Related
I am currently a happy SGS2 user for almost a year. BUt ive been thinking if i should switch over to the galaxy nexus by the end of this month. Actually the only reason that is holding me back from getting a nexus is the rather average camera. And the 1080p video recording has this really annoying wobbly effect which AFAIK does not have a fix. Hardware wise ive been told its a step down from the S2 but day to day performance is on par. So do you guys think its a good idea for me to switch over or should i just stick to my S2 for now and wait for the S3?
It would be best to think for yourself...
I have them both but the gs2 is on sale, and i will never go back to a non nexus device.
Btw, this exact question comes up every single day recently........
As a guy who had his 1st GN die
Had a GSII as a loan phone for a week.
and then got his warranty replacement GN
I much prefer the GN
Thanks for the tip, I'll keep that in mind. Haven't been able to find many S2 users who migrated to GN to know about their opinions between the two..
Sent from my non-Apple device via XDA App
You should just wait for GS3. Honestly the gs2 is just a sidestep mostly. The only compelling reason that wins hands down is Google support and development. Besides if you get the nexus now, it kinda seems that you might kick yourself in da butt for not waiting a few more months.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
I had the SGS2 and I switched from a nexus S and am now back to the Galaxy Nexus as awesome as the SGS2 and possibly the 3 are they will never be better than a Nexus device. The Nexus with the direct link to Google updates and pure android without bloat or a skin UI is always better and faster. The updates are going to be way ahead of carrier/hardware UI having phones. So in the end I wont ever buy a non Nexus Android again no matter the specs
Hi first I had galaxy s 2 i9100 then I got galaxy s 2 t989 for T-Mobile then paid 685 for galaxy nexus. I had all 3 then I sold the galaxy s 2 i9100 next galaxy nexus and I kept the T-Mobile version t989 its the fastest of them all. And it has all the bends for at&t T-Mobile 3g and 4g. Once it gets a ICS rom it will bee more faster. Cm9.
I am not here to BS I had all 3 Nexus has the software but has lots of shortcomings ( ext. SD and the processor, camera and so on) but its the best phone in hand.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
samoevn said:
Hi first I had galaxy s 2 i9100 then I got galaxy s 2 t989 for T-Mobile then paid 685 for galaxy nexus. I had all 3 then I sold the galaxy s 2 i9100 next galaxy nexus and I kept the T-Mobile version t989 its the fastest of them all. And it has all the bends for at&t T-Mobile 3g and 4g. Once it gets a ICS rom it will bee more faster. Cm9.
I am not here to BS I had all 3 Nexus has the software but has lots of shortcomings ( ext. SD and the processor, camera and so on) but its the best phone in hand.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All I can say is wow.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
@rbiter said:
You should just wait for GS3. Honestly the gs2 is just a sidestep mostly. The only compelling reason that wins hands down is Google support and development. Besides if you get the nexus now, it kinda seems that you might kick yourself in da butt for not waiting a few more months.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touchwiz and Ice cream sandwich = yuck.
If the OP cares about development and having the latest and newest android version get the nexus. You won't disappointed. Sure the Galaxy S3 may have better specs but have you seen touchwiz on 4.0?
After all it is just a phone and galaxy nexus is already fast as it is.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Interesting comments here. My sister's contract should be up by the time the S3 arrives in my country (Hopefully by mid July) so i can always get the nexus right now and switch over to the S3 later. No loss there. The only concern is if i were to get a nexus right now i will have to bear with it until the S3 is released later this year. I dont mind the specs and form factor of the phone, i got to touch one today for the first time and i think it feels better in the hand compared to the S2.
Honestly the camera is the ONLY thing holding me back right now. I hardly take HD clips on my S2 even though its great, but i do take a lot of pictures of random sights and objects. Not really a huge loss to me but i do take camera quality into consideration.
cr0wnest said:
Interesting comments here. My sister's contract should be up by the time the S3 arrives in my country (Hopefully by mid July) so i can always get the nexus right now and switch over to the S3 later. No loss there. The only concern is if i were to get a nexus right now i will have to bear with it until the S3 is released later this year. I dont mind the specs and form factor of the phone, i got to touch one today for the first time and i think it feels better in the hand compared to the S2.
Honestly the camera is the ONLY thing holding me back right now. I hardly take HD clips on my S2 even though its great, but i do take a lot of pictures of random sights and objects. Not really a huge loss to me but i do take camera quality into consideration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the GN picture thread in General then. A lot of ppl have posted pics taken with their GN.
zephiK said:
Check the GN picture thread in General then. A lot of ppl have posted pics taken with their GN.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or Flickr.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
I'll check them out!
Also can someone enlighten me on the 1080p recording? In most video samples the video has this awful wobbly/wave effect while panning and focusing and it really spoils the whole thing. Is it due to the phone having a poor camera sensor or software settings?
Im refering to the wobbly effect seen in this video
While it should look something like this (No wobble)
To my surprise there doesnt seem to be anyone talking about this issue so im really curious to know!
cr0wnest said:
Interesting comments here. My sister's contract should be up by the time the S3 arrives in my country (Hopefully by mid July) so i can always get the nexus right now and switch over to the S3 later. No loss there. The only concern is if i were to get a nexus right now i will have to bear with it until the S3 is released later this year. I dont mind the specs and form factor of the phone, i got to touch one today for the first time and i think it feels better in the hand compared to the S2.
Honestly the camera is the ONLY thing holding me back right now. I hardly take HD clips on my S2 even though its great, but i do take a lot of pictures of random sights and objects. Not really a huge loss to me but i do take camera quality into consideration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently switched from the SGS2 to GN. I'm almost completely happy with the S2 except:
- The necessity to depend on Samsung to publish new firmwares means it will be quickly abandoned in favour of the S3. The S2 is still the king of the hill for the time being but I have no doubt when S3 comes out the S2 will receive 1 or 2 minor upgrades at best.
- Compatibility, some apps and games do not work correctly with it (there are many examples that I don't feel listing).
- Not all games run smoothly, despite the powerful GPU due to compatibility problems (Gameloft is the prime suspect, although others such as Shadowgun is shaky as well).
Here are the pros of Nexus devices:
- Direct updates from Google, of course.
- Guaranteed compatibility for all apps
- All games should run smoothly or satisfactorily as they should be well tested with Nexus devices.
Hardware is a toss, if you are in it for benchmarks only I'd suggest waiting for the S3 (and prepare to replace it when S4 comes out). If not, go for it and be rest assured that the GN will still be good 2 years later.
If it sounds a lot like the iPhone/iPad situation, because it is. Hardware superiority means naughts if it's driving sub-standard/unsupported software.
The camera is fine, I do think it's a problem of pre-production devices. I took videos in daylight and night time and none of those exhibit the waving issue.
cr0wnest said:
I'll check them out!
Also can someone enlighten me on the 1080p recording? In most video samples the video has this awful wobbly/wave effect while panning and focusing and it really spoils the whole thing. Is it due to the phone having a poor camera sensor or software settings?
Im refering to the wobbly effect seen in this video
While it should look something like this (No wobble)
To my surprise there doesnt seem to be anyone talking about this issue so im really curious to know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wobble is likely the video stabilization. There's an app which you can turn it on and off with the GN and it does have a smoother video with it on, but some wobble as well. Some people prefer that over the jittery video that the GN produces with stabilization off (which is quite obvious in the second video link you posted).
I see, does the cam corder have a built in option for video stabilization? I think the jittery is fine, i didnt even notice until you mentioned it. For now it seems quite likely that i'll be getting a nexus. Thanks for all your help guys, much appreciated.
The only thing that bugs me is the 5MP Camera... but about the S3 or a new GN or whatnot.... this always occurs every year or two so eventually you'll switch or maybe you stay... im really loving this GN...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Unless you really want the nexus support and updates.
I would recommend waiting for the next Samsung galaxy s device whether it is called sIII or s II plus...
I believe that the next Samsung galaxy s device will be better than the galaxy nexus in hardware perspective.(camera,thinness,build quality, battery, maybe even screen).
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
My $0.02
It's all a matter of preference.
The GSII is an amazing phone; my girlfriend has that and I have the GNex. She would take her GSII over the GNex any day of the week, and vice versa. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of the screen, camera, speaker, and SD card slot; however, to me there's no replacement for basic, stock Android on a snappy phone. The radio in my GNex seems to be better than her GSII's, but that's a subjective thing.
Yes, you can root and install a ROM on the GSII. Overall, the GSII is a better piece of hardware. However, my preference is a solid phone that's supported by Google and has no bloatware or lockdown at all.
The main thing what makes Galaxy Nexus better than Galaxy S2 is faster updates and native support from Google. You will first get updated, fixes, you don't need to wait till Samsung will create their TouchWiz.
Otherwise these devices are very similar. Camera performance is equal, the screen is bigger for Galaxy Nexus and it has a bit weaker technology but you can't see with your eye so both are the same quality.
If you would have Galaxy S or some other phone then update would be must have but upgrade from SGS2 to Nexus is not worth it as both devices are with similar specs and performance.
hi guys, just want to know if its worth the switch. also has the heat issue been resolve on this phone? thanks
What heat issue? And if you're coming from a sgs2 its not really worth the upgrade hardware wise unless you're looking for improved audio or want os updates. Really, you'd be paying for stock android and Google updates. Is it worth the price to you?
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
i heard there's alot of heat issue using the device, to the point of burning someone hand.
I made the switch and definitely think it was worth it, but then again, I am a software guy and love the options. It is a downgrade in hardware though, I especially miss my sdcard. Guess it all depends on which is important to you, hardware our software. If you prefer better hardware then it probably wouldn't be worth it.
jsapp said:
I made the switch and definitely think it was worth it, but then again, I am a software guy and love the options. It is a downgrade in hardware though, I especially miss my sdcard. Guess it all depends on which is important to you, hardware our software. If you prefer better hardware then it probably wouldn't be worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GN isn't really a downgrade, it's more of a sideways move when compared to the SGSII. Processor power is similar, GN has a worse camera and no SD card but a better screen (HD) which is a huge improvement in my opinion (unless you're talking about the SGSII with the HD screen, which is a rare beast, not available everywhere).
ChrisAG said:
GN isn't really a downgrade, it's more of a sideways move when compared to the SGSII. Processor power is similar, GN has a worse camera and no SD card but a better screen (HD) which is a huge improvement in my opinion (unless you're talking about the SGSII with the HD screen, which is a rare beast, not available everywhere).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This, it's a lateral-ish HW shift. I didn't dislike my SGSII, but I like my GN that much more. It's an overall smoother experience. I'm happier with the "small" things as well, the phone feels better in the hand, the button action is smoother, etc... I can't run Touchwiz any longer either, and who knows when Samdung will release kernel source for ICS. Probably long after they release a finished ICS.
People who expect impressive benchmark scores will be disappointed, the GN isn't as much of a benchmark queen as the SGSII (Exynos).
I came from the at&t sgs2 and couldn't be happier. I seriously am in love with this phone.
G1_enthusiast said:
i heard there's alot of heat issue using the device, to the point of burning someone hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you hear that from and you believed it? It gets warm like any computer but burning someone's hand?! LOL!
GSII will get ICS sooner or later. Unless you simply can't wait, there's no reason to get GNex when you have a GSII.
I went from the SGS2 to the Nexus. I don't have any complaints but technically the SGS2 is better. If I had to pay for my Nexus I would not have made the switch as there would have been no point really bar having ICS
MilkPudding said:
Where did you hear that from and you believed it? It gets warm like any computer but burning someone's hand?! LOL!
GSII will get ICS sooner or later. Unless you simply can't wait, there's no reason to get GNex when you have a GSII.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently ICS is scheduled to land on the SGSII next Thursday (15th March) according to one of the Samsung Facebook pages and the news site I was reading. Maybe add a couple of weeks(?) for network operators to push it out.
kalinf said:
Apparently ICS is scheduled to land on the SGSII next Thursday (15th March) according to one of the Samsung Facebook pages and the news site I was reading. Maybe add a couple of weeks(?) for network operators to push it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ics + touchwiz= gingerbread + touchwiz
They look exactly the same. Your better off waiting for xboarder port of real ICS
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium App
charlieb620 said:
Ics + touchwiz= gingerbread + touchwiz
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason I still have my SGSII is so I can experience CM9 on it after kernel source is released, had been my daily driver since December, but no video recording yet, etc...
I wonder how long Samsung will put off releasing source this time.
Go with the Nexus
I dumped my AT&T Galaxy SII for a GSM Galaxy Nexus and haven't looked back. Once you go Nexus you never go back.
Personally, I like my GN more then my SG2 especially find the design of GN more polished. Still got my SG2 but thinking of selling it...rarely use it though I do like some of the features from touchwiz!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Sold my gs2 i9100 a couple weeks back, and used that money to get a gnex. I was tired of constantly looking for a new experimental build for ics experience, and considering how quickly the gs1 was ditched, but the nexus s is still officially receiving updates, makes me more confident in this phones last-ability and value. Only downside is no SD card, if you are a serious media junky.
I sold my SGS2 for my Galaxy Nexus. So worth it.
Hello
I come from a Nexus S that I just sold, I want to hear your opinion about what new phone to buy around 500 Euro
MistaBishi said:
I sold my SGS2 for my Galaxy Nexus. So worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did the samething. The SGS2 is a great phone but I got tired of waiting to see some ICS love. The development on the Galaxy Nexus is great, I'm happy I made the switch.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
MistaBishi said:
I sold my SGS2 for my Galaxy Nexus. So worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto, I miss my SGS2 though, SAMOLED+, the camera, FM radio, other than that I like the Nexus a lot.
mr mystery said:
Ditto, I miss my SGS2 though, SAMOLED+, the camera, FM radio, other than that I like the Nexus a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea i agree with you, i like everything about my nexus except the camera and the screen, i meant the screen of our nexus is great but for some reason i think GSII's screen look better. After i tried Amoled Screen i don't want to go back to IPS anymore.
Guys,i need opinions about this...someone who knows,and is experienced,please write in this thread,i really need to choose between this two phones,and im unshure about it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I had both. Granted it was an sgh-i777 but it essentially the same phone as the i9100. The s2 out performs the gnex on hardware hands down to me. (Only comparing 3d gaming) but cm can be a little buggy at times with wake locks when I had it. Gnex has a better screen and software support but both are great phones. Do you want last years king of the phones or bleeding edge software updates?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Both good phones
I had the gt-9100i and are currently using the Gnex.
And like the post above me i did like my SGS2, but not having the newest version of android really was a dealbreaker for me
Well that is a dealbreaker for me too.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
nyamoV2 said:
I had both. Granted it was an sgh-i777 but it essentially the same phone as the i9100. The s2 out performs the gnex on hardware hands down to me. (Only comparing 3d gaming) but cm can be a little buggy at times with wake locks when I had it. Gnex has a better screen and software support but both are great phones. Do you want last years king of the phones or bleeding edge software updates?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm what has been written above. I sold my international S2 i9100, which I really loved!
Exynos with Mali 400 outperforms TI-OMAP 4460 with its PowerVR SGX540 I guess in every single test. (for example in case of Nenamark2 the difference is 48-52:28-32!) S2 has gorilla glass and better camera (8 mpix + 2 mpix), sd-slot, even hard home button can be considered as an advantage.
On the other hand. Nexus has much better screen, NFC, and great support! It depend what your priorities are but...If you're into aosp/cm world Nexus is far better solution.
Official updates. Even though I think samsung is the fastest update-provider among all manufacturers still S2 got recently...its second 4.0.4 update while GNex has 4.1.2! Samsung confirmed S2 to be scheduled to JB-update in november, but I highly doubt it'll be given more than this. In case of Nexus....I'm certain it'll be supported at least 12 more months.
Moreover...exynos is closed hardware, (while omap is dev's beloved device) which makes it extremely hard for devs to get fully functioning aosp rom. You can see the difference if you compare CM10 on both handsets.
- S2 - no jb-hwcomposer and thus no v-sync, no butter - jittery and yes laggy, problems with audio.
- GNex - almost perfectly smooth! I know that lot of people here complain over smoothness but seriously there's nothing to complain. IT's one of the smoothest android experience today even if you compare it to hardware monsters like international variant of S3.
Smoothness of stock roms cannot be even discussed here. Nexus wins fair and square. So...who cares what benchmarks say? The device is as good as the software running on it.
I wish this had gorilla glass while reinforced also its not as strong it scratches easily compared to my S1 it has small nicks on it and has been though worst then my nexus an nexus has a good 5 big scratches and also cracked display
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I had both for a while, i really think the gnex outperforms the gs2 in every single way, sure gs2 have a better camera and it was pretty fast with gingerbread but it failed to delivery the same experience with ICS...and it took sooo much time to samsung release ics and with crappy touchwizz wich was the same skin as in gingerbread.
The gs2 has very low resolution and ppi screen so the gpu as an easy time. The iphonish home button really sucked balls. Basically gs2 is already outdated and doesnt deliver the same user experience as the gnex. IMHO.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I still have my i9100, purchased it before the nexus. there are things I prefer on it over the nexus, but not deal breakers.
The s2 has much better standard screen colors than the nexus, I had to tweak using a kernel that support color tweaking to get the same colors that pleased me on the s2.. However, after spending time on the higher resolution nexus screen, the s2 looks real bad.. But prior to purchasing the nexus I thought the s2 screen resolution was fine, but I did not have anything to compare it to.
Call quality I find to be much better on the nexus, much clearer voices.
Cameras.. I don't use them much so I don't have an opinion on it. as long as the phone takes pictures, I'm happy.
Wifi is much better on the s2.. I have fought with constant disconnects on the nexus hardware, while the s2 always had rock steady Wifi.
Speed... This depends on what you use the phone for. I do not play alot of games. I do not doubt the s2 has faster hardware to run games better, however I find the nexus offers a much more fluid experience when doing everything else. Simple things as such as dialing a phone number, typing, scrolling, and the nexus much more responsive and fluid. there are no annoying pauses or lags. the s2 no matter what rom I was using always had some sort of lag.
Ever thing just works on the nexus, while alot of things on the s2 were compromises. you get one feature but another was broken, especially when using custom roms.
I'm going to hang onto my s2 until the official jb release and see if jb can make it run as well as the nexus... If not, I'll be selling it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
dumbdroid said:
.... it was pretty fast with gingerbread but it failed to delivery the same experience with ICS...and it took sooo much time to samsung release ics and with crappy touchwizz wich was the same skin as in gingerbread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's right and Touchwizz is extremely ugly but ...ICS on Galaxy Nexus was laggy as hell to be honest, sometimes even worse than in case of S2. For example if you applied live wallpapers. I have never noticed any single scroll-lag on S2 (stock ICS rom), on GNex it was unfortunately pretty common.
Just switched from an i777 to the gal nex and I would never go back...the screen alone is enough...not to mention instant shutter speed on the camera, first to update, I've had much better battery life...plus when you go to a custom ROM, compared to the s2, everything just WORKS...and for $350 you won't regret it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
s2 was my first android, gave it to my dad and now using gnex.
fundamentally the gnex has a higher screen resolution, but no hardware keys on the front so nav buttons are a must on it.. s2 has buttons, and side by side, the displays are actually a bit identical. the gnex looks somewhat better because of the higher ppi, but pentile is visible on text when you see it very closely..
performance wise, both have almost the same cpu specs, but gnex is slightly slower. its because of the higher resolution. and i can tell you this without any benchmark numbers. i tried fpse on both, there's a slight lag on the gnex. the sgs2 runs it smoothly..
jellybean on gnex is stable (of course) and awesome. on the s2, not so much...
all games/apps work on both, with slight differences in things like emulation as i said above..
battery life on both is more or less the same, both are battery hogs. but after using them both for well over two months each, i can say that gnex sucks from 100 to 0 slightly faster.. an extended battery wouldn't be such a bad idea, i personally bought myself an anker 5600mah portable charger, and it does the job for me battery life wise. easily get through the day with super heavy use (navigation,browsing hsdpa, etc)
if you're gonna buy one of these TODAY, it makes no sense to get a s2. nexus is cheaper, and you are guaranteed Key lime pie immediately, and even possible L-- version.. yes the camera is a bit bad compared to the s2, but it's a small trade off for the price difference and software update frequency.
m.kochan10 said:
That's right and Touchwizz is extremely ugly but ...ICS on Galaxy Nexus was laggy as hell to be honest, sometimes even worse than in case of S2. For example if you applied live wallpapers. I have never noticed any single scroll-lag on S2 (stock ICS rom), on GNex it was unfortunately pretty common.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard about it but never experienced it myself because I've rooted and installed a custom rom+kernel in the second day i had it. I think that was with android 4.0.2 witch i never run on my phone. The only "stock" firmware i had was the jelly bean leak and it was great.
---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------
crazyguns said:
i tried fpse on both, there's a slight lag on the gnex. the sgs2 runs it smoothly..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah but my xperia play beats both and have crappy hardware...why?
Same goes for some gameloft games like gangster in Rio or something like that runs beautifully on my xperia play and it is unplayable on the gnex.
D3HuM4NiZ3D said:
Guys,i need opinions about this...someone who knows,and is experienced,please write in this thread,i really need to choose between this two phones,and im unshure about it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just recently got a gnex and gave my wife my gs2. I would never even think of going back. Might not ever own another non nexus phone. definitely the better phone imo.
qbanlinxx said:
I just recently got a gnex and gave my wife my gs2. I would never even think of going back. Might not ever own another non nexus phone. definitely the better phone imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I think I sold my S2, bought nexus....and today I bought my father a brand new S2 as a birthday gift. While i was configuring everything....I was like "Oh my how sluggish it is compared to Nexus". No more non-nexus androids!
can't ever go back to touchwiz... I used sgs2 i9100...love nexus software
Sent from Nexus Prime
Can't beat the nexus experience. I still have my i777, rooted weeks after I got it, and have loved tinkering, and tweaking the hell out of it ever since. Both phones are more than capable of remaining relevant for some time, but as I said, it's the Google flagship experience that really seals it. I love my s2, aokp with siyah is amazing, but I've had my nexus for just shy of 2 months now, and I honestly haven't found a reason to root it, official jb is just that good for me. Google wallet is about the only thing I've found that one phone has over the other, though Nfc is fully functional on the s2, aside from the secure hardware element needed for wallet. Not sure what the going rate is on the s2 anymore, but at best its just as good a deal as the gsm nexus right now. Long story short(kind of rambling, I apologize) love both phones, wouldn't ever discourage anyone from the s2, but of this comparison, I'd advise the gnex to anyone.
Pink pony Gs2 i777
Pure Google Gnex i9250
Pink stallion Gs3 i747
Stock tweaked Asus tf201
S2 is fast, like other people said, it out performs Gnexus a lot imo. Even on TW GB/ICS or AOSP, its still faster. Exynos are really good. But then, you wont get a proper OTA if you want JB or latest update in the future. I love the brick look of SGS2 though. when the screen is off, it looks so sexy. but gnex are sexy in both screen on and off.
For me, having the latest software in any hardware are important for me.So I am sticking with Gnex. I gave my S2 to my mum, and bought myself a One X. But then I still use Gnexus most of the time for pretty much everything. Cuz it has official Jellybean and all custom roms are stable enough since it is already an AOSP to begin with. One X still have some trouble with ICS/JB AOSP, so only choice to stick with Sense ICS for stability.
my friend always ask me if its worth to get a Gnex since it is 1 year old already. My answer for them are simple, if you care about updates every time they are announced, Gnex is the answer. and also, if you intent to use it to the fullest(3/4 years duration), its Gnex. Otherwise, buy anything you like. I always change phones, but Nexus is the one i wont replace until a next nexus(if they tempt me enough).
I got 2 phone. but i prefer GNX than GS2. GS2 outperform GNX but overall GNX better than GS2
Depends which s2 as well. I had the s2 skyrocket with the s3 processor and its a laggy pos next to the nexus. Lte was awesome and the camera pwns the gnex but that's it. I've had every nexus and every time I've strayed to get another phone I end up having nexus envy.
So the nexus is really that much better than the s2 skyrocket
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Hi, I'm currently planning on buying my next android phone to replace my broken xperia ray.. Now I'm choosing between Galaxy nexus prime and samsung s3 mini..
I'm thinking about which phone will receive longer updates/support.. A friend of mine told me that nexus phones have a higher chance of getting android updates since they are google phones..
Here are what i want from each phone:
S3 mini 8gb - gorilla glass (i broke my ray's screen so i'm planning on buying a strong phone), smaller screen (I'll be keeping it in my pocket most of the time), physical home button, cheaper and microsd slot.
Nexus prime 16gb - higher density screen, better front-facing camera, 1080p recording, higher internal memory (but no microsd slot), and more updates (?)
Also, which phone has the better hardware.. I tried searching for a comparison of the two in google but couldn't find a direct one..
Thanks
Galaxy Nexus is the better device. S3 mini has always been a mid-low end device while the GNex was once a top of the line flagship and still is heavily developed for.
i see, thank you for your reply.. so nexus could get more updates than s3 mini? also, how's its performance for long term use? i haven't tried one yet so i only watched hands-on reviews on youtube.. and how's the battery life?
jzerman said:
i see, thank you for your reply.. so nexus could get more updates than s3 mini? also, how's its performance for long term use? i haven't tried one yet so i only watched hands-on reviews on youtube.. and how's the battery life?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the nexus will definitely get more updates. The nexus will get more updates than every phone on the market, except the nexus 4 which will outlive the nexus due to newer, more superior hardware.
alexdemonumber3 said:
the nexus will definitely get more updates. The nexus will get more updates than every phone on the market, except the nexus 4 which will outlive the nexus due to newer, more superior hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's good.. I would like nexus 4 but it's too expensive here in the Philippines. If only I live in a country where google is selling it then I might consider it.. So i think I'll just go for nexus 3
Thank you for replying
If shooting photos is your thing then dont get a nexus... Its camera is very disappointing imo. But i dont believe s3 mini will get more updates than nexus
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
taufiiqqq said:
If shooting photos is your thing then dont get a nexus... Its camera is very disappointing imo. But i dont believe s3 mini will get more updates than nexus
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, may I know how bad is it? I tend use camera quite frequent (for instagram or facebook). Also, when it comes to speed, which one's faster? Thank you for your reply
I don't think the camera is too bad on the Gnex, I can't say which one is faster but I have no trouble with pics for facebook or instagram. Battery life is ok on the GSM version. I use the stock 4.2.2 rom and with my data, gps, bluetooth off until I need to use it I can make it a whole day easily on a full charge. I don't make many calls a day sometimes none but probably do 4-500 texts a day easily and some light web browsing and by the time I get home from work i still have a good chunk of juice left in the battery.
Overall the GNex is still a good phone, I wouldn't buy a CDMA version due to the LTE killing the battery fast but the GSM version is very good and still gets great data speeds on HSPA. There is a lot of roms to choose from but I stick with the stock one as there really isn't anything wrong with it. Plain android runs really good on this phone.
jzerman said:
I see, may I know how bad is it? I tend use camera quite frequent (for instagram or facebook). Also, when it comes to speed, which one's faster? Thank you for your reply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you aren't printing the pictures out and only sharing them digitally you are a OK. There is a thread around here somewhere with "Post pics from your Gnex!!!" Or some other. You be the judge.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Thank you for your comments guys, I just got my hands on a galaxy nexus yesterday, I rooted it, flashed stock 4.2.2, and I'm loving it
Dear All,
TL&DR: How well has the Galaxy Nexus held up? Would you recommend one as a used purchase (now at $250 level) or should I look elsewhere?
I have been on Samsung Captivate since it came out. Now however, the phone is stating to have hardware issues and I am thinking of upgrading. The money is tight, and so I think I will need to pass on the Nexus4 (plus, I am hesitant about the glass back; I drop my phones).
So I have been looking around for a phone with a good enough following on XDA to have decent support and development. The Galaxy Nexus, of course being a Nexus should have great support from both XDA and Google.So as the GNex is inching down to $200 on the used market and at that price it is a very attractive option.
I guess I am not too worried about buying a year-old hardware, but I am worried about buying into new problems. So the major question is - how has the Galaxy Nexus held up? Would you buy one used? Should I look out for anything specific?
Next, how are the stock roms? Will I still be running to CM or other developments for more stable, better rounded ROMs? Part of the attractiveness of the Nexus line is that I could potentially no need to do that - but am I expecting too much from Google?
If not Gnex, what else in the 15 months old / last-year's mid-level generation would you recommend? ( i have considered the One S)
Thanks.
Put $100 with that $250 and get a Nexus4?
I would recommend it to anyone who likes rooting and flashing roms. It's plenty fast and great support.
dozyaustin said:
Dear All,
TL&DR: How well has the Galaxy Nexus held up? Would you recommend one as a used purchase (now at $250 level) or should I look elsewhere?
I have been on Samsung Captivate since it came out. Now however, the phone is stating to have hardware issues and I am thinking of upgrading. The money is tight, and so I think I will need to pass on the Nexus4 (plus, I am hesitant about the glass back; I drop my phones).
So I have been looking around for a phone with a good enough following on XDA to have decent support and development. The Galaxy Nexus, of course being a Nexus should have great support from both XDA and Google.So as the GNex is inching down to $200 on the used market and at that price it is a very attractive option.
I guess I am not too worried about buying a year-old hardware, but I am worried about buying into new problems. So the major question is - how has the Galaxy Nexus held up? Would you buy one used? Should I look out for anything specific?
Next, how are the stock roms? Will I still be running to CM or other developments for more stable, better rounded ROMs? Part of the attractiveness of the Nexus line is that I could potentially no need to do that - but am I expecting too much from Google?
If not Gnex, what else in the 15 months old / last-year's mid-level generation would you recommend? ( i have considered the One S)
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are really interested in buying the Gnex then I would highly recommend it if you're in the market for a great phone at $200, I bought mine in March of last month and so far it has held up fine, I've overclocked it like mad, used it until it got hot as a stove and its still running like a champ. As for anything specific, well make sure everything works like the buttons, volume rocker, speaker etc.
Since it's a Nexus, it will definitely get the next version of Android (Key Lime Pie) and POSSIBLY the one after that (unless Google just gives it two updates like they did with the Nexus S Gingerbread -> ICS -> Jelly Bean)...but even then you can probably count on CM and other ROM makers to port whatever OS comes out after Key Lime Pie so you should be good...in any case it's a much better buy than say some non-Nexus phone from HTC or Samsung where they gotta do a lot of hackery to make the latest ROMs run on there.
AW: Would you buy a used GNex now?
WiredPirate said:
Put $100 with that $250 and get a Nexus4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He you already said that he don't want to buy a nexus 4.
I would recommend you to buy a Galaxy s2. It has great development support and one of the biggest community.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
eqjunkie829 said:
I would recommend it to anyone who likes rooting and flashing roms. It's plenty fast and great support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks ... Strangely one of the things I am hoping I can do with a Nexus is _not_ having to flash custom roms, but just run stock. I know it is the opposite of the purpose of nexus, but the Nexus is the best manufacturer-supported Android. And sometimes, I do not want to scan through 30 pages of XDA to figure out whether to update. It is one of the reasons I have recently stuck with CM-stable releases ... I know they will work.
I guess that is one of my questions: are the stock roms still lacking? Will I likely be back to flashing something like CM just to get stability and basic functions to work right? (I _am_ coming from AT&T + Samsung clusterf**k - so my expectations of stock roms are colored by that experience).
Culex316 said:
If you are really interested in buying the Gnex then I would highly recommend it if you're in the market for a great phone at $200, I bought mine in March of last month and so far it has held up fine, I've overclocked it like mad, used it until it got hot as a stove and its still running like a champ. As for anything specific, well make sure everything works like the buttons, volume rocker, speaker etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Grarak said:
He you already said that he don't want to buy a nexus 4.
I would recommend you to buy a Galaxy s2. It has great development support and one of the biggest community.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - Will look into SGSII - There seem to be so many version and the T-mobile version has a different CPU.. I eventually gave up trying to figure it all out. One of the bigger reasons I am thinking of retiring my Captivate is that it is a tri-band phone - it does not work well with half of T-Mobile's 3G spectrum, so I am on Edge a good deal of time - the pentaband GNex is certainly attractive.
I will give the SGSII a closer look, tho.
decisions - decisions.
Get the Galaxy Nexus. You won't be sorry.
You'll be fine with the latest stock ROM. I did.
The only reason i'm currently using customs is because my curiosity tells me to seek for more features like extra settings and UI enhancement.
You might wanna google about it's known problems such as:
- AMOLED's purple tint
- eMMC chip problem (August 2013 and up production) ~ causing slow write speed when memory low
And be sure to check this parts :
- Power button (as this parts is the most used button of all time)
- USB port (tend to be irresponsive over the time of usage)
Good luck!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
haidoz said:
Get the Galaxy Nexus. You won't be sorry.
You'll be fine with the latest stock ROM. I did.
The only reason i'm currently using customs is because my curiosity tells me to seek for more features like extra settings and UI enhancement.
You might wanna google about it's known problems such as:
- AMOLED's purple tint
- eMMC chip problem (August 2013 and up production) ~ causing slow write speed when memory low
And be sure to check this parts :
- Power button (as this parts is the most used button of all time)
- USB port (tend to be irresponsive over the time of usage)
Good luck!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm the eMMC chip having a slow write speed when memory is low (and it's annoying frankly), as for the power button, well I recommend installing PGM from the play store, which lets you wake up your phone by swiping the screen or double-tapping it...I got it primarily to save the power button some major wear and year.
I would only pay $100 for this phone because I kind of hate it. This VZW version has bad reception compared to the Motorola devices I've used on this network. For the use cases you've mentioned, I would NOT buy a nexus device. They are always behind in power and build quality. The only thing they have going for them is that they are reference devices.
The first Android phone I got was the Motorola Droid. I was spoiled by its reliability and lack of bloatware. My next device was the R2DR D2 and I was happy to get the Galaxy Nexus almost a year later. I will not buy another Nexus but I doubt that Google will make another VZW Nexus anyway. The only good things about this phone are its lack of bloatware and its ease of rooting and ROMing.
I really love my coworker's Galaxy S II but AT&T's OTA makes it freeze. She had to root it and put a new kernel on it.
I am all for being able to root, but HAVING to root really sucks.
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium
Culex316 said:
I can confirm the eMMC chip having a slow write speed when memory is low (and it's annoying frankly), as for the power button, well I recommend installing PGM from the play store, which lets you wake up your phone by swiping the screen or double-tapping it...I got it primarily to save the power button some major wear and year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CMIIW, but i think they found the cure for that anyway. So wouldn't be worrying about it i guess (i don't have the disease on my Gnex though).
Yap, PGM is the most important app for me.
Wouldn't flash a custom kernel without the compatibility with it.
Even if the power button is super rugged, i would install it anyway as swiping / double tapping the screen to wake up is comfier than reaching for the power button.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
dozyaustin said:
Thanks ... Strangely one of the things I am hoping I can do with a Nexus is _not_ having to flash custom roms, but just run stock. I know it is the opposite of the purpose of nexus, but the Nexus is the best manufacturer-supported Android. And sometimes, I do not want to scan through 30 pages of XDA to figure out whether to update. It is one of the reasons I have recently stuck with CM-stable releases ... I know they will work.
I guess that is one of my questions: are the stock roms still lacking? Will I likely be back to flashing something like CM just to get stability and basic functions to work right? (I _am_ coming from AT&T + Samsung clusterf**k - so my expectations of stock roms are colored by that experience).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock ROM is perfectly good on a Nexus, and it will be your best bet for stability, as it is updated by Google directly. Your experience with "stock" AOSP-based ROMs for non-Nexus devices is not the same at all, since Google doesn't support those. There have been reports of random rebooting and Bluetooth issues on 4.2, but it's not that common. 4.1 is rock solid.
I see them super cheap nowadays in my local classifieds. $150-$200
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
plznote said:
I see them super cheap nowadays in my local classifieds. $150-$200
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see the VZW and Sprint variants go for $150 - the GSM variant is still about $250- $350.
I sold a nexus 4 and kept my galaxy.. The non removable battery and glass back was a no go for me.. Also got really hot. And in every day use I didn't see much improvement.. I don't game on my phone really. So I'd say the galaxy is great.. I'll rock it until the next nexus is available.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I'd still buy a galaxy nexus again. Mostly because I enjoy learning though. Definitely look for a lightly used one, as the power button and usb port use has been mentioned above. I would NOT even consider an sii, mostly because I've seen bad firmware OTA updates to them, as well as the chip vulnerability and lost imeis.
dozyaustin said:
I see the VZW and Sprint variants go for $150 - the GSM variant is still about $250- $350.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Canada, and theres only the GSM model. I dont even know why people sell it so cheap.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
This phone is great but I think used ones are too expensive. Get the nexus 4 if you can.
No because I own one now and if I broke my Gnex I would want the newest Nexus or the best consumer phone.
Don't get me wrong, this is a fine phone, but in the age of $300 Nexus phones, I would always buy the latest no matter what.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Coming from the SII, I just bought the G Nex a month ago and I couldn't be more happy. The SII was great but I found I can do much more on this device and if you have LTE as I do then this is a great device to get fairly cheap. I paid 180 on eBay and it is mint with case and screen protector.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Yeah ^ for $300 I would get the Nexus 4... May even leave Verizon since it has that rogue LTE chip (the N4) and T-Mo with its unlimited data is rolling out LTE.
Between the micro USB port breaking, the lousy battery life, lack of accessories actually available, no inductive charging, and *only* a 5MP shooter, I'd hop on the Nexus 4 wagon any day.
Though if the Nexus 4 didn't exist, I'd buy this phone again if only for all the development, Ubuntu, WebOS, always the latest Android available...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app