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Im thinking bout getting one but was wondering hows the reception, ear piece and speaker quality compare to the photons.
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The Photon trumps it on all 3.
The earpiece sounds okay but the speakerphone is no match for the Photon. It is loud but sound muffled and distorts at high volume. I hear it crackling when I call Best Buys and get their greeting message.
Reception the Photon win hands down. My Photon gets clear calls even in the fringes. The Epic Touch was choppy.
Still I might just keep the Epic Touch as I use my phone more as a multimedia device than a phone. If the Photon ever solve their problem of the black crush and overly reddish skin tones I will switch back to it.
If you do any decent of calling ( using the phone as a phone) keep the Photon.
Cool thanks probably will stick with the photon then......how's the battery compare?
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criptix said:
Cool thanks probably will stick with the photon then......how's the battery compare?
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Seemingly better battery life on the E.T. for me. Avg about 2-3 hours more IMO.
I have better battery life with the Photon.
One more note is that my Epic Touch is much more prone to overheating under heavy internet/streaming usage than my Photon. I think that is the trade off of a thin phone. If you look at the Galaxy S2 forum you will see the same complaints of overheating. The reason I mention this is when the battery overheats, the battery life turns to crap.
I had and returned a photon, cheesy qhd display, thick body, it doesnt compare to the et4g. Speed or style or other hardware. Its a ferrari vs a corvette.
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All i have to say is pentile is trash, i liked my evo's display better
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Well its a third more powerful stock and a third thinner, a trade off i'm willing to take
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This phone blows the photon out of the water.... PERIOD
The screen of the photon don't bother me its just the lack of devs we got some really good ones like yay, shabby and Sean but it looks like calkulin and some others have switched here. I look at my gfs vibrant screen and it looks horrible compared to the photon. My main concern was audio quality, reception ( my work is in a dip so even with my photon it eats battery due to poor signal) and battery. When im not at work photon is great so that was my reason for asking.....it seems photon has better reception than the epic can a few more photon users chime in with their opinion thanks.
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I guess that's the other reason im on the fence the vibrant is garbage.....
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I have both phones. As much as the fanboys can sit here and talk about how great the ET4G is, they are mostly enamored with the speed and multimedia features of the phone. Shoot, I am enamored with them.
But, in my experience, the Photon gets reception in fringe areas where the ET4G just flat out craps out. The speaker is considerably clearer as are the calls, even on the earpiece and over BT.
I am going to keep both for now, but if I were looking for just an email/phone, the Photon would be my choice. Since my phone also doubles up as a camera and movie player... the ET4G may have to stay.
I think it all depends on what your priorities really are (as for everything else in life).
To answer the OG's questions first:
Reception - not as good out of the box as the Photons, BUT there is a fix available (I've posted it in another thread) that makes the reception almost identical. With the fix, I now get 4g in my apt even though the 4g map shows 4g stops a couple blocks away (however, with the Photon, I got 4g reception in my apt without having to change around any settings).
Earpiece - I STRONGLY prefer the E4GT here. The Photon was OK, but nothing to write home (or on a forum) about. The E4GT has been as close to a landline as I've come since originally using cellphones...
Speaker - about equal. Both sound pretty good on speaker and I haven't gotten any complaints from friends when I put them on speaker. That's the standard I usually apply for judging speakers. However, if we're talking about music speakers, I think the Photon edges out the E4GT here, if only because of the size of the speakers. The E4GT's speaker is small and it's easy to cover up accidentally with your finger.
Display - this isn't even a contest. Anyone telling you the Photon's qHD display is amazing is either stoned, blind, or lying (or possibly just wrong). It is easy to see the pixels when scrolling on that phone, and the colors aren't anywhere near as perfect as those on the E4GT.
Battery - really too soon for me to tell. I had issues the first couple of days with both phones' battery. My issues were resolved with the Photon when I exchanged the battery (which was a pleasant surprise) although they didn't stay away permenantly with the new battery. The E4GT I've had some overheating-while-charging problems, as well as some ridiculously fast drain, but as of yesterday (NO FIX APPLIED whatsoever, mind you) the thing is holding up very well. Been off the charger for 1.5 hrs today and I'm at 99% with two texts sent only. Noteworthy is that the phone's screen is sometimes imprecise if you are charging it via wall outlet. I never had this problem with the Photon. Still, the problem hasn't happened since yesterday, so I'm not sure if my battery and charging problems were just magically resolved on their own and moving forward all will be good. Can report back later...
whatsitsnamenow said:
The Photon trumps it on all 3.
The earpiece sounds okay but the speakerphone is no match for the Photon. It is loud but sound muffled and distorts at high volume. I hear it crackling when I call Best Buys and get their greeting message.
Reception the Photon win hands down. My Photon gets clear calls even in the fringes. The Epic Touch was choppy.
Still I might just keep the Epic Touch as I use my phone more as a multimedia device than a phone. If the Photon ever solve their problem of the black crush and overly reddish skin tones I will switch back to it.
If you do any decent of calling ( using the phone as a phone) keep the Photon.
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whatsitsnamenow said:
I have better battery life with the Photon.
One more note is that my Epic Touch is much more prone to overheating under heavy internet/streaming usage than my Photon. I think that is the trade off of a thin phone. If you look at the Galaxy S2 forum you will see the same complaints of overheating. The reason I mention this is when the battery overheats, the battery life turns to crap.
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Give me a break.
AvatarOfFrost said:
Give me a break.
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I bought the Epic 4g and it is a kick ass phone and I passed the Photon to my wife but after using the Epic i took my Photon back. The Epic fanboys are going to tell you that the phone came straight from the gods. The Epic does not have the call quality nor the reception nor the volume that the speaker or speakerphone that my photon has. As far as I'm concerned my Photon has a better build quality than the Epic. Don't get me wrong the Epic is a beautiful phone its just sad how people rag on the Photon when it is a great phone itself.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
criptix said:
The screen of the photon don't bother me its just the lack of devs we got some really good ones like yay, shabby and Sean but it looks like calkulin and some others have switched here. I look at my gfs vibrant screen and it looks horrible compared to the photon. My main concern was audio quality, reception ( my work is in a dip so even with my photon it eats battery due to poor signal) and battery. When im not at work photon is great so that was my reason for asking.....it seems photon has better reception than the epic can a few more photon users chime in with their opinion thanks.
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Calkulin is switching to E4GT? Where did you see that??
At the end of the day these are both top phones... I would say it depends on user preference and needs.
smoothone said:
I bought the Epic 4g and it is a kick ass phone and I passed the Photon to my wife but after using the Epic i took my Photon back. The Epic fanboys are going to tell you that the phone came straight from the gods. The Epic does not have the call quality nor the reception nor the volume that the speaker or speakerphone that my photon has. As far as I'm concerned my Photon has a better build quality than the Epic. Don't get me wrong the Epic is a beautiful phone its just sad how people rag on the Photon when it is a great phone itself.
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+1. This describes my situation precisely. I've been using the E4GT side by side with the Photon (and a normal Epic 4G) since Friday. I was out of town over the weekend in an area with very weak Sprint service. The Photon was a clear winner on signal strength (call quality and data.)
I'm keeping all of the phones as they are all excellent choices, but I will be personally carrying the Photon.
Here are my initial impressions of how the ET4G compares with the Photon
* Reception - Photon is better (able to get consistent signal in fringe areas, though I have no real complaints about the Epic's reception)
* Battery life - Photon is marginally better (consistently able to get 18-24 hours on a single charge with moderate use on Photon: so far the ET4G, looking like 12-18 hours)
* Sound quality - Earpiece is a tie (no huge difference between the 2), but the Photon has a marginally better speakerphone (sounds better at loud volumes)
*Screen - ET4G wins hands down, no contest
* Camera - ET4G blows away every other camera I have ever used on a phone (except for the Nokia N8). If you plan on using your camera as a point and shoot camera, the ET4G is the only option. The ET4G's camera is fast enough to capture moving objects whereas the Photon had no shot whatsoever
* Everything else including performance/bugginess/etc: The ET4G wins pretty much every other category. The performance is absolutely amazing and unlike the Photon, it has no major bugs that I consider dealbreakers
Conclusion: If reception and battery life are the most important factors for you (as well as being able to do GSM internationally), the Photon might be the right choice. However, the E4GT wins in pretty much every other way, and I have to say that I'm quite happy I made the switch.
smoothone said:
As far as I'm concerned my Photon has a better build quality than the Epic.
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In your hands it might feel like that because the photon is bigger, but samsung uses different type of plastic then most manufacturers which is a lot more shock resistant and doesn't bend/break.
I'd like to see you do that with the photon or even with an evo
Well I have been given the chance to return my photon after the 30 day window but once I get the E4gt, I can't return it, no 14 day trial and ill be stuck with it through thick and thin. This will be a huge gamble because the only thing I don't like about the photon is the screen and lack of development support.
I am mainly concerned with GPS, and call quality and reception. I've seen a few bugs but not much compared to most new releases.
My girlfriend has a captivate and it never gets a gps lock where as my photon is instantaneous and I mean literally a second or less.
Speaker phone is not a big deal as I don't plan to host any parties with the phone lol. But id like it to be louder than my EVO 3d that I had because that speaker was absolutely horrible and strained bad even at low levels. Im hoping the "strain" im hearing about with this phone isn't like the EVO 3d.
Photon screen looks brilliant in sunlight which is the only positive about the screen....I been seeing reviews that say the epic touch is good in sunlight. Is this true?
Thanks for any feedback on this.
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Im honesty having no problems with it except for swype which fixed its self as I used it more. GPS locks fast inside my house where my epic and evo can never get a lock.
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Aside from somewhat inferior 3G/4G/WiFi range performance, the E4GT will be superior in every other way. Definetely a worthy trade.
ilostmypistons said:
Im honesty having no problems with it except for swype which fixed its self as I used it more. GPS locks fast inside my house where my epic and evo can never get a lock.
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That a plus. How's the audio out on the head phone jack? My EVO was extremely low and photon is almost as loud as my ipod....
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phyba said:
Well I have been given the chance to return my photon after the 30 day window but once I get the E4gt, I can't return it, no 14 day trial and ill be stuck with it through thick and thin. This will be a huge gamble because the only thing I don't like about the photon is the screen and lack of development support.
I am mainly concerned with GPS, and call quality and reception. I've seen a few bugs but not much compared to most new releases.
My girlfriend has a captivate and it never gets a gps lock where as my photon is instantaneous and I mean literally a second or less.
Speaker phone is not a big deal as I don't plan to host any parties with the phone lol. But id like it to be louder than my EVO 3d that I had because that speaker was absolutely horrible and strained bad even at low levels. Im hoping the "strain" im hearing about with this phone isn't like the EVO 3d.
Photon screen looks brilliant in sunlight which is the only positive about the screen....I been seeing reviews that say the epic touch is good in sunlight. Is this true?
Thanks for any feedback on this.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
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I did the same thing. Returned 2nd photon for the touch and have no regrets. They will try to hit you with a $35 restocking fee. They didn't charge me an activation and I got 20 of the restocking fee credited with customer service Samoled + is amazing anytime including whilst in direct sunlight.
Sent from my Samsung Eptouch 4g
phyba said:
That a plus. How's the audio out on the head phone jack? My EVO was extremely low and photon is almost as loud as my ipod....
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Id say in between the evo 3d and photon... The photon was loud
And the screen is pretty good in the sunlight better than first generation galaxy s phones
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I have used mine inside and out with zero problems. On a trail inthe moutains, on the freeway, in my house, and at work; lock lock lock lock.
Scaplet said:
I have used mine inside and out with zero problems. On a trail inthe moutains, on the freeway, in my house, and at work; lock lock lock lock.
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This is music to my ears.
Any word on the head set volume with head phones in?
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the only things i think you would be disappointed with in your switch would be the feel of the phone build and the radios in the photon > ET4g. photon is definitely more solid in terms of feel in-hand (thickness and material) and motorola has some of the best radio tech out there.
however, the thinness and lightweight of the ET4g are better to me personally and the build is not at all bad. i place the radios in the ET4g better than evo 3d and below photon. they definitely did a good job with the ET4g, its getting reception where i never thought it would
you dont have to worry at all about the dev community for the ET4g. root was established 2 days after release. for the evo 3d it took weeks (if i remember correctly). i'm not worried about the development at all
I myself have just come from ATT with a captivate so i understand your hesistant feelings when coming over to the next generation of galaxy s phones. I would have to say that NONE of the problems fromt he original Galaxy S phones are here. Theres none of that terrible filesystem lag, and the GPS in this thing is just short of god tier lol. So id have to say DO IT, I love this phone SO MUCH.
phyba said:
This is music to my ears.
Any word on the head set volume with head phones in?
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Haven't tried that yet, only bluetooth to my mortorcycle helmet, but that has its own volume as well so...
phyba said:
This is music to my ears.
Any word on the head set volume with head phones in?
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Nice and loud here! (and im sure this thing will eventually get VooDoo Sound Kernels)
HaiKaiDo said:
Nice and loud here! (and im sure this thing will eventually get VooDoo Sound Kernels)
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I read that due to the gs2 hvibg a Yamaha dac, it won't support voodoo but its nice to sometimes leave the ipod at home and just use my phone while at work to listen to music. I prefer to just leave my ipod in my car
I played with the epic touch for a little while today but I told them ill sleep in it and come tomorrow morning to get it. But im hoping I don't regret it lol
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Thanks for the feedback
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phyba said:
This is music to my ears.
Any word on the head set volume with head phones in?
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I can't compare those phones but I will say this. One thing I didn't like about the Epic was low audio on headphones. I am a bit hard of hearing. The touch is very loud and clear. Using the same headphones as the Epic I can't turn the volume all the way up without hurting my ears. And that is saying a lot for me.
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What?! No voodoo!? BS... no way! I love my Voodoo in the Epic4G.. wtf samsung!
Kikoshi said:
What?! No voodoo!? BS... no way! I love my Voodoo in the Epic4G.. wtf samsung!
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It was nice for ead buds but I will avoid any volume hacks from now on when hooking my phone into my car system or home audio as it distorts the fack out of it... Obviously turning the volume down on the reciever or cd player would be the only fix to stop the destortion but voodoo was nice while I was at work with my headphones ( I work at a factory)
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The headphone amp is great..much better than any HTC phone, thats for sure
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Ive had the touch since Friday, I couldnt be more pleased. Ive messed around with a Photon, but by no means a long use. 3g/4g is quick, super responsive, and the battery life on this phone is the best ive seen yet. Signal strength is better than my iPhone-y coworkers. Wifi only makes this snappy phone super-quick accessing web pages and downloading doesnt "load", they blink. Voila! Im pretty scrutinizing of my phone,, and this one doesnt disappoint. ;]
the headphones are amazing on this. Anyone complaining about the sound being distorted when you turn it up all the way is lying. There is no way anyone can listen to music with headphones with the sound turned up all the way. It's extremely loud hence why people think its distorted. When I listen to music I usually have it around 10, anything louder than that and it starts to hurt my head, and i bet people 20 feet away from me can hear it as well.
Hello,
Im searching for a new phone and I picked the Galaxy Nexus and a HTC Sensation ( xe + xl) . I read there are so many problems with the Nexus. Screen isn't good, build quality is bad etc. Is it really that bad? Im just trying to figure that out.
Thanks,
Lars
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I received my nexus yesterday, it has the most current software release on it, so no sound bug. Display is brilliant (coming from a HD2) and touchscreen is very responsive.
Also I haven't noticed any lag and ICS has some nice features.
Only thing I am not so amused of is the battery cover. It's pure plastic and doesn't look very stable. BUT it fits perfectly so no problem at all.
Good to read a positive reaction. Thank you.
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LarsAussems said:
Hello,
Im searching for a new phone and I picked the Galaxy Nexus and a HTC Sensation ( xe + xl) . I read there are so many problems with the Nexus. Screen isn't good, build quality is bad etc. Is it really that bad? Im just trying to figure that out.
Thanks,
Lars
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Where you hear all this rubish? an Apple forum?
Every phone has its issue but right now the galaxy nexus is the best android-phone/phone money can buy.
So far so good!!!
Downy said:
I received my nexus yesterday, it has the most current software release on it, so no sound bug. Display is brilliant (coming from a HD2) and touchscreen is very responsive.
Also I haven't noticed any lag and ICS has some nice features.
Only thing I am not so amused of is the battery cover. It's pure plastic and doesn't look very stable. BUT it fits perfectly so no problem at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Everything is good. Only thing I noticed is it rotates a lil slow (compared to the sgs2) But I have to admit that i am still keeping the sgs2 because to me it is a beast!
I read that stuff here on xda. I think i'm going to buy this phone. Its so nice and slick. I love the led light en the new buttons which are part of the screen.
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LarsAussems said:
I read that stuff here on xda. I think i'm going to buy this phone. Its so nice and slick. I love the led light en the new buttons which are part of the screen.
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda premium
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You also have to ask yourself how important the camera is, because after using the iphone 4s, I feel the GN is pretty horrible. You may say, well I don't really use my phone for the camera ( I said that) and then when you need it you get poor quality pics. Just my opinion.
also keep in mind you will need a good data plan, or restrict yourself to WiFi only
The phone is amazing. Screen looks beautiful (especially coming from my Nexus One). Having a 720p display is so great. Fluid and fast. And the build quality is great. Even though it's plastic, it feels almost as good as my N1 to hold. The only downside is the camera quality - but even that is much better than my N1.
Coming from a Nexus One
This touchscreen is excellent. I am able to using the turn by turn navi while sending emails or text messages without the touchscreen going haywire. In the past, my N1 would registry incorrectly and I had to restart the phone! So much for multi tasking!
It maybe not a HTC build but it looks very well made and how thin it is. Also this phone seems to grab a hold of a 3G signal much stronger. My N1 would go to EDGE all the time even if I had 1 bar of 3G!
As for the GNEX, I've only seen it go to EDGE once but quickly back to 3G.
I actually came from a HTC sensation, and the galaxy nexus is definitely the best smartphone I've ever owned (and I've had them all, even iPhone 4 ) . The screen is so crisp and clear , colors are very warm, and can get very bright. The OS itself is super speedy , comparable to an iPhone, with very fluid animations. Battery life was a bit bad at first but gets better after about a week. Also charges extremely fast from what I've noticed. The camera quality isn't bad. I think its damn good, and zero shutter lag, I can't complain. Seriously , if you are debating between the sensation and the galaxy nexus, do yourself a favor and pick the nexus . You will not be disappointed. Another thing I forgot was build quality, the first time I picked it up out of the box my jaw almost hit the floor because of how thin this device is.its amazing to say the least. And even though the entire phone is made of plastic it definitely feels like a premium built device , doesn't feel "cheap" by any means .
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
nory82688 said:
I actually came from a HTC sensation, and the galaxy nexus is definitely the best smartphone I've ever owned (and I've had them all, even iPhone 4 ) . The screen is so crisp and clear , colors are very warm, and can get very bright. The OS itself is super speedy , comparable to an iPhone, with very fluid animations. Battery life was a bit bad at first but gets better after about a week. Also charges extremely fast from what I've noticed. The camera quality isn't bad. I think its damn good, and zero shutter lag, I can't complain. Seriously , if you are debating between the sensation and the galaxy nexus, do yourself a favor and pick the nexus . You will not be disappointed. Another thing I forgot was build quality, the first time I picked it up out of the box my jaw almost hit the floor because of how thin this device is.its amazing to say the least. And even though the entire phone is made of plastic it definitely feels like a premium built device , doesn't feel "cheap" by any means .
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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+1
I believe it's the best phone available Android or otherwise. I love mine!
Wow, good to hear these good reactions. Tomorrow I'm going to a store to check it out and I will probably buy it. Thank you for these reactions.
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Every time a phone comes out, "problem" threads begin popping up everywhere. If you pay attention to all the threads, you'd think that every phone that's released is a non-functional piece of garbage.
AllGamer said:
also keep in mind you will need a good data plan, or restrict yourself to WiFi only
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Click to collapse
You getting this phone too? It would be nice to see some familiar faces / dev from my previous phones.
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Best phone I've ever seen or used. Most beautiful display out there. And fast as f*ck!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Coming from an HTC legend.... had the nexus a few days now... best phone ive ever had no problems with it what so ever.... its a tad on the large size but thats not the phones fault and i dont think that can be seen as a disadvantage really.
I got mine yesterday and no problems so far. The screen is really nice, nothing wrong with the build quality that I can see. The battery cover is a little flimsy but I will probably hardly ever have to open it so I don't think it's a problem. If those back covers start breaking for a lot of people I'm sure they will be made available for purchase or maybe some free replacements from Samsung.
The OS updates for ICS are nice. The phone app is annoying because the layout for finding contacts is totally different and the icons aren't obvious. There are no words to help you choose what icon to select. Even if you are completely confused by that, at worst it should take a week to get familiar with it so that's not a problem.
I am also a little worried about the screen being scratched. I used my Captivate for over a year without a case or screen protector, carried it around in my pocket and even dropped it a few times and the screen is scratch free. I planned on doing that with the GNex but after reading some posts here I'm waiting to see what happens once there are more widespread experiences with the screen quality. Right now I have the sstock screen protector on it still.
Man I love nexus constantly on it modding the **** out of it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I got mine on Monday (GSM), coming from the Nexus S. I must say that this phone is outstanding in nearly every aspect.
My only gripes ( if you can call them that) are:
Non mettalic outer chassis
No native notification light for SMS ( must D/L app for customization)
I was blessed with a "non Google/Samsung rom ( South American import to US), which a simple flash took care of.
Other than that I giggle every time I use it......
http://www.thetechblock.com/articles/2012/an-androids-users-take-on-the-galaxy-nexus/
Today I jumped ship from Sprint and purchased 3 Nexus and 2 Thunderbolts from Verizon. I've been checking out reviews and I was just wondering how you guys feel about this phone. From what I've seen it looks amazing and most likely, I'll be extremely happy with the device (coming from an HTC Evo 3D). But wanted to see if he is correct on any of the negative points he made.
Appreciate any feedback in general about what you do, don't like about the device.
I got the Thunderbolts because those two are for older employees and they could barely get used to Honeycomb they use now. Also, They wouldn't allow me to get more than 3 Nexus' and the Thunderbolts were free.
My only question is why did you buy 2 Thunderbolts? Lol
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
I was thinking the exact same thing lol, the thunderblunder whhyyyyy? Hope he can still return them.
---------- Post added at 12:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 PM ----------
Are you happy with your phones? I think that's all that matters. I could find a bunch of reviews praising the heck out of the nexus but would it change if you like it, idk. I'd say give it a week and see if you like it. Don't base it on some tech writer from a site that quite frankly I've never heard of and I frequent quite a few. The nice thing about the Gnex which I have and love is you can customize the heck out of it, if there's something you don't like there's probably a way to change it and you won't find better community support for any other phone period.
If you don't mind my saying, if your still within the return period I would be a lot more concerned about those thunderbolts.
Read the review and didn't really agree with a lot of the points.
First off the volume is fine, the problem is is that if your hand is covering the speaker it can dim very quickly so make sure to keep your hand away from the bottom while watching videos.
The phone to me feels solid. I owned a Thunderbolt before this and a Droid 2 before that so I have been with 3 of the 4 major manufacturers (LG being the last, if you can take them seriously) and to me this phone feels the best. It just works in my hand and feels good.
The screen size is a "tiny" issue to me, the only problem is trying to reach the notification bar which can be done moderately easy with one hand but most of the time I realize that I have two.
The camera on this phone is what you should expect from a camera on a phone. The fact that this guy is saying he is a photographer but uses phone camera's makes his take on the Nexus's camera seem unreliable. A phones camera is for quick shots when something comes up unexpected, if you are a photographer go buy a dedicated camera.
I am not saying that this phone is perfect but this guys review is a lot of garbage and sounds like he is just trying to find reasons to stick with his Incredible.
miketoasty said:
First off the volume is fine, the problem is is that if your hand is covering the speaker it can dim very quickly so make sure to keep your hand away from the bottom while watching videos.
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If you're coming from other Samsung devices, the Nexus One or Nexus S then the Volume is on par with those devices. If you are coming from one of Motorola's beastly loudspeaker devices (Droid 2 for example) then it's a significant difference.
martonikaj said:
My only question is why did you buy 2 Thunderbolts? Lol
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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Ha! Those two are for older employees and they could barely get used to Honeycomb, so getting two more Nexus' would be a waste, not to mention, they wouldn't allow me to get more than 3 Nexus' haha.
Left Sprint 2 days ago and came to Verizon and picked up the GN. Was using an E4GT and before that an EVO 3D. The E4GT blew the EVO out of the water in my opinion so that phone is pretty irrelevant. The GN is most definitly better then the washed out screen, bad build, light leakage that the EVO 3D brings.
Now comparing it to the E4GT it is a closer battle but the GN has some cool things going for it that are not making me miss my E4GT to much.
Although battery life is looking pretty bad on this thing but I only have 1 day to judge that and will need some more time...
As others have said, return that thunderbolt ASAP!!! That is just a way failed version of the EVO 4G. You need to stay away from that device...
"most of the time I realize that I have two"
made me chuckle lol
InfiniD said:
"most of the time I realize that I have two"
made me chuckle lol
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Just makes me laugh at all these reviews saying you have to use two hands like it's some new concept. I know it isn't always the most convenient thing, but then again why would you buy a phone this big if you were worried about it in the first place? I personally first looked at this phone for it's large screen (ICS was a close second) and I knew that for the most part it was going to be a 2 hander.
InfiniD said:
I was thinking the exact same thing lol, the thunderblunder whhyyyyy? Hope he can still return them.
---------- Post added at 12:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 PM ----------
Are you happy with your phones? I think that's all that matters. I could find a bunch of reviews praising the heck out of the nexus but would it change if you like it, idk. I'd say give it a week and see if you like it. Don't base it on some tech writer from a site that quite frankly I've never heard of and I frequent quite a few. The nice thing about the Gnex which I have and love is you can customize the heck out of it, if there's something you don't like there's probably a way to change it and you won't find better community support for any other phone period.
If you don't mind my saying, if your still within the return period I would be a lot more concerned about those thunderbolts.
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I haven't gotten the phones yet so haven't taken it for a spin. The sound part he mentioned bothered me. The Thunderbolts are for non power users, the Nexus' are for power users, they could care less what they have. They really want flip phones and I told them it's out of the question! haha
InfiniD said:
"most of the time I realize that I have two"
made me chuckle lol
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Haha, I don't think I'll have an issue with the size. I've got pretty big hands.
infinitemethod said:
I haven't gotten the phones yet so haven't taken it for a spin. The sound part he mentioned bothered me. The Thunderbolts are for non power users, the Nexus' are for power users, they could care less what they have. They really want flip phones and I told them it's out of the question! haha
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Sound is fine. You can install an eq app and it sounds great. Also, the earpiece for phone calls are crystal clear...
miketoasty said:
Just makes me laugh at all these reviews saying you have to use two hands like it's some new concept. I know it isn't always the most convenient thing, but then again why would you buy a phone this big if you were worried about it in the first place? I personally first looked at this phone for it's large screen (ICS was a close second) and I knew that for the most part it was going to be a 2 hander.
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Half of my friends have iphones and guess what...........they hold it in portrait mode with 2 hands and type with their thumbs lol. Not to mention they are probably complaining about the nexus screen size being too big as they are trying to mash their thumbs into the little keyboard........they crack me up, think ill take video next time i see them
on another note im actually surprised how much i use my Gnex in portrait with one hand, thought it would be a two hander for sure but it's big enough that portait is actually usable for me and i guess my hand is the perfect size for it
The "build quality" thing is so old and stupid to me at this point. There are dozens of drop tests that show plastic Samsung phones taking a beating like a champ while "metal" phones end up shattering, getting sharp edges, etc upon impact. Yet "metal" is "better" and plastic is "cheap". It makes no sense.
"Oh, the phone feels more solid with metal so it must be"
"Have you seen what happens when you drop a metal phone and what happens when you drop a plastic one? The plastic holds up better."
"Yeah, but metal feels more solid."
I've run out of hands to facepalm with.
Also, if I remember correctly, my GNex weighs over 6oz's with the extended battery. That's HEAVY. It's "solid" so again I don't get it. I also see people complain about "feel" and how their metal phone is clearly more solid just on "feel" alone and it's wrapped in a gel skin. Super Fail
That said, that "review" is merely his opinions, and he's entitled to them. I think the device is perfect for me, and if it's perfect for you then that's all that matters.
[email protected] said:
Sound is fine. You can install an eq app and it sounds great. Also, the earpiece for phone calls are crystal clear...
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I figured that guy's opinion piece was full of ****. I appreciate the feedback and am pumped to try this phone out!
How dare he talk down on the best Android phone ever!
When I first got my Gnex the sound wasn't very loud. That was when it was stock, which lasted about 15 min. Now I'm unlocked, rooted, rommed, themed, the works, I think the volume issue went away with a custom rom, I'm using gummy which you can get here in the development threads. If you like to customize your phones it shouldn't be an issue at all, I use speakerphone daily. If you like stock just get volume+ from the market which works really well. The thing about the nexus is if theres a problem xda will solve it, check out the hook while the dj revolves it. (cheesy i know, couldn't help myself lol)
Eh. Build quality wasn't magically mind blowing but he said felt good in the hand.
He comments on sound being low (?) but then says he tested in a quiet room and couldn't comment on it. To me the GNex is loud. It's not Galaxy Tab loud, but pretty loud. I keep volume about 50% and it's too loud in some cases. I'm sure you won't hear it if your at a rock concert but thats any phone.
He *****es about the Zero Shutter lag and says he'd rather have [email protected] Having a child, the Zero Shutter lag is awesome. Picture taking is awesome. The only downfall is that I pound the button and take a ton of pics, then pick the best one... BUT if I get lazy I'll find a ton of duplicates saved.
I guess when you have Zero shutter lag it's about just getting the picture fast, where when you have shutter lag, you actually take time to make sure its a good shot the first time... since you don't want to sit there and wait 5 minutes.
Other then that he seems to be having a fun time... except he concludes with underwhelming and unimpressive?! Just kinda jumps to it and doesn't explain why. Out of all the Android Phones out there... I can't see how he came to this conclusion. He obviously loves ICS and "can't wait to get it on a future device" and the screen "which delivers incredibly sharp images and text"....
Obviously he's never owned a Nexus (he compares to a Nexus S but doesn't say he owned one). G1>Incredible>Xoom>Galaxy Nexus
I'm not saying the Gnex is super amazing and blows your mind, but it is a top performing device that works wonderfully and literally has no hardware flaws outside of opinions.
The only thing that I think could make the Galaxy Nexus better would be a Quad-Core and a super beefy GPU just for bragging rights, but the Nexus doesn't need all that to still work flawlessly through anything you throw at it. I do hope that one day we can return to the "Nexus One" days where the Nexus introduced the next wave of smartphones. The Nexus S should have been Dual-Core and the Galaxy Nexus should have been quad. Google needs to sync up with their manufactures and try to align their dates to get back in the groove with the latest tech trend.
Since Samsung took over, it feels like the Nexus is being released on hardware that is at the end of its life and outdated within months. This shouldn't be. The Nexus should be the benchmark that all other phones have to rise against.
Another negative I just discovered, the vibrate on the phone is extremely weak. You can barely feel it if you have it on your belt...
Anyone know if this can be fixed with software?
I think the guy's complaints boil down to 3 points.
1. The speaker sound is too low.
2. The camera is sub-par.
3. The build quality is cheap.
I think the first 2 points are fair enough. The speaker sound is a bit low but the problem is easily remedied by installing Volume +. The camera is not great compared to other current gen phones but it is still pretty decent, and like others have said a photographer worth his salt wouldn't be using a phone to take picture seriously anyway.
The last point is completely ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with plastic body phones if they are built properly, which the Nexus definitely is. I guess some people just like carrying around dead weight...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
I know I'm not the only one thinking this, but looks like I'm the only one who has the courage to admit this:
I thought that people who were calling this device a developer phone were exagerating.... Before buying it I was thinking: "Come on, those adds google put on youtube about the gnex are definitely not targeted towards developers"
I thought: "Wow a phone with stock android, future updates ensured, and those high end specs!..... Bought"
The thing is that hardware wise this device sucks.
And I'm not talking about the CPU and the ram (that's the hardware that matters for the developers, and the nexus is fast, we know it).
But i'm talking about the important hardware! The one that matters on a smartphone for normal people like me.
..as I said: I'm not trying to troll. I just want to talk with people who have my same thoughts
BUILD QUALITY: feels too cheap and it definitely doesn't give you that "built to last" feeling in your hand that Nokia or Motorola phones give you. But hey: you get a curved glass and super thin body...
ANTENNAS (GPS, WIFI, CELLULAR): while on my gsm galaxy nexus the 2g and 3g antennas are quite decent ( still not comparable to Motorolas or Nokia though) The Wi-Fi and the GPS are super weak in comparison to even low end smartphones made by Nokia Moto or Htc.
DISPLAY: worst 720p screen on a smartphone ever. First being a pentile display, ON YOUR EYES it's not a true 720p. Take a look to an IPS 720p display, THAT is sharpness. Though on paper it is 720p, so its perfect for developers who need to test apps on 720p screen. White color tone usually looks perfectly white on every phone, until you compare it to another phone side by side that has better whites. On the galaxy nexus you find yourself constantly thinking that what you are looking at, is not pure while.
SPEAKER: probably a very cheap speaker, just like all the "hidden parts" on this phone and all the hidden parts on Samsung phones in general. Don't ever compare it to a Nokia side by side or you'll cry.
(Why is the volume so lower on notifications and on YouTube? LOL Google)
VIBRATION: if you are used to the amazing vibration feedback that Nokia and HTC devices give you, hearing and feeling the galaxy nexus vibrate will be a pain. It just looks like Samsung didn't spend a penny on the vibration system on this device.
[Small story: I had a GS2 some months ago, one day I came back home and threw it on the bed, it did even had a case on... From that day the vibration became much weaker, almost nonexisting]... just for the lols
That said let's come to the part where we all agree:
Stock android is awesome and developers are probably having a much easier time working with this device
Its also really cheap now. Let's not forget that.
my quick thoughts:
BUILD QUALITY: this category will always be subject to personal preference
ANTENNAS (GPS, WIFI, CELLULAR): I don't get the same strength as with the Razr HD on Verizon, but no drops and data is still more than plentiful in speed
DISPLAY: I find it pretty sharp vs the S3 and some others, the whites are a little yellowy vs others but the blacks are way darker. So you have to pick do you want whites or blacks
SPEAKER: who uses the external speaker with all the bluetooth speakers/docks out there now?
VIBRATION: I like the vibration cuz this way when ur in class/work you feel it but can't hear it, hearing a phone vibrate defeats the purpose of having it on vibrate
I strongly disagree that HTC outperforms Samsung in terms of connectivity / signal strength. According to my (and many other users' ) experiences HTC devices used to have constant issues with WiFi, data signal drops etc something I've never experienced on my samsung devices. I find WiFi signal slightly weaker on Gnex than on my previous S2 or my brother's Droid RAZR but it's not a big deal since I've never experienced random connectivity drops. I do find lack of gorilla glass more irritating.
Comparing "new" IPS displays to our "old" SAMOLED it's little like comparing exynos 5 to our tiomap in terms of speed. (Anyway white will always look better on LCD screens while black on AMOLEDs.)
Before I bought Gnex I read a lot about very low max volume level, but to be honest I've never found it so low that I couldn't hear incoming notification or a phone cal.
this screen is awesome if you tweak it a little.... Reviews still praise the display to this day.
I personally love this phone, Go watch drop tests of the nexus vs. other phones and then come back and talk about build quality.
This is easily the best phone Ive ever owned, bar none. (and I am in no way a dev)
Phone is over a year old. What did you expect compared to newer models? It still holds fine. The build quality is a Sammy trademark.
Sent from my A100 using xda app-developers app
OP, though I see where you're coming from. I personally wanted a Nexus solely for the massive dev community (and just to clarify, I'm not a dev, just a ROM flashing addict). Personally, I feel that getting a Nexus for other reasons (like hardware) is kind of missing the point...
Let's not forget the Gnex cost $350, and it's over a year old, and it's now out of production. Is a Porsche 911 comparable too and in the same class as a VW GTI? The Gnex at that price point was absolutely the best bang for your buck...shortcomings and all. What more could you ask for in a $350 phone? Well, time passes and the Nexus 4 arrived at the same price, so now we can come to expect more features and better hardware for the same price :victory:
Funny though your comparing to a company who are now struggling to be afloat , even going so much so as sleeping with there's once enemy Nokia's!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
wannagofast said:
Let's not forget the Gnex cost $350, and it's over a year old, and it's now out of production. Is a Porsche 911 comparable too and in the same class as a VW GTI? The Gnex at that price point was absolutely the best bang for your buck...shortcomings and all. What more could you ask for in a $350 phone? Well, time passes and the Nexus 4 arrived at the same price, so now we can come to expect more features and better hardware for the same price :victory:
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It cost $350 for the late adopters. I paid $560 and others paid even more.
I wouldn't recommend nexus for an average smartphone user. OEM flagships are imo definitely more suitable here, they offer more eye candy ui, and usually more customization and user friendly options (t9 dialer, regular toggles, more camera options etc). Nexus line with the most lightweight firmware is for those who know why they want it.
polonordo said:
I know I'm not the only one thinking this, but looks like I'm the only one who has the courage to admit this:
I thought that people who were calling this device a developer phone were exagerating.... Before buying it I was thinking: "Come on, those adds google put on youtube about the gnex are definitely not targeted towards developers"
I thought: "Wow a phone with stock android, future updates ensured, and those high end specs!..... Bought"
The thing is that hardware wise this device sucks.
And I'm not talking about the CPU and the ram (that's the hardware that matters for the developers, and the nexus is fast, we know it).
But i'm talking about the important hardware! The one that matters on a smartphone for normal people like me.
..as I said: I'm not trying to troll. I just want to talk with people who have my same thoughts
BUILD QUALITY: feels too cheap and it definitely doesn't give you that "built to last" feeling in your hand that Nokia or Motorola phones give you. But hey: you get a curved glass and super thin body...
ANTENNAS (GPS, WIFI, CELLULAR): while on my gsm galaxy nexus the 2g and 3g antennas are quite decent ( still not comparable to Motorolas or Nokia though) The Wi-Fi and the GPS are super weak in comparison to even low end smartphones made by Nokia Moto or Htc.
DISPLAY: worst 720p screen on a smartphone ever. First being a pentile display, ON YOUR EYES it's not a true 720p. Take a look to an IPS 720p display, THAT is sharpness. Though on paper it is 720p, so its perfect for developers who need to test apps on 720p screen. White color tone usually looks perfectly white on every phone, until you compare it to another phone side by side that has better whites. On the galaxy nexus you find yourself constantly thinking that what you are looking at, is not pure while.
SPEAKER: probably a very cheap speaker, just like all the "hidden parts" on this phone and all the hidden parts on Samsung phones in general. Don't ever compare it to a Nokia side by side or you'll cry.
(Why is the volume so lower on notifications and on YouTube? LOL Google)
VIBRATION: if you are used to the amazing vibration feedback that Nokia and HTC devices give you, hearing and feeling the galaxy nexus vibrate will be a pain. It just looks like Samsung didn't spend a penny on the vibration system on this device.
[Small story: I had a GS2 some months ago, one day I came back home and threw it on the bed, it did even had a case on... From that day the vibration became much weaker, almost nonexisting]... just for the lols
That said let's come to the part where we all agree:
Stock android is awesome and developers are probably having a much easier time working with this device
Its also really cheap now. Let's not forget that.
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If you do not like the Gnex then go buy what is evident you really want, a Nokia or a Motorola. Everything you have just pointed out is opinion and nothing more. My mother doesn't know the first thing about anything tech, I build her computers for her and she loves her galaxy nexus, she has not a single complaint. I have many female friends that had iPhones that love how easy and smooth my phone runs as well. To say it's only for developers is ridiculous. What you should have done is called this thread "My rant about how Nokia, Motorola and HTC are better than Galaxy Nexus".
No offense but not one thing you have to say is based on fact. My phone has no issues with connectivity, whether it be data or wifi. My gps locks on instantly as long as I'm outside and within 10 seconds indoors. My screen is amazing, if you don't think this is 720p then you are blind (that's my opinion, not fact.). Vibration is no different than the last two HTC phones I owned, I have no problems with volume either. As someone already said, there is no reason to be using your device speakers for anything besides your ringtones and notifications in the age of Bluetooth.
Now onto build quality, you may personally want a oversized heavy lug of a phone but I love how lightweight and thin my Gnex is, I have not a single scratch on it nor a ding or dent and I do not use a screen protector or a case, this is coming from someone that keeps it in the same pocket as his car keys a lot of the time as well.
Now a lot of what I said is opinion as was what you said but out of the two of us, I at least point that out. You posted an entire comment speaking as though all these issues are fact and that this phone is only meant for developers, sorry man, I'm gonna have to go with "no" on both of those.
i dunno where to start man, are you trying to throw this thing against a brick wall? if they made it "tougher" people would complain that its too heavy. people (me included) like the thinness, it can go in my pocket without looking like a bannana or am i happy to see you joke. the build quality is fine, it feel like quality electronics but not tough enough to get run over by a bus. the speaker is fine, every music app has an eq, play musics eq works on the internal speaker and boosting the lower end clears up the tinny crappy tiny speaker sound pretty good. boohoo, pentile. the pentile argument is so overblown, my fascinate had a pentile screen and it looked amazing. i cant see any jagedness or pixels on my nexus, its plenty resolution. the radios are fine unless you live in the middle of nowhere (not bashing people who do) and if you do live in the sticks then why did you buy a phone knowing that it has a weak radio? you want a phone with loud vibration? get a rezound, jesus that things louder than the actual speaker in it. the point of vibrate is so you can feel it but dont hear it.
not trying to fight but man, it seems like you are posting to complain for the sake of complaining.
username8611 said:
i dunno where to start man, are you trying to throw this thing against a brick wall? if they made it "tougher" people would complain that its too heavy. people (me included) like the thinness, it can go in my pocket without looking like a bannana or am i happy to see you joke. the build quality is fine, it feel like quality electronics but not tough enough to get run over by a bus. the speaker is fine, every music app has an eq, play musics eq works on the internal speaker and boosting the lower end clears up the tinny crappy tiny speaker sound pretty good. boohoo, pentile. the pentile argument is so overblown, my fascinate had a pentile screen and it looked amazing. i cant see any jagedness or pixels on my nexus, its plenty resolution. the radios are fine unless you live in the middle of nowhere (not bashing people who do) and if you do live in the sticks then why did you buy a phone knowing that it has a weak radio? you want a phone with loud vibration? get a rezound, jesus that things louder than the actual speaker in it. the point of vibrate is so you can feel it but dont hear it.
not trying to fight but man, it seems like you are posting to complain for the sake of complaining.
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I agree with all of the above, I even stated most of the same things above you lol.
A lot of people forget that they can actually get apps that will increase vibration levels without even having to be rooted.
dankblaze said:
If you do not like the Gnex then go buy what is evident you really want, a Nokia or a Motorola. Everything you have just pointed out is opinion and nothing more. My mother doesn't know the first thing about anything tech, I build her computers for her and she loves her galaxy nexus, she has not a single complaint. I have many female friends that had iPhones that love how easy and smooth my phone runs as well. To say it's only for developers is ridiculous. What you should have done is called this thread "My rant about how Nokia, Motorola and HTC are better than Galaxy Nexus".
No offense but not one thing you have to say is based on fact. My phone has no issues with connectivity, whether it be data or wifi. My gps locks on instantly as long as I'm outside and within 10 seconds indoors. My screen is amazing, if you don't think this is 720p then you are blind (that's my opinion, not fact.). Vibration is no different than the last two HTC phones I owned, I have no problems with volume either. As someone already said, there is no reason to be using your device speakers for anything besides your ringtones and notifications in the age of Bluetooth.
Now onto build quality, you may personally want a oversized heavy lug of a phone but I love how lightweight and thin my Gnex is, I have not a single scratch on it nor a ding or dent and I do not use a screen protector or a case, this is coming from someone that keeps it in the same pocket as his car keys a lot of the time as well.
Now a lot of what I said is opinion as was what you said but out of the two of us, I at least point that out. You posted an entire comment speaking as though all these issues are fact and that this phone is only meant for developers, sorry man, I'm gonna have to go with "no" on both of those.
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We may have argued in the past but this is a quality post and I fully agree
Since this phone receives a lot of support from devs, you'll have plenty of custom roms and mods to toy with. Everyone can flash a custom rom or mod if they read the instructions carefully, you don't need to be a dev to do that.
That awkward moment when you realize this device is a year old.
It was great for its time.
People still use the Nexus One.
I completely disagree with this thread because I had a One S before and I know that this phone is better.
You know, specs aren't everything.
It's your personal preference.
Their could be a device with amazing specs, but looks like a pile of ****.
Or vice versa.
In my opinion, this device wins in both.
You still get decent specs, a nice screen, and a beautiful slim phone.
If you don't like it buy a new one, simple.
I'm happy with it, and I'm not a developer. I must be a frickin vampire or something.
Had my GNex for a year, switched to the Galaxy S3 for a month and came back to the GNex. Can't beat stock AOSP.
What version do you own?
I came from a CDMA Day 1 Toro. After a few months, I hated the phone with very much the same regard and issues you had. Then I got a GSM when I switched to T-Mobile.
I learned I had a dud in the Verizon version. The new GSM one is amazing, the screen is spectacular, the signal is strong and I cannot complain much about it. I prefer low vibration, I have my phone on silent or sound only.
Honestly the GSM Nexus is still one of the top performers of all time, it sits next to the iPhone 4 and Motorola Droid as the best/game changing smartphones of all time as well. The Galaxy Nexus became both a benchmark and a leaping off point for so many people, projects and development. True it has its issues, but when my Galaxy Nexus will out perform my Nexus 7 and a Galaxy S3 in normal day to day operation, it is a testimony to greatness.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
polonordo said:
If you are not an enthusiast, this phone is quite bad.
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FTFY
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app