[Q] Not happy with my Galaxy Nexus, did I get a lemon? - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Hi all, this is my first post but been lurking here for a while.
I just bought my Galaxy Nexus for Sprint trough Best Buy, it seemed like a good deal since I registered for the Phone freedom plan ($50 rebate) and Google wallet+Citi have another $50 offer.
However, I am so dissapointed at this phone that now Im wondering If I should just return it.
The phone is currently stock. I don't want to go trough the trouble of rooting and unrooting unless Im confidant its worth it, thats why Im here asking for help.
My previous phone is an HTC EVO 4g, aside from the battery life, I was happy with it. (And I could always go back)
Here is a list of the things that I've observed:
-It doesnt let me know when I'm charging unless the screen is on.
-The browser is super slow both on WIFI/3g (I'm in San Diego, no 4g). This is so bad, sometimes I google something, then hit a result link, and it takes like 10-20 seconds to take me there!
-I have to check "request desktop version" every time I open a website (I hate mobile sites).
-IDK If I'm missing something but it seems I can't view flash content. I have seen the "you dont have flash installed" message several times. I dont know if its related, but I couldnt even see the "newbie video" at registration.
-It's very limited as far as customization vs the EVO. Very few options.
-The battery life is NOT any better (extremely frustrated) I would think that 2 years later there would be a better battery life optimization across the board.
I may be missing stuff, but Ive only had it for 4 days.
So, my question is, can this things be fixed? Or should I just return it and move on? Maybe swap it for the EVO LTE? Is that gonna be any better? Or is there anything else out there coming soon?
I really like the $100 in savings, so that makes me wanna keep it....
Any replies are much appreciated.

cabronsaim said:
-It doesnt let me know when I'm charging unless the screen is on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I think a good indication of charging is the USB cable plugged into it. If you need an LED notification, use an app like Light Flow (about 99% of us here are using it, no root req'd).
-The browser is super slow both on WIFI/3g (I'm in San Diego, no 4g). This is so bad, sometimes I google something, then hit a result link, and it takes like 10-20 seconds to take me there!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not normal. I'd try other browsers to see if its a network issue or a browser issue.
-I have to check "request desktop version" every time I open a website (I hate mobile sites).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just how the stock browser is. Once you check the "reqest desktop site" it should stay until you close the browser. There are other browsers that can let you lock in Desktop sites all the time if you'd like. You're not forced to use the stock one.
-IDK If I'm missing something but it seems I can't view flash content. I have seen the "you dont have flash installed" message several times. I dont know if its related, but I couldnt even see the "newbie video" at registration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Install flash player. Although I believe its built into the stock browser (dunno, using Chrome).
-It's very limited as far as customization vs the EVO. Very few options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How so? Need examples. Its just as customizable as any other device.
-The battery life is NOT any better (extremely frustrated) I would think that 2 years later there would be a better battery life optimization across the board.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what happens when you have a gigantic 720P AMOLED screen (my screen is 60%+ of my total battery drain at 40% brightness). A WVGA LCD on the Evo didn't use nearly as much battery. I wouldn't say its poor on battery, but its probably mid to low on the charts compared to other high-end devices. Most people here can do ~14 hours total w/ 2.5-3hrs screen on time.

cabronsaim said:
-The browser is super slow both on WIFI/3g (I'm in San Diego, no 4g). This is so bad, sometimes I google something, then hit a result link, and it takes like 10-20 seconds to take me there!
-I have to check "request desktop version" every time I open a website (I hate mobile sites).
-IDK If I'm missing something but it seems I can't view flash content. I have seen the "you dont have flash installed" message several times. I dont know if its related, but I couldnt even see the "newbie video" at registration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could try another browser, I find Chrome beta very fast but Dolphin browser HD is also good alternative.
-These should have an option to request desktop version each time.
For flash you need to download the free Adobe Flash Player application from the google play store. -does not work in Chrome beta browser, stock browser is fine
-Found in Google play HERE
cabronsaim said:
-It's very limited as far as customization vs the EVO. Very few options.
-The battery life is NOT any better (extremely frustrated) I would think that 2 years later there would be a better battery life optimization across the board.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can try an alternative launcher for more home/lock screen, notification, nav bar and gesture customisation.
-I'm currently using Apex launcher, it has lots of customisation.
Flashing a new Rom can give you more features AND increase your battery life, by keeping on top of what apps are running I easily get 2 days out of mine now.
-There are lots of different Roms available, just check out the dev section.
I cant help about the charging notification light, however you can buy replacement batteries, (3 for like $12 that come with a battery charger *it has a charging light,* and just swap out a battery when it dies)
I don't even charge my phone, hate being stuck next to a power point.

I just bought my Galaxy Nexus for Sprint trough Best Buy, it seemed like a good deal since I registered for the Phone freedom plan ($50 rebate) and Google wallet+Citi have another $50 offer.
What citibank offer are you referring to? Am I missing out on free money? lol

You know, I'm starting to feel that CDMA Nexus' are just different and perform lower than the normal GSM one...
My gf has the VZW Nexus and she has been sooooo frustrated with it. THe data speeds are slow as hell. And like you said, even on wifi pages won't load sometimes. And her 3G speeds are abysmal, it'll say she has full bars of 3G (or even LTE for that matter) and yet pages won't load at ALL. I even had it rooted and flashed Gummy.
But I just got my GSM one with TMO service and it has been perfect. Data and reception has even been faster and better than my old G2x. I get 4G now where I used to get 2G on my G2x. And I have absolutely no bugs...
So my amateur conclusion is that CDMA Nexus' is just different for some reason...
Also, is Sprints Nexus at 4.0.4 out of the box?

mackster248 said:
Also, is Sprints Nexus at 4.0.4 out of the box?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.

mackster248 said:
You know, I'm starting to feel that CDMA Nexus' are just different and perform lower than the normal GSM one...
My gf has the VZW Nexus and she has been sooooo frustrated with it. THe data speeds are slow as hell. And like you said, even on wifi pages won't load sometimes. And her 3G speeds are abysmal, it'll say she has full bars of 3G (or even LTE for that matter) and yet pages won't load at ALL. I even had it rooted and flashed Gummy.
But I just got my GSM one with TMO service and it has been perfect. Data and reception has even been faster and better than my old G2x. I get 4G now where I used to get 2G on my G2x. And I have absolutely no bugs...
So my amateur conclusion is that CDMA Nexus' is just different for some reason...
Also, is Sprints Nexus at 4.0.4 out of the box?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been screaming this for months. My GSM nexus gets the best speeds of any device before it, and great battery. Loading pages in the browser is insanely quick, like 5 seconds.

RogerPodacter said:
I've been screaming this for months. My GSM nexus gets the best speeds of any device before it, and great battery. Loading pages in the browser is insanely quick, like 5 seconds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gsm has always gotten better battery life than cdma ....but mine is nothing like that I noticed wifi slows when screen is off but that is to save battery and apps fix that......maybe exchange for another and see how it is
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

To change browser's user agent: "about:debug" in the URL bar, then press Enter.
Go to Browser > Menù > Settings > Debug > UAstring

frigidazzi said:
I just bought my Galaxy Nexus for Sprint trough Best Buy, it seemed like a good deal since I registered for the Phone freedom plan ($50 rebate) and Google wallet+Citi have another $50 offer.
What citibank offer are you referring to? Am I missing out on free money? lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't post links yet but Google sprint galaxy nexus then click on the first link originating front the official sprint website. sends May 22. But it has to be done within 7 days of purchase.

cambridge vnrythi
mackster248 said:
You know, I'm starting to feel that CDMA Nexus' are just different and perform lower than the normal GSM one...
My gf has the VZW Nexus and she has been sooooo frustrated with it. THe data speeds are slow as hell. And like you said, even on wifi pages won't load sometimes. And her 3G speeds are abysmal, it'll say she has full bars of 3G (or even LTE for that matter) and yet pages won't load at ALL. I even had it rooted and flashed Gummy.
But I just got my GSM one with TMO service and it has been perfect. Data and reception has even been faster and better than my old G2x. I get 4G now where I used to get 2G on my G2x. And I have absolutely no bugs...
So my amateur conclusion is that CDMA Nexus' is just different for some reason...
Also, is Sprints Nexus at 4.0.4 out of the box?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm hoping that the problem resides on the on the software not on the hardware.
Yes. Its 4.04

my vzw nexus is fine. pages load quite fast on either LTE or wifi (though i dont use wifi much, have a super strong LTE signal at my house and unlimited data)

martonikaj said:
Well I think a good indication of charging is the USB cable plugged into it. If you need an LED notification, use an app like Light Flow (about 99% of us here are using it, no root req'd).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it, thx.
Not normal. I'd try other browsers to see if its a network issue or a browser issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive read something about specific routers etc, will try at other networks.
Just how the stock browser is. Once you check the "reqest desktop site" it should stay until you close the browser. There are other browsers that can let you lock in Desktop sites all the time if you'd like. You're not forced to use the stock one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This really is annoying. An I havent found a browser I care for other than the stock browser in my EVO
Install flash player. Although I believe its built into the stock browser (dunno, using Chrome).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also tought it came pre-installed. got it.
How so? Need examples. Its just as customizable as any other device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several things but the perfect example is on the Evo I could make it avoid mobile sites forever.
That's what happens when you have a gigantic 720P AMOLED screen (my screen is 60%+ of my total battery drain at 40% brightness). A WVGA LCD on the Evo didn't use nearly as much battery. I wouldn't say its poor on battery, but its probably mid to low on the charts compared to other high-end devices. Most people here can do ~14 hours total w/ 2.5-3hrs screen on time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the phone a lot, mainly internet browsing, gps and sometimes watch video on it. 2.5 hrs of screen time are not enough to tip the scale against a better resolution.
Either way thanks for your input, at the very least I am keeping it one more week to better make my decision.

Related

I've been doubting myself too much

to the point where I'm thinking of returning my Galaxy Nexus. The phone is beautiful and slick but I can't deal with the battery life. I'm especially worried for when I go back to my University next week because I'm not sure if the phone would last while I'm going from class to class from 9 AM to 5 PM everyday and most rooms having low to no reception.
Before this phone I had the HTC Thunderbolt with the extended battery and it could last me the whole day while I was going from class to class and under heavy and constan usage (to the point where I never had to bother monitering it or caring about the battery). I would have auto-brightness on, GPS, Google Latitude, use Facebook app freeling, have Google+ uploading my pics as soon as they were taken, use Pulse, and be ALWAYS connected to 4G without worrying about the battery life.
Now with the Galaxy Nexus I'm forced to turn down my brightness, turn off GPS, turn off Latitude (you can see where this is going. Pretty much opposite of Thunderbolt), uninstall Facebook and disable Google+, minimize my usage, and use Wifi whenever possible to get through a few hours. I even uninstalled Google Voice today to see if that makes any difference. Really? Why am I crippling my smartphone? Why should I have to turn off 4G on a 4G phone to save battery?
I'm obviously an idiot for comparing a Thunderbolt that has an extended battery (2,750 mAh) with the Galaxy Nexus that has a normal battery (1,850 mAh). It's also my fault for trying to believe that battery technology would improve in about a year especially after the horrible battery life from the Thunderbolt; I thought that people would learn from other's mistakes. I thought that the Galaxy Nexus, Google's new and precious baby, would fix the woes from previous phones.
I've been following a ton of forums to find out if there's a fix and I've done a bunch of stuff (disable Google+, uninstall Facebook, etc) but there's barely a difference. Some people are suggesting that an update will come along to fix the battery but I'm tired of hearing that excuse. A software fix will only do so much. And 4.0.3 has been announced for a quite a while from Google. Why hasn't this phone been update to 4.0.3? Why did Google halt it from the Nexus S? Is there something that's running down the battery even more with that update? I don't want to go off topic but I just hate being kept in the dark and not understanding what is going on.
Here I am now typing this as I'm looking at my Thunderbolt while it charges. I'm planning on trying out a few ICS ROMs to see how they go. I'm just tired of second guessing myself. The Galaxy Nexus is a beautiful device, both software and hardware wise; the camera may not be the best but I love it's speed and ICS is just sleek as F. But I can't fully enjoy the phone with the mediocre battery life that I am getting.
I suggest stock 4.0.2 with ogdobber's jamesbond kernel which only has undervolt open and the gpu oc'ed. Probably need to turn off lte and stick to the CDMA. 3g CDMA isn't fast but it is passable and battery efficient.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
even if battery tech does drastically increase 1750 mah will ALWAYS still be 1750mah it may take up less space or create less heat.. Mah is a measurement of milliamperes per hour
Try Paul O'Brien's excellent MoDaCo ROM - very impressive battery life and for $9 you get access to the kitchen. There's an update due today which will fix a flaky call issue.
Alternatively, hang on for 4.0.3 which is likely to bring some decent battery life improvements and bug fixes (though wouldn't surprise me if it's out for the Galaxy S2 first). I used to get 2-3 days of heavy use from my SGS2, get one of those and wait for ICS if you want better battery.
And a last alternatively... shove one of these in your bag:
http://www.firebox.com/product/2692/Pebble-Portable-Charger
If your in places with no reception, put the thing in airplace mode or disable mobile data.
This phone gives me the best battery life vs my last 4 phones,... HTC hero, htc evo, Nexus s, and htc evo 3d...
Get an external battery. Since you are in uni I suppose you will be carrying around a bag anyway so it won't be too inconvenient to lug around. Just leave your phone charging during lunch and it should last the rest if the afternoon.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Go into your sstem/app folder and take off apps that you don't use. EVERYTHING you don't use. if you take a trip to that folder you're gonna see a lot of **** that you didn't know was there.
Do some cleaning and you should be fine with your normal usage. Also, try to flash a kernel so you can customize the governors and allow the phone to sleep more efficiently.
Coming from a thunderbolt, you should know how horrible battery life is for ANY stock android device...
There's no need to gimp your smartphone. I fluffing hate it when people say "just disable 4g, 3g, take auto-sync off, turn brightness all the way down, and only surf the web with wifi"
WHAT? WHY THE **** DID I BUY A 4G SMARTPHONE THEN IF I'M ONLY GONNA USE IT AS JUST A PHONE?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Also to put it in context...I'm using the epic 4g and I still have the stock 1500 mAh battery and the only time I lasted more than 4 hours on stock without having to charge was with a gngerbread leak.
But after a couple days of devs getting dirty and taking the time to clean up, your battery should last exponentially longer since people will have figured out what exactly drains the batter and how to stop it.
On the epic, it was the DRM. **** always ran in the background, then someone discovered it and about a month later it became so irrelevant since all the devs knew what code to get the drm to stfu until you needed it
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
A_Flying_Fox said:
Go into your sstem/app folder and take off apps that you don't use. EVERYTHING you don't use. if you take a trip to that folder you're gonna see a lot of **** that you didn't know was there.
Do some cleaning and you should be fine with your normal usage. Also, try to flash a kernel so you can customize the governors and allow the phone to sleep more efficiently.
Coming from a thunderbolt, you should know how horrible battery life is for ANY stock android device...
There's no need to gimp your smartphone. I fluffing hate it when people say "just disable 4g, 3g, take auto-sync off, turn brightness all the way down, and only surf the web with wifi"
WHAT? WHY THE **** DID I BUY A 4G SMARTPHONE THEN IF I'M ONLY GONNA USE IT AS JUST A PHONE?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol lay off the nerd 'roids. It like leaving all the lights on and air conditioning in your house and wondering why the bill is so high. It's like a lot of people are expecting their smartphone to automatically be efficient. Get a bigger gas tank if you need to run a marathon. Otherwise sprint efficiently with what you have.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
@rbiter said:
Lol lay off the nerd 'roids. It like leaving all the lights on and air conditioning in your house and wondering why the bill is so high. It's like a lot of people are expecting their smartphone to automatically be efficient. Get a bigger gas tank if you need to run a marathon. Otherwise sprint efficiently with what you have.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah.. fallout new Vegas Nerd Rage perk. STR to Max and screen-on drain resistance +50% when battery falls below 20%.
Sent from my GSM Galaxy Nexus on TMoUS using Tapatalk
David Horn said:
(though wouldn't surprise me if it's out for the Galaxy S2 first).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Game4set said:
to the point where I'm thinking of returning my Galaxy Nexus. The phone is beautiful and slick but I can't deal with the battery life. I'm especially worried for when I go back to my University next week because I'm not sure if the phone would last while I'm going from class to class from 9 AM to 5 PM everyday and most rooms having low to no reception.
Before this phone I had the HTC Thunderbolt with the extended battery and it could last me the whole day while I was going from class to class and under heavy and constan usage (to the point where I never had to bother monitering it or caring about the battery). I would have auto-brightness on, GPS, Google Latitude, use Facebook app freeling, have Google+ uploading my pics as soon as they were taken, use Pulse, and be ALWAYS connected to 4G without worrying about the battery life.
Now with the Galaxy Nexus I'm forced to turn down my brightness, turn off GPS, turn off Latitude (you can see where this is going. Pretty much opposite of Thunderbolt), uninstall Facebook and disable Google+, minimize my usage, and use Wifi whenever possible to get through a few hours. I even uninstalled Google Voice today to see if that makes any difference. Really? Why am I crippling my smartphone? Why should I have to turn off 4G on a 4G phone to save battery?
I'm obviously an idiot for comparing a Thunderbolt that has an extended battery (2,750 mAh) with the Galaxy Nexus that has a normal battery (1,850 mAh). It's also my fault for trying to believe that battery technology would improve in about a year especially after the horrible battery life from the Thunderbolt; I thought that people would learn from other's mistakes. I thought that the Galaxy Nexus, Google's new and precious baby, would fix the woes from previous phones.
I've been following a ton of forums to find out if there's a fix and I've done a bunch of stuff (disable Google+, uninstall Facebook, etc) but there's barely a difference. Some people are suggesting that an update will come along to fix the battery but I'm tired of hearing that excuse. A software fix will only do so much. And 4.0.3 has been announced for a quite a while from Google. Why hasn't this phone been update to 4.0.3? Why did Google halt it from the Nexus S? Is there something that's running down the battery even more with that update? I don't want to go off topic but I just hate being kept in the dark and not understanding what is going on.
Here I am now typing this as I'm looking at my Thunderbolt while it charges. I'm planning on trying out a few ICS ROMs to see how they go. I'm just tired of second guessing myself. The Galaxy Nexus is a beautiful device, both software and hardware wise; the camera may not be the best but I love it's speed and ICS is just sleek as F. But I can't fully enjoy the phone with the mediocre battery life that I am getting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery lasts me all day on the GSM version.
Folks, powering an extra radio uses extra power.
Moreover, the longer your data connection stays active, the longer your radio is active which is an even bigger drain. Since the LTE Gnexus devices are powering 2 radios (CDMA *and* LTE) simultaneously, and the second radio isn't as efficient as the standard radio that's part of the SoC package, this means that you need to ration your data usage if you want your battery to last.
Again, on the GSM version this isn't an issue because the radio is built into the SoC from the ground up, as well as it being only a single active radio at a time (GSM *or* UMTS/HSPA).
Software updates won't change that. It's a matter of physics. The LTE version may see some improvements here and there, but no software will counteract the effects of having to power 2 radios constantly.
@rbiter said:
Lol lay off the nerd 'roids. It like leaving all the lights on and air conditioning in your house and wondering why the bill is so high. It's like a lot of people are expecting their smartphone to automatically be efficient. Get a bigger gas tank if you need to run a marathon. Otherwise sprint efficiently with what you have.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol its definitely not like that. Its more like buying a new eco lightbulb that you use just like your old lightbulb but your bill is $80 more. Wut? LOL
But nah my epic 4g lasts me the whole day with 4g on (no access to wifi :[ ), auto-sync for gmail (i don't use facebook so its always the first app to go), blah blah blah. The only time battery is a problem is if I'm in a no sprint zone and forget to make my phone roam. Other than that, its used as a smartphone with 3+ hours of screen on time (voodoo color allowsyou to edit the gamm values and what not so its able to sip less power for the same brightness if that makes sense)
Seriously, root your phone and if stock is your thing, just install a custom kernel. Kernels handle the voltages and frequencies andhow your phone interacts with certain things so a custom kernel will almost ALWAYS have been optimized over stock. You will probably see a muc better result if you flash a ROM and Kernel, simply because custom roms are made to work without all the extra **** running in the background that no one wants
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Originally Posted by David Horn
(though wouldn't surprise me if it's out for the Galaxy S2 first).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Willing to stick my neck out and bet that we see 4.0.3 with all the Touchwiz toys out before the 4.0.3 update from Google.
A_Flying_Fox said:
Go into your sstem/app folder and take off apps that you don't use. EVERYTHING you don't use. if you take a trip to that folder you're gonna see a lot of **** that you didn't know was there.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify, make sure you KNOW what you're deleting and make backups anyway, just in case something you remove from there causes issues with another application that expects it to be there. Sure, you can remove a lot (if not most) of things from system/app without harm, but don't just go deleting random things unless you are SURE there will not be side effects.
David Horn said:
Willing to stick my neck out and bet that we see 4.0.3 with all the Touchwiz toys out before the 4.0.3 update from Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but that's not gonna happen...
Terminators run on Android
You can have good battery life, of course
Here is mine, all stocks, not-rooted, not-unlocked, 4.0.1, yakju.
Using EXTENDED Battery 2000 mAH, GSM version.
Stand by 2 days and 7 hours, screen on time was 3 hours and 18 minutes.
It still has about 17% battery life, which could easily translate to 1 hour or so screen on time
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
copkay said:
TERRIBLE advice. Make sure you KNOW what you're deleting and make backups anyway, just in case something you remove from there causes issues with another application that expects it to be there. Sure, you can remove a lot (if not most) of things from system/app without harm, but don't just go deleting random things unless you are SURE there will not be side effects.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Common sense dictates not to delete something if you aren't sure what it is.
I apologize for having faith in the OP's cognitive functions.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
A_Flying_Fox said:
Common sense dictates not to delete something if you aren't sure what it is.
I apologize for having faith in the OP's cognitive functions.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your words were to delete EVERYTHING in system/app that you don't use. I'm not trying to pick an argument here, but I just like to clarify, because what may be common sense to some people may not be to another. Not even necessarily the OP, but others that come across the thread in the future.
/worked in tech support -- common sense can never be assumed.
gogol said:
You can have good battery life, of course
Here is mine, all stocks, not-rooted, not-unlocked, 4.0.1, yakju.
Using EXTENDED Battery 2000 mAH, GSM version.
Stand by 2 days and 7 hours, screen on time was 3 hours and 18 minutes.
It still has about 17% battery life, which could easily translate to 1 hour or so screen on time
Forgot to tell, im using original gsm 1750mAh bat.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW! Best iv'e seen so far! I manage to get about 3h on screen time over one day of use, but 2 days and nights with already over 3h screen and still 17% to go!! Wow i do keep gps, sync, latitude, g+ turned on at all times though and always 100% screen brightness, no facebook.. gonna delete that acc soon.. any trix you use to get that bat,life?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Anandtech review up!

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5310/samsung-galaxy-nexus-ice-cream-sandwich-review
Probably the most thorough and detailed review of ICS and Galaxy Nexus. For those of you familiar with Anandtech you'll know what to expect.
"The Galaxy Nexus is so important again because it's the only time Google gets to dictate everything - the hardware, the software, and update timing. There's also the element of freedom, with unlockable hardware out of the box. I find myself wishing that Google had begun its adventure sticking it to the carriers with pentaband WCDMA support like this phone finally has, as that would've been much more successful than the practice of releasing a few different Nexus variants with different bands.
As far as Ice Cream Sandwich is concerned, it really is Android perfected. Everything is smoother, faster and nearly all of our issues with the OS have been addressed. ICS brings Android into 2012 and gives Google a great platform to begin to introduce new features going forward. Android is now very close to UI performance parity with iOS, which eliminates a major tradeoff you had to make in the past. If you were hoping for ICS to be iOS with a Google logo on it, you'll be sorely disappointed. However if you're a fan of Android and just wished it were smoother and more polished, Ice Cream Sandwich is what you've been waiting for."
As you would expect from Anand a completely thorough review! Good stuff.
What I don't get is why AnandTech and Chipworks list different type camera sensors in this device (main sensor). While using sensors from different manufacturers is common, there's a significant difference: AnandTech says this is NOT back-illuminated sensor while Chipworks says the opposite (S5K4E1G vs. S5K4E5YA):
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5310/samsung-galaxy-nexus-ice-cream-sandwich-review/10
http://www.chipworks.com/en/technic.../12/inside-the-samsung-galaxy-nexus-gt-i9250/
With so many people on this forum (apparently mostly VZW users) whining about battery life, here is something very notable from this thorough review:
1) Battery life on the GSM version is in fact a HELLUVA lot better than the LTE version, and is in fact even better than CDMA when in 3g-only mode.
2) However battery life on the LTE Nexus is *better* than every other LTE device in its category.
The story of battery life on the Galaxy Nexus unsurprisingly depends on which variant you're talking about. For a phone with a 4.65" display, I'd say I'm impressed with the battery life on both devices - remember that the area that needs to get lit up goes as r^2 - increasing that and not killing the battery is a big feat. In addition, I'd wager that using the OpenGL ES renderpath (and accelerated browser in 4.0) definitely helped both Galaxy Nexus devices post impressive scores.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
6.2 hours wifi web browsing. How the hell did they manage that? I get 2-3 hours MAX using inverted colors and the lowest screen brightness! Static pages too, no movies, etc...
I'd love to see a time lapse of this test!
6.2 hours wifi web browsing. How the hell did they manage that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen to that. I have managed about 3 hours of screentime at 40% brightness on stock and I immediately get the 15% battery low warning.
It is a great review though. I would say it might be too thorough. I got lost during some of the wireless and audio testing...
I had no idea that they stripped the Verizon-version clean of radios. Two bands? That thing is untraveable.
I guess US carriers like Verizon are serious about their lock-ins.
EP2008 said:
6.2 hours wifi web browsing. How the hell did they manage that? I get 2-3 hours MAX using inverted colors and the lowest screen brightness! Static pages too, no movies, etc...
I'd love to see a time lapse of this test!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most probably that only test the web browsing without anything else enabled.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I didn't realize the Galaxy Nexus' OMAP 4460 has more memory throughput than the Tegra 3. Wow..that says a lot about Nvidia IMO..
gogol said:
Most probably that only test the web browsing without anything else enabled.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've emailed the Anandtech editor to see if they can provide details of their battery testing parameters. If I get a reply, I'll post it here.
However, I highly doubt that disabling stuff would increase the SCREEN TIME by more than double what we get in real world use.
Good review. But one thing that bothers me about is their apparent hate for the gpu...
Also they tested 4.0.1 which is kind of unfinished I would say.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Our battery life testing consists of a page loading suite which loads through a few dozen pages endlessly on both WiFi and cellular data until the phone dies, with the display set at 200 nits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They claim this is how they run the web browsing test which is fine... but the results don't support the test conditions. Over 5 hours of web browsing @ 200 nits? They claimed earlier that 200 nits is the BRIGHTEST the screen will go. GSMArena recorded just over 3 hours of web browsing at less than maximum brightness - how could Anandtech get so much more browsing time at max brightness?
dinan said:
They claim this is how they run the web browsing test which is fine... but the results don't support the test conditions. Over 5 hours of web browsing @ 200 nits? They claimed earlier that 200 nits is the BRIGHTEST the screen will go. GSMArena recorded just over 3 hours of web browsing at less than maximum brightness - how could Anandtech get so much more browsing time at max brightness?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, something isnt right. Is it a coincidence that Samsung also gives this device 6 hours battery life (continuous use)? It puts into question the other results, like talk time or wifi hotspot...
reuthermonkey said:
With so many people on this forum (apparently mostly VZW users) whining about battery life, here is something very notable from this thorough review:
1) Battery life on the GSM version is in fact a HELLUVA lot better than the LTE version, and is in fact even better than CDMA when in 3g-only mode.
2) However battery life on the LTE Nexus is *better* than every other LTE device in its category.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to concur with that point. UK GNex user here and my batteyr life isn't too bad. Can get through a day when data is constantly used, however I have my WiFi toggle on constantly to pickup any WiFi networks I can as I travel for work which normally means I can get to around 11pm at night after taking it off charge at 7am still with 50% battery. Not too bad I don't think.
good to see they confirmed the 1080p @ 24fps @ 10mbps profile as being lower than what the hardware is capable of.
it's true that [email protected] looks smoother and coupled with Holmes6's mod (check signature) bumps bitrate at 15mbps....looks darn good and smooth.
maybe an update will bump OOB recording bitrates eventually
EP2008 said:
6.2 hours wifi web browsing. How the hell did they manage that? I get 2-3 hours MAX using inverted colors and the lowest screen brightness! Static pages too, no movies, etc...
I'd love to see a time lapse of this test!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think i can believe it. they use a script that just reloads about 12 webpages over and over, every 1 minute i think it loads a new page. i can see getting 6 hours screen time with that even though i know many only get 3-4 hours.
when i do static things like read ebooks with black, i can get like 6-7 hours of screen time.
Another important factor is that they do their tests with optimal reception. A smartphone fighting with bad reception (which happens all the time with real-world mobile usage) uses a lot more battery.
dario3040 said:
Good review. But one thing that bothers me about is their apparent hate for the gpu...
Also they tested 4.0.1 which is kind of unfinished I would say.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure he tested on 4.0.1? Because he mentions taking multiple pictures for face unlock and that wasn't a feature in 4.0.1..
dario3040 said:
Good review. But one thing that bothers me about is their apparent hate for the gpu...
Also they tested 4.0.1 which is kind of unfinished I would say.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They tested 4.0.2
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5310/samsung-galaxy-nexus-ice-cream-sandwich-review/5
Notice the User Agent table data..
EDIT: Also in the camera section "The capture preview also fully implements tap to focus and expose, and tracks faces around if in the scene. I noted a small change between 4.0.1 (no doubt the result of what was noted in some other reviews) - pressing and holding the capture button no longer toggles an AF/AE run, instead still image capture runs continuous auto focus just like video. "
YOU DIDN'T READ THE REVIEW, ADMIT IT.
Holy crap now thats what I call a review. Lots of good stuff to know. One thing got me wondering though. They keep mentioning the differences between phones running on a gsm network and a cdma network, but they never mention what network the iPhones are running in the comparison charts.

Is my Nexus broken?

Hi there,
i just got my new Nexus and i'm a little upset about how it behaves.
before i had the galaxy note, testing it for about 1 week. i was very happy with the notes connectivity (GSM / HSPA+ / WiFi) and its really great screen.
however, it was just to big to operate it with one hand and didn't do it for me so i switched to the nexus. Now to the problems i'm faceing:
- GSM / HSPA+ seems to keep switching all the time for no reason? Didn't have that problem with the note tought.
- With the Galaxy Note i had a H+ inducator telling me i'm on HSPA+ and i had like HSPA+ nearly all the time. now i only (at best) get a H indicator. I checked if i'm owning the GSM & HSPA+ version and since the device name is "yakju" i'm quite sure i got it. Is the indicator missing because there simply is no indicator for HSPA+ on the nexus or is it missing because i'm not getting a HSPA+ connection? What could cause this?
- The connection quality of the nexsus seems very poor compared to the galaxy note. can anybody verify that or is it only me haveing troubles? Example: i allways had bad connection within my kitchen (Desire HD previously). I even replaced my SIM with no luck. With the Note ALL MY CONNECTION PROBLEMS were just gone! Cristal-clear calls, no interruptions (even thought the signal indicator was showing only 1-2 bars out of 4)
- The AMOLED Display of the nexsus is not nearly as sharp as the notes one. Also, when pulling the brightness level down to about 20% i get "smudge" on the screen
- when i use the ICS Live wallpaper my desktop starts lagging when i rotate between the views. is that normal? i had the official ICS live wallpaper on the desire HD, which had only one core, and it didn't lag at all (even with particles turned up to lot higher values then the default)
- Yesterday my Nexus just turned off (I'm not talking about the reboot bug, which i also haved faced like 5 times allready) and for like 1 hour i was unable to turn it on. I tried to remove the battery for like 5 minutes, putting it back in, plugging the charger in and trying to boot the device: no reaction, just nothing! After like 30 tries it suddenly just booted again, DOH!
- even thought as far as i know ICS 4.0.4 has been rolled out allready, i still got no update pushed to my phone (still on 4.0.1 ITL41D). is that normal?
Could anybody please help me to find out if that's normal? I still could replace my Nexus if its broken.
P.s.: I'm on the T-mobile net, germany.
Upgrade to 4.0.4, this will solve your issues. If you don't want to wait for it to be pushed to your phone search on the forum for a 'how to'.
Its just you.... I don't have these problems.. my nexus just shut it self down twice...everything else is perfect... the connextiom issue is odd... because I seem to get full signal everywhere except in the bathroom
Sent from my Samsung GNexus <3
first off, thanks for the answers so far.
manual update to 4.0.4 would need rooting, which voilates waranty.
so i have to wait till it comes over the air. (thought, i'm on 4.0.2 since about 2 hours now. no noticeable improovements.)
what i found out so far is that i'm currently on HSPA at best (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7893188&postcount=10 HSPA:11 indicator) which is shown by a H indicator at the notification bar.
however, i didn't see H+ indicator.
so: looking at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Nexus the Nexus does have HSPA+. Looking at https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Nexus is sais it dosn't have!
Whats right? Is there a version without HSPA+?
What about the other problems i'm faceing:
- low GSM / HSDPA connectivity, continious switching between modes
- low performance when using the official ICS wallpaper (even thought benchmarks say everything's fine with the device itself, the wallpaper has a visible lag compared to "static" wallpapers)
would be great you guys could provide me bit more feedback if its just me so i can decide if i want to replace my nexus with a new one.
Hey,
Before carrying on I am fully rooted which may be why I don't have your Issues.
Signal wise I have noticed that the galaxy nexus' signal is slightly weaker compared to some of the other phones I have owned more noticeably poor and voice call quality is good. Perhaps a signal check in your area or call your service provider to see if they can run a signal diagnostic on your handset to see if anything faulty.
As for h+ I did a little Google of this and found another xda forum post. From what I can see there is no + symbol on the nexus and everyone gets just the H symbol.
As for your lag I agree certain ones will create slower scrolling however that's only crazy cpu intensive wallpapers. The ones he phone came with and nexus revamped etc create no Lagg for me.
Maybe your having a little more issues with your handset than I am, I know there has been a lot of issues but as people have said they are solved with the updates. Maybe look at rooting? Generally speaking it gets rid of all issues and you can always flash back to stock if needs be?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Ow I'm using gsm nexus on vodafone in the UK
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
jordanprudent said:
Signal wise I have noticed that the galaxy nexus' signal is slightly weaker compared to some of the other phones I have owned[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jordanprudent said:
Perhaps a signal check in your area or call your service provider to see if they can run a signal diagnostic on your handset to see if anything faulty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did that already. about 20KM around me i got 100% GSM, UMTS, HSDPA and even LTE coverage. Also like i said before: the galaxy note was like 100% better in terms of signal strenght and voice quallity.
any infos about the signal switching issue i got or does anyone know how the nexus switching algorithm works? i read that it only turns on HSPA+ when loading much data and switchs back down to UMTS / HSDPA later on, to save energy.
does it behave like this for GSM / HSDPA / UMTS transitions as well?
in generell i got like -100dB signal with my nexus here at my place. with the note i had like -70 up to like -80dB (so yeah, its really like 100-150% worse in terms of signal strength)
jordanprudent said:
As for h+ I did a little Google of this and found another xda forum post. From what I can see there is no + symbol on the nexus and everyone gets just the H symbol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but does it show HSPA:11 or HSPA:13 within the settings --> info --> signal info? HSPA:11 (what i get) is not HSPA+ as far as i can tell.
jordanprudent said:
The ones he phone came with and nexus revamped etc create no Lagg for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well "lag" might be miss leading. the scrolling is a lot "SLOWER". when i scroll with a static wall in the back i get nearly instand feedback. using the ICS wallpaper there is a feedback gap of about 2,5 - 5 ms AND the transitions are not that smooth (looks like way less FPS, but to realize that it would meen that the FPS drop down to below 24FPS or atleast down to 30FPS)
jordanprudent said:
Generally speaking it gets rid of all issues and you can always flash back to stock if needs be?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm is it possible to flash back to stock? the only way i found to flash roms manually is always using the CWM bootloader, but how to get rid of the CWM if i want to go back to stock later on?
maybe i just didn't find it and there is a way to load the 4.0.4 rom using the official bootloader (which i would perfer)
Honestly the only way for you to attempt to solve any of these issues is to root. If you are not willing then there is not a whole lot of advice anyone can give.
You can easily flash back to 100% stock if you needed to. People do all the time for warranty replacement. Some unethically, but that's a different conversation. The point is you can.
You have to decide whether or not to unlock the bootloader and root. If not, your only option is to replace it. If your willing then its already been said what you should try.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=24190820
Hope you can get it worked out.
Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus.
Dakota0206 said:
Honestly the only way for you to attempt to solve any of these issues is to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeh thats not the problem. i would root for sure if i know the problems i got are solved.
i'm just trying to figure out if its a hardware bug / manufacturing error and if it makes sense to replace it.
repleaceing means like waiting 1 week till the new one arrives + it dosn't mean that the new one will not have other bugs which i've seen here in the forums (AMOLED display bugs for example)
updated to 4.0.4.
poor connectivity remains. doh.
masiminder said:
updated to 4.0.4.
poor connectivity remains. doh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you use a cellphone case?
Because with the case I use, I don't get any signal here at all ... without the case I get better signal than I ever had before in my flat.
Also you could try flashing another radio.
Maybe its a tower issue.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
just one small insight for the op: rooting violates warranty? LOL. You don't know what you're talking about. Nope, even with locked bootloaders it's possible to root some ics versions (up to 4.0.3). Hell, you can unlock and relock the bootloader (which allows for custom roms) by using fastboot, which doesn't phone home in any way. You don't loose your warranty on a nexus phone, unless you manage to **** up the only way available to fully recover it (usb, volume rocker, power button) which is through fastboot.
change radios. your NOTE was not running ICS, and it's a SAMSUNG phone, which surely has tweaked UI/interface/radio etc. It could even be showing full strenght when it's not at full strenght, for all we know.. -70dBm NOTE, -100dBm Nexus - and you say it's 100%/150% difference? are you sure?
return the phone if you feel it's not working for you and your area of residence.
Sent from my TF201
bk201doesntexist said:
just one small insight for the op: rooting violates warranty? LOL. You don't know what you're talking about. Nope, even with locked bootloaders it's possible to root some ics versions (up to 4.0.3). Hell, you can unlock and relock the bootloader (which allows for custom roms) by using fastboot, which doesn't phone home in any way. You don't loose your warranty on a nexus phone, unless you manage to **** up the only way available to fully recover it (usb, volume rocker, power button) which is through fastboot.
change radios.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i found out about the fastboot method and used it. i was not aware of that option.
bk201doesntexist said:
your NOTE was not running ICS, and it's a SAMSUNG phone, which surely has tweaked UI/interface/radio etc. It could even be showing full strenght when it's not at full strenght, for all we know.. -70dBm NOTE, -100dBm Nexus - and you say it's 100%/150% difference? are you sure?
return the phone if you feel it's not working for you and your area of residence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats right, but the nexus is also manufactured by samsung so they provide the drivers, don't they?
about the dB: i forgot, we're talking about dBm here so 3dB should be like 100% drop / gain.
so no, i'm not sure anymore. but as far as i remember when i check the note it had about 80dB while the nexus is around 95-105dB.
anyway, are there any better radios for the nexus t-mobile germany ATM?
i would love to try them out.
SynFox said:
Do you use a cellphone case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont have any cellphone case except a display protection. i never dropped a phone in the past 5 years so i see no point in cases.
well, searching the web for the last 4 hours i decided to send my nexus back and buy another phone.
it seems there are alot of people out there haveing poor signal. updateing to other roms or radios didnt fix their problems.
one guy even sais he had 3 galaxy nexus and very poor signal (-107dBm) compared to his razzor maxx (-80dBm) with all of the nexus'.
seems to be a hardware problem. since my desire HD sucked in terms of radio too and i really dont need a phone that's unable to call i'll send it back.
after all i know its not me (galaxy note worked like a charm - so no provider and location issue) and its not the rom / radio. after searching the web i'm very sure its not "only my device".
maybe the guys saying they got no problems got a (rare?) working manufacturing batch or are on LTE (which i'm not).
the nexus signal just seems to be poor. and i think no update's gonna change that.
so i send it back and will grap the galaxy SIII when it's released within the next weeks. till then i'll use my nokia e65, which is like 100 years old but atleast has signal.
masiminder said:
well, searching the web for the last 4 hours i decided to send my nexus back and buy another phone.
it seems there are alot of people out there haveing poor signal. updateing to other roms or radios didnt fix their problems.
one guy even sais he had 3 galaxy nexus and very poor signal (-107dBm) compared to his razzor maxx (-80dBm) with all of the nexus'.
seems to be a hardware problem. since my desire HD sucked in terms of radio too and i really dont need a phone that's unable to call i'll send it back.
after all i know its not me (galaxy note worked like a charm - so no provider and location issue) and its not the rom / radio. after searching the web i'm very sure its not "only my device".
maybe the guys saying they got no problems got a (rare?) working manufacturing batch or are on LTE (which i'm not).
the nexus signal just seems to be poor. and i think no update's gonna change that.
so i send it back and will grap the galaxy SIII when it's released within the next weeks. till then i'll use my nokia e65, which is like 100 years old but atleast has signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am on T-Mobile Germany and as said, better signal than any other phone I ever had. (iPhone, Nokia, Motorola)
UGLA4 gave me the best result so far

Going back to my iPhone 4s

To begin, I want to say that I am not an Apple Fanboy or a mindless lemming for anything with an Apple logo. I've had many droid phones in the past. I just wanted to give my personal opinion between both phones and explain my personal reasons for dropping my GN and going back to my iPhone 4s.
I know that some people don't use the camera on their phone, but I have a 6 year old daughter. I use my camera quite a bit so it's important too me. I am not hung up on specs so the 5 mp camera didn't scare me. In the end it's all about what the pics look like. In perfect lighting situations the camera is pretty good. But we all know that most pictures aren't shot in perfect lighting conditions. For one week every time I took a pic with my GN I also shot one with my iPhone. Overall the iPhone pics were better. They were sharper, colors were more accurate and overall looked closer to what I was shooting. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying the GN is as horrible as most posts say, I'm just saying for my personal use it's quite a bit below the iPhone's camera for the situations I am in and use my camera for. Don't tell me that it's just a camera phone and I shouldn't be that picky. You can't deny that they skimped on the camera. It's not nearly as good as most current phones. I would have been happy with the same camera from the Galaxy SII, but it's not even that good.
Battery use is another reason. I realize that it's a bigger screen, faster processor etc. so it's not going to be in the same ballpark as my iPhone. However I had 4g turned off and brightness turned down to 40% and it was still horrendous. Now before you jump on my, i did root my phone and had a rom/kernel installed. No difference! I would lose 10% of my battery for every 10 minutes of on-screen time. I was averaging 1.5 hours of on-screen time before my battery died. This is something I monitored very closely.
Also, for full disclosure, my iPhone is jailbroken so I have several widgets that refresh every 15 minutes going and the on-screen time is well over 10 hours!
The screen is nice, and while it's probably the best of the droid phones, it's not better than the iPhone's. Now you can say that it's personal preference so here's what I did. I took a pic with my iPhone and sent it to my GN. I opened the pic on both phones and set them side by side. The iPhone was sharper and more realistic in each case. I also took a pic with my GN and then sent it to my iPhone for a comparison. Same result.
I really wish that those factors weren't a dealbreaker for me because otherwise it is an awesome phone! The speaker was loud, signal was strong, didn't have any rebooting issues - all of which are being reported all over the forums. It's easily the best droid phone but just not on the same level as my iPhone. Like I said my iPhone is jailbroken so I'm able to pretty much do anything that you can with the GN!
And don't tell me that the iPhone sucks and needs to be jailbroken because the same argument can be made for the GN. The reason people root and install custom rom's/kernels is because they want a different experience/performance that what they get out of the box.
Again, this post was to give an honest user experience of why I am going back to my iPhone based on how I use my phone.
Camera quality improved quite a bit in 4.0.4. Did you use this update?
Oh noooo please dont go please dont leave us!!!
I have not updated to 4.0.4. I checked and wasn't able to update to it. The rom I was using was 4.0.4 based.
Can I update somehow even if I haven't gotten the message yet?
These threads should be auto-deleted.
That's odd I have galaxy nexus lte with the 2100 battery and honestly I have no complaints about battery life I use my GPS twice a day for about an hour and half both ways and many emails and phone calls also including all the junk I look up on the internet and I still go to bed with atleast 20 percent left... all stock. The camera I can agree on wtf were they thinking. To hell with shutter speed I want quality not quantity
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
If you are on a custom ROM, you probably won't get the message and even if you do, you wouldn't be able to update OTA unless you reverted to stock.
mpetruzz said:
Can I update somehow even if I haven't gotten the message yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Leads me to believe your issues are caused by user error.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
mpetruzz said:
I would lose 10% of my battery for every 10 minutes of on-screen time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without starting a pointless flame war, this is not typical of general nexus users. You have something draining your battery. Honestly, don't let this put you off. Do some digging and see what is killing your battery and then decide. Something is amiss.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
I've looked at all running apps etc. Nothing out of the ordinary that would cause the battery to drain that quick. And this was with 4g off and on wifi.
wtm1417 - congrats! I knew I'd get some a$$holes after posting this and you sir were the first!!
mpetruzz said:
I would lose 10% of my battery for every 10 minutes of on-screen time. I was averaging 1.5 hours of on-screen time before my battery died. This is something I monitored very closely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I concur that the camera is not as good as the iPhone’s—Google and Samsung failed here—I don’t know how you did this. With stock 4.0.4 I get 3.5-4 hours of screen time consistently and plenty of battery to spare, and I don’t do anything special to get it. That said, you’d have to pay me, and pay me well, to force me to use an iPhone daily.
Wtf did I just read.. retina is better than super amoled HD ? So you're telling me you can see the 20 pixels ? The experience on the nexus is much better.. iPhone is for dumb people, no offense, not to say that iPhone looks way too familiar now, and its build quality is ****, the nexus is better in everything except camera where the iPhone slightly edges the nexus
You should get an award for being the blindest person alive
Sent from my Samsung GNexus <3
I would agree with you on the camera bit. The camera on my old iPhone 4 was far superior than my Galaxy Nexus. With the GN you really need a steady hand to get a proper shot. I haven't got the 404 update yet so I'm hoping that this will be fixed.
Well sounds like you don't have enough time to tailor Android to your liking, ****ty deal. IPhone will be perfect for you then.
Back to flash, emulators, and 3d maps for the rest of us
Sent from my francoPhone
mpetruzz said:
I've looked at all running apps etc. Nothing out of the ordinary that would cause the battery to drain that quick. And this was with 4g off and on wifi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I manage to get 3 hours at least on a normal day, even with wifi only half of that. Get betterbatterystats from here on xda and see what (if anything) is keeping your phone awake. Seriously, something is not right. Maybe something as simple as a ROM/Kernel combo. Try a few different ones and see how you fare.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
So you are going back to a camera ?
Please make a better argument... I can't even take you seriously.
mpetruzz said:
I've had many droid phones in the past.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All respect is lost.
Would you mind posting up a couple of the shots to see the comparison between the 2 phones??
Any rom/kernel suggestions? I'm open to trying something that might help me.
BTW, for all the people calling me dumb, stupid and saying I need to go to an iPhone, you're just proving your fanboys! Instead of helping me or offering suggestions it's easier just to criticize.
Thank you to the posts from members who are actually trying to help!
mpetruzz said:
I've looked at all running apps etc. Nothing out of the ordinary that would cause the battery to drain that quick. And this was with 4g off and on wifi.
wtm1417 - congrats! I knew I'd get some a$$holes after posting this and you sir were the first!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you post an asshole comment right back, a lot of times people see problems because of user error.
Go back to your Apple world, enjoy the limitations and enjoy not being able to customize to it's full extent. You can say that you can do anything with your iPhone4S but at the end of the day that is just not true. Jailbroken or not.
Again, go, have fun, no skin off any of our backs and now we have one less hostile person to worry about.

Razr M my favorite Android phone so far..

I current have the DroidOG, Droid X, HTC Rezound, Note 2, SG3, SG4, and iPhone5 and the Razr M is my favorite so far but giving the SG4 some time to see what its all about.. It's much too familiar, SG3/4/Note2 all pretty much have the same feel. Before the phones listed i've had many other Droids, etc.
I love everything about the M, except for it's signal.. I never drop to 3g where I live on any of my 4g devices but this one manages to drop to 3g. I guess it has to do with antenna size/length but everything else this phone is perfect (for me).
I don't expect everybody to favor smaller phones but after owning larger Android phones I feel the Android experience in a iPhone sized package is "right" for me.
I hope Moto makes similarly sized, powerful phones in the future!
-Div
Diversion said:
I current have the DroidOG, Droid X, HTC Rezound, Note 2, SG3, SG4, and iPhone5 and the Razr M is my favorite so far but giving the SG4 some time to see what its all about.. It's much too familiar, SG3/4/Note2 all pretty much have the same feel. Before the phones listed i've had many other Droids, etc.
I love everything about the M, except for it's signal.. I never drop to 3g where I live on any of my 4g devices but this one manages to drop to 3g. I guess it has to do with antenna size/length but everything else this phone is perfect (for me).
I don't expect everybody to favor smaller phones but after owning larger Android phones I feel the Android experience in a iPhone sized package is "right" for me.
I hope Moto makes similarly sized, powerful phones in the future!
-Div
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too... I know Google is going to revamp Motorola to a large degree but i hope they still make small sleek versions of all of their lines like they did with the new RAZR line
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
After configurating most of my apps i'm getting severe lag when typing.. Its not registering my typing until 1 second or so afterwards.. and sometimes going in and out of various apps that are already loaded in memory is pretty sluggish and laggy. Freshly RSD'd the latest 4.1.2 build.. So i'm not sure whats going on.
The M was my first smart phone, and thus, my first Android phone. I can't say it's my favorite because I have nothing to compare it to. However, I did choose it because of its size, build quality, and battery life. At the time, there wasn't much development and if I would have chosen purely off of development, I would have went wtih Samsung. However, the Sammie phones feel "cheap" to me. After playing with the S4, though, the graphics quality is 100x better than the M, but I don't really care.
RikRong said:
The M was my first smart phone, and thus, my first Android phone. I can't say it's my favorite because I have nothing to compare it to. However, I did choose it because of its size, build quality, and battery life. At the time, there wasn't much development and if I would have chosen purely off of development, I would have went wtih Samsung. However, the Sammie phones feel "cheap" to me. After playing with the S4, though, the graphics quality is 100x better than the M, but I don't really care.
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Click to collapse
I suppose I could say that so far I like the RAZR M over other Android phones that I have had. To list I've had:
HTC Thunderbolt, Motorola Defy XT, DROID 2 Global, DROID X, and DROID RAZR M
I miss various features from all of them, but I think overall I prefer the one I have now being the RAZR M. I'm not sure what my next phone will be. My current contract isn't up until December 2014, unless I pay full price for my next phone.
Was my favorite phone until now because it won't boot
But I will say after using the droid incredible, it was quite a nice phone
Jason 907 said:
Was my favorite phone until now because it won't boot
But I will say after using the droid incredible, it was quite a nice phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why can't you get your RAZR M to boot? Can you get it into fastboot mode and rsdlite it back to stock? :'(
I have to deduct more points from these three glaring problems (so far):
1) Long pauses (lag) when switching apps (even after they are loaded into memory). Things like Seeder don't seem to help at all (at low, medium or agressive profiles). Sometimes I'll be trying to type on the keyboard and it pauses for so long it shoots out a long sentence i just typed out.. Very annoying. Being this is the same hardware internally on the SG3 except 1gb less ram.. The SG3 had zero lag ever. Surprised Moto hasn't figured out what the hang up is here by now.
2) Charging the phone while Hotspot Tethering is active.. Mine will not charge, it says it's charging but it's unable to keep up a charge.. the battery still drains very fast while plugged in. This is using the built-in Hotspot, not third party app. This is important to me, my work sends me on business trips often and they pay for my phone bill but I can't rely on this phone to serve me internet while I do work. My SG3/Note2 will charge to 100% while tethering without a hitch. I've tried various wall-bricks.. Ranging from 1amp to 2amp to 5watts to 10watts.. none make any difference. It feels like the phone just heats up way too much during tethering and I bet the internal charging circuit just turns off as a protection.
3) LTE signal is bad compared to every other LTE phone i've had on Verizon.. My city is well blanketed in thick 4g LTE.. About 2 bars to Max bars almost everywhere you go on any other LTE device i've used. This one is 1 bar most of the time sometimes 3 max (rare).. And it seems the battery drains pretty quickly hunting for signals based on poor antenna reception.. But when using 3G, battery life seems much better.. Luckily 3g is usually more than enough speed for me.
Diversion said:
I have to deduct more points from these three glaring problems (so far):
1) Long pauses (lag) when switching apps (even after they are loaded into memory). Things like Seeder don't seem to help at all (at low, medium or agressive profiles). Sometimes I'll be trying to type on the keyboard and it pauses for so long it shoots out a long sentence i just typed out.. Very annoying. Being this is the same hardware internally on the SG3 except 1gb less ram.. The SG3 had zero lag ever. Surprised Moto hasn't figured out what the hang up is here by now.
2) Charging the phone while Hotspot Tethering is active.. Mine will not charge, it says it's charging but it's unable to keep up a charge.. the battery still drains very fast while plugged in. This is using the built-in Hotspot, not third party app. This is important to me, my work sends me on business trips often and they pay for my phone bill but I can't rely on this phone to serve me internet while I do work. My SG3/Note2 will charge to 100% while tethering without a hitch. I've tried various wall-bricks.. Ranging from 1amp to 2amp to 5watts to 10watts.. none make any difference. It feels like the phone just heats up way too much during tethering and I bet the internal charging circuit just turns off as a protection.
3) LTE signal is bad compared to every other LTE phone i've had on Verizon.. My city is well blanketed in thick 4g LTE.. About 2 bars to Max bars almost everywhere you go on any other LTE device i've used. This one is 1 bar most of the time sometimes 3 max (rare).. And it seems the battery drains pretty quickly hunting for signals based on poor antenna reception.. But when using 3G, battery life seems much better.. Luckily 3g is usually more than enough speed for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've also noticed that the Seeder program doesn't seem to help much. I've had lag with the keyboard too, especially waiting for it to pop up when I tap on a text field. It takes a second or even two. And the first few letters are laggy, but I'm using swiftkey. This phone does get hot when tethering, but I think I was able to charge my phone at same time.
motoroid7 said:
Why can't you get your RAZR M to boot? Can you get it into fastboot mode and rsdlite it back to stock? :'(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am going to try this tonight.. hope for the best
Jason 907 said:
I am going to try this tonight.. hope for the best
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really hope you are able to fix it; If you didn't know, and I apologize is if you already knew this information
Power + Vol Up + Vol Down to get into Fastboot, then just use fastboot/adb binaries or rsdlite :}
Diversion said:
I have to deduct more points from these three glaring problems (so far):
1) Long pauses (lag) when switching apps (even after they are loaded into memory). Things like Seeder don't seem to help at all (at low, medium or agressive profiles). Sometimes I'll be trying to type on the keyboard and it pauses for so long it shoots out a long sentence i just typed out.. Very annoying. Being this is the same hardware internally on the SG3 except 1gb less ram.. The SG3 had zero lag ever. Surprised Moto hasn't figured out what the hang up is here by now.
2) Charging the phone while Hotspot Tethering is active.. Mine will not charge, it says it's charging but it's unable to keep up a charge.. the battery still drains very fast while plugged in. This is using the built-in Hotspot, not third party app. This is important to me, my work sends me on business trips often and they pay for my phone bill but I can't rely on this phone to serve me internet while I do work. My SG3/Note2 will charge to 100% while tethering without a hitch. I've tried various wall-bricks.. Ranging from 1amp to 2amp to 5watts to 10watts.. none make any difference. It feels like the phone just heats up way too much during tethering and I bet the internal charging circuit just turns off as a protection.
3) LTE signal is bad compared to every other LTE phone i've had on Verizon.. My city is well blanketed in thick 4g LTE.. About 2 bars to Max bars almost everywhere you go on any other LTE device i've used. This one is 1 bar most of the time sometimes 3 max (rare).. And it seems the battery drains pretty quickly hunting for signals based on poor antenna reception.. But when using 3G, battery life seems much better.. Luckily 3g is usually more than enough speed for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, moto did a crappy job on the launcher. It looks great and has good functionality, but it's laggy as crap. I'm getting no lag at all on CM 10.1, and it seems to be nicer on the battery.
The tethering situation sounds odd... I would say check your charger but it appears you've done that. I can tether and charge happily, so it seems like there's something up with the device. Doesn't make sense at all because I'm in an awful coverage area and I tether fine on 1-2 bars 3g and even 1x
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
sloosecannon said:
Yeah, moto did a crappy job on the launcher. It looks great and has good functionality, but it's laggy as crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this not true with most oem launchers? I can't recall a phone I've not switched to either ADW (a few years ago) or Apex, nowdays.
I've owned a Incredible 2, Droid X2, Razr, Galaxy S3, and currently a Razr M. What drove me away from the phones before the Razr M was a mix of A) the stock software being terrible, and B) homebrew support missing or terribly buggy. Lets be honest - 3rd party roms don't live up to stock roms in terms of stability. What you may gain in customizability in roms like Cyanogen or AOKP, you lose in stability or even battery life. I'm sure many of you will disagree, but that's my opinion.
Anyway, as for the Razr M - it's one of the few phones that I think has an acceptable build quality. METAL for the casing, the only better-built hardware than that is an iPhone 4 or 5. The 'kevlar' back is a gimmick and the gorilla glass or whatever screen is standard now but I can't complain.
Hopefully if Google changes the look of Moto's phones, they'll stick with a similar build.
That being said, I do have a few issues with my M - Sometimes it wants to stay on 3G in an area I have decent (although weak) 4G service and I need to toggle airplane mode to get it on 4G. And the plastic bit around the headphone port fell out.
All I'm gonna say is sometimes I effing hate this phone and other times I'm freaking pumped about its strength. Its like that hoop-d Honda you won't admit is yours but when you are driving you feel like its a Ferrari.
I was so bummed to go from the g-nex to this when I saw the dev on it, but now I have been feeling motivated to learn to dev myself for it! I love this device through and through... It has taken the biggest beating thus far, and I have beat up some phones...
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
Coming from a Nexus family of phones.... and S2- S3, I'd have to say this phone is a piece of garbage lol...
Dual core krait like S3 but less pixels to run?? WHY IS THERE LAG?? HTC one S does not have lag and they have the same processor. Same with american HTC one X....
poor software poor software... have to stick with CM10 which gives me horrible battery life on GSM...
... oh and sometimes in orer for my phone to charge ( including wall outlet), i have to reboot the device...
very frustrating.
Time to get the asus padfone or something fun again
EDIT : Bunch of new roms past few days... lets see what we can do!
stealthj said:
Coming from a Nexus family of phones.... and S2- S3, I'd have to say this phone is a piece of garbage lol...
Dual core krait like S3 but less pixels to run?? WHY IS THERE LAG?? HTC one S does not have lag and they have the same processor. Same with american HTC one X....
poor software poor software... have to stick with CM10 which gives me horrible battery life on GSM...
... oh and sometimes in orer for my phone to charge ( including wall outlet), i have to reboot the device...
very frustrating.
Time to get the asus padfone or something fun again
EDIT : Bunch of new roms past few days... lets see what we can do!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never experienced lag on stock once you replace Moto's garbage launcher. Install Nova or Apex and give it another try.
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
Leraeniesh said:
Never experienced lag on stock once you replace Moto's garbage launcher. Install Nova or Apex and give it another try.
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, the lag was systemwide. including the keyboard...swype...
But its not that bad, i may have exaggerated a bit
stealthj said:
I did, the lag was systemwide. including the keyboard...swype...
But its not that bad, i may have exaggerated a bit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dunno... my lag is pretty bad. I tried CM 10.1 last night, and it's stupid fast. The only problem is that for some reason my cell signal dropped significantly with CM vs Stock.
dingurt said:
I dunno... my lag is pretty bad. I tried CM 10.1 last night, and it's stupid fast. The only problem is that for some reason my cell signal dropped significantly with CM vs Stock.
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Click to collapse
Those are just the signal bars. The actual signal is the same.
Sent from my Nexus 7
Hmm... I'll check that again then.

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