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Hello Everyone,
I'm mattymac from Waterloo, Ontario. I'm making the huge leap from iOS to Android and I need some advice. I searched all of the forum, post after post, reading thoughts on devices, operating systems, future products and I am in a bind. I am going to buy a phone to replace my iphone 4, I love modding, customizing and the latter and I don't know what phone to get. I am leaning to the Galaxy Nexus (i'm with Rogers in Canada). I don't care about internal memory because frankly I don't think I have ever reached 10 GIGs on my iphone. I don't have LTE and won't in my area for a year. I love the design of the GN but is it worth while to wait for something new this year or is the GN the phone to get? I understand from all the other posts that the GN is the more pure android device and that I like. All of your comments will be greatly appreciated. (cost is no issue, i can purchase any device out there).
Ya, Galaxy nexus is a great start for android, get it and be ready to taste the pure android experience.
thanks, do you think it is the best phone on the market? I have been looking at the s2 lte as well. I can't say I like the phone design better than the Nexus. I have to say I am rather nervous about the learning curve but it seems android has way more to offer.
The Galaxy S2 it's great also. And this year is coming the Galaxy S3.
You will be good with the Galaxy Nexus Matt. Development for this phone will be ongoing for a long time. I made the switch YEARS ago and never looked back to ios.
First off, thanks for all of your speedy replies, its awesome. Do you think it is worth the wait? Is there that much difference between the s2 or s3 and Nexus? I was offered a free upgrade, so I can get any phone from Rogers free pretty much anytime in the next year.
FACK IT! *611 to Rogers as we speak I am going for it. Ordering the NEXUS ! YA BABY.. Stoked.
Well how bad are you trying to get rid of your current phone? If you can't stand it upgrade now but if you just have an itch then it comes down to how bad that itch is.
The only reason I don't want to wait is, if I do, a new iphone will come out and I won't be able to sell if for close to as much (I probably could get 375 for it today).
Go for the Galaxy Nexus. If you keep waiting for the best, you will wait forever.
Thanks buddy, I'm on it. Ps. your videos are pretty sweet. Well done.
Thank you sir.
I'm far from a video pro.... but I don't mind doing them to help the Android community.
I would say yes, go for the Nexus Prime, it's uber easy to unlock and mod, as long as you take the time to learn the process behind the retard proof one-click methods of rooting and installing recoveries, etc. The Nexus series of phones are an excellent choice for an introduction to Android.
Welcome to XDA, Mattymac from Waterloo, Ontario.
Like the others said.if you can wait I would wait for something down the road..as technology is outdated so quickly and new devices are always out performing them...I've had the Droid x.x2..bionic..And this phone is the best so far..One thing with this phone is the nexus community will always be here with full support of roms,kernals,and themes..due to the phone being so new a lot of roms and kernals are in testing and constantly making changes...you'll love the phone
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Great, I think I made the right choice
Coming from a and Iphone 3g myself I can offer some opinions after going to the galaxy nexus:
Pros of the iOS and Iphone:
1. Battery life is better - with the GN I'm finding all sorts of ways to decrease my battery usage from different kernels, darker wall papers and apps, etc. I find it adequate now, but definitely not as good as my GF's Iphone 4s
2. Speaker much better - you'll need to get some apps to increase the volume on the GN, which intern distorts the sound a bit
3. iTunes (can be a pro and a con), everything is quite integrated with itunes, all your photos, videos, music, books etc... it's all one system and one place. Where as with android I find you have the flexiibility to choose whatever you want, but it's not as integrated. Even backing up the GN is not easy unless your rooted and have clockwork mod. if your a bit of a techie, it's not really an issue.
4. Specifically for the 4s, the Siri system works with bluetooth... for some reason, the google voice commands don't work with bluetooth. Just this stupid generic voice recognitiion that doesn't work very well.
5. Accessories - With apple, there is a whole slew of Apple and aftermarket accessories that work with the phone... Samsung can't even get their own accessories to launch in a timely fashion.
6. Apps - undisputely there are more apps for the iOS. Reality is that it's not as big of a detriment as Android has plenty of apps and most of the important ones.
7. Smoother scrolling - Android is not as smooth in the scrolling and will studder. It's not bad, but when you put it next to an iOS device you will notice it.
8. High Resolution Contact Pics - This is just something stupid on Googles part. If you load up High Res photos to your contacts and it's sync'd with your gmail, the high res photos will be downgraded into this pixelated mess.
Pros of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus over the iOS:
1. Big ass screen - this makes browsing, emails, pretty much anything more enjoyable. I find I use the GN more than the Iphone just because of this... probably also why I drain the battery faster too
2. Highly customizable - once you play with custom launchers, roms, kernels, you'll get the phone to exactly how you personally like it
3. UI controls - after you get through the learning curve, it's actually much faster accessing anything on the Android. Everything from quick menus, toggle switches.
4. Widgets - darn cool to have widgets and things that update automatically in the menu screen.
5. File System - you can actually see what you download, where things are stored, manipulate them like it's on a PC
6. Notification screen and icons - Much nicer than the iOS
7. Google Music - can load all your songs up there without having to pay!!
8. Navigation - Turn by turn navigation as well as seeing things on street view. much better than the iOS
Overall, I'd say if you like to play with your electronic devices and let the geek in you come out, the Android is a wonderful device that can be customize to your needs and wants. If all you do is take it out of the box and want it perform at it's best, the iOS does that much better. I find the iOS is a purposefully designed device and works as it should right out of the box. Whether the design suits your needs is another question.
Welcome to Team Android!
I think you'll like it here
I got the Galaxy Nexus as my first Android phone and I LOVE IT! Amazing that I can customize and set it up the way I want it, and the development of custom roms on this device have really come a long way in the short time since launch.
The next great android phone might be the s3, but that's still far away.
You wont regret it. I switched from iOS on an iPhone 3GS and Android as a whole is a much better experience.
my 2 cents
Hi,
i also switched from iphone4 to gnex for about a month now and let me tell u my experience...
Expecting the worst...
1) battery: expect to be half of iphone
2) OS: not stable. Need restart avg 5 times a wk. I now get into a habbit of doing it evryday.
3) music: headset support only 1 button where ios supports 3
4) music: i had 2-3 songs playing at the same time... usually should be 1. Again, lot of bugs
5) apps stop: quite often apps willl say it stops. I don't see much in ios
6) pics file management: every apps has a folder. All pics assoicated to apps saved to their own folder. After sometime, you have 20+ folders everywhere with dup pics everywhere
7) apps: IOS apps still better i have to say
The goods....
1) big screen
2) voice recognization is very good. English i say 90-95% types out what you said. You can even do chinese in simplified or traditional. When i m home and chat with someone, i just talk to it instead of typing.
3) Lots of cool home customizations
4) ligh weight
5) Many good voice assistant to choose from and they are fun (Skyvi, eva, vlingo etc)
Conclusion:
I feel i m back to pocket pc phone day where i spent lots of time fixing the phone rather than using or enjoying it Don't get me wrong i still have the phone. The reason i stuck with it it's because i broke a sim pin when i first insert micro sim adaptor. NEVER DO THAT!!!! cuz the sim tray on gnex the pin stick out lot and if you put in an adaptor it will likely break the pin which i did and the reason i m still stuck with it. Hard to find spare part still.
Coming from a Note 1...
1. Speakerphone: Wow. So much more volume and body, this makes me super happy as I like to listen to audio books and TTS of e-books at night in bed. Music as well. Excellent external speaker.
2. New stylus. Also great. MUCH more comfortable to use now than it was.
3. New Spen features. Overall pretty slick as well. Still need to play with them more, but I love the automatic SNote popup on calls and such.
4. Lack of search button... this doesn't thrill me. I really liked having search from one click. Unless I'm missing something (like a shortcut to bring up search) this feature I will miss.
5. Phone UI performance. This was my last remaining dissapointment with Android devices... NOW that is gone. The phone IS buttery smooth, orientation turns work smoothly, as do other UI related actions. I think that we're looking at iPhone parity here for the first time.
6. SD Card slot performance. Wow! This is one of those un-touted features missed in reviews. Accessing data on the external card is super fast. What this means is that apps that look to the card as they load, such as Ebook/Audiobook/etc load MUCH faster. Very snappy. Very happy
7 General feel. Shape is great. The phone's a bit "slick" so I'll be looking to add a skin with a bit more grab, but overall it's very comfortable.
8. Home button. Will take some getting used to. It requires some pressure (must be pressed in) to activate, and a few times I've found my finger sliding up to press the screen instead (which can cause issues depending on what's on the screen) but not a major issue. Just something that will require adapting to.
9. Google Now voice response... working fine on my phone. Ask the phone the weather and it speaks it back without issue.
10. Nova launcher works fine with SPen features.
I'll add more thoughts as I have time to play with the phone. Overall how can anyone not be thrilled with this marvelous piece of tech.
What to you all think so far?
Thanks for sharing!
Really can't wait to receive mine next week.
santiagodraco said:
Coming from a Note 1...
1. Speakerphone: Wow. So much more volume and body, this makes me super happy as I like to listen to audio books and TTS of e-books at night in bed. Music as well. Excellent external speaker.
2. New stylus. Also great. MUCH more comfortable to use now than it was.
3. New Spen features. Overall pretty slick as well. Still need to play with them more, but I love the automatic SNote popup on calls and such.
4. Lack of search button... this doesn't thrill me. I really liked having search from one click. Unless I'm missing something (like a shortcut to bring up search) this feature I will miss.
5. Phone UI performance. This was my last remaining dissapointment with Android devices... NOW that is gone. The phone IS buttery smooth, orientation turns work smoothly, as do other UI related actions. I think that we're looking at iPhone parity here for the first time.
6. SD Card slot performance. Wow! This is one of those un-touted features missed in reviews. Accessing data on the external card is super fast. What this means is that apps that look to the card as they load, such as Ebook/Audiobook/etc load MUCH faster. Very snappy. Very happy
7 General feel. Shape is great. The phone's a bit "slick" so I'll be looking to add a skin with a bit more grab, but overall it's very comfortable.
8. Home button. Will take some getting used to. It requires some pressure (must be pressed in) to activate, and a few times I've found my finger sliding up to press the screen instead (which can cause issues depending on what's on the screen) but not a major issue. Just something that will require adapting to.
9. Google Now voice response... working fine on my phone. Ask the phone the weather and it speaks it back without issue.
10. Nova launcher works fine with SPen features.
I'll add more thoughts as I have time to play with the phone. Overall how can anyone not be thrilled with this marvelous piece of tech.
What to you all think so far?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
long press on the menu button for instant search. I came from the international version, which used that. works on my Note II as well from Rogers.
Love this phone so far. My 1 quirk, getting use to pressing the home button compared to tapping the icon on my note 1. I'm sure ill get use to it fairly quickly.
also that camera burst shot? WOW thats freaking quick. If you haven't tried it yet, basically you just hold down the take picture button and it will snap up to 20 photos in a matter of seconds.
I say you covered it. Im loving it so far. I loved my note 1 but this most definitely kills it. Its so quick and responsive. The screen is better. Feels better to hold etc.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using xda app-developers appe
Scythe024 said:
Love this phone so far. My 1 quirk, getting use to pressing the home button compared to tapping the icon on my note 1. I'm sure ill get use to it fairly quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i went from the captivate to the international Note. I felt the same at first. you get used to it after a while, and i find i use it to unlock the phone more than the side unlock button now.
rnewton01 said:
i went from the captivate to the international Note. I felt the same at first. you get used to it after a while, and i find i use it to unlock the phone more than the side unlock button now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good point, didnt even think of using it for that.
Started a thread on Q&A subforum for intial thoughts and poss. BUG alerts!
Hi,
Got this on the 8th around 0858 in the morning FedEx...which was nice! Great so far...seen most of the features for over a month now.
I started a thread about initial thoughts and possible bugs or issues on the Q&A subforum, for the ATT build.
Check it out, or maybe we can merge this. Not sure what the moderators would suggest, as I am new to post here.
The reason was that I have a similar thread going hot on Android Central forums as well, started on the 8th when I got it. Lots of interest, so I hope these threads help, from casual AC users to developers here on XDA.
Definitely much snappier than the original note. The speaker volume is good as well. No need for apps like Volume+
dponte said:
Hi,
Got this on the 8th around 0858 in the morning FedEx...which was nice! Great so far...seen most of the features for over a month now.
I started a thread about initial thoughts and possible bugs or issues on the Q&A subforum, for the ATT build.
Check it out, or maybe we can merge this. Not sure what the moderators would suggest, as I am new to post here.
The reason was that I have a similar thread going hot on Android Central forums as well, started on the 8th when I got it. Lots of interest, so I hope these threads help, from casual AC users to developers here on XDA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread is focused on initial impressions, not bugs as such. Think of this a "quick review" thread for users.
Best phone ever comming from note 1 and nexus
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
i dislike the bigger icons and 4x4 layout. kind of silly the google search bar sits so low from the top when it is the top icon. also a slight delay from hitting the unlock or home button before you can unlock the screen with a swype.
Scythe024 said:
i dislike the bigger icons and 4x4 layout. kind of silly the google search bar sits so low from the top when it is the top icon. also a slight delay from hitting the unlock or home button before you can unlock the screen with a swype.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first thing I did was install Nova launcher. But I agree, the default launcher and layout... isn't the best
santiagodraco said:
The first thing I did was install Nova launcher. But I agree, the default launcher and layout... isn't the best
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can someone please post a video of their Note II once they have it optimized with launchers and tweaks that they think are ideal? :fingers-crossed:
Love it so far. Just waiting on the multi window feature. Or is it already on here? Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!
The device is amazing!!! I just wish there was a legit way to turn off LTE and use HSPA+ for maximum battery life. I don't always need 40mbps down lol.
Had it a couple hours and its just a better note than the first which I had. Its a pretty sweet device and im glad I bought it. Now if we can just get it rooted and debloated. I ended up on a stock based rom on my note 1 and ill probably do the same here. I enjoy the spen and all the features. I do love this damn thing.
Sent from my being stalked from my jealous note 1...who is mad she doesnt get touched anymore.
Picked one up for the wife today and am very impressed. I had the original note and this seems a lot smoother and the speaker is very loud.
Sent from my HTC One XL using xda premium
I have pretty big hands, didn't have much trouble with the note 1, but this one is much easier to handle somehow. I agree it's a bit slick though. With apex pro and animation speed set at .5, it's fast. Hard to quantify, but you can tell pretty quickly theres a big motor under the hood, much better than my oc'd note 1. I really liked my note 1, but after about 10 hours with this, I ain't going back.
Hi, I used to own a nexus 7 (2013) and i loved that device, sadly the unit i owned died, and i've been using an ipad mini 1st gen ever since.
I would be using the device for almost exclusevely youtube netflix and reading and i wanna know if the device would perform well at that level. I think i would appreciate the resolution upgrade from the ipad mini, but im worried if the nexus would be able to perform those tasks well enough or if i should just save more and just bare with this ipad for a little longer then get something else better. Thanks for any insight on ur current experiences with ur beloved nexus
I am also interested in that question, have picked up a Nexus 7 but didn't realise how old it was.
I have a Nexus 7 (2013) and love it, partly thanks to the price I got it (50 CAD) but I have to admit that it struggles a bit with everything now.
Don't get me wrong, it's still usable but when you have a video embedded in a webpage for example, you'll feel it.
I am updating it regularly with LOS 15.1 btw.
Jonx55643 said:
I am also interested in that question, have picked up a Nexus 7 but didn't realise how old it was.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You picked one up?! These things are hard to find when you're looking for them, especially a LTE model.
Anyway. I'd not get one unless you're doing some specialized like a car install.
Hi,
Yes got one off ebay with a cracked screen for not a lot of money, have ordered a replacement screen and will get that changed this weekend.
I actually bought it so I could use it in my car with and obd2 app. Hopefully it will at least work for that
It's awesome for in-car use. The LTE version is even better!
I use mine as a Kindle, Newspaper/Magazine reader, and Satnav.
Love it, actually.
Sent from my Asus P027 using XDA Labs
I use mine for exactly what you are looking for and it works great. I'm running LineageOS 14.1 and everything is pretty quick for a 6 year old device.
I installed Lineage 15.1 and its working well so far
If you think that you are going to thoroughly enjoy using it then purchase one. Who are we to tell you not to?
93zx7 said:
If you think that you are going to thoroughly enjoy using it then purchase one. Who are we to tell you not to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted the input on if it wouldnt be just too laggy with apps crashing and such, but i went ahead and bought myself one, and it does everything i wanted with no problem at all <3
works great still
chumpex said:
I just wanted the input on if it wouldnt be just too laggy with apps crashing and such, but i went ahead and bought myself one, and it does everything i wanted with no problem at all <3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still works awesome for me. I bought it initially to install in my car, and it's been amazing. Battery life is so much better with the lineage OS installed. I was just sad when they stopped updated with it. Somebody has lineage 15.1 installed and the camera is working? I thought it wouldn't with 15. I've just kept 14 on mine.
I have 15.1 and the camera is working fine
I use the Nexus 7 LTE as my daily driver actually. since 3g is sufficient for encrypted voice calls and text messaging i am fine in 90% of the situations. But be aware that installing any google services brings your batterylife and performance to inuseable. stuttering youtube, when watching 720p on cellular. noticable loading times for simple apps etc.
Since i use mostly my own infrastructure and services (and i am a noob so its all very basic), i can even lower the CPU step to ~1 GHz (60/70%) and i got a batterylifespan fullcharge to shutdown ranging from 2 days for extensive use (hourwise reading/streaming video) and on my average use i get 4-5 days (50/60 messages a day, ~2h/day streaming music on cellular, ~.5 hours of reading in the evening, casual online searches, marginal navigation/public transport lookup) on pure standby its over 10 days. I went for a vacation and cut the power to most of my apartment, but the Nexus wasn't turned of. Had 13% remaining battery when i returned.
For holidays/outdooractivities, where i need 1 week+ Battery and voice/SMS reception (either for emergency reasons or lack of mobile internet) i use an old b/w candybar phone with the option of external antenna.
So if you want a shiny game device with hours of mobile video and google telling you **** all day about the weather, the famous persons that walked this exact street once and that there is a mediocre rated restaurant of your favourite cuisine just 200 feet away. Dont go for the Nexus 2013.
But if you just need a mobile organizer, reader, a little multimedia, communication and you avoid telemetry, ads and tracking (google, facebook, whatsoever) anyways the nexus is a great device and probably will be for a good while, since a lot of good and consitent developers share that view.
Greetz, pitch
I ordered the Fold 2 this weekend because of no damn Google services.
Feel like im downgrading because the Mate XS still looks better and has better software.
What a pity.
{Mod edit: Political statement removed. Oswald Boelcke}
I'm thinking the same. I've got gms installed but the phone is too expensive to not have notifications from apps that message through Google, no Google pay, not play certified and so on...
Huawei could have fixed it all by unlocking the bootloader but no..
Well i still have mine and use it as a daily driver since may. Pretty happy to use microG for notifications and Aurora store for apps. I was surprised when Microsoft Outlook synchronised my google contacts with the phone. Also it syncs my google calendar and mail. Also youtube vanced with microG for YouTube premium. So no problems here.
I sometimes miss my markings and lists from google maps but this damned pandemic doesn't make it easy to travel )
Still very happy with mine with GMS sideloaded. The things I don't work are not things I would use anyway so for me it's still the best phone around.
Might be different if I had to reset it for some reason and couldn't reinstall GMS though, but I'm crossing fingers, it's also the most stable phone I've had in a long time.
My Thom Browne Z Fold 2 is still sealed because I love my XS too much and with 100% working GMS.
I am absolutely loving the Mate Xs with GMS fully working, using it alongside my iPhone 11 Pro Max.
I've had a mate Xs for a a few months now, got a original galaxy fold a few days ago and it's a clear downgrade, even with the X's having to side load stuff I would rather keep the Xs
Things I noticed
The galaxy folds crease is just more visible, the galaxy fold doesnt fold flat after some use while my mate Xs still does, the folded screen on the fold is a huge downgrade, the fold has lower screen brightness... So basically to much negatives even considering the position Huawei are in now
I am a fan of Samsung foldables. I've owned them from day one (the zfold 2) and the first Fold since December 2019.
Up until November I had the Zfold2, but a month ago I switched to the Mate XS as soon as I found it at a reasonable decent price and I'm thrilled with it. I find it more beautiful, more seductive, lot more usable as closed... better camera.. everything better than any Fold.
I would make this change again a thousand times because only XS gives me true emotions with the screen is open. About google services..well I don't use banking apps and I arranged very well with alternative apps, indeed I also found something superior, I just miss the PC-smartphone history on Chrome, its bookmarks or apps still unavailable as Waze.
z1c_wh said:
I am a fan of Samsung foldables. I've owned them from day one (the zfold 2) and the first Fold since December 2019.
Up until November I had the Zfold2, but a month ago I switched to the Mate XS as soon as I found it at a reasonable decent price and I'm thrilled with it. I find it more beautiful, more seductive, lot more usable as closed... better camera.. everything better than any Fold.
I would make this change again a thousand times because only XS gives me true emotions with the screen is open. About google services..well I don't use banking apps and I arranged very well with alternative apps, indeed I also found something superior, I just miss the PC-smartphone history on Chrome, its bookmarks or apps still unavailable as Waze.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's nice to read this message actually me too I took the xs because it has more of an effect wow when you unfold it for google I put the gms and freeze the fram and I am satisfied and for google pay bah I pay with my watch.
I would keep it but lack of volte support on Vodafone UK make it unusable in some rural areas.
Anyone still going strong here ?
me always with my mate xs
yup, still keep it run and try to use it everyday
About to reach 2023 and just dropped the Z Fold 4 for my ole good Mate XS. I'm waiting for samsung to make a decent working good looking front screen. My Mate Xs is a phone on it's own without unfolding it so i'm keeping it at least until Fold 5 changes things, if it does.
I'm no longer Google services dependant, most apps i needed are now on Huawei store and others i need i just use an apk.
I still own it,
tonight it updated the security patches to February 2023.
Not bad for a 3 year old phone
Still rules
z1c_wh said:
I still own it,
tonight it updated the security patches to February 2023.
Not bad for a 3 year old phone
Still rules
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version of android does it have?
with emui 12 they removed the android version display option, I think it's still 10
I definitly love m'y Huawei Mate Xs. Can someone give a method to install HarmonyOS ? Thanks !
So it looks like this might be my next phone but I have a few questions
1. Is it still worth it to have my samsung galaxy watch 4? I know there are a few features that you lose if you dont have a samsung device like ECG and body measurement features.
2. Is it going to be better to get the pro instead of waiting til next year to get the s21 ultra because I was thinking about that as well since the price might come down.
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
BabeShaq said:
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
I'm also not sure if I should do 128gb or 256gb
I plan on using my cool galaxy watch 4 with this badboy device! Cheers
I just pre-ordered mine. 128gb stormy black. Gonna put a dbrand skin on it
orlans21 said:
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
gettinwicked said:
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good to know. I'll do that when i get it
orlans21 said:
So it looks like this might be my next phone but I have a few questions
1. Is it still worth it to have my samsung galaxy watch 4? I know there are a few features that you lose if you dont have a samsung device like ECG and body measurement features.
2. Is it going to be better to get the pro instead of waiting til next year to get the s21 ultra because I was thinking about that as well since the price might come down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bought the phone but I dont have it yet. But that is interesting to hear. Maybe make a post about it in the GW4 forums
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That maybe android 12 issue rather then phone
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same setup as you. I don't have this issue at all. Maybe occasionally after a reboot I'll have to go the app and hit connect, but it's quick to do so.
Overall, I think the experience is what I hoped for.
BabeShaq said:
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. It does seem like a good time to join the Pixel family. Only device I've seen previously is my partner, who has a Pixel 4a, which I've used a bit, and I found it to be a impressive device.
I'll stick with it for now, maybe do a factory reset without restoring from a backup, go in fresh, and maybe that will help with this problem.
orlans21 said:
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life has been strange for me on the device - sometimes it's unbelievably good, other times, it seems to drain quite fast. But I haven't really kept track of my usage on those days, so it could have been something I'm doing sometimes to drain it fast.
ailinmcc666 said:
Battery life has been strange for me on the device - sometimes it's unbelievably good, other times, it seems to drain quite fast. But I haven't really kept track of my usage on those days, so it could have been something I'm doing sometimes to drain it fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can drain fast if you have weak cell service and its also adaptive battery so it could be learning your usage
gettinwicked said:
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do u need a computer? If yes. Then Is not"simple". Lol
ajftl said:
Do u need a computer? If yes. Then Is not"simple". Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really is dude. You turn on adb debugging on the watch, connect to it via wifi, put in like 3 commands and done. Also, if you're in XDA, this is probably the most simple thing you do to devices.
Adb connect 'ip'
Adb -s install 'ip' watch4.xxx
Adb disconnect 'ip'
Done
I have no issue with pairing. Phone and watch work good together.