hi guys, just wanted a general consensus from you guys regarding the galaxy nexus build quality and i'll explain why. I spend a lot of time travelling and do end up staying in places for months at a time. I'm currently planning on going to india for the next 6-8 months and would be travelling in between as well. Now, since samsung doesn't sell the nexus in india, it would not be covered under warranty as well.
I personally haven't used a phone warranty to the best of my memory and as is the human mind, now thats all I can think about. I've been using a blackberry for nearly 12 years and i'm used to reliability and phones that stand up to some abuse and not fail on me. If I was to buy the nexus, would I be looking at anything failing in the first year? is it known to have certain faults etc? And if it does, is it relatively fixable? I have no qualms about opening up a phone and replacing parts if need be, but i'm not going to start soldering things.
So basically, my question is, is the nexus a problem phone (is there anything I should look for when buying the piece), and if its a real pain, should I just get another android phone? and if so, which one? as much as I would like to get the s3, I can't justify spending that much money and I thought of getting the galaxy note but doesn't seem sensible considering the new update is coming out in sept/oct? Basically my requirements are: reliable phone, best user interface with quick os updates (reason for nexus phones), should have nfc, front facing cam, very good pic quality with no shutter lag, preferably already on ICS, and a phone with worldwide warranty as I do travel a lot, and I think most importantly, it should be future proof for the next year (it should run apps with no lag or difficulty, should be able to multi-task, etc) with very good battery life (more than a day).
thanks for the help guys!
Hmmm, you come to a Galaxy Nexus forum to ask whether to buy a nexus
Worldwide warranty, Nexus don't have that.
If you want the front camera to do video calls over UMTS(Not data), the Gnex can't do it, can only use skype or similar programmes.
And to add on, the Nexus have only been released for 5 Months, don't really have any major hardware issues as far as i know.
Mach3.2 said:
Hmmm, you come to a Galaxy Nexus forum to ask whether to buy a nexus
Worldwide warranty, Nexus don't have that.
If you want the front camera to do video calls over UMTS(Not data), the Gnex can't do it, can only use skype or similar programmes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said. I truly hope you didn't come to the Galaxy Nexus forum hoping to be talked out of buying this fantastic phone.
That said, it is a truly fantastic phone. You can't find a better one for the money right now, though you're not going to find a worldwide warranty.
I got mine as a early fathers day gift and I'm so happy I got it soon. Best phone I have had.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Mach3.2 said:
Hmmm, you come to a Galaxy Nexus forum to ask whether to buy a nexus
Worldwide warranty, Nexus don't have that.
If you want the front camera to do video calls over UMTS(Not data), the Gnex can't do it, can only use skype or similar programmes.
And to add on, the Nexus have only been released for 5 Months, don't really have any major hardware issues as far as i know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, any video calls I would be making would be through skype. I figured this would be the best place to see if the phone has any major hardware gripes.
I'm currently considering buying the phone from gsmnation for $440 plus an additional $50 for worldwide 1 year warranty.
I haven't had any problems at all, but get the warranty just in case, since you will be out of the US.
Sent from someone's Galaxy Nexus running AOKP + Franco
not worth it. Galaxy S3.
Wait for the GS3 to be released so you can better compare the two.
I think it really comes down to a few things:
1. Vanilla Android vs. Skinned (HTC Sense, MotoBlur, TouchWiz)
2. Hardware
3. Individual software features
For a pure Android 4.0 ICS experience, you will get that with the [GSM] version of the phone. The Verizon LTE version (the one I have) has been through a series of 'episodes' that have soured the community a bit. It isn't as powerful as the GSM version, nor do we get updated as much. In fact, Google dropped it from their developer's list a few months back. So with that said, if you're on Verizon I wouldn't bother. Is it a good fun? Its great, but it could have been better had Verizon not tampered with it.
On hardware, the phone is a few months old, but its still pretty impressive for hardware. The GS3 will have some upgrades under the hood, but not by much. My phone is fast and does what it needs to do. Could it be better? Yes, but it works.
Concerning individual software features, I think the GS3 beats the Nexus here. While I am personally not a fan of all the gimmicky features, others find them to be quite impressive. There's definitely more offered on the GS3 in that department, but if you don't care about S-Voice, S-Dial (I think that's what it is called), and some of the other stuff, then the Nexus will do you just fine.
AppsRUs said:
Wait for the GS3 to be released so you can better compare the two.
I think it really comes down to a few things:
1. Vanilla Android vs. Skinned (HTC Sense, MotoBlur, TouchWiz)
2. Hardware
3. Individual software features
For a pure Android 4.0 ICS experience, you will get that with the [GSM] version of the phone. The Verizon LTE version (the one I have) has been through a series of 'episodes' that have soured the community a bit. It isn't as powerful as the GSM version, nor do we get updated as much. In fact, Google dropped it from their developer's list a few months back. So with that said, if you're on Verizon I wouldn't bother. Is it a good fun? Its great, but it could have been better had Verizon not tampered with it.
On hardware, the phone is a few months old, but its still pretty impressive for hardware. The GS3 will have some upgrades under the hood, but not by much. My phone is fast and does what it needs to do. Could it be better? Yes, but it works.
Concerning individual software features, I think the GS3 beats the Nexus here. While I am personally not a fan of all the gimmicky features, others find them to be quite impressive. There's definitely more offered on the GS3 in that department, but if you don't care about S-Voice, S-Dial (I think that's what it is called), and some of the other stuff, then the Nexus will do you just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do not understand the circumstances regarding Google and Verizon. It isn't updated less, it is just updated slower. It isn't less powerful, they have the same specs.
"Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light."
It's a beast phone. Get it. You'll be glad you did.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Related
Hi All,
I currently have a Motorola Milestone (international version of the droid) and I was wondering if I should update to the Galaxy Nexus. Acknowledging the fact that I can only classify my phone as "usable" if I have a rom which runs Froyo and is overclocked from 550mhz to 1GHz (The Froyo Mod by 89luca89). As a result of these tweaks and the overclock, my phone only lasts about 6-7 hours with a considerable amount of usage which is far to little for my expectations. I live in Canada and if I were to get a new phone it would at least be on a 2 year contract on Bell. Looking at the specs of the Galaxy Nexus it doesn't compare too much above the competition, and in terms of raw specs I believe that some competitors could easily surpass the performance of the Galaxy Nexus which essentially means that eventually, it won't be as great and would compare to other products (e.g. iPhone 2G against iPhone 4).
Okay, so at this point it seems as though I have made my decision to wait for longer but....
Although the Galaxy Nexus compared to a lot of the other competition seems to have underwhelming specs, it is still the first ice cream sandwich phone which Google and Samsung collaborated upon which means that the software would be tailored specifically for the hardware and vice versa. Also, I believe that the developer base would probably be extremely huge because of the number of consumers purchasing this product and the huge interest for developers with the newest version of Android. ( I mean look at the Nexus One!) Now another probem that I see with the Galaxy Nexus is that the GPU is 4 years outdated so it might not be the best phone to get but then again how many games do you really play on your phone? (I think the GPU is identical to the GPU in the Nexus S but apparently the processor is more-so tailored for multitasking and better performance, but not gaming)
As you can clearly see I'm at cross-roads and I seriously need some opinions.
My question to you guys is:
Should I get the Galaxy Nexus (on Bell's network) when it comes out in Canada or should I wait for a successor or a faster alternative such as the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Thanks, and your opinions are greatly appreciated
every person will give you a different answer/ reasoning behind that answer, in the end it would be do you want to spend the money. Im a Nexus fiend so I will say yes get it
If you wait for a while the droid RAZR is coming out and the specs are pretty awesome
Shadow_Android said:
If you wait for a while the droid RAZR is coming out and the specs are pretty awesome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
specs are only part of a phone, motorola likes locking down their phones pretty tight, and god knows how they will provide updates
slowz3r said:
every person will give you a different answer/ reasoning behind that answer, in the end it would be do you want to spend the money. Im a Nexus fiend so I will say yes get it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't mind spending the money at all but I'm just afraid that it will get outdated too quickly because of the specs
Shadow_Android said:
If you wait for a while the droid RAZR is coming out and the specs are pretty awesome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The specs are pretty similar to the Galaxy Nexus, and I'd assume that the Galaxy Nexus would have much more developers which is good for me because I love mods, themes, roms, etc. Also I honestly don't want to wait that long to get ice cream sandwich and also motorola might ruin the entire experience if they add blur.
Thanks for your opinions guys, I think it is fairly evident that I am heading towards the Nexus Prime I probably have to wait for a very long time though since I don't think a GSM version with LTE will be available on Bell's network that fast
Shadow_Android said:
If you wait for a while the droid RAZR is coming out and the specs are pretty awesome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a fellow MS owner looking to upgrade, MOTO can take the RAZR and shove it. Never again will I buy a MOTO phone after dealing with the whole droid = unlocked, ms = locked. And MOTO has said they will lock down the RAZR, so forget that.
I'm getting a nexus prime or a xiaomi M-1
SophT said:
As a fellow MS owner looking to upgrade, MOTO can take the RAZR and shove it. Never again will I buy a MOTO phone after dealing with the whole droid = unlocked, ms = locked. And MOTO has said they will lock down the RAZR, so forget that.
I'm getting a nexus prime or a xiaomi M-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
I am also a Milestone owner. I will NEVER buy another motorola product again. Locked Bootloader, sold as a "flash ready" phone with 2.1!?! Finally updates to 2.2 8 months later and the build is soo bad the phone practically can't be used (DSI Errors).
Really my question now is, Nexus or GS2? I was really hoping for the exynos in the nexus.
SophT said:
As a fellow MS owner looking to upgrade, MOTO can take the RAZR and shove it. Never again will I buy a MOTO phone after dealing with the whole droid = unlocked, ms = locked. And MOTO has said they will lock down the RAZR, so forget that.
I'm getting a nexus prime or a xiaomi M-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah now I'm like 95% sure I'm going for the HTC Rezound or the Galaxy Nexus
drae52 said:
This.
I am also a Milestone owner. I will NEVER buy another motorola product again. Locked Bootloader, sold as a "flash ready" phone with 2.1!?! Finally updates to 2.2 8 months later and the build is soo bad the phone practically can't be used (DSI Errors).
Really my question now is, Nexus or GS2? I was really hoping for the exynos in the nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't get the GS2 though I would rather go for something like the Rezound just because it seems like old news now But I'm now debating whether fire power is more important or a higher developer base (in terms of both apps and roms) and newer OS
search for my post on the sub par hardware thread in the GN general forums. u will be convinced.
If you want a phone that doesn't get outdated fast, the Galaxy Nexus is the choice because you are guaranteed to get the latest update directly from Google in a timely manner.
The NS will surely lasts you 1.5 to 2 years and it will be one of the first phones to get the next version of Android next year.
The Nexus S is still one of the best phones out there with the latest software while other older high spec phones are crying to their manufacture for updates.
I would just say this for a point of view as a Nexus S users
If you spend time hacking and rooting your phone to rip off what ever manufactured skinned into your phone get the nexus
If you like speedy updates with new OS's get the nexus
The nexus s dev section might look slow to some people, but thats cause everything doesnt need to be fixed, its been a treat not to have the feeling to flash a rom to update a bug, its great.
I dont think I will ever buy another android phone that is not a nexus line, think about all those cool feature baked into ICS that you will probably not see if say Moto removed the lock screen and puts in their own dialer and such just saying
BrianDigital said:
I would just say this for a point of view as a Nexus S users
If you spend time hacking and rooting your phone to rip off what ever manufactured skinned into your phone get the nexus
If you like speedy updates with new OS's get the nexus
The nexus s dev section might look slow to some people, but thats cause everything doesnt need to be fixed, its been a treat not to have the feeling to flash a rom to update a bug, its great.
I dont think I will ever buy another android phone that is not a nexus line, think about all those cool feature baked into ICS that you will probably not see if say Moto removed the lock screen and puts in their own dialer and such just saying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But from a hardware perspective the Galaxy Nexus isn't very strong. I wanted to get something along the lines of the new Exynos processor and certainly not that 4 year old gpu which I doubt could render games at such a high resolution. I might be looking to get the new Samsung galaxy s 2, the one with LTE and apparently theres an new one with a 1.6GHz exynos processor I think. Nonetheless, thanks for your reply
kanariya said:
If you want a phone that doesn't get outdated fast, the Galaxy Nexus is the choice because you are guaranteed to get the latest update directly from Google in a timely manner.
The NS will surely lasts you 1.5 to 2 years and it will be one of the first phones to get the next version of Android next year.
The Nexus S is still one of the best phones out there with the latest software while other older high spec phones are crying to their manufacture for updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might get outdated fairly quickly though as the gpu is fairly bad and the processor isn't the greatest and the competition is exponentially rising
mohitrocks said:
But from a hardware perspective the Galaxy Nexus isn't very strong. I wanted to get something along the lines of the new Exynos processor and certainly not that 4 year old gpu which I doubt could render games at such a high resolution. I might be looking to get the new Samsung galaxy s 2, the one with LTE and apparently theres an new one with a 1.6GHz exynos processor I think. Nonetheless, thanks for your reply
It might get outdated fairly quickly though as the gpu is fairly bad and the processor isn't the greatest and the competition is exponentially rising
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's all up to you for what you think is more important.
I would take the pure Android experience, guaranteed timely updates over better spec on paper. The real world performance might be differ as ICS is optimized for the OMAP instead of the Exynos.
I would still take my Nexus S over any non Nexus device out there on the market today.
There is a reason that samsung has sold more android phones than motorola.
Better Hardware, better software.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
shadow65781 said:
There is a reason that samsung has sold more android phones than motorola.
Better Hardware, better software.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about Samsung against Motorola but Samsung's software generally sucks. That's the reason I want to avoid Galaxy S2 and get a Galaxy Nexus.
Dragooon123 said:
Not sure about Samsung against Motorola but Samsung's software generally sucks. That's the reason I want to avoid Galaxy S2 and get a Galaxy Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I really do hate TouchWiz with a passion.
I flashed CM7 on my SGS2 and loving it over the stock TW rom, also if there are some bugs (like BT sleep problem, and headphone volume that don't go higher than 50% closed source thinghs) but is blazing fast and customizable.
I will never go back again on stock Sams rom, that's why I'm getting a Nexus also if I'm disappointed on the hardware part.
For sure the sgs3 will be a kick ass, but sgs2 buyer's know that some battery eating bugs was solved from developers, after several months (Android OS process).
Well these is my opinion I can be wrong against some of you for sure, but as someone sayd I prefer flexibility and customisation over pure power, and I don't play games on a phone, so for me the Nexus is a must this year.
Sended from my SGS2
Ok So now that both phones are essentially out. Granted the US version of the nexus isn't but close enough. I am kind of torn one what phone to buy. The biggest thing to me was ICS and since the Razr will be getting it at some point that is a lot less of a factor.
What other Reasons would you guys have for getting one or the other? Yes i have read all the reviews on both and understand the differences between the two. Anything game changing for you guys?
Nexus, the Razr doesn't seem to be all that good and Motorola aren't exactly reliable when it comes to updates.
Keep in mind that even if Razr will get ICS eventually, you'll still have to wait for future increment updates, and then there's jellybean.
I am eagerly waiting for the Nexus for several reasons in addition to being pure Android, better developer support, and future updates. The Nexus, IMO, looks better. The Razr is quite large even though it has a smaller screen. I heard that Razr has better call quality but that's not the most important thing to me because I only use maybe 20% of my phone to make calls. GN has a slightly newer and better SoC. The screen of the Nexus clearly wins hands down. Oh and no locked bootloader.
Having had both a motorola and a samsung previously (Milestone with motorola - non US version of the original Droid and the Galaxy S with samsung) I too faced the same question.
I went with the Nexus in the end as although the milestone was nice hard-ware wise, motoblur let it down and shackled it, motorola blatantly lied about updates and then failed to deliver them, and the updates that did come came with even more bugs than they were supposed to fix. Motorola are only interested in your $$$ their after sales customer service is appaling!
Having had the nexus for a week now I've not regretted the upgrade and would thoroughly recommend. I think as well being a nexus you're pretty much guranteed speedy updates over the razr and I think it looks better too.
I had both on my hand. And definitely goes for Galaxy Nexus, the galaxy nexus screen advantage almost override all other advantages from razr~!
The RAZR will always be crushed by motorola's updates and skins. And comparing the screens, the RAZR isn't even close to the GN.
You came to the Galaxy Nexus forum,which do you expect people to pick? The Razr?
rashad1 said:
You came to the Galaxy Nexus forum,which do you expect people to pick? The Razr?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will be honest, i came here because this is what phone i had decided to wait for. But it seems that its not getting the greatest reviews, and the single biggest reason i picked it (ICS) i am a little nervous about. I mean lets be honest its never great to be the 1 to test something out.(New fighter plane or fire retardant suit comes to mind) I actually have a Razr, bought it for my wife and i like it a lot. I guess i am losing steam for holding out for the GN. And i thought this would be a great place for a discussion on what i should do.
Get the int'l razor. Supposedly bootloader can be unlocked but i havent followed up on that to see if its true. Reviews have been kind of meh to me.
Sent from my samsung gt i9250 which is in the wrong country.
Well if there was a GSM variant of the RAZR, I would actually have to think about my choice.
The RAZR's hardware is incredible, but in the end the non-bloatware Nexus and ridiculous screen quality would trump even the water-resistant and Gorilla Glass 2 feature of the RAZR.
Edit: Ack, there is a GSM RAZR. Good thing I already own the GNEX...
ericshmerick said:
Well if there was a GSM variant of the RAZR, I would actually have to think about my choice.
The RAZR's hardware is incredible, but in the end the non-bloatware Nexus and ridiculous screen quality would trump even the water-resistant and Gorilla Glass 2 feature of the RAZR.
Edit: Ack, there is a GSM RAZR. Good thing I already own the GNEX...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gnex CPU is also slightly better.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
I'd go with the N but not because you can sit back and let Google give you timely updates and fix bugs. My Nexus S shipped with the search bug making it unusable. Best and only response from G was "first we heard about that problem". The hundreds of other users got the same. No update in sight and I never saw one. I lasted a week before rooting and flashing like we always do. Now it is a great device but no thanks to google. Moto would be a lot worse. I assume that I'll treat any phone no matter how it's sold as a dev device that I'll have to flash myself. I have full confidence in my lack of confidence with the new Nexus.
Get the GN,
I just came from a Motorola Atrix! Motorola suck at software updates & love locking bootloaders (although they are slowly changing)
GN FTW!
GN.
10char
Am about to buy the monster here in Germany, will wait for the first batch to be washed out into the market to avoid the baby teething issues (volume, search, whatever else).
Atrix has been good though, once the bootloader got unlocked & the roms started pouring in it became a beauty of a phone!
+1 on the wait and see attitude. let the first batch fly out and the next (fixed) batch to arrive. Whether the inevitable issues are google or samsung isn't important, there is a history of problems with each one so far and the new one is already showing problems. Hearing that the core issue (volume) is hardware related that will be "fixed" in software makes me think I'll not buy one at all now. I'll not go with the Moto for other reasons. The Galaxy S had hardware shortcomings also semi fixed in software and that wasn't good enough. After my third warranty repair I demanded a proper pb which they did and the problem went away. The Nexus S had OS issues that took much too long to fix. The new one no doubt will have issues. I'm not excited to be the fist on the block with another turkey.
JustusIV said:
But it seems that its not getting the greatest reviews.
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Click to collapse
Official reviews looked pretty good to me, maybe I read them wrong.
Btw...I thanked you on accident, consider it an early xmas gift.
I am fond of Motorola devices, they have good voice quality, good durability, good grip (despite being squarish). But none of their devices seem to support TMobile 3G band, so I can't get it. (As for firmware updates, what updates?)
I'd go with the GN. Bug fixes pretty quick and easy bootloader unlocking make an excellent combination.
However, with Google's acquisition of Moto, maybe they will be the way forward next year?
Thought about the same choice of phones and I think I'll be going with the GN mainly because of removeable battery.
The good thing about thin phones is that you can add to them bigger capacity batteries while still keeping a normal width. I currently have a 2700 Mah battery on my Samsung Galaxy S with the corresponding width (but not weight!) of my ex-Iphone 3GS.
Just yesterday, while abroad on work, I didn't use my phone at all (ok, probably not a very valid test) with wifi, 3G on and this morning, after 1d battery usage was down 12%.
I know that the important thing is lasting a 8h day but I'm the kind of guy that hates thinking about recharging my devices (Ipad 2 is perfect in this aspect) than actually doing it.
So I'm keeping my eye on GN extended batteries, specially from Momax....
I have been a longtime iPhone and Android user and currently I am using the iPhone 4s. It's a great phone, but I tend to miss Android and all that it offers.
Here is my question.. Does anyone think $690 for the GSM Nexus is worth it? I have been going back and forth on it and I think I would really like it, however I can never seem to keep an Android phone because nothing is really new with it.
Here is an example. I had the Verizon Thunderbolt, it was a nice phone, fast and really allowed Android to shine. I then saw the T-Mobile Sensation come out and it was a dual core with nice specs. Another really nice phone. But again, noting super new with Android. Not to mention T-Moble's network blows around here.
I hoped to ATT and I love the coverage and have tried the iPhone 4, 4s (current) and Skyrocket.
So, will Android 4 on the Nexus be new and improved enough to make the switch?
I should pay attention, I see the subsidized Verizon phone still is $300. Maybe $600+ is an ok price.
Honestly I only think paying full price for the GSM Nexus is worth it if you get the $30 Walmart plan on T-Mobile.
I personally have been using my GNex for about a month now and I bought it from one of the on-line retailers (paid $750BTW) and I would do it again in a heart beat. I personally have TMoUSA and the service is good in my area, everyone's mileage will vary. I had the iPhone and have not looked back after going with android
"Worth it" is completely arbitrary based on the person.
For me, it would be worth it. I hate iOS and all it stands for. I also don't being treated like a criminal for wanting root. I also think the iOS theme is butt-ugly.
I'm running pre-alphas of CM9 and they are working flawlessly. This bodes well for the future of the device.
Depends on your budget . I don't think you'll see too much of a difference in terms of performance though... and the GPU isn't that great compared to the iPhone. If you want more input, I suggest you using the search option in this forum and search something along the lines of Galaxy Nexus vs iPhone 4s
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
The Galaxy Nexus is a really good phone, IMO the best Android out there (but then I'd never again buy a non-Google phone -- these are locked worse than the iPhone).
I love the big screen (came to it from a Nexus S) and ICS is a big improvement in terms of UI.
Having said that, the iPhone 4S still offers a smoother and more consistent user experience, IMO.
mycomputerisjunk said:
I should pay attention, I see the subsidized Verizon phone still is $300. Maybe $600+ is an ok price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get an unlocked 16gb Galaxy Nexus from negri electronics for about $625 shipped nowadays.
No one can tell you how "worth it" it is. Everyone has different qualifications. I'd be inclined to say that if you're going to be staying w/ AT&T and paying through the nose for service, its harder to swallow the ~$625 for an unlocked device.
It becomes more worth it when you go to a prepaid plan and cut your service cost in half every month.
So I would definitely recommend you walk into a Verizon store so you can play with it in person and make your assessment on whether or not you think Android 4 is good enough to justify your payment for the unlocked device. Obviously don't pay attention to the network speeds or anything as you'll be using on AT&T, but its a good idea to see it in person first.
mycomputerisjunk said:
Does anyone think $690 for the GSM Nexus is worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid $650 ($689 after tax)for a non-subsidized CDMA so I think so.
well coming from the SGS II(epic 4g touch)...........I LOVE THIS PHONE!!!....i got the CDMA(32gb) version with Verizon. Android 4.0 is a HUGE step from gingerbread, you'll love it. I would recommend going with Verizon though
Ye love it too, and the experience is definitely more changed than ever from 2.x to 4.0(eg. better than ever), so by those means, yes it's worth it.
However with an iphone 4s i would probably wait another year before upgrading.
You could watch Swappa if you're interested in trying to save a few hundred and go lightly used. There isn't much on there now, but may be more in the coming months. Beware of people maybe trying to unload their phones due to signal issues (CDMA at least). I've collected very mixed data on CDMA signal issues (I can't speak for GSM). Many people report 0 problems, and some report chronic problems even after phone swaps. I've seen some fixed after a swap, and in my case I had a tech swap my SIM card which helped a lot, and then updating to 4.03 radios *hopefully* fixed the problem.
Assuming my signal issues are fixed now and don't return, this phone is by far the best I've ever owned. A major jump forward coming from a Droid Incredible. CM9 is also amazing.
http://swappa.com/search?q=galaxy+nexus
Apples and oranges.. One is a fancy phone that runs apps, the other is a mini computer.
If you like customizing your phone past wallpapers and folders then it should be a clear and obvious answer
Sent from my Google phone
I mean...
dude i mean i got the gnex the day it came out and it was complete garbage i hated it it sucked so bad i lit it on fire..i mean i come from a rich background so i can afford to do those kinda things..
jk im not queer, but anyways i have the gnex and i love it. i hate ios and apple entirely and when i see all these kids at my school with iphones i just get heated. anyways..if you have the money to use on a gsm version by all means do so
mycomputerisjunk said:
I have been a longtime iPhone and Android user and currently I am using the iPhone 4s. It's a great phone, but I tend to miss Android and all that it offers.
Here is my question.. Does anyone think $690 for the GSM Nexus is worth it? I have been going back and forth on it and I think I would really like it, however I can never seem to keep an Android phone because nothing is really new with it.
Here is an example. I had the Verizon Thunderbolt, it was a nice phone, fast and really allowed Android to shine. I then saw the T-Mobile Sensation come out and it was a dual core with nice specs. Another really nice phone. But again, noting super new with Android. Not to mention T-Moble's network blows around here.
I hoped to ATT and I love the coverage and have tried the iPhone 4, 4s (current) and Skyrocket.
So, will Android 4 on the Nexus be new and improved enough to make the switch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...........
The trouble with asking this kind of question in a galaxy nexus forum is your going to get a very biast opinion as everyone here, well mostly everyone here owns one and android users love android and apple love apple products.
Really the best advice is go and use one in a store and make up your own mind and of course watch some youtube videos about ics and gnex vs iPhone 4s. Then you be armed with the knowledge to make the right decisiin for you and your needs.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
I'd suggest going to your local Verizon store and play around with their Galaxy Nexus demo for a bit. I waited and cried about this phone not being released then when it finally was and I picked up I found myself questioning why and what about the phone was I going so crazy for and at the moment I'm a little regretful for not playing with the phone first and just ordering it online.
It's a nice phone and I know I'm a picky person but there was imo more bad than good and the stuff I think is bad may not necessarily be bad but just not as good as it should or could have been for the price and usually when I upgrade, which is once every few years when Verizon grants me a discount, I like to get the best I can get to last me those few years and the Galaxy Nexus isn't the best for me.
To be specific on the things I personally didn't care for were the camera, the battery life which is common in 4G phones but was a little worse in this phone than other 4G phones I've used. The screen was a let down, the colors and grainy banding in low light levels just looked horrible and the whole 4.65" largest screen thing was misleading to me as you hardly ever use the full screen because of the softkeys and worst of all for me was no USB Mass Storage which I used allot in my previous phone but that last one was my fault for not researching the phone more thoroughly prior to purchase.
I've always been an android user so I can't say anything bad about iOS devices although I have and use an iPad 2 and iPod touch 4 I can't imagine them being any worse as a phone.
If you can wait until the Samsung Galaxy S3, it's a beast. IMO, the Galaxy Nexus is already an outdated phone, and it will be more apparent when new phones start rolling out ICS.
Of course, there's a slew of other phones coming out in the next few months, so you'll have lots of options. That's just my opinion.
Only if you promise not to make threads about multi tasking or battery life if you end up not liking it. Which I am very sure you will like it.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
I've never owned an iPhone so maybe I'm not qualified to give my opinion, but I have handled various iPhones through the years. My buddy who's owned a couple summed it up best. The iPhone is a beautiful phone with an environment where everything "works." It's a device with a very closed, simple OS but amazing apps, where android is a very powerful, open (if you get something from the nexus line anyway) OS with decent apps. The apps make iPhone and the OS make Android.
If you crave freedom and are a power user, this is the phone for you. I've only owned android devices but I think apple makes a good phone. The problem lies in that if you want it do something that apple hasn't envisioned for the phone, then you are out of luck. Also, the iPhone 4 and up have great screens... but having owned 4inch screen and up phones for the last 2 years, it's pretty much impossible for me personally to go down to something under 4 inches. The thing just feels utterly tiny and limited with that little screen real estate.
As an aside, where Android has caught up with the UI on ICS, they really need to step up the game with their tablets. This is an area the iPad has every Android tablet beat, not even including the horsepower under the hood... device layout! I'm talking about the 4:3 format the iPad uses. Every powerful android tablet is in 16:9, and if you aren't watching movies it's a terrible aspect ratio. It's harder to hold and you give up a lot of usable area in portrait and in landscape. It works for computers with a dedicated keyboard and mouse, but on a huge touchscreen device, it's just awkward.
Edit: Biggest reason I will never own an iPhone is iTunes. Hate the program... huge bloatware on the computer and Apple forces you to use it if you want any sync with your computer. iCloud alleviates it somewhat, but it's just another way to trap you into the Apple ecosystem.
Title basically says it all. If you are eligible for an upgrade, what phone would you get and why?
The new samsung galaxy s3 because i think the performance of the new exynos quad core processor would be great......like the old exynos on the galaxy s2
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
I would also go for the Samsung Galaxy S 3. However, I would like to have a Rezound until then
Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
Galaxy Nexus for me. Hackability, perfect size, Nexus!
Owning a rebound I can tell you it is a great device. But the battery life is not the best, about 9 hrs moderate use ( the extended battery helps a lot but is bulky). The American version of the galaxy S3 will not have a quad core so I would recommend the rezound or nexus. Both great devices obviously the rezound has sense which I love but if your not into then the nexus would be your best bet.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
Why I would go Nexus over Rezound:
-development/hackability
-screen
-thinness
-AOSP device
-battery life (people who complain about it on nexus use stock battery and/or aren't rooted)
-software updates
I still wouldn't mind Galaxy Journal. Shame it's being released so late
Sent from my Incredible 2
Inc4g lte if it has the same camera tech as the one series.
Amphibliam said:
Why I would go Nexus over Rezound:
-development/hackability
-screen
-thinness
-AOSP device
-battery life (people who complain about it on nexus use stock battery and/or aren't rooted)
-software updates
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually agree with what you say. The next phone I'm getting is most likely a Nexus (assuming Samsung is making it of course) unless Verizon screws us over and ditches the next Nexus. Otherwise I'm going with a GSIII or the iPhone.
"All of those bacon strips"
gsm nexus, or iphone. i can't stand the Android skins.
What would be even better it's if HTC got the next nexus device. Rumor is they were talking to google about it for jelly bean.
Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
if it was a choice of any phone out in verizon's current inventory (assuming i was burning an upgrade and paying vzw's prices...)
i wouldnt take any (which is why i havent)
reasons i wouldnt take: (all just my personal opinion, not remotely trying to influence anyone...everyone has their own likes/dislikes/needs)
nexus:
i like having the option of (insert oem skin) and aosp
radios are a bit iffy (most samsung devices are)
would get bored of swapping just between aokp and miui4
i personally wouldnt have anything to do for it
battery life is mixed (some report great batt life with kernels, others on same kernels disagree so meh)
rezound:
no working aosp, nor any aosp devs that (i think) can get ril worked out anytime soon
500 of the exact same sense roms
still officially on gb
battery debacle of the different voltage batts
not much for me to do for it (put out more of the same sense roms?)
(insert motorola device)
i wont buy motorola on principle
i hate blur so much it might as well not be an option for me
lg spectrum:
lol, i had to put this in here...no one bought it
future phones?!
certainly a lot for consideration, but too many unknowns to commit to one right now
sgs3:
even though its very likely that the verizon version (if indeed there is one) ships with a dual core s4 chip rather than quad core exynos, that would be ok in my book
a lot depends on pricepoint, actual release date (if it launches in september or something forget it), and the other developers that commit to it (if a billion others do, ill pass rather than do the same stuff they do)
and lets see what other things verizon does it to it (form factor change, etc)
galaxy note (journal):
more unknowns
is it launching? if so, when? (summer is too late for its q4 2011 specs)
is it really launching with gingerbread ?!?! (it would be a no buy just based on that, given samsung/vzw's terrible history with updating skinned sammy phones..or even the gnex for that matter)
inc 4g/inc3/inc lte/whatever its called:
ill *most* likely pick this device up assuming that
battery life is decent
will it have htc dev unlock support? (att one x doesnt seem to)
will the latest s-off for htc phones work with it? or is the chipset a no-go
i can find it on wirefly for around $200 on contract (not paying $300 on contract for it)
similar camera to the one series
i like the 4.0 inch screen size, and qhd is a nice bump in resolution
s4 processor w/ qhd res *should* lead to very good performance
native full sense 4 and ics is nice
native ics devices *should* be easier to get aosp working on, as its been speculated that the ril situation should be better than native gb phones (who knows though)
rumored htc note competitor:
umm, lets see how big it is really
how much it costs
how is battery life?
is it really going to have sense 5? what the heck is sense 5 lol
will it have htc dev unlock support? (att one x doesnt seem to)
Nit you pretty much summed up my thoughts on the Inc4G. I'd like to see what official cost is and if it's not too bad I may try and score one off contract. I was finding Nexus and Rezounds going for 200-300 on ebay barely used.
I'd skip the Nexus because honestly it seems like it's been pretty lackluster compared to expectations people had for it. I also am not a fan of the whole ICS Holo theme which is why I'm so drawn to Sense4.
SGIII did absolutely nothing for me. The press conference was boring and it looks like just another run of the mill Galaxy phone. Touchwiz is also horrid and really ugly.
nitsuj17 said:
if it was a choice of any phone out in verizon's current inventory (assuming i was burning an upgrade and paying vzw's prices...)
i wouldnt take any (which is why i havent)
reasons i wouldnt take: (all just my personal opinion, not remotely trying to influence anyone...everyone has their own likes/dislikes/needs)
nexus:
i like having the option of (insert oem skin) and aosp
radios are a bit iffy (most samsung devices are)
would get bored of swapping just between aokp and miui4
i personally wouldnt have anything to do for it
battery life is mixed (some report great batt life with kernels, others on same kernels disagree so meh)
rezound:
no working aosp, nor any aosp devs that (i think) can get ril worked out anytime soon
500 of the exact same sense roms
still officially on gb
battery debacle of the different voltage batts
not much for me to do for it (put out more of the same sense roms?)
(insert motorola device)
i wont buy motorola on principle
i hate blur so much it might as well not be an option for me
lg spectrum:
lol, i had to put this in here...no one bought it
future phones?!
certainly a lot for consideration, but too many unknowns to commit to one right now
sgs3:
even though its very likely that the verizon version (if indeed there is one) ships with a dual core s4 chip rather than quad core exynos, that would be ok in my book
a lot depends on pricepoint, actual release date (if it launches in september or something forget it), and the other developers that commit to it (if a billion others do, ill pass rather than do the same stuff they do)
and lets see what other things verizon does it to it (form factor change, etc)
galaxy note (journal):
more unknowns
is it launching? if so, when? (summer is too late for its q4 2011 specs)
is it really launching with gingerbread ?!?! (it would be a no buy just based on that, given samsung/vzw's terrible history with updating skinned sammy phones..or even the gnex for that matter)
inc 4g/inc3/inc lte/whatever its called:
ill *most* likely pick this device up assuming that
battery life is decent
will it have htc dev unlock support? (att one x doesnt seem to)
will the latest s-off for htc phones work with it? or is the chipset a no-go
i can find it on wirefly for around $200 on contract (not paying $300 on contract for it)
similar camera to the one series
i like the 4.0 inch screen size, and qhd is a nice bump in resolution
s4 processor w/ qhd res *should* lead to very good performance
native full sense 4 and ics is nice
native ics devices *should* be easier to get aosp working on, as its been speculated that the ril situation should be better than native gb phones (who knows though)
rumored htc note competitor:
umm, lets see how big it is really
how much it costs
how is battery life?
is it really going to have sense 5? what the heck is sense 5 lol
will it have htc dev unlock support? (att one x doesnt seem to)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% agree here.
I have an upgrade, I'll either, use my upgrade on the inc4g, and/or sell the Rez/trade for inc4g.
(this is assuming it has htc-dev unlock).
well I saw the announcement of the inc 4g..it cought my attention for sure. the OG inc was my first android phone, then I filed insurance claim nd got an inc2. Love em both. I didn't root until recently (2 months ago) and its really extended the life of the device in my eyes. So, I will probably wait to see what can be cooked up with the new inc with roms, ect.
Having worked at verizon stores and dealing with all the phones, I can honestly say that I would never own a samsung device....their phones just feel like cheap pieces of plastic.
The moto razr is a very nice looking phone, but having a sealed battery compartment kills it for me. Hopefully the new inc doesn't have that.
Also, in my experience, everthing lG makes is pretty much garbage...
So HTC and moto in a distant second for me personally.
I'm eligible now, and before I rooted I was ready to jump on the rezound...but I really like the 4" screen, and could care less about beats audio.
Since I rooted I realize that I can wait a little bit longer. I Would really like to see vzw get the one series here, but it sounds like those quad cores aren't playing nice with the LTE radio.
andybones said:
100% agree here.
I have an upgrade, I'll either, use my upgrade on the inc4g, and/or sell the Rez/trade for inc4g.
(this is assuming it has htc-dev unlock).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the Rez not that good? I'm sitting on an upgrade as well. But I'm in no hurry to part with my Inc2. was looking at the Rezound a little though.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using XDA
jman42028 said:
well I saw the announcement of the inc 4g..it cought my attention for sure. the OG inc was my first android phone, then I filed insurance claim nd got an inc2. Love em both. I didn't root until recently (2 months ago) and its really extended the life of the device in my eyes. So, I will probably wait to see what can be cooked up with the new inc with roms, ect.
Having worked at verizon stores and dealing with all the phones, I can honestly say that I would never own a samsung device....their phones just feel like cheap pieces of plastic.
The moto razr is a very nice looking phone, but having a sealed battery compartment kills it for me. Hopefully the new inc doesn't have that.
Also, in my experience, everthing lG makes is pretty much garbage...
So HTC and moto in a distant second for me personally.
I'm eligible now, and before I rooted I was ready to jump on the rezound...but I really like the 4" screen, and could care less about beats audio.
Since I rooted I realize that I can wait a little bit longer. I Would really like to see vzw get the one series here, but it sounds like those quad cores aren't playing nice with the LTE radio.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OG Incredible was my first Android too! It was the perfect intro to Android. I had the original Samsung AMOLED screen, which was much nicer than the SLCD version (imho) so it was gorgeous, and was easy to root. I flashed so many roms on that phone. I'm really surprised I didn't wear out the nand chip. I traded that phone for a Fascinate, with which I had a love-hate relationship. That's where I really learned how to use ADB. I won an LG Revolution from Phone Arena a couple months later, which was okay, but the way that phone was coded together, it was impossible to do anything with it. Plus, is was LTE, so it didn't have working AOSP. No devs ever got the phone, so its development situation was a little lacking. I traded it for my DInc2 about a month after I got it and I've had this phone since August. I've been so much happier having an HTC again. After Sammy and LG, I've been confirmed in my OEM of choice. It's not like Moto is going to sway me. Haha
I pre-ordered the Evo LTE yesterday, as I'm jumping to Sprint. I got bumped off my contract by family because they wouldn't give me the billing account password after they changed it, so I couldn't pay my bill over the phone anymore. They told me I had to drive down 45 minutes every month to pay them, which I couldn't do because I had lost my car in an accident that wasn't even my fault. It sucked. I lost my unlimited data plan.
If I were still on Verizon, I'd be jumping for joy that the Inc4G is a One S variant. The One S outperforms the S4 version of the One X a bit because it's qHD, not 720p. Plus, 4" is the perfect screen size. I don't think I'm gonna like the 4.7" screen on the Evo LTE at first. I'll get used to it, but damn that's a huge phone.
Sent from my HTC Incredible 2 using Tapatalk 2
hoodieNation said:
Is the Rez not that good? I'm sitting on an upgrade as well. But I'm in no hurry to part with my Inc2. was looking at the Rezound a little though.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i wouldnt use an upgrade on a 6/7 month old phone running an older s3 processor...but thats me
Does the S3 processor have that much of a huge difference then a S4 processor. Does it even matter since in about 3 months a S5 processor will come out. I remember when the S3 processor came out everyone was so hyped about how amazing it was, and now look at the way people talk about it...
jakob95 said:
Does the S3 processor have that much of a huge difference then a S4 processor. Does it even matter since in about 3 months a S5 processor will come out. I remember when the S3 processor came out everyone was so hyped about how amazing it was, and now look at the way people talk about it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well thats point, i wont buy something thats already older and tie myself for 20 months to it
and the thing with sense devices is that they historically a wasteland for dev support when another huge one comes out...so id bet you ll loose most of the rezound developers come the fall if verizon launches something that much better
now thats not to say other (new) devs wont step in, like the og inc and evo 4g saw...but stll
buy what you want obviously, but thats my take on things
Hi im thinking of getting the Galaxy Nexus after having SGS2 and then htc one x (wich i sold due to a lot hardware problems) i dont know what to get and i think the galaxy nexus would be a decent phone but im woried is it better than the SGS2 if not than this phone is not for me because i got tiered of S2 another question is how is gaming and watching hd mkv movies on this phone?And what do you say should i get it (p.s i hate the SGS3's design and i dont want to spend that much money for what i think is not a big upgrade just a quad core and better screen)
Hardware specs wise, sgs2 is slightly better
Galaxy nexus for more developer support, pure Google experience w/o bloatware, faster OS updates
Personally I prefer the nexus
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
my sister has gs2 and i've the gnexus..
the differents are little but important, first of all the different resolutions and the different time to update.. i have ics since a week before christmas 2011 and my sister installed it 2 weeks ago, and now i've jelly bean xD
if you find to sell your gs2 at a nice € and you find the gnexus in a nice discount you can do it
think its a overall good phone how is the gaming on this phone like N.O.V.A 3 or Modern combar 3 and watching mkv movies
Please refer to the comparisons post in the general section.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1642801
before responding, I did check the comparison thread, didn't see much on the S2 V nexus directly, TONS of S3.... and I'll bring up some other considerations that aren't really "phone" specific for the OP to think about ....
To the OP, it is hard to answer your question, you ask "is it worth it .....", but, we don't know what YOUR definition of "worth it" is.
You can go to other threads, gsmarena, etc., and see the phone spec differences.
Just a couple things that might be a little subtle from just looking at the specs .....
The S2 has faster HPSA, 42 MBS theoretical VS 21 on the Gnexus. Most PHONES can't take advantage of that speed by themselves (or users don't). It makes a difference for me, as I hotspot and run a computer off of my tmobile connection. You do need to be in a tmo 42 mbs area for this to be useful, however, so, if you're not, this feature might not be "worth it" for you.
PENTABAND? What provider do you use, are you looking to do contracts? Straight Talk (att and tmobile) and tmobile itself, offer great pay per month contracts (plenty of posts on the ST $45 unlimited everything plans). The S2 is faster ON TMOBILE, but, while it can run on ATT for voice, data is very slow. The nexus is fast on both ATT and Tmobile.
Pentaband is a good feature if you are looking to switch between att and tmo (maybe one gets better reception when you're at school, the other when you're at home ?).
A THOUGHT HERE is the ATT S2 SKYROCKET, apparently, it runs ATT fast natively, AND, can be flashed to the Tmo version (Tmo S2 doesn't have the same radio, so doesn't work the other way)
As others have mentioned, more developer support for the GN, less for the S2, but, ... the S2 has lots of good roms too.
SD CARD - is "WORTH" it to me. I am in hotels a lot, have a large collection of blu ray DVDs I've converted using DVD Catalyst, and have many on micro SD cards ... and I can use my phone as a movie player if the hotel (or if I go to a friends house) TV has HDMI.
The built in memory on the GN is not so small that its a big hinderance, I can still fit a movie or two and hundreds of hours of songs, so, long as you plan you're fine ... removeable SD allows you to bring your entire song collection and dozens of movies.
That's useful for me, might not be "worth it" for you.
Both are great phones, FOR ME, the Nexus is much more versitile if you're looking to maximize pay as you go plans and carrier useage, the S2 if you are looking for pure data speed and SD is a little stronger.
There are other features of the phones that might be "worth it" to you, those are the big ones I've been thinking / testing.
Good luck with your choice!
I already have the s2 so im going to think about it one more time for me it seems like a god mid upper range phone altough the htc one s also looks tempting
Get a comment in before the lock guys...
Sent from my GT-P7310 using Tapatalk 2
Didn't read this forum before posting, but YES it is worth it. ESPECIALLY with JellyBean ready for action.
Yes and No
Yes and no. From a community standpoint, yes. The Galaxy Nexus is THE developers phone. However, it is likely that Google will announce their next Nexus phone in November - December. This phone will not only give the pure android experience, but also outweigh the Galaxy Nexus in terms of specs. I think the Galaxy Nexus has a good 6 - 8 months until it becomes outdated.
lfnunley said:
Yes and no. From a community standpoint, yes. The Galaxy Nexus is THE developers phone. However, it is likely that Google will announce their next Nexus phone in November - December. This phone will not only give the pure android experience, but also outweigh the Galaxy Nexus in terms of specs. I think the Galaxy Nexus has a good 6 - 8 months until it becomes outdated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree. I mean Google haven't really been impressive on specs. I mean the Nexus One was amazing. The Nexus S came out and still amazing.
Then the Galaxy Nexus Came out with OK specs upgrade.
To me this seems like the pass that apple takes on their iPhones.
So I EXPECT Google to make a very dramatic upgrade in Design and Specs and this time set the Standards.
Not a few standards.
What are your priorities in a phone?
If you always want the latest and greatest hardware, GS2
If you want the perfect blend of latest tech & reliability without having to install a custom ROM, Gnex
I've used the GS2, sometimes it acts up, but it's mostly a good phone. The gnex, it's very reliable.
The GS2... It wasn't until this year that Skype officially supported video chat on the GS2. Stuff like that just turns me off from the GS2 & GS3. They always need 6 months from release to actually mature past their older brothers.
Like everyone else is mentioning, the Galaxy Nexus is a great device if you plan on fully utilizing the "Nexus" part of the name.