I ever did with sprint, with usable data.
spencer88 said:
Well the GSII on sprint is an awesome phone. The thing holding it back is Sprint. I just switched to Verizon yesterday at 9 AM to get the Galaxy Nexus and man, I'm glad I did. The hardware is amazing, but the data speeds increase is night and day. I've been researching carriers in my area for about a month and a half now and Verizon had consistently more coverage and faster data speeds.
I had the GSII and I actually like the design of that phone better. But overall I like the Galaxy Nexus a lot better.
Not to mention I get 20 percent off my data part of my plan and then 19 percent off my entire bill, 25 percent off accessories and I was able to snag an extra battery with external charging kit bundled with the phone. Gotta love employer discounts. I'll end up paying less with Verizon than I ever did with sprint, with usable data.
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What are some of the cons and pros if the nexus? Also Is it as smooth as the sII? Thanks
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
spencer88 said:
Well the GSII on sprint is an awesome phone. The thing holding it back is Sprint. I just switched to Verizon yesterday at 9 AM to get the Galaxy Nexus and man, I'm glad I did. The hardware is amazing, but the data speeds increase is night and day. I've been researching carriers in my area for about a month and a half now and Verizon had consistently more coverage and faster data speeds.
I had the GSII and I actually like the design of that phone better. But overall I like the Galaxy Nexus a lot better.
Not to mention I get 20 percent off my data part of my plan and then 19 percent off my entire bill, 25 percent off accessories and I was able to snag an extra battery with external charging kit bundled with the phone. Gotta love employer discounts. I'll end up paying less with Verizon than I ever did with sprint, with usable data.
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For you then it's a no brainer to go to Verizon with those kinds of discounts. But for most moving from Sprint to Verizon would be a costly venture, higher monthly payments on Verizon, pay ETF for leaving Sprint, buy the new Nexus + accessories.
If I had the extra cash to burn I might think about, mainly for the network, Sprint just sucks so bad for crappy speeds, 3G is like 1x speeds. I sure hope Sprint does indeed improve their network next year like they say, because I will leave for sure when contract is up if we still keep getting these dial up modem speeds.
But just as a device, the Sprint Galaxy SII is AMAZING and AWESOME, I LOVE this device, great screen...killer long battery life...very fast and zero lag whatsoever..great development community here...I can only see one maybe two hits against the Sprint Galaxy SII, #1 the network sucks, and #2 no ICS yet, but that's it. But once a full stable ICS ROM is out this phone will probably be a bit smoother and faster than the Galaxy-Nexus.
My friend just got one and i played around with it some today. I am not blown away by the screen as I though I would be, yes it is better than GSII but not by that much. Can't beat vanilla android but I'm not crazy about the colors of ICS it feels very cold and plain...to each his own. Plus, we will get ISC anyways and somebody will have a rom that gets rid of TouchWiz. The quality feels much better than GSII but thats mainly because of the weight. I prefer the lighter GSII. Its a bit bigger than GSII which I hate I already think GSII is to big. Finally, I'm not sure about this but isn't GSII processor better the what the nexus has, I think with the improvements of ICS the GSII will be quicker than Nexus.
Its a great phone and I actually believe in sprint's network vision plans. If they don't make it happen, I will be up for a new contract then, I can either go back to my work provided BB or change carriers. Rocking this phone but roaming to verizon.......
Both phones have their merits for sure. I got the chance yesterday and today to play with the Nexus and it's a great phone I honestly love it and Android 4.0 in my humble opinion is beautiful. I do agree with the battery life but I kinda figured it would not be as good going in seeing that every LTE device I've seen and used has had very poor battery life compared to the other phones I've used.
xlGmanlx said:
Its a great phone and I actually believe in sprint's network vision plans. If they don't make it happen, I will be up for a new contract then, I can either go back to my work provided BB or change carriers. Rocking this phone but roaming to verizon.......
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Gman what are your speeds when you roam on Verizon? Also won't Sprint eventually kick you out? lol
As i stated in the verizon prl thread i go from crappie to less crappie , seriously though, I only get about 250-300ish/kbps on sprints latest prl, on verizon i can achieve anywhere from 400's-7xx's +. I only roam when out and about, at home or near wifi, stay on sprints network.
niv3d said:
Gman what are your speeds when you roam on Verizon? Also won't Sprint eventually kick you out? lol
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xlGmanlx said:
As i stated in the verizon prl thread i go from crappie to less crappie , seriously though, I only get about 250-300ish/kbps on sprints latest prl, on verizon i can achieve anywhere from 400's-7xx's +. I only roam when out and about, at home or near wifi, stay on sprints network.
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Thanks, I'll search for the Verizon PRL thread. Can you just basically turn it on and off when you want?
musclehead84 said:
What are some of the cons and pros if the nexus? Also Is it as smooth as the sII? Thanks
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
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This phone is very smooth. The whole OS is very different, some people are *****ing about it over in the GN section, but I actually like it. This change is good. And if anybody says the screen is worse than other screens because it's pentile, they are full of crap and haven't looked at the screen in person, because it looks damn good.
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Zorachus said:
For you then it's a no brainer to go to Verizon with those kinds of discounts. But for most moving from Sprint to Verizon would be a costly venture, higher monthly payments on Verizon, pay ETF for leaving Sprint, buy the new Nexus + accessories.
If I had the extra cash to burn I might think about, mainly for the network, Sprint just sucks so bad for crappy speeds, 3G is like 1x speeds. I sure hope Sprint does indeed improve their network next year like they say, because I will leave for sure when contract is up if we still keep getting these dial up modem speeds.
But just as a device, the Sprint Galaxy SII is AMAZING and AWESOME, I LOVE this device, great screen...killer long battery life...very fast and zero lag whatsoever..great development community here...I can only see one maybe two hits against the Sprint Galaxy SII, #1 the network sucks, and #2 no ICS yet, but that's it. But once a full stable ICS ROM is out this phone will probably be a bit smoother and faster than the Galaxy-Nexus.
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I had my ETF waived by Sprint Retentions, I just have to return my airave, which I don't mind doing since I won't have Sprint anymore. I pull over 1 meg download over Verizon 3G everywhere I go, more often its over a meg and a half. Where on Sprint in the same locations I wouldn't even pull 300 kb/s. I know Sprint is going to get better, I just don't want to pay for a service for 2 more years before I see any difference.
Now Sprint 3G in Charlotte? Over 2 mb/s, really unbelievable, I never would have thought I would have seen those speeds on Sprint 3g anywhere. Columbia, SC? Forget it, 300 kb/s or less.
Now I'm just waiting for Sprint stock to go back up to 2.91 where it was last month lol and then sell, wait for it to drop and buy again.
spencer88 said:
This phone is very smooth. The whole OS is very different, some people are *****ing about it over in the GN section, but I actually like it. This change is good. And if anybody says the screen is worse than other screens because it's pentile, they are full of crap and haven't looked at the screen in person, because it looks damn good.
---------- Post added at 06:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:00 PM ----------
I had my ETF waived by Sprint Retentions, I just have to return my airave, which I don't mind doing since I won't have Sprint anymore. I pull over 1 meg download over Verizon 3G everywhere I go, more often its over a meg and a half. Where on Sprint in the same locations I wouldn't even pull 300 kb/s. I know Sprint is going to get better, I just don't want to pay for a service for 2 more years before I see any difference.
Now Sprint 3G in Charlotte? Over 2 mb/s, really unbelievable, I never would have thought I would have seen those speeds on Sprint 3g anywhere. Columbia, SC? Forget it, 300 kb/s or less.
Now I'm just waiting for Sprint stock to go back up to 2.91 where it was last month lol and then sell, wait for it to drop and buy again.
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How did you get your ETF waived?!
I love this device. Completely open, supported by AOSP. Fast, smooth, and gorgeous.
Some people just nitpick themselves into misery. There are always lemons (amoled screens, esp) in mass produced phones, but I feel like the Nexus is getting a rep that they are ALL like that. Its simply not true. There are issues, sure, but they can pretty much be remedied by software.
I've had this phone since the Verizon release and love everything about it except the radios (GPS and cell). It really showed up this weekend as I was in Northern Minnesota snowmobiling in some really bad reception areas. I normally use My Tracks to map our route and the GPS was constantly loosing it's lock and the map looked like a dotted route instead of a nice solid route. Also, my time without signal was around 58% when my brother and my old Droid X2 was only about 12%. Being that I love doing outdoor things in sketchy signal areas, I'm really hoping they fix the radio in the next build.
I have no issues with battery life, screen quality, overall size though. I love this phone and just wish that Samsung would buy Moto for their radio chips (although they aren't perfect either, but better than HTC and Samsung in my experience).
I also don't think I could go back to a phone without on screen buttons.
Yea this phone has it faults just like all phones do but its still a great phone
I loved your work on the Thunderbolt. I know you got a ROM out but its been pretty quiet. You guys got anything big coming?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Yeah. We have a pretty huge project we have been working on for the last month. Out soon, I hope.
adrynalyne said:
I love this device. Completely open, supported by AOSP. Fast, smooth, and gorgeous.
Some people just nitpick themselves into misery. There are always lemons (amoled screens, esp) in mass produced phones, but I feel like the Nexus is getting a rep that they are ALL like that. Its simply not true. There are issues, sure, but they can pretty much be remedied by software.
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I completely agree!! There is absolutely no phone for which I'd trade this one!!
Gotta get the Galaxy Nexus Plus.
I agree, Despite any of the flaws, i have gone threw roughly a dozen Android Handsets, from the G1, to G2x, Droid Razr, Sensation just to name a few. I even had the Galaxy S, which i HATED! But everything about this phone is amazing. Like any other device, it has its flaws (Battery compromised because of the HD screen) but overall, its completly open source, you can customize it to your exact liking, and runs like a beast.
Bravo Samsung
Jamin13 said:
Gotta get the Galaxy Nexus Plus.
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I'd rather have a lesser phone on the Verizon network than go to Sprint.
they will just be getting more of the same anyway.
miketoasty said:
I'd rather have a lesser phone on the Verizon network than go to Sprint.
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After having Sprint for 4 years and now on Verizon for about 2 months, I can 100% agree with this statement.
miketoasty said:
I'd rather have a lesser phone on the Verizon network than go to Sprint.
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I'd rather have a lesser phone on ANY gsm network than go to verizon...
I rather be able to make a call vs. any "other" gsm network.
/me looks at the no service patches for Tmo in town.
I love my Nexus. People who nitpick haven’t been around the block as much as I have. After you’ve owned a myriad of other phones you truly appreciate the beauty and simplicity of the Nexus. Here's what I’ve been through over the past 2 years:
1) Samsung Capitivate – Terrible GPS and slooowww updates. Did I mention really bad GPS, like 200 yards off bad GPS..
2) HTC Inspire 4G – Good phone, terrible screen in the daylight, AT&T’s network.
3) HTC Thunderbolt – Sigh, extended battery was a brick, botched GB/voicemail update (what?, you left me a voicemail, when???). Spotty GPS and 4G issues.
4) Droid Bionic – Locked bootloader with no unlock in sight (I think). Screen and Moto blur started to annoy me.
I’ve only had my Nexus for a few days but I’m NOT going back to the above. Maybe I would feel differently if this was my first Android phone but it wasn’t. Other than battery life I have no complaints worth talking about. This phone stays until the next Nexus is released, period!
Ive had sprint for years, and recently got out of my ETF because of their new discount policy. I switched to att just to get the Galaxy Nexus unlocked on their hspa+ network and it has been amazing so far. Sprint has such a long way to go to even begin their LTE launch. So sad to see the leader of 4g technology take a big dump on the wireless industry
Had sprint for years until their 3g and lol 4g got over sold. Left for AT&T and couldn't be happier. Have 5 lines with AT&T and moved my last odd line from sprint to Verizon for the nexus and again, night and day service difference.
Funny thing is my Verizon costs are the same as sprint. Texting through google voice and I use grooveip for calls when my minutes get low. 4gb of data is plenty for me especially when it actually works. Most of my sprint speed tests were measured in fractions of a mbit. Usually sub 150 kbs. Pathetic. They can keep their premium data add on
Aridon i did exactly what you did! Left for ATT got an unlocked Nexus though. never been happier
Completely agree with OP, this is probably the best phone I have ever had, hands down. I have no issues with it what so ever.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I'll add that you should push verizon for a new phone if you are having a lot of data and/or voice drops.
I got a new phone and the difference is night and day... No drops now
+1 on this. Coming from HTC I was very skeptical about Samsung and their plastic and the 'less good' GPU. But everything else is so got damn great about this phone that the plastic and GPU doesn't bug me anymore . I'm sure I'll keep this phone until the next nexus is out .
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Ya, I'm pretty stoked about it...
It just makes me more excited for the 2013/2014 nexus!!!
I can't wait to hear the complaints then! ...We'll be complaining about having a 8-core nexus with 4GB ram when 16-core phones with 8GB ram are just around the corner!
My wife got her first smartphone about 8 months ago. got the samsung stratosphere. had it for about 2 months until I got the samsung galaxy S3 at which point she wanted my rooted thunderbolt. The thunderbolt has gotten very laggy no matter which Rom I throw on there. CleanRom worked well for about a week and then it started its usual lack of performance. When I first got it, it was snappy, quick and smooth. Now it just isn't and i dont know why since I'm doing a clean factory wipe with CWM. She is getting tired of me tinkering around with it trying to get it to perform well. Wants a new phone and is thinking the incredible 4g, razr M or the samsung galaxy nexus.
wanted to see what people thought, who have the galaxy nexus. Would you recommend it again or would you rather go with a newer phone like the Dinc 4g or razr m?
No regrets here. You can never go wrong with Pure Google, and with third-party ROMs you always have the latest Android version before, well especially before the Dinc 4G or RAZR M.
I wouldn't say there's much difference between 5MP and 8MP, and the only reason I'd go for either of the other two phones is for SD storage, which even now I'm losing interest in, but it's nice to have that stuff somewhere separate from the phone.
Plus, I am pretty sure the GalNex is the cheapest, on or off contract..
As far as famous issues go, no inductive charging (come on even the Thunderbolt had that), Micro USB port tends to fail, but that's kind of an all-phone sort of thing IMO, and of course AMOLED screen burn-in. All are nominal issues considering they happen typically after at least a year of use.
My 2.
Good luck!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I had the g2 then the g2x and now the gnex. I personally think this is still one of the best phone around, hands down. Direct Google updates, unlocked (can use any gsm carrier prepaid or postpaid), great screen and decent pics. The developer support will be continuous until the hardware can no longer support the os. Money wise, its the cheapest high end smart phone you can get, period (and I don't think this phone is "cheap", its hardware is great and handles everything I throw at it).
*** edit ***
I noticed your on Verizon, slow updates through Verizon, but the development community will provide those... Plus you can get a 32gb as compared to the gsm 16gb.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I would just get her an iphone that way she can have something that works properly most of the time while you have your android device to play with. It works for me.:good:
woody296 said:
I would just get her an iphone that way she can have something that works properly most of the time while you have your android device to play with. It works for me.:good:
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Isheep? haha kidding! I nexus would be good for her, it's easy to use, fast, and comes with some good jellybeans!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
For something that "just works" with minimal effort the iDerp is the way to go.
Android can be laggy when "external" SD Card memory size is full, e.g. if 16GB SD Card have only 1GB free memory. makes Android slower..
by doing full Wipe, data factory reset then it should be much faster..
Galaxy Nexus's battery life is not so good so it's better to use older Android phone if wants phone with good battery life...
I'll put it like this. i have had several phones of all brands and companies i just had the nexus 4 sold it. i have the s3.it sits on my desk. The note 2 is hooked to a TV in the guest room for streaming. all the phones I have and have i come back to the nexus. i chose to make it my main driver. i don't even swap sims anymore. Galaxy nexus just works. and we have great devs that make things work even better. and help out. do that on a iPhone. also as
Sd storage is a thing of the past. cloud storage is here.. and it's fast. Anyway nexus gsm with a year straight talk plan works fine for me.. well great actually.. even with Verizon i wouldn't get any other phone. especially since i seen in my area Verizon offering then free or 50 bucks on contract.. roll with it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
The op asked, i gave my answer. Ya give her an iphone and then nobody here will be tempted to screw with it and mess it up. All her friends will say "Oh it's an iphone, how nice!". Otherwise let her shop for an android phone and pick out what she wants, all the top phones are pretty solid. Obviously the s3 is the hot phone now, but for some it's a little large.
She has the Thunderbolt? Good god, man. You're just asking for all kinds of trouble there. You don't give a woman a Thunderbolt. Even men can't stand that phone.
For a woman, you need a trouble-free phone like the:
-Galaxy S3
-Galaxy Note 2 (women actually like it a lot and have more reason to use it because they carry a purse or bag)
-iPhone 5
-Nokia Lumia 920
Seriously. These are the only phones women actually enjoy using. The Nexus is great but its more for geeks than ladies.
Get her a white Gnex, turn it into a takju with a clean flash of the 4.2.1 factory image and you're good to go. Hassle free stock software from then on...
neovdr said:
Get her a white Gnex, turn it into a takju with a clean flash of the 4.2.1 factory image and you're good to go. Hassle free stock software from then on...
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She's going to complain about the battery life. He should NOT get the Nexus for a woman. I'm being serious here. The other phones I suggested are much better for a woman. You guys keep assuming that women will like what you like. They don't. They're very different. You don't give a woman a phone with any big flaws, and the big flaw with the Galaxy Nexus is battery life.
I say get her the Galaxy Note2 my wife saw it the other day and was like damn I should've waited and got that instead of the iPhone(she got her iPhone a week before note 2 came out)
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Ep3n3wp said:
I say get her the Galaxy Note2 my wife saw it the other day and was like damn I should've waited and got that instead of the iPhone(she got her iPhone a week before note 2 came out)
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Yep. Women love the Galaxy Note 2 more than men do, seemingly. It's like the size of a paperback book or personal organizer that women carry around in their purse. If they can do everything on a device like that, they're happy, and the battery life on it is amazing.
Hell, I'm probably going to get the Galaxy Note 3 next year if Google screws up again and makes yet another glass-backed Nexus phone.
thank you all for the replies. I was not expecting for there to be so many just night.
The other thing I needed to mention is that she does NOT want to spend much. I would love her to have the S3 like I do but she wont spend the money to get it. This is why she was looking into the incredible 4g or moto razr m. both are $49 currently.
If money eliminates the note2, go with the nexus. I got it cheap and got the Samsung extended battery. I have no problem getting almost a full day with moderate usage. If I am at work, it goes in airplane mode between breaks. After work I still have almost a full charge. And the phone charges FAST! I have no complaints. With 2 GS2's and a GS3 in the family, my gnex still has the best performance and least issues of all.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
On the subject of battery life I'm going to add that my stock battery gsm gnex gets better battery life than any android phone I've previously owned or handled.
But based on the reports of battery life with lte I would possibly agree with cadude the Verizon nexus might not be the best choice. I don't know though, maybe it's no different than any other lte equipped phone. I've always used gsm.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I bought GNex for my girlfriend and she loves it. Stock Android is rock stable and super fast. She won't change it for any other phone. Until I get her Nexus 4, maybe?
If you hated the battery life on the Bolt you will hate the VZW Galaxy Nexus more. I went from one to the other last year and u was surprised, I though the bolt had the worst battery of them all.
Otherwise here's my .02 -
If you want to extend/new contract - you cannot go wrong with an S3. Great battery life, expandable memory and Touchwiz 's no tinkering to get great features aspect are great selling points to people who don't want to tinker with the phone.. My wife is a perfect example Lol. Not to mention the camera is 2nd to none on android devices now.
If you don't want a contract I would get a used VZW Nexus. Deal with the battery for a great price.
If your wife wants a smaller device - get the RAZR M. Its quite an amazing little device. All the power/specs of the S3 in a handy little package. I've heard it has great battery too
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
1Android said:
thank you all for the replies. I was not expecting for there to be so many just night.
The other thing I needed to mention is that she does NOT want to spend much. I would love her to have the S3 like I do but she wont spend the money to get it. This is why she was looking into the incredible 4g or moto razr m. both are $49 currently.
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Ok so you're on Verizon. Trust me, a Galaxy Nexus on Verizon is TERRIBLE. You simply do NOT want that phone. She will definitely complain about the battery because the LTE drains even more on a Verizon Gnex than a GSM Gnex.
Good news for you though! You can upgrade on your Verizon account with Amazon Wireless, and they'll give you another Samsung Galaxy S3 for $99.99 which isn't much more than 50 bucks and the same price as the Verizon Gnex from the Verizon store.
http://wireless.amazon.com/Samsung-...=INDIVIDUAL_NEW&sr=1-1-entd&qid=1355933336314
When I went to leave early from to Verizon from sprint in early december (long story not my choice) I was coming from a nexus s. So in my mind it was like no brainer, Galaxy nexus. Went into Best Buy mobile told them I wanted a Galaxy Nexus, they gave me ****. "It's not reliable, we always have returns, it's overrated, not worth the money, we'd have to backorder it, look at something else." These are people I know on a first name basis who I'm comfortable with so they wouldn't shaft me. I told them I wanted it because custom software and freedom excites me. Long story short I ended up with a RAZR M. Great phone I love it amazing build and formfactor. But it's like dating a girl who's slightly younger the more I'm with it the more little flaws I see. Virtually no dev support, no google wallet even sideloading, small internal memory ( 8 gigs). So it always leaves me wondering; I know the verizon GNEX is botched, but is it bad enough to pass on and look elsewhere? Share your opinion.
I love my nexus I've never had issues with it since i bought it last February. Just recently i had issues with the screen. Took it to best buy mobile they ordered me a new one and i got a good phone again. No issues at all. I don't know what people keep saying its a bad phone cuz its not.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Agreed, it is a good phone and I too don't understand what everyone keeps whining about. If people really hate the phone that much then just shutup and get something else. But personally the only thing I've noticed is that it doesn't get as good of a signal as my friends do who have Motorola phones. Other than that I really have no complaints.
I love mine too. Last August had to get a new a few days later due a signal issue, but after that its the best android I've had. What bugs me is the lack of info from Verizon and Samsung about software. Both are quit like clams
WyldOne91 said:
Agreed, it is a good phone and I too don't understand what everyone keeps whining about. If people really hate the phone that much then just shutup and get something else. But personally the only thing I've noticed is that it doesn't get as good of a signal as my friends do who have Motorola phones. Other than that I really have no complaints.
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Couldn't help but notice you have a trinogram as your picture, another Oh, Sleeper fan in xda world - other than me?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium HD app
Overall my experience with my GNex has been pleasant. I replaced the earpiece speaker.... But everything else has been OK.
Now, Verizon is always gonna be a Verizon. They are gonna do the same stuff no matter what phone you have ( slow updates, tiered plans, no customer loyalty, uninhibited greed....the usual stuff)
But this is a solid phone. The dev community is strong. No complaints here!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Like everyone says, it's an awesome phone. You'll fall in love customizing it. Only thing about the CDMA version is that the battery life is terrible. 1-1.5 screen time and roughly 10-12 hours of life. I'm a moderate user.
Idk i have never had a problem with my nexus and its one of the better phones i owned.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I love the phone too. I got rid of my ****ty DROID Charge due to lack of dev support and the outdated internals. But overall, it's been a good phone to own. Antennas suck, being a Samsung. Battery life for LTE isn't very good. And camera isn't that great. But it's got plenty of Roms to keep interesting.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I've had the galaxy nexus for about 3 months now. My previous phones were the HTC G1, the thunderbolt and the rezound. As far as the android experience goes this is the best phone I've had. As far as a "phone" goes this is the worst phone I had. Sometimes I lose signal but the phones shows full bars and reports a good signal. I can't make or receive calls or get internet. I thought the solution was to have it on 3g only but even though its more reliable as a phone it still loses signal without any warning. And that is a bit dangerous. From researching I am not the only one, and some people say they have to go thru 6 to get 1 good one. I bought mine on eBay so that's not an option for me. Now I'm trying to decide if I want to keep it or get a different phone.
BTW I have flashed multiple combination of radios, kernels, and ROMs. No dice.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I've been very happy with my VZW Gnex. In fact, I have now owned it longer than any other phone before, and that includes my OG droid.
I am unhappy with Verizon themselves tho, and will be leaving when my contract expires in a few weeks.
I made the move from Sprint to VZW in August 2012, and this is the first and only phone I've had since being on the network. Additionally, this is the first phone I've had since the old WinMo days that I haven't had an incessant itch to switch to something new. I even got my flashing addiction down to 1x/month on average!
Good phone, good network, good experience thus far.
I get lots of reception issues with this phone. It isn't about bars or anything. It often disappoints even running Speedtest,net app. My XOOM has LTE also but gets significantly faster download and upload speeds. The 4.1.2 update makes it smoother, but it's performance as a phone is pretty weak. My Droid 1 is the best experience I've had with a smartphone. The Droid 2 was OK but had too much crap on it. This is a significant interface and capability improvement over those phones but it's performance is so lackluster, I might have been better off with another LTE model.
The clean stock experience is nice but I'd rather have it perform better as a phone. My husband's Galaxy Nexus acts the same way. It's not a bad phone if you can get it cheap.
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium
Personally, I love it. I wouldn't be on Verizon if they didn't have a Nexus. Battery life on any LTE devices sucks. I took care of it with this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C8XRJY/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00
Just chiming in here.... I'm kinda new to the GNexus on Verizon... As you see my daily driver is still the razr maxx... And I'm comparing the two... Motorola bugs me so much. If it wasn't for the 24hr battery life is would easily jump ship. I just rooted the nexus, put Google wallet on it and can't wait to go to McDonalds to buy a cup of coffee lol.. But I had the incD before and loved roming.. I still do but I hate locked boot loader and low dev. Community.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda app-developers app
Its not a bad phone at all. Most people's biggest gripe is that its not a "true nexus device" because updates have to go through Verizon first and don't come directly from Google.
I've had the toro / VzW Galaxy Nexus since it was first released by Verizon -- must be about 13 or 14 months now. A bit flakey on initial release, but updates came quickly, and since I unlocked and rooted I've tried several ROMs. Overall - it's been the best phone I've used since buying my first cell phone about 21 years ago. Sure, there are a few points I'd like to see improved, but that doesn't stop this being a spectacular device overall. Since using ROMs like XenonHD, Codename Android and Nexus Evolution, the phone has been generally spectacular, with my only annoyance being battery life. For the past year I sported a 2000 mah OEM "extended" battery, but as GNex owners know, these don't go that far. I finally opted for a 3800 mah battery from Hyperion a couple of days ago, along with a couple of matching cases that I can switch between -- a one piece TPU case, and a Seidio convert combo. With a full charge, battery life is excellent now -- I've been on battery for about 10 hours today with 2 hours screen time so far, and still have 70% left -- and this should improve after I've fully cycled the battery a few times. At this point - the phone is immaculate, looks like new, works beautifully and is just about 100% customizable with a big selection of ROMs, mods and themes. All in all, this is a fantastic phone.
The phone itself is great as long as you get one without any of the hardware flaws. The battery life is sub-par, especially compared to the GSM version, but if you can keep a charger nearby it lasts well enough you don't really have too much to worry about.
Verizon is really the only problem I have with it. They really treat their customers like trash. Their prices are astronomical and they want to figure out how to charge more. Flagrant anti-consumerism with the blocking Google Wallet because it competes with ISIS. The big kicker is that their coverage isn't really much better than others these days. Blahblah I could ramble on all day about why I'm leaving VZW when my contract is up, I'll shut up now.
Sounds like a mixed bag so far. But the positives outway the negatives. I like my Razr M alot, but I do miss nexus customization a lot. I feel like if Verizon weren't so ridiculous with their policies I wouldn't be as bothered by my choice. Hardware wise I'm liking the RAZR m a bit more but the software freedom is a bit of a letdown. Having Stock is a plus though. I was set if it wasn't a nexus it would be flashable or stock.O yea, and as far as I'm concerned LTE is nullified and a big marketing ploy as long as caps are around.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
If the salemen you spoke to aren't related to you by blood, then they lied to you. Aren't you curious why you ended up with a Razr as opposed to the well supported GNex? It's not a coincidence that every corporate Verizon store has a dedicated Razr section. They are pushing for sales of Razrs, because they have better control over their software. You won't find any Verizon bloatware on a Gnex (b/c Google won't allow it), thus they lose on advertising and endorsement dollars.
Personally, I've had a pleasant experience with my Verizon GNex. Sure, I don't get phenomenal battery life, but I still have access to a charger throughout most of my day (as most people would). Reception could be improved, but I don't have high expectations when it comes to Samsung's radio hardware. The camera though... isn't something I would show off. And you can't beat the dev scene; this phone will be up to date even when the next Nexus comes out.
So the terrible radio in this phone may be forcing me to ditch it. I'm on call for work, and recently my phone had been missing calls and texts. They just don't come through. I will get a Google Voice notification and no record of a call ever happening. Verizon is offering a "similar model replacement" of basically a HTC Rezound, Droid 4, or maybe a RAZR Maxx. Any info from anyone with experience with these phones would be great. Pros and cons, what I'll be missing from the GNex. I do plan to root and ROM whatever I do get.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I used a razar maxx there alright, not the best quality screen, but just for web email and other work stuff should be fine. I just found it to not be the best looking phone out there but spec wise still has dual core and a gig of ram and a better 8mp HD camera.
Try asking for gs3
Sent From My Miui Powered Galaxy Nexus
Esteway.619 said:
Try asking for gs3
Sent From My Miui Powered Galaxy Nexus
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Tried that right off the bat. Told it was "impossible". His words were it would be like having a Toyota carolla and wanting a Lexus as a replacement. His exact words. I have to pick a phone from 2011. I didn't push him too hard about it, but I may call back for a supervisor.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
That's pretty ridiculous. I'd definitely ask for a supervisor. You pay them plenty of money a month, and I'm sure they're going to make you sign a new contract. They don't make their money off the phones, push them hard enough and I'm sure they'll give you better hardware in order to keep you paying monthly.
cornelious1212 said:
So the terrible radio in this phone may be forcing me to ditch it. I'm on call for work, and recently my phone had been missing calls and texts. They just don't come through. I will get a Google Voice notification and no record of a call ever happening. Verizon is offering a "similar model replacement" of basically a HTC Rezound, Droid 4, or maybe a RAZR Maxx. Any info from anyone with experience with these phones would be great. Pros and cons, what I'll be missing from the GNex. I do plan to root and ROM whatever I do get.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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Too bad the development scene for the Droid 4, and RAZR Maxx isn't all that great. There isn't much to flash.
However, if you ignore the development part, they still kinda suck. Motorola phones have terrible cameras, and the worst SAMOLED I have ever seen (think our GNex has a lot of spots, check out a RAZR), some of them have failed and have had hardware problems, random restarts, fc's, no matter what ROM you'd be one.
You may have better luck than my friends and I though.
The Rezound, since it is an HTC phone is gonna give you some mad battery life issues.
Your choices suck man, I feel bad for you. Get a Galaxy S3 or even a Note (1 or 2, they rock)
I wouldn't choose any of those phones over a GNex.
If however this doesn't renew your contract, I'd pick the Razor Maxx if you want battery life, or the Rezound if you want to keep using the higher resolution screen. Then you can at least get calls and stuff for the few months until your contract runs out and you can get an actual upgrade. If this renews your contract RUN AWAY!
speedyink said:
I wouldn't choose any of those phones over a GNex.
If however this doesn't renew your contract, I'd pick the Razor Maxx if you want battery life, or the Rezound if you want to keep using the higher resolution screen. Then you can at least get calls and stuff for the few months until your contract runs out and you can get an actual upgrade. If this renews your contract RUN AWAY!
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DO NOT GET THE REZOUND. ITS SO MUCH LAGGIER THAN THE GNEX AND THE SCREEN IS WASHED OUT. Battery is bad as well.
Sorry for the caps but its that big a deal. Make them give you a galaxy S3 at a minimum.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
blackhand1001 said:
DO NOT GET THE REZOUND. ITS SO MUCH LAGGIER THAN THE GNEX AND THE SCREEN IS WASHED OUT. Battery is bad as well.
Sorry for the caps but its that big a deal. Make them give you a galaxy S3 at a minimum.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Really? Wow, that really is a tough choice then. Those three phones are all terrible compared to even the GNex.
Well, my Gnex just died on me and I forced an early upgrade. Is it the original Maxx they're trying to offer you or the Maxx HD? I got the Maxx HD and I love it so far. The screen is brighter and clearer than what my Gnex had and the radios perform so much better. My only issue was the stock launcher was slightly laggy but after installing Nova again the lag has disappeared. While there isn't much to flash I'm not that concerned. Oh, and only having to charge every two days vs. every 6 or 7 hours is definitely a huge plus.
speedyink said:
I wouldn't choose any of those phones over a GNex.
If however this doesn't renew your contract, I'd pick the Razor Maxx if you want battery life, or the Rezound if you want to keep using the higher resolution screen. Then you can at least get calls and stuff for the few months until your contract runs out and you can get an actual upgrade. If this renews your contract RUN AWAY!
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This would not renew my contract. I'm still weighing my options when my contract runs out in December. So the Razr Maxx seems to be out do to the "extended internal battery" that the GNex does not have, which makes it not a comparable phone. I haven't heard back through email with the rep I've been talking to since he said the Maxx was not comparable. I may just say give me a Rezound, suck up the last few months with Verizon and go T-Mobile in December. I think I'll give a S3 one more shot with a supervisor tonight. It really is too bad that the radio on this phone is so pathetic.
cmajpwc said:
Well, my Gnex just died on me and I forced an early upgrade. Is it the original Maxx they're trying to offer you or the Maxx HD? I got the Maxx HD and I love it so far. The screen is brighter and clearer than what my Gnex had and the radios perform so much better. My only issue was the stock launcher was slightly laggy but after installing Nova again the lag has disappeared. While there isn't much to flash I'm not that concerned. Oh, and only having to charge every two days vs. every 6 or 7 hours is definitely a huge plus.
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Did your early upgrade renew your contract?
cornelious1212 said:
Did your early upgrade renew your contract?
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Yes, I renewed. Well, technically, it was renewed through a family member's line that didn't have a data plan. So, when I activated the phone, there was only about 10 minutes worth of data before we switched the phone over to my line. So, I did not sign a new contract and was able to upgrade my phone and keep unlimited data. Obviously, you're in a different situation, but it was a nice way around not having to go to a 2GB plan while getting a new phone. The person whose upgrade I used has no desire to have a smartphone or data plan so it worked out.
cornelious1212 said:
This would not renew my contract. I'm still weighing my options when my contract runs out in December. So the Razr Maxx seems to be out do to the "extended internal battery" that the GNex does not have, which makes it not a comparable phone. I haven't heard back through email with the rep I've been talking to since he said the Maxx was not comparable. I may just say give me a Rezound, suck up the last few months with Verizon and go T-Mobile in December. I think I'll give a S3 one more shot with a supervisor tonight. It really is too bad that the radio on this phone is so pathetic.
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Do except a rezound. You'd be better off with the regular RAZR.
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blackhand1001 said:
Do except a rezound. You'd be better off with the regular RAZR.
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So screen, battery and overall fluidity will be worse on the Rezound than the GNex? It is frustrating that they say the Maxx is not comparable.
S*#t I would've brought up the NFC chip..the gs3 and gnex look basically the same on paper besides the 2 gigs of ram...what other phone had NFC during that time..maybe I just like to ***** and complain to those bozos. But I guess I'm the bozo for signing a contract with them..
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
None of these options are great, especially (again) with the Maxx ruled out. The Droid 4 is respectable, although the screen is only qHD and the battery is smaller. You do at least get microSD and a slider keyboard for your pains though.
So seems there is pretty much a consensus on the hatred of the Rezound. I haven't had a chance to call back and push for the S3 or the Maxx.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
One 15 minute call, one rep, and I have an S3 coming my way tomorrow. He offered the RAZR Maxx, right away since I was having signal issues. I suggested the S3, and he agreed right away that it was an option. He said he has done signal issue replacements on the S3 also, so he was hesitant for that reason. I said I would be more comfortable with the S3, and he said no problem. I don't get a battery door or a battery, but I snagged a Rinke Slim case and a battery for about 20 bucks total on Amazon. I'll try no battery door with the case only and see how that goes. So that's it, I will unfortunately be leaving the GNex family in a few days. Its amazing how different it can be from one rep to another.
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cornelious1212 said:
One 15 minute call, one rep, and I have an S3 coming my way tomorrow. He offered the RAZR Maxx, right away since I was having signal issues. I suggested the S3, and he agreed right away that it was an option. He said he has done signal issue replacements on the S3 also, so he was hesitant for that reason. I said I would be more comfortable with the S3, and he said no problem. I don't get a battery door or a battery, but I snagged a Rinke Slim case and a battery for about 20 bucks total on Amazon. I'll try no battery door with the case only and see how that goes. So that's it, I will unfortunately be leaving the GNex family in a few days. Its amazing how different it can be from one rep to another.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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No battery or battery door? What's up with that, lol. "There's your replacement phone, have fun looking at a black screen, though. I lost the battery and battery door, my bad."
Good job on landing an S3 though.