Develop Bugs

So we all bought a Nexus phone expecting...

That we would get OS updates rolled out pretty much as soon as they are released. So why are we waiting for an "official" release for 4.0.3 to make it's way to the Verizon LTE device?

Verizon is probably testing it to make sure it's reliable and fixes the signal hand off.

There are reportedly problems with the 4.3 update that's been going out else where. They have temporarily suspended it. Also, there is an additional update for the LTE version (assuming that's the one you have), so it may be delayed.
Patience. Not all the galaxy S's are updated simultaneously, there still needs to be approval from the carrier, even though it's a google phone.

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This thread is pointless.

Smokeey said:
-___-
This thread is pointless.
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Maybe for you since apparently you know everything but for those of us who have never had a Nexus device like myself, I've already learned a few things from some helpful replies.

Bought the phone expecting excellent dev support and that's exactly what I'm getting couldn't be any happier with this purchase

Wow, really have no patience eh?

PaulG1488 said:
Bought the phone expecting excellent dev support and that's exactly what I'm getting couldn't be any happier with this purchase
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Could not have put it any better....

I don't think 4.0.3 has even rolled out for the GSM Galaxy Nexus, let alone the LTE one. It's rolling out to the Nexus S right now, so I'm sure the Galaxy Nexus will get it by the end of the month, or early January (it is the holidays you know).

i must admit i found it a little odd that even the GSM GN is only on 4.0.2 and the same day basically the nexus S was updated to 4.0.3, seems maybe something was wrong with the 4.0.3 update making it take a little longer for the GN

i expected:
-no fragmentation
-insta-updates
-google products to work
i dislike that there are multiple builds out; that google only promotes the verizon copy; that it is manufacturer and phone provider-branded; that google's own WALLET app is not officially supported (atleast on GSM)
its beginning to seem less and less "google-like"

ccpotato said:
i expected:
-no fragmentation
-insta-updates
-google products to work
i dislike that there are multiple builds out; that google only promotes the verizon copy; that it is manufacturer and phone provider-branded; that google's own WALLET app is not officially supported (atleast on GSM)
its beginning to seem less and less "google-like"
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Updates are region specific as basebands vary by region based on what frequency bands are used. Only 1 nexus device supports Google Wallet. The NS4G. The original NS doesn't even support wallet officially. Your complains are kind of invalid.

4.0.3 has battery drain issues and supposedly Google pulled that ota. Also the ns4g hasn't even got the ics ota yet...
I guess you can call it fragmentation but devs always compile the latest roms anyways. Iono it'd not a big deal for me lol
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

105437 said:
Maybe for you since apparently you know everything but for those of us who have never had a Nexus device like myself, I've already learned a few things from some helpful replies.
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I've never owned a nexus device before. Please, read my signature.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

I'm GSM and 4.0.1. No biggie.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Apologies... I'm not being impatient about getting updates etc. It seems my expectations for a Nexus device were set unrealistically by other information I read prior to purchasing the Nexus. After reading what people have said in this thread I have a better understanding of what to expect.
Anyway, thanks.

105437 said:
Apologies... I'm not being impatient about getting updates etc. It seems my expectations for a Nexus device were set unrealistically by other information I read prior to purchasing the Nexus. After reading what people have said in this thread I have a better understanding of what to expect.
Anyway, thanks.
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please bear in mind, regardless, you will always be the first to get the latest update from google.
question is, people seems to be able to wait for days, not weeks, where as we all know, it does takes weeks for google to release a update.
but in comparison to other manufacturer, we are talking about months in oppose to weeks.
your choice.

As said already. You are taing about days or weeks. Where as all other phones you are talking a few months.

Still Worth It?

So now after a few months on the market. Is this phone still worth purchasing or is there something significantly better coming along within 3 months that will blow this out of the water. If the products that are coming out are comparable I still see this as a viable option for an upgrade from the Thunderbolt (or am I insane?).
Anyways, hope to get some feedback regarding this to assist. Thanks!

Kind of hard to answer since most new phones are announced at mobile world congress which is next month. As of this second on Verizon there is nothing better. You can argue the rezound is equal with each having pros and cons but nothing is in the pipeline yet.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

staticx57 said:
Kind of hard to answer since most new phones are announced at mobile world congress which is next month. As of this second on Verizon there is nothing better. You can argue the rezound is equal with each having pros and cons but nothing is in the pipeline yet.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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This Mobile world congress convention that you mentioned. The phones that are going to be announced here will still have release dates that are months away from the actual event right? So best case those 'new' phones will be coming out ~5-6 months from now or are they actually being released to the public at this event?
If the resound is the only comparable phone, the Verizon Galaxy Nexus does indeed still sound way better (for me at least).

it depends on what your looking for, better hardware specs, pure android with great support with updates, or themed android with a lack of updates. Not saying those phones announced at CES are crappy, but if you want a phone that is guaranteed dev support/android updates then i'd recommend the Nexus. Yea they may have other phones that may beat it in hardware specs, but will those phones get the updates and the support that the nexus is and will be getting??? I seriously doubt it, not saying that they won't get support at all, but if u want the best experience of android, i'd recommend the nexus, i had the Epic 4g Touch(Galaxy S II) and i liked it, but i LOVE my nexus, it does everything i need it to, no complaints here, and the battery is great i get right at 2 days on one charge, u should get it, u won't regret it

G1-8701 said:
it depends on what your looking for, better hardware specs, pure android with great support with updates, or themed android with a lack of updates. Not saying those phones announced at CES are crappy, but if you want a phone that is guaranteed dev support/android updates then i'd recommend the Nexus. Yea they may have other phones that may beat it in hardware specs, but will those phones get the updates and the support that the nexus is and will be getting??? I seriously doubt it, not saying that they won't get support at all, but if u want the best experience of android, i'd recommend the nexus, i had the Epic 4g Touch(Galaxy S II) and i liked it, but i LOVE my nexus, it does everything i need it to, no complaints here, and the battery is great i get right at 2 days on one charge, u should get it, u won't regret it
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I am on the verge of pulling the pin and just getting it. Is the amount of development activity similar to what it was with the Nexus One (my last nexus phone)? I remember crack flashing nightly with all the goodies that were available. I took a looksey in the development forum (I will be with Verizon if I get it) and saw a few good things in there.
Are any of you guys currently running a custom ROM and if so, has the custom ROM development still in its infancy or is there some decent work being put out by all the developers (donations to custom developers are a part of the cost of the phone in my book )?

Chopes said:
Are any of you guys currently running a custom ROM and if so, has the custom ROM development still in its infancy or is there some decent work being put out by all the developers (donations to custom developers are a part of the cost of the phone in my book )?
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Well the difference between stock 4.0.1 and AOKP+Franco was just ridiculous.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

The Galaxy S III will probably blow the Nexus away, but who knows how long until it's released after it's announced at MWC. I don't really know the timeframes for that sort of thing.

case0 said:
The Galaxy S III will probably blow the Nexus away, but who knows how long until it's released after it's announced at MWC. I don't really know the timeframes for that sort of thing.
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If I was going to buy a phone today I would still get the Galaxy Nexus. 6 Months to a year from now will of course be a different story. If you live in the United States we always seem to wait forever for the best stuff. EU seems to be ahead of us when it comes to the latest and greatest phones.
Good Luck!

case0 said:
The Galaxy S III will probably blow the Nexus away, but who knows how long until it's released after it's announced at MWC. I don't really know the timeframes for that sort of thing.
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Sure, for about 9 months. Then the GN gets Jellybean, or Jello, or whatever. Meanwhile the GS3 gets a "Value Pack" which is subsequently pulled before it's even done because Samsung wants to sell the GS4 to you. Vote with your wallet, and vote for hardware which will get 2 years of support. Even if you flash, having up-to-date drivers makes it a lot easier to build custom ROM's.

case0 said:
The Galaxy S III will probably blow the Nexus away, but who knows how long until it's released after it's announced at MWC. I don't really know the timeframes for that sort of thing.
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Since you aren't living in the United States. MWC will announce Galaxy S3 and the U.S. will get it like 8 months later because each carrier wants something to "woo" their customers with exclusive features and all these small little variants of the Galaxy S3.
By the time that all comes out, it'll be launched with a old OS and Nexus 4 will be announced.
I stay committed to only Nexus devices simply because they will last longer. Especially with a great development community.
Sometimes, the community makes the phone.

I was ONE click away from the One X but...

I chose the galaxy nexus. And I'm very very very excited. At the end of the day you just have to be happy with your purchase. When the galaxy nexus first came out, I was like wow I want this phone so bad but I couldn't justify buying it since I had a galaxy s 2. Then I wanted a galaxy note but deep inside I really wanted a nexus but went for the note. Loved it a lot! Then sold it to get the One X buy deep in side again the nexus man I'm telling you I had to have it and I was one click away to buy the one x but then I went with my gut feeling and bought the nexus. I think I'm destined to have this phone after all this time. I'm so excited, I could care less about specs right now. I'm planning on getting the Galaxy s 3 when it comes out also and I'll keep both but I think the nexus is a must have. Very excited to say the least. WINNING!!!!!!!!!!! Splash!

nice, however if i was you i would have bought the one X today. sure the Gnex is awesome but its about 6 months old already and the one x would have been a better purchase

IINexusII said:
nice, however if i was you i would have bought the one X today. sure the Gnex is awesome but its about 6 months old already and the one x would have been a better purchase
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And this, dear kids, is how the advertising industry works.
It's newer, it's better and YOU must buy it!
SCNR.

I feel like the Nexus is the first phone ever I am not going to sell.

Valynor said:
And this, dear kids, is how the advertising industry works.
It's newer, it's better and YOU must buy it!
SCNR.
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LMAO!! Well said. It's like buying a car. In a year or 2 there's a facelift, & you're made to feel pike your's is out of day.
But we're bred to consume....
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e

stereoprologic said:
I feel like the Nexus is the first phone ever I am not going to sell.
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Me too. This is my first android phone I don't even want to root. It just works great and I have no need to mess with it. I've had five phones in the last year and I've finally found the one I can't part with.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA

I just sold my S2 and bought a Nexus.
Hopefully it's worth it!!!

Valynor said:
And this, dear kids, is how the advertising industry works.
It's newer, it's better and YOU must buy it!
SCNR.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it is newer, and it is better. I would rather have the One X, as long as it's unlockable/rootable and I could put stock ICS on it. Then it would be a very awesome phone. As we've seen from the Galaxy S (and even the Galaxy Nexus actually), having a Nexus phone doesn't even mean you get updates first and/or in a timely fashion anymore.

IINexusII said:
nice, however if i was you i would have bought the one X today. sure the Gnex is awesome but its about 6 months old already and the one x would have been a better purchase
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Except that when Jelly Bean comes out...we will have it and it will not.
Most people upgrade their devices to get the latest OSes. HTC devices are stagnant.
So that point is moot.

case0 said:
Well it is newer, and it is better. I would rather have the One X, as long as it's unlockable/rootable and I could put stock ICS on it. Then it would be a very awesome phone. As we've seen from the Galaxy S (and even the Galaxy Nexus actually), having a Nexus phone doesn't even mean you get updates first and/or in a timely fashion anymore.
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We had ICS first, and you know it.
These point releases don't mean crap.
Get the One X. I will be enjoying Jelly Bean while you pick your nose stuck on ICS.

case0 said:
Well it is newer, and it is better. I would rather have the One X, as long as it's unlockable/rootable and I could put stock ICS on it. Then it would be a very awesome phone. As we've seen from the Galaxy S (and even the Galaxy Nexus actually), having a Nexus phone doesn't even mean you get updates first and/or in a timely fashion anymore.
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Having to jump through loops to unlock/root it and not having a pure stock ICS ROM available for download is a pretty big point not making it better in my book.
Sure it looks nice, build quality seems very good, too. Quadcore is probably not yet the wisest choice for a smartphone, as it is not really necessary and eats a LOT of battery.
Just because we had to wait a few months for the update this time also doesn't mean it will be always like this in the future.

First gen dual cores blew.
First gen anything has issues. Time will tell with quads, but it will not even remotely shock me if issues show up.

adrynalyne said:
We had ICS first, and you know it.
These point releases don't mean crap.
Get the One X. I will be enjoying Jelly Bean while you pick your nose stuck on ICS.
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And then the devs struggle to figure out how to get AOSP to work on the phone while they wait for manufacturer's source: the months of waiting for AOSP to be (fully) functional on a non-Nexus device are enough to turn me off "upgrading" no matter how good a phone looks. The fluke/perfect storm of getting AOSP to run so easily on the SGS likely will never happen again.

adrynalyne said:
First gen dual cores blew.
First gen anything has issues. Time will tell with quads, but it will not even remotely shock me if issues show up.
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Exactly. Quad core at this point in time is about as good as having 20 inch...well, you know...Makes for a good story, but is pretty useless.

mudferret said:
And then the devs struggle to figure out how to get AOSP to work on the phone while they wait for manufacturer's source: the months of waiting for AOSP to be (fully) functional on a non-Nexus device are enough to turn me off "upgrading" no matter how good a phone looks. The fluke/perfect storm of getting AOSP to run so easily on the SGS likely will never happen again.
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And it wasn't easy at all for the Fascinate. jt1134 had hell with that device. I know you were speaking of GSM devices, but I figured I would toss that in there because anything CDMA or LTE is going to be 50-100% longer than it takes the GSM counterpart.

adrynalyne said:
And it wasn't easy at all for the Fascinate. jt1134 had hell with that device. I know you were speaking of GSM devices, but I figured I would toss that in there because anything CDMA or LTE is going to be 50-100% longer than it takes the GSM counterpart.
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I think Samsung typically goes out of their way to make it as difficult as possible.

adrynalyne said:
We had ICS first, and you know it.
These point releases don't mean crap.
Get the One X. I will be enjoying Jelly Bean while you pick your nose stuck on ICS.
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Click to collapse
I don't want the One X thanks, I'm perfectly happy with my Nexus.
Are you really that sure that you will have Jelly Bean first? The S2 got ICS before the Nexus S if I'm not mistaken?

case0 said:
I don't want the One X thanks, I'm perfectly happy with my Nexus.
Are you really that sure that you will have Jelly Bean first? The S2 got ICS before the Nexus S if I'm not mistaken?
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Has ICS officially been rolled out to the I9100/can you buy an I9100 with ICS loaded? There are official Samsung ICS builds, but I doubt anyone has gotten an OTA update yet. The worst part is these official builds look exactly like GB Touchwiz.

case0 said:
I don't want the One X thanks, I'm perfectly happy with my Nexus.
Are you really that sure that you will have Jelly Bean first? The S2 got ICS before the Nexus S if I'm not mistaken?
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You are mistaken.

Galaxy Nexus on sale on eBay
Samsung Galaxy Nexus I9250 16GB (Unlocked) - $429
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200739106754+

[Q] Why A Nexus? Advantages of an OPEN DEVICE??

Hi guys, I have been on this forums for quite a while even though I don't own a Nexus myself. I have been browsing through the development section every day and looking at all the ROMs etc..
I know that everything is open on the Nexus, all the sources, drivers, etc. I know that the advantages of having a Nexus is stock experience, with faster updates directly from Google. But what is the advantage of having an open phone as a user? I don't find much difference between the ROMs for Galaxy S II and the ROMs for the Galaxy Nexus. In fact the Siyah kernel, i think, has many many more features than the most popular kernel on this forums, the Franco kernel.
I am not trying to spark up anything over here. I just want to know what is the benefit of having such an open phone?

Difference between being in a wheelchair in a jail cell, even a jail cell with a window and open field sunny day with your legs running however fast you can. Its like that.
let it be.

@rbiter said:
Difference between being in a wheelchair in a jail cell, even a jail cell with a window and open field sunny day with your legs running however fast you can. Its like that.
let it be.
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I would think that, but I can't see that translating to development. I mean, I must be blind to not be able to see the differences, but I really can't. I don't see any major improvements in the ROMs on the Galaxy Nexus

darkgoon3r96 said:
I know that the advantages of having a Nexus is stock experience, with faster updates directly from Google.
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You answered your own question.

I already had 2 not Nexus Samsung phones and I will never make this mistake again. The lack of updates, the crappy skin that tries to look as the iPhone, etc.
In my experience, the builds from Google are much more stable, fast and reliable. And nothing in TouchWiz add anything that matters to me. To me Android is Nexus, I dont think I will build anything that is not Nexus again (but I really hope that HTC build the next one, I love the build quality of their phones).

martonikaj said:
You answered your own question.
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Haha, that wasn't my question. I am not asking why the Nexus is a better device. I am asking how does opening up the sources and drivers improve on the development...

darkgoon3r96 said:
I would think that, but I can't see that translating to development. I mean, I must be blind to not be able to see the differences, but I really can't. I don't see any major improvements in the ROMs on the Galaxy Nexus
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Sorry man, but in my opinion the stock ICS on the GNexus is miles ahead of any build from the SII.

martonikaj said:
You answered your own question.
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The difference is some stuff on aosp
Roms still don't work on galaxy s2 but everything works on aosp roms on nexus because it's open and drivers and everything is available...
bottom line aokp cm9 etc will give u a better user experience on nexus fewer bugs
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

darkgoon3r96 said:
Haha, that wasn't my question. I am not asking why the Nexus is a better device. I am asking how does opening up the sources and drivers improve on the development...
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Because your Galaxy Nexus comes with stock ICS out of the box. Sorry, but a custom ROM will never be as smooth and nice as the native out of the box OS.

juliano_q said:
Sorry man, but in my opinion the stock ICS on the GNexus is miles ahead of any build from the SII.
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I still don't get why you guys think the Stock is so much better than AOKP? I mean, isn't that very similar to stock?

OK, let me see if I can answer it. I'm not a developer, so take it with a grain of salt.
The phone I had before this was the Samsung Captivate. I bought it August 2010. At the time, it was one of the more advanced phones on the market. However, within about an hour of using it, I realized that the AT&T bloatware was a problem. Though the device had a lot of memory available, the app drawer was harder to navigate because of 15 different AT&T apps on the phone, most of which charged a monthly fee to do what Google's equivalent apps did for free. So, I had to root it.
Things were fine for a couple weeks, but then I noticed that there were several apps that I couldn't download because everyone was on Froyo and I was stuck on Eclair. There was no word when either samsung or AT&T was going to provide me with an update, so I had to take matters into my own hands and get a ROM from someone else. I'm not saying the devs didn't do a good job, but they were hamstrung by both AT&T and Sammy who were not giving them the tools they needed to do the job right the first time.
I should also point out that a lot of these problems were caused by AT&T's insistence that they have their own version of the Galaxy S that was different from everyone else's. Thankfully, all the carriers learned from that mistake.
Over the course of a year and 8 months, I tried at least a dozen different ROMs on my phone to either try to keep up with the changes in the market, or just to keep it from freezing. Even stock Gingerbread had problems, likely because it was rushed out. I finally found a stable build in a ROM that used ICS (ironically, ported from the GNex). So that meant, if not for the great work of Team ICSSGS, my Captivate would NEVER have been a stable phone. All those commercials about being a smartphone beta tester seemed to be designed with the Captivate in mind.
The point of all this: When it came time for me to get a new phone, I was considering waiting for the GSIII, but then Google offered the GNex off contract for $400, a not unreasonable price for the hardware at all, but what I was really paying for was getting off the treadmill. Now granted, at this point I've only had the phone for about a week, but it performs every function I need it to, and AT&T has no say in it. Samsung only had a say in the hardware. And that's how it should be, and honestly why I think Apple had such a marketing edge for such a long time. Apple told AT&T exactly where they can shove their customizations, and now we have Google doing the same, but not publicizing it enough.
TL;DR: Google experience and faster updates. But those are more valuable than you think.

darkgoon3r96 said:
I still don't get why you guys think the Stock is so much better than AOKP? I mean, isn't that very similar to stock?
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You just answered yourself... great roms/builds like aokp would not be possible without the Android Open Source Project. Even after saying that the quality on aosp devices running aokp like the gnex and ns are miles ahead of say the sensation or something along those lines due to the very face the the nexus phones have open source readily available.
Sent from my Maguro Yakju

The open let's you literally change ans re-code any part of the device you want. A touch wiz phone cannot do this cause the code is closed.
Custom roms on other devices are not the same though you may think they are. Most of the time something doesn't work cause it relies on a closed touch wiz framework function that has to be reverse engineered or hacked, or usually never works at all..
You need the kernel source code to really make any legit custom rom, and often have to wait months foe it to be released.
With an open device, you literally can implement anything your imagination can cone up with. No bugs or work a rounds.

In my opinion, there are two major differences:
1. On a Nexus device, you are guaranteed a large developer community. The SGSII may have a large developer community, but that's because it's pretty much of the most popular phones. If you buy something like the Samsung Galaxy Infuse (which several of my friends have) then you won't have nearly as big a developer community as the one for the Galaxy Nexus.
2. It's much much easier to root/customize/flash a Nexus device than any other device. All you need is "fastboot oem unlock" and the phone opens up for you. No need for bootloader downgrading/rooting exploits/HTCDev/manufacturer restrictions. This phone is designed to be a developer device. Also, when you screw up a Nexus, it is much easier to solve problems. Phone not booting? Use CWM. Recovery borked? Fastboot. Fastboot not working? ODIN flash. Lots of fail-safes.

Thanks a lot guys for taking the time just to help me out

I got my gnex last wednesday. No regrets at all, it's an amazing phone. My next phone will definitely be another nexus.

Advantage of having a Nexus?
It is like Burger King, you can have it your own way.

How is development for the SIII?

So I'm due for an upgrade and I was wondering about this phone as it's the only one I really want. I currently have a motorola phone that was a flagship when it was first released(Atrix 4G) and while it was a decent phone, Motorola didn't really support it and stick to its release schedules with the phone. Normally this would not be a bad thing since there is the development community that one can fall back on, but this hindered the development community since developers needed to rely on Motorola for drivers and kernel along with Nvidia because the processor in the phone was a Tegra and I'm sure you guys already know how much Nvidia and open source don't go well together lol.
Anyways I was wondering if the SIII has(or will have) any sort of issues in the same area due to closed source or Samsung not releasing drivers,etc... to developers after major releases. I would wait for the SIV, but the phone is getting into screen size territory I'm not comfortable with and I don't want a Nexus 4 because the battery life doesn't seem to be as great as the SIII. Basically once I get my next phone, I want to be able to hold onto it for a few years without feeling the need to upgrade because of out of date software. The hardware in the SIII seems more than sufficient to be future proof.
Another side question: would there be any mods that retain some of the software features found in touchwiz or add any such as multitasking? Not a deal breaker, but just wondering.

octahedron said:
So I'm due for an upgrade and I was wondering about this phone as it's the only one I really want. I currently have a motorola phone that was a flagship when it was first released(Atrix 4G) and while it was a decent phone, Motorola didn't really support it and stick to its release schedules with the phone. Normally this would not be a bad thing since there is the development community that one can fall back on, but this hindered the development community since developers needed to rely on Motorola for drivers and kernel along with Nvidia because the processor in the phone was a Tegra and I'm sure you guys already know how much Nvidia and open source don't go well together lol.
Anyways I was wondering if the SIII has(or will have) any sort of issues in the same area due to closed source or Samsung not releasing drivers,etc... to developers after major releases. I would wait for the SIV, but the phone is getting into screen size territory I'm not comfortable with and I don't want a Nexus 4 because the battery life doesn't seem to be as great as the SIII. Basically once I get my next phone, I want to be able to hold onto it for a few years without feeling the need to upgrade because of out of date software. The hardware in the SIII seems more than sufficient to be future proof.
Another side question: would there be any mods that retain some of the software features found in touchwiz or add any such as multitasking? Not a deal breaker, but just wondering.
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Seriously doubt Samsung will "prevent" users from being able to mod unofficially. This is one of their two flagship devices. However, it is the carriers that should worry you more. Remember that there are different hardware versions of the SIII as well. Most likely the international versions will be always ahead in getting new updates. On a carrier such as AT&T you are most likely to be the last to receive an update, if you get it at all. Ultimately, if you want guaranteed updates, Nexus 4 is the only sure way to go.
And seriously, read before you ask about mods. Yes and Yes to both questions. Read through and you will find a lot.

aybarrap1 said:
Seriously doubt Samsung will "prevent" users from being able to mod unofficially.
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This is not completely true. Samsung has already angered alot of the top developers by not releasing the proper info on the exynos chip in some phones. Even after saying they would. Even some CM maintainers have sworn off Samsung until them come threw. But they still have some of the best tract records for android. Even though Sony is moving up fast.
@OP you will always find something about one company or another that wall cause issues with open source development. This is due to the phone OEM not owning all the software code for the devices. Take CDMA phones. They use a closed sourced phone to work on the network. Nothing Samsung can do about it as it is not theirs. We won't even start on the WiFi and BT chip.
In the end. Get a phone that does what you want and need. Development should never be a first choice. That is just a bonus.

aybarrap1 said:
Seriously doubt Samsung will "prevent" users from being able to mod unofficially. This is one of their two flagship devices. However, it is the carriers that should worry you more. Remember that there are different hardware versions of the SIII as well. Most likely the international versions will be always ahead in getting new updates. On a carrier such as AT&T you are most likely to be the last to receive an update, if you get it at all. Ultimately, if you want guaranteed updates, Nexus 4 is the only sure way to go.
And seriously, read before you ask about mods. Yes and Yes to both questions. Read through and you will find a lot.
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I seriously doubted Motorola would have had issues with the Atrix seeing as how it was their flagship device as well. Seeing as how I've never had a Samsung smartphone, I'm not sure how they handle their updates and it has nothing to do with the carriers as much as it had to do with their Nvidia and Motorola because of Tegra and the fingerprint scanner/lapdock.
And "seriously" I've browsed through the developers forum before to see how active it was. All I wanted was a quick confirmation to my question instead of scanning each thread for a phone I may or may not get.

zelendel said:
This is not completely true. Samsung has already angered alot of the top developers by not releasing the proper info on the exynos chip in some phones. Even after saying they would. Even some CM maintainers have sworn off Samsung until them come threw. But they still have some of the best tract records for android. Even though Sony is moving up fast.
@OP you will always find something about one company or another that wall cause issues with open source development. This is due to the phone OEM not owning all the software code for the devices. Take CDMA phones. They use a closed sourced phone to work on the network. Nothing Samsung can do about it as it is not theirs. We won't even start on the WiFi and BT chip.
In the end. Get a phone that does what you want and need. Development should never be a first choice. That is just a bonus.
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Gotcha and thank you.

Hello fellow Atrix owner! I'm a former Atrix owner myself. I can you tell right now, this place is hoppin' compared to the Atrix. You won't be disappointed with the choices with ROMs here! Got a couple of former devs from the Atrix over here as well making ROMs!
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

I have 4.2.2 running almost flawlessly already. Even the nexus devices are just having this update rolled out. I think that goes to show the quality of the S3 development. There certainly isn't a lack of ROMs to choose from in this community.

Deggy said:
Hello fellow Atrix owner! I'm a former Atrix owner myself. I can you tell right now, this place is hoppin' compared to the Atrix. You won't be disappointed with the choices with ROMs here! Got a couple of former devs from the Atrix over here as well making ROMs!
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
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CamFlawless said:
I have 4.2.2 running almost flawlessly already. Even the nexus devices are just having this update rolled out. I think that goes to show the quality of the S3 development. There certainly isn't a lack of ROMs to choose from in this community.
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Well this is good to know

I rooted and had neutrino running on my wife's atrix. Samsung phones are easy compared to that process. There are plenty of stock based and aosp roms available. I have flashed at least 20 different roms since October. I will be jumping on the S4 though when it arrives.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

The samsung was easy to root and there seems to be plenty of rom choice comparatively to some other android phones i've owned.

y0yerrj0sh said:
The samsung was easy to root and there seems to be plenty of rom choice comparatively to some other android phones i've owned.
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S3 is easy to hard brick too if you aren't paying attention to what you are doing. Just saying.....