I was thinking about this today...as far as I know, there aren't any pure Google devices outside of the Nexus line. What gives?
I would think companies would see the benefits of AOSP: being fast and clean(due to being free of huge custom UIs) and the ability to provide Android updates quickly to users. Besides, a lot of people hate Touchwiz, Sense, Blur and all that crap...take a look at the xda forums for those devices, there is a huge demand for CM/AOKP etc. and people are willing to use alpha CM9 ROMs on brand new devices in order to get the vanilla Android experience even though the ROM isn't even remotely stable. It's not like people are simply dying to use their Sense home screens...many millions of people don't even bother to actually use the stock launchers that come with their Blur/Sense/Touchwiz phones...Go Launcher alone has 10-50 million installs according to the Play Store!
So what's the deal here? If I were a mobile exec, it would seem like a no-brainer to me to, at the very least, put out ONE vanilla device.
Everyone wants to be special and have their own look.
What you want (and what should happen) is happening this year.
http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2012...nexus-line-with-more-smartphones-tablets-wsj/
CADude said:
What you want (and what should happen) is happening this year.
http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2012...nexus-line-with-more-smartphones-tablets-wsj/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a GN...I don't "want" anything...just discussing why it isn't this way with more mobile companies already.
Just because a device ships with "stock" Android does NOT mean it will get updates any faster. The T-Mobile G2 and G2x were both "Stock" Android phones, and the G2x only recently received Gingerbread. These phones will never be officially be upgraded to ICS, as they have reached EOL at T-Mobile, even though they both are more than able to meet hardware requirements. OEMs and Carriers love skinned devices as it sets them apart from the rest and allows them to get away with never updating phones. The original Galaxy S looks no different after receiving Froyo and even Gingerbread although it launched with Eclair, likewise the GS2 shows little change from the upgrade to ICS. Personally, I prefer these skinned devices to everyone running stock, as I know that none of these phones will be updated quickly and only would give off the illusion of being a Nexus Class device. Also, people like AOKP and CM9 not for the stock look, they do it for the updated ROMs and Customization, the latter which can be supplied by a decent OEM skin. If you want to see a market of stock phones, look to China and Europe, many of the lesser known companies like CoolPad release dual-core stock ICS devices, but they never sell well as they are never optimized, won't get updated, look like trash, and have nothing to set them apart.
It's quite simply because when they all have to use the same 3-4 std. hardware setups the only real way for OEMs to make customers aware that their devices are different from the rest of the android devices, is to skin the software.
That being said, I agree that many of them does a very poor job, and end up with a product much less appealing than stock android.
CADude said:
What you want (and what should happen) is happening this year.
http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2012...nexus-line-with-more-smartphones-tablets-wsj/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure this rumor was floating around before the galaxy nexus as well.
I think that maybe Google has to force Samsung, HTC and other in order that the customers will be willing to choose if we want stock or sense, touchwiz, etc ..
Enviado desde mi Galaxy Nexus usando Tapatalk 2
diegodbm said:
I think that maybe Google has to force Samsung, HTC and other in order that the customers will be willing to choose if we want stock or sense, touchwiz, etc ..
Enviado desde mi Galaxy Nexus usando Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which they cannot do while Android is OSS.
Manufacturer bloat = money
If all phones were "pure google", I doubt there would be "manufacturer bloat", and that's what brings in some money.
Although us nerds on phone forums may think that stock Android is a selling point, for most people it isn't. The idea of stock on all these phones is great but people have grown accustomed to what the manufacturer builds offer (camera apps, audio and video codecs, integration with services, exclusive apps, etc.) And manufacturers would prefer to control the experience on their devices. For them, new skins and frameworks are complete value-adds that sell more phones.
Samsung wants to sell you a SGSIII that looks relatively familiar to your SGSII and original SGS. The only way they can do this is by putting TouchWiz on the phones. They're all about setting up brand loyalty.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Phone manufacturers want to stand out from other manufacturers. What would differentiate Samsung, HTC, Motorola if they all only offered vanilla android? They add their own flavour to try and get that competitive edge. This is the reason I believe, even though I prefer stock.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
neos_83 said:
Phone manufacturers want to stand out from other manufacturers. What would differentiate Samsung, HTC, Motorola if they all only offered vanilla android? They add their own flavour to try and get that competitive edge. This is the reason I believe, even though I prefer stock.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well than maybe instead of competing with software, use vanilla android and win the buyer with build quality and design.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA
I HATED Motoblur on my Motorola Backflip and followed the forums daily on at least 6 sites waiting for root to come out. This was back when the Backflip was the only decent Android on At&t. Only after flashing CM7.xx was I happy with that phone. I actually wish they would make another more powerful version with ICS. I LOVED the phone, hated the blur skin.
However, my Atrix is great stock. I like the Motoblur on it. Having been two years since I got the backflip and then just getting the Atrix, Motoblur has gotten a lot better.
Having said that, I still flashed CM9 on my Atrix...
sent with Jedi mind tricks
I have seen samsung stock rom . Then I saw cm 9. Haven't seen Google android yet. Is cm 9 close to Google android ics
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
rescuedad said:
I HATED Motoblur on my Motorola Backflip and followed the forums daily on at least 6 sites waiting for root to come out. This was back when the Backflip was the only decent Android on At&t. Only after flashing CM7.xx was I happy with that phone. I actually wish they would make another more powerful version with ICS. I LOVED the phone, hated the blur skin.
However, my Attic is great stock. I like the Motoblur on it. Having been two years since I got the backflip and then just getting the Atrix, Motoblur has gotten a lot better.
Having said that, I still flashed CM9 on my Atrix...
sent with Jedi mind tricks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My basement rules as stock too
It is all about what will make them the most money. It is fact that majority of Android users have no clue about root, unlocking boot loader, and flashing a rom.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Hawon said:
It is all about what will make them the most money. It is fact that majority of Android users have no clue about root, unlocking boot loader, and flashing a rom.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It'd be interesting to find out a real number but I'd say maybe 95+% don't have a clue.
Hardware is more or less the same, they can only be unique on the software. Fail miserably 99,9% of the time..
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
martonikaj said:
Although us nerds on phone forums may think that stock Android is a selling point, for most people it isn't. The idea of stock on all these phones is great but people have grown accustomed to what the manufacturer builds offer (camera apps, audio and video codecs, integration with services, exclusive apps, etc.) And manufacturers would prefer to control the experience on their devices. For them, new skins and frameworks are complete value-adds that sell more phones.
Samsung wants to sell you a SGSIII that looks relatively familiar to your SGSII and original SGS. The only way they can do this is by putting TouchWiz on the phones. They're all about setting up brand loyalty.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Qft.
Even though I'm an Android nerd I did love HTC sense for quite a long time. Had a desire, desire HD, and a sensation.
Tbh I still like sense ... the only reason I don't have a one x is that you have to use the HTC unlock tool and there is no way back to s-on from that. Having an unlocked bootloader seems to make a phone harder to resell as it normally means no ota updates which Joe Normal prefers.
Sent from my GNex rocking Aokp
Ive asked to 90+ people or more that i see using any kind of android "whats your android version?" Only two guys could tell me that they were running gingerbread and neither new what version of GB
I think people just like big screens and a facebook app
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
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
No not the screen but the fact it is pure Android. Boy do I hate manufacturer or networks OS glossy coatings or add-ons, I have yet to meet one I actually liked. At least on the Arc they are fairly light weight. The one thing I admire in iOS is that Apple don't let any of the networks muck around with their software, if only Google was the same.
The other thing related to this I like is the rapid update cycle, none of this lets wait around while we add on all our OS add-ons nonsense.
Super Chimp said:
No not the screen but the fact it is pure Android. Boy do I hate manufacturer or networks OS glossy coatings or add-ons, I have yet to meet one I actually liked. At least on the Arc they are fairly light weight. The one thing I admire in iOS is that Apple don't let any of the networks muck around with their software, if only Google was the same.
The other thing related to this I like is the rapid update cycle, none of this lets wait around while we add on all our OS add-ons nonsense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats pretty much the only reason anyone gets a Nexus
Well apple has its own muck. Served the way they want to serve it to you. But yeah, the nexus line of phones are not the latest and greatest in specs and i cant figure out why some people think it is. The big catch all with google phones is pure android and the developer support it gets. Google gives a great base foundation to build on software wise and that im sure is a big reason so many developers flock to it. The latest phone still has some question marks on it but they will be answered. Bigtime.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
slowz3r said:
thats pretty much the only reason anyone gets a Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason I dumped the Nexus One was because of its reception problems, OS wise it was probably, aside from my Arc, the best Android device I have used. I bet in real life use the Nexus will feel quicker than the GS2, not because of its hardware but because it isn't bogged down with the ever lovely Touchwiz!
I got a SE Xperia X8 (big piece of crap, has kinda good (unofficial; damn SE) support; Nothing to do with current smartphones, even the ones of equal tier) and I really need an upgrade. I got mine just like... 6 months ago, less than that, maybe, but I already feel it being weak and crappy.
Anyway, I got a friend who has the NS (Nexus S) and it runs like a BEAST! It probably can stand up to the Samsung GSII. That's why I want a Nexus. It might not have state-of-the-art hardware, but it's surely WAY better than mine and it's a Nexus. The Nexus line has a huge back end, lots and lots of developers, not to talk about direct Google support and CyanogenMod versions. Most devices' CyanogenMod builds are ports of the Google Phones.
The problem to me getting it is the fact that I got mine sort of recently and the price. I might have to wait for a price cut, or not.
I think ICS looks really really really damn sexy. I like the enchanting blue-ish theme of it. If people get it from the release, there isn't going to be much to it. Just a new OS with a few bugs. It's like getting a Beta phone. But those bugs will be corrected in a matter of a couple of weeks, I strongly believe. It's still a great update.
It will take a while to see good developing for the GN (1, 2 months... maybe more), I guess. It's a matter of seeing what is going to happen. I kinda see the ICS as a re-vamp of all the previous versions, with some really cool features of course. I say it's a great advancement.
precisely. i will say, when the nexus one came out it leapfrogged pretty much everything out there. it seems to me people keep wanting another nexus one type of one up when it comes to specs, but in reality the fact that it's google's baby offsets a fair number of spec sheet "shortcomings".
eric b
Let's see. Gorgeous screen (FU everyone crying about PenTile), ICS, no external buttons, guaranteed timely updates, a developer's dream, it's a winner all over.
I don't care if it's not the beefiest phone, spec-wise. It's fully unlocked and built for ICS. Any phones that get ICS later will still have to deal with having softkeys that don't need to be there any more.
SomeGuyDude said:
Let's see. Gorgeous screen (FU everyone crying about PenTile), ICS, no external buttons, guaranteed timely updates, a developer's dream, it's a winner all over.
I don't care if it's not the beefiest phone, spec-wise. It's fully unlocked and built for ICS. Any phones that get ICS later will still have to deal with having softkeys that don't need to be there any more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless I misunderstood the concept, you still have the volume rocket and the Power Button (virtually 3 buttons)
Yup, timely updates are the reason I am going with the galaxy nexus, i love quick updates and hate oem customisations.
Also the hardware is nice.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Griffrez said:
Unless I misunderstood the concept, you still have the volume rocket and the Power Button (virtually 3 buttons)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He meant no buttons directly tied to the os. The nokia n9 has power and volume rocker buttons still but no other buttons attached directly to os functions.
I voided my warranty and your mum.
same reason here...
1st to have the updates... coming from a ****ty LG...
pure android. no bugs...
K.D.M. said:
same reason here...
1st to have the updates... coming from a ****ty LG...
pure android. no bugs...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no bugs? you spray raid on your phone. try again. i'm sure we'll run across some critters and hopefully google and cyanogen will address them quickly.
Simple, stock Android UI. Likely to have Cyanogen. Pentaband radios.
Skickat från min ASUS Eee Pad TF101
veyka said:
Yup, timely updates are the reason I am going with the galaxy nexus, i love quick updates and hate oem customisations.
Also the hardware is nice.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus One had was a veritable torrent of updates compared to other Android devices I have had. Also there didn't seem much delay in updates in geographical sense, in that didn't seem to matter that I was in the UK rather than the US.
=> USB Host feature to connect an external USB DAC, an external USB hard drive ...
and the large screen: easier to read
I will change from the SGS II to the NG because of this reasons.
-Pure Android (a SGS II stock ROM is mostly around 300 MB CyanogenMOD is 100 MB)
-better development base
-updates
-screen
-curved screen (I miss my Nexus S while doing a call the SGS II is so flat...)
Especially the pure part is important so devs don't have to fix the stupid **** from the manufacturers like a lagging browser when you deodex a SGS II stock ROM...
same reason here, to have the updates... coming from a ****ty LG...never, never again...
pure android... can't wait
Stock ICS & new hardware. I'd really like an external SD & 8MP, but hey, I'm ready to upgrade from my dInc.
My reason is that crazy sexy screen, and the development base here on xda. I know if there are any problems our great developers here will fix them and make this phone smoother than Google and Samsung could ever imagine.
Side note, so this CPU Max clock is 1.8, correct? Can't wait to have it running on that.
(Btw I buy extra battery's and switch throughout the day as they die. Why have a crazy phone if your going to be worried about battery life? Just put up some more $$ and have more fun with your phone...IMHO)
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium
I thought you can get pure android on any phone thanks to XDA and that includes rapid updates. I usually go by the looks and the hardware, rather than the software, which I will replace anyway.
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)
Currently have the iPhone 5 (which I'm kinder bored of already) sold my S3 for it. I bought it for £599 in the UK 32gig version but can sell it for £639 - Thinking of doing this. Back to my question, is the Note II worth it?
Its keep the iPhone 5 and get the Note 10.1 or sell the 5 and get the Note II
recklesslife85 said:
Currently have the iPhone 5 (which I'm kinder bored of already) sold my S3 for it. I bought it for £599 in the UK 32gig version but can sell it for £639 - Thinking of doing this. Back to my question, is the Note II worth it?
Its keep the iPhone 5 and get the Note 10.1 or sell the 5 and get the Note II
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can wait 4 EE's LTE Note 2 variant.
Keep the iPhone 5 and buy the Note II too. Selling the iPhone is never a good idea, sorry.
And about worthiness? Well to me none of these #latest# toys are worthy. Be it 700$ plastic Note or a metal iPhone. But yes, again, to me, aesthetics matters, it'll give you peace and desire for long run, but how long? This ain't your 90's BMW that you will be wanting to keep, as soon as a new one pops up you'll say just frak this. So, you gotta pay what you gotta pay
Sent from my GT-I9100
SIII?
I'm looking at signing my contract again with Sprint. I don't mind being stuck on a contract for 2 year.
I want a phone that will be decent for 2 more years. I have the HTC EVO “supersonic” running Jelly bean. But it can’t run the latest games and HD apps I like on my Nexus 7.
When the Note was announced I waited, but it never came to Sprint. When the Samsung Galaxy S3 came out I wasn’t impressed because it was gimped dual core for $199 and I wanted a bigger screen. The Note will probably be $299 on contract and now I can get an S3 from Amazon for $149. Is the Note 2 worth double the price? I don’t know if I need a big screen now that I have a Nexus 7.
Pros of the Note 2:
-Double the RAM
-Quad core
-Stylus (taking notes at business meetings)
…But is it worth the price tag? Will there be better xda support for this in 2 years versus the S3?
You should also give a huge shout out to the battery life, it's incredible. At least to me.
I upgraded from a Desire HD, I was not impressed with the iPhone 5 but the Note 2 gives me that WOW effect that I wanted to have when I upgrade my phone. I was kind of worried about paying as much as 555€ (No contract) and had my thoughts if it was worth it but after 2 days using this device , totally. I don't find the size to big either. I am wearing skinny jeans and don't feel it to be bulky. It's probably because of the thin profile. But I have to agree that having an iOS device is also a good thing. (iPad 2 here)
917 said:
You should also give a huge shout out to the battery life, it's incredible. At least to me.
I upgraded from a Desire HD, I was not impressed with the iPhone 5 but the Note 2 gives me that WOW effect that I wanted to have when I upgrade my phone. I was kind of worried about paying as much as 555€ (No contract) and had my thoughts if it was worth it but after 2 days using this device , totally. I don't find the size to big either. I am wearing skinny jeans and don't feel it to be bulky. It's probably because of the thin profile. But I have to agree that having an iOS device is also a good thing. (iPad 2 here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why do you need ios when you have android? i always found ios incredebly crippled compared to android but i do not have much ios experience
ps its a serious question not a flame starter
jeriz said:
why do you need ios when you have android? i always found ios incredebly crippled compared to android but i do not have much ios experience
ps its a serious question not a flame starter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't found many things that iOS can't do that android can do. ( including widgets ) There is apparently a difference in the way they multi task...but they both get it done. Android has NFC, but that's hardware not software. And even now, I think NFC is just a play thing currently. (one that I admit I look forward to tinkering with)
I think the biggest difference is how moding is set up. On iOS, anything fourth party is under cydia. Any mod that I want to do to my iPhone, I just open cydia, hit a button, and it's done. I don't have to crawl web pages looking for a certain tweak and then get it to my phone. On the other hand, Google lets a lot of customization through the play store. Which is great!
From what I've seen, besides hardware optimization (if that is done) with roms like CM, they're just Android with pre-installed tweaks. Where as on iOS it's like you have Vanilla android, and you pick and choose what custom tweaks you want. I personally prefer the way iOS modding is done. But I can't wait to explore what Android has to offer. Though I am concerned at the apparent news that the CM team has no plans to work on the phone. But I have to try and find out if that is really important to me or not.
By the way, OP, idk if you haven't jail broken iOS before, but I'm guessing not since you're on the iPhone 5 and haven't commented how (afaik) that jail break isn't out yet, even tethered. I suggest not selling it, and jail breaking it. Or buy a cheap 3gs, 4 or 4s and jailbreaking that and playing with all the tweaks you can do.
As a new commer to the android community, it seems there is an ignorance at what iOS can do to many of it's most vocal users. Both systems and devices have pros and cons, just decide what flavour you'd rather have now. Or have both! switch one phone out every other week or something hehe. With all the tweaking i've done on my iPhone, i've never once had a stability issue...so it could be your back up as well.
Hope I've helped inform you a bit, and sorry if i've made any mistakes about android.
SchusterIX said:
I haven't found many things that iOS can't do that android can do. ( including widgets ) There is apparently a difference in the way they multi task...but they both get it done. Android has NFC, but that's hardware not software. And even now, I think NFC is just a play thing currently. (one that I admit I look forward to tinkering with)
I think the biggest difference is how moding is set up. On iOS, anything fourth party is under cydia. Any mod that I want to do to my iPhone, I just open cydia, hit a button, and it's done. I don't have to crawl web pages looking for a certain tweak and then get it to my phone. On the other hand, Google lets a lot of customization through the play store. Which is great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you have to look at it like this. on android you reinstall the whole os when you flash a rom there are many roms some of them come with apps that do what you say cydia does, and they are probably cydia inspired so you can have that on android to as part of the os
can you cange anything in the system on ios? on android I can easily modify any file, system or not
SchusterIX said:
From what I've seen, besides hardware optimization (if that is done) with roms like CM, they're just Android with pre-installed tweaks. Where as on iOS it's like you have Vanilla android, and you pick and choose what custom tweaks you want. I personally prefer the way iOS modding is done. But I can't wait to explore what Android has to offer. Though I am concerned at the apparent news that the CM team has no plans to work on the phone. But I have to try and find out if that is really important to me or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
don't say that CM is just android with tweaks preinstalled its not and saying so in a android forum will get you flamed I know most roms are just as you described but saying it about CM is quite insulting to the devs, just a frendly pointer
it is sad that cm won't be going n2 but its not a dealbreaker there will probably be akop and many custom tw roms to choose from and don't forget kernel development and probably miui too, who knows it might even get ubuntu
and if it's just ui canges your after android has literary endless possibilities
SchusterIX said:
As a new commer to the android community, it seems there is an ignorance at what iOS can do to many of it's most vocal users. Both systems and devices have pros and cons, just decide what flavour you'd rather have now. Or have both! switch one phone out every other week or something hehe. With all the tweaking i've done on my iPhone, i've never once had a stability issue...so it could be your back up as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sadly both ios and android have users who bought a religion and not a phone.
I think you might find android more unstable than ios it often is before you learn what not to do so having a backup is a smart move and when you have your first bootloop don't panic just hit xda and find out what you did wrong (yeah it's going to happen and it's going to be your own fault)
SchusterIX said:
Hope I've helped inform you a bit, and sorry if i've made any mistakes about android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it most certanly did, thanks
If you own note II that's mean you had the best ever phone in the market. What is this people how speaking about metal or plastic. I will buy a phone or a knife. Also the martial of note II is very harden. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
jeriz said:
don't say that CM is just android with tweaks preinstalled its not and saying so in a android forum will get you flamed I know most roms are just as you described but saying it about CM is quite insulting to the devs, just a frendly pointer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, my mistake! I keep trying to find a better feature list, so I must be missing something haha. There is a reason it's so widely known, even to noobs like me!
kastafela said:
If you own note II that's mean you had the best ever phone in the market. What is this people how speaking about metal or plastic. I will buy a phone or a knife. Also the martial of note II is very harden. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
best ever phone is NOT the same as best in every way possible and not all people have the same preference. sure its a good phone nobody's saying it isn't but on the other hand s3, onex+ and iphone 5 are very very good phones too and I have no doubt that for some people the note and note2 is simply to massive
recklesslife85 said:
Currently have the iPhone 5 (which I'm kinder bored of already) sold my S3 for it. I bought it for £599 in the UK 32gig version but can sell it for £639 - Thinking of doing this. Back to my question, is the Note II worth it?
Its keep the iPhone 5 and get the Note 10.1 or sell the 5 and get the Note II
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldnt sell the iphone 5. I would add a little more money and buy the note 2 instead of the note 10.1. The note 2 is the most amazing device ive ever had (ipad and galaxy S3 being both second). But the iphone 5 is also great and has great value.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
I keep reading keep iphone keep iphone.. Neither of you realize that once you get used to the 5.55" screen you are not able to go back to anything smaller.. You become a big screen adict.. I don't know how many of you are or were galaxy note 1 owners but if you were you know what I'm talking about..
Enviado desde mi GT-N7000 usando Tapatalk 2
msedek said:
I keep reading keep iphone keep iphone.. Neither of you realize that once you get used to the 5.55" screen you are not able to go back to anything smaller.. You become a big screen adict.. I don't know how many of you are or were galaxy note 1 owners but if you were you know what I'm talking about..
Enviado desde mi GT-N7000 usando Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was a galaxy note 1 owner and yes it's hard to get back to a smaller screen but with time you'll get use to it again. The note 2 isn't the only great smart phone out there by the way. But it depends on the OP it's just a matter of choice. Note 2 is fantastic and now we've just received the update for multiwindow multitasking.
jeriz said:
it is sad that cm won't be going n2 but its not a dealbreaker there will probably be akop and many custom tw roms to choose from and don't forget kernel development and probably miui too, who knows it might even get ubuntu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sucks! :crying: I just read this:
" I’ll stay away from all exynos powered phones as long as there is no proper support from samsung in form of documentation and sourcecode (especially userspace) to get aosp properly working on it. "
- CyanogenMod/Team Hacksung developer codeworkx
I may have to look at the LG Optimus G or the next Nexus phone.
aulwes said:
That sucks! :crying: I just read this:
" I’ll stay away from all exynos powered phones as long as there is no proper support from samsung in form of documentation and sourcecode (especially userspace) to get aosp properly working on it. "
- CyanogenMod/Team Hacksung developer codeworkx
I may have to look at the LG Optimus G or the next Nexus phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't care about that.. Cyanogenmod can not cover the gn2 features with plain vanilla android.. Multi view its a so long awaited feature.. Smart stay and many others tw features that cyanogenmod will plain lack..
Enviado desde mi GT-N7000 usando Tapatalk 2
I never cared for CM, I do respect their work though...
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
Hi, I know we all want the Jelly Bean, but I think with the Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core ICS is good enugh . I have a Galaxy Nexus with 4.1.2 and a Galaxy s3 At&t with ICS. GS3 with Snapdragon S4 dual core very fast and I installed CM10 jelly bean 4.1.2 on the GS3 and its the same speed. So the Jelly Bean was good for Galaxy Nexus, because it mad it faster and smoother the outdated dual core.
So for this phone the ICS is super fast.
The only thing we need is boot loader unlocked and its going to rain with the beautiful ROMs from our hardworking DEV's .
Using xda premium
Agree. I haven't had any slowdown whatsoever, and I'm using Eco Mode for the significantly better battery life. Still no lag.
A
I agree
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I disagree.
Google now is preferable, and no one is going to seriously want to have a phone that is stuck on 4.0 for 2 years until an upgrade.
Even if it gets Jellybean in December and then another upgrade 6 months from then it's still another 16 months without an upgrade and no updates would be a lot of ticked off users.
I say keep bugging LG for an unlocked bootloader, and keep paying attention to how close the devs are to getting done .
Snow_fox said:
I disagree.
Google now is preferable, and no one is going to seriously want to have a phone that is stuck on 4.0 for 2 years until an upgrade.
Even if it gets Jellybean in December and then another upgrade 6 months from then it's still another 16 months without an upgrade and no updates would be a lot of ticked off users.
I say keep bugging LG for an unlocked bootloader, and keep paying attention to how close the devs are to getting done .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Now is nice , but I personally don't like to talk to my phone. I can do the same with my fingers. I think its stupid to talk to the phone. Its still not there.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
samomamo said:
Google Now is nice , but I personally don't like to talk to my phone. I can do the same with my fingers. I think its stupid to talk to the phone. Its still not there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The voice search part of Google Now is ONLY a small part of the service. Google Now is extremely convenient and provides very helpful info without having to do anything.
Yeah, but on every JB device I have, Google Now chews up a lot of battery. So I typically keep it turned off.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
Most phones will be behind anyway. Only a hand full of phones have jelly been. I want it as much as the next guy but most people that have android phones don't even know about jb. I work with two guys that have android phones and never herd of ice or jb. I had to tell them about it. They just go and get what they like and never worry about it. If it comes great if not then so be it. Im sure it will come sooner then we think especially if we don't think about it and just enjoy a really good phone. There is always the LG nexus if it's really that important.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
I for one like the expandable notifications in JB. If LG wants to really set themselves apart they will be quick with the updates.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
If we add how much more stuff LG's UI has comparing to pure JB.
When I agreed that ICS is "good enough," I mostly meant in the performance arena. I definitely want Google Now and the new JB features, but Project Butter was a big selling point for JB and this Optimus simply doesn't have any lag even with ICS. I'm really liking it.
Now, on to custom development...
I have 3 devices w/jb, and in my opinion it really isn't that big of a deal. Now is kind of neat, but uses a lot of battery (on all my devices anyway), and the interface speed improvements are OK.
To be honest, though, the interface on this OG feels faster and smoother than any of my jb devices.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
samomamo said:
Google Now is nice , but I personally don't like to talk to my phone. I can do the same with my fingers. I think its stupid to talk to the phone. Its still not there.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's fine but, when "banana split" comes out or "licorice" or some other sweet android version comes out with a feature that you can't get despite wanting, don't pretend you will still be happy with your phone then.
You don't compare the ability to receive updates to what's out, you have to consider the future and unaccounted for variables.
spacecasespiff said:
Most phones will be behind anyway. Only a hand full of phones have jelly been. I want it as much as the next guy but most people that have android phones don't even know about jb. I work with two guys that have android phones and never herd of ice or jb. I had to tell them about it. They just go and get what they like and never worry about it. If it comes great if not then so be it. Im sure it will come sooner then we think especially if we don't think about it and just enjoy a really good phone. There is always the LG nexus if it's really that important.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My 2 year old captivate is sitting on Jellybean right now. I don't care what "average Joe" knows about. I care about the future.
I'm not saying people shouldn't be happy with ICS for now but, I am saying to sit around and say "good enough" is setting yourself up to be in a nasty position when a new version of android rolls out that you can't get. If I had this phone I most certainly wouldn't be in any major rush for Jellybean and I'll be the first to admit it..
The problem is this entire thread reads as though people will be happy with this phone even if it sticks to ICS all the way until it's time for a new phone.. and given that this is a site dedicated to users who want the newest version when possible, that just seems like the wrong impression to give.
Alpione said:
When I agreed that ICS is "good enough," I mostly meant in the performance arena. I definitely want Google Now and the new JB features, but Project Butter was a big selling point for JB and this Optimus simply doesn't have any lag even with ICS. I'm really liking it.
Now, on to custom development...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would probably agree with you that the performance is "good enough." It doesn't need and probably won't benefit from project butter a whole lot. At best it will see severely diminishing returns compared to some of the older hardware out there. However, performance is only one aspect of a newer android version.
JasonJoel said:
I have 3 devices w/jb, and in my opinion it really isn't that big of a deal. Now is kind of neat, but uses a lot of battery (on all my devices anyway), and the interface speed improvements are OK.
To be honest, though, the interface on this OG feels faster and smoother than any of my jb devices.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My ancient captivate runs far smoother on JB than it ever dreamed of running on ICS.
Project butter isn't really designed to help a quadcore monster move faster it's designed to help hardware on the weaker side get better performance.
With that said, I feel like a lot of people miss the part where if this phone were to stay on ICS it could miss the next "big thing." Just imagine all the people who didn't care about upgrading to 2.3 from 2.2 because it wasn't a "big deal."
Then 4.0 comes out and a lot of apps won't run on the older 2.2 version. No chrome, no Nova launcher, no a bunch of stuff.
I'm not saying that for the time being ICS isn't "good enough." But, I do think it's important to examine what you'll be missing in the future if this thing doesn't get unlocked.
I agree that I want updates for this phone - and preferably from the community, not just the vendor. So I'm glad there are people working the bootloader issue.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
Only reason I didn't buy this phone is no JB. So no, ICS not good enough
Is there any way to add Google Now to ICS? Or does that require access we don't yet have?
I agree this is the fastest and smoothest phone to date.
matt310 said:
Is there any way to add Google Now to ICS? Or does that require access we don't yet have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, there is. I'm not exactly sure of the details as I just installed JB when it became available for my phone.
just wondering if anyone played netfix or hbogo video on this phone, do you notice any delays at all?
I just tried "Lost" on Netflix. Zero lag and loads instantly in HD over LTE.