GNexus vs. S2? - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Hi!
I just wanted your opinion of choosing between those two.
So I just sold my Sony Ericsson Arc S. It was a good phone, but since I'm addicted to my phone, and do everything possible with it(I hardly use computer anymore!), I decided to buy a dual-core phone!(Yeah, I'm always on the later era) Arc was way too slow.
Basically Nexus is 30€s cheaper than S2, but that's not a game changer.
I like the design of Nexus more. On the other hand S2 is more powerful. Nexus has bigger and better screen etc.
But one thing I appreciate the most, is the community. I've had a couple of Android phones before, and I've been pretty active here on Xda lately. I love flashing new roms and so on. S2 is the second most sold phone in the world, so I bet it has bigger community here, but quality over quantity.
Nexus has roms like MIUI and Cyanogenmod too. Also I see hundreds of roms in XDA. Anyway, I can't compare those two by looking at the roms they have, that's why I asked you guys.
It's such a hard decision... Please help!
BTW: I'm too cheap to buy S3 or ONE
And I'm European so I'd be only interested in the international version obviously! (No T-Mobile or Verizon etc...)
EDIT: I read that Nexus has more powerful chipset while S2 has better GPU? Is that correct?

I have both the nexus and the sgs2. And I'd say go with the nexus. The SGS2 is now my spare phone. Although specs wise the SGS2 other than screen resolution. On this note the nexus 720p screen can be the real deal breaker over the wvga screen on SGS2.
People can debate about specs all day but the Nexus is definitely way more fluid. Also you get all sorts of custom rooms and kernels to tweak the nexus to get that little bit more.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

If you like a phone with an appealing UI with vanilla android and is super easy to install and try out custom ROMs on, go with a Galaxy Nexus.
If you want a phone with an ugly UI, Samsung's ****ty firmware yada yada yada, go with an S2.
The Galaxy Nexus also has HD resolution, bigger and better screen there's a ton of support ready for you if you ever need help. Also, pair AOKP with Franciscofranco's kernel and you won't believe how fast this phone is.

loonsy said:
I have both the nexus and the sgs2. And I'd say go with the nexus. The SGS2 is now my spare phone. Although specs wise the SGS2 other than screen resolution. On this note the nexus 720p screen can be the real deal breaker over the wvga screen on SGS2.
People can debate about specs all day but the Nexus is definitely way more fluid. Also you get all sorts of custom rooms and kernels to tweak the nexus to get that little bit more.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Thanks for answer!
I thought myself that while S2 may be a bit more powerful, it doesn't mean Nexus couldn't run all those nice games, it is anyway a dual-core phone.
What about the battery life?
So far I think I'll go for GNexus... It's more... exotic! and I really like the screen. I just need to be very sure about it, I have bought so many phones just to get disappointed at them after two months... Though these two are pretty high-end phones(for me anyway!)
Thank you too, Theshawty! It doesn't mean that while S2 has more roms, it's automatically better. Nexus has pretty cool roms as far as I know
And I'm pretty damn sure Google's support is more reliable than Sam's

The SGS2 has a worse screen, but a better performance because of it. The Nexus on the other hand, has double the pixels, but a worse performance. SGS2 will run games smoother, but it won't look as good as when the Nexus runs it. Performance vs Great screen.
Dev support is good on both ones, but Nexus will be much better long term compared to the SGS2.

ArmorD said:
Thank you too, Theshawty! It doesn't mean that while S2 has more roms, it's automatically better. Nexus has pretty cool roms as far as I know
And I'm pretty damn sure Google's support is more reliable than Sam's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome! Yeah, the ROMs we have so far here are great, and they're starting to pile up to become even more since afterall, this phone has a "developer-flag".
Samsung's support is ****, in my opinion.

Theshawty said:
If you like a phone with an appealing UI with vanilla android and is super easy to install and try out custom ROMs on, go with a Galaxy Nexus.
If you want a phone with an ugly UI, Samsung's ****ty firmware yada yada yada, go with an S2.
The Galaxy Nexus also has HD resolution, bigger and better screen there's a ton of support ready for you if you ever need help. Also, pair AOKP with Franciscofranco's kernel and you won't believe how fast this phone is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a sad misconception. The S2 has AOSP roms just like the Nexus does. They have AOKP just like the nexus does, and they have awesome kernels as well.
What it really comes down to is screen size/resolution and size of the phone. Both will run ICS just fine.

joshnichols189 said:
What a sad misconception. The S2 has AOSP roms just like the Nexus does. They have AOKP just like the nexus does, and they have awesome kernels as well.
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Click to collapse
What I wrote first was basically if someone chooses to stay with the stock firmware and not use a custom ROM.

Theshawty said:
What I wrote first was basically if someone chooses to stay with the stock firmware and not use a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be true in that case, but he mentions community so one could be lead to believe that he will flash roms

Thanks to evrybody! I think I'll pick GNex... It's just such a hard choice... But it's a lil' bit cheaper and I really appreciate the bigger/better screen.
One thing that I wanna know the answer to, is, how long will Google support GNex? I reckon it'll get the next Android upgrade unless it's tablet-only, but what about after that? Time to move on?

joshnichols189 said:
It would be true in that case, but he mentions community so one could be lead to believe that he will flash roms
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Click to collapse
Ah, ok.

If you want a higher camera and you don't care about the os version or blah blah, go with S2
But I recommend you to get GNex! It's awesome!
Better screen quality, Stock Android OS, Will be upgradable to JellyBean, Lots of good roms, ...

Related

cant decide s2 or nexus

Hi,
Ive owned the s2 and a sensation xe , i liked the s2 however all the ones i tested had a pink spot on camera and yellow tint on screen left side, this was a month ago.
Anyhow i can get this phone on a super deal the lack of micro sd does not bother me and tbh im i dont think im to bothered about the camera either. That being said im eager to know if anyones upgraded over the s2 and what there views might be in relation to size and the new screen. Also iw as curious how much of the 16gb memory you have free for to actually use upon first boot ?
Im sorry if these questions have been asked but i have searched here and been watching endless youtube vids as well as reading various reviews. And would appreciate the feedback of people here
Depends how much you can get the Galaxy Nexus for?
The $700+ price tag is what drove me off and i just opted for the white Galaxy S II for about $400+ and saved the money to fund a future purchase.
The Galaxy Nexus is more of a side upgrade than a full upgrade, the Galaxy S III will be the full upgrade.
If you can get it cheap, then go for it. If not, its not really worth upgrading from an SGS II. Considering we should get ICS stable port soon hopefully with the great dev community we have and it would run better than on the GN in terms of plain hardware speed.
The GN screen can't be matched though, its beautiful
GN SGSII
I just got my GN a few days ago and my impressions are:
The phone feels slightly bigger, but only because it's thicker. But it feels much better in your hand.
the screen clarity is insane. I thought SGSII was amazing, but this is really something else.
I think having had a lot of time using a SGSI, I can totally tell that the screen is pentile/super AMOLED, not PLUS. But the resolution more than makes up for it.
Camera is acceptable. It's definitely no SGSII but it's not totally dismal either.
1080p is awesome. And the funny distortions that you get with google talk/video recording is a fun feature.
QUOTE=fade1d;19778180]I just got my GN a few days ago and my impressions are:
The phone feels slightly bigger, but only because it's thicker. But it feels much better in your hand.
the screen clarity is insane. I thought SGSII was amazing, but this is really something else.
I think having had a lot of time using a SGSI, I can totally tell that the screen is pentile/super AMOLED, not PLUS. But the resolution more than makes up for it.
Camera is acceptable. It's definitely no SGSII but it's not totally dismal either.
1080p is awesome. And the funny distortions that you get with google talk/video recording is a fun feature.[/QUOTE]
pewpewbangbang said:
Depends how much you can get the Galaxy Nexus for?
The $700+ price tag is what drove me off and i just opted for the white Galaxy S II for about $400+ and saved the money to fund a future purchase.
The Galaxy Nexus is more of a side upgrade than a full upgrade, the Galaxy S III will be the full upgrade.
If you can get it cheap, then go for it. If not, its not really worth upgrading from an SGS II. Considering we should get ICS stable port soon hopefully with the great dev community we have and it would run better than on the GN in terms of plain hardware speed.
The GN screen can't be matched though, its beautiful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really appreciate the feedback thanks , i can get this phone for free same as sII with no increase to my line rental or contract , the main thing thats doing it for me on this phone is the resolution i wasent to keen on the gsII previously due to the yellow tint screen issues and pink spot. That being said im sure if you can get a working one it would be great.
fade1d can i ask you please how much memory you have free of the 16gb when you first boot ...
you have around 13gb on first boot.
If you can get either one free with your contract, go for the Galaxy Nexus.
Simple choice when you put it that way.
Camera won't be a problem, you should be using a point and shoot or DSLR if you want to take real photos anyway.
Since this is the Galaxy Nexus Forum, I'm going to say go with the Galaxy S II
I'm going for the GNex because of the awesome screen and it's on Verizon.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App on UNL3ASH3D R3BLURR3D V2.3 and will continue to be sent from here until I buy the Galaxy Nexus 32GB
pewpewbangbang said:
Depends how much you can get the Galaxy Nexus for?
The $700+ price tag is what drove me off and i just opted for the white Galaxy S II for about $400+ and saved the money to fund a future purchase.
The Galaxy Nexus is more of a side upgrade than a full upgrade, the Galaxy S III will be the full upgrade.
If you can get it cheap, then go for it. If not, its not really worth upgrading from an SGS II. Considering we should get ICS stable port soon hopefully with the great dev community we have and it would run better than on the GN in terms of plain hardware speed.
The GN screen can't be matched though, its beautiful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That more than likely won't be the US retail price, that's only through Best Buy, and usually they're around 200 over verizon price.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App on UNL3ASH3D R3BLURR3D V2.3 and will continue to be sent from here until I buy the Galaxy Nexus 32GB
lol....your on verizon. Im pretty sure we're talking about the GSM version as the OP states he had the SII and Sensation.
To get the GSM version, you have to import it and the cheapest price is from handtec which is $700
How the hell are you getting a Nexus for free?
I have the SGS II and for me it was clear the Galaxy Nexus was for me. The camera is the only thing I will really miss for the extra details but will love the zero shutter lag from the Nexus.
Don't play that much games on the phone so nothing major there either for me.
I'm going to love the faster updates and all the small details of what the Nexus really is.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
pewpewbangbang said:
Depends how much you can get the Galaxy Nexus for?
The $700+ price tag is what drove me off and i just opted for the white Galaxy S II for about $400+ and saved the money to fund a future purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how did you get the gs2 for around 400? last I checked it was selling closer to 550
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
pewpewbangbang said:
you have around 13gb on first boot.
If you can get either one free with your contract, go for the Galaxy Nexus.
Simple choice when you put it that way.
Camera won't be a problem, you should be using a point and shoot or DSLR if you want to take real photos anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Russellmania said:
How the hell are you getting a Nexus for free?
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Click to collapse
again thanks for replys all 13 GB first boot is a bit of a wounder most my mp3 from other phone would fill that so i will have to think about that point and how important that could be be. On another note i can get samsung nexus for free becouse i have been given extra allowance in my upgrade due to getting messed around by my current phone providor they sent me 4 sII all refurbished when they was supposed to be brand new (it was a massive mess about).
Reason I would go for the GN is updates direct from Google and not having to wait for Samsung to get them and integrate them with there touchwiz crap.
Hated touchwiz on my GS2 and for me this is the first version of android you don't need a different launcher and stock Android is the dogs.
I got one off someone in the selling section of this forum.
And as for touchwiz..............thats why your on XDA developers, to root the phone and put custom roms on etc so you don't have touchwiz. But the thing i will say is, the reason why the GS II was so fast and still it when it came out was because of touchwiz and all the hardware acceleration samsung implemented.
The browser is probably one of the smoothest if not the best out there right now.
pewpewbangbang said:
I got one off someone in the selling section of this forum.
And as for touchwiz..............thats why your on XDA developers, to root the phone and put custom roms on etc so you don't have touchwiz. But the thing i will say is, the reason why the GS II was so fast and still it when it came out was because of touchwiz and all the hardware acceleration samsung implemented.
The browser is probably one of the smoothest if not the best out there right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't have to root though did you just install launcher pro or Go launcher for example, my point is I don't need those launchers with ICS.
I can't say I come across any problems with the browser on this phone, its fast and smooth and I never used Flash anyway always disabled it.
Jabbypants said:
You didn't have to root though did you just install launcher pro or Go launcher for example, my point is I don't need those launchers with ICS.
I can't say I come across any problems with the browser on this phone, its fast and smooth and I never used Flash anyway always disabled it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol...whats the fun of not putting customs roms on. They usually make the phone run better anyway. People with Nexus phones still root and put custom roms on their phones.
I never said the galaxy nexus browser was slow. It's definitely smooth and fast because ICS implemented hardware acceleration finally and the ICS framework totally reworked the browser so that its loads better than the old ones. In terms of speed and loading, it's the fastest out there, it has the lowest sunspider scores of any phone right now and in terms of smoothness, its probably on par with the GS II but i haven't used one.
Reviews said ICS in terms of perceived speed its a tad slower than the GS II and galaxy note
pewpewbangbang said:
I got one off someone in the selling section of this forum.
And as for touchwiz..............thats why your on XDA developers, to root the phone and put custom roms on etc so you don't have touchwiz. But the thing i will say is, the reason why the GS II was so fast and still it when it came out was because of touchwiz and all the hardware acceleration samsung implemented.
The browser is probably one of the smoothest if not the best out there right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The custom hardware acceleration was one of the reasons for SGSII being so fast, but ICS brings this natively, so both the GN and SGSII are the same.
I'd pick the GN just for the beautiful HD screen. Outside of that, there isn't much difference.
I recently had to make this choice and went GN.
I haven't seen comparison pics but at the end of the day bumping up the megapixles doesn't equal better photos.
Yes there are custom roms and what not but I know from having my SG1 that the amount of closed source things samsung include in the phone makes it more difficult for people to get things like cyanogen running (of course thanks to awesome people they did it anyway )
Its just looks a really polished device and i heard so many people say if you hand tried a pure android device you should... so I am
well as i've said......galaxy nexus is the way to go if your upgrading from something thats not an SGS II. Otherwise its more of a sidegrade than an upgrade. And doesn't seem worth the money as of right now (it will get cheaper of course)
Just note many people get this wrong, even though the Galaxy Nexus is a pure android phone.....doesn't mean all the things are open sourced. Some of the hardware in it may still be closed source like audio or something. The Galaxy S phones are open sourced but some of the parts in the hardware aren't which is why it's not always easy to do AOSP on the phones. Just a note

change gnex for one s ?

hey gusy i have the opportunity to change my 2months old galaxy nexus against a brand new htc one s without paying something.
would you change it or would you keep your gnex ?
The only thing that will pry this phone out of my hands will be the next nexus.
Unlockable bootloader, updates from Google, latest software, great developer community, no bloat, first to get new features...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Me personally I wouldn't switch. Maybe a one x, but not one s. Honestly I like my nexus enough where I wouldn't change regardless.
The One S is a mid-tier phone, why would you want to do that?
i had a sensation xe before i bought the gnex and know i really miss sense, so there are few advantages of the one s, like the new processor, it's thinner and so on ..
as is sad before i love sense and therefore i considered changing my gnex
Trade for the one s and sell it and then buy a new gnex
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Check out this side by side comparison. I had the same dilema too but a pure google experience is reallllllllllllllllly important to me (my current phone is a Nexus S).
My hubby has the SGSii-TMobile and HATES it. He hates the bloatware on the phone. I don't have that problem. He is still waiting for his ICS update. I don't have that problem. I know you said you miss sense but is sense enough to give up a pure google experience? In my opinion... it wasn't. I can't wait to get my gnex, I ordered it today!
tamaratee said:
a pure google experience is reallllllllllllllllly important to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. I don't care if the hardware is better (speaking about phones generally here), if it can't run an AOSP based ROM with full functionality out of the box, then I won't buy it.
Edit: is your husband's t-mo SGSII an I9100, or other? CM9 is very complete at this point for the I9100.
mudferret said:
... is your husband's t-mo SGSII an I9100, or other?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
His SGsii is the T989 model. We'll check out CM9. When we rooted his phone it wasn't ready for everyday use yet. We'll try it again and thanks for the heads up.
other opinions ?
everyone says that the pure google feeling is important but i am sure that there will be enough custom roms for the one s like cm9 or just ice cream sandwich without sense ..
that shouldn't be the problem
I am trying to figure out if I should go for Nexus at $400 bucks or One S
"Vanilla is great"....well is just crap, I haven't been using vanilla android for like 5 years now......ANYTHING thats not vanilla android is better, be it CM9, AOKP, Touchwiz, or Sense.
I hate the fact that HTC used another pentile SAMOLED in One S, but in all reviews I read people say its a really good and well calibrated screen (I heard different about Nexus though, would like anyone to comment on this). Obviously design and built quality goes to One S, camera is also better, Sense 4 is a big improvement and without even using it I am pretty sure its great and is based on ICS. CPU without any questions is better, more power efficient, and faster. Then there is BeatAudio (whatever that means) and Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS I think supports GLONASS
My biggest concern about One S is the screen and development.....(not Google updates, those are crap as well until the new OS is out and even then thanks to XDA it can come to other devices even faster then Nexus-brand )
aras1 said:
hey gusy i have the opportunity to change my 2months old galaxy nexus against a brand new htc one s without paying something.
would you change it or would you keep your gnex ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC seems to be on the downslope, and Samsung is really taking the lead. I think sense has seems it's best days.
GNex All Day
Personally, I have no real desire to switch. That said, the One S/One X do both look like nicer pieces of hardware than the GNex. While many will rightly point to quick updates and an excellent developer community for the GNex, I have no doubt that the One S/One X will have solid communities as well. HTC's commitment to providing bootloader unlock tools further cements that.
going to check out both devices tomorrow. they will be the same price for me, One S easier to get and exchange if something will be wrong.....
aras1 said:
other opinions ?
everyone says that the pure google feeling is important but i am sure that there will be enough custom roms for the one s like cm9 or just ice cream sandwich without sense ..
that shouldn't be the problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't be so sure. As far as I know the HTC Rezound still doesn't have a fully functioning AOSP ICS Rom, so that should give you some indication of the wait on these devices. If you're willing to wait for the updates, then go for it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Saw One S today.....great phone, haven't noticed any pixelation on zoomed it text in browser, very slim, and probably the 1st phone to have a design and built quality like or even better then Nexus One
kolyan said:
"Vanilla is great"....well is just crap, I haven't been using vanilla android for like 5 years now......ANYTHING thats not vanilla android is better, be it CM9, AOKP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those two are technically still vanilla android.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium
^ perhaps, but I would rather even use Sense then Stock Android ......especially Sense 4
now I am on CM7.2, used Sense 3 for a while too.....and Touchwiz
the only reason I disliked Sense 3 is the stupid launcher and if u use other launcher then all widgets become useless as well
With SGN u have better updates. Both have the same power and GN dont have any vodafone, orange, ... influence. And better development support
Im writing this post cause i havent 10. Im new in this forum but not in development Knowledge, and i consider its a stupid rule. Im sorry if i write any Irrelevant post.
Checked out Nexus today....and frankly speaking One S is a better over all phone. Its much thinner, you dont even feel it in pocket, its much better made due to AL body, they have the same 4.3'' usable screen too.
now the screen on Nexus phones i checked out in Verizon, one had burn-in, and 2nd one was a bit off white compared to One S. The 720p resolution is there, but colors on One S seemed better. I also haven't really noticed anything different when watching Youtube or viewing web.
So in the end it all comes out to development and ROM, do you want CM9 or AOKP on Nexus or Sense 4 on One S (maybe later it will get those 2 ROMs as well)

One S or This

Hello,
I am wondering what I should do, do you guys think that I should sell the One S and buy the Galaxy Nexus or do you think that I should stick with the One S.
I like having a capable camera and I know that the One S is better, but how is the pictures on the Galaxy Nexus. Finally I like things that just work, I like the iPhone for that reason, is the Galaxy Nexus a well built phone, with a strong OS (works fast and it is concise)?
Let me know,
macfan74318
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1392436&highlight=photos
It's really up to you man. If you want Sense and a smaller screen, but with slightly better CPU/GPU then the OS is your choice. Oh, and it has a much better camera.
GN has a decent camera, but it could definitely be better. But what you get is straight up Google support. You don't have to worry about HTC, or much worse T-Mobile, for updates.
Either way you'll enjoy either!
mackster248 said:
It's really up to you man. If you want Sense and a smaller screen, but with slightly better CPU/GPU then the OS is your choice. Oh, and it has a much better camera.
GN has a decent camera, but it could definitely be better. But what you get is straight up Google support. You don't have to worry about HTC, or much worse T-Mobile, for updates.
Either way you'll enjoy either!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One S.. better CPU/GPU? doesn't matter when Sense 4.0 cripples the speediness of ICS & Android.
Galaxy Nexus all the way.
I don't think it would be a big step forward by changing the one s with the GNex. The GNex might be a better phone but I'm sure you can do the same things with one s that I could do on my GNex.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
The Camera seems to be okay, but I really like the Stock OS, I am leaning toward this phone, I just want now that I can get and forget. Put CyanogenMod 9 on and use. I think this might just be the one. Do you guys think that this makes sense, I have never owned a Nexus Device but they always seem to be good.

S3 vs Gnex: which one will have the most roms?

Yes I know it's another s3 vs gnex thread but I've searched high and low for a thread to answer my question before I posted my own. I did my research as thoroughly as I could. Now, my question:
Which phone will have the most dev support and the most custom roms? The galaxy s3 or the galaxy nexus? Will they have an equal number? I realize the s3 has better specs but I want a phone that will have a good number of custom software options available for at least two more years to come. I like both phones so it's a tough decision to make. I don't really care about how often it receives ota updates as I fully plan to run my phone off the likes of cyanogenmod, aosp or another more refined rom. I'm asking your opinions and or facts about which one will be suit my customizing needs. Thanks in advance! (I'm on sprint btw)
it has been answered a thousand times but 1001 times wont hurt i guess.
gnex is a pure google device, so it will get updates first. because of that, custom roms will go hand in hand with that.
but the flipside is the s3 is samsungs flagship, and its spread across almost 10 carriers. so its going to have an insane amount of custom roms as well, given the fact that there arent many variations of it besides radio/processor combos.
best answer? noone knows. Most would say development will be about equal on both. CM is already up and running in beta stages for US s3's.
s3 is better hardware wise and newer.
Now. You do the dishes :angel:
That and the gnex
has been out months longer
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Isn't best roms more important than most roms?
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Just coming from the GNex on Verizon to the SGIII on Sprint. I would say in the end the SGIII will endup with the most ROM's just because it can run Touchwiz and AOSP.
That was the one and only thing I did not like about the GNex.
Prior to the GNex I had a Thunderbolt and I like Sense, and I liked being able to run Sense and then the next day run AOSP. To this point AOSP is all that runs on the GNex.
There are ports of Sense and Blur but none are fully functional.
Coming from a Gnex on sprint and then getting a GS3,
as of right now, the Gnex totally wipes the floor with the GS3 because it has nearly perfect jellybean.
But that is true, it mostly just runs AOSP until some brave soul ports something else.
But you go to the development for the Gnex and there is alot more variety and much more roms than the GS3...
although since the GS3 has only been out for a little while compared to the Gnex, you can't expect too many roms, but it's getting there.
But i do miss the AOSP jelly bean, now i'm stuck on stock rooted 4.0.4 on my GS3 because i don't feel the roms out right now are too good.
but thats my opinion nonetheless.
Wolfbeef123 said:
Coming from a Gnex on sprint and then getting a GS3,
as of right now, the Gnex totally wipes the floor with the GS3 because it has nearly perfect jellybean.
But that is true, it mostly just runs AOSP until some brave soul ports something else.
But you go to the development for the Gnex and there is alot more variety and much more roms than the GS3...
although since the GS3 has only been out for a little while compared to the Gnex, you can't expect too many roms, but it's getting there.
But i do miss the AOSP jelly bean, now i'm stuck on stock rooted 4.0.4 on my GS3 because i don't feel the roms out right now are too good.
but thats my opinion nonetheless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a fellow former sprint gnex user I agree that there is a lot more development going in there but that is only because the devas on the Verizon boards are nice enough to convert the ROMs over... with the exception of shabby penguin and maddogin and I think dreamsforgtten there isn't much original ROMs to tall about over there. Most of the stuff there which to be honest for a nexus isn't much is stuff that was ported over from the other variants which was surprising and the reason I switched over to the LTEVO (which was a horrible idea) and now to the GS3. Just seeing that they have a working version of CM9 and a CMX that can be used as a DD says a lot to me. It looks like Sammy has finally got their $hit together and released all of their sauce in a timely better than timely manner. This phone feels like what the nexus should have been. A much better screen, CPU, GPU (the nexus GPU is a joke) and camera... I feel like calling the Gnex a nexus is a joke because it is just way to underpowered to be consider a Google experience phone.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Thanks everyone for your replies. It really helped a lot with my decision. I am now a proud owner of a galaxy s3 and since far even stock it's freaking awesome! I can't wait to trick it out with CMX or hopefully paranoid when it eventually gets ported lol but anyways thanks again for your help!
mauricehall said:
As a fellow former sprint gnex user I agree that there is a lot more development going in there but that is only because the devas on the Verizon boards are nice enough to convert the ROMs over... with the exception of shabby penguin and maddogin and I think dreamsforgtten there isn't much original ROMs to tall about over there. Most of the stuff there which to be honest for a nexus isn't much is stuff that was ported over from the other variants which was surprising and the reason I switched over to the LTEVO (which was a horrible idea) and now to the GS3. Just seeing that they have a working version of CM9 and a CMX that can be used as a DD says a lot to me. It looks like Sammy has finally got their $hit together and released all of their sauce in a timely better than timely manner. This phone feels like what the nexus should have been. A much better screen, CPU, GPU (the nexus GPU is a joke) and camera... I feel like calling the Gnex a nexus is a joke because it is just way to underpowered to be consider a Google experience phone.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I agree entirely, although the jelly bean was very smooth, the Gnex was WAYY too underpowered to actually be a google flagship phone.
and to actually think about it, to me at least, the GS3 doesnt seem like a flagship phone either. Although it should be a beast, to me it feels a bit too underpowered. Kinda wish we got the quadcore instead of the krait s4 as well as the 2gb of RAM but oh well.
I'm not an iPhone guy, as i hate iPhones and all their hype.
but if by then there is a quadcore CPU that can handle LTE, then samsung will be a bit behind..
although by then, we'll probably get another GS3 variant? maybe a Galaxy Note 2, or a galaxy s3 Quad or something you know?
at least those are my 2 cents...
now I'm gonna go back to looking for a mosin nagant locally lol
Wolfbeef123 said:
I agree entirely, although the jelly bean was very smooth, the Gnex was WAYY too underpowered to actually be a google flagship phone.
and to actually think about it, to me at least, the GS3 doesnt seem like a flagship phone either. Although it should be a beast, to me it feels a bit too underpowered. Kinda wish we got the quadcore instead of the krait s4 as well as the 2gb of RAM but oh well.
I'm not an iPhone guy, as i hate iPhones and all their hype.
but if by then there is a quadcore CPU that can handle LTE, then samsung will be a bit behind..
although by then, we'll probably get another GS3 variant? maybe a Galaxy Note 2, or a galaxy s3 Quad or something you know?
at least those are my 2 cents...
now I'm gonna go back to looking for a mosin nagant locally lol
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Click to collapse
When we get quad core there's gonna be something better it will never end there's phones are fast enough android operating system and apps need to catch up to optimize theses higher end phones.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium App
Lol at the gnex being underpowered but runs circles around the gs3 with its JB update. Proving software is what's important. You guys have a souped up cam/2x the ram and a newer chipset and still complain. Ive never heard any1 say the s3 is underpowered til this thread. Smh.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
bonebeatz1234 said:
When we get quad core there's gonna be something better it will never end there's phones are fast enough android operating system and apps need to catch up to optimize theses higher end phones.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
yeah and unfortunately with all these variety of devices, i don't think many apps actually use the full power that is capable of these high end phones.
malibu_23 said:
Lol at the gnex being underpowered but runs circles around the gs3 with its JB update. Proving software is what's important. You guys have a souped up cam/2x the ram and a newer chipset and still complain. Ive never heard any1 say the s3 is underpowered til this thread. Smh.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Click to collapse
i isnt underpowered...lol
nut coming from jelly belly on the Gnex... it feels slow. lol
As someone who has a sprint gnex, it doesn't seem underpowered at all. I run JB paranoidandroid and there is never even a hiccup. But alas, Sprint's gnex and s3 are devices without networks ATM.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

Anyone had gs2 and gnex?

Guys,i need opinions about this...someone who knows,and is experienced,please write in this thread,i really need to choose between this two phones,and im unshure about it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I had both. Granted it was an sgh-i777 but it essentially the same phone as the i9100. The s2 out performs the gnex on hardware hands down to me. (Only comparing 3d gaming) but cm can be a little buggy at times with wake locks when I had it. Gnex has a better screen and software support but both are great phones. Do you want last years king of the phones or bleeding edge software updates?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Both good phones
I had the gt-9100i and are currently using the Gnex.
And like the post above me i did like my SGS2, but not having the newest version of android really was a dealbreaker for me
Well that is a dealbreaker for me too.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
nyamoV2 said:
I had both. Granted it was an sgh-i777 but it essentially the same phone as the i9100. The s2 out performs the gnex on hardware hands down to me. (Only comparing 3d gaming) but cm can be a little buggy at times with wake locks when I had it. Gnex has a better screen and software support but both are great phones. Do you want last years king of the phones or bleeding edge software updates?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I can confirm what has been written above. I sold my international S2 i9100, which I really loved!
Exynos with Mali 400 outperforms TI-OMAP 4460 with its PowerVR SGX540 I guess in every single test. (for example in case of Nenamark2 the difference is 48-52:28-32!) S2 has gorilla glass and better camera (8 mpix + 2 mpix), sd-slot, even hard home button can be considered as an advantage.
On the other hand. Nexus has much better screen, NFC, and great support! It depend what your priorities are but...If you're into aosp/cm world Nexus is far better solution.
Official updates. Even though I think samsung is the fastest update-provider among all manufacturers still S2 got recently...its second 4.0.4 update while GNex has 4.1.2! Samsung confirmed S2 to be scheduled to JB-update in november, but I highly doubt it'll be given more than this. In case of Nexus....I'm certain it'll be supported at least 12 more months.
Moreover...exynos is closed hardware, (while omap is dev's beloved device) which makes it extremely hard for devs to get fully functioning aosp rom. You can see the difference if you compare CM10 on both handsets.
- S2 - no jb-hwcomposer and thus no v-sync, no butter - jittery and yes laggy, problems with audio.
- GNex - almost perfectly smooth! I know that lot of people here complain over smoothness but seriously there's nothing to complain. IT's one of the smoothest android experience today even if you compare it to hardware monsters like international variant of S3.
Smoothness of stock roms cannot be even discussed here. Nexus wins fair and square. So...who cares what benchmarks say? The device is as good as the software running on it.
I wish this had gorilla glass while reinforced also its not as strong it scratches easily compared to my S1 it has small nicks on it and has been though worst then my nexus an nexus has a good 5 big scratches and also cracked display
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I had both for a while, i really think the gnex outperforms the gs2 in every single way, sure gs2 have a better camera and it was pretty fast with gingerbread but it failed to delivery the same experience with ICS...and it took sooo much time to samsung release ics and with crappy touchwizz wich was the same skin as in gingerbread.
The gs2 has very low resolution and ppi screen so the gpu as an easy time. The iphonish home button really sucked balls. Basically gs2 is already outdated and doesnt deliver the same user experience as the gnex. IMHO.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I still have my i9100, purchased it before the nexus. there are things I prefer on it over the nexus, but not deal breakers.
The s2 has much better standard screen colors than the nexus, I had to tweak using a kernel that support color tweaking to get the same colors that pleased me on the s2.. However, after spending time on the higher resolution nexus screen, the s2 looks real bad.. But prior to purchasing the nexus I thought the s2 screen resolution was fine, but I did not have anything to compare it to.
Call quality I find to be much better on the nexus, much clearer voices.
Cameras.. I don't use them much so I don't have an opinion on it. as long as the phone takes pictures, I'm happy.
Wifi is much better on the s2.. I have fought with constant disconnects on the nexus hardware, while the s2 always had rock steady Wifi.
Speed... This depends on what you use the phone for. I do not play alot of games. I do not doubt the s2 has faster hardware to run games better, however I find the nexus offers a much more fluid experience when doing everything else. Simple things as such as dialing a phone number, typing, scrolling, and the nexus much more responsive and fluid. there are no annoying pauses or lags. the s2 no matter what rom I was using always had some sort of lag.
Ever thing just works on the nexus, while alot of things on the s2 were compromises. you get one feature but another was broken, especially when using custom roms.
I'm going to hang onto my s2 until the official jb release and see if jb can make it run as well as the nexus... If not, I'll be selling it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
dumbdroid said:
.... it was pretty fast with gingerbread but it failed to delivery the same experience with ICS...and it took sooo much time to samsung release ics and with crappy touchwizz wich was the same skin as in gingerbread.
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Click to collapse
That's right and Touchwizz is extremely ugly but ...ICS on Galaxy Nexus was laggy as hell to be honest, sometimes even worse than in case of S2. For example if you applied live wallpapers. I have never noticed any single scroll-lag on S2 (stock ICS rom), on GNex it was unfortunately pretty common.
Just switched from an i777 to the gal nex and I would never go back...the screen alone is enough...not to mention instant shutter speed on the camera, first to update, I've had much better battery life...plus when you go to a custom ROM, compared to the s2, everything just WORKS...and for $350 you won't regret it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
s2 was my first android, gave it to my dad and now using gnex.
fundamentally the gnex has a higher screen resolution, but no hardware keys on the front so nav buttons are a must on it.. s2 has buttons, and side by side, the displays are actually a bit identical. the gnex looks somewhat better because of the higher ppi, but pentile is visible on text when you see it very closely..
performance wise, both have almost the same cpu specs, but gnex is slightly slower. its because of the higher resolution. and i can tell you this without any benchmark numbers. i tried fpse on both, there's a slight lag on the gnex. the sgs2 runs it smoothly..
jellybean on gnex is stable (of course) and awesome. on the s2, not so much...
all games/apps work on both, with slight differences in things like emulation as i said above..
battery life on both is more or less the same, both are battery hogs. but after using them both for well over two months each, i can say that gnex sucks from 100 to 0 slightly faster.. an extended battery wouldn't be such a bad idea, i personally bought myself an anker 5600mah portable charger, and it does the job for me battery life wise. easily get through the day with super heavy use (navigation,browsing hsdpa, etc)
if you're gonna buy one of these TODAY, it makes no sense to get a s2. nexus is cheaper, and you are guaranteed Key lime pie immediately, and even possible L-- version.. yes the camera is a bit bad compared to the s2, but it's a small trade off for the price difference and software update frequency.
m.kochan10 said:
That's right and Touchwizz is extremely ugly but ...ICS on Galaxy Nexus was laggy as hell to be honest, sometimes even worse than in case of S2. For example if you applied live wallpapers. I have never noticed any single scroll-lag on S2 (stock ICS rom), on GNex it was unfortunately pretty common.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard about it but never experienced it myself because I've rooted and installed a custom rom+kernel in the second day i had it. I think that was with android 4.0.2 witch i never run on my phone. The only "stock" firmware i had was the jelly bean leak and it was great.
---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------
crazyguns said:
i tried fpse on both, there's a slight lag on the gnex. the sgs2 runs it smoothly..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah but my xperia play beats both and have crappy hardware...why?
Same goes for some gameloft games like gangster in Rio or something like that runs beautifully on my xperia play and it is unplayable on the gnex.
D3HuM4NiZ3D said:
Guys,i need opinions about this...someone who knows,and is experienced,please write in this thread,i really need to choose between this two phones,and im unshure about it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just recently got a gnex and gave my wife my gs2. I would never even think of going back. Might not ever own another non nexus phone. definitely the better phone imo.
qbanlinxx said:
I just recently got a gnex and gave my wife my gs2. I would never even think of going back. Might not ever own another non nexus phone. definitely the better phone imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I think I sold my S2, bought nexus....and today I bought my father a brand new S2 as a birthday gift. While i was configuring everything....I was like "Oh my how sluggish it is compared to Nexus". No more non-nexus androids!
can't ever go back to touchwiz... I used sgs2 i9100...love nexus software
Sent from Nexus Prime
Can't beat the nexus experience. I still have my i777, rooted weeks after I got it, and have loved tinkering, and tweaking the hell out of it ever since. Both phones are more than capable of remaining relevant for some time, but as I said, it's the Google flagship experience that really seals it. I love my s2, aokp with siyah is amazing, but I've had my nexus for just shy of 2 months now, and I honestly haven't found a reason to root it, official jb is just that good for me. Google wallet is about the only thing I've found that one phone has over the other, though Nfc is fully functional on the s2, aside from the secure hardware element needed for wallet. Not sure what the going rate is on the s2 anymore, but at best its just as good a deal as the gsm nexus right now. Long story short(kind of rambling, I apologize) love both phones, wouldn't ever discourage anyone from the s2, but of this comparison, I'd advise the gnex to anyone.
Pink pony Gs2 i777
Pure Google Gnex i9250
Pink stallion Gs3 i747
Stock tweaked Asus tf201
S2 is fast, like other people said, it out performs Gnexus a lot imo. Even on TW GB/ICS or AOSP, its still faster. Exynos are really good. But then, you wont get a proper OTA if you want JB or latest update in the future. I love the brick look of SGS2 though. when the screen is off, it looks so sexy. but gnex are sexy in both screen on and off.
For me, having the latest software in any hardware are important for me.So I am sticking with Gnex. I gave my S2 to my mum, and bought myself a One X. But then I still use Gnexus most of the time for pretty much everything. Cuz it has official Jellybean and all custom roms are stable enough since it is already an AOSP to begin with. One X still have some trouble with ICS/JB AOSP, so only choice to stick with Sense ICS for stability.
my friend always ask me if its worth to get a Gnex since it is 1 year old already. My answer for them are simple, if you care about updates every time they are announced, Gnex is the answer. and also, if you intent to use it to the fullest(3/4 years duration), its Gnex. Otherwise, buy anything you like. I always change phones, but Nexus is the one i wont replace until a next nexus(if they tempt me enough).
I got 2 phone. but i prefer GNX than GS2. GS2 outperform GNX but overall GNX better than GS2
Depends which s2 as well. I had the s2 skyrocket with the s3 processor and its a laggy pos next to the nexus. Lte was awesome and the camera pwns the gnex but that's it. I've had every nexus and every time I've strayed to get another phone I end up having nexus envy.
So the nexus is really that much better than the s2 skyrocket
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