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Hello everyone, I recently started a new job and I get a discount with Verizon so thinking about jumping ship from Sprint and the HTC Evo 3d. I was just wondering if anyone could please post a few pros and cons about their experience with the Galaxy Nexus. I am having a very hard time deciding between the RAZR and Nexus galaxy.
Thank you all for your help.
Hello.
Hey, I've bought the device, and I'm still considering taking it back, but i feel that I should give it at least a week of use to decide.
Pro's: Obviously Android 4.0, front facing camera to be used for G+ or skype, 32gb memory, slick design, Google Wallet is really cool, face unlock is great at first, but i've grown tired of it for the most part. Camera Shutter speed is amazing. The charger cable that comes with the phone is long enough to use instead of the 2 foot long junker you've gotten with every other droid out there. The battery life on mine despite what others are saying is great. Today I had over 23 hours of use before it died. I live in only 3g area though.
Con's: These are IMO, The phone is very slick to hold. I hate cases, but honestly without one, your going to drop it, The camera quality on the phone is trash.. It can be acceptable, but for the most part it sucks and is the main reason I'm considering taking it back. The signal strength seems to be off on my phone, but i haven't noticed a difference in call quality, so i'm not sure what the deal is there. I did notice that my phone gets very hot at times. Very annoying when you are talking on the phone. The speaker on the phone is fairly quiet. If you have used an OG droid, this phone will be a major let down in that department.
I hope some of this stuff helps. bottom line is that the phone is great, like all great things, there will be bugs to be worked out.
thank you. I'm leaning toward this because I'm afraid there won't be enough development for the razr. Do you have an opinion on this? Also what phone are you considering in its place?
Sent from my HTC EVO 3D using xda premium
nastystang05 said:
thank you. I'm leaning toward this because I'm afraid there won't be enough development for the razr. Do you have an opinion on this? Also what phone are you considering in its place?
Sent from my HTC EVO 3D using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know much about the Razr but a few things about it turn me off right away. First off, I've heard the display is very similar to the Atrix. The Atrix was my second favourite phone (next to the Galaxy Nexus) and I probably would still have it if not for that awful screen. I was VERY hesitant to invest in the Nexus because of its pentile display. Turns out it's the most beautiful display I've ever used, and I've had a fair number of Android phones (Legend, Galaxy S, Atrix, Sensation, Optimus 3D, Evo 3D, Galaxy S2 Skyrocket... I need a better hobby...). The other thing I hate about the Razr is the non removable battery. I like having a spare battery kicking around in case I burn through a charge before I have a chance to top up. I have been looking at portable battery chargers and may still buy one. The last thing I don't like about the Razr is the lack of development. The Atrix took awhile to get a good development crowd going but it still pales in comparison to the amount of development the Nexus will have. If you're someone who likes dicking around with their phone (like me) then the Nexus is the obvious choice.
I don't really have any major gripes with the Nexus. The two biggest ones are the picture quality, which I'm sure will be addressed in future updates/mods from the XDA community, and the lack of a micro sd card slot. I can't believe Google didn't tell Samsung to get their sh*t together and include an expandable memory slot, but I guess Samsung will put that in their next flagship device and call it an "added" feature.
Having never owned the Razr it's easy for me to say get a Nexus. I'm sure the Razr is a great phone, but the few obvious shortcomings (in my eyes anyways) would steer me right clear of it. Good luck and let us know what you end up doing!
thegregulator said:
The other thing I hate about the Razr is the non removable battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, me too. Batteries wear out/get weak over time and need to be replaced. How do you replace the battery in the Razr? Almost makes me thing the Bionic is a better phone if you want to stick with Motorola.
Come on now the camera isn't even bad. It's just not up to par with phones like the Rezound. You can't just whip out the camera and immediately snap a pic and hope it has amazing quality.. no camera works like that. That being said, the hump on the bottom of the phone CAN be a little annoying but that can be remedied if you have the extended battery. It makes the phone flush with the hump. Battery life can always be improved after rooting and messing with kernels and undervolting. The speaker which is low (comparable to Droid X's) can also be tweaked louder with the app Volume+ . Everything people dislike about the phone can basically be tweaked or fixed, and that's one of the reasons I love it so much.
Ive decided to get a new phone (Well, actually my HTC decided for me by having its touchscreen die) but I'm not entirely sure what to get.
(The part that sucks about this, is all the new quadcore phones and iPhone 5 coming soon/later this year)
The Galaxy Note was just too big, so I've narrowed it down to the Galaxy Nexus, Moto RAZR and iphone4S. How have you found the GN to be? Is there anything I should keep in mind?
The RAZR and the GN have pretty much the same GPU/CPU combo, but the GN has a better screen, right? Would you say that you can really see the difference in the GN screen compared to a QHD screen?
The thing that's holding me back from the GN is the camera. I've heard that its fast, but not very good (Esp. compared to the iPhones camera) and at 5MP the resolution is pretty small these days.
The RAZR is kinda tempting because of all the accessories (Lapdock etc,) the ultra thin design, 8MP camera (Thou ivebheard the quality is so-so) and being expandable up to 48 GB.
I'm trying to keep ICS out of the equation, since the RAZR will have it soon.
And then theres the iPhone. I've heard the camera is awesome on it, it has a GPU that still can't be beat by any Android phone, and Apple is really awesome with providing updates quick, and for a long time after they released a phone. The thing that really holds me back though, is the 3.5 inch screen. Yes, it's an awesome screen, and amazing PPI, but I'm not sure I could get used to a screen that small after having an SGSII and Evo3D for a while with a 4.3 inch screen.
So yeah, is there anything about the GN I should know about? What phone would you choose if you haven't chosen the GN? Fire away!
I own both Verizon Galaxy nexus LTE and AT&T iPhone 4s.
Your thoughts are right on. The iPhone 4s has the better camera by far. If you are a picture person get the iPhone. iPhone is still the slickest no lag phone on the market. Personally I still use it as my main phone.
The galaxy nexus is the smoothest android phone to date. I have own numerous android phones including the original G1. But battery life isnt the best on the Nexus.
Motorola phones are known for their antenna and call quality. If you are considering the Razr. Only consider the Razr Maxx. My friend original Droid Razr battery sucks also. I had a qHD Atrix and it's fine for a screen. But the Super AMOlED HD screen on the nexus is beautiful.
Though choices. U can't really go wrong. They are all good choices.
If someone ever has to ask Android vs iOS then I always suggest iOS as that person clearly doesnt understand the massive advantages Android has over Apple.
Get an iPhone.
With my gnex I use an app called Camera ZoomFx and the pictures are excellent. I had a 4S and I think its camera is overrated, especially when using the flash. There are reasons to choose the 4S over the gnex, but the camera isn't one of them imo. I think the current iphone is not even in the same league as the gnex (4g, nfc, super amoled hd 4.65" display, ics, free gps, etc). I think the next iphone will be more competitive, but for me its not even close. The gnex wins my $ easily.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
I was in a similar situation RAZR or GNex. Coming from the Infuse, I guess it kinda made it extremely important to find a device with epic dev support because out of all the phone I've owned, the infuse would've been a killer single core phone right next to the SGII if it were more popular... imo.
Dev's on the GNex have more freedom, but I'll admit, only thing I hate about it is the Camera. It's the ONLY thing I hate. ****, if Samsung went out of their way to put the GSII's camera on it, world domination would be in order.
I went to the Infuse 4G from an iPhone 3GS. iOS is cool, but the iPhone turned into more of a fad "I R KEWL" device other than something for techies to fiddle with, even when it's jailbroken.
in all honestly i had the biggest trouble picking between the samsung galaxy nexus and samsung galaxy II.
galaxy s2 has an sd card slot, 8mp camera, and its going to have ICS with all the cool features.
nexus only has NFC and a better screen, but then again not very good battery.
the rest of the phones i dont even care about, none of them interested me.
rayoubi said:
in all honestly i had the biggest trouble picking between the samsung galaxy nexus and samsung galaxy II.
galaxy s2 has an sd card slot, 8mp camera, and its going to have ICS with all the cool features.
nexus only has NFC and a better screen, but then again not very good battery.
the rest of the phones i dont even care about, none of them interested me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus has a bigger battery than the s2. And can you please explain to me why an 8mp camera is better than a 5mp?
my ONLY gripes with this phone that may influence your decision are...
Size: The phone is big, not thick - but just long and big. You always know this phone is in your pocket, especially if you are sitting down. Its not a big dealt to me, but this is a very big difference between the Gnex and the 4s.
Battery: The battery life SUCKS. When you are using your phone (browsing the internet, taking pictures, playing games, etc), you can watch your battery go down the drain. One hour of web surfing will lose you a good 15-25% battery.
Camera: It sucks. But this is a feature I rarely use. The 4s photos are godly, no other phone that I know of can compete.
The screen is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. I know that the 4s has a nice screen too, but the resolution + size of the screen make it really spectacular.
The camera is fine on my GNex. Seriously the same exact picture quality as my old Droid Incredible (which was great for 8mp).
Battery is fine, just learn to put the phone down and live.
Screen is fantastic, although some people are getting faulty ones, but if you get one manufactured more recently you may be fine.
Oh and not to mention iOS is about as stagnant and feature full as its going to get without a total overhaul.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
I think you should consider the HTC rezound. It has the best screen out with 720p 4.3" display, equal to the galaxy nexus but sharper. Google it. 32gb of storage, 8mp camera with 1080p recording. 2mp front face camera. Beats audio, Dual core 1.5ghz snapdragon processor. Dev support is major! Mine is running android 4.0.3 ics and has face lock. Phone is the only one aside from the Thunderbolt that can talk and surf at the sametime on 3g and 4g. The other 4g phones on Verizon can only do it on 4g. HTC sense is the best and with the new sense 4.0 releasing its gonna be a monster. I had the nexus and its nice but it's boring. Vanilla android is ok for some but not me. The 5mp camera was not that great and I dislike the fact that there is no external sd slot. I just hate Motorola blur. They keep a good signal though. With the rezound you get a chance to experience vanilla ics or HTC sense. You can't go wrong. It's amazing
Sent from my HTC Rezound W/ beats
vszulc said:
Ive decided to get a new phone (Well, actually my HTC decided for me by having its touchscreen die) but I'm not entirely sure what to get.
(The part that sucks about this, is all the new quadcore phones and iPhone 5 coming soon/later this year)
The Galaxy Note was just too big, so I've narrowed it down to the Galaxy Nexus, Moto RAZR and iphone4S. How have you found the GN to be? Is there anything I should keep in mind?
The RAZR and the GN have pretty much the same GPU/CPU combo, but the GN has a better screen, right? Would you say that you can really see the difference in the GN screen compared to a QHD screen?
The thing that's holding me back from the GN is the camera. I've heard that its fast, but not very good (Esp. compared to the iPhones camera) and at 5MP the resolution is pretty small these days.
The RAZR is kinda tempting because of all the accessories (Lapdock etc,) the ultra thin design, 8MP camera (Thou ivebheard the quality is so-so) and being expandable up to 48 GB.
I'm trying to keep ICS out of the equation, since the RAZR will have it soon.
And then theres the iPhone. I've heard the camera is awesome on it, it has a GPU that still can't be beat by any Android phone, and Apple is really awesome with providing updates quick, and for a long time after they released a phone. The thing that really holds me back though, is the 3.5 inch screen. Yes, it's an awesome screen, and amazing PPI, but I'm not sure I could get used to a screen that small after having an SGSII and Evo3D for a while with a 4.3 inch screen.
So yeah, is there anything about the GN I should know about? What phone would you choose if you haven't chosen the GN? Fire away!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry about quad-cores, if they end up like dual cores did in the start it won't be an issue for another year.
Now to the question, it kind of depends, but if I were to chose I'd take the Galaxy Nexus, or the iPhone 4S. Preferably the Galaxy Nexus.
The GPU in the iPhone is better, the one in the new iPad is insane, and I doubt anything better will come until late 2012 (new Nexus with OMAP 5?).
But the GPU in the Galaxy Nexus is still relatively competitive, and not to mention you can double the clock speed of the A5 GPU.
That said I can give you some statistics on that. *
PowerVR SGX 543MP2 @ 250 MHz = 16 GFLOPS (Current iPhone 4S)
PowerVR SGX 543MP4 @ 250 MHz = 32 GFLOPS (New iPad)
PowerVR SGX 540 @ 384 MHz = 6.14 GFLOPS (Galaxy Nexus)
PowerVR SGX 540 @ 512 MHz = 8.19 GFLOPS
PowerVR SGX 540 @ 550 MHz = 8.8 GFLOPS
That being said there is something else I forgot that was in the Galaxy Nexus's favor..
*Not taking any other gpus because these number might not be comparable between architectures.
Galaxy Nexus, hands down. I can't stop smiling ever since I got the Gnex. I had a HTC Sensation before, it's been really good to me but cannot beat the Gnex. And this phone this AMAZING photos, you just have to hold the phone straight, and click the power button. Excellent clarity, excellent speed, mind-blowing display!
Never go for an iPhone.
RAZR is great, but I dont consider getting updates frequently since its not directly from Google. i was dying to trade it for my sgs2 before Gnex is announced but glad i waited.
4S? I wouldnt comment on that. I hate iphone, not Apple but iphone only. So its your choice. i admire iMac, Macbook, and iPad but iphone.
Gnex? Well, I am happy with everything it has. Even the battery sucks, i still love it. I even use its 5MP camera most of the time rather than my SGS2 8MP camera. Both took decent pics though.
What do you need in a phone:
1- a sexy design ( razr)
2- an eye candy screen with the ability to tinker the sh*t out of it ( galaxy nexus)
3. A good phone with loads of app and accessories (iPhone)
Its all about taste. I tried everything but got in love with android especially nexus phones ( calms me down tinkering with it like a child trying new things everyday)
Mega pixels. Don't really mean much unless you are printing these pictures out and unless you are going over the normal time 5x7 5mp is enough to 8mp doesn't mean that picture will look better when displayed in but if you printed out the same picture one with 5mp. And one with 8mp and print size of 10x10 you would certainly see the difference but on a four inch screen no it comes down to hardware.
Sent from my VS910 4G using xda premium
One more vote for Galaxy Nexus.
battery life - Razr maxx or 4s
gaming - maxx or 4s
4g - maxx or GN
screen - maxx or GN
picture - i use a Nikon D90 with 35mm or 50mm
if you ask me, i will pick Maxx or wait for 4g iphone.
I think 2 things are hilarious:
1.) The OP comes into the galaxy nexus sub forum of XDA expecting to not get biased opinions.
2.) There have been 14 responses and he hasn't said a word.
stupidslow02gt said:
The Nexus has a bigger battery than the s2. And can you please explain to me why an 8mp camera is better than a 5mp?
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Click to collapse
it might have a bigger battery but the HD screen takes alot of power, making the galaxy s2 lasting longer if i recall.
rayoubi said:
it might have a bigger battery but the HD screen takes alot of power, making the galaxy s2 lasting longer if i recall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My nexus lasts significantly longer than my s2. The nexus idles at about half the usage as the s2.
Hello XDA.
The gnex is my 1st android phone and I'm pretty excited to start tweaking it out.
I am coming from a previous generation ip4.
I am mainly switching because I am grandfathered in to Tmo Tzones and iphones don't support Tmo 3g bands, only edge.
My micro-sim adapter will arrive later today so I haven't put my sim in yet, but I've been just playing w/ ICS and inspecting the the unit itself.
Just some thoughts below.
The overall weight is pretty light, but not so light that it feels too cheap. Its ok. Materials are whatever, I guess I've been spoiled with the ip4 metal and glass.
The battery door feels cheap, but when its on you can't really tell so its not a big deal, and also I rather have a removable battery than not.
In terms of size I really like it, ip4 was just too small to browse or watch videos on. Gnex is a bit bigger but I am still able to easily handle it and use with only one hand. Still fits in the front pocket of fitted pants easily as well since its slim.
The slight curve is pretty nice, but I don't like how the whole phone is not symmetrical in thickness.
So yea, fit and finish is mediocre. Ip4 is a cut above the rest in terms of design and materials, but the gnex is a good size and still feels of decent quality in the hand overall so I'm ok with it.
ICS is nice. Pretty intuitive and easy to pick up.
No previous android experience to compare, and I'm still on the dated ios4, but it takes a few apps from cydia for the ip4 to be about where ICS is in terms of options and control out of the box. I can only imagine my options after rooting.
The os feels pretty quick and snappy, but its not as smooth as ios. Ios feels very liquid, while android feels choppy.
Things load quick, but the overall system just doesn't feel as polished.
I didn't fiddle with much, skimmed the apps and browsed settings. I did play with the camera a little. Quality is good enough for a phone camera and I really like how it snaps shots very quickly.
Overall stock system is ok, but I like android. I'm glad for the potential to tweak the phone more and can't wait to mess with it. I hope custom roms run smoother than the stock ics.
Now for my main gripe with this phone.
The screen. I am very underwhelmed.
Right when I opened the phone settings I could see a lot of funky banding on the grey background on all brightness settings.
Viewing angles are also pretty bad. Bluish green tint shows only after a bit less than 30 degrees off center from any angle.
Then I opened up the browser. The whites have issues. Brightness on max is acceptable, but anything else and it gets grainy and ugly. No uniformity.
I don't notice obvious pixelation, but browsing text and everything just looks softer and not as crisp. I felt like I was reading a newspaper haha.
Looked at some photos I snapped. Color representation is very off with this screen. Pics do pop more from the contrast when the brightness is up high though. Luckily the screen falls on the warmer side of things so its easy on my eyes.
What I do like a lot is the blacks are black even on max brightness, compared to the ip4 which has washed out blacks on high brightness.
I also like the slightly higher resolution and bigger screen size of course.
I'm a bit dated on my display tech so I did not know what to expect with the pentile amoled.
It definitely can not live up to apple's "retina" standard. Apples screen looks crystal even if you put your nose up to it.
The 1/3 less sub pixels using pentile really ruins things. Ppi really is probably effectively 200ish and not 300+ as the gnex claims on paper.
Pentile amoled seems very low quality to me. Maybe amoled in general. It has all the issues of a cheap TN lcd panel. Inaccurate colors, bad viewing angle, no screen uniformity. The pluses being extremely deep blacks and good contrast.
If you run your monitors on high brightness the screen might be acceptable, but if not its pretty bad. Unfortunately I run all my screens on very low brightness.
Mind you my monitors and tvs are calibrated and color accuracy matters to me. The ip4s ips screen does very well in this regard. Colors are very natural and also viewing angles are great, typical of ips screens. Its also brighter at max than the gnex and dimmer at min. I have to say the ip4s display is leaps above the gnex in terms of quality. Only down fall is the washed out blacks.
If you are coming from ip4 or spend most of your time on ips/pva displays etc the gnex screen will most likely be a let down.
If you haven't owned an ip4 and don't know what tech your monitor is or dont care then you will most likely be very happy with the gnex screen, just don't put it side by side an iphone 4 or you will notice issues you won't be able to remove from your brain.
For $400 + tax I can't really complain. I'm getting a lot from the phone, but its definitely not a steal of a deal. Samsung cut quite a few corners, the pentile amoled display being the most regrettable for me.
I currently have a docomo version from amazon, but will return it soon after my warrantied google one arrives. I will compare the two. I hope the next one's screen is better.
I'll stick with the gnex despite my gripes since I want to play with android, its got great dev support and its one of the best tzones compatible phone currently, but I am not as thrilled since receiving the phone.
Probably will move on to the sg3 asap if it works on my plan. They better get it right on that phone.
See this is what I have been wondering... have you had any issues so far? I am an iPhone convert as well but I went for the DROID RAZR on verizon and I love it... I was considering trying to get a GN but Im hesitant
There are a lot of threads and posts on defective units with screen issues to what you describe. There is a very likely chance you simply had a defective unit.
When you get the new one and compare, post again. I'm curious. Mine should be in today and I'm worried I'd get one with the screen issues as well.
Sent from my Nexus One using xda premium
vv13 said:
If you are coming from ip4 or spend most of your time on ips/pva displays etc the gnex screen will most likely be a let down.
If you haven't owned an ip4 and don't know what tech your monitor is or dont care then you will most likely be very happy with the gnex screen, just don't put it side by side an iphone 4 or you will notice issues you won't be able to remove from your brain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your frustrations. However, there are quite a few users on here coming from an iphone 4s who feel the GNex was a step-up in what Android can offer vs iOS. The Nexus series is aimed at development as well, so take that in to regard while Apple's Iphone is aimed at every consumer in the world wanting a general smartphone.
Android blows iOS out of the water in terms of customization and powerfulness because of it's open-source nature - the sky is the limit here.
To tell people that the GNex will be a let-down coming from an iphone 4 is just your opinion and that's all it is. You failed to mention some of the intuitiveness of both platforms. Where's the back button on iOS? On android it's the SAME spot for EVERY app. How easy is it to share content on iOS? On android, you can literally share ANYTHING easily. I think the issue with your mini-review here is that you've been way too accustomed to iOS, so everything now seems inferior to you. I myself have used an iPhone to begin with and then switched to Android later on and will never go back.
Does the iphone support USB on the go? HDMI out? Wifi Direct? NFC? Launcher widgets w/ live data? NOPE!
I'd really like to try one out but this RAZR is good too...
Sent from my DROID RAZR
I have had 3 Galaxy nexus units and two of them had horrible screens with banding and other scratchy textures on the screen (almost like a creased newspaper at low brightness). Luckily, the one I kept has a perfect screen. It has zero banding and perfect uniformity even at 0% brightness. It also doesn't have any tint/hue issues. The other two units had bluish/purpleish whites as the brightness decreased, this one stays pure white.
Basically, they are not all as bad as you describe. But in my personal experience (2 out of 3), most units have pretty crappy screens. This can be attributed to Samsung's quality control, or lack thereof. I don't think the flagship Google phone should go out with any of display the issues you describe, but apparently they do. Personally, I wouldn't settle for it (and didn't). Exchange your phone if you can because there are units out there with perfect screens.
matesims23 said:
See this is what I have been wondering... have you had any issues so far? I am an iPhone convert as well but I went for the DROID RAZR on verizon and I love it... I was considering trying to get a GN but Im hesitant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only had the phone very briefly, but so far no other issues other than what was stated about the screen.
No major os lag, random shut offs, screen retention, pop noises or anything like that.
The phone does heat up though a bit more than the ip4, and it can be easily felt through the cheap cover. Nothing else really.
Overall the gnex is fine, just my expectations of the screen were set pretty high considering so many touted the display of the phone as one of its strongpoints.
It does not help that i came from the ip4.
Still a fully loaded phone with all specs premium. Just not bleeding edge tech or fancy materials. All for $400 no contract is fair.
Unless you're the cultish type that wants a pure android experience need ics or a google phone whatever, there really is no reason I see to leave the razr.
uoY_redruM said:
There are a lot of threads and posts on defective units with screen issues to what you describe. There is a very likely chance you simply had a defective unit.
When you get the new one and compare, post again. I'm curious. Mine should be in today and I'm worried I'd get one with the screen issues as well.
Sent from my Nexus One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I definitely will, but after reading up on pentile amoled tech, a lot of these issues mentioned are traits of the technology. I hope on the next phone they are not as severe though.
akira02rex said:
I understand your frustrations. However, there are quite a few users on here coming from an iphone 4s who feel the GNex was a step-up in what Android can offer vs iOS. The Nexus series is aimed at development as well, so take that in to regard while Apple's Iphone is aimed at every consumer in the world wanting a general smartphone.
Android blows iOS out of the water in terms of customization and powerfulness because of it's open-source nature - the sky is the limit here.
To tell people that the GNex will be a let-down coming from an iphone 4 is just your opinion and that's all it is. You failed to mention some of the intuitiveness of both platforms. Where's the back button on iOS? On android it's the SAME spot for EVERY app. How easy is it to share content on iOS? On android, you can literally share ANYTHING easily. I think the issue with your mini-review here is that you've been way too accustomed to iOS, so everything now seems inferior to you. I myself have used an iPhone to begin with and then switched to Android later on and will never go back.
Does the iphone support USB on the go? HDMI out? Wifi Direct? NFC? Launcher widgets w/ live data? NOPE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you have misinterpreted my let down comment as its only in reference to the screens and not the gnex vs ip4 as a whole.
And have become a bit overly defensive for reasons I'm not sure why.
Regardless, you are right about everything only being a person's opinion.
Other than that we are on the same plane.
I am not for apple's dumbed down os. I am also against them making everything proprietary and putting things on lockdown.
The ip4 is actually my only apple owned product since I just loved the design too much.
As you can see, my initial post says I am thrilled to root and and can't wait to play with what android has to offer.
akira02rex said:
I understand your frustrations. However, there are quite a few users on here coming from an iphone 4s who feel the GNex was a step-up in what Android can offer vs iOS. The Nexus series is aimed at development as well, so take that in to regard while Apple's Iphone is aimed at every consumer in the world wanting a general smartphone.
Android blows iOS out of the water in terms of customization and powerfulness because of it's open-source nature - the sky is the limit here.
To tell people that the GNex will be a let-down coming from an iphone 4 is just your opinion and that's all it is. You failed to mention some of the intuitiveness of both platforms. Where's the back button on iOS? On android it's the SAME spot for EVERY app. How easy is it to share content on iOS? On android, you can literally share ANYTHING easily. I think the issue with your mini-review here is that you've been way too accustomed to iOS, so everything now seems inferior to you. I myself have used an iPhone to begin with and then switched to Android later on and will never go back.
Does the iphone support USB on the go? HDMI out? Wifi Direct? NFC? Launcher widgets w/ live data? NOPE!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This person said it correct. If your comming from ios, you should get another phone thats aimed at every day consumers, this phone was made for ppl who want to take control and like he said the sky is the limit with android.
ra990 said:
I have had 3 Galaxy nexus units and two of them had horrible screens with banding and other scratchy textures on the screen (almost like a creased newspaper at low brightness). Luckily, the one I kept has a perfect screen. It has zero banding and perfect uniformity even at 0% brightness. It also doesn't have any tint/hue issues. The other two units had bluish/purpleish whites as the brightness decreased, this one stays pure white.
Basically, they are not all as bad as you describe. But in my personal experience (2 out of 3), most units have pretty crappy screens. This can be attributed to Samsung's quality control, or lack thereof. I don't think the flagship Google phone should go out with any of display the issues you describe, but apparently they do. Personally, I wouldn't settle for it (and didn't). Exchange your phone if you can because there are units out there with perfect screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good news.
Would you mind sharing the specifics of your phones build and origin etc..
cheddaface said:
This person said it correct. If your comming from ios, you should get another phone thats aimed at every day consumers, this phone was made for ppl who want to take control and like he said the sky is the limit with android.
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Click to collapse
You are right if the person was content with ios as a whole.
vv13 said:
No previous android experience to compare, and I'm still on the dated ios4, but it takes a few apps from cydia for the ip4 to be about where ICS is in terms of options and control out of the box. I can only imagine my options after rooting.
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Click to collapse
vv13 said:
Overall stock system is ok, but I like android. I'm glad for the potential to tweak the phone more and can't wait to mess with it. I hope custom roms run smoother than the stock ics.
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Click to collapse
vv13 said:
I'll stick with the gnex despite my gripes since I want to play with android, its got great dev support and its one of the best tzones compatible phone currently, but I am not as thrilled since receiving the phone.
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Click to collapse
That from my first post should hint to you what I am aiming for.
Remember I've only had this phone a few days and have not yet had the chance to break the surface, hence this thread being only a 1st impression, Not a full fledged review
Return your unit. I already played with 4 GNexus including mine and none have this issues, and the viewing angles are great. The screen is awesome. My friend changed the iPhone 4 for a GNexus and love the screen.
vv13 said:
Thats good news.
Would you mind sharing the specifics of your phones build and origin etc..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, it is a Jan 2012 build, does not say Made in xxx anywhere on it, just says made by Samsung (someone said that means Korea, but I'm not sure). The other ones I had both said Made in China. I got mine new from Amazon.com (came from a seller named abe-123, order fulfilled by Amazon). It had 4.0.2 build on it (not sure if YAKJU or not, I flashed latest image as soon as I got it). Let me know if you want to know anything else.
I applaud the OP for his opinion from a neutral standpoint. Welcome to the family. I've had my Nexus since late December and was one of the 'lucky' ones that got a near perfect screen on the first go. Like others have said, there is a very broad spectrum ranging from near perfect to absolutely terrible.
I recommend going over this thread if you haven't already when your new unit arrives:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1394358
akira02rex said:
I understand your frustrations. However, there are quite a few users on here coming from an iphone 4s who feel the GNex was a step-up in what Android can offer vs iOS. The Nexus series is aimed at development as well, so take that in to regard while Apple's Iphone is aimed at every consumer in the world wanting a general smartphone.
Android blows iOS out of the water in terms of customization and powerfulness because of it's open-source nature - the sky is the limit here.
To tell people that the GNex will be a let-down coming from an iphone 4 is just your opinion and that's all it is. You failed to mention some of the intuitiveness of both platforms. Where's the back button on iOS? On android it's the SAME spot for EVERY app. How easy is it to share content on iOS? On android, you can literally share ANYTHING easily. I think the issue with your mini-review here is that you've been way too accustomed to iOS, so everything now seems inferior to you. I myself have used an iPhone to begin with and then switched to Android later on and will never go back.
Does the iphone support USB on the go? HDMI out? Wifi Direct? NFC? Launcher widgets w/ live data? NOPE!
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Click to collapse
Jesus. No need to be so defensive. Android is not your girlfriend. Everything he said is true and they are issues Google needs to work out if they want Android to grow as a platform. While smoothness has increased since gingerbread, the fact of the matter is it is still a step behind when it comes to smoothness.
And lets get dispelled that notion that gnex flaws can be disregarded because it is a development phone. Yes, the gnex is intended to be the test bed for Android software. But that doesn't mean that Google doesn't intend to sell every last phone they have to the end user or that they didn't design it with the intent for the majority of users to use the phone like the average consumer.
Sent via Galaxy Nexus
Lmao you guys get so fighting about it. I have an iphone 4s and a Gnex so far rocking the galaxy one because I like the OS but is hard to let go the iphone 4S I could probably get 450$ easy for my iphone but I'm no gonna sell it till I'm 100% sure at this moment is a 50% 50% . Specially when it comes to music. I go to the gym 3-5 times at week and the galaxy nexus with beats audio don't sound right . Any recommendations ? And maybe an app that can make the controller on the beats audiowork
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I think I might try it out
Sent from my DROID RAZR
jgalan14 said:
Lmao you guys get so fighting about it. I have an iphone 4s and a Gnex so far rocking the galaxy one because I like the OS but is hard to let go the iphone 4S I could probably get 450$ easy for my iphone but I'm no gonna sell it till I'm 100% sure at this moment is a 50% 50% . Specially when it comes to music. I go to the gym 3-5 times at week and the galaxy nexus with beats audio don't sound right . Any recommendations ? And maybe an app that can make the controller on the beats audiowork
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just came from evo3d with beats audio and i also hit the gym about 4-5 days a week and it worked great on my 3d but i would love it on my nexus but it dosent work??
Well, I hope the one I ordered today doesn't have any issues with the screen!
Hi.
GSMArena have just published a 1v1 review of the Galaxy S 3 and HTC One X. I can't link to it unfortunately but go and have a read.
As expected, the Galaxy S 3 does just about win in every key area, however it's marginal most of the time.
Unfortunately marginal victories don't convince me as the S 3 just looks (and apparently feels) awful.
How about you?
Not a huge difference to the average user.
Thus, I will go for looks over performance when performance is of a negligible difference.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
joshnichols189 said:
Not a huge difference to the average user.
Thus, I will go for looks over performance when performance is of a negligible difference.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite.
The amount of times I'll enjoy the feel and design of my device will dwarf the amount of times I'll care if the camera is a tiny bit better or if a web page loads 000.1 second faster.
Samsung would be on to a real winner if they actually got some good designers in though. Strange.
Here's the link
http://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_iii_vs_htc_one_x-review-759.php
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA
Dtguilds said:
How about you?
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Click to collapse
No way I'll get rid of my One X! Maybe I might (a very HUGE might) get the SGS3 because I think I have OCD lol. But not gonna replace my One X. The One X looks better I reckon. Just my 2 cents.
But is it better, really? It's a very personal opinion as both devices are super powerful and also very similar. However, I take IPS over amoled every day of the week, so for me the choice is easy, and on top of that the HOX just looks so much better. The two only upsides of s3 are sd-card and bigger battery. How much more battery time it has is to be seen.
Edit: If S3 had an A15 cpu instead, then the choice would've been harder. But I would've probably kept my hox till the next flagship was to be released, of any brand.
PenTile, PenTile, PenTile. I was waiting for the new Galaxy to be announced before making my decision on which handset to get. I love the amazing specs/performance on the GS3 and even though the handset itself is ugly and typical plasticky Samsung... I could have lived with that for the other perks, like bigger, removeable battery and expandable storage. Software doesn't matter since it wouldn't be staying stock for very long anyway. But a cheap PenTile matrix display is an absolute dealbreaker for me.
I know all the previews and hands-ons of the GS3 say it doesn't make any difference at that resolution... but it DOES. At least for me it does. Maybe these reviewers just don't notice it or aren't bothered by it, but experience tells me if I get a handset with a PenTile display, I will cringe every time I look at it. I hated it on my Desire, I hate it on my N9 (though thankfully I didn't buy that handset for everyday use) and I hate it on my colleague's Galaxy Nexus (which has a similar resolution to the GS3).
So, after seeing that... HOX it is for me.
revasser said:
PenTile, PenTile, PenTile. I was waiting for the new Galaxy to be announced before making my decision on which handset to get. I love the amazing specs/performance on the GS3 and even though the handset itself is ugly and typical plasticky Samsung... I could have lived with that for the other perks, like bigger, removeable battery and expandable storage. Software doesn't matter since it wouldn't be staying stock for very long anyway. But a cheap PenTile matrix display is an absolute dealbreaker for me.
I know all the previews and hands-ons of the GS3 say it doesn't make any difference at that resolution... but it DOES. At least for me it does. Maybe these reviewers just don't notice it or aren't bothered by it, but experience tells me if I get a handset with a PenTile display, I will cringe every time I look at it. I hated it on my Desire, I hate it on my N9 (though thankfully I didn't buy that handset for everyday use) and I hate it on my colleague's Galaxy Nexus (which has a similar resolution to the GS3).
So, after seeing that... HOX it is for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pentile they're using isn't bad at all.
I knew the SIII would have an overall edge over the One X seeing as it was coming to market after it, thinking otherwise would have just been plain stupid but I've never really liked the Samsung UI style and I'm not too keen on the look of the phone.
I don't think there's enough of a difference between the two phones to make me switch, plus the One X in my opinion looks way nicer and I'm fickle when it comes to looks
I'm definitely disappointed in the photo and video quality though. Samsung videos definitely look better.
Also, all the talk about the Pentile screen and excuses such as "making a Super AMOLED Plus HD screen just isnt possible" but then this phone comes along with a better screen than the "Flagship" SIII. Looks like maybe Samsung want to ditch Android for their own OS? Its a developer phone but it still has a better screen than the SIII!!!
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9500_fraser-4752.php
joshnichols189 said:
The pentile they're using isn't bad at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone said that about about the GNex as well and I was THIS close to buying one when it was released, but positive reports from third parties don't match what my eyes see when I look at my colleague's Nexus.
I'm not saying it's going to be a big deal for everyone. I imagine whether or not it's a problem comes down to the individual looking at the screen. But having seen a GNex in person (with a similar display) and used PenTile in the past... no dice
Here's the real competition:
http://briefmobile.com/lg-ls970-eclipse-coming-with-1-5-ghz-quad-core-krait-cpu
Say what you will about LG, this thing looks deadly.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
The pentile really isn't that bad, yea some edges look a bit more jagged, but you have to put the thing right up in your face. At such high resolutions on both phones, half an arms length away from your face and they will look nearly the same.
The biggest thing for me is the removable battery and the battery performance.
Damn, it even won in 3G talk time.......wtf? I thought the companion core was used for the talk time which is why it got such high scores. But the GS3 still managed to beat it out.
I put everything down to bad optimization on HTC and Nvidia's part. How the hell are you going to lose in web browser to SAMOLED? SAMOLED eats battery like no other on all white colors, and the video playback is horrendous. Companion core should be used for video playback and that Nvidia prism technology crap which is supposed to increase battery life by like idk whatever they said 100%? I don't remember.
Either way, it's a case of HTC Sense and software being un-optimized and not mature vs Samsung software being what it does best. It works and does it efficiently producing good results.
I'm still keeping my One X though, design and build it wins hands down IMO. GS3 isn't a big upgrade either over HOX. Software just sucks and needs to be better, too immature when ICS has been out for like half a year already.
---------- Post added at 09:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 PM ----------
thegregulator said:
Here's the real competition:
http://briefmobile.com/lg-ls970-eclipse-coming-with-1-5-ghz-quad-core-krait-cpu
Say what you will about LG, this thing looks deadly.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think HTC and Samsung might've done enough.
Granted, that LG phone is going to come pretty late.....Quad-core Krait are pretty far off from the roadmap and the upcoming Sony flagship with Krait Pro (should come earlier) will give Tegra 3 and Exynos 4 a run for their money. Design and camera should be very nice also.
Sony really looks to be getting on track now, especially considering how far they've fallen in every sector besides Playstation.
Dtguilds said:
So, the Galaxy S 3 IS better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, not really. The closing of the article summed it up best...
"Anyway, back to where we started. Two superphones, one Android crown. The HTC One X managed to come to the market first, while the Galaxy S III is a little late, but has plenty to show for it. We're tempted to play it safe and split it equal. The HTC One X: this is what a droid flagship should look like. The Samsung Galaxy S III: that's what a droid flagship should perform like. But that won't be fair to either of them. They didn't get where they are by playing it safe.
It seems obvious that the Samsung Galaxy S III wouldn't have raised as the new standard-setter without a powerful challenger like the One X. There's no consolation prize here, no second-best. A fair fight and a win-win for Android."
Some other things that struck me as relevant...
"The HTC One X is encased in a polycarbonate unibody (Gray or Black), which is matte in appearance and pleasant to the touch. The Samsung Galaxy S III is covered in glossy plastic (with Blue brushed metal look or pure white), which is durable, but not quite as nice to hold. We're not impressed by its looks either.
"On the other hand, Samsung's design allows you to change the battery allowig you to use a spare one to extend battery life or replace an old burnt-out battery with a fresh new one. Oh, and there's a microSD card slot too. Not that HTC couldn't have put a card slot into the One X, they just decided that 32GB should be enough for everyone (and it probably is)."
"Of course, not all of them are deciders. The S-Voice is a direct take on Siri, but it really fails to live up to expectations, while the NFC-based media sharing over S Beam has limited application for now. Pop-up play will rarely be used while Buddy photo share borders on useless."
So what does it come down to? Personal preference.
1) Is a removable battery and SD card slot important? Buy the SGS3.
2) Is design, construction, and feel in the hand important? Buy the One X.
3) Is low light picture and video important? Buy the One X.
4) Are more detailed pictures in bright light important? Buy the SGS3.
5) Do you like the vivid (I'm being kind) colors of AMOLED? Buy the SGS3.
6) Do you like a brighter, non-PenTile display, with more accurate color and better detailing? Buy the One X.
7) Want a better browsing experience and more audio and video codec support? Buy the SGS3.
8) Are you an avid gamer that'll be pushing the CPU and GPU regularly? Buy the SGS3.
9) Do you like TouchWiz? Buy the SGS3.
10) Do you like Sense? Buy the One X.
11) Do you listen to lossless audio over $300+ headphones or a home system that cost several thousand dollars? Pick the SGS3.
There's other differences that may matter to people but those are the main ones. I knew the SGS3 would benchmark better than the One X when I bought it. The reality is, as it stands today, the power of Teg3, S4, and Exynos-Quad are wasted because the OS and apps aren't able to tap their power. Other than bragging rights you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart performance wise; they'll "feel" the same.
My views on the main features...
1) I like the LCD2 display on the One X. After using AMOLED for a year the realistic colors, the lighter look because black backgrounds aren't used to save battery, and increased display brightness are all nice for a change.
2) The One X camera h/w is better than the SGS3's. It shows in low light settings. I'm hoping s/w tuning in future updates makes it a better all-around performer. I wouldn't ditch the One X over the camera as they don't strike me as that dramatically different from each other.
3) Audiophiles probably never considered the One X once it was announced that the SGS3 has a Wolfson DAC. An audiophile would cut off their arm before listening to compressed formats like MP3's or on anything less than high grade equipment. That makes 95% of us “non-audiophiles.” And a real audiophile would question the use of something like a smartphone as an audio output device anyway.
4) Did anyone who bought the One X not know in advance it had fixed storage and a non-replaceable battery? I'd like those features; I think anyone would. But I really like the design of the One X and if it had to look like the SGS3 in order to have them I'd pass.
5) Other than the graphics issues which are big, the One X's launch has been pretty typical from a QC perspective. I'll bet anyone here the SGS3 launch looks the same (sans graphics issues) and that display consistency will be one of the biggest *****es on their forum. The SGS2 and GN launches were far from great.
So, the short answer to OP's question, nothing in that review has changed my opinion of the One X. Look at it this way, the SGS2 crushed the Sensation. In less than a year HTC launched a phone that made GSMArena consider splitting the win. That alone is pretty impressive. Of course, YMMV and I clearly don’t expect everyone to agree with some of my comments.
BarryH_GEG said:
x
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Click to collapse
I personally agree with everything you said SD cards aren't a problem for me though, 16gb currently and only half filled - that's with a few shows/music and stuff my only worry about the One X is the price of replacing the battery - my brother might want it after my contract finish and the battery will have degraded a bit by then.
thegregulator said:
Here's the real competition:
http://briefmobile.com/lg-ls970-eclipse-coming-with-1-5-ghz-quad-core-krait-cpu
Say what you will about LG, this thing looks deadly.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The O2X/G2X were probably the worst phones every to be released by a manufacturer. The G2X is the subject of a class action lawsuit in the U.S. because of its putrid performance and sales were halted for three months while LG tried to figure out its problems. After owning one I'll never buy an LG product again. Not even a toaster. "Deadly" is a great choice of words; that's how previous O2X/G2X owners would describe their experiences.
Why is anyone surprised? Samsung is known for having better specs, better optimized software. HTC one x got the looks, SGS3 got the power.
I have let go galaxy note for one x, there is no way I want to go back to samsung
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
barondebxl said:
Why is anyone surprised? Samsung is known for having better specs, better optimized software. HTC one x got the looks, SGS3 got the power.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they were women (or men), which one would you want to date? The pretty voluptuous one or the one with child bearing hips?
My OneX will be on eBay once the S3 is available. Main negatives of the OneX for me - no S-Off, poor battery life, cannot remove battery, no ext SD. I use Android phones mainly to try custom ROMs.
Gosh! Yet another boring, unproductive topic by thread stsrter of just 4 posts...!
It's all depends on one's preference and priority for god's sake!
I'm due for an upgrade in a month, is the Razr M still a good choice? Or should I spend the extra cash for the S3.
I'm very happy with the RAZR M and this is my fourth Motorola Droid. I like the smaller size phone, build quality is very good. I've read some complaints about the 4G signal not being as good as with other phones. In my experience I do notice it on 3G often but really don't pay much attention unless I'm using it as a hotspot. This is one of the best Android phones I've had.
I haven't tried the S3. My last experience with a Samsung phone wasn't good, it was a while ago so I really can't comment on the S3.
What's important to you? What are you using your phone to do? I don't watch movies, sometimes listen to music. Don't really play games on it either. I mostly use it for work calls, text, email, todo list and keeping track of where I'm spending my work time. Some browsing and navigation too.
It comes down to what you want. The S3 is large. The RAZR M is compact. Both have root exploits and all that, but the S3 does have more development so far. I love my M. I was on an S3 kick not too long ago but steered away when I saw some battery usage. I like going a full day with plenty juice to laugh. I'm sure it's achievable with an S3, but with my usage, it wasn't at that time. Both are great devices, and it's nice to have such a dilemma.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
Apples and oranges. S3 is a big ole phone (too big IMO) with a zillion added layers and features. For me there is no comparison. The S3 is big and gaudy in form and function, the M is sleek and simple in form and function. You may like the added features and if top notch camera performance is top priority you might prefer the S3 but the M has no significant flaws that stand out or would give me phone envy to anything out now. The M is built like a tank compared to the S3 as well.
Thanks for your input everyone. I plan to soon join you all in the RAZR M community
Sent from my R800x using xda premium
This thread hasn't been active lately but just wanted to put it out there that I recently switched from the S3 to the Razr M and haven't looked back!
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2
If your are looking for something with more functionality and support , get the S3 . If small and compact with nothing special , get the RAZR M . Note that the RAZR M is a lot heavier than the S3 .
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
I had an S3 and a Razr M at the same time....and I had to go with the Razr M, just for size purposes. I just could not get used to a larger phone like the S3 (after using it for about a week). Don't get me wrong, it was nice in practically all other aspects....but damn that is a large phone.
ChuckLezz said:
I had an S3 and a Razr M at the same time....and I had to go with the Razr M, just for size purposes. I just could not get used to a larger phone like the S3 (after using it for about a week). Don't get me wrong, it was nice in practically all other aspects....but damn that is a large phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread is very helpful. I'm trying to decide between an S3 and the M. In some ways very much the same and in others they are very different.
Both have huge processing power and are fast. Same processors I thought but S3 has 1GB more ram. My guess would be that S3 will get more overall support from manufacturer and the ROM community since its a flagship phone.
The M being close to vanilla android though without hacking is nice. They did seam to give it Jelly Bean pretty quick. Quicker than most other phones...so maybe it will have a longer shelf life with Motorola.
The size is where we go in 2 different directions. I think after following the trend of going after bigger screens which is great for viewing purposes...I think I'm tired of my pocket being stuffed with a big phone. So the size might be whats influencing me to get an M.
My brother kept asking me what phone to get on an upgrade. He was a Blackberry user and given his history for having a phone work and last him for days, I told him to go to Razr Max. No other device I know has the battery life of this device.
I got to use and see the device in action. Very basic, despite it's carrier loaded apps. But what impressed me was the battery life. I'm still on GS2 gets the job done more development, but the battery of Razr Max can't be matched. I was impressed.
I've been loving mine. I went from a Galaxy Nexus, which I found to have pretty terrible battery life to this.
I found myself going into a VZW store one day and noticing the phone. I didn't like the narrowing edges of the previous RAZRs, but this one was different. Even after trying out the iPhone 5, the Rezound, and a few others, I found myself back in the next couple of days to check it out again. Within a week later, I bought the phone.
I'm having that phone itch again now, but I keep finding myself trying to find a device with great battery life. I've settled on a Note 2 for my phone-itch, but the $700 price tag on VZW is holding me back.
pez910 said:
I've been loving mine. I went from a Galaxy Nexus, which I found to have pretty terrible battery life to this.
I found myself going into a VZW store one day and noticing the phone. I didn't like the narrowing edges of the previous RAZRs, but this one was different. Even after trying out the iPhone 5, the Rezound, and a few others, I found myself back in the next couple of days to check it out again. Within a week later, I bought the phone.
I'm having that phone itch again now, but I keep finding myself trying to find a device with great battery life. I've settled on a Note 2 for my phone-itch, but the $700 price tag on VZW is holding me back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The RAZR M really stood out for me (Note 2 is a little too big).
More than anything, I was surprised to how well the on screen buttons blend into the bezels. The deep blacks are astounding.
Although, kevlar is a nice addition
Sent from my Nexus 7
Leraeniesh said:
The RAZR M really stood out for me (Note 2 is a little too big).
More than anything, I was surprised to how well the on screen buttons blend into the bezels. The deep blacks are astounding.
Although, kevlar is a nice addition
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my thoughts. I secretly despise Samsung for their button placement and functions (the front three) .
I switched from a SGS3 to a Razr M recently. I think the Razr M is better.
Build quality - The SGS3 is entirely plastic and feels very cheap. Pulling off the back to get to the battery / sd card / sim literally makes my cringe every time, the back is a cheap piece of plastic. The physical buttons vary in quality between phones (I had THREE SGS3's due to manufacturing / software defects) but feel very cheap all around. Surprisingly the M is heavier despite being smaller than the SGS3, probably due to it's superior build quality. The frame of the M appears to be metal, and they power/volume buttons on the side feel very nice.
Form Factory - Although the screen of the M is only .5" smaller, the feel of the size of theses phones is like night and day. The S3 feels HUGE (to me) and the M feels iPhone 4 sized (which to me, is a huge plus).
Signal/Voice - My SGS3 would frequently drop 4g, even after two replacements. Much better reception / call quality on the M.
Camera / Mics - The microphone on the M is better, hands down. Pretty close to the mic quality of the iPhone 4, which was amazing. The SGS3 has a slightly better camera (12 MP vs 8MP iirc) and it does show. But for facebook / instagram pictures the M camera is just fine, and the stock camera software on the M is superior in my opinion.
OS Feel - Touchwiz on the SGS3 is bad and you know it. The stock rom on the M just feels faster then the stock on the SGS3.
Screen - The SGS3 (obviously) has a bigger and better screen. The M screen definitely seems lower density but unless you're reading small, small print, you won't notice. I've heard reports that the M screen is brighter, but I think they're about equal.
Modding - Any SGS3, even on verizon, can get a bootloader unlock. I don't think the American non-dev M's can. There is also a HUGE homebrew rom community for the SGS3 compared to the M. However, that being said - the stock rom on the M is not bad at all. I'm personally a stickler for using unmolested android roms, but the M's stock rom fits me nicely. The M does have a root exploit, so you can strip out crap you don't want (which for me, was 4 or 5 apps).
Battery Life - I can't comment on the battery life of the M since I haven't had it long. The SGS3 certainly does not live up to it's alleged battery life in my opinion. I unplug every day at 7 AM for work, and by the time I am home at 5PM, and some days I don't even use the phone the entire workday. The phone has around 50% battery left if I don't even use it during that time.
Overall, if you want a larger screen and a bigger modding community, go with the SGS3 if you can deal with the cheap plastic build. If a smaller screen device is what you want and only a minor mod community is ok, then the M is definitely a better choice because of it's quality.
That's my two cents.
Trying to compare these two phones is like compairing a Lexus with a Chevy Cobalt . Of course the S3 would be the Lexus . We have several of both phones on family plan . If you take a lot of photos or videos , you would want the S3 . You will get a hour or so more from the battery on the M , however , its a small phone . My wife has the smallest hands I've ever seen and she actually prefers the S3 . Its lighter and thinner which offsets the overall feel of the S3.
My signal is better on the S3 in terms of call quality and signal strength . And for some reason lte appears faster as well .
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
huedawg said:
Trying to compare these two phones is like compairing a Lexus with a Chevy Cobalt . Of course the S3 would be the Lexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really seeing that analogy given the Ms superior build quality, like processing power and performance. I see it as more of a minimally optioned BMW 135 vs a loaded BMW 535. Sure the 535 is larger, with more gadgets, roomy and luxurious but the 135 has the same engine under the hood, is small and nimble and the driving purist would take more pleasure in owning the 135. Oh for some reason this particular 535 is built quite flimsy compared to thee 135 for some reason :silly: The M is certainly not inferior to an S3 as a cobalt compared to a lexus would suggest, its just minimalistic..
stanlalee said:
Not really seeing that analogy given the Ms superior build quality, like processing power and performance. I see it as more of a minimally optioned BMW 135 vs a loaded BMW 535. Sure the 535 is larger, with more gadgets, roomy and luxurious but the 135 has the same engine under the hood, is small and nimble and the driving purist would take more pleasure in owning the 135. Oh for some reason this particular 535 is built quite flimsy compared to thee 135 for some reason :silly: The M is certainly not inferior to an S3 as a cobalt compared to a lexus would suggest, its just minimalistic..
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I agree to a small extent , I mean , it is a decent little budget phone that is far from high end . To each their own .
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Nice phone
Leraeniesh said:
The RAZR M really stood out for me (Note 2 is a little too big).
More than anything, I was surprised to how well the on screen buttons blend into the bezels. The deep blacks are astounding.
Although, kevlar is a nice addition
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I agree about the buttons. It took a few seconds of looking at it in the store for me to realize those button were on the screen.
The high screen size/phone size ratio is one of the things that sold me.
This is my very first smartphone, and while I like the idea of being able to to watch videos, the idea of carrying around something "phablet" sized was unappealing. I'm used to a very small phone.
I've only had it since the weekend, and so far, no buyers remorse.
I switched over to the M in December, after I got fed up with my T-Mobile Galaxy S II for the last time! To be honest, I was so pissed at my TMobile/Samsung, that I just marched into the Verizon store without doing much research on phones, and the RAZR M just caught my eye. Before that, I had my GS2 and GS4G, so I was very used to Samsung and their Touchwiz, which was basically the only form of Android I really knew.
I must say that I'm still very impressed with the RAZR M. Took me a while to get used to the smaller screen and size, but now I really prefer it to the other gigantic phones out there. And the speed and power seem to be on par with any other phone I've tried. I loooove Moto's version of Android, seems to be as close to vanilla android as you can get. I dont miss anything about Touchwiz at all!
And the battery lasts all day an then some. I usually have about 50-60% left when I go to bed at night. Very impressed!
jonnythrice said:
I switched over to the M in December, after I got fed up with my T-Mobile Galaxy S II for the last time! To be honest, I was so pissed at my TMobile/Samsung, that I just marched into the Verizon store without doing much research on phones, and the RAZR M just caught my eye. Before that, I had my GS2 and GS4G, so I was very used to Samsung and their Touchwiz, which was basically the only form of Android I really knew.
I must say that I'm still very impressed with the RAZR M. Took me a while to get used to the smaller screen and size, but now I really prefer it to the other gigantic phones out there. And the speed and power seem to be on par with any other phone I've tried. I loooove Moto's version of Android, seems to be as close to vanilla android as you can get. I dont miss anything about Touchwiz at all!
And the battery lasts all day an then some. I usually have about 50-60% left when I go to bed at night. Very impressed!
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i never used any samsung phone for ugly design and plastic material and feels very cheap .
but i see samsung tuchwize is realy absurd .
i hope buy faster new razr m - i - hd or atrix hd